October Birthday :) and Panji :)

This year's birthday was nice and fun, despite spending the day itself being ultra-busy. ;) It was a busy week, occupied by the usual piano teaching, as well as extra rehearsals, due to the Panji performance. The gamelan group I am in, SingaNglaras, celebrated my birthday with & for me with a thoughtful card, as well as a yummy green pandan cake with a froggy chocolate on it! Thank you to my dance partner, Xinwei, for organizing it! Xinwei is a very sweet, thoughtful person. :) I am lucky to have him as my friend and dance partner. :) Here's a picture of the celebration! :)

From left to right: Pak Sidik, Nunuk, Helena, Didik Nini Thowok, Jan....
In addition, my dear student Nicole got me a card, which she thoughtfully chosen to match the musical theme of my piano studio. ;) Thank you Nicole! :)My sweet students Natalie and Nadya made a lovely card for me, as well as gave me some home-fried ikan bilis & dried mango, which I love to snack on! Natalie's and Nadya's handwriting are beautiful! My mum was especially amazed at their handwriting, since both of them are only in primary school, and yet their handwriting is so neat, mature & pretty! ;) Thank you Natalie and Nadya! :)Thank you all!!!!!! :)


Below are some pictures from the Panji performance:

The group picture after the performance....
Didik Nini Thowok, Sherina, Pak Slamet.... Thank you to Xinwei for the picture :)
Sherina, Nunuk (Sherina's Javanese dance teacher), Cisy....
Xinwei and Sherina....Panji was a fun performance! :) The Head of Cultural Department of the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, who attended Panji with his family, thought that Panji "was indeed a spectacular event that helped promote Indonesian culture in a language which was close to the heart of young spectators." Yippee!!! ;)

What a happy & fun month October 2009 is for Sherina! ;)

Panji: A Javanese Mask Dance Drama

Happy Children's Day & 中秋节快乐！ :)

First of all, I missed including this Ponyo DVD from Wende for Teachers' Day.....Sorry. O:) Thank you Wende! :) The cartoon is way cute! I loved it! ;) Wende is a hardworking and intelligent Grade 2 piano student, who is full of character. ;) Thank you Wende! I appreciate your thoughts and present lotsy! :)
Next, I want to wish all children a very HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!! Have lots of fun!! :) I hope that my students like the Children's Day goody bag this year.....quality candy and snacks, NOT from China.....I was so shocked/sad at the China milk scandal last year. I always make an effort to check the goodies thoroughly, before I buy them for my students. :) HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!! :9

中秋节快乐!! Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!! :) I love the festive feel of this festival, and I love playing with paper lanterns every year!....heehee....there's definitely a little child in Sherina I guess ;) I do hope the skies will be clear, and the moon round and bright this year!! 中秋节快乐!! :)

Teachers' Day :)

The ABRSM examinations have finally ended for my studio, and the results & certificates are all out. :) All students passed well, with 2 Merits and 3 Distinctions. :) Congratulations!!! :) I am very happy for my students, who put in a lot of effort and hard work practicing & improving! :)

Thank you to my sweet students who thought of me this Teachers' Day! I am very touched. :) Aawww..... ;) Below are the presents from my students for Teachers' Day 2009! Thank you very much! :) I appreciate the thought & care & pressies lots! :)


This pretty box of yummy English orange & lemon cookies are from Ling Kee, a student I have taught since he was in primary school. ;) Now, he is way tall!! ;) The beautiful box makes a nice sewing box, after the cookies are finished. It was beautiful wrapped by Ling Kee's parents, who has always been very thoughtful. :) Thank you Ling Kee! :)

This beautiful and thoughtfully-chosen Japanese pencil case is from Hilary Mah. :) Hilary and her mother chose it out together for me. What touches me most is the fact that later, I found out from Hilary's mother, that Hilary actually bought it for me using her own pocket money, but Hilary's mother (probably upon seeing the cost of the pencil case relative to the child's savings) volunteered to sponsor half the cost. Hilary is a kind and sweet girl. Makes my heart melt. :) Hilary is rather shy, but I remember her face was beaming the whole lesson when she gave me the present, and I didn't understand why till later when I knew the story from her mother and opened the present. Now, I carry this pencil case, which holds my handcream, lipbalm & perfume, whenever I go out. I feel the kindness whenever I look at the pencil case. :) Thank you Hilary! :) Congratulations too to Hilary for her hard work/practicing and her obtaining a Merit on her first ABRSM practical examination at Grade 4! :) Continue practicing lots ya? ;)

This card is from Jia Shan, a LRSM diploma student. :) It's very adorable! It must be that I use the word "good" a lot during lessons.....I love encouraging my students. :) Jia Shan is a very diligent student, who learns very seriously, and has a mature, responsible, yet relaxed attitude. She is currently learning Chopin's Ballade in G minor at an admirable pace. Thank you Jia Shan! :)

This box, which I termed "Happy Box" is from Sze Wing, a diploma student. ;) It was stuffed with cute, adorable stuff....very cute....hee hee ;) Sze Wing has a natural feeling for rubato, and is now learning a Liszt's Liebestraum. Thank you Sze Wing! :)

This box of yummy bean cakes and bookmark is from Candy, a diploma student too. :) These are my mother's favorite pastry, so her eyes lit up when she saw them....hee hee :) Candy is currently awaiting her diploma results, and is learning Ravel's Sonatine and Rachmaninov's Prelude in g minor. Candy is a very enthusiastic and responsible student, with high note accuracy in her playing. Thank you Candy! :)

In addition, Candy gave me this pretty straw bag as an early birthday present. :) I love it and carry it around lots. :) I am nuts about the summer-straw look! Thank you Candy! :)


