Here we go!

2008年1月13日
弦歌轻音
国大六弦琴乐队GENUS与子团GENUS Expose!

六弦琴乐队GENUS与其子团GENUS Expose!将为大家呈献一台曲风迥异的音乐会。演奏曲目包括已故探戈作曲家皮亚佐拉充满活力的《米开朗基罗70》、加朗的《兴致勃勃》，以及十分悦耳动听的电影动画片《埃及王子》的插曲。活泼跳跃的音符，将带给大家一个难忘的星期天下午。

13 Jan (Sun)
Potpourri on Strings
NUS Guitar Ensemble (GENUS) and Expose!

The guitar ensembles Expose! And GENUS are proud to present a diverse repertoire accessible to all such as Piazolla’s spirited Michelangelo 70, J. Garland’s In the Mood and entertaining music from animated feature The Prince of Egypt. Expose! and GENUS promise an enjoyable afternoon of music and an unforgettable experience.

谁记得,谁忘了

太爱了
所以我
没有哭
没有说

焉知非福

After work review, I left school in a rush to go begin my search for shoes again.

First it was Ngee Ann City, which the huge sports store "Stadium" informed me that the design I was looking is very old and may very well be non-existent already.

Then I went to Marina Square's Royal Sporting House, which was also a futile trip. I've spent a few days' afternoons on this and was rather disappointed and not hopeful of success. After some thought, I decided I'll try Suntec City and make a trip to Mustafa's and Macpherson's warehouse should the purchase be unsuccessful.

At Suntec, the design I wanted was not displayed. A clearance sale was going on and I decided that if I could find those boxed ones, I may find a few "undisplayed" gems. AND YES!!!! I found the design with a size 11!!!! how dreadful, I needed a size 12!!!! I continued scanning the boxes with high hopes, murmuring in my heart, the right design and the right size.
.....
and I finally found it!!!!!! stacked beneath about 12 shoes boxes, right at the bottom!!!

Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This really made my day. HA HA

赛翁失马

我是个叛逆的老师.

我教书以个人原则及学生福利为首.

我对学校的方针政策,从不重视,也不加理会.

教书对我来说是一个非常个人的艺术.

教育的成功度是无法衡量的.

The MOE work review form appraises the level of competency of various intangible qualities. E.g. Nurturing the whole child, the possible levels are "not observed", "developing", "competent" and "exceeding". To me, these are bullshit.

Even my current principal was unable to prevent a student from dropping out of school despite multiple counselling sessions and close monitoring. Perhaps she should be graded "not observed" then.

In the end, I doesn't matter if I believe in the system or not. I am in the system. Hence, being a non-believer and non-conformist, I've been told I'm placed a D grade for this year, which essentially means no performance bonus for next year and if I manage to clinch consecutively another two D grades subsequently, I may be ask to leave the service.

And just last two weeks, my principal approached me and asked if I was interested to work as a Normal Techinical specialist next year. what a joke.

I wasn't really pissed about it, I think I somehow saw it coming. My colleagues said every year some of the teachers must get a D grade, it's a quota thing. So I joked with them that now that mine is confirmed, they'd be spared of the ordeal.

BUT, you know how things can turn around so quickly....

一鞋难求

I'm still surfing sites for shoes.... this particular model which 3v@d wanted. Youngsters these days are picky... but oh well... since it's a birthday gift, I'll try my best to get the right design. I found the design at Queensway, we went over to size but ended up they didn't have a size 12... so it was a darn pity. Looked around at Junction 8 yesterday, found a size 12 but a different design.

I'm gonna try looking around some more shops this afternoon, currently making a list of places to go. Mel's birthday is coming soon too, hmmm... wonder if she fancy skull slip-0ns too....

骷髅头鞋

Few days back, I went shopping for shoes(birthday present) for 3v@D and JH. The slip-ons look quite cool. With the skeletal designs. I surfed the net and quite liked one (black with yellowish gold skeletons), unfortunately did not find it at Queensway. Oh well, took some photos of the shoes and tried to send to them to see if they liked it, and realised that they don't have internet access hence can't accept picture messages. Ok lah... can show them when I meet them. Anyway, there're some really nice clothes there too. Will possibly update my wardrobe when I bring 3v@D there to get the shoes. =)

Here are some of the designs:

满

Family time!

I really think I don't look like my dad or my mum. Hmm...
Maybe I was really picked up from the rubbish bin afterall...

鬼马

Haha! It's seldom you catch Mr. Guay in action!!!

自立更生

I always hate it when the issue of sectionals somehow gets in my way of things. What the hell... some of the juniors don't even turn up regularly for sectionals, and they expect me or any senior to sit there and teach 1 or 2 alto juniors with irregular attendance?

If you want to have good sectionals, then make sure your members turn up lah. Those who NEED sectionals that is. Else, the proficient players turn up for what? From the way I see it, these days things are different. Last time, sectionals is used to spend time learning to play together. Now, sectionals is used to figure out notes and positions, or to correct grossly mistaken music interpretation and readings. Hence, the value of a sectional session has drastically decreased, more time on individual help rather than group dynamic.

When was the last time a section leader conducted a sectional, following the dynamics written on the page? And seriously, they should consider collapsing the sectionals to more efficient models. E.g. altos can play together in one room, Contra/Guitaron can join the Prime etc.

