mike & mimi

UPCOMING EVENTS

2012-02-29T18:11:00.000-08:00

Piano - Tue 7.30pm to 9.30pm; Viola - Tues 9pm; Violin - Fri 8.15pm
PSO - Fri 8pm; PPO - Sun 5pm

03 Feb : An Evening of Arias
25 Feb : Cinematic Great & Jazz Works

May 2012 : LTCL

Contemporary Dancing

2012-02-02T23:49:00.000-08:00

9pm - what a time to start off my first contemporary dance class at The CAT Studio. Cost : RM25 per hour lesson. Then again, i love contemporary dance after watching the show 'So you think you can dance'. The years of classical ballet are behind me now ... for the time being, ha ha.

I like the manner dance courses were described in their website :

Walk… Move around.. Shake.. Your bodies urges some attention more than just bending over, we’re imbued with rhythm in our minds, and to Dance we should!

So, shall we dance?

Awesome Locks

2012-02-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

Did you see my hair this morning? :) Awesome locks after a night of 'headband-ing'. So mum, could i have my hair looking like this more permanently? :))

An Evening of Arias

2012-02-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

Date of Concert : 03 Feb 2012 (Friday)
Time : 8.15 pm at DSP

Extract from nst.com.my
Kay Pahk will be backed by a 60-member strong Penang Philharmonic under maestro Woon Wen Kin. One of the highlights of the performance will be Kay Pahk singing the classic One Fine Day from Madam Butterfly composed by G. Puccini from the tragic tale of waiting for a loved one who never came back.

Personal observation at tonight's rehearsal : the singing was note perfect.

Read more :
http://www.nst.com.my/streets/northern/penang-philharmonic-debuts-with-arias-1.40573

Pool Time at King's Academy

2012-02-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! At last, we were given access to the swimming pool. Though it wasn't a big pool, yet the thought of dipping into our very own academy's swimming pool after our classes today has everyone so excited.

The teachers arrange some water games and it was certainly good fun and therapy for all of us. Looking forward to the next time in the water!

FD-700 Groovy Guitar

2012-01-30T20:40:00.000-08:00

Top : Solid Sitka Spruce
Side/Back : Mahogany
Neck : NATO
Fingerboard/Bridge : Rosewood
String : D'addario
Scale Length : 650 mm

Source : http://www.musicworld.com.my. New price at RM560 but store owner discounted to RM468 with Dixon guitar stand at RM69 less 5% discount.

Freddie Chin with the FD-700
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7bFYAXQ-VU

Flute - Yamaha YFL 211

2012-01-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

Useful comment by Victoria :
Good makes are Yamaha, Pearl, Altus, Muramatsu, Miyazawa, gemeinhardt (not my favourite but popular in the US if that is where you are), Brannen Brothers, Nagahara, Powel, Sonare, Haynes and Trevor James.

Yamaha YFL 211 retail price at RM2500 and it comes with the Split E Mechanism. Special price for 2 flutes plus a music stand for my good friend. And he got hold of his new flute today, yahoo

My own YFL 211 will be shipped from KL within the week :)

UPDATE : Just collected the long silver instrument yesterday night! (02 Feb 2012)

Town Steamboat & Barbeque

2012-01-25T22:57:00.000-08:00

Buffet style steamboat and barbeque located at Macalister Road

Gig at EQ

2012-01-17T22:03:00.000-08:00

Received phone call from SC on 03Jan regarding a gig at EQ on 17Jan. We had 2 practices on the night of Sat & Mon prior the gig and included in the quartet was LWK (2nd violin) & LWY (viola). The playing time was abt 15-20 mins and the paying was good at RM200, which worked out to be RM10 per minute (about 17 cts per sec)

Giving a Face to a City

2012-01-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

Penang Monthly January 2012 Issue 1.12,
Penang Philharmonic 'Giving a Face to the City'

Interviews were also conducted with 5 members of the orchestra and i was picked as one of them. Nervous but excited, being the first time i was interviewed.

The online version can be found at :
http://penangmonthly.com/penang-philharmonic-giving-a-face-to-the-city/

and Electricity is Connected

2012-01-12T00:22:00.000-08:00

and in jubilation, i sms-ed dad 'We have electricity in school already'. Praise God !

Apples and Durians

2012-01-10T14:10:00.000-08:00

Apples and durians are fruits which are completely different from each other in shape, smell, fruit texture and size. Durians are fruits which have a pungent odor and thorny husks. On the other hand, apples are small fruits that have no distinct smell with a smooth surface. Now, these fruits can be used as examples of the two distinct types of lives that one can possibly live.

The thorns of a durian can be compared to a life of dedication and challenges to improve oneself. This life of zeal is a rare type of life because many do not want to risk their comfortable lives for self-improvement. At the end of such a life is complete satisfaction, which is compared to the flesh of the durian. A botanist once described the durian's flesh as, "...a creamy custard, flavored with almonds." Such life is appreciated more because one can look back and see that he has crossed many hurdles and lived an exceedingly fruitful life.

