Monday, October 02, 2006
Damn I haven't studied! I merely visit the library on Friday, freezing in there for 5 hours or so to research for my History essay. And then I look for books about Vietnam. I have been obsessed with Vietnam for the past month ever since SY and I started work on Exit Visa the Musical.
And suddenly I am reading my old notes that I compile from the Cambridge History of Southeast Asia which I compiled back in those JC days for History 2 aka Southeast Asia History.
I have a German test this coming Thursday but I can't be bothered with it. Seriously I don't know how to study for it and it's making me very frustrated. Yet it has killed the queue of work that I have: I can spend more time catching up on my readings yet I am plagued by the reminder that I have to prepare for the German test.
Studying language now is frustrating because there are other things to worry about. It's not like those pay-and-learn courses where you can happily go for class, then return home and worry about the new stuff you learn at leisure. And I am pressured by those in my class who are already able to speak well in German even though we are all at the beginning stage. This is called talent. Talent for languages. Me? I'm still fumbling with pronunciation. And it's do-or-die: if I flunk the whole damn thing my university grades will plunge a step down.
I think I'll just stay for three years and chao, adios, tschus (no auf wiedersehen because I never don't think I ever want to go back there again). I love my subjects but I hate it when I have to hand up my work to the chopping board. What I write will be reviewed and censored ONCE and ONLY ONCE and sorry, you can't make corrections or revisions. Yes you can, but nobody will help you. No third opinions. Professors won't be so kind as to feedback each and every of their 400+ students along the way.
Not like studio work.
"Bro, this one cannot."
"Okay, I'll do another version."
Finish the new version. Go online.
"Hey I've finished the new one."
Listen listen
"Still not right leh."
"Okay, I'll come up with something else."
There's the chance to make amendments, improvements, forgive and forget the lousy versions. The end product is usually something us production people and the clients like.
I find it very hard to do a full-length orchestral composition now, especially when I'm putting so much focus on doing minus ones and writing musicals. Probably my only saving grace is writing good themes for the composition. And writing for orchestra means giving extremely clear instructions to the musicians - I cannot be contented with drip-drap draft scribblings as I always do in my manuscript book before I start to sequence.
Damn I must finish the composition fast... deadline 30 November and I have to get used to the NOTION software, whose function keys differ greatly from Sibelius'. For one the note values are located on letter pad instead of the number pad. Which is quite frustrating for a seasoned Sibelius user.
"Look down, look down, there's no rest day in sight
"Look down, look down, you'll work until you die."
¶ 10/02/2006 04:28:00 am And suddenly I am reading my old notes that I compile from the Cambridge History of Southeast Asia which I compiled back in those JC days for History 2 aka Southeast Asia History.
I have a German test this coming Thursday but I can't be bothered with it. Seriously I don't know how to study for it and it's making me very frustrated. Yet it has killed the queue of work that I have: I can spend more time catching up on my readings yet I am plagued by the reminder that I have to prepare for the German test.
Studying language now is frustrating because there are other things to worry about. It's not like those pay-and-learn courses where you can happily go for class, then return home and worry about the new stuff you learn at leisure. And I am pressured by those in my class who are already able to speak well in German even though we are all at the beginning stage. This is called talent. Talent for languages. Me? I'm still fumbling with pronunciation. And it's do-or-die: if I flunk the whole damn thing my university grades will plunge a step down.
I think I'll just stay for three years and chao, adios, tschus (no auf wiedersehen because I never don't think I ever want to go back there again). I love my subjects but I hate it when I have to hand up my work to the chopping board. What I write will be reviewed and censored ONCE and ONLY ONCE and sorry, you can't make corrections or revisions. Yes you can, but nobody will help you. No third opinions. Professors won't be so kind as to feedback each and every of their 400+ students along the way.
Not like studio work.
"Bro, this one cannot."
"Okay, I'll do another version."
Finish the new version. Go online.
"Hey I've finished the new one."
Listen listen
"Still not right leh."
"Okay, I'll come up with something else."
There's the chance to make amendments, improvements, forgive and forget the lousy versions. The end product is usually something us production people and the clients like.
I find it very hard to do a full-length orchestral composition now, especially when I'm putting so much focus on doing minus ones and writing musicals. Probably my only saving grace is writing good themes for the composition. And writing for orchestra means giving extremely clear instructions to the musicians - I cannot be contented with drip-drap draft scribblings as I always do in my manuscript book before I start to sequence.
Damn I must finish the composition fast... deadline 30 November and I have to get used to the NOTION software, whose function keys differ greatly from Sibelius'. For one the note values are located on letter pad instead of the number pad. Which is quite frustrating for a seasoned Sibelius user.
"Look down, look down, there's no rest day in sight
"Look down, look down, you'll work until you die."
