a funny week

Went to Geelong last Saturday night, after a rehearsal that afternoon. The rehearsal went well, but we didn't want to exhaust K too much. Went to her parent's house first, hung out there for a little while, then the drive to Geelong..which wasn't so bad. Turned up to St J's early, which I kinda like. Had a little play; hung out for a while, met a few new people. We were announced out of order. That was weird......but we went on anyway. We were going well, but then the cadenza came, and there was some memory lapse. Oh well, these things happen. It's just what we learn from it, and how we learn to react. She wasn't too shattered by it, which was good. Although I think it would have been nice to get through to the next round. But that's ok. Like I maintain, it's about what we learn from it. How to improve for next time, and the time after that and after that; repeat ad libitum. We went out in Geelong that night with her parents and A and T (I finally met him! Yay!). I had been craving lemon meringue tart for about two weeks (in which I told K I had been for those two weeks), so we shared one. It just hit the spot. It was a lovely little place; if I came from Geelong, I think it would be a delightful venue for a 21st...! Or some other party....anyway, drove back to Melbourne that night, it was a pretty long day. But fun nevertheless. :)

We had two tables worth of people last Sunday night. It was most impressive.
And the person who's always gunning to break the record wasn't even there, poor thing..!

Then it was time to knuckle down for Micro study. I mean, I had already started studying for it and all, but Monday was the last day to cram it all in. I made some sense of it, I think. Well, it certainly felt like it before the exam. The exam was....HARD. I think everybody found it hard. Oh well, it's over, and there's nothing I can do about it now, is there? But I'm winging it on i) part marks for working/effort etc. ii) lots of people who don't know much about Micro. Right?

Had a rehearsal after the Micro exam. After stopping by the shops, of course (it's all about multitasking! Like now, studying for International Trade Policy, and blogging, and listening to Glenn Gould!). We were all pretty buggered, although I think I was the least so, even though I'd just exhausted my brain with an exam! Oh well. I was pretty excited that Micro was over, so that I could 'enjoy' the rest of the week of other high-pressure activities involving piano. Still enjoyable.

Went to the joint farewell party of H/G/D/V/A. It was much fun. And it was nice to see a whole bunch of Med friends that I hadn't seen in a little while. Good just to hang out with a cool bunch of people and enjoy their company. It's sad...I won't be seeing a bunch of them for a while; some are going overseas, some will be more busy/less time to devote to things like Apollo. :(
I have appreciated their contributions, and probably more touching, their friendship. I often think about my role in Apollo, and even though I head up the choir in an official role, becuase I'm about their age, I sometimes feel more like a friend rather than their director. Feels a little weird sometimes, but it's also a good thing.

Had a recording session on Wednesday for my AYO application. It didn't go as well as I'd hoped, but it was an interesting experience to do anyway. We'll see. I'm not incredibly hopeful of going to Adelaide over the summer, but I suppose I can only wait to find out the result. And yeah, there is only.....one pianist in an orchestra. The odds to start off with are fairly slim...
But I felt so privileged, I could have picked between the two Steinways on offer. That's not a luxury most people my age get....!
Worked that night at Melba (back to the Con!), at the Impressaria concert, which was fun. If there are jobs that I do like (that don't pay that well in comparison to playing piano), they'd preferably have something to do with music that I do enjoy. :) It's pretty exciting....

Had my tech exam on Thursday, which went alright. It was just super-loud, because the piano was. And the walls are thin. So the guy next door was playing a sombre Bach while I played scherzino-like Chopin, as well as dramatic Chopin. Must have been an interesting mix..! I thought in the middle of it, "Hang on, why aren't you nervous? This is the bit you have to concentrate extra on!" I hate having those dialogues in the middle of performances.....! But my examiner was really nice, he just let me do my own thing in my own time. The distracting part was when he was writing: I could hear the pen, but wasn't sure whether they were good or bad comments..! Gah...Oh well, that was a fairly non-traumatic exam, phew!

Went out that night with the girls for dinner, which was lovely. We haven't hung out all together in a while, we mostly do it in sub-groups, but you know, that happens. cool.
Then watched a movie at home (About a Boy, haven't seen that in ages...) which was amusing at the very least...!

Had chamber music exam yesterday. Now, this requires a bit of explanation.....
Practiced a bit in the morning. Then had to go to the shops to buy a ribbon to wear that afternoon. Thought I might do a bit of supermarket grocery shopping at the same time. I asked my housemate if she thought I was weird for "going to the shops even though I have an exam this afternoon". She replied with "Well, it means that you're pretty damn ready". Which I was. And also, chamber music is a group effort, yeah?!
We met for lunch, then warmed up. Left PLENTY of time to get there. Like, 45mins.
And one of the examiners was late. Because the office had told her that her lunch break was from 1-2pm, rather than 1-1.40pm. So the group that was scheduled to be at 1.40? They were pushed back till 2pm. Which was our time.
And the most amazing thing was that so many people turned up! I knew we'd invited 111 people (at last official count), and I knew some people were coming, but I didn't expect that many people to actually turn up! So, because we were running late, most people also watched the quintet before us (which they were very appreciative of, the audience I mean..).

Most chamber music exams and groups are lucky if they have five people (besides the two examiners) come and watch and listen.


We had about

THIRTY.

It was massive. It was like the size of the audience at the end of a super-long Concert Class that has run overtime.

It was so exciting. I was blown away. And I'm glad some people could make it, because i) some of my friends hadn't seen me play piano (even if they theoretically knew that I did...) ii) some people were very busy and took time out to come see us iii) some had never been to the Con/Melba for a performance.

I was listening to a (fairly good!) recording J's parents made from the performance.....and yeah, it was interesting hearing us play (I always have this thing where after a performance it tends to blur a bit in my mind), but the most heart-warming part was that at the end, there was a significant amount of people who applauded! Like a real audience! Unlike the awkward applause you get when there's only two people in an audience! It was so exciting.

Anyway, that was the chamber music exam. I was exhausted after it, because it's a fairly large work that needs a lot of energy. Which we gave. We went to Deep Dish afterwards to have something to eat and drink (muchly needed!) with some of our posse, which was fun. Then went out last night for dinner with the trio and some associated friends, which was lots of fun. And good to eat out! Which is kinda what I've been doing all week, but anyway.....Then had a rehearsal that started at 9.30pm. I know, weird, but it was the only time the majority of us could be there...I went home pretty tired all up.....

then today I had the funniest gig so far (ever?!)
See, on Wednesday, I ran into my teacher at the Con, and we were talking about all sorts of things, such as the fact that she was on the panel for YPA in Brisbane last week. And about the playing of those people. And how I'd sent her a message that she was quite touched by. And how she was in the middle of replying to me, but got distracted by her daughter...! (she even went into her drafts message folder to show me...!) And then after the recording, she saw me again, and complained that I didn't pick up my phone (It was on silent! I was recording..!) but asked me this weird set of questions...:
"what are you doing friday night?"
"Do you know melbourne storm?"
"do you read chords?"

Anyway, the gist was that a singer had called her up to play for her, as this singer had been asked to sing some pre-show entertainment at the Melbourne Storm (vs. Nth Qld Cowboys) match this evening at Olympic Park. Yes, that's right, classical musos at the rugby league. I had to laugh. So, I was picked up and taken to Olympic Park, was given a backstage pass (woo!), and then taken through to the changerooms. Then we had a soundcheck; we were positioned up on the little stage just in front of the field, set up with the sound system and what not. It was pretty cool. We were well looked after, there was plenty of food and drink; we were in the changerooms with the cheerleaders and mascots, whereupon I tried to study for International Trade Policy. A wanted to take a photo to send to my mum to show her that I was actually studying, and not just going out! (And just for the irony of the situation and all...!) We did get a photo with the Storm mascot though, which was pretty cool (we should have gotten one with Boom as well...). I felt pretty special, being led through by those management people who were called on to look after us (those ones with microphones and headpieces), and what not. And being taken to the corporate suite and all. I was amazed at how much detail goes into such an event (one football match..!), the timing of everything was down to the last minute (I kid you not..!), and everything rolls with all this communication in earpieces.
Anyway, much fun was had. The rest stayed to watch the match from the Corporate Suite, but I wanted to meet some friends for dinner, so I nicked off. Admittedly, I did need somebody to show me where to go; she was really nice, walked me out and showed me directions there, and gave me her number just in case I got lost (listed as 'Help' in my phone....!).

