FEEL the music. FEEL IT.

"Wan Ying, don't be so kayu can?"

Ever since I entered ICOM, that's the comment I received most on my playing.

"FEEL the music."

"Move a bit lah!"

Think I don't know my problem ah...

Went for this audition recently. Ended up getting the same comment. Techniques okay, just... No feel.

What is feelings? How to feel? That has always been my question. Until now, it is unanswered. I need to realize something. That something will definitely be the key to the kayu heart, the answer to my question.

Feelings. The most important essence in music. Is it because I do not understand the piece of music I play? Or is it because I ignore the story the music's trying to tell? Or both.

I feel words. I feel graphics. I just didn't feel music. And I feel like a total failure.

Since Jan, I've been trying out at different companies and bands. All ended up in the black hole.

Weird enough. It doesn't seem to motivate me to TRY to FEEL the music. Or, I didn't even try.

I should've gotten used to being called a 'kayu'. But it's a mixed feeling now. I don't know what I'm feeling.

Kayu kayu kayu! ENOUGH ALREADY. I'll show YOU what's kayu. Nobody can beat me in being one. That's MY signature MOVE. Hmph.

*One emo post after god knows how long.

Happenings

So it's almost a month after my birthday. And the happenings from then til now... There are quite a lot of them.

18th April 2010

Your royal highness's birthday. :)


And her presents... Well, only one of them.

LOCCITANE SHAMPOO SET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Special thanks to the people who came to my party and make it at least alive. :)

And thanks for the angpaus and presents. =)))))))))

Jo, your effort to drive from DJ to my house JUST to surprise me by leaving an anonymous letter and a present in my mailbox is much appreciated. Not to mention how hard it is to make me realise it's in my PHYSICAL mailbox, not email inbox. HAHA.

***

Band happenings

So I'm in a band, or two. Whichever.

Because I need it, so I got this! *like*



There's one particular band that is serious about playing live. But there seems to be some problem ahead. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks so, I don't know about the others. But I really, really don't wanna split up. =/ I'm getting along with my fellow band members, I'm happy where I am. I could be happier if I found people with better chemistry, but if it means start over and get to know new people, and suck at first jamming session, I don't have a good feeling about it. All in all, I just don't wanna split up.

Hopefully we'll work things out.

***

Gym happenings

As I renewed my contract, my gym trainer is very excited in helping me get into a hot figure. =.=

"I'll make you pretty in 2 months."

LOL.

***

Work happenings

Some students have no logic, detectable at the age of 5.

Some students are just here for fun.

Some students are here to cancel class.

ChocoBanana Strawberry Cupcake!

So I have decided to try out a "new" recipe. Or not so... Since I did work on ChocoBanana before, just that it wasn't AS successful as this time.

Here's a picture of it. I'll let you be the judge.


Looks delicious don't they? Don't you feel like having a bite? Salivating already?

Heh. No worries. Here's a quick guide on how you can bake your own ChocoBanana Strawberry Cupcake at home.

Ingredients
Cupcake:
100g self raising flour
100g butter
100g brown sugar
2 eggs
2 mashed banana
Cocoa powder

Topping:
Fresh whole strawberries
Semi sweet chocolate chips
Butter

Once you got all these on your table, you're all prepared for the next step!

To make the cake:
1. Mix butter and sugar until smooth.
2. Gradually add in eggs. Beat until smooth.
3. Add in flour slowly.
4. Mix dough with mashed banana.
5. Add enough cocoa powder to give color and fragrance.
6. Heat up oven at 150 degree celcius.
7. Put dough into lightly greased paper cups.
8. When the oven is ready, put cupcakes into oven and bake at said temperature for 15-20 mins depending on cup size. Smaller cups cook faster.

And below you see ze product!


I made simple topping as:
1. I don't know how to use royal icing.
2. Royal icing is expensive.
3. A friend requested strawberries.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

How to make chocolate dipped strawberries:
1. Fill a cooking pot with water and put it to boil.
2. When it is boiled, turn the heat down.
3. Put a smaller cooking put into the bigger pot to build a double boiler.
4. Add in chocolate chips and a small amount of butter.
*Butter helps liquidize the chocolate chips.
5. Dip strawberries into melted chocolate

VOILA! These are what you get!

Oklah. Mine aren't pretty. But you get the idea!


When the cupcakes are done, remove them from oven and let it cool.

Later, add the dipped strawberries on top of the cake.


You can then eat it straight out of the cup.

