{meeting kitiya}

Yesterday. Finally. After around 9 years emailing each other. Me in Jakarta and her in Bangkok. Kitiya of Country Hobby and I met in person. In Jakarta. She’s as lovely as she always sounds in her emails. As wonderful as her artwork. There I got a special gift from Kitiya: her latest book! It’s in Thai but just by looking at the pretty pictures in the book, you’d know it’s fun to create the projects. I’m already inspired to make country boxes. Oh, why did I forget to take the picture of the book. I will upload it later today. I just couldn’t wait to post this entry :o)

{me}{kitiya}

{d day: the concert}

Finally! The concert! One exciting musical hour of Vivaldi, Telemann, JS Bach, Pachelbel and Corelli. Now tired but happy, and it's time to take a little bit of rest :o)

{d day minus 1}

Busy (practicing), excited (to be on stage again), nervous (as usual), fun (of course!). It's tomorrow!

Today's rehearsal

{photo shoot}

I’m so glad I posted the new prints last Saturday – it’s busy busy busy after that ‘til now, starting with a rehearsal and photo shoots with the amateur chamber music ensemble on Sunday. Then the working week speaks for itself :o) Lots of photos taken on Sunday and I must pick one for my scrapbook. This one above is nice, methink. Everyone has big smiles. That was fun. Oh yes, the concert will be on 1 February. You're all invited :o)

{sunday rehearsal}

Today been out rehearsal with the amateur chamber music ensemble. No crafting :o)

Pictures during break, taken from my seat in the second violin section (and one or a few steps to the left).


Resting contrabass.


A peek on the score.


The violin on the seat in front of mine.


The instructor and the conductor. I wonder if they wanted to have a break.

[.one.music.life.]

This used to be like this, all the time. My daily this-and-that merged intensely with my so-called music life. Doing exercises on the violin to retrain my fingers (and my brain) early in the morning was something I hardly missed. Then those weekly practices with my pianist (a set of sushi with lots of wasabi normally followed suit). Then to a gang of enthusiastic concertgoers I belonged.

No, not everything’s gone. I thanked my lucky star. Yesterday evening I once again found myself sitting at Goethe House, with my pianist on my right and a violinist friend on my left. The ever amazing Abegg Trio was on stage. Loved the happy-go-lightly Hayden’s trio, got agitated through the classic-modern composition on the second programme, then Dvorak’s Dumky Trio was a blast! Especially the first movement. I came to understand that I might be a dévotée to folk music, as listening to this best known of Dvorak’s piano trios of which colourful tunes of folk songs and dances were the joyful themes – I felt I was kind of ‘expanded’ and boy, the music must have restored the good chemicals in my brain!




Image courtesy of www.abegg-trio.de

Birgit Erichsson, cello. Gerrit Zitterbart, piano. Ulrich Beetz, violin.


Next plan? Marcel the pianist and I will re-start our regular practice this coming Sunday. My violin will be happy! Now would you excuse me, I have to say hi to Mr Bach and Mr Beethoven... :-)

[.on.the.way.to.sweden.]

Reporting from Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. Brea and I landed at around 4 p.m. - and it was a very nice flight, nice food, not too crowded and the seats were comfortable.

Now sitting at the internet cafe at the airport. A little bit dissapointed as I recalled that last year I spent 8 hours waiting at the lounge talking on skype with free wi-fi, now we have to pay 100 baht for 20 minutes use of internet. Better than no internet at all, though.

I have 6 minutes left. Gotta go. The flight to Stockholm will depart at 01.00 am 'tomorrow', we have 8 hours to go round the airport. It's a nice airport, anyway. See you soon in Sweden / France!

Amreta

[.weekend.break.]

Oho! Finally a little time off. Probably these are the nice things about sharing the house with my cousins, and having the terrace turned into a small restaurant. Though I would always have my privacy upstairs, whenever I want I would just go downstairs and join the fun, or creating the fun itself :-)

I have my favorite corner in the restaurant and when lunch time is out and there are not many visitors, I would occupy that favorite corner with my books or papers or crafts and coffee - so would my cousins on the other tables.

Sometimes various traditional food sellers would pass by and my cousins would buy some snacks or refreshments. They had fresh fruit slices with peanut and palm sugar sauce today.

And I managed to change a little bit my inspiration board - added two pictures of baby me with dad and grandpa, and a DVD picture of maestro Claudio Abbado conducting the Berlin Philharmonic performing Beethoven's symphony no. 7 - my favorite. A picture and poem by Mr Hammarskjöld are still intact.

I just felt like it, inline with Father's Day next week. Wish my dad were here again. But I know he's watching over me from above, and smiling :-) I miss you, Dad!!

[.friday.break.]

Thanks everyone for your overwhelming response to my free membership offer, which will be closed on 13 january, I’m so flattered… and certainly, for bearing with me in these chaotic rearrangement and ‘moving around’. You know, sometimes I found myself having lots of ideas, but then on the way I stumbled on so many this-and-that. Anyhow, I believe that there are always some good things that present themselves during the fall-and-get-ups. I’m so glad that I keep this quote by Janice Endique on my table, it was a tear-out from an old edition of Country Living magazine : “On the way to what you planned to happen, something even better comes along.”

It is said that if you repeat what you say all the time, it becomes your belief. Not only that I am a huge fan of nice surprises – but by experience I know that this quote is so true :o) And what is more exciting than to have friends who enthusiastically share this same ‘belief ‘?

Came to my mailbox today:

Miko, me, Jiffy, Fina. Thanks girls for being the kind of friends I mentioned above :o)

[.tagged.in.pictures.]

Tagged by my Polish friend Joanna. Me in an afternoon chamber music playing in Jakarta a couple of months ago (now I have longer hair, and different glasses). Can you notice that Joanna's got a nice camera (and good eyes behind the camera:-))