It’s been a month into the spring semester and things are going pretty swimmingly (: I’m very amazed at how much I’m learning this semester, like I actually feel challenged (in a good way that doesn’t rob the joy and fun of learning and growing). This is especially so in my harp-playing! This month has been a journey of going back to the fundamentals and discovering the reasons and impetus for doing some things that harpists should be doing, realising that I haven’t been doing them – and then learning how to do them.
Highlights of the past 1.5 week include masterclass with great harpist Judy Loman who seems to have a solution for every single problem!! She’s so wonderful and kind too!
Also got to watch La La Land with harp girls D and C! D was RAVING about the movie and since I haven’t yet watched it, and also seeing how many awards the movie won, I had to give it a shot! And I’m glad I did. La La Land is a charming movie with a groovy and moving soundtrack. To be honest, I love the soundtrack more than the storyline because the story seemed slightly draggy and slow to me at some points. But the soundtrack was all sorts of fun, jazz, Fred Astaire and Gershwin all mixed together! What was most unique about the movie was that it was shot entirely on film (not digitally) with Panavision equipment in a widescreen format so the movie had a rustic, less clean-cut feel overall – which is perfect for the retro, fantasy-like quality of the storyline anyway.
By the way, watching movies in NYC is SO expensive. A regular priced ticket without student discount costs USD 20 (before tax) and a student ticket set me back by USD 14.59 (after tax).
Before the movie, C brought D and I to a really good and LEGIT Szechuan restaurant on 72nd and Broadway-ish called “Legend 72”. It is really good and authentic! They do not shy away from serving up dishes at their original spicy level – Ma La toufu mm-mmmm. Also prices are very reasonable!
Also managed to make TauHuey (beancurd) – ok la from a pre-mix. But it makes all the difference when you miss Singaporean food ok.
It was a really cold day today! But as you can see from the picture below, if you were indoors and looking out the window, very often this would be the colour of the sky and it is so deceiving because it almost looks warm out there.. but it isn’t ): Anyway – meet the New York Police Department’s Mounted Unit, they have been patrolling the streets of NYC since 1858!
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7
Charity Kiew 