These are more yummy sugar cookies from Ee Meng! :) Ee Meng is an adult student, who has improved lots with her persistence and hard work and lots of practicing. :) Thank you Ee Meng! :)

These pretty flowers are from Jarryl, who is a beginner going into grade 1. :) Jarryl is a very intelligent and sweet boy. Teaching him is always fun. :) Jarryl if you are reading this though, practice more practice more! ;) I very much wish Jarryl will fulfill his potential in music and piano, and do justice to his gift and intelligence. ;) Thank you Jarryl! :)

These two bottles of delicious honey are from Kelly. :) Kelly is also a beginner, and she lives just right upstairs...haha ;) So I get to know if Kelly has been practicing patiently & correctly, or not. Kelly practices a lot. ;) Thank you Kelly! :)


This yummy bar of chocolate is from Isabel, who is going into grade 1. :) She is too my neighbor, and actually started her piano lessons with me on Teacher's Day! Isabel is an intelligent girl, who learns/corrects very quickly, and I believe that she will be doing her grade 1 exam sometime soon. :) Thank you Isabel! :)


This card and pretty blue pen are from Natalie and Nadya, who recently passed their ABRSM practicals grade 4 and grade 2 with distinctions. Congratulations! :) Thank you Natalie and Nadya! :)

Last, but definitely not least, are well-wishes from Ruiyee, Grade 7, who is currently taking a two-month break to concentrate on her upcoming PSLE in October. I wish her the best of luck too! ;) I hope she'll get into the secondary school she wishes to attend! :) Miss you Ruiyee, and see you soon in October again! ;) Thank you Ruiyee! :)

Thank you very much again to all my students!! :) It makes my heart all warm and happy. ;) I appreciate all your thoughtfulness lotsy!! :) Thank you!! :) Smile ;)

Sad :'(

Mr. & Mrs. Lin & Connie have just left to return to the United States after being in Singapore for two years. It was very enjoyable teaching Connie, who was always very attentive during class and ready with relevant questions. Although admittedly, like most teenagers, Connie did not practice a whole lot, especially for her advanced level, her attitude in class was always very positive and responsible. It was very enjoyable to talk to Connie about musical history and details because she would actually listen and think about what I have said, and try to perform to the best of her ability, despite her lack of time to practice. Connie is very sensible, intelligent, and always enthusiastic. :)

In addition, Mr. & Mrs. Lin are wonderful employers. They understand that the teacher's time and schedule are just as important and precious as theirs, and that the teacher is human too, and not a servant at their beck & call just because they are paying. True relationships are cultivated and not bought with money. I always look forward to teaching Connie at their place in Cuscaden every Monday afternoon. Sometimes I would pop by earlier, or stay a little later to chat with Mrs. Lin and Connie. The lesson was always happy and relaxed, yet very productive! Mrs. Lin would always give me something to drink and snack on when I was there probably because I teach Connie at the time of the day when people normally snack during their work. Mrs. Lin is very thoughtful. Kind people always make me want to try harder and give more of myself.

So I am sad that Mr. & Mrs. Lin & Connie has left. I am so happy that they valued piano lessons/education so much that Connie had lessons till the week before they left. They sold their piano one day after Connie had her last piano lesson with me. I gave Connie a personalized pink leather crystal handphone strap and earrings, and Mrs. Lin a handprinted batik scarf. Connie made me a sweet card, and Mrs. Lin made me a pair of silver/pearl earrings.....so sweet!! ;) That day we had lunch at the American Club, and they brought me around the club after lunch....it's a very nice place :) ....I heard membership is pricey though. ;) It was a very memorable and happy/sad day.

I will miss being in constant close contact with such a kind and thoughtful family. I called them to say best of luck and bye a day before they left. Sad. :'( However, on the bright side, Mr. & Mrs. Lin & Connie say that they will visit Singapore again sometime though! :) And I hope to visit them sometime in the future too! :) Best of luck to Mr. & Mrs. Lin & Connie, and best of luck for Connie's last two years of high school & university application! :) Well, these are one of the times when I feel glad that I live in the age of the Internet, which makes keeping in touch a lot easier. ;)

Congratulations :)

The ABRSM theory certificates finally arrived! Congratulations again to my four students who all passed, and three of them with merit, with 2-3 marks towards distinction! :) They looked really happy when I handed them their certificates, which made me really happy. :) Granted yes, I chided them for being careless in certain areas, but I know they tried their best, and it makes me happy. :) Congratulations :)

The schedule for July ABRSM practical exams are out. Interestingly, all my students who have July ABRSM practical exams are all scheduled on the exact same day, even though my July diploma student signed up on an independent account with my help. Plus, they are consecutive in time, though different in venues. Therefore, I will be receiving a row of consecutive calls that exam morning day after their exams. It will be an exciting morning for me that day! ;) I am glad the schedule worked out so magically. I do hope the exam schedule for August comes out soon too. :) Practice hard students! ;)

I am looking forward to the Piano Festival coming up! :) The last piano concert I went to, Boris Berezovsky playing Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30, was simply breathtaking and beautiful!! :) He played my favourite Rachmaninoff prelude in D, Op. 23 No.4, as his first encore. :) He even had stamina to replay part of the concerto's third movement, as well as the famous Rachmaninoff prelude in g minor as his two other encores. Simply AMAZING!!! :) I got my tickets for the upcoming Vladimir Feltsman concert way early. I am so looking forward to that! :) I have also gotten my Li Yundi concert ticket too ;) I heard from one of my students that the tickets for Li Yundi's concert sold out completely five days after it is opened to the public. I got early tickets to Mozart's Requiem too....I love that piece a lot.....I love Mozart ;) For my students reading this, if you would like me to get any concert tickets, please feel free to ask me. :) I have received my Friends of SSO card, and I am always happy to help get tickets. :) I am always happy if students go to more concerts and have more exposure. It's a good thing. :)