We met up, but wandered around Southbank for the longest time trying to find somewhere to eat! The lesson we learn from this is just to stick to the original plan.....or otherwise, just decide on something and wait. Particularly on a Friday or Saturday night, because everywhere is going to be busy. The thing that really struck me was that Melbourne is really busy on the weekend! I knew this was the case, but every so often, I see it again....particularly at restaurants. I see why they say it's Australia's food capital. As well as the shopping capital. And cultural captial. and Sporting capital. And piano city......haha is there anything Melbourne doesn't want to claim?
Anyway, we finally got food, wandered around a little more. Wanted to get cake. Then wanted to go get hot chocolate.
It was all a little complex, and we DEFINITELY learnt about sticking to decisions, and that we are all pretty indecisive. (remember, I sometimes make decisions for myself; I can fairly easily make decisions for other people though...!)

It was a fun night, even if it did involve much walking, hunger pangs and much indecisiveness. Oh well. :)
Maybe one time we'll actually get to go up Eureka tower....

right, I should be studying for International Trade Policy.....it's the last exam (finally!) but I don't quite know what's going on, and based on my mid-semester, I think I need to study a LOT..!!!

Hermit Mode

Hermit Mode probably describes me best during SWOTVAC and Exams. Because I usually hole myself up in my room, in a practice room, or in the library trying to study (ie. cram) for exams.
But of course, not before the conclusion of the semester brings a flurry of appointments, deadlines, people to see, things to do and other busy-ness.
It would probably be fair to say that most of May (and I suppose, most of the semester) was like that.
A brief run-down of May/early June so far (which hasn't already been alluded to, hopefully):
7 performances (of varying sorts...)
1 camp
5 dinner appointments
3 birthday parties (I didn't make it to two)
1 return trip in the Wiggles van
1 church camp
1 ushering job
2 microeconomics assignments
1 minimalism assignment
2 exams (oh, there are 4 more to go...)
2 lessons with another piano teacher
3 chamber music tutes
1 musical theatre show
1 MSO concert
1 AYO application
2 AYO excerpts
2 AYO excerpts with errors

It has been an interesting month or two of late.
I swing between being unenthusiastic, indifference, to musing about random things, to psyched up about various things. It doesn't make sense to me.

The state of my room has degraded to the floor space being taken up by books, files and previous days' newspapers. Not that the state of the room started out at a very neat level but it was the intention. I haven't even started studying for ITP just yet (it's on the 26th) - and I know I'm not very good at it. It will take MUCH revising and reading......
Just like Microeconomics. I really am not enjoying commerce as much as I thought I would. I thought a few years ago, that I just had to get through that year, because I was taking pre-requisite subjects, compulsory subjects, and that it'd be better in the near future because then I could take things I really wanted to take. But now I'm taking subjects to fulfill a major requirement. I'm not sure it's what I expected.
And the things I really want to take centre around Music, particularly playing as much piano as possible, and other practical activities. With a healthy smattering of techniques (including orchestration and the like) and history.

I've been listening to much 'classical' music lately, out of choice. I always listened to a lot. But now I'm choosing the things I listen to, when I study. Or want to have something to listen to. Am I getting too involved?!

I don't really know what I'm doing. I don't really know where I'm heading.

I often don't really know what to say. I sometimes feel like I have nothing intelligent to contribute to discussion, so I let it wash over me. I hope people don't mistake it for ignorance or stupidity, I'm only trying to absorb it all.

I hate turning down amazing opportunities.
But sometimes I have to.
I'm trying to have no regrets - it can be difficult.

I can't wait to play my technical exam. I can't wait to play my chamber music exam. I'm excited (though nervous) about recording my audition. I'm also excited but also a little nervous about the competition (which isn't even mine...!). I get excited about working at Impresaria.
They all have piano in common.
I wonder if I will continue to grow in enjoyment of music, or whether it will fizzle out in the future. I hope it's the former.

I often struggle to define myself much past my faith and music.

I realise that my friends don't see me as boring. But I fear that I often come across as that. Because of the above statement.

There's something that needs to be physically filled. Many try though they don't realise it. But I'll know when it's done. I'm not sure whether my reaction will be to be relieved or an outpouring of emotion or a stupid grin on my face. Perhaps all of them, simultaneously.



enough soul-bearing.
back to being a hermit...(ironically??)

Vue de Monde - 30 May 2008

a copy of my review from www.yetanotherreview.blogspot.com

"a dining experience that cannot be created at home, encompassing this through food, service and ambience"

My expectation was high - I had been told this was one of the most known restaurants in Melbourne, and one that was highly creative. From the moment I walked through the door, the service was impeccable and polite. We were being expected, shown to our seats, our coats taken.

I was a little surprised that we had a number of waiters throughout our visit, and all got to know us in the few hours we were there. We were first introduced to the concept of a degustation menu. Essentially, one does not order from a menu; instead, we specify what we don't eat, and let the chef create a dining experience tailored to our tastes. So, there we waited anticipatedly while nervously commenting that we weren't "that adventurous".

We opened with something to amuse the tastebuds.
Now, I must apologise in advance for being unable to remember exactly everything we dined on tonight - there was much to remember.....! And please note, I am using the website of this restaurant to help me out here....

So, to begin....the Amuse Bouche, consisting of a delicately balanced (on a champagne glass, no less!) lettuce leaf with a quail yolk (and more stuff I cannot remember!); inside the glass was a warm soup that was so full of flavour. But don't ask me what it was.....

The first course was Saumon aux Epices, which displayed three different ways of presenting and tasting salmon: salmon jerky with toasted brioche, smoked salmon vale, and sterling caviar with a fish emulsion. This was surprisingly interesting, with the same flavour being presented in three very different textures.

Secondly was their special dish, a Mushroom Risotto with White truffle sauce. This was like no other mushroom risotto, so rich, and made with brown rice. The white truffle sauce (though green.... :P ) added the extra tang to take away a bit from the richness of this dish.

The third course saw our table deviating from each other, as some of us preferred no game meat (or red meat). So, there was powdered (frozen) duck liver with a sauce of some description and we had a dish that explored the textures and flavours of cannelloni using different ingredients...
So, there was a mascapone roll wrapped in tomato jelly, more tomato bits..(wow, my memory is failing me...). But this dish really did explore the different textures, which was most interesting.

The fourth course was a visual feast, a Bouillabaisse 'en cinq minutes' et tartare d'ecrivisse, a 5-minute bouillabaisse with tartare of crayfish, buffalo milk skin, with rich flavours of saffron. This was made at the table in a coffee maker, which boiled the soup to 80 degrees celcius at which time the soup rose to the upper chamber, which contained flavours for the soup - crayfish, mussel, celery, saffon, more stuff I don't remember.......there it boiled for a few minutes, then cooled and then returned to the lower chamber, the soup now full of flavour and ready to be served. In our plates was a buffalo milk skin and crayfish with saffron, over which the soup was poured. The soup was tenderly light, but so full of flavour.

The fifth course, for those adventurous enough, was Eclinaison de boeuf, displaying different cuts and textures of beef - a checkerboard of white polenta and beef shin, crispy chilli intercostal, tataki of sirloin, and confit flank with a pumpkin and yuzu stuffed baby squash. For those of us not really into red meat, we had red mullet that was stuffed with crab meat, and wrapped in carrot spaghetti, accomapnied with a red mullet soup sauce, and a roasted fennel with some other dressing I cannot remember, and orange dust.


So, five savoury courses, but what restaurant would stop there?

A palette cleanser of golden kiwifruit in peppermint jelly (so infused with alcohol.....) on top of a champagne something with raspberries with lychee ice. And that wasn't dessert....

Then there was pre-dessert, some Pullet Eggs, which came delivered in a half-dozen egg carton per person (okay, three of the eggs were 'fake'), but the other three contained delicious flavours of white chocolate and orange mousse, pistachio eggnog and prune & some alochol thing...(don't ask me, I don't know differences...). This was probably one of the most interesting presentation modes, and most intelligent too!

