I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I'm done.

I used up the last minute of the library hour today and found out that I finally finished my final paper.

And thus, a freeman I am.

.........................................................

Met Prof Ritt today, she told me she let Jesse Levine listen to G2's recording of the Chihara Duo Concertante, and he really digs my playing.

Prof. quoted him, "The violin-playing is superb!" And she repeated, "Yes, 'superb', that's the word."

I'm glad Mr. Levine. If you ever walk by here and read this. I really appreciate your kind compliment.

Earth, Wind & Fire

Meeshy lent me a beautiful album of Earth, Wind and Fire today.
It's bangin'! What else can I say?
One thing is funny, I find that Outkast really sound like them.
Not only the way they sing, even the way they arrange their music.
So I guess it's the tradition we're talking about here huh?
Whatever people do now, good or bad, is somehow influenced by the elder ones. It's always been that way, nobody can deny it.

I dunno what I'm writing here... Just gibberish...

I'm still listening to Cassie's music... trying to figure out what exactly I will play... It's not easy to estimate how much I should play. But I guess I can make it. What would happen after the gig all depends on Cassie's taste I guess, if she likes it, who knows what will happen. But of course I really hope she likes it! Haha!

Got my pickup today, it's a Barcus-Berry Model 3100. I'm yet to get a preamp... I hate this... More money to spend!!!

Still can't find Joe's pickup for him though... Why the hell people don't sell it on eBay???!!! Bah...

Frustration, frustration, frustration~~!!

Maybe because I'm stuck in this little room here... Maybe because the weather is too hot... Wait, it doesn't make sense... cuz the weather back home is way hotter plus it's 24-7 and 365 days.

So what's happenin' to me?

Cassie's gig...

I dropped a line yesterday to Cassie on MySpace, saying hi. And she left me a comment on my page, saying that she is doing a gig in Caffe Vivaldi on June 9, asking me if I'm up to playing a few tunes with her.

Dammit, of course!

So she sent me a few tunes today to listen to, asking me to choose some to play with her. Four tunes there, all of them are pretty ones. So decided to play all of them.

Her compositions are smooth, warm, and yet driving, with a touch of her creativity in harmony in some spots. I think it will be a fun gig to play in, getting a few bucks and play with a beautiful and good musician ain't so bad after all.

For those of you who is asking "Huh? Huh? Huh? Cass who?", here you go, this is her website and this is her MySpace

Believe what you believe...

Saw the movie Da Vinci Code with HP and her mom. They didn't really understand what was going on because this is pretty much a dialogue-based movie.

After the movie, her mom said she read a bit of the book but gave up reading it cuz she thinks it's all bullshit, meaningless to read on.

But I was surprised how she can finish Onmyoji novel and TV series altogether in a matter of few days? That's even more bullshit.

I guess it's because DVC touched her religion, and made a story out of the whole Holy Grail thingy. She was offended I guess, maybe subconsciously offended.

Seriously, I don't blame her though. Because if I were her, who knows I might do the same too.

But this shows you how powerful belief is. It can make you understand life (in the way it wants you to understand), it can make you deny knowledge (be it true or fake knowledges), it opens your eyes (to beauty or ugliness), and it can blind you as well.

Belief,
What is belief?
Is it really truth
that lays inside belief?

I wouldn't say yes. But my belief is: If you believe in something, it is already there. It doesn't matter if the thing you believe ever existed physically or historically. If it lies in your heart, it already exists.

So, believe what you believe. There is no right or wrong --- as long as you do not hurt any others with your belief, or force people to believe what you believe.

I'll get the chance to see Okkyung's show!!!

Yay!!!! I found a time I can go to see Okkyung's show in The Stone!

Best thing is I can even see Ikue Mori in action as well!

I thought it's the end of the world that I can't be there on May 18th, but looks like it's not too bad anyway.

Here I come!!!!!!!

p/s:For anybody who has no idea what the hell I'm talking about, please check out Okkyung Lee (or Lee Okkyung in Asian's terms), this wonderful Korean improvising cellist in the NY Downtown scene. Her website is www.okkyunglee.com, also you can check her MySpace page. Her playing is beautiful, and her musical ideas are so close to my heart, probably because we have similar cultural background. Guys, go see her on May 18 or 27 in The Stone at 8pm.

What has my country become???

Racist, religious fanaticism, extremist...

Since I came out to study, I haven't hear anything good about my country but increasingly crazy stuff! Now don't tell me that Western media is corrupting my mind, because it's people who is currently STAYING IN MALAYSIA that told me about all these!

I'm very disappointed about what is going on right now, very...

Have a look at my friend Pete Teo's newest blog entry regarding this matter, triggered by the newest movie, Gubra, that depicts a beautiful love story between a Muslim Malay girl and a Chinese boy.

I mean, I love my country, but why is it turning that way?

Returned to New York

California is even more like a dream for me now.