However, the life compared to that of an apple is a life that is smooth sailing, luxurious, and easy-going. It is the life that everyone desires for. One is happy with what he currently has, but will he be happy for long? No, because he doesn't value what he has and he will keep wanting more. He would want more money, more land, and more of everything; however, there is no limit to more. There is no definition of the word "rich". Sadly, it is a life that is nice to look from the outside, but a rat race on the inside.

So is your life like that of a durian or that of an apple?

Semester 2

2012-01-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

Is it already time for Sem 2 - how the holidays just whisked by so quickly. But for today, only 2 hours of lectures and then, mum will send me home, yahoo. Mum will also be having her first 2 classes today. It shall be a short semester - 8 weeks. Exams will be held in week 10.

King's Academy started their classes at the new premises too. There was the singing of Negaraku and the pledge : reminded me so much of the time in school. We were transported over to EPCC for the rest of the day and hope that the electricity can be connected today.

Fee : special rebate at Inti and increased fee at King's.

BRGH Annual Dinner

2012-01-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

Most of us arrived before 6pm with uncle BSY leading the singing and games. After a short message of encouragement by uncle KS, food was served. Everyone enjoyed the dinner and the fellowship around the tables with lots of canned fruits being given out as prizes.

King's Academy

2012-01-08T14:28:00.000-08:00

There was an open house at King's Academy on Sat, 07 Jan but we could not make it because of M&J's wedding at BRGH. We found out that there were a lot of people at the open house and food was served (and they had a generator to power up the place).

Alternative arrangement for another group of parents/students were made for Sun 08 Jan. We arrived at about 2pm - King's Academy was prominently displayed on the wall of the building. On entering, we could see that the whole place was beautifully renovated and done up. Originally, the building was specially built for educational purpose by the owners with lots of space - all 3 floors complete with kindy, classrooms, music room, computer room, cafetaria, swimming pool and soon to be set up, a science lab. We were all anxious about the new place, new teachers, new friends and we hope to enjoy our time here.

Mark & Joyce's Wedding

2012-01-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

Arriving at 9am gave us a bit more time to get organised - piano, cello, microphone, CD and seating. Wayne came a little late, so was unable to practice but he sang well when the bride walked in. Almost everyone thought it was the CD being played. The 2 musical item went well too - a tad too fast for Arioso and Great is Thy Faithfulness could be played a little differently for the first part. Uncle BS shared some thoughts from Ephesians. And before we knew, it was all over - there was plenty of food, pictures of the bride and groom and almost with everyone else were taken and then, getting ready for the luncheon at maple palace.

Heard that M&J spend some time with friends at Pg Hill for dinner and then rushed off to the airport, headed for NZ.

Wedding Rehearsal at BRGH

2012-01-05T22:02:00.000-08:00

Mark & Joyce's wedding rehearsal at BRGH. We arrived just before 7pm and there was already a huge crowd of people there to practice the wedding party and bridal walk in. All the excitement !

Staff Discount & KPP course

2012-01-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

Message this afternoon : Approved staff discount for yearly contract staff. Plus extra RM500 reduction for Sem 1. Thank you ! Registering for Sem 2 tmrw.

And what a day : Was tired after spending almost the entire day for the KPP course. The course was ok ... the instructor was quite animated, so it was difficult to fall asleep. Hope i can pass the colour blind test, he he.

Viola Today

2012-01-03T22:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, today was my first viola class with t MY - so how long ago was that since i first started my violin class with AF? 29Aug 2009 - It has been an incredible 2 years 4 mths. And it was also during these 2 years or so, i completed a number of exams as well - ABRSM G8 & ATCL, Theory G6, Ballet G7 & G8 and Yamaha G5. Quite a feat eh!

Viola class started at 9pm with a Grade 3 assessment, thus the fee of RM150 plus RM20 for photostats. We had subway for dinner/supper - Italian BMT and Subway Melt. Yum, yum

The First Day at INTI

2012-01-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

After 30 days in the government schools, here she goes - ready, anxious and to a lesser extend fearful of the prospects of a new job. It is going to exciting and it will probably take some time before she settles in with the teaching. First meeting of the day was with the admin guy, followed by the academic staff. So much to take in and to take home !

Meeting at Penang Club

2012-01-02T14:24:00.000-08:00

Dad & I were invited to meet up with DS at Penang Club to help update PPO's website and FB with recommendations from Ms P of CG. It was a benficial discussion dwelling on the propects of increasing web readership and ticket sales plus matters relating to overcoming certain problems facing the orchestra members. Lunch was served before we made our exit.

WHITE cello case

2012-01-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

Purchased a carbon fibre white cello case at RM2500 after a discount of about 10%. We were shown a fibre glass case which was sold at about Euro800 and together with insurance and freight, it cost almost RM6000 (heavier and not as good as the carbon fibre unit)

End of Year meeting

2012-01-01T00:10:00.000-08:00

It was that time of the year again when we had our End of Year meeting. Chaired by CT, the youths presented a song item and Dr O wrapped the evening with a challenging message to each one of us. Toast, eggs and coffee were served before the the youths gather together for games and a time of prayer, singing and with an encouraging word from KW, we ended the year and enter into Year 2012. A simple but such a meaningful way into Year 2012.

Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

2011-12-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

The last week of 2011 was crazy because the practices were intensive - everyday. Beginning Tuesday, it was 2 practices per day : either morning or afternoon plus night of Tchaikovsky. And so tonight is the night ... the grand concert.

Russian Night featured the orchestral works of Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky
Capriccio Italien Overture
Violin Concerto in D major
Marche Slave Overture
1812 overture

An amazing performance by members of the orchestra and the young violin soloist for the concerto. And we did good, CLC brought up with him a group of musicians from KL and together with some students of YST, the music couldn't be better.

Madam K will be leaving PPO end of this week/year (and that's tmrw) and we wished her all the best. Bought a nice choc cake for her.

Dinner at Bayview

2011-12-29T20:26:00.000-08:00

Afternoon practice for PPO ended at about 5pm. Dad decided on having dinner at Kopitiam, Bayview Penang : 2 chicken chops, 1 pepper chick & and 1 steak. The evening practice recommenced at 7pm

Bought a cake from EQ for Mdm K who will be leaving for a new job starting early next year. All the best.

KPP course

2011-12-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

Registered for a KPP course which will be held next Wed 04 Jan (5 hrs) at a cost of RM150. An online test will follow soon after and then the driving lessons shall commence in March 2012. Time to get ready for the pick up to Bkt Minyak is at 7.30am

Semester 1 results

2011-12-27T15:57:00.000-08:00

Dad collected the Sem 1 results for me. Yahoo -- i made the Dean List and along with it, it's an A for BM. Next week will be registration week for Sem 2 - will it be for 16 credit hrs or another 12 credit hrs since Sem 2 is going to be a short semester.

Alvin And The Chipmunks 3

2011-12-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

Was a very last minute thingy - Went with some friends for the show, Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 at Queensbay. Have not seen the earlier Chipmunk on screen, good animations though. We had a fun time together since we last met in Taiping ... mmm, how long ago was that?

Christmas at CCC

2011-12-25T17:01:00.000-08:00

After the LS, we headed for CCC for our christmas song service. The hall was packed, thanks to a large group of friends from the Batu Ferringhi area. DL took us through the program of singing, 2 songs items (Mixed Group, Youth and SS Children) together with sharing by 5 pax. After the end of the meeting, a baptism for 2 believers was held in the sea - Aaron & aunty LH's friend. A sumptuous lunch soon followed and everyone ate to their hearts' contents. Ice cream anyone?

Carolling

2011-12-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

This year, we went to a few places - including aunty M as well as at the Penang Home. It was a wonderful of time of sharing God's special gift to us. We congregated at uncle J & aunty LH's home for dinner and we were spoilt for choice of food. After our fill, we proceeded to Batu Ferringhi for a couple of homes before ending at CCC for the night. It was certainly an enjoyable evening with our friends, felt almost like a bible camp reunion. Next morning - LS at GLGC

Christmas concert at E&O

2011-12-22T23:49:00.000-08:00

This was PPO's 2nd christmas concert at E&O Hotel and hopefully, it may be an annual affair in the years to come. Inspite of it being a working day (Thurs), the ballroom was full and the orchestra & choir performed to their best during this christmas season.

Christmas party at Bt Ferringhi

2011-12-17T23:11:00.000-08:00

We joined a group of children at the christmas party at Batu Ferringhi. Mum has been teaching christmas carols to a group of children from a tuition centre over the past month and they are now ready for their performance. Dinner was served before the program for the evening started. There were other groups performing as well - singing, dancing and magic show. There was a large crowd and certainly a wonderful opportunity for community work.

String Quartet at RSH

2011-12-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

String quartet at Rasa Sayang Hotel for a garden wedding. For this gig, there was LCG (1st v), EL (2nd v), SW (viola) and me (cello). This was certainly one of the more enjoyable gig and we played well for the bride and groom. Cheers to them ! and cheers to RM200

My First Viola

2011-12-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

It is here ... finally. My first viola (15.5), it is an instrument i had always wanted to learn to play. Have been waiting for it since early Dec. Priced at RM680, it is a good instrument, according to t M. Lessons will begin sometime 2012 - shall wait for that moment.

23Dec - viola lesson shall be on Tues 9pm starting Jan 2012

Bible Camp 2011

2011-12-11T12:14:00.000-08:00

Bible Camp 2011 organised by BRGH - 11 to 17 November at CCC, Batu Ferringhi. Camp teachers were LMY and WKW (Petra & Kajang assemblies). We were given opportunities to serve as asst big brother, taking care of the notice board and as musicians. Camp Theme : Beyond (Phil 3:14) with 3 groups namely : Blazers, Sprinters, Runners.

Reunion on 27Dec was a blast but someone had to go for orchestra practice, ha ha. But I enjoyed myself with CLC, James & company - Tchaikovsky 1812 overture

While the new generation of campers took to camp, the oldies took a photo together.

Harvest Haven 2011

2011-12-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

3rd annual trip to Harvest Haven for our family gathering over 4D and 3N except for 6 of us staying 1 or 2 days. Pool maintenance was down so it was not so enjoyable this time around. We had a good dinner out at Lawan Kuda and made a trip to Taman Rekreasi Gunung Lang.

