Spirito - ACCO year-end concert

(warning: long post ahead, for memories' sake)
Photos courtesy of Yeo Mei and myself (:

The turnout for Spirito wasn't very pleasant.. the circle seats were almost empty, I could see a row of seniors there plus some other people. Ms Too's words are echoing in my head right now.

"We need to sell enough tickets to cover the costs of production you know...
The concert is running at a loss...
Joyce, as head of ticketing, what do you think we should do?...
Joyce ah, you must check with the SLs and find out how many tickets the sections have sold..."

Then I can hear Brian and his questions with a burning enthusiasm masked by his small frame

"Joyce, the tickets how?...
what do you think about the programme booklet?...
Joyce, is this poster ok?..."

Anyway it's over now, I wonder how they're going to make up for the losses.

.

The hiccups during the concert very nearly put me through panic attacks.

1) We were about to go up for our erhu ensemble item, when Michael noted that Serene (our pianist) was missing. We went "oh shit shit shit where is she!!!", turned out that she was tuning her liuqin in the changing room further backstage when Janet went to get her. There was a long pause after the emcees announced for us to go up, but there was nothing we could do about it, not at least until Serene was back. Then finally we had to smoothen our faces and remove all traces of anxiety before going up to play the emo piece.

2) For Guang Wei's solo, Xuan Han actually went up there only to discover that he didn't have a yangqin sticks with him. He disappeared to the side of the stage to get them and returned back to his yangqin, gesturing apologetically to the audience with his hands. There was some miscommunication there, he thought someone was supposed to bring his sticks out for him. For the rehearsal, this guy was supposed to bring the piano chair out when some of us pointed out that he was sitting on it -.-

3) Pei Yan's solo - all the stage lights were supposed to be on. However, the spotlight was on her, which made it difficult to see her strings on her yangqin. It was like this during the rehearsal too, where I could hear some wrong notes (peiyan doesn't make mistakes!) cos her sight was limited. Thankfully, it turned out fine during the actual thing.

4) I was supposed to help Pei Yan change out of her long-sleeved shirt into her sleeveless blouse right after san liu and before her Ballade pour Adeline, but I happened to be further downstairs backstage with Janet, having lost track of time! Sheesh... By the time I returned, she was already changing halfway in that piano room, I could only help smoothen the back of her blouse just before she walked on stage and then adjust her Spirito attire when she changed back. Some personal assistant! >.< Lesson learnt.

Lan se de si nian was one piece we practiced for nearly half a year, no doubt the main feature of our concert. Somehow that didn't go too well... but as far as I'm aware, people in the audience weren't aware of that so, =D

Shui lian drew differing comments from people, from 'soothing' to 'boring'. Hmm. All those self-sectionals we had in the hall with Serene made us sweat, literally. I could see my fellow section mates putting in a lot of effort to make the piece sound coordinated, trying to bring out the desired effect... there were several awkward moments during the practices where we'd just stop there, expressionless, without any idea how to proceed. Then all the pressure would be upon our SL to hype things up. Well we pulled through (: We will conquer and not remain status quo with our SYF piece which is technically very much more demanding especially on our side.

I don't know why we had this concert in the first place. Other ACCO batches never had concerts with only half the orchestra before. My guess is that the teachers and instructors want to strengthen us both in the social emotional and musical aspect and prepare us for the big event in 2009. Irvin's confident of a GwH. I know that's not a problem for PLHB, but for us... I guess we just have to pray and practice hard now.

I second the acknowledgments in the programme booklet. Thank God, of course, that our batch managed to run a concert (seriously, i've gotta have more faith). Then for all the people who have worked hard to make this possible -- teachers, instructors, committee (especially Brian as I/C), helpers (our very own members with Nigel I/C, seniors, Brian's photographer friend), the J1 CO members and Of course, for the audience...

My parents were there, Claire and Amelia were there, (this photo looks crowded) I saw some other people I recognised (like Farhana Ryann Rae YenChai SiWei JunYan KeRong...)
and the loud ones who no doubt made their presence known, my cell group -- I've never had people shout this loud for me before, and I'm not even a soloist or anything! Haha. It was all very flattering, honestly, this reception I didn't deserve.
Then there are those who've been giving in to all my nonsense from PL (Food & Fun Fair, Kaleidoscope) all the way to AC (FunORama, enCOre, Spirito). They know who they are. I really dunno what to do without them =/

Sorry BFC, if I seemed a little dead on Sat night during your dinner and throughout the journey back to the north-east. My body was there but my mind was elsewhere. On my bed, I suppose. Or some other part of Singapore. Up to you to guess. (:

Oh, I'm staring at that lone rose right now. Its pink petals are falling apart.
I've eaten almost all the chocolates, finished the president's cookies, only Jake's sweets are still left somewhere in my bag. Clearly, nothing lasts forever. However sweet or bitter they may be, everything will come to an end.

