Thursday Frenzy #2: Page Turner

It's the second installment of Thursday Frenzy! Are you excited?

PAGE TURNER 페이지 터너 

A page-turner is a person employed to turn sheet music pages for a soloist, often a pianist, usually during a performance.
While some music is arranged so that the pages end at places where the musician can spare one hand to turn them, this is not always possible. A page-turner is often necessary for musicians who are playing complex pieces and prefer not to play from memory. A page-turner needs to be able to understand the musician's signals and follow the music to know when to turn the page, and to do so quickly and unobtrusively. Page-turners are sometimes acquaintances of the performer or members of the accompanying orchestra doing a favour. Professional page-turners are often freelance casual workers, not associated with any given concert hall or orchestra. - Wikipedia

Well, a page turner needs to be silent, as if not there, like a shadow. The page turner has to be silent while flipping the pages, as it might possibly disturb the pianist - just like a shadow helping the friend.

That is the concept of this 3 episode korean drama. Three friends will become 'page turners' to each other. This is a pretty interesting concept for a drama. I'm writing this while watching the second episode (which means I have yet to get till the end), although it does not seem like these three protagonists would eventually fall into a romantic relationship. They do seem to end up simply in platonic love.

Simply only in the second episode, the three protagonists (Kim So Hyun, Ji Soo, Shin Jae Ha) displayed great acting skills. Their expressions and reactions are close to reality and not too exaggerated nor understated. The script, likewise, is pretty good as well.

If you are interested in music and slight comedy, this drama would be good for you. It would be especially so if you are looking for something to pass time for three hours.

Here's the trailer:

Do comment if you enjoyed the drama.

Thanks for reading!

J


Update (1 hour after drafting this post): Just finished watching this drama. I feel deeply for this drama. Sometimes, it is not about whether you can do it or no, but rather, whether you like it or not. If I can do something I love, even if it is earning meagre amounts of cash, it will be perfectly worth it. Living a life does not necessarily mean I have to earn lots of money. It also means I have to be happy when I go to sleep.  The music was astonishing and I felt as if I fell in love with piano once again. Although I have tried to play the piano once in an early age, I have given it up quite quickly despite falling in love with the sleek white and black keys. However, my parents made me lose interest in it, claiming that "it will make me lose focus on my studies". I have forgotten what it was like to be pressured by my parents. It has since been long when they have ever given my grades a second glance. I loved how the drama ends; The ending was not abrupt and ended on a good note. Nonetheless, it would not have made it to a drama with more episodes. Three episodes would have been the right amount. The silent support that the male protagnists had given to the female was applaudable. There was no romantic love; it was simply platonic. It was as if I was looking at the Golden Trio: Ron Weasley (before his feelings came into play), Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. The scenarios and words in the drama has resonated in me, accompanied with the ending piece- it was perfect. I have yet to feel so strongly for any drama and yet, this is the first drama that has given tears in my eyes (sorry folks, it didn't roll down my cheeks, though). It is painful to disappoint others, but it is even more painful to disappoint yourself. 

Cheers (for real now). Don't drown yourself in tears.

Thursday Frenzy #1: Why Blog?

I've decided to start up something called the Thursday Frenzy! Thursday Frenzy includes tips and tricks, advices or even recommendations. I have been bored these few days and have been thinking of what to do. Blogging allows me to pen down my thoughts quickly, rather than using a pen and paper, which is a much more traditional way.

Today's Thursday Frenzy will be something rather mild. As could be seen from the title, 'Why blog?'

I started blogging long time ago. I was probably 12-13 years old. Actually, I think it was much earlier. It started as stupid rants and somewhere in between 2012-2013, I started to post stories online. Click here It was pretty cathartic for me to be writing my own feelings and penning down my thoughts. 

There are people who started blogging because they wanted to get famous. Perhaps, this is one of the ways to get famous. Regardless, blogging should be similar to writing a personal diary. Till this day, I don't think I know of anyone who still writes a diary. 

