I ♥ Music

Saturday, December 05, 2009,1:36 AM

hey my dearest people! =)

here's some plans as to where to go for our clique outing on wednesday 9 dec 2009:

1) Kbox @ SAFRA Jurong
(klunch + lunch set 11am-2pm abt $11+? or kstudent + drink & 2 side dishes, 3pm to 7pm abt $13.50)
designed over a museum-like ambience, decorated with artifacts like rooster bowls, red thermos flasks, wallpapers of shop-houses and olden posters, transporting patrons back to Singapore in the 1920s to 1970s.
http://www.kbox.com.sg/Location.aspx?u=13
(reasons: i think the ambience is cosy, plus it's touch screen! (LOL) there's also games in the comp, so while others are singing, some can play)

2) The Mind Cafe / Settlers' Cafe (Clarke Quay area)
The Mind Cafe: ( Happy Hours: 2pm-6pm $5/per pax 4hr of games with free flow of drink. order any main course at $6.
http://www.themindcafe.com.sg/TheMindCafe_latestpromotion_happyhours.php
Settlers' Cafe: ( Student package: 2pm- 6pm $6+/per pax 4hr of games with free flow of drink. add $4+ for fish & chip/ chicken chop/chicken cutlet/spaghetti)
http://www.settlerscafe.com/packages.html
(reasons: we can talk while play games, have our christmas xchange presents there, can last us for 4 hrs etc. haha.)

3) Ice Skating at Kallng Leisure Park
erm. i'm not sure of the price. it's not stated there. but i guess is abt $18 for 2hrs. something liek that. yupps.
http://www.leisurepark.com.sg/ice_skating.html
(reaons: something different from our usual outing, fun & exciting? haha.)

4) Esplanade + Marina Square
(reasons: there's cinema + arcade + bowling + kbox at marina =) so there's lots of entertainment there. after that at night, we can go to esplanade (either outdoor theatre/ rooftop) where it's a good place to chat/ take pictures/ nice scenery, and can have our christmas xchange gift there =) )

yupps. that's abt all. PLEASE TAG FOR SUGGESTIONS! i've spent a long time planning this. so please don't ignore this post =/ haha.
personally, i will suggest we go either the mind/settlers' cafe & go esplanade + marina square at night. haha. but the thing is the cafe only opens at 2pm. what can we do before that? just walk around randomly? but then i feel like singing k too ^^

ohyea, PLEASE PREPARE A CHRISTMAS GIFT (budget: erm below $5? something simple & nice will do i think?) we'll have gifts xchange at night before we go home =) if you want, you can write letters to all ( since it's rather difficult for us all to meet up right =) ) or just to the random person whom you're giving the gift to.
i'll be writing letters to you all =D

Should we all wear black top this time? or white? or green? hahahaha. since it's a christmas outing =D

look forward to seeing you guys =D

Friday, December 04, 2009,10:17 PM

back back back! shall summarize the events which took place this holiday =)

a few weeks back (the day before class chalet), had an outing with shuting & dixin!

initially, we planned to go the mind cafe (near clarke quay mrt), but we changed our minds later as we had to wait for another 1 hr or so b4 it opens. so we watched "my girlfriend is an agent" + lunch @ suntec. at night, we went to esplanade library to slack + chat + catch a random performance at the concourse area. (see picture above) cool combination of western + chinese instruments ( piano, erhu, saxophone)

I WANT TO PERFORM ON THAT STAGE SOMEDAY TOO! =D

0915 2days 1night class chalet @ coastal sands resort. it was lucky that i reached there late =p the game punishments were !@@##$$%$. LOL. hmm, i guess the most memorable part of the whole event was walking along the seaside @ 4 or 5am in the morning. COOL =) i like that kinda experience.

bye, my 2nd home =( went back stnicks for the last time with my dearest clique! 10 years. WOW. i can't imagine i've alr spent more than 1/2 of my life in sngs. there's so many things that i'll miss. car park 26 gate (i'll always run like crazy every morning to get through the gate by 7.20am =p), primary & secondary classroom block (memories of studying, sleeping, copying notes etc), jie mei qiao ( the landmark of stnicks =D) hall, (assembly, PE lessons, performances, my very first speech made during the head prefect election!) canteen, (orange bowl, mushroom rice, toast, fruit juices, fried food!) family lounge, (place good for mugging geog test + hw + any pw =p), the small dental clinic (my fear for dentist starts from here! haha. & the small stickers the dentist gives us after every visit!), the basin in front of the primary one classrooms (we were forced to brush our teeth there in p1!), computer labs (the place which all p1 kids always look forward to go!), spectator stands (morning assembly, sports day, PE lessons, geog test last minute mugging place!), the track (NAFA 2.4km test nightmare!, morning jog) pri & sec music room (i still keep my pri school music file + book with me!) , drama studio ( i slept there most of the time during camp in school =), ohyea!! the most unforgettable HAUNTED HOUSE!), DANCE STUDIO (one of the most unforgettable part of my life in stnicks. DANCE. SYF trainings, syf modern dance 2007 the everlasting melody~<333) omy ="(">

imagine not seeing all these places 2 years later. GARH =( i'm gonna miss them.

