Guess Who?!?!

Just couldn't resist putting up this pic. Haha :P

I'm a year older...

Ok so i didn't get the corner piece but who cares!! This birthday was one of the best birthdays!! A very public celebration though :)

Okok credits now. To Joyce for the yummalicious chocolate birthday cake from Lana cake shop.

To all the people who were there from Gamelan Asmaradana, Now Playing, Gethsamane, Rei and Hellvan, Sian Eng, Stella, Zach, Cynthia, Jon, Adeleena, Yap and Junwei, Ling, Laurie, Phyllis and Leonard, Chairen and girlfriend. Thanks for just being there. Your presence means alot to me.

Birthday Sentiments

its inevitable...i always look back at the past year on this very day every year, reflecting on what i have accomplished, how much i have grown, on my relationships with my friends and loved ones, and of course, what i can do better for next year.

i have been very fortunate this year. especially fortunate. i have had the support of my loved ones and friends in the opening of Hoity Toity - my dream thats finally come true. i'm glad to say that we are coping very well. business hasn't been phenomenal, but enough to sustain us through. i've also learnt many things about business - the art of business and how to run one successfully. Lovie, many thanks for being the pillar of support for our shop. Muacks.

my music, always the greatest part of my life may not have grown as much as i would have wished (but thats partly due to the fact that i've not been practising as hard as i should). but i'm content. my thanks to Now Playing too - the second band i've joined ever since i pulled enough courage to come on stage to sing. the boys have been inspirational and supportive and together we've grown so much over the past months. my appreciation to Joyce, my artistic director in GA and also my friend. thanks for the guidance and for the support you've shown me in my compositions. it will push me to compose more.

and last but not least, extra special thanks to Stanley. you may be faraway, but you're always there for me. always. YOU are my pillar of strength.
ok now for the fun stuff. Now Playing will be performing a set at Gashaus, 114 Middle Rd at 7.30pm. thereafter, all those there are invited to join in my birthday celebration. yup yup...be there or be square~~~

Hot off the Press!!

Hoity Toity is featured in September's issue of Harpers Bazzar and Lime!! I'm absolutely bubbling with joy!!!!! Go to http://hoitytoity-pressrelease.blogspot.com and check us out!! This is my earliest birthday present!! muahahaha~~~~

Whats the Point?!?!

Okay, whats the point of texting people the details of my gig and birthday bash two weeks in advance? For those who have absolutely no clue...its so that you can clear your schedules for that day? Understood? Comprehendo? Unfortunately, some clearly don't. Its alright if you reply that you already have something on that day. Ok. Fine. Some told me that you can't confirm yet? Hmm...this is the part i don't understand. If someone were to text me that there was an event on a particular day and nothing has been scheduled for me yet, i'd accept the invitation and just schedule the event for that day. No two ways about it. Can't confirm? Forget it, don't come then. I don't even wanna talk about those who have not, as yet, replied. Whats the point?!?!?! Precisely. Talk about messaging etiquette. Someone should seriously incorporate that into the personal grooming sessions that they are holding these days.

Argh!!!!!! Ok ok....cool down cool down...i'm listening to some great tunes from Mr Jamiroquai...funk it up and cool me down i say....

this one's "Stillness in Time"
seriously thinking of doing this for my next gig


my everlasting favourite: "Virtual Insanity"

Last but not least, I leave you with this. Work your minds more, people...hehe.