I do know a lot of people who blogs. The famous ones: XiaXue, BongQiuQiu... And these are only the Singporean bloggers. There are tons of bloggers out there. Some of which are really good and some are simply penning down rubbish.

Now, back to the main title.

Blogging gives you a few good things.

1. Discipline
Even for me now, it is rather difficult to sit down and type a chapter/post for more than 1 hour without planning. Even if my brain juices are spinning and churning me crazy, I need to convince myself to sit in front of the damned computer for more than 45 minutes.

2. Self-reflection

Most people fall asleep without thinking of what happened to them in that day. All they think about is what is to happen after that day. Thinking about the future is great but everyone needs to think about what happened in the past as well. Blogging allows us to self-reflect and think about what has happened. If it was a great thing that has happened, you get to celebrate. If it was bad, you get to prevent it. 

3. Personal Voice

How often have you heard other's voices? How often have you heard your own voice? Blogging gives even the most silent person their own voice, in which they can be heard (or 'seen', if you get what I mean). 

And there you have it! Blog! Blog for whatever you know is worth. Who cares if no one is reading your blog now? I only had 3 views for my previous post and who really cares? No one.

For when you blog, you blog for no one but yourself.

(All images are drawn by me. You may use the images as you wish)

Lesson Well-Learnt

Have you ever heard of Friday Blues?

Guess not. However, get acquainted with that. You get Monday Blues as the long weekend stretches into a workday, where the students have to go for school (to suffer through endless lectures) while the working adults trudge towards their office to get their first cup of coffee.

Why Friday Blues?

This happens, when you have work on Saturday. At Bukit Timah Plaza.

If you are a Singaporean, you would never want to wake up 3 hours earlier just to get to work. This makes the work even more unpleasant when it starts at 10AM. Just imagine that you have to bid goodbye to your comfortable bed at 7AM and change into work clothes, while munching (albeit rather tiredly, I must add) onto a piece of bread. 1 hour later, you hop into your covered shoes and check the timing of the 1st bus you have to board. An hour later, you check the timing of the next bus, and is horrified to find that your bus is one of those that people rarely take, hence, it comes 20 minutes later (which obviously mean you missed the previous one. Of course, you can't help but miss it. After all, from the 1st bus stop you alight to the next bus stop you need to get on is, well, 5 minutes away.) Now, after feeding the mosquitoes for 20 minutes (Hell, the bus stop is right opposite of MacRitche), you get on the bus and travels 8km, which of course takes 20 or so minutes. You cross the overhead bridge under the hot blazing sun and walks another 5 minutes before you reach your work place.

If this becomes a routine, I might as well quit. Honestly, I do think they are going to make it a routine.

Note to Self: Never be so kind.

Just because your worker does not complain about the places you send them to (at short notice, I must add), that does not mean your worker is totally fine with it. Your worker probably does not want to infuriate you or that they are simply kind enough to swallow it down. Touch you heart. If you stay at Pasir Ris, do you really want to make it a habit to go Bukit Timah? Although I don't stay at Pasir Ris, the amount of time it takes for me to reach the work place definitely can rival to someone staying at Pasir Ris. Hell, the work places are really out of place and in the middle of nowhere that it gets on my nerves.

Instead of turning this post into a rant, let's put it this way: A Lesson Well-Learnt. Loving a job is one thing. Like I have mentioned, I do seem to think that I love this job. However, when things does not seem to be well, love can become a restriction. Perhaps, the love is misplaced? Do I 'love' this job - teaching kids how to draw? Or is it that I love interacting with the kids?

It feels like the latter.

Amongst Mundane Things

I encountered something yesterday that was disturbing while walking home after SJ meeting. I think it is still disturbing now.

Which brings me to this question:
Why do flashers flash? (No, i did not get flashed)

Flashers, who can be men and women but are most often men in their adolescence and early adulthood, may have a sexual disorder called exhibitionism or paraphilia, characterised by having repeated urges to expose themselves to a stranger, Dr O'Donnell said.