Then there was dessert, whereupon we were asked what we preferred, and whether we "all liked chocolate". Again, differential desserts for our table were brought out...
a traditional French souffle, straight out of the oven,
and a chocolate mousse served on a bed of lemon base, with a white chocolate disc (to match the shape of the bowl...), with Tasmanian berries, all with a berry oil/coulis. The topping was hot, and poured on top of the white chocolate disc in order to make the chocolate melt in a pattern, which decorated the mousse beautifully. Again, another amazing feat of dessert presentation, and a dynamic one at that. This was incredibly rich, though a beautiful mix of different flavours.


Tea and coffee followed, as in most restaurants, served with petit fours, including interesting choices such as a nougat topped with a carrot salad, a mini pavalova with mango dressing, a pineapple and lychee creation encased in peppermint jelly, and a chocolate covered (almost salty) liquid caramel decorated with gold leaf.


Yes, I ate so many things I wouldn't in my normal life: fennel, gold leaf, caviar, berries, kiwifruit, truffles, boullabaise. Wow.

The service throughout the night was amazing - so attentive, yet with no feeling of being watched. Our glasses of water were constantly kept topped up, our plates cleared efficiently, our napkins nicely folded and replaced on our laps if we left the table. The waiters who served us were knowledgable and polite, catering to all our needs. The restaurant is really quite beautiful, and featured a mirror above the main preparation space to allow patrons to watch the assembly of their meal. The staff were helpful, well-presented and professional, attending to every detail of all the diners, with a particular focus on presentation of all things.

This was an incredibly satisfying yet adventurous meal, something that was definitely very unique and memorable. I would suggest taking your time with either lunch or dinner; the degustation menu is most interesting, and if you're up for a challenge and intriguing meal, this is definitely a good choice.

sometimes

the good things aren't always easy. sometimes it's because they're hard that they're good.

and sometimes we have friends because we find it hard to talk to God.

and sometimes all you have to do is ask.

up and down

....on an emotional shoestring

been running into a lot of people (mostly at uni) recently. it's nice. sometimes i stop for a chat. other times not, but that's cool too. it's the hi that's nice :)

went to the first part of a masterclass given by Bart van Oort, one of the world's most renowned fortepianists. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay as I had a lecture, but I should have just skipped it (I fell asleep anyway...), and listened to it on the web, and stayed for the rest of the class. Oh well, not much I can do now....

Had a number of rehearsals in the past few weeks. I suppose nothing new though...
last week, I counted that I had seven rehearsals in the week. Of all sorts. If these go for an average of 2hrs each, that's 14hrs! That is as much uni as I go to! No wonder I feel like so much of my week is given to uni activities (although not all of is uni related, admittedly...)

Actually spent one Friday night at home. A very rare occurence for me. But had an audition the next day - had to get out to Elsternwick for 9.45am. It was a pretty cool adventure, as I'd never been there. Then hung out for a little while, as I waited for the next audition. Then walked with J along the main street there, which was very cute. Stopped at a lovely bakery and this really nice girl served us. And by really nice, I mean that she wasn't pushy, but she was really helpful too. And just lovely. I like that kind of service. :)
I met somebody who knew a friend of mine, and got to act as an intermediary. It was pretty cool. I like that role, really :)

Had a 21st that night; it was pretty cool - Barbie themed. You can see the photos if you know where to look.....everybody looked fantastic, it was such a great (and funny!) idea. And the guys, I was impressed!

Missed Rowing Day, but didn't really mind about it. I figure, three years, plus had a 21st the night before. It was a good day to catch up on stuff, particularly as I spent the previous day running around Melbourne, getting ready for this party, and generally was quite unproductive.

Played in the soiree on Monday night with L. It went pretty well. She's preparing for the Geelong Advertiser Comp (regional section). It was a busy week....

Tuesday night: saw James Blunt at Rod Laver (the review can be found at Yet Another Review so I don't have to repeat myself..) Just got his new album from the network. Admittedly, some expletives in there, but overall, a good album. There are some really awesome songs! Not really sure what I think of him in general, but some of his music is not too bad!

Wednesday night: Queen's Ball. This was pretty good - I was pleasantly surprised by the music choices (in the previous few years, I haven't really enjoyed it....), and the venue was beautiful, though somewhat out of the way, but thankfully accessible by public transport). Came home that night fairly early (got home at about 12.30..?) and wrote my draft lead sheet for my jazz assignment. [I handed in the final thing today and my tutor was like "This is fantastic. The harmonies are well-thought out. As an assignment it's fantastic." (musically, there was one thing he didn't agree with, but that was a matter of opinion) I didn't tell him the basic harmony and melody were written at some unlikely hour....although I find in the past few years, I've had amazing creative ideas at such wee hours....mostly techniques ones, and have found the overwhelming urges to harmonise chorales, or write creative pieces for assignments, or had the overwhelming urge to transcribe parts at a weird hour...]

Thursday: well, I only had five hours sleep. Then woke up to do a little bit of practice and then head off to a 9.30am Melba Hall rehearsal. Then to play in Concert Class.....(probably not the best idea on my part, for the night before...). This was finally the chance we got to play the Sextet for All Years. Except that there were about 40 people who missed it because they were standing outside. I should have started later.. :( Oh well...it's the past now....
But there were good comments, and I had lots of fun doing it. One of the msot enjoyable collaborations, I think. Had dinner with K, M and J that night, because J and I couldn't go to M's going away thing the night before. We went Vietnamese - it was fantastic. Then we thought it'd be a good idea to get gelate. It was FREEZING! But so much fun. :) Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to M (like, for three months..! sniff..!). But then we had a Arutiunian rehearsal, which was good.

Had my first weekend off (in four weeks!) It was quite wonderful. Went out for dinner on the Sat with H and R to Stalactites, which was wonderful. I'd heard lots about the place, but hadn't actually tried it yet. We stayed for a while (ok, so we started late...), but that place is open 24/7, so I suppose it's easy to lose sense of time if you're having a good time and chatting, because they won't kick you out! But I had time on the weekend to clean, do some chores, and even to bake..!

Unfortunately, got sick this week.
So, cancelled a few social engagements, which makes me sad because I like social engagements :P
[As A said, "What do you mean a 'maybe'??? This is you, the 'I'm so social' one! How can you be only a 'maybe' for my birthday??!?!?!?" Hahaha...]
Felt pretty gross and snotty, but you know, had to go to some things eg. last rehearsals.....but otherwise, limiting myself to the very necessary.

Will be playing in class four times in four weeks. The more I think about it, the more intense it is. I hope people don't get sick of me! I hope that person that wrote comments like "Your playing is BEAUTIFUL" writes more of that. Or maybe that lots of people think that :) K made a comment last night "You're doing pretty well for youself, on piano, that is." I was a bit confused by this, actually. Because I think "There are heaps of people much better than me. I'm doing ok, but you know, just ok. It's good."


Unfortunately haven't had piano lesson for two weeks now. The first one was cancelled by me. The 2nd one by my teacher because she had the 'flu. Probably the best thing.....even though I also got sick. I'm just not sure how I'm going....but she always reassures me that I'll be more than prepared for my exam. I took great heart from her when I called her to cancel my lesson....I said that I hadn't had such a great week (which was true, mostly because I hadn't felt my practice was productive, nor had I had much time to devote to it...), and she asked all sorts of things like "Are you ok? How is piano going? Is it your practice that is getting you down? What are you working on now? How is uni going in general? How is commerce going?" and then she proceded to tell me that she had confidence in me, and that I was one of her best students. I worry, but smiled too. Worry because I know I'm not the best. But I don't mind not being the best - that's a tough call..!

Booked (well, not me, but S) tickets to Tasmania for after-exams. Yay! Besides music tour in 2001 (ok, which is slightly 'contrived', in terms of who goes), and exchange to USA with a friend (who initially was a girl I went to school with, but became a friend), I've never been on a trip with friends. So this will be lots of fun. There's 7 (possibly 8) of us hanging out for just under a week. It should be awesome. It's a good group of people, we'll get to spend time with each other - and I genuinely do enjoy hanging out with each of these people, and can't wait to get to know them even better. I think there could be something beautiful about these friendships!

Now I just have to get through the last two weeks (and one day) plus exams before then.......
there is much hard work to be put in......

