Poetry Passion Power

I'm becoming an Esplanade Concert Hall regular.

Just after the SSO concert last week, I had the privilege of attending another concert, played by Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra last Wednesday. PB had a complimentary ticket to spare and graciously invited me to make full use of the ticket (Thank you PB!).

I haven't listened to other orchestras apart from SSO, so this is quite an eye opener. YSTCO is comprised mostly of the Conservatory's undergrads, and for that evening, they were conducted by Maestro Wang Ya-Hui. The theme for the concert was Poetry Passion Power.

Repertoire:

• Barber - Adagio for Strings Op.1
• Korngold - Violin Concerto in D major Op. 35
• Tchaikovsky - Symphony No.4 in F minor Op.36

I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I went in without high expectations, and came out thoroughly entertained. Maestro Wang was really good, and this was especially evident when they played Tchaikovsky's Symphony. It was very dynamic and expressive, at the same time, ended with much pomp and dignity. Korngold's Violin Concerto was led by soloist Qian Zhou, and it was quite a beautiful rendition. That said, I still prefer Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D over Korngold's.

The audience was not as enthusiastic as last Friday's SSO's, and it seemed they gave pretty lukewarm response to what I deemed great performance. So it came to my surprise that the orchestra obliged us with encore TWICE. And SSO didn't oblige us any regardless the thunderous applause. Hmm.

In any case, I enjoyed the concert alot. My only complaint would be the players were not acutely sensitive to Maestro Wang's conducting. They could have done better. But it was good nonetheless.

Hopefully there'll be more enjoyable concerts to come!

～みはる～

Virtuoso

Happened to come across this video.
One word.
WOW.



Itzhak Perlman takes my breath away.

～みはる～

Dvorak - Humoresque No.7

A stunning duet between the violin and the cello, played by Itzhak Perlman and Yo-yo Ma. This is the most beautiful rendition of Dvorak's Humoresque I've heard ever.



～みはる～

待っていた。。。恋を

待ってたわよ。
白い恋人を。

～みはる～

スペシャルエー

I'm a sucker for bishies and Fukuyama Jun.

Image is Random Curiosity's.

～みはる～

コードギアス～反逆のルルーシュ～R2

きた　きた～！

コードギアス反逆のルルーシュ　やっと戻ってきたわ！
すごくうれしかった。
久しぶりにルルーシュランペルージ役福山潤のすばらしい演技が楽しめるよ。
この第二回目のシリーズの初エピソードすごく盛り上がったと思います。
特に最後の時ルルーシュとシツに契約を付け替えて、「ルルーシュリブリタニアが命じる、貴様たちを死ぬ！」と言った時、何か先シリーズの初エピソードと同じような感じなっちゃった。。。すごくすごく盛り上がった。あたしの一番好きなシーンでした。
次のとても楽しみしてるよ。福山潤たちもね　＾＿＾

Lelouch Lamperouge is back with revenge.
Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 is not to be missed. Why, it's worth just to sit in for half an hour of Fukuyama Jun's voice acting. My favourite seiyuu can Geass even better this round.

A 5-minute refresher of Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion.


Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 trailer.


Images are Random Curiosity's.
Videos not mine either.
Visit Code Geass


～みはる～

Code Geass Manga

I got new Code Geass Vol.4 manga!!!!

A kick start to reviving the heat of Code Geass.
Bring on Code Geass R2!!!!

ps: While I'm a Lelouch fangirl, don't you think Schneizer looks seriously cool on the cover?

～みはる～

In The Shadow of Beethoven

Finally, I get to listen to Brahms' Symphony #1 in C minor, LIVE!

Last Friday, I towed Sis and WW to the concert hall for an evening of symphony orchestra. And I must say, apart from having a pain in the neck (from sitting too close to the stage), I'm so glad I went to this concert.

Repertoire:

• Wagner - Tannhauser: Overture and Bacchanale (Paris version)
• Brunch - Concerto for Clarinet and Viola in E minor
• Brahms - Symphony No.1 in C minor

Maestro Claus Peter Flor conducted the concert and I'm very glad he did. Under his baton, I enjoyed every song rendered that night. The dynamics were incredibly flowing and simply beautiful.

I loved the graceful expression of Wagner's Tannhauser Overture. The harmony is so flowing, graceful and dynamic. I don't know how to put it in words, but it's like watching the entire opera with my ears. Also, I didn't expect to enjoy Brunch's Concerto for clarinet and viola so much. The melancholic duet between the viola and clarinet was simply marvelous. The pairing of the instruments is simply appropriate and the hollow alto sound alternated between melancholy and gentleness so sweet I could actually see imaginary maple leaves falling in an autumn sky. It was simply the loveliest music I've heard from these two not-so-high-profile instruments.

Of course, my ultimate enjoyment of the night was Brahms' First Symphony, also famously called Beethoven's Tenth. Maestro Flor conducted without a score and his interpretation of the symphony was more dynamic than the recordings I've heard so far. The first and final movements were fast and ferocious, whereas the second and third movements were gentle, sweet and graceful. I was trembling in resonance (I was like 3 rows away from the stage) when the final movement was played with such ferocity. Thoroughly, completely enjoyed every bar of it.

I'm so so so so happy I decided to go for this concert. And I hope the next one will be just as exciting!

～みはる～

時をかける少女

もし時をかければ、あなたはどうする？


何が変えていきたい？何が変えていきたくない？
誰が向かっていきたい？誰が向かっていきたくない？
何の話をしていきたい？何の話をしていきたくない？
どんな事をやりたい？どんな事をやりたくない？

時をかければ、日々で選んだせんたくを何にひとつ変えて欲しい？
なのに、変わったらいいでしょうか。変わらなかったらいいでしょうか。

大切な思いは何ですか。
忘れたい、忘れたくない気持ちは何ですか。

時をかければ、過去を変える？
時をかければ、現在を変える？
時をかければ、未来を変える？

時をかける少女
-The Girl Who Leapt Through Time-

If you could leap through time, what would you do?

I haven't watched too many anime movies, and while I'd safely say at anytime I would prefer animation series over one-time movies, there are certain works which I find fascinating and entertaining. It's as if they take you to the forbidden world of fantasy that only exists in the realm of imagination (think Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, Byousoku 5 cm). These films give me a surreal feeling.

Until I watched 「時をかける少女」 (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) that is. Madhouse Animation Studios scored with this piece of production because it delivered what the previous movies I watched didn't: it engaged the audience.