school of film & media studies @ ngee ann poly. ARGH. why didn't i choose to study there instead =( i probably would have enjoyed studying. anws, i went to collect my prize =D GOKUSEN MOVIE POSTER! (see picture below) it's the size of those you see in MRT station!

finally get to watch gokusen the movie @ vivo on wednesday! with my sister. LOL. she almost fell alseep! haha. meanwhile, i was 'hua-chi-ing" as usual =D kame looks kakoii on big screen! i didn't know Haruma Miura is one of the cast too! (that guy from the movie koizora/ lian4 kong1)

science centre + omni theatre (watched this short film entitled "bears") CNNY outing. didn't plan to go initially as i was down with flu, but was forced to go in the end @.@

vivo city + fireworks 02 dec with mummy =) stayed till 9pm to watch 7min fireworks! (celebration of vivo 3rd anniversary -i think)

random picture taken when i'm clearing my desk. the shoe box which contains my precious memories! (birthday presents/messages, letters, small gifts)! letters from 1999 till now. haha. i'm those who treasure past memories a lot =)

yupps. & that's about all. ohyea. just had group piano lesson yesterday. watched "The Legend of the Pianist on the Ocean .....(USA) The Legend of 1900" hmm... it was okay. had piano duet with my teacher. I SCREWED UP LIKE CRAZY =((((( "radetzky march" (see below video, i guess many of you have heard of this song before) i just can't play fast tempo songs. i can't count the rhythmn =// 为了“将功折罪”(as said by my teacher =.=), played another duet with her. KAT-TUN's NEIRO =D (you can hear this song in my blog's song playlist) hahaha. i did so much better. but still...i screwed up the climax part =(

okay. done. end of story. SHALL BEGIN WITH MY HOMEWOKR =( i doubt i have the time to study for block tests ( 3rd week of Jan). ARGH! nevertheless, i'll look forward to clique outing on wednesday =D & 华文媒体培训班 @ ntu . I"LL BE GOING SPH & MEDIACORP!!!! xD wheeeee

Sunday, November 29, 2009,4:57 AM

hello! You might wonder where i've been these few weeks or almost a month. BLEH. Please give me a few more days. I need to settle some issues/homework/proposals urgently =/ Ex-lao gong, please be patience =) haha.

DEAR CLIQUE,
if you're reading this post, please take note our outing has been changed to 9 DECEMBER WEDNESEDAY. i don't want to sms alr =/ i've used almost like 150sms this month =( thanks to cca. Please suggest activities to do on that day! Shall we have a picnic? =p

Sunday, November 08, 2009,10:32 AM

Another week has gone by. Once again. So quickly. Yet, i'm glad cause this means PROJECT WORK IS GOING TO BE OUT OF MY LIFE IN 4 DAYS TIME. yes. finally.

I've spent my weekend watching this (see picture below) CODE BLUE. A medical drama series starring yamapi xD, toda erika & aragaki yui. I didn't plan to watch this initially....cause the genre isn't to my liking. But in the end, i've completed watching the drama series within 2 days. =) hmm, i won't say i love it, but it's definitely worth watching! especially with yamapi's great acting skills xD haha.

As i was searching videos of Code Blue on youtube, i chanced upon this video. I was really inspired =)

"Smiling and being alive is so wonderful"

think about it for a moment =)

As i was uploading pictures of the outing with char + weiling on facebook awhile ago, i remembered the COFFEE MILK which i drank @ a jap shop with char at Vivo city xD

yes. that's the shop. I MISS HOKKAIDO =(

THE OISHI COFFEE MILK =D

Haha. The coffee milk reminded me of the scenes in PROPOSAL DAISAKUSEN in which kenzo-kun travelled all the way from school canteen to supermarket to finally a bathhouse to get a coffee milk! *sigh* but it's not the same brand =p

Credit: http://sakuraangel73.livejournal.com/

Alright, shall go to bed now. 3.34am. @.@ project work meeting tmr. SIANZ.

continue to tag my board please. ARIGATO =)

Wednesday, November 04, 2009,9:18 AM

why can't school holidays start NOW?! =( we're practically wasting time in school everyday... especially today. my pw group did NOTHING at all. in the end, i was watching “ 在世界的中心呼唤爱”with jiexin & shuting in class @.@ it's supposed to be a very sad jap movie...but it was rather draggy...and the plot was exactly what i expected. nah...so the movie turned out to be rather boring. i prefer One Litre of Tears instead =) we also borrowed "借着雨点说爱你”(another emo jap movie) from the school library...but i guess i'll return it tmr. haha.

yeah...so i spent the 8 hours in class watching shows and movie =.=" ( 百万大歌星，我猜 x3 ，random YouTube videos & a Korean entertainment show) shouldn't i just stay at home and sleep? xD

anws, theory exam last Saturday. HORRIBLE. it's the first time i couldn't finish a paper =( had difficulty doing the questions =(((( !@#^&* i felt so irritated. ARGH! i don't want to see a PASS/MERIT certificate.... i want DISTINCTION! haix...before even taking the exam...my teacher has already given up on me =( she knew i wouldn't do well.... ARGH! why why why why why! I"M SORRY.

