Too many things have happened on 2011. It was a year full of interesting experiences and milestones. Of course, I managed to meet an amazing musician Imogen Heap (for free!) and watched other interesting musicians.

I also finally got a job! It’s a job that I never thought of doing, but I’m enjoying it so far. I found that the job is a good fit for my skills and personality, and I’m glad I can get a job like that.

After working for about 4 months, I was sent to a business trip to go on a training in Manila. I loved it there – it looked so much like Indonesia (Jakarta) it eased my homesick-ness a bit. I also really liked the friendly and warm people, colleagues and strangers alike. And the food! I love them! Also – my colleague who also got sent there brought me to this beautiful place called Tagaytay.

And then of course the big event of the year.. I went to Prague!

It’s again a trip with my beloved SMU Chamber Choir to participate in an international competition. The even better news is we got GOLD! After going on 2 choir trips with them, we ended up with Silver. Which is saying “Good, but not good enough!”. When I learned that we got Gold I cried like a baby… We so deserved it.

After Prague, together with my choir I went to another beautiful town called Cesky Krumlov (with stopovers in between).

It was a gorgeous, gorgeous place.

Then after Cesky Krumlov several of us went to Vienna!

It was such a charming and classy place. Loved every detail of it.

2011 ended with such a bang, for me. I hope 2012 can only be better!

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I have been gearing up for the festival (it’ll be the first time I’m attending one) by listening to their songs. You know, get my groove going and stuff. Here below are the songs. If you’re coming, see you at Rock and Roots! If you’re not, please do enjoy the songs from these fantastic musicians!

Imogen Heap

I came to know Imogen Heap via Mac OS X Leopard demo/trailer (I can’t find the video on Youtube, sadly). It was just a simple guitar hook. Her name was on that commercial, so I Youtube-d it, found it, and loved it, and still loves it. The song was “Goodnight and Go”. Afterwards, I started to listen to more of her songs and has been mesmerized by the richness since. Listening to Imogen Heap is an experience.

Here are the songs from her latest album, Ellipse.

Ellipse by imogenheap

And this is her latest song called Lifeline. Ms Heap created this song using “crowdsourcing”. Sound bits and solos were contributed by fans, and so were the images used for the video. She plans to create her whole new album using this method, which I think is a very creative and intimate way to connect with her fans.

Lifeline by imogenheap

and this is the video clip of the song that started it all for me..

John Legend

I first heard John Legend’s Ordinary People during my high school days and found it really touching. I liked it a lot I made that song my ringtone during high school! If you have read my blog for some time and read my music entries, I suppose you’ll know that I generally like music that has a “richness” on it, a complete package of musical efforts (auto-tune is NOT effort) and emotions. I think John Legend embodies that perfectly.

Here’s the song that started it all for me..

Here are some of his songs via Grooveshark.

This widget might not work. Link to playlist on Grooveshark – John Legend.

Here is his awesome rendition of an already awesome song by Adele, Rollin’ in the Deep. Awesome square, baby.

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue

I only came to know Trombone Shorty from Rock and Roots and boy I’m glad that I did! Troy Andrews aka Trombone Shorty calls his music Supafunkrock. Yeah, fits into my “richness” theme again. I haven’t known much about him, but from the artist write-up, it says that he’s a multi-instrumentalist (the write-up even mentioned him as a “prodigy”) that puts a lot of soul into his music. Just my kind!

Here are some stuff from grooveshark:

This widget might not work. Link to playlist on Grooveshark – Trombone Shorty.

and here’s a video of him live!

The Sets Band and 53A

To be honest I’ve never heard of these Singapore local bands, but if they’re selected to play at Rock and Roots they should be awesome! I’ve found some of their videos, and they sound really well!

Can’t wait for the festival!

PS Sorry for the inconvenience sizes of the players… My theme is not really flexible. You can always click on the video to watch it on Youtube

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I know I’ve shared about this on Twitter and Facebook, and yet here I am sharing it again. I can’t help it, I’m so happy.

While my friends play with Barbies and Polly Pockets, my parents keep buying me books books books and more books. I have so many books back home in Jakarta that one time the bookshelf broke!

So when I got the emailer from Times (my bookstore of choice in Singapore – cheaper books, same quality!) about their $2 book warehouse sale, I hyperventilated on the spot.

When I got to the warehouse sale I still saw some books being priced at $10, $6, and so on. Confused, my boyfriend asked the attendant and he said that no matter what price is slapped on the book, it’s still $2. I hyperventilated again. Rows and rows of books, from the smallest to the heaviest, all for $2. Novels, cookbooks, do-it-yourself books, biographies, etc etc etc.. For only $2 each. Needless to say, I went mad.

So here’s the listing of the books I bought.. Just to remind myself of how many books I have bought and later on remind myself of how many I haven’t read. Hehe.

Novels

My favourite kind of book, because it’s the kind of book I can read anywhere (and I mean anywhere… Ahem).

Pankaj Mishra – The Romantics

Nell Freudenberger – Lucky Girls

Yann Martel – The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios

Short Stories

I used to make a lot of short stories in Indonesian. And ever since I took the class “Creative Writing (of Short Stories)” at school, I grew more interested in reading short stories. They’re short without less punch.

Catherine Lim – Women in Bondage

Oh no! I thought this is a collection of her short stories but apparently it consists of her essays about women in bondage, interviews, and annotated bibliography. Yes I just realized this when I’m writing this blog post. I feel so bummed, I love Catherine Lim’s stories. She came once to my Creative Writing class and she was a wonderful lady.

Gopal Baratham – Of Memory and Desire

Apparently this book is the same thing as the book described above. Oh well, might be an interesting read anyway.

Travel Stories

Chronicles about travelling/living at other countries. Usually amusing.

Peter Carey – Wrong About Japan

Neil Humphreys – Notes from an Even Smaller Island

Travel Guides

I bought them because they look pretty and not wordy! Haha. Currently the possibility of really going to these places is really low. Except perhaps Thailand. I chose the one on Thailand because it was the lightest. I don’t get the point of heavy and bulky travel guides. I mean, it’s supposed to be brought while travelling!

Knopf Mapguides – Milan

Knopf Mapguides – Stockholm

Globetrotter – The Philippines

AA Essential – Thailand

My boyfriend and I collectively bought 8 travel guides. So 4 of them stay with me while the other 4 stay with him. The ones at him are guides to Miami, Munich, Malaysia, and Naples.

Others

And some other stuff…

From Harvard Business Press – Lessons Learned – Straight Talk from the World’s Top Business Leaders – Starting a Business

Ong Siow Heng and Nirmala Govindasamy-Ong – Metaphor and Public Communication: Selected speeches of Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong

Ron and Caryl Krannich – Nail the Cover Letter!

Oh man, I haven’t even finished reading books I bought at the Carrefour sale some months back. I’m currently reading The Namesake. Normally I would ask you to give me recommendations of books to read, but I guess not today

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‘Nuff said.

I got 111 for the exam, which means I only “pass”. Without merit, without distinction, but who cares? I got through the piano hell! OMG!

Now time to play piano just because I love it.

Anyone wanna learn playing piano, btw? Contact me!

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Yeah, right. Like you have any tradition, Sylv.

Anyway, this year shall be a scary year for me. A lot of transformation will take place this year. I’ll be 21, legal for everything, considered adult for everything (like, finally???). I’ll finish school life and begin a corporate life (that is, if I find a job, of course). I will lose weight for good, and I mean it! I’ll look like what I used to look like and probably better

I have mixed feelings about those big, possibly life-changing upcoming events. It can be drastic, mind-boggling, but I’m excited about them anyway.

I hope this year will be an exciting one for you too.

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So I’m only taking three modules this term. I know, I know. Freaking three modules?? How can you say it’s crazy, Sylv??? The reason it’s crazy is because you’re only taking three modules!!!

Ahem. Anyway.

My three modules are : PR Writing, Creative Writing, and Current Issues in Business, Culture, and Society. If you see a recurring theme… You’re probably right. They’re all writing. Yes, even that third course which has a name so long I don’t want to bother typing it. Although I might have typed a longer sentence just by typing that. Anyway. These three courses require writing, writing, and writing, and all with different styles. PR Writing is, of course, PR Writing. Concise while keeping the important details, and making it interesting enough so that those journalists will pick it up. Creative writing is, I suppose, more liberating. Although excelling in Indonesian creative writing, I suppose it was time for me to pick up the English one. Had a great fun experimenting. And that third course, we need a business type of writing – really simple, to the point, no flowery words or hard vocabularies.

Hey don’t get me wrong. I like the third course. It’s the only course in SMU where you can get free food. I’m not kidding. (Click that)

So I figured it would be quite a paradox if I take a term full of writing and I stop writing in my blog. After all, this blog was the one that elevated my writing skillzors. If you have the time to sift through my archives from 2006 ’til now, (I hope) you can see the level-up.

So here I am, back in full force of writing!

….I think.

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On my way to the doctor, on my way to the airport, on the way back from the airport, I was always afraid to cough. Because I was afraid people will think bad things about me (like OH NOES THE GIRL IS COUGHING I MIGHT GET SWINE FLU HOW HOW HOW???)

Seriously, I think this paranoia thing is a bit too much. I found out that the H1N1 flu’s fatality rate is low (just slightly higher than usual seasonal flu). Even the patient zero in Singapore is recovering well. Oh by the way, just because I’m an SMU student doesn’t mean I have increased risk of H1N1. The SMU girl went to the doctor in Bedok area, I didn’t go on the BSM NY trip, so no. Seriously.

Perhaps in Singapore they were already scared about what happened with SARS several years ago?

And by the way, I’m seriously irked by how a newspaper revealed the patient zero’s name (who has requested not to reveal her name – at least in her statement to SMU). Cut it off, will ya. It’s not like she intentionally wanted to contract the virus.

Anyway, I’m quite contained in home right now. I only went out to eat (at the famous Whampoa makan place no less!), then went back to home to gulp down my medicine. It’s a partial home quarantine, I guess.

Hope I get well soon. I’ll need to shop for some stuff for my impending trip to Russia!

Oh and by the way, contact me or e-mail the choir at chamberchoir@smu.edu.sg to get your tickets for the choir’s fundraising concert! $15 each! (details at picture below)

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Surprisingly, I don’t feel that ecstatic. Perhaps because I’m down with flu. I ALWAYS get down with flu around exam time. Sigh. According to the Psychology textbook, it’s called something like somatoform disorder. Your body becomes sick because of your psychological distress. (and if I’m wrong in referencing this, you guys can guess my exam grade then)

Not a lot has happened this term. This term just zoomed by. Architectural Analysis was deep and fluffy at the same time, Advanced Data Management was hard and complicated, Science Exploration and Society was…… unexplainable. Lab sessions were interesting and we (my group project) did a skit for our final presentation. Haha. I took Introduction to Psychology this term and I think it was fascinating. Heavy reading with plenty to remember (90 MCQ Exam!!) but really interesting. It changed the way I think and look at humans and urged me to be skeptical and critical about many things (no, it’s not a bad thing). Negotiation Skills for Business was useful. I can say that with pleasure, because so far, honestly, I haven’t found a course that I find useful. Perhaps enriching, or rather dreading, but never useful. Negotiation Skills for Business taught me, well, negotiations. But I think the most important thing is how to do it well. And that I should prepare before negotiation, and negotiate well.

For SMU students’ reference, here are the course codes.

Architectural Analysis – IS303
Advanced Data Management – IS410
Science, Exploration, and Society – STEC207
Introduction to Psychology – PSYC001
Negotiation Skills for Business – OBHR.218 

Oh I also got accepted (I think, I can’t fully confirm yet actually) for internship this summer. And of course, after that, Russia trip beckons! WOOHOO!

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I’m pretty sure some of my loyal readers (thank you for keep visiting my site even though I don’t update it hahaha ) will hate me now. After missing for so long (busy lah, sorry), now I’m back just to shamelessly PLUG PLUG PLUG my oncoming choir concert!!!

But actually it can’t be categorized as plugging since this blog is my own blog

Ok so here it is~

Yes darlings, I’m going to perform in a concert by SMU Chamber Choir.

Details:

Date/Time : Tuesday, 10 February 2009. 7.30 PM.
Venue : Esplanade Recital Studio
Ticket : free seating, each at $16

Yes the tickets are only at $16 and revenue from the tickets will be used to aid our fund to go to Russia! Wheeee! After Poland, now Russia!

If you want tickets, you can either contact me or email them at chamberchoir@smu.edu.sg.

What are the songs?

Ah yes, this is the question most people asked. So here’s the info. We’re going to sing songs from all over the world in so many languages. Basically, in the concert there will be small sections/themes and songs will fit that theme. We have songs from Latin America (Argentinian tango, Brazilian folk song), we also have gospel songs (in English), and we also have English and French folk songs. I shall say no more, that will be too much spoiler

So if you want to see me singing, if you want to see some cute girls/guys singing, or simply want to enjoy our musical journey, I look forward seeing you there! (please reserve a ticket first though ) 

I thank those blogger friends who are going

• Daphne Maia
• Hendri Budi
• Robert (Brokenshardz)
• Krisandro
• Nathalia (singingcoconut)
• Xiao Ling (secretss)

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I’ve always hated the idea of making resolutions. Why should we? Why wait until new year to do/get new things?

But then I’m changing a lot this year so I guess.. I’m gonna make a resolution for the next year. But since I still quite hate the word resolution because it’s used too often, let’s just call it in layman term : “the things to do at 2009″.

So what to do? I have this idea from a person I know (identity hidden to protect privacy ), when he asked me about 3 things : What you want to start doing, what you want to stop doing, and what you want to do less. So let’s just group “the things to do at 2009″ to these 3 categories, shall we?

What to stop doing

“What to stop doing” and “what to do less” is a bit tricky. It’s very close to each other. Some things you have to really stop, quit, until it’s zilch, nada because it’s better that way. Some things you just have to do a wee bit less, because not doing it (at all) will be detrimental. Don’t think too much for that sentence coz I dunno what I’m talking about either. Anyway. What to stop doing. I want to stop doing emotional eating. AKA I’m so stressed so I’ll just eat. This includes pressing down the cravings too. I know my weight is really bordering dangerous, and seeing my grandpa’s down with diabetes, and knowing that my mom already has diabetes, I can’t help being scared can I? So I have to really really cut down on that emotional eating stuff. No, I have to stop. For the first step, I’ll probably eat some fruits whenever that emotional eating wind hits me.

What to start doing

I want to start doing a big project. A big project that I can be proud of. Perhaps writing a novel. Or setting up an online shop. Honestly, I don’t know yet. But I want to have a project, a baby that I care for, besides my mundane life that circles around school and school. Another thing to start doing, I want to start to let/force my logic take over my emotions. This is in line with the point above : to stop emotional eating. Whenever that emotional eating wind hits me and whenever craving comes, my logic knows exactly that I shouldn’t do the eating. Coz eating again and again will just make me even fatter and getting fatter will make me stressed and I’m gonna eat again and.. You know the whole cycle. So yeah. I hope I can lose weight to my healthy weight range the next year! (now this sounds like a typical resolution)

What to do less

Now it was quite tricky to think about things to put here. I wanted to put them in “what to stop doing” immediately but after I think again.. Nah, maybe not. Anyway… So what I think I should do less. I think I should do less worrying. I’m such a worrywart and sometimes it’s bordering panicky or as Singaporeans say it, kan chiong. The thing is, I worry so much that it stresses me out and giving me even more problems (most notably my irregular sleep cycle and my insomnia). However, I believe that I should not stop worrying, like really thinking about nothing in the future and everything. I believe I should worry just a bit. I believe I should keep looking forward to the future. What will my action get me to? What will my decision bring me to? What are the things I should keep in check? And of course also worrying (but not too much) whether I’ve been really doing what I’ve promised myself to do in 2009 (aka the things to do at 2009). So yeah. 

And I guess another thing to do less is spending too much time online. You know, facebook and plurk and everything else. Talking with people online and stalking them and you know… The stuff you do online. I think I’m too used to do these that it borders addiction. (Or maybe i’m already addicted). I guess I should spend more time outside online life, like doing gyms to lose weight or working on big project. However, I believe I should not really really stop and disconnect, coz I believe in the power of online connections. And, urgh, no matter how I hate to say that term, social media is THE place, THE thing to go for 2009, and probably a few more years. I believe immersing in this stuff (I just hate saying that term for no reason, sorry) will benefit me greatly in the long run.

So yeah. Phew. I finished it before it’s new year. (it’s 23:53 when I’m writing these letters right now)

Here’s a greeting of Happy New Year to all my readers and wishing you all the good things! (coz I’m too lazy to specify the things)

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!!!

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