Oceanbluesandsummerbreeze: March 2006

Monday, March 27, 2006

Photos Of My Baby Nephew





posted by Ying @ 11:30 PM Comments: 7

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Li-Wei. Cello. Live!

Tonight, I went to a cello recital by world-renowned prize-winning cellist, Qin Li-Wei. It was a sold-out concert and it was a recital well worth the money.

Li-Wei and his accompanist, Jeremy Young, performed Shostakovich's Cello Sonata in D minor, Op.40, Schumann's Adagio and Allegro in A-flat major, Op.70, and Brahms Cello Sonata No.2 in F major, Op.99. Their bravura, confidence, wonderful stage presence, amazing interpretations and fantastic ensemble work, really took my breath away. Although Li-Wei had the scores in front of him, most of the time, he was so engrossed in the music that he hardly looked at them. In short, he pratically played the entire recital from memory. And his intonation and technique were impeccable. Jeremy was a very good accompanist, giving very strong support (sometimes a little too strong though.) to his partner. The way they weaved musical lines to each other was also very well-done. They looked like they were having fun and enjoying themselves on stage. We, audience, also enjoyed ourselves tremendously. We wouldn't let them go without encores, so in the end, they presented 3 encores, including one from the TV series, "The Simpsons".

Li-Wei is one cellist that I would strongly recommend you guys to listen out for in future. I won't be surprised if he outshines Yo-Yo Ma in future!

posted by Ying @ 10:48 PM Comments: 0

Monday, March 20, 2006

Why Dogs Hate Their Owners








posted by Ying @ 10:55 PM Comments: 0

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Transparent Butterflies



posted by Ying @ 2:04 PM Comments: 0

Friday, March 17, 2006

A Jazzy Evening

This evening, my sis and I went to a Jazz Piano Duo recital. As it was free-seating, being the typical "kiasu" type, we went a little earlier in order to reserve good seats. We managed to get really good seats, and after waiting for some time, the concert started quite punctually at 8pm.

Initially, we were very fascinated by the duo's playing. They really have fantastic technique. Super fast fingers and fantastic clarity. However, as the concert progressed, we began to get bored. The way they played sounded almost the same for every piece. The only differences were the titles of the pieces. Even their solo pieces sounded about the same.

One of them announced that he would be playing a popular piece which the audience would know, without telling what was the name of the piece. He then went on to play it. I'm sorry to say this, but by the end of the piece, I still have no idea what he was playing. However, his own composition, "A Deep Breadth" was quite nice. At least I could hear the melody!

Then the other pianist also performed his own composition, "Tango Sentimental". We were trying to catch the tango rhythm, and it only appeared about 5 minutes into the piece. And all of a sudden, we heard Bach. We looked at each other, then back at the pianist. We were wondering what was Bach's music doing in the middle of a jazz piece, and after hearing more, we were amazed by the way the pianist cleverly used some Bach influence into his music and it actually sounded quite nice.

However, as the concert was quite monotonous, we dozed off, as usual. It finally ended at about 9.15pm, with an encore given by the duo. The audience (except us) loved them, and they were given a standing ovation.

Kudos to the duo for their superb technique. As for sitting through such a "all sound the same" concert without dozing off, I think I still have a long way to go.

posted by Ying @ 11:50 PM Comments: 2

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Drunk In MRT

http://www.enpop.com/web_ani/a0008/a0008.swf

posted by Ying @ 11:36 PM Comments: 0

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

The Poopie List

Ghost Poopie--- The kind where you feel the poopie come out, but there is no poopie in the toilet.

Clean Poopie--- The kind where you poopie it out, see it in the toilet, but there is nothing on the toilet paper.

Wet Poopie--- The kind where you wipe your butt 50 times and still feels unwiped, so you have to put some toilet paper between your butt and your underwear, so you won't ruin them with a stain.

Second Wave Poopie--- This happens when you're done poopieing and you've pulled your pants up to your knees and you realize that you have to poopie some more.

Pop-A-Vein-In-Your-Forehead-Poopie--- The kind where you strain so much to get it out, you practically have a stroke.

Lincoln Log Poopie--- The kind of poopie that is so huge, you're afraid to flush without first breaking it into little pieces with the toilet brush.

Gassy Poopie--- It's so noisy, everyone within earshot is giggling.

Corn Poopie--- Self explanatory.

Gee-I-Wish-I-Could-Poopie-Poopie--- The kind where you want to poopie, but all you do is sit on the toilet and fart a few times.

