its been a long long time since i've updated... over the year
1. i got married
2. i'm staying at a new place
3. i got a full time job doing developmental work... one of my 'dreams' fulfilled, tho not fully.
4. traveled to cambodia for 4 times over the last 6 months for work, who'd noe i'll go in and out of cambodia now like my second home...
5. i got an offer to play at 5* hotel in macau for 3 mths, but alas declined because of #1
6. no. i'm not pregnant.
it hasn't been an easy year, still trying to figure out which one is more impt to me. music or developmental work. til this date, i have not found a way to dovetail both.... only God noes...
today, i took leave and went to changi airport for an audition for piano stint that lasts a month. i prepared as much as i could (which is not much, considering i have full time work which requires travel, still harboring the thots of being a good wife and cook and bake as much as possible, teach piano, and still harboring the hope to stay fit - just started jogging two weeks ago). when i got there, alas! i saw people who are 'better qualified' than i am auditioning for the same position! that was this jazz master i've wanted to study under, i shook his hands! another aussie chap studying in a local arts sch (good one).... i look at these peeps... and thot... yeah... tt's another of my dream life. ha ha ha... be a master in jazz.. or get to study music (no money. :() was pretty intimidated at first, but thot, hey anywayz i told myself i'll go there and have fun! just play music at as many places as possible. ha ha.. and i did just that...
oh well... its been fun....
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
progress...
1 march - officially the owners of flat
6 march - given a set of keys
13 march - officially collected keys
14 march - 2nd outdoor shoot @ sentosa.. finally no rain!! thank GOd!!
17 march - went to one contractor for quotation
18 march - we bought our sealy king size mattress and a quilt and two sets of bed covers TODAY! went to two contractors for quotation. farmer says the second one doesn't count cos he wasn't professional about it at all....
6 march - given a set of keys
13 march - officially collected keys
14 march - 2nd outdoor shoot @ sentosa.. finally no rain!! thank GOd!!
17 march - went to one contractor for quotation
18 march - we bought our sealy king size mattress and a quilt and two sets of bed covers TODAY! went to two contractors for quotation. farmer says the second one doesn't count cos he wasn't professional about it at all....
Friday, January 16, 2009
Chocolate Soufflé
(Serves 4)
2 tablespoons of margarine
3 tablespoons of all purpose flour
3/4 cup of milk
1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate pieces (I put 3/4 to 1 cup. ha ha)
4 egg yolks, beaten
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 cup of sugar
Butter the sides of 4 ramekins. Sprinkle the sides with a little sugar. Set aside. In a small saucepan melt the margarine. Stir in the flour. Add the milk. Cook and stir until is has thickened and becomes bubbly. Add the chocolate, stir until melted. Remove from the heat. Gradually stir the chocolate mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Set aside. Beat the egg whites and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup of sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold about 1 cup of beaten whites into chocolate mixture. Then fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining beaten whites. Transfer to prepared ramekins. Bake in a 350ºF (180ºC). oven for 20 minutes. Serve at once with ICE-CREAM!!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Bread cups & Creamy Vege Fillings & Tuna Fillings
Bread cup (makes 12 cups)
12 slices of bread
Butter
1. Remove the crust of the bread slices.
(I just toast the crust later to make bread sticks. Doesn't look fantastic, but taste great anywayz.)
2. Using a bottle / rolling pin, flatten each slice of bread.
3. Grease one side of the bread with butter.
(u can add a pinch of salt / garlic salt in the butter for extra flavor)
4. Grease muffin pans with butter.
5. Line one slice of bread (butter side up) into every slot in the muffin pan. You may cut off the protuding edges (optional).
(Some people steam the bread first so that its more 'pliable' to go into the muffin pan. I skip that step)
6. Bake in oven at 400 degrees (about 200 degree Celcius) for about 6 - 10 mins (til crispy and SLIGHTLY browned).
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Recipe for creamy vegetable filling
(most of the stuff can 'agar-agar'. I've made variations with mushrooms and / or chicken)
Oil / butter
1 1/2 cups of mixed vegetables
1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small red / yellow pepper, chopped
1 cup of low fat milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
salt & pepper to flavor
1. Cook mixed vegetables (can use microwave).
2. Heat up oil / melt butter.
3. Add onion into oil and fry till slightly browned.
4. Add in peppers and mixed vegetables.
5. Add cornstarch and stir slightly and add in milk.
6. Simmer and allow the mixture to thicken.
7. Add salt and black pepper as desired.
TADA.. the filling!!
Recipe for tuna filling (great for dips on crackers, toasts and the bread sticks leftover from making the breadcups)
1 can tuna packed in olive oil (about 200g). Do NOT drain the oil
(I did the first time round, cos i thought it'll be healthier, but realize later that the food processor cannot blend the mixture cos its too dry. ended up adding oil in the end too.)
1 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
(recipe asked for 4 tbsp)
Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
1 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (you have to try. recipe ask for 2. Elvis finds that too 'lemony')
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1. Place all ingredients into food processor.
2. Process until smooth and creamy.
3. Transfer into bowl and serve immediately with crackers, etc.
Monday, December 29, 2008
a birthday cake after missing one for years..
when young... all love bday cakes...
when i got older, i lost it for bday cakes...
now i'm beginning to appreciate it after many years of the absence of bday cakes....
and i just got mine 2 evenings ago!!! we had a christmas party @ ana's shop, for the last time :( cos she's moving out of the shop. i was so late, but that's another story. and they had a surprise bday cake for me!! it was so nice (and so rich the cake... lol) elvis said the cake completed my bday celebrations.. he's right... its been so awesome, and the cake just completed it.. yeah... :)
Saturday, December 27, 2008
a really really great bday this year...
i had a really great bday this year, just yesterday. one of the best..
started off on christmas day, when my mom made dte gua mee sua for me, and hving that with elvis and my parents.
den yesterday, in the morning, i prepared food for a picnic that elvis n i were going for at sentosa. we wanted to go to the tanjong beach, cos its really nice and quiet. but the road was barricade so we went to siloso beach instead. for a non public holiday and a weekday, it was very crowded. the cools thing is that, its been raining for a couple of days. and yesterday, the day was bright and cloudy for the part when we were having our picnic, and sunny when we went for the luge ride. anywayz, when we reached there.. i got my bday present from elvis!! last year, the present wasnt 'suitable' for me.. this year, i noe he tried really hard, its pretty farnie... i got a zicornian (i dunno how to spell it) pendant on a necklace... :)
pictures clockwise from left: my bday prezzie from elvis; the picnic; bread cup with creamy chicken n veg filling; the picnic from another angle
i made bread cups and had creamy vegetable and chicken fillings and tuna fillings. we brought grapes, orange juice and a lot of chocolates. but we were so stuffed with the bread cups that din eat much chocs....
we walked to the luge station. waited really really long for the first luge ride. the first time we went up the skyride... i almost freaked out!! i felt so exposed to the surroundings as the seat we were on moved higher and higher. the first ride down the luge, elvis said iwas going v slow too. by the time we had the second and third rides, i was enjoying them already.
after sentosa, we went back to my place to washup and went to party at ping's place. as usual, meeting new peeps from all over, loads of alcohol, music, jamming... it was so fun... we had some fun at the expense of the host, joking over his lack of rhythm.. despite being a jazz musician... :P den ping passed us a 'light fruit punch' which turned out to be... eeks!! even his 'alcohol' buddy said it was strong for him.. it was pretty farnie.... den it was jamming time... a lot of singing.. a lot of tinkling of the piano... and i think the peeps pretty much likmy playing.. :) at the end of the day, they sang me a bday song. it was SO NICE!!
i was sharing with elvis, its been a good holiday this year. first, a long trip to bangkok. since i came back, two gigs, one of which i got to SING my debut. and this bday was so special and nice cos i gotta do things i like with my loved ones, all in one day!!!
thank You Daddy....
started off on christmas day, when my mom made dte gua mee sua for me, and hving that with elvis and my parents.
