Living Thing

i've moved

2009-01-02T03:10:00.000+08:00

http://beyondfacevalue.livejournal.com/

i'm sorry

2008-12-11T18:32:00.003+08:00

The next few months will be a period of uncertainty, maybe even moments of temerity. For now, I don't think it's appropriate that I put down my thoughts in black and white.

Thank you all who have visited my blog. I'll be right back.

rewind

2008-09-21T21:44:00.007+08:00

I'm scared. I know I need to be confident in myself, but it seems that over these few months, I've lost a lot of it progressively. Something's not right. I just need to keep my fingers crossed that I can regain my confidence in time for A-levels, or else who knows what will be left of me by then.

I often recall being bullied a lot in primary 3. (Fortunately it was less serious then what we see in the news today.) I remember being pinched, having my hair pulled and being called 'guinea pig' while taking the school bus home. I cried a few times. The bus driver was rather useless; he scolded them and they left me alone for the day, but tomorrow they would resume their old ways. It didn't stop there. During recess the bunch of them would harass me if they saw me (or perhaps they found me).

I still remember their full names. One of them was my own classmate, whom I often insulted as 'zhu rou' because I hated him beyond reconciliation. I continued to insult him despite getting pinched by him and being told to shut up. But I never fought back. I don't know why; perhaps I was too timid and soft-hearted. Neither do I know why those clowns chose me as their target. But on hindsight I feel proud of myself, because never in my life have I been that infallible before. The experience was bad but it failed to leave any kind of emotional scar on me.

Today I need to find back that same strength which pulled me though my misery 9 years ago, and use it to tackle whatever that stands in the way of me scoring good grades for my A-levels. I don't have much time left to find it...

i'm back :)

2008-09-19T23:06:00.005+08:00

Yup, prelims have just ended. But there's plenty of distance left before that final lap, and it's an uphill struggle to the top of the mountain. The peak of freedom.

I'm blogging again because I woke up from my coma. A pretty damn long one, enough to trigger a lifetime of gene mutations (and damage). The point is, this leopard somehow managed to change his spots, unconsciously. I've identified these problems, few in number but radical enough to scare the pants off my waist.

I realise I don't have the necessary confidence to perform well under pressure. For the past six months or so, stress and nervousness have been a regular part of my psyche. Perhaps this accounts for my frequent stuttering nowadays. There's more. I can't believe that I've become more caustic in my choice of words, sometimes giving others a rude shock. I tend to be obsessed (and worried) about my future when I should be concentrating on A-levels and how to make the best of this dark moment of my life. Perhaps sleeping late on a frequent basis has taken its toll on my health. Yes, I need to sleep early whenever possible (like now!!!). I admit, I also need to brighten up my life with more positive energy.

Ok, give me a second to cheer up.

I think I'm still hanging in there because my peers have been nice to me and I really appreciate what they've done for me. I hope they know, and likewise I should try to reciprocrate more often if we're all going to get through this together.

After A-levels I really want to do a million things. Like learning French, doing a piano diploma, listening to more Japanese pop, learning how to cook, and the most basic-of-all necessity: indulging in more food!!! I want my salmon sashimi, unagi, sushi, prawn salad, mango-papaya salad, thai fried rice, fried chicken drumstick, fried calamari rings, sweet-potato leaf, mushroom, ice-cream, ... ... , all in a single meal!!! I have an elastic stomach. Period. And maybe one day, I'll finally live to eat and not eat to live!

Oh no it's a bit late already. I should shut-up and get some shut-eye instead. Don't fall into another coma...

workaholic

2008-03-10T11:04:00.007+08:00

It's supposed to be holiday but we have common tests to prepare for. What 'life' do we have? And I don't wish to be further misled into thinking that since our lives are meant to be hectic and stressful we might as well get used to it. Absolutely not.

I like the smell of fresh air, especially when the wind blows straight into your face on a cool, rainy day. But I also hate it when people put you in a spot just so that they can squeeze out every bit of what they think you're worth and discard whatever that's left behind. Like a blender. But a blender has no feelings. Oh wait, since when did they have any?

don't

2008-02-16T00:48:00.003+08:00

Not long ago I dreamt that someone shot me in the head. I never saw his face, nor could I recognize his voice. It began with him and me in an enclosed area, and for some reason he had already wanted to kill me and I was not afraid to die. I got onto my knees and calmly told him to shoot me in the head. He was standing on my right. I can't recall whether or not I could hear the shot, but I know I blacked out immediately after he fired it. There was no pain. In that few seconds after I blacked out, I was completely deaf and all I could see was a fuzzy grey background. But I knew I wasn't dead yet, just barely clinging on to life, and then...

I woke up from my nightmare, fortunately. I wasn't in cold sweat since there had been no fear on my part. But I feel very puzzled because in my whole life, I've never before been someone's arch-enemy. Perhaps that explains why I never saw his face or was able to recognize his voice.

Whoever you are, please don't do it.

j2

2008-01-13T18:52:00.002+08:00

Our class has a new CT. She has a good temperament and we feel much more comfortable being taught by her. By coincidence, she was also a student of our ex-CT. Our a new bio teacher calls herself a 'tigress' - which is hopefully, a hint that I'm destined to studying harder and scoring better for bio.

GP, GP - I hate you, you stink. Not the subject, but the teacher! Why retire only this year? Our new teacher seems so (in)different and classes have suddenly become strange and worse still, unfruitful. I guess we are just not so lucky after all.

So far this fortnight has been manageble, but it's going to be short-lived. Meanwhile I'm counting down the weeks that we have left before the A-levels, and I hope it'll all be gone before I know it. Speaking of JC life, I think it's better to be a J1 or J3 rather than a J2. J1 because of orientation and all the excitement of entering JC; J3 because you know you've gotten over that crucial year and there's so much more in life to look forward to.

Oh wait, at least J2s won't need to do PW anymore =)

camp week

2007-11-17T21:32:00.001+08:00

Sleepovers and camps are so fun! Last week there was chamber ensemble sleepover, followed by class chalet and RISE camp this week. Chamber sleepover turned out to be a RISE alumni activity. For class chalet we cycled from Aranda CC all the way to Changi Village; we set off after midnight and came back at half past four in the morning, cycling mainly on the road and spotting those people over there. Night cycling is thrilling.

RISE camp was still the best. The alumni crashed it to help out during the first day's night game but only I stayed overnight, for both days. I reckon this is what I'll miss the most. I really hope I can join them again in June next year, despite it being preparation for A-levels. Somehow I must spare two days - just two days - in order to have that final chance to be with them again.

With only six more weeks to catch up with my work and piano playing, I know I can't bring myself to start.

recurrence

2007-11-03T11:26:00.000+08:00

Someone motivate me to practise the viola. This year my playing has deteriorated considerably, shattering my confidence to the point where I've lost interest in it. Yet I still refuse to give up because of chamber ensemble and quartet performances (occasionally), but at this point I'm only hanging by a thread. How delicate.

