La Musique

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Well, so now I know what the OG Yuli was ranting about means. And yes, I didn't bother to ask what it stands for, for fear of receiving the reaction "Oh my, that girl is entering jc in less than two days, and she doesn't know what OG means?!" Who knew that it would stand for Orientation Group???

A rather conspicuous lack of originality and creativity wouldn't you agree? On a more personal note though, HI JIAMIN! We can sign friends foreva on my non-existent autograph book, and I can tear the page out once we end up in different classes! Oh seriously (slaps thyself and thy useless mouth), SHALOM JIAMIN.

Now to what I really intended to blog about. Despite my failed attempts at qt recently, I would strongly recommend all youths to read the student edition of "The Case for Creator"...

When you reach my age (oh so now I will sink into menopause), and you are painfully aware that physics is the bane of the female existence, you will hate what I am about to say.

After reading the book, this is what I feel: You know gravity? The fact we can walk on flat surfaces without strapping ourselves to the floor, or the fact that when we jump off a raised platform, we do a faceplant in the ground? Yes gravity. It's something we all take for granted. Not that I see many of you waking up in the morning and crying out "Oh Lord, thank You for gravity!" No, I don't even see most of you in the morning.

From the book: Right now, the force of gravity is set precisely at a certain point along this incredibly long continuum. As a result, life on earth can flourish. But pretend the dial setting for the force of gravity were to be moved by just one single, solitary inch.

Immediately, the impact on life in the universe would be catastrophic! Animals anywhere near the size of human beings would be instantly crushed. Even insects would need thick legs to support themselves, and animals much larger couldn't survive. And that's just from moving the dial setting a mere inch compared to the width of the entire universe!

"As you can see," said Collins, "gravity has an incomprehensibly narrow range for life to exist. Of all the possible settings on the dial, from one side of the universe to the other, it happens to be situated in the exact right fraction of an inch to make our universe capable of sustaining life.


Amazing isn't it? Such fine-tuning, detailed design of creation screams RUBBISH! at random chances of big bang, and insteads points proudly towards the mind of a Creator.

The author of this book, Lee Strobel, was convinced initially by science that God didn't exist. It is written here how he went about researching and discovering more about science, that he had no choice at all in the end, but to acknowledge that the universe was really designed by a supreme creator, God.

If you still hate gravity after what I've just typed, this book also handles issue on DNA, molecular machines, Darwinism and the origin of life. Do you know that despite what Darwin insists.. to date.. scientist still cannot find the link between reptiles and birds? Do you know that the Java man was just a skull, a femur (thigh bone), three teeth, and a great deal of imagination? And did you know that the Archaeopteryx was proved by a Chinese paloentologist that it was merely a dinosaur tail glued to a primitive bird?
Don't ask me what a paloentologist is. I have absolutely no idea.

But read the book. It will blow your mind.

I think I will go read up on Wikipedia about the origin of christmas trees now.

4:57 PM

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord.
Praise God in His sanctuary;
praise Him in His mighty heavens.
Praise Him for His acts of power;
praise Him for His surpassng greatness.
Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise Him with the harp and the lyre,
praise Him with tambourine and dancing,
praise Him with the strings and flute,
praise Him with the clash of cymbals,
praise Him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.

I now know why God saw fit to grant us puny humans the gift of music; This music was to be dedicated to praising God. Every concerto grosso, every Chopin nocturne, every ballade, every polonaise, every mazurka, every bagatelle, every dance suite, every lied, every art song, every impromptu, every waltz, every etude, every minuet and trio, every sonata, every prelude (yes even the dang fugues)... ...were and are to be wholly devoted to our Heavenly Father.

I will never be able to hear a symphony just for it's music ever again.

10:29 PM

With the long-awaited holidays since O levels drawing to a terrifying abrupt close, I have been slow to accept the dismaying yet inevitable truth: School reopening.

