Heroes and Heroines

Posted on November 23, 2007 by Liang Vincent WANG

17 Nov, NUS YST Conservatory Concert Hall, 730pm

The Conservatory Orchestra
Wang Ya-Hui, Music Director
Katherine Broderick, Soprano

Programme:
Marriage of Figaro Overture    Mozart
"Porgi Amor" from Marriage of Figaro    Mozart
"Come scoglio" from Cosi fan tutte   Mozart
Der Freischütz Overture   Weber
"Dich, teure Halle" from Tannhäuser Wagner
     Intermission
Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 “Eroica” Beethoven

Before the concert, Samuel and I dined in Clementi, where I had my first try of the best rojak in Singapore "Clementi brother rojak". Queued around 15mins. And it’s considered very fast. I was surprised those ppl wouldn’t mind to queue one hour just for a "salad"…Anyway, the rojak is an interesting side dish.

Back to music. It’s also my first time to hear the YST conservatory orchestra and the new concert hall. That’s why it deserved a blog, even in busy and lazy days.

Performence: When hearing the first overture, it’s considered under my expectation, especially the strings. After warming up period, YSTCO corped well with the soprano, who generouslly gave two encores. May be due to the fact that I just heard the VSO version of the same work, ears are still in "aesthetic fatigue". The YSTCO revealled their full strength only in the symphony. This must be the result of intensive rehearsals.

Hall Acoustics: The hall followed the classic "shoe-box" design. Sidewalls are made into diffusers. There is one canopy over the stage. Our seats were in the rear center of the stall. According to Samuel, we were sitting in the best point in the hall. After hearing the whole concert, especially the symphony I generally felt the sound was clear and loud enough, however dry and fatiguing. This showed the sign of poor reverberation, in other words, the lack of mid-reflections.

Closing words: A good side dish on local music menu. An interesting concert with an corresponding title, though I believe "heroes and heroines" should only meet on the battlefield. Rating 7

光光节结

Posted on November 11, 2007 by Liang Vincent WANG

11月11日注定是个不平凡的日子。89年前的这一天，地球上第一次世界大战停火了。我猜可能是怕留下太多女光棍会造成地球村生态系统崩溃。于是为了避免当年恐龙灭绝的历史一幕再次上演，男光棍们决定放下手中抢，No War, Only Love.

这个世界变化快，89年后的今天，魍魉继续可耻的孤独着，继续反历史反人类。
早晨7点多起床，洗漱完毕换好衣服，下楼去早餐。
红牛一罐，Cadbury Dark Gold半块(根本不dark，下次坚决不买，味如嚼蜡)，全麦面包两片
吃这些可不是为了庆祝节日，因为朋友约我今天LSD。这个LSD不是传说中的致幻剂, 而是Long Slow Distance，简单说就是全程马拉松中的长距离训练。
去年的11月11日是个周六，我还清楚的记得也是在LSD中度过上午的11点11分。。这也不完全是巧合，因为每年12月的第一个周日是新加坡马拉松，而这倒数第三个周末应该是LSD中距离最长的一次。这么说来，我要感谢一下新加坡马拉松的组织者，选这么个好日子让我来挥洒那无处安放的青春和汗水，还有脂肪。。

快8点和Mr. Yeo在SRC碰面，灌了两口100+后绕NTU开跑。每圈加上往返SRC，以及上下坡，折合7KM+，按计划要来5圈。第一圈热身。第二圈刚跑没多远，旁边开过一辆奔驰。一般我也就和179彪下速度超个车，奔驰就算了，今天LSD。?!这辆奔驰怎么还彩带飘扬鲜花置前，后面还跟两辆。。。婚车，昏，这太发指了。NTU里我还头一次见婚车，居然还选这日子，该不会冤家派来整我的吧。我啥时结了冤家？以德报怨，边跑边bless一个。
第三圈，太阳出来了，无妨，自来新我已经被晒黑几圈了。这圈跑完后Mr. Yeo回去接娃了。
第四圈，我意识到，11点11分时我将独自奔跑。开始有点饿了，路边也没有正赛时的补给点，更没有Cheering girls。于是这圈结束后立马吃掉火星半个(Mars choca bar)。
第五圈，为了避免膝盖劳损，没选最大圈，挑了条平坦的路线，终于完成LSD. 这时我的NOKIA5500Sports显示34.1KM。

回家，洗澡吃饭睡觉。起来已经快4点了，我决定去一下lab，让这个节日更加有意义。泡了杯咖啡，打开电脑。没看几分钟paper，就发现这个过节方式不大对头，还是累，大脑根本不运转。于是放弃research倾向，看了看新闻去吃晚饭。晚上和老妈QQ，她老人家居然还提醒我今天光棍节，还说要给我介绍.. 昏。。本科时您干嘛去了。。在该寻找爱情时选择回避，在应探索婚姻时寻找爱情，而至少两三年内我还不大可能结婚，所以现阶段还是不要出来吓人了，冬眠修养先。。

要说今天最令我惊讶的要数老妈说她开始跑步锻炼了，每天2.5K，赞。
顺手查了下，2008年11月11日是周二，看来明年我没法在LSD中过节了。。
而现在，我的大脑在咖啡因的作用下先总结下07光光节

被点名了..

