Sorry 4 the delay.. Hehe.. Cos I had to get my brother to get the date imprints off the photos. If not, they'll look very horrible. So, thanks you, my brother... Hope u use the 20 bucks wisely.. Hehe.. Good to have a brother who knows how to use photoshop. Looking at the photoshop makes me nostalgic.. *Cries* I wanna go back to Taisekiji. Sigh.. I had the best sleep there. The weather's good, surrounding peaceful. NO worries also. Back in Singapore, damn, still got the GESL reflection to do. Sianz.... I miss Taisekiji. I hope I get the chance to go back there again next year.... Photo time.. (Eh... I only selected a few.. hehe.. Cos there's too many to upload =p)

The first pic tt I took in Japan. Haha.. The shutter sound woke ppl up =P

My only chance to see Tokyo Tower... Too bad couldnt see it at night.. Sigh...

This is where I stayed.. Sonni-bo (综二坊）

Beautiful view that i get to see everyday...


Finally, I get to drink orange juice.. Yum Yum.. I miss the daily intake of juice the most....


This is where the Singaporeans put their stuffs. Took this while lying on the futon.. Haha.... Which reminds me, i kinda like and hate sleeping on the futon. Although it's nice to sleep on it, especially can sleep on the ground which i really like. But the keeping of the heavy 3-layered futon every morning in a rush rush situation is like... Argh.. Makes me wanna go back to sleep.



Yum Yum... Drink more, drink more....


Kyakuden (客殿）



Finally, I've got the long legs that i've been wishing for.... (LOL)

Although many temples are going through renovation for 2009, it just tears my heart to see them being torn apart. Sigh... But I know they'll be back to a better state by 2009.


At first i tot this was the toilet. Haha.. Forgot abt the cultural difference. Japanese wouldnt put their toilet out in the public, unlike Singaporeans. This is actually a power station for the renovation process.. Hehe.



Who would have guessed that the sky looks like this at 5pm??? haha. We kept thinking that "Oh wow, it's late!" But it's only 5 something in the evening. haha...

Smallest hotel room that I've stayed...

Mc Flurry in Japan is so colorful la.. Sigh.. Singapore packaging industry totally sux.. CMI!!!

Their foodcourt is amazing too!! Haha.. in order to decrease the waiting crowd at the line, they have a beeping device to tell u when your food is ready. U hear the beeping sound, u can go collect ur food. Haha.. We were so anxious sia.. Keep tracking on whether our food is ready or not. Haha...

the last pic that i took in Japan.. *Sobs*

Stuffs that I bought and brought........



the coke bottle is important cos I dun think i can find bottles like this in Singapore. The blue one is even more important. Cos it contains the 洗心水 that i brought back from the temple...



UPCLOSE...

Muji Stuffs are cheap there! Coz no need to pay for their air ticket to Singapore... ^_^"

excited

I miss Japan's cool weather. Singapore november and whole yr round is so hot and STICKY!!!!

I wanna stay there longer... Together with Mt Fuji

I dun wanna come back so soon....

Pictures will be up soon.....

Stupid thing...... Cant get auto-roaming. Reason? Cos I'm not 21 yet. How stupid is tt? Even if the account is under my name.. Damn.. So, I cant get access to Singapore. Sigh.. But I hope I can have internet access though.. O well....

Cant believe it.. Leaving Singapore in less than 24 hours. Seems so fast.. Time flies... Wish me luck..

Taisekiji.. Here I come!!!

Today, 16 November 2007. Performance for the module, Popular music culture in education.

Dr Eugene was part of the audience. He sent an email as a sort of postlude to keep us thinking. I know he means no harm.. But then, as i read on...

Dear all,



Many thanks for allowing me the priviledge of listening to you. I must congratulate Dr. Francis and yourselves for your creditable achievements these last 12 weeks – and I don’t mean the marks…..



Some curious questions/observati ons:



In your anxiety to get the music and musicality ‘right’, does the fact of your “music as autobiography” have any impact on you as musicians? As fellow sufferers? Imagine playing Schubert Lieder to being dumped or Pavane for a Dead Princess as an elegy…..


What motivated the upward transposition for both songs? In Esther and Yanghui’s song, there was an upward shift. Considering the prelude (5-note descent from F# through B on synthesizer) , the song in E minor, upward shift to F#minor and the codetta (symmetrical with the prelude) – asking if change was needed (before closure in F# minor), was that thought of as a complement with the textual material, as escalated emotional reiteration of still wanting to be back with someone, OR was this an unquestioned ritual/musical formula in contemporary popular musics? Did both songs have to end on the tonic of the transposed key?


