Guitar Tuner

Mervyn offered to meet me at Clementi MRT and take a taxi there but honestly what's the point when there's already a DIRECT BUS SERVICE called bus no. 96. Anyway, it didn't make it because he was VERY late so he took a taxi from his house. I arrived earlier than I did yesterday. 4.05 now.

I got to know most of the boys from Temasek Sec. Two more girls turned out but since I didn't know them that well as I didn't see them yesterday, I didn't talk too them much. But we all got down from the same 96 bus in and one all black mass of body. I got to know the rest of the Methodist Girls' girls too. Asyikin's friends. NOW I know why and how they are involved with ChildAid. One of the Temasekians wanted to be the emcee but the position was filled in already and Shahrena wanted more volunteers so she asked him to bring his friends along to help out. THen Asyikin asked her friends to help too. And THe La Selle students were on an assignment attachment thing.

Our first duty was to place programme booklets which looked amazing on all the floors and bears on the first floor only.

After that we ate a Canadian Pizza 2-4-1 dinner. I really thought we would eat from the buffet like last year so I came with quite an empty stomach. But howells...BE grateful for what you can get.

By 6 plus, we had to be at the reception area. I was reciting over and over again my lines for when I meet Mr and Mrs Patrick Daniel. Everyone said I looked very very nervous. Iman and Shahrena told me to stop. I started to sing Sexyback by Justin Timberlake with Asyikin while waiting for the arrival.

They finally came at 6.35pm. Pheww. I didn't screw up anything. Mostly Mr Peter Khoo did the talking. Mr Patrick Daniel was VERY friendly and so smiley therefore I didn't get nervous. So I led him up to VIP reception and lingered around the area.

The next thing I was supposed to do is bring him down to greet the Rear Admiral Lu Tuck someting. Haiz...can;t remember his name now. So I set an alarm on my phone. Chatted with Asyikin, Janice, Iman and Yanling in the meantime...looking at all the ppl till we saw a TALL, DARK and HANDSOME GUY who was way beyond our league (as described by IMAN). Asyikin, me and YAnling were drooling like a fool just dor the fun of it and Joanna was being an uppity by telling us to SHUT UP. Yes mumsy....

Mr Daniel said he wanted to get down something from his car and Joanna insisisted I follow him so I waited at the staircase. Then this makcik approached me and asked me where her seat was and showed me her ticket stub. OH GOSH i really DON't KNOWWW. And the thing which really made me anxious was that while I was talkin to her Mr Daniel went up. So after I directed that makcik to someone more knowledgale, ie Elsie, I hurried up the stairs and met Paul. He smiled at me and I TRIED to smile back so he asked me "What's wrong? Why the grimace???" (you know in that FINE perfect singaporean english that he has. LURVELY) and I spilled everything and he just told me to RELAXX and HAVE FUN...not that I haven't heard it for the first time. But since that was the first time he talked to me for that day and for a long time and he was looking so relaxed and cool whereas I was not although he was the organising commitee, I started to go with the flow despite of anyone's snappy commands. WHEE HEE>>> THANKS PAUL

My alarm rang and I stammered to Mr Daniel to come down to greet the Rear Admiral who looked nothing like a rear admiral but I don't mean anything by it. It's just that he looked soo friendly and smiley. Mr Daniel was really funny. He went "Really ah? I must go is it?" But he didn't talk to me that much because he was talking to a lot of VIPs. He only said thank you alot of times.

After that around 8pm after the rest of the concert audience entered the concert hall, I led Mr Patrick Daniel in as the VIP party. And that was my last duty.

Then....CONCERT TIME. You can view most of the performances if you click on the green text. I was assigned sear Z 20. And would you believe it , It was right behind the camera that was recording the whole concert. Luckily there were a lot of empty seats along that row so I shifted. The MGS girls shifted with me too. Honestly, that seat should be removed. How can a person see right through a camera!!!