den yesterday, in the morning, i prepared food for a picnic that elvis n i were going for at sentosa. we wanted to go to the tanjong beach, cos its really nice and quiet. but the road was barricade so we went to siloso beach instead. for a non public holiday and a weekday, it was very crowded. the cools thing is that, its been raining for a couple of days. and yesterday, the day was bright and cloudy for the part when we were having our picnic, and sunny when we went for the luge ride. anywayz, when we reached there.. i got my bday present from elvis!! last year, the present wasnt 'suitable' for me.. this year, i noe he tried really hard, its pretty farnie... i got a zicornian (i dunno how to spell it) pendant on a necklace... :)
pictures clockwise from left: my bday prezzie from elvis; the picnic; bread cup with creamy chicken n veg filling; the picnic from another angle
i made bread cups and had creamy vegetable and chicken fillings and tuna fillings. we brought grapes, orange juice and a lot of chocolates. but we were so stuffed with the bread cups that din eat much chocs....
we walked to the luge station. waited really really long for the first luge ride. the first time we went up the skyride... i almost freaked out!! i felt so exposed to the surroundings as the seat we were on moved higher and higher. the first ride down the luge, elvis said iwas going v slow too. by the time we had the second and third rides, i was enjoying them already.
after sentosa, we went back to my place to washup and went to party at ping's place. as usual, meeting new peeps from all over, loads of alcohol, music, jamming... it was so fun... we had some fun at the expense of the host, joking over his lack of rhythm.. despite being a jazz musician... :P den ping passed us a 'light fruit punch' which turned out to be... eeks!! even his 'alcohol' buddy said it was strong for him.. it was pretty farnie.... den it was jamming time... a lot of singing.. a lot of tinkling of the piano... and i think the peeps pretty much likmy playing.. :) at the end of the day, they sang me a bday song. it was SO NICE!!
i was sharing with elvis, its been a good holiday this year. first, a long trip to bangkok. since i came back, two gigs, one of which i got to SING my debut. and this bday was so special and nice cos i gotta do things i like with my loved ones, all in one day!!!
thank You Daddy....
Thursday, December 25, 2008
blessed christmas...
its been a busy but very enjoyable week since i returned from bangkok last thurs. in a week, God has blessed me with the chance to hv 2 gigs. One in a home party, which is something different, and one at TTSH again, with ping.
FOr the first, it was a little stressful because i had to be ready with a repertoire of at 70 songs (and i only had abt 24 hrs to prepare since i return home). For the second, it was really fun jamming with ping, and i did my debut singing in the public. well, kindof debut. it was so fun!! ha ha...
today played for christmas service. sound was bad, stvn was pretty frustrated w the sound.. but... well, i've kindof gotten accustomed to it and just 'live with it. or maybe cos i'm on piano, so i din care as much as if i were on the keys. ha ha.
elvis came by my place after service. we had a nice lunch at this new cafe called pinch of salt. the price was very reasonable. food was good. only the server taking us was a little 'blur'. but still... the service was pretty good. at my place, my mom suddenly realized i'll prolly be out all day tmrw and it'll be hard for her to cook the 'dte gua mee sua' for me.. so she said she'll cook it for me for dinner tonight. so for dinner, elvis joined my parents and i in my round table in the kitchen. my mom said a prayer of thanksgiving.. it felt weird... like... this is gonna be the 'last' bday i'm gonna b celebrating at my place like this.. this is gonna be the 'last' christmas i'll be hving with this place as my home... whilst i'm looking fwd to the future, i feel really nostalgic too... that life moves on so quickly...
after dinner, i dunno how i ended up starting to clear my drawers. i tink i wanted to show elvis my accessories, etc. ended up clearing the stuff... with elvis ard, i threw away a lot of things i've kept for YEARS. tickets and maps and passes from my previous trips... notes from a church camp yonds ago.. i finally cut up the expired credit cards (6 in all). stuff like that... i think its a process where i'm beginning to clear the past to move on to the future... its kindof strange... i told elvis there was a reason why its easier for me to trash some of these things.... i said... in the past i kept them for memory sake... to look back. but after showing him things i've done (trips, etc.), i've 'shared' that part of my life with someone, and so i cld move on and trash them.. strange ey... later after he left, i was telling my mom too that, actually in the past i tend to keep because i thot there will be days when i look back... but now that i'm moving on with someone else, there are many more things to look forward to... and so i dun need so many 'things' to look back to... strange again? ha ha.. i tink so.. but tt's me..
anywayz, am making elvis bring me out on a picnic tmrw to celebrate my bday! ha ha.. hope it doesn't rain. den will be a home party at ping's place. sat will be party at ana's shop. hmm.. my partying just only JUST started AFTER christmas... ha ha...
God is good.. so good .. so so good...thank You...
FOr the first, it was a little stressful because i had to be ready with a repertoire of at 70 songs (and i only had abt 24 hrs to prepare since i return home). For the second, it was really fun jamming with ping, and i did my debut singing in the public. well, kindof debut. it was so fun!! ha ha...
today played for christmas service. sound was bad, stvn was pretty frustrated w the sound.. but... well, i've kindof gotten accustomed to it and just 'live with it. or maybe cos i'm on piano, so i din care as much as if i were on the keys. ha ha.
elvis came by my place after service. we had a nice lunch at this new cafe called pinch of salt. the price was very reasonable. food was good. only the server taking us was a little 'blur'. but still... the service was pretty good. at my place, my mom suddenly realized i'll prolly be out all day tmrw and it'll be hard for her to cook the 'dte gua mee sua' for me.. so she said she'll cook it for me for dinner tonight. so for dinner, elvis joined my parents and i in my round table in the kitchen. my mom said a prayer of thanksgiving.. it felt weird... like... this is gonna be the 'last' bday i'm gonna b celebrating at my place like this.. this is gonna be the 'last' christmas i'll be hving with this place as my home... whilst i'm looking fwd to the future, i feel really nostalgic too... that life moves on so quickly...
after dinner, i dunno how i ended up starting to clear my drawers. i tink i wanted to show elvis my accessories, etc. ended up clearing the stuff... with elvis ard, i threw away a lot of things i've kept for YEARS. tickets and maps and passes from my previous trips... notes from a church camp yonds ago.. i finally cut up the expired credit cards (6 in all). stuff like that... i think its a process where i'm beginning to clear the past to move on to the future... its kindof strange... i told elvis there was a reason why its easier for me to trash some of these things.... i said... in the past i kept them for memory sake... to look back. but after showing him things i've done (trips, etc.), i've 'shared' that part of my life with someone, and so i cld move on and trash them.. strange ey... later after he left, i was telling my mom too that, actually in the past i tend to keep because i thot there will be days when i look back... but now that i'm moving on with someone else, there are many more things to look forward to... and so i dun need so many 'things' to look back to... strange again? ha ha.. i tink so.. but tt's me..
anywayz, am making elvis bring me out on a picnic tmrw to celebrate my bday! ha ha.. hope it doesn't rain. den will be a home party at ping's place. sat will be party at ana's shop. hmm.. my partying just only JUST started AFTER christmas... ha ha...
God is good.. so good .. so so good...thank You...
Sunday, December 07, 2008
A Night on the Orient Express
I had the God-given opp to play for the cocktail of a D & D last night. It was really fun. The peeps were really really well-dressed, unlike during wedding dinners, where some peeps really dun dress up (some lah, you noe wat i mean, Singaporeans).
I got to wear the bright green dress elvis bought for me in Philippines a year ago, and it was really nice, i mean, i thought it matched the setting very well.
Ok.. other than the bimbotic stuff, I guess given that I've played in different kinds of settings (with singer, with violinist, with band, etc.), i'm starting to get a bit of the hang of things. No longer was I as nervous as I used to be, and am actually really beginning to enjoy playing the music, and sometimes really having fun producing those sounds to fit the atmosphere (rather than just playing 'safe').
