Ah. It's been more than a year since I last posted, I think. So much has happened since then (I seem to be using this line quite a bit. (No, don't go tracking exactly how many times I actually said it)), like me actually graduating, getting into the Master's program at the University of Toronto, where I am going to start classes next week.
Yes. You heard that correctly. I'm currently now in the beautiful city of Toronto. Even after the initial gushing about the city was over, I still think Toronto is an exceptionally pretty and well-balanced city, with lots of culture. It has just been named Canada's favorite city, so I think that counts for something. I find Canadians super nice in general and people tend to be more big-hearted than I've met in Singapore.
The food here is awesome too! Well, not necessarily the restaurant food, but I'm talking about food ingredients. Organic food is a rather big thing here and it is readily available in almost any supermarket. Or at least, I've always found them in every supermarket that I've looked in. Which I think is awesome. I especially enjoy organic eggs, and I have found that they have a special flavour that I have not previously tasted in any non-organic eggs. Just plain egg, being hard-boiled or dunked into soup, tastes great. Of course, you can always fry them, though this makes it harder to tell the difference between organic and non-organic eggs. Oh yes, that does mean that I've started cooking my own meals! It's not way too bad, just rather time-consuming, and I foresee that I may end up eating more takeaways and deliveries once things get really busy in school.
I've basically gotten my schedule in school and I can tell you that this is going to be a very busy semester. I'm going to be playing in 4 concerts this semester, though I only have to learn two pieces of repertoire. I will be playing La Forza del Destino, which is quite an awesome orchestral overture, so I look forward to it. The only thing I would regret about my assigned orchestral/ensemble parts is that I won't get to play Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, which is a piece that I've wanted to play for the longest time, not least because you can actually hear the harp in it when the harp is being showcased. As for La Forza, the harp sadly plays an accompanying role to the clarinet, and the two instruments are supposed to represent the innocence and grace of the young maiden in the storyline of the opera (no spoilers). Also the La Forza part I'm not sure how big it might be, but it's probably not that much with Britten. The other point about Britten is that large parts of the excerpt are frequently asked for in auditions, so having actually played it with an orchestra is definitely going to help you.
The last few days I have been busy with planning an itinerary for my family's trip to Canada. They are coming here to visit me in December, not the best time really, since summer is usually when the most exciting stuff actually happens, like Canada's Wonderland (which is an amusement park). It's still in the planning process, but my parents want me to pass over what I've already done so they can continue and finish it faster than I would have had I been doing it alone.
Recently I have been really low on sleep, and my eyes are getting un-white really easily. I guess I should turn in early tonight and rest them a bit. See ya in a bit, then. Hopefully not before another year passes :P