Before this at reception, there was the pre -concert performances consisting of Tampines Primary School choir who sounded HEAVENLY and the 2-Four Percussion. GROOVY.
WOO HOO!! Wonderful concert even if too heavy on classical. The hosts were Teo Yea Shi from Anderson JC, Emmanuel Ng from Serangoon JC and Lydia Adlina Ismail from Singapore Poly Mass Comm.

The Opening act was by SRJC Dance Team and Fanzine from Anglo Chinese Primary School and some graffiti artists by Yusof Ishak Sec. The pri sch kids were SO CUTE together doing a hip hop routine.

Then there was eleven yr old Justina signing 'Over the Rainbow' ...lovely voice. Followd by Abigail Sin playing Debussy's L'isle Joyeuse with her piano fingers all fast and furious..WOOHOO. Then, her good friend Janani Sridhar, the opera singer with woohoo and tralalala and ladidadida voice belting out Julius Bendict's La Capinera & Roger Quilter's It Was a Lover and His Lass. Then siblings Cheung Ting Yung and Cheng Ting Wai with Prokofiev's Sonata for Two Violins in C (2nd movement), Kreisler's Schon Rosmarin & de Falla's Danza Espanola. How's that for the hosts to announce. GOSH. They must have a lot of mouth exercises to do..try to pronounce them yourselves then if you think you're good enough. Hahass. JokING. The violinists flew especially from Hong Kong where they reside in to perform.

Next, a lovely contemparary DANCE number (FINALLY some GROOVE) by Chua Bi Ru ( not our classmate sorry) and Sarah Pineda called "What You'll Never Know". The tune was stuck in all our heads. Hahha. Next Michelle SUGiARto, another opera with Leonard Bernstein's Tonight. She's frm Indonesia too I think. But she was funny, she announced " The song I'm going to sing tonight is called 'Tonight' ". OK tats lame but makes for HA HA entertainment.

Then the supposedly hot and makes all the girls heart melt Dominic Wong with his smooth guitar chords singing Eric Clapton's Before You Accuse Me. Good interaction with audience, made us clap along with him. But me thinks he's babyface cute. Uh-huh. So is the next performer, Nathan Hartono. Haizz...his vocals are improving me thinks. His new single, Life Is Good from his debut album: Life, Love and All That Jazz is quite phunky. Should be a good addition to the local music scene, something different from all the bands that suddenly sprang up. NATHAN, I think it's better you stay SOLO kays. Your voice=JAZZ not punk rock. Then he did a duet with this year's TEENAGE Icon, Ming Bridges. She is stunning ok...even if she's super skinny legs. I think she looks amazing and her voice is like ANGELIC too. They sang Louis Arrmstrong's Life is so Peculiar. HAhaha .. so cute...

Then Julian Wong became Dick Lee junior singing his rendition of THE CHINAMAN's Life Story. He is in NS but he isn't botak and isn't tan...so I'm still trying to figure that out. Maybe he just joined.

Next one of the cube things on stage came up and the sounds of drums came up...and there he was, the one i have been waiting all night for!! ETHAN ONG!!! He beat the drums to Akira Jimbo's Mid Manhattan.... I was nodding my head to the groove and so were the electronics ppl in front of me.. hahah. FUNNIES. Ethan is cute...ahahha after the drum workout...YES WORKOUT...he waved his little hands and the crowd laughed. hahah. I heard a lot of ppl talking about how much they liked him after the concert ended.

Far too many times they say
That the road I should take
Is broad and straight
I should set my sights on goals
But do I have a choice?
Is this my voice?

There is a place,
A space in my heart
Where I can be truly free,
There're sights and there're sounds
Whole worlds to be found
If we open our hearts and our minds

I dream of a world where love is true
Where my songs can heal all hurt
Where people join hands
Not judge and condemn
It's funny but it feels so real

I dream of a world where love is blind
Where colour and creed no one minds
Where people can be
Whom they want to be
Hey you, we can make these dreams come true

Far too many times they say
That this one lonely voice
Cannot be heard.
But small drops can make a wave
So united we'll sing
Till echoes ring

Just imagine the day
When we can take flight
Come share the skies with me