I took my teacher's advice, to watch the crowd and play accordingly. Of course, tis is also only possible when I'm more at ease now. Its pretty fun, when you realize that you can actually 'twik' or 'enhance' the socials interactions going on. At the end of my session, the co-ordinator came and told me that she had comments that the music was great, and it created a good ambience for the cocktail. It was really really nice to hear that. :)
One thing interesting about playing for sessions is, I get to see the 'back' - logistical preps for all these glamm-ed up events, and get to see wat goes on in the 'front'. I've 'sat in' for quite a no. of briefings for the servers, whenever I'm waiting for my session to begin. Captains briefing the staff how to serve, etc. Its pretty fun and interesting - what's behind all the facade. :)
I am really thankful to God for all these fun. :) Also, very thankful for and to elvis for always being my faithful 'chauffuer cum chaperon'. ha ha...
yeah.. and just a quick update on wedding prep. we were pretty prepared for the second photoshoot @ the beach on thurs, we bought a helium-filled heart shaped balloon that says 'hugs & kisses... xxoxxo' ha ha, a picnic basket (i cant believe it!!), and some flowers as props. (to see elvis carrying all these things at marine parade is rare!! he's usually too 'practical' for those things added up.) but alas!! it was pouring the entire pm. so we've shelfed it to tmrw am at 6am!!! eeks... heh... so need to buy the fresh props again. as for the housing stuff, made our first deposit and starting to look through interior design mags compliments from AO.
life is good... life is beautiful.. because Jesus loves me... thank You!!
I got to wear the bright green dress elvis bought for me in Philippines a year ago, and it was really nice, i mean, i thought it matched the setting very well.
Ok.. other than the bimbotic stuff, I guess given that I've played in different kinds of settings (with singer, with violinist, with band, etc.), i'm starting to get a bit of the hang of things. No longer was I as nervous as I used to be, and am actually really beginning to enjoy playing the music, and sometimes really having fun producing those sounds to fit the atmosphere (rather than just playing 'safe').
I took my teacher's advice, to watch the crowd and play accordingly. Of course, tis is also only possible when I'm more at ease now. Its pretty fun, when you realize that you can actually 'twik' or 'enhance' the socials interactions going on. At the end of my session, the co-ordinator came and told me that she had comments that the music was great, and it created a good ambience for the cocktail. It was really really nice to hear that. :)
One thing interesting about playing for sessions is, I get to see the 'back' - logistical preps for all these glamm-ed up events, and get to see wat goes on in the 'front'. I've 'sat in' for quite a no. of briefings for the servers, whenever I'm waiting for my session to begin. Captains briefing the staff how to serve, etc. Its pretty fun and interesting - what's behind all the facade. :)
I am really thankful to God for all these fun. :) Also, very thankful for and to elvis for always being my faithful 'chauffuer cum chaperon'. ha ha...
yeah.. and just a quick update on wedding prep. we were pretty prepared for the second photoshoot @ the beach on thurs, we bought a helium-filled heart shaped balloon that says 'hugs & kisses... xxoxxo' ha ha, a picnic basket (i cant believe it!!), and some flowers as props. (to see elvis carrying all these things at marine parade is rare!! he's usually too 'practical' for those things added up.) but alas!! it was pouring the entire pm. so we've shelfed it to tmrw am at 6am!!! eeks... heh... so need to buy the fresh props again. as for the housing stuff, made our first deposit and starting to look through interior design mags compliments from AO.
life is good... life is beautiful.. because Jesus loves me... thank You!!
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Entry 2: the photoshoot
we had a photoshoot yesterday too. so it was a really tiring but eventful day.
after meeting LL for breakfast at singpost yest, she dropped me off at elvis' to get my stuff. den elvis n i headed for ana's shop for the makeup and all. elvis got really nice dark pink and white roses to be used for the photoshoot. while i got the princess treatment in being dolled up, the two of them were working out buoquets of flowers ana says neva to let J see, or he will murder her! ha ha... it was really farnie to see elvis working on the flowers. and its really so sweet to hv flowers done up by pple close to me... they are not the 'florist-pretty' sort, but they ARE pretty.. and i dunno.. its just so sweet and nice... i loved them!
den V (our ex-colleague), our photographer turned up with 2 of my ex-students. ha ha.. i taught them music 2 yrs ago when they were in sec 1. all the sch song and theme songs.. ha ha... we took pics at blujaz and arab street, and when i was doing the touchup after the first set,it started POURING! if peeps use the term raining cats and dogs, i'd say, it rained cows and mutton.. oops.. i meant sheep... like almost all over singapore yest. ha ha... we were planning to take pics at punggol ... where the 'grassland' is (i hv no idea wat, it was V's idea.). but.. it was virtually impossible. i rem in the car ride there, i only asked God... for His best.. cos He loves us mah... so we went to punggol marina first just to wait out the rain. along the way, elvis thot of going to the airport instead. so at punggol marina, we met up w V again, and decided to go to T3 (and managed to leave the carpark within the 15 mins grace period. heh). its 'exciting' cos i've neva been to T3 before even tho i've thot of going a couple of times.
T3 turned out to be a really nice place to do the photoshoot cos
1. its dry (the outdoor rain can be quite depressing!)
2. its NOT CROWDED!!
3. its got nice places to take pics.
We had popeyes at T3 den proceeded to Orchard road for the last set. By then, elvis n i were 'dying'.. but V was still roaring to go... ha ha...
Orchard Road was pretty fun with the christmas decos. THe most fun part was when V was trying to use some trick to capture us over 2 - 10 seconds of exposure, us as the subjects, and the moving peeps ard as a 'blurry' set of images in the backgrd. but we had to hold real still thro those 2 - 10 seconds, and given our tall and lanky frames, it wasn't easy. Our CG was too high so we were swaying abt. ha ha ha... anywayz, we decided to do it across the road.. or the MIDDLE of the road linking from Scotts to Wheelock Place... the traffic lights for the pedestrains stay green for over a minute we figured!! so we can even try for 3 to 4 shoots (with the posture freeze for 2s for each shot). People were looking. There were even people who follow suit. ha ha... but it was fun!! sometimes u see 'ghostly' features in these shots. ha ha...
by the time we ended, it was over 10pm. i went to elvis place to just washup first before heading home. he was so tired... he cldn't even talk to me :'(
cant wait to see the pics! :D
after meeting LL for breakfast at singpost yest, she dropped me off at elvis' to get my stuff. den elvis n i headed for ana's shop for the makeup and all. elvis got really nice dark pink and white roses to be used for the photoshoot. while i got the princess treatment in being dolled up, the two of them were working out buoquets of flowers ana says neva to let J see, or he will murder her! ha ha... it was really farnie to see elvis working on the flowers. and its really so sweet to hv flowers done up by pple close to me... they are not the 'florist-pretty' sort, but they ARE pretty.. and i dunno.. its just so sweet and nice... i loved them!
den V (our ex-colleague), our photographer turned up with 2 of my ex-students. ha ha.. i taught them music 2 yrs ago when they were in sec 1. all the sch song and theme songs.. ha ha... we took pics at blujaz and arab street, and when i was doing the touchup after the first set,it started POURING! if peeps use the term raining cats and dogs, i'd say, it rained cows and mutton.. oops.. i meant sheep... like almost all over singapore yest. ha ha... we were planning to take pics at punggol ... where the 'grassland' is (i hv no idea wat, it was V's idea.). but.. it was virtually impossible. i rem in the car ride there, i only asked God... for His best.. cos He loves us mah... so we went to punggol marina first just to wait out the rain. along the way, elvis thot of going to the airport instead. so at punggol marina, we met up w V again, and decided to go to T3 (and managed to leave the carpark within the 15 mins grace period. heh). its 'exciting' cos i've neva been to T3 before even tho i've thot of going a couple of times.
T3 turned out to be a really nice place to do the photoshoot cos
1. its dry (the outdoor rain can be quite depressing!)
2. its NOT CROWDED!!
3. its got nice places to take pics.
We had popeyes at T3 den proceeded to Orchard road for the last set. By then, elvis n i were 'dying'.. but V was still roaring to go... ha ha...
Orchard Road was pretty fun with the christmas decos. THe most fun part was when V was trying to use some trick to capture us over 2 - 10 seconds of exposure, us as the subjects, and the moving peeps ard as a 'blurry' set of images in the backgrd. but we had to hold real still thro those 2 - 10 seconds, and given our tall and lanky frames, it wasn't easy. Our CG was too high so we were swaying abt. ha ha ha... anywayz, we decided to do it across the road.. or the MIDDLE of the road linking from Scotts to Wheelock Place... the traffic lights for the pedestrains stay green for over a minute we figured!! so we can even try for 3 to 4 shoots (with the posture freeze for 2s for each shot). People were looking. There were even people who follow suit. ha ha... but it was fun!! sometimes u see 'ghostly' features in these shots. ha ha...
by the time we ended, it was over 10pm. i went to elvis place to just washup first before heading home. he was so tired... he cldn't even talk to me :'(
cant wait to see the pics! :D
Entry 1: my upcoming new home!!
yesterday morn, elvis called me at abt 8.30am.
E: guess wat?
me: wat?
E: we got the place!
WE GOT THE PLACE!! albeit on the costlier side. but we got the place! its pretty farnie how we chose this place.
Its a 13th storey, 5I flat, with 'unblocked' view, N-S facing. In fact, it was the FIRST flat we viewed. That time, we weren't impressed with the 'unblocked' view. I din like a column in the living room. That column actually made me consider to get an EM rather than a 5-room flat in the neighborhood.
So just last weekend, we went to view two flats again. Since I super bad with numbers, I actually did not rem the block nos. of the flats we viewed (not even a previous one we made an offer for!). So when we went to the 13th storey, I stepped into the recess area and was like.. hey.. very familiar... just like the first one we saw (more than a month ago) i stepped into the flat and thot wow... the layout is so similar... let's see that difference this place has ... until i turned to a wall beside the dining table and saw a photo portrait of an elderly indian lady. i was 'stunned' for a moment... HEY.. we've been here before!! the first place!
see, the first time we viewed it, it was handled by an agent. we only viewed the place to see the layout of 5I flats. We weren't even interested in it in the first place because of the asking price. that day, the owner was selling it without an agent. in other words, we dealt with 2 persons, hence we did not noe it was the same unit.
i was even more alert than elvis. he did not even noe it was that unit! ha ha.. when he asked me to take a look at the kitchen, and asked me whether it was big enough for me, i thot he was just kidding and pretending! ha ha...
anywayz, the second time round, we really liked the place. i guess after 'shopping' ard looking at the other flats, we learnt to see more out of this. sometimes its farnie how God brings us round so that we can appreciate things better. in fact, i thot, wah, if we ever got this unit, it will be God lor.. and it IS GOD!! ha ha.. so am praying that this will be our love nest with God... and praying that we will be able to bless others with this space in the future. :) i wanna throw parties!!! ha ha...
E: guess wat?
me: wat?
E: we got the place!
WE GOT THE PLACE!! albeit on the costlier side. but we got the place! its pretty farnie how we chose this place.
Its a 13th storey, 5I flat, with 'unblocked' view, N-S facing. In fact, it was the FIRST flat we viewed. That time, we weren't impressed with the 'unblocked' view. I din like a column in the living room. That column actually made me consider to get an EM rather than a 5-room flat in the neighborhood.
So just last weekend, we went to view two flats again. Since I super bad with numbers, I actually did not rem the block nos. of the flats we viewed (not even a previous one we made an offer for!). So when we went to the 13th storey, I stepped into the recess area and was like.. hey.. very familiar... just like the first one we saw (more than a month ago) i stepped into the flat and thot wow... the layout is so similar... let's see that difference this place has ... until i turned to a wall beside the dining table and saw a photo portrait of an elderly indian lady. i was 'stunned' for a moment... HEY.. we've been here before!! the first place!
see, the first time we viewed it, it was handled by an agent. we only viewed the place to see the layout of 5I flats. We weren't even interested in it in the first place because of the asking price. that day, the owner was selling it without an agent. in other words, we dealt with 2 persons, hence we did not noe it was the same unit.
i was even more alert than elvis. he did not even noe it was that unit! ha ha.. when he asked me to take a look at the kitchen, and asked me whether it was big enough for me, i thot he was just kidding and pretending! ha ha...
anywayz, the second time round, we really liked the place. i guess after 'shopping' ard looking at the other flats, we learnt to see more out of this. sometimes its farnie how God brings us round so that we can appreciate things better. in fact, i thot, wah, if we ever got this unit, it will be God lor.. and it IS GOD!! ha ha.. so am praying that this will be our love nest with God... and praying that we will be able to bless others with this space in the future. :) i wanna throw parties!!! ha ha...
Monday, December 01, 2008
wedding updates....
peeps hv been asking how the wedding preps are coming along... honestly, we hvn't done much. ha ha. save for choosing the date, booking of church as well as the hotel.
tmrw and thurs, we will be doing 'casual' outdoor foto shoot. no gown. ha ha. because farmer's not supposed to be able to see my gown til the day itself! last sat night, we went scouting orchard rd and today arab street for potential sights for shooting. tmrw will be doing arab street, punggol followed by orchard. thurs will be sentosa. ana made me try on some pieces of her collection. among the 3 pieces, there was one really cute one, that was so suitable for the thurs shoot at sentosa. i kept bugging her to lend me, and eventually sell me, until she gave up and said it was supposed to be my bday surprise! oh me and my big mouth!!
last thurs we've made the order for our wedding bands.. after scouting for abt a month or so. they weren't the most 'value for money'.. but we really liked them... so.. ha ha...
we've just made an offer for a place we looked at on sat pm. its pretty interesting how we came to this place. i'll post more abt it, IF we get this place. paying a lot for it.. but we really liked the place.. so... we'll see...
i tink tt's abt the updates on the wedding i hv so far. why am i picking up on my blog again? i figure this is a way for me to rem my wedding preps. but i dun tink the way i'm blogging it is too intereting.. ha ha... but aiya.. can rem good oredi lah. :P
tmrw and thurs, we will be doing 'casual' outdoor foto shoot. no gown. ha ha. because farmer's not supposed to be able to see my gown til the day itself! last sat night, we went scouting orchard rd and today arab street for potential sights for shooting. tmrw will be doing arab street, punggol followed by orchard. thurs will be sentosa. ana made me try on some pieces of her collection. among the 3 pieces, there was one really cute one, that was so suitable for the thurs shoot at sentosa. i kept bugging her to lend me, and eventually sell me, until she gave up and said it was supposed to be my bday surprise! oh me and my big mouth!!
last thurs we've made the order for our wedding bands.. after scouting for abt a month or so. they weren't the most 'value for money'.. but we really liked them... so.. ha ha...
we've just made an offer for a place we looked at on sat pm. its pretty interesting how we came to this place. i'll post more abt it, IF we get this place. paying a lot for it.. but we really liked the place.. so... we'll see...
i tink tt's abt the updates on the wedding i hv so far. why am i picking up on my blog again? i figure this is a way for me to rem my wedding preps. but i dun tink the way i'm blogging it is too intereting.. ha ha... but aiya.. can rem good oredi lah. :P
Monday, October 20, 2008
Mocha Soufflé
1/2 cup of cocoa
1/3 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 cup of low fat milk
2 teaspoons of freeze dried instant coffee
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 tablespoons of sugar
7 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of flaked coconut or chopped nuts, if desired
Mix cocoa, 1/3 cup of sugar and the cornstarch in heavy 1 quart saucepan. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1 minute, remove from heat. Stir in coffee and vanilla. Cool slightly. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 2 1/2 quart soufflé dish with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar, tap out excess. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until foamy. Beat in 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not under beat. Stir cocoa mixture. Stir about one fourth of the egg white mixture into coco mixture. Fold cocoa mixture into remaining egg whites. Carefully pour into soufflé dish, smooth top. Place soufflé dish in rectangular pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches, on oven rack. Pour very hot water into pan until 1 inch deep. Bake about 40 minutes or until puffed and top feels firm. Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon of coconut. Serve immediately. Makes 12 servings.
