I went to watch Joshua Bell live in performance yesterday at the KLCC MPO with Tems and Joanne We got our tickets heaps early, maybe as far as two months back, and have been eagerly awaiting being in the presence of this music maestro, left to gawp in the audience at his dexterity and amazing violinistic (?!) skills.

*breathes awe-stricken sigh*

First of all, I’m a huuuuuuge music buff. Any kind of music—while I’ll be the first one to admit that I have no formal training in music (unless you count a few months of crappy keyboard training at Yamaha in Parade), I will also say that I do not discriminate (much) when it comes to music (unless it’s techno or trance). I love my classical stuff, and adore strings…

Secondly, Joshua Bell. Not only is he incredibly talented, he is pretty darn good looking too (in some pictures, he reminded me very much of Philip Dearman though, for some reason! Eeps.) though he may not have looked his best yesterday, oh wells. The audience was silent throughout his amazing performance (one piece, with a sympathy/appreciative encore, because the people wouldn’t stop clapping!) and heaved a collective sigh of appreciation when he was done.

Thirdly, this being my first time at the MPO, I was awestruck. I loved everything, the quiet, cool, classy atmosphere, the dim, sophisticated lighting, the sinks in the toilet cubicles (because I am a jakun) …not to mention entering the actual hall itself and taking in the intricate (and arguably,verging on tacky) details. When the orchestra started to play, watching the bows move up and down in unison, the swift, almost poetic movements of the conductor, the passion that emanated from the stage…I was hooked. I am hooked.

Apparently they’re playing Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake in November. *swoons* I hope I’ll be back from Melbourne by then…made calls today, and apparently the MATTA fair tickets usually only last two weeks, which is terrible news, but better than nothing I reckon.

Sigh. I suppose love, like anything else, is only rewarding if you put much effort, time, and devotion into it.

Digress, another point. Josh Groban is touring this region too, come year end. My, my. I have too many Josh-Loves in my life, Josh Groban (for always, forever), Joshua Bell, Joshua Tan. Haha the last one, in jest, but I reckon KKB will get a rise out of it considering how he’s always making fun of us.

***

So I began my final  semester at Monash today. The new campus, as everyone has been saying, is pretty impressive. Given today’s the first day of it being fully operational, there were the inevitable hiccups, like this lecture of some boring-ass bioscience guy rambling on and on transmitting into all five lower level lecture theaters while we were watching the first screening for our Contemporary TV Studies class, Soapdish (a satirical film parodying the ridiculous world of soap opera, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Downey Jr., Teri Hatcher, etc).

I like Contemporary TV Studies already, because for our first assignment we are required to watch at least one season of either The Sopranos, Buffy, or…..Sex And The City! Plus we have to write a critique on two articles from a book/texts about the above mentioned texts. I could feel the frisson of excitement among the girls as SATC was mentioned.

*wiggles toes in glee*

Also, another subject I’m sure I’ll enjoy—Writing Experiments We get to do all sorts of weird and wonderful things and break with discursive conventions and syntax and come up with some funky shit in class—huzzah! For our final project, we are to submit a 2,000 word piece for grading purposes, but can also opt to present our work visually—2,000 words in a song, play, sculpture, dance, etc…it’s a wonderful and liberating idea, to let our work transcend words!

I can’t wait to get started, I have about a million (possibly terrible) ideas bouncing around in my head. I want to do something huge and flamboyant, in keeping with my loud, OTT Sagittarius bits.

Yes, in case thou art wondering, I have been dabbling back into the world of astrology thanks to a new, good friend And Linda Goodman. Who is and has always been my astrological sifu ever since I got hooked at age 11. Anyone want personal astro-analyses done? Heh.

In case anyone’s wondering, I am a Pisces Sun and Venus, Aries Rising and Mercury, and Sagittarius Moon and Mars. Yes, I am very fire-influenced; very indignant when I feel my integrity is being questioned, very friendly (and clumsy). I have wanderlust and will always say the most tactless, terrible things because the words skip the filtering portion of my brain and come tumbling out my mouth uncensored. Yet, I can also be the girliest girl there ever was, and love daydreaming and scribbling poetic lovemush and walking around with my noggin in the clouds.

Aaah. Astrology. I like.

Tems and Joanne, you can get over my buying the book yesterday now—I’ve come clean

***

This morning as I was loitering about the foyer reading the morning paper, I noticed two huge Lexus pulling up to the compounds, one silver, one black. Knowing how hard the guards are on simply letting people in, I thought it was going to be the PVC or someone of similar ranking pulling up.

My curiousity was piqued when I saw two men hop out of the first Lexus, run to the second one, and pull the front door open. And emerged…..a girl. With a backpack, and plastic file. The men ushered whom I presume is her younger brother into the front  seat before rushing back into their Lexus and pulling out of the compound as the girl stood waving at the cars for the longest time.

Now. What. The. Fuck.

If the girl in question is the daughter of a V.V.I.P (in which case she is likely to be), wouldn’t one suppose that all this extra attention, especially in the main foyer area teeming with keeno students on the first day of classes be bound to draw some, if not more attention of potential would-be faker friends or kidnappers or what-have-you?

I absolutely despise how people in this country (and of course, by extension, all over the world) think that because they have money they can buy absofuckinglutely anything and everything. Two Lexus to fit two people in each? Just because she’s privileged she cannot walk from the main gates into the compound, and on that same note, is thus rendered incapable of opening her own car door?!

Ugh!

You are in university, for crying out loud. An institution for higher learning. Learning that cannot be presented to you on a silver platter because you need to put in your own effort into your work. Honestly, just by witnessing this girl having, nay, allowing, someone else in another car to open her door for her seems to indicate to me a person who would want the easiest way out, and thus, forsake work, and hog the space another more deserving, intelligent person could have gotten! Why? Because she has the money!

Baaaaaaah.

I’m so disgusted. I hate the whole thing, having to have someone else do your shit. Especially open your car door. Like I mean I wouldn’t mind it if it were at a particular posh location, or a one-off thing, like the boyfriend opening the door for you before you go on a special date, but at uni? In broad daylight? Having to exit another car just to open a fucking door? That’s downright ridiculous.

I reckon it’s more than sour grapes speaking now. My Sagittarian bits are outraged that someone who is in perfect physical condition could permit such a pointless and degrading act of subservience. I hate fakers and can spot them a mile off, I always feel uncomfortable around people who are particularly nice or sucky-uppy. I can just tell, all right? That’s my Piscean psychic capabilities and ultra-sensitive emotional tuning fork doing the job.

Grr. Anyhoo, I should try not to get too worked up about petty, small, ridiculous things that are no real concern of mine anyway. I shall read more Linda Goodman, and meditate over her wise words, and memorise the section on how to recognise people from particular sun signs so I can go nuts analysing people.