Hacken and Alan in SG - 16th March 2005 (Updated)

Oh yeah!!! I saw Hacken again on Wednesday at Indoor Stadium! It wasn't a 7-year wait after all. The seats were 90% filled!!




With all the 4 sides filled and the top seats all opened for purchase!

It was a fantastic concert! The audience were more energetic this time compared to the concert in November 2003. The costumes were not all repeated from the HK one. Even the songs were not similar, with a Mandarin songs medley at the start, for eg. Huang Pin Yuan's Xiao Wei and Na Ying's Zhen Fu despite our protests. Haha! Hacken also sang one of his hit song in the lastest album - Kong Zhong Fei Ren. Alan sang two of his new Mandarin songs. They had Mandarin conversations for a while, and I thought that their Mandarin had improved!!

The fan club actually had a gathering with Hacken on 15th March evening at Goodwood Park Hotel. All of them took personal photos with Hacken. And they told me Hacken was very friendly that evening and answered all the questions they asked him. I'm so envious!!! I couldn't go because I had SE practise that night and had quartet practise for the Lunchtime performance on 16th March afternoon. (The performance was quite ok, except for some out-of-tune parts from me.) I was really stressed out that day, because I only got the scores for the quartet piece on the day of practise itself. Furthermore, I got back my FYP thesis and had to make some changes. My supervisor said I could only get a C with the thesis now. He said I should do a bit more to push to a B. As a result, I was so stressed out that I didn't have appetite to eat.

Hence, my mood before the concert was not very excited. The feeling was very different compared to the Nov 2003 time. That time was full of anticipation. I took a cab down to Indoor Stadium after lab. I brought camera there, but they checked my bag and told me to put into the locker. The always obedient me, listened to them. After which, the fan club members told me they also kena but they ignored the security and went in. Sigh. Next time I will know what to do! Haha! Regardless of this, I also brought along my mp3 player to record the whole concert. But the quality came out to be very bad because the music was too loud and too bassy. Hence, sighs.

The fan club prepared a lot of gifts for Hacken. Most of which were given to him backstaged. I only shared in a small part of it. We wore Hacken's tee-shirt which we printed ourselves, together with Hacken's fan club white windbreaker. They even did sign-boards, bought light-sticks and whistles.

This time, I didn't observed what Hacken wore. I really observed fully for the Nov 03 concert. However, the concert this time was "new" to me because I couldn't expect what is next, unlike the Nov 03 one, where it was similar to the HK one. Hence, after 2 hours, after thanking the sponsers, Alan and Hacken bowed and went off-stage. I was feeling really disappointed because I really thought everything was over - with only a few songs and no special items. Some of the audience were already getting up from their seats and leaving. However, the rest shouted "Encore" and shrilled the whistles away. Then I realised it wasn't over yet!! Together with them, I blew my whistle and stomped our feets. After about 5 minutes, they came back with the drums item. Haha!! It was another 1 hour of good songs and dances!

Towards the end, Alan and Hacken came down to shake hands...




And I could only manage this poor picture of Alan... didn't even manage to touch their hands. Worse, can't even manage to take a picture of Hacken!

One of the fan club members snail-mail me the photos in a cd. She even remembered to burn the Hacken and Joey's live concert audio cd! She's so nice!

This is the picture we took after the concert:




I shall look forward towards his new Mandarin album. Hopefully, he will come to Singapore to promote it. Way to go, Hacken!!

Oh ya... took this picture when I was in Bugis last Monday with my mum. This poster is stucked behind the bus-stop "stall".





Hehe...

Found the Passion

The interview went on fine!!! This poster at the MOE headquarters gave me inspiration!!



I was sitting on the sofa, thinking of what to say... and taa daa!! I saw this poster on the wall... and it reminded me I could talk about serving my secondary school after I graduated!! Those Leadership Training Camps I had been organising!!!

Haha... The interview was really fine... The questions were like: Why did you choose teaching over an engineering career? What makes you go for an engineering degree? Why not the Faculty of Science in NUS? What major problems do you foresee you will face? How would you teach these kids?

I was so glad after I walked out of Room 23. I only went in for a brief 5 minutes compared to 15 minutes to the one before me. I told them I was surprised I was given Chemistry as a teaching subject... and they changed it to Physics. I said I preferred Mathematics, but they said they have enough supply of Maths teachers.

Well... hope good news will come.... Right now... back to FYP!!

Finding a Passion to Teach

Less than 10 hours before my interview. I am here thinking of some reasons to answer this question: Why do you have the passion to teach?

*cracks my poor head* Oh by the way, my advanced biomaterial lecturer said that brains cells are not replaceable. So... watch out!