A Closed Chapter

As of this afternoon, after the Music Students' Society AGM, I am no longer the Vice-President of the MSS. This is a decision I came to a while ago, that I would not run again for office. Essentially, I have little time as it is, and feel that these positions require time to dedicate to ensure the club runs successfuly. Today represents the end of two years on the MSS committee, a time I have greatly enjoyed. I started as the Combined Degrees Representative in the 2006-2007 term, after which the positions were constitutionally altered, and served as Vice-President in the 2007-2008 term. The most recent committee was one I enjoyed the most, with a healthy mix of mostly combined degree students who quickly became friends (if they weren't already).
This committee were enthusiastic, had ideas, ran events successfully and were incredibly active in promoting the presence of the student society throughout the faculty. It has maintained the strong financial position that it was left in (even better?!) and increased membership and awareness.
To all who formed the committee for 2007-2008, I am grateful for your friendship, and you have been wonderful to work with. I appreciate your enthusiasm, your organisation, willingness and sense of fun. I will miss the 'mofo', feeling popular with emails from various committee members replying all, knowing almost everything ;), cooking sausages, sitting in on things and learning the ins and outs of what's going on. I will smile at the memories - short meetings, feeling popular, buying $$$ of stuff, carting watermelons, wearing cool t-shirts, standing behind the BBQ, handing out pizza, knowing stuff.

ridiculous

Some of these are,
some aren't.
Go nuts. Be amused.


I:


Want to marry a Scottish guy so I can have a wedding on a hill on Scotland, where he'll wear his clan's tartan, and have bagpipes to walk up a hill to. Hahahaha.

Enjoy my music degree much more than I thought I would.

Don't enjoy my commerce degree as much as I thought I would.

Wished I didn't look so retarded when playing (social!) soccer...

Once wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, marine biologist or architect.
Or a lecturer in something at a top uni like Cambridge, Harvard or Oxford.
[that is essentially quoted from the age of 12, my primary school year book..]
Hmmm....

Wished I kept playing violin.

Have a really weird body shape. I think so anyway.
Which surprisingly, doesn't include hollow legs. Well, I don't think so anyway...

Often feel disillusioned with lots of things.

Sometimes wonder why I'm doing what I'm doing. And whether it's all worth it.
Or whether I'm only doing it because I don't know what else to do. Or because I think I might be ok at it.
Because I fear that I won't be good at anything else.

Sometimes wish I smiled more just because. Not because I had something happen to me that made me smile, even though I appreciate those so much.

Worry a lot about that I don't think my life will ever take a path that I would like to imagine.


Love everything life is throwing at me.
.
.
.
.
.
But sometimes wish I could trade it in for somebody else's.

happy times

I had a fantastic weekend.

I haven't been able to say that in a while, I think!
This is not to say I didn't enjoy my own 21st, but the general happy feeling wasn't prolonged over the entire weekend like this one was.

The thing I appreciated most about it was that I got to hang out quite a lot with a special bunch of friends (not that you're not special!) - some I see quite a bit, some not so, some who I know better, some who I don't, but would like to.

The roadtrip to Geelong was lots of fun. We stopped by McDonald's, dressed up to the nines...getting the sufficient stares that our outfits asked for. It was freezing, we endure it! We got a little lost in Geelong, looked for the Yacht Club, found it. Started the party (because you know, the party does really start when we get there!) Had a lovely night at the 21st - was heaps of fun. Enjoyed the speeches very much. Roadtrip back was also fun, highlighted by going through Drive-Thru at Macca's to get a number of ice-cream sundaes! It would have sucked if the person had told us "Sorry, our soft serve machine is currently out of order." Haha.
B refused to let anybody (especially me, by poking and a high whiny voice..) sleep because he couldn't. I see.....

Slept in on Sunday morning (kinda by accident; I did set an alarm, and hit snooze a couple of times, and then tried to reset the time, although it looks like that failed, because I was awoken by the Ormond bell at 9am..!!!) Did a bit of work (tiny tiny bit!) before going to the shops to get some food supplies. Went to Princes Park to have a picnic with some church friends yay! We were sufficiently picnic-food-stocked, which was good. Some people went to extravagant lengths, so impressive...the culinary delights did indeed delight...
Then was the soccer...

I really hadn't intended on playing. I maintained that I look retarded when I play....and was given the tip about diving, "an 'important' part of the game". But I somehow managed to be convinced to play soccer. Me. Play. Soccer.

Since when?!?!

Anyway, so there I was. Even prior to the match, I was doing my thing...and managed to fall squarely on my butt. Haha. It was pretty funny.

Until this morning, when I woke up with a sore back...not so funny.
But still amusing. Haha.

Anyway. Soccer.
I was probably worth about half a player, given my (lack of) skill.....thank goodness for some stars like 'Hog' (affectionately termed by T), and star H with good support from S. I must have been there for decoration.

So, the review of the match. The yellow team smelt (literally) because of the bibs they were wearing (they were actually really stinky...); in terms of their soccer though, they were quite good! They were dominating for the whole match. But we, the un-bibbed managed to put some strong defence in, and the occasional offence, drawing the match even. And for the highlight.....I even scored a goal! Admittedly, it was just a case of slotting it in....everybody else set it up, I was just an accessory. Remember? Don't play soccer....
I missed a couple of golden opportunities, just didn't really know what to do with my legs, I'm that retarded....! Oh well...

We all needed the rest after it (half time..?!?!)....whereupon I thought it'd be a great idea to play by myself again. Haha. At least I didn't fall on my butt this time...but S taught me some cool skills. Well, they're kinda basic, but you see, I was lacking in the basics, to they were pretty cool to me!

Anyway, some well-needed rest followed. Seriously well-needed. I was already a little sore, but not too bad. Church that night was great, our music team was on; we had a new song to learn, which was cool. Met some awesome people, who were a bunch of fun...there were some pretty funny quotes and moments from last night...


But the 'happy times' title comes from the fact that I got to spend time with some awesome friends. Again, some I know well, some I don't know as well. And they were good times. I smiled a lot. Even though it hurt a lot today. (Physically, that is!)
And I am so blessed to have friends like these. They're amazing. And I love them all so much.

Amazing

I should point out that the previous post was thanks to Gina, as I stole it from her....

So, this is the long weekend I've been looking forward to for a very long time. Probably since about the end of the Easter holidays. Really, I shouldn't be living holiday to holiday, or weekend to weekend - I should be enjoying every day that I have. But this week has been ridiculously busy. (Nothing's new, but it seemed more so, for some reason...)

I get this question: "Have you recovered from your 21st?" And to tell you the truth, I thought about it and the correct answer is "No." Not because I partied so hard that I feel so ill, but because since that night I haven't really had much sleep anyway. Nor did I have that much prior to it. So, no, I haven't quite recovered.

But as the brief story about it....

I have to begin with thank yous to everybody who helped make the night possible. From the professional staff at Coopers Inn, to everybody who pitched in with cake, speaker requirements, giving opinions, and to all my friends and family who helped me celebrate on the night. I feel incredibly loved, blessed, and oh-so-spoilt! Only yesterday did I clear and put away all my presents....they were sitting out on the couch before, until I had to move them into my room because we had people over. But sititng in my room can get messy...I could barely access one of my cupboards..! Thank you so much for making it a celebration to remember.

Unfortunately it was back into the swing of it after partying hard last weekend (two 21sts, one of them mine..!). Piano lesson: 9am Monday morning. I resisted the urge so difficultly to go out after church on Sunday night ("But you're 21 now! You can do whatever you like! You're grown up now!" Haha..)
Had mid-semester exam during the week.
Two assignments.
One I skipped....don't worry, there are 9 in a semester, of which only 7 count. And last week and this week, I'm missing my 'allocated' two. So I have to keep working hard after that. I think I can do that. Hopefully!

Going to another 21st tonight...should be fun. We're taking the Wiggles van woo!!! All the way to Geelong (well it's not really that far, but should be a fun trip!). With cool people hehe.

I don't know how I'm going to do tomorrow, but I suppose we'll see. I am already exhausted...!

Look out for upcoming performances in Concert Class.....




that didn't sound as busy as I thought it was.....
probably because I didn't do an assignment....would you look at that..?!

I should be studying...

but instead, I am doing this quiz....

Seven (highly avoidable but always overlooked) Sins.