On the last minor note....I think I am FINALLY slowly recovering from my pimples.......very happy about that one ;)

Father's Birthday :)

Today is my father's birthday! :) Here is the cake and present I got him. :) The idea for the present was suggested by my mum. ;) The cake is from Rive Gauche, Takashimaya. I am not a huge fan of pastry/cakes/sweets, but I absolutely love that patisserie store! Their flavors are subtle, interesting, refined and yummy! This cake flavor is bitter chocolate, tinged with Jasmine flowers, complemented by raspberries...amazing combination of flavors in just the right proportions! OOOoooooo......... ;)
Okay, I couldn't resist getting the additional cute buttons on the Crocs for my dad to add a sense of fun...I think presents are stuffs that you don't absolutely need, but would be nice to receive/have. ;) Guys usually are not picky about such stuffs anyway....haha ;) Nice color ya?...Electric blue! ;) I know guys probably prefer electronic gadgets for presents anytime, but I am far from a gadget expert, and it's sometimes difficult to get an affordable present for someone who can get those gadgets himself in the first place anyway. ;) In any case, my dad love the shoes and he is wearing them now! :)

If you can't beat them, join them! ;)

Friends of SSO is in effect a monopoly (deleted post) because the only choice of obtaining decent tickets to their most popular concerts, without subscribing and thus buying a whole bunch of tickets, is by joining the Friends of SSO. By the time the public has a go at buying the tickets, the more desirable tickets are basically sold out, or the concert is almost sold out. I made a phone complain feedback to that effect, and in the end, I was told by the representative of the Friends of SSO that I could get tickets at the Victoria Concert Hall if I went down personally, since I was buying a total of 6 tickets. However, when I got there, I was told that actually I had to buy 5 different SSO concerts, which are not inclusive of the Piano Festival, in order to buy my tickets early, since tickets sales to the public has not yet commenced. I was helping my friend & her boyfriend to get tickets too, and we are going to 3 different concerts in all, of which 1 is a Piano Festival event. Therefore, I was actually not eligible to get tickets, although the concerts I wanted are almost all sold out! I was certainly upset.

However, the person at the box office, Rose, was really nice, and said that since I didn't know earlier and did made a call, and made a trip all the way down already for the purpose of getting tickets, she would just let me get tickets early this once. After her helping me to choose the seats and all, before I paid, the weirdest thing is that I suddenly decided to join Friends of SSO because Rose seems really nice (I respond to kindness), and I felt that it isn't really fair that I get to get my tickets early because I am not a member of Friends of SSO (fairness is very important to me....might seem silly to care about fairness at this point huh?). So in the end, I paid my S$75 membership fee, and the representative said that Friends of SSO is a non-profit organization, and that the membership fee is basically a donation, thus tax deductable. Rose patiently redid all my ticket order and seating since, surprisingly, Friends of SSO also obtain more advantageous seats for the same price category and a discount....I did not read the rules beforehand -_-". I still feel that Friends of SSO is a monopoly and it is not fair, but I guess, if you cannot beat them, join them! ;) On the bright side, I will be more than happy to help my friends and students get tickets when I get my membership card, which lasts a year.....perhaps we can all go to concerts together!!.....Yippee!! :)

My friends and students know that I have been recently plagued by a current outbreak of acne/pimples....It's been 1.5 months now. I finally decided to go to the doctor's! :) (I do not like going to the doctor's....like a little child, so it took some effort.) But, I am glad I went to the doctor's. :) Because the outbreak is actually bad....(and yes, if you were wondering, I have been feeling really butt-ugly and embarrassed)....the doctor prescribed me two weeks of antibiotics. I still do not really know the cause of the outbreak....maybe it's the make-up remover or the conditioner.....but the doctor said that perhaps it's because my immune system is low and suppressed recently. He said to take it easy and not stress out too much. I certainly am not going through hormonal changes: puberty/menopause. Haha ;) However, I do not consciously feel stressed out more than usual these past 1.5 months. But perhaps sub-consciously I do?!? I find it difficult to decode how I feel a lot of the time....it takes time for me....perhaps it will dawn on me sometime much later ;) Haha ;) Anyway, hope the antibiotics work. :) I hope to feel prettier and happier soon ;) Sigh.....however, it's nice that friends accept you for who you are, butt-ugly or not butt-ugly...... ;) Thanks :)

Teaching Break May 9 - May 14

There will be a piano teaching break from May 9, 2009 to May 14, 2009. I will be relaxing, practicing the piano, and listening to music, reading etc during the break! I am looking forward to the relaxing days coming up! :)

My students did well for the February/March ABRSM Practical Exams. :) However, the ABRSM theory results are not out yet....that is taking quite a while isn't it? ;) Thank you to Mr.&Mrs. Ang, Ling Kee & Kar Leong for the beautiful presents below:



















Ling Kee passed his Grade 7 ABRSM piano exam after much hard work. Congratulations!! :) I am very happy to know that he will continue with his music/piano education, undertaking the challenges of Grade 8! :) Thank you very much to the Ang family for their sweet thoughts, kindness and presents! I appreciate them lots. :) Thank you! :)

Mother's Day is coming up! I do not know what exactly to get for my mum, but I got her some Japanese sweet potatoes, which she loves, from Isetan. :) I also attempted a little card for her:
To all the mothers and mothers-to-be out there: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! :) Have a beautiful day! ;) Smile lots! :)

Indonesian Music & Dance Evening; March 21, 2009

Pictures.... :)

Funny Teaching Habits ;)

