Friday, November 6th 2009

I just had the most fun in a long time. I don't know why I never did before, but I looked up "Pianti, sospiri" on Youtube and found the score. I watched and listened to it, and laughed hysterically during most of it.
I was quite excited, I've always wanted to see the score of it because it has serious coloratura parts. Here is a screenshot of the score, the top line is the vocal part. The coloratura line goes on for up to 7 bars at a time! In this picture, you only see 2. If I ever master coloratura, I shall take a shot at singing that!

I'm dying in anticipation and excitement for the new Philippe Jaroussky CD "La dolce fiamma". I've already heard snippets and one or two tracks from it, and it's gorgeous. J.S. Bach had immense talent, and these were pieces composed by his son, J.C. Bach. They have the same heart-wrenching chords and melodies.

I just stumbled upon a video montage where PJ sports a little beard. Beards are usually really not my thing, they look gross on most guys. PJ looks fine with the beard, but it makes him look older, more mature, more serious. No, thanks. I prefer PJ clean-shaven. He's cuter like that.

Fed my soul with more videos of Philippe Jaroussky tonight. At this point, he's the only person/thing that's keeping me alive. I spent 5 straight hours on my Art prepwork today, it was exhausting.
Need..more..Philippe..Jaroussky....

Thursday, November 5th 2009

Hooray! Monkey Island 5 is out!
Actually, it was released months ago but 1) it wasn't widely known and 2) I've been too busy to check it out. Anyway, I can't wait to play it. I've played and replayed Monkey Island 3 and 4, and I've always thought Guybrush quite cute in a scrawny loser kind of way. Plus, he's got wit!
(He's the one with the tofu-head in the picture.)

I've added a new playlist on my blog, been wanting to compile a classical playlist for some time now. I added my favourite track from "Mazarin", the one by Cazzatti. I love how the instruments build up from nothing at the beginning.
The playlist is generally jolly, except for the 1st movement of Sym. 25. Give it a chance, though. The good parts are after the angry ones.

Added more Mozart and Handel. I can't find many orchestral works of Handel, but maybe I haven't looked hard enough. Meanwhile, here's one that I found on Youtube, it's quite beautiful. Last but not least, there's John Dowland's "The Frog Galliard", whatever that means. It's a cheerful little tune, so I thought I'd add it too. Pretty happy with the playlist, but I think there's not enough Handel in it. Handel wrote beautiful, heart-wrenching vocal works but not enough for orchestras. Wanted to add some choral works by Vivaldi but the renditions they had on Youtube weren't very good.

I'm down to my last paper: Art. Though it's not a theory paper, it's the worst. It's the most tedious, it's at times like these that art students dislike art. Every little thing has to be so precise and detailed, you know? It's not free and easy. There has to be sources and investigation and development, stylisation, layouts.....

Went down to "Fancy Paper" today to buy 8 white A2 sheets of paper for my exam. Bloody people there didn't suggest what to buy and then refused to cut it to size for me! They said "we don't cut the paper, you cut it yourself". Eventually, I found plain white paper of good-quality, but they didn't have any in A2 size, only way bigger ones, so I had to buy them. Now I have to cut them to size myself. They were expensive, too. Damn people.

After my exams, I shall have a serial-killer reading and watching marathon. I want to watch the whole Hannibal Lecter series again to see his artwork, and then I shall watch "Dahmer" too. I'll spend some time reading up on the most twisted serial killers in history. I've been too busy to do that, but I'm guessing no other serial killers are just as twisted as the ones I've already read about.
The serial killers nowadays just rape and kill and perhaps chop the bodies up and dump them somewhere, that's it. The coolest ones rape their dead victims and eat them and perhaps make household items out of their bodies.

On another topic, I watched "Hotel Rwanda" for the first time today, and I loved it. There was not one moment during which I was relaxed. I'm starting to dislike Social Studies again.

Friday, October 30th 2009

I'm in the best mood!

HMV just called and told me that my "Monteverdi" deluxe edition has arrived!!! Ah! I'm practically dancing for joy! I'm also dying for new music, and who better to comfort me than Philippe Jaroussky?
I've been looking forward to the music on this CD. They jazzed it up a little and it has wonderful instrumentation and character. Been stepping into HMV at Citylink Mall to listen to the "Classical 2010" CD time and again just for that one song. This is called extreme desperation.