"Exhibitionism is defined by a pattern of sexual arousal which may be expressed in exhibitionistic behaviour," Dr O'Donnell, from Hobart's ForensiClinic, said.

"Exhibitionistic behaviour by definition is non-contact, and there is usually no intention of further sexual behaviour towards the stranger."

There are many theories about what causes the urges, but generally people who flash do so because they find it arousing, Dr O'Donnell said.

"Some people have a conscious desire to upset or shock the stranger, while others may fantasise that the stranger will become sexually aroused by their display.

"Others are not aware of, or concerned about, the stranger's response at all."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/flashing-why-do-they-do-it-20120904-25bth.html#ixzz45cjZih00
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook

Well, don't know, the idea of it sounds weird to me, still. I wouldn't want to like show others myself, even if I know that they probably have seen before or have it themselves.

Same same but different, you know? (hah.)

Speaking about "same", don't you think all occupations are the same, in a way?

You get paid after you help them with some form of work, regardless of the amount of effort you put in. You may suffer, or get rewards.

I'm not to sure about you, or other people but I really do hate wasting time while working. I do not like it when I have nothing to do, or is inefficient, or is useless during work.

That's why I really detest the intern job. I have NOTHING to do.

Now, even at my 2nd job (this year), I am treated like "extra hands" that have nothing to do. I was called to work but in the end, I spent 1 hour doing something really stupid that I have never dreamed of doing. Drawing 7circles x 40 times was still alright. When I hate to clean those tiny little pieces of ..., it really got me wondering why I was called there today. I spent 1.5hours travelling, and that's only to go there. Who knew Bukit Timah Plaza was beside Ngee Ann Poly? Thanks, really. THAT'S REALLLLLY FAR. I closed eyes when it was Bukit Batok but this is...

Sighs.

I should continue. I really enjoy working there. However, I really cannot be treated like I'm useless, really. I will really want to punch people.

On a side side note, I'm going work at a themed cafe! Although the pay sucks, it's the work that counts, not the money! (Actually, money counts as well, but I'll really close two eyes for now)

...Till next time!

Directions in Life

"不是你可以不可以做，而是你要不要做。"

There are some quotes that will always be lingering in your mind. The above one was a quote that was told to me in Secondary Three.

There are quotes that you just bump into and pass by. There are some where you embrace them.

What's with the sudden thing about quotes, you ask?

Well, I'm not too sure as well. It's currently 11:12 AM, and I have lots of things to do: marking promotion exercise papers, Turquoised! shop clean-up, cleaning of the study table, cleaning of the luggage bag, finishing the next chapters of my fiction, training camp...

Have you ever felt like that before? You know you have lots of things to do, but you have zero motivation to do anything. I was supposed to finish marking yesterday, and I procrastinated because I was finishing Descendants of The Sun. There wasn't any motivation anymore. This was how I felt when I was studying for Math 'A' Levels, and see how that turned out? (C, heh.)

Furthermore, my email isn't giving me the notifications of the emails I wish to receive. Every other day, I receive: UI Inspiration Board #xx, Training Program, xxx University having a Talk... Yet, I don't get any notifications saying I've gotten into an university. Yada, people have been saying my scores definitely can get into a school, or even better, get into the course I want. However, nothing is etched in stone, yet. It's scary when your friends have received their emails and you are left there, not having received anything. I highly doubt the universities will send you an email to tell you that you are not chosen as well... (Actually, I think they do but I really don't want to receive that.)

I guess it's normal to always regret joining St.John, huh? Actually, I used to think like that, perhaps, a few years ago. However, now? Not really. Don't even know why this popped up. Heh.

Lastly, I'm finally going for a job interview next Monday. I mean, someone finally called me back. Felt so unwanted, lulul. The pay like shiat, though. Guess when you have no experience you always start from that pay. Honestly, I wanna earn more, and I think I can. If I chose to work for the hotel job or that office job, I'll probably get $8/hr or even more. Why am I going the hard way and choosing to work in a cafe/pub, then?

I wonder why.