Gluttony

1. Do you think you eat more than you should?
Oh yes. I like food.....and I always grew up having to eat everything on my plate.

2. What is your favorite meal?
All of them! Wow, gluttony already at #2....

3. What did you have for dinner today (or yesterday)?
Pasta that I cooked (out of a packet) because Eakins dinner was bad.

4. What is your favorite dessert?
Anything chocolate...? I like dessert very much.....lemon tart wouldn't go awry either..

5. Can you cook well?
Not really, but muffins I can do. As well as that pasta...and those brownies...

6. Are you a fruit or veggie person?
Mmm, probably rather veggies. I'm such a picky (and very limited) fruit eater...

7. What is your favorite restaurant to go to?
Depends on what I feel like, and who I'm with...

8. Do you feel comfortable with your weight?
Mmm, not bad. Could possibly do with a bit less, but you know...

9. Are you vegetarian or vegan?
I'm a Queen's vegetarian some days....but I do like my meat
(I just don't particularly like preparing it)

10. Describe your normal eating habits.
Breakfast, morning tea/snack, lunch, afternoon snack,
dinner, supper...

Lust

1. How much do you find yourself thinking about sex?
Errr.....not much at all, thank you very much!

2. Are you a virgin?
I'll go with Gina on this one: "Who wants to know?"

3. If not, who did you lose your virginity to and when?
See Q2

4. Do you believe you should be in love to have sex?
You bet!

5. Have you ever cheated on your significant other?
Erm, no. If you know me, you'd know why :)

6. What the first thing you look for in a boy/girl?
Honesty and integrity. My bad, that's two. Surely we all look
at more than one thing first up?!

7. Do you have any special fantasies?
Erm...about what..? The rest of my life?

8. Have you been in lust more than love?
Not really sure...

9. Would you have sex with more than one person?
No diddly way! Err...husband..?!?!

10. Who have you lust for?
Jamie Cullum. Hah. Just kidding. I don't know.

Greed

1. What do you want more than anything right now?
Sleep

2. Does money play an important part of your life?
Yeah, it's important to be able to support yourself financially,
but it's not the most important thing.

3. What are your goals for the future?
Oh, there are so many. Did you mean the realistic ones?

4. Do you think money is more important than love?
I'm with Gina on this one. Definitely not. Love is greatest.

5. If you were given one million dollars right now, what would you do with it?
Spend it on my family and friends. Save a large proportion of it...

6. Has anyone ever called you spoiled or greedy?
Spoiled, due to the collection of presents in my room.

7. Do your parents have a lot of money?
Yes and no. (2nd that, Gina)

8. How much money do you spend in one week?
Depends which week. And how busy it is...

9. Do/would you share with people that are less fortunate?
Yep

10. Have you ever robbed someone?
Erm, no. I don't usually undertake such petty (or possibly violent) crimes...

Sloth

1. Have many people called you lazy?
Not many. Mostly me.

2. How much sleep do you get at night?
During semester, usually about 5.5-6hrs. On the holidays, depending on what's
going on, possibly up to 10..?

3. Do you often take naps in the middle of the day?
Ooh yes! That's how I keep going!

4. What was the most depressing time of your life?
Err, probably teenage years? Those times..!

5. What is the best way to relax?
Spend it with friends doing things you enjoy. Oh, and treating self, such as massage, or a nice bath. Or sleeping :)

6. Would you consider yourself more of a follower or leader?
Mmm, it depends. Both, in different situations. I still, however,
maintain that I am a highly independant person. I think that can work
in either a follower or leader position...

7. Would you consider yourself a caring person?
Yep - well, at least I try to be!

8. What time do you go to bed at night?
I aim for about midnight latest. Often that time is violated...

9. What do you waste most of your time doing?
These sorts of quizzes. Facebooking people. Looking at my photos. Sorting out music.

10. Would you rather go out somewhere or stay home?
Depends on the mood, the people who I'm with, my energy levels..

Wrath

1. Who was the last person you were upset with?
Probably myself.

2. Do you hate anyone?
Mmm, don't think so. Hate is a very strong word.
Dislike strongly - yes.

3. Are you angry a lot?
I'd like to think not. However, I get annoyed quite often.

4. What was the last thing that made you mad?
Mad? That's extreme...can't remember...

5. Have you even been in a physical fight with someone?
Yeah, my brother when we were little...

6. Has there been a time that you wanted to seek revenge?
Yeah, for sure.

7. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Biggest? Well, I have several. Yeah, hypocrites.
And inconsistency (particularly to do with character).
And bad manners/social graces.
Oh, and people that stop in the middle of streets/pathways
when there is a flow of traffic behind them. That's right - you're in the way!
It's not very hard to move to the side to talk to the person
you just saw, or to veer towards the side so that you
can stop! Or people that don't keep to the left when going slowly
(come on, gotta leave room for people to overtake!)
Mind you, this is mostly in reference to walking...

8. How do you express your anger and frustration?
Rant to a friend (sorry..!) or put it away.

9. Is it easy for you to forgive?
I suppose it depends on what. I try to forgive as much as I would like to be
forgiven myself, because I know I'm not perfect. And also because
I know I've been forgiven for the biggest screw-ups I've ever done, and will ever do.

Envy
1. Who are you most jealous of?
Ah, many people for many different reasons.

2. What is something you want that your best friend has?
Erm, not really sure. I suppose I'd have to define 'best friend' first, hey..?

3. What is one thing you think you are lacking in life?
Sufficient sleep

4. Do you think of yourself as an envious person?
Yes, to a certain extent.

5. How would you consider yourself lucky?
Mmm, I don't think I consider it luck. Again, thanks Gina, 'blessed'. Very much so.

6. Unlucky?
Not at all.

7. Have you ever felt sorry for yourself?
Yes, hasn't everybody?

8. Overall, do you think you have everything you need?
Materially? Yes. Otherwise? In theory, yes. In reality, not quite yet....

9. Is there anyone that has been envious of you?
I don's see any reason why so!

10. Do you want a better life than what you have?
I think we all dream about that. That's what dreams are, yes?
But who are we to keep dreaming and not living the life we have been given?

Pride

1. What is your best physical feature?
A consistent photo smile. Haha.

2. What do you like most about your personality?
I'm incredibly persistent, and also have this quirk called "organisational freakism".
It puts me in fairly good stead when doing a million
and one things simultaneously.

3. How much time do you take to get ready in the morning?
Including a shower and breakfast, and a sleep in...
could be as short as half an hour.

4. Do you wear a lot of make-up?
Not really. Most of it comes out when I have some reason for it, such as
going out or being photographed... :P

5. How often do you go shopping?
Grocery shopping? About once every two weeks? Perhaps
interspersed when something I need runs out...

6. Are your looks very important to you?
Yes, but only to a certain extent.
Of course, the minimum is to look presentable and decent!

7. Would you ever like to be a model?
No way.

8. What could be improved about your body?
Get some height. Reallocation of some

9. Do you think that you’re better than others?
In general? No. At a few things (eg. playing the piano? Over some ppl, for
example, those who aren't learning or haven't learnt, then yes.)

10. What is your most embarrassing moment?

Oh, there are a few, but definitely not hideously embarrassing, I think.
Highlights include...
crying in class in Grade 4 after being told off
and being so embarrassed in yr 7 during debating that I blushed
through the entire thing.

amusing

a few people have asked me what i want for my birthday.
and to tell you the truth, i honestly haven't thought about it.
and i when i try to think about it, i really think i have everything i need. i think so anyway.
well, even though i complain that i don't enough stuff, i remember that i am blessed and so fortunate with everything i have.
but for the sake of convenience, and pointers just in case you all wanted to read and sneakily do something, but for the record, i don't advocate it.

and i know this is going to sound like i'm planning my wedding....

*massages at the sports clinic. with the physio. (have you musicians ever gone for them? amazing! especially if you're like me, and get really tense after practice)
*a bag that can hold A4 folders quite comfortably, but not a backpack, like a Krumpler bag?!?! Or something else? I have no idea...so that I can go to piano classes/concerts/rehearsals with my music in it. but particularly to concerts, so I don't look like a bogan hah.
*a device for recording my playing. Like, a minidisc thingy? Or something that records as an mp3 file? something that has good quality sound (so a good microphone)...mm, CD quality. like minidisc. i really should look at what models my friends have because they seem to have done well...
*i love books and CDs.....
although i often don't have time to read :(

and things that i wouldn't normally pick out for myself. but things that my friends pick because they see something else....

