My brother, Benjamin

In a few days' time, you'll be leaving Malaysia
for Taiwan to further your education.
I am, indeed glad and happy for you, my brother.
For finally doing something right in your life,
for finally decided to not waste the time of your life anymore,
for finally starting a new journey, in your life, in every way.





Since I was younger, you were and still are a great brother to me.
You were my best friend, my utmost secret keeper,
my advisor, my supporter,
my best shopping companion and my yumcha partner.
You were always there, whenever I encounter a problem.
You have always given me advices whenever I needed one.





Now, I have only a few days time till you leave,
and yet I can't be there with you.
I know you'll be able to get everything ready by yourself,
and also you significant other.
I know you'll be fine, just be yourself,
but which part of yourself, you know it the best.




I can only imagine what's it like being sorta alone in somewhere far away from home,
I can only imagine what's it like
when you finally have to be independent, and do everything by your own.
We have always had others to take care of us, and in time,
we'll all have to end up taking good care of ourselves.
This is what we both are gonna go through,
for you will not be able to be there for me immediately, whenever I need you,
or vice versa.




I don't do promises, but I'm going to make an exception.
I promise, we'll always be there for each other,
and help out each other whenever one has met some problems.
I will do my best, to help you overcome your obstacles.
Be strong, my brother.
You're gonna be okay, and better than that. :)






Take care and Bon voyage!
I will be missing you, a lot. :)
May God bless you and best of luck in everything! :D

没有合适不合适，只有珍惜不珍惜

刚搬进这个房子的那天，她整理完全部的东西，最后拿出一个非常精致的玻璃瓶，对他说道：“亲爱的，3个月内，你让我每哭一次，我就往里面加一滴水，代表我的眼泪。要是它满了，我就收拾我的东西离开这房子。”
爱没有合不合适，只有珍惜不珍惜男人不以为然，有点纳闷：“你们女人也太神经质了吧！就这么不信任我么，那还有什么可谈？我让你搬过来和我一起生活，是为了照顾你，不是欺负你的！”
女人说：“好男人不会让心爱的女人受一点点伤，我会记录下我为什么流泪，不会是莫名其妙的。”

“那好吧，抱抱～！”
两个月后，女人把那瓶子给男人看，说：“已经满一半了，在两个月内，我们是否有必要查看一下是什么问题呢？”说完递了一本精致的小笔记本给男人。
男人没有马上打开来看，他的表情里有一丝惊讶，还有点哭笑不得的意味，似乎没有想到女人的眼泪可以这么多，盛得这么快，又觉得女人是小题大作了，但是很可爱。
他打开本子开始看，惊讶女人怎么写了那么多。男人一边看着，女人一边说话：“第一次吵架，是在第3天，而且还是一大早，你刚醒来有点懵懂，挤的牙膏不知道怎么的飞到镜子上了，那是我刚擦干净的，我说你连挤牙膏都不会啊，你就来脾气了，然后吵起来……”
男人沉默着。女人继续说：“有天晚上我让你帮洗下那几件衣服，因为水太凉，你只顾着玩游戏迟迟不肯动，后来吵起来，我很失望你忘记了我的生理期不能碰冷水，委屈……”
“还有一次，我很累了，你还不肯去洗澡睡觉，明明知道我特敏感，有点神经衰弱，哪怕一点点敲键盘的声音都能让我难以入睡，我一情急就说了你这个人自私的话，我们吵起来，你说了一大堆辩论自己不自私自私的人是我之后甩门出去上网通宵，我打你电话你没拿我又不敢自己一个人去找你……”
女人这时候有点激动了，眼球开始泛红，说：“还有一次……”男人打断了她的话，“亲爱的，别说了……”

沉默…长久的沉默……
还是女人打破了沉默：“是不是我们真的不合适？如果是这样，结婚了还是会离婚吧？我们的个性都那么强，谁都不肯退让。”

气氛有点尴尬。
本子里记录的事情都是那么细小的事情，每次吵架的原因都是那么的简单，男人看着这本子，似乎在体会着女人的心情，大男子是不会去计较这些小事，原本觉得每次和好之后都没事，女人就爱拿这些来说事，但是当他认真去看的时候，他也开始难过了，女人很细心，把事件、心情都写了，还自己总结了一下原因。原来最微小的事情累积起来是很让人痛苦的，他看得出，女人从失望慢慢变成绝望。
他想，大概是因为每次吵架，两人都是喜欢在吵架中找出对方不爱自己的证据。他突然意识到，这是个很严重的问题！而且每次吵架，双方都是在心情不稳定的时候，就是还有别的烦心事的时候，把不好的情绪带进了两个人的生活里。
“亲爱的别难过……”男人终于说话了：“我请个假，我们去旅游吧。”
他们去了第一次一起旅游的地方，太多美好的回忆被唤起，原来彼此是那么深深地爱着对方，这时的女人特别温柔，这时的男人特别体贴。