Tonight's the NEA reception. Oh joy, it's another chance to perform. But now my fingers remain permanently out-of-form, and only the right conditions will enable me to recover my previous standard of playing, momentarily. I hope luck will be on my side tonight. Meanwhile I'm really not in the mood to sit down and practise those pieces...

Maybe I should just give up. Why cling on desperately to something, especially when it's not in your favor?

Because it may do more harm than good.

bbq

2007-09-06T09:52:00.000+08:00

Sigh... it's already Thursday. Even after 4 days of doing minimal work, I'm still blogging.

RISE outing yesterday was enjoyable. Played CS and a bit of Dota from 11.30 until 2.30 pm, then took a bus to East Coast Park for the bbq. I miss East Coast; haven't been there for a year because we shifted to Braddell - so going there brings back fond memories.

Alumni attendance: ex-chairmen, ex-librarian Ivan, ex-vc Kevin, and me. Jingxun fired a lighted matchstick at me but failed to set me ablaze (!!!).

*laughter*
me: that felt very hot.
jx: did your jeans get burnt?
me: uh... no, it looks fine.
jx: ok then I don't care...

Chatted with some of the juniors but didn't want to play bridge, so I played frisbee (4 vs 4) instead. The game ended in a 9-9 draw. Borrowed David's bike and cycled with Cbw and Zhiyuan all the way to SSC, then turned back. Bought a 5-kg packet of ice from 7-eleven and, despite cycling for the first time in ages, managed to keep the balance. The bbq food was nice, but now I'll have to eat only fruit and veg to compensate for the damage done from all that carcinogen =\

random

2007-07-28T15:43:00.000+08:00

I've not touched a single computer game for 133 days. By the time this number doubles (I hope), I'd probably have forgotten how to start a new game =\

Crashed RISE rehearsal yesterday and stoned there until it ended, at around 7 pm. Ouch. Finally returned Yihang the money I owed him since the NY trip. Lih Khuang aka 'best buddy' tickled me again. Hi, Conan says you're ticklish. That was eight weeks ago. I'll never forget our NY debut.

To one-of-a-kind:
Don't expect me to entertain you when you say "Hi loser" to me on MSN and then beg me to challenge you at online pool. Don't you realize that you've overdone it to the point where it's becoming worse than a joke?

in a whirlpool

2007-07-07T14:55:00.000+08:00

I can't decide whether or not to take H3 math. I am aghast by the syllabus. Already my life is hectic enough with a demanding H2 music syllabus (which I enjoy), but then doing H3 math - and scoring well for it - will be a boost to my record. I just don't want to be told (2 years later) that doing H3 math would help me in any way. So how?

Life sucks... I'm going to have to do plenty of catching up for both the Gamelan and Satie topics. I know I'm definitely going to fail the written paper - probably as low as 20%. (Too bad) I won't break down on getting the results because I'm already mentally prepared.

And there's chinese oral next Monday. Hello world, I have no affection for chinese; it totally disgusts me. It gets in the way of my main subjects. Thanks to the listening compre I'll have to arrange a makeup chem session with my teacher. There's only 4 weeks left to chem SPA so I cannot afford to miss even a single lab session.

Try playing these notes in succession, keeping all notes sustained: E-flat, A-flat, A, D. It runs a chill down your spine, doesn't it?

it's over

2007-06-24T11:26:00.000+08:00

We got a standing ovation for our performance at Carnegie Hall. I couldn't believe it. Just two days before that we played at the IBM atrium and things did not go smoothly; during the sound check (at Carnegie Hall) our playing sounded like shit. But we were lucky - two runs were enough to get our playing back in shape again. In other words, the rehearsals at RI were worth the while and our efforts paid off.

The plane ride was terrible. Maybe I need to lie flat before I can fall asleep. Travelling time aside, some other places we visited: Statue of Liberty, Museum of National History (where Night at the Museum was filmed), UN Headquarters, Ground Zero. It was kind of like touch-and-go but at least it was an eye-opener for us. As usual, I spammed my money on clothing, CDs and small souvenirs.

I feel really lousy now that the trip's over. Ironically, I don't miss New York at all. What matters most is that I can't bear to part with RISE - this time for real. In a span of 4 weeks many things have changed, both in RISE and my state of mind. I don't want to leave now, especially right after sharing fond memories of the trip and making new friends and strengthening old, ailing friendships.

Our RISE days were long over, but then this opportunity came about and we gladly took it so that we could come back and enjoy a few more weeks in RISE - now that's over for us too and we finally have to split for good. Reluctantly. My heart's sunken yet I can't do anything to ease the pain; I want to cry yet no tears would flow out too.

Time flies, and we are forced to move on with our lives.

24

2007-06-15T23:46:00.000+08:00

24 hours to flight.

Almost packed for the trip. Everything fits nicely into my luggage. Then, I realize my pair of concert shoes has no space. Now I have to re-organize my belongings. I'll think of a solution...

Can you believe that we're bringing our tutorials there to mug?! We don't really have a choice =/

Sadly, this blog will be on hiatus until my CTs are over.

mixed feelings

2007-06-13T20:23:00.000+08:00

The flight's on Saturday night. I really can't wait to go to New York, yet at the same time I feel extremely fearful and uncomfortable.

Playing at Carnegie Hall is a privilege that come with huge responsibility. I guess that's so cliche I shouldn't even be saying it. But we're going to have to be more than well-rehearsed. I hope everyone's mentally prepared for it too, otherwise we may succumb to panic. Can you imagine how unnerving it'll be if we only begin to realize how much is at stake when we're already on stage and about to perform - in front of an audience completely unfamiliar to us? No way...

The problem is, I still can't play the runs properly for Janacek 1st movement, and the slow sections kill me because my arm will shake uncontrollably when nervous. How to sustain long notes like that? Oops now everyone knows how often I've been practising the violin... Sorry to shock you, but I've really got so much to study because I don't wanna die for my CTs. And I'm still far from completing my revision. HELP =/

So how?

Perfect World

2007-05-27T10:51:00.000+08:00

Perfect World - by me :)

All in just a glance
I saw through every page
Wishing I had one more chance
Sitting on the edge

All in just one breath
I played through every song
Forgot to do the math
And it turned out so wrong

To be stuck on every floor
With no more space for me to scream
All I can do is dream

Of the perfect world
Where everyone’s a friend
It just won’t be the same
Oh the perfect world
Where life’s a bed of roses
It just won’t be the same
I’m headed right for you

Give me a break
What should I do
Now that I’m awake
My dream won’t come true

Of the perfect world
Where everyone’s a friend
It just won’t be the same
Oh the perfect world
Where life’s a bed of roses
It just won’t be the same
I’m headed right for

The perfect world
Where life’s a bed of roses
It just won’t be the same
I'm headed right for you…

crushed

2007-05-02T21:22:00.000+08:00

I didn't make it into chamber exco. Perhaps I was too ambitious. Perhaps I was too tense to be able to convince others. Perhaps I'm just not cut out for exco? Well... at least I progressed this far and I'm glad that I gave it my best shot and learnt a lot from this experience.

Fret not, there'll be many more opportunities next time - so don't cry. Be strong even in the midst of defeat. "One's character is forged through even the smallest of struggles." Remember saying this in your speech? Now's the chance to prove it to yourself =)

I know that my life was never meant to be a bed of roses, so I shall be resilient and at the same time, count my blessings because that's what makes me special.

week 6

2007-04-27T18:42:00.000+08:00

NAPFA's over. I scored four As, one B and one C.

Sit-ups: 45
SBJ: 237 cm
Sit-and-reach: 50 cm
Pull-ups: 10
Shuttle run: 9.5 s
2.4 km: 10:33

Yay I got through the interview and will be running for chamber exco next Wednesday. Regardless of the results, I truly hope that all of us will make the best out of our two years in chamber and keep the passion for music burning within our hearts =)

Rostropovich has just passed away. He was a formidable cellist and conductor, as well as a human rights activist. Although he is gone, his music still lives, etched into the hearts and minds of fellow musicians and admirers alike.

triumphant

2007-04-20T22:21:00.000+08:00

GOLD WITH HONORS =)

Our efforts have paid off. Now that SYF's over, those of us in RISE alumni can finally concentrate on our upcoming trip to Carnegie Hall in New York. It is a major event because ensembles from all over the world will be performing at this festival. That's why I absolutely look foward to RISE rehearsals during the June holidays.

I haven't felt more encouraged for such a long time. Although bio test was a screw-up because I just couldn't retain the facts, there were also times when I achieved things which I thought I was not capable of doing. For example, I finally broke my 11-min barrier for 2.4km after two years of struggle, and received praise from the GP teacher for a good presentation (rewriting it at home was worthwhile). Though these are seemingly superfluous and trivial issues, they mean a great deal to me and thus I appreciate them.

Class adventure camp on Monday and Tuesday. I'll post again when I have spare time.

wake up

2007-04-17T20:47:00.000+08:00

The recent incident of a coast guard officer losing his life while chasing a speedboat habouring illegal immigrants troubles me - and it should trouble your thoughts too. Indeed it's a tragedy, but it could have well been prevented if the officer had been prudent enough to call for reinforcements, instead of trying to pull off a heroic stunt all by himself. Is that supposed to be a way of going the extra mile? Clearly, it isn't.

Doing things overboard is not going to help improve somebody's life. Instead, it creates unnecessary trouble and anguish. Look what happened to the officer. All he got was three rounds fired as a sign of respect at his funeral, but what about his family? Who is going support them? Was it worth dying just to try and pursue a bunch of crooks, out of the millions who are still at large? Ultimately who will take credit? Use your brain.

This may be freak incident, but it serves as a strong wake-up call to others. Seriously, we need to learn from his mistake and stop policing, regulating or enforcing laws to the extreme. We must realize that in order to qualify as 'First World', we need to be intelligent but also flexible in our thinking. Only then would he not have died in vain.

new class

2007-03-20T18:36:00.000+08:00

08S03B. I joined my new class on Monday and I'm delighted to be with them because everyone seems to be cheerful and nice. Although a few people already know me, I reckon I'll still need time to gel in with the rest. I realized I ought to improve my conversational skills. Being introvert is perfectly alright; not being able to talk is simply unacceptable.

H2 music may be demanding, but music is something my heart has always been close to. That's why I finally decided to drop economics and return to music. I swear I'll never give music up again. Music is now a part of me. If I were to run away from it, somehow it will always come back to me again.

O2

2007-03-09T17:04:00.001+08:00

Yay I finally bought my acoustic guitar so I'll be playing on it very often =)

Yesterday was O2 but I prefer the one we had in January. Erica's our new OG member and guess what... she came from the same kindergarten and primary school as me! We went to Suntec City for our OG activity but we ended up strolling around in circles. I suggested eating at Kuishin Bo but some of us found it too expensive, so we decided to have lunch at Carl's Jr.

On returning to school we were already quite tired. Since there wasn't much left to do, we found a vacant classroom and spent time playing cards or just resting. Dinner at J8 was with Edward (nice to meet you!), Joel and Ho Chwin. Joel had to go off early so after he left, Wan Qin joined the rest of us at pool =)

I omitted something but if you really want to know what it is, try asking the right people.

Break Away

2007-02-20T09:20:00.000+08:00

Break Away - by me =)

Such feelings etched inside your mind
To show that you've been left behind
The race to riches has begun
While you're stuck here nowhere to run

You're breaking down
You're close to insane
It's time to break away
From this state of misery

Remember the days when you could still cope
But now that things are way beyond hope
You're crying out loud in despair
Yet no one around you seems to care

You're breaking down
You're close to insane
It's time to break away
From this state of misery

[Chorus]
Erase all fears away
Today's the day when life won't be a mistake
So step up and you'll feel the difference
You're on your way once again

Erase all fears away
Today's the day when life just won't be the same
So step up and you'll feel the difference
You're on your way once again

When others pay you back in kind
You realize how far you're declined
It's like the rest have reached the stars
While you're stuck here beneath those scars

You're breaking down
You're close to insane
It's time to break away
From this state of misery

Remember you saw this ray of hope
But then you slipped and fell down the slope
You're crying out loud in despair
Yet no one around you seems to care

You're breaking down
You're close to insane
It's time to break away
From this state of misery

[Chorus]

Let all of your fears disappear
Take all that you hate to the grave
Just don't look back 'cos it
Doesn't make a difference anymore

You're right, tell yourself don't be frightened
And throw all your shame to the drain
Just don't look back 'cos it
Doesn't make a difference anymore

[Chorus]

dilemma

2007-02-12T17:47:00.000+08:00

I feel so helpless. Believe it or not, the past few weeks have been horrible for me, and I've been in low spirits ever since. Rest assured - I'm not blaming anyone. It's just that I am aware of my problems and like it or not, I will do my best to overcome them.

Even though my class is roudy but extremely fun, I find it difficult to make friends, especially those with different interests. Most of the students in my class came from different places (secondary schools; RI classes) but were somehow able to form cliques amazingly fast, except for a few people including myself. Sure, some of my classmates have tried to talk to me, but somehow I just cannot form a clique or join one. Mind you, I'm not anti-social. I've already tried my best, but 'things' happen to screw-up all the time. Somehow. What can I do?

Economics. Why the hell did I give up music and take economics instead? Because I did not enjoy MEP in sec 4. What kind of excuse is that? I now realize that I cannot learn economics for nuts and so I hate it more than my sec 4 MEP syllabus. Fortunately it's still not too late to change subject combinations. Anyway thanks Boyi, Yicong, Stanley and a few others for hearing me out and giving me advice. It means a lot to me and I really appreciate it =)

Sigh... I still have to speak to my parents, as well as teachers who can help me out, if I decide to change my Humanities subject and hopefully get posted to another class too.

post-concert syndrome

2007-02-09T19:57:00.001+08:00

I think the title for this post does not make sense. Nowadays so many thoughts pass through my head that I cannot focus on just one thought at a time. I've never felt like this before and it's troubling me a lot. There's nothing much I can do about it so let's put that aside for now.

Our concert went smoothly but we could have performed a lot better. I really hope that we are not doing Elegy for SYF because it will take us a lot of work to make the piece sound interesting - so that the judges will not fall asleep listening to us. Appreciation goes to Cheryl for the chocolates, Grace for buying roses for our section, and RISE members who came down to support us =)

Today was the release of O-level results. Zhang Qiao told me he scored 10 A1s - *omg*... kudos to you! I'll stick to my decision of not asking others for their results and instead, wait for them to tell me their results because I think it's more polite that way.

Last but definitely not the least, I WANT AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR!!! I've had enough of playing on a classical guitar - an acoustic guitar would be more ideal for pop music, and obviously I love the metallic tone an acoustic guitar produces. I'm dying to try an Ibanez AEL-20 and hopefully I'll own one soon...

Oh yes, I almost forgot - it is a hell lot easier to play bar chords on an acoustic guitar too!

disorganized thoughts

2007-01-24T21:38:00.001+08:00

Time flies. It's already the 4th week of school and the pace is really getting quicker and quicker. I think I'm in trouble because I can't keep up with the economics lectures.

Sometimes I wonder if I should have taken MEP instead, but each time the thought of essays and Hindemith's neo-classical music (noise?) comes to my mind, I would feel a sense of consolation that I did not take MEP. I just hope I don't fail economics because it does not look good on record.

On a positive note, I no longer regret joining chamble ensemble. The past two rehearsals had been traumatising for me because I was sight reading all the time and also, the new environment seemed to have an aura of animosity which caused me to feel very distressed.

However, today's rehearsal was a world of difference. Not only has inconsistent practice over the past few days helped me to familiarize myself with the parts, but more importantly I now feel this sense of mutual trust among the entire ensemble and hence, I could still remain at ease despite screwing up some entries today.

Although my class has far more boys than girls, the gender ratio does not seem to bother us. In fact, I love my class a lot. Everyone seems so carefree but yet when it comes to lectures and tutorials, the discipline is there. Moreover, I do not get ostracized despite being more reserved than most of my classmates, but it does not mean that I'll never get to gel in.

I think my class also has the highest level of fitness. On tuesday we had circuit training for PE, and quite unexpectedly I was among the few who could not complete all 3 rounds of the circuit training (each round consists of 20 sit-ups, push-ups and dips, 10 inclined pull-ups) - I gave up during the last round because I was too exhausted to continue.

My muscles ache so I need a good night's rest for a speedy recovery.

rjc orientation

2007-01-07T12:55:00.000+08:00

3 days of orientation have passed. I'm glad I finally know the names of everyone in my OG group. There are 22 of us in the group, including 2 OGLs in JC 2.

Day 1: Ice-breaker games. My short-term memory (the worst in my OG!) has once again failed me during the ice-breaker games and it was very embarrassing. Fortunately, I had already known five of their names before hand because they used to be in the same lower sec class as me. After school we gathered at the Junction 8 playground, but got chased out by two bloody-idiotic security guards so we ended up eating at the S-11 hawker centre.

Day 2: Batch dance. While people like Joel are fast at memorizing the dance choreography, I was the complete opposite. Nevertheless, I tried really, really hard and enjoyed a little success. The tune of our batch song (not related to the dance) is extremely catchy, and indeed C major is an appropriate key for the song - kudos to the JC 2 guy who composed it in only 4 hours! Later, I made a few more friends during the orientation games, making me realize once again that not everyone is as introvert as they appear to be.

Day 3: Chinatown. Our OG was assigned a food-related task (more like a challenge?) which had to be carried out in Chinatown. We were split into boy-girl pairs, but moved around as a group. Though the buddy system appears to be very childish, I got to know my new friend Cheryl a lot better. Before dinner we tried Ho Chwin's 'rap game', which turned out to be *super* entertaining because of his talent. Later that night Ho Chwin, Shawn, Ravi and I treated ourselves to 3 hours of non-stop pool. We ended up taking the last train home.

OG outing yesterday. It was initiated by Mervyn, and only eight people came. Although I enjoyed the pool games, I reached home feeling rather bad because Carmen and Cheryl (a different Cheryl) were 'left out' of the fun. Anyway, thanks for coming with us!

Now I have an arduous task of practising the violin for chamber ensemble auditions. My technique has deteriorated significantly because of the lack of practice but nevertheless, I shall persevere. When this is done I will rehearse the batch dance for tomorrow's O'nite. I made a promise to my dance partner Ying Qiao that I would put up a good show, so I will have to keep to my word!

Off to work now...

my holiday

2006-12-27T22:06:00.000+08:00

Time flies. Soon I'll be in JC 1. I cannot expect life in RJC to be less stressful than in RI, but I do hope that we will be given more chances and liberty to do what we want (than was given to us in RI). How did I spend my two months of vacation? Not much, but it was rather enriching...

November:

Guitar. My classmate told me that it is not too difficult to be a self-taught guitarist if you already have musical background. He was right. It took me two days to learn the basic chords E, G, A, C and D. For a while, I wondered how to play other chords - until I realized there was a term called 'bar chords'. These were a bit more challenging. Initially, my index finger would hurt because it was not used to pressing 5 or 6 strings simultaneously - but eventually, the skin on one side became calloused and it would no longer hurt. The same goes for violin and viola, only that the skin becomes calloused at the fingertips. Later on, I discovered a useful alternative finger position for the A-major chord, which is 2-1-3 (all on the 2nd fret) instead of 1-2-3. This is especially useful when having to switch between the chords E, A and D, and you can even play A-major 7.

Graduation ceremony on the 6th. Graduation dinner on the 23rd.

December:

Family trip to Shanghai from 4th to 11th. Departure time at 1.45 am. I was unable to sleep during the flight, and this was worsened by breakfast served at 4 am. When we checked into our accomodation, I was so tired that I immediately lay on the bed and fell asleep. If you come from a country with strong currency, you'll realize that food in China is highly affordable but delicious. A bowl of 'la mian' (home-made noodle) costs 4 yuan (S$0.80), while steamboat dinner in a restaurant for 4 people costs 120 yuan (S$24). Sounds good... but now comes the bad news.

When buying merchandise from flea markets or shops along the street, take note: no matter how much you like the item, do not let the shopkeeper notice it from your body language - otherwise you might find it more difficult to drive a good bargain. What is a good bargain? Friends and relatives tell me it is 30% or LESS of the sale price, but personally I think 20% would be ideal. It is possible to drop as low as 10% - but in order to successfully do that you need to be daring enough and of course, some luck. I guess few shopkeepers are willing to make a deal at such a low price, so reaching 20% would already be a hard bargain. Believe it or not, even at 10% there would still be a profit to be made! All you have to do is talk to the shopkeeper and wait for them to ask you to name a price. The best strategy would be to ask for 20% of the sale price (10% if you dare; name the price and not the percentage!). Obviously, the shopkeeper will claim that he or she cannot offer it to you at that price. Just look as though you are not keen to purchase the item and be prepared to leave the shop. Don't worry too much about leaving empty-handed, because the shopkeeper will probably call you back and offer to sell the item to you at 25% of the sale price. It's now up to you whether to take it or haggle some more until you get your 20%, BUT avoid trying to go below what you originally offered as that would be unreasonable on your part!

