NUS Choir Rocks

NUS Choir Rocks

Ahh.. fresh from Shah Alam, and I'm on a high.

Retelling the Shah Alam experience
would require a lengthy session of my usual stammering and stuttering and it would go nowhere. Let me see, it was crazy and happy and depressing and a laughing session and ooh some tension here and there.

The "depressing" part came when Big Boss made an impromptu revelation during the comm meeting regarding me, and for a while I felt like shit. He didn't mean it of course; he meant it as a positive example of sorts. (It wasn't him anyway: it was the message that sucked, not the messenger.) The pessimist in me took over, and I had to take a walk. But nah, it's all okay now, and so, discounting this minor glitch, most everything about the 2005 Voyage of Songs was super. Loved every moment of it.

So I'd like to profess my sincere fondness and lurrve for NUS Choir. Congratulations to us for winning Gold in both the categories we entered, AND yahooo Best Interpretation of the Set Piece. Even if we missed being the category winner for Open Mixed Advanced (by less than two points!), we still hit the gold despite the majority of the choir being untrained and inexperienced singers. Congrats to Yan Ting for hitting it big on her "virgin" performance (her words) as a conductor of the Folklore Category, and to Wei Wei for his grand splash into the conductor scene alongside the rest of the more established ones. You guys deserve it.

I'm glad the entire choir had crazy fun. We were practically laughing and bonding all four days. Special mention goes to my fellow basses! Haha seriously, we kick-ass guys. I'm also mighty happy that the Filipina girls (Kirsten, Renee, Jenica, Abby) had tremendous fun as well. I'm especially glad that the exchange students (R J & A) had a blast. Haha I'm absolutely sure you meant it when you said you'll miss the choir when you're back in Manila. The Comm members, the Exco and Musico, we did it! Haha Big Boss KK and VP Iris and WW and YT were the ones whose burden was heaviest, so kudos to you all. I'm glad to be part of the comm. The whole choir, really, ahh you rock.

Oh yeah, a Filipino Choir joined the competition too. It was nice to see them as I had some sort of encounter with home. Theirs was quite an unfortunate situation: the choir missed their flight because of some flood, they forfeited their tickets, had to find sponsors last minute, came late. But they managed to come in time for the competition proper, and they were so super cheerful and happy to be there. The exchange girls shrieked with delight when they saw them, and it was, well, as expected, a happy photo session. Hehe.

Speaking of photos, there were probably two million shot, and I'll upload them here when somebody posts them up in the choir forum.

Happy happy. And by this time tomorrow, I'll be in the Philippines already, probably in the plane from Manila to Davao. Hehe just this thought motivates me to endure one miserable night at the airport in Changi later. Hehe.

Next post comes when I'm at home. All my good vibes go out to the world.

Off to Shah Alam

Off to Shah Alam

In a few minutes I'll be passing my laptop to Ivy for safekeeping for the next 4 days, so I shall squeeze in a tiny entry right here. No doubt the next days will be eventful (yes the safe word), and I wouldn't want it to go unchronicled.

So yep, it's off to Shah Alam, Malaysia (somewhere near KL) for the NUS Choir gang. We're participating in this Voyage of Songs choral competition, and as of 1:17AM, five hours before meet-up time, Joseph is still stuck with his packing chores. (Ugh, what's new.)

But that's not the point, really. The point is that, yeah, I hope we win. I pray we win, and I hope whoever reads this blog takes time to send your good vibes and join me in wishing the NUS Choir well.

I'm sure that the NUS Choir will bond more closely because of this, and yeah, that makes this opportunity cool. I hope to get to know some other choirs as well, and enjoy the music they'll be singing. I dunno about you, but when a choir performs a piece in harmony and with a passion that's electrifying, it's like bam! you got me you guys. I'm moved and would gladly burst with joy. Music therapy.

Anyway, I'll be back on the 13th, and then I'll do a repeat of the sleepover at the airport I did last time, then fly to the Philippines early morning of the 14th.

I'm gonna miss Singapore. But I sure would lurrvvve to be home. But for the meantime, help the choir in Shah Alam, Lord. Goodbye world. Goodbye laptop too.

Yep, as I've long suspected, packing up one's bags is a psychological activity too. One that makes you feel very strange. Must get sleep. :)

I miss blogging but

I miss blogging but..

..I'm still busy! Haha. After the exams I promised myself I'd sleep-all-day-why-don't-we-sleep-all-day (a la Jason Mraz), ringbind my bridging year and Year 1 notes (since my Year 2 Sem 1 notes look spanking good ringbound), watch movies at the Central Library, download lots of mp3's, and watch lots of TV shows. And status? Haha, no sleep-all-day session yet, no new ringbound notes, three quarters of Como Agua para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) before choir big boss KK called me up to ready the keys for choir practice, and yeah good servings of my Desperate Housewives and heck, even Heidi Klum and her Project Runway. Haha. For some reason I'm not craving for OC too much, but I sure damn miss my LOST! I want my tailies story already! Haha. Too bad the NUS Comcen techies decided to disable (or GREATLY reduce the download speed at least) file transfer from the net, and thus poor undergrads have to resort to other ways to make us happy minus TV shows and movies and mp3s.

I never really had a good post-mortem to the exam season. Yeah, especially since I'd love to rant about my exams, which all almost drained the life out of me (especially Calculus!). Come to think of it, though, there never really was a proper closure of the stress season, as right after the exams, although the stress level had dipped to reasonably tolerable lows, there was well, Robinson's confinement in the University Hospital because of some lung problem, the intensive choir practices in faraway Siglap (one hour+ bus ride) and the corresponding chores Mr Records Secretary must perform, my much-needed clubbing therapy thanks to Club Momo (wah it was a very strange night, really.. detoxified afterwards), and last night's Sushi Buffet with the past and present Choir Comm, and oh yeah, my teaching stint with a teeny handful of KR choristers to whom I taught Christmas carols! Haha.

Yeah, so many things, but no time to blog! Haizz. Will post some photos soon of Choir and
my exam period hangout, Med Library (I miss that place!). And oh yeah, finally, after a long wait (seriously NEVER buy a Konica Minolta camera, because not only are the cameras not tought enough, their SERVICE IS THE LOUSIEST ON EARTH.. anyway nuff digression), my camera's back! Haha. I'm so happy.

I'm mighty glad I could bring the cam home for Christmas, and take photos of my family and lolas and my lovely Philippines baby! Haha. I was denied that privilege last Christmas (ugh thanks to Konica again).

Hehe anyway, it's a good time to end this post right here. Haha, 'cause my laundry's probably done too! Haha and I must sleep early to make it to Siglap later at 10am! Last practice before we hit Malaysia on Friday for the competition. :)

OK, good night world. Today was a good day. Packing is a pain, but hey, at least my room's finally getting fixed up. Yahooo. All the better to sleep in it. Heh, goodnight.