Guess I am a sadist. (・・；)

Banana Entertainment: The Running Joke

Bangkok Trip 31 March - 03 April

Day 4

The experience cannot be described with a simple illustration. As we chatted late into the night (3.30AM SGT), we only got ready to get out of hotel by 11.30AM. Alicia and I were the first to wake up, as usual, the others were sleeping like pigs (read: Aaron and ZX)

Aaron's Bed Hair ft. 'Gong-ness'

Afterwards, Christal and I proceeded to perform our Running Bananas Missions.

Mission 1: Find the Store on Level 6! (FAILED) 

Mission 2: Get Roasted Chestnuts on Level 5! (PASSED) 

Mission 3: Get Otter Defender Box Series Black for Samsung A7 on Level 4! (FAILED)

Well... we kind of failed most of it but it's ok! Afterwards, we were about to take the taxi to Terminal 21, somewhere where the bloggers all say we have go. However, the bellboy told us that it would be faster to take the BTS from National Stadium to Asok. On the bright side, we saved a little bit of money. On the "brighter side", we had to carry out luggage (mind you, it was 9kg for me) up and down the stairs and into the train. 

On board on BTS towards Asok Station

We finally arrived at Terminal 21, where each level represented a different country. There was Japan, America, United Kingdom... It was 1PM BKT and we were getting really hungry. Mind you though, we were wearing the banana shirts and we were getting stared at. We walked through the food court located on the last floor, and all of a sudden, I felt like a artiste. I mean, we were pulling a luggage and wearing the same shirt. We do look like we are currently doing a forfeit. 

We settled for this Thai Italian Restaurant.

Pizza, Risotto, Tom Yum Pasta, Phad Thai, Bacon Pasta

We shopped for a bit and even went on a photo shoot craze with our banana shirt. Aaron, Chris and I even caught this lady taking videos and photos of us. I mean, I know we are famous but please, privacy? Should get my manager to complain, huh! (lol)

As we continue to shop, we kinda of realised we have to get to the airport. After ZX who asked his friend before this, we decided to take BTS and there was likely to have a jam on the road to airport. And thus, the start of my troubles. 

We ended at the airport counter at 4.50PM BKT, give and take, due to the unexpected longer time we took for transport. (Oh gosh, I was so embarrassed as we looking like we were on a show because... how many times do you think you can spot a bunch of running people in banana shirts with luggage and running to the counter? A parent even told his/her kids: "Look! Running Bananas!") However, TigerAir told us that the counter was closed. Like... huh? Didn't we reach on time? It was stated that the counter only closes 45 minutes before the flight takes off, which our flight was supposed to fly at 5.35PM BKT. We ended up having to take the next flight due to this. (We concluded that they sold our reserved tickets away.)

Mission 4: Catch the flight (FAILED)

7PM BKT was the time they told us to check with them again to see if there are seats for us on the next flight, which was supposed to be fully booked. Furthermore, the flight is to fly at 8.15PM BKT, which was delayed. Which meant that, they could possibly sell us the tickets at 7PM even though, the counter was not yet closed.

We got our tickets in the end, and I deeply apologise to the 5 who had to wait for the next flight (the next day morning). We had another bout of Banana Stares from the people in the Departure Hall. 

Mission 5: Get some finger food - Aaron, Alicia, Zhanxiang (PASSED)

Mission 6: Get food souvenirs - Jolies, Christal (PASSED)

It was supposed to be missions as we only arrived in the departure hall at 7.40PM BKT where the board stated that we are supposed to board our plane at 8.05PM BKT. Obviously, after the first time of missing the flight, we got kinda worried and yet, we still need food and souvenirs... right? So we treated it like missions. Mind you, we were running around and screaming, "in front!" "In front! 5 Minutes!" and stuff. I guess we were always suited to be on running man.

The plane was delayed and boarding only starts at 8.20PM BKT (which was stated on our ticket but honestly, we trusts TigerAir after the first time?) We looked like a bunch of gangsters (and a joke 'cause of the banana shirts) as we ZX bought beer and we were kind of 'kop-ing' it. 