It's like suddenly you are pulled away from Hank's music, from Williams' greatness, from all the music I love since I was a child, and from the feeling of home.

Jules, I meant to tell you that your piece is still "rumping" and "pumping" inside my very nerve. I kept on humming it to myself during the journey back home. It is not a coincidence, it is your passion that causes that.

I can memorize this piece in the back of my head, though I still can't figure out the meaning of the title.

Maybe that's why they say, "Name is not important".

Every time I hear the music (even if I'm only imagining it), I felt my eyes wetter than usual.

Straightforward is not a bad word, why always look for deep philosophy in music? Where does passion stand in philosophy? And where does philosophy stand when our hearts are trembled by the force of music as of an earthquake or tidal wave?

Rinduan Dalam Mimpi

(Kepada Iris)
Hari pertama ku nampak mu
Semacam orang New York dimandiri cahaya mentari California
Wajah semolek mawar
Suara semanis madu

Sekarang ku pun telah sampai rumah
Seperti kolam mimpi dikacau batu
Wajah molek tak dilupa
Suara manis masih didengar

Betapaku harap beritahu semua ini
Dalam bahasa umum kita
Tetapi ajaran moral dunia kita tidak benar
Rinduan hadap mu tetap sesat di mimpi

California Dreaming

We finished our concert in the Walt Disney Hall today, had a full house and a bunch of passionate audience.

Joyce gave Bob Lennon and me a ride back to Westwood, but not before we went to her friend's birthday party. So she went on to pick up Yohei, her boyfriend, and went straight to her friend, Maria's house.

Was a nice barbeque party, didn't stay long, but I did something amazing ---- playing the badminton after ages. It was so funny, we lost three shuttlecocks (birdie, them Americans call it...) behind the neighbours' fences. It was terrible.

Somehow California feels like home to me. Maybe because of the weather and the people that like to smile.

Everytime I'm here, I feel like I'm in a dream.

Everything is so colourful, warm...

Should I move here? When I move here, maybe it's not dreaming anymore...

Post-performance

At last I'm done with all the BIG projects I have this semester.

Four Seasons marks the end of my 3 massive projects, the previous two being Butterfly Lovers and my final recital.

People liked how my baroque fiddle sound like, happy about it.

Irving took me out to give a small talk about performance practice, and whenever I gave a point. I got some ooh's and ah's from the old people. There was even a funny old lady asking, "Excuse me, is vibrato, this?" Then she started to shake her hand in the air...

Second half of the program was some great music. Vivaldi's Flute Concerto that sounded awesome with Claudia Tseng's playing, and also Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings, both conducted by Ukon Daijiro.

Daijiro, if you're reading this, you did a great job my man! I'm not kiddin'. If that someone could get a good gig, I don't see why you can't. You've got the music inside your blood, which is very precious, don't lose it!!!

鼓祭神农 ---- 小曼

老祖宗呀！
您是我们的半个大姓呀
海水到处
子孙仍以肤色
血承炎黄！
　　
苍苍鹿原
六千年前
您高高举起一把薪火
烧尽茹毛饮血的蛮荒
这个绝早的文明姿势
从此雕成一个字
火叠着火
尊称“炎”

是您最早驯服了植物吧？
耒耜耕土
万里中原温柔了起来！
千百代人
从此学会
扎根
播种
生养
树人如树木

据说
您早就神了
通体透明
能验百草的喜怒哀乐
莫非一嚼断魂的断肠草
也是您呵护子孙的最后警告？
死于您是一种长活
一百二十岁活成了千古不老的苍山

据说
您先知衣着
治麻为布
以应苍天四季
风霜雨雪
礼仪
廉耻

说礼
自然鼓之乐之
不免音调宫商
天籁是否也是您留下的
大曲？
河川放歌
山谷回音
风忘形
云起舞
一个民族
从此能文能诗
能歌能曲能戏

您也是观天的智者吧！
否则子孙后代
岂能从这中原河域
辨识八节的隐喻
二十四节气的精华
七十二物候的精灵
让花草五谷鱼鸟虫兽
找到岁月流光里的归宿？

老祖宗呀！
我们只是走得太远的子孙
血性依然肤色不改
如今
蓦然回首
听见神话如河香火如灯
我们振臂
带歌归来
以一种血脉的铿锵
以一种鼓声名叫节令
轰轰隆隆
奔向您的胸怀

Untitled

Please make yourselves at home,

Guys!

Do not hold your girlfriend in your arm when you go for a movie

Do not kiss her on the cheek

Do not put your arm around her waist

Do not sit together on the garden bench

Do not go out together at night

But please make yourselves at home


Please make yourselves at home,

Girls!

Don't think you can put your head on your guy's shoulder just because you love him

Don't try to give him a surprise hug

Don't ask him to give you some warmth when the outdoor weather is cold

Don't try to kiss his face because you feel like

Don't even sit close to him just because you like him

But hey, make yourselves at home!