RIMB Japan Trip: Days 0-1

Although the trip was advertised as starting on the 9^th, our flight actually departed Changi Airport at 1am on the 10^th of June. Nevertheless, we assembled in school at 6pm to move instruments, although I left the house at 6.15…


Our dear Raffles Institution/Raffles Junior College

When I got there, most of the moving had already been done, and I quickly made sure my stuff was in order, then joined in the waiting for the lorry. The lorry came, was loaded, and went, and we then waited an hour for the buses to the airport.

The band room


Same


Clocktower by night


The three J2s


Bertrand


The lorry


Bertrand and Samuel during our camera flash war


Me during same


Camwhore!

We arrived at the new Terminal 3 at about 9, and found that Mr Oura had checked in already. I was assigned 52K, a right side window seat. After checking in and taking photos, we had some time before we had to enter the airside zone. Paul, Shuotian, Bertrand and I took the opportunity to have some dinner at Swensens, and to cut a long story short, this left me with SG$80 more and Y10000 less than I would have liked. A quick visit to the viewing mall produced only my reflection and a glimpse of 9V-SKA, so I gave up.

The icon of Changi Airport


Our instruments


The three of us friends in Terminal 3


I have no idea what this is, I think it's a ventilation unit.


With our teacher, Mr Takehiro Oura


Paul just after meeting his family at the airport


The Topless 5 from Swensens, 5 scoops for $8.20


Bertrand and Paul happily enjoying their ice-cream


Our flight

At about 11, we cleared customs, then proceeded to gate A19, which is at the south end of the terminal. We made quite good use of the intra-T3 Skytrain, arriving there before the gate had even opened. We passed the time with a game of Munchkin Fu, as well as some spotting, although everything there was a 777-200

T3 Airside


A concourse


Paul and Mr Oura


Feels like the USA


A game of Munchkin Fu


Gate A19

Boarding was called at 12:40. We boarded and swapped seats around so as to sit with our friends. Sadly Bertrand did not get his window seat, but it was night, so there wasn’t much to see. We pushed back a little late, then taxied over the south cross, then up taxiway EP for a runway 20C departure.

Our aircraft, a Boeing 777-212ER, 9V-SRL

The cabin interior (economy class obviously)

The view from my mirror seat

Another cabin view

After pushback and engine start - gotta love those Trent 892s

The takeoff represented the end of 3 years of waiting, and a culmination of our efforts to make a trip happen. We passed over the chalet where we had our RJC band chalet a while back, then over the Meaning of Life, before climbing up to FL380.

As it was an early morning flight, no dinner was served. There was a snack service consisting of either a mango and shrimp sandwich or a chicken roll. I had the sandwich, which I enjoyed a lot. After attempting (and failing) to find anything nice on Krisworld, I then caught some shut-eye somewhere near Sarawak. I think this is the first flight I didn’t even bother unwrapping the headphones, even on a SIN-KUL flight I took I watched a bit of Pirates.

Dimmed cabin lights

The obligatory aircraft toilet shot for A.NET

Dinner

Unboxed dinner

Light on the horizon

I woke up to a beautiful dawn over Manila. Most of the cabin was asleep, however, so I just relaxed and read Sherman’s Lagoon to pass the time. About 1 and a half hours later, breakfast was served. They had run out of the western selection, which was a classic omelette/hashbrown/sausage thing, so I was left with the saba (mackerel) and rice. I liked the saba, and the bread and muffins, but that was about it. The vegetables left a lot to be desired.

Daylight cabin

And then the ocean glows

Shuotian

Later on during the flight

Rather substandard for SIA

Our flight

3 J2s aboard our 777

Unfortunately contrary to my predictions, we landed on runway 6R, not 24L, which means that all I saw during the landing were the sea and the big letters KANSAI. We touched down on the massive aircraft carrier at about 7:30am local time, before taxiing off the runway. There was quite a bit of good stuff to spot even at this early hour, especially since we taxied around the entire terminal to get to the last gate on the opposite side, gate 41.

Spoilers up


Flaps 20, gear down, autobrake 3, continuous ignition on, landing lights on... what are we waiting for?


Runway vacated


RJBB's taxiways


Overview of the longest terminal in the world


ANA's 737-781ER Gold Jet


ANA 767-381ER


Viva Italia


Vive La France


Air China 737


Japan Airlines 767-346ER JA601J

After deplaning, we took the shuttle train to the arrivals counters. Although there was a short queue, we passed through quickly as more counters were being opened. We collected bags and instruments, then passed through customs.

Stylish air vents


China Eastern A319-112


RJBB_TWR


Our bird, Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-212ER 9V-SRL


And again

We assembled outside arrivals, performed some checks, then boarded 2 buses to take us around. Our guide, Akiko-san, greeted us warmly. Curiously, we never saw her for the rest of the trip, until the flight home. We passed over the bridge connecting the aircraft carrier to the mainland, and entered Osaka.

Baggage claim

The arrival hall


Big screen TV


Mr Jee and his SLR


We have truly entered the land of the rising sun


Osaka-shi


An array of unconscious people including Paul...


Samuel...


Bertrand (semi-conscious)


and Shuotian

I fell asleep around this point, and woke up as we were nearing the town of Nara, famed for its Deer Park, as well as Todaijin temple, with the largest bronze Buddha in the world. I found the place to be a very interesting one, with its intricate sculptures and cute deer. Unfortunately we did not have much time, but I found the experience to be an interesting one.

Parallel parking of buses


Nara Deer Park


Doe, a deer...