Dad & I made it there on the 2nd day after my last semester paper on 09Dec.

LP Cajon

2011-12-03T22:01:00.000-08:00

Purchased an angled Cajon 1433 from Art Tune for RM590.

The LP1433 Angled Surface Cajon is made of wood ply with Burl playing surface and has snares inside. It features a textured seat surface and maesures 19" tall by 12" width. The depth of the top is 12" and bottom is 17". The top corners can be loosened to adjust the "slap" feature of the instrument.

The Cajon has become extremely popular and for good reason. The square-ish box offers delightful tones, sometimes muted and sometimes open, which simulate everything from bongos to tumbas to snare drums, when played with hand slaps, deep palm "dooms" and sizzling finger staccato patterns. The cajon looks for the all the world like a humble box but it has become so much more.

Sher Lyn from UK

2011-12-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

Arrived in Penang on MAS at 11.40am - will spend 13 days in Penang, Gopeng & Klang before flying to NZ for her family reunion.

Dinner at Chili's

2011-12-02T22:58:00.000-08:00

4 orders for 5 pax and we still can't finish the food. It was a certainly a reminder to be thankful for His blessings - music exams and 28 yrs together.

1st Semester Exams

2011-12-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

Today is the first 3 hr paper for the 1st semester exam at 1.00pm, followed by another 4 papers (Tue to Fri) next week before the semester break till 09 Jan 2012.

Jazz at Botanical Gardens

2011-11-27T23:56:00.000-08:00

Jerome and his gang performanced at the Botanical Gardens to the delight of the crowd gathered there.

An Imperfect Stone

2011-11-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

The price of an imperfect stone for a perfect woman is nothing short of infinity for she is truly priceless.

From Heaven's Throne

2011-11-22T23:53:00.000-08:00

Adventist Hospital charity concert entitled From Heaven's Throne at DSP - Both of us have been practising with the small orchestra since last month (first practice on 15 Oct). For our effort, we were each given RM50.

A fellowship lunch was held on 26 Nov 2011 at SDA church.

VDC

2011-11-19T23:52:00.000-08:00

Meeting for parents - EPCC will take over from early next year 2012. There will be an open day sometime in Jan 2012 at the new centre.

Mark & Audra

2011-11-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

Mark & Audra are in Penang and have invited us out for a quick dinner at Supertaker before they head back to Nibong Tebal.

International Festival Concert

2011-11-14T23:21:00.000-08:00

Pictures taken from website at nst.com.my on 29 Nov 2011 :

Penang Philharmonic - International Festival Concert

Held at E & O Hotel on 14 November 2011 after 4 days of workshop under Prof Chan Tze Law of Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, Singapore

Soloist : Elizabeth Tan (cello)

Interview at INTI

2011-11-14T22:39:00.000-08:00

Today's the day for mum's interview with Ms K at Inti - impressed with her resume

Footstool Players at Straits Quay

2011-11-13T23:48:00.000-08:00

Their performance made their debut on Stage 1 at Penang Pac.

String Quartet at EQ Hotel

2011-11-11T23:45:00.000-08:00

String quartet at EQ Hotel for a 11.11.11 wedding. Benjamin joined us for the first time with E & T. RM200

Advance Certificate - Cello

2011-11-11T23:41:00.000-08:00

Today is the day mum took me City Bayview for the Advance Certificate for Cello exam. Time : 10.07 am. The results on 29 Nov : 85 (Distinction). From t Lucy : Michael has done very well and I am very pleased with the marks.

ATCL Piano Exam

2011-11-07T23:35:00.000-08:00

It has been a very tense week of practice and practice for the ATCL piano exam - and today is the crunch day. Time : 3.20pm Venue : City Bayview Hotel. The results on 29 Nov : 85 (Distinction)

Workers' Conference at CCC

2011-10-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Half day conference and family hour at CCC

Gurney Hotel - WOU function

2011-09-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Performanced at a WOU function at Gurney Hotel

Chamber Music Concert

2011-09-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

The Chamber Music Concert was held at the Town Hall with soloist Raymond Ng

Trinity Conferment

2011-09-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Trinity Conferment was held at Grand Dorsett Subang.

We stayed a night in Subang and another night at ACC's house

String Quartet on board Logos

2011-09-11T22:22:00.000-07:00

Playing at the lounge area after our performance at the pastors' conference

String Quartet at RSH

2011-09-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

String quartet at Rasa Sayang Hotel for a garden wedding. RM150 for an hour's work

Logos Camp

2011-09-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Theme : Teen Street - The Brand New Me. We thoroughly enjoyed our Logos camp - 3D and 2 nights of fun and excitement

SS picnic at CCC

2011-08-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

We stayed the night of 30 Aug at CCC in anticipation of the SS picnic the next day.

Steamboat Dinner - ex-SKBG

2011-08-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

Former students of SKBG had a get together over steamboat dinner at a restaurant along Macalister Road - 5 ladies and 3 guys all in black.

Get Together - Raynasaurus

2011-08-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

We had a Raynasaurus get together at Gurney Plaza with our favourite t R

Picture taken at t R's house

Visual C++

2011-08-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

The start to C++ was a breeze. Definitely going to get tougher.

