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18 July

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24 July

ARE YOU POPULAR, ROMANTIC, BRAINY OR FUN?

1.         What's your favourite colour out of all these?
            BLUE, RED, ORANGE, GREEN, PINK, YELLOW
            Answer: BLUE

2.         Pick your favourite food out of the following
            PIZZA, HOT DOGS, SANDWICHES, MEATS, VEGGIES
            Answer: HOT DOGS

3.         Pick the country you would like to live in most
            PARIS, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK, CANADA, USA
            Answer: Canada

4.         Pick your favourite animal out of the following:
            DOG, CAT, MOUSE, PARROT, FISH
            Answer: FISH

5.         What's your favourite type of drink?
            COCA COLA, PEPSI, ROOT BEER, SPRITE, MOUNTAIN BEER
            Answer: ROOT BEER

*           *           *

ANSWERS

Question (1)
BLUE: sweet
RED: romantic
ORANGE: fun
GREEN: brainy
PINK: sexy
YELLOW: cute

Question (2)
PIZZA: wild
HOT DOGS: adventurous
SANDWICHES: silly
MEATS: silly
VEGGIES: weird

(I don't quite agree with this characteristic…)

Question (3)
PARIS: sexy (of course, think Paris Hilton…)
LAS VEGAS: partier
NEW YORK: busy
CANADA: romantic
USA: wacky

(Again, I don't quite agree with this characteristic… furthermore, isn't New York supposed to be within the USA? Which means, people who live in New York are both equally wacky and busy at the same time, or they are busy at being wacky all the time?)

Question (4)
DOG: lovable
CAT: feminine
MOUSE: quiet
PARROT: annoying
FISH: boring

(How is it that my choice in the animal question fails to match with that in the food question?)

Question (5)
COCA-COLA: hot
PEPSI: sweet
ROOT BEER: popular
SPRITE: sporty
MOUNTAIN DEW: outgoing

DISCOVER YOUR PERSONALITY

Answer the following four questions. For each question, write down the letter (you'll need a pen and paper) that describes you best. You will end up with a four-letter description (for example, IITS or ESFU or ISTS or EITS et cetera). Scroll down and find the description of your personality type from the 16 below. There, you'll find an analysis of your:

1.         GENERAL LIFE: the main features of your personality type
2.         LOVE LIFE: the types that make your ideal life partner
3.         WORK LIFE (TYPICAL CAREER PATHS): some careers that suit your personality

_____________________________________________________________________________

QUESTION 1: The first of your four letters

Which statement - (a) or (b) - BEST describes you?
(a)        Sociable, outgoing, animated, expressive, acts before thinking
(b)        Private, reserved, thoughtful, thinks before acting

If (a) describes you better than (b), then write down the letter "E"
If (b) describes you better than (a), then write down the letter "I"

ANSWER: I

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QUESTION 2: The second of your four letters

Which statement - (a) or (b) - BEST describes you?

(a)        Down-to-earth, eye for detail, practical, values security, systematic
(b)        Full of ideas, imaginative, trusts intuition, values freedom, idealistic

If (a) describes you better than (b), then write down the letter "S"
If (b) describes you better than (a), then write down the letter "I"

ANSWER: I

_____________________________________________________________________________

QUESTION 3: The third of your four letters

Which statement - (a) or (b) - BEST describes you?

(a)        Rational, cool, thinking, question, independent, seeks the truth
(b)        Warm, supportive, trusting, feeling, values harmony, likes to be appreciated

If (a) describes you better than (b), then write down the letter "T"
If (b) describes you better than (a), then write down the letter "F"

ANSWER: F

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QUESTION 4: The fourth of your four letters

Which statement - (a) or (b) - BEST describes you?

(a)        Organised, disciplined, goal-oriented, good decision-maker, planned approach
(b)        Easy-going, flexible, spontaneous, keeps options open, delays decisions

If this describes you better than (b), then write down the letter "S"
If this describes you better than (b), then write down the letter "U"

ANSWER: U

FOUR-LETTER COMBINATION: IIFU

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Now find your four-letter combination below to learn about your personality type

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EITU

General life
EITUs approach life with enthusiasm and confidence. They are imaginative people whose love of adventure motivates them to explore new experiences and challenges. They can be both creative and logical. EITUs dislike rules and regulations, and prefer a flexible approach. An EITU's life is often a succession of projects, some of which are not seen through to completion. They are likely to pursue hobbies that are exciting and involve an element of risk.