FORGET IT =(

after the HORRIBLE IRRITATING theory exam, went for lunch with charmaine & weiling! it has been almost a year since we last went out together! miss them so much! we went ASTONS at Cathay for lunch! the lunch set was affordable & OISHI! xD grilled ? chicken + 2 side dishes ( baked potato + tasty rice ) + water. yummy =) i will definitely visit there someday again!

Sunday: jogging at Punggol park with sister + mummy at about 7.30pm! YES! AT NIGHT! oooohhh....it's really a different experience. jogging + listening to mp3 + enjoying the breeze + night scenery. I LOVE IT. maybe we should make it a habit to go for jogging at least once a week =)

Monday: kbox at amk with clara & shuting. OMG. it's the first time i sang for 5 hours @.@ the facilities in the kbox near the amk library is SO MUCH BETTER than the one near amk hub! there's better sound system + LCD TV?!!! + new sofa etc. haha.

sec. clique outing shall be there next time =)

Thursday, October 29, 2009,8:58 AM

Music and The Brain

Music and the brain
Playing a musical instrument makes you smarter: Study
by The Daily Telegraph 05:55 AM Oct 29, 2009

LONDON - New research suggests that regularly playing an instrument changes the shape and power of the brain and may be used in therapy to improve cognitive skills. It can even increase IQ by seven points in both children and adults, according to researchers.

Experts said there is growing evidence that musicians have structurally and functionally different brains compared with non-musicians - in particular, the areas of the brain used in processing and playing music.

These parts of the brain that control motor skills, hearing, storing audio information and memory become larger and more active when a person learns how to play an instrument and can apparently improve day to day actions such as being alert, planning and emotional perception.

Mr Lutz Jancke, a psychologist at the University of Zurich, said: "We found that even in people over the age of 65 after four or five months of playing a instrument for an hour a week there were strong changes in the brain.

"The parts of the brain that control hearing, memory, and the part that controls the hands among others, all become more active. Essentially the architecture of the brain changes.

"For children especially we found that learning to play the piano for instance teaches them to be more self-disciplined, more attentive and better at planning. All of these things are very important for academic performance, so can therefore make a child brighter. Music isn't the only answer, but I do believe that it should be used in addition to other things."

Mr Jancke said that music can make it easier to learn foreign languages. It also helps people become more perceptive in interpreting the emotions of others.

"When you play a musical instrument you have to learn about tone and about scores and your ability to store audio information becomes better."

He suggested more studies on the use of music to enhance cognitive performance through therapy. "Hopefully, the current trend in the use of musicians as a model for brain plasticity will continue ... and extend to the field of neuropsychological rehabilitation."

Credit: TODAYonline

This article is interesting! =) I agree with most of the points but my POV is that the magnitue (hmm...can't find a suitable word) of positive effects which playing an instrument have on a person is PROPORTIONAL to the age which you started learning how to play the instrument. which translates into: the earlier you start, the smarter you are!

I've always observed this trend that students who topped the level/class are 80-90% those who have high grades in piano/violin (or simply = started learning the instrument at a very young age) don't you agree?

why didn't i started learning piano earlier =( haha. i'm just complaining cause i don't do well in exams now. bleh =p

back to memorizing my wonderful list of italian & german music terms @.@

2 days to theory exam.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009,11:45 AM

created facebook account finally! okay, now i understand why ppl say it can be addictive @.@ anws, took my last promo paper today. hmmph...i wonder how my results will turn out to be like. especially my chemistry paper @.@ arrhhhh...i'm supposed to do well for chem. but =( please let me pass my CLL and maths paper!

alright, shall not talk about promos anymore. we'll just have to wait till 16 nov. meanwhile, i shall work hard and ACE MY GRADE 5 THEORY EXAM! xD all i'm worried abt is the composing section....it's really irritating. somehow or rather, i lose the ability to ''visualise and hear'' the notes accurately =( i could do that in the past, fast and accurate. BUT I CAN"T NOW =( WHYYYYY?!

*sigh* anws, shall bombard my blog with pictures. haven't been really active in blogging ever since the start of promos and night study @.@

0915 group picture photo taking session =)