You can also do remove it from the cup and place it on a plate. Place a strawberry on top and add Hershey's strawberry syrup as finishing touches.

Try it! It will definitely make your day. =D

Balik kampung~

The title says it all.

Balik-ed kampung for Cheng Beng and it IS possible for me to get sunburn. WOW.

Itai! >.<



I finally got to have a taste of satay celup! People asked me what it is and being a Malaccan I should be ashamed of not knowing what it is. So I bugged my dad to take me to one of the best satay celup shop in town and THERE. It's like lok lok but instead of boiling water you get boiling peanut sauce. And OMG IT'S SO DELISH.

Next morning, I went bai bai with the family then in the afternoon we went walk walk at Malacca town acting all tourist like taking pictures like it's my first time there LOLOL. Oh I also went on this Menara Seri Taming *whatever it is called* - a spinning sight seeing tower lah. But nothing to see lah from up there since it's the morning and the view also not nice. >.<


Tomorrow must run very very far!

(Not so) Interesting read

It's coming to the end of March already. I'm gonna say this the Malaysian way.

Why so fast wan? =/

My life's all about gym lately. So my daily schedule would be:

Monday: Gym, work
Tuesday: Gym
Wednesday: Gym, work
Thursday: Gym
Friday: Gym

I take Sat and Sun off cause I am human and I need rest. Also to not get bored of the gym lah.

So anyway, event one is down. Open Day went off well. Food was superb. *OMG THE SPAGHETTI AND CAKE SO NICE.* Music was awesome. *of course la I play wan :P* Jamming session was cool and fun!

Had a photography session after that. Ahh. I want to see the photos that we took today laaaaa.

Event two is FIVE DAYS AWAY. I been slacking a lot on the piano, on improvisation, on jazz. Somebody help me! >.<


Remarks:
I did not go to gym today.
My body is aching everywhere.
It feels weird to skip gym.
Like it's already my routine.
Wish I could have a hell of a training session next week.
Trainer's gonna be so happy if he heard this: I heart gym.

I think I'm on a mission.

Run Away

I wished I had interesting things to blog about...

BUT...

I have SEVEN songs to prepare for the coming opening day of Notes music center.

I know lah. All pop songs shouldn't be hard but I still need to play nicely if not later my boss slaughter me. x.X

I have FIVE days left.

BERKLEE AUDITION in approximately TWO WEEKS. And I have not done ANYTHING.

I'm just here to say I am SO STRESSED.

So stressed that I don't feel like doing anything.

I just want to run.

It's My Life

I think I'm starting to get used to my life after ICOM. I go to work, go to gym, constantly sit in front of my laptop but I'm pretty much content. I dunno how it will go the next few months to come but it sure is relaxing for now. And doing what I like/want to do makes me happy, seeing that I'm starting to like teaching. :D But those kids can make me frustrated at times. I had to constantly repeat things. It tires me out very easily.

I've got Berklee audition coming up end of this month. I have approximately 20 days more to prepare yet I haven't started on anything. Not to mention choosing a song. I've got to start preparing though.

As for gym life, my personal training sessions ended, sadly. But I'm still considering whether to continue or not. The most important issue is $$. You see, my mom (and dad) very kiamsiap so I'm 90% sure they won't allow me to hire a PT. So the other alternative would be me saving up for a PT. But honestly, a PT costs A LOT. One session is equivalent to rm100. Of course the more sessions you buy the cheaper it will be lah. But if one PT session costs as much as one piano master class, I would rather get a teacher to teach me piano lah. Better investment. Plus I can work out on my own, just need to watch out on my techniques so I don't hurt my neck again.

One point that proves that I'm slowing moving from FIM to just M. LOLZ.

Honestly, exercising DOES ensure you a better sleep at night. First hand experience. No kidding.

Here's some pictures from CNY.



The reunion lunch/dinner.



Lou sang is a must during CNYs.

Some people came over for this.



Some idiots came over for THIS.



Like that loh my Chinese New Year.

CNY review: Not so bad lah. Edi started talking to more relatives that I usually don't. Good start, good start. I'm slowly becoming not so dumb in socializing anymore. HAHA. Then got angpau got makan got friends come over... I very happy liao de loh.

Ahh... I have so many things in mind that I want to do after I get my first month's pay. Like, saving up for gym fund, piano lesson fund, pay own petrol, take my dear carlos go saloon, go genting, go travelling, buy loccitane shampoo... Too many things lah. >.< One month pay not enough. Need to filter out what's important what's not.