Love life
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, EITU's ideal partner is the IIFS, or the IITS

Work life (typical career paths) (typical career paths)
Lawyer, Psychologist, Entrepreneur, Strategic Planner, Photographer, Engineer, Scientist, Actor,
Sales Representatives, Marketer, Computer Programmer, Journalist, Project Manager, Art/creative director, Logistics consultant, Radio/TV talk show host.

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EITS

General life:
EITSs approach life with energy and confidence. They are high achievers whose work and career share top priority in their life with their close relationships. In work they value efficiency and effectiveness, and are highly results orientated. EITSs are assertive, outgoing and decisive. They can be both logical and creative. They are excited by ideas and have the discipline to bring them into reality. EITSs thrive on rising to challenges and are stimulated by finding effective solutions to complex problems.

Love life
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, EITS's ideal partner is the IITU, or the ISTU.

Work life (typical career paths) (typical career paths)
Corporate Executive Officer, Entrepreneur, Computer Consultant, Lawyer, Judge, Business Administrators and Managers, University Professors/Teacher, Administrator, Sales manager, Logistics Consultant, Human Resources Consultant, Management Training/Consultancy, Engineer, Educational Consultant, Financial Planner.

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ESTS

General life
ESTSs approach life with energy and confidence. They are active, ambitious and practical, and tend to be analytical, logical and decisive, and mistrust theory, ideas and philosophies. ESTSs are
good at organizing themselves and other people, and often rise to positions of leadership and authority. ESTSs believe in tradition and the importance of proven systems and structures. They often involve themselves in their local community through organizing events and keeping in touch with what is happening around them. People, behaviour or attitudes that do not conform to their very clear standards are often to be viewed with suspicion.

Love life
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, ESTS's ideal partner is the ISTU, or the IITU.

Work life (typical career paths) (typical career paths)
Military leaders, Business administrator/manager, Police/detective work, Computer analyst, Judge, Financial officer, Teacher, Sales representative, Pharmaceutical sales, Auditor, Technical trainer, Project manager, Factory supervisor, Credit analyst, Engineer, Regulatory compliance officer, Budget analyst, Data base manager, Dentist.

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ESFS

General life
ESFSs approach life with energy and enthusiasm. They are outgoing, friendly and down-to-earth. Material security and a happy family life are top priorities. ESFSs tend to be generous with their
feelings and their possessions. They are socially skilled, and are good hosts and hostesses.
They enjoy being with people and have many social and family connections. They seek harmony with others and find conflict difficult to handle. ESFSs tend to support and observe traditions and customs, especially those that bring people together such as festivities, celebrations and commemorations, and they are often actively involved in the local community.

Love life
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, ESFS's ideal partner is the ISFU, or the IIFU.

Work life (typical career paths) (typical career paths)
Nurse, Teaching, Child Care, Administrator, Flight attendant, Family Practice Physician, Clergy
or other religious work, Telemarketer, Social worker, Counsellor, Special education teacher, Merchandise planner, Credit counsellor, Office Managers, Counsellors /Social Work, Bookkeeping / Accounting, Administrative Assistants, Caterer, Bookkeeper, Medical/dental assistant, Exercise physiologist.

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EIFS

General life
EIFSs have a positive and enthusiastic approach to life. They combine personal warmth with insight and creativity, and like to explore New ideas, possibilities and experiences that are consistent with their values. EIFSs have strong values and great faith in their beliefs, and they are not afraid to express them. They are capable and organized, have clear long term goals. EIFSs value honesty, openness and trust in their relationships. They tend to be very expressive people with a gift for communication. EIFSs need to feel appreciated and are good at expressing their appreciation of others. For this reason they are persuasive and influential without being overbearing, and people naturally tend to look to them as spokespeople.

Love life
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, EIFS's ideal partner is the IIFU, or the ISFU.

Work life (typical career paths) (typical career paths)
Entertainer, Artist, Newscaster, Writer/journalist, Librarian, Facilitator, Psychologist/Counsellor, Child welfare worker/Social worker, Interpreter/translator, Small business owner, Teacher/Trainer, Clergy, Sales Representative, Human Resources.

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ESFU

General life
ESFUs approach life with energy and enthusiasm. They are outgoing, warm-hearted people for whom material comfort and enjoyment are a high priority. They tend to be generous with their feelings and their possessions. ESFUs live very full lives. They have a great sense of humour and can make others laugh. They seek harmony with others and avoid conflict if they can. ESFUs eek variety in life and enjoy new experiences, learning as they go. They seldom plan ahead, referring a flexible spontaneous approach.

