came back from the chalet thursday, feeling tired but satisfied… Its almost the end of 2005, with just 1 day to the new year. Time to do something I do every year, which is to look back at this year. Dunno why I keep doing it, but wells, I just want to. Haha. Talk more about these few days at the end…
2005!!!
Jan was quite interesting. People were all trying to settle into the new school, with the school suddenly how many times bigger. Had a fund raising concert for the tsunami victims, a super rushed concert, done in 2 weeks, but still a good one, and meaningful.
Ah ha. The 2nd year for piano ensemble, and we had auditions, wonderful that we attracted like 50++ people to come and audit, and accepted 30plus, although a lot dropped out after that, which was not my concern… Have to say that I am pleased the way things were going for PE, with funding and the likes all coming in.
Hehheh. My birthday. Got a monkey lalala.
Haha, March concert with vocale. And the grad ceremony!!! With the RJ people all getting awards, whoa… glad that I was there, when will I go again?
But the stupid common tests. Hehheh. I shocked quite a few people when my physics dropped 4 grades, have to say I was rather surprised myself. This was the time I was still deliberating whether to drop physics and go on with 3 subs, and miraculously I didn’t, and maybe I should be thankful. Not that physics got easier, nor would it actually help me from now on, nor did I enjoy it more. But I got through it, and maybe I should be glad I didn’t drop it…
The J1 MEP concert, was the first time in how long that I did AV again, and with a more high tech system than what I worked with (ie 4 stage lights with no colour and just on/off buttons haha).
30th: the first PE concert held by the J1s, solely by themselves. (I cant find the videotape now, dunno where I left it. Scream!) I’m glad that there are at least talented committed people.
May saw the first ever PE public concert. The stress and all those work pressure building up to that day, for those who met me that night could have seen how relieved and glad I was once it was over. Was rather touched by the effort the newly elected J1 comm put in for this concert as well (though sometimes I do wonder how many people is their comm made up off…) and the members! Wonderful members we had, who colour coded their costumes (recall the 2 red shirts), learnt a super hard piece in 2 weeks, and just for being our members. Even though sometimes had to scream (or maybe just nag fiercely) for things to get done, and things were NEVER done on time, yar was glad for them…
Oh I failed napfa too. Haha.
I remember doing compo at weird hours in the morning, and like finishing my 3rd compo at 6 am just for a compo workshop at 3 pm. The mad rushes, but it actually turned out to be my best compo. Hmm…
Jazz concert, another AV experience, where I finally merged with the LT 2 system hahaha. Wonderful lightings that night, and a wonderful jazz club as well. Well done!
Hmm my LTCL accompaniment and the chamber concert happened on the same day… LT first. Got my distinction, practicing everyday really helps!!! Then the rush back to school to do AV again haha wonderful! But what I remembered was that the week it all happened, it was wonderfully stressful, and I was almost falling sick. It was like Jazz concert on a Tuesday night, GP common test the next afternoon, and LTCL and chamber concert the day after. Haha. Wonderful things I do to myself.
June saw the first ever collaboration of our PE with VJPE. What a competition. And taking part in it as well wa haha first time playing 8 hands it was actually quite disastrous, and the only way we masked it was because it didn’t sound that nice either. And organizing the comp whoa am just glad it is over. Really hope to see it again next year…
But the June common tests were wonderful. I got my 4 As!!! Er wrong time actually, cos after that I dropped, but who cares. (Actually, I don’t really care about my grades, if u didn’t know that already. Sure, I’d like them to be good, would be disappointed if I failed, but hey its nothing much.) But the amount of hype and the stupid comments made by others just because I scored such a grade, made me wish that I hadn’t done well. I suppose this is something that happens only to people who are so concerned with their grades. Hey I would have gladly given them the grades if it could make them happy. I’d be happier too! I never got a chance to enjoy my 4 A’s, but heck. Its over.
July… the 2 accompaniments that I did. I’d remember the first one as a super challenging one, with the exam more like a piano exam than a clarinet exam. I’d remember the 2nd one (which was 2 days apart) as a complete waste of time, underpaid, and mistreated, what with having to tolerate some people. Ergh.
August was fun!!! Singing with vocale and EBC was wonderful, although it was somewhat heartbreaking to see how things went for the whole concert altogether, what with lack of good planning and such… so many things have changed since I had left chs, and dunno whether that’s good or bad…
And arranging a song in 3hrs, practicing it and performing it in 1 week was just a superbly self-satisfactory experience. IE the audience obviously weren’t listening. Haha.
And the compo concert!!! As Audrey was saying, many people had my name as their performer. Haha. Like performing 4 works that night (including mine) on the piano, IN the piano, and erhu. Haha. And having people change their score on that day itself, hmm it’s a wonderful experience. At least I proved I could do it hahaha.
