shades of grey.

hello.

today being the last day of school of term 3, well i just have this feeling where i dont want the sept hols to start and i never want the prelims to come >.<

teachers' day today was quite okay; spent the aces day thingy walking and talking with brendan and oswald along the 4k-ish route. watching the not very spectacular concert. and yes, in the end i couldn't find mrs li. lol. i'd prob give her the card on the same day as music HL prelim.

to sum up, i think we're a privileged batch, being able to get the cream of the crop of many teachers who teach in acs.

i've been quite lucky to get the best of math teachers since sec 2: mrs anna lim, mr shaun choo, mr venu rao, mr azmi, and mr sunil dutt. but i doubt half of them even remember or will remember me haha.

mr patrick soo for physics in sec 3 - 4, mr edwin wong in year 5 (okay la he tried hard), and mr eric wee this year. can count himself one of us already haha.

mr liang chew man and mdm carol low for chem sec 3 - 4, even though i dont take chem anymore lol.

the humanities teachers are more of contrasts though.

ihs: okay they aren't much of contrasts, but i do appreciate both mr brian chirnside and mrs elaine lee, sec 3 - 4.

econs: mr joseph wong in year 5 vs ms alice tan this year. hahaha. ms alice tan is really one of the teachers i respect the most, despite being really strict. she really knows her stuff.

english: i think i shall only mention those worth mentioning haha. the rest left us to do quite a bit of self-learning. mr steven ng in year 5, also class teacher but left for greener pastures, and of course ms thiru, kind and caring language arts teacher in sec 3 - 4, tok teacher year 5 - 6.

and of course music. enough said hahahaha.

well then thats my short summary. dont really have much emo juices running through me now, so shall end here :)

posted by guitar123 @ 10:36 PM 0 comments

no more nails

wed 29 aug 2007 will go down as the day in history when, i, well, decided to clip away the nails on my right hand. since sec 2 oep, four and a half years without letting the sharp edges of a nail clipper slice through the hardened skin. yeah baby.

for all you classical guitar noobs out there, no nails = no solid tone, no projection.

i dont really know why i wanted to clip away my nails, maybe i was just cranky or what. it'll save me the half an hour i spend each week sandpapering my nails down to length; perhaps i just wanted to take a risk and try something new.

not that i had anything to lose. i'd have to clip it upon enlistment anyway.

but in the process i could be making a breakthrough.. even though now when i play got no sound (lol) i can play faster than usual. after observing one of segovia's videos, i realise that i could have been playing the rest stroke, or apoyando, wrongly all these years. my nails also could have been too long to push my playing standard further. ironic, but we'll see.

revision for prelims has been brisk, obtaining a 6 in each subject shouldnt be too much of a problem, but getting the 7 is really the challenge as there are no gurantees, not even for music. even after submission after submission of internal assessments. its like telling me i'm not good enough despite trying hard. but nehmind life is unfair, sometimes in your favour, sometimes not.

anyways, with one day to the 'end' of school, or normal lessons at least, it is hard not to feel sentimental. but i shall blog-reminisce tml, after teachers day haha. first time i'm actually getting something for some teachers in 6 years. lol.

posted by guitar123 @ 8:48 PM 0 comments

finished arranging Circle Of Life from lion king for guitar orchestra over wednesday to friday, brought back many fond childhood memories. but its not for ACSGO, its for GENUS (plus some primary school students mr choo is teaching). first time someone actually asked me to arrange a piece, i couldn't say no hahaha. wonder if i would even get to hear it tho.

well then, with 2 wks to the prelims, i can't help realising how fleeting time is, and that theres only 1 real wk of sch left before the ib exams. well then i guess over these 2 years many things have happened, but one thing which always strikes me is the friends made. many acquaintances, but relatively few very close friends. but i'm just really glad for the very few close friends, most from .15 04/05 who continue to sit at the same table sometimes during recess even now, some new friends from .13 06/07 (yes justin i think you can classify yourself under .13 already). even got award for someone who spent 6 years with me in the same class.. can you believe it, 6 years. *drumroll* its kenneth lui!! hahaha. if you're reading this, thanks, its been fun, and, interesting haha.