“亲爱的，你还认为我们结婚的话，会离婚么？”男人问。
“我想不是我们不合适，像现在，我们是那么快乐，一切都那么美好，可是一回到我们的现实生活里，为什么就变了呢？”

“亲爱的，难道我们现在不在现实里吗？”

“……”女人楞了。
“因为那时候我们都把注意力集中在负面的事物上并且放大了那些负面的心情。并且喜欢找对方不爱自己的证据，然后彼此个性都很倔不肯服输太要面子。”
女人觉得确实是如此，原来，双方只是需要一点点忍让，一点点包容。男人带她回顾这初次旅游的地点，是真的用心了，想起那时候他们在一起还不久，为了让对方觉得自己好，都表现出自己最好的一面。
“还有半个月，如果那瓶子还是半瓶，那么，亲爱的，嫁给我吧！”

女人钻进男人怀里笑开了颜
后来他们结婚了。很少再吵架。如果粗心的男人不小心碰掉了杯子，女人不会再开口就骂，因为在女人开口之前，男人已经在道歉，说对不起，都是我不小心的，赔两个给老婆！老婆尽管去选你喜欢的！女人就笑了，然后说，不用买啦，反正还有杯子，再说也不都是你的错，怪我自己没把杯子放好，让你碰到啦！
原来真的没有合适不合适，只有珍惜不珍惜，能一起走一起进步是幸福的！










I came across with this post while I was browsing blogs, and it really makes me think,
about relationships, about the problems that we might/have encounter in relationships,
and what should we really do. It's really meaningful and we should all cherish everything that we have,
even though we know it's not suitable for us for the time being.

"A Love That Will Last" by Renee Olstead + random thoughts (5)

Well,

how cool is that,

waking up to a romantic song

playing in your mind,

and feeling romantic as well. 

Hahahaha.

That is what I felt the moment I woke up

from my dreams

even though I could not remember any single detail

of my dream.

Call me paranoid, or whatever,

but this is what I think :

The freshest and/or purest thought that you have

is that when you have absolutely nothing else in your mind

except this, when you woke up from your sleep.

I know, some people just don't think about anything at all. lol.

However,

in this case,

which I was "playing" this song in my head

while lying on my bed, thinking of nothing,

I'm thinking that I am indeed,

hunger 

desperate

looking for a love that will last.

Well, who doesn't, right?

But, I think this is what I have been feeling these days,

despite the fact that I have been telling myself that

no more relationships for at least a year?

(1)  Because I need to concentrate on my studies,

which some of you know, it's not easy for me now,

however it's possible to achieve my goal. Hahahaha.

(2)  Because I am simply not interested in involving myself

in romance stuffs, for now.

Yeah lar, sometimes I do feel a lil bit jealous.

A wee bit. :P

(3)  Because I am not interested in anyone yet. 

HAHAHAHAAHA :D

Yes, gotme®

(4)  Okay lar. Got lar. I do have someone in mind,

which is highly impossible. I'd prefer it to be like this,

crush. hohohoho. I love this. :P

Anyway, that doesn't have anything to do with this.

Because I have decided to be single.

(5)  Okay okay. Wooohooo to SINGLE LIFE!

*as if I have never been single lol*

Nonetheless,

I am very much in love.

As always.

:D

With life,

with music,

with family,

with friends 

*don't worry, not you*

and many more.

Yes, I love this song too. :D

random thoughts (4)

Yes,

I do play piano

whenever I feel emotional.

But that's just some times

because I'm not always emotional,

I have to be cheerful enough.

============================================

So, there will be times that

I happen to be slightly off, disturbed, sad, depressed,

and if I happen to be in front of the piano,

I would play something to make myself feel better.

I love my melody lines for most of the times.

Hahahaha.

Honestly, I do, and I do think that 

they will actually calm me down.

Only need to work on the chord progressions,

which chord will be perfectly illustrate what's happening in my mind

and so on.

And yeah.... the accompaniment style has got to be varied.

===================================================

Just so you know,

I felt emotional earlier.

I played, and played, and played,

the melody lines were exactly how I wanted it to be,

I was talking, in a musical way.

I guess I didn't want myself to remember the unhappy moment

that I had earlier,

I cannot recall what I have played,

but I know that I was playing my heart out.

I couldn't recall any, maybe you were still an influence to me.