Worked pretty hard today, spent a lot of the day doing Art. Some light-box work and drawing and shading, and then gathering pictures to print. I had to look for pictures of the weather forecast and found some pretty nice ones to serve as my background for my prepwork. It'll be just like a collage! All those scrap-booking skills will be put to good use.

Stress levels have been running high over the past few days. I almost died before and after each Maths paper, but eventually came through. I realised, after stepping out of the school, that I had made a few mistakes in paper 1, but I felt pretty good after paper 2. Sure, there were a few questions I didn't know how to do in paper 2, but I've done my best. My paper 2 will turn out better than paper 1, but I'm hoping to get more than a B3 for the average.

I'm into Braille now, and hope to teach myself the basics of reading and writing in it after my exams. I think it would be nice to write in a language that most people cannot immediately translate. They'd have to sit themselves at a table and decipher it slowly, it would be just like a code! Also, I have discovered that the world is more interesting through touch.
Most of what we see is taken for granted, but when we close our eyes we put our trust in/at our fingertips to convey images of things around us. With our eyes closed, we detect even the tiniest details of an object, its form, its texture. It just takes me to a higher level of sensitivity.

Tomorrow, I'll do some studying in the morning. V and I are meeting up to study for a couple of hours, then have an enormous lunch of Kenny Rogers chicken and Mac & Cheese. I'm taking V to watch "The Song of Sparrows" at the Picturehouse, I hope she'll like it. Majid Majidi's films are wonderful.
I just watched "The Color of Paradise" 2 days ago, and it was beautiful. I love how the children carry branches of leaves that are bigger than they are, and how they run all over the place, laughing. Such are the wonders of childhood, long lost in this society.
Thank God I had a chance to experience it before it was entirely wiped out.

Mom and Dad promised we'd have a steamboat dinner tomorrow, so I'm pretty much looking forward to the whole of tomorrow, despite the studying bit. I've got to be a good girl and study, seeing that God has granted me my CD at long last. I'll collect it after the movie tomorrow. After my exams, I shall place another CD order for "La dolce fiamma", PJ's latest album.
Too much good music never killed anybody!

Saturday, October 24th 2009

Damn. The "Ugly Betty" cast is really good looking. First, I went to research on Henry, and it turns out he is a total dish, and he's married with kids.
Then, I did research on Rebecca Romijn, who plays Alexis on "Ugly Betty". I think she's so beautiful and totally hot. Then I read that she's married with kids too!! Oh- all the good-looking people!!!

That aside, a man stopped to talk to me along Esplanade Bay today. He pointed towards the construction in the distance and said, "they're building the casinos there. 2012. They're building a bridge to it now."
I just replied, "yeah."

I, for one, am not the least bit interested in the casino. I am, however, interested in the changes it will bring. I will witness, first-hand, younger generations turning into trash.
Gamblers, drug/money dealers will flock to the country. It would be just like Las Vegas! Only difference would be that there won't be any "quickie" marriages here.

Wednesday, October 21st 2009

Can you see why I want a beautifully-bound book to put my stories into? When it comes to choosing notebooks, I have impeccable taste.

Just want to do a quick blog before I leave for the library. I've been spending every free day at the library, except for 2 days a week when I have tuition. On those days I just do Art. Not very happy with the paper and its themes (I collected the paper 2 days ago) but I'll live. Been doing a lot of Maths.

19 days left, can you believe it? I've worked all year (count last year if you want) for these exams, and my freedom is in 19 days' time. Call it cliche, but I feel like a fish out of water. Uncomfortable with my surroundings, gasping, choking on air, knowing I can't run because something is out to get me.

I watched "Children of Heaven", it's really good. I've never watched "Home Run" but somehow I see similarities in the storyline, only "Children of Heaven" is definitely worth the watch. The kids are so cute, it really opens your eyes and makes you realise that there's a lot going on in a kid's mind than you think.

Well, it's been 10 mins of blogging and I have to go.
Wish me luck.

Sunday, October 18th 2009

Guess what!
Maksim Mrvica is coming to town! I used to listen to that guy's mix of techno and classical music, but I grew out of it after a while. Now he calls himself the "Prince of Piano". It was hilarious, but I couldn't laugh out loud because I was at Esplanade, you know, it's very quiet there during the day.

