Childhood Games

Once upon today, I came across something I used to play in class when teachers are away for meeting or elsewhere or before examination just to pass time. I was just sitting in for my colleague today for one of the classes and the kids were noisy but not random chatter. Busy with their own games. The first game I came across was :

B-I-N-G-O , nope...not the song about the dog and the farmer. Look at the picture above. We draw a box with 5 columns and rows. Fill it up with number from 1-25, randomly. This game is played by 2 or more people. Each person will take turns to call out the number and then the number will be strike out. Once any rows diagonally, up or down which has 5 numbers being circled they can cross out the whole row and one letter from the word BINGO. Whoever who finish crossing out the word BINGO first is the winner.


Then, I started to walk off to another table to see what the bunch of students is doing. They were doing a mini hand prediction game. First, they outline a friend's palm on the paper. Each finger is being separated into a few section. The thumb is where you list your favourite number, the index finger you write the 3 character that you like in your husband/wife. The middle finger, you write 3 type of cars that you like. The ring finger is where you write 3 types of house you would like to owe and the pinky finger you write three colours that you write. In the middle of the palm is the type of life that you will live. P/M/R (Poor, Middle, Rich).

Then, the facilitator of the game will keep drawing strokes like this |||||||||||||....until the player says STOP! whenever he/she likes. The number of strokes being drawn will be used to count. For instance, if there are ten strokes being drawn then they will countdown each section, the letter at number ten will be cross out. Once a finger has only 1 more letter left, it will be abandoned for the it is being predicted. The last section to count is the PMR, which is counted by its own. It is a bit confusing but it would be easier to show you how to play it. Hahah :).Would sound like a ridiculous game for an adult but rather enjoyable as a kid, just like those random psychology quizzes we take.

And the champion of games in the class is CHESS! Yes, ordinary board game indeed. But the special part about this two boys are, the chess board is hand drawn due to lack of resources. Very Impressive :)
The ponds were originally drawn as picture images, then it was reverted to fonts because they were confused with their own drawings.

Later on, they had another argument on where the Black King and White King is suppose to be placed in the initial position. Well, White King on white box and Black King on black box after I helped them to search on the Internet. However, it was nobody's fault, it was the board that they drew. They used it the wrong side or the boxes are drawn wrongly somehow. Anyway, I am still very impress with the chess set, a hand drawn one :) The con is, you will get cheeky friends who come to your table and Huff puff, blows all the pond away and the game is disrupted.

Of Sound, Of Pedals

I just had a two day seminar on 4th and 5th of May, covering topics on piano teaching by Emeritus Professor Edward Ho. It was a insightful seminar for me and he thought us a lot about Piano Pedagogy. What a pity that I did not manage to attend the group session on the 3rd day of the. For the past two days, he covered a lot on what to introduce to a new student, components in piano teaching, good materials to introduce, aural, pedalling, sight reading as well as a whole lot of humour and stories from his experience.

What I learn and appreciate most from this seminar is the importance of sound. It is not that I am not aware but I have grew to appreciate even more. To be able to produce good sound, it all balls down to techniques of the arm and the touch. Full stop. That was it for me previously, though I know the pedal plays a major role too but I neglect it mostly. Today, I have learn to appreciate it and truely understand the usage of pedals. The sostenuto pedal was impressive for me, because it could sustain the bass note longer as u control the right pedal along at the same time. Great for pieces that required a strong bass accompaniment. There are also the rhythmic pedalling, half pedalling, fluttering pedalling and legato pedalling.

Besides that, he also explains the different contrasting sound and chracteristics of each period from Baroque to 20th Century, though not in details but enough to differenciate each.


















I love the Impressionism era where Debussy is my favourite composer from it. His songs are like magic to me but mostly explained as colourful by others. It is like a reflection in the water, flowing brooks, drifting leaves, dewdrops in the morning and light and fluttery, yet luminous. Some are humourous and scherzando. He incorporates pentatonic My personal favourite is Pagodas from Estampes besides Claire De Lune, the third movement from Debussy's Suite Bergamasque. A beautiful song which means moonlight and the sound and sonority of the tune resembles the soft pale moonlight under the black starry night. Along with gentle breeze that teases gently. It was written in 1888 when Debussy is 26 with Paul Verlaine's poem 'Claire De Lune' in mind. Here I would like to share the poem by Paul Verlaine's poem Claire De Lune.

Your soul is as a moonlit landscape fair,
Peopled with maskers delicate and dim,
That play on lutes and dance and have an air
Of being sad in their fantastic trim.

The while they celebrate in minor strain
Triumphant love, effective enterprise,
They have an air of knowing all is vain,—
And through the quiet moonlight their songs rise,

The melancholy moonlight, sweet and lone,
That makes to dream the birds upon the tree,
And in their polished basins of white stone
The fountains tall to sob with ecstasy.

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Votre âme est un paysage choisi
Que vont charmant masques et bergamasques
Jouant du luth et dansant et quasi
Tristes sous leurs déguisements fantasques.

Tout en chantant sur le mode mineur
L'amour vainqueur et la vie opportune
Ils n'ont pas l'air de croire à leur bonheur
Et leur chanson se mêle au clair de lune,

Au calme clair de lune triste et beau,
Qui fait rêver les oiseaux dans les arbres
Et sangloter d'extase les jets d'eau,
Les grands jets d'eau sveltes parmi les marbres.

While browsing for this song on youtube, I found another young prodigy by the name of Tiffany Poon, aged 10 when she first played this song. A lovely presentation by her, love the rubato in this piece Claire De Lune.

Music Man, My Hero

Seeing my super hero Music Man on stage today, he was being one with determination and giving out his best despite all odds. Not sure if my ears were being weird, but I am quite sure that his voice was rather strain today or at least a sore throat in the coming. It did not sound like usual. Hearing him hit those high falsetto notes, high energy performance and sang to the fullest, I was overwhelmed. At some point, it hurts to hear the voice which seems to be crying 'Let me rest'. Yet,the show was fantastic and he persevere till the end.

Music Man, an ordinary man called Wang LeeHom that transforms into a superhero on stage. He saves soul in pain within the internal plane with his special power, music and his weapon, the dragon design guitar. There's something about his music compared to other Chinese musician I listened to. There's always a warm fuzzy feeling, simplicity or hope in his songs, even though it is a sad love song. Creative as he can be, songs from the album will not sound the same in the concert except for the hooks.

(Picture on the below credits to Blue Light Shadow)

The Music Man concert is more rock-ish in nature with good use of animation and Marvel Comic style of theme. His fusion of RnB Hip Hop and folk music for tracks like gai shi ying xiong, shen ling sheng chu and nu peng you had been transformed into rock n roll and alternative. The opening song was yao kun zhe me le with blaring guitars as well as loud vocals. Another interesting act was for the song gai bian zi ji, which is exactly like the MTV, four Lee Hom on stage. I wonder if it is a pre-recorded act on the screen or they made skins that looked like him to be worn by others. Just like those spies in Bond movies. Couldnt really tell from where I am sitting. There were magic act on stage too, dissappeared from the box and appeared again in the middle of the crowd. I am going to be a spoiler. He used another person to take over his place as he travels to the small podium in the middle of the crowd. Again, that person that took over his place looks like him. Interesting use of illusion on stage :)

His violin has never failed to melt anyone's heart. He played 'When You Wish Upon A Star' before going into the famous violin sound from luo ye gui gen, the song for the movie Lust & Caution.

Finally, I can proudly say that I have seen my hero on stage officially. More than 20 000 others were present to see this act in Stadium Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur on 2nd May 2009.

Would like to thank Sze Mun for offering me this wonderful experience. DOMO ARIGATOU!