27 October, 2008
09 October, 2008
Moisture in my eyes? Must be the dust...
Dust indeed...
Seriously dusty...
I think its been sitting in my drawer for 4 years collecting dust. For some reason, I decided to organize my mess and I chanced upon a large white envelope with colourful words on it. Turns out that it's full (relatively) of warm fuzzies from a retreat 4 years ago. I think its the drama one where there were unexpected visitors. Ligna nearly had to physically restrain me! By the way Ligna, I know you're reading this... So make your presence known!!! Haha...
Anyway, all the notes were quite cute la. I could see not just my own growth but everyone's growth too. I mean, Nicole and Gerard were 13! How sophisticated can they be at that age? Nonetheless, it DID give me a warm fuzzy feeling and brought back plenty of memories.
Digging for more 'treasure' now...
Seriously dusty...
I think its been sitting in my drawer for 4 years collecting dust. For some reason, I decided to organize my mess and I chanced upon a large white envelope with colourful words on it. Turns out that it's full (relatively) of warm fuzzies from a retreat 4 years ago. I think its the drama one where there were unexpected visitors. Ligna nearly had to physically restrain me! By the way Ligna, I know you're reading this... So make your presence known!!! Haha...
Anyway, all the notes were quite cute la. I could see not just my own growth but everyone's growth too. I mean, Nicole and Gerard were 13! How sophisticated can they be at that age? Nonetheless, it DID give me a warm fuzzy feeling and brought back plenty of memories.
Digging for more 'treasure' now...
29 September, 2008
Great source actually... Saved my ass
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Pachelbel; his canon.
Johann Pachelbel - 1653-1706Canon in D"arguably the most widely used, recorded and recognizable instrumental work of all time." I shan't argue with that, but I am curious as to how it got that way. My CYCLOPEDIA (sic) of MUSIC and MUSICIANS, edited by Oscar Thompson , third edition, revised and enlarged, of 1944, gives ten lines on the composer but doesn't mention the Canon in D. or more properly, Canon and gigue, for 3 violins & continuo in D major, T. 337. A canon is of course a type of contrapuntal composition once popular, in which the theme is imitated by a second voice at an interval, and more voices after that if you like, though as with most things in the world it is a little more complicated than its one-line explanation. And a gigue is a jig. Here's a list of over 500 other works by the composer.So how did it get to be so famous after so long, about 250 years after the death of the bloke who wrote it? 8notes.com has tracked its rise to favour by counting the mentions of it in the NY Times, an ingenious idea I thought (see right). So something happened in the '60s, and it picked up a head of steam in the '80s.All music guide notes that Mr Pachelbel was
lost in the mists of musical time until Rudolf Baumgartner and the Lucerne Festival Strings decided to record a work they called Pachelbel's Canon for France's Erato label in the mid-'60s. The recording was not considered worthy of release domestically in the United States except by the Musical Heritage Society. Amazingly enough, the recording became a best seller and, even more amazingly, was heard by Robert Redford, who decided to use it in his film Ordinary People (1980). From there, for a brief time, Pachelbel's Canon became the most popular piece of classical music in the history of humanity.I have tried and failed to find any anecdotal information about Mr Pachelbel except for a couple of incidents at a slight remove from the man himself
"One interesting story comes from his time in Ohrdruf. For some unknown reason, Johann Christoph Bach (older brother and teacher of JS Bach) forbid J.S. from reading a manuscript of Pachelbel's original works. Every night for six months, Bach would sneak down to his brother's study and copy the manuscript by moonlight for his own use...He also tutored all of his children. His son William Hieronymus filled Pachelbel's position at Sebalduskirche, shortly after his death. His other two sons, Carl Theodor & Johann Michael immigrated to America around 1730.While in America Carl Theodor made a bit of history. Following in his father's footsteps he found employment as an organist at the Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island sometime around 1733. In 1736, he traveled to New York City and at 6:00 PM on January 21, 1736 gave a concert in a local tavern. This event is significant as it was the first concert in the colonies of which records exist.Now, before I post the celebrated Youtube video of a version of the work which I rather like, note the following:
Originally written in 1700 (elsewhere given as early as 1680) as a short, fast piece for three violins and basso continuo, the Baumgartner recording set the pace for outlandish arrangements of the work by slowing it down to about a third its original tempoAnd that's the respectful version we're talking about. There are hideous disco and techno beat renditions out there.What would Mr. Pachelbel think about it? I wonder if you stop caring when you're dead, or if there really is an afterlife and God lets you in on the Cosmic Joke and you just spend the rest of Eternity laughing. Who knows? I suspect Pachelbel would be too horrified by US to even get around to considering what we'd done with this canon out of all the canons he wrote. Nevertheless, this is Taiwanese Guitar virtuoso Jerry C. playing it (in one of the most popular videos on Youtube over the last couple of years). Of course it is no longer technically speaking a 'canon,' and whether the dramatic key shift at 3.53, creating the modern 'bridge' that facilitates its conversion into a rock anthem, originates here or in the work of a slick arranger in some other version, I do not pretend to know and haven't the time to find out. But this kid sure can play.(Youtube link from Callum Campbell)
Labels: music
posted by Eddie Campbell at 00:06
Pachelbel; his canon.
Johann Pachelbel - 1653-1706Canon in D"arguably the most widely used, recorded and recognizable instrumental work of all time." I shan't argue with that, but I am curious as to how it got that way. My CYCLOPEDIA (sic) of MUSIC and MUSICIANS, edited by Oscar Thompson , third edition, revised and enlarged, of 1944, gives ten lines on the composer but doesn't mention the Canon in D. or more properly, Canon and gigue, for 3 violins & continuo in D major, T. 337. A canon is of course a type of contrapuntal composition once popular, in which the theme is imitated by a second voice at an interval, and more voices after that if you like, though as with most things in the world it is a little more complicated than its one-line explanation. And a gigue is a jig. Here's a list of over 500 other works by the composer.So how did it get to be so famous after so long, about 250 years after the death of the bloke who wrote it? 8notes.com has tracked its rise to favour by counting the mentions of it in the NY Times, an ingenious idea I thought (see right). So something happened in the '60s, and it picked up a head of steam in the '80s.All music guide notes that Mr Pachelbel was
lost in the mists of musical time until Rudolf Baumgartner and the Lucerne Festival Strings decided to record a work they called Pachelbel's Canon for France's Erato label in the mid-'60s. The recording was not considered worthy of release domestically in the United States except by the Musical Heritage Society. Amazingly enough, the recording became a best seller and, even more amazingly, was heard by Robert Redford, who decided to use it in his film Ordinary People (1980). From there, for a brief time, Pachelbel's Canon became the most popular piece of classical music in the history of humanity.I have tried and failed to find any anecdotal information about Mr Pachelbel except for a couple of incidents at a slight remove from the man himself
"One interesting story comes from his time in Ohrdruf. For some unknown reason, Johann Christoph Bach (older brother and teacher of JS Bach) forbid J.S. from reading a manuscript of Pachelbel's original works. Every night for six months, Bach would sneak down to his brother's study and copy the manuscript by moonlight for his own use...He also tutored all of his children. His son William Hieronymus filled Pachelbel's position at Sebalduskirche, shortly after his death. His other two sons, Carl Theodor & Johann Michael immigrated to America around 1730.While in America Carl Theodor made a bit of history. Following in his father's footsteps he found employment as an organist at the Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island sometime around 1733. In 1736, he traveled to New York City and at 6:00 PM on January 21, 1736 gave a concert in a local tavern. This event is significant as it was the first concert in the colonies of which records exist.Now, before I post the celebrated Youtube video of a version of the work which I rather like, note the following:
Originally written in 1700 (elsewhere given as early as 1680) as a short, fast piece for three violins and basso continuo, the Baumgartner recording set the pace for outlandish arrangements of the work by slowing it down to about a third its original tempoAnd that's the respectful version we're talking about. There are hideous disco and techno beat renditions out there.What would Mr. Pachelbel think about it? I wonder if you stop caring when you're dead, or if there really is an afterlife and God lets you in on the Cosmic Joke and you just spend the rest of Eternity laughing. Who knows? I suspect Pachelbel would be too horrified by US to even get around to considering what we'd done with this canon out of all the canons he wrote. Nevertheless, this is Taiwanese Guitar virtuoso Jerry C. playing it (in one of the most popular videos on Youtube over the last couple of years). Of course it is no longer technically speaking a 'canon,' and whether the dramatic key shift at 3.53, creating the modern 'bridge' that facilitates its conversion into a rock anthem, originates here or in the work of a slick arranger in some other version, I do not pretend to know and haven't the time to find out. But this kid sure can play.(Youtube link from Callum Campbell)
Labels: music
posted by Eddie Campbell at 00:06
Guess the rhythm!
crotchet quaver quaver quaver crotchet crotchet crotchet quaver crotchet crotchet...
Go figure....
Tuesdays are going to be so fun!
Go figure....
Tuesdays are going to be so fun!
28 September, 2008
Dying...
Aaaaaarrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because of the bloody F1, Esplanade library is closed for the weekend!!!!
My 30% presentation is tomorrow and I've no idea where to get my score.
I hate Dr Kan!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Because of the bloody F1, Esplanade library is closed for the weekend!!!!
My 30% presentation is tomorrow and I've no idea where to get my score.
I hate Dr Kan!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
16 September, 2008
Testifying to Love
If there is one thing that I am sure of in my life, it’s the fact that God has blessed me abundantly. Till this day, I remain awed at the impact He has made in my life. To fully grasp the sheer magnitude of His awesome grace, you have to know the type of person I was before.
Looking back at how I was as a teenager, I’m amazed that my parents managed to put up with me. At the age of 14 and 15, I was smoking, drinking and a frequent gambler. I was also a violent and aggressive person who got into a number of fights in and out of school. This aggressive and violent streak also found its way back home where I got into frequent fights and arguments with my mother. I hated God and everything related to Him. For that matter, I probably even hated myself at that time. I felt alone in the world and did not see any purpose of my existence. I was also failing my studies in school and was perpetually in detention. When I attended mass, it was only due to the fact that my parents coerced me to. God however, had plans for me and He truly works in mysterious ways. You never know when he will send someone to change your life. Conversely, you will never know how God can make use of the little you do to bring someone closer to Him.
I met a girl online when I was 15. I was never in the habit of meeting people on the internet but for some reason, I continued talking to her. One day, she mentioned that there was a Youth in the Spirit Seminar (YISS) organized by the Youth Praise Ministry (now called Amplified) and she invited me to attend it. I had heard about it from school as I was from a Catholic school and had heard that there would be many girls there. As such, I agreed to go as I wanted to meet girls and maybe get a girlfriend, or two. Little did I expect that God would touch me deeply and that for the first time, I felt like I mattered to God. I was moved to tears that God could care for someone who hated Him and cursed His name. I was humbled by the fact that despite me being a great sinner, he enfolded me with his loving arms and later blessed me by giving me the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in me. In addition, He also led me to friends there who were from our parishes Charismatic Prayer Group and they brought me to Christ The King. It was in the Charismatic group where I met people, both adults and youth who would journey with me for many years, guiding me, scolding and lecturing me when needed and loving me for who I was. I slowly let go of my old friends and some of my old habits with them. This is not to say that I became an angel overnight, but it was a start to a long and difficult conversion journey.
Besides bringing me back to God, the YISS also brought something significant in my life. It introduced me to Praise and Worship and I felt an instant connection to it. I have always loved music and in worship, it felt as if my prayer was magnified. It’s not just a sing-a-long when you truly worship. I was drawn to it and it manifested in me a greater love for music and singing. It is when I’m singing praises to God that I feel a sense of great joy and love. It led me to join the worship team in Charismatic as a vocalist and 6 months later, I joined St. Dominic’s Choir as well. It was indeed amazing to those who knew me before my change of heart that I had went from a God-hater to serving in dual ministries in church, all in a span of 6 months.
A few years later, God chose to bless me in yet another way. When I was 18, I started having an interest in playing music. I have never had a single music lesson in my life then but for some reason, I was drawn to it. I started to pick up keyboard playing when a friend showed me the basics. Once I started, my thirst for more was insatiable. Before long, I was asking and learning about things like chords and keys. I started being able to play a few P&W songs, albeit not very well. At that time it was still a hobby and a fun pastime to me. Soon however, I began to feel called to playing. I did not want to do anything about it though as I felt that I was not good enough and unworthy to play. I was still not living a good Christian life and felt that someone like myself could never play for church. Once again, God had other plans for me. At a Charismatic retreat, we were praying for intentions and there God touched me again and impressed upon me that I was not unworthy and though I was a sinner, He loved me no less than anybody else. He also impressed upon me that any music I played would be beautiful in His ears. With that, I decided to start playing music for God and it has been a truly amazing and miraculous journey. My playing started to improve rapidly right after the retreat and soon, I was playing hymns for weekday mass. God also paved a way for me in Charismatic when the musician then who was a professional in the music industry had to take a break due to work and family commitments. Playing for both Mass and Charismatic, I started to garner experience quickly. God also helped me develop by providing me with a lot of exposure as I was asked to provide music for the Sec. 4 confirmation camp in 2005. Subsequently, I was also asked to play for other camps and retreats, as well as events in and out of church. I had to honour and opportunity to work with very talented musicians like Terrence Teo, Melvin Cher, Martin Yeo and Lyonel Tan. I was able to learn a lot from them and by playing with them, my playing also developed. Looking back, it is hard to believe that anyone would enlist the help of someone who has been playing music for only a year and I remain convinced that it was part of God’s plan for me.
This year, as I was finishing my National Service, I was trying to decide what to study and I asked my friends to pray for me that God would give me a direction. After much prayer, God revealed to me that He would lead me further using music. As such, I decided to try enrolling in NAFA under a MOE scholarship. At first, it did not seem that the audition was going well. I could not read notes and my classical piano technique was nowhere near the required standard. I did not know anything about theory and I had to have a 3 day crash course before the entrance test. However, I decided to leave it to God that it would be His will being fulfilled and not mine. Indeed, when God promises something, he always delivers and in the end, against all odds, I was accepted into NAFA. Instead of having to pay my school fees, MOE covers everything and even provided me with an allowance. This just goes to show that in God, nothing is impossible. If we but open our hearts to Him and trust him, He will bless us abundantly. That is why I’ve spent a considerable amount of time giving my music back to God in His service. After all, without Him, I wouldn’t even be able to have such a fulfilling passion.
If anyone doubts the power of God in one’s life, I can only say this. God’s ways are not those of the world. Though it goes against our human nature and all logic, we must let go of our lives and place it in God’s hands. Though it may frighten us to do so, or fill us with anxiety, trust wholly in Him and He will not abandon you. That is something that I can testify to, without a doubt.
Looking back at how I was as a teenager, I’m amazed that my parents managed to put up with me. At the age of 14 and 15, I was smoking, drinking and a frequent gambler. I was also a violent and aggressive person who got into a number of fights in and out of school. This aggressive and violent streak also found its way back home where I got into frequent fights and arguments with my mother. I hated God and everything related to Him. For that matter, I probably even hated myself at that time. I felt alone in the world and did not see any purpose of my existence. I was also failing my studies in school and was perpetually in detention. When I attended mass, it was only due to the fact that my parents coerced me to. God however, had plans for me and He truly works in mysterious ways. You never know when he will send someone to change your life. Conversely, you will never know how God can make use of the little you do to bring someone closer to Him.
I met a girl online when I was 15. I was never in the habit of meeting people on the internet but for some reason, I continued talking to her. One day, she mentioned that there was a Youth in the Spirit Seminar (YISS) organized by the Youth Praise Ministry (now called Amplified) and she invited me to attend it. I had heard about it from school as I was from a Catholic school and had heard that there would be many girls there. As such, I agreed to go as I wanted to meet girls and maybe get a girlfriend, or two. Little did I expect that God would touch me deeply and that for the first time, I felt like I mattered to God. I was moved to tears that God could care for someone who hated Him and cursed His name. I was humbled by the fact that despite me being a great sinner, he enfolded me with his loving arms and later blessed me by giving me the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in me. In addition, He also led me to friends there who were from our parishes Charismatic Prayer Group and they brought me to Christ The King. It was in the Charismatic group where I met people, both adults and youth who would journey with me for many years, guiding me, scolding and lecturing me when needed and loving me for who I was. I slowly let go of my old friends and some of my old habits with them. This is not to say that I became an angel overnight, but it was a start to a long and difficult conversion journey.
Besides bringing me back to God, the YISS also brought something significant in my life. It introduced me to Praise and Worship and I felt an instant connection to it. I have always loved music and in worship, it felt as if my prayer was magnified. It’s not just a sing-a-long when you truly worship. I was drawn to it and it manifested in me a greater love for music and singing. It is when I’m singing praises to God that I feel a sense of great joy and love. It led me to join the worship team in Charismatic as a vocalist and 6 months later, I joined St. Dominic’s Choir as well. It was indeed amazing to those who knew me before my change of heart that I had went from a God-hater to serving in dual ministries in church, all in a span of 6 months.
A few years later, God chose to bless me in yet another way. When I was 18, I started having an interest in playing music. I have never had a single music lesson in my life then but for some reason, I was drawn to it. I started to pick up keyboard playing when a friend showed me the basics. Once I started, my thirst for more was insatiable. Before long, I was asking and learning about things like chords and keys. I started being able to play a few P&W songs, albeit not very well. At that time it was still a hobby and a fun pastime to me. Soon however, I began to feel called to playing. I did not want to do anything about it though as I felt that I was not good enough and unworthy to play. I was still not living a good Christian life and felt that someone like myself could never play for church. Once again, God had other plans for me. At a Charismatic retreat, we were praying for intentions and there God touched me again and impressed upon me that I was not unworthy and though I was a sinner, He loved me no less than anybody else. He also impressed upon me that any music I played would be beautiful in His ears. With that, I decided to start playing music for God and it has been a truly amazing and miraculous journey. My playing started to improve rapidly right after the retreat and soon, I was playing hymns for weekday mass. God also paved a way for me in Charismatic when the musician then who was a professional in the music industry had to take a break due to work and family commitments. Playing for both Mass and Charismatic, I started to garner experience quickly. God also helped me develop by providing me with a lot of exposure as I was asked to provide music for the Sec. 4 confirmation camp in 2005. Subsequently, I was also asked to play for other camps and retreats, as well as events in and out of church. I had to honour and opportunity to work with very talented musicians like Terrence Teo, Melvin Cher, Martin Yeo and Lyonel Tan. I was able to learn a lot from them and by playing with them, my playing also developed. Looking back, it is hard to believe that anyone would enlist the help of someone who has been playing music for only a year and I remain convinced that it was part of God’s plan for me.
This year, as I was finishing my National Service, I was trying to decide what to study and I asked my friends to pray for me that God would give me a direction. After much prayer, God revealed to me that He would lead me further using music. As such, I decided to try enrolling in NAFA under a MOE scholarship. At first, it did not seem that the audition was going well. I could not read notes and my classical piano technique was nowhere near the required standard. I did not know anything about theory and I had to have a 3 day crash course before the entrance test. However, I decided to leave it to God that it would be His will being fulfilled and not mine. Indeed, when God promises something, he always delivers and in the end, against all odds, I was accepted into NAFA. Instead of having to pay my school fees, MOE covers everything and even provided me with an allowance. This just goes to show that in God, nothing is impossible. If we but open our hearts to Him and trust him, He will bless us abundantly. That is why I’ve spent a considerable amount of time giving my music back to God in His service. After all, without Him, I wouldn’t even be able to have such a fulfilling passion.
If anyone doubts the power of God in one’s life, I can only say this. God’s ways are not those of the world. Though it goes against our human nature and all logic, we must let go of our lives and place it in God’s hands. Though it may frighten us to do so, or fill us with anxiety, trust wholly in Him and He will not abandon you. That is something that I can testify to, without a doubt.
08 September, 2008
Acting cheem...Haha
And I quote...
"...is a greater appreciation of how art transcends the various mediums of expression and how it’s the collective ideas of humankind that binds all art forms together..."
Am I smart or what!?
Haha...kidding. I'm sure the lit major will scoff!
"...is a greater appreciation of how art transcends the various mediums of expression and how it’s the collective ideas of humankind that binds all art forms together..."
Am I smart or what!?
Haha...kidding. I'm sure the lit major will scoff!
07 September, 2008
Why Dr Kan... Why?
AAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!
What do I have to say about History?
!@#$%^&*&^@*%$#@!$^
Seriously, the only reason Dr Kan gives so much bloody work is because she has too much free time. Can any guy out there date/marry/procure her so that her time will not be spent reading our work and coming up with more work!
What do I have to say about History?
!@#$%^&*&^@*%$#@!$^
Seriously, the only reason Dr Kan gives so much bloody work is because she has too much free time. Can any guy out there date/marry/procure her so that her time will not be spent reading our work and coming up with more work!
20 August, 2008
So far so good...
Hey hey!!!
Yes... I know that there's been a slow down... BUT, I can't help it. I'm a hard-working student now. Yes you heard me right the 1st time. I'm being a hard working student now. So not me!
It seems to be paying off though. I recieved my 1st grade for the semester and it was an A. Mind you, this was for piano and I was expecting to fail all the way. The next grade I recieved was a perect 10. Yup, full marks for a 10% assignment! Only 1 other person managed to get it!
Hopefully, this keeps up but I seriously doubt it as I heard failing Theory is a norm and a C is considered a good grade. Oh well, till the next time then.
Yes... I know that there's been a slow down... BUT, I can't help it. I'm a hard-working student now. Yes you heard me right the 1st time. I'm being a hard working student now. So not me!
It seems to be paying off though. I recieved my 1st grade for the semester and it was an A. Mind you, this was for piano and I was expecting to fail all the way. The next grade I recieved was a perect 10. Yup, full marks for a 10% assignment! Only 1 other person managed to get it!
Hopefully, this keeps up but I seriously doubt it as I heard failing Theory is a norm and a C is considered a good grade. Oh well, till the next time then.
11 August, 2008
03 August, 2008
Poetry
Song
Go, and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me, where all past years are, Or who cleft the Devil's foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy's stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.
If though be'est born to strange sights,
Things invisible to see,
Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Till age snow white hairs on thee,
Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me
All strange wonders that befell thee,
And swear
Nowhere
Lives a woman true, and fair.
If thou find'st one, let me know,
Such a pilgrimage were sweet,
Yet do I not, I would not go,
Thou at next door we might meet,
Thou she were true when you met her,
And last, till you write your letter,
Yet she
Will be
False, ere I come, to two, to three.
--- John Donne, 1572-1631.
02 August, 2008
Twinkly Twinkly
Sigh... the twin sisters are all sciency now. Bloody stargazers... Haha
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Then the traveller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveller in the dark,
—Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Twinkle, Twinkle little star,
SOON, we'll know just WHAT YOU ARE! :))))) HAHA
Haha indeed...
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Then the traveller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveller in the dark,
—Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Twinkle, Twinkle little star,
SOON, we'll know just WHAT YOU ARE! :))))) HAHA
Haha indeed...
01 August, 2008
School... and other burning questions.
No. 1... I do NOT... I repeat do NOT have a thing for Cynthia. I am also not promoting her to any male readers out there! This came from 2 different individuals as well... Sheesh. I'm just fascinated by the fact that this little shy girl with her book sitting a discernible distance away from Gerard on the same 2 seater couch has grown up into a young confident lady. That's all. Seriously...
No 2...
A small number of people have indicated to me that I mention school but not my area of study. One even said that driving school is not school. For the record, I'm not taking driving lessons... yet... So I'm going to clear the air and talk about school. Those who've heard this for a million times can either click on the little x at the top right corner of your screen or click on the little red dot at the top left corner.
Now, I suppose I'll begin at the beginning. The importance of the beginning cannot be Diminished. After all, the beginning of a good story always Augments the main story. Never think that it is too Minor and dismiss it for you'll lose a Major part of the whole. Alright... I'm rambling here. Those who know Music Theory will understand what I'm rambling about.
Some months back, I was thinking about my future and the choices I had. I could do my private 'A's, go back to poly, sign on or do distance learning. To be frank, none of them were very appealing to me for various reasons. I was seriously at a lost about what to do. Out of the blue, someone mentioned to me, " Eh, why don't you try out for music? MOE are looking for music teachers. " Now, that really intrigued me and got me thinking. After all, according to the person, NIE accepts any Tom, Harry and Dick for music. Or so he/she said.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. After all, music is my passion and I love it to its deepest core. Give me a proper instrument(Steinway or fender... kidding) and I can play all day. However, there was a snag; I could not sight read... or read scores for that matter and my scales, fingering(get your mind out of the gutter) and technique were horrendous. In the end I decided to pray about it and I got others to do the same and the general consensus I had was go with the music and so I applied with MOE online and received my first shock.
They asked me for my grade and stated that there was a minimum requirement of Grade 5 theory and that I had to audition with at least a Grade 6 piece. They also stated that it was working with NAFA and that I would be there for 3 yrs and receive a Dip in Music before heading west to NIE. It didn't seem to me now that they accepted Tom's Hairy Dick in there! I mean, I have a grade 0 and I can't do classical music for nuts. Nevertheless, I submitted what was basically an empty application(save for my details) and hoped for the best.
Surprisingly, MOE called me up and asked if I could go for an interview with them. I thought to myself, "Maybe they interview all applicants. After all, they're paid OT and its government resources so they probably don't care." I went down and talked to them and basically told them that there was no mistake in my application and I indeed have never recieved music training. I told them that my main instruments were the electone and the keyboard and they said sure, they'll contact me if I'm shortlisted for the audition. To my greater surprise, they called me to tell me that that I was scheduled to go for an audition at NAFA which comprised of 2 pieces, sight-reading, aural and a theory test!!! I was nervous as hell. This was where the buck stops, I told myself. Now my gift of the gab and my bs counts for nothing. To make matters worse, there was a miscomm between the 3 parties and on the day itself, the head of department of music called me and told me that they only offered piano. This was on the day of the audition itself!!! To cut a long story short, I had to change my piece at literally the last minute. It was horrendous. I couldn't do the sight reading at all, my touch and technique were not good and the theory test included history, of which I knew nothing about. The only good thing I had going for me was the Aural segment. I was done for, dusted, finished.
Point to self. When God says he will do something, he will do it. Here I was, not trusting in HIM and being all worried and preparing myself to fail because logically speaking, they would not take me. God though, does not work on human logic. The bottom line is, I got accepted and I was the happiest person alive at that moment. I was jumping like a lunatic and didn't care that I looked like a fool doing it. Well, that's how I got into school and its only the 2nd week, but I know God will see me through. I know its not easy but hey, nobody said that it was going to be easy.
Till the next time then...
No 2...
A small number of people have indicated to me that I mention school but not my area of study. One even said that driving school is not school. For the record, I'm not taking driving lessons... yet... So I'm going to clear the air and talk about school. Those who've heard this for a million times can either click on the little x at the top right corner of your screen or click on the little red dot at the top left corner.
Now, I suppose I'll begin at the beginning. The importance of the beginning cannot be Diminished. After all, the beginning of a good story always Augments the main story. Never think that it is too Minor and dismiss it for you'll lose a Major part of the whole. Alright... I'm rambling here. Those who know Music Theory will understand what I'm rambling about.
Some months back, I was thinking about my future and the choices I had. I could do my private 'A's, go back to poly, sign on or do distance learning. To be frank, none of them were very appealing to me for various reasons. I was seriously at a lost about what to do. Out of the blue, someone mentioned to me, " Eh, why don't you try out for music? MOE are looking for music teachers. " Now, that really intrigued me and got me thinking. After all, according to the person, NIE accepts any Tom, Harry and Dick for music. Or so he/she said.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. After all, music is my passion and I love it to its deepest core. Give me a proper instrument(Steinway or fender... kidding) and I can play all day. However, there was a snag; I could not sight read... or read scores for that matter and my scales, fingering(get your mind out of the gutter) and technique were horrendous. In the end I decided to pray about it and I got others to do the same and the general consensus I had was go with the music and so I applied with MOE online and received my first shock.
They asked me for my grade and stated that there was a minimum requirement of Grade 5 theory and that I had to audition with at least a Grade 6 piece. They also stated that it was working with NAFA and that I would be there for 3 yrs and receive a Dip in Music before heading west to NIE. It didn't seem to me now that they accepted Tom's Hairy Dick in there! I mean, I have a grade 0 and I can't do classical music for nuts. Nevertheless, I submitted what was basically an empty application(save for my details) and hoped for the best.
Surprisingly, MOE called me up and asked if I could go for an interview with them. I thought to myself, "Maybe they interview all applicants. After all, they're paid OT and its government resources so they probably don't care." I went down and talked to them and basically told them that there was no mistake in my application and I indeed have never recieved music training. I told them that my main instruments were the electone and the keyboard and they said sure, they'll contact me if I'm shortlisted for the audition. To my greater surprise, they called me to tell me that that I was scheduled to go for an audition at NAFA which comprised of 2 pieces, sight-reading, aural and a theory test!!! I was nervous as hell. This was where the buck stops, I told myself. Now my gift of the gab and my bs counts for nothing. To make matters worse, there was a miscomm between the 3 parties and on the day itself, the head of department of music called me and told me that they only offered piano. This was on the day of the audition itself!!! To cut a long story short, I had to change my piece at literally the last minute. It was horrendous. I couldn't do the sight reading at all, my touch and technique were not good and the theory test included history, of which I knew nothing about. The only good thing I had going for me was the Aural segment. I was done for, dusted, finished.
Point to self. When God says he will do something, he will do it. Here I was, not trusting in HIM and being all worried and preparing myself to fail because logically speaking, they would not take me. God though, does not work on human logic. The bottom line is, I got accepted and I was the happiest person alive at that moment. I was jumping like a lunatic and didn't care that I looked like a fool doing it. Well, that's how I got into school and its only the 2nd week, but I know God will see me through. I know its not easy but hey, nobody said that it was going to be easy.
Till the next time then...
28 July, 2008
I hate Mondays
Mondays suck big time! Argh!
My bloody timetable on monday is so screwed up. 1hr lesson in the morning, followed by a 8 HOUR BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What the hell is that!?!?!?
My bloody timetable on monday is so screwed up. 1hr lesson in the morning, followed by a 8 HOUR BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What the hell is that!?!?!?
21 July, 2008
Sleepy... Zzzz...
Argh... It is not good to attend a wedding dinner with lots a wine 1 night before your first day of school! Lesson learned!
Although... The food was excellent as it was a rich couple's wedding. This family is basically one of those high society types. Case in point; the brides younger sister was the valedictorian last year at SMU. Some other obscure cousin/family friend just returned from Oxford where he was studying Political Science, Econs and Philo. Oh yeah, he's on a PSC scholarship and he wants to start work in the PMO. Yup... high flyers all right.
The wedding was an eye opener all right. She had an expensive and talented group of singers(that would be Isabel, Cynthia, Martha, Del, Theodore and myself at $88 apiece) and an even more talented musician (refer to previous posts) to do her songs. Said musician was also at the lunch reception but more on that later. The 1st reader read the reading like it was some kind a BBC story-telling session. The prayers of the faithful required the use of a dictionary(for some people la) and it included things like " ...the couple, raised in an environment of order and respect for their ancestors... " and " ...in this tumultuous sea which we call life..." which were filled with powderful English. They had some 45 min long photo session to cap off the church wedding.
After the wedding, we headed to a chapel-looking house in Binjai Park for the lunch reception. The red carpet was literally rolled out and there was a very nice and fancy tentage on the lawn with a chef slicing roast and dishing out potatoes. There was salmon, scallops and duck and seafood risotto which were not bad. There were people sipping their wine by the pool while the above mentioned musician played jazz on a grand which was in a little corner of the living area(take note that their little corner can accommodate a grand and I said living area, not living room). The piano was of course mic-ed up to a sound system where a soundman idly fiddled about with countless knobs and levers. The couple arrived in a Rolls Royce and confetti cannons were fired. All in all, quite a nice house I must say. Of course, they had their 3 maids complete with uniform to clean up the considerable amount of confetti which littered the driveway so no worries there.
That was all on a Friday but of course, a wedding will not be complete without the dinner which was duly held at The Sentosa Spa and Resort last night. There was a four piece jazz band and a pretty ok singer( I say pretty ok cos I've been to South Bridge and Bellini's) with a pretty high vocal range. There was an opening speech... no wait, opening address by the valedictorian who talked about bloodlines joining and all that. The food was fabulous though and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Menu :
-Lobster Salad
-Shark fins Soup w/ Crab & Abalone
-Prawns
-Scallop w/ Celery
-Mushrooms, Vege & Abalone
-Stewed Duck
-Red Grouper
-Seafood Fried Rice
-Really Really Fantastic Tiramisu!
There was something quite novel about the dinner and that was the fact that everybody was separated from their families and seated according to "interests"/age which led to a lot of confusion among the guests. Luckily for me, I'm a pretty chirpy chap and was able to mix around. It wasn't too bad actually. My table was basically Catholic and single-sex educated and considerably younger than me(with the exception of the future minister from Oxford who's 22). I basically had 4 IJ girls(2 ex, 2 present), and 1 each(all alumni) from St. Gab's, St. Pat's, RI and ACS. It was a pity that Cynthia did not join my table as she was stuck with older people and I would have liked to have her company as we're in the same school now. Anyway, I was seated in between 2 girls who could hardly have been more different. On my left, was Theodore's niece, Victoria, who's 18, extremely outgoing and friendly, bubbly(or bimbotic depending on who you ask) and not too bad looking. She speaks in a slang and as far as I know, is pretty sporty(tennis). She's not gorgeous but a beautiful dress, make-up and immaculate tresses can make a helluva difference. She's kinda shallow though but fun all the same. On the other hand(my right to be exact), there's Joy, who's a CJ-ian(the new kind which hang out at the library), kinda plain looking(black specs and cardigan), witty in a dry way, loves rock and "blessed" with an aversion towards SJI guys(at least those in CJ). I had an interesting time though and it was quite enjoyable. We even had a toast to youth at our table which got the evergreen table next to us staring. Oh well, at least I did not wake up to a hangover this morning.
P.S. I just have to say this. I'm pleasantly surprised to see how Cynthia has grown from a shy little girl to a beautiful outgoing young lady. Younger guys, if you're interested, she's a Portuguese(mum)-Chinese(dad) 18 yr old with a lovely dress sense(inherited from both parents) and she's currently single.
Although... The food was excellent as it was a rich couple's wedding. This family is basically one of those high society types. Case in point; the brides younger sister was the valedictorian last year at SMU. Some other obscure cousin/family friend just returned from Oxford where he was studying Political Science, Econs and Philo. Oh yeah, he's on a PSC scholarship and he wants to start work in the PMO. Yup... high flyers all right.
The wedding was an eye opener all right. She had an expensive and talented group of singers(that would be Isabel, Cynthia, Martha, Del, Theodore and myself at $88 apiece) and an even more talented musician (refer to previous posts) to do her songs. Said musician was also at the lunch reception but more on that later. The 1st reader read the reading like it was some kind a BBC story-telling session. The prayers of the faithful required the use of a dictionary(for some people la) and it included things like " ...the couple, raised in an environment of order and respect for their ancestors... " and " ...in this tumultuous sea which we call life..." which were filled with powderful English. They had some 45 min long photo session to cap off the church wedding.
After the wedding, we headed to a chapel-looking house in Binjai Park for the lunch reception. The red carpet was literally rolled out and there was a very nice and fancy tentage on the lawn with a chef slicing roast and dishing out potatoes. There was salmon, scallops and duck and seafood risotto which were not bad. There were people sipping their wine by the pool while the above mentioned musician played jazz on a grand which was in a little corner of the living area(take note that their little corner can accommodate a grand and I said living area, not living room). The piano was of course mic-ed up to a sound system where a soundman idly fiddled about with countless knobs and levers. The couple arrived in a Rolls Royce and confetti cannons were fired. All in all, quite a nice house I must say. Of course, they had their 3 maids complete with uniform to clean up the considerable amount of confetti which littered the driveway so no worries there.
That was all on a Friday but of course, a wedding will not be complete without the dinner which was duly held at The Sentosa Spa and Resort last night. There was a four piece jazz band and a pretty ok singer( I say pretty ok cos I've been to South Bridge and Bellini's) with a pretty high vocal range. There was an opening speech... no wait, opening address by the valedictorian who talked about bloodlines joining and all that. The food was fabulous though and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Menu :
-Lobster Salad
-Shark fins Soup w/ Crab & Abalone
-Prawns
-Scallop w/ Celery
-Mushrooms, Vege & Abalone
-Stewed Duck
-Red Grouper
-Seafood Fried Rice
-Really Really Fantastic Tiramisu!
There was something quite novel about the dinner and that was the fact that everybody was separated from their families and seated according to "interests"/age which led to a lot of confusion among the guests. Luckily for me, I'm a pretty chirpy chap and was able to mix around. It wasn't too bad actually. My table was basically Catholic and single-sex educated and considerably younger than me(with the exception of the future minister from Oxford who's 22). I basically had 4 IJ girls(2 ex, 2 present), and 1 each(all alumni) from St. Gab's, St. Pat's, RI and ACS. It was a pity that Cynthia did not join my table as she was stuck with older people and I would have liked to have her company as we're in the same school now. Anyway, I was seated in between 2 girls who could hardly have been more different. On my left, was Theodore's niece, Victoria, who's 18, extremely outgoing and friendly, bubbly(or bimbotic depending on who you ask) and not too bad looking. She speaks in a slang and as far as I know, is pretty sporty(tennis). She's not gorgeous but a beautiful dress, make-up and immaculate tresses can make a helluva difference. She's kinda shallow though but fun all the same. On the other hand(my right to be exact), there's Joy, who's a CJ-ian(the new kind which hang out at the library), kinda plain looking(black specs and cardigan), witty in a dry way, loves rock and "blessed" with an aversion towards SJI guys(at least those in CJ). I had an interesting time though and it was quite enjoyable. We even had a toast to youth at our table which got the evergreen table next to us staring. Oh well, at least I did not wake up to a hangover this morning.
P.S. I just have to say this. I'm pleasantly surprised to see how Cynthia has grown from a shy little girl to a beautiful outgoing young lady. Younger guys, if you're interested, she's a Portuguese(mum)-Chinese(dad) 18 yr old with a lovely dress sense(inherited from both parents) and she's currently single.
17 July, 2008
So exciting!
Haha... Yup the title says it all. I'm really quite excited about starting school next week. I had a really boring orientation on Tuesday and the only 'excitement' came about when I looked up and saw my Ex sitting 1 row in front of me! What are the odds!?!?!? Oh well, not that it matters anyway.
I know I'm gonna be bloody stressed when school starts. The fact that I'm like super not qualified for this while everyone else is. I've also not studied for a gazillion years and my brain might be rusty. Argh!!! Just when I'm getting comfortable with my slacking lifestyle.
Can't wait and yet dreading it.
Monday!!!!!
I know I'm gonna be bloody stressed when school starts. The fact that I'm like super not qualified for this while everyone else is. I've also not studied for a gazillion years and my brain might be rusty. Argh!!! Just when I'm getting comfortable with my slacking lifestyle.
Can't wait and yet dreading it.
Monday!!!!!
16 July, 2008
Its Over...
Well... that's all settled now. We've done the 7th day prayers and everything so its time to take a break. I've been relatively busy due to Uncle Stanley's funeral as I've been doing all the music stuff. The really emo day was Saturday as it was the funeral itself. After 3 and a half days of pink, beatles/bee gees and cards, we finally got down to wearing the traditional black/white for the service and the funeral. Many thanks to Audrey, Rebecca, Nicky, Pearl, Rachel, Aunty Anna, Cyrilla and Ligna for singing in my little choir. The support of my friends really meant a lot to me.
Anyway, there was a slight mis-comm as Joyce was not aware that Aunty Doreen wanted to have the song 'Because You Loved Me' dedicated to Uncle Stanley and that my Uncle himself wanted the song 'Angel' to be played. As a result, when the eulogy was done, she simply stepped down from the pulpit and Fr JJ just stood up to do the final commendation. Thankfully, Ron and myself decided to change the final song from Amazing Grace to Angel. I personally thought that I did quite well for the song. I don't mean that my vocals were exceptional or anything like that. I simply sang with my heartfelt emotion and let it all out through the music. Really glad that I could fulfill 1 of his last wishes.
The 7th day prayers were something else altogether. He wanted dancing and 70's Disco music and so we duly obliged. It totally didn't feel like a wake/funeral thing and I suppose that's what he would have wanted. In the end, the police came up twice because someone complained about the noise. You should have seen the look on their faces when they heard that it was a 7th day thing. They didn't know what to believe! It was quite hilarious looking at them. Oh well, I'm glad that its all over now. The week has been really draining but I guess it must be worse for his family. I really hope that God will comfort them in their sorrow.
Anyway, there was a slight mis-comm as Joyce was not aware that Aunty Doreen wanted to have the song 'Because You Loved Me' dedicated to Uncle Stanley and that my Uncle himself wanted the song 'Angel' to be played. As a result, when the eulogy was done, she simply stepped down from the pulpit and Fr JJ just stood up to do the final commendation. Thankfully, Ron and myself decided to change the final song from Amazing Grace to Angel. I personally thought that I did quite well for the song. I don't mean that my vocals were exceptional or anything like that. I simply sang with my heartfelt emotion and let it all out through the music. Really glad that I could fulfill 1 of his last wishes.
The 7th day prayers were something else altogether. He wanted dancing and 70's Disco music and so we duly obliged. It totally didn't feel like a wake/funeral thing and I suppose that's what he would have wanted. In the end, the police came up twice because someone complained about the noise. You should have seen the look on their faces when they heard that it was a 7th day thing. They didn't know what to believe! It was quite hilarious looking at them. Oh well, I'm glad that its all over now. The week has been really draining but I guess it must be worse for his family. I really hope that God will comfort them in their sorrow.
10 July, 2008
Congrats
Just a little note...
Congratulations to Benita for being officially deemed intelligent by Singaporean Society. She managed to figure out who her SJI stalker was and passed the 'intelligence' test by putting her analytical and deductive skills(honed by NUS for 4 yrs) to good use.
* Round of applause *
=)
Congratulations to Benita for being officially deemed intelligent by Singaporean Society. She managed to figure out who her SJI stalker was and passed the 'intelligence' test by putting her analytical and deductive skills(honed by NUS for 4 yrs) to good use.
* Round of applause *
=)
'Sadded'
If you're wondering why I've not been blogging these few days, well I've been busy. My Uncle Stanley passed away on Tuesday and I've been doing 'night duty'. Of course the casket company does not provide wireless internet services and by the time I get back every night, I'm too tired to do anything.
I'm more worried about Elliot compared to Aunty Doreen and Stuart because he seems to be suppressing his emotions, which in my experience, is never a good thing. If I lost my dad now, not to mention 15, I would be devastated and inconsolable. I just hope and pray that he'll be fine.
I hate death... Its depressing...
I'm more worried about Elliot compared to Aunty Doreen and Stuart because he seems to be suppressing his emotions, which in my experience, is never a good thing. If I lost my dad now, not to mention 15, I would be devastated and inconsolable. I just hope and pray that he'll be fine.
I hate death... Its depressing...
04 July, 2008
For Lydia
All right! A big THANK YOU to Lydia Lee for contributing to my musical advancement by donating her piano to a poor struggling musician such as myself. It is really very much appreciated.
* Cue in Applause *
Lydia by the way is my cousin on my mum's side. She's in the cheenafied NYGH ( and that's why I had to do her English essay for her... Haha ) but then again, I'm going to a cheenafied school soon as well so who am I to judge. Speaking of NYGH, this reminds me of an incident that happened to me in secondary school. It explains why I do not have a very good impression of NYGH as that incident scarred me for life.
I was in Sec 2 and I was travelling on a 151 to either KAP or Ee Jin's house and the bus was pretty full. I was lucky enough to get a seat along the aisle and was settling down for the journey through the 'atas' school belt. This 'atas belt is basically SJI, SCGS, NIE(then, now NUS Law), THE Chines High, Hwa Chong JC, NJC, NYGH and MGS in that order. That explains why I managed to "chiong" for a seat.
Anyway, as the bus stopped at the bus-stop opposite NYGH, this cute( to my untrained 14 yr old eye ) NYGH girl boarded the bus. By that time there were no seats left and she had no choice but to stand. To my initial delight, she chose(I'm using this word loosely here) to stand beside my seat. For the benefit of those who have been living under a rock, NYGH's uniform is a white sleeveless pinafore which on the right girl, can look complimenting. Its quite similar to SCGS's uniform. I couldn't believe my luck as I could check out this cute girl for my entire journey. I couldn't have been more wrong about my luck. To my horror, she raised her arm right beside me to hold on to the handles and she revealed a blossoming private garden( not to be confused with private's garden ) right in the direction of my face! I felt like gouging out my eye as I felt that it had been defiled by this grisly sight. The bible says that it is better to lose one's eye if it causes you to sin. Well, my eye was causing me to sin as I was cursing and swearing under my breath for a good 5 minutes. I mean, her bush was hairier than mine( at that time ) and it was really unsightly. This is not stubble we're talking about hear people... Its hair!!! After that momentous life changing experience, I never looked at an NYGH girl the same way again.
I hope that no boy will ever have to go through the torture my eyes went through. I know its not good to stereotype but the sight ( and smell ) of her bush will always remain etched in my memory. Its highly unlikely that you can ever forget what you see if you ever peer into the pit(t) of hell. I hope I've not offended anyone in this post. I'm just relating my experience.
P.S. I have nothing against St. Mag's girls but I absolutely hate and abhor their uniform!
* Cue in Applause *
Lydia by the way is my cousin on my mum's side. She's in the cheenafied NYGH ( and that's why I had to do her English essay for her... Haha ) but then again, I'm going to a cheenafied school soon as well so who am I to judge. Speaking of NYGH, this reminds me of an incident that happened to me in secondary school. It explains why I do not have a very good impression of NYGH as that incident scarred me for life.
I was in Sec 2 and I was travelling on a 151 to either KAP or Ee Jin's house and the bus was pretty full. I was lucky enough to get a seat along the aisle and was settling down for the journey through the 'atas' school belt. This 'atas belt is basically SJI, SCGS, NIE(then, now NUS Law), THE Chines High, Hwa Chong JC, NJC, NYGH and MGS in that order. That explains why I managed to "chiong" for a seat.
Anyway, as the bus stopped at the bus-stop opposite NYGH, this cute( to my untrained 14 yr old eye ) NYGH girl boarded the bus. By that time there were no seats left and she had no choice but to stand. To my initial delight, she chose(I'm using this word loosely here) to stand beside my seat. For the benefit of those who have been living under a rock, NYGH's uniform is a white sleeveless pinafore which on the right girl, can look complimenting. Its quite similar to SCGS's uniform. I couldn't believe my luck as I could check out this cute girl for my entire journey. I couldn't have been more wrong about my luck. To my horror, she raised her arm right beside me to hold on to the handles and she revealed a blossoming private garden( not to be confused with private's garden ) right in the direction of my face! I felt like gouging out my eye as I felt that it had been defiled by this grisly sight. The bible says that it is better to lose one's eye if it causes you to sin. Well, my eye was causing me to sin as I was cursing and swearing under my breath for a good 5 minutes. I mean, her bush was hairier than mine( at that time ) and it was really unsightly. This is not stubble we're talking about hear people... Its hair!!! After that momentous life changing experience, I never looked at an NYGH girl the same way again.
I hope that no boy will ever have to go through the torture my eyes went through. I know its not good to stereotype but the sight ( and smell ) of her bush will always remain etched in my memory. Its highly unlikely that you can ever forget what you see if you ever peer into the pit(t) of hell. I hope I've not offended anyone in this post. I'm just relating my experience.
P.S. I have nothing against St. Mag's girls but I absolutely hate and abhor their uniform!
03 July, 2008
Sing, Sing A Song...
I had a really great time during the 'choir' practise for Theodore's nieces wedding. It was basically Theodore, Martha, Isabel and myself singing. I think Del will be joining us too. It was really great to be back with the band and for once, I felt confident about my singing. We usually do secular songs with insanely high keys and I'm not very confident about my singing when I'm with them. I mean they're all great vocalists. However, this time, they were on my turf; church hymns! Whahaha! Isabel was really phenomenal on Ave Maria( Schubert I think ) and I'm glad that I don't have to do all that Latin. Anyway, I met yet another musical guy today.
Now, for those of you who know me well enough, I don't call any Tom, Dick and Harry who can play an instrument musical. This guy though, really showed me what a big gulf in class there is between a professional and myself. His name is Kenneth and his musical journey is pretty amazing too. He is self-taught and started playing at a relatively late age of 15. After his NS, he flew down to the States to audition for a place in an academy to do his degree. This is someone who didn't read scores and had no lessons. He made it through and he does about 2 big projects a year(like at the esplanade) and also teaches (He used to teach at La-Salle). This guy's chording is really damn nice and his transposing is damn cool. I mean ppl like me are stuck with simplistic dominant chord transpositions! Argh!!! Did I mention that he sings well too and has an amazing range? Anyway, I think the Church is really has quite a few talented musicians and I hope that it won't chase them away. Of course, they can't be too arrogant as well.
To prove my point(and to give you a rough gauge my standard of musical)...
Terrence Teo - Super Arranger and professional. Humble and a nice guy too! The one who tricked me into playing for Charismatic by saying that he wanted to take a 1 month break which ultimately lasts till today!
Kenneth - Refer to above.
Trevor Nerva - Another talented professional. Sings well too.
Desmond Seah - Pianist from Holy Spirit. Not as good as some in this list but that's due to the fact that he's not a professional musician. He also does not possess any Dip/Degree in Music but good enough.
The SVDP Guy who played for Jacino's wedding - I forgot his name but he's not bad. Jazz and especially R&B pro. Also not a professional Musician.
The Idiot - As much as he's an arrogant SOB and a major prick, I can't deny that he is talented. If I were to be less biased, I would put him higher up this list. Gets into too much trouble though.
The really great thing about this is that these are only musicians in the North District. That's also considering that I do not know people from Star of the Sea, Risen Christ and the one in Woodlands. Essentially, its six people in 4 Churches! Oh well, hopefully, I can reach the halfway mark after 3 years!
Now, for those of you who know me well enough, I don't call any Tom, Dick and Harry who can play an instrument musical. This guy though, really showed me what a big gulf in class there is between a professional and myself. His name is Kenneth and his musical journey is pretty amazing too. He is self-taught and started playing at a relatively late age of 15. After his NS, he flew down to the States to audition for a place in an academy to do his degree. This is someone who didn't read scores and had no lessons. He made it through and he does about 2 big projects a year(like at the esplanade) and also teaches (He used to teach at La-Salle). This guy's chording is really damn nice and his transposing is damn cool. I mean ppl like me are stuck with simplistic dominant chord transpositions! Argh!!! Did I mention that he sings well too and has an amazing range? Anyway, I think the Church is really has quite a few talented musicians and I hope that it won't chase them away. Of course, they can't be too arrogant as well.
To prove my point(and to give you a rough gauge my standard of musical)...
Terrence Teo - Super Arranger and professional. Humble and a nice guy too! The one who tricked me into playing for Charismatic by saying that he wanted to take a 1 month break which ultimately lasts till today!
Kenneth - Refer to above.
Trevor Nerva - Another talented professional. Sings well too.
Desmond Seah - Pianist from Holy Spirit. Not as good as some in this list but that's due to the fact that he's not a professional musician. He also does not possess any Dip/Degree in Music but good enough.
The SVDP Guy who played for Jacino's wedding - I forgot his name but he's not bad. Jazz and especially R&B pro. Also not a professional Musician.
The Idiot - As much as he's an arrogant SOB and a major prick, I can't deny that he is talented. If I were to be less biased, I would put him higher up this list. Gets into too much trouble though.
The really great thing about this is that these are only musicians in the North District. That's also considering that I do not know people from Star of the Sea, Risen Christ and the one in Woodlands. Essentially, its six people in 4 Churches! Oh well, hopefully, I can reach the halfway mark after 3 years!
02 July, 2008
Elton John - Sacrifice
It's a human sign
When things go wrong
When the scent of her lingers
And temptation's strong
Into the boundary
Of each married man
Sweet deceit comes calling
And negativity lands
Cold cold heart
Hard done by you
Some things look better baby
Just passing through
And it's no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It's two hearts living
In two separate worlds
But it's no sacrifice
No sacrifice
It's no sacrifice at all
Mutual misunderstanding
After the fact
Sensitivity builds a prison
In the final act
We lose direction
No stone unturned
No tears to damn you
When jealousy burns
When things go wrong
When the scent of her lingers
And temptation's strong
Into the boundary
Of each married man
Sweet deceit comes calling
And negativity lands
Cold cold heart
Hard done by you
Some things look better baby
Just passing through
And it's no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It's two hearts living
In two separate worlds
But it's no sacrifice
No sacrifice
It's no sacrifice at all
Mutual misunderstanding
After the fact
Sensitivity builds a prison
In the final act
We lose direction
No stone unturned
No tears to damn you
When jealousy burns
About Bacon
Bacon...
Ahh...
I just love it. The lovely fragrance it produces as it sits on a heated pan is just heavenly. There are not too many aromas that can be so tempting like bacon. Thin, streaky bacon. My heart complains but my tongue overrules it. Greasy fried bacon!
Ahh...
I just love it. The lovely fragrance it produces as it sits on a heated pan is just heavenly. There are not too many aromas that can be so tempting like bacon. Thin, streaky bacon. My heart complains but my tongue overrules it. Greasy fried bacon!
01 July, 2008
The Force Is Not Strong In That One!
Goodness... I just visited Regina's blog and saw this! Hilarious!
Watch it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIIbWKbHF2k
Watch it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIIbWKbHF2k
Patting myself on the back...
Slack kinda day today as I was totally in the mood for lazing around. Frankly speaking, I've been in THE mood for quite awhile. Woke up in time for lunch only to realize that I was broke and I forgot to 'withdraw' money from my favourite bank. Damn.
Well, I had to make do I guess. I checked my fridge out to see what I could find that would pass off as a decent meal. There was ham, bacon and half a can of mushrooms that I had used yesterday. I contemplated Spaghetti Alfredo yet again but I was kinda lazy. I settled for an omelet and fried bacon with bread. I got down to chopping up the ham and shrooms and threw in a sausage for the heck of it. In the midst of chopping, I realized that I had a hell load of ingredients and I had to use 4 eggs for my omelet. 4! I don't even want to think about the cholesterol going into my body. After my fattening lunch, I got down to practising some pieces on my new second hand piano(kindly donated to my aunt). Of course I would like to have a grand in my house but I have no space in my already cluttered house. Oh yes, did I mention that I was broke as well?
Anyway, I'm digressing. I started playing a few(well actually only 1) songs before I got bored and started fooling around with chords( as usual, lacking focus). I was pretty pleased with my self as I discovered/learnt a new jazzy and bluesy sounding rift based on the I. VI, II, V progression. Anyway, i spent a good 30mins perfecting it and finding variations for it till I was satisfied. Nothing in the world gets me so enthu except for music. Hopefully, when I start school, my enthusiasm and zest for t will not fall. I'm gonna be damn busy even without all the extra music stuff which people keep calling me for. Oh well... I'll just see how everything goes.
Going for Lit Comm. meeting soon... Sian
Cheerios.
Well, I had to make do I guess. I checked my fridge out to see what I could find that would pass off as a decent meal. There was ham, bacon and half a can of mushrooms that I had used yesterday. I contemplated Spaghetti Alfredo yet again but I was kinda lazy. I settled for an omelet and fried bacon with bread. I got down to chopping up the ham and shrooms and threw in a sausage for the heck of it. In the midst of chopping, I realized that I had a hell load of ingredients and I had to use 4 eggs for my omelet. 4! I don't even want to think about the cholesterol going into my body. After my fattening lunch, I got down to practising some pieces on my new second hand piano(kindly donated to my aunt). Of course I would like to have a grand in my house but I have no space in my already cluttered house. Oh yes, did I mention that I was broke as well?
Anyway, I'm digressing. I started playing a few(well actually only 1) songs before I got bored and started fooling around with chords( as usual, lacking focus). I was pretty pleased with my self as I discovered/learnt a new jazzy and bluesy sounding rift based on the I. VI, II, V progression. Anyway, i spent a good 30mins perfecting it and finding variations for it till I was satisfied. Nothing in the world gets me so enthu except for music. Hopefully, when I start school, my enthusiasm and zest for t will not fall. I'm gonna be damn busy even without all the extra music stuff which people keep calling me for. Oh well... I'll just see how everything goes.
Going for Lit Comm. meeting soon... Sian
Cheerios.
30 June, 2008
Army Daze - Ep 1
Hmmm, as I end one phase of my life, maybe the time is ripe for a reflection.
( Actually, I'm waiting for my parents to buy dinner and as I'm hungry, I need something to distract myself )
I remember stepping into BMTC and handing my IC over to some guy from mindef. The moment I did that, it felt like a part of me was taken away. It seemed that I was less of a person and that somehow, my life didn't belong to me anymore. I was right; it didn't. The moment I gave up my IC, this CSM from dunno where suddenly started barking at us. Yup, barking. With a snarl that would have made a pitbull proud.
"TUCK IN YOUR SHIRT! GET INTO TWO STRAIGHT LINES!"
Obviously he does not care about the fact that you cannot tuck in your shirt as tucking your shirt involves putting your shirt-tails into your pants. As such, I don't understand how much more "in" you have to go if your shirt is already tucked.(Courtesy of Mr Vincent Devadason, who taught me this at the age of 13)
Well, as those of you who remember what I looked like then will know, I was obviously over-weight. However, not many of you may know this. I was originally termed 'mild-obese' during my medical and posted to Gryphon Company. To my great distress, I was weighed again on the day of my enlistment and I tipped the scales at a hefty 90 kilos, which put me into the 'moderate obese' range. I was promptly transferred to Dragon Company. Thankfully, I was not alone in that respect as a good 60+ of us were transferred that day. At least I was not in the select few who were transferred to Eagle Company where the true heavyweight champions of Tekong resided(The fat can only make fun of the fatter). Imagine their distress upon finding out that just like that, their BMT would became a 6 month stint instead of 15 weeks.
Anyway, I had been told by all my relatives to keep a low profile in the army(who are they trying to kid?) but with a family name like Fernandez, its really quite difficult. I mean imagine the roll call on the 1st day...
" Ang! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Cai! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Chan! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Chen! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Faizal! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Fang! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Fernandez? "
Right on cue, everybody turns around to look for this exotic specimen of a human. People start asking each other, " Eh, our platoon got ang moh meh? " They try to find the blue eyed blondie who's maybe lost in the sea of bodies. The slightly more informed ones try looking for a Hispanic dude who can go for reggae-tons with them.
" Yes Encik!" A very local voice calls out.
All eyes fall on me. The very words "low-profile" get thrown out the window.
Pray, do tell, how then can I be low profile? I can't even use my first name as there are 3 Jeremys in my platoon. It was the first day of NS and everybody knew my name. Crap.
Thus started my life as a pseudo soldier and I was in for a culture shock. I learnt that you could understand 'fuck you'. I learnt that its possible to put an explosive device 10cm away from your 'fruit and vegetable' and not walk as if you had a durian up your arse. I learnt that its never ok when your sarge says never mind. I learnt that its a positively orgasmic experience to bomb 5 days worth of 'bombs' even if a swarm of flies were holding an AGM at your rear end and mozzies were trying to suck your dick and most of all, I learnt how full of shit Rambo really is.
On hindsight, I must say that I've truly truly been blessed during my BMT. First of all, my OC was a warrant officer who was nearing the end of his career. His leadership philosophy was, "You come here in one piece, you leave here in one piece." As such, my BMT was really slack. We only ever did the bare minimum and any extra physical training was purely optional. Our welfare was absurdly fantastic and we could even have movie marathons on certain days. Despite this however, I managed to lose an amazing 20 kilos and I could actually jog continuously for 2.4km.(my original timing was 18mins!) I must say that God really made my transition an easy one and I really thank him for that. Oh well, this is just part one of my reflection and if you're interested, there's at least 2-3 more parts coming up.
This reflection is dedicated to Platoon 1, Dragon Coy and esp to Sect 4.
Inclusive of these colourful characters
Andrew Leong, platoon best and proof that age is not a barrier.
Kirpal 'Sunny' Singh, comedienne and 'spoofer' extraordinaire.
Ghazalli, Sunny's partner in crime.
Najib, proof that the biggest noises does not necessarily come n the biggest packages.
Chew Bang, from fat to fit. Best PT. Ran his 2.4 in 10:15 which is bloody fast for a fat guy.
'Wild Boar' Wei Liang, the only guy to lose only 4 kg when everyone else was in double figures.
Sgt Fauzi, chili padi; small but spicy.
'Muscle Man' Zi Wei, overweight with pure muscle. Really.
Eugene 'Michelin Man', redefines curvy.
Choke 'Barracuda', the ugliest son of a gun. His name really is Choke.
2wo Steven, whose solution to every problem is a shake of the head and a " Report sick la"
( Actually, I'm waiting for my parents to buy dinner and as I'm hungry, I need something to distract myself )
I remember stepping into BMTC and handing my IC over to some guy from mindef. The moment I did that, it felt like a part of me was taken away. It seemed that I was less of a person and that somehow, my life didn't belong to me anymore. I was right; it didn't. The moment I gave up my IC, this CSM from dunno where suddenly started barking at us. Yup, barking. With a snarl that would have made a pitbull proud.
"TUCK IN YOUR SHIRT! GET INTO TWO STRAIGHT LINES!"
Obviously he does not care about the fact that you cannot tuck in your shirt as tucking your shirt involves putting your shirt-tails into your pants. As such, I don't understand how much more "in" you have to go if your shirt is already tucked.(Courtesy of Mr Vincent Devadason, who taught me this at the age of 13)
Well, as those of you who remember what I looked like then will know, I was obviously over-weight. However, not many of you may know this. I was originally termed 'mild-obese' during my medical and posted to Gryphon Company. To my great distress, I was weighed again on the day of my enlistment and I tipped the scales at a hefty 90 kilos, which put me into the 'moderate obese' range. I was promptly transferred to Dragon Company. Thankfully, I was not alone in that respect as a good 60+ of us were transferred that day. At least I was not in the select few who were transferred to Eagle Company where the true heavyweight champions of Tekong resided(The fat can only make fun of the fatter). Imagine their distress upon finding out that just like that, their BMT would became a 6 month stint instead of 15 weeks.
Anyway, I had been told by all my relatives to keep a low profile in the army(who are they trying to kid?) but with a family name like Fernandez, its really quite difficult. I mean imagine the roll call on the 1st day...
" Ang! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Cai! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Chan! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Chen! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Faizal! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Fang! "
" Yes Encik! "
" Fernandez? "
Right on cue, everybody turns around to look for this exotic specimen of a human. People start asking each other, " Eh, our platoon got ang moh meh? " They try to find the blue eyed blondie who's maybe lost in the sea of bodies. The slightly more informed ones try looking for a Hispanic dude who can go for reggae-tons with them.
" Yes Encik!" A very local voice calls out.
All eyes fall on me. The very words "low-profile" get thrown out the window.
Pray, do tell, how then can I be low profile? I can't even use my first name as there are 3 Jeremys in my platoon. It was the first day of NS and everybody knew my name. Crap.
Thus started my life as a pseudo soldier and I was in for a culture shock. I learnt that you could understand 'fuck you'. I learnt that its possible to put an explosive device 10cm away from your 'fruit and vegetable' and not walk as if you had a durian up your arse. I learnt that its never ok when your sarge says never mind. I learnt that its a positively orgasmic experience to bomb 5 days worth of 'bombs' even if a swarm of flies were holding an AGM at your rear end and mozzies were trying to suck your dick and most of all, I learnt how full of shit Rambo really is.
On hindsight, I must say that I've truly truly been blessed during my BMT. First of all, my OC was a warrant officer who was nearing the end of his career. His leadership philosophy was, "You come here in one piece, you leave here in one piece." As such, my BMT was really slack. We only ever did the bare minimum and any extra physical training was purely optional. Our welfare was absurdly fantastic and we could even have movie marathons on certain days. Despite this however, I managed to lose an amazing 20 kilos and I could actually jog continuously for 2.4km.(my original timing was 18mins!) I must say that God really made my transition an easy one and I really thank him for that. Oh well, this is just part one of my reflection and if you're interested, there's at least 2-3 more parts coming up.
This reflection is dedicated to Platoon 1, Dragon Coy and esp to Sect 4.
Inclusive of these colourful characters
Andrew Leong, platoon best and proof that age is not a barrier.
