Friday, June 11, 2004
--- I ---
Rehearsal for “Xin Chao” this morning. At least the whole ensemble is coming, with the exception of Amanda our gong player, who is in Malaysia.
The players are good. They’ve trained themselves to the extent that they can play at the speed I originally had in mind. We just clean up some playing in the 7/8 and 8/8 portions – the killer portions in the score, then we work on the dynamics. I tell them to play their fortes and pianos very exaggeratedly – if it’s loud, it’s loud; if it’s soft, it’s soft. The piece is coming alive with drama and action. It’s just fun.
I follow Miss Chew back to the music room to collect my thumb drive (which I left it there by accident on the day before I enlisted) as well as the certificate for my participation in the ARTivities seminar and exhibition (post date: Sunday, 28/3/2004). At the same time I try to look for the MD containing the recording for the TJCE concert so that I can listen to my CATS Medley live.
I don’t know if there’s anything wrong with the MD… after “Phantom of the Opera” and “New York, New York”, nothing was to be heard, even though the MD states it recorded 47 minutes worth of music. “Miss Saigon” was after “New York”, and last of all, “Cats” (according to the programme booklet, which I picked up). In fact, for the remaining two pieces the timer went off very slowly, at a snail’s pace.
I think I’m always fated to listen to my works on MIDI. The last time I did arrangements for the combo band, I didn’t record it… anyway I wasn’t credited during the performance at Mardi Gras. Yeah, “Where is the Love” by the Black-Eyed Peas. So the Black-Eyed Peas also wrote a version for combo band and possibly symphony orchestra and the combo band is resourceful to discover this little secret and buy the score to entertain its crowd.
And I had to miss the TJCE concert by one day. I was originally supposed to POP on 3 June, but what the heck, they postponed it to 5 June, because “parents would be more free on that day”. Bloody hell, your reservist policy already makes companies suffer losses, what difference is there in forcing parents to take leave for POP? So, while the TJCE fiddled away, I was marching with a field pack on my bag and singing army songs.
Now I’m praying I can get out to conduct the ensemble for Xin Chao on the occasion of the MEP concert.
--- II ---
My posting just came out.
No, I didn’t get into MDC. I really screwed up the audition.
I’ve been posted to HQ SCE (Combat engineer), and for the next two years I’m to be a Armoured Pioneer. And my camp is at Sungei Gedong at Lim Chu Kang which is like freaking ulu and far away from where I live.
What’s SCE? What’s an Armoured Pioneer supposed to do? People are telling me different things.
Qihui tells me I am supposed to edit articles for the Pioneer Magazine. Shiok lah. Good life, perhaps 8-5 job, because I am instructed that I need not “bring along the SAF standard issue, except for the PT kit”. I am also supposed to check with my unit if I need to stay there throughout the working week. I thought, what did I do during the SIT test to earn myself this good job?
Then Benson tells me, it’s a cheong suah unit. I think I almost broke down with disappointment and depression for almost half the day.
I message Sergeant Francis to find out what “Pioneer” means, if it does not mean “founding father” or the magazine. The reply: combat engineer.
I call the number provided on the posting order. The guy on the line tells me to ignore the instructions. Basically whatever he tells me is the complete opposite of what the posting order instructs me. I have to stay in camp. I have to bring everything in.
My mother calls from work. Her colleague says that combat engineers are supposed to build bridges… those foldable, mobile bridges or whatsoever. Meaning: running in the jungle again. My mother is telling me, find out if I can transfer. I am reluctant to do so because I know they will ignore my pleas and tell me to fuck off and go do my job. The only way of changing vocations is to downgrade, and I’ve got nothing wrong with myself.
I call Wai Khang. He says the unit there is quite garang. I freeze. Better or worse than Platoon 3? I hope it’s better, so that I can take it, because I survived my BMT.
Three more days to go. I refuse to go out in order to complete whatever work I have to do on the computer before I get locked in camp for another two weeks. Standard confinement practice, wherever new place you go. ¶ 6/11/2004 06:42:00 pm
Rehearsal for “Xin Chao” this morning. At least the whole ensemble is coming, with the exception of Amanda our gong player, who is in Malaysia.