Went to Esplanade to study yesterday as well but the library was closed, so I had to find somewhere else to study. I didn't bring a jacket because I thought it would have been a hassle, but when I discovered the library was closed, I thought of studying at the sofas at the basement, but it's freezing there, so I went outside to the waterfront instead. I managed to do an hour or so of studying, and then went to Vivocity to meet V.
I got there early so I went to have my usual look-see at Candy Empire. I love being a kid in a candy store. Bought a pack of lollipops (supposedly made in Holland). They're like the bigger version of rock-candy, just very fruity and on a stick. I bought them for a junior once and they were good.

When V showed up, she scared me half to death at the National Geographic store. She jumped out from behind. Anyway, they sell really cool stuff there, only I couldn't even afford to buy a NG magazine because the money in my account is running really, really low and I don't want my Mom to freak out when she tops up my account at year's end. I didn't even dare withdraw the money I took out of my own savings for my recent voice lesson, I think I'll wait till Mom tops it up.

V and I went to lunch at "The Mussel Guys". Ironically, there were no guys. The food wasn't bad, just the usual over-priced town food. Then, we walked into "Page One" and looked wistfully at all the new, wrapped books. I can't wait to take Mom book-shopping. Anyway, V was so nice to buy me "Maurice", which I have been wanting for a few months now. It's my early Christmas present, and I love it. I have discovered another great author!

Oh yes, before I forget, I have also discovered a brilliant director, Majid Majidi. This guy is awesome, and his films are beautiful. So far, I've only watched "The Willow Tree", but will watch "Children of Heaven" tonight on DVD. It's supposed to be very good. His "The Song of Sparrows" will be showing at the Picturehouse soon, I hope I'll be able to catch it after my exams.

This weekend, I stopped by HMV at Citylink to see what's new. I listened to some music like Michael Buble's "Crazy Love" and the "Classical 2010" album. Michael Buble's new CD has some really pretty tunes on it, and I can't wait to buy it next month. I only listened to "Classical 2010" because PJ is one of the featured artists. They put one of his Monteverdi pieces on it, and I was surprised at how good the quality is, compared to the Youtube ones I've been listening to. HMV Heeren hasn't received the CD I ordered yet, so I can't do much but wait. Studies first.

...Which brings me to another topic. When I'm tired, my mind wanders a lot, and it's uncontrollable, but I think of many things. One thing that occurred to me tonight at dinner is that all the people who are the great singers have studied music. Literally, in schools. For example, PJ started violin at the age of 11, and then studied piano, and he studied them at the conservatory in France. Then, only at 18, he picked up voice.
All the great musicians have studied music seriously and go into the career full-time. I, on the other hand, haven't studied music seriously because they didn't offer it in my school. I have taken a voice exam (and more to come) but it's not like full-time studying music, you know? These people go to NAFA and all that, and all they study is music and its theory. I'm still dreaming of doing Cardiovascular Science.
How is one to choose?! I want both just as badly. Both career paths will make a person rich. Both paths are equally exhilarating, except I probably won't kill anyone in the music career. I love singing, but I haven't cut anybody up yet. I guess I have been singing longer than I have been doing Biology. I only started liking Science at the end of Sec 2 when I realised I could do it.

I don't want to have to choose. I shouldn't have to choose.

Friday, October 16th 2009

I watched the first season of "Ugly Betty" again today while having a late lunch of instant noodles and a bak chang. Marc St. James still remains my favourite character in the series. He's got style, he's got humour, and I love the hair! I might try that on my hair in the future, you know, the whole curly thing.

I'm suddenly into those beautiful old leather-bound notebooks/sketchbooks. I'd like one to put my stories in, especially since I've been writing a lot recently and I really think my stories deserve to be put into a beautiful vintage notebook. It doesn't matter if the leather is real or not, it's just the look that I want. The smell of leather isn't exactly inviting, you know.
I plan to write my stories in there and do a drawing of the scene after each one. I think it would be really cool, since I've taken to writing by the sea recently. I wish it were cold enough for me to just sit anywhere and write, but it's not gonna happen. It's so ridiculously hot and humid, and there are bugs everywhere, so Esplanade and Harbourfront are my favourite places at the moment.

I can't tell you how much I long for freedom, which will come in exactly 24 days. My last paper is on the 9th, and after that all hell will reign!!! Too bad my parents only go on their holiday later on and not immediately after my exams, because I haven't been able to watch films like "Love in the time of Cholera". Not only does it contain scenes "unsuitable for children", it also involves a lot of crying, and I like to watch those films alone because they give me inspiration and motivation to write. My poor characters suffer as much as I, and they all end up dying.
I wonder how my life story will end?

P.S.: My parents haven't discovered the piercing yet.