All ended well, and we reached Singapore at 12.20AM! (We were acting like singers on the plane and ZX, Alicia and I started singing. Thank the gods we were in the last row, but also, the people around must be mentally scolding us.)

BKK Trip, TBC 

(as we need to lodge a complain about TigerAir. *insert angry emoji*)

Below are the visual diarrhea from the 4 Days. (not in any order)

Day2 :Famous Curry Crab Restaurant near MBK

Day 3 :Chatuchak- Coconut Ice Cream

Day 3 :Pretty Thai Milk Tea in Chatuchak

Day 3 :Authentic Thai Restaurant in Platinum Mall Zone 2, Level 6

Day 3 :Hotel Room Forfeit- Advertise the Couch

Day 2 :On Tuk Tuk

Day 1 :Asiatique Night View

Day 1 :Going to board the boat back from Asiatique

Day 1 :Holding onto suspicious test tube given by hotel staff when checking in

Day 1 :Asiatique Photoshoot with Childhood Friend

Day 1 :Asiatique Muay Thai Show Experience

Day 1 :On the board towards Asiatique, ft. Aaron trying to eat the ship

Day 1 :Cool reflective sunglasses in Asiatique

Day 2 :OOTD

Day 3 :Aaron trying to guess the food at Chatuchak

Day 1 :Asiatique ZX's Forfeit

Day 1 :Asiatique, Christal fell in love

Day 1 :On the Plane to BKK

The End of the Beginning

ABB/C

Those are my A-Level Results. Before you say I am trying to announce to world of my excellent grades, please stare at the "C". With that, i guess i can perfectly say that i have stained my results slip. I am disappointed with my results as I have expected nothing less than "A"s and "B"s, although the "C" was unpreventable. However, I have gotten "C" in a subject that I didn't think i would ever get. 

Here's the cold hard truth: no one cares about your results after you have entered University, and out into the working world. They'd probably care which subjects you have taken, the skills you have gotten, but honestly, I doubt anyone would scrutinise at your results as long as you have calibre. 

And so you have it! A-Level Results are still important to me, at this moment as I need to get into a university. 

To be honest, I started this blog post with this one thing in my mind: Nothing is impossible. I have gotten "fails" for the subject I have gotten an A for. Not to mention, this subject is probably my worst, where I am constantly asked to go for remedial and the like. It's a humanities subject, and you would think, how do you even fail a humanities subjects. But heck, I did fail it and have bottomed the cohort more than once. My usual grades for my essays were 9/25 and 11/25. The highest I have ever gotten was a mere 17/25, which was considered only a C+ in this subject. Approximately 1 month before A's, which is after Prelims, I went to my teacher and told him I was going to drop this subject from H2 to H1. I was pretty adamant on it even. I told myself that if I drop, I will be able to drop 3 books! 5 to 2- seems like a pretty good deal at that time. However, he asked me, "After wasting 2 years of your time to study this and now you want to give up?" Of course, he supported me if I were to drop. Yet, his one line seemed to slap me in my face.

Am I a person that will just give up like that?

Do I want to tell others that I gave up?

In the end, after talking to one of my good friends ("What the fak? Just do it!" - to not drop and just go through with the exam), I've decided to study for this subject and obviously, I didn't drop it. 

Hey, I guess I am a living miracle?(More of a joke, really) From bottom of the cohort to an A student. Honestly, it might just be the bell curve but still...

Even one of my B subjects. Honestly, till today, I could not understand what I did write on that day and what is in the textbook. I simply memorised the answers (and not that this is a good way) but I really did try and do my best to prepare for the exam. It was one of my worst subjects as well: there were a lot of remedial lessons and my teacher even asked me to drop the subject to H1 one month before A's.

I didn't. See my grades.

I can successfully say I have did it.

Banzai.

--

Serious topic aside, I have created a shop called "Turquoised" where you can assess from here. It will officially open on Monday, 14 March 2016.