Posted on November 10, 2007 by Liang Vincent WANG

还是被点名了。这股怀旧风朝转悠于朋友圈子里有一阵子了。这立冬都过了，没想到还是被点了。

游戏规则：
一、被点到名字的人要在自己的博客上写下答案，并且将这几个题目传到其他七个人，还要到这七个人的博客上留言通知对方“你被点名了”。二、这七个人要在博客上注明是在哪接到的题目，并且再将题目传给其他七个人，让游戏继续下去，不得回传，被点名的人将得到大家的祝福。

题接自：棒棒糖

題目＋答案
1.近来你最开心的事是什么？
得看最近是怎么个定义，貌似前些日子发过一贴。

2.近来最难过的事是什么？
同上。(插播广告)欢迎大家常来做客，开心的事我一般还是愿意记录下，和大家分享。难过的事也得过。。

3.最大的心愿是什么？
No War, Only Love.

4.如果现在可以让你随心所欲去旅行，你想去哪？
   这机会难得啊，回天王星看看，顺路去下火星。
   自己花钱的话，还是再去欧洲了。

5.你最满意自己身体哪个部位？与别人初次见面你会先注意他（她）哪个部位？
   当然是俺这颗久经马拉松考验每分钟只跳50多下的心脏，而且它"很温柔，而且永远不会说谎"(可能因为另一个器官经过Permanent Head Damage变更笨，说了也编不圆，就不费那劲了)。
   这得看是初次见谁，还得看我是几岁时了，不过终归都还是想看心的，何处去学读心术?

6.失眠过吗？你用什么办法对抗失眠？
   对抗没用的。。我会起来看书听音乐，困了再睡。

7.会不会做饭？你希望你的伴侣（OR未来的伴侣）会做饭吗？　
   自打家里买了电饭锅，我就会做饭了。做菜不敢说会，不过起码还是比CanteenB要强点。
   她会不会做饭倒是无所谓。工作忙了可以出去吃，闲了可以两人一起做。只要不嫌俺厨艺差，俺一人做也没问题。

8.你最想做哪个动画片角色？为什么？
   康夫。我想有只机器猫: D，什么？不能选日本人。
   那葫芦娃里挑一个？

9.在你心中我是怎么样一个人？
天真，善良，美丽

10.如果可以重来，你最想改变的是什么？
可以重来，我也无法让世界充满爱，但本科时我就该谈恋爱

11.觉得自己是个自恋的人么?
这个得别人回答才有意义。有时俺的做事方式恐怕会被看作异类，不那么地球。不过我倒觉得很自然，这算自恋不？

12.2007年你最想实现的是什么？
还剩不到俩月。。那就希望Journal顺利，老板funding赶紧给我落实。

接下来点名：(其实我觉得这题最难)
诗人(每题需以诗做答)，猫王，Daffy，aifei & Caoji，LV Jiang，fb

打完收工，大家可以祝福我了^_^

魍魉上网十年史·1998 先秦时代 It goes on..

Posted on November 9, 2007 by Liang Vincent WANG

汉唐之前，我们伟大的天朝文明其实一直落后于西方文明发展。而我们被灌了几十年的"上下五千年"历史说也一直有注水嫌疑。于是这先秦历史，就有这么个夏商周断代工程。

1998年，上网已渐渐走出神化传说，不过还是比较虚的事情，就如同夏商历史。那一年和同学们一起在南郊某网吧办了张会员卡。上网价格飞速下降到￥5/小时，不过接入速度没有感到提高。速度倒还次要，关键那个年代网上信息含量，尤其中文信息含量可不比现在，也就比夏商历史文献多点吧。要知道，直到这一年底才凑齐了后来三国争霸的网易，新浪，搜狐。。在有限的上网经历中，无限的等待后，登陆了几个大学的网站，还有些现在记不得的网站(都是少老皆宜的，要么或许记忆还能深刻些)。这时，次年高考的阴影就在前方，上网也没什么吸引力。朋友们开始转向去网吧C&C红警后，我也再没给会员卡冲过值。后来想起里面应该还有几块钱呢，不过这家具有历史意义的网吧已经倒闭了。。

穿越历史回到现在，插播条实时新闻：今日午时本居访问统计过万。。感谢各位捧场

When the Russians play German works

Posted on November 6, 2007 by Liang Vincent WANG

About two weeks ago, I went to two classical concerts. Coincidently, both concerts were Russian (former Soviet Union, to be precise) musicians playing German works.