And what are the section leaders doing? How long do they expect to be hand-held? Goodness lah, you are an undergrad! Call your members, settle the attendance and make sure your section can play lah. Don't everything wait for SENIOR to do for you. Want me to change pampers for you or not?

Rise to the occasion man!

无悔

"I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again."

什么?

我什么都有,却又什么都没有.
我什么都没有,但是我什么也不缺.
我什么都不缺,但希望拥有些什么.

我爱你...你爱我吗?

世界上最远的距离

不是 生与死的距离

而是 我站在你面前

你不知道我爱你



世界上最远的距离

是鱼与飞鸟的距离

一个在天,一个却深潜海底

说出的秘密

I'm not a fan of Jay Chou, but there's been some hype about him doing movies and all. I've just watched Secret and I find the directing rather decent. Bought the soundtrack cos I heard some really good stuff in the movie, and guess what, most of the music were composed by Jay Chou himself; which, to me, is even a greater accomplishment than his directing stint. Seriously, the music is good. Not the sung ones, but the instrumental ones!!! And that's like a total of around 13 to 15.

Why hasn't the media talked about his music in the movie? Goodness!

Not that pop song lah, which I felt didn't quite fit into the movie at all.

Chopin is good! +)

Anyway, do catch the movie while you still can.

一人一半

一人一半 感情不散
一人一素故 感情才會久
時光累計 安靜的淚滴
一心去追 愛那么可貴

Chorus：
這樣的人 這樣地等
無非是等個回應眼神
為愛翻滾 不計傷痕
甘心為你一生都浮沉

這樣的人 別笑我蠢
傻傻的 心痛也不覺疼
就算天冷 就算殘忍
等你想起這沒用的人

一人一半 感情不散
已經找到愛 為何要離開

時光累計 安靜的淚滴
一心去追 愛那么可貴

Repeat Chorus*

一人一半 感情不散
已經找到愛 為何要離開
已經找到愛 為何先離開

You are The Devil

Materiality. Material Force. Material temptation; sometimes obsession

The Devil is often a great card for business success; hard work and ambition.

Perhaps the most misunderstood of all the major arcana, the Devil is not really "Satan" at all, but Pan the half-goat nature god and/or Dionysius. These are gods of pleasure and abandon, of wild behavior and unbridled desires. This is a card about ambitions; it is also synonymous with temptation and addiction. On the flip side, however, the card can be a warning to someone who is too restrained, someone who never allows themselves to get passionate or messy or wild - or ambitious. This, too, is a form of enslavement. As a person, the Devil can stand for a man of money or erotic power, aggressive, controlling, or just persuasive. This is not to say a bad man, but certainly a powerful man who is hard to resist. The important thing is to remember that any chain is freely worn. In most cases, you are enslaved only because you allow it.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

What can I do for you?

Some of my favourites!!!

FFX-2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyqX1SNuwzc

FFX: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMdrnfyip9M

This one is really funny! Real life Final Fantasy!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svQvBiP76cE

Beat this!

Beatboxing with a flute!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crfrKqFp0Zg

Think it can only be done with edge-tone instruments. If anyone can do this with a sax or oboe, those are not lips!

Aranjuez Guitar Quartet

This quartet is good. They sound pretty different from LAGQ, and their music is cool.

In the hall of the Mountain King: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bywu_UEATb4
"Danza ritual del fuego": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMQyCYWumQw
Pink Panther : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M97ZZ1EXHMI

我的美丽星期天

Ok ok... I know I'm biased in my view point towards TPGC's standard.
Seriously, I really haven't heard them in a concert before! All the reference I have is :

1. Singapore Classical Guitar Society Meeting
This was way way way years back. Considering if Ruby actually went for it, I think it probably means I'm year 2 or year 3 then. There was a vivaldi number done by the club, was it the adagio only? oh I can't remember... but I'm sure there wasn't any seat-moving allegro for sure.

2. the Yamaha Guitar Competition which took place like 3 years back? It was some 10 member group doing a spanish number with a tremolo-ing beginning and later going on to some knocking. And oh yes, the trio who did the piazolla piece was good!

3. Recently, the sharing session with the Germany group at the community centre. Ok their kids are pretty decent I must say, and of course the 9 year old wonder-boy Kevin.

I'm hoping to catch them this coming Sunday, 10 June at Esplanade Concert Hall. The people who told Nam Leng they were focusing on symphony orchestras and wind bands for the Beautiful Sunday series. Odd isn't it.

Seems like the programme line-up includes La Cumparsita and Granada. My god! One is a all-time favourite in local Niibori repertoire, the other is one of Guitaresque's 招牌菜.
有没有创艺???

Guitar ensemble repertoire is really one kind in the local scene. Rarely do you get to hear things that are out of the "guitar norm". If you visit guitar concerts often enough, you've probably heard a trillion times, "Canon in D", "La Cumparsita" etc. etc. *yawn* really puts me to sleep, unless they are rendered in an extremely humourous or cacophonic style.

I bet Daddy is going to mention again that the kid is just 9 years old. Ha ha ha

神速

Yo yo yo... Hiong Gai Gai...

this is likely the speed that Robert will go at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1ZKAnUIDg4

死无葬身之地...

godspeed