28 years on

2011-08-19T23:16:00.000-07:00

Mum received a most wonderful news today. Looks like VDC or Inti soon?

Jargar Strings

2011-08-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

It was high time to change the entire sets of strings for the cello at a cost of RM345. With the bridge lowered by 1mm, that has to do for now until such time when a new bridge beckons.

INTI Penang

2011-08-15T22:34:00.000-07:00

First day at college - anxious and excited. First lecture at 8.00 am was Principles of Information Technology followed by BK until about 1.00 pm (supposedly to end at 3.00 pm).

2nd Day started with tutorial for PIT followed by Fundamentals of Programming (time was also short changed) and 3rd Day was a public holiday. No tutorials for FOP and English lecture. Thurs is solely Maths

PSO and child prodigy

2011-08-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

It was a rare opportunity to share the stage with a 10 year old German solo violinist, Elias David Moncado. Considering his age, he did marvellous work on his violin to the delight of the audience.

Verdi- Nabucco Overture
Bruch- Violin Concerto in G minor
Dvorak- Symphony NO.9 "New World"

It was also a new experience for me to sit as the principal is a PSO concert. There was the anxieties being at the helm but it came out well. Obviously, that meant i had to put in some practices on my own and more effort during the rehearsals.

Cello in KL

2011-08-06T21:40:00.000-07:00

4 days of intensive classes with Mr C at CA, Puchong. Picked up some useful tips with lots of studies thrown in. As it was coming in to Subang, the flight back to Penang was the similiar propeller Fokker plane.

Bands at Botanical Gardens, Penang

2011-07-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

Union School band on 30 July 2011 at Botanical Gardens

Yala Municipal orchestra - 24 July 2011

From NZ

2011-07-29T21:44:00.000-07:00

Uncle KK and Aunty J visited for about 13 days since 17 July early morning arrival from Singapore. We had some fun time eating right until the day they left on 29 July.

Yala Municipal Orchestra

2011-07-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

An interesting and fun loving orchestra from Yala visited Penang in conjunction with Georgetown Festival 2011 for a combined performance with PPO at DSP.

Pot-Pourri

2011-07-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

An interesting evening of choral pot-pourri with the orchestra providing good music at DSP. The practices were good with a few of the members from YST joining us as the day of the concert performance drew nearer. Sitting at the lead with E is comforting - it was certainly an experience for me. The overall crowd was just average, pity there wasn't a larger crowd.

Kledang, Ipoh

2011-07-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

A huge group of us from BRGH and SNGH took a bus down to Ipoh, minus anyone with yellow Ts for the IBA games. Together is a 'grand day' in KL and it was for us as well in Ipoh. We had good sun, good fun, good food and good fellowship all round. It was indeed a blessing to meet with the folks from the Kinta region.

It was a full day and though it was tiring, it was enjoyable trip.

TYT Concert

2011-07-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

Held on 03 July 2011 at the DSP

Week Ending 02 July

2011-07-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

Shopping at Tesco, lunch at Pelita and and murtabak for me. We had our usual captainball at youth park, picked up ko and went to SP restaurant for dinner. Waited for half hour and still 4 more tables to go - paid for drinks and quit. Ended up at Island Glades for hawkers' food - fast and yummy too. Most eating places are full house on Sundays after 7pm.

Mon night was table tennis with dad. Took photo for college application and for renewing passport. Both of us were at Adventist for checks on our braces. Had a lesson with Mr C on Sat morning, learnt a lot from him. Mr T's scheduled Sat night performance at E&O was cancelled.

An intense weekend of orchestral practices where Mr C and gang (altogether 9 of them) joined us for the practices and the TYT concert on Sunday.

Ballet Inter & Pointe Shoes

2011-07-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

Started my ballet inter today and paid for a new pair of pointe shoes RM100 plus RM13 for ribbon and RM12 for workmanship.

Squash and Cakes

2011-06-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

What has squash and cakes in common? Hmm... nothing more than the common phrase about the 'chalk and cheese', right? But on no less than 3 occasions, we had squash and cakes - YES, after a game of squash, we bought cakes for supper, ha ha. So, there you have it - Squash and Cakes. That's what we did again tonight - cheese cake, yum yum!

It does sound a little lame, right - but we did come out with something else rather unusual - dad's squashed muffins. It happend a number of years back when we were at KR but we shall leave that to another time for the details.

So, anyone for Squash and Cakes? :)

Week Ending 25 June

2011-06-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

Dad met with ID for BRGH phase 2 kitchens while YPs were having games at youth park. Dinner was at MaxG, Gurney Plaza. Bought a guitar stand RM69 and capo RM68 at Evolution. Took a look at Groovy FD701 guitar at RM350 with classes at RM125 per month. So, when can we get the guitar and the formal lessons?

Table tennis with dad instead of squash on Mon night. Practice was arranged on Tues night for Wed's miniature concert at Komtar A. A string ensemble, horn quartet, clarinet & horn solo and the rest of the evening was Yvonne's. She played all her 5 pieces well, accompanied by Ms T on the piano. Tiring but interesting evening.