--Home Quarantine--

i've been cooped at home for three days now. its really no fun being sick! and now i'm really worried as to whether i'll be able to get well by Saturday...sigh...


i went to see my doctor yesterday (which is no mean feat considering i hate visiting the doctor) but no choice...sacrifice for the bigger picture.

so i've been getting loadsa smses on what i want for my birthday. hmmm~~~ actually what i really really want is a Godin electric guitar with an amp!!! HINT HINT. ahaha...Laurie actually asked me if she can make one with paper. but seriously guys, just surprise me. I love surprises.

ok, i'm off to pop my meds and practice my piano now. Seriously, one good thing that came out of this home quarantine is that i've got more time to practice!!

a day of nothingness

i'm even more blah today than yesterday. this is wat i get for not staying home when i should have but you know wat? i ain't complaining. i spent the bulk of today sleeping the meds off, watching tv and reading trashy romance novels. things i haven't done in a looonnngg while. i guess its my body's way of telling me to slow down, stop all the mad rushing about and just have a little R & R.

so today i had time to go through wateva photos i had from all my past excursions...and i found loads. even those i forgot i even had! aren't photos amazing? they bring back so much memories. no wonder they say a picture is worth a thousand words...or more.





















sometimes i wish i could be transported back to the time the picture was taken while looking at it. would i have done something differently back then? there's this one with the two of us just sitting there, smiling into the camera...a gleam of something in our eyes. what were we thinking then? what were we feeling?....

had to miss out on jamming tonight though. I feel really bad...not being there for the boys. but Z tells me they cancelled tonight's session. i feel doubly bad now. on the brighter side, there's still 2 more sessions left before the gig. COUNTDOWN TIME= 4 DAYS LEFT!!

"this is not a good weather to be sick in"

yes yes...a quote from you Darren....so what weather is good enough for one to be sick in? None, I say....being sick is never good...watever weather.

it seems that i've been falling sick before every big gig. my immune system is down big time...its either lack of sleep, too much stress...or bad germs from someone.

luckily, my voice held up for my gig yesterday. some flat notes. but seriously great tunes that i so know i wanna do again! especially Dream a little Dream and My Favourite Things. but the crowd was subdued. Hello??!! You deaf?? Or stoned?!?!?!

so today, i woke up feeling big time blahness...and i really mean blahness. i could have stayed in bed the whole day...and miss teaching Siannie, jamming with my band, dinner with Joyce and watching Casey, Noor and Joshua playing at their acid jazz gig? No way!! So up i get...Siannie very sweetly buys lunch and meds for me...i pop many pills...and i'm good to go. Let me at it!

Jamming was good. We've sort of gotten two arrangements of new songs down. A sigh of relief. We'll probably get it spruced up tomorrow. I'm getting excited! Countdown = 5 days to big gig! Argh! Stress! Heaven!! Pure Bliss!!!

Dinner with Joyce was great. We had our fave Old Chicago salad at Seah St Deli. I swear this is gonna be my next favourite eating place after Ichiban Boshi. Ooh...Ichiban Boshi!! Now thats truly indulgent Jap sushi. I'll never eat at Sakae again. Mmmmm~ just thinking of their lobster salad sushi, aburi salmon and now they even have aburi maguro. Just delectable...mmmmm~...

Evening entertainment for the night came in the form of K'Ass - aka Meimei (keys), Casey (vox and guitar), Josh (bass), Noor (percussion) and Bobby Singh (percussion). My poison for the night...their version of Virtual Insanity, Maysa's Head to the Sky, Yellowjacket and Incognito numbers. More please? More!! almost broke my neck while seriously bopping to the funk rhythms emanating from the stage. I knew performing could give one a high...but watching a performance? Man, i almost peed in my pants because i avoided going to the ladies just so I wouldn't miss any part of the set. Wanna get a high? Abstain from the loo and sit watching freaking great performers playing great music and you'll know what i mean. Its torture and pleasure rolled into one.

Okay, i need to go. The screen seems to swimming before my eyes. Ciao before i write something i regret. Thats all folks!

Camwhoring Episode 2 - Girls will be girls

See what i mean?

Camwhoring Episode 1 - Ah Bye and Ken's birthday

This will go down in history as the one of the best outings in SRVballer history....

The protagonists aka birthday boys:

The cast:

It was a night of couples....lucky guy...

I'm on a high....