1/3 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 cup of low fat milk
2 teaspoons of freeze dried instant coffee
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 tablespoons of sugar
7 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of flaked coconut or chopped nuts, if desired
Mix cocoa, 1/3 cup of sugar and the cornstarch in heavy 1 quart saucepan. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1 minute, remove from heat. Stir in coffee and vanilla. Cool slightly. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 2 1/2 quart soufflé dish with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar, tap out excess. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until foamy. Beat in 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not under beat. Stir cocoa mixture. Stir about one fourth of the egg white mixture into coco mixture. Fold cocoa mixture into remaining egg whites. Carefully pour into soufflé dish, smooth top. Place soufflé dish in rectangular pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches, on oven rack. Pour very hot water into pan until 1 inch deep. Bake about 40 minutes or until puffed and top feels firm. Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon of coconut. Serve immediately. Makes 12 servings.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
agnes wans to see tis on my blog
and she's getting her wish...
two entries in a day... because i'm FREE from marking (only from marking... not done with admin monstrous stuff yet)
THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. xueting
2. princess ting
3. sheryl ting
THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. bLuE gIrAfFe
2. Princess Ting
3. cHeRaFfe@wOrK
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My height (used to dislike it sometimes, but with a tall bf, love it!!)
2. My skinny top body (people think i'm slim because of that. hek hek)
3. My lankiness
Oh i like my eyes too... and... and... and....
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My shortsightedess (which has been corrected by lasik)
2. My crooked teeth (which is now being worked by braces)
3. My long second toes
THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. Dialect grp: fuqing (not father in mandarin. fuqing, near fuzhou)
2. ang-zhao chicken
3. paternal grand-dad (from china), dad (from malaysia). Maternal grand-dad (from china i tink??), maternal grandma (malay, i tink??), mom (local bred)
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. Monotony
2. Very loud sounds
3. Horror shows
THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. Motorola V3 Razor Mobile
2. Tiny toothbrush meant for braces
3. bible (i try to make it EVERYDAY essentials)
THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING NOW:
1. some sphagetti turquoise top with a bitta lace
2. draw string long cotton pants
3. undergarments lah!
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTISTS:
1. Chick Corea
2. Stan Gertz
3. Dave Brubeck
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS (RIGHT NOW):
1. My Funny Valentine
2. Cheek to Cheek
3. Misty
THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:
1. Sincerity
2. Unconditional love
3. Fun!
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE PREFERRED SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. Shoulders
2. Height
3. Voice
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. Music - listening, jamming, performing (does this count as three?)
2. food
3. traveling
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. Eat PROPER food (reads: eat FOOD THAT IS NOT LIQUID)
2. Have the braces REMOVED
3. Go on a vacation
THREE CAREERS YOU’RE CONSIDERING/YOU’VE CONSIDERED:
1. lounge pianist
2. humanitarian aid worker
3. journalism
THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Africa
2. Latin America
3. Anywhere with awesome diving
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. make music
2. make a positive difference in the world!!
3. travel the world
THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A GIRL:
1. i like shoes
2. i love chocolates
3. i'm obsessed over pretty things (bring on the flowers, the blings, ...)
THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE NOT STEREOTYPICALLY A GIRL:
1. i'm far from demure
2. i can rough it out travelling to atypical places and tahan stuff many gals cant
3. i hardly paint my nails (too much work, time, and harlow, i play the piano, no point)
THREE PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE TAKE THIS QUIZ NOW:
1. hazelin idayu (but she's too busy for it)
2. corinna yap (but she's not patient enuff, unless i sit beside her to do it, just like when we do silly online tests)
3. my dearest farmer!! (but he's not into it either)
two entries in a day... because i'm FREE from marking (only from marking... not done with admin monstrous stuff yet)
THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. xueting
2. princess ting
3. sheryl ting
THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. bLuE gIrAfFe
2. Princess Ting
3. cHeRaFfe@wOrK
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My height (used to dislike it sometimes, but with a tall bf, love it!!)
2. My skinny top body (people think i'm slim because of that. hek hek)
3. My lankiness
Oh i like my eyes too... and... and... and....
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My shortsightedess (which has been corrected by lasik)
2. My crooked teeth (which is now being worked by braces)
3. My long second toes
THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. Dialect grp: fuqing (not father in mandarin. fuqing, near fuzhou)
2. ang-zhao chicken
3. paternal grand-dad (from china), dad (from malaysia). Maternal grand-dad (from china i tink??), maternal grandma (malay, i tink??), mom (local bred)
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. Monotony
2. Very loud sounds
3. Horror shows
THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. Motorola V3 Razor Mobile
2. Tiny toothbrush meant for braces
3. bible (i try to make it EVERYDAY essentials)
THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING NOW:
1. some sphagetti turquoise top with a bitta lace
2. draw string long cotton pants
3. undergarments lah!
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTISTS:
1. Chick Corea
2. Stan Gertz
3. Dave Brubeck
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS (RIGHT NOW):
1. My Funny Valentine
2. Cheek to Cheek
3. Misty
THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:
1. Sincerity
2. Unconditional love
3. Fun!
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE PREFERRED SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. Shoulders
2. Height
3. Voice
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. Music - listening, jamming, performing (does this count as three?)
2. food
3. traveling
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. Eat PROPER food (reads: eat FOOD THAT IS NOT LIQUID)
2. Have the braces REMOVED
3. Go on a vacation
THREE CAREERS YOU’RE CONSIDERING/YOU’VE CONSIDERED:
1. lounge pianist
2. humanitarian aid worker
3. journalism
THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Africa
2. Latin America
3. Anywhere with awesome diving
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. make music
2. make a positive difference in the world!!
3. travel the world
THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A GIRL:
1. i like shoes
2. i love chocolates
3. i'm obsessed over pretty things (bring on the flowers, the blings, ...)
THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE NOT STEREOTYPICALLY A GIRL:
1. i'm far from demure
2. i can rough it out travelling to atypical places and tahan stuff many gals cant
3. i hardly paint my nails (too much work, time, and harlow, i play the piano, no point)
THREE PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE TAKE THIS QUIZ NOW:
1. hazelin idayu (but she's too busy for it)
2. corinna yap (but she's not patient enuff, unless i sit beside her to do it, just like when we do silly online tests)
3. my dearest farmer!! (but he's not into it either)
finally some updates!!
couple of weeks ago, agnes asked if tis blog was still alive... ha ha... i'm trying to keep it alive!! been working on many different stuff, plus updating one's status on FB is usually much easier.. ha ha... but its time to write... so when i wanna look back.. there's something.. :) so here are the few things tt's been 'bothering' or keeping me busy for the past month!
1. BRACES
i just went for a dental appt on monday. its horrid. they added some rings onto my molars. but unlike farmer's, they added cement!! so the rings are really huge.. so on the outer side, my inner cheeks are getting ulcers.. and on the inner side, my tounge is getting cut... i'm as miserable as when i first put on the braces. eating is tougher than then. earlier, i cld still use my tongue to mash soft food (cakes, for e.g.) up the roof of my mouth... now... when i do that, the abrasion on the tongue... eeks... it hurts even to drink water.. :( so today's menu is:
Breakfast: 1 slice of cake (40mins to finish) and a glass of milk
Lunch: maggi instant porridge
Dinner: steamed egg, mushroom soup and some porridge from Republic
i miss FOOD!!!
2. living out my dream!!
last week, i was busy marking. But in the midst of the marking, i managed to play accompaniment for a girl doing MEP prelims AND for a wedding dinner at St. Regis on Saturday!! my first decently paid performance!! ha ha... now working out the possibility of performing in hanoi for three months in a hotel!! :D not sure whether it'll work out... but as I told Abba 'its YOUR call...'
3. marking, marking, keying in marks
today i saw ping online. he's back in sch teaching, and made a comment tt i'd prolly hv forgotten that feeling. NO WAY!! for the past two weeks.. i MARKED AND MARKED... 100+ REPORTs... its no kidding.. and today, i went back to SP and spent hours keying in the marks. Still have to go back tmrw for the checking of marks, etc. Hope to get it done by tmrw, if not hv to go back on fri.. eeks!!
meanwhile, teaching geog tuition, maths tuition, pop piano, classical piano, and preparing for another performance at the hospital next fri with JJ.... oh.. and i just got roped into the citychase thing on sat... who says a freelancer is free? We are BUSY BUSY BUSY!!!