1. Teaching has always been my childhood ambition. My aunt is a teacher, and has been one for almost 30 years. She is my insipiration since young because she always has her way around things. She is patient and I always have been looking up to her. Hence, I want to be like her.

2. I have been actively involved in student activities ever since I was in primary school and till today. I never thought CCAs were a waste of time. In fact, they have served as enrichment courses for me. I would not want to loose touch with student activities. Being a school teacher does not mean only teaching, but also means learning from the student too. Hence, I want to teach.

3. I have gone through the hard way of learning. I wish to be able to do my part for the next generation. Furthermore I enjoy interacting with kids and believe in educating the next generation. Hence, I want to teach.

So fake right? Sigh.

4. From Linus: if I'm here today, definitely I have the passion to teach and the best is that I love teaching and I enjoy interacting with kids.

5. From his gf:
(i) passion to teach because I CAN BE HOD AND SHAKE LEG IN FUTURE
(ii) because I forsee myself in your position next time interviewing

HAHAHA!!

Whatever it is, I hope I will have a straight tongue... not be tongue-tied! Hopefully, will think of a better answer.

Oh ya... need to take out my multiple ear-studs!!

SE Concert - Journey

Our first ever public SE concert at Old Parliament House was successfully held yesterday. Tickets were sold out, but seats were not filled totally. The chairperson said the complementary ticket holders did not turn up.

The concert place was really nice. Big seats, cosy hall, nice lighting, good acoustics... perfect for Strings performance. I met up with some of my SE friends and had lunch at Raffles City food court. Then we walked to OPH. Rehearsal started at 2pm and had a run through of the whole programme. The stage was a bit too small for 50 plus of us. It was rather squeezy, but bowing allowance was still manageable. The Emcee was kinda cute... look like those "ha ri nan hai". Tanned and well-built, with a fluent slang of English.

I was really glad Yuhua, Jiehui, David and Yvonne went to support me. Never in my life of performing I had friends just there to support me. They even gave me a stalk of yellow sunny bright sunflower! But you all had missed the best part of the concert, which was the duet before the intermission. The duet won applause even after both of them went off-stage!!!!




Most of my friends would just tell me they will fall asleep during the concert. So whenever it comes to selling tickets, I always had a hard time. Thanks dear!

I took quite a number of photos with Mr Poh, our conductor, and a few of my SE friends. It was a pretty sad thing to secretly know that the comm is sacking Mr Poh, and he hasn't known of it yet. At least the photo can help keep some memories of him. It isn't easy not to have feelings towards him after being under him for almost 4 years and being one of his favourites. =(




Hee... I also took photos with the cute boy (CB). Haha. And got to bully him and dragged him for supper together with the rest of SE people after concert.

The concert went well... though I made a super big mistake by playing a wrong chord in Eine Kleine. When I asked CB, he said he didn't hear it. So I guess it didn't sound too obvious? I hope so.

Eventually I didn't play Telemann's Konzert for 4 Violins. I wasn't too confident in doing it, and furthermore I was kinda stressed up for FYP. I'm glad that I made this decision, or else, I would be spoiling the piece. But CB made a mistake in the fourth movement and sounded kinda messy. Whatever it is, those who didn't know the piece wouldn't know the mistake. HAHA!

The concert ended about 10pm. After taking more photos and packing up, we left OPH. Went supper with some of them, mostly the Alumni at Baker's Inn. Had some ice-cream and ice-tea there. We sat there for some time, discussing future plans for SE. Took a cab home, with midnight surcharge. ~$~

Going for MOE interview on Wed. Wish me best of luck!

UK Funfair (Uncle Ringo)

I went for the funfair on sunday evening. Before that, I went to Sembawang to a friend's place to collect my ticket! Hehe.



It was surprising that there wasn't much crowd. I wasn't prepared to go there for rides. Just wanted to go take a look. But YX spoke in a manner as if he dared me. Not wanting to let him have a chance to suan me, we bought tokens for the Mega Drop!!



There were only three seats each side, and I sat with CP. Hoping to see the night view of Woodlands, I was actually quite anxious. However, as the car moved more and more upwards, feelings of regrets filled me. "Ah!! I don't wanna play liao!! Let me down!!!" Both of my legs started to soften as they dangle in the open space under my seat. We were hung at the top for a minute or two before the magnet holding on to our car was released, and we were speeding down at top speed. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" I couldn't open my eyes to see!! It was too scary!!! But it was over in a second or two. *Took a deep breath* The car moved up AGAIN! OMG! This time round, I decided to open my eyes. Without warning again and a shorter time at the top, we were released again...... This time at an even faster drop rate!!!! "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" My heart almost spilled out from my mouth. My eyes could only see for a split second before they were forced to be close again! We reached the ground, relieved. Cold sweat...