September was largely taken up by prelims which was… Nvm better not say anything. But since September onwards it was a mad rush rush rush rush rush and mug mug mug mug mug for the A levels, and I’m the mad one who has the following schedule:
22nd Nov End of A’s 25th Nov FTCL 28th Nov Erhu exam 9th Dec Erhu exam 10th Dec competition
Hahaha. I seriously overwork myself… but then again I always do that. But then about the A’s, full of highs and lows. I would say, one super low point was before and after the physics paper 1&2 (that makes it 2 low points.) expectedly, since my physics was nothing to be confident about, but I still got through it, barely. Another low point, would say it’s the lowest, wasn’t a written paper. It was actually my most confident paper, the music prac. Till now I still dunno how I managed to feel so stressed about it, having a nervous breakdown in front of everyone right before I went in. The things that floated into my head while I was sobbing, I cant remember who said what. But I did hear people saying that this wasn’t my first exam, I had been through worse like LRs, and LTs, what’s an A level prac to me? But my teacher was wonderful, she took me down for a chat, told me these things happen even to the most professional of players. I went in red-eyed, teary, but still managed to play. I was totally lost in the music, dunno how my Beethoven sounded at all (probably didn’t screw up the semiquaver runs as bad as prelims.) I remember wanting to cry through chopin. And I totally exhausted myself through khachaturian. But then its over, and for the afternoon erhu one it wasn’t that bad either. I would say I survived.
And oh, the high points? The maths papers. Definitely. Even though not all went that smoothly, but hheyz its maths. Bound to make a different.
The most tiring day wld be the last day, where I woke at 2.30 haha to mug music, and then had music followed by maths S, which was frustrating ─ if only I had 1 more minute ─ but then hheyz its over!
Then all those outside exams, cant say I breezed through them. Injured my right hand quite badly the day before the FTCL, couldn’t really practice on it. Til now, its still not okay, but im not playing piano that much now. Dunno how I survived the exam. The examiner just had to shake my right hand that hard after the exam it was a wonder I didn’t scream. Haha. Dinner was wonderful that night =)
Erhu exams, ahh im damn shocked when my teacher called and told me my results. Haha.
Competition, same results as two years back, but I am satisfied with myself this time. Haha I was impressive, but just careless. 2 more years, will I take part?
And I totally screwed my right hand after the competition, after making the khachaturian such a vigorous job. I couldn’t write properly, cant even play. Oh wells. Wonderful things I do… and I still took it too fast. But I got through it PERFECT! That’s khachaturian for you.
And then suddenly it was all over, and I was so relieved, now im happily enjoying myself, while everyone else (ok not everyone) is working, but I was saying, I go into NS 2 weeks later because I had stuff on for 2 more weeks after the As were over. Yea.
Had a wonderful Christmas, and a wonderful chalet stay with my family. Not to mention also a 4-2 class gathering, though only 7 people came… new year tmr, what will I be doing?
Have to be thankful for this year, for everyone who helped me get through it one way or another.. without friends, and other important and special people around I wouldn’t have been here, so carefree, typing this out. We all want things to last, but some things cant. Others, we pray, and we hope it does. Thank you =)
Am going out again, not for countdown though. Have to come home early today. It’s a festive season, and I find I do have reasons to cheer.
it's interesting, how for once after christmas, i'm not thinking about oh school starts in one week. i know most guys will kill me, but im looking at the calender and thinking, hmm NS in 4 weeks (not 2 like most pple). haha.
and how interesting, i thought i wld be free already, having pushed away most of the stuff i would have jumped into doing immediately in the past. but then, haha i still have two more formal stuff to do, jan 5th and 11th, the formal being a lesson means i still have to practise (or at least fake it), the latter has not so much stress involved, although the responsibility that is called for is still there. but hey, thats doing what im good at =)
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leaving for a chalet tmr, til thursday afternoon.
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yay 4-2 class outing on friday! haha really, thanks to kp to help organise something, and hounding the class wif sms-es at night, or rather in the wee hours of the morning (when ur 24 hr clock reads 00:-- or 01:-- haha) ok a dinner, but at least we meet again!
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have got this wireless keyboard and mouse installed, now i can play com from 8m away! which means i can play at the entrance of the kitchen, but only a madman will do that, cos the screen's too small to see anything.
