in case you didn't notice, I've been adding blogs with earlier dates.. of what happened on the trip, so in case you wanna read, they are under the present entries. =)

I'm a reciprocal person. If you are nice to me, I'm nice to you. Something like I work by positive feedback. So I have this clear distinction between acquaintences, friends and good friends. OK, not so much btw the friends and good friends, but very obvious btw acquaintence and friends. So to get fr the acquaintence level, one must be friendly with me. =) That's why I feel that some people in band are still just acquantences to me.. I'm testy, I test what someone feels before proceeding on to be friends, if I feel that the person responds negatively to me, I'll withdraw immediately.
Therefore it's really important to be friendly to someone right from the moment you meet him/her.
Wonder if I'm strange..

sat was such a happy day! Went for band, and I had part mates for the 1st time in more than a year! And they are a lot better than me, I think, at least, we have really different styles.. so now I must start worrying about bowing, intonationa and VIBRATO again. And of course, with so many strings around, pizz notes are as usual filled with echoes, plonk, plonk, plonk... must really practise now, if not malu myself..

Band ended at 11+, woohoo, so early that we decided to go holland v to eat. So there was this Basses Trombones batch outing to BK. Super funny with all the funny people around.. Felt like it was the trip again. Then had a "family" outing to Clementi, so nice of Alex and Jacinth to accompany me Clementi every week, and guess what? We went fooling around in Big Bookshop again. Haha, played with the kids books, choosing nice orange highlighters for my nu er.

Some guy was performing inside Yamaha, so I was half-listening to him play that Ayumi song, then thinking that the registrations suck. After that went for lesson and realised that he's my teacher's student as well.. and those registrations were the same which I used to play that Ayumi song.. oops, didn't think it suck that badly then. Anyway, found out that I'm his partner for the next performance. So must start memorising scores soon.. Lesson went well. For some reason or other, I wasn't sian any more, very on, did about 5 impros properly without no break down. That's very good compared to my usual 1 or 1/2. Must work on getting a more meaningful melody and decorations on accompaniment. Feel that I'm lousy every time I hear Mr Tan play. Must aim towards his standard. Q tired after lesson, after all that brain work.

Went for HC concert, it was a busy day. Met Sheryl and Sandy and Xiaoxuan. Concert was q fun, a lot more fun than ours, though I believe our playing was better. Our only non-music entertainment was the lame emcees. They had coloured lighting, movie scenes screening, percs walking down the audience, perc fight, saxes playing Jay Chou and that conductor acting. More interesting, the Ali Baba was so Bert Appermont, sounded like Noah's Ark. The Irish thing sounded like Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.. LOTR was a very nice arrangement, Peter Pan q interesting and Leroy Enderson so cute with the horns tick-tocking. Enjoyed it. Had a 15 min talk with xx, sheryl and sandy. Haha, my dhs band cliche! And the only thing I ever say to Kenny when I ever see him is "Hello". Another classmate lost..

Happy day, yay!

most of all, missed the planned life.. nothing to worry about, everyone else will worry for you. Missed the new different encounters each day, not like now, so boring..

miss europe, miss the trip, miss the band, miss the cool air, miss the mushrooms.. Kah Hua said that after every band trip, the band will bond, didn't believe her then.. understand now.. it's hard not to bond after 8 days together, playing together, eating the same pasta-like rice, sleeping in the same room, climbing out onto the balcony together, fighting mona together, laughing together, entertaining each other on the long journeys and long waits, irritating each other, shopping together, museum visiting together, serving each other food, running in the rain/ hail toghether, saving each other fr dehydration.. How to not know ur band mates better? Miss the trip, every day during common test, thoughts will drift back to the trip.. haha, think my common test results will be like rubbish.

Common tests.. what's the point of studying for it? Not like I'll benefit much, most prob forget everything immediately after the paper.. Should spend my time more constructively this wk by doing tutorials and copying lecture notes and understanding them instead of inefficient revision.. But, just can't bear to go into the hall without any confidence and handing up a blank script, so must waste time studying..