A large wooden gate to Todaijin


Closeup


3 of us at the gate


There are two huge wooden statues in the gatehouse


Another gatehouse


The actual temple itself


Same


Again


Paul and Shuotian


The architecture of classical Japan is amazing. The temple was apparently burned down twice and rebuilt, this one's more than 300-400 years old


Various RI kids playing with incense


Paul and Shuotian


This is the biggest bronze Buddha in the world


One of his disciples


Paul, Shuotian and a monk


A model of the first version of the temple. By this point Shuotian was commenting on the similarities to Jade Empire


This hole is apparently the same size as Buddha's nostril (or at least the statue). If you can crawl through it you get good luck and health. Most people tried, I posed but didn't, seeing as how it took 4 people to push and pull Shuotian through


Myself next to the hole


Paul went through


Apparently this monk never finished his training, he was too lazy, so he's made to sit outside


The lawn outside the temple


Paul and the lawn


The lake


Oh deer

My camera died at this point, so hopefully I get Paul's photos

We headed for lunch, which was a quick buffet in Nara. I love Japanese food, even if it’s not the completely traditional variety. We then headed back to Osaka to find the Osaka Toin Senior High School for an exchange.

The city area of Nara

This was a good place for lunch, buffet-style with rice, soba (which was to become common during our trip), meats, omelette, saba, ice kachang etc

The band is very large, with 175 members , 5 of whom were baritone saxophonists. Japanese bands do live up to their reputations of being good, they certainly did not disappoint, even when sight-reading The Merry Widow. One of the baritone saxophonists was, as he himself put it, crazy. We were also conducted by the principal clarinetist of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra.

This is one out of two of the main rehearsal rooms of the symphony hall

Old Glory, as it were

Nice welcome

My best friend and I

2 horny guys

You can clearly see the effort put in by the band to welcome us. Apparently my fellow "crazy Japanese comedian" baritone saxophonist was responsible for this

3 Japanese band girls

The sign for the band building

After the exchange, we had dinner, meeting an ex-RJC Japanese teacher on the way to the university where we had dinner. We did a nice, loud, Singapore-style Yam Seng for the Japanese band, then proceeded for dinner. I served as an amateur translator for some people, and even managed to crack a few jokes (about Samuel) in Japanese. Bertrand went one step further and started flirting with one of the girls.

We presented the saxophones with an RI polo T-shirt as a parting gift. On it, we wrote the Chinese words for Singapore and Japan on it, with a large heart. We then headed for our hotel in Osaka, the New Hankyu Hotel.

Paul and I with the principal clarinetist of Osaka Philharmonic

Night view of Osaka

Our bus

Osaka by night

My impression of Japanese students has not changed. For some reason they seem to regard anyone who can speak the most basic of Japanese as wonderful people, and I was a little embarrassed. They are also friendly and courteous, and I think Singaporeans do have a lot to learn. So far, I am enjoying the time I’ve spent with RIMB, especially the 3 of us from my batch. I think tomorrow, in Universal Studios Japan, will prove to be a fun-filled day as well.

Another thing, our hotel is opposite an 8-story high electronics superstore. I hope we get the chance to go there, Mr Oura did mention the place to me a while back.

The End Of All Things

Wednesday was the (official, I intend to play for SIBF) conclusion of my school band life. The investiture was pretty expected, and I went for Rwinds comm meeting after that. I wish our section were more bonded, but it's too late now.

The band chalet was quite fun. I spotted Korean Air Cargo's BCF, United's 747-400 and 777-200, a JAL 777-200 and of course our dear SIA, among others. Activities included mahjong, multiplayer Guitar Hero III and taboo.

I also attended the Lord of the Rings Symphony, I rather enjoyed it, and the orchestra was better than what I was told to expect. I think that the first half could be shorter and the second longer, but that's personal preference.

I'm finally, after 3 years, flying to Japan tonight, with the RIMB! This should be very fun, and I look forward to it. See you all in a week, with lots of photos I hope.

A Tempo XIX

Well, the big event of the year, probably my last concert in the Esplanade, unless we get into the SIBF finals or I get into SAF band. I'm not going to lie and say that this was the most meaningful day of my life, or that this was the most satisfying concert I've played in, because that honour still belongs to Prometheum XI. However, it was still a good night. I won't go into too much details about the moving process, since they're relatively similar to the usual, except for a few interesting details.

1. I managed to leave my notes to people at home. Then I bought new ones at J8. Then I left those in the varese -.-. Luckily I managed to source some spares from Ziluo to use.

2. The truck devolved into one without a lift, although that may have decreased loading time a little.

3. I never knew there was a stage door near the bus stop/mall side of the Esplanade, first floor near the library

So we did the usual, lunch and dinner both had chili sadly. It was ok though, lunch was mild and I swiped a vegetarian dinner, which was pretty nice. Met Calvin too, who would be filming us.

Of course, before the concert, there was a mad exchange of giving gifts and notes and receiving them. I gave out stuff ranging from a DVD to a box of "Chicken McNuggets", and received... absolutely nothing, other than notes I mean. Not totally unexpected though.

During the tuning session, we had a short prayer session, as well as a few "inspirational speeches", including one by Shuotian reminding us all not to worry, as "all our mistakes will be recorded in HD" Not, I think, the best way to soothe the nerves.

One thing I noticed about the Esplanade stage is that you can't hear the balance properly from wherever you are. In my case everything else was drowned out by the trombones.

Our first piece was Army of the Nile, with Mr Oura walking in halfway. I think we did pretty well, and the song brought back fond memories of RIMB 2006.

St Anthony's Variations was next. Apparently this song was well-liked. Personally I find it quite strange, but to each his own, and I guess if the audience liked it and it was well-played, it was a success.

American Salute, some say, was the worst song of the concert. However that is not to say that it was not played well, and personally I found it good. Which means that the concert as a whole must have been good.

I find Romanza a nice song to listen to, and quite emotional, but, in a word, boring. For me, anyway, the score consists of about 8 notes with a time value of less than 2 seconds. Still, it does provide a welcome break from the first 3 blasting songs.

Saga Maligna was arguably one of our two best songs of the evening. I love the piece itself, it epitomises the sound of the band and it is majestic, light and grand all at once. I almost cried during God in Heaven. However, the key word here is almost. When I listen to the recording it sounds great, and there was no real problem, I just felt kind of unsatisfied. Maybe I set my expectations too high, or maybe Mr Oura's interpretation of it differed from mine. Nevertheless, it seems to have impressed people.

The intermission was a boring one, nothing much to say here.