Still reeling from that amazing jam session yesterday with the guitarist and vox from Rei...check out Honnou....amazingly hot, superbly svelte and rockingly flush...woohoo...

Yesh Baboo....credit goes to you for the blog about Now Playing...thankew a thousand muchies!

We've got fanssssss!!!

Z found some guy's blog...about our band Now Playing's Tapestry gig outside Heeren...who are these people anyways?!?!

I just missed a Tokyo Jihen cover band gig

July 22nd, 2006

As I’m typing this, I believe my friend over at town would have just finished watching a Tokyo Jihen cover band gig. The band is called “Now Playing” and one of their members, LEMONed, is from the Ringo Jihen forum. According to my friend, as he arrived there, he saw them playing Himitsu, Sounan, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and Marunouchi Sadistic.

Well, now I really regret leaving early instead of staying on. I didn’t know that Now Playing would be playing at the same gig as the Dream Theater cover band that my friend was telling me about. Since I was feeling real tired having played soccer just hours ago, I decided not to wait on for the gig and went home instead. Another reason why I left was because I’m not really a big fan of Dream Theater so I thought I’ll give the gig a miss.

I’m still regretting now but in the future, I’ll be on the lookout for any gigs that Now Playing will be playing in.

Hopefully their today’s performance had been recorded down somewhere

(I’ve got a recording of one of their earlier gig grabbed from the Ringo Jihen forum so if anyone wants it or missed it, I’ll be willing to upload it)

1. Where were they performing? I saw ppl busking here and there and everywhere and I just kept looking for NowPlaying. Cheh. Mannnnnn………I missed it too. I swear next time i will catch them somewhere in Singapore

   by baboo July 22nd, 2006 at 11:30 pm
   

2. They were performing at Heeren. Oh well, at least I did manage to check out another good band, Ivy’s Vendetta, before I left. They were really rocking out at Wheelock place.

   by KC July 23rd, 2006 at 3:05 am
   

3. yea………both bands rocked… I think besides the soundmix screw up, NowPLaying really rocks. The vox can sing….. The guitarist damn suay, something screwed up later in the set. Causing him to sound really really soft.

   by Mr.X July 25th, 2006 at 3:05 pm

Now Playing - Tapestry 2006

July 23rd, 2006

I managed to find an audio recording of Now Playing’s performance mentioned in my previous post. It was recorded by a fellow Singaporean, LSE over at Jpopmusic forum, so credits to him for that. By the way, my friend also told me that Now Playing’s vocalist was playing the pianica for the song, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”. (Shiina Ringo played a kazoo in her cover).

Now Playing - Tapestry 2006 (Live at the Heeren)

Tracklist:
01. Himitsu
02. Sounan
03. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
04. Marunouchi Sadistic

Do check them out if you haven’t. The recording isn’t exactly the best but I thought Now Playing’s performance was pretty good. Besides, I don’t think it’s easy to find a band that covers Shiina Ringo/Tokyo Jihen songs, especially over here (where many people still ask me, “Why do you listen to Japanese songs? Do you understand what they’re singing?”).

1. You are fast . I have also downloaded their covers in one of the Tokyo Jihen fanstie. So good! I like the way the play Kabuki. Very pro.

   by baboo July 23rd, 2006 at 8:52 am
   

2. These guys are good! The vocalist’s voice is interesting ^^… thanks!

   by Taiyou July 24th, 2006 at 4:20 am
   

3. Yeah, I’ve heard some of Now Playing’s mp3s of Tokyo Jihen before - and it wasn’t too bad. It seems they have become better with time.

   by ringo July 24th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
   

4. Not bad at all. I like their cover versions. At least they didn’t butcher the songs.

   by Rid July 25th, 2006 at 12:46 am

Latest Object of Affection

Beanie oh Beanie...my latest object of affection



Here's Beanie acting shy. She just doesn't pose for pictures when she knows that a camera is trained on her. So I always have to do it the candid way....