ABRSM Theory Exams are coming up on March 14, 2009. And recently students were busy with their school exams, which had just ended, so last Saturday, many of them have not yet fully finished revising for their upcoming theory exams . Therefore, as a responsible teacher, I chided/scolded a few of my students for not being better prepared for their upcoming theory exam, as evidenced in their sample test papers, emphasizing that they have to be more thorough and careful in their revision and during their exams. And although it is clear that my students realize the seriousness of the situation, and I have no doubt that they will do wonderfully in their exams that day in the end, they could not help but giggle embarrassingly when I scolded them. I found that amusing. ;) It's good that none of them cried, which could have been an alternative reaction. I supposed that I perfected the art of scolding effectively with a smile....ha ha ;) It's also wonderful that I have such mature-thinking, understanding and responsible students. :)

Another funny habit that I seem to have is calling my students "dear" in a very strict edgy tone of voice, when they are not perhaps fully paying attention during their lessons, and I want their full attention. It usually works, and because they sense something is amiss, they start to pay attention....The term "dear" is certainly more polite than "heeey" etc to me, and when I am absorbed in teaching/explaining something, "dear" just comes more fluently than names. Besides, I really do love my students! :)

Talking about love. Somedays, I simply cannot keep my hands off my piano keys. I play and demonstrate to students of all levels how musically amazing I think their pieces are. By sharing with them my sound world, it really helps the students a lot in their playing and understanding of their pieces. Words like "crescendo", "sweetly", "peacefully" etc, though useful, just cannot fully describe the intention and beauty of music. Last Sunday was one of these days. I must have been really enthusiastic in elucidating the beauty of a Mozart sonata to the student because she suddenly asks me if music were my greatest love. I gave a simple enthusiastic answer "YES!" The question that followed was most adorable....She asks if I love music more than my parents. I was surprised and amused, and answered that there are different types of love that can be at equivalent levels. I said that love for music is different from love for my parents, is different from love for my future boyfriend/husband, is different from love for my friends etc. This student has a most sweet view of the world. I find it really relaxing and touching a lot of the time conversing with children because they are so uncomplicated, sweet, honest, kind, and without hidden intentions.

What a nice teaching weekend! :)

An Evening of Indonesian Music & Dance

Ubud; February 2009

I enjoyed tremendously the trip to Ubud, Bali. :) I went with the NUS gamelan group which I participate in. Basically, we had group practices learning Balinese gamelan every morning, and in the afternoon I had gender wayang lessons, and in the evening we would go watch performances. I wish I had time to take Balinese dance lessons too, but perhaps another time. :)

Balinese gamelan music is faster in general than Solonese gamelan music. It has kotekan/interlocking. I was at the reyong for one of the Gilak pieces we learnt, and it was really fun! However, I hope that the teachers we had, Mas Kadek and Mas Wayan, were not too exasperated with my not-so-quick speed of learning the polos part for the interlocking. They were really patient, and never gave up on me. :) I finally got my polos part in the end by heart. Somehow, my musical brain fixes itself automatically with time and patience. However, it wasn't actually that musically difficult nor fast....blush blush....haha ;) Thomas, who was playing the sangsih part, got it so much quicker, and he is great at rhythmic notation! My rhythmic reading/notation is as wonderful as my number conceptualization. ;) The gender wayang lessons were interesting too, except that my brain shut down completely on the third day of intensive lessons....haha....I do not remember a thing now, and I only had to learn the polos part.....Yikes I hope Jan, who learnt both the polos and sangsih parts much faster than I did, is not reading this....we are suppose to play one of the pieces for the upcoming March performance....hopefully my brain will fix itself before then ;) I wish I had time to learn dance. ;)

It was all rather sad when it was all over, and it was the last day of lessons. The teachers gave us each a CD of rebab and suling playing as a souvenir. How sweet ya? I must remember to obtain their e-mails from Precious, my wonderful roommate, and e-mail them to say thank you. :) They are really friendly. :) I notice that in Bali, circular breathing is used to play the suling.

Besides all the amazing music, culture, dance, musical learning etc, we had some time to do some sight-seeing. I loved the Monkey Forest and Pura Ulun Danu. The monkeys in the Monkey Forest are really adorable and very gentle. They seem to be posing for the cameras at times. :) Most sweet! Pura Ulun Danu is beautiful! Except that I had car sickness getting there...thank goodness I had only eaten a little for lunch. When we were at Pura Ulun Danu, it was raining, and due to the elevation, it was cold. Since it was raining, it was muddy and a little flooded, so all of us were walking around bare-footed in mud......that was rather fun.....haha ;) We went to Gunung Kawi and Tirta Empul too ;) I am not too great with the car-travelling thing....haha....although it wasn't so bad after discovering that sitting in the front seat makes it better.......but it was fun!! :) We also took a walk in the sawah. That was nice, not difficult, but it was a little tiring for me....and I walk very slowly......eeks I sound a little old.....haha.....We stopped at an organic shop on the way, and the salad and drinks there were amazing and very fresh! Yummy!! :)

As for the babi guling and bebek, which is the famous food in Bali, they were yummy too. I do not drink coffee, but my friends say that Bali coffee is delicious too. I also did some shopping....got wooden cats for my piano students etc. ;) Bali is famous for celuk/silver too. I got a pair of earrings because mine dropped and lost itself as I was walking one day, but I think I am slightly allergic to silver. I love ceramics and pottery.....got a bowl or two.....they sell many green leaf-coloured ones there :) Got a piece of green batik........haha I guess I do like the colour green, don't I? ;) etc etc Anyway, shopping is fun as always, and shopping with Helena, friend/student, was fun. ;) Helena gave me a cat with bells which I now hang on my phone. ;) How sweet ya? :)

Nice memories...........I do want to go back to Bali again sometime! :) However, it is a very romantic place I feel, and I cannot help feeling that it would be perfect to be there with someone special and the memories created would be magical and lasting....just a thought ;) For now, I miss Sala/Solo.....I want to go back there to learn more gamelan, singing and dance....... ;)

Water Lilies by Sara Teasdale

If you have forgotten water lilies floating
On a dark lake among mountains in the afternoon shade,
If you have forgotten their wet, sleepy fragrance,
Then you can return and not be afraid.