On Wed, we had a get together with some members of the Rayna group and master D on Wed. It was fun being togethere again. Lunch was at Dragon I - noodles. Assignment : 2nd piano on Rachmaninoff.

Fri - Sun was more practices for TYT concert with Prof Chan for a couple of days. Our Fri night out at Macs. Mum had sports days on Sat (and 4 more durians) while i had a session of table tennis with J Han - so good to have an old friend back at the table. He had his first taste of cincau - he loves it. Bought 2 pair of shoes at Bata - sis and dad, and then, oreo ice cream at Macs.

Vege and Prawns

2011-06-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

Aunty CC wanted a picture of this vege and prawn dish but she does not know how to name the vege. It goes like sayur rumi, i guess. Anyone?

Week Ending 18 June

2011-06-18T22:50:00.000-07:00

New school term kicked in for me and it was marking books for ko, helping out with Maths and Science at VDC. While it's good to help out, i could do with more practices for both the piano and cello. Nic's exam week so squash is off again.

PSO orchestra practice on Fri and then, Macs for supper, whee..

Hiking for mum and me at Balik Pulau hills but alas, the rain spoilt the program. We bought 11 durians for RM30, bagus juga. According to the durian seller, this is the first of the 3 harvest this year in Balik Pulau.

The youth program was special this week with a skit entitled Black & White and food was served. We had diinner at QB Secret Recipe instead - Lasagne, Chicken & Cakes.

Week Ending 11 June

2011-06-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

DVBS commenced on Wed to Fri. The children were excited with the program with some new friends joining us. Fri also marked the first practice for the TYT concert - few takers. Is it usually a slow start or maybe it was till the holidays? :)

So, how about Inter Ballet? According to teacher P, the next exam after Oct 2011 shall be based on the new syallabus. Let's do it from next month onwards. Enquired about mandarin class at PCTH and the class will only commence in July if there are sufficient students - RM115 for beginner's class (5 months).

We had another practice for the performance for wedding and it was off to Hard Rock on Saturday. I must say we were pretty good, ha ha.

Bangkok on Day 3

2011-06-04T23:55:00.000-07:00

After breakfast, it was tuk-tuk to Platinum plaza. Ladies apparels were aplenty, cheap but no trying. Shop and go concept. The locality was full of these shopping areas, especially the nearby open market. Had wanted to go to Siam Paragon but it was closed in the morning for buddha day so it was back to Central.

There was a huge food court and eating place on one of the upper levels. Checked into Swensen's for ice cream, yum yum. Picked up 3 T shirts at Bhat 100 each on Thailand/Thai alphabets. Better quality and cheaper than Chatuchak market, ha ha. Check out time was 2pm and hopped over to Big C for lunch. Lugged our bags to the train station for the journey to the airport. Ramen and BK for dinner before boarding plane back to Penang. Tiring but most certainly, an enjoyable trip.

Bangkok on Day 2

2011-06-04T23:53:00.000-07:00

The excitement of the day before caused us to sleep late plus one hour later due to the time difference. So, we had to crawl out of bed to make it for breakfast. Our next destination was to the famous Chatuchak weekend market, a short distance from Mo Chit station. It is believed to be the world's largest flea market with over 15000 booths over 27 acres.

Took the sky train from Mo Chit to Siam station for the interchange to Saphan Taksin for a river cruise. Lunch was at one of the boat stops. Made our way to this huge impressive shopping mall, the Siam Paragon. There was a massive flower show, one we have not seen before. Was just too tired to walk more, so it was back to the hotel for rest. Dinner at Big C and 6.30 pm was pick up time for the famous Calypso Ladyboy show. Due to the traffic, we just made it in time, whew! Dazzling show! Reminded dad of the paper dolls from Philippines, ha ha.

After the show, we opted for the sky train to Sala Daeng station and visited the famous Patpong shopping and fringe 'red light' district. The things they sell and the 'things' you see. A real eye opener for us :) Almost 11pm then, so it back to the hotel.

Bangkok on Day 1

2011-06-04T23:27:00.000-07:00

There was no struggle to get up in the morning even though it was 5.30am (yawn!). David ko-ko drove us to the airport for our flight scheduled at 8.30am. On landing, we took the Airport Train to Phayathai and hopped on the BTS Sukhumvit line to Chit Lom. Arnoma Hotel is about 10 minutes walk away. There was this above ground walkway, joining the train stations to nearby shopping malls.

Bangkok has massive highways but they are always clogged up with traffic. The next thing one would notice is the many shrines at street corners and shopping malls, eg the 4 faced buddha at Erawan. Quick lunch at nearby Macs, checked in and off we go to Central World, which is just across the street from our hotel. Another thing we observed were the many security checks everywhere, especially in shopping malls. Have you ever heard of queueing up to enter shopping malls?

Next on the agenda was the trip to Siam Niramit for a dinner and show. It tells of a journey to the enchanted kingdom of Siam, a must see to further understand the history of Thailand. We were also surprised that Siam Niramit is listed in the Guiness Book of Records as one of the largest stage productions in the world. Cool eh!

