It Pays to Ask

This evening, I was having orchestra rehearsals. Prior to the orchestra rehearsals, the double bass section had a sectionals with our tutor. I appreciate our tutor for his patient and firm guidance. I think he gives his best possible, and that makes double bass playing inspiring and satisfying.

He explained to us about the concepts and ideas behind playing Tchaikovsky's music. Since today, I could better appreciate why Tchaikovsky seems to write beautiful melodies, and yet at times put in "broken rhythms" that seem to interrupt the general flow of the music. The interpretation was that despite seeing life so beautiful outside one's world (as experienced by others), one's world is actually full of gloom, struggles and unhappiness. Tchaikovsky must have been a not-so-happy man in his lifetime, yet he shares with the world one precious gift, his music.

For today's orchestra rehearsals, we had a "guest conductor" to conduct us. He was an ex-member of the orchestra, and he came this evening to conduct us as our resident conductor is overseas attending courses to upgrade his conducting skills. We played the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, and then Mendelssohn's Fingals Cave. Probably we played Fingals Cave at a slightly slower tempo than last Wednesday, my fingers and left hand did not experience as much "cramps" as compared to last week when we played a very difficult and long passage. It seems that each conductor would have his own way of interpreting a piece of music. It sometimes help to have a guest conductor, then the orchestra could experience playing the same symphony in slightly different ways.

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Anyway, I shall now stay focused, and write about something that relates to the title of this post.

I took time-off from work this afternoon. I was still in search of that book that I was looking for since Sunday. I guess my hunch told me I should persist, so I did. I went to the Clementi bookshop (I hope I've got the name of the shop right?) to check if it would carry the book. Nope it did not.

I had already been to the university's Co-op about a month ago to look for the book, but at that time, I was told that the co-op did not have any stock of the book. Anyway, I guess an unknown force told me to try again. Mind you, yours truly do not enjoy dealing with disappointments, so it takes greater emotional strength to urge myself to try checking out the Co-op again this afternoon.

At the Co-op, I tried my best to search and look through each and every shelf where books related to the Social Sciences were being displayed. I tried making sure that I did not miss out any, so I actually looked through the same shelves the second time. No sign of the book that I had wanted to find.

I thought of asking the person at the help-desk if the co-op would carry the book, but I truly fear ending up with a "nil" response. Also, one of the staff at the help-desk actually attended to me about a month ago, and he told me the book was out-of-stock. For quite a while, my mind was filled with this thought: "It would be embarrassing if I were to ask him and get the same reply. Would he think that I did not trust him one month ago? Then again, he looks such a fine gentleman, I don't think he would scold me for asking him about the same book once again. Afterall, who knows, the co-op may have got new stocks now?"

Just when I was contemplating whether or not to ask, I saw that that particular staff was busy with something else, so I grabbed the opportunity to ask another staff about the book. I thought it would be less embarrassing for me to ask someone else. It sure took a bit of self-coaxing for me to approach the help-desk to ask. So I asked, and it paid off.

The co-op happened to have copies of the book. There were limited copies, so the book was not on display on the shelves. Apparently, the staff was immediately able to tell me that the co-op had the book when I gave him a slip of paper bearing the title of the book. I think the co-op must have acquired that title quite recently? Whatever it is, I have gotten the book finally. I suppose, it does pay to ask.