But if you remember, then turn away forever
To the plains and the prairies where pools are far apart,
There you will not come at dusk on closing water lilies,
And the shadow of mountains will not fall on your heart.

Sara Teasdale

Bali; Feb 21 to Feb 27

Dear Students, :)

I will be going to Bali from February 21, 2009 to February 27, 2009! :) Therefore, there will be no piano lessons during that time. I will not be checking my e-mail etc during that time either, but I will definitely reply everything progressively after I come back from the trip. Imagine the pile of laundry too.....haha ;) Thank you! :)

I will be going to Bali to learn some Balinese gamelan music and dance! :) I am really excited because it will be my first trip to Bali. Personally, I love the relaxed, stratified sound, and aesthetics of Central Javanese gamelan. The music deeply resonates with my soul. Balinese music just currently feels to me super-fast, winding, and never-ending, which can make me feel frustrated, although the skilful, accurate & fast kotekan playing never fails to amaze me. However, perhaps I feel this way partly because I do not yet understand Balinese gamelan music/aesthetics, so this trip will be really interesting, relaxed and fun. A good learning experience which I am looking forward to! Hmm......I would love to go visit Solo again sometime soon though...I loved it there, except for the no hot water bit, which is minor to me anyway due to my wonderfully organized girl-friend/roommate who brought a small water heater......hopefully the group will go there again soon....hee hee :)

Okay....don't miss me too much now ya? ;) Smile always :)

Love, Sherina :)

Happiness Is... :)

Here's my short bit on happiness, inspired by a little piano student's poem on the same subject... :)

Happiness Is......

Happiness is the golden sun shimmering on rustling leaves being teased by the playful wind.

It is an iridescent rainbow of colours.

Happiness smells like jasmine wafting sensuously in the peaceful evening air.

It feels like a crisp cool night filled with twinkling sparkling stars accompanied by a full bright moon.

Happiness tastes like an unforgettable delightful surprise lingering on....

Happiness is simple hugs, thoughtful gestures, caring concern -- unconditional kindness.

It is a circle of friends. Fuzzy warmth.

Happiness is a myriad kaleidoscope of sounds.
It is the orchestral music of nature, of past/present/future civilizations & traditions, of eternity, of silence.

The trickling & gushing of rivers, the cries of birds, the chirping of crickets...
It is harmony.

Happiness is indescribable illuminating joy radiating forth.

Happiness is a generous sprinkling of mysterious magic........ ;)

Funny ;)

Here's an e-mail full of jokes forwarded to me by one of my piano students. It is soooo funny that I thought I would share it. ;)

The Silent Treatment
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, 'Please wake me at 5:00 AM ' He left it where he knew she would find it.

The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, 'It is 5:00 AM .. Wake up.' Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.


WIFE VS. HUSBAND
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.
An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position.
As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, 'Relatives of yours?'
'Yep,' the wife replied , 'in-laws'


WOMEN'S REVENGE
'Cash, check or charge?' I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase.
As she fumbled for her wallet I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.
'So, do you always carry your TV remote?' I asked.
'No,' she replied, ' but my husband refused to come shopping with me,
and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally.'

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN
(A MAN'S PERSPECTIVE)
I know I'm not going to understand women.
I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax,
pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root,
and still be afraid of a spider.

W O R D S
A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day...
30,000 to a man's 15,000.
The wife replied, 'The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men...
The husband then turned to his wife and asked, 'What?'

CREATION
A man said to his wife one day, 'I don't know how you can be
so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time. ' The wife responded, 'Allow me to explain.
God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me;
God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!

WHO DOES WHAT
A christian man and his wife were having an argument about who
should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, 'You should do it, because you get up first,
and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee.'
The husband said, ' You are in charge of cooking around here and
you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee.'
Wife replies, 'No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible
that the man should do the coffee.'
Husband replies, 'I can't believe that, show me.'
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament
and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says..........'HEBREWS'

God may have created man before woman,
but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! :)

Just want to wish all a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! :) I hope everyone's having a good and relaxing holiday season! :) I intend to practice lots, read, simply relax, and hang out with friends this holiday. I look forward to having a week of schedule-less days, doing anything and everything that inspires me at the moment! ;) I feel the festivity, although I am currently not in crowded Orchard Road. I was teaching in the Orchard area on Monday, and got home as soon as I could after a quick dinner, and it was simply too crowded and crazy....everywhere. There was also a traffic jam, and getting home was rather slow and stressful. A friend invited me to go feel the festive atmosphere at the Esplanade today, and I declined. Somehow, it might be weird, but I simply cannot feel the festivity when it is very crowded; it just makes me feel very stressed out. Perhaps I am not very tall [though not short ;)], but I simply cannot see what's in front of me, most of the time, in a crowd....nor breathe....haha ;) Yes, I agree that the lights and activities must be very attractive and fun though. ;) In any case, I thought Christmas is about family and home anyway, but then again, I am not Christian, so I do not know the correct answer. Perhaps it's anything you want it to be. ;) Any reason to celebrate is always very good!! ;) So, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all! :) May the new year bring lots of beautiful surprises and lots of happiness for all!! ;)

More Christmas Presents from Students

Today, Tuesday 23 December, is my last piano teaching day for the year 2008. :) Below are more Christmas presents from my dear students. Thank you very much!! :)

Yummy cookies carefully baked and wrapped by Ee Meng herself. This looks so professional. ;) Thank you Ee Meng! :)




Belgian chocolates and card from Connie. The card is very sweet & thoughtful, and I love good chocolates anytime. ;) Thank you Connie! :)



This beautiful Jim Thompson hot-pink photo-frame is from William and Samuel. Yup, they are the most adorable pair of twins I have met! I would love to have twins, someday, if it happens, hopefully? ;) I love the card they drew. It's so sweet!! That's our piano space that they drew. They even drew the two photo frames on the wall, the door details, and yes, I usually sit on the left. Children are simply amazing! ;) According to Mrs. Jolene, they chose the present for me....children are very perceptive & naturally intuitive, ya? I love the colour, design and all....perfect photo-frame in Sherina's world. Perhaps the elephants will help my memory somewhat too. ;) hee hee ;) Thank you William and Samuel! :)

Thank you lots&lots all of you again! :) I feel so warm, fuzzy, and loved. ;) I appreciate it a whole lot! :) Hugzzz ;)

Ending 2008

The year of 2008 is coming to an end! :) I will be having a one-week year-end teaching break starting next Wednesday, 24 December,2008 to Thursday, 1 January, 2009. I will be seeing all my dear piano students again starting Friday, 2 January, 2009. Time does fly when you are having fun. It's always very rewarding for me to see my piano students improving with time and effort, and to see the smiles on their faces and feel the enthusiasm, despite the hard work they have to put into consistent practicing! Yes, yes I might be demanding musically and in discipline, but I believe not unkindly so. ;) A little break from teaching is always good for the soul. ;) However, I do look forward very much to 2009! :)

Below are pictures of Christmas presents and travel souvenirs from my students & their parents, in order of appearance. Thank you very much! :) I truly appreciate and feel the sweet thoughts and efforts! :) Thank you too to all my students & their parents who have been showing kind, warm concern and understanding over my recent heart issues ;) I feel so very lucky to have such warm relationships with my students&parents, as well as such wonderful, caring students&parents. I am sure the upcoming little mending break will make it all better. Yes, yes I am very much human and very feeling. And actually I believe that my playing and interpretations of pieces reflect that aspect of me as well. Thank you to all my students & their parents!!



This Chinese fan is from Ruiyee, who got it for me in her recent school trip to Suzhou/Hangzhou. I miss Shanghai/Suzhou. Thank you Ruiyee! :)




This box of chocolates is from Michelle and her parents, who got it for me during their trip to Hong Kong. Michelle looked so very happy and refreshed after her trip. :) Hong Kong seems to be a very popular destination for my students this year. Thank you Michelle! :)




This cuttlefish snack is from Yue Xin and her parents, who got it for me during their trip to Taiwan. It's a specialty snack from the place they visited in Taiwan. Thank you Yue Xin! :)


This beautiful embroidered silk bag is from Connie and her parents, who got it for me during their trip to Myanmar. Connie's mum has elegant taste, and she says that this bag will be useful for me during Christmas and Chinese New Year. Mrs. Lin is very thoughtful. I would love to visit Myanmar someday! Thank you Connie! :)



This perfume is from Helena and her parents. They are currently having a family holiday in India, and Helena says in her e-mail today that she has ridden a camel, and it's, quote, "FREAKY-FUN"! That's an interesting way to describe the experience, with alliteration device thrown in as well. ;) I would love to visit India someday too. Thank you Helena! :)




These calming incense are from Kelly and her parents. Calmness is always a virtue. ;) Thank you Kelly! :)

These dainty, quaver, Moshi Moshi earrings are from Wende and my friend, Yee Jiun. These must be every piano teacher's dream earrings, with all the blink-blink included. ;) Thank you Wende and Yee Jiun! :)





These soft towels and cute cupid are from Ling Kee and his parents. The cupid reminds me of one of my friends, Thomas Manhart and his recent post on Facebook...hee hee ;) Thank you Ling Kee! :)


Thank you very much once again to all my wonderful students & their parents! :) I very much appreciate all the sweet thoughts, love and concern. :) I love you all! :) Thanks lotsy ;)

Monday & Memories

Yesterday Monday, 1 December 2008, was such a beautiful warm day! :) Bright and sunny! :) I woke up to crickets chirping, and I teach a old colonial house at Nassim on Mondays where there are a lot of trees and fresh air (no air-conditioning :)) , and the crickets were chirping there too that day. ;)

I like the sound so much because it reminds me of my childhood in Beijing, where my father was sent to work. So I spent a good part of my childhood in Beijing. We used to live outside the city, in the countryside, where it was more peaceful, and the air was cleaner....although at that time the air in Beijing was pretty polluted too, but mainly because of coal-burning, industry, and sand-winds from the North. One of my favourite memories of Beijing were the tall trees that had leaves shimmering and rustling in the winds during summer, accompanied by the crickets chirping, under the glorious golden warm sun. The leaves really do shimmer....I do not know what species of trees they are, but I haven't seen them in Singapore. The rustling sounds they make were really beautiful too. Throughout Monday I kept thinking how I miss those childhood days.....