Was over at Wei and Tim's place today to pass Tim the webpages for Hoity Toity's website. After tea, I decided to bring Beanie for a seriously belated shopping trip. So off we went, me, Nancy, Wei and the strapped in toddler for a walk in shopaholic land aka Causeway Point. We decided to let Beanie off the stroller for a walk in Kiddy Palace. She went absolutely bonkers instead, one minute running to touch a mitten, and then off to pull a dress to her little body as if to see if it would fit...and then to cap it all off, she'd stand there and do her signature laugh - throw her head back and go "ha ha ha" I kid you not, thats exactly how she laughs. NOW if only i can post a video on this blog...

The Historian

A book I'm reading now. Lent to me by Joyce...about the legend of Dracula. A great read but so thick that its added weight to my already heavy bag.

I feel stupid but just the other night, this unspeakable fear came over me while i was reading and i just couldn't continue. I switched off the lights in the hall and started off towards my bedroom, feeling like someone or something would come at me from the back...so i started walking real fast. Ok, now i really feel stupid...

My New Occupation

Got your attention? Relax, i'm not gonna up and open a music studio. I think I've got more than enough on my plate already...been up all night cutting and pasting html for blogs that we're linking to Hoity Toity's website. I've come up with 2 templates but the latter one is the most satisfying one. I'm so tempted to make it my own blog!! check it out at http://hoitytoity-eradiva.blogspot.com

Its really not easy for someone who doesn't know a thingamajig about html to come up with a suitable template for Hoity Toity's blogs. I admit, I do cut and paste from existing templates...but i do adjustments to the template, resulting in that i now know what to write and where to write, to resize a photo to use on the blog; or how to add another paragraph or category to a side menu of a blog. yes yes...quite the genius here...muahaha

Bloody Fireworks.

Okok, so i've been neglecting my blogger duties...but anywho...i'm here to unload my frustrations.

I was supposed to go watch the Harvard Din and Tonic at Esplanade this past Tuesday night. So there I was at the GA bbq, gulping down my food as fast as i can, trying to talk to everyone, before I had to leave for the concert. I leave Michi at 8.20pm, hop into the cab at 8.30pm, expect to reach Espy by 9pm. Guess what time i arrived? 9.45pm. Thats right. A whole hour of my life wasted in the cab with the numbers on the meter rising, as was the case with my temper. And all because of some bloody fireworks display. Hello? All these Singaporeans have no place to go?? The ENTIRE area resembled Little India on a Sunday. Packed like little yellow sardines. WTH!!!

Worst still to come..when I arrived at Espy, I was told to go round the back to the other entrance near the waterfront amphitheatre, because that main entrance was for the sardines to slowly make their way out after watching the fireworks. And by the time I got to the other entrance...it was already 9.50pm. Damn it! Forget about watching the show already! I just had to off load...so I called Hidir, Siannie and Stanley...yes, i had that much to off load. Oh, and later to the gals who had the fortune to watch the Harvard boys - Eunice, Jo, Tabi and EeJia.

The sad story of my life...I seem to always have run-ins with cabs or something crops up or jams when I'm in the cab. Like the other time, for Sarah's birthday over at SMU: I called for a cab. Destination was specifically S-M-U. Taxi driver brings me to S-I-M. Hello???? Literacy anyone??? And he kept insisting they were one and the same. If I wasn't so pissed off...i'd have rolled around the backseat of the cab, laughing my head off. After some heated conversation, wherein I told him to get me to S-M-U pronto, I managed to reach my destination, half an hour late. And he did not even have the decency to give me a discount. I just couldn't be bothered to talk to him anymore.

Me and taxis. Well, at least I did have a good time at the bbq. Food was really good by the way. And an even better session with my bandmates. We had a small audience while jamming who gave us rave reviews. I am appeased....well at least for the moment.