Love life
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, ESFU's ideal partner is the ISTS, or the ISFS.

Work life (typical career paths)
Artist/Actor, Sales Representative, Counsellors/Social Work, Child Care, Designer, Interior Decorator, Photographer, Veterinarian, Child Care Provider, Athletic Coach, Musician, Teacher, Medical Practitioner, Public Relations Specialist.

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EIFU

General life
EIFUs approach life with enthusiasm and energy. Highly creative and adventurous, EIFUs approach life with enthusiasm and energy. Highly creative and adventurous, they excel at initiating projects and getting them off the ground. However they may not be quite as good at bringing every project through to completion. EIFUs value warm, friendly relationships and can mistake a more matter-of-fact approach as rudeness or hostility. They value communication and personal growth and their close friendships are characterized by openness and honesty. EIFUs are creative problem solvers with the ability to improvise and see possibilities in all situations.

Love life
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, EIFU's ideal partner is the IITS, or the IIFS.

Work life (typical career paths):
Consultant, Marketer, Psychologist/Counsellor, Entrepreneur, Actor, Teacher, Counsellor, Politician/Diplomat, Writer/Journalist, Television Reporter, Human development/Human Resources, Clergy/Religious Worker, Engineer, Art director, Musician/composer.

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ESTU

General life
ESTUs have a fun-loving, outgoing approach to life. They love good food, fine, wine and entertainment, and a great variety of experience. ESTUs are very practical and are excellent problem solvers. They prefer to be flexible and adaptable rather than dogmatic, and have a confident, easygoing and friendly manner that usually makes them popular. ESTUs value what their experience has proven to be true. Pragmatism is their great strength, and they are capable of making difficult decisions and sticking to them.

Love life:
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, ESTU's ideal partner is the ISFS, or the ISTS.

Work life (typical career paths):
Sales Representatives, Marketing Personnel, Police/Detective Work, Paramedic/Emergency Medical Technician, PC Technician or Network Cabler, Computer Technical Support, Entrepreneur, Chef, Land Developer, Physical Therapist, Stock broker, News reporter, Fire fighter, Pilot, Insurance Agent, Management Consultant, Engineer, Flight attendant.

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ISTU

General life:
ISTUs have a practical and objective attitude to life. They are quiet, down to earth individuals and prefer action to words. Also they have little time for ideas, theories and philosophies. ISTUs are thoughtful, analytical and very observant of what is going on around them. They also have a very good eye for details and are good at spotting flaws in plans, thereby avoiding problems in the future. ISTUs value knowledge and expertise, and enjoy mastering practical skills and the subjects that interest them. They seek variety and change in their lives and dislike predictability and regimentation.

Love life:
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, the ISTU's ideal partner is the ESTS, or the EITS.

Work life (typical career paths):
Police and detective work, Private investigator, Forensic pathologist, Computer Programmer, Engineer, Pilot/driver, Surveyor, Fire fighter, Medical technician, Securities analyst, Electrical engineer, Legal secretary, Coach/trainer, Commercial artist, Marine biologist, Software developer.

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ISFU

General life:
ISFUs have a practical and caring approach to life. They are easygoing and possess an inner sensitivity and depth. Their approach is a combination of pragmatism, caring and understanding. ISFUs have strong values and are most content when doing things that make a practical improvement to the lives of others and themselves. ISFUs tend to be independent, and do things their way rather than follow standard procedures. They are skilled at coming up with creative solutions to problems. Privacy is important to ISFUs, and they need to set aside regular periods of quiet time to recharge their batteries.

Love life:
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, the ISFU's ideal partner is the ESFS, or the EIFS.

Work life (typical career paths):
Artist, Musician/Composer, Designer, Child Care, Social Worker/Counselor, Teacher, Psychologist, Social Worker, Veterinarian, Forest Ranger, Paediatrician, Clerical Supervisor, Dental Assistant, Physical Therapist, Surveyor, Chef, Marine Biologist, Forester, Geologist, Landscaper Designer, Teacher.

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IIFU

General life:
IIFUs have an imaginative and idealistic approach to life. They are often involved fighting for causes that they believe in passionately. They are caring and compassionate, with great insight into both themselves and others. Privacy is important to them, and they need to have periods of quiet reflection in order to 'recharge their batteries'. IIFUs tend to be very creative and have a flair for work that involves imagination. However their reserved nature causes them to want to avoid the limelight. Often their calm and reserved exterior hides their sensitivity and inner passions - still waters run deep.

Love life:
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, IIFU's ideal partner is the EIFS, or the ESFS.

Work life (typical career paths):
Teacher/professor, Researcher, Legal mediator, Counselor/social worker, Holistic health practitioner, Occupational therapist, Human resources specialist, Psychologist, Writer: poet/novelist, Journalist, Musician, Editor/art director, Clergy/religious worker.

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IITU

General life:
IITUs have an imaginative and thoughtful approach to life. To them, life is a quest for understanding. They tend to be autonomous and pride themselves on their independence. IITUs can be shy and reserved, since to some extent they live in their own world, and external reality is for them less important than what is going on in their own minds. Privacy is important to them, and they need to have periods of quiet reflection in order to recharge their batteries.

Love life:
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, the IITU's ideal partner is the EITS, or the ESTS.

Work life (typical career paths):
Strategic planning, Writer, Lawyer, Architect, Software designer, College professor, Photographer, Psychologist, Research/development, Computer programmer, Investigator, Scientist, Mathematician, University Professors, Computer Programmers, Engineer, Forensic Research, Forestry and Park Rangers.

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ISTS

General life:
ISTSs have a practical and thoughtful approach to life. They are traditional in outlook and their lives are structured and orderly, and they value stability and security. ISTSs are very good organizers are able to create order out of chaos. They are well informed and rarely speak without being sure of their facts. They hold clear and steadfast opinions as a result of applying logical criteria to both their knowledge and their experience. ISTSs value tradition and proven methods rather than take risks and explore new possibilities. They are often cool, calm and collected, and will only find time for relaxation and recreation once they have achieved their targets for the day.

Love life:
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, the ISTS's ideal partner is the ESFU, or the ESTP.

Work life (typical career paths):
Business executive, Accountant, Police/detectives, Judge, Lawyer, Medical doctor/dentist, Computer programmer, Military leader, Efficiency expert, Engineer, Geologist, Organization development, Electrician, Pharmacist, Stock broker, Legal secretary, Technical writer.

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ISFS

General life:
ISFSs have a practical, conservative approach to life. They are quiet, caring people, with a great inner strength. ISFSs tend to be responsible, pragmatic and down to earth, and have little time for ideas, theories and philosophies. ISFSs are traditional in outlook and place high importance on home and family life. They are very protective of those that are close to them and of their values. ISFSs are warm, friendly and unassuming, and in their dealings with other people they are thoughtful and considerate. ISFSs often other people's needs before their own, sometimes to their detriment.

Love life:
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, the ISFS's ideal partner is the ESTP, or the ESFU.

Work life (typical career paths):
Interior decorator, Designer, Library worker, Nurse, Administration worker, Child care/early childhood development, Social work/counsellor, Paralegals, Clergy/religious Worker, Shopkeeper, Bookkeeper, Home economics, Dental hygienist, Computer operator, School teacher, Physical therapist.

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IIFS

General life:
IIFSs have an imaginative and idealistic approach to life. They are caring and compassionate, with great insight into both themselves and others. They have a gift for understanding people's feelings and motivations. Privacy is important to IIFSs, and they need to have their own space in order to 'recharge their batteries'. Although IIFSs are warm, friendly and easily approachable, they need time to get to know other people before being able to share their often complex thoughts, feelings and insights. IIFSs are happiest when doing activities that are consistent with their strong values and beliefs.

Love life:
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, IIFS's ideal partner is the EITU, or the EIFU.

Work life (typical career paths):
Writer, Art Director, Marketer, Architect, Interpreter/translator, Clergy/Religious Work, Teacher, Medical Doctor/Dentist, Alternative Health Care Practitioner, Counsellor/Psychologist/Social Worker, Musician/Artist, Librarian, Photographer, Early Childhood Development.

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IITS

General life:
IITSs have an imaginative and thoughtful approach to life. They enjoy creating new systems implementing their original ideas. They are fascinated by possibilities, new ideas and new ways of improving both themselves and the world around them. IITSs are independent, autonomous individuals who have strong, analytical minds and a clear awareness of their goals. Achievement is extremely important to them, and they drive themselves tirelessly in the pursuit of their objectives. IITSs are calm, assured and reserved. They can communicate effectively but may have difficulty with small talk. IITSs excel at organizing both themselves and other people, and can be relied on to honour their commitments

Love life:
Even though two people from any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, the IITS's ideal partner is the EIFU, or the EITU.

Work life (typical career paths):
Scientist, Entrepreneur, Marketer, Engineer, Professor/Teacher, Doctors/Dentists, Management Consultant, Economist, Military Leaders, Lawyer/Attorney/Judge, Computer Programmer, Administrator, Psychologist, Strategic Planner, Civil Engineer, Editor/art director, Inventor, Financial planner.

Updates for the month of JULY

 

5 July

9 July

17 July

--- I ---

Finally I'm done with "Hey, Hey, Hey, Yah!"

I can still remember when I received the job from Jue Ru: late April. And now it's early July. Nearly two and a half months

The instrumentation: yangqin, liuqin, keyboard (clavinova) and violin. I can add other instruments if I like. For the sake of contrast, I put in a violin and cello. For the percussion I settled on the xylophone. I thought of the Pai-Gu, which would have been an interesting contrast, but it would be too rough for the plucked instruments to compete with for attention. A triangle and tambourine or any of those un-pitched percussion instruments wouldn't help much in a chamber piece as there is a need for constant dialogue between instruments and I don't know what the fuck it would sound like if triplets are tossed from instrument to instrument (shit, I forgot the exact term for that method of writing) and suddenly, there is a jingle of bells (pun unintended) from the tambourine, for instance. Anyway such instruments will sound out of place in the work.

It's gone through a lot of conceptions. First work, episodes based on the theme which I composed: 12356 53216 56123 21651. I.e. a pentatonic theme. And as usual written in my own quirky style which is modern and shows no sign of Chinese music.

What the fuck, it doesn't work. Fine. I'll revive "Han Tian Lei"

Boringly stupid to write. Brain dead now. I'm constantly thinking about what to write whether at training or slacking at home during book-out.

Finally, while marching back from the cookhouse one fine day, we sing the song, "Saw her at the corner of the pool last night yah" where the chorus came: "Hey, hey, hey, yah! Hey, hey, hey, hey!" et cetera.

Bloody hell, nice tune. So enrapturing. So captivating. So fucking . . . this has to be it.

So after being asked to clean the toilet because I have nothing else better to do, I embark on the piece. It's erratic. Styles change so quickly, unexpectedly and abruptly that you suddenly feel lost. It seems like I've heck care everything in the world and just write whatever that comes to my mind - albeit based on the theme of the song. I don't know if it's the yearning for freedom when I have to undergo five and a half days of discipline and regimentation, that my work is a holler to be myself and retrieve my individuality.

But at least the score's finished - second draft, I mean, I forgot to add. The first was finished like two weekends ago, then emailed out for criticisms. I've emailed the score to Jue Ru. Hope they like it. Now I can start on other pieces.

--- II ---

Dinner for tonight at the Red Star Restaurant:

Longevity buns
Shark's Fin with Crab Meat
Steamed Sea Bass in Bean Sauce
Fried Lemon Duck
Roasted spring chicken
Baby Abalone with Broccoli
Crab Meat with Bean Curd
Longevity noodles
Fruit cocktail with almond bean curd

It’s grandma's (father's side) birthday, so we're out celebrating. That's our dinner menu. Salivate at it. I was doing that when I first got hold of the menu.

The Fried Lemon Duck is the most enigmatic dish of all. First I thought it was chicken - lemon chicken is so popular. Then again it doesn't taste like chicken. Furthermore a chicken dish arrives thereafter; how can we be eating two chicken dishes? The meat is too greyish to be pork.

Then one of the adults says that it is duck.

Hmmm; I didn't realise it. The physical texture of the meat bears no resemblance to the duck which is cooked in dark gravy or roasted.

Now, the shrimps taste weird. My cousin turns to me: "Do you find anything funny with the prawns?" "Well . . . they just taste crispy . . ."

Then my uncle asks the waitress casually: "How come the prawns are tasteless?" The waitress tells us that other customers have complained before, but the chef can do nothing because these prawns are already tasteless themselves. They're something called "Glass prawns". Anyway the Sze Chuan style cooking (with lots of dried red chilli) makes up for the taste.

The noodles look rather familiar. Perhaps I had them for breakfast just a few days ago, and the cookhouse made it terrifically spicy.