I'm a boring person, I'll give you that. I abhore any sort of change, and going to a whole new school without my best friends is exactly the type of change I loathe and dread. Well I can't supress the overwhelming feelings of utter dislike welling up, all I can reiterate is that I will trust God, and wherever my O level results bring me (or force me) to end up, is all in God's plan.

Oh that was so unusually sensible of me. Actually I lie, I've been stamping my foot and throwing pillows around the house in petty fits of fury.

Being the usual accepting calm me, I have decided to blatantly ignore the glaring truth that I have forgotten almost everything about integration and differentiation, or that I can barely remember the pregnancy hormone, and focus on what I have left in the holidays to look forward to.

1. The puppet lunch (still unscheduled)
2. Church this Sunday
3. Watch Night Service

Oh wow, I seem to be on a roll, so why not add a list of stuff I am dreading.

1. Bernice and Ellie knocking on my door at any random moment now
2. The institutions of study the MOE have named Schools.

11:43 AM

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

I hereby proclaim I love Daryl and Lynn to bits. They got me a TEN-CD set of Chopin works! I pray, and pray, and pray somemore that its not too expensive. Because prior to this, I only had a single Chopin CD by pianist Idil Biret which is quite expensive in itself.

Just imagine, luxuriating in the gentle, tugging melodies of Chopin... it's pure ecstasy. Too bad my family doesn't share in the joy. I'll have to do it in my own personal time and space.

Thanks to
Deborah (HUGE impratical pencil),
Daryl (poisoned gingerbread),
Yien, (handmade pouch which is thankfully not pink),
Liqun (sweets which were meant for Cyrus),
Hui Hiang (3 pairs of earrings I will never wear),
Julia (chocolate),
Jocelin (cute m&ms),
Jolene (card),
Hannah (a small boat???)
Teacher Sharon (magnets),
Jessica (lip gloss which I nearly ate because it looked like a cupcake and goodies),
Ellie (HUGE chocolate from Aussie),
Uncle Lawrence (finding Nemo pillow),
Uncle Chjn Pheow (weird-looking fish pouch and overpriced lunch),
Auntie Wendy (keychain clock, goodness knows i NEED one)

Hopefully I didn't forget everyone. And I realise people don't leave names on gifts, so this should help me remember what's from whom : ) Thank you with all my heart.

11:49 AM

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

A Blessed CHRISTmas to everyone!

and

Happy Birthday Jesus!

12:41 AM

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Testify, testify, testify to love.

Finally bought the Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Ninnnn...I forget. This should be an interesting read.

Actually no wait Vera, you haven't exactly finished all the christmas stuff.
Oh shush conscience.

10:38 PM

Today has been a really enlightening day. And in more ways than one.

I found out that one does not really need to drink eight glasses of water a day, that reading in dim light does not worsen eyesight (which explains my miraculously perfect eyesight) and that two people close to me had dated before but apparently they neglected to inform me about it.

But lessons of carols was just lovely. I simply adore the song about creation though it's title eludes me for some reason. I shall coerce someone to teach me soon. The children were oh-so-KAWAI. I wish they did it every service. Ian was just too adorable for words!

Music was marvelous too. Very well coordinated. It was a pure unalloyed joy to listen to music uplifted to God. I acknowledge the very much superior skill of the pianist and the guitarist.

Oh and thanks for the christmas gifts guys. :)

Oh, and after hearing that Auntie Corrine is actually EIGHT years older than Uncle Hann Fang, I have been very inspired. It means I actually stand a chance with Zhen Jie! Haha.

Toast to eternal bliss with Zhen Jie.

10:21 PM

Friday, December 21, 2007

This is seriously the last year I'll do Christmas cards. The next time I do insanely attempt it, I shall start in January. That should give me sufficient time. I can't help being a perfectionist.