時をかける少女, also affectionately known as TokiKake, is a very simple, straight-forward yet thought-provoking story. It tells about a bubbly and naive high school girl, Konno Makoto, who by accident, gained the ability to leap through time. Once she realized how to use her new time-reversing/forwarding abilities, Makoto didn't hesitate to use it to her advantage on routine things, such as leaping back again and again so that she could do better in her quiz, or to have unlimited karaoke sessions, or to set up her good friend Kousuke with his fangirl. However, when faced with a situation she would rather avoid, such as when her best friend Mamiya Chiaki confessed he liked her, Makoto used her time-leaping power to wield her out of facing the circumstances. In other words, she is manipulating her ability to avoid problems, which consequently produces messier problems. At one point of time, Makoto realized the number of times she could leap through time is limited, and in a turn of events, she used her last jump to reset time back to the point before she gained the ability to time-leap in order to rescue the existence of Chiaki, whom she came to accept and reciprocate his feelings for her.

I'm not keen to review the entire movie here, because I feel that you have to watch it to feel the impact. While the movie didn't seem to have any extraordinary appeal (animation designs are simple and plain, no stupendous visual effects), the slice-of-life feel delivered by the movie is incredibly real. I find myself relating to Makoto; it's like you can understand her honest emotions and straight-forward thinking. Her character is very well-written because it engages the audience.

For instance, it makes you think: What would you do if you gained the ability to leap through time at your own liberty?

• Would you use it to leap back to yesterday, so that you would wake up on time and not miss the bus, which had led to your being late for meeting?
• Would you use it to leap back to several hours earlier, so that you would be in the queue for the last ticket to the concert you were dying to attend?
• Would you use it to leap back a few seconds earlier, so that you would take a different turn and prevented the traffic accident led to your premature death?
• Would you use it to leap forward a few seconds later, so that you will avoid the pressure of replying the confessions of your best friend?
• Would you use it to leap forward to tomorrow, so that you will not have to face the pain of losing someone or something important to you?

To me, the writers are trying to convey the message that everything in life, the good and the bad, we need to face them. We cannot run away from them, deny them, or refuse to take them at face value, because regardless how joyful or painful they are, it is everything in life that we experience everyday that will shape us and help us grow. The joy and the pain will make up the precious memories that give meaning to our existence. The people that we meet, the things that we do in company, the sadness that drowns us, the happiness that lifts us, the anger that rips us, the warmth that envelopes us... we just have to accept all the things life have to give us.

It didn't take a complicated plot, or elaborate designs, or sophisticated music to captivate me in TokiKake. All it had was a simple story, a flowing story-telling, a gentle combination of subtle color scenes, a line of expressive voice actors and straight-forward direction. And with these, TokiKake had me overflowing with emotions. It didn't need to fly me to the forbidden realm of fantasy to captivate my interest. I'm already taken by the simplicity and honest reality portrayed.

Seriously, everyone should watch TokiKake at least once.
If you are to watch an animation movie, it can only be 時をかける少女.

「千昭：　未来で待って。
　真琴：　うん。すぐいく。走っていく。」


Here's the trailer from Kadokawa.




～みはる～

The Corpse Bride

When this movie was released (like ages ago), I had wanted very much to watch it. The morbid theme had seemed so appealing to me (yes, I'm terribly morbid). But unfortunately, for whatever reasons I cannot recall, I never managed to make it to the cinema to watch it.

And I must say, that is one of the greatest miss in my entire cinema-life.

Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride, can only be appropriately termed ' a piece of genius'. Because, it is.

I finally get to view this piece of genius when I came across the DVD in the campus media library. While I wouldn't credit the plot as brilliant, I am awed by the concept and creative production. The stop-motion animation augments the dark theme and it is so well done I couldn't believe my eyes. The animators were actually puppeteering; it wasn't the CG-technology-whatnot, it was puppeteering and the effect they produced is, at least to me, astounding.

The concept of 'upstairs' (world of living) and 'downstairs' (world of dead) is also pretty amusing. And oh, the dark humor, of downstairs being far more colorful and lively than upstairs.

Victor trying to pacify Emily by initiating the piano duet.

As always, I have a keen interest in the soundtrack of the movies I watch. This is no different. I love Danny Elfman's use of Victor's theme, repeated and varied at different but significant moments in the story. Particularly, I loved the piano renditions in the movie, "Victor's Solo" and "The Piano Duet" by Victor and (our lovely corpse) Emily.

I have much praises for this production, except one complaint that the plot is rather wan. I mean, it is so convenient to give Victor and Victoria a happy ending (well, ALL stories prefer happy endings). I wondered if it would be more exciting if Victor had drank the poison and died, thus becoming legally married to Emily, the corpse. However, they managed to cook up a pretty lovely ending, and it pulled my heartstrings when Emily blessed the young (living) couple and herself finally released from the pain that had chained her to the living world.

Victor finally said his vows right.

I liked the movie so much, I actually hunted for the DVD. Now I can keep this piece of genius in my shelf for re-runs ^_^

～みはる～

Disclaimer: Images are not mine.

Political tsunami

Still on the political note, I find these commentaries, by some of editors I deem eloquent, interesting.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Winds of change sweep Malaysia

Comment by Wong Chun Wai

THE first sign of a massive setback for the Barisan Nasional came at around 6pm. Incumbent Lembah Pantai MP Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil sent an SMS to say that she was going to lose her seat to her Parti Keadilan Rakyat challenger Nurul Izzah Anwar.

The ballots that were coming in did not look good.

The Women, Family and Community Development Minister said she had tried her best but gave an assurance that she was calm.

From Penang, my colleagues sent messages that Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon was trailing newcomer Dr P. Ramasamy in the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat.

The Gerakan, MCA and MIC were all wiped out, they said.

It became clear by 9pm that the Opposition had snatched the state from the Barisan, sending shockwaves throughout the country as Malaysians braced for more shocks.

In Sungai Siput, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu put on a brave front as feedback came from his supporters that he had lost his parliamentary seat.

He told them he was going home for a bath and did not return.

In the words of many politicians, it was a political tsunami.

There was more, Kedah also fell to the Opposition, then Selangor and Perak.

The wounds inflicted by the Opposition were easily the worst for the Barisan.

Even in 1969, the then Alliance only lost Penang and Kelantan.

In Penang, the then opposition Gerakan, together with DAP and Parti Rakyat, won 20 seats against the Alliance’s four.

In Kelantan, PAS had 19 and the Alliance 19.

The People’s Progressive Party could have formed the state government if it had decided to forge a coalition with Gerakan, PAS and the DAP but the PPP refused.