K. Off loading is over. Over and out.

The Pink Furry Handcuff Interview

We found out that Seow had bought a pair of furry pink handcuffs from an adult shop Wroclaw...unfortunately, it wasn't able to see the light of Singapore day as it was confiscated by the Changi Airport police. I have it on record that she was interrogated by no less than 5 policemen that fateful day.


Below is an excerpt of an interview with the victim:

Q: Where did you buy the handcuffs?
A: In an adult shop in Wroclaw, Poland. I was with Feri and Aisha

Q: Why did you buy them?
A: Initially, they caught my eye because they were pink and I love pink...but then I thought it would be a fun item for decoration...(decoration?? what is she thinking?!)

Q: Describe your handcuffs.
A: They're pink, soft and furry.

Q: What is your greatest regret?
A: Not trying it on Julia. (hmm...do i sense some kinda fantasy here??)

Discus-Throwers and Shot-Putters Part IV

The day of our performance dawns. We wake up bright and early, ok..not that early...I skipped breakfast coz a) the food sucks and b) I'm a pig. Well anyways, we're at our venue to do soundcheck. I originally thought i'd have some time to do some shopping in between soundcheck and the performance but i thought wrong. Drama 2 ensues...when we see that our stage has been stripped bare, exposing the wood beneath. How on earth are we supposed to sit on this?! So we ask the technicians if we can have the flooring back. And they say no. Okayyyy...so I wander around looking for the flooring. I thought if I found something we could use, we could put the flooring on ourselves. I found it but they still wouldn't allow it. Aisha had to call Renata, our L.O and get her to talk to them in Polish. After a long wait, some men finally came in to put the flooring on. And then, all of us had to move our instruments onto the stage.

So come late morning, we're finally good and ready to go...minus our delightful drummer...but we can't wait...so we start rehearsing. This goes on till about 4pm...no more time to shop..its back to the hotel to shower and get ready.

Pre-performance....Joyce and I cab it to the venue....I'm too lazy to walk and it gave me more time to catch a little nap. When we arrive at the synagogue, there are already people milling around outside. Hmm...i'm surprised to be honest. I thought they couldn't care two hoots about our kinda music but hey I'm wrong. I'm so glad to be wrong! About 10 mins to performance time, suddenly the stage light goes out. We find out that there's no electric power. I remember thinking then that someone or something was trying to play a trick on us. You know, make things difficult...but thank heavens for daylight saving, so at 7pm, it was still light outside. We wait for about 10 mins...the organisers keep coming to ask if we can start without power, which means without miking. Last min adjustments to our repertoire and we are good and ready to go...Aisha now has to dance to our opening piece. Our gamelan actually sounds good without the miking! Power came back midway during our set and we walked off the stage after "Baris" to thunderous applause. The TOD trio takes over with "Papyrus" to end the first half of our first performance in Poland with success. Julia and I bop about backstage to the really grooving beat! Getting jiggy with it....Soph has the video...we should seriously post all our videos...really reality tv material. haha.

Second half of our performance is the fusion part. Again, its well-received and at the end, we hd a standing ovation!! I'm so loving Poland at this moment!!! I try to say thank you in Polish...You know, the obligatory part about the foreigner trying to say something in their native language. I sounded horrible but they really liked it! Apparently, the organisers also liked our performance...gone were the bad attitudes and rudeness. In its place was a smiling Marie and a bus waiting to take us back to the hotel.

Renata takes us to a place where we can get some authentic Polish food. Its weird - in Poland, you have to go to a specific restaurant for their authentic cuisine, which is not situated in an accessible area. Rather, you have to go through some alleys and walkways to get to this place. I choose Polish dumplings for dinner. It looks somewhat like our curry puff, but with mashed beef filling. It comes served with a huge dollop of sauerkraut (German??) which is this sour whatchamacallit...i really dunno what that was, but all i can say is it tasted really sour. You know, the appetite-inducing kind.