The last time I attempted to send Christmas cards, I only sent two by post. And even then, I got it both wrong. Yi Pei called me to ask why she received Elaine's card, and Elaine called to ask why Yi Pei's card was in her envelope. I'm sure you understand why such a scatter-brain cannot work in the post office.

This time, I'm sending fourteen by post, and goodness knows how many in church. I haven't even planned stuff out! And the christmas gifts are so impractical. Why can't everyone just have the mentality of three-year-old kids and be happy with numerous sweets and lollipops?

Don't confuse me anymore.

12:29 PM

Agapella is absolutely AWESOME.

While I'll admit that their performance was not exactly pitch-perfect (unlike their cd), it was surprisingly pleasant to listen to the sonorous blend of voices raised in adoration and exultation of our Lord. Most acapella groups that I have come across usually come across as slightly monotonous, for even a repetitive four-part harmony tends to sound boring after some time.

But with the inventive rhythm provided by the beatboxing, and the creative influx of different variations of the melody, I never found a moment's bore.

It was definitely worth it. And I've got the cd. Oh lovely!

12:44 AM

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Another book promotion. Lalala

I've rather boldly betrayed my long-time love, Fantasy, and have been charmingly seduced by the world of Romance. I've just finished 'Rosie Dunne', a novel by Cecelia Ahern, who is supposedly the writer of the famous book 'PS. I love you' (which I have not seen or heard about).

Quite engaging really, it's one of the few times I've read something that's not a narrative. Instead, the book consists of letters, emails, smses, instant messages, between two people, Rosie and Alex, two people who are meant to be together but just can't seem to get it right. It's not until they have each turned 50, before they realise that passionate love is possible between best friends.

An amusing exerpt from a letter that baby josh, actually his father Alex, wrote to his best friend Rosie.

Dear Rosie and Katie (Rosie's daughter),

Thank you for the teddy you sent me for my birthday, I call him "Bear." Daddy made the name up all by himself, he is very clever. I love to chew on his ear and drool all over him so that when Daddy hugs him, it leaves my slobber all over his face. I also like to throw Bear out of my cot in the middle of the night and then scream at Daddy until he picks it up for me. I just do it for the laugh, Daddy doesn't need to sleep. He's only here to feed me and clean my diapers.
Anyway I better go now, I have a very busy schedule, I'm being fed at nine o'clock, followed by a burping, and then I'm going to try to take a few steps across the living room. I know I can do it... one of these days I won't land on my bum...

Thanks for Bear,
Love you and miss you both,
Josh (and Daddy)

Some parts are quite witty really. I think Lynn might like this. I had a good laugh.

9:37 PM

West mall is a terrible place.

Asides from the fact that it has only one decent bookshop which is a henious crime in itself, it is also perpetually crowded, with tons of people milling around doing goodness knows what.

Along being glossophobic, nyctophobic, trypanophobic, I fear I may be developing a phobia in locations packed full of people. The incessant chattering, heavy footsteps, overly loud music blaring from attention-seeking shops, all threaten to overwhelm me. Shrinking away from social contact, I think most people would call that anti-social.

I was following my mother blindly, desperate to be free of the endless crowds, when I accidentally bumped into a senior lady carrying several shopping bags. Following my instinctive polite nature, I apologised profusely, even bowing once or twice to mollify the indignant lady. She was, however, not mollified at all, muttering under her breath about people who do not give way to elderly people and so on.

Well excuse me. I would like to point out to you that I happen to be carrying many things as well, not in the least a bag full of library books, and in case you have never tried to walk through a crowd before, surprise, surprise! Bumping into people is one of the occassional but necessary hazards.

But of course I had better control over my tongue then my inner thoughts, thank goodness. So I just walked away, still humming the lovely tune I was listening to on my phone. I think that just irritated her even more though. Too bad.

2:13 AM

Sunday, December 16, 2007

It's funny now, when I look back. Just how did I waste my childhood years away?

While my saner counterparts were scrambling around with colour pens and cutesy autograph books, I tried to extract myself from the mayhem. I whittled most of my childhood away poring over fantasy books, or playing the bright cheerful piano I used to own.

One thing that I regretted though, was my allergy of chocolate. For most of my childhood, I obediently abstained from that sweet sensuous delight. Yes, I had a deprived childhood.

I remember my baffling fascination with manga. Perhaps I was attracted by the lovely drawings, something which I knew I would never be able to accomplish within my lifetime. A little unbelievable, but manga really taught me many moral values.

During my adolescent years, I recall dreading every Sunday morning. I was a simple girl with no compulsive shopping disorders, and I had a tendency to wear the same shirt for weeks in a row. I would come out of my room, still wearing the same black shirt I had worn to sleep, and my mother would look at me with this look that literally screamed "Not that shirt AGAIN!" We quarrelled of course, her bemoaning about my lack of desire to dress up, and I complaining to her about her incessant nagging towards my choice of clothing.

But I miss Jean and Josie. I miss the times we would chase each other round the school. I even miss the gazillion times they pulled my two ponytails. I miss the day I dropped my wallet into the toiletbowl (and got Josie to fish it out for me).

I miss playing with my CG members. Hui Hiang, Timothy, Nicholas, Amanda, I missed those times in church. Now the whole CG has changed. I can't identify with them, I doubt if I even like them.

Those times are lost to me forever, and only shreds of my memories still stain my heart.

11:16 PM

As always, being the usual lazy, indolent sluggish slug I am, I cannot be bothered to stir up my creative juices on a wet Sunday evening to come up with something (hopefully) witty or cynically amusing.

And then there was a hazy nebulous luminosity in the air at the foot of the dying Emperor's bed. The glow grew brighter, and she was there. Ce'Vanne had been a bit taller than her daughter, but Garion saw instantly why Ran Borune had doted on his only child, Ce'Nedra. The hair was precisely the same deep auburn; the complexion was the same golden-tinged olive; and the eyes were of that exact same green. The face was wilful, certainly, but the eyes were filled with love.

Ce'Vanne reached out her hand to her husband. Ran Borune's face was filled with wonder, and his eyes with tears. "Ce'Vanne," he said in a trembling whisper, struggling to raise himself from his pillow. He pulled his shaking hand free from Garion's grasp and reached out toward her. For a moment their hands seemed to touch, and then Ran Borune gave a long, quavering sigh, sank back on his pillows, and died.

Ce'Nedra sat for a long time holding her father's hand as the faint, woodland smell and the echo of the little golden bells slowly subsided from the room and the light from the window returned. Finally she placed the wasted hand gently back on the coverlet, rose, and looked around the room with an almost casual air. "It's going to have to be aired out, of course" she said absently. "Maybe some cut flowers to sweeten the air." She smoothed the coverlet at the side of the bed and gravely looked at her father's body. Then she turned. "Oh, Garion," she wailed, suddenly throwing herself into his arms.

Garion held her, smoothing her hair and feeling the shaking of her tiny body against him and looking all the while at the still, peaceful face of the Emperor of Tolnedra. It may have been some trick of the light, but it almost seemed that there was a smile on Ran Borune's lips.

Taken from Guardians of the West, by David Eddings.

9:47 PM

Thursday, December 13, 2007

People who I once counted as friends. Maybe it's just me, but I'm losing you, so much I can't bear to be around you. I fear what I did not used to fear. And somehow, I just know things will never be the same again no matter what you or I can say or do.

To the person I've waited for all my life, I'm not sure I can wait anymore. I had hoped to be able to find a true friend in you, but I'm just human and I can only wait so long. If you don't do anything soon, I'm going to give up.

To Jesus, my Lord and my Saviour, I long for the day when I can run into your arms.