The PPP was just two seats short of forming the government but it refused to work with Gerakan, DAP and PAS.

Even in that onslaught, Kedah remained safely in the hands of the Alliance with 14 seats against PAS’ eight and Gerakan’s two.

Last night’s results stunned Barisan leaders and the media.

They expected the winds of change to come to Penang and Kedah but they missed out on Selangor, certainly the jewel in the crown for the Opposition this time around.

Barisan had focused its attention on the anti-establishment sentiments of the non-Malays but overlooked the mood of the Malay voters in some states.

There was even a sense of denial in some ways.

For Barisan, they had expected some dents in the predominantly Chinese areas and a serious challenge from PAS in the east coast states but certainly not in Selangor and Perak.

While the non-Malays had their share of unhappiness, there were issues that cut across all races such as the cost of living, corruption, mismanagement and security.

At the grassroots level, there were perceptions that Barisan, following the massive win in the 2004 polls, had become too strong and that there was a need for a strong check and balance.

In 2004, the Barisan had 198 seats against 21 for the Opposition.

The voters, especially those in the urban areas, obviously wanted to send a strong message to the leadership.

They wanted their MPs to be more humble and certainly more careful with their choice of words, whether at their party assemblies or in Parliament.

But there is a big mess to be cleared – new state governments will be formed in Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Perak.

As at press time, PKR secretary-general Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim is expected to be made the new Selangor Mentri Besar and almost likely, his predecessor Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, the opposition leader.

In Penang, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng will likely be the new Chief Minister.

But federal-state relations will never be the same again.

With the Barisan still in control of the Federal Government, it may even review its numerous projects in states lost to the Opposition.

As the most industrialised state in Malaysia, Selangor will be affected in many ways.

At local government level, there will be massive changes as politically-appointed councillors will have to make way.

At 12.30am, the Barisan had secured a simple majority to form the government although there were neck-and-neck races in many seats.

At the end of the day, however, the clear winner was the democratic system in Malaysia.

Despite claims to the contrary, the 12th general election proved that democracy was very much alive in the country.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Results leave Penang in a daze

Analysis by Joceline Tan

THE superstitious would say that the darkened skies and torrential downpour in Penang about an hour before the close of polling was an omen of things to come.

Like elsewhere, the poor voter turnout had Barisan Nasional politicians really worried.

At about 7pm, the calls started coming in. It was not good news for Barisan, whose candidates in the Chinese seats were trailing their DAP and PKR opponents in a string of seats. It was the sort of news that induces goose pimples.

As the night progressed, it looked like the opposition wind in Penang had turned into a roaring typhoon.

The three opposition parties – DAP, PKR and PAS – had won a clear majority to form the state government.

Gerakan, MCA and MIC candidates had not made it in any of the parliamentary or state seats they had contested.

Gerakan lost all 13 state and four parliamentary seats, MCA lost 10 state and four parliamentary seats and the MIC, two state seats.

PKR had also made inroads into Umno and Gerakan seats, taking four parliamentary and nine state seats.

One Barisan politician described it as “a political tsunami with few survivors”.

Perhaps the most shocking news was the defeat of outgoing Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon in the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat. Just hours earlier, his operations centre staff had confidently predicted a 7,000-vote majority for him.

In fact, the national Gerakan leadership had been defeated. Apart from acting Gerakan president Dr Koh, the other casualties were vice-president Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan, secretary-general Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye and its top central committee member Datuk Lee Kah Choon.

These were stunning results that no one, not even those in the Opposition, had expected or imagined.

It is possible the DAP, which had made Penang its frontline state, was in as much shock as Barisan about the results.

The Chinese had translated their political disenchantment into votes and Malay votes had swung in a number of parts to PKR.

It was well known that the Chinese were not happy, but the Malay vote swing towards the opposition was not something that Umno leaders had expected.

There had been rumblings on the Malay ground because they are greatly affected by cost-of-living issues but few thought they would cast their votes elsewhere.

Dr Koh, who will probably have to do the bulk of explaining in the aftermath, had admitted a few days ago that Barisan could lose between 10 and 15 seats.

For several days before polling, Gerakan leaders had been talking about the ground being too quiet for comfort. They were disconcerted by the silence and their view was that people had decided whom they were voting for.

Some of them even felt that voters had “switched off” and were no longer listening because they had made up their minds.

“When we go on the ground, they don’t say much. They don’t want to listen anymore. I think they are just waiting for the day,” Gerakan’s Chia had said a few days before polling.

They did suspect that the silence may not be good for them but, as always, politicians are hopeful about their chances.

There was a sense of denial on the Barisan side about interpreting the silent ground and some politicians did not like it when the media wrote about it.

Reporters on the ground had already sensed that the rumblings about a variety of national and local issues were developing into a wind of sorts.

The last time something like this had happened was in 1969 when the then Alliance state government fell to Gerakan, then an opposition party led by Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu.

There will be a lot of soul-searching ahead for Barisan leaders in the state.

They will have to seriously examine the causes of the Chinese vote swing and the shift of Malay votes.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Get the articles here & here

～みはる～

Malaysia Decides 2008

... and Rakyat Malaysia has spoken.

I had the privilege of following the most exciting national election in modern-Malaysian history last night.

• Ruling coalition BN was denied 2/3 majority in Parliament.
• All Western Peninsular Malaysia states (Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kedah) and Kelantan fell into the hands of Opposition. That translates to BN having a net loss of 4 states.
• Ruling coalition's top guns defeated by fresh faces from Opposition, with stark vote majorities to boot. One of the component party's leadership was literally shattered by the defeat(s).

This political tsunami is a new era in Malaysian political history.
The Rakyat has unanimously spoken.
And their voices are heard; strong and clear.

Let us hope the Opposition cherish the trust the Rakyat had mandated them, and prove their meat.
Away with corruption.
Away with racism.
Away with good-for-nothing senators who slack while taxpayers' hard-earn benefits pump into their pockets (for residential renovations.....).
Away with NATO (No Action Talk Only) representatives whose only calibre is to make stupid statements that fuel national embarrassment.

Bring on efficiency.
Bring on transparency.
Bring on meritocracy and bureaucratic integrity.
Bring on economic and human development.
Bring on Bangsa Malaysia.

I'm looking to the day where Malaysians are no longer defined by race.
There's no Melayu, Cina, India, or Lain-lain. There's only Malaysian.

On a more local note, I'm looking forward to Lim Guan Eng giving Penang a major facelift. Penangites have been denied of development for too long.


Looks like I might consider going home after all.


The year 2008 unfolds a new era in our political history.
Malaysia has decided.

～みはる～

for election news, please visit Malaysiakini here or here.

Harp recital

The lunchtime concert this week features a harp recital by two professional harpist; Yu-Hsin Huang and Gulnara Mashurova.

The not-so-knowledgeable me didn't know harp could play solo. Rather, I didn't know harp can make such beautiful music. When both of them sat down and started plucking the strings, I was mesmerized by the sweet sounds of harp.

They played on humongous harps like these.

I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxing sounds of harp as they waltzed through the repertoire:

• JS Bach - Sixth French Suite
• Enrique Granados - Spanish Dance No. 5
• Isaac Albeniz - Cordova
• Carlos Salzedo - Tango & Rhumba
• Carloz Salzedo - Chanson Dans La Nuit
• Bernard Andres - Parvis

I particularly loved Bach's Sixth French Suite. The Allemande movement was impressive and simply lovely.

After the wonderful performance, they kindly obliged to answer questions that the audience have. And there I learnt that professional harps like these have 47 strings made of nylon and metal, weigh about 88 pounds, have 7 foot pedals and requires tuning several times a day.

The next time I listen to an orchestra, I'll be sure to listen carefully for the beautiful sounds of harp.

～みはる～

29.02.08 - Leap Day

Today is pretty extraordinary, because the date occurs only once in 4 years: 29th February, the extra day for the year. I call it the 'Leap Day'.

What makes it all the more significant, not necessarily completely pleasant, is that:

First, we finished putting the 3000 pieces puzzle!!

For recreation, my supervisor had bought a super-difficult 3000 pieces jigsaw puzzle for all us lab members to play when we feel bored or tired in the office. Initially, the brilliantly colored cathedral seemed like one truly impossible feat, but the enthusiasm of each and every lab member caught on, and soon we found ourselves frequently crowding around the frame of the puzzle, addicted to putting the pieces together. And in a month, we completed the 3000-piece puzzle. We were particularly determined to finish it today, because we wanted to commemorate the departure of one of our members, R. It is quite meaningful, because all of us, including R, had cheated much of our working time to play this jigsaw :P The puzzle we put together had been a bond that strengthen our ties and given us much fun together.

The epilogue was particularly satisfactory and fun, because 4 of us - LB, Shal, MH, and myself - were bending over the table, our faces nearly touching the puzzle as our eyes scanned excitedly over the remaining few pieces that would fit. The last few pieces were not easy as they were all black, so we were frantically exchanging pieces and blindly trying to fit each piece, while competing to see who would finish her 'zone' fastest. We all felt exhilarated and satisfied when the 3000-th piece was fitted snugly and tada! - our puzzle is done!

It's not so much the pretty picture to me, but rather the memories of putting it together that makes the serene cathedral looked so beautiful.

It would be nice if my boss gets another 3000-piece jigsaw....


Second, as mentioned, my colleague, R, chose to depart our lab for her new job today, the Leap Day.

While it had been only 6 months since we started working together, I had enjoyed working with her because having a post-doc with me was reassuring, in the sense, I could consult someone more experienced than myself in doing my project. I had accepted her decision for departure when she informed us last month, and I thought, 'People come and people go, it's great we have known each other'.

And I thought I wouldn't be sad. But today, somehow, I didn't really want to ask her what things she might have to pass to me, because suddenly, I felt a pang of sadness that she will be leaving. Although it hadn't been long, she had been my partner from the moment we started this new project together, and I have become so accustomed to her presence and philosophical expertise that it didn't occur to me I would feel the emotional impact when she leaves. I supposed it would be a bit harder the next few weeks, that I when I swivel my chair around, she's no longer sitting behind me and there's no one to share stories and opinions about our bacteria, or lives, or any everyday happenings for that matter.

But somehow, I learnt from her that we need to accept and cherish people in our lives and the memories they give us, because life is impermanent and change is constant.


Third, if I hadn't called today Leap Day, I would call it Emotion Day. Somehow, a torrent of pleasant, and unpleasant, emotions churned throughout the day, making me feel happy and sad all at the same time.

Today I saw an acquaintance depressed, and it makes me sad that I do not know how to help her. Also today I hear a family member unhappy, and that I cannot do anything to help, it makes me even sadder. And when I felt like I had to tread on eggshells with these people whom I care about and are depressed, and that I do not know how to deal with them to make them better, I am simply overwhelm by sadness. It just makes me think, 'Allow me a moment of selfishness. Why is it that everyone seemed to have the right to go down, and that I had to shoulder all these dark clouds, for if not, they will break?'.

It's not that I didn't want to help, but everything had to come at once that it is so overwhelming. And it is pretty frustrating that I find myself, again, emotionally weak, no matter how strong I thought I was.

But it's not all sad. I had some happy things going on too, but, believe me, negativity can wipe out all happy feelings in one wave.


In a wishful sense, eventful Leap Day will come only once in 4 years. I hope.

～みはる～

Negativity of sorts

I'm kinda seething right now, because my former landlady has been insinuating that I allowed more than the contracted number of people stayed in her house. And she get to know that from 'neighbours', people who live at my level but never see, or say 'hi' to us. I'm suspecting her daddy told some tall tales. But I let it slide; besides who can win an argument with a frail old grandpa. Young people are always in the wrong, no matter how right they are. But 2 things I cannot let slide:

(1) accusing that I do not keep my word. When I say I did it, I did it. When I say I didn't do it, I didn't do it. I absolutely hate it when people say they trust me, but still have the cheek to distrust my words.

(2) believing hearsay when confirmation can be obtained directly from me. I don't understand what crap 'good relationship' she claims we had when she believed what neighbours told her and never asked me anything for clarification. I have never really seen or talked to the neighbours, nor have the neighbours the friendliness to make conversation with us. And it's not like we're problematic. Looks who's the one in trouble with loan sharks.

In other words, I loathe hypocrites.

At the repeated insinuation, my offended receptors ticked and I angrily made it clear that the number of tenants had always been the same. She claimed I was defensive and aggressive, ruining the 'good relationship' we had. With that I lost my cool, and sarcastically threw back that it's so nice that with such a good relationship, she would rather distrust me over neighbours. I've never quite lost my head over such small issues, but she just hit the offensive nail by indirectly questioning my integrity; the one thing I never compromise.