Prior to entering the theatre, there were cultural shows on the grounds of Siam Niramit plus an elephant and a host of animals which were used as part of the show inside the theatre.

Week Ending 04 June

2011-06-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

Holidays are here again - Always good to have a break and that goes for mum as well. First couple of days were spent relaxing with our own program. Ko is now officially off home school so that means, getting hold of the official transcripts from KL and college shall begin. So there's Disted, Segi, Inti and YST, where shall we start?

We had our first practice for the string quartet for a performance at a wedding at Hard Rock. The practice was held at a house near Gembira Parade and uncle Tham was very kind to offer me a lift there and home. Met up with JuL again (previous meet for dinner at Golden Triangle, QB). He plays 2nd violin very well.

So, what's next on the holiday menu? :) YES, dad booked us on a trip to BKK so it was packing time. So exciting when news of the trip came through an sms at Macs.

Youth Retreat 2011

2011-05-30T22:54:00.000-07:00

Taiping here we come - YES, we were at Taiping for a 4 day youth retreat. One car was involved in a minor mishap and had to spend the night in Penang before moving off the next day plus most of the baggage. The weather was hot and humid, very unlike the cool rainy days of Taiping but we enjoyed ourselves with the programs.

We had a combined youth meeting and took over the SS after the sunday morning meeting. It was difficult to leave after the days of bonding and fun but there was a sense of satisfaction spending those precious days together.

Week Ending 28 May

2011-05-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

Sun afternoon - We went to BJCC for a really fun time of squash followed by the movie 'Letters to God'. A really touching story of a boy's trust in God.

Received confirmation that the practices for the Choral Pot-Purri shall commence on 08July.

Tues at Chili's - shared a platter and lots of tachos.

Squash lesson no. 1 on Mon was squashed - Nic couldn't make it as he was away, aww... We were so looking forward to it. Tues? Ballet and then an hour's fun time at Chilis. How abt Wed? RT's lessons! Thurs.. here we come. Yeah, we did enjoy our time with Nic while learning a few basic things about squash.

Week Ending 21 May

2011-05-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

Sun evening was captain ball but koko decided to stay home while mum & dad took to the hill. Dinner for us was at Nando's, yum yum. Took some time to browse at the shops but nothing bought.

Tues was public holiday - Visited SY at Tanjong MC. Lunch was at MaxG at GP, checked the pricing of a rice cooker - Pana or Philips. Checked out the squash racquets - Prince & Dunlop. Went home with bubble tea and heaps of bread!

YES, have completed Maths 12-10 and scored a 93% for the final test, pretty good eh. So, what shall i do at VDC next week?

Sat was shopping day - Bought a pair of Dunlop squash racquets and a blue ball at YO. Hopped over to GP to pick up 2 pair of shoes - Mizuno and Dunlop. Total Cost to start squash : RM370.70 (wow). Squash tmrw anyone?

Ordered a pair of point shoes - the old pair is getting soft.

Week Ending 14 May

2011-05-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

Mum's Day - Took mum for special lunch at Eden's, yum yum. I started knitting class from YiYi, QB. Not as difficult as i thought it to be but ... there's the learning curve, ha ha.

Getting a good feel of the old Yamaha guitar after the servicing and adjustments made.

Week Ending 07 May

2011-05-07T22:13:00.000-07:00

Sun - Commenced study on 1 John. Made Indon layer cake today - mmm, the aroma. Dinner was at Song River with the Cheahs. Not so good curry catfish and the sea clams tasted weird.

We went to GP with some youths for a show 'Thor' while mum & dad took the Cheahs for breakfast and BRGH site visit. Bought green cloth & sarong at Kamdars, bicycle safety lights & pins at Young Ones and then, Pg Road chendol, yum yum. Has been a long while!

St George church conservation project

2011-05-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

Extract from Bernama :
The National Heritage Dept officially handed over the St. George Church conservation project to the church management. RM1.84M for the church conservation project which took 8 months to complete. Repair work on the 195 year old St. George Church started on 01Apr10 and was completed in Nov. It is the oldest Anglican church in SE Asia which incorporated the Georgian Neo-classical and Greek architecture.

Chamber group in attendance : 2 violins, 1 viola & 1 cello

Week ending 30 April

2011-04-30T23:18:00.000-07:00

After a hectic week, Mon was a day of rest and rest we did - no piano too, we were just too lazy, ha ha. On Tues, we attended aunty M's wake service to bid farewell to her. Many of her friends and relatives were there too. We shall all miss her dearly.

No piano lessongs and no string lessons this week for both of us, yahoo. Bought choc mud at EQ for consumption - delicious.

Sat - Ping pong followed by a practice for a chamber group (EE&T). The performance was, guess what, that Sat afternoon itself. Visisted the Evangel book sale and picked up a book & a shop for a couple of T-shirts. PH for dinner, yahoo!

Week Ending 23 April

2011-04-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

The Conclusion - Dad ended the series of meeting on the book of 1 Thess on Sun morning. B&A joined us for the Lord's Supper, after which we had lunch and tea at Pelita & Fettes Park before saying our good byes at CH. It has been a tiring week and it was followed by another exciting & tiring week with the commencement of the Bible Reading & Easter Conference.

