Leaving chorus

my life hasn't changed much since I last blogged. it still revolves around the following: JLPT (10 days left!), dissertation, job applications, global governance essay, global governance presentation, Japanese speech, Japanese reading class presentations, part-time job...sleep, shower, eat, and cook.

I feel like crying but I think my tear glands are too proud. It feels like I'm about to crack under all this pressure and stress. Cooking is my way of relaxation, that's really the only time when I feel peaceful and soothed. All the other times I'm just anxious, stressed and exhausted. I haven't been to the gym in weeks, the lack of endorphins is soon to be filled by caffeine. A while ago I decided to give up drinking (alcohol), but now I think I'll take up caffeine instead. I don't usually drink coffee (tea all the way!) because it makes me really jittery and my heart beat speeds up like a sports car, but now I think I might need it for the future all-nighters.

because of the busy schedule I have these days, plus I've been having a crappy time at chorus, I've decided to leave chorus. even in October when I wasn't as busy with work, Wen Chean and I realised that chorus had drastically changed when we temporarily left for our industrial placement and study abroad. the new conductor is not as inspirational as Marcus, the repertoire is not as exciting as Elgar/Britten/Mendelssohn/Orff, and the committee seems to be lacking organisation. at the beginning I knew that I couldn't sing in the December concert because it clashes with the JLPT in London, so there hasn't been motivation for me to attend rehearsals and enjoy singing with chorus. then came November when work really started to kick my ass, I just couldn't make it to the rehearsals. Thursday is my busiest day at the University, with the last lecture (with the politics lecturer who resembles Brad Pitt) ending at 1800, I'm usually exhausted by that time. so basically that's the story...it's quite sad, when I think about it, because in my second year I put in so much time and effort into chorus, being the committee's secretary, preparing for the concerts (especially the big one at Bridgewater Hall). It was so much fun and very rewarding watching 2,000 people coming in to listen to us sing. But now I know that's not going to happen again.

anyway these days instead of singing Haydn with the chorus, I'm singing Les Mis in my room. And apparently my singing is more audible than the hoover...

The King's Speech

Just came back from a lovely evening at the Leeds International Film Festival. Tonight was the opening night and the selected film was The King's Speech, the much anticipated film of the year. It certainly deserves all the hype, personally it's the best film I've seen in years. I've read reviews of it from the film festivals in Toronto and London, and I just couldn't wait until January to watch it in the cinema, so I took the hour-long journey to Leeds to watch this film. The cast is absolutely stunning - Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham-Carter, Timothy Spall, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Gambon etc etc.

In one particular scene, I was reminded of BBC's 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Jennifer Ehle (Elizabeth) plays Lionel Logue's (Geoffrey Rush) wife, Myrtle, who had no idea that her husband's patient was the King (played by Colin Firth, aka Mr. Darcy). Myrtle walks into the dining room and sees Elizabeth (then Queen - not Queen Mother yet) sipping tea. Already shocked, then Logue opens the door and says "erm...I believe you haven't met erm...King George VI". It sort of reminded me of the scene in Pride and Prejudice where Elizabeth walks into Darcy at Pemberley. It's worth mentioning that David Bamber (aka Mr. Collins) made a cameo appearance as a theatre director, who rejected Lionel Logue's audition (Logue was an aspiring but unsuccessful actor, as well as a speech therapist) earlier in the film.

The film will be released in the US later this month, but in the UK we'll have to wait until January, closer to the award ceremonies season. I really hope and I think there's a great chance for Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham-Carter to get nominations and possibly awards!

my life these days

this is why I haven't been blogging much lately. these days my life revolves around:

- 19hrs/week of work at part-time job at a Japanese restaurant/food shop

- 6.5hrs/week of classes at university

- going to the gym

- being a temporary vegetarian

- reading for presentations in Japanese class

- reading for global governance class (weekly tutorial - with the hottest lecturer ever, essay and presentation)

- writing a speech for Japanese class

- translation

- studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test in early December

- reading for dissertation

- job/internship applications

- reading the newspaper to prepare for job applications

- having doubts about my ability of getting a job interview/job offer

- having doubts about my ability to get a 2:1/1st