Back Teaching

Yup! I am back in Singapore after my one week break in Solo, Indonesia. Time passes too fast ;) There were so many e-mails to catch up on etc. :) I tuned my YUS5 piano last Thursday too, so it is more in tuned now. :) I hear that pianos start to go right out-of-tune immediately after it's tuned....it's just less out-of-tune.....Reminds me of what I learnt as a child about Brownian motion and how order tends towards disorder, and energy must be put into the system to reverse disorder into some order etc....haha ;) Funny, I have a image memory of that particular page still......the weird things that I remember, and all the things that I wish I can remember but I cannot seem to, and all the things that I wish I do not remember........ ;) Memory/life works in magical ways which no one can fully understand perhaps..... ;)

Surakarta, Indonesia

I will be in Surakarta, Indonesia from 25 October 2008 to 1 November 2008 for a one-week gamelan study/performance trip! I am very excited! :) It will be a nice short break from my cyclical, full teaching schedule, and I am sure I will come back refreshed.....and hopefully so will my students after a one-week break!...hee hee ;) Since Singapore is rather small, I believe that it is always refreshing to travel out of Singapore once in a while to "see the world" ;) Yippee~~

Thank you to Sze Wing, my student, for the hairpin....I still haven't figured out how to bun my hair yet.....I always love Sze Wing's beautiful and fashionable hairbuns.....Also, Congratulations Sze Wing on passing your ABRSM Grade 8!! :) Continue practicing hard for your Diploma! ;) Hee hee ;)

Tonight I will be attending Murray Perahia's piano concert after my piano teaching!! I am soooooo very excited!! :) However, I am a little stressed because I will have to wake up in the wee hours the next morning to catch my flight to Surakarta. I have finally finished packing though! :) Yes, a very stressful schedule, but I simply haaaavvveee to attend Murray Perahia's piano concert!! ;) Sooo excited! :)

The Meaning of Education???

A university student who has recently happily completed her ABRSM Grade 8 examinations was very excited to start on new repertoire to work towards her DipABRSM in two years. However, a week into her new start, she came to her piano lesson, saying to the effect that her university friends questioned the value of her practicing and attempting to progress towards her DipABRSM, stating that she will be graduating from NUS with a BA in a year, and thus they see not much of a point to investing so much time, effort, and money into getting a DipABRSM. The word used was that it is a "waste". I was simply absolutely shocked! Perhaps not having had the bulk of my education since young via the Singapore education system, I am not quite attuned to the meaning of education here. Moreover, this is not the only incident whereby the meaning of education in Singapore has surprised me and left me very puzzled.

Basically, in the incident mentioned above, education is equated specifically only to monetary value/opportunity/gain. My reply to the university student was that she has to make choices for herself, in that it is not compulsory at all to do DipABRSM. It is fair that different people have different goals, and some do obtain a Diploma for the sake of certification, which might have positive monetary consequences. For others, it is an opportunity that not everyone has in life to discover music and discover oneself/happiness through music, for the sake of knowledge/music, curiosity and to live a full, varied, enriching life that just does not focus solely on money or the obtaining of money.

I went on to say further that the value of any good education in any field is priceless. The value of a good education is not only to be a huge storage for a vast amount of information in the field that one chooses, or only to be an expert in a particular field (two-dimensional human being), but very importantly, a good education will bring out universal useful/positive life skills and hone critical/analytical thinking skills, which are universally applicable and transferable to whatever one may choose to pursue in life (three-dimensional human being). Life is a colorful, interesting journey, filled with potential discoveries. I believe that education is suppose to help the student understand/see the colors and potential. Sometimes in life, one might not end up specializing in what one studied, but with a good education, one should be empowered with positive life-skills to deal with the choices one has made in life.

I have piano students and parents that tell me that piano education is positive factor in their lives. Piano performance requires, thus cultivates patience, discipline, systematic/logical working-through of pieces, focus for long periods of time, calmness, confidence, among many other positive traits. Certainly, it takes commitment and treating piano lessons/practice seriously in order to bring out these positive traits in any individual. For example, an advanced adult student who has been with me for about two years now, keeps telling me that piano has helped her tremendously with her nervousness and anxiety, which affected her job, and basically her life. However, she is currently in her dream job with good prospects, coupled with greater confidence and much happiness. She has also long since graduated from ABRSM Grade 8, and is concurrently pursuing DipABRSM with her full-time job, which is not related to music. I am deeply very happy to see her very much transformed from since I met her two years ago. This brings me yet to another point.

I believe that the role of a teacher is not only to teach about the subject, but also to educate/mold the student as an individual, unique human being. For example, I currently have a student who has been stressed out about the upcoming "O" Levels for months. As a teacher, I truly care for my students, and I want the students to do well in whatever they pursue. This student has been regularly coming for piano lessons, even with his exams coming round the corner.

Firstly, it's great that he and his parents understand that life does not stop because of examinations. I cannot imagine a poor child doing nothing everyday, but sleep, eat, go to school, mug for months on end with the examination as the goal, with occasional time to play and explore. I seriously question its educational effectiveness and the psychological impact it has on a child.

Now going back to the main issue...During his piano lessons, I sometimes spend part of the lesson discussing with him about his "O" Level Examinations/goals in life, giving him advice about the psychology of taking exams in general so as to perform better in the future, and to help him understand that yes, he has to study hard for his examinations, but one is not an absolute failure if one is not the brightest in every single subject in school, which seems to be the general perception/trend here. Different people are experts at different things in life. Everyone is unique. For example, if a child is not great at mathematics/science, but excellent in the humanities, the child should be considered as intelligent as one who is not great at humanities, but excellent in mathematics/science. (However, I am often told that the "science stream" is a privilege and only open to those considered capable, not necessarily to those who are simply interested/willing to seriously learn. If the child is excellent in and loves the humanities, and mediocre in mathematics/science, but "privileged" enough to enter the "science stream", then what happens?) If the child is excellent in all subjects, success in life or living a fulfilling life is not necessarily guaranteed either. Life is always filled with exam-like situations and discouraging moments, and one must have the courage to do what thinks is correct and very importantly persevere towards one's goals/beliefs. There will always be someone out there brighter/smarter than you, but what does it matter?