People who tout are seen as pests and should be ignored completely - don't even respond to them because it will only make them more desperate to get you to buy their products. The same goes for transportation. We had a nasty experience with such people. On the 3rd day of our trip we took a train to Suzhou, a neighbouring town. Immediately when we left the train station which was as usual packed with people, they somehow recognized us as tourists and pestered us to take their transport van, claiming that they would bring you to any place you want. We asked the driver to take us to a particular shopping district (I forgot the name). To our surprise he told us that there was no such place, so we asked for an alternative. On the way he asked us if we were keen to follow him on a day tour to various tourist attractions for a price of 100 yuan, but we told him we were not interested. We ended up alighting at a place which looked like a wet market, so we asked them if this was really an ideal place for shopping. The driver sounded so damn excited about this place being such a popular shopping centre for tourists that we believed him. In the end it turned out to be a small-scale silk farm which had a miserable shop selling overpriced silk products. Fortunately the fare was only 10 yuan. We later flagged down a proper taxi and asked the driver to take us to the shopping district we had originally planned to go to. We got there.

Ok, enough of the trip. Overall we enjoyed it very much and brought home plenty of clothing and other merchandise, all 'Made in China'. Then there was an overnight class chalet from 14th to 15th. Less than half of the class came. Most of the time was spent on playing cards and BBQ - and the Xbox which I never lay a finger on despite being invited to play.

One more week to school - no, it's a college! RJC. New classmates. Orientation. Chamber ensemble? You bet.

new home

2006-10-21T21:10:00.000+08:00

Finally the exams are over (no more physics and SS ever again!)... and tomorrow my family will be shifting to our new residence. This means that for the next two years my school is within walking distance from home!

Today I disposed of an entire load of junk in my room. Unfortunately, that's going to cause a lot of pollution since most of the stuff are made of plastic, and I didn't want to spend time trying to separate the different plastic types! At least my new room will be a lot tidier, but I've also learnt not to buy stuff which would end up as white elephants.

I apologize for having to keep this entry short because now, I need to remove all wires from my computer and transfer the entire load into a box for shifting.

holiday mood

2006-09-06T09:27:00.000+08:00

Good morning.

It feels odd to have one week of holiday without having to return to school for RISE rehearsals. Like I said before, I have mixed feelings about my CCA. The reasons why I usually look forward to attending rehearsals are basically, interest and company. What gives me a sense of belonging is the fact that others wan to make friends with me - of course I usually return the favor.

However, it pains me each time our conductor loses his temper, regardless of the reason. This is not only stressful, but also extremely demoralising for everyone. It seems that what was originally meant for leisure (but not slacking) has been transformed into the equivalent of an emergency exercise.

Teacher's Day was an opportunity to catch up with old friends from 6J '02. The response was great. More than half turned up at Swensens in Parkway Parade and we chatted for almost 2 hours. After that we went to Katong Shopping Center for LAN-ing and pool. I joined Daryl and Tze Wei for dinner before calling it a day.

BBQ for RISE members at David's residence this afternoon - hope it will be fun, with opportunities to dunk some people!

dear diary

2006-08-25T22:39:00.000+08:00

I am left with no choice but to temporarily switch to AP mode. 'AP' stands for 'attitude problem', which implies that my comments for this post will be exceptionally harsh, simply because I just need to blast the shit out of my mind.

Dear diary,

I can't take this anymore. What's wrong with this place? Everyone's so goddamn selfish and it's doing more harm than good. Right now I can only speculate what would happen if in the near future, a catastrophe wipes out the entire human race, doing the earth a great favour by causing good riddance to bad rubbish.

I despise people who smoke in public. These clowns - what's wrong with their minds? Or has the poison from cigerattes caused their brains to rot away? Hell, they don't seem to realize that people around them are choking because of their goddamn cigeratte smoke. Perhaps we should completely ban cigerattes, but that's not possible thanks to money-minded politicians all around the world who are enticed by its outrageous generation of taxes, but couldn't care less about the health of other people.

I guess you know what piracy is. Supporting 'anti-piracy campaigns' is tantamount to saying that one should buy grossly-overpriced stuff so that the producers of these products can maximise their goddamn profits and become so filthy rich that they can literally swim in a pool of their own cash. Face it: it's always the 'good guys' who are in cahoot with each other, and they will make use of the media to propagate their side of the story, expecting us to believe them and nothing less.

RI sucks. To be fair, there are some good elements, but these occur once in a blue moon. Let's use extreme cases to reinforce my thesis. Most RI students cannot get 8 hours of sleep each night because of the piles of homework given by the school, just like an automatic tennis ball feeder which will not cease to shoot tennis balls at your face unless you do something to stop that machine. RI is infamous for organizing major school events just before our tests or exams, and when we try to steal time from these activities we get punished. On the other hand, there are some teachers who try to impose their views on the student body. I will not elaborate on this but my schoolmates will understand lucidly. Not to mention there's still CCA, but I have mixed feelings so tonight's not an appropriate time to discuss about CCA.

There's more to it then it seems. I just don't have the energy to continue writing because it's already very late and I need to get some shut-eye. Hopefully I will grow up to become a person of good use to this world; even transform the entire planet if I have the means to do so. Right now, the first step to get rid of those trouble makers...

To be continued.

Renaissance 2006

2006-08-12T10:56:00.000+08:00

I'll keep this post short because I still have RE presentation, English essay, chemistry performance task and mathematics portfolio to complete.

Acoustics at NUS UCC Hall will never match those of Esplanade or even VCH. We made several mistakes which stuck out like a sore thumb, but nevertheless we stayed calm and focused on what was ahead, thus putting up an enjoyable concert on the whole. Also, the solo cellist Chan Wei Shing played brilliantly, and finally gave an encore after much persuation from both the audience and orchestra.

Off to work now!

shopping spree

2006-08-08T19:10:00.000+08:00

I wasted my whole morning in school because of National Day celebations. We were informed that all those who skipped X-country last Wednesday would have to report to school on Saturday in PE attire - probably to pay our debt of running 4.8km at MacRitchie.

Fine. Since 4.8km is good exercise, I shall be my usual self and look forward to it. Truthfully, I would have loved to attend X-country last Wednesday, just that I could not help but steal time off to study for my physics test. Oh yes, and I should be grateful to the teachers for making this day possible, so here it goes: to all those responsible, spank you and screw off since you were never fit to be human in the first place!

After school Ben Wee and I went to Tower Records (at Suntec City Mall) to buy some music CDs. There was a 15% discount on all classical music recordings, and even before discount the prices were far cheaper than those that HMV. I conclude that 'HMV' and 'grossly overpriced' are of the same definition, which implies that I will never ever get ripped off again at HMV.

I've started to appreciate Beethoven's violin concerto. I had used to think it was childish and boring but now my perception has changed after listening to the recording by David Oistrakh and the French National Radio Orchestra, conducted by Andre Cluytens.

