Got That Buzz

In 12 hours I’ll be on a plane to Singapore… my turn for a leave of absent mindedness in blogging. Much needed too, after a weekend of teaching, judging exams, helping to train piano students how to accompany, and chairing a department meeting.

Meeting up friends will be the social highlight, with old pal Kam Leong, recently reconnected Contz, newer pals JDA and Zhangyi, hopefully a lunch with Lim Soon Lee, and at least a call hello to Ng Hoe and Ther Hoei, if the latter isn’t on some 4-four month stint on a ship at sea. Interesting that of all the major associations of PFS, it’s the Sea Scouts of GTS 8 that I’ve noticed seem to have a higher index of making some sort of continuity of the experience in their working lives. And maybe the Computer Club.

My folks will be there two – my mom is attending a conference and meeting up her former doctoral adviser, and will be spending much time with family. Touristing, apparently, to Sentosa, among other places.

I’ve regotten that thing for shopping. Most of the it will be musical, I’m guessing – upgrading the viola (bow rehair and winding replacement, and maybe a change of bridge), which, when added to a change back to Helicore and Larsen (Evah Pirazzis are great, but less so in the upper positions) should be refreshing. I’ll be hunting down a copy of the musical Nine, even if the only one available is the more recent recording with Antonio Banderas and that chirpy secretary from Ally McBeal (the latter, apparently, has a great voice). A score of Kol Nidrei, even if it’s for cello, methinks.

Soon… Char koay teow, nasi lemak and the like. Not exactly Penang food, but welcome nonetheless. And if BK by whatever chance happens to be reading, bottled Spritzer, where possible, heh heh. :P

In other news:

This web-list of sites for free music scores I found interesting. Though a lot of it is what I figure to be new composers promoting their new works, there are links to classical arrangements too.

If a greater length of string is the reason why we do without fine tuners where possible, why does it sound better when the fine tuners are at their loosest?

Ever wonder about those big wooden chopping boards for chicken rice stalls… the amount of wood that’s been shaved away with time – have we been digesting that?