Christmas Cheer

The best way to spread christmas cheer is to sing aloud for all to hear!! (funny quote from Elf)

Anyway, I'm feeling so happy now! I'm just laughing at my previous post!

The concert went fantastically well! Almost 50 people in the orchestra. The music was very well played! And everyone in the audience was very impressed at the standard.

Plus, I got given a nice bottle of wine and was thanked with thunderous applause and cheers! Oh what a great ending to the term!!

My role in society

The sacrifice.

I have noticed that over the recent years, I have taken the role of the organiser. The person who is on the ball all the time. The person who herds the stubborn sheep. The person who has to sacrifice his enjoyment for the enjoyment of the mass.

And I deserve some remuneration. I'm the best organiser there is. I started an orchestra last year from SCRATCH. Our first ever rehearsal was a meagre 4 people playing Beethoven's 5th Symphony. And our coming concert will be 47 people playing The Hebrides and Khachaturian's Masquerade. Now that's something. I could've given up at the beginning, and nothing would've happen. Nothing. No one else would be willing to go through the stress and frustration of herding people. But I did it. And I'm satisfied with the results.
In rehearsals, everyone else has a jolly good time, and I really like it that they do. But I have to be on the ball, I need to organise where they sit (because they never know), where their music is, assure everyone that there will be more more musicians to fill in missing parts. And most of all, I find it so irritating when people look at me when the music is hard, or when it's not sounding good. Where were all of you when I asked for help to select music? I did it on my own and with so much planning and thought. Anyway, end of rant number 1. I know I will feel differently after the concert as I would be quite elated.

Rant 2. The flat. I live with a bunch of filthy people. If I didn't live in this flat, I can bet there will be rotting food, dirty dishes, dust and faeces covering every inch of floor and surfaces. It's always up to me, yet again, to be the shepherd. I have to resort to making a rota (which they don't follow). And when I try to enforce it, they glare at me. So in the end, I clean up most of the things. I do the dishes, again and again, and again. And they don't even thank me. I would like out!

The last one is not really a rant. But I do most of the organisation if our group of friends want to go out, eat, movie, concert, ballet, opera etc etc. Which I don't really mind, because I derive enjoyment in the end.

So there. I'm the shepherd. The one who has to sacrifice.

Most recent concerts

Last week, Pei Kee, Jeff, Shin Yee and I went to see the London Symphony Orchestra (which I think is the best orchestra ever) play Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade and Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death. As a bonus to the programme, the LSO played The Twittering Machine by some contemporary composer whose name has slipped my mind.
The contemporary piece was really interesting and I actually liked it! I wouldn't mind listening to it again (some contemporary pieces are so horrible they precipitate headaches - like one I heard last year - forgot the name - didn't even bother to remember!)

The Songs and Dances of Death bit was brilliant and the soprano was a sight to behold. I swear I've never seen a lady taller than her. She had a magnificent voice that could be heard over the LSO - now that's something! She wore a very suitable dress for the programme - was quite morbid but beautiful at the same time. This piece was originally written by Mussorgsky to be played on the piano (which would've been a lot more boring). Shostakovich orchestrated the piece some time after it was written, and being a genius and an OCD person, he definitely did the most perfect job. I loved the interplay between the different sections and the energy of the piece.

Now of course, the Scheherazade. I was so impressed by this I didn't even want to blink or move a finger. I was rooted to the spot like a statue throughout the 40 plus minutes of this brilliant piece! The LSO definitely did not disappoint and did Rimsky-Korsakov justice! Just magnificent! It's difficult to put the experience into words! And there's also something about the concert hall at the Barbican centre that just makes everything sound so much better, clearer and louder... Wow, that was worth the money, in fact I would've paid more!

I went to see the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall the following Saturday (proudly turning down offers to the latest bond movie!)
Anyway, the programme was Rimsky-Korsakov's Tsar Saltan Suite, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 3 and Kalinnikov's Symphony No. 1.

Tsar Saltan was pretty good, although it's definitely not one of the best works of Rimsky-Korsakov (which would be Scheherazade!). The orchestra was sounding rather soft as we were sat quite far at the back (being the cheapskates we are).
However, at the end of the piece, we seized the opportunity and ran to one of the unoccupied seats at the 4th row of the stalls, which were far better!

Tchaikovsky's 3rd Piano Concerto was disappointing. I never heard it before and thought I'd take a risk (as you can never really go wrong with Tchaikovsky - turns out you can!).
I found it extremely draggy and boring - and plus I didn't even like the melody!
The morbidly obese pianist wasn't a pretty sight (compared to the beautiful female pianist that I saw play Rachmaninov's Variations on a theme of Paganini at the Barbican centre a year ago)
I just couldn't wait for it to finish, and it made me feel slightly guilty for bringing this friend who was completely new to classical music to this concert of all concerts!

Kalinnikov was also a chance I took - but a good one! That symphony was really good, although it probably lacked depth compared to symphonies written e.g. by Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich. It had a good tune (which was probably the most important thing to my friend). It kind of climaxed, but not really. But it was ok. Nothing fantastic or anything, but good enough to keep my attention.
I vow to use my final few years in London to make the most of my stay. I will go to as many concerts, dramas, ballets etc as possible!

Music and Medicine

I'm so happy with the music is going at Barts! All my efforts for the past 2 years have definitely paid off. The orchestra is now a reasonable size and we're getting more and more support from the medical school and the students' union!
Sometimes, the thought of the Thursday rehearsal is the only thing that keeps me going for the week. Everytime I'm talking to the most boring patient, or if I'm in a demoralising and depressing lecture, I think of music and it definitely helps me get through.
Hopefully, there'll be a huge turnout this thursday so we can have a great rehearsal! We now rehearse in the Old Libary of the Old Medical College which is just a lovely place with excellent acoustics! Can't wait.

Now medicine. Neurology is definitely not for me. I'm actually quite surprised with how much I dislike it. I loved neuroanatomy and neuroscience in my preclinical years but neurology is such a bore. Most of the conditions are untreatable and you're just going to see your patients deteriorate over the years.
The signs to pick up are so subjective. Is the reflex brisk? or normal? Is there grade 3 or grade 4 muscle power? Is there rigidity or spasticity? Whatever. I will not become a neurologist because the past 4 weeks have only depressed me!
Maybe this is one of the instances where I'm more of a scientist than a clinician.
I enjoyed cardiology so much more than this waffle. I think I might head in that direction.

Life goes on!

I PASSED!!! And its great to be back! Now leaving all that crap behind me,

I'm on neurology at The London at the moment and am enjoying every bit of it! Ophthalmology week was great and I'M SO BUYING AN OPHTHALMOSCOPE!!! Oh what fun

Anyway, I'm back on my Music Presidential throne and am working my ass of for it! Can't wait! Despite the usual problems (low on brass, NO OBOE!, no harp) I'm glad to say that things are looking up this year! Many new members signed up at the freshers fair, and a 3rd of them violinists!! and a new cellist and a HORN!!! omg Just incredible, horns are SO rare. But we still don't have trombones...
Anyway, nowadays I'm losing sleep due to excitement! I keep thinking of that first rehearsal that just has to be perfect! First impressions last you see, so i don't want to scare off the new members.

And I just LOVE our choice of repertoire!
-Mussorgsky: Prelude to Khovanshchina
-Khachaturian: Masquerade Suite
-Eric Coates: London Suite

It's gonna be good!

My muddled thoughts

I'm back in London and I'm working my ass out for the resit. The whole thing is such a weird, surreal experience. It seems like all my confidence is out of the window. Nothing I do seems to give me any satisfaction. No matter what I do to improve, there's always something stupid I'd say or do. Why am I so insecure about my abilities? This has never been a problem before.
Just over a month ago, I was a completely different person. The exams did not scare me one bit. (well to be fair to myself I did do well in the written papers, I just managed to fail the OSCEs)

The resits are in about 2 plus weeks and the thought of it freaks me out. I do not want to face it but I will have to to keep my place in this school.

Meanwhile, some complete morons have been trying to fix the boiler without any success in the flat. (for the past 3 days!) How hard could it be? The flats a complete mess.

I am missing the comforts of home at the moment!

Acceptance

The results have finally sank in.
For hours yesterday, I kept checking if the name on the slip wasn't mine. I kept saying "I can't believe I failed! ME?? ME??" over and over and over again. So memalukan! Lose face only. Ceh
Kept picturing that moment opening that wretched envelope.
Well, there's a first time for everything!

Now, I'm looking forward to going home. And am gonna kick the resits in the arse when I'm back!

And my neck is really stiff now. So bye