Jinjun must have enjoyed Florentiner Marsch, seeing as how he was the conductor. Nice of him to let me play the tenor horn melody parts. I think we did this one well, and it must have been good for Jinjun too, to be conducting at the Esplanade, and conducting well. I think we all owe him something for his musical guidance.

I love Monument. It ties with Saga and Titanic Medley as my favourite piece of the concert. Again, though, I still felt something missing from the climax at 198. But yet again, my expectations for this part were, I think, too high, considering we had about 1/5 of the horns that would have been ideal. Besides that, Monument was, as a certain junior of mine put it, Monumental.

Titanic Medley... I really can't describe how it felt playing this song. Memories of my batch, my time in RIMB welled up and in the end, during the saxophone soli, where my first solo was played during Investiture 2006, I couldn't hold it in. I just let go completely and let my emotions and tears run. They kept running too, all the way until the end, as I just played my heart out. After the song, I couldn't turn the page to the next song, I just stared at it, until Mr Oura raised his baton for the next piece.

I suppose after Titanic, I let out all my emotions because I didn't feel much during the next few songs, except pride in our music and happiness and enjoyment playing the pieces. Our next piece was Utada Hikaru Vocal Selections comprising First Love and Addicted to You. For some reason this reminded me of the Japan exchange back in'05. The audience enjoyed the solos by Jeremy, Jinjun and Matthew immensely.

The final piece of the concert was Jounetsu Tairiku. I'm a bit disappointed in myself for not coming out more during the saxophone feature, exemplified by this:

Me(to Jinjun) : Ask (your friend) how the baritone saxophone was
Jinjun (on phone): How was the baritone saxophone?
Jinjun (quoting to me: HAH, got baritone saxophone meh?

Yeah. But other than that, the song is fun. Also, listening to the recordings, I heard the oboe solo for the first time!

The audience kept calling for encores, so we decided to give them two. In it's third year serving as an RJCSB encore piece, Takarajima brought the house down with it's lively tune and hyped up rhythms and sax solo. Tico Tico, a Latin samba, was equally as popular, and equally as enjoyable to play.

Following the concert we presented Mr Oura with a pair of boxing gloves (both meant for the same hand). While he was walking up, a bunch of his fangirls suddenly ran after him and hugged him passionately. I love Mr Oura too, but even for me, I probably wouldn't hug him. Would like to find a way to express my appreciation for all that he's done, which is more than I could ever say, and I really respect him as a teacher, conductor and musician.

In the end I feel as a whole that the concert was a rousing success. The audience thought we played brilliantly, and everyone left the concert happy. I guess no matter how divided our band has been, we, for a brief moment of time, felt as one.

For me the concert probably didn't mean as much as others, since this wouldn't be my last concert with Mr Oura, let alone my last concert at all. But I do feel for people like Jinjun, whom this concert would be the last for.

I also want to thank some people. There were my friends from RJ who came down, such as Meiyi, Zhou Chen, Bryan, Yuling, Jiejing etc, of course. As mentioned above, I owe a lot to Mr Oura, for his musical skills and teaching, for being the only reason I stuck with RJCSB all the way. My batch, divided as it is, managed to pull through this concert in the end. And there's one more group I'd like to thank, as an encore. The RIMB members who came down to support us in this concert, too many to name. I felt like a celebrity, coming out of the stage door to a hero's welcome from them, and the number of blog posts praising our concert from them has been astounding. I think hearing their comments and praise is what has made this concert for me.

To the RIMB - Thanks for supporting and for helping me when I was down, providing a place where I could be welcomed and cheered up.

To the RJCSB - Thanks for providing a place to further my musical skills, to my batch, for pulling through in the end, for giving me a night that I'll never forget

Most of all, to Mr Oura - Thanks for everything, over the past 6 years, for all your musical guidance, humour and imparted discipline and wisdom, for teaching me what it means to be in a band.

The Final Lap

So Saturday was our last official band practice as a batch, and the last before the concert. Following that, we had a sleepover at Jiamin's house, which was quite fun. I think overall one of the better successes we've had at batch outings. We did stuff like mahjong, Finding Nemo and Guitar Hero. Also, we went to ECP for breakfast.

Today's the day we've been working for, A Tempo XIX. I dont' doubt our musical standard, as was the worry before Prometheum, although the usual nervousness is there. Our repertoire is brilliant, and we're playing to the Esplanade.

What I do hope is that I can still feel that emotional rush on stage I get from performing, that sensation of the band playing as one, of the beautiful music flowing from our bells. Let's make tonight a night to remember, a show of power our audience won't soon forget!

Some photos:

Prometheum XII

Almost 2 years after a highly successful Prometheum XI, it was time for the next of the series, Prometheum XII at VCH again. With about 80% of the hall sold the day before the concert started, it was looking to be a good show. Furthermore, the band had been practicing relentlessly, so I expected that they would not disappoint.

After school ended I went down to the Atrium to watch the fun. Turns out the truck hadn't arrived yet, so people were mostly stoning. I was amazed by the efficiency of the band though, managing to load up and leave less than 20 minutes after the truck arrived. Pity the sec 4s weren't allowed to ride the truck though.

After a long time in the afternoon, my batch, or half of it anyway, set off for VCH, traditionally ending up late after a rush to eat and buy stuff in Raffles City before. As a result, I missed most of Wind Harmony March, so I can't really say anything about that piece.

St Florian's Chorale was quite ok, but I found the piece relatively boring, being a chorale. Well played though.

After that, we moved in front to get a better view and sound, and I remember the next few pieces being relatively alright, although clarinet squeaks were prominent. Merry Widow brought back a few choice memories, definitely.

Intermission was even more chaotic than usual, owing to the new practice of VCH closing off the backstage area. I saw quite a few people there, ranging from my former chemistry teacher to Han Sheng to a certain person affectionately known as the 156 guy.

The ensembles were really good this time, especially Samuel's. While I'm still upset that we didn't get to play for A Tempo, hearing Samuel pull off Monsters Inc. was quite fun. I'm amazed by his, and the rest of the ensemble's standards.

I can't remember that much about the first two songs of the second half, unfortunately, except for Comedian's Gallop, which featured Ben on the marimba. That was quite good, I think.