Oct 24 Goldberg Variations by Alexey Botvinov, NUS UCC Theater

Known to a few friends, for baroque keyboard pieces I’d alway prefer harpsichord much more than piano. Impressionism or smooth romantic is what I’d like to hear from piano. However I was still temped by this concert, as the Ukrainian pianist was among the winners of the 8th International J.S. Bach competition. I was hoping his trademark Goldberg variations could change my prejudice.
The theater wasn’t too big. Thanks to my friend reserving a seat. The acoustic in the 7th row was still acceptable though with little air-con noise and lack of some nice reverberation. I’m not at all an expert on piano playing. But it’s not too hard to tell the pianist done quite a nice job on the Steinway, though not enough to change my stubborn prejudice. The work was originally composed for two manual harpsichord, so the pianist has to show some technique to conquer it on the piano. Without doubt the Bach competition winner had no problem. My rating goes to 7.

Oct 27 Russian National Orchestra with Mikhail Pletnev, Pinchas Zukerman and Amanda Forsyth
Esplanade Concert Hall

BEETHOVEN : Coriolan Overture, Op 62
BRAHMS : Concerto for Violin & Cello in A minor, Op 102
BEETHOVEN : Symphony No 7 in A, Op 92

With a little luck and help from my friend, I was able to put another big name from my hunting list into a log record. No doubt, RNO is on the world top orchestras list, especially for their world leading reference for Russian works. Though they cancelled the "Pathitique", the Beethoven Symphony No.7 was still a very much promising performence which they had just recorded with DG.

When the orchestra started with Coriolan overture, my ears were still warming up. The timbre of the strings was fine and plain, not too bright. The brass too. Very section is under the control of Pletnev’s baton. When Pinchas Zukerman and his wife joined RNO in the double concerto, my attraction was still more drawn to the orchestra. The quality of RNO and the philosophy of Pletnev was fully revealed in the Beethoven Symphony No.7. Symphonic and disciplined, Pletnev was able to chisel out a rock-solid performence with RNO. After four or five curtain calls, no encore was given..I was told this was Pletnev’s philosophy and manner. A little bit disappointed, but this wouldn’t change the fact that this concert among the top 10 most memorable concerts I ever been. Rating 9 (-0.5 due to the sub seating)

A party to welcome the tropical winter

Posted on November 6, 2007 by Liang Vincent WANG

辞新朋迎故友，上周六家里再次party。老传统，也就是大家一起做饭吃饭，看看电影。不同的是，这次中餐系居然还得我亲自出马，不过既然大家不介意"鉴赏"，我也就不介意再雷锋一下(*为俺主厨)。主厨其实不累，关键还得自己采购原料，打小工。。

菜单 (十菜一汤一甜点)

餐前汤：
萝卜炖排骨* (本来想炖老藕的，买不到。。)

中餐系：
凉拌黄瓜*               (受到国际友人一致称赞，我天朝不愧美食之国，这么一个开胃菜就震住拉)
小葱拌豆腐*            (嫩豆腐切好，撒上葱花，烧热油泼出葱香，一清二白: )
复合式番茄炒蛋*      (Chef’s choice，上次点名保留菜：)
酸甜鱼柳*               (不知名的鱼排，过油煎一下，然后加上调料烧吧烧吧就好了)
红烧肉                    (终于获得了成功！赞，多谢特邀客座嘉厨Mr.L，还有打下手的偶: D
糖醋排骨                 (革命还需努力，不得逃跑，下次继续: P
西芹百合*               (失败，本来寄予厚望，可惜买不到新鲜百合，火又不够旺，没法爆炒。沦落到CanteenB水准，我说怎么口感似曾相识-_-)

印餐系：
Dal (上次点名的保留菜，米饭绝配)
茄汁角豆
咖喱花白

餐后甜点：
银耳莲子汤* (银耳、莲子、百合、苹果、冰糖，小火炖吧炖吧就好了，关键得一直看着搅)

红酒：Senorio de Nava Reserva 2001 (多谢Mr.L万里迢迢从欧洲背来)

背景音乐：
Scarlet’s Walk — Tori Amos
Medulla — Bjork
Romance — Frank Sinatra
Gold90FM — FM 90.5
Classic95 — FM 95

餐后，非主厨打扫战场。主厨沐浴更衣，设摆桌案，架设器材，不求神拜佛。。转行为电影放映员

The Movie： Ratatouille 很不错 8/10，和Party主题也很和谐，受到大家一致认可^_^

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