Retiree's Life

This week was one of the easiest week I've ever been through, life after retirement sucks xD. 

Plenty of things happened, where should I start first?

Ah...There was a photography session again last Wednesday and Thursday, I was on duty, sort of...

Well, it was smooth, except for 3N class which was a load of crap, every single person in that class is, and I'm not writing this out of personal grudge against them or something, you'll just have to see it for yourself to understand how I feel. They just never care about anything, I do wonder why do we have peoples like these in this world. In other sense, they are a waste of resources.

So after the whole session we began to take some out-of-business photos :D

This was Thomas and my god is he tall? XD

Hamba  LOL!!! The Vice-President of Music Club, Teoh Kian Tat.


I really liked the last photo...Haha... He didn't know the label there was "Hamba" and asked us why are we pointing him just before the photo taken.

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Today was Photography club Annual General Meeting day. Yet again, I have retired from another club, though not fully I'm sure...

Well, my congratulations to Hwa and Ali for being elected the President and Vice-President for 09/10. I'm sure you guys will outdo the previous committee (Of course you guys will, because the previous one is led by Thomas ma XD )

And about the present from the club...Really zadou a bit, the piggy bank so round LOL! Anyways, it's nice, thanks to the form 4 committees and whoever that chose this for me XD.

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Phew, this whole day was insane, 14 hours not in the house neh. My longest record was 15 hours though, which was the day before harmonica concert, got rehearsal until late 10pm. Afternoon have to oversee the practice, they were okay, but still have much more room to improve. Even gave them a bit of lecture on music theory, at least this clear things up a bit for them. Just don't screw up tomorrow LOL!

Asked Lixuan to pack lunch for me, from 2:30 go out wait until 4:30 come back. Zzz... Pengsan lor. I used to have gastric attacks because I were having lunch at irregular intervals leh. And I'm a bit muak with McDonald's already +_+

Then in the evening went to Samsports to take club shirts with Hwa and Xuan, waited for so long, Xuan got her iTouch out with the latest news, and she told me Micheal Jackson died.

I was like:" Not funny~ "

To tell you the truth at first I thought it was a joke, I swear. But then they say it's real, and they look serious leh. 

It made sense to me finally after a few minutes, I've got a message from Zhi Lin suggesting we perform MJ's song in our next performance as a tribute a few hours back and I did not knew that he died. I just couldn't believe it, it must be some freak accident or something, Micheal Jackson died? at the age of 50? wow... Life is just so unpredictable...

The news in the TV confirmed what happened. Unbelievable... Even though I was not really his biggest fan, this news was really shocking to me. Well... What can I say? The world lost one of it's most celebrated child today.

~R.I.P. Micheal "Mikaeel" Jackson~

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Tomorrow will be another long day, the whole day in school in preparations for exhibition and report card day. And Brass Band concert at night. Phew...Let's just hope I have enough energy left to live through this week. And, I finally started work on a small composing project...

Till next time, Cheers~

Odyssey No.10 - Pension and Chinese Orchestra

The last Saturday was the clubs annual general meeting. We finally retired, Woohoo or Boohoo?

Felt relieved and worried at the same time. Relieved because I stepped down from the committee, and I'm worried for the same reason too. Ah well...

The AGM went smoothly(and awkwardly), there were some performances of course, it even caught some passerbys attention xD. 

Anyways, here's the list of the new committee for Music Club for year 09/10

• President: Tan Lixuan
• Vice-President: Teoh Kian Tat
• Vice-President of Music: Ho Zhu Yi
• Secretary: Leong Shu Hwa
• Vice-Secretary: Yap Sin Yee
• Treasurer: Yap Ji Lien
• Publicity Dept.: Yeoh Pei Yee, Yap Jia Hui, Ng Horng Rui
• Preparations: Say Sian Jee, Liew Chen Nan
• Guitar Section: Low Xian Min, Chen Tze Yang
• Keyboard Section: Ng Shi Hui
• Drums Section: (Vacant)
• Afternoon Representative: Moses Looi
  

This list is the final decision of the club founders and committee 08/09, and there were some peoples who approached me and asked if we were biased while making this list. 

To all out there who thinks that we were biased, you're absolutely wrong, we are not. This is what we thought will fit the committee best and there are no reasons to be biased as we put the importance of the club in front of anything else while choosing the new committee. Everyone in the list is there for a reason.


Well, I know how it feels like to be a retiree. Somehow you have nothing to do but you still feel like that there's something left to be done, LOL sad.

Hwa playing the electric guitar, this is soo cool! ( Though I still think anyone with my e.guitar is much more cooler XD)

Ah Chong the keyboard teacher.

Hmm...Everyone is into guitars lately. Even Samson's into guitar. 


After the AGM went for makan with the new committee, not all la. And I've learned one thing, the food in Metro Plaza food court never improved since the last time I went there in like 2006? 


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Unexpectedly got free entrance for the Chinese Orchestra concert "A date with rhythm"(Suckish theme I know) due to photography duty.

Went to school to fetch Hwa and Ying at 6:30pm, my car kena calar teruk LOL! No la, the car door hit the elevated sidewalk outside the school when they open the door, sakit hati leh T_T. Parked my car in my house before walking to New Era College, since it's near my house.
True enough we got free entrance :D   But the concert starts at 8pm and we were waiting there from 7pm =_="

So we took some pictures of the rehearsal and set up lo. But I can't really take any nice photos because of the poor lighting, screw compact cameras :(

And so the concert began at 8pm. The songs choice are a bit odd, though I can't complain since it's Chinese Orchestra. I observed that Chinese Orchestra is actually not a very good ensemble, the chinese flutes are an annoying group of instruments when it's not properly tuned, same thing goes to the trumpet-like instrument. And most of their instruments are to the treble side, the only thing that gives support to the bass are the cellos and double basses, which are not a good choice for bass in the first place.

Overall the orchestra is a bit floaty. I still thinks an orchestra needs low brass instruments like trombone of tuba to cover the bass, instead of cello and double bass. Brass packed more power.

There were two songs that I liked(note: I disliked the others), Pirates and Love Story meets Viva la Vida, though I still don't like how it's presented. The Pirates of the Caribbean was altered in the key =_=, I wonder why...And like I said, it's floaty, not enough bass, THEY NEED BRASSES, but this is chinese orchestra, so it will never happen, ever. About the other song, it was okay besides the same problem state above, but it's still a bit patchy, the part that joins the song isn't that smooth.


The empty auditorium at 7pm =_=
The Audio crew.
The show about to start.
Jin Shing was there with the harmonica guys too.
I hate to admit but my photos really sucked for that night :(After the concert we have to walk out of the university to wait for my dad. 
On the way out Teck Foo drove by :"Where are you going? Walk carefully and take care of the two girls ah!"

Then came Ming Chek's car, Jin Yi lowered the windows and said:"Where are you going? Walk carefully and take care of the two girls ah! If Mun Hong bully you two please tell me ah!"

zzz...Really beh tahan you two...

The Ah Chuan's car passed by:" Where are you going? Waiting for car ah? Then you 慢慢等啦! Bye bye!"

Really LOL, funny guys from the harmonica club.

After reach school almost 10:30pm, Ying terus balik since her car was there, gotta wait for Hwa's car to come only before I can go back. Hwa keep want to halau me back ask me don't wait =_=... Don't la, school no people, if anything really happened, how I want to forgive myself leh?

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Phew, it's another exhausting day. This week have to work all day for the Saturday again, it's Ko-kuriulum day and also Report card day. Aww... And night got Brass Band concert again, but this time I'm quite anticipating it, don't know why though. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope that it's another good show. 

So till next time, cheers~



p.s.: I'm so not going to be on photography duty for the brass band concert.

p.p.s: It's because I already bought the ticket.

Nostalgia Avenue

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic lately, Hmm...


Nostalgia can be dangerous, I heard. People tends to long for the past, and romanticize it, and dwell in it, sometimes fall ill or even die. Isn't this suicide?


I just hope it goes away before it gets to that point...


Silly me, of course it would go away...



Alba signing off, cheers~



p.s. : Some(if any at all) updates on Chinese Orchestra concert "A date with rhythm" soon.

Odyssey Special: Holidays, not! (Part 1)

Two weeks passed by in a blink of an eye~ I dare say it's the busiest fortnight I've ever been through. The best too!

Alright. Let's just have a summary of what I did during these two weeks. (No time to upload all photos, will be editing this post soon)


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Leadership Camp -  1 June to 3 June

The holidays started with the leadership camp, three days two night at Sg.Congkak camp Rimba Ria something. It's insanely fun, I'm sure anyone who attended this camp would agree with me, no doubt. The activities are excellent, besides the seminars. We did river trekking, jungle night walk, jungle trekking (a very very long one) to a waterfall and a lot of fun games though I don't get to play it LOL. There was a drama night too, hilarious stuff.

Alright, I'll let the photos do the talking :)
Hey, I'm young!


Lixuan in upbeat mood. Wait until you see the campsite :D

"Gimme your fist?"

Paling muka wor...

The first group photo taken in school.

The boys' tent, pure brilliance :D

"Take my hand but not my head" xD

Speechless le...

Kah Fai is doing some weird gesture with his hands.

Smexy Ali  XD

The station games. This one was the bus game.

You want a piece of this?

"Hey look, I know how to spell INTI!" xD

I didn't get how this game works.  :(

Xian Min:"I know we're both not gay, but this is embarrassing"

Question game.

Kajang is famous for satay! Wrong answer LOL!

River trekking.

Splashing around.

This is how lightning strikes

That's Thomas, wait he looks a bit strange. Let's take a clearer look at him shall we?

Ah...No wonder, he is sick xD

(Deep regrets for not having pictures of the jungle trekking since we are busy walking and waters and cameras are not friends exactly.)

Samson looking on.

Hwa with her injured leg, kuat semangat! 

Burn!

Chickens...Hmm...

Posing xD

The bamboo bridge

"Dance, you maggots! Dance!"

Roasting ayam buluh.

Monumential

"Gimme those seats!

Paper tree

Free camps anyone?

Random photo.

"We point there!"..."No, point there you idiot!"

Group 2

Group 1, da red antz

Group 5

Group 8

That's all the good photos I have for this camp. 
Overall this camp is a great experience, more like a jungle camp than a leadership camp. I do hope I get to attend this camp again, but I'm too old already lar... T_T 

I'm sure next year's would be better still.

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Chinese Cultural Camp -  9 June to 11 June

Ah...The next week was the Chinese Cultural Camp, again, three days two night, but held in school. It's a different kind of camp, more to cultural exposure, and they had a diverse amount of activities in and outdoor, well...Mostly indoors :). I was on duty on and off during the three days because of performance practice sessions. Nevertheless, I took quite some pictures. 

The gathering

Just LOL!

"Hey, it doesn't hurt!"

"Don't play play, I'm the fastest player around."

Perfect synchro.

"It's not fair, he blowed it that's why it dropped!"

Cari gaduh?

I was quite bored, then decided to walk around to take some random photos.

This one, taken by accident, but it's nice :)

Three musketeers?

Playing with macro mode. I like these the best personally.






Ah Lian act cool while in the seminar room.

Joe, so serious :D

I challenged Thomas to take this picture from the fifth floor LOL! He dared not.

Bonsai, these little trees cost a fortune, that's crazy.

If I'm not wrong this bonsai adds up to RM1000+ or something. I heard Jack saying that there is one that is priced at a staggering RM10000+. Seriously this hobby is only for the filthy rich.

Ah...An orange dragon...

And a yellow one...

And a green one...?!

Experimenting with colour accent. You know what? This photo looks like an advertisement for cigarettes :D

This brilliant picture! XD       This was taken while everybody was in line to welcome a famous "tokoh" who contributed in the development of 24 season drums.