After dinner, most of us go our separate ways...some go off to take pictures and walk around the city. Joyce, Seow and I go off with the trio and Renata to explore the nightlife. We chance upon some sculptures of animals and we start camwhoring like mad, posing with the animal year we're born in. Yes, Seow and I got the cock...ok rooster. So yes, see the extent of our madness...even the poor bunny wasn't let off.

Discus-Throwers and Shot-Putters Part III

The next day, we reach our venue early in the morning to unpack our instruments to find our instruments are not there as planned. So ensues drama number 1. Marie arrives at the venue and explains that our instruments are not there as the festival organisers need to pay tax for the instruments before the authorities will release it. Joyce, Sophian and I stay back till 4pm to wait for our instruments and unpack them. The rest head back to the hotel to get ready for some promotional thing they're supposed to do at night at the market square.






At night we go to the market square to show our support for Julia, Aisha, Feri and Seow who are doing some promotional thingy to create awareness for our concert the next day. After that, we head to a Korean/Japanese restaurant for dinner. Because of our double bass friend, I have to go into the restaurant to recce and see if there is a space big enough for our dear friend. I also speak to this Asian guy behind the sushi counter and ask if the restaurant served any kind of tofu (just for you Clayton) so i mentioned agedashi tofu, coz that's the only kind of tofu i know served in a Japanese restaurant. He thinks I'm Japanese, and rattles something off in the language. I tell him I don't understand and he says...ah...Korean? And then rattles something off in Korean. I tell him I don't understand and yet he says, ah...Chinese? And then he says something in Mandarin. Finally! So I animatedly respond...and then...i find out he doesn't really understand...(-_-') Well anyways, the gist of this whole paragraph is to say that, yeah, we got to eat in the restaurant, Clayton got his tofu and everything was fine and dandy.


























Here's some photos of our venue. Its actually a Jewish synagogue. Bombed during the world war and is still in the process of restoration. Cool beans huh?





















There's a cafe just outside the synagogue, with loads of old furniture and portraits....wedding portraits, family portraits, self-portraits...spooky...

Discus-Throwers and Shot-Putters Part II

In my last post, i told you that we were seated as comfortably as we could in the sweltering heat. In the minutes nearing to our stop, most of us were clustered around the windows to get as much of the scenery and the breeze that we could. The things we saw....couples frolicking about near a pond (ok thats as much i can say for want of censorship..but you guys know wat i mean), a lady hanging out clothes on the clothesline in just her bra...not a sight you'd wanna see you know. Some random guy sunbathing just outside his house. I know what you must be screaming...pics!! Sorry..the train was travelling too fast and we were all caught off guard by what we were seeing. You should have heard us - everytime we saw something racy, a collective "ooh" could be heard.

Finally, we got off at our stop. Not before waving goodbye to the people on the train, who'd come to know us because we were all so noisy. no. i should say, exuberant. haha. Right. So we get off at the stop and realise that we were at the wrong stop. Where were the banners welcoming Gamelan Asmaradana to the Brave Festival?! Where was the Brave Festival flag?! Where were the crowds of supporters, press and paparazzi?! And most importantly, where were our Liasion Officers?! Well, I'll tell you. We found out that they were at the next station. Darn those Polish and their confusing station names. Everything was Wroclaw something and Wroclaw something and Wroclaw something...you get the idea.

Aisha gets on the phone and talks to the "people" and soon our Liasion Officers come to get us. And off to our hotel we go. Savoy Hotel. A quaint hotel, more like a bed and breakfast. Rooms were pleasantly furnished. I got a room to myself on the first night. Everything in that room was so vintage! I like! The sofa bed was covered in some fabric that looked old and thankfully did not smell the part. The radio was the vintage kind with turn dials and buttons to press. And the telephone was the old dial-round-till-you-hear-the-whirring-kinda phone. Cool beans!!

I walk out onto my balcony (yes, i had my own balcony), look towards the neighbouring balcony and see two Aussies in boxers playing jazz to whomever was walking past at that moment. Just great, I'm sleeping next to these wierd musicians. Now, I'm so totally sure they are weird that I'll even name names. Yes ,Darren Moore and Timothy O'Dwyer of Timothy O'Dwyer Trio fame, you are those two weird musicians.