so even as the experience is ending, i'm still at a loss what i want to do at uni, surprise surprise. there are just too many factors to consider, and now i just want to focus on my studies first. after all if God were to give us the answers to all our dreams right here right now there wouldn't be any need to trust him, right?

okay time is of the essence, gtg.

posted by guitar123 @ 4:48 PM 0 comments

i caught a snippet of pokemon the cartoon this morning, and they're like into their number who knows what season already. and even though its been about 4 or 5 years since i stopped watching kids central (yes if you do the maths, its a bit wrong but hey), pokemon still evokes the same feelings as it did when i was just a kid haha.

and then it struck me why pokemon is so successful as a show. yes you may scoff at the characters and that oh so corny storyline of conflict (team rocket appears) and resolution (pikachu zaps team rocket into oblivion), but one thing that struck me the most is the character ash. his goal? 'to catch 'em all', hence his surname Ketchum hurhur. but jokes aside, ash has the basic ambition to be the best, an ambition which is ingrained into many people in society. his actions resonate the rashness of decision making we sometimes have in life, and he does have his failures too, but ultimately he comes up tops. and because of this i feel he appeals to so many, and i see a little reflection of myself in him, too. after all, the first two lines in the very very first opening theme were 'I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was'

and speaking of the power of cartoons, i was learning 'a whole new world' on guitar and i started thinking about the storyline of aladdin, which indeed encapsulates the word 'fantasy'. finding a genie who grants you 3 wishes, picking up a princess and living happily ever after. and not to mention the magic carpet that flies. if only finding romance in reality were that simple haha.

k thats all for now cya.

posted by guitar123 @ 3:07 PM 0 comments

MENDING WALL

the fact of having to study 20 king lear extracts for nothing aside, i'm glad nonetheless for getting a manageable poem. thank you God :)

and thanks justin for your indirect help in talking about your ioc during physics class. haha. once i saw the rectangular block of words, i knew i'd gotten the same extract as you hahaha.

the end of ioc will go down in history as one of the most memorable elation moments of the ib.


joke of the day:
mr paul tan: okay chen yi, when i press record, you wait for four seconds, then read out the preamble on the piece of paper. speak directly into the mike.

-click-

chen yi: *counts* one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three, one thousand and four.
my name is chen yi, my candidate...

-CLICK-

mr paul tan: chen yi, you forgot the first line 'English A1 IOC Examinations 2007'! (the line before 'my name is') *rewinds tape* i'm not supposed to do this you know...

doh.

posted by guitar123 @ 6:00 PM 0 comments

beware all you year 5 and future ib students.

one day you will be cursing ioc like how owen expounds on the pity of war and how soyinka expresses his contempt for racism and corrupt dictatorial leaderships.

not only that, you will have to put up with your friends talking to you in the language of Lear and giving you random quotes, plus analysis of your every action and word.

but for the record, today is the last day i'll have to be slugging over that terrible bundle of notes, and going to school to have 3 out of 4 useless lessons where the only thing you can do is talk cock or, yes, practice ioc.

and in the near future, i predict that they will give a study break of like 2 or 3 days every time there is something like ioc or a major deadline, e.g. EE. foreshadowed by the fact of how many people ponn sch just to study or complete the essays. hmph.

posted by guitar123 @ 7:16 PM 0 comments

[The ATCL or any exam grade that you take] is just a piece of paper. It is the journey [that is important.] - mr terence choo

tho i cannot remember the exact words, i cannot help but feel how important that piece of advice was and still is.

still watching, still waiting, still praying.


ioc ah ioc.. not very good for you and me.

posted by guitar123 @ 8:59 PM 0 comments

sianz i couldnt have chosen a better day to fall sick.

a day where clinics all over singapore are either closed or charge extra fees for opening on a pub hol -.-

anyway, the doctor i saw was playing mozart's piano concerto no. 21 in his consultation room. weird.

posted by guitar123 @ 11:49 AM 0 comments

i shall blog while the memories are still fresh. haha. if not seldom do u see 2 posts a day from me.

the day started out with.. bossa nova breeze + mini percussion solo during assembly. haha. excused from class at 10.

full run. and a little incident that wasnt too nice but i felt that united the orch even more.

news that some pieces were taken out. but in the end it turned out fine.

tech run.

nap at home, dinner, reach school at 5:45.

the anxiety i tell you. lol. other concerts, i get to warm up in playing with the orch. this one dont have. other concerts got several pieces to screw up in. this concert only got a 3min 43s piece to make an impression haha. feels much better now though.

the orch. not looking at the conductor as usual; hasabe was okay.. i'm pretty sure the air con in the cpa which causes hands to freeze is the reason why jalousie, el bimbo and telok blangah (not to mention the school anthem also) to be rushed, some of the pieces almost to the extent of discomfort. but whats a guitar concert without rushing.

the lightning FOC. everyone was like.. 'how he play so fast one?!?' haha well done.

the orch members. standing up for what they believed in. keeping courageously silent. the usual efficient comm: Eugene, Ian, Andre, Edwin, Shaun Lim.

seeing friends, seeing people, groups of friends, people together; makes me reflect on how i invested my time in friends throughout these two years and the four before them. and i believe i've made a good handful of friends who i will keep in touch with for life.

seeing yingda and mx again. prelims in a wk, all the best to y'all :) as usual so much to talk about, so little time. haha. but watching a concert, that you play in, with your friends is a one in a lifetime experience. but next time i shall get shoes that dont make so much noise on exit haha.

the not having to pack up. haha. but overall i think that this concert has ended on a higher note than concerts like frets and the year i played aranjuez. probably cos it ended early and the guitar performers were more committed and less troublesome. somewhat.

the reminder that life in acsi is coming to an end. talking to ms audrey tay about guitar playing and catching up somewhat. talking to mr gaspar and ms ng about their music careers and studies, and discussing future opportunities. tinge of sadness when mr gaspar told me, 'so this would be your very last concert with the acsi guitar orchestra, yah?' this concert must have also one of the most enjoyable concerts for ms ng i guess haha. the debrief today must have been less painful than in the past.

yeap so thats my concert experience. Viva La Musica. no regrets.

posted by guitar123 @ 11:07 PM 0 comments

Angelina

angelina
come to your daddy's arms
angelina
i'll keep you safe in my arms
angelina
sit on your papa's knees
angelina
don't you go too far from me
angelina
don't you go too far from me
don't you go too far from me
-tommy emmanuel

posted by guitar123 @ 4:37 PM 0 comments

being a performer has its perks, but sometimes it just appears to be plain tiring.

it was great to be back in the presence of the GO again during rehearsal for FOA this friday, and, i'm pleased to say that i'm proud to belong to the ACS Guitar Orchestra :)

from the way things are easy going most of the time, the 'maximum output with minimum effort' mentality, all the way to seeing how andre's ego is still experiencing hyperinflation, to the lightning trio performance of FOC.

but of course tiring la.. practice until 7. poor things. makes me think back to the days of frets.. the organisation was tight cos those in charge were all friends and all knew the big picture quite well. we could also pull of more stunts back then like the please turn off your handphones intro, how deep is your love by year 5s, and of course the cartoon medley :P

ahh well. my fleeting 3 minutes and 43 seconds claim to fame this concert will be hard earned haha. waiting for 3 hours to play 3 minutes isnt really my cup of tea. sometimes i do wish i was still playing with the orch. nothing really parallels stuff like playing the 'head bobbing rhythms and driving melodies' of el bimbo, or playing in the action of a bach concerto. no matter how hard any preparation for a concert is, the feeling after the performance is always amazing.

yeap k then thats all for now.

posted by guitar123 @ 8:41 PM 0 comments