I'm not ready for 2009. Neither am I ready to let go of 2008. One month, that's all that's left.
This post is like some reflection post -.-

Random: I had my retainers on the whole time. Makes smiling unnatural but who cares.
Random: Thanks for the invitation, guys, but now I've got 3 things (or rather, events) running on that day, and I can only attend to one!

A word of thanks

(the 'you' in this post differs from the 'you' in the previous post earlier today)

Thank you for making my day today, it's a nice change (: That put more life into me, such that I feel less like a zombie. Thanks for being... a Jacob Black? Uh uh. That's not what I want. But thanks for your company anyway, so this becomes more than 'just another day'.

Actually, I don't mind going with you.

Steph Meyer; AC infamous

The front part of New Moon brought a sense of familiarity as I read it... It reminded me of how I was like some time back, how I became zombie-like (though it wasn't as extreme as Bella's) and lived life as a mere routine. It's really depressing! I tried to find ways to distract myself, just like how Jacob Black was Bella's happy pill, her substitute her favourite vampire. Of course, no one could really replace the original, and the hole in the heart gets bigger as time passes. I am, not surprisingly, able to identify with Bella here.

Stephenie Meyer is awesome.

Can't wait for Twilight to hit Singapore's theatres!
Can't wait for Meyer to publish Midnight Sun... No--I should make an amendment to that--I hope it's only published after my A levels. That will prevent an unnecessary addiction to a book other than textbooks which is likely to take a toll on my studies.


There's a funny cheese smell lingering around the house. I wonder why. I may like cheese, but smelling too much of it makes me sick.


I don't see the need to paragraph my next subject - I'd rather people not read it. I'll still go on with the typing anyway, very briefly now.
Okay, as a student of AC, I feel I need to make my stand known regarding the uproar caused by that video that was posted online. Actually, I do not have a stand. I'm Switzerland, in that sense. I know that this birthday prank has gotten a little too far, crossed boundaries, made things difficult for the witnesses to the prank (assuming that the subject was perfectly fine with it). I also know, that none of the students involved had expected such a video to be posted on the net, which is where the true humiliation starts. It really IS the norm, for birthday pranks similar to this one to be carried out. I have seen some of them myself, where a lot of attention would be brought to the group and someone would be carried into the bin somewhere. Saying it gets "out of hand" is subjective, really. I do believe (you may want to view this as a statement with sarcasm, it's up to you) that even as youths of the 21st century where everything is anything (life with a pinch of salt), conscience is embedded deep within us, we don't throw them into the bin along with the 'victim' concerned. We are cautious with our actions, making sure that the incident does not turn out to be a bullying case, at least that's what happens among youths with morals. Like I said, it's subjective. There are Singaporeans who think what's defined as 'fun' actually is 'harm', then there are those who accept 'fun' the way it is. The public is really making too much of a fuss over this issue. That SAJC video with the toothpaste guy is worthy of just as much--if not more--attention from the public. I look forward to hearing and reading about what the general public has to say about that.

short-handed

It's only in times like this that I realise the significance of E-V-E-R-Y S-I-N-G-L-E member of the group.

How all of us must perform to the best of our abilities and wake up from our slumber.

Hello to the visitors on my tagboard. I've noticed that most are PL lites! From the class of 2007. GO FOR MY CO CONCERT KAY.

Details are as follows

Spirito - by ACCO
Anglo-Chinese Junior College
Faith Centre for Performing Arts
Mrs Lee Choon Guan Theatre
22 November '08, Saturday
7.30pm
$8 per ticket

I designed the tickets. I know, it looks hideous, together with the type of paper we used to print them. Cutting costs, you see. How else can we price the tickets at a mere $8??!


Last afternoon I gave my piano lesson a skip.. I suddenly felt nauseous, like I was on fire, a weird sensation spread throughout my whole body and numbed me as I was sitting in the toilet. Cold sweat? I couldn't move at all, being paralyzed there.. When I finally summoned whatever energy I had left to move myself away and out of the toilet, my vision was obstructed by millions of stars. I could have fainted there and then, but no, I forced myself to move to one of the bedrooms and just lay under the ceiling fan, cooling down for I was sweating buckets. Then I felt too weak, much too weak to go for lesson.

I still have no idea what that was all about. But I guess I'm ok now? There's CCA later.

The Twilight Saga-- the alpha

I got my paws hands on Twilight and New Moon, spent what, $28 on them? And now I'm itching for Eclipse. It's only a matter of time before I find myself handing money to some cashier in exchange for New Moon.

Either that, or I borrow. Heh.

I don't mind keeping the books though. My collection of fiction books isn't fantastic...
I have the last two books from the Harry Potter Series, 3 of Dan Brown's books, now 2 of Stephanie Meyer's works. WOW, is that all??? I don't believe it! I'm going into my room to check this instant.

