I’m now in the middle of week 2 of the spring semester and contrary to conventions I’m not gonna say that time is flying by quickly.. because for some reason compared to last semester, it doesn’t feel like time is flying by that quickly. Nevertheless, I am having an enjoyable semester so far! This semester I am ‘forced’ to read more – which is always good because I am not a natural reader. This is especially so for my Puccini class which in addition to reading more, it is encouraging me to watch more of his operas and analyse his arias. I am also taking jazz piano this semester, so I’m also having a lot of fun reading lead sheets and improvising 😀
I feel like winter this year has been rather mild.. maybe I’ll change my mind when February comes but temperatures have been an average of about 5-6 degrees Celsius which is mild for NYC-January standards. And we only had 2 snow days in January.
Well the main highlight of the past week is definitely getting to see Josh Groban live at Broadway’s Great Comet!! Josh Groban sounds as good live as he does on record – and that is rare among singers these days. For me, this musical is a must-watch! It has everything in it – humour, romance, satire, pyrotechnics, dancing etc. It is based on Volume 2, Part 5 of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, which focuses on Natasha’s affair with Anatole, and Pierre’s search for meaning in his life. Tickets were also relatively cheap due to Broadway week – tickets going for 2-for-1!
So being a Groban fan, I waited at stage door hoping to snag a picture with him.. and voila!
Later that week, K and I went to watch the NYC Ballet do Bellini’s La Sonnambula, Prokofiev’s The Prodigal Son and Stravinsky’s Firebird! I think my favourite was the Prokofiev – so much dynamism and expressionism – I love!
Oh oh and this week I cooked my favourite soup special thanks to my dad for the recipe, chinese almonds and red dates!! (ok and thank you Jabez for bringing them over) So this is the apple, pear and pork soup that I have fond memories of my dad cooking it for us fairly frequently, so suffice to say – I do miss it a lot. When I started out boiling it, I was a bit scared that my soup will be disappointing compared to my dad’s because my dad is a great cook haha. But after tasting my soup, I must say that I didn’t fare too badly at all hehe.
And just yesterday, Yuja Wang came to MSM to give a masterclass!!! I wanted to go take a picture with her after the masterclass (which was three hours long btw and I sat through it entirely) but I was too hungry and wanted to eat dinner so I responded to my priorities lollll
Anyway, Chinese New Year is fast approaching and to be honest there really isn’t the CNY vibe here in NYC. For me, CNY must include loud (and usually bad) CNY songs blasted from shops, pineapple tarts, seeing family I otherwise wouldn’t usually see, a yummy reunion dinner, watching CNY TV programmes at different relatives’ houses and HONGBAO. Friends and family in Singapore who are qualified to give out hongbao, please don’t forget me!! I’m thinking of y’all!! hahaha
And to move your hearts to give me hongbao here is a video:
Oh and by the way, if you are usually emotional, do not watch this video in public – it might move you to tears :’)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12: 1-2
Charity Kiew 