I'm also pretty sad right now, because Mum just told me that one of the kittens at our backyard might have got into a little accident and as a result is now limping. Couple of weeks ago, two of the 5 kittens were gone; either drown in the huge drain behind our house near their playground, or kidnapped by somebody. And one of them is my favorite, White-paw. She is so sweet to look at and now she's gone. Then left 3, sad little kittens -Siren, Noisy, Sleepy- meowing pitifully for food, like a broken family. And awfully, the remaining black kitten, Sleepy, is now limping and don't look too healthy. No longer do we see the kittens playfully wrestling, lazily napping together, or meowing together in full force pleading for cat food. Hopefully they make it through adulthood.

～みはる～

DSLR

Been fooling with DSLR during my trip home recently.
And this is the outcome of sis and me clicking away.
We loved it.

And the tigers in our backyard...

A whole family of 5 cuddling together, sleeping in the morning cold.

A portrait of two sisters: White-paw & Noisy (who incidentally, had become FAT)

Siren insists on a sister portrait too.

We called this Sexy. He loves sexy poses.

Noisy is not only fat but lazy too.

Lazy noon nap.

L-A-Z-Y

～みはる～

Of quizzes

I don't do this kind of stuff often... but curiosity and childishness got better of me ^^

Which Disney Princess Are You?
	You are Belle. You are strong, deep, and you are not a slave to petty superficial things. You are independent and allow yourself to see inner beauty without sacrificing your values. You are almost too good of a person.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Just so happened Belle is my favourite Disney girl of all.

Which Type of Music Should You Listen To?
	You should listen to Classical Music. You are sophisticated, intellectual, and complex--not to mention a bit snobby sometimes. Not everyone understands you, but hey, you know you're better than them.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Just so happened I like listening to classical music.

What City Should You Live In?
	You should live in Paris. The city of lights will appeal to your appreciation of beauty and romance. You are a lover and a poet by nature, and Paris' sensitive charms will be a perfect match for yours.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Just so happened Paris is my next dream vacation city.

Try it?

～みはる～

A moment please...

Happened to read a very inspiring article in the newspaper several days ago. It seemed as if the writer had reflected everything I had at heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~*~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A MOMENT, PLEASE…

On a bracing cold February morning two years ago, I stood, alone, on a little bridge over a fish pond in the temple of Shi-tenno-ji in Osaka, Japan.

I cast the burdens from my heart to the fish, and silently called them to gobble up the detritus. I promised to feed them with real meal when I return to the shrine dedicated to four mythical kings who brought Buddhism to the islands.

Perhaps it is my vivid imagination, but they swam from far and began feeding, on something that must have drifted to the spot where I had cast my sorrows.
I believe, somehow, I am beholden to fulfil this pledge to fish who wait, in their watery habitat.

The heart has grown weary since that Lunar New Year.
Tomorrow ushers in another new one, ruled by the Rat, with an opportunity for renewal.
The hopes of the past year have dimmed, but many new dreams flare again.

Who knows what the fates have in their works for us, in the months to come? Even Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy, says in her oracles that no one can know his true destiny.

Life is a journey that begins from the moment we enter this world, but it does not come with a roadmap that leads to that promised land where all our wishes are fleshed out in colour.
It is more like a ticket to ride into the unknown, weighted with emotional baggage along with the way. There’s so much we dream to achieve in a lifetime, places to go to, people we hope to meet and adventures to live.

But few of us dare to follow the compass of our heart, but go with the reality of our mundane lives, hemmed by human fears and frailties, instead.
And, of course, some day, we start counting all the if-only and why-hadn’t-I of life, and wonder if it couldn’t have turned out differently.

Maybe yes, maybe no. Life is like a football game, where players must look for opportunities, or create them.
The rules of play may be pre-determined. But the score of hits and misses is still up to us.

We are all players in life’s great game, but without the luxury of extra time. Or, as Liza Minelli sang in the old movie Cabaret, start by admitting, from cradle to tomb, it isn’t that long a stay.

Why waste time, lingering on regrets and self-pity?
The past cannot be lived again. But today, and the future, can be planned for.

This Lunar New Year, I have therefore resolved to put away fears and disappointment, rather than let them block my forward path.
I will carefully make plans for the rest of the year to come, and live each day, as it unfolds.

Above all, at some point, I must return to that pond in the shrine, and to the Guanyin (Kannon) temple at Asakusa in Tokyo.
Though Guanyin is universal, it is at Senso-ji that she feels most special, for personal reasons.
It is there, too, after my last visit to the shrine with its three-inch golden statuette, that my faith was tested.

But I like to think that my belief had never wavered, for it is to her that I return again and again, for guidance.
In the end, it is faith that keeps us going, and leads us into the future without fear.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

By Alistair Tan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~*~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

～みはる～

初めてのヴィオリンレッスン

A month ago, I went for my first violin class.
A month later, I'm enjoying playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ^^

Kotomi, my beginner's violin

It really helped that I had some background theory in reading music. Because I was able to read the score, I could channel my efforts to improve on my pitching (I'm quite the opposite of pitch perfect) and fingering (my bones are most inflexible).

On my first lesson, I received my pre-ordered beginner's violin (which from now on shall be called Kotomi) and naturally, was quite excited about playing it. When my tutor picked it up and strummed the strings, her face fell. "This is very out of tune". Daang. So while I played on her violin, she helped me tune Kotomi. So she was turning the scrolls, tuning and tuning, and suddenly the A-string snapped. We both looked at Kotomi, dumbfounded. A brand new violin snapping. My, it sure gives lots of confidence.

But it could be my tutor tweaked the A-string scroll a little too much. So we changed the A-string, which was a good opportunity for her to show me how to change the strings on my own.

One month later, Kotomi is doing well and sounding good, except when I bow weird (which is like 70% of the time....? ^^;) We have covered most of the notes on the first fingerboard position, so I could already start playing pieces in D and A major. やった！

I'm looking forward to the day I can play a violin sonata.
これからもがんばります！

～みはる～

Nodame in Europe

FujiTv seriously threw money into this:

The highly popular classical music Japanese comedy drama returned with a special 2-episode sequel. Get this: it was filmed in France and Czech Republic over a duration of approximately 3-4 months. Which is why you see....

.... backdrops so gorgeous they make you wanna fly to Europe.

.... gaijins who speak Nihongo.

....conductor concours in historical concert halls in the mecca of classical music (Prague).