Spinal Tap Poopie--- That's where it hurts so badly coming out, you'd swear it was leaving sideways.

Wet Cheeks Poopie--- (The power dump) The kind that comes out of your butt so fast, your cheeks get splashed with water.

Liquid Poopie--- The kind where yellowish-brown liquid shoots out of your butt and splashes all over the toilet bowl.

Mexican Poopie--- It smells so bad your nose burns.

Upper Class Poopie--- The kind of poopie that doesn't smell.

The Surprise Poopie--- You are not even at the toilet because you're sure you're about to fart, but OOPS!--- a poopie!

The Dangling Poopie--- This poopie refuses to drop into the toilet even though you know you are done poopie-ing. You just pray that a shake or two will cut it loose.

posted by Ying @ 11:11 PM Comments: 4

Monday, March 13, 2006

A Sleepy Evening

Tonight, my sis and I attended an orchestral concert conducted by the great maestro Lorin Maazel. We bought $80-ticket each, and ended up sitting right at the back of the hall, so all we could see was a miniature maestro. Nevertheless, we were contented to be able to see him live.

During the Tschaikowsky Violin Concerto, the pretty, blonde soloist came on stage in her sexy, fire red gown, but unfortunately, her playing doesn't match her appearance. It was very boring. Also, maybe due to the distance between the stage and where we were seated, she sounded very soft, and she was mostly drowned by the orchestra. So, naturally, we fell asleep. The next thing we knew, it was intermission already.

I wanted to go home but my sis wanted to stay for the second half just because she didn't want to waste her $80 ticket. So I asked her what was the point of staying if we were going to fall asleep again? Might as well go home to sleep. So, that was what we did. We left during intermission.

YAWN! Good night! Zzzz...........

posted by Ying @ 11:53 PM Comments: 5

Midnight Recording

I had a recording session with a student last night at 10pm at a friend's studio. It sounds crazy to do a recording that late at night, but my friend was only available at that time. We recorded a few pieces, and luckily, everything went rather smoothly. By the time we arrived at the last piece, it was nearing midnight, and I almost fell asleep at the piano. I was very tired as I've been teaching the whole day. Nevertheless, I gave whatever remaining energy I was left with, and the recording finally ended at about midnight.

It was tiring, but it sure was a night well-spent!

posted by Ying @ 1:16 AM Comments: 5

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Are You Stressed? Try This...

http://www.nartbox.com/nartbox_images/ecard/flash/fly0804.swf

posted by Ying @ 6:36 PM Comments: 5

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Food As Medicine

HEADACHE? EAT FISH!
Eat plenty of fish -- fish oil helps prevent headaches. So does ginger, which reduces inflammation and pain.

HAY FEVER? EAT YOGURT!
Eat lots of yogurt before pollen season. Also-eat honey from your area (local region) daily.

TO PREVENT STROKE DRINK TEA!
Prevent buildup of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of tea. (actually, tea suppresses my appetite and keeps the pounds from invading....Green tea is great for our immune system)!

INSOMNIA (CAN'T SLEEP?) HONEY!
Use honey as a tranquilizer and sedative.

ASTHMA? EAT ONIONS!
Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes. (when I was young, my mother would make onion packs to place on our chest, helped the respiratory ailments and actually made us breathe better).

ARTHRITIS? EAT FISH!
Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines actually prevent arthritis. (fish has omega oils, good for our immune system)

UPSET STOMACH? BANANAS - GINGER!
Bananas will settle an upset stomach. Ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.

BLADDER INFECTION? DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE!
High-acid cranberry juice controls harmful bacteria.

BONE PROBLEMS? EAT PINEAPPLE!
Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple.

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME? EAT CORNFLAKES!
Women can ward off the effects of PMS with cornflakes, which help reduce depression, anxiety and fatigue.

MEMORY PROBLEMS? EAT OYSTERS!
Oysters help improve your mental functioning by supplying much-needed zinc.

COLDS? EAT GARLIC!
Clear up that stuffy head with garlic. (remember, garlic lowers cholesterol, too.)

COUGHING? USE RED PEPPERS!
A substance similar to that found in the cough syrups is found in hot red pepper. Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution-it can irritate your tummy.

BREAST CANCER? EAT WHEAT, BRAN AND CABBAGE!
Helps to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.