A Day at the Circus was probably the highlight of the concert, with Ms Jacq Sim as the "ringmistress", and all in all, a nice performance by both the band and the Sec 1s, bringing back memories of The Hustle in Prometheum X.

I wanted to should "Good Stuff!" after Bandwagon, echoing Prometheum XI, but in the end, I forgot. Still, the song brought back memories of that concert, and I still remember the music then.

The encore was a new thing, but it was nicely played. Interestingly we wanted to throw a flower on stage, but Jeremy missed. In the end, after the concert, Chester went to give Mr Oura the flower, which I noticed him giving to Ms Jacq Sim afterward.

On the way down I had a chat with a rather strange group involving myself, Quan Hui, Mr Oura and the VCH stage manager. Following that, I went to talk with the band guys until their truck and bus came.

Musically, Prometheum XII was at least on par with Prometheum XI. Nothing spectacular, but quite entertaining and definitely worth the money. But I think more than that, this concert has been a success because RIMB has maintained the spirit we left it in Prometheum XI, across all the batches. From what Jerald tells me, there weren't really many attitude problems, and despite daily practices even on public holidays, the morale was high. This was also evident in the fast moving of instruments before and after the concert, although to be fair, all the alumni pitched in after the concert as well, from Quanhui to David's batch.

I realise that despite my best efforts to move on with my life in RJ, in my heart, I haven't left RIMB. As my life in RSB becomes progressively screwed up and less satisfying, I yearn more and more for RIMB. Sure, RIMB may not be of a high standard, not getting gold with honours or putting on a musically perfect concert. But what does this matter? I've never held with results, only the effort put in and the satisfaction of the members knowing they've done their best. All this is evident in RIMB, but not in the band I'm currently in. The band I'm in now is too results oriented and too cliquey. The message it sends its members is that the effort put in is second to the results, something I've never held with. The result is that we are a divided band, and that arrogance and a winner-takes-all superiority complex is bred. When a person practices a solo daily for 4 months only to have it taken by someone who doesn't even come for practices half the time, it's evident that the place is not a conducive one.

The main reasons I loved band in RIMB are simply not present in RSB. RIMB had, and still has, teachers-in-charge who are committed to the welfare of the band and its members, instead of threatening the band members and acting against the interests of the band. RIMB had, and still has, the best band major and deputy band major combination I have ever seen. Jerald and Samuel together have done a lot more than any top 2 I've seen so far, and I believe that Prometheum XII would not have been the success it was without them. RIMB had, and still has, a good executive committee who are passionate about serving the band. RIMB has, and still has, a close-knit batch of sec 4s, more so than we were, who are musical powerhouses and strong batch potential. Most importantly, RIMB will always have that sense of belonging and of appreciation, the sense that no matter how good you are, the band appreciates you and values you for your effort and your love for it.

The thing that I will remember the most about Thursday night was after the concert. Just before leaving, Jerald came up to me and hugged me, thanking me for coming and for all the help. Bryan, the good sax-lww SL, also expressed much appreciation and welcome, more than I deserve. Not just in VCH on Thursday, but all the time. Whenever I walk into the band room after RI prac or during extra practices, I'm always welcomed with a smile and open arms by people like Jerald, Bryan, Samuel, Lucas, David and so on. My section too, always greets me warmly. Even having graduated from RIMB for two years, I'm still made to feel at home, by great people such as them. In RSB, I'm made to feel alienated, in an environment that makes a prison feel warm and cozy, where everyone is as united as an asteroid belt on the senior side, and a planet, united, but with several moons of isolated people on the junior side. My own section's dynamics are screwed up, with a fragmented upper and a lower side with obvious alienation of someone. When I talked about this with Jeremy and Paul, I had two reactions. Jeremy asked why we (the band) should care about all this, while Paul told me that I shouldn't say bad stuff about RSB so close to the end. If Jeremy, and the band, feel that way, then isn't that the problem. No one cares about anything except results and testimonials. Paul may be right, but if that's the way I feel, what else can I say? I'm not going to cover it up and say that RSB is the best band in the world, because it's not. That honour goes to my true home, RIMB.

I miss Prometheum XI.
I miss my batch.
I miss the Sec 2s, Sec 4s now and looking to trump my batch in everything from music to spirit.
I miss moving percs and loading them RI style.
I miss the gold buttoned uniform and the green/black/white tie of the uniform.
I miss the warmth and the feeling of family.
I miss the band cheer.

I miss RIMB. Thank you for teaching me how a band should really be like.

Wall-E

.

Perhaps my last post might have been a bit scathing, if not unfair. Still, I do believe that a Japan trip is still possible. All that is needed are some concrete details, especially on the price side. Giving a maximum price isn't a good way to gauge interest, and the actual price is needed. Also some alumni members are interested to go, so it's a matter of the school allowing that, which, quite frankly, i see no reason why not.

Of course, I'm not going to come off looking good. If I keep pushing for it the way I have been, I'll probably be labelled some deranged psychotic troublemaker who just refuses to quit. Perhaps I should. I've already got people talking behind my back anyway. But then I believe that I'm not the only person in the batch who wants this trip, and who never had and probably never will have such a chance. There's nothing to lose for the half of the band that doesn't want to go, but for the half that does, there's much to lose if we don't. It's not going to be easy, but if I wanted an easy job I would have joined the Red Cross.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organising an Overseas Trip

Step 1. Find a destination - Japan is ideal. Find an agent. Planning a successful trip on your own is impossible unless you have some knowledge of airline websites, hotel websites and the Frommer's Guides.

Step 2. Come up with a good itenary - quite hard, but doable. Disney is a good way to please the people going. A good concert never hurt anyone either. It should look quite well thought out. Don't cut costs - even if a cheaper, better alternative is available, don't consider it.

Step 3. Convince people to go. This is remarkably easy when a subsidy is available, but if one is not, it doesn't hurt to mention one anyway. If you are the overriding source of the money, it helps to offer a subsidy just to get interest going. You can always withdraw it later anyway.

Step 4. Don't reveal the dates and prices. Although this may scare a few people away, it adds a good element of surprise. Instead, reveal the month (at least), and a safe maximum price, preferably one that should be able to get you a good trip somewhere farther, such as the USA. This gives a wide safety margin.

Step 5. The fewer the number of people, the better. It helps persuade people to go if you use basic statistic theory. For instance, instead of multiplying your results and your sample size at the same time, just multiply the sample size. This makes the number look smaller than it actually is.

Step 6. Do not give ample time to the people going to consider any changes, and demand an immediate answer from them. Inefficiency will not be tolerated.

Step 7. If there are too few people, so be it. Asking for other people who might want to go to join in is sacrilege, it taints the sacred organisation you belong to. Even those who once belonged to the organisation do not deserve the exclusive privelege.

Step 8. Never use profits from previous events to fund the trip, or allow others to do so. Think of all the needy sportsmen who could benefit as a result of the hard-earned profits.

Step 9. A simple straw poll will usually do to gauge numbers. There is no need to waste precious energy, effort, time and money to conduct a proper poll using email or sms, since the people who didn't go for the straw poll do not deserve to be considered, no matter how legitimate the excuse.

Step 10. Corporations are evil. It is wrong to accept a few tens of thousands of dollars from them in exchange for putting their logo somewhere on the brochures for the event, even if you need the money.

Step 11. Should any of the members in the organisation try to work in order to gain money for the trip, reprimand them immediately. This is highly deplorable behaviour which needs to be rooted out.

Step 12. Always promise more than you can deliver. Hope, even false hope, is something the whole world thrives on.

Thank you for reading through this short sample on organising an overseas trip. Please contact the author if you would like further advice. As a special gift for reading this far, you can receive a bonus hint, below. This bonus hint can be applied to all situations, not just this one

BONUS HINT: Always do everything yourself. It is childish, immature and weak to ask for help. If you cannot handle it, bluff. The plebians are not worthy of your attention, and the aristocracy should be content in doing their assigned jobs.

Japan

I still remember the events of 2005 very clearly. The wild anticipation I had when Mr Oura announced that the band would be going to Tokyo. The crushing sense of my dream brought down the next day when my mother told me I had no choice but to go on the exchange. The tears brought on as I fought and lost, until that moment of resignation when I boarded JA701J to Tokyo - without the band.

Even after JA731J, incidentally the same 777-346ER the band flew back on, touched down in Changi Airport on the 16th of June, I never really got over the sense of being cheated, of having hoped and longed for something only to have it brought down. Up to today the dark memories of that linger.

In the beginning of this year there was hope again, talk of a concert in Fukui, Japan. I was happy that, despite the gloominess of the A levels, there was at least the trip in June to look forward to.

Today came another announcement. One that a part of me is telling me is not final, but on the other hand, another side of me is resigned to it. Will I not get the chance to enjoy the sensation of the 747-412 or A380-841 taking off, lifting off the ground in Changi, landing on 34L of Narita 6 hours later? The long bus rides with the band to various places? Enjoying Disneyland with Paul and Shuyi?

It's even worse this time because at least in 2005, the exchange went quite well. Now, all I have to look forward to is the dark and dreary CTs...

United States.

I've just watched Pixar's Cars again, and I'm reminded that it is still my favourite Pixar film so far. The general opinion of the film is that it is the weakest Pixar film. For the life of me, I can't think of why, but perhaps I'm biased.

Besides the obvious fact that I like cars, I can't help but see that Cars (the film) focuses on another one of my loves - the United States. Hardly the political aspects of the United States, definitely. But the physical geography, especially of the Western USA, and the general culture of the USA is something that appeals to me. Not that I'd want to live there permanently, but I would dearly love to revisit California, Washington and Arizona, among others, sometime soon.

2008

Happy new year to everyone! Yesterday was pretty eventful, and enjoyable.

The day started rather depressingly, I must admit. Jeremy asked Shuotian, Wen Chong, Roger and myself to meet in Orchard at 12pm. I left the house a bit late, at 11:45. So, I called Jeremy.

Me: Jeremy, I'll be a bit late, I just left

Jeremy: Don't worry I'm still at home

Me (sms to Shuotian): Apparently Jeremy's still at home

Shuotian: Lol so am I

Well, at least you can still count on our batch in one area, we're always late. So I reached Orchard at 12:20, went to Wheelock. Jeremy came a bit later, about 12:45. Shuotian came at around 1, and we went to the Apple shop.

Lunch at BK, where Wench and Roger showed up. By the time we finished it was 1:30. We decided not to go to the nuclear bunker, as planned, but to Cineleisure. The high prices there put us off, and we decided then to go to the arcade.

When we finished, it was 2:30. I decided to cab to the airport, as I was afraid I'd miss Paul there, since his flight, Cathay 739, arrived at 3:25. Passing Somerset MRT, I called Bertrand to check on the flight.

Bugger. Not only did the plane arrive early, at 3:03, the active runway was 2L, which meant the taxi time would be short. I raced down Orchard Road trying to find a cab, eventually boarding one at 3:01.

Fortunately I managed to contact Paul as we were driving under the South Cross. Even more fortunately, the Aircraft was 747-467 B-HUF, which meant the turnaround would be short.

Eventually I met Paul at about 3:50, fortunately. Man it was nice to see him again. I also met Calvin at the airport, but with nothing to see, we just went to my house.

Paul came around 9, but Calvin left for the airport. The two of us spent some time talking and doing random stuff, then headed for Padang at about 10+

We met Jinjun there, and found a nice spot. Jinjun soon left to find the rest of the batch, and Paul and I spent more time lying there and catching up on things.

The rest of the band showed up, followed, strangely, by Calvin. We spent a bit more time talking and speculating until the fireworks started.

The fireworks were good by Singapore standards, but after experiencing Disney's magic, I was unimpressed.

After the fireworks, Chester managed to get his bag stolen... Lucky him I guess.. We spent some time looking for it, but gave up in the end.

We basically just walked around randomly until the last MRT trains before heading home, myself by MRT and cab since the non-city buses stopped running.