.... Mozart playing in a chateau. (yes, that is Ueno Juri cosplaying)

Coupled with Tamaki Hiroshi and Ueno Juri reprising their roles as Chiaki & Nodame, the 2-episode special screamed MUKYAAA. Uh, that is Nodame vocab for FANTASTIC. The directors to this drama never failed to deliver the best. I salute their incredible production so well done; it seemed to me they had brought the manga alive. The story followed the manga storyline very closely, right down to the dialogue. Of course some scenes were adapted to the practicality of filming, but the changes were pretty insignificant. Furthermore, the music followed the manga religiously. We actually get to listen to all the classical works mentioned in the manga, such as Ravel's Miroirs, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, etc.

What was incredibly unbelievable and hilarious was they managed to get angmohs speaking fluent Japanese. Jean Donnadieu, the French conductor character, was rolling in Japanese, not French! It turns out they cleverly used foreign talents or half-Japaneses, such as Wentz Eiji (Frank) and Becky (Tanya) which gives the drama such novelty. Furthermore, they introduced a lot of new characters, which is very refreshing. I can't even start picking a favourite, because I like all of them!

The sceneries really took my breath away. The directors had generously included outdoor shots, making the audience feel like they are in Europe with the main characters... which is so captivating. And it goes without saying, the music is so fantastic it melt my ears. What was very clever of the producers was they managed to use the music at the appropriate points of the drama, captivating the audience with the power of illusion and sound.

This is like the best 2-episode special I've ever watched. It is worth sitting through the 4 whole hours simply because.... it's Nodame Cantabile. If you don't watch this, you're missing really good stuff.

Images from Memento. Visit them for great reviews.
Official site: Nodame Cantabile

～みはる～

The Persistence of Memory

On the first day of this month, I had my very first taste of a gala orchestra concert smack in the heart of Singapore's finest concert hall. It was probably the most upscale concert I have ever attended. (evening dresses and kimono's!!)

Yes, I was at Esplanade Concert Hall experiencing classical music played by Singapore Symphony Orchestra, with a special appearance by the world violin child prodigy Sarah Chang, in a Gala concert themed: The Persistence of Memory.

Repertoire:

• Ravel - Rapsodie Espagnole
• Michael Hersch - Ashes of Memory (Asian premiere)
• Sibelius - Violin Concerto in D, Op.47

I must say, I'm surprised I enjoyed it a lot. In the past, classical music, not to mention watching an orchestra, would put me to sleep. However, I had come to develop a liking for classical music, and as well as appreciating orchestral music.

The performance for the gala was conducted by Maestro Lan Shui, whom I think is great. I especially liked the first movement of Hersch's Ashes of Memory; it was moderately paced tinged with melancholy. Ravel's work was also fun to listen to, especially the last movement.

Of course, the attraction that drew me to the concert was Sarah Chang. I paid to watch her play live. And it was worth it. Her violin-playing was top-class and the sound was just beautiful. But darn, she refused to oblige us with an encore. If she does come back next time with Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D, I would be grabbing for the best seat.

I enjoyed the concert so much that I'm towing my sister and WW for another concert in April. This time, I'm paying to listen to Brahms' Symphony No.1 in C minor. Yes, it's Chiaki's song. *cough*NodameCantabileUberFan*cough*

My only complain though, is the timing of the concert. I had to skip dinner in order to travel down to the bay for the concert. Darn hungry throughout the performance.

Can't wait for the next show!

～みはる～

Petition for a safe journey home

All Malaysians in the same boat, please take a few minutes to sign this petition, here!
The news: Online Petition for Nian Ning

It is heart-breaking and frustrating to yet again see this happening. Interstate express bus crashes have become such a mainstay news in the Malaysian media, that it feels indifferent to read of another crash occurring at the highway which took XX lives.

But how does it feel when someone of your age group from similar background coming from the same place is killed in a crash on the same route in the similar vehicle you so often take?

It feels like it could have been YOU on the bus that had crashed.

I'm talking about the 25th January Slim River bus crash which robbed Lee Nian Ning (and Mohd Zailani and Pang Boon Eng) of her (their) life (lives).

According to the news, Nian Ning took a bus from Penang to KL to visit her friends. Absolutely what every youth who are studying/working overseas and back in Malaysia for holidays will do. Vacation is one time to catch up with good ol' friends. Something I would do too.

So she jolly took one of the many express buses serving the North-South highway to the waiting arms of her friends in KL. To their dismay, she never made it there. And why is that? Because the driver with 13-road summons under his belt, who do not have the right to steer the passenger-filled carriage, divided his attention between SMS-ing and speeding on a rainy highway. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that such reckless driving will only end one way: in death. The driver was said to have lost control, the bus overturned an incredulous THREE times before hitting the road divider, flinging out its passengers, killing 3 in the process. Sadly, Nian Ning was one of the 3.

What was especially unbelievable was that the authorities are irresponsive over the tragedy and the damned bus company is neither apologizing for the glaring fault on their part nor showing remorse to the loss of lives they had caused.

What was appalling was that the driver had 13-summons and still driving a passenger vehicle AFTER the Transportation Ministry did a so-called thorough clean-up operation to weed out such unqualified drivers. Did someone say 'corruption'?

What was infuriating was that the damned bus company did NOTHING to clean up its act after regulations were 'refreshed' following another high profile bus crash last year. Did someone say 'tidak-apalah'?

What was terrifying was that I had so frequently taken buses from this damned company to travel home for my holidays.

What was heart-breaking was that Nian Ning's parents had their treasure snatched away from them because of ONE person's irresponsibility. Imagine the reunion dinner they were excitedly anticipating with their daughter who flew back from overseas had turned into a memorial. Imagine their hopes to see their daughter graduating as a brilliant doctor will never come true. Imagine the sorrows of losing your love, your young. Imagine the pain of losing your child in such a cruel way. I can't imagine.

All it took was an irresponsible driver and a corrupted transportation enforcement to snuff out the promising future of a vibrant youth. Wait, let me correct myself.

To snuff out the promising FUTURES of our vibrant YOUTHS.

Please, (government of) Malaysia. When are you going to gather your act?
What does it take for you to start taking this matter seriously?
How many more youths (no, Malaysians) must die before the people who shouldn't be driving are stopped from taking the wheels of the express buses?
How many bus crashes are you waiting before you remove the irresponsible services of the bus companies?
Are the lives of 'ordinary' Malaysians not valuable? (My, I'm sure the situation would be so blown off the top should the one who died in the crash is the child of some top brass)

I cry for the loss of Nian Ning in the Slim River crash that should never happened.
I cry for the loss of all bus express crash victims who never saw their justice served.
I cry for the loss of compassion in the Malaysian government over the value of Malaysian lives.
I cry for the loss of integrity in the people who are entrusted to make our journey home a safe one.