LUNG CANCER? EAT DARK GREEN AND ORANGE AND VEGGIES!
A good antidote is beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A found in dark green and orange vegetables.

ULCERS? EAT CABBAGE ALSO!
Cabbage contains chemicals that help heal both gastric and duodenal ulcers.

DIARRHEA? EAT APPLES!
Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition. (Bananas are good for this ailment)

CLOGGED ARTERIES? EAT AVOCADO!
Mono unsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? EAT CELERY AND OLIVE OIL!
Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure. Celery contains a chemical that lowers pressure too.

BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE? EAT BROCCOLI AND PEANUTS!
The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.

Kiwi: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E & fiber. It's Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

Apple: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

Strawberry: Protective fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits &protects the body from cancer causing, blood vessels clogging free radicals. (Actually, any berry is good for you..they're high in anti-oxidants and they actually keep us young.........blueberries are the best and very versatile in the health field........they get rid of all the free-radicals that invade our bodies)

Orange: Sweetest medicine. Taking 2 - 4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.

Watermelon: Coolest Thirst Quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are Vitamin C &Potassium. (watermelon also has natural substances [natural SPF sources] that keep our skin healthy, protecting our skin from those darn suv rays)

Guava &Papaya: Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, this is good for your eyes. (also good for gas and indigestion)

Tomatoes are very good as a preventative measure for men, keeps those prostrate problems from invading their bodies.

posted by Ying @ 11:43 PM Comments: 0

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

A Night To Remember

Tonight, I went for an orchestral concert with my sis and 4 friends. As we bought the cheapest tickets, we were seated right at the top floor of the concert hall. The sound might not be that good up there, but at least, we could get a bird's eye view of the stage.

The top floor was rather empty. We found our seats and sat down. We were happily chatting away when a size "L" guy came and plonked himself next to us. A whiff of sweaty and sour "aroma" immediately floated to our delicate noses, and we had to hold our breath in order to survive. Fortunately, the concert started so we diverted our attention to the stage.

Throughout the first piece, we were covering our noses discreetly and trying really hard not to let the smell distract us, but it was really unbearable. It reminded me of vinegar-gone-bad. When the piece ended after the longest 9 minutes of our lives, we quickly got up and seated ourselves far away from the guy. Thinking that our "misfortune" was over, a group of late-comers came towards where we were seated, hoping that we would stand up to let them walk pass to their seats. Unfortunately, we didn't budge, so in the end, we had asses of different sizes shoved into our faces. That should teach us to be more gracious in future!

After the concert, we had Japanese food for dinner, and on the way back home, our car was rammed by another car from the right side. Our near-2-months-old car ended with dents and scratches on that side.

What a memorable night!

posted by Ying @ 11:51 PM Comments: 0

Monday, March 06, 2006

Funeral Procession

A man was leaving a cafe with his morning coffee when he noticed a most unusual funeral procession approaching the nearby cemetery.

A long black hearse was followed by a second long black hearse about 50 feet behind the first. Behind the second hearse was a solitary man walking a pitbull on a leash. Behind him was a queue of 200 men walking in single file.

The man couldn't stand the curiosity. He respectfully approached the man walking the dog.

"I am so sorry for your loss, and I know now is a bad time to disturb you, but I've never seen a funeral like this with so many of you walking in single file. Whose funeral is it?"

The man replied, "Well, that first hearse is for my wife."

"What happened to her?"

The man replied, "My dog attacked and killed her."

He inquired further, "Well, who is in the second hearse?"

The man answered, "My mother-in-law. She was trying to help my wife when the dog turned on her."

A poignant and thoughtful moment of silence passed between the two men.

"Can I borrow the dog?"

"Join the queue. "

posted by Ying @ 11:38 AM Comments: 0

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Toilet In An Artist's House

This toilet floor is really cool. I would like to walk on it, man! Hahaha! :P

posted by Ying @ 11:19 PM Comments: 0

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Clever News Reporter

A car was involved in an accident on a street.

As expected, a large crowd gathered.

A newspaper reporter, anxious to get his story, could not get near the car.

Being a clever sort, he started shouting loudly, "Let me through! Let me through! I am the son of the victim."

The crowd made way for him.

Lying in front of the car was a donkey.

posted by Ying @ 9:59 PM Comments: 0

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Queen Of The Night --- Mozart

This is very funny...

http://mail.ccsh.kh.edu.tw/siathy/L48.wmv

posted by Ying @ 10:21 AM Comments: 3