Off to listen to my new collection of CDs!

relief

2006-08-06T12:26:00.000+08:00

I feel rejuvenated because it's all over and the next three weeks have been allocated for DMPs. For the past six weeks, my workload has been increasing each week mainly due to projects and tests. Last week was hell, but fortunately I was mentally prepared for it. Usually, I would get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each day, but this was reduced to a mere 4 to 5 hours.

Last Wednesday I skipped a major school event, together with almost two-third of my class, in order to steal time to study for our physics test. I knew we would get into trouble and true enough, we did. Our teacher announced the next day that all those who played truant would be punished but did not give any details. I could not care less because I felt I had been pushed to the limit.

Unfortunately, RI is notorious for organizing major school events just before our examinations or project deadlines. Up to now the teachers do not seem to realize that this is extremely stressful for us, and still have the cheek to lecture us when we take desperate measures, as if we are doing so for our own enjoyment. I can only pray that RE congress is not held just before our CTs.

It still remains a fact that people, being selfish, are resistant to change because of the inconvenience caused, and will only bring themselves to do so when they have an axe to grind.

pop quiz

2006-07-29T11:56:00.000+08:00

Oops... this is not a quiz. It's just a set of questions which YSX would like me to do, so here it goes:

Name 3 schools you went to? Yamaha Music School, Tao Nan School, RI

Name 3 things in your wallet? student pass, photocopying card, money

Name 3 things you always wear? shirt, pants, glasses

Name 3 things you normally do when you are stressed? stay calm, think rationally, or if Samuel Kwek is the cause then up goes the middle finger (serious)

Name 3 favourite songs right now? Points of Authority (Linkin Park), Rough Landing Holly (Yellowcard), Photograph (Nickelback)

Name 3 places you go on a daily basis? bedroom, bathroom, school (5 days a week)

Name 3 favorite fruits? orange, mango, grapes

Name 3 things you are addicted to? listening to music, playing the violin, computer games

Name 3 career choices: scientist, doctor, musician (unlikely)

Name 3 goals in 2006: score >3.7 for gpa, improve my standard of english, -3rd goal is confidential-

Name 3 plans for tomorrow: complete school work, contribute to existing projects, exercise

3 names you go by? Ruiheng, Ruiheng (by pronouncing 'heng' in the english way which is incorrect), Ong-strakh (started by David Ng because I called him David Oistrakh)

Three things that scare you? cockroaches, blood, crazy people

Three everyday essentials? food, drinks, sleep

Three things you are wearing right now? shirt, pants, glasses (i repeat!)

Three of your favourite bands or musical artists? 3 Doors Down, Green Day, David Oistrakh (legendary Russian violinist)

Three things you want in a relationship? still undecided at this point in time

Two Truths and a Lie (in no particular order)? I am normal, eccentric and human

Three Physical Things about the Opposite Sex that Appeal to You? -confidential-

Three Places You Want to go on Vacation? Antarctica, Maldives, Africa (safari trip)

Three things you want to do before you die? live a healthy lifestyle, excel in life, be happy

Three people I would like to see take this quiz? Li Zheng, Samuel Kwek, CBW

MEP concert

2006-07-23T11:53:00.000+08:00

22 July 2006 (Sat), 7.45 pm, Victoria Concert Hall. The matinee concert seemed like a full-dressed rehearsal. The audience consisted mainly of primary school students and only half of the seats were filled up. On the other hand, the evening concert turned out to be a grand event. Almost all the seats were occupied and the audience was more receptive. A guest-of-honour from MOE was also present during the evening concert and the soloists and chamber players had a chance to meet her during the intermission.

Our quintet played well and even our teacher said she was breathless after our performance during the evening concert, which was a pleasant surprise for us. I guess both concerts, especially the evening one, were started off on a good note since our piece was the very first item (we played the first and last movements of 'Simple Symphony' by Britten). Nevertheless, the other performers also did an excellent job.

It was a memorable experience for everyone; and probably my first and last MEP concert too.

tight schedule

2006-07-11T21:08:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was a busy day for me. I woke up at 2 in the morning to watch the World Cup finals in which Italy defeated France 5-3 on penalty shoot-outs to emerge as champions.

Two RE groups including mine were scheduled to meet Prof Kelly Tang, our external mentor, at NTU in the morning. He is an inspiration for me. Apart from able to do on-the-spot improvisations of pop music on the piano, he even gave me assistance when I needed to settle an urgent matter which was completely unrelated to the workshop.

I left NTU at 1:45. Already the class CIP had started and was scheduled to end at 4. By the time I reached Toa Payoh MRT station it was already 3:10. I called my teacher to ask for directions and guess what, she told me that the debriefing session had already begun, so it was too late for me.

I was exhausted by the time I reached home. Shortly thereafter I had to attend a talk held at Suntec City at 7:30 by a Chinese professor who had won a Nobel Prize for Physics. To me the talk was meaningless and I left during the Q&A session; I was only there to fulfill a requirement for my school work. I reached home late thanks to this crap.

It would have been one of my worst days ever if not for the workshop with Prof Kelly Tang.

time to move on

2006-07-01T23:46:00.000+08:00

Myriad turned out to be a success, an outcome contrary to what I had expected. I believe it was merely our aptitude which saved the day. I hate to say this, but right now we are ensemble with many problems, not sparing the EXCO as well, and if we do not anything to rectify these problems we are only doing ourselves more harm.

By now, it should be obvious that in order to have productive rehearsals, we must concentrate during rehearsals and work on technical problems pertaining to the individual at home. It is time to address other pressing issues.

What disturbs me most is the lack of compassion displayed by the EXCO when managing the ensemble. While being over-concerned about the ensemble's progress and Mr. Sze's high expectations, they neglect the welfare of its members. For example, when I approached Shawn, the quarter master, to loan a school viola, he said that there was only one left, but did not know where it was. Surprisingly, he did not pursue the matter at all. Later I found out who was holding on to the viola, but from another source. If it was Mr. Sze who approached Shawn, it would be a different story. Apparently the EXCO obeys every single order issued by those who have authority over them, but does not bother about the rest.

When the EXCO makes out that Mr. Sze wants extended rehearsals, they support him and explain to us that it is absolutely necessary. Once during the June holidays, a morning rehearsal was extended last-minute until 5 pm. Fortunately for us, it ended at 3.30 pm. Remus told us that we should be grateful for the early dismissal. Comments which merely add salt to the wound are certainly uncalled for; get that in your head Remus. We know that transport is never a problem for you since you are chauffeured everywhere you go, but do bear in mind that most of us take public transport, which is affordable and environmentally friendly, but often at the expense of convenience and comfort.

Apparently, one of the EXCO members recently decided that anyone who forgets to bring their scores will have to pay $10 for every page. This is a ridiculous penalty and I hope it does not get approved by the teachers-in-charge.

Of course there are exceptions. The EXCO convinced the teachers-in-charge to approve a 4D/3N camp during the June holidays, one day longer than our usual camps. Also, the librarian has spent a lot of time preparing our scores. Remember that we should take good care of our scores. In the unlikely event of missing pages, we should always replace them as quickly as possible before attending rehearsal, so as to avoid the ludicrous penalty.