Next ride was AirForce 1.





It's analogous to the Viking just that it has an added dimension. Up and down like the Viking, plus 360 degrees spin as it swings. Doesn't sound scary? Yeah, I thought it was nothing. It was still bearable at first. But when it swings and spins faster and higher, it was definitely as scary as Mega Drop!! My eyes again, could not open themselves!!! I screamed all the way. How I wished it would stop. YX closed his eyes all the way, JH screamed till she couldn't shout anymore, and CP was steady - opening his eyes all the way.

We staggered down, YX's face as pale as a sheet. He was dizzy... he sat down to rest. A while later, we left the funfair, not wanting to test our heart ability any longer. Haha. YX went home to rest, and the rest of us went to MOS for a drink before heading home.

A scared-out-of-my-wits evening!

Most Disgraceful Event

Oh man!! How I wished there was a hole in the stage to bury myself, and that the curtain would fall down without reason. Today I had performance for Welfare Festival at 1230pm. There was only me (violin 1), 1 violin 2, 3 violin 3 and 1 cellist. 6 of us. Only 2 in the experienced group. We played Canon, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring and Salsa per Christina. It was HORRIBLE, ABHORRENT, TERRIBLE, DISASTROUS, AWFUL, HELLISH, VILE, DREADFUL, ATROCIOUS.....!!!!!! It was out-of-tune, out of time, out of coordination....!!! It was the most embarrassing moment of my life I tell you!!!

For Canon, the timing just went slower and slower and slower and slower......... and I tried my means to speed the cellist up but she can't get me! For Jesu Joy, only the second violinist and me played, cos' the rest are Intermediate players and only have minimal part. Both of us played ok, but lack the sonority of the cello and viola!! For Salsa, it was the worst! 3rd violin came in 2 bars late and were lost, and 2nd violin didn't play at her bar, looking lost!! OMG!! You know how disgraceful it is to stand on the stage with more than a hundred pairs of eyes looking???? They stood in awe... awed on how BAD it sounded!! I didn't even bother to bow after the performance, too anxious to hide my face under the stage!!!

Why couldn't the chairperson check how many players are available before promising to play for the event?? Oh no... please don't tell others I'm in SE.

Valentines' 2005

The only year that I need not wrap flowers. For 3 consecutive years, I have been wrapping flowers on Vday eve till wee hours. This time last year I gave Alwyn a bouquet of my hand-wrapped roses. Time flies man. Ain't I glad I'm out of the committees that used to fill every evening? ^_^

Another lonely vday. But vday has never been any day special to me. This year was more relaxed cos' no one in particular dated me out. I think last year also didn't have. I still remember there were singles night out with JH and 2 of my MSE (now known as Materials Science and Engineering. So yucky rite?) guy seniors. We drove round, ate out, and watched midnight movies. Ever since we suspected one of the guys liked JH, we "siam" them immediately. WE are so bad.

And in the earlier year in 2003, I went out with my ex on vday (not yet in BGR on vday). He planned to go eat at Sakae at Parkway Parade. So we met at Eunos MRT station. HE WAS LATE! Damn. And ended up being late for our table booking at Sakae, and ended up eating Pasta Mania, which was so yucky!! Didn't know how Pasta Mania can thrive!! Even my mum says the food is NO good! Worse, he didn't pay for the flower he bought from me! ARGH! It was a terrible first vday of my life! I hope the second one will be a romantic one!

Maybe even when I'm attached, I still believe that the guy should treat a gal as special as vday everyday. Maybe a nicer surprise will be better. Hah, looks like I'm contradicting myself. To all singles out there: Happy Friendship Day!

Getting real stressed out by FYP. Couldn't get the desired results. And the draft report is to be dued on 3rd March. My goodness! I'm really worried!!

Happy Chinese New Year

Hey guys!! Happy CNY!! Did u all gain unwanted fats!? Haha! I think I didn't do much! Cos' this year I didn't get to eat a lot of goodies. =( This is the first time I spent Chinese New Year's eve in Singapore. All the while, cny eve was in Malaysia. It was a different feeling altogether - having less crowd in the house, and less of cny festive mood. However, the food whipped up by my mum was as delicious. Hehe.

There wasn't prawn crackers (xia bing) that I love, no Mamee (those that kids eat), no super good nasi lemak (as supper), no niang toufu as lunch, and basically not much good home-cooked food too. Oh ya, and I didn't get to drink beer or soft drinks this year round!! My goodness! Is this new year?!

On the other hand, god of fortune was with me this year round. I won some money on majong games starting on chinese new year's eve. And Daddy too, gave me a red packet containing SINGAPORE dollars finally. Though there wasn't much, but this is only the second time he gives us red packets in Sing dollars. Usually it was just RM$10?