Tiffany – were you comfortable with the vocal range you first began the song in? you sounded certainly more ‘at home’ one tone higher….or was this the musical compromise? What are your thoughts on a person who has experienced personal tragedy singing about the tragedy? Interesting Tiffany that you spoke of the gap between the head and the gut/heart….students doing the improvisation course have spoken about the emotional content while being “in the moment”….be curious to find out whether the anxiety in your voice was about the emotional content of tragedy OR the emotional content of musical anxiety……


I enjoyed the care with which the blend was attempted – it speaks highly of teamwork as much as the learning curves towards it….leadership as Dr. Francis is problematic and varies across ensembles – some lead through the bass or percussion section while for others, it might be the rhythm guitar section or among even others, vocalist of lead guitarist – not so much about competence as it is about confidence….


Apologies for any offence if it has been caused and many thanks for letting me witness personally engaging performances…..





All the best for the rest!
Dr. Eugene



So many deep thoughts can come into mind when composing a song. Wow... Especially the part on modulation. whether it is a "ritual" in pop music to end in tonic note of transposed key. The use of modulating a key upwards. Use of voice range. Schubert came into the picture somehow. Schubert dumped? Haha... For more scandalous effect.. I'll probably write about Mozart and Constatine, or Beethoven getting dumped by many women, but he still feels that he's charming. Or even the triangle love btwn Clara, Schumann and Brahms. Hmmm. Sounds exciting.. Not!

Honestly though.. These deep thoughts are like analyzing every bar, every beat. is it neccessary? Or should we keep in mind. To practice on keeping having deep thoughts to analyzr. Should do first den analyze or should we analyze our thoughts b4 we even do anything?

*confusion*

Haha.. But some of the points are valid though. For example, the leadership part. In gamelan, everyone has to listen to the drums and the gongs, whether u like it or not. In orchestra? Haha.. Look (not listen) at the man with THE STICK!!. Music has somewhat turned from listening to looking. Doesnt matter if the whole orchestra is playing alright or not. The most important thing is to LOOK at the conductor. The ear? na.. Throw it away. This "throwing of ear" is so evidently serious in sch COs now. Erhu section. Everyone is looking at their markings on their instrument rather den listen to the tonation. But then, ONe good thing came out of it. Erhu players haf got good memory. Cos jus need to look at markings and occassionally, the condutor. No need to look at score de la.

Ok... Sorry. Got side-tracked... Back to the topic.

If all the latest pop music composers and lyrist meet Dr Eugene, I really wonder what would the situation would be like?

Imagine Dr Eugene having a conversation with Jay Chou (provided the latter knows english or the former knows Chinese. Well, in any case, they could always use the international language. Music and/or sign language.. LOL)
Dr Eugene asks Jay Chou, "Why do u use this modulation here? What does it represent? Does it represent the escalation of mood in context to the content like wanting to be back to the person or was it done to convey the message tt u wan to wish the person well?" Long question hor..? Haha.. But tt's wat i can really imagine la.
And then.. Jay Chou will answer...

“没什么原因啦。就很吊啊。就是要做好音乐。音乐就是要表达情绪的。想这么多干嘛？ 我又不是科学家。”

I can almost forsee.. The battle of analyzing all feelings and emotions VS letting out emotions through making music (with jus bare minimal of asking questions of some stuffs).

Which side are you on?

Haha.. Now I really wonder.. If we sent Dr Eugene's questions and observations to the leading pop music composers and lyrists, would they haf a fit and faint? Or would they... ... ...

LOL.. U continue the sentence....

PS: WHICH SIDE R U ON???? analyze, or just make music????

PPS: Why is he always so polite that he thinks he's intruding into our lives? Lol.. if we were offended (which our lovely class would not be), we'd have shown some traits which are noticeable and tt he would consider deeply b4 coming to our next class. Hm... R all Doctors this polite???? Honestly, I'm kinda like scratching my head over his too much politeness even in emails. Ha... the politeness to me, is very very strange indeed... O well.....

Sigh... Ten Long Years... Since the 1997.

Just watched Titanic on Channel 5. It's still a good movie even til now. Wow.. Leonardo Dicaprio looked so different sia.. Lol. Kate Winslet, hmmm.. Still looks a bit same la. Haha...

Totally emo now. No mood to finish the essay which is due tmr.

Die...

Sigh.. Looks like i have to finish it.... By hook or by crook....

Bleah.....

^My Heart wiillllll..... goooooooo ooooooooooon^ (horrible singing in process)

^_^"

All because of this email. The title is "PLease Read". I read the title and my mind went like.. "Yabai... Hontoni.. Yabe.. This is not good". (dun ask me why, it's coz of past experiences)

AND DAMN IT!!! I was Right!!!

It started out good... Hehe.. 5 more years or less and I can "retire".. Hoho.. But kinda sad la.. If i retire, wont get to interact with children anymore.. But then, by tt time... I'll get to interact with lots of sec students le la.. Hehe...

Den the horrifying news came.....

The email excerpt

[New Assistant IC - Amber

GP A new Co-ordinator IC is Sze Ying *clap x3
GP B Yifan * Clap x 3
GP C Ivan * Clap x 3]


ARGH!!!!! Why did my name appear there?

Why? Why? Why??(infinity)

I'm already not a good IC le.. Still let me be the new co-ordinator? (faintz)
I'm ok at helping out la.. And even for me to achieve that is like really really difficult. Cos when reporting right, i can make use of the time to sleep... (cry) I dun wan to be the head la. Haf to do lots of stuffs lez...... Sigh........ Why cant I just continue to slack and be the background and continue to be useless?? OHNO!! Fen must haf realised these are what I've been doing and she wont let me continue. Damn... Should haf hidden better. Damn.. It's all too late la... (weeps)
It's a known fact that Virgos are not really good leaders and this point has so proven true on me...

Argh.............

Just let me die

This is exactly why I left you in the 1st place. I cant stand it anymore. Honestly, I dun even know if any of you will read it. Haf made the mistake once. Not going to repeat it.. But.. I guess, i'm really nothing in your hearts.....

To you people, it's contribution... To tt evil person (who shant be named) it's for his own gain.. But to me.. It's supposed to be a very special place. A place where music is created to contribute to my faith and beliefs. Of course, I know running music in the reality world is not easy. But why do people haf to make it complicated? Isnt life as tough as it is already?

I've learnt to hate social life. That's y i'm anti-social. I wan to believe in the good side of life. Why cant u let me? This political thing/conflict/power struggle. C'mon, what actual benefits (in terms of money) can you get out of this?

I'm totally confused. I do want to contribute. I want to put in my obligation.. But now I noe.. Contribution and music-making cannot exist at the same time. I've had even of the conflict/power-struggle shit. I can contribute in other ways. I certainly dun wan to lose my faith becoz of this worthless process. I still want to keep my faith. I dun wan to be disillusioned. I want to .. .. .. ..

So in the end, I choose to love music.

Do u noe how much pain I've felt when I have to make this decision? The pain is excruciating. You think that I dun care. That's because you dunnoe me. But, I dun really noe u guys anyways.... I dun know how much u guys are brain-washed by tt who-shall-not-be-named. I dun know how u see me. I feel so insecure, so anti-social, when I'm with you people. But I tell myself. Not to leave you. Cos.... that's not a good reason.... I'm an anti-social. Because I nv change. Or when I do, it's always too late. I cant get into ur cliques. Have nv been, and i think, i shant be able to be in anyways....

I've chosen Music..... Hence, I choose to leave..... I dun intend to come back. But tonight.... Everything started to change again... Pressure, stress, challenges all await for me.... I shall find the answer when I go to taisekiji. Perhaps Dai-Gohonzon will help me find the answer......

I'm so all totally confused.. I feel like throwing up. Throw up all these worries.

Den..... Please.... Just let me die...................

This is a reminder from Miss Fannie Seah regarding the atrocious behaviour that you have put up at the NIE library at 1200 hours, 1 November 2007. This post is to remind you not to make the same (idiotic) mistake ever AGAIN!!!!

If you should ever need anymore reminders, you will NOT get it!!!

Hence, I shall write a glimpse of the incident, enough to trigger your (nincompoop) mind. (do u haf one in the first place?)

It's got to do with you body, the bus and the bus-stop.

I hope those are enough to help your (spastic) brain remember it (and stick it) firmly.(forever, til the day you fly with the wind, aka, turn to ashes, aka, in case u still dun understand, DEAD!!!!!)

Yours (very, very, very X infinity) sincerly,
Fannie Seah
Commander-in-goddess
Neural Centre of Seah Yi Fan's Brain.