--- I ---
 
Whilst reading the newspapers on 9 July I come across this advertisement posted by Yamaha:
 
 
 
THE GREAT MUSIC CARNIVAL
 
GRAND PIANO
 
GA1: $13,000 (usual price $13,900)
GC1: $17,300
C2: $27,500
 
UPRIGHT PIANO
 
LX113T: $4,700 (usual price $5,100)
LU90     $3,600
U1JL $6,900
 
YM11 (Made in Japan): $7,000 (usual price $7,600)
M112: $5,700
U1: $9,200
U3: $10,900
U5: $12,900
 
U1-silent: $9,300 (usual price $10,100)
M112-silent: $7,300
 
 
 
The prices of Yamaha pianos are going down, down, down. They used to sell much higher; I don't believe that the G-series grand pianos can sell below $20,000. In fact a U5 should already be around that price. When I went to select my new piano in December 2001, the U1 (which I eventually picked) cost nearly ten to eleven thousand.
 
I bought my U1 at $8,000, as Uncle Soh bought it on my behalf and thus benefited from the staff price. Uncle Soh is a dealer of second-hand pianos (mainly Yamaha) and is a Yamaha-trained piano tuner. I traded in my M108T for $1,700, considered rather "good" for a piano that has been around for nearly ten years. Fucking hell, those people at the Thomson branch of Yamaha, when given the description of my earlier piano, told me it was worth nothing. Yes, nothing. Absolutely zilch. Fucking hell, pissed me and my father off. So, anyway, we ended up paying $6,300 for the new piano and got a hard bargain for the old one, much less got rid of it.
 
Back to the advertisement. Let's compare the price of a >120cm Cristofori piano. It costs about six-thousand.  Plus three-thousand and you get the discounted price of the U1 at this point of time. Everybody knows Cristofori is a fucked-up piano brand made in China but covers itself using a European name. Plus it has the reputation of being the company that wants to collapse but cannot collapse and appears to have a lot of money to post advertisements as frequently as you fuel your car. Now Yamaha is trying to get into the act - from the advertisement one can probably deduce that the company is in some deep shit and is trying to bail itself out. One day we could see a new heading: "The Great CLOSING DOWN Carnival"
 
Seriously to sell the G-series at below $20,000 is a big joke. In other words, standards are not there. There is a caption describing the GA1 which I didn't put up yet: "Rich tonality and fine expressive controls that only a Yamaha Grand could deliver."
 
Correction: only the C series can deliver. G-series is fucked up. Like TJC's old grand piano, which has been around for 20 years and when sent for conditioning and repairs about seven years back the job done was pretty fucked up. It has also faced the wrath of the elements - i.e. small objects dropped by careless people, food and drinks, the dew on the bottle, sweat, stink. . . you name them.
 
Why does Yamaha have to put in small print beside the YM11 caption? Because those models that have "YM" in them are made in Indonesia, even though the 121cm pianos (the U-series and the YM-series) are actually designed similarly. The only difference is that the YM pianos are made in Indonesia whilst the U series are made in Japan. That's a tip that Uncle Soh passed to me. He told me to open up the top cover of the piano and peer into the mechanism in order to check the serial number and model name. Something about the serial number (which I've forgotten) reveals the piano's country of origin. Also the crest should have "Made in Japan". Obviously Japan has learnt the ropes fast: Indonesia offers cheap labour whilst their inhabitants can be happily employed. Yamaha is also happy: they can make more and sell more pianos.
 
Another strange observation: the price difference between the U1 and the U1-silent is a mere $100. $100 for the extra mechanism? You've got to be kidding! I don't believe that thing can be so cheap.
 
--- II ---
 
MEP concert tonight. I'm supposed to conduct Xin Chao in its first ever stage performance in a concert hall. It has a lot of significance to me. Firstly, it is the first time my work has ever played in a concert hall, and part of a concert programme that will see professionals and students and friends gathering to listen to it. Next, this is the performance of the real Xin Chao which helped bring me my "A" grade in MEP. Lastly, I would make my debut on the public stage as a conductor.
 
Alas, all these do not happen. Yes, the work was played, and I am told it was performed terrifically. Not only am I denied the chance to conduct the work, I cannot even listen to it live. This is the second time in a row I have missed out on the opportunity of hearing my works played live in front of an audience, and getting to experience how the audience perceive my work to be.
 
I'm stuck in Nee Soon camp, taking my demolition test. As I sit on the floor and wait for my turn, dressed in a smelly uniform and carrying an equally smelly webbing, I simply cannot do anything but accept the fact that I'm just an engineer and music (except over-sung army songs) is never part of the life of an engineer.