Kirpal 'Sunny' Singh, comedienne and 'spoofer' extraordinaire.
Ghazalli, Sunny's partner in crime.
Najib, proof that the biggest noises does not necessarily come n the biggest packages.
Chew Bang, from fat to fit. Best PT. Ran his 2.4 in 10:15 which is bloody fast for a fat guy.
'Wild Boar' Wei Liang, the only guy to lose only 4 kg when everyone else was in double figures.
Sgt Fauzi, chili padi; small but spicy.
'Muscle Man' Zi Wei, overweight with pure muscle. Really.
Eugene 'Michelin Man', redefines curvy.
Choke 'Barracuda', the ugliest son of a gun. His name really is Choke.
2wo Steven, whose solution to every problem is a shake of the head and a " Report sick la"
An attempt at intellect
Just in case it gets written over...
This is what Audrey said on my tagboard...
"actually, i was thinking about the title of your blog. it could either mean
or rather imply
(1) if notes can be found on a piano so to speak, you, as a "struggling musician" are that "piano". Therefore, synonymous to your identity is the piano
(2) if notes about you are written by you, then this blog would mean that it's a blogger about a blogger, or blog about a blog if you like. it's self-reflexive
how do u like my comments for starters?"
Once a Lit student, always a Lit student!
This is what Audrey said on my tagboard...
"actually, i was thinking about the title of your blog. it could either mean
or rather imply
(1) if notes can be found on a piano so to speak, you, as a "struggling musician" are that "piano". Therefore, synonymous to your identity is the piano
(2) if notes about you are written by you, then this blog would mean that it's a blogger about a blogger, or blog about a blog if you like. it's self-reflexive
how do u like my comments for starters?"
Once a Lit student, always a Lit student!
Getting Emo Again
I still can't believe that I lost my temper that day. I absolutely hate it. 7 years and this is the first time I truly exploded even if there were times when I've been pissed. I was this close to losing it and I nearly stormed out. Sigh...
Crappy sorta weekend... with the exception of football. Actually, that was crappy in a way too as I'm REALLY out of shape. After 20 mins I was huffing and puffing like a big bad wolf( with sweat dripping down the hair on my chinny chin chin). I think the old men are fitter then the young men! Scored 3 goals though, so not that bad I guess. Plus, we discovered the next big football star in the form of Ray's nephew, Issac. He's 10 and I must say that he's pretty talented. When I was his age, I couldn't even kick a ball straight! He was all over the pitch defending well and spraying accurate passes all over the place. I mean, he got tackles in on all of us and we weren't exactly 'kelonging' either. He's like a pint sized Makelele and I think he'll thrash us when he grows up.
Crappy sorta weekend... with the exception of football. Actually, that was crappy in a way too as I'm REALLY out of shape. After 20 mins I was huffing and puffing like a big bad wolf( with sweat dripping down the hair on my chinny chin chin). I think the old men are fitter then the young men! Scored 3 goals though, so not that bad I guess. Plus, we discovered the next big football star in the form of Ray's nephew, Issac. He's 10 and I must say that he's pretty talented. When I was his age, I couldn't even kick a ball straight! He was all over the pitch defending well and spraying accurate passes all over the place. I mean, he got tackles in on all of us and we weren't exactly 'kelonging' either. He's like a pint sized Makelele and I think he'll thrash us when he grows up.
On a more depressing note, my grandma got hospitalized again as she suffered a (suspected) stroke/relapse. Someone played a prank that his girlfriend was pregnant. Plus my uncle's only got a few days left. 'Sadded' man. :(
I suppose we knew all along that the moment my uncle stopped the chemo, it was going to be a matter of time. At least he and his family had some time to prepare. I suppose no amount of preparation can really prepare you when it actually happens but I must say that my aunt is holding up well and being strong so far. My uncle has some pretty bizarre last wishes. He wants us to wear pink at the wake and to turn up in 70's attire for the 7th day prayers. He says that its a going away party and he doesn't want any sad 'churchy' minor key music to be played at his wake. He wants Disco! I think the guests will not know what to do when they get there. Mourn or Boogie? Eulogies or Travolta?
Arghh!!!
So freaking morbid!
I'm gonna re-watch this Brit comedy called Death At A Funeral to get myself in a more morbid state(Seriously, its a good show).
I suppose we knew all along that the moment my uncle stopped the chemo, it was going to be a matter of time. At least he and his family had some time to prepare. I suppose no amount of preparation can really prepare you when it actually happens but I must say that my aunt is holding up well and being strong so far. My uncle has some pretty bizarre last wishes. He wants us to wear pink at the wake and to turn up in 70's attire for the 7th day prayers. He says that its a going away party and he doesn't want any sad 'churchy' minor key music to be played at his wake. He wants Disco! I think the guests will not know what to do when they get there. Mourn or Boogie? Eulogies or Travolta?
Arghh!!!
So freaking morbid!
I'm gonna re-watch this Brit comedy called Death At A Funeral to get myself in a more morbid state(Seriously, its a good show).
Spain!
Spain Beat Germany To Become The Champions Of Europe!
Spain 1 : Germany 0
( Torres;33min)
Smashing match between 2 very contrasting teams. Spanish flair against German Steel, expansive free-flowing attacking football vs mechanical efficiency and determination, Speed against Strength. Wonderful stuff!
The Germans started off the match as the better team with the Spanish showing signs of nervous inexperience. A sloppy pass from Ramos very nearly let Klose in on goal. Luckily for Ramos, Puyol made a last ditch tackle to spare Ramoses' blushes. Spain though, slowly grew in confidence and started to pass the ball around more. Torres started tormenting Metzelder and Mertesacker with his blistering pace and the two big Germans were struggling to keep pace with the nifty Liverpool front man. The Germans had their opportunities going forward too with their wingers Podolski and Schweinstieger but lone striker, Klose, could not connect with any of them. Spain started imposing themselves even without top-scorer David Villa as Torres headed a good effort of the inside of the post. It seemed only a matter of time before the deadlock was broken and it was Torres who struck on the half hour mark with his pace, shrugging away Lahm's challenge before lifting the ball over a sprawling Lehman to notch his second and most important goal of the tournament. The Spanish could have scored a few more before the break but they were let down by their final ball and Joachim Leow and his men were relieved to hear the halftime whistle.
After the break, the Germans started to step up and press the Spanish for an equalizer. They also started to restrict the Spanish attacks as Frings and Hitzelsperger began to close down effectively on playmaker Fabregas, limiting him to pot-shots which Lehman was able to save. The match carried on with the momentum alternating between the two teams. As the match wore on however, the Germans started to get frustrated with captain Ballack in particular, constantly remonstrating with the Italian referee and linemen. In the end, Spain held on to their slender lead and won their first major trophy since 1964.
As a result, i now have a less then happy girlfriend but I'm sure she'll get over it! =)
Spain 1 : Germany 0
( Torres;33min)
Smashing match between 2 very contrasting teams. Spanish flair against German Steel, expansive free-flowing attacking football vs mechanical efficiency and determination, Speed against Strength. Wonderful stuff!
The Germans started off the match as the better team with the Spanish showing signs of nervous inexperience. A sloppy pass from Ramos very nearly let Klose in on goal. Luckily for Ramos, Puyol made a last ditch tackle to spare Ramoses' blushes. Spain though, slowly grew in confidence and started to pass the ball around more. Torres started tormenting Metzelder and Mertesacker with his blistering pace and the two big Germans were struggling to keep pace with the nifty Liverpool front man. The Germans had their opportunities going forward too with their wingers Podolski and Schweinstieger but lone striker, Klose, could not connect with any of them. Spain started imposing themselves even without top-scorer David Villa as Torres headed a good effort of the inside of the post. It seemed only a matter of time before the deadlock was broken and it was Torres who struck on the half hour mark with his pace, shrugging away Lahm's challenge before lifting the ball over a sprawling Lehman to notch his second and most important goal of the tournament. The Spanish could have scored a few more before the break but they were let down by their final ball and Joachim Leow and his men were relieved to hear the halftime whistle.
After the break, the Germans started to step up and press the Spanish for an equalizer. They also started to restrict the Spanish attacks as Frings and Hitzelsperger began to close down effectively on playmaker Fabregas, limiting him to pot-shots which Lehman was able to save. The match carried on with the momentum alternating between the two teams. As the match wore on however, the Germans started to get frustrated with captain Ballack in particular, constantly remonstrating with the Italian referee and linemen. In the end, Spain held on to their slender lead and won their first major trophy since 1964.
As a result, i now have a less then happy girlfriend but I'm sure she'll get over it! =)
29 June, 2008
HEY HEY HEY
Just because SOMEONE doesn't like it, i'm gonna start my new blog with this!
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(Lotsa whining and sticking out of tongues in the real world as I'm typing)
Audrey's not too happy that I've banned her from posting in my blog but I'm sure that she's going to do it anyway.
I closed down the old one as it was getting old and the colour scheme was PRETTY emo. So here's to a brighter start as I start my new phase of life. Well, that's all for now as I'm not used to macbook and I'll have more updates soon.
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(Lotsa whining and sticking out of tongues in the real world as I'm typing)
Audrey's not too happy that I've banned her from posting in my blog but I'm sure that she's going to do it anyway.
I closed down the old one as it was getting old and the colour scheme was PRETTY emo. So here's to a brighter start as I start my new phase of life. Well, that's all for now as I'm not used to macbook and I'll have more updates soon.
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