*A piano. :) haha. just kidding.





well, not really. but too expensive. Haha.

Wow, I realise that these are all music-related. How sad....!

no really, as I said, I really have everything I NEED.....my life is incredibly rich and full, in my opinion.

unless you're buying me time......that i would appreciate with more than open arms.. :P


really, all i want is for you guys (who are able) to come and celebrate with me, and remind me how amazing and how blessed my last 21 years have been. whether i've known you for all 21, or three weeks, or anything in-between.

A random collection of things I've done

okay, so it's been a while. but here we go. in no particular order (well, we'll see..)

on friday 4th april, i went to participate in a psychology study. the postgrad student is exploring perfect pitch, and whether there exists a spectrum of abilities. now, i already know i have absolute pitch, so i figured that i might be able to help out - i figure that there's so few people in this world that have it (something like 0.01% of the population) that i might as well help out if i'm able to. it was kinda fun. this is the 2nd study i've taken part in exploring perfect pitch (various aspects of it), and the people have always been really nice.

we finally found out our chamber music tutor, but as anticipated, it is very hard to find a mutually convenient time for four people. we have just one time so far, and hopefully it goes well.

had a good music training day at church. learnt some stuff, although i felt quite alone because i am the only 'instrument' per se. perhaps i should whip out a new instrument every time we play. just to confuse everybody. at least it'd be amusing. :)

had the 3mbs recital as well. the bakery was good... :)
the playing, not so haha. oh well, it went alright, but we knew we could have done better. oh well, stuff happens. but it was fairly enjoyable, and fairly cruisy. and apparently doesn't sound as bad as we thought it did. sorry that non-local people couldn't listen in to it because the server was down...i will try to get that recording.

had a couple of dinner appointments last week....one was a bunch of (mostly) wyverns plus extras. we all traipsed over; it was the first time most of us had been there; we have a fantastic time, the company was wonderful, the food was great, and the conversation entertaining. we were most impressed. we all raved about how great a time we had for the next week - it was that good.

the other one was held at my place, with three of my close friends. i cooked (eek....although it turned out well!) which i did enjoy quite a lot. dessert was almost experimental, though fool-proof (it comes from the women's weekly receipe books.....triple tested!) and turned out fantastically. i have decided (although a while ago..) that if you know, uni didn't work out for me, i'd go into dessert production. haha. it's all about presentation - this i also observe from my uncle. we had a fun evening, i laughed so much, the boys didn't need any provoking at all. that is one of my secret sources of amusement. :)

and talking about cakes and uncles, my aunt and uncle (and parents) have generously organised a cake for my 21st, so that i don't have to bake 100 cupcakes...! they just asked when and where the party is and whether i would be able to pick it up. easy peasy....

my trios are going well. although the viola trio often struggles to find a mutually convenient time for us all...the violin one had a rehearsal on friday morning just gone. it went well. we had intended to ask if we could play in class, but due to this new system of signing up, we weren't able to guarantee us a spot. however, we'd heard on the grapevine that the original quintet were unable to play, and also that the replacement quintet were also unable to play. so we jumped on the opportunity to do so. and luckily so, because the class was taken by none other than barry tuckwell. he's awesome!!! go look on wikipedia if you haven't heard of him. he had good things to say to us, to help us out.

i actually played in piano class on monday. it was 3rd and 4th yrs performance class. i decided to get up and do it, because it was one of the least-pressure piano classes that were going to exist for the year. i had just had a lesson that morning, and my teacher had taken it all apart, and put it back together. [for the record, my lesson was really good. i decided that i'm not going to do the shepparton competition, because i can't commit to it. i thought for a very long time, and very hard about this, but decided finally. and i figure that it's the right decision.] anyway, i was terribly nervous. and this was pointed out to me, but in my defence, i did say that i hadn't played in piano class, or concert class, solo, for a very long time. to which i got a 'well, good on you for doing it', along with the best comment i think i could possibly get from the facilitator, that he does say every time i play (phew..!): 'you play well'. three simple words, they mean so much. anyway, he had some good things to say.
but when i compare to how i felt playing solo to how i felt playing in chamber music, i definitely felt more comfortable in a trio. even though i had solo moments, and in front of somebody arguably more distinguishes, it felt comfortable, and exciting that i was playing in a trio. i dunno. maybe that's supposed to suggest something. maybe not. although i kinda already know this.

i've been out way too often. this weekend, i went out on friday, saturday and sunday nights. and i'm going out tonight. this can't be good for a) my health b) my study productivity.

but in recent weeks, i've really enjoyed hanging out with a certain group of people. some are close friends, some aren't that close. but there's just something about it. and i always come away from it with a fairly silly (and large) grin on my face. there's just a quality about it. something that i agree can be homogeneous, but at the same time, you can see why it works. we (and by that i mean, I and the whole group, although there are some people in the group who are closer to others than other people, and that's totally fine. admittedly, the margins are not well-defined, nor exclusive) don't spend large amounts of time together every week. but it works every time. it's beautiful. they're people i'd really like to get to know better. i've just noticed in recent times that the people i am increasingly drawn to and enjoy the company most of are mostly my church friends. admittedly, a few of them are musos or collegians, which makes for a nice overlap. but some aren't. and i think that's the beauty of it.

also (and totally unrelated), i thought about how interesting it would be just to sit back and watch who i consider to be 'my' soloists perform. with other pianists. it feels a little weird at times. but that's ok. because i respect the pianist very much.
and it's nice to take a break sometimes. and get a different perspective. by no means am i bitter about it, i actually quite enjoy it. particularly as some of the repertoire is the same as i've worked on with them. which makes for most interesting listening!

i went to see ION over the weekend. for the record, their original soprano is enjoying motherhood very much, so much that she won't be coming back, and therefore, their replacement soprano is now their permanent soprano. it's been wonderful to see her grow in the year and a bit she's been with them. and she's growing on me a lot. she has a very different sound, and very different strengths and weaknesses. but then again, every singer is different. the gig was great, although there were a few times i felt pitching was a little awkward (which is highly uncharacteristic of them), but it wasn't significant enough to detract from the performance.

A Few Quizzes....

What Your City Walk Means

You are thoughtful and contemplative. You enjoy spending time alone with your thoughts. You are generally confident and friendly with strangers. You are well mannered and sociable. Money is fairly important to you. You aren't super greedy, but you enjoy spending money on yourself. You tend to be organized, logical, and methodical. You're so efficient, people often wonder how you get so much done.

The City Walk Personality Test

You Should Play the Violin

You are highly intelligent, and mastering difficult subjects never intimidates you. And while you may not be musical yet, you have a good ear - and you're sensitive to subtle differences in music. You are dedicated and studious. You have a great work ethic. You study well under a teacher, and you don't mind repeating tasks or following instructions. Expressive and moody, you are very likely to convey a variety of rich emotions through your music. You are definitely a passionate person... passionate enough to truly love the violin. Your dominant personality characteristic: your high intelligence Your secondary personality characteristic: your sensitivity

What Musical Instrument Should You Play?

You Are a Lemon Cake

Strong, sexy, and overpowering. You know who you are, and you're not afraid to show the world your fabulous self. You're confident, charming, and extremely popular.

What Kind of Cake Are You?

BEING IN YOUR TWENTIES

With thanks to a friend who posted this...


It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn’t know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren’t exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don’t recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren’t really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job… and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn’t. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.

You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can’t meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you’re doing this because you know that you aren’t a bad person. One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself… and while winning the race would be great, right now you’d just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that every one reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.

also...

Annoyances unleashed....

Why English dialogue in The Magic Flute didn't work:
The actors had strong Australian accents. And the music is so lovely. German is so appropriate, particularly for the austere references to Freemasons. And then comes the nasal Australian accent.

Don't get me wrong, I know I have one too. But it's just so painful sometimes to listen to. Particularly in classical opera, which was definitely not intended to be tainted with bad accents reciting the dialogue.


Things - I wish people:

* Would stop saying "back in high school..." This is only appropriate for first years in their first two weeks of university. After that, it becomes tedious. And in my opinion, displays immaturity. Only use if it's very important to the story, or event, you are retelling. If it's not, I just don't care whether you were fifteen and a genius, or thought you were. Or whatever. For the record, I loved high school (while I was there). Now, I've moved on - the memories from school I still keep with me, but this is a different part of our lives now. High school is over, get over it.

* Retained their independance. Particularly in relationships. You're not one person. Symbolically, yes, two become one in marriage. But guess what? You're still two people! Shock horror!!

* Had opinions. On all sorts of things. It's ok if you don't support either argument, so long as you're well-informed. And even if you don't want to know about stuff, then to say so, because you have a good reason for it. I'm not saying you need to have an opinion on everything, or can't do things on a whim, but since when have I had a discussion about the US Presidential Race with a muso?!?! (I'd like to have one though. I do love you guys, but seriously, music is important. So too are world issues. They will affect you sometime. Even if minimally.) And even if you don't know much, be at least willing to hear the other side. Sitting on the fence because you have no opinion, becuase you haven't been bothered to find out what they're talking about, because you just can't be bothered because you think it won't affect you (barring things like celebrity gossip), and for that which you actively choose not to bother about, annoys me very much.

* Would sometimes stop pointing out the insanely obvious. (Disclaimer: does not apply for university tutorials, when your tutor asks you questions.) This, too, sometimes may display immaturity. If you point out the obvious, however, and then expand on an idea, this is okay. It shows that you have thought about things, rather than purely opening your mouth for the sake of it.

* Would more often act in a mature manner. This is not to say "Don't have fun" (I'm usually all up for fun....), but to act (at least) one's age. Simple as that.

* Didn't talk or make sounds directly in my ear/s. I have figured out why I hate it so much - I consider my ears to be incredibly important to my life/career/well-being (all them things...) and for somebody to expose them to such sound levels (even if whispering) at such an immediate context puts them in jeopardy (even if small). If I want to go deaf, I'll do it on my terms, thanks. As for whispering in my ear on a very intimate level, you'd be wanting to check with me first...although I'm pretty sure you'll get an indication of whether it's ok for you to do so or not.

* Didn't try to act like somebody or something they aren't. And know that cool kids are those that don't even try. Those who don't have to change depending on what situation they feel they're in, and those that don't have to change because they think people will think differently about them. And especially those that exhibit fullness and consistency of character. Those who take everything life throws at them, with open arms, the good and the bad. Those who don't catch onto trends just because everybody else is doing it. Those with original ideas, those with initiative, and courage. Those who know that life is more than the things you do for yourself, more than the things you own, and more than what other people say about you.
Those are true friends. Those are the ones that deserve and warrant respect.

More Ridiculous English

Now in it’s second year, the (Music) Series is an intrical part of the cultural fabric of the (region), and takes place on selected Sunday afternoons within the stunning hand‐rendered walls of the (location) , approximately 50 minutes from (place).

Since when was "intrical" a word?!
I would have groaned less and probably laughed if it was, instead, "inextricably linked".
Is it supposed to mean 'integral'? Combine 'intimate' and something else?!

Please explain.

much happier note

That's the intention anyway.
Sorry if anybody felt really down after reading my last post. Hopefully this won't be so depressing. Well, sad is probably the better word.

Home was fantastic - I had a really good time just relaxing and the like. I didn't get any more work than in a normal uni week, which meant that the study/homework load was just spread out over two weeks rather than one, which was nice. So, I studied and did homework. I slept a little bit. I facebooked (hehe). I didn't watch that much TV. I practiced. I hung out with family. It was nice. We had a family & friends dinner on Easter Sunday, which was very yummy! So much good food, so much food in general. It was good to see some friends after a while. Apart from that, I did little else socially. I went out for lunch with a friend at UniClub, which was pretty darn swanky (and very pretty in general!), and then for a Dress Rehearsal of the WA Opera's production of "The Magic Flute". Thankfully over the summer, I had watched a DVD of the Met production of the same opera, so I knew what the story was about. For some reason, it was sung in German (the original language) but the dialogue was in English. I was a bit disappointed with that - I do enjoy listening to the German...

The actual production side of things I did enjoy - they used the stage effectively, the costumes were quite good, and the acting was quite good. However, musically I was left a little wanting. The Queen of the Night aria (yes, THAT famous one) was out of time (she had little sense of rhythm in general), it was mis-pitched and out of tune, and a little strained, without consideration of a character. Sarastro was well portrayed, and presented a very rich bass sound. Tamino was sung with good expression, as too as Pamina. Papageno was most humorous, and was well-played, with completeness of character in acting and singing; Papagena too was well portrayed. The Chorus was well-prepared; particular mention must be made of the tenors, who were especially expressive. One particular Chorus member, who played the role of one of the guards (the tenor) was particularly beautiful, and seriously underrated! Kudos to him! The three boys were adorable, and very cute hehe!
There was some great playing from the orchestra, in particular, the woodwinds. The strings, I think, lacked a little body and vibrancy at times.
Anyway, that was my brief review... Sorry to slip into review mode there.....

My aunt and uncle came back from India during the week, so I caught up with them (I barely get to see them during the year, with me being over here, and them travelling for a fairly sizeable proportion of the year). Had lunch with them, which was nice; then went to the market, did some errands, and then it was time to pack.

So, uni has started, and I've hit the ground running. But I don't suppose anybody would have thought differently?

I took a red-eye flight back over on Saturday morning - now I remember why I hate taking that particular time flight again. I saved a bit of money by taking the SkyBus to Spencer St, and then cabbing it home. Cheaper than the cab all the way from the airport by a long shot. I went to bed, intentionally for an hour. However, an hour went past, and I'd already hit snooze a couple of times, and then I finally decided I'd turn it off and get up soon. 'Soon' translated to about two hours later. But I suppose my body really needed it, as I didn't sleep (almost at all!) on the plane. So, running on 3hrs sleep, I had a rehearsal that afternoon, which went quite well. Did stuff in the arvo....then in the evening, did.....more stuff.........and then at about 8pm I decided I was tired, and wasn't going to be any more productive with my time, so went to bed. It was amazing. I haven't slept that much in about 15yrs. A whole 10hrs. M will be so proud of me hehe :P

On Sunday morning, I went for brekkie with a few of the ex-1J girls; it was so nice to catch up, because I'd been away for a week, plus don't get to see two of them very often. I had to go home for another couple of rehearsals that day (Yeah, I know, my life seems to be taken up by rehearsals). They were fun though! The later one included a surprise, which was greatly appreciated :) Then came a funny coincidence and revelation. Well, there were actually two that weekend. It was pretty cool. We played at church that night, which was awesome. We had duelling violins. Hehe :P

Something has been brought to my attention. My 21st (party) is coming up, in 17 days, actually. Eeeek!!!! And, as it's a sit-down dinner event, my suspicion is that it's beginning to resemble the makings of my wedding reception. Okay, people, don't freak out here. But just think about it. There is a fairly sizeable guest list. We're eating dinner. At tables. The room is divided into separate areas. People are making speeches. I dunno, just seems a little too similar. Scary when I think about it, but also amusing. So, don't freak out, this is just the way I like things done. I'm not really one for just the cocktail party. And hey, I like organising things like this. It should be fun; I'm excited, some others have told me they are too. But, as I said to a friend, I believe my role here is to be a social facilitator. Just like that.
Although I haven't organised everything just yet.......hmmm........