The Bible Reading conference on the book of Ezekial was fascinating. The speaker, Mr MikeA took time to explain certain difficult passages but it was always a lack of time to cover more. On Wed, we had dinner with MikeA at Old Town QB. He was cautious about taking in too much carb so it was fish and chicken for him.

The Easter meetings had the hall filled to the brim. It was certainly good to see believers enthusiastic in the study of the Word. On Sun, our song presentation on 'The Victor' went well during Sunday's baptismal service where CherylY was baptised that evening. During dinner, we received news of aunty M's home call to glory ... and on the Resurrection Day.

Week Ending 16 Apr

2011-04-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

We made our way to Jawi for a thanksgiving function at the Golf Resort. It was an easy drive and the place itself was not too difficult to locate and we arrive in good time. However, there was a delay and after all the singing and listening (bored and hungry), dinner was finally served. By then, everybody made a beeline for home. The highway was jammed so we took the trunk road to Auto City and later learned that a lorry laden with rice overturned as it made its way down south from Gurun. Oh, what a night!

Mum had 3 days of conference, so that's no school for her. She enjoyed herself time there meeting up old and made new friends, one of which was aunty Alice from USA but currently in Manila doing some translation work with uncle Bill. We spend some interesting time with them over the 2 days of the weekend.

On Sat morning, we went up for a walk around Ayer Itam dam. It was such a serene place and the walk around the dam was under the shade of the trees. We had our mid morning breakfast at FL and lunch with aunty Alice at Komtar. Visited the inner city and the clan jetty before making our way up to the airport to pick up uncle Bill before dropping them off at CopH.

Week Ending 09 April

2011-04-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

Usual start to another week - time does seem to fly by so quickly when you least expect it. Music classes are as usual, kinda enjoyable but it's a challenge trying hard to keep step and be motivated for the coming exams at the end of this year. That means practices and preparing the programe notes.

By the end of the week, i was sporting hair bangs and braces. Really uncomfortable feeling of the braces so it is just porridge. Aunty Ai and ah ma could not recognise at all, ha ha.

Week Ending 02 Apr

2011-04-02T23:45:00.000-07:00

Sun is usually a fun day. Waking up in the morning, a short time of prayer together and getting ready for the LS - mum was playing the piano that morning. We took a hike up to No. 3 before heading to SR Gurney Drive for dinner, rice with some delicious food.

Have been learning up a little Korean and Thai language from our friends at VDC. Ballet classes are closed for 2 weeks due to exams and the term holidays. Time for us to start working on our program notes - 4 pieces each.

Fri was sis appointment for the separators to be placed between teeth - annoying and uncomfortable. Also a day for orchestra practice in preparation of a charity concert on 15April. MacD for supper after PSO.

Dad arranged for a recording at Digital Tg Tokong with Yamaha GC1 - 1 piece each of Haydn and Debussy. Video was ok but Mr F was not too happy with the audio recording. All the padding and the seemingly less noise in the night did not help. With ko away for recording, i played the piano for the song item for the EC. Of course, it was good after all the practices. D pizza for dinner/supper, yahoo! All the fast food.

Separators for braces

2011-04-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

April Fools Day! Dr A places the separators between my teeth in preparation for the braces next week. Aarghh, uncomfortable now - cannot eat properly. Again, why did i agree to this? Must be the vanity, ha ha.

Oxford Cello School

2011-03-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

We received an email from OCS today (162) : Having considered the information on your application form we have decided to offer you a bursary.

The bursayr was certainly much more than was suggested earlier but it is still too expensive to go considering the fact that the fee for the advanced course 11 day full board and tuition is 1065GBP (27Jul to 06Aug). Anyway, a big thank you for their consideration.

Week Ending 26 Mar

2011-03-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

Philip on 06Mar and Nathanael on 20Mar - we had an insight into certain useful and practical thoughts on these bible characters. Had an eye infection on Mon and mum took me to the clinic for some medication, so lots of water and barley. Pray that it will heal in time for the exam this Fri.

RT's classes as usual with the last G8 ballet class on Wed with the teachers wishing us all the best. We were all nerves but we knew we would do well. A close to a chapter of my life - but shall i pursue the inter? Fri night was supper at Northam Beach - soup, lasagna & cakes, yum yum. A little celebration!

Dinner at ChopperB and shopping with mum at GP for a new purse (Carlo R) while dad & ko went for dinner at MV - such a rainy day into the night.

RAD Grade 8

2011-03-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

Alas, the day dawned upon me after much anticipation and anxiety but was raring to go. After years of classes and practices, it came down to this one final exam. Thank you to all my friends in class for the encouragement and fun. And to our very dedicated teachers for their love and dedication.

And the conclusion of the matter : I fulfilled a dream i had when i was 6 .. today, it's time to have a new dream .. :-)

Piano masterclass at YST

2011-03-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

For the programs in the months of May & June 2011, there were no updates on YST website yet. It was still the same : Watch this space for concerts coming your way!

RT is equally excited about the masterclass so that will an extra lesson on Thurs before the recording. Dad has to arrange a new date with uncle F as Sat will be crazy olympics followed by PPO's dinner at MV.