Enough already on these angmohs...lets proceed to dinner. We had dinner at a Western restaurant and all of us were so dead tired that we couldn't even stomach much down! After dinner, most of us went our separate ways. Joyce, Serene Seow, Renata (our Liasion Officer or LO), the three Aussies and me went to this jazz club called Club Rura. I know i know, sleazy sounding name..but it was not like what i expected. I was definitely not expecting hot, sultry jazz in an underground room. Again, no aircon. But luckily for me, Polish night is actually cool, a rather big drop in temperature from the Polish daytime. I order the talked-about Polish vodka with redbull and the waiter brings me double shot of vodka and one full can of redbull. Woohoo...cheap liquor anyone? Well..i basically couldn't stay any longer than half an hour, so the girls finished their drinks and headed back to the hotel with Clayton.

Okay thats it for my first steps in Poland. More coming soon....pics coming soon...having some problem uploading my photos.

Skinheads, Discus-throwers and Shot-putters Explained

So this is the post where i explain about the discus-throwers and shot-putters. Well, because most of the guys in Poland look like this. Tall and huge, with hair cropped to there. Don't they look like Olympians in their bid for the discus-throwing/shot-putting events??






There's just so much to say about this trip to Poland. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. We were stuck in Amsterdam due to a flight delay, arising not from a problem with the airplane or the airline but because Germany closed their airspace. Something to do with the World Cup Finals!! Imagine that. So we could have left the airport and gone into Amsterdam. Damn!

AND because of that flight delay, we had to run for the train in Warsaw. Had to find someone who understood English..waited around for someone who could understand English and finally we were going towards our train on Platform 1...it could have been Platform 9 and 3-quarters. Looked exactly like Harry Pottie's train. Maybe all trains in Europe look like that??

We only had 5 mins to throw everything on board the train. And i mean everything, from the humongous double bass case, to the heavy bonang pots in the luggage to the mallet bag and everyone else's luggage. So we make ourselves comfortable in the train...until the conductor comes along and waves and warbles in Polish (we couldn't understand a single thing he was saying). Another conductor with marginally better English comes by and tells us that we are in the wrong carriage. This carriage is a first class one while we only paid for second class tickets. Woohoo~therefore here we go again, transporting everything and i mean everything, from the humongous double bass case, to the heavy bonang pots in the luggage to the mallet bag and...you get it...from the first class carriage to our designated second class carriage that just so happens to be on the opposite end of the train. Lots of banging, overturned luggages, rolling of luggages over people's toes ensues. Till we finally get to our carriage, minus the humongous double bass case that simply couldn't make it to our end. Clayton decides to get off at the next stop, wheel and run his double bass to our carriage. My job? To jump out from our carriage and wave wildly so he knows where to run to. Haha...i should have videoed the whole episode with my camera. Seow looked so funny running alongside Clayton. Why she was there I have no idea...

Everyone's settled in our carriage in the end. But boy, was it hot! So hot that I couldn't even take a nap. I am not kidding you, it was/is way hotter than Singapore! And there was no aircon nor fan anywhere in our carriage...not even in the first class carriage mind you! The only carriage with a/c was in the carriage behind ours. But even then, it just felt like we were sitting under the shade of a big tree. I wanted to melt! Put me in the freezer puhlease!!!! Arghhh...

Phew! Recounting this makes me feel like taking a cold shower. Um...excuse me...i think i'll continue later. I leave you then...with more photographs...

Back from the Land of Shot-Putters and Discus-Throwers

This is just a short post, to say that I'm back from Wroclaw, Poland safe and sound. If the title of this post sounds funny...go figure. I'll explain in my next post. Haha.

Till then, I've only got this to say...Poland's got the best vodka..Woohoo~~!!!