12:45 AM

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Belgarath the Sorcerer was a man with many flaws in his character. He had never been fond of physical labor, and he was perhaps a bit too fond of dark brown ale. He was occasionally careless about the truth and had a certain grand indifference to some of the finer points of property ownership. The company of ladies of questionable reputation did not particularly offend his sensibilities, and his choice of language very frequently left much to be desired.

His daughter, Polgara the Sorceress was a woman of almost inhuman determination and she had spent several thousand years trying to reform her vagrant father, but without much notable success. She persevered, however, in the face of overwhelming odds. Down through the centuries she had fought a valiant rearguard action against his bad habits. She had regretfully surrendered on the points of indolence and shabbiness. She grudgingly gave ground on swearing and lying. She remained adamant, however, even despite repeated defeats, on the points of drunkenness, thievery, and wenching. She felt for some peculiar reason that it was her duty to fight on those issues to the very death.

Taken from Guardians of the West, by David Eddings. Can you hear the music behind the words?

8:43 PM

Simply Classical

Classical music to me, can only be perhaps defined as unpredictable. Whether it be Bach's continuously unravelling melodies, or Bartok's powerful beat, or Mendelssohn's elfin touch, I find them alluring in their unpredictability.

Like why I can't understand Mozart would suddenly cut his melody off to insert in some obscure three-note motif, or a sudden staccato passage would emerge out of nowhere. Why Haydn should obsess over that particular chord progression, why he would go to such lengths to develop that simple motif.

But undeniably, perhaps motivated by the lack of passionate love in my life, my hearts goes out to the master of melodies, Chopin. His sublime melodies, be it in transcendental etudes, or bewitching passages of pure unalloyed rapture, reach a level that seems beyond human ability. When I first heard one of his compositions, Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2, my first thought was "Wow. This sounds straight from heaven."

Not that I've heard anything remotely from heaven before, but in all my time in MEP, while I thought I had been exposed to so many different kinds of classical and world music, even including the monotonous chanting of "The Hours" of Philip Glass, it was the first classical piece I had felt so drawn to.

Chopin was my first love in Classical Music.

8:15 PM

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Why

Why apathetic passion? Not a clumsy attempt at toying with literature I assure you.

I think it's just because I'm not a constant person. I have no discipline of any sort. Part of that stems from the fact that my life has been very smooth-sailing, with no serious peer problems or major obstacles in studying. Maybe a few emo and lovesick moments, but nothing on a large-scale that shook my entire existence.

I get bored very easily. I tire of routines, I get bored of people, of things so easily. I detest filling up particulars that include interests, simply because I am not very sure. Even now as I think I am in love with music, books and children, I fear one day my passion will fade away to lingering nonchalance.

So I'm hoping to record the shreds of memory I have, when I was still in love, still afire with passion, before i solidify into a shapeless piece of wax.

11:22 PM

Friday, December 7, 2007

Ocean

Oh, he smiled at me with this crooked grin, laughter dancing in his eyes.
And oh, how I fell for him. It was love at first sight.
Head over heels, heels over head, cross my heart.
I can hear the wedding bells already.
They peal, tolling joyously in the distance.
And I blush uncontrollably,
much to my dismay.

His arms are open wide,
an eager invitation radiating off every posture.
I lunge towards him with poorly disguised longing.

His name is Ocean,
and how I miss his happy little cries.

I left my heart behind in Canada.

2:36 PM

Sunday, December 2, 2007

A subtle yearning, a slight tug on my cordae tendinae.

She pranced down the stage, skirts afluttering, silken hair fanning out. Cradled in her hands was a violin and its bow, and behold the flitting melody that ensued forth from that simple wooden implement. A slightly medieval sounding tune it was, light-hearted and cheery, not unlike what one would expect at a fair.

Have you seen someone running and leaping with wild abandon, all the while playing a complex fast-paced melody, twirling and swaying to her own music? The audience was so delighted, they started clapping along, one old geezer even bouncing with evident ecstasy in his seat.

Oh I marvel. I envy. I mourn.

12:54 PM