Anyway, I have been feeling quite tired for the past couple of days (it may have been because of not enough sleep after I got so excited that I had gotten 10hrs sleep, that I must have decided that those 10hrs could be distributed elsewhere, and getting 10hrs in one go means I don't have to rest for long enough for the next ten years...). So, I think I'm getting sick. This is bad......

almost home!

i go home tomorrow night, which i'm really excited about. i suppose what they told me was right: as one progresses through their degree, one realises that going home is actually really good, and one starts to miss home a bit more as they grow older. I think this is true in my case. I can't wait to go home to see family, and to sleep comfortably (not that here is uncomfortable, but my own bed at home), and to use my own bathroom, and to be able to lounge out (even though i have a lounge here..) and to have food stocks well replenished (thank you mummy and daddy! hehe)
i'm just looking forward to having some time off to really relax a bit, and catch up with work. it feels like i've been here for ages already, which is kinda true, but they've all been go-go-going weeks, and even on weekends i feel like i have little time to relax.

i think i'm also getting more cynical..that's gotta be bad....
for example, the other night was good. but i didn't enjoy it. i sat there picking at stuff. i felt really bad for doing it and quite guilty that although it was good, i was critiquing it all. and yeah, as a musician, i know i listen to everything with a critical view (not necessarily bad critical, but with all open ears) and i can't turn it off, whatever it is, but i'm terribly bad at faking stuff too.

i'm not really sure how i feel right now. well, for the past few days, i suppose.
my classes are really interesting, that's for sure. i think that's one of the things sustaining me right now, the thing that makes me get up every morning. microeconomics, potentially the driest subject, has an awesome lecturer, who's russian. she's really quite funny, apart from the accent, and she's very cute. for example, she showed us a segment from lord of the rings, to demonstrate that "even elves try to maximise their utility!" hehe. my tutor for the subject is also really good, and explains things really well. he's really nice and understanding, which always helps. the tutes don't comprise any component of the assessment, so it's not necessary to go (although helpful) so our class has diminished in size a little, but the people who are still around are obviously the ones who want to learn, and they're a great bunch - they talk, ask questions and generally interact well. techniques is also very interesting, although my composition (40 bars, serial method, in the style of webern or schoenberg, i chose schoenberg for the thicker texture, of course making life harder for myself...) sounds horrible, i think! the process of composition was great though, i really enjoyed it. the philosophical aethetics that some of these 20th century composers (and later) are really quite interesting. i'm not sure i agree with them all, but i can see where they're coming from. unfortunately, i don't think most other students in my class even appreciate the concept being interesting, even if they don't enjoy it. which is a pity - i like learning in an environment where the students, my peers, are self-motivated and genuinely interested in the material because this motivates me too. which brings me to my techniques tute, which last week, was almost excruciating. boring and piontless, that is. we learnt almost nothing new, didn't really consolidate anything from the lecture, and created more confusion and red tape and restrictions than i would have liked. or that were specified in the subject outline at all. i suppose in comparison to my micro tute, this tute is so dead - the people aren't really interested in being there, but are because they expect to be told pearls of wisdom (rather than interested in having a genuine discussion about the material to extend their minds), and there are questions that are obviously asked with the sole intention of getting better marks. sure, marks and assessment is important, but not the whole story of uni and learning. it all sounds a bit idealistic, but at least i have some ideas, i suppose. i suppose i consider education to be an experience, a tool for further use, and to having ends that extend beyond purely learning for the material's sake.

idealism is all around us, i think. a friend admitted that if circumstances were ideal then a lot of things would be as such. i think this was one of the most challenging, but interesting conversations i've had in a little while. it was good though. it forced me to think about how i would express my beliefs. and although the medium was probably not my preferred form of communication, it forced me to express it in words concisely and with clarity. which often doesn't happen when i talk. i appreciated the honesty in which my friend conversed with me, something i really value in friendship.

people often ask my opinion on things. and ask things about what to do, how to do it etc. of course that's what friends do. but it seems that it often is a general consensus "oh, ask her, she knows everything". it's kinda nice in a way that people think this (whether it's true or not is another question....! but i have likened myself to the office lady, who knows lots of things and who to talk to and the like...haha) but i wonder if they actually do think i know stuff. and i wonder if they think i have got it all together. because i'll tell you, i don't think i do most of the time. but if they think i do, what am i doing that suggests so? judging by the state of my desk, one would suspect that i am a seriously disorganised, messy, hectic person who's off with the fairies. i think half of it is true half the time. i'm not saying that i'd like that 'role' to be changed, i'm just intrigued to find out why people ask me things.

in general, i think the last week has been a little disappointing for me with a few exceptions. i could put it down to a few things, including assignment stress. (two due on successive days, and not worth too much individually, but it's the 1st one, and i'd like to keep on top of work...) unfortunately on tuesday night i spent several hours working on my serial composition and lost a little bit of it (a couple of bars, but they were really good bars..). i had worked on it that day, as well as doing my micro assignment [involving getting stuck for an hour, only to make a 'breakthrough' only to discover later that my 'breakthrough' was wrong, and then submitting an answer which was very easy, which took me one minute to calculate. it had better be correct - i spent too much time doing that problem!] i stayed up till 2am just putting in all the notes, because that was what i'd intended to achieve that day. and i had to talk myself into justifying that it was alright not to wake up at 6am later that morning to practice. so i slept in till 7.30am. i was so proud of myself. i think i've been disappointed with the expectations i held of some things, only to find out the results were otherwise to what i expected. the combination of little sleep, deflated expectations, the heat (barring yesterday and today) and just general bothersome probably hasn't put me in the best mood. for that, i'm very sorry.

i feel like these days i'm either feeling sorry because i can't do X or Y due to other commitments, or in a bad mood (which has happened a bit more in three weeks than the last year combined..!) [here we go, i'll apologise again...] and the only people i can show this side to are a select few for whom it doesn't matter if i'm in such a mood, or i can put it aside because i enjoy their company so much.

in some ways i'm able to detach from things really easily. in others, everything is emotionally/physically/thoughtfully involved. that's human, yeah? the way i usually cope is to throw myself deeper into the things i do, the things i enjoy, and the things i know need working on. maybe that's why i'm a workaholic. there, i admitted it. i really am. although when i want to, i'm pretty sure i can be a very big bum haha. but i hope that the reason i do (fairly) well is because i work hard as a result of being so sad/disappointed/up-and-down every year. that would be a pretty bad motivator.

so, the title of this post "almost home!" is very optimistic. and ultimately it's turned out to be anything but happy. so, if you were reading with the anticipation that it was going to be happy, i apologise. there's been so many things piling up, with one massive issue being piano (too much detail to write here, but i am playing piano this year, don't you worry!) and my plans for 2008, which may or may not determine the next few years...
i can't wait to get home to:
-sleep
-practice
-study
-catch up and actually make sense of all the material
-geographically distance myself from everything and everybody (much as i love you all..)
i'm sorry if i don't even get to see all you guys in perth. given the list above, i'm planning to have a pretty quiet trip.
even if it means i don't see you for two weeks or three months or put rehearsals on hold. i think i need to do this one for myself.......
just for myself...i hope you don't think it's selfish.

i have power! (this was supposed to be posted in 17 March 2008.....somehow it didn't...)

as of last week, i have power!
that is, for my laptop. i already have mss power haha. Just kidding.
anyway, so my quota usage has taken an enormous hit, but you know, that happens

I've been able to do invites for my 21st, work for MSS stuff, create my 40-bar composition on sibelius (after S sending me all the fonts, and walking me through how to uninstall and reinstall the programme), surf the net in my room. You know, all that funky stuff.

too long...

okay, the main reason there hasn't been any activity here is because my laptop's AC adaptor has busted, it doesn't work, and my laptop battery isn't functioning either, so essentially i don't have a computer in my room. which makes for a bit of a hassle, but at the same time, makes me actually have to study. and i don't waste hours each night online, or facebooking hah.
but anyway...
uni has started.
since i last wrote, there have been many things going on. you know, o'week organisation, meetings, practice, catching up with some people, a few rehearsals here and there. it's been busy.
and then uni started. and i think i nearly died, i was ready for a holiday at the end of my long summer. go figure.
but nevertheless uni started. the first two days were ridiculously hectic. and then it settled down a bit for the rest of the week but this is not to say it wasn't busy.
it looks like it's going to be a hard semester - many assignments, many bits and pieces. exams that are worth lots (by that i mean about 70%), and there will be many things to do.
oh well, like much has changed anyway..!
i'm doing ok with this whole living situation at the moment...learning how to balance the uni with college with my life in a flat. furthermore, my flatmate has just left for mexico for about four weeks, so it's the whole place to myself at the moment, which is a little freaky at times, but i also know that from here on in, everything is my responsibility. which is a good thing, i think. i hope anyway.
i baked muffins last week for some friends, which was incredibly fun. i didn't make that many though, so there'll have to be more batches to come!

anyway...i'm still waiting for P to ring me to pick me up for breakfast, but i'm not sure what's happening...oh well. i'll keep waiting...adios.