1. BRACES
i just went for a dental appt on monday. its horrid. they added some rings onto my molars. but unlike farmer's, they added cement!! so the rings are really huge.. so on the outer side, my inner cheeks are getting ulcers.. and on the inner side, my tounge is getting cut... i'm as miserable as when i first put on the braces. eating is tougher than then. earlier, i cld still use my tongue to mash soft food (cakes, for e.g.) up the roof of my mouth... now... when i do that, the abrasion on the tongue... eeks... it hurts even to drink water.. :( so today's menu is:
Breakfast: 1 slice of cake (40mins to finish) and a glass of milk
Lunch: maggi instant porridge
Dinner: steamed egg, mushroom soup and some porridge from Republic
i miss FOOD!!!
2. living out my dream!!
last week, i was busy marking. But in the midst of the marking, i managed to play accompaniment for a girl doing MEP prelims AND for a wedding dinner at St. Regis on Saturday!! my first decently paid performance!! ha ha... now working out the possibility of performing in hanoi for three months in a hotel!! :D not sure whether it'll work out... but as I told Abba 'its YOUR call...'
3. marking, marking, keying in marks
today i saw ping online. he's back in sch teaching, and made a comment tt i'd prolly hv forgotten that feeling. NO WAY!! for the past two weeks.. i MARKED AND MARKED... 100+ REPORTs... its no kidding.. and today, i went back to SP and spent hours keying in the marks. Still have to go back tmrw for the checking of marks, etc. Hope to get it done by tmrw, if not hv to go back on fri.. eeks!!
meanwhile, teaching geog tuition, maths tuition, pop piano, classical piano, and preparing for another performance at the hospital next fri with JJ.... oh.. and i just got roped into the citychase thing on sat... who says a freelancer is free? We are BUSY BUSY BUSY!!!
Friday, July 11, 2008
crazy week....
its been such a harsh crash of activities that its been crazy!!
other than the gig, i had extra hours of teaching tis wk because of makeup classes... so here's how the crazy week was like starting mon:
mon
9 - 11 Geog tuition
11 - 1 Dental appt for braces
7 - 11 Jam for gig
Tues
left my place at 6 plus for sch
8 - 4 Classes (NO BREAK!)
7 - almost 12am Jam for gig
Wed
left my place at 8 plus for sch
10 - 5 Classes (NO BREAK!)
5+ - 10 Soundcheck, Gig, go home
Thurs
1 - 5 Classes
6 - 10 Soundcheck, gig, hang out a bit.. go home..
THe crazy bits are basically mon nites onwards... suddenly i was very 'free' today i got bored! ha ha (but only because i dun wanna do my work in order to chill a little). i actually cleaned up my room quite a bit.. so am very pleased with it...
dun noe how i survived the week... but thank GOd i did.. only with His strength.. and elvis helped a lot by being my personal 'chauffeur'... where to find.. hai...
other than the gig, i had extra hours of teaching tis wk because of makeup classes... so here's how the crazy week was like starting mon:
mon
9 - 11 Geog tuition
11 - 1 Dental appt for braces
7 - 11 Jam for gig
Tues
left my place at 6 plus for sch
8 - 4 Classes (NO BREAK!)
7 - almost 12am Jam for gig
Wed
left my place at 8 plus for sch
10 - 5 Classes (NO BREAK!)
5+ - 10 Soundcheck, Gig, go home
Thurs
1 - 5 Classes
6 - 10 Soundcheck, gig, hang out a bit.. go home..
THe crazy bits are basically mon nites onwards... suddenly i was very 'free' today i got bored! ha ha (but only because i dun wanna do my work in order to chill a little). i actually cleaned up my room quite a bit.. so am very pleased with it...
dun noe how i survived the week... but thank GOd i did.. only with His strength.. and elvis helped a lot by being my personal 'chauffeur'... where to find.. hai...
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
LIGHTly SALTed's debut!!
its been an incredible day. i taught from 10am - 5pm... and rushed to the liulian for the performance. some hiccups.. but thankfully the management was kind enough to extend some leeway...
the 'excitement' lvl was raised at abt 3pm, when elvis informed me that LIGHTly SALTed is on the LIULIAN's website!! WOW!! and the kewl thing is... i thot the "God-inspired music enthusiasts" section was taken off the bios... but in the end it wasn't! perhaps an oversight, but i tink its divine-appointed! :)
the next 'excitement' lvl (more like stress level) was raised when the members cldn't make the timing for sound check.
and one kewl thing i realize is... when i was referred to the liulian for performance, i thot the person went to my website to check out my audio. but actually she happened to be at my Painting, with Love gig at TTSH in jun... wow...
finally, the performance. there were quite a bit of hiccups. but for the fact that we are really working tog for the first time, plus we were trying to get use to the sound system, i tink we pulled it off decent.
wanna thank peeps who came down to support us, fel, hemdi, JJ, mom, dad, elvis, colin, magdelene (my new colleague in SP!), denise... i really din expect such a big 'support grp'... but i'm really grateful.
i gave out THREE name cards. ha ha.. big deal.. ha ha... one to a music director of a prison ministry, one to a folk teaching opera in wuhan conservatory of music hving a vacation in sg, and one to a mysterious someone who got my namecard thro elvis thro the mgmt. and there was this guy who took my pic.. it feels strange... ha ha...
i thank GOd that during the past two weeks of frustrations, when i was giving up, there were pple who rooted for me, and reminded me that it was my dream to play music for others to hear to glorify God, and that it is something that i shld enjoy... rather than get so stressed over...
one more night tmrw... but, only after 4 teaching hours.. ha ha
the 'excitement' lvl was raised at abt 3pm, when elvis informed me that LIGHTly SALTed is on the LIULIAN's website!! WOW!! and the kewl thing is... i thot the "God-inspired music enthusiasts" section was taken off the bios... but in the end it wasn't! perhaps an oversight, but i tink its divine-appointed! :)
the next 'excitement' lvl (more like stress level) was raised when the members cldn't make the timing for sound check.
and one kewl thing i realize is... when i was referred to the liulian for performance, i thot the person went to my website to check out my audio. but actually she happened to be at my Painting, with Love gig at TTSH in jun... wow...
finally, the performance. there were quite a bit of hiccups. but for the fact that we are really working tog for the first time, plus we were trying to get use to the sound system, i tink we pulled it off decent.
wanna thank peeps who came down to support us, fel, hemdi, JJ, mom, dad, elvis, colin, magdelene (my new colleague in SP!), denise... i really din expect such a big 'support grp'... but i'm really grateful.
i gave out THREE name cards. ha ha.. big deal.. ha ha... one to a music director of a prison ministry, one to a folk teaching opera in wuhan conservatory of music hving a vacation in sg, and one to a mysterious someone who got my namecard thro elvis thro the mgmt. and there was this guy who took my pic.. it feels strange... ha ha...
i thank GOd that during the past two weeks of frustrations, when i was giving up, there were pple who rooted for me, and reminded me that it was my dream to play music for others to hear to glorify God, and that it is something that i shld enjoy... rather than get so stressed over...
one more night tmrw... but, only after 4 teaching hours.. ha ha
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
an article i wrote for marianne abt a week ago on Music and the Bible
but this article is more on my musical journey with God... how much will be editted and cut out for her article is another thing.. ha ha... anywayz.. here's my writeout:
A Journey In Music With Abba
My encounter with music I believe is His calling in my life. Getting musically trained in itself is always something I consider to be a miracle. My family’s financial status did not make it natural for me to learn a musical instrument, especially the piano, a prestigious instrument in the 1980s. My elder sister bugged my parents for a piano. And finally they relented, and purchased an old second hand piano. I did not dare ask to learn, since I was never the ‘achiever’ or ‘ambitious’ sort. My journey started with tinkling on the piano the melodies from soap dramas on the TV. That prompted my parents to encourage me to take up piano lessons (which I declined in the beginning fearing failure) and that was how it all started.
Compared to my peers taking music lessons, I started late. But that did not stop God from putting me in the position of being the school pianist in secondary school. Over time, I progressed to playing for youth services and now church main services. I was also a school music teacher and now teaching some private piano lessons. Whenever opportunities arise, I also conduct basic music and worship dynamics sessions in other countries. Currently, I’m pursuing a career in music, if the Lord wills.
While all the above seems very ‘technical’, a ‘flowchart’ of my ‘progress’ or resume in music services, underlying the actions are what the Lord has impressed upon me about how He uses music to bless me, to bless others and over and above, bless His name.
How others are blessed from music
There are many ways music affect people. We have often heard about the effects of music on one’s learning (e.g. Mozart effect), on one’s health, etc. There is a reason for this. It was mentioned that
“beyond its capacity to entertain and enrich, music gives structure and expression to both time and place, defining circumstances and meaning….music (can be) so engaging that time becomes timeless, reality changes, and life is created anew.”
(Mazer & Smitch 1999)
That is a secular interpretation of the effects of music. If we consider how God has created music as a part of His beauty, then instead of saying that reality changes, it is actually our awareness of the true reality that incorporates the spiritual climate that has been sharpened. Hence in worship services, as we worship God with music, our spiritual senses are awakened / sharpened as we commune with God. Even out of the sanctuary, when music is played with the intention to glorify God (in the secular understanding, to glorify beauty, which inevitably points to God, whether intentional or unintentional), the listeners’ souls / spirits are blessed from the music.
How music is a blessing in my life
For me, music is a journey I travel with God. It started with the ‘miracle’ when I got to learn music. It’s a form of communication I have with the Lord, that flows beyond words. I remember once when I was on the piano by myself in March 2007, playing whatever I felt led to play. Suddenly, I sensed God telling me this, that He was watching me perform for Him. I had the honor of the Most High being my audience, my sole audience. I had the full attention of the I AM as I played. Other than His full attention, I thought I could feel Him smiling, that He was pleased and liked the music that flowed out. That form of communication and communion is beautiful beyond words.
Months after that encounter, He gave me the vision that ‘One day, I will bring His songs to the ends of the earth.’ Till today, I have no idea how that will take place. I place my step of faith into that by quitting my teaching career in a government school last year. Today, I’m equipping myself with musical skills performing wherever opportunities arise, learning and growing in skills, in character and in faith in the Lord. So music to me, is a form of communication we have in our courtship for one another. It is also to me an exciting journey with the Lord. (There are moments my faith wavers, but thank God He is faithful!!)
God uses music to bless His name, to glorify Himself just as how He created the stars and galaxies, naming them one by one. For everyone, music is a means He speaks through to us. And for most of us, music is a form of avenue we communicate back to Him. For some of us, it becomes a passionate pursuit - a passionate pursuit in creating new forms of harmonies to communicate with Him; a passionate pursuit to want to let this form of communication be heard everywhere else, such that Jesus be heard and therefore worshipped everywhere else.
These are what the Lord has revealed to me. These are what I live my life for. There will be more revelations in time to come. My job is to remain faithful in the pursuit He’s called me into – a journey in music with Abba.
Reference:
Mazer, S. and Smitch, D., 1999. Introduction, Sound Choices – Using Music to Design the Environments in which You Live, Work, and Heal. Carlsbad, CA: Hay Press, pp.11
A Journey In Music With Abba
My encounter with music I believe is His calling in my life. Getting musically trained in itself is always something I consider to be a miracle. My family’s financial status did not make it natural for me to learn a musical instrument, especially the piano, a prestigious instrument in the 1980s. My elder sister bugged my parents for a piano. And finally they relented, and purchased an old second hand piano. I did not dare ask to learn, since I was never the ‘achiever’ or ‘ambitious’ sort. My journey started with tinkling on the piano the melodies from soap dramas on the TV. That prompted my parents to encourage me to take up piano lessons (which I declined in the beginning fearing failure) and that was how it all started.
Compared to my peers taking music lessons, I started late. But that did not stop God from putting me in the position of being the school pianist in secondary school. Over time, I progressed to playing for youth services and now church main services. I was also a school music teacher and now teaching some private piano lessons. Whenever opportunities arise, I also conduct basic music and worship dynamics sessions in other countries. Currently, I’m pursuing a career in music, if the Lord wills.
While all the above seems very ‘technical’, a ‘flowchart’ of my ‘progress’ or resume in music services, underlying the actions are what the Lord has impressed upon me about how He uses music to bless me, to bless others and over and above, bless His name.
How others are blessed from music
There are many ways music affect people. We have often heard about the effects of music on one’s learning (e.g. Mozart effect), on one’s health, etc. There is a reason for this. It was mentioned that
“beyond its capacity to entertain and enrich, music gives structure and expression to both time and place, defining circumstances and meaning….music (can be) so engaging that time becomes timeless, reality changes, and life is created anew.”
(Mazer & Smitch 1999)
That is a secular interpretation of the effects of music. If we consider how God has created music as a part of His beauty, then instead of saying that reality changes, it is actually our awareness of the true reality that incorporates the spiritual climate that has been sharpened. Hence in worship services, as we worship God with music, our spiritual senses are awakened / sharpened as we commune with God. Even out of the sanctuary, when music is played with the intention to glorify God (in the secular understanding, to glorify beauty, which inevitably points to God, whether intentional or unintentional), the listeners’ souls / spirits are blessed from the music.
How music is a blessing in my life
For me, music is a journey I travel with God. It started with the ‘miracle’ when I got to learn music. It’s a form of communication I have with the Lord, that flows beyond words. I remember once when I was on the piano by myself in March 2007, playing whatever I felt led to play. Suddenly, I sensed God telling me this, that He was watching me perform for Him. I had the honor of the Most High being my audience, my sole audience. I had the full attention of the I AM as I played. Other than His full attention, I thought I could feel Him smiling, that He was pleased and liked the music that flowed out. That form of communication and communion is beautiful beyond words.
Months after that encounter, He gave me the vision that ‘One day, I will bring His songs to the ends of the earth.’ Till today, I have no idea how that will take place. I place my step of faith into that by quitting my teaching career in a government school last year. Today, I’m equipping myself with musical skills performing wherever opportunities arise, learning and growing in skills, in character and in faith in the Lord. So music to me, is a form of communication we have in our courtship for one another. It is also to me an exciting journey with the Lord. (There are moments my faith wavers, but thank God He is faithful!!)
God uses music to bless His name, to glorify Himself just as how He created the stars and galaxies, naming them one by one. For everyone, music is a means He speaks through to us. And for most of us, music is a form of avenue we communicate back to Him. For some of us, it becomes a passionate pursuit - a passionate pursuit in creating new forms of harmonies to communicate with Him; a passionate pursuit to want to let this form of communication be heard everywhere else, such that Jesus be heard and therefore worshipped everywhere else.
These are what the Lord has revealed to me. These are what I live my life for. There will be more revelations in time to come. My job is to remain faithful in the pursuit He’s called me into – a journey in music with Abba.
Reference:
Mazer, S. and Smitch, D., 1999. Introduction, Sound Choices – Using Music to Design the Environments in which You Live, Work, and Heal. Carlsbad, CA: Hay Press, pp.11
Sunday, June 29, 2008
food in laos....
shared with a bunch of hardworking and strong ants!!
we've all heard abt stories of ants working together, and having strength to carry things beyond their weight...
here's us sharing our lunch w the forest ants at the kuang si waterfall, about 20+km away from luang prabang town. we packed a sandwich from the scandinavian bakery. stopped at one of the sites at the waterfall and munched our lunch. watever dropped onto the ground goes to the ants... communal living lah... ha ha.... i got elvis to take pics of them.... they sense the food real fast! and transport them real fast too!!
one ant with bread crumb
gathered to pick up a piece of onion...
and the waterfall....
the best view of kuang si waterfall we can find... :)
we've all heard abt stories of ants working together, and having strength to carry things beyond their weight...
here's us sharing our lunch w the forest ants at the kuang si waterfall, about 20+km away from luang prabang town. we packed a sandwich from the scandinavian bakery. stopped at one of the sites at the waterfall and munched our lunch. watever dropped onto the ground goes to the ants... communal living lah... ha ha.... i got elvis to take pics of them.... they sense the food real fast! and transport them real fast too!!
one ant with bread crumb
gathered to pick up a piece of onion...
and the waterfall....
the best view of kuang si waterfall we can find... :)
Monday, June 23, 2008
Lightly Salted!!!