Right. Phantom of the Opera, Sing to the Dawn, a couple of Russell Lee books, the complete Chronicles of Narnia.

Maybe it's not a bad idea to go hunting for Eclipse and New Moon after all. Not like I won't read them again rightttt. Hmmm.
_____

Imagine my joy when it hit me hard that PW was over. Once and for all.
I strolled out of the school's main building with some classmates, only to be greeted by students sprawling all over the concourse with their laptops. A huge grin spread over my face, like how butter was spread on a slice of bread.
It didn't matter that we had less time to prepare for this presentation. Ours ended earlier, and that made me feel like we were at the top of the world.

It's quite stupid, really, when I put "preparation time" into the context of my own group. I look back at the past 9-10 months, and I think it's a miracle that AC012 even made it this far. We were experts when it came to last-minute work, no doubt. We didn't have PW group meetings as the other groups had. It was a LOT of anger, frustration, tension, even tears and resentment. It's only by God's grace that we've survived together as a group for so many months. I'd never forget all that agony.
_____

Victoria Claire Amelia and myself - we went for the opening of the Marina Barrage. With many senior citizens and 6 NP students and this coordinator from Dover CC.

Oh gosh, Dover CC! I don't wanna talk about it. Victore, where are the pictures??!

And then there was CIP with kids from Agape-Little Uni, they were holding a graduation concert in our CPA. I can't help but miss the kids... Active? Yes. Wild? Definitely. Some can make you lose your patience with them. Haha. But they sure are cute. I'm missing them already, the kids and their teachers. Funny, what hours of being cooped up with them can do to me. I have the urge to want to help out at LSK's concert.
_____

Nope, even though I'm still swimming in the world of Edward and Bella right now, I still don't believe that vampires exist.

CO trauma

To the one(s) affected by last Saturday's very unfortunate incident, I just want to say this - you're SO not alone.

That happens in my section too, and it's quite obvious that Sheena and I get stabbed the hardest here. (I am quite embarrassed to say that even) Irvin once saw my eyes red from all that - urgh - mess, but hey, we're all in this together alright? I understand how you feel, cus' sometimes it's not that we don't want to, we simply can't. If practice alone could solve the problem then I'm sure we'd have the sense to put an end to it. You with me on this? We're all in this together. You, me, and everyone else. Okay maybe not everyone else but to those this may concern...

One day, they'll see that they shouldn't be so hard on us.

GOODBYE PROJECT WORK! =D

Post- A level Chinese; Pre- A level Project Work

This is going to be somewhat like a nonsensical post. I see it coming.

A levels

I may have to retake my Chinese next year, I don't know. I dare not think of the mistakes I made. It's over anyway, no point harping on it. I will still keep my Chinese resources though.

Project work. We whine and babble about how useless a subject it is. We all do, don't we, J1s?
It's really the last lap now. I hate putting up a front all the time, acting cool and calm however furious I may be. I feel like a hypocrite. We can't choose who we want to work with, that's when all the inequalities among individuals come in. It has its pros and cons. We all get fed up with a certain someone(s) in the group at some point in time. Does this divide the group, or unite it? I don't know. I don't want to end up revealing too much about the status of my own group and generate unwanted comments, online or otherwise.

I just want to get it over and done with.

The Pre-U students say, abolish PW, it's too time-consuming.
I say we continue with it. I don't see why we (our seniors included) should go through all these PIs, GPPs, EoMs, I&Rs, WRs and OPs while the future pre-U students' don't. They wanna take A levels in Singapore, they'd jolly well suffer as their seniors did.

Hahahah I sound really pissed.


Television

Not too long ago I watched the making of Changi Airport's Terminal 3 on Man Made Marvels on Discovery Channel. Makes me feel proud of this Garden City. Also, I discovered how much I can discover from watching Discovery Channel, this makes things so discoverable and serves as a reminder of how much remains undiscovered and how I need to discover the things already discovered or I will be discovered as an ancient fellow who cannot catch up. LOL.

Today, I discovered the joy of watching television programs. Documentaries, in particular.

Main Service

Pastor Daniel's sermon on servanthood and being platinum Christians was really powerful. Some of his points slapped me hard in the face.. Stuff like we need to serve more than the church needs us. This triggered the 'on' switch which lighted the light bulb within me. I'm not perfect, nobody is. None of us are really "good enough" or fit to serve the all-powerful King who has been living since God-knows-when. I know, I cannot keep takinging and receiving, there are two ends to it - giving and taking. I have to give too. Teaches me to be more humble, leaves less or no room for pride to take residence in myself.



I'll go apologise to her, I think God's speaking to me... That small dispute has been tugging at my heart and I got a little impatient with her a few hours ago.
They are, ultimately, still my friends and I will still see them at least until the end of A levels.