Remember when we made our SYF debut in 2003? We received the gold award, which was highest award at that time. Two years later in the next SYF, we won the coveted Gold with Honors award. Our progress has been astounding considering that we are a relatively young ensemble.

Nevertheless, we must take the courage to recognize our flaws and most importantly, do our best to rectify them. Only then can we maximize our potential to achieve greater heights. As for the EXCO, I hope that as you continue to care for the ensemble's progress, you will also be compassionate enough to care for the welfare of its members too.

RISE camp

2006-06-22T21:33:00.000+08:00

4 days 3 nights. As usual, I enjoyed the movies and night games, and made a couple of new friends. After the night games, we exchanged funny stories for over an hour before turning off the lights and going to sleep. Yes, all of us had a good laugh. But something else will bother me for a while.

I've been feeling down since this morning (4th day), just that I did not make it known to others. My heart aches terribly. For us sec 4s, this is our last RISE camp. It's difficult to accept this fact. I really wish I could turn back the clock. All of a sudden I realize that good things do not last forever, thus we should cherish them while they are still around.

I remember when I graduated from primary school, I was too young to understand feelings of nostalgia. But now it's not the same anymore. Seriously, I dread feeling like this again in future.

We must move on. It's hard to say it, time to say it - goodbye... goodbye.

defining arrogance

2006-06-18T19:12:00.000+08:00

Once my family and I went to a roadside coffee shop to have lunch. The shop was not crowded at that time. I approached the unoccupied lady boss at her stall to order food, but she did not respond or even look at me. I repeated myself once more, only to get the same response (what response?) from her, so I assumed she had already taken my order.

After ten minutes of waiting, the same lady walked pass our table. My parents called her and asked how long more did we have to wait for our food. Surprisingly, the lady replied in mandarin, "You have not ordered your food yet. It was not your turn just now." Pissed off, we left and ate somewhere else.

People who choose to be screwed up to such extent deserve to get kicked in the arse. I'm not sorry for them. Just go to hell and rot.

RISE camp tomorrow!

in a nutshell

2006-05-29T10:03:00.000+08:00

Two significant events which occured during the past week - semester 1 results and Myriad.

I never liked the GPA system although its purpose is to show how well-rounded a student is in terms of academic results. It is not fair because I scored 79 for one subject, resulting in the same grade point (GP) as my classmate who scored 70. Just one more mark would have made that distinction between a grade point of 4.0 and 3.6...

The combined concert, featuring the various musical groups of RI, was successful although I feel that it is not a good idea to hold a combined concert. With only 15 minutes of performing time for each group, it really does not make sense to go through countless intense rehearsals just to appear on stage for a short while - almost like SYF, but less ridiculous. Also this would limit the variety of pieces each group would perform. To me, variety comes from different genres of music written for string orchestra, and not the option of having 5 different musical groups on stage!

On the whole we (RISE) performed well considering that our schedule did not run smoothly over the past few months. Definitely a lot more work is needed to match our standards during SYF, but more importantly we enjoyed performing on stage while the audience appreciated the music.

gold again

2006-04-12T19:18:00.000+08:00

Today I completed the remaining items for the NAPFA test. Here are the results:

Sit-ups: 40

Standing broad jump: 235 cm

Sit-and-reach: 50 cm

Pull-ups: 10

Shuttle run: 10.1 s

2.4 km: 11'17

This equals to three As, two Bs and one C, qualifying for Gold. However, not everything went smoothly. When I lost balance and almost fell down during the shuttle run - conducted on the track still soaked with rainwater - I knew I had lost a lot of precious time. My aim is to improve on sit-ups and stamina.

warning

2006-04-01T23:14:00.000+08:00

We're tired and frustrated of your unscrupulous means. All this while, you have been...

deciding on what our obligations should be;

heaping us under constant pressure;

restricting our opportunities;

forcing us to do things against our will;

taking away our freedom;

depriving us of sufficient sleep;

trying to brainwash us;

tempting us with bribes;

threatening us now and then;

curbing opposing views;

developing a false sense of pride;

going all out to belittle us for our mistakes;

trying to cover up your own wrongdoings;

using us as tools for your own personal gain;

taking credit for our achievements and

removing whatever little we have left.

Go find a conscience and do some soul-searching. Stop your nonsense right now. Stop being a hypocrate. Stop ruining our lives any further before you pay the price for it and live the rest of your life in regret.

mistreatment

2006-03-27T21:28:00.000+08:00

I've been returned all my test papers. This time, the scores range from near-perfect to a bare pass. Some examples: For biology, I scored 40/50 for the class test, while failing the lab assignment by one mark. On the other hand, I scored 29/30 and 40/70 for my chemistry and Chinese tests respectively. The rest is up to you to imagine.

Rehearsal today was pretty interesting. We now have a box containing various brands of rosins. The purpose is to allow us to try out different rosins, and also if we are considering to purchase a new rosin we can sample the existing ones first. Undoubtedly, this is a generous contribution.

However, I was disturbed by an incident which happened during rehearsal today. Initially, the conductor ordered a sec 1 violinist to do 40 push-ups for supposedly not obeying the concertmaster's request to sit down. He added that the boy had disobeyed both him and the concertmaster, so it was 20 push-ups each. The conductor also told everyone to watch him do the push-ups, and that he had to do proper ones otherwise they would not be counted. He also asked sarcastically if the boy wanted to do the push-ups in installments, but the boy completed them eventually.

After that, the boy was made to stay in push-up position, while the conductor told everyone that all committee members and acting section leaders had the authority to pump (order someone to do push-ups) anyone who disobeyed them. Also, if anyone refused to do the push-ups, he would triple the punishment. He told the boy to repeat what he had said. However, the boy said 'double' instead of 'triple' - and the conductor ordered him to do another 20 push-ups. The boy cried softly after that.

This is uncalled for. First, the conductor humiliated the boy, just like how many domestic workers are treated nowadays. Mind you, the boy meant no malice. He merely did not pay attention to the instructions - surely he doesn't have to be treated like that! Second, the conductor punished him severely for incorrectly repeating what he had said. The former has certainly portrayed himself to be a person of mean disposition, if not a sadist. There were also several incidents in the past when he was amused because a boy could not properly do push-ups he had asked the latter to do.

For your information, I have in the past also been given similar if not worse treatment in RISE, only that I did not take them personally. But now, I feel that the time has come when others should become aware of such nasty characters, and most importantly, do not learn from such bad examples - which is the biggest mistake one can ever make.

holiday

2006-03-10T21:01:00.000+08:00

I've come to realise that school holidays literally mean 'break from academic lessons and assembly periods'. In other words, it is not truly a break. However, we have the luxury of waking up after the sun rises and perhaps even sleeping early. Or rather, these are more like basic necessities, only that certain groups of people and organisations have legitimately deprived us of them, for reasons which seem to be more compelling but are in fact nowhere near it. Don't you agree?

Over the holidays I have to complete several assignments and go about doing my music RE. Also, string ensemble rehearsals are scheduled to be held on Monday and Friday morning - which means that I'll have to wake up early and make sure that I arrive on time so that the conductor will not be furious and mete out ridiculous punishments.