Tell me, how am I supposed to tell people I'm proud being a Malaysian? It's such an embarrassment.

In memory of Nian Ning, and all victims whose justice was never served.

Thank you to friends of Nian Ning who started the petition for endorsing a change.
Visit their website at Bus Crash No More.

Let us each do a little, with hopes of bringing a change to the system that had so long robbed the lives of our loved ones.

～みはる～

Time will...

...show the true and ugly colors of the ones who had been blinding you all this while.

...shed the façade of the ones who had been deceiving you all along.

...tell you truths to the lies you have been living with.

困難な始まり

まだ新年に入ってばかり、もうたくさん大変な事が起きました。
ちょっときついと思う。
大分は悔しくて悲しいですが、でも少なくても嬉しい事もある。
それは良いことなんだろう。。。

It's barely 3 weeks into the new year of 2008, yet it seemed like a year's worth of events had occurred. It had been such a turbulent 3 weeks, I don't even know where to start. It's like out of a sudden, I have been put through an endless series of tests to check where my (emotional) breaking point is. Nevertheless, amidst the days of frustration and tears, I also experienced warmth and hope.


#1 - New Year's Revelation

For most of our new years, my family and I would join some merry-makers, ushering the brand new year. If we aren't at Dad's company dinner in some hotel patio, we'd probably be joining the hotel guests in the coffee lounge where the band will sing while tourists and staff dance and make jolly fun. *cough*hangingoutwithparentsstyle*cough* Because spending the new years with my parents and sister is most important to me, I rarely hang out with my peers at clubs or hip parties.

However, this year Mum suggested a dinner in a bistro-restaurant at the sea, so we thought it'd be something novel. The restaurant sits on top of the sea, at the pier facing a beautiful sunset. It had chic decor and seemed like an exciting place to celebrate the new year.

Bistro-on-the-sea

However, when we set foot inside, it was evident that the management was haphazard and ill-prepared to deal with MANY customers. I mean, this is a new place, and all Pgites are people who love to try out new places, so this chic place is bound to be flooded on New Year's Eve. But there was only one manager running around trying to organize e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g and one poor cashier girl trying to get guests to pay up before entering the premises. The rest are foreign worker waiters who do not have the authority to manage the event. Our seating reservation was screwed for reasons I still do not know, and Mum was pretty infuriated that we didn't get the veranda table she initially booked. We finally got a table with not too bad a view, but it turned out to be some sort of a blessing, I think.

Dinner was buffet, which was only average in my opinion. One thing I was very unhappy about was they gave us huge, heavy ala-carte plates for buffet. I could barely hold the plate with one hand, how am I to get food from the buffet line? When I actually returned to my table with my food, my hand ached from holding the plate that weighed a tonne.

There wasn't much entertainment after dinner, we were basically sitting around waiting for midnight, while taking in the sea breeze. However, by 10pm, more patrons entered, filling up the whole place. The entire restaurant was changed into a club, and more youngsters came in in large groups for drinks. The family-atmosphere escalated to rowdiness, and Mum began to feel uneasy with the clubbers and noise. We weren't particularly enjoying sitting in the stench of alcohol and tobacco, so we left the place some 1.5 hours before midnight.

We ended up hanging at the pier a stone's throw away from the restaurant, enjoying the sea breeze and waiting for fireworks. It was quieter compared to the restaurant-turn-club. However, half an hour before midnight, a sudden cacophony of glass smashing and metal stuff being thrown from the direction of the club pierced thru the quiet. Alarmed, we turned to the direction of the club, and much to our shock, an entourage of very angry young people were forcing their way into the club, smashing all the beer bottles, glass tables, metal chairs and decoratives along their way. It was like watching a gangster movie come alive. More glass smashing sound was heard as the group entered the club, destroying whatever they had in sight in anger. A brief moment after, the entire group came running out and away from the club, supposedly before the cops come after them. The aftermath: broken glasses everywhere, tables and chairs were thrown over and sinking into the sea, Christmas trees were turned upside down, and other guests started leaving.

Thankfully we had left earlier, if not, we might had been caught in the fray. But I wondered what happened to the guests inside the club. In Malaysian style, the authorities came long after the angry group left - like what use is there, all culprits had gone scott-free.

This is one new year I get to see first-hand how inept young Malaysians are at anger management. And I am so disappointed to see such immaturity plaguing my society.


#2 - A Catty Tale

Remember Siren? The stray kitten I was feeding when I was back home? Apparently, she had siblings. We ended up feeding, not one, but 5 kittens. Although perplexing, it was interesting watching the kittens interact with each other.

Siren, very adapted to life-being-fed-by-humans, was particularly nasty to her siblings, which were brought down from the rooftop where they had been living this whole time in hunger and isolation. Two of her siblings, Noisy and White-Paw, actually had been watching us feeding Siren all this while, and they were so hungry that they jumped down from the roof to get food from Siren's bowl. However, Siren had no intention to share her food, so we actually had a live show of cat-fight in the middle of the night. White-Paw is what you call "scaredy-cat". She's always crouching behind a brick and snaring at us. The two later additions, Black1 and Black2, were also very apprehensive towards us, and received the same nasty treatment from Siren. However, Siren soon loosen up to her birthmates and they were even seen to sleep together later.

Five tigers guarding our backyard

Sleeping together in the flower-pot, which doubles as their playground. Cuuuute, ain't it?

It's cute to have kittens in your backyard, but not particularly so when they stink like hell. God bless you in your stray days, kittens.

#3 - The Elusive Property

Just when I thought we have found a good house for lease at a good location, the 'owner' dropped us the bomb that he is not the registered owner of the house and the house is not approved for lease. A torrent of other complications arose with regards to that house, and after several very stressful days of intense contemplation, I decided to drop the house and risk searching the already-inflating market for another.

What followed was another week of frenetic scanning of classifieds, calling some twenty-over property agents, viewings, negotiations and frustrating decision makings. It was one hell of a week I never want to go through again. I could not concentrate on preparing my seminar; every 3 mins I would be clicking on the refresh button on the classifieds website. To add salt to wound, I had to periodically attend some talks in an international conference held in campus and had also a deadline to meet with my supervisor over preparations for my seminar presentation. On top of all that, I had academic classes as well as my language and music classes. It was like, in several days, all horrible things piled on me, one after another. I began to feel financial constraints as most of the houses we viewed fell within the range of $1800-2500 rental per month. So much so that I actually entertained the thought of quitting PhD and get a real paying job.