Some who has read this far might start to think that spending part of piano lesson talking about anything other than piano/music during piano lesson is a total waste of time! I strongly disagree, going back to the meaning of education and what it means to educate. I feel that the student feels more encouraged and more positive about his future and intelligence, after our discussions. He leaves with a lighter heart and a greater fighting spirit to do outdo himself in whatever he endeavors. I truly believe in this student's intelligence. It is evident in his attitude towards life & people and personality, something that an exam cannot evaluate. Certainly, he is not a straight A student, but he tries his best, and has strengths in many subjects. He always treats piano lessons seriously, tries his best at piano, and is talented at it as well. As a teacher, I care for the student as a whole, and I have tried to give what I believe to be truly meant by an education, in addition to musical knowledge.

Certainly it takes a lot of trust and effort between the student, student's parents and teacher to develop a student-teacher relationship as evidenced above. It takes years. However, I believe that the relationship and education that result are priceless.

During examination periods, I certainly would like the student to learn, but not be stressed out by their piano lessons. Also, because the above student and his parents are not after certification solely for the sake of certification, it is great that I have the opportunity to introduce, discuss, and listen to numerous piano pieces with the student during lessons, so that he better understands/comprehends the huge exciting, varied piano repertoire out there, waiting to be explored, as well as the various pianists & their styles. This activity is certainly not required by ABRSM examinations and it is a minute percentage of the aural component in ABRSM examinations, but I believe it to be a necessarily component of a music/piano education. It is what I call the "see the world tour" in piano music. ;)

Having said all these, I have also met parents who think that piano teachers can fix any child lacking in discipline during piano lessons. I believe this view to be erroneous. I believe that only the parents can truly instill discipline & respect for teachers in the child. Logically, if the child does not listen to his/her parents, it is highly unlikely that the child will listen to the teacher. If the child chooses not to do his/her homework or practice due to lack of discipline or respect for the teachers, piano teachers cannot, and should not, be expected to perform miracles either during the usual once-a-week lessons. However, the teacher can definitely successfully support the parents and work together with the parents in educating the child, by reinforcing the concept of discipline in a child during piano lessons.

Okay I better stop myself from writing a thesis about piano education........I have too much to say, but I think that's enough for now. ;)

Thank you! :)

I have been meaning to post this for a long time! ;) Thank you to Mrs. Wong and my student, Nicole for these yummy and pretty mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival! :) The flavours including sesame, durian and raspberry cheese are very interesting and innovative. ;) Nicole is very persistent when it comes to the piano. However, I am constantly amaze at how fast she can devour a story book! I hear that Nicole is an avid reader, and can stay up all night to read non-stop, finishing a thick story book in one weekend! ;) Wow! ;) Thank you Mrs. Wong and Nicole!! :) For this Mid-Autumn Festival I went with my parents to the Chinese Garden to watch the lighted-lantern-display. The entire garden was basically filled with Hello Kitty & Friends characters. I enjoyed the atmosphere...ramai sekali. :) However, I wished that the lanterns were more varied in design and more traditional. But the children out there must have loved it, especially the Hello Kitty fans! :)

This bouquet of pretty roses are from Jarryl for Belated Teachers' Day! :) I love the colour combination and the presentation...it is very sweet. The roses are not real, but a student who saw it displayed at the table beside the piano thought that they were and went to have a closer look, commenting on how pretty they were. Jarryl is a very intelligent child. Although he is only 6 years old, he understands concepts and ideas very quickly and has an instinctive approach at the piano. Recently, Jarryl has taken to practicing the piano everyday, with the wonderful support of his mother, and thus has become more patient/focused, improving a lot. I hope that this positive trend will continue. :) Jarryl is very sweet and enthusiastic. It is fun teaching him. :) Unfortunately, nowadays many children are distracted by computer games. The computer is certainly useful and fun, but as a piano teacher, I find that children who play a lot of computer games tend to have shorter attention spans and have less ability to focus for long periods of time. Perhaps it is because computer games provide a high level of stimulation and engagement regardless of the situation. Playing the piano requires accuracy, a high level of focus and long attention spans. It is like a sport in some ways. ;) However, understandably, computer games for children are unavoidable and are a sign of the times. ;) Thank you Mrs. Cheryl and Jarryl!! :)

This pretty can of Japanese tea is from Grace Ng. Grace is a working adult who is taking ABRSMDip piano lessons. She was sent by her company for a short overseas trip to Japan, and she got me this with other snacks, which I so quickly consumed that I didn't have the opportunity to take pictures of them....hee hee ;) Japanese snacks/foods tend to be delicious and really pretty ;) I love Sencha! :) I wonder how Grace knew ;) I even named my Fluff Friend Frog on Facebook "Sencha". ;) I wish I could be sent overseas in my job. It must be really exciting and fun. :) I love to travel. I find Grace amazing in that she is very disciplined, balancing work and piano. She is not at all anxious to just play through/learn the notes as quickly as possible. She is very patient, systematic and logical in her learning. She would patiently repeat sections several times with me correcting, in order to fully understand my corrections and suggestions, so that by the end of the lesson, although she had only worked on a section of the piece, she fully understands/remembers what she needs to do during her own practices. Grace would work through all her pieces that way, accumulating section by section of music, and although it might seem slow, it is actually a most fast and most effective, thorough way of learning. It is most enjoyable teaching Grace, and I believe that she has improved a lot in her understanding of her pieces. She practices seriously, takes her lessons seriously, and she is very musical, and she asks logical questions during lessons. It's great to work with a student who is concerned about the details in music. Details in music are highly important...music is not just a collection of notes. It is also great that Grace is unfazed by how difficult a piece might seem, choosing the pieces in the exam repertoire list that are not only technically achievable for her after much hard work, but also appeals to her. It always amazes me whenever I teach such a motivated and musical student, and further more a non-music major! It makes me happy to know that there are students out there who learn music for the sake of music, with the certificate as an added bonus, but not the only main focus. ;) If Grace is so disciplined and serious at the piano, I imagine she must be most excellent and wonderful in her job!! ;) Amazing....Thank you again Grace!! :)