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concert. as again, yearly, guest choir wif SFX YC concert. have to say, this time, vocale really went wif the least preparation. yet still managing to do decently for 3 out of 4 songs, well, i wouldnt say a very good job, but then again it is still somewhat remarkable. gabriel might probably kill me for this, but hey i see the good in everything!
and of course, i still think the first piece is the best. guess why.
no let me give a hint. haha. its accompanied. by who?
now u know. haha.
but still, right b4 the concert, during the rehearsal, some thoughts did cross my mind, confusing, stressing.. i'm still just a human, not superman.. but then, glad its over.
of course, a bit disappointed this time.. with what people actually notice. but at least im not invisible, and its not a criticism at all.. (if only it came sooner, like years sooner).. not an outright thank you nor an outright appreciation and praise either, but yar... if only other things get noticed too...
the effort, who sees? who cares? ive learnt to appreciate a group of people more now. all of u better start too.
im used to being invisible anyway so i dont care.
and as usual, the church choir's amazing. so is leong, still.
when will i sing wif vocale again? when will this batch meet again?
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belated merry christmas to everyone who drops by, its already 26th where i am, and its almost 27th.
what a christmas. =)
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at first intending to start writing some things, but then, not starting tonight. maybe this friday..
What's Your True Color? Chee Hang, your true color is Blue! You're blue — the most soothing shade of the spectrum. The color of a clear summer sky or a deep, reflective ocean, blue has traditionally symbolized trust, solitude, and loyalty. Most likely a thoughtful person who values spending some time on your own, you'd rather connect deeply with a few people than have a bunch of slight acquaintances. Luckily, making close friends isn't that hard, since people are naturally attracted to you — they're soothed by your calming presence. Cool and collected, you rarely overreact. Instead, you think things through before coming to a decision. That level-headed, thoughtful approach to life is patently blue — and patently you! somtimes, I do wonder how true and accurate these tests are. granted, my favourite colour is indeed blue. haha. soothing? me? i cant tell, really. i rarely overreact? well i can think of 2 or 3 instances where i did, so is that rarely?
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dear J1s'05 IE J2s/06. I have with me, 1 physics textbook, 2 physics tys by topic with model answer (one is mcq, one is paper 2 and 3), my own set of physics notes, and my own set of music notes for classical string quartet, and malay music. Who wants? hmm i got (according to my classmates) good results for my prelims based on these, so yar first come first served. the textbook and tys-es are NOT free, but the notes yar i can give u for free.
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yay so many things have passed, and i have so many things to say, but i have so little time, so hang on tight, watch this space.
I've been trying to sign in to MSN for 5 minutes, wonder what's wrong.
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My hand is still not okay. wonder whats wrong, am supposed to rest it, instead of haha trying to play Percy Grainger. (not related to Hermione Granger). But that piece is how cool!!! i got a recording for that piece, but that recording is smartly played by 4 hands, so im trying to play it 2 hands. mad? well, FR. heh.
3 years.
Before i embark on my uni life, if i decide to go uni, here's my plan. FRSM (hopefully hahahaha im being damn ambitious) and FTCL acc. yay.
That is, provided i dun lose my right hand during NS. yes my stupid right hand. still hurts, cant play for long. so im supposed to rest it instead of playing, so what am i doing on thursday?
and its not even the steinway. boohoo. keyboard. oh wells. hahaha.
then ive got another nail giving my left hand problems. the same one that had an ingrown nail last year feb.
conclusion: dun play piano, dun play erhu, dun write, dun do anything stupid. but when do i listen to such advice? HAHA.
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Elated, because its nice to be singing again. Elated, because its great to do mad things. Elated, because its a wonderful year. Elated, because no more heavy responsibilities. Elated, because finally i could sleep. Elated, because i managed to do what i wanted to do. Elated, because i'm updating. haha.
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If i felt last year's December was fulfilling, that was because this year hadnt come yet. As of now, I feel satisfied, because of what i did. and my accomplishments. wow. i never visioned myself doing so many things and still getting the outcomes that i have. 2 more days, and i will be totally free for some time. this mad guy's schedule and accomplishments:
1) A Levels. results, to come. check this space. __________________
2) FTCL performance, 3 days after my last A lvl paper. results? hopefully good.
3) Erhu exam, 3 days after FTCL. well i know i passed, but actual results dunno yet.
4) MDC audition. which i supposedly passed, and will go back soon for another one.
5) Another erhu exam, 2 days after the MDC audition. after being scolded by my teacher. then getting YAY the highest scorer, 95%!!! full marks for scales, studies, and sight reading. HAHAHA.
6) competition, 1 day after that last exam. not exactly graet since i crashed out after quarters (ie first round), but wonderful that i got to play Khachaturian, and according to people in the audience, it was great. so yar, wonderful.