2007 began really badly, and for me, the rest of the year followed suit. A year when our band batch, the closest friends I had, tore apart like a piece of paper. A year of stress and depression. And yet, hope never did fail. I did have some close friends by my side, and toward the end of the year, things began to improve. I think the last day of the year was symbolic of this. It started rather depressingly, and our batch meeting was almost cancelled. Yet, after that meeting with Paul at the airport, and Jinjun's call, things picked up. Let's hope 2008 does the same.

2008 will be eventful, very eventful. Academically, we have the A levels coming up. In the aviation scene, there's Singapore Aerospace 2008, the flight and delivery of the Boeing 787, Changi's Terminal 3 and many more things happening. Musically, Play 08 at the PAC, A Tempo XIX at the Esplanade, a Japan trip and Coda 4 at VCH should make life very interesting. Finally, I hope our batch can become closer, hopefully even with an overseas trip after A levels.

As an aside, I know I've said this a lot, but I really appreciate Paul. Seeing him at the airport made me feel really happy, and I think he felt the same way. Lying down with him on the Padang, just touching base and talking, further reinforced this. Of all my friends, he's really the one who I feel most comfortable with, who I can just be myself around. Even though we've known each other for 5 years, I only really got to know him better in November last year, something which I really regret now. I'd just like to quote the bible.

Proverbs 18:24

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

I really feel as though he's been closer than a brother to me. A Remy to my Emile, someone who can comfort me when I'm down and share my joy with me. If you ever read this, thanks Paul. I owe you a lot, and I love you (heterosexually speaking)

Le Festin

Les rêves des amoureux sont comm’(e) le bon vin
Ils donn(ent) de la joie ou bien du chagrin
Affaibli par la faim je suis malheureux
Volant en chemin tout ce que je peux
Car rien n’est gratuit dans la vie

L’espoir est un plat bien trop vite consommé
A sauter les repas je suis habitué
Un voleur solitaire est triste à nourrir
A un jeu si amer je n’peux réussir
Car rien n’est gratuit dans…

La vie… Jamais on ne me dira
Que la course aux étoiles; ça n’est pas pour moi
Laissez moi vous émerveiller et prendre mon en vol
Nous allons en fin nous régaler

La fêt(e) va enfin commencer
Sortez les bouteilles; finis les ennuis
Je dresse la table, de ma nouvell(e) vie
Je suis heureux à l’idée de ce nouveau destin
Une vie à me cacher et puis libre enfin
Le festin est sur mon chemin

Une vie à me cacher et puis libre enfin
Le festin est sur mon chemin


English lyrics:

Dreams are to lovers as wine is to friends
Carried through lifetimes, (and) spilled now and then
I am driven by hunger, so saddened to be
Thieving in darkness; I know you’re not pleased
But nothing worth eating is free

My hope is a banquet impatiently downed
Impossibly full, now I’ll probably drown
Many thieves’ lives are lonely with one mouth to feed
If giving means taking, I’ll never succeed
For nothing worth stealing is…

Free at last; won’t be undersold
Surviving isn’t living; won’t eat what I’m told
Let me free, I’ll astonish you; I’m planning to fly
I won’t let this party just pass me by

The banquet is now underway, so…
Bring out the bottles; a new tale has spun
In clearing this table, my new life’s begun
I am nervous, excited; (oh) just read the marquee!
A lifetime of hiding; I’m suddenly free!
My dinner is waiting for me

A lifetime of hiding; I’m suddenly free!
My dinner is waiting for me

Into the West

Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
Night is falling
You have come to journey's end
Sleep now
And dream of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across a distant shore

Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away
Safe in my arms
You're only sleeping

What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home

And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
All Souls pass

Hope fades
Into the world of night
Through shadows falling
Out of memory and time
Don't say
We have come now to the end
White shores are calling
You and I will meet again
And you'll be here in my arms
Just sleeping


What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home

And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
Grey ships pass
Into the West

Our Town

Long ago, but not so very long ago
The world was different, oh yes it was
You settled down and you built a town and made it live
And you watched it grow
It was your town

Time goes by, time brings changes, you change, too
Nothing comes that you can't handle, so on you go
Never see it coming, the world caves in on you
On your town
Nothing you can do.

Main street isn't main street anymore
Lights don't shine as brightly as they shone before
Tell the truth, lights don't shine at all
In our town

Sun comes up each morning
Just like it's always done
Get up, go to work, start the day,
Open up for business that's never gonna come
As the world rolls by a million miles away

Main street isn't main street anymore
No one seems to need us like they did before
It's hard to find a reason left to stay
But it's our town
Love it anyway
Come what may, it's our town.

Birthday Celebration

Strange, the RJC batch. There seems to be a polarisation on how people are viewed, this being particularly apparent in the way some people's birthdays are celebrated as compared to others. I'm not saying we shouldn't do something in appreciation or commemoration for the person. Far from it, it's important that this be done. However, let's do this for everyone, not a select few. Otherwise those who get ignored might feel jealous, even sidelined. A fine way that would be to present batch unity, yes.

This applies to me on a personal level as well, and I have made it a resolution to find out everyone's birthdays next year, and do at least something for them. Of course in the personal case you can't treat everyone equally, some people do mean more to me than others. Still, I aim to at the very least send an sms, or a card. Especially since our batch is celebrating our 18th birthdays next year, I think we should do something special. Been doing up a batch list, hopefully I can get everyone in.

Gollum's Song

Where once was light
Now darkness falls
Where once was love
Love is no more
Don't say goodbye
Don't say I didn't try

These tears we cry
Are falling rain
For all the lies you told us
The hurt, the blame!
And we will weep to be so alone
We are lost
We can never go home

So in the end
I'll be what I will be
No loyal friend
Was ever there for me

Now we say goodbye
We say you didn't try

These tears you cry
Have come too late
Take back the lies
The hurt, the blame!

And you will weep
When you face the end alone
You are lost
You can never go home
You are lost
You can never go home

Coda 3

Coda 3 is over, marking the end of yet another year as a band member.