However, the influential level has dropped, gradually,

from time to time.

Which I am quite glad that it dropped.

=============================================

Moments later, Sabrina came.

She was standing at the door, looking at me.

I smiled. Hahaha. She's forever so cat-like, so adorable.

We had a chat, about many stuffs,

her coming trip to Australia this June *JEALOUS!!*

her family,

some other stuffs, including mine.

Ah well. I felt better. For spending quality time

with such a sweet friend.

So schweet.

:D

===========================================

I had just another pleasant day

where everything was right, 

things were right where they should be.

Nice conversations, really nice friends,

extremely nice experience today.

Speaking of which,

I have noticed the sky in the evening nearby my place

was really gorgeous.

The clouds were at the right places,

the colors of the sky was brilliant.

I couldn't catch the scenery with my camera phone,

but with the windows to my soul.

I am somehow contented.

Thank you GOD.

:D

Have a pleasant weekend everyone :)

Me eez going for shopping.

Practice comes at night, hopefully.

ahahahaha.

Smiles! :D

::  p/s  ::

I have changed my classical piece

from Mazurka to Nocturne. *phew*

Maybe I'll choose another Mazurka,

but this Nocturne piece sounds really nice.

I like it when I am attracted to it. Hehehe.

Daorae+music talk(1)

So, I just came back from this very voluptuous dinner
a Daorae,

 which is a pretty well-known Korean BBQ restaurant
in Kay Elle especially.
Very yummy and I feel so full now. *ooh*
Aunt Bibi and I ordered one set of pork and one set of mutton.
Both were really good. Hehehe.
Their taste and smell are equally appealing
since they were cooked in front of me. So.. yeah.

These are the side dishes. :D

I actually enjoy seeing food being prepared in front of me,
so I would get the idea how it is made.
Anyway, we decided to have this dinner was to celebrate
the first day of Spring *and oui, moi is wearing akai :D*, according to the lunar calendar.
Hahaha. It's was a lil expensive, but it's totally worth it :)





The class today was yet another pretty good one,
although, as the people in my class would know that
we didn't really give out our best, except for NK. He was brilliant.
I mean, he's a Jazzer all right, lol. And for that, I have to work harder. mmph.
Yes, we didn't really do much, and Eric taught us many things today,
which some of us already know, but in a more detailed way.
Whatever we have learned in our classes, no matter it's
Contemporary Harmony-------the theory of course,
for example : using chord scales 
which provides the notes that we can use for our improvisation/solo
also for the voicing for the chords,
                    : using the hybrid chords to add in the color
                    : using the Sub V7s to give the particular effect
or arranging, or performance classes, we can, and however,
must apply what we have learned.




Then, he talked about the 12 bar blues form, the growth of the solos
which are the introduction, the development, the climax
and ways of bringing it down to end the solo.
Well, as you all know, solos are something like one instrumental is speaking up.
Although it seems that way, the other instrumentalist/vocalist should also
be aware that it is also like having a conversation.
Yes, you can speak all you want, but you must leave spaces
for others to give their feedbacks/opinions.
You cannot have conversation when you are talking by yourself all the way, right?
Talk and listen is the key of having a quality conversation,
the same goes to playing solos.
Furthermore, the more you are familiar with your band mates' playing,
the more you understand what they are doing, and the chemistry happens.
It's fun, when you know you can make the song interesting,
and doing it together with the others,
especially when achieving the climax of your solo.




The climax can be reached in many ways,
Dynamic, speed, higher register, repetition and sequential motifs.
Dynamic, as in the volume, it usually starts off at a much softer tone,
and it gradually increases as it reaches *usually* the third chorus of your solo.
Speed, the faster you play, the more tension you are creating,
which helps when you're reaching the climax.
Register, the range that you play,
which usually starts at the middle C range
till the E note which is an octave higher than the middle C, aka C4. lol.
As the solo goes on, you will slowly extend your range to a higher register,
till you reach at such a high range, you have already created the tension.
Repetition and sequential motifs are more or less the same story,
You play the same motif, not the same notes but the sequence from the motif.
For example, C F Eb (C7, C *minor* blues),       1 4 b3 
then you will play the sequence, I repeat, not the same notes.
In 12 bar blues, F7 comes in the second bar(sometimes),
then you shall play F Bb Ab (F7, F *minor* blues)   1 4 b3 
See? The numbers represent the notes and even though they're different notes,
the number stays the same, hence it's called the "sequence". :D
The sequential motifs, can also be recognized as the "rubber band theory".
The harder you pull, the tighter it's gonna be, hence the greater tension you're creating.
So, the more sequence you put in, the more tension is created.
C F Eb, D G F, E A G and so on.



However, it sometimes varies with different genres, for instance, Latin Jazz.
They like to start the solo loud, so they could keep the mood there.
Of course they will create their specific graphs for the climax.
Those, are awaiting for me to discover, in the future. Hehehehe. :P




And the homework for today *>3<*

• Find chord scales for the chords, for 3 songs
- All of me, A foggy day, All the things you are plus "Blues for Alice" by Charlie Parker ---- to find the available notes to play in the solos
• Play arpeggios for solo(tensions included) in a melodious way
• Transcribe*yes, again* a solo from any artist(Jazz), at least 2 choruses
  and play it back.
• work on my walking bassline

*head-pening*
hmmph.
I still have to practice a lot for my next piano lesson.
This, that, that, this.
Yeap.
I CAN DO THIS!!!!!!





Take great care everyone :D
Still, wish me and everyone a gorgeous day tomorrow :)
Adios~

"Bicycle" by Caroline Lufkin + Hello again :)

Well,

some of you might already know about this song.

It's

"Bicycle"

by Caroline Lufkin.

She's both singer and a songwriter,

like her sister, Olivia Lufkin,

and Olivia's more active in the entertainment biz.

She's an Uchina'a-born Lewchewan-American,

who is originally from Okinawa, Japan,

then moved to various places and guess what?

She's graduated from Berklee College of Music!

Ohmygawd!

:D

I mean, I like her style of music and all,

So yeah, Yes I am happy to know such artist.

Her songs are always so calm,

and somehow heartwarming.

I love how she arranged her songs and 

those instruments that she's used in most of her pieces

that give this simple yet sophisticated effect.

Simply amazing.

=============================================

Back to my daily practice,

which is not exactly. Hahahaaha.

I'm known for my laziness all right.  :P

But today's not the only day that I've practiced,

rather a continuation.

Anyway, I have two practical classes tomorrow,

Aural Training and Piano lesson.

One history class, which is Malaysian Music History.

But that doesn't really require any practice, so yeah. lol.

Aural Training is going to be fine, I know,

because considering that I'm going to practice more 

tomorrow morning, I think it's gonna be just all right.

As for my Private Instruction,

Hmm.

I have practiced, but still not confident enough to present

the pieces to Eric.

This is caused by insufficient practice. LOL.

I'm such a procrastinator I can even be a spokesperson for that wtf.

Mazurka is... doable, yet it's difficult.

Okie, I am going to try to look this half glass full.

Mazurka is difficult, but it's doable! Tadah! :D 

So What is easy, for sight reading! lol.

Overjoyed... oh no. I have to try again. LOL.

Half glass full, half glass full!

It's pop! So I can do it! LOL.

Sigh I'm starting to think that it's so pathetic.

YES I CAN DO IT :D :D :D

Scales, aiya, can practice, so it's okay.

As for the chord progressions,

I need to practice them again, tomorrow morning and afternoon.

And that's for Private Instruction.

For Thursday's Jazz Ensemble,

Hmmm. I shall work on the swing comping tomorrow.

Jesica must help me! ROAR!

And the 3 well-planned solos for 12-bar blues.

How am I going to plan it well? Seriously?

Jamey Aebersold's collection isn't helping me exactly how I need it.

Mmm.

I am going to ask for help, as usual. lol.

Why, blues aint quite my forte all right. And swing too.

I like latin jazz. So yeah, there's something I like. :)

CHEERS FOR TOMORROW.

PRAY FOR ME

AND

WISH FOR VERY PLEASANT, BEAUTIFUL, INSPIRING,

AND FINALLY DAYS

---- Wednesday+Thursday+Friday

WITH FULL OF SMILES :D

*PANIC!!!*

OH GAWD HELP MEEEEEEEE

ALL OF MEEEE~~~~

WHY NOT TAKE ALL OF MEEE~~~

*cough*

Oh yeah.

That's one of the song that I have to prepare

for the coming ensemble class this Thursday.

I know I know,

all because of these procrastination,

and my own laziness,

I haven't been really practicing.

Oh GAWD.

*slap*

Okie, let's see what are the three song, shall we?

:)

"All the things you are"

by

Charlie Parker

"A Foggy Day"

by

Frank Sinatra

"All of Me"

by

Frank Sinatra

And I have to learn all these 3 songs,

and prepare 3 "well-planned" solos for 

12-bar blues, in F.

Ooooh.

That's only for Jazz ensemble.

*nervous*

*hyperventilating*

*nervous*

Sorejya,

WISH ME LUCK!!! 

:D