7) Managed watch the competitions, as an audience hehheh.
and other fun stuff i did, like going round and round singapore, eating veg meal (and which tasted so nice like chicken nuggets haha), stupidly putting on gel after spraying my hair, getting all the color on my hand, turning down jobs, concert upcoming, watch Harry Potter, getting hooked on Sudoku, doing vectors tutorial because my dad needs answer key, arguing on fingering of Prok's toccata, trying to learn percy grainger's cakewalk smasher, ie trying to do glissandos on my knuckles which hurt damn a lot, trying to transpose john rutter on the spot, going to terminal 1 of changi airport to look for food places when it is actually in terminal 2, using up so much sms that i dare not touch my phone now, going to army market but not buying anything, eating xiao long bao, downloading free games, actually not doing any composing, going jogging, playing pool, spending hours in the library, watching all the movies that i had recorded over the months, staying up late just to catch hong kong serials, taking buses and wasting time, getting from paragon to suntec in a rush, getting lost in fort canning at wierd hours, having the moon shine on my face at night, venezia!, eating dunno how many fish and chips in dunno how many places just in one week, and still eating fish and chips, spending money...
ahh what a wonderful life.
what more could i ask for? haha actually a lot more... like going out more, watching so many other movies argh i want i want i want...
Yay finally everything is over. ok, except for one concert, but compared to everything else, wahahaha.
and i was saying, i'm going ns 2 weeks later than most people cos i had stuff on for 2 weeks after A's, so its fair.
and i can finally enjoy myself. ah the peace, the life. oh i just went for NPVC this afternoon, and got kicked out after the first round haha, not so surprising anyway, considering i came after huiling, weiyuan and ryan chow. who all made it by the way. but i think i surprised some people when i was like truly happy that i got kicked out. not that i was wishing so hard for it (though i did hope for freedom) but it was that i didnt mind being kicked out even though i worked for this comp, and that i finally can have a break. means, 1 month and a few more days of pure enjoyment, and also some work, before i go NS. yay.
so yar.
mm had two erhu exams already, one of which is confirmed a distinction (nus) and the other highly probable, according to my teacher who kept calling up nus and nafa. so good news yay. haha something funny about the nus exam yesterday (yes evening b4 npvc im amazing right?): the sight reading (which the examiner told me on the spot i got full marks hahaha). before he started he went like:
接下來是視奏。請你看一看譜。你要注意以下的部分:首先是節奏。例如,第二行,第一小節,是(then he proceeds to sing that bar for me)...然後,第四行,... ... 還有,這首曲子,總共包含了集种節拍,好像四份之一拍(crotchets),八分之一拍,十六分之一拍,三十二分之一拍。(ie quavers, semiquavers and demis.) 好像第二行的第三個小節,請不要拉錯,這裡是......。好,三分鐘看譜,一分鐘考試。可以開始了。
so it was like, of course can get full marks when everything challenging place was pointed out already!!! hahahaha...
mm okay, going to bathe and go to my room and play games hahaha
Yay finally everything is over. ok, except for one concert, but compared to everything else, wahahaha.
and i was saying, i'm going ns 2 weeks later than most people cos i had stuff on for 2 weeks after A's, so its fair.
and i can finally enjoy myself. ah the peace, the life. oh i just went for NPVC this afternoon, and got kicked out after the first round haha, not so surprising anyway, considering i came after huiling, weiyuan and ryan chow. who all made it by the way. but i think i surprised some people when i was like truly happy that i got kicked out. not that i was wishing so hard for it (though i did hope for freedom) but it was that i didnt mind being kicked out even though i worked for this comp, and that i finally can have a break. means, 1 month and a few more days of pure enjoyment, and also some work, before i go NS. yay.
so yar.
mm had two erhu exams already, one of which is confirmed a distinction (nus) and the other highly probable, according to my teacher who kept calling up nus and nafa. so good news yay. haha something funny about the nus exam yesterday (yes evening b4 npvc im amazing right?): the sight reading (which the examiner told me on the spot i got full marks hahaha). before he started he went like:
接下來是視奏。請你看一看譜。你要注意以下的部分:首先是節奏。例如,第二行,第一小節,是(then he proceeds to sing that bar for me)...然後,第四行,... ... 還有,這首曲子,總共包含了集种節拍,好像四份之一拍(crotchets),八分之一拍,十六分之一拍,三十二分之一拍。(ie quavers, semiquavers and demis.) 好像第二行的第三個小節,請不要拉錯,這裡是......。好,三分鐘看譜,一分鐘考試。可以開始了。
so it was like, of course can get full marks when everything challenging place was pointed out already!!! hahahaha...
mm okay, going to bathe and go to my room and play games hahaha
I'm Chee Hang. I'm currently serving NS, and I'm also part of the Catholic High School Choir
alumni, the Edward Becheras Vocale.
My favourite colour is blue.
My favourite composer is Beethoven.
My favourite music(s) are powerful.
My favourite food is anything edible and nice.
I like to help people.
I am childish.
I am still a kid, although already 19. Young at heart =o)