Right now my top priority is to be well-prepared for tomorrow's ABRSM theory paper (grade 8). After that, I can relax for a short while before starting on my homework. That's it for now - I will update further when I find the time to do so.

stupid mistakes

2006-03-09T19:57:00.000+08:00

I fell sick yesterday because of two stupid mistakes.

Two days ago I did my usual routine of jogging 3.2 km in the evening. Yesterday morning I had a sore throat but did not feel feverish, so I went to school. The first lesson was PE and we did a 2.4 km time trial. As expected, my timing of 11'29 was lousy. I felt uncomfortable during the next lesson, and by recess time I had already developed a fever.

My class was scheduled to support the tennis finals held at Kallang Tennis Centre from 2 pm. Despite being unwell, I stayed on because I wanted to witness the matches - under the hot sun.

I felt terrible when I got home yesterday. My temperature rose to 39.0 degrees Celsius at about 11pm, but subsided this morning. I am still having a mild fever. I just hope to recover by tomorrow morning so that I can sit for my Chinese test.

Bottom line: It pays to make stupid mistakes.

review

2006-03-05T09:34:00.000+08:00

You may want to search last Friday's newspaper for the article 'How to attend college and still get educated' (ST Review, 3 March 2006).

Read the entire article, but scrutinise the last three paragraphs. Happy reading.

Click here for the definition of 'careerist', which can be found in the second-last paragraph of the article.

try this

2006-03-01T18:58:00.000+08:00

For those of you who have music background and want to find out you score for perfect pitch (or absolute pitch), click here to take the test. Here are my test results:

AP rank: 1.00
Pure tone score: 36.00
Piano tone score: 36
Congratulations! You have Perfect Pitch.

Credit goes to Remus for introducing it to me, therefore I shall openly announce that he too has perfect pitch. You can read his blog for his test results.

after months of waiting

2006-02-26T15:03:00.000+08:00

I can now start doing pull-ups at the newly-constructed fitness park, which is just next to the void deck of my apartment - that is so convenient for me! Also, the bars are not slippery unlike those at East Coast Park. Hopefully by June I would be able to do 10 pull-ups in one go...

thrashed

2006-02-18T17:18:00.000+08:00

This is so fun considering that I don't participate in track-and-field events. I finished 2nd last for the 3000m finals amongst more than 20 participants. I expected it, because the others were either from cross country, athletics or a sports CCA.

By the 200m mark I was already right at the back, more than 20 meters behind the others. The worst part was that my chest started to feel tight almost immediately - when I still had 7 more rounds to cover. I didn't give up. Besides, the supporters from my house cheered me on, and that gave me a lot of encouragement. I tried my best, but I knew it was almost impossible to catch up with the others as they had a lot more stamina than me.

Eventually in the last 300m or so, I overtook another runner (also from Bayley House!) and dashed towards the finishing line. My timing was 14.16 - a drop in standard compared to 13.37 which I clocked last year. The good news is that all of us qualified to score participation points for our respective houses (qualifying time for U17 is 14.46) so it was worth participating...

a test of endurance

2006-02-15T19:23:00.000+08:00

Taking part in the 3000m run for Bayley House this Friday. My aim is to finish within the top 8 positions. Anything under 14 min would be ideal since the qualifying time is 14.46 - and I am not in a sports CCA.

payoff

2006-02-08T21:07:00.000+08:00

After today's 2.4 km time trial, I realised that I am gradually regaining much of my fitness. My timing was 11'06. It's a long story...

In lower secondary I seldom exercised. Not surprisingly I took almost 12 minutes to cover 2.4 km. I decided to jog three times a week, each time covering 3.2 km, in order to improve my fitness. It paid off very well.

Last year I managed to run 2.4 km in 10'28. That was my best timing ever. However after that my knees began to give way. They started to hurt after running for only 100m. I wanted to see the doctor immediately but my mother advised me to monitor my knee condition for a while first. In the end, I stopped jogging altogether.

After a couple of months' rest my knees felt stronger, so I decided to resume jogging. By then I had no more stamina, so I reduced both the frequency of my training and the distance to cover. I felt greatly discouraged. The only consolation was that my knees had recovered after months of passive recovery without consulting a doctor.

During the December holidays I bought a new pair of running shoes because my other pair had been completely worn out. I found that I could perform slightly better with the new pair and that gave me an incentive to increase the distance to what I covered in the past.

I may not be as fit as I had been last year, but there is still hope. Now that I have resumed my three-times-a-week training, my target is to improve my 2.4 km timing by 30 seconds (which was my timing last year). I also take care of my knees by making sure that I do not stress them too often.

withdrawal

2006-01-21T14:58:00.000+08:00

My teacher refused to speak to me. He was irate when I told him I wanted to withdraw from the high-scorers' concert because I needed to concentrate on my school work and prepare for theory exam; he had been difficult from the start but that is not the reason for my withdrawal. I know this sounds like a lame excuse, because of the way I wrote it:

(Dated 15/1)

XX XXX,

I am sorry to disappoint you. I regret that I will not be able to play for the high-scorers' concert.

Lessons in school went at a very much quicker pace this week and I realized that I would need a lot of time to revise my work. Also I am preparing for my grade 8 theory exam in March. This is probably the last ABRSM exam I am sitting for, therefore my aim is to pass with distinction.

This concert is very demanding since only high-scorers are invited to play. I would definitely want to play well for the concert, however, given my commitments, I am unable to cope with this, especially when I have to catch up on my school work, prepare for my theory exam, and practise for RISE rehearsals. My highest priority is to excel in my schoolwork as I am aiming to receive a scholarship to study in a prestigious university overseas.

I know that as a result of my difficulties, I would cause both you and the pianist a lot of inconvenience as you have taken a lot of trouble to make arrangements for me. I am deeply apologetic about having to send this email to you. I hope you understand my position.

Regards,
XXXXXXX

Congratulations to the others who have been invited to play for the concert and are practising really hard for it. I regret that I wouldn't be able to do the same; I can only say I'm sorry.

The past week of school has been unsuccessful for me. I couldn't believe that during mathematics lesson I took ages to understanding the concepts of circular measure. I'm definitely not weak in my studies, just that I need extra time to learn; in fact, mathematics has been my strongest subject since primary school.

And my theory exam. Grade 8 is tough indeed...

year 4

2006-01-08T16:08:00.000+08:00

My first week of secondary 4 life. Some lessons learnt from past years' experiences:

Avoid doing last-minute homework or you know what happens next;
Avoid dozing off in class because it feels rather embarrassing to be woken up;
Form your RE groups as early as possible so that you can work with those whom you get along with;
Report to your CCA venue on time, especially if your coach/conductor/instructor is a slave-driver;
Sleep early because it is good for your health. If there is any incomplete homework, to-hell-with-it;
Avoid scoring 140 and above for an ABRSM music exam or you would probably be obliged to play for the high-scorers' concert.

Looks like I have to wait 2 more months before receiving my viola grade 8 certificate. *sigh* ABRSM takes ages to send out the certificates...