Featuring our debut on 9 and 10 July 2008, Esplanade Concourse.
Genre: Jazz
Coming up with this band name has been frustrating but rewarding. I really thank God for sisters who care!!
Was frustrated with some stuff, esp when I had to give confirmation to the organizer. Band name not up. Band members list not confirmed... The name 'Foo Jian Mien' was surfaced. Whilst that is one of my favorite local dishes, and it does sound cute, I was hoping for something that I'd like to give God the glory for. Search for hebrew words did not reap any decent sounding band names. I was giving up (there are other things I needed to work on) and was even writing to the organizers, which Foo Jian Mien as the band name.
Hemdi on gmail chat asked me if I could hold the email til pm. (Well, i wanted to get it over and done with to settle other stuff). I relented, half thinking I prolly wldn't come up with anything decent within the next couple of hours. After all, I've tried for days. Then I spoke to Fel online too. She threw in words in random such as light, salt, flavor.... ha ha... and den... i tried to link light and salt (after all, we are the light and salt of the world!!)... and... LIGHTLY SALTED got coined!!
I thank God for sisters like that man! One to stop me from sending out an email that will render me being one of the ingredients for hokkien mee (prolly sotong, since i loooooove that...) and another one who gave me the sparks of ideas.
AND i also thank GOd that (i noe tis is not relevant to the topic) He prompted me to text my student i'm supposed to see tmrw to check if class was on (sch's hving some mid sem tests). The office did not say this class is cancelled. THANK GOD I CHECKED!! it IS cancelled.. imagine waking up EARLY in the morn to travel west only to realize its cancelled, and hving to do the preps for lessons today... less money... but a relief... ha ha...
Genre: Jazz
Coming up with this band name has been frustrating but rewarding. I really thank God for sisters who care!!
Was frustrated with some stuff, esp when I had to give confirmation to the organizer. Band name not up. Band members list not confirmed... The name 'Foo Jian Mien' was surfaced. Whilst that is one of my favorite local dishes, and it does sound cute, I was hoping for something that I'd like to give God the glory for. Search for hebrew words did not reap any decent sounding band names. I was giving up (there are other things I needed to work on) and was even writing to the organizers, which Foo Jian Mien as the band name.
Hemdi on gmail chat asked me if I could hold the email til pm. (Well, i wanted to get it over and done with to settle other stuff). I relented, half thinking I prolly wldn't come up with anything decent within the next couple of hours. After all, I've tried for days. Then I spoke to Fel online too. She threw in words in random such as light, salt, flavor.... ha ha... and den... i tried to link light and salt (after all, we are the light and salt of the world!!)... and... LIGHTLY SALTED got coined!!
I thank God for sisters like that man! One to stop me from sending out an email that will render me being one of the ingredients for hokkien mee (prolly sotong, since i loooooove that...) and another one who gave me the sparks of ideas.
AND i also thank GOd that (i noe tis is not relevant to the topic) He prompted me to text my student i'm supposed to see tmrw to check if class was on (sch's hving some mid sem tests). The office did not say this class is cancelled. THANK GOD I CHECKED!! it IS cancelled.. imagine waking up EARLY in the morn to travel west only to realize its cancelled, and hving to do the preps for lessons today... less money... but a relief... ha ha...
Friday, May 23, 2008
the long and short of my exp w classical music
being trained in classical music and exposed to playing pop style in church, i grew up to be competent in both. Not super competent, decently competent.
hated going for piano lessons in the past. peeps may find it hard to believe seeing my love for music. going to my piano tr's house was likened to going to 'hell'. as i walk to her place a few blocks away, i'd literally imagine myself walking into a place devoid of life... there'd be a particular curb (which is no longer there, with all the devt taking place) i'll step onto, imagine the 'hell's gates' opening. and in i go for piano lesson,getting scolded is a norm. 'how many times must i tell you to curve in your fingers?....' the moments i step out of my tr's place is a relief. on my way home, there'll be another curb (non-existent as well) which when i step onto i'll imagine the door to life open for me to get out. and the moment i 'cross over the threshold', in my mind will be this little melodic tune tt goes 'run, run as fast as u can.. run run like u've neva run before'....
dun get me wrong. i enjoy classical music. (i like jazz more. ha ha). the training just aint easy. no wonder so many pple drop out of classical piano. and because of the pressure to do well for exams, many teachers (not all) only drill students on the exam pieces. it is not uncommon to hear peeps saying they only learn 3/4 pieces each year - d exam pieces.and no wonder many complain that even tho they hv achieved high grades in classical piano, they cannot improvise / 'play by ear'.
so is classical piano that bad? having not played piano for close to a decade after i completed my grade 8, i realized, that classical piano is a good foundation block into other genres such as pop and jazz.
first, there's the touch that you are trained to achieve from the discipline required of classical piano. after resuming classical for a couple of months, my touch for pop and jazz improved as well.
second, much to peep's surprise, classical music provides the scales / modes for improvisation. the chord progressions and extensions as well as runs on classical pieces could so easily be integrated into other genres and sound brilliant!
while it sounds great... there is one prob i'm starting to face even tho classical supposedly helps in my other genres. after playing classical, my brain is starting to become LAZY!!! classical can possibly be 'spoon feeding' as one simply nids to read scores and less mental activity in the area of creation is required. now i'm so lazy when i get to prac piano, the easy way out - pick out a classical piece. just follow the score. no nid to think. no nid to improvise... EEKS!!
so here's the long and short of my exp w classical music. i guess i just nid to be more disciplined in prac the different genres.. ha ha... but the weather's too warm for me to prac.... ha ha ha....
hated going for piano lessons in the past. peeps may find it hard to believe seeing my love for music. going to my piano tr's house was likened to going to 'hell'. as i walk to her place a few blocks away, i'd literally imagine myself walking into a place devoid of life... there'd be a particular curb (which is no longer there, with all the devt taking place) i'll step onto, imagine the 'hell's gates' opening. and in i go for piano lesson,getting scolded is a norm. 'how many times must i tell you to curve in your fingers?....' the moments i step out of my tr's place is a relief. on my way home, there'll be another curb (non-existent as well) which when i step onto i'll imagine the door to life open for me to get out. and the moment i 'cross over the threshold', in my mind will be this little melodic tune tt goes 'run, run as fast as u can.. run run like u've neva run before'....
dun get me wrong. i enjoy classical music. (i like jazz more. ha ha). the training just aint easy. no wonder so many pple drop out of classical piano. and because of the pressure to do well for exams, many teachers (not all) only drill students on the exam pieces. it is not uncommon to hear peeps saying they only learn 3/4 pieces each year - d exam pieces.and no wonder many complain that even tho they hv achieved high grades in classical piano, they cannot improvise / 'play by ear'.
so is classical piano that bad? having not played piano for close to a decade after i completed my grade 8, i realized, that classical piano is a good foundation block into other genres such as pop and jazz.
first, there's the touch that you are trained to achieve from the discipline required of classical piano. after resuming classical for a couple of months, my touch for pop and jazz improved as well.
second, much to peep's surprise, classical music provides the scales / modes for improvisation. the chord progressions and extensions as well as runs on classical pieces could so easily be integrated into other genres and sound brilliant!
while it sounds great... there is one prob i'm starting to face even tho classical supposedly helps in my other genres. after playing classical, my brain is starting to become LAZY!!! classical can possibly be 'spoon feeding' as one simply nids to read scores and less mental activity in the area of creation is required. now i'm so lazy when i get to prac piano, the easy way out - pick out a classical piece. just follow the score. no nid to think. no nid to improvise... EEKS!!
so here's the long and short of my exp w classical music. i guess i just nid to be more disciplined in prac the different genres.. ha ha... but the weather's too warm for me to prac.... ha ha ha....
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