Pretty standard stuff pre-concert, moving stuff from RI to VCH, including a wheel-less bass drum to make life difficult for people. Short soundcheck of only 1 hour though.

Generally, I was quite nervous for this, as I felt we had not really prepared enough. Further, ticket sales seemed quite dismal. Fortunately, it seems that the fine tradition of ungodly high door sales at VCH was upheld, and the concert hall was reasonably full.

Before the concert, they showed photos of the past batches of RI, RJC and RGS bands. Seeing my own batch photo brought back many memories of better times.

The opening piece of the concert was March and Procession of Bacchus, one that I'd done before on the VCH stage. This also brought back memories of Prometheum XI, although Quan Hui's interpretation of the piece was vastly different from Mr Oura's.

The next piece was by Sze Han, Foster in my Mind. We did this one quite well, I think, and I love Foster's melodies such as Old Folks at Home.

Wenrong's solo in Gabriel's Oboe was nice. I've always admired him as a player, both his tone and technique are unbeatable. However, I still fail to see the logic of a trumpet solo in a song called Gabriel's Oboe.

Peterloo Overture, our main piece for the first half, was pretty decent. Not the best, but I think the slow parts were really nice.

During the interval, I met quite a few people from the audience, such as Michael and Jia Wei. Nice to see them there. The interval was short though, barely 15 minutes.

Global Variations is a nice piece, and I think we did pretty well for it. The French national anthem, although one of the most parodied in the world, was nice to play.

My first solo in an actual concert came during the ensembles, where the saxes played the theme from Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Apparently it was too soft, so when I get the recording I shall ask Shuotian to boost the bass by about 10x

Metro Gnome is quite cute. Difficult to play the piece cleanly, but I think we did well enough.

Othello was our best piece for the night, I think. It's really very emotional and expressive, and I think we brought that across nicely.

There's very little I can comment on the encore piece, I will survive. You can't do much with an encore, but for 1 week of prac we did alright.

All in all, the concert was quite a success. I was glad to play in VCH again after 363 days (since Coda 2). On a personal level, however, I was quite disappointed that my close friends, such as Chester, Paul, Zi Guang, Shuyi, Bertrand etc were unable to make it for the concert. I think that this kind of lessened the satisfaction that can be derived from a good concert, and I think that my personal drive to do well was also lessened slightly.

However, on a band level, we did really well I think, apparently even beating the past 2 concerts for sales. Musically, the band did well, and Sze Han and Quan Hui have been great conductors. I think that Coda 4 should be even better, and personally I would like to be involved in the committee if I get the chance.

This year in terms of band has been quite a full one. A Tempo, SYF, JC Band Fest, and Coda have been the major events, and I think all of them have standards far higher than what I am used to. I think JC Band Fest and Coda in particular have caused me to improve tremendously.

Time to look forward to next year I guess, with Play 08, A Tempo XIX (I'm wondering why A Tempo in 2005 was XV while in 2007 was XVIII), an overseas trip and Coda 4 all coming up.

Beyond the Sea

Somewhere, beyond the sea
Somewhere waiting for me
My lover stands on golden sands
And watches the ships that go sailing

Somewhere, beyond the sea
She's there watching for me
If I could fly like birds on high
Then straigt to her arms I'd go sailing

It's far beyond a star,
it's near beyond the moon
I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon

We'll meet beyond the shore
We'll kiss just like before
Happy we'll be beyond the sea
And never again I'll go sailing
Some sailing

I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon
We'll meet I know we'll meet
Beyond the sure
We'll kiss just like before
Happy we'll be beyond the sea
And never again I'll go sailing
No more sailing
So long sailing
Goodby farewell, my friend,
No more Sailing....

May It Be

May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh! How far you are from home

Mornie utúlie (darknesss has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (darknesss has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

May it be the shadows call
Will fly away
May it be your journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun

Mornie utúlie (darknesss has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (darknesss has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

A promise lives within you now

Damn the tuners, full speed ahead!

Coda 3 is in 18 hours, let's do this thing everyone!

Strange Things

I was on top of the world
It was right in my pocket
I was living the life
Things were just the way they should be
When from out of the sky like a bomb comes some little punk in a rocket
Now all of a sudden some strange things are happening to me

I had friends,
I had lots of friends
Now all my friends are gone
And I'm doing the best I can to carry on

I had power (power)
I was respected (respect)
But not any more
And I've lost the love to the one whom I adored

Let me tell you about the strange things are happening to me
Strange things
Strange things are happening to me...
Ain't no doubt about it

You got someone you think you know well
It turns out a stranger
The minute you turn your back
You're in it all by yourself

They laugh at your jokes,
You think you're doing well
But you're in danger, boy
You end up alone, forgotten, way up on the shelf

Strange things are happening to me
Strange things
Strange things are happening to me
Ain't no doubt about it

Strange things are happening to me
Strange things
Strange things are happening to me

Strange things
Strange things

You've Got a Friend in Me

You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
Just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got troubles, well I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and we see it through
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me

Some other folks might be
A little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too
Maybe
But none of them will ever love you the way I do
It's me and you
And as the years go by
Boys, our friendship will never die
You're gonna see
It's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me


dedicated to RJCSB, RIMB and all my other friends

Depression

Sigh... Things really haven't been going well for me the past few days, ever since the batch outing... I feel as though I'm losing touch with even my closest friends. Family's not very supportive, as usual, and the absolute lack of an audience at Coda 3 isn't helping that much.

What happened? I miss last year... At least then I still had the RI batch, one of the nicest support networks ever. Now even that's gone.. It's not helping that on concert day, some of my close friends will be distributed quite evenly among Paris, Hong Kong and Taiwan, is it?

I miss Paul already...

Year-end blues

As the year draws to a close, I think it's important to give thanks where thanks is due. As such, I'd like to thank 2 of the most important people in my life.


By RIMBarisax

They've stuck with me right from the start, when all else seemed lost. New people entered my life, some relationships ended, still others stopped and started, but these two have been by my side all this while. When I was desperately trying to fight for what seemed like a lost cause, they fought right alongside, and they've never failed to help me out in my own times of need. The situation's improved since the beginning of the year, but still, I'll never forget what they've done for me.