Glad that school started so soon, if not i'll live even more in my fantasies of europe. At least now i have so much things to occupy myself with. But sometimes i'm still hoping that there'll be a major SARS outbreak and there'll be a SARS break. I need it now to catch up with my work.. haha, i'm evil, i know that.

Hui Chuan! Your handwriting was sooo neat! Is that how u write now? Anyway, don't understand why u bother wasting a stamp on me. Haha, it brightened up my day though. Abt the blog, i know it sounds rather pessimistic and sad, that's because those are the things that bother me, so i write them down, those happy small moments don't bother me, so i don't write them down. Life in RJ is not that bad.. the people are very fun..
This period is one of the few ones which i don't regret coming to RJ, joining band and knowing all those wonderful people. I love my band! Will be busy with band for the next month at least, then I'll suffer withdrawal symptoms after 26th April.. =(

back from europe. Feeling so sad that it ended. Cried just now on the way back. Not that the trip was fantastic, but it was really memorable. Sad because must face back to reality, start studying again, prepare for common test next week. Sad because no more heartfelt laughter with batchmates like Jacinth and Xiaohui and Alex and Yee Shen who are so funny, and sad because no more spying and stalking games with Paul Khoo.

Quite shi bai, for the whole trip, didn't even take 1 single photo with any teacher or guide or driver or escort alone or in a small group. In fact, didn't manage to take photo with a lot of people. Anyway, in general, the trip is quite good cos of the people around. If I didn't go with these people, it will be quite a lousy trip. Didn't do much. Spent most time stoning in airports, buses, planes, queues.. But my batchmates are really nice people, although got conflicts and unhappy stuff, still quite fun.

My stand clearly stated here. When school starts, I will not be rude to him. I will treat him as a friend and a teacher. If he starts a conversation, I'll continue. If not, I won't go and zhao1 ta, re3 ta.

Euro Disney!

Happy place! So sunny & cheerful & bright & innocent. In any case, I didn't feel old at all, maybe because I was with friends of my own age, and it was a weekday, so not many French kids around.. Feel happy just writing about Disney.

Went around with Jacinth, Xiaohui and Peiyan. Very fun, cos we weren't overly-enthusiastic to try all rides, so never 赶来赶去，追头追尾。Instead we took our time, taking photos with everything, getting autographs, enjoying the fresth air, even spent 20 min looking at ducks and chickens and swans in a super ulu part of Euro Disney. Haha.

Admission was only 17 Euros cos the tour leader told ticket seller that we were all 16.. =) saved 22 Euros.

Love the Disney music.. and everything else. The good thing abt Disney is that it's so magical.. That's why i bought that Fantillusion CD, wanna relive the moment.. That's why I love the Disney electone music, so magical! Living in the fantasy..

Rasicist Eeyore! He turned away when we tried asking him for autographs and taking photos. AP! Think I not cute enough, stupid Goofy refused to sign my book. Haha

EuroDisney felt small annd no-so-interesting. Not so fascinated with it as I was with Disneyland. If I'm not with my friends, I'll be quite bored. Yup, and I got to shop this time. Good thing about being overseas, you have enough money to do anything. Didn't really think much when I spent 20 Euro on a T shirt. V ex, but I like.

Shouldn't waste space on Mona. Hey, seeing Mona Lisa tmr. haha

The city tour people were q happy too. Went to that 圣心堂 which Daddy went the other time and shopped at that Montemogery or sth area. So cool! It's a great shopping area. Cheap and large variety. Some people got cheated. Some black guys went around tying friendship bands on them and then held on to them asking for money. Evil people.

Feeling feverish and having a sore throat. Though temp is only 36.4'C. There's really sth wrong with that thermometer. I'm breathing fire.. Don't wanna go home. Go home then must start studying again. sigh. and I haven't achieve my target of getting to know some people better yet. prob only know Jacinth and Jinxun better..

