good heart = good music?

Sunday, November 4, 2007 10:39 PM

after my photoshop excitement, which kinda ended quite behind schedule, i have a charity kinda gamelan gig at meritus mandarin in orchard road. so, since i am so behind time, and i think the group will kill me if i am fashionable late, i decided to call a cab from suntec coty convention center. well, i thought, orchard road is like just behind the corner, well sure it is. but then the bill for the cab think either wise. can you imagine this..

cab fare break down.

advance booking = $4 SGD
peak hour suurcharge = $2 SGD
ERP charges for entering orchard road in peak hour = $2 SGD
cab fare from suntec city to orchard road = $5.20

wah lau, $5.20 cab fare become $13.20.. that is definately daylight, oh wait, evening light robbery. sheeesh...

anyways, reaching meritus mandarin is one thing, then, finding the ballroom. oh god, there is tower one, and tower 2. (the ballroom we are suppose to perform in in tower 1) guess where i ended first? yes, tower 1. sheesh, me and xinwei is like one bloody lost cuckoo bird walk here up and down the building, asking where the ballroom is. and knowing services in singapore, no one knows anything or help you with anything. well, anyways, yes, we did managed to reach the ballroom. with the gamelan all set up. we both were like the last 2 to reach there. cannot help it wat... lost, then i end late. anyways, some people was giving me attitude because i came late?? or because i want to play on the demung? or because......??? oh well, just so.. do not ever give me your attitude, because i have a huge one of my own, and trust me, i dont think you can handle mine. so keep yours to yourself, and i will keep mine to myself. hah..

anyways, the performing group, (made up of musicians from NAFA and NUS), was a fun bunch of people. we played surprisingly, very very well. i am very happy with the quality of the music. yeah! kudos to us. its just that the unhappiness is from the audiences. ok, this is a charity dinner. it where all the rich and famous comes to give money for charity. they are the more artsy-fartsy one. well yeah...right. i think no one appreiciate our music. most of them are just too busy gobking down on meritus sub standard food, and we are just one of the noise that they are trying to ignore in the background while we play. i mean, at leasts, clap for us! sheeeeesh! its ok. maybe gamelan is somtimes, just too abstract for certain people. heh...

anyways, we had 2 tables for dinner together with the invited guest. for free of course, because we played for free for them, in the spirit of charity.. anyways, i really had fun there. and yes yes, photos coming up next. just one thing, i thing i will never play for free anymore. i mean, charity wise, these people want us to play in the dinner, not that we request that we are happy to play for the charity because we want to. so, until singa ngalras is rich enough to donate and play for charity, i think, i will not want to play for charity anymore. its too much hassle, too much effort, without any recognition. btw, guess who have to deal with angry instrument movers and and angry middleman/organizer??? ok, not talking about that now... dont even remind me. just enjoy the photos...

Me, my wife alicia, my cat eileen and mr thow xin wei.