Pomp and circumstance Op.2

The pomp and circumstance for me….finally arrived in a subtle way then the usual one. It was my time to receive my scroll from our highness the chancellor of USM. To avoid being given the wrong size for the academic attire, I came on the first day to collect the robe. It was on a quiet Sunday, Yaya was with me to collect the robe. I then went on to see what was going on at the hall room. There was the alumni booth, the custom frame booth so that you could put up your photos, a booth for DVD and souvenirs.

The next day we went to batu feringgi to chill out near the beach. I soo miss the beach. It’s a nice way to cool off after the whole month of searching on what to wear during my convo. It was terrible my god, it was like ransacking the whole Shah Alam, Jalan TAR, Subang Parade and Alor Setar. It was ridiculous. Everything I tried out was either too expensive, have fitting problems, the material was too thin, looks too cheep, in conclusion, It was juz not up to the standard of my mum. I did not know that a simple chiffon baju kurung would cost RM500!!! That’s absurd. It doesn’t have any beads or studs at all. Songket baju with scarf could cost up to RM1000. I wanna die during hunting for what to wear. In the end I told my dad that I was going to wear a shirt and coat. RM50 I can get a nice brown coat that fit perfectly and that I can reuse it during my interviews and stuff.

Yaya enjoying the waves crashing at her feet

Something I wanted to do but...not dressed to go up, so...next time la



A boat to go around the island i guess

Me and my wet pants

I feel quite sad because I really wanted to wear national clothing, It looks more Malaysian, but sometimes Its best to think on other options. Besides, the sash is made for clothing’s with buttons because it has a hook. When you hook it on your button, it looks neater.

At batu feringgi, I bought myself a nice pair of blue slippers and few DVD’s. My mum doesn’t like browsing and that she said to walk up first then come back to buy. However when I came back the shop had packed up and left…sigh, I really wanted to browse on the DVD’s, you never know what you’ll find. *regrets* Before that, in the evening me and my parents and Yaya, went to have dinner at the coffee house while watching the sunset after a nice walk along the beach. Yes I wet my pants…It would look weird if I were to wear my scarf and wear shorts…mum will disown me…

On the 24th I went for the rehearsal. It was telling all the dos and don’ts for the occasion. What not to wear, what should you say when you received your scroll and stuff. They told us to come as early as 7.30am the next day and be at the halls for inspection. Then, each graduate will receive a bar code to make sure that you name appears on the screen when you walk on the stage. So on the day itself, I came about 7.45am. I was getting ready, my mum was helping me pin up my sash to the robe, putting up my hat and pinning down so it doesn’t fall. It was chaotic but in a fun way, this is the time when my mum gets really grumpy and talks in a very “you know” way. Parents you may say…haha. So, pin here, pin there, borrowing pins from here, someone asking some other place and stuff…it was interesting.

Demo on how to put on the robe, sash and hat...then how to walk on stage....

the people exited for the next day...like me..heehee

Then I marched in the hall after attire inspection. I was seated at the last seat. Scary, but anticipated…and so we waited, and waited, and soon the hall begins to fill up. The alarm went off and soon the important people came marching in. I was beginning to feel nervous till the lecturers came out…haha, I saw Dr Linda, Dr. Marlina, Andrew Mr. Mickey Mouse bow tie, hehe, and last but not least Dr. Tye. Then, the awards starts…the Honorary doctorate was given to the Cuban doctor, the same one that talked yesterday during the official launching of the world TB day exhibition at arts school.

When it came to our turn to receive our scrolls, they actually called upon many students from the arts so it was quite long and not confined to arts school only. So there were the BFA students, some literature and many more been called together to receive our scrolls. Unlike the normal way, where they call upon the students according to course and not merging with other courses.

Me receiving my scroll by the Sultan of Perlis....he recently had a knee operation so he had to come with crutches...I pray that the knee heals quickly.

Then when its all done, I went to say hi to my dearie music friends. They to leave soon, so, I didn’t have time to chat with them. I then went out to look for my mum. No sign of mum so, I saw dad coming down the VIP room and frantically waving my hands to him. When I saw mum she was with a bouquet of flowers…heehee, I thought I would not get flowers. (the reason is because I don’t have a boyfriend…didn’t expect flowers from mum..XD) I was really happy..and now camera please!!!! Pictures babeh…yeah haha.

Jess loi, me, Kris and Peggy....like the flowers kris???

me and my cousin and her mum can cook the best gulai ikan, curry, and all the goood kampung food...nyum-nyum...

Me and erin

Me and erin and erin's friend from translation...haha... I like the pink sash...

Btw, my sash is dark blue....and all music students will use the dark blue for undergraduates

The view from my balcony...sometimes you can even see the canselori building

Inside the house

I can hear the light speeking to me....heehee ....so lame

Do I look like an owl??? Or juz stoopid...haha...this happens when tak cukup take pictures and later need to send back the robe to get the scroll

what are you looking at??!!! haha...this is beginning to look embarrassing....XD

And so the day ended and that the next day I had to return my robe to get my “real” scroll at DUP along with the hall pictures. Most students went to studios to take the book case photos. Dad just kept reminding me that “you’ll do that during your masters…” true though…not a big deal anyway…the important one is the receiving pictures rite?? Sigh, time was short in penang. I would love to spend time with all of youuuu in Penang. I sooo need live music, and good friends, perhaps some lame jokes but then it’ll have to wait…I hope not that long.

Another Alor Seter Pie

My pie, my apple pie…I wanted to share this earlier but there were a lot of stuff going on along the way but I promised Will that I share how to make my apple pie. I kinda got bored of the McD’s apple pie and the authentic apple pie is no where to be seen. So in my house I start heating up the kitchen.

So, form my mum’s betty crocker cook book, this is how I made my green apple pie…mmmm

For the standard pastry far a 10 inch two crust pie, you need:

2 2/3 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of shortening or if you can, ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of lard
And 7-8 tablespoons of cold water.

Fold everything together, not using your hands, then form it to become a dough till it cleans the bowl.

Leave it covered with a plastic wrap and into the fridge while making the filling.

To make the filling, peel 10 green regular sized apples and then slice it thinly.

add 1/3 cup of all purpose flour,

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Dash of salt

And 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine

Mix everything together and put it aside in the fridge covered with a plastic wrap. Heat up oven 425º

Take out the pastry and split into halves. I usually take one half slightly bigger so that I could roll it larger then trim the edges off adding to the top.

So, with a rolling pin, roll the pastry to the size of the pie plate.

Trim the edges

Add the filling….yummm

Then make the top like my cherry pie….its juz like weaving it doesn’t need to much of technique to do this…

I kinda had extra egg yolk so I washed it with egg yolk this time….most of the time I juz bake it as it is.

So in to the oven for about 40-50 minutes…

So, when its done let it cool on a rack

So there you have it...my pie...well sort of my pie from the cook book...but It turn out ok rite??? My tiny subang Kitchen had a disasterous overhaul today since when we came back we found out that the power went out and that the fridge was....you can imagine....ewwww. its sort of ok now so I hope it gets better in a few days time...I'll imagine that I was baking in my Alor Setar kitchen wif my Pie ala mode...yummm

Upside down and bouncing out the celling

I thought today was going to be any other day. I woke up early it hopes that we'll make it to the IKEA sale today. Before that, I thought that we should see Universiti Malaya to gather some information the Masters program. So after breakfast, we went straight to the cultural center. I got interested by the program (since I heard stoopid rumors that there are no mix mode music courses. During the annexe gallery live your passion thingy, I found out that they do have mix mode courses. Dissertation only counts 12 units. So after talking with the lecturers there, I decided to give UM a go. (Blekkk, I keep telling myself that I'm not studying local universities anymore but then change my decision)

So my mum kept nagging on that I should do something than nothing (which I am basically doing), so just apply and go ahead with the course. BTW, its only going to be three semesters only. Then meanwhile I can apply for ASTS and then get a scholarship to do PhD. Kau tim, and so I thought. When I went there It was another surprise.

I talked abit with the clerks there and then she passed me to another Clerks. The clerk asked me whether I have submitted my application form, and the answer is no. So she has been explaining to me that the courses ar going to be squeezed to 15 units instead of the 34 units for coursework, and the initial 12 units for dissertation will be 40 units. So, from my point of view, is that they want to give more time for the students to focus on their dissertation. Then the real slap came in. The deadline has been closed. So she made a few calls to IPS and then told me to go get the form right this instant and submit everything by TODAY!!!

I turn into auto mode. I quickly asked my mum to go to IPS, go buy the form and then went back home at Subang. Then going through the particulars, I needed my SPM results. Dang!! its in Alor Star. I taughed I had a copy somewhere, but I searched high and low but no SPM folder thingy. I almost wanted to cry, but my inner self told me that I need to at least get everything else ready and submit everything except for my SPM results. So I took the completed form, took my results, and went to the copier. My mum made a few calls to my auntie that works at Unitar to help certify my stuff. My mum kept calling but had no answer. I tried another uncle in UiTM. No luck either because he can only make it tomorrow. So suddenly my auntie rang and explain everything. So immediately after the copier we went to Kelana Jaya to meet her.

I had never been to unitar. Its in a shopping mall that sounded really cool. It is actually. Its near Giant and very accessible. So of to the post office to make RM30 money order. Its already 3.30 and we hadn't had lunch. So after marking everything, we compiled everything and went straight to UM.

There I waited patiently although my tummy wasn't feeling very happy. Till it was my turn the lady was surprised that I hand in the form. The reason is because the deadline passed and the system is now online. So there are no paper forms involved now. So after stating that I had permission from the school that I can do so they accepted it and told me to submit my SPM results right away. (the soonest is on the 11th where i'll be back in Alor Setar)

So phew!! kautim!! and then we head back, ate something light and went to the apartment. BTW, I thought that USM is much more nicer i guess because its new and that it lookes more organized. Manalah nak same si kucing Apexla katakan...Haha. The agent wanted to bring a client to rent out and hopefully we get a great deal. We had dinner at Carrefour and now I'm typing this post. I'm soo tired and I hope tomorrow we'll make it at the IKEA sale probably....

So live your life!!!! Yeah!!

The annexe Gallery at the central market hosted the Live your Passion Arts career Fair 2009 where students and the public could be exposed to the arts, on how to get opportunity in the arts, learning on the institution that offers the arts and much more. It was a long day for me since I went there quite early on a Saturday morning only to see that it was still setting up. So I lend a hand in arranging the chairs in the hall so we could start the forum as soon as possible.

The program was split into 5 partitions which was in the morning Music and in the afternoon was drama. The next day which I went to MPO, was Dance, Film and visual arts. Outside the hall there were booths set up by institutions to promote their arts program.

this is ASWARA booth, they were also selling their products and publications. See the box on the table there, It's a whole compilation of shadow puppet plays around south east Asia. I have one and mummy gave it to me!!! It cost around RM200 for the whole box there are around 10 vcd's i think.

I think this is New Era Collage. I never heard of it till I went to Human Rights camp the other day. They don't have music but they have visual arts and drama if I'm not mistaken.

Haha, and this is the Alma matter USM. Dr.Hardy and Sylvester was here. All the music students were hibernating doing a lot of assignments before the MPO show, good luck guys. The concert that I attend was the same, thing is I still prefer matinees because I could take a train to the concert hall at KLCC and still be able to get back before dark.

This is UiTM, apparently the lady grading papers was also from USM...

The banner on the right is from ICOM, and the table with the monitor is from Freedom fest I think??? I'm not too sure.

This is the Hot art exhibition, it still going on despite of the commotion next door

The exhibition hall...art people?? haha.

So this was the hall where the forum was held. I eventually helped arranging the chairs to be able to start soon. The sitar player from Temple of Fine Arts was doing the sound check before the show. She'll be performing after the forum.

This is the program. i think you could click and have a better view.

This is UM's programs to show during the semester. Kinda like our senior recital and stuff.

So these are some pictures of UM's students sound checking before the forum. I didn't want to interrupt their actual performance so I thought the sound checks will be OK.

And so the forum begins, the Music Penal was from Saidah Rastam, the creator of M the Opera, Sean Ghazi, singer, Broadway performer, and even in P.Ramlee the musical, weee I soo miss that. And the last was Kumar Karthigesu a sitar player and composer.

The MC

Kumar was a typical Indian family whereby the arts is important but not as a career. He learned the Mirdangam and vocal since he was four. When he was in The UK where his family was staying, he learned the Sitar. (although he actually wanted to learn the guitar) Upon coming back to Malaysia he initially agreed to study engineering but stopped half way to go to India and to pursue his dreams. Of cource like any other family he had difficulties dealing with his family but his family eventually gave in. He won an award recently, the Anugerah Karyawan Seni, Cameronian Awards by the government that got him 10K, (that's A lot!!) and he became one of the teachers at Temple of Fine arts. From my point of view, he did what he had to do to get what he wanted and that's something that I need to think before doing since I don't have any idea if my parents would not agree of me studying in the arts. But then again, people like Kumar are awarded by the government, playing gigs and all those things that I feel that there is a market in the future. More and more people are appreciating the arts and put a high value in especially in the local music so that our culture doesn't fade away.

Saidah Rastam was previously a lawyer for seven years. Her parents wanted her to have a fixed income so that if anything happens to her, let say if her husband were to leave her she could make a living. She played with the instant cafe theater playing piano and such along the way. After she quit her job, she became a composer and one of her works were M the opera and a piece for "Spirits" in Singapore. There were times where she had depression but eventually bloomed with great works. One interesting fact to her compositional approach is the doing improvisation. I heard that after she wrote her works, she then will ask the performers to improvise again to suite the performer. I think this is very good since that whatever we create we could suite with the performers, thus keeping the performance creative. Improvisation also will keep changing the the course of the whole show, that is today's show will be different than last night and the night before, so sometimes you get to watch a good show or vice versa. It doesn't matter to me because that's the whole idea of the performance. Another interesting factor that artist should have is LESS freedom of expression. I guess that if we have less than we are more daring to do the unthinkable...I'm not sure but, it's definitely something to think about.

Lastly was Sean. I initially thought that he was a new comer during his P.Ramlee album and then sang P.Ramlee the musical. I really didn't know that he was already in Broadway musicals like Miss Saigon, Anna and the King and the King and I. He also played in Rent, and stuff like that. Now I've heard that he'll be moving to L.A to start an acting career there soon. He stared of very young when his mother saw his talent, then in school he has been doing all sorts of plays, musicals and such. Teachers kept talking about him since his English and arts were excellent but didn't do as well in other academic courses. When he went to a boarding school in Singapore, the theater world opened up to him and he then got better exposure. According to Sean, in Singapore teachers encourage him to try for roles in plays wheres in Malaysia was not as encouraging. He then, went to Boston to study theater and then London where the schedules were much more tighter. This is where he enjoys much of his time learning and going in and out auditions. From what I learned from him is that it's not impossible to have a career in the arts and still keep food on the table. Perseverance is a must and proving that you are better than others makes it to pass an auditions. In the end it all comes down to personality...

So I ended my day, going to Subang Parade Flea market to taste free cakes and cookies...yum. I hope there will be more exhibitions, more opportunity in the arts and better exposure for me. I do want to use Music as a tool to keep people together and learning about the world as it is a universal language that everyone could understand...*winks*