Took many photos. You can check out my imagestation for some of the photos. Some are in my cousin's camera. Carey, remember to upload!! ARH! We forgot to take photos of what we ate at Simpang Rengam!!! We always took photos of our dishes but we forgot this year!! It was such GOOD food!! So wasted!

Carey bought me "Six Strong Guys" VCD. Hehe. Though it is also sold in Singapore, but Singapore's version is in damn Chinese! Malaysia's version is in the ORIGINAL Cantonese dialogue! I don't understand what is the reason having to translate dialects in movies to chinese and need not translate languages like Thai, Jap, Korean!?!?! So rubbish! And worse is that even VCDs in Cantonese are not published in their original languages!! Can't stand the stupid system.

Visited some relatives and all always ask the same questions. Ok, I'm the eldest (unmarried) cousin there, so all asked me whether I have a boyfriend. NO NO NO NO NO NO!! Even those younger than me are attached!! My brothers even said,"Dunno what is wrong with you ar..." Grrr...! I admit I'm picky but I guess I rather be single than having to be together with someone I don't really like. Must meet the one I really like mah. Don't be attached just because others are attached right? Haha. But my brother cousin gonna intro me his colleague. Well, shall see how it goes...

I brought my laptop to Malaysia, in hope to do some FYP there. But ended up sleeping late, chatting, watching tv and playing majong!! Getting so worried. Need to hand in draft report on 3rd March!! It's gonna be back to my busy work schedule next week. Gonna be recess after next week. MY GOD!! So fast?!!?!? Can time pass slower and I do things faster so that I can get more things done!?!? ARGH!

Phew -_-"""

Photo: SE experienced group

How relieved I am now. No more nervousness and stress on SE's lunchtime concert. It went sucessfully today. It was one of the longest lunchtime concert. From 1245 to nearly 1400 hr.

There were out of tunes here and there, but I think it was a good effort. However, I played a lot of wrong notes on the piano accompaniment (first time played on grand piano for performance! hehe...) for Bach's Double Concerto in D minor. I was too nervous, and my fingers kind of froze. I think I would have played better if I was given the score earlier in advance. They only gave me the score last Friday, and I practised for long hours on the piano during the weekends, in the expense of my tutorials. =(

I played in the quartet piece today, and only reading the score for the third time. The performance was ok. Hee.

Phew Phew Phew, I was so stressed up yesterday night. Now, left this Saturday's performance at Toa Payoh hub and our own SE concert on the 26th of Feb. I will be playing in Telemann's Konzert for 4 violins. But that still has some time to practise.

Oh ya, I got my music theory results!! I got 86 marks!! 4 marks to Distinction!! Shucks! I will do better for my Grade 8!

Ok. Off to do tutorials. FYP!!

Busy busy

Busy busy busy. Everyday have to think about FYP and about booking equipment. As the day goes by, I get more and more anxious about my FYP. It just seems so endless. Characterizing and characterizing everyday. The worst is that I came back last Saturday and was shut outside the door of my labs. There was nobody in the lab and the lab door needed a security card to access. AND how could they ever allow us, FYP students. to book the equipment when we don't have card access??? Desperate, I called Dr Miao. No, in fact I SMSed him. He called back 10 minutes later, and said he was doing on a report, and told me that labs are only open to RESEARCH students on Sat. Sadly, I had to give up my TWO slots - namely XRD and the 6360 SEM to the ghosts!!

Without any choice, I went to my simultaneous event on that same morning - my SE Lunchtime Concert rehearsal at LT19. Even though I was like 10 minutes late, everybody was doing nothing there. I went down the steps, and the Chairperson, (ok, I declare her non-bitch now cos' I have understood her plight recently), requested me to help tune the Beginners. Some of their violins are so out of tune, and the fine-tuners are so bloody tight!!! Engaging the help of a cute guy, we only managed to tune half the group of Beginners cos' it was really difficult to tune their violins. Tuning one violin took about 10 minutes. Both the guy and I were like quite warm in the cold LT after a while.

As usual, the good players were not present. There were only 2 first violins and no experienced cellist. Sad to say, there were about only 4 quite-ok players there. So the rehearsal was not very successful.

After the rehearsal, we went for lunch at Canteen A. Then continued to Nanyang House for practise. I was solo that day, leaving only me in the first violin section cos' the other player went home to do....... TUTORIALS?!?!?!

I guess the really good players are all bored with the easy pieces we have been playing for the past one year. Not to mention, I was already bored long time ago. My attendance is just to show respect to our conductor, and most importantly, I enjoyed every practise. How I wish we could have played more challenging songs. Really looking forward to String Ensemble becoming a String Orchestra after 26th Feb 2005. =)