The drummers' welcome performance.

Saw Jun Min wearing this funny shirt. Archived :)

More random photos.



These stunt are insane, I admire their talent and guts.

Hat jugglers.

The best group award.

Graduation LOL!

"Tang" terbalik  already =_=

Mr. Yong giving a debrief.

Group photo

The organizing committee.


I personally thinks the camp was a bit quiet compared to leadership camp, mostly because there were students from the other school attending this camp, thus the barrier. Anyways, it was fun nonetheless.


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Harmonica Symphony Orchestra Concert - 13 June

This was only yesterday, the climax of my whole holidays xD.

We prepared restlessly for the performance, though I am a little bit disappointed personally. Will talk about this later.

Anyways let's start on the day before shall we?

I arrived early in the school to help out with the preparations. Went to McDonalds for a "meeting"(not really my business, don't know why I went there +_+), had my lunch there lo... Decided to call off Midvalley trip because I got someone who could lend me jeans pants (I've never owned a jeans xD).

Arrived back in school in the evening for rehearsal and soundchecks. All was going perfect :)


The preparations in the morning.

The banner.

Xin and Jia Fuo curi ayam.

The rehearsal at night.

Master Xin conducting but no one wants to play LOL!

The brass section.

Practicing.

The huddle before the big day.


The next day was the big day. Music club activities in the mornings as usual, but we spent the whole morning briefing the new committee about the club operations and stuffs, plus a little bit of history lesson, especially to Lixuan, Hwa and Xian Min. Our hopes are high on you guys :)
Soon after there was a mini rehearsal in the hall, before we soundcheck for the last time. Chee Onn still insist that the audio guy turn up the volumes because it's not loud enough LOL! 

Got dressed up at 5 o clock and had someone messed up my hair for the show xD. 

When all was set we entered our seats at 7:15pm. The stage was so hot neh, we had to sit there for 15 minutes awating the curtains to open. And finally at 7:30pm the concert officially began. The first song was Circle of Life, I was playing bass guitar for that song, if you hadn't noticed :)

After the song I went backstage to the library to have my pants changed to jeans(yay?!). Then prepare to enter for Jin Yi's song. I was quite nervous LOL, but we've practiced so much just for the 8 minutes, I must make every minute worthwhile. 

When we stepped outside the atmosphere was incredible(not really...haha), the first song was perfect until it's my turn to play guitar solo. The first half of the solo was okay, some rhythmic mistakes but not really a matter to worry much, then Chee Onn accidentally stepped on my cable and it went loose, ARGH!!!! My guitar was disconnected and there was no sound for the second half of my solo. Yor, all the sudden no mood to play already, that's why I said I was a bit disappointed. The second song started without my part since the cable wasn't fixed, the audio guy came up to connect it halfway through the second song, by that time I don't feel like playing already...zzz. Good thing it happened when my part was about to become unimportant. Ah well...Things happens, next time I'll make sure no one stands near my cable lor...

The last song played was Circle of Life again, due to encore. For this one, I sincerely apologise to everyone of the orchestra because I messed up the end. If you didn't noticed then just pretend the song was perfect and don't ask what did I do wrong LOL!


The last rehearsal in the afternoon.
And the oscar goes to...

I felt so weird after the whole thing ended, as if...as if...haha...Indescripable feeling. Also met a few someone from other schools, I think we will be seeing each other soon at Cameron Highlands. Speaking of which, I'm very excited about that trip, the Highland Harmonica Festival in July. Just doing a bit of advertising here, if anyone's interested to go to the festival, please register asap, request the form from me if you will :) 

It's an international event and many peoples from all over the world will gather in Cameron Highlands for this event, I'm so not going to miss this, even though I'm not a harmonica guy. Maybe I'll be performing up there too, just maybe. xD



Okay. I guess that's all for the summary part 1. Coming up, the holidays summary part 2.
Till then, cheers~