It's a great feeling to know that there's someone you can always count on. I know most people frown on such displays of gratitude, but since no one reads this anyway... Thanks guys, you mean a lot to me.




In an unrelated case of depression, why are none of my close friends going to be at Coda, with the possible exception of Jinjun? Unless you count the players anyway. It's even more depressing when you consider the fact that it'll be my first (and likely only) concert solo, during the ensembles, and there's nobody to play to... Sad. Situation's not much better with the whole band, only 200 seats sold.. I pray it improves.

JC Band Fest Concert!!

Wow.


Got to the Esplanade early, at 1:30pm, and met up with the rest of the RJC people. Holst went in first, while we in the Honour Band dumped our stuff in the absolutely huge dressing rooms, then went to Marina for lunch and to buy stuff.

Soundcheck was pretty fast, we didn't even run through the pieces completely. Dr Mazzaferro seemed happy with what we did though, so he let us off for dinner after a short time.

Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to listen much to Holst's and Fennell's performances, although I would have liked to. I did catch a bit of Raffles Chorale up at the concourse to the Esplanade though, and they were quite good.

Our holding area for the concert was the loading bay, which was the same for MyRIad more than a year ago. Naturally we were all nervous, which is normal for a concert of this scope. Being in an honour band raised the pressure even more. I was pretty confident, though, that our performance would be a success.

And what a success it was. There were a few minor mistakes here and there, but really not of any consequence. Festmusik by Richard Strauss was our opening piece, a fanfare which I think the brasses did extremely nicely. Unfortunately the piece was not scored for baritone saxophone, so I was left with the bass clarinet score to work with, which was quite sad.

I like First Suite in E flat, by Gustav Holst. It's one of the few songs in which the baritone saxophone has such lyrical, expressive lines. I hope I managed to do them justice, and I relished the chance I had to be melodic and really feel the music in a way you can't do most of the time as a bassist.

Der Traum des Oenghus, by Rolf Rudin, is a very mysterious piece, with a thrilling climax. That flautist who played the solo at the end is good, and so were the others. Even Dr Mazzaferro was getting emotionally charged by the song, which means we did something right.

My favourite piece of the entire concert, El Camino Real, by Alfred Reed, was up next. Very wild and very fun, especially the beginning and end. Shuqi did a beautiful oboe solo, and overall this piece was just great. Love the out-of-control feeling of the ending, and when we played, it wasn't too hard to imagine cowboys charging up and down the royal road.

Remember what I said about few pieces giving the baritone saxophone nice, expressive melodies? His Honour March, by Henry Fillmore, is one of them. Standard march, but so nice to play the trio part, and the ending was really nice. An excellent end to the concert.

Overall tonight's concert was marvellous. I heard Dr Mazzaferro didn't even use scores to conduct, but just conducted how he felt. I admire his conducting a lot, and I learnt a lot from him too. He's a good man too, even complimented me on my playing when I saw him on the escalator after prac. It's not often you see a conductor who comments "Great job with the bari sax", or any other bass for that matter. I really hope someday I can play music under his baton again.

The band too, showed its worth as an honour band. Although of course, this concert can never give me the kind of satisfaction Prometheum or Coda can deliver, I doubt I'll be able to get such a wonderful musical experience again. This event really pushed me to improve, and I hope I can apply what I've learnt in other areas.

I love my section. Pity we had such a short time, but still I hope we can become good friends! Daryl, I think you're a good player, as long as you keep it up, relax and enjoy yourself on stage as always, you'll do very well. Same for Elizabeth, you're really a better player than you give yourself credit for. Stay cool, confident and calm, believe in yourself and you'll be fine.

I think playing for JC Band Fest 2007 has given me some new insights into the meaning of music. What is music, really? I share the views of Mr Oura when I say that I think the purpose of music is to send some message to the audience. When it comes right down to it, in the end, no one will care about the low B flat being out of tune (unless it's so dramatically off it can sound like an A). What matters is the feelings and emotion you need to bring across to the audience. Don't worry about the notes, unless you want to become the world's best midi player. To quote Mr Oura:

music without message is really boring and it is not music , just a sound (or noise)
if the message doesn't have any love in it. something awful.

only the message with full of love makes people happy

Of course, the most important part of the music is the getting together, enjoying ourselves and forging bonds with the others.

So, to both AC and Rwinds, happy concerts on the 26th this month. To my section and to the band, thanks for the music and the good times. To everyone else, happy JC Band Fest 2008

JC Band Fest 2007

After these 4 days it's finally time for the concert! JC band fest has been so fun, meeting new people and trying out challenging new songs. I'm glad I got the opportunity to play for honour band, it's really been a great experience. At first I though the songs were boring, but the scores were very misleading! El Camino Real and His Honour especially. Dr Mazzaferro has been a very good conductor, and a nice guy, always entertaining us with his stories of things like 600 bar rests and so on. I really learned much from him, and I hope everyone else did too. Been nice playing with new people, especially my section.

Tomorrow's the concert, the day we've been working so hard for, and it's at the Esplanade! Let's all do our best and make good music. It's no point if tuning and intonation are perfect. You'll just sound like a midi. What counts is your expression, your feeling and your ability to bring a message across to the audience. Our songs tomorrow are all so expressive, if we can do it right. I want to feel the songs, imagine the glory of Austria in Festmusik, indulge in the beautiful melodies in Holst's First Suite. I want that imagery of the dream Oenghus went through to come out. I want to feel the wild Spanish flavour of El Camino Real, and get that image of whooping cowboys into my head, and I want to enjoy the rich American flavour of His Honour March. More importantly, I want to give these messages to the audience, and let them feel what we do. Even more so that I now have the chance to play out in some beautiful phrases in some of the songs, I want to be able to do them nicely. Let's not play notes, let's play music out there, and we'll have a great time.

Even though this concert is not likely to deliver the satisfaction Prometheum XI and Coda II gave me, it still has, to quote Dr Mazzaferro "some serious goosebump potential". Let's do this thing!