Conrad Centennial Hotel Singapore

MH and I had our staycation at Conrad, near Suntec City. It was MH's birthday and the staycation also served as a birthday celebration. 

The room was really big and posh!! They even have a pillow menu! The toilet was really big! It can pass off as another room!!!

There is a bath tub and another shower area on the right of the photo.

The cute rubber ducky and bath salts.

Huge TV mounted on the wall.

The comfy bed.

Spacious room with a work desk.

And a relaxing sofa in the corner.

The pillow menu!!

The Cuddle-U pillow I chose!

Drinks corner.

Also, the hotel charged my credit card an extra $300. It was only that I checked my credit card bill and then called the hotel for an explanation only did they said it was an error. So please always check your credit card bills!!

Breakfast: Not provided

WIFI: Not free

Address: 2 Temasek Blvd, Singapore 038982

Tel:+65 6334 8888

Violin Masterclass with Yew Shan

I was away in KL over the weekend and took MAS flight back for Yew Shan's violin masterclass. I was practising hard every day for the whole week except the two nights when I was away in KL. Hence, I was very hesitant in signing up. However it was a rare chance to come by as I had priority  furthermore, I do not have to pay a single cent. So I finally muster up my courage and sent in my application.

I chose a difficult piece in a difficult key - Bach's Violin Concerto in E, first movement. This probably will be my ATCL piece. I was the last of the five candidates for the masterclass. I wasn't the least bit of anxious while waiting for my turn. I was in fact listening attentively to every candidate he was commenting on. 

However, when it was finally my turn, I did not know why, the butterflies in my stomach started to fly crazily. My body temperature was shooting up, my hands were hardening and my heart was thumping erratically. I breathed hard and thought of the music before playing. It started well, but less than ten bars into the music, adrenaline started GUSHING up my brain and before I knew it, my hands were out of control, against the logical instructions from my brain. The tempo grew faster and faster, and coordination problems started coming in. Followed by intonation and rhythm problems. 

I was totally disappointed with my playing. I COULD play 1 000% much better! In the photos my friends took, I saw my face RED. This was probably the ever first time my face and neck turned red due to nervousness. 

Yew Shan was a really nice mentor and he could probably tell I was super nervous. Hence he spent some time explaining how to control nervousness.

I learnt a lot from him and I really LOVE his playing. He is playing Brahm's Violin Concerto with us and his tone and technique really mesmerizes me. 

Thank you, Yew Shan, for making this a memorable experience for me. I promise I'll practise even harder and play better in front of you should there be a next time.

Piccolo Hotel (KL)

Went for KL with my friend and her bf. My cousin was supposed to join me but she had to go for tomb sweeping so I was left alone in a big room.

We paid $102.48 per night for Executive Room which I thought was a good deal for its location. Once you step out, it is Lot 10 shopping centre and Bintang monorail station is just across the road. Behind the hotel is Pavilion Shopping Centre.

Open concept toilet

The Shower

The toilet

King size bed and spacious sofa corner

TV and the big glass mirror is actually the wardrobe. It can be opened from the back too giving access from the shower.

Dressing table is also spacious. Power sockets behind the lamp.

Sofa corner

View outside my window overlooking Pavilion Shopping Centre

Breakfast: Not provided

WIFI: Free

Address: 101 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, 55100 Malaysia

Website: http://www.thepiccolohotel.com

Mendelssohn - Octet in E-Flat Major, Op. 20

Yet another year of concert with NTUSO! This time, the alumni put up an item, all thanks to me for suggesting it and making it all come true!! We had some trouble finding eight players for the octet and since all of us were working, practising together makes it more challenging, especially when all of us had to travel all the way to far west for rehearsal.

Nevertheless, on this concert day, it was spectacular, though we made a few mistakes here and there. But I though it was a good show considering we only had four or five practises.

Ever since I joined the then NTUSE in 2001, starting as a beginner, I have always wanted to be part of the main ensemble, playing music together. It was only in 2005 that I got a chance to play together in our first ever public concert - Journey 2005. Seniors and good players in the ensemble never failed to inspire me to play better. I remember the first person to inspire me was Wei Han, a first violinist, when he played Vivaldi's Seasons and Carlos Gardel's Por Una Cabeza, then Xiao Qing with Kriesler's Preludium and Allegro, Zhong Hao's fine intonation and lovely tone, followed by cellist K Yong who gave me a lot of courage and motivation to pursue music even at a ripe age of 27. Of course, along the way, there are many soloists and teachers who led me and gave me guidance and encouragement.

I continued playing the violin because I want to and love to perform. I want to play in orchestras and play in concerts and hoping that one day I have a chance to play on the same stage as Hacken Lee. As long as I'm playing, I will still return and perform with NTUSO because this is the place where I began.

Enjoy our performance: