Dr. A. Noel's Clinic

As requested, a pic of my room and one of me and my room mate too! haha...we're gonna go out and have "reunion" dinner here haha...2 singaporeans, 1 german, 1 irish, 3 americans.

1) You practice piano 2 hours a day (1 hour on major scales and arpeggios only)
2) Your teachers all play gigs on the side
3) Your teachers skip class to play gigs
4) Your teacher refers to random kick drum sounds in 7/8 time as "COOL"
5) You tell a music joke and everybody(somebody) laughs
6) You carry manuscript paper instead of foolscap paper
7) You and your friends gather in a room to practice for a music tech paper
8) You can discuss tensions and and people understand you
9) 80% of students have long hair, and 80% of them are guys
10) You really don't mind(enjoy) working real hard to get this degree

Its been a pretty busy week. Classes starting and all...homework is piling up...haha.
Most of it is actually just practicing piano and singing solfege.

My teachers are pretty kewl. My ear training teacher is this taiwanese woman and she speaks with the super hong kong accent! haha...damn funny...i cant help but snigger in class!

Made a few more friends over here...but i kinda think i've got my "possy" laid out already...its like 4 of us guys have been quizzing each other and hanging out in my room at night. 1 german guy Chris, 2 US dudes my rm mate and steven from cali, and ME. Theres also like this scottish chick who likes to hang out with us...or shd i say the other guys...haha i think she has a problem with me but oh well! eek!. I've this major crush on this japanese chick living one floor above me...we take some classes together, apparently she was a model for dell computers as well as a runway model! damn hot lar...haha...oh well..probably out of my league. Haha i know i was supposed to go after ang mo girls rite...but then there are like ALOT of guys here...and very few girls haiz...

Matt's still doing his little "dance" to every new person we meet about singapore's strict laws and we still get the same (Jaw dropping) reactions haha...damn funny..

Okok here are some that u requested...none of me though
This is the building right next to my school..

This is my room window....its actually a "western union" sign but matt taped it up so it looks like that

This is Matt.

This is my main school building!..

Its been ok these few day. Got my schedule today but its not settled yet...Gonna try to change up some classes so i get a free day on tuesday! haha

Everyones been joking bout how strict singapore laws are after i told them haha...like michael fay thing and death penalty for drugs and all...

Its been 3 days at school already and I've done alot. Did my auditions with a bleeding index finger (silly me went to get it caught between my luggage and bed post! haha) It hurt but i survived the Ginastera! They made me play lotsa sight reading and blues inprov...apparently I'm not a beginner and I know more than I think I do...so they put me in Reading 3 and Comping 2, there are only 3 levels for each so i'm a good reader and a so so accompanist haha...hope that goes well

Did this weird and LONG test on music skill and man was i wrecking my brains! Like all the stuff i learnt in school is coming back! Apparently the more u know, the longer u take for that exam causde ur supposed to stop if ur unsure of the answers. I was the last man standing! haha...i think was just slow!

English test again today and yeah it feel weird doing reading comprehension tests when u were teaching it like a couple months b4! Man i was answering questions right up to the last minute! Got tired of reading after a while!

Other than that the food has been great! Lke western food everyday every meal buffet style! and drinks too...breakfast is good too i had bacon and pancakes and cerial this morning! Yummy and they serve starbuck coffee free flow too...i made my own caramel macchiato this morning!...Unfortunately, i forgot about having lunch today cause was too busy getting stuff done...got a new line over here...number is 617-543-2732...so i'll not be using my singapore line from tomorrow onwards.

Made a few friends already. My room mate is kewl...Matthew Liedike. He brought a microwave, fridge, tv dvd player and a full sized keyboard to our room...hes also a piano major and he can play Rachmaninovs 3 piano concerto! neat stuff!

Met this dude from south africa, Pual Mayers. Hes not bad too...hes 27 and has 2 degrees already 1 in computers and another in jazz music!...i dun even know wat hes doing here haha...but yeah we've been joking around and faking accents together!

This other guy Andy Gagliano from florida plays the drums and he let me keep my laptop at his place when it was raining! nice guy man!

Made another friend today. This guy called John Stevens. Hes like 18 years old and i took my engllish test with him. Pretty kewl dude and is here for vocal performance. OKOKOK i wont act already! Hes the john stevens from american Idol! sheesh! hes damn tall lar but hes a nice guy and we chatte for a while. Weird thing is the last album I actually aquired in Singapore was HIS! haha....

Anyhow its weird how pple are damn surprised that i can speak english! haha...like they go "wat do u speak?" and i say english they will like freak out...its crazy. Andy's first comment after i sed i was from singapore is "how is your english so good?" apparently most pple think singaporeans are from china or sumthin! I've been "reaction" accenting my english here...haha so most pple understand me...weird thing is when i talk to paul i use british accent! haha...ok i'm screwed up man

Well thats most of the update i have for now...in the library now to gotta skoot!...see u guys online soon!!!

Ok its my last hour at home b4 heading for the airport!, My aunts are here with me haha as expected!...i'm feelin kinda numb lar...like all the excitement for too long died off oh well..i guess i'll feel it all at the airport and plane trip!

Its been great knowing u guys!...i'll write a nicer post when i get there!

Thanx to all those who are gonna send me off and who gave me well wishes b4 i leave! I'l miss u guys muchly! We'll meet again at the end of the year for sure!

See u all later!

GUYS AND GALS! pls come MOS on thursday! Vote my little (not so little) sis in her SMU pageant!
Go here to signup and vote for SAMANTHA!

Entry at MOS door is $16, $14 bucks if u book thru me NOW!!! Please come and we can get sloshed! Would be great to have one last outing with u guys b4 i leave.
lights-out-bash.blogspot.com

I'm always like that...its like 1 hour b4 i leave and i'm still packing!...haha...Hong Kong beckons but i haven't had any sleep tonight...maybe its the excitement! haha...
Had a great new year...rather quiet i must say! But meaningful to spend it with family for dinner and later with close friends at Joyce's humble abode.
This year is rather nostalgic for me as its probably my last in Singapore. I'm off to Boston for 4 years on 17th jan. I'll miss u guys lots! Hopefully i can come back for christmas next year!
Can't wait for Hong Kong!!! Oh my oh my! gonna be plenty of shopping and dim sum! wohoo!

Oh yeah heres a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Timmy who turns 21 on new year's day! May u have lotsa great times this year...and pls lar 21 is not old...uncle here is gonna be 22 in like a month!

Pics from family gathering at Grandma's Place:
Me and Popo!

Becky and me
candid shot of beckz!

Pics from new year's eve gathering at joyce's: