Tuesday, October 31, 2006
A Hanover Festival outlook
The North-East Monsoon kicked off on the Muslim holy day of Adil Fitri as we finally get to breathe in some fresh and good air following the harrowing haze. I see this as a prospective sign where I am going to enter a new phase of my life. As I'm writing this article I'm currently listening to Phillip Sparke's Hanover Festival. My secondary school band performed this piece for their SYF 2003 and clinched a silver medal.
This piece starts with a majestic horn melody with the gong and the timpani providing a strong resonant effect to it. The start of this song gives me the impression of something rising into the horizon, something which is very bright and has an optimistic outlook.. The rest of the band then joins in various sections of this slow beginning before the orginal horn melody returns. Somehow to me, this symbolises that various myraids of uncertain yet promising outlooks of the future.
Most of my peers will revert back to civilian status come Monday, while I will only ORD next month on 9 Dec 2006. (I didn't get my two month fitness cut) There're alot of things that I've to do as I ORD. I have a lot of stuff to learn, which is vital to a smooth transition to that of a student. Somehow there is alot we NSmen need to catch up in order to regain our intellectual fitness and get used to mugging.
Speaking of this, the slow part of this piece ends by introducing the subsequent running notes of the fast section by the various instruments. Anyone in a band who knows this piece well would hate playing it because of its killer running notes. I can actually relate it to the rigours of university life. This also explains why I am contemplating the idea of matriculating into NUS early. I may need to spend more money ($611 per module is a huge burnout!!) However, the choice of the number of modules, as well as which Special Term to join (either May or June or both) is a serious decision in which I have yet to decide pending further inputs from NUS. The NUS admin have only revealed that unrestricted electives and modules fulfilling the university requirement (e.g. Singapore Studies) will be available. However, they have not revealed which exact modules are to be offered. I worry that bidding for these modules during the Special Term could be crazier than during the start of the normal Academic Term. Nevertheless, the theme of my Special Term is to 'search for my passions', where I'll attempt to search for what I really like before I jump into the world of pragmatism in August.
The middle part of the fast section of Hanover Festival continues on in a searching mood of running semiquvers before another horn melody stabilizes the tune setting the central and perhaps, the most melodious portion of this piece. Apparently I cannot seem to figure out which portion of my future can be associated with, except in my own indefinte fantasies in my mind. Rather I am now more concerned with a few vital and important goals, which include handing over my job to my understudy before I ORD. In addition, I'm currently preparing for an upcoming concert; and beyond this I need to find a job and learn as many things that I dream of, being in the idealistic and pragmatic world.
Speaking of an upcoming Band Concert, allow me to say a few words: My secondary school band (Chung Cheng) is having its annual concert entitled
Variants III - Colours of Change which will be held on
10 Dec 2006, which is on a Sunday. It will be at
7pm at Singapore Conference Hall. I'll be performing as a member of the alumni. The main band will be performing around 15 pieces while the
alumni band will be having its
maiden performance this year.
The repetoire for the main band include the SYF 2005 piece (Pagan Dances by James Barnes) where the band achieved the Gold Medal for the first time. Other entertaining pieces such as Japanese Graffti, Cartoon, Tico-Tico, Seagate Overture etc. will be featured as well even though I am not sure about the confirmed pieces. Nevertheless I can confirm that the alumni band will be performing Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and El Cumbanchero.
If you are interested in purchasing the tickets, please do not hesitate to contact me via email. The price of the ticket is
$12. It may seem abit costly but we promise a performance of high standards of professionalism and entertainnment value. And speaking of this I need to put in more effort in my practices especially when I've been out of touch of music for four years. :-)
P/S: Unfortunately we're not performing Hanover Festival.
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
23:00
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Thoughts about the haze
The haze this evening is showing signs of improvement even though it has been making me rather irritated for the past few weeks. My nose has been irritating me as I find myself blowing my nose for nothing! White, gross mucus, with no signs of infection nor signs of improvement. Somehow this reminds me of the days I was stuck at home back in 1997 when Singapore faced its worst haze crisis. I ever wonder this year's forest fires in Indonesia only became serious as compared to previous years.
I've always told my peers that corruption, greed and ignorance has caused this dreaded haze, with global warming making it worst. Somehow whoever gave the orders to start the fires are absolute devils. It's not just causing widespread air pollution to the South-East Asian region per se. Rather, it's about the vast destruction of the precious wildlife and rare plants. The animals are suffering as much as we humans. While we know how to hide in our houses, cover our noses and play the blame game, can these wild animals do so? Somehow the Indonesian government has been helpless in its war against such 'eco-terrorists', a group of terrorists that they have overlooked while they were hogged up in the fight against Jemaah Islamiah.
The Economist has suggested that ASEAN should take measures to penalise Indonesia for its failure to settle this problem. I beg to differ. No matter how much ASEAN or the UN can punish Indonesia, the haze crisis will continue to linger on. The Indonesian government has too many crises on its hands in comparison to that of the other South-East Asian countries. The government's lukewarm response to the bird flu outbreak is already a warning sign to all that they can never be able to tackle multiple problems at any one stage. Somehow they seem to have only one single focus at any point of time -- good for an individual who have the luxury to tackle one's problems one at a time but definitely not as a government! This government may be one of the most efficient in Indonesia's history but it is not enough. Only they can solve their own problems no matter how much Singapore and Malaysia provide as much aid to quell the raging fires.
Perhaps education is the best thing now in a country where most rural workers lack. Education can have a significant effect on the Indonesian people given the high rural population. I'm not hinting at schools or public education campaign. If the President is sincere enough he should get on the ground again and personally speak to the Indonesian rural populace about the harmful consequences of uncontrolled burning of land. The use of schools and the media are a useful tool for him and in one way helped tackle the polio crisis which hit several Indonesian toddlers last year. It may not solve this haze crisis in the short-term but it'd have some positive benefits in the long term no matter how small the progress it may be. If there is something which could make this campaign fail, it's the sheer corruption, greed and ignorance of the local grassroots. The Yudhoyono administration has to realise that fighting corruption starts at the grassroots no matter how much they preach about it. Yudhoyono should not hesitate to deal with such errand 'eco-terrorists' a heavy hand just as his authorised the police and the TNI to do so against the JI terrorists.
Fellow Singaporeans and Malaysians, looks like we've to depend on 'luck' and the 'divine wind' this time round. So like what we always say in the SAF, just 'endure'.....
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
23:00
