Concert at VCH - "A French Affair"

Sunday evening, I attended a concert at VCH. It was my first band / symphony concert in a very long while. The last time I was at the grand old concert hall (probably a decade ago), I was a performer. But on Sunday, I was simply contented to be a member of the audience.

Just being there was like going back in time. As I climbed the stairs to the hall, it was as if a forgotten chest of memories and emotions was uncovered... and everything came back in a rush: the adrenalin rush of performing live, the love and passion we had for music, the warmth and closeness among us. I could hardly contain myself. Soon I was pointing and saying things like, "that would lead to the backstage", "do you know, I was a solo performer right there!", "we received flowers, lots of them".

The concert was divine. Every player was outstanding but I especially adored the oboeist. His playing was simply, flawless. I remembered Keith, the young handsome oboeist, and how much WH, who just started learning to play the same instrument, admired him. We would even accompany her to sneak into SYO practices just to watch him play from afar. I wondered if he knew…

I truly enjoyed the short Sunday concert, and I would really love to go for more. Who knows, after more than a few, I might even pick up my instrument again.

Dear God

... Thank you. And you know what it is for, more than all other things which I am already grateful for.

Love, me.

Aging ungracefully

Thanks for your well wishes. I have recovered from my mysterious little bout of on-off illness. Even then, I am now much unhealthier than before.

I have not exercised actively for more than a year and it is finally taking a toll on me. I am 20-something years old going on to 80-something years old. My feet hurt when I walk too much and I become breathless from going up short flights of stairs. My back aches and I am growing a tummy quickly; at least one person had cheerfully congratulated me on my "pregnancy".

I have been resolving to put on my Asics again but the flesh is weak. I am tired from work, and lazy to change and hit the treadmill, or put on my skates for that short spin around the blocks. I promise someday I will do so, hopefully soon.

Not a weather entry

I just made a quick run to my GP. He drew a syringe of blood from my forearm and told me that the results of the blood test would be out by this evening.

I did not expect myself to return for the test. I am not feeling too ill anymore, though I am not feeling very well either. My appetite does not return after my on-off fever tapered off. Then I look around me, and wonder why everyone and everything look so grey and cheerless. Do they seem this way because of how I am feeling inside?

Last night I cried myself to sleep. It was silly of course, and at least I drifted off to sleep quickly. The night before, I was beat but sleep simply eluded me. I drank; I tossed and turned; I laid quite still and stared up at the ceiling from my bed until tiny dots of noise swam in my vision. Finally I got up, picked out a book from the shelf, and read until I felt asleep. It lasted 3 hours. When I woke up, the sky was still dark. And there in the dark, I sat on my bed, until it was way past time to go to work.

The only long entry you are going to read in a while.

I feel sorry that I have not been writing at all. Truth is, I am currently quite bankrupt intellectually and find it difficult to write at random. I was not very rich in this aspect before, but I am doing poorer than an elementary school kid now. Work takes up most of my waking hours. And if I happen to fall asleep doing my numbers or reports, chances are, my sleeping hours are not spared from it either. So reading anything non work-related to broaden my perspectives is a luxury I am too tired and lazy to explore.

These past days I was feeling pretty out of sorts. A temperature finally hit me on Friday. At 6-plus that morning, I texted my Team Leader informing her that I was down for the day. By noon I was told that she actually went to ask the colleagues whom I had dinner with the previous evening, what we ate/did that caused me to be out of office that day. They said, that was not very nice of her. I just shrugged.

For a good part of the day I worked from home. It was difficult to work without the systems but I had some help from the office, and most things went smoothly. It was a fairly profitable day and I was pleased as punch.

I finally went to see my GP in the evening. He was concerned that my symptoms were similar to that of dengue fever, something which is all the rage right now. So he prescribed some pretty strong medication for me. If I am not well by Monday I am supposed to return for a blood test.

Till then I am going to take a good rest, before the next hectic week cruises along. And if I feel well enough I might just pick up that book which I have wanted to read for a long time.

2.

Black Friday. Indeed.

1.

She earned her first card. It was a Titanium.