This is going to be a long post..

some people to thank. People who really helped everyone. People who are so 主动，任劳任怨，积极地帮大家。Like Weisiong, Song Wee,每次都是他们拿最多东西，他们一直在帮我拉，帮我抬那个大double bass case..真的感激他们。
另外一个我要谢的人： Mr Khoo. 虽然很多人都认为他做的不够多，不够好， 但我觉得他的工作实在不容易，管这么多人，还有那个Mimi to entertain. 我觉得虽然before the trip, he nv do anything much, but since the first day of the trip, 他已经很尽责了。至少对我很好，让我说已经比他要做的多了。Before the trip, 我已经给他很多麻烦了，一直烦他regarding my case, 现在他还天天帮我。Always carrying my instru for me, yesterday even kept it in his room instead of mine cos he think my room got no space. Wow. I feel very bad, keep making him do things, usually i'll nv let a teacher carry my instru for me, some hierarchy prob, but now he's so 主动，i just let him..

还有Yee Shen, so 乐观，on task, really 佩服。 Teng Kok also, for keeping Mimi happy for all of us, and entertaining us in the mean time. Haha. Jacinth and Siew for their family support. Everyone else for making me laugh and enjoy myself so much.

OK, on to the trip. Went Royal Military Music School today. They are really good, professional, neat, smart, together.. Their marching was almost flawless. And maybe I'm suaku, but it's the first time I see marching band prac, so first time seeing the 谱架stuck somewhere on their arms or on the instru.. so fascinated.
We totally maluated ourselves, saxes completely out of tune throughout. Festival March was a disaster when that sop sax sight read out-of-tunely through that soft part. Gosh, I was smiling throughout, laughing at our own mistakes, wishing the saxes will just stop playing.. But I wasn't too much better off, my Merry Widow was sharp as usual and i really need to work on my uneven notes in Inn of Sixth Happiness. The only OK piece was Happy Ending. They must think Singapore bands suck big time..

Really sth wrong with the Europe's working system. Their efficiency especially. Spent 1hr + in Heathrow Airport trying to check in. Just standing there and waiting for that one woman to key everything in, print all the boarding passes, and give them back to us took almost 2 hrs. Ended up delaying the whole flight. Rushed from check in area to plane. Guess they didn't have time to load the luggages. 31 pieces were missing. That's more than 1/2 the band's luggage. Oh yeah, Jacinth finally received her bag. What an irony. BMI is really CMI (can't make it).

Anyway, this is another chance to see who really keep the band together. Mimi made herself so useful, by irritating everyone, stocktaking by counting every instrument instead of simply by sections. Confused herself, exasperated everyone around her trying to help her. Even insulted my instru and my name. I believe Ms Tan will do a lot better in situations like this. At least she'll make herself useful in other ways..

About London
very prosperous. Normal buildings rather boring, but important buildings are really spetacular. Beautiful. Wished we spent longer there. Rather dirty/ misty/ cloudy though. Cold feeling. A lot of vandalism around. I loved the cabs. Nice shape

Was hyper today, laughed so much but no such energy and mood now.

Paris: finally driving on the wrong side of the road. Dunno why, but I've been noticing all the Metro signs. =) Looks even more 繁荣than London, I think.

Went Dublin, visited Trinity College. Beautiful convenient place, in the heart of Dublin. Though I still don't understand what is the book of Kells.
Then went for a 5 shops shopping, where the boundaries don't include any useful shops at all. so crossed boundaries knowingly/ unknowingly and was late and was caught by Mr Khoo. Scolded/ demanded explanations from us in the middle of the street while other J1s walked around us, past us, late also..

Well he had a pt, if we don't heed his instructions, howis he going to trust us? How can he let us go shopping again? But I feel he's a bit 钻牛角尖， rebutting everything we said. Yes I was guilty, and yes, there wasn't any way which we could win the argument, even if Jinxun was doing all the talking, but what can we do? What did he want us to do? He should just let us go back to the bus asap, so that there's less damage done. Anyway, his whatever helped. I'm super-conscious about time now. and yup, I did feel guilty. Jinxun said I looked super AP to him, but I didn't mean it, all I did was stop smiling, cos I didn't think it's the right occasion to smile, do i look AP when i don't smile??

My clique's changing. Rather obviously. I think Jialing can tell too. Started before the trip, now it's worse. Seems like a reenactment of the last band trip to Australia. She's becoming just a room-mate.. Think when 2 people know each other too well, they start to become more distant.. Make sense?

Wish Christine and friends will just stop it, especially in front of/ around him. He's going to think that I crush him or something and already half of the batch thinks something is going on. And if they don't stop it, I might start believing them and think that i'm some pet and I'll start taking advantage of this knowledge.. not good at all.

Nearly slammed down the phone just now when Mummy called, thought it was the morning call. Haha, she's so smart, prob the only parent who call hotel, except for maybe Jacinth's dad, who's calling Paul Khoo to clarify matters. Anyway, poor Jacinth, luggage still not received. Quite uncomfortable to keep borrowing stuff from everyone.

Won the competition. Haha. In this kind of 7 bands prestigious international band competition when all 7 bands are so different, with accordian bands, a YO, a brass band, a symphonic band (that's us), and marching bands. And only 2 of the bands are not Irish bands, JFK high sch military band with their 20 saxes all coming in at diff times, and us. Don't even know how they judge. Wonder why we win. Think cos we're the only band which followed all the instructions. So Singaporean. 10mins set-up & packing, 10 min performance time. We went on stage, put down instrument and started arranging chairs and stands. So funny. Other bands just hire a few people to arrange for them, taking don't know how long. Didn't think we played too well. Wasn't the best performance ever. We've had better rehersals. I was out of tune and my vol control was very lousy.

Anyway, Ennis Brass Band is really good. The defending champion which we beat. They were so together. The pieces were technically demanding and yet they performed it so well, well-balanced, touguing together, starting, ending together. Very nice sound. Just a bit too loud. Don't understand why they didn't win. BTW, we got this plastic plague that is brown and round as the prize. haha.

Ireland in general:
Large area, sparse population, everyone has a nice little cosy house which is similar to the next one but unique in its own way. Great security, felt very safe, the farms used piles of rocks as boundaries, not even a fence needed. Just remove some rocks and you get a gate. Haha.

There are some really important families in Ireland, like the O'Brians in Limerick, built castles and monuments and so on.. and of course Guinness family in Dublin.

Irish people are very good looking. Light-coloured hair, dark eyes (blue/green), fair complexion, pink cheeks. Beautiful and the children look like angels. =)

Irish food. Wonder what is Irish food, kept going to this Copper and Spice restaurant that serves pseudo-Indian food. Don't know what kind of food they serve, got tom-yam, crackers and rice and so on.. then they play this kind of techno indian music that has a bass guitar playing 3-5 notes repeatedly.. too techno for me. Anyway, every meal eat at a strange restaurant with not so Asian, but not very Western food. Wonder what Irish really eat.

heavy rain today, first time I see Ubi Ave 1 flooded. Heard that at Paya Lebar, the plastic roadblocks were all floating about. If I wasn't rushing to the airport, I would have loved to go and see them..

found that I can't go Disney cos of some conservatory arrangement problem. Sad, now I'll have to see Paris city all over again. Boring

Mr Khoo was setting the tone in the airport. So serious, so strict, no-nonsense, restricted. Even stricter than normal band time. Hope it's only for the first day.

determined to have one last post before I leave.

Don't feel excited. Maybe a bit of apprehension, worry. A lot of things to remember and take care. At least I'm not in the trip com. Haha. Poning school tomorrow. First time poning. Haha. My this term's attendence is really bad. I skipped 3 days of school this wk. Haha. But all with valid excuse, except tomorrow..