Amidst the madness, the strings of fate toyed with us. You see, the case is like this:
My friend's friend had a friend, Z, who intended to rent out his property which is located in the area of our interest. So my friend introduced me to Z, and we made an arrangement to view his apartment. Both me and my housemate, J, took liking to Z's apartment, but since Z was asking for rental that slightly exceeded our budget, we tried to negotiate with him for a lower rent, of which he told us he would consider. At the same time, we kept searching for other apartments, before landing on the above-mentioned 'complicated' unit. So after ditching 'complicated' unit, I happened to browse the classifieds and saw an advertisement of apartment for rent that happens to be the block next Z's apartment. Naturally, I contacted the agent and arranged for viewing of this new unit. When we reached the location, the agent told us there was a typo error and the unit we will be viewing is located in the block where Z's apartment is. And voila! Upon reaching the unit, Z was standing at the door waiting for us. So it was HIS apartment placed on the ad! Talk about coincidence. All of us, Z, my housemate and I had a good laugh. We asked him to consider renting the place to us if we agree to give him the rental he initially proposed. However, this time round, he has increased his asking price to a higher amount in accordance with the market price, which again, slightly exceeds our budget. Again, we asked him to consider us.

As the situation was becoming more desperate, my housemate J asked his friends to see whether any acquaintance happened to be renting their property. J's friend told him that she has a friend whose friend is renting out his property in our area of interest. J excitedly told me the good news, but when I heard of the location, I warily suggested to J that he should ask for the block number, just in case it is Z's apartment again. So J asked his friend and his friend's friend about the exact location of the apartment. Guess what? It IS Z's apartment!

What are the odds??
My friend's friend's friend is Z.
J's friend's friend's friend is Z.
My agent's agent's client is Z.

The mind map looked something like this:


In a light-hearted conversation, Z exclaimed, "You guys are so desperate ah?!" Why did we end up seeing each other for three times, through different portals?! All of us had a good laugh, and agreed it must have been fate.

But fate or no fate, Z's still putting up his apartment for a price that was slightly beyond our budget. In the end, we managed to find another decent apartment around the vicinity for a lower rate. Although we didn't make it to Z's tenants, it was nice to have met such a warm guy and in such a series of fateful encounters.

#4 - 6 month PhD Seminar

In the midst of all the stress coming from property hunting, I was scheduled to give a seminar on my PhD project. It is part of the School's requirement that all PhD candidates have to give a 30-minute presentation to the public on the topic of their research project. And of all timings, they just had to arrange me to give the seminar at such a time when I had a greater crisis in hand. It was the most harrowing two weeks of preparation for me, because I could not concentrate on drafting out a good presentation while frantically hunting for a house at the same time. It stressed me more that I had a deadline to meet my supervisor to discuss the flow of the presentation, and do a mock run in front of her. I didn't want to give a sloppy job, but I was totally not in the state of mind to produce a good presentation. Somehow, my supervisor sensed my harried state of mind and allowed me time for preparation to the very last minute.

Surprisingly, (not to sound boastful), the presentation went very well, and I was given positive feedback about my presentation. Which took me by complete surprise because first, I didn't have much data to present, and second, I finished preparing only 1 day prior the seminar. What was even a more pleasant surprise was that the chairperson of the seminar had a deep (and positive) impression on my seminar, that he said very nice things about my presentation to my supervisor. いやだな。。。

Well, at least that went well, and I don't have to worry about giving a progress report anymore for the remaining of the semester. What a relief!

#5 - Jobs Change, People Change

Just when I thought the unpleasant upheaval is all over and I could finally settle down in peace, three of the staff in my lab announced that they will be quitting their jobs by the end of the month. P had came to the end of her contract, SanSan and R decided to switch jobs for personal reasons. While P's departure was anticipated, the other two's announcement came as a shock, not only to me, but the whole lab. All the while we had been quite a closely knit lab, and losing the three of them is akin to losing some sunshine in the lab. SanSan has been such a warm and easygoing person, so everyone has pretty much became attached to her, and to have her leave would make us very lonely. R's departure came as a shock to me because I have been the one who worked closely with her on my project, and I had been learning a great deal from her experience. To have her leave would mean I would be steering the entire PhD project on my own. It is simply an intimidating thought to have to do it all alone.

However, I accepted their decisions and can only wished them well while I struggle to absorb as much knowledge from them as possible before they go for good. Nevertheless, their departure had brought my supervisor back to the frontline of research, which means I would have the chance to learn directly from my supervisor. Which is good for me, of course. So, there IS a silver lining behind every dark cloud ^^

Well, 2008 may not had a great start, but I'm looking forward to a busy and fulfilling year ahead. My one resolution (which I hope to uphold) is to build up patience, strength, compassion, and maturity to help me face life's adversities one at a time. Hopefully I remain this resolved in the 365 days to come!

～みはる～

ピアノの森

Piano no Mori

I just happened to be quite taken by the appeal of a grand piano in a sunny clearing in the depths of a forest.

「ピアノの森」 (Piano no Mori) is an animation movie about two elementary school boys with very different musical backgrounds and very different views about piano music. Amamiya dreams of becoming a famous pianist, and religiously attends his piano classes and practices very hard playing perfectly to the score, in order to realize his dream. On the hand, Kai's piano playing skills are self-taught, and his carefree playing reflects his interpretation of the freedom and enjoyment of piano music. The two boys became acquainted when Amamiya transferred to Kai's school, and Kai was excited to finally have a piano-playing friend. He proudly lead Amamiya to his secret base; a clearing in a nearby forest where 'his' piano stood. Rumors had it that the piano doesn't sound, but Kai vehemently disagrees. He insists that Amamiya plays the piano and hears it for himself.

However, when Amamiya hit the keys, the piano did not produce any sound. Disbelieved, Kai shoved Amamiya aside and played the piano himself. Miraculously, beautiful music resonated throughout the forest. Amamiya soon discovered that Kai could play the piano in the forest but he couldn't because Kai had played the piano with such genuine and sincere love and enjoyment for music, and it was as if the piano 'accepted' his honest feelings and reflected them in the sound of music.

Honestly speaking, the movie is quite bland, although there were some humor. It analyzes the differences in musical interest that is so common among the society; people who play to achieve technical mastery, and people who play for the pure enjoyment of music. It also hinted on the emphasis of concours on perfection of showmanship, instead of nurturing unique musical interpretations.

I watched this movie out of interest for graphical animation and classical music; other than that, I think it's quite a boring movie. So unless you love piano to death, I reckon you don't try this one.

～みはる～