The players are good. They’ve trained themselves to the extent that they can play at the speed I originally had in mind. We just clean up some playing in the 7/8 and 8/8 portions – the killer portions in the score, then we work on the dynamics. I tell them to play their fortes and pianos very exaggeratedly – if it’s loud, it’s loud; if it’s soft, it’s soft. The piece is coming alive with drama and action. It’s just fun.
I follow Miss Chew back to the music room to collect my thumb drive (which I left it there by accident on the day before I enlisted) as well as the certificate for my participation in the ARTivities seminar and exhibition (post date: Sunday, 28/3/2004). At the same time I try to look for the MD containing the recording for the TJCE concert so that I can listen to my CATS Medley live.
I don’t know if there’s anything wrong with the MD… after “Phantom of the Opera” and “New York, New York”, nothing was to be heard, even though the MD states it recorded 47 minutes worth of music. “Miss Saigon” was after “New York”, and last of all, “Cats” (according to the programme booklet, which I picked up). In fact, for the remaining two pieces the timer went off very slowly, at a snail’s pace.
I think I’m always fated to listen to my works on MIDI. The last time I did arrangements for the combo band, I didn’t record it… anyway I wasn’t credited during the performance at Mardi Gras. Yeah, “Where is the Love” by the Black-Eyed Peas. So the Black-Eyed Peas also wrote a version for combo band and possibly symphony orchestra and the combo band is resourceful to discover this little secret and buy the score to entertain its crowd.
And I had to miss the TJCE concert by one day. I was originally supposed to POP on 3 June, but what the heck, they postponed it to 5 June, because “parents would be more free on that day”. Bloody hell, your reservist policy already makes companies suffer losses, what difference is there in forcing parents to take leave for POP? So, while the TJCE fiddled away, I was marching with a field pack on my bag and singing army songs.
Now I’m praying I can get out to conduct the ensemble for Xin Chao on the occasion of the MEP concert.
--- II ---
My posting just came out.
No, I didn’t get into MDC. I really screwed up the audition.
I’ve been posted to HQ SCE (Combat engineer), and for the next two years I’m to be a Armoured Pioneer. And my camp is at Sungei Gedong at Lim Chu Kang which is like freaking ulu and far away from where I live.
What’s SCE? What’s an Armoured Pioneer supposed to do? People are telling me different things.
Qihui tells me I am supposed to edit articles for the Pioneer Magazine. Shiok lah. Good life, perhaps 8-5 job, because I am instructed that I need not “bring along the SAF standard issue, except for the PT kit”. I am also supposed to check with my unit if I need to stay there throughout the working week. I thought, what did I do during the SIT test to earn myself this good job?
Then Benson tells me, it’s a cheong suah unit. I think I almost broke down with disappointment and depression for almost half the day.
I message Sergeant Francis to find out what “Pioneer” means, if it does not mean “founding father” or the magazine. The reply: combat engineer.
I call the number provided on the posting order. The guy on the line tells me to ignore the instructions. Basically whatever he tells me is the complete opposite of what the posting order instructs me. I have to stay in camp. I have to bring everything in.
My mother calls from work. Her colleague says that combat engineers are supposed to build bridges… those foldable, mobile bridges or whatsoever. Meaning: running in the jungle again. My mother is telling me, find out if I can transfer. I am reluctant to do so because I know they will ignore my pleas and tell me to fuck off and go do my job. The only way of changing vocations is to downgrade, and I’ve got nothing wrong with myself.
I call Wai Khang. He says the unit there is quite garang. I freeze. Better or worse than Platoon 3? I hope it’s better, so that I can take it, because I survived my BMT.
Three more days to go. I refuse to go out in order to complete whatever work I have to do on the computer before I get locked in camp for another two weeks. Standard confinement practice, wherever new place you go. ¶ 6/11/2004 06:42:00 pm