SSEF was a failure. A lot of time spent, no results. But that's expected, cos we didn't investigate much and got much results. And it's partly due to my fault of not taking the initiative of creating special effects, not learning the algorithm and trying to write something, or just not pushing Dr Tian hard enough. Or maybe I'm just too lazy. Anyway, at least I learnt what cornerness means now. Congrats to people like Hui Fang, Chin Siong, Joseph and Kai Tun for getting Gold, and to Cassandra and friends for getting silver. Yup, SSEF is a time to meet old friends, I met Wanqin, Cassandra, Kai Tun, Wei Teen, Yan Ying, Wenhui, Hui Fang and many other Dunmanians whom I can't remember their names. And not bad, I made a few RJ friends like Joseph (maybe), Chin Siong (maybe), Hannah, and Serene (maybe). Haha, it's all maybes, so maybe we won't say hi to each other the next time we see each other. Learnt about how experienced those GEPpers are in science fairs and competitions, how good they are at research and crapping until all can get gold.

GP common test today. Writing rubbish throughout. Think it's the lack of practice. All my points are jumbled up in my brain, disorganised, when I try fishing one out, the rest drop back into that muddy swirl. Ended up with examples that don't support my argument, and warped arguments. Then spent too much time on summary which had no points and was again mian mu quan fei from the original text and markers will most prob not find my points. Application question was not well developed and not well evaluated at all, didn't even identify key argument properly. Sigh, hope I pass, cos that'll be the only subj I can pass this common test.

The band is too nice to me. Too nice. After all my screw ups in music and otherwise, they still went to so much trouble to make sure I can go on the trip. Debbie Tan bought a $900+ semi-hard case just for me. That was how nice! She could have just made me go with a soft case and instrument come back in pieces. It won't be her prob anyway, though I'll bother them like a parasite. Really thank her and Mr Khoo. I'll try not to create trouble in band any more, no more shooting dagger questions at the top people. haha.

hey thanks Hui Chuan, you remembered my trip! Yup I'll try to enjoy myself, though I have to study for common tests and think about how much clothes to wear and where to hide my passport and stuff, but I'll enjoy the trip! Happy holidays to all and happy studying for whatever block tests/ common tests/ exams you have.

This is so exciting! Got invitation to go for Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) this summer.. though I don't know why I'm invited and there's almost no chance that I'll accept this invitation. Still, it's exciting. Let me list out the agenda/ itenary:

... commence in your choice of either Europe or the United States... In Central and Eastern Europe, those cities will include Vienna, Budapest and Prague, you will examine issues usuch as the expansion of EU, the evolving role of UN and others.. You will visit foreign embassies, meet with high-ranking diplomatic officials, and retrace footsteps of former rulers during visits to historic seats of power..

.. In the US, you will go Washington, DC and New York City.. explore Lincoln memorial, US Capitol Building, Smithsonian Museums and meet with a senior member of President Bush's administration. In New York.. visit New York Mercantile Exchange and ...

sounds so cool right? Too bad I won't be going due to the unaffordable USD 3000 and that it's around June, July, August.. and that I'm already going to Europe next week.

Anyway, they said that they got me from College Board Student Search Service. So I guess probably 500 others in Singapore got this letter too. And, I won't really enjoy it if I go, cos I'm not a political person, and I'm not a leader, and I shaded the circles on the SAT registration any-old-how-ly, so it doesn't really show who I am. And one of the alumni of this GYLC thing is Aziah, who happens to be the ex head prefect of RGS, so I'm nowhere near that standard. But still, no harm pretending that I've received something good and get excited for a while. Life needs to be spiced up.

Congrats to Hui Chuan!! Finally got a phone. Getting more contactable. Hope it's permanent.. =)

Everyone around me is getting attached. OK, not everyone, but a lot of people. First there's swe and kenny, then there's xh and joseph (haha, it's no secret any more), then soon there'll be eve and dav.. And maybe now already got hui chuan and someone, or xiaowei and a lot of someones or something like that.. Not that I'm complaining, but just wish that these attached people will spend more time with their normal friends as well, not just with the ling4 yi2 ban4. yup, that's all.