This evening, I was reorganizing my humble collection of greeting cards and notes. These were the expressions of the thoughts and care from friends over the years. It was a comforting and touching experience to reread these cards and notes. I felt I was rediscovering a way to count my blessings, i.e. through rereading at least a part of my collection of greeting cards and notes.
I started collecting greeting cards and notes from a time when I was possibly in lower Secondary level. The collection started as a way to remind me of the care and encouragements that friends so generously give. I continued to collect the cards over time after I have experienced that it is therapeutic to browse through and reread even a portion of the collection.
Some cards may bear simple words of greeting yet the thoughtfulness that came with them can be deeply felt. Some cards bear interesting designs and often remind me of one of my dreams to establish a business that aims share kindness and care through greeting cards, notes and gifts. Some cards which were hand-made reminded me of the care and effort that went into realizing the cards.
With this post, I thank my friends for the thoughtfulness and care that were so generously shared, through simple gestures such as sending an encouraging card. Thank you!
Showing posts with label gift ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gift ideas. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2007
What PY would shop for
Some of my colleagues and friends would have observed me looking lost or bored when they start to talk about places to shop for value-for-money fashion, the various designs of shoes and so forth. Yes, I was. When I was at places like Central and Square 2, I found myself unable to comprehend what draws people to these shopping malls. There was hardly any shop (except maybe the eating places) that would attract me to visit these malls on a regular basis!
Anyway, I have gradually learn to realise that I am not a person from the mainstream. I do shop, and the following would be things that I would be glad to shop for:
Music-related books
Thanks to my music theory tutor, who obviously is a supporter of the publications written by the late Prof. William Lovelock, I have found myself visiting the Yamaha at Plaza Singapura shopping mall to get my supplies of such publication. While doing so, I would find myself browsing many other music-related books found right there. I could say that Yahama has quite a fairly interesting collection of reference materials that would suit my preferences than those found in Music Essential, another store that sells music-related publication.
Page One also carries interesting music-related publications, so I would usually find myself at the Page One section of the Kinokuniya bookstore at Ngee Ann City shopping mall.
It has became a necessity to shop for such books as I needed a couple of good music reference books to refer to so as to write decent programme notes for the DipABRSM exams.
Double Bass related scores and books
I also like to shop for double bass scores. After much search around the known parts of Singapore, I have found out that Gramercy Music is by far the shop in Singapore with the most extensive collection of double bass scores and method books. Most double bass players who are sitting for ABRSM Grade 5 to 8 practical examinations could find some of scores at Gramercy Music required for their exams. Do check it out Gramercy Music out if you are a double bass players sitting for ABRSM of those mentioned grades.
However, there is actually quite a limited collection of double bass scores and books available in Singapore. As such, I have found myself purchasing many of such items directly from online sources as such Lemur Music.
Double Bass Accessories
My friend, Mystic, may start to exclaim if she were to know I am still looking for a double bass bow case that suits my needs. I remember that two years ago, Mystic, had been so nice to travel all about Singapore with me to search for a suitable double bass bow case, but I did not find one that had pleased me enough.
It is worthwhile to shop for double bass accessories because these items will certainly come in handy since I play the double bass fairly regularly. Furthermore, I get to know what limited choices a double bass player in Singapore would have when it comes to shopping for double bass accessories.
Books in general
I remember Emily telling me that most music-students and music-professors would find themselves either in shops selling music-records or books. I suppose there are some truth in it, because I prefer shopping for books than shopping for fashion.
Books related to visual arts, architecture, travel, culture, anthropology, music and ancient civilisations tend to attract my eyes and interest. Reading is good, it enriches the mind.
Recordings
I usually don't buy recordings because I can't find interesting double bass recordings in Singapore. I also realise that if I do buy recordings, I do not listen to them on a very regular basis, so I figured it might be a more cost-effective way to simply listen to music from 92.4 F.M. over the radio. In addition, I can go the library@esplanade to borrow recordings from the library.
Anyway, I do find myself window-shopping at shops that sells CD and music-recordings. HMV and Borders generally have a few collections of double bass related CDs that would be available for sale, so I usually visit either one of these.
If I do purchase the recording of any symphonies, I will definitely get a recording of a complete symphony, and not one with an excerpt of it. When I see CD compilations containing excerpts of many symphonies in the stores, and I realised that I will put them back onto the shelves once I realised that those were excerpts and not complete works. It may be just me, I prefer listening to complete symphonies than excerpts of symphonies.
I have been looking around for one particular CD, but have yet to find it. It's: Arthur Rubinstein - Chopin 19 Nocturnes (ASIN: B000031WBV). If you were to see it in Singapore, please do let me know?
Having written the above, I am quite interested to know what my peers would shop for and their motivations for shopping for these things. For one thing, I still can't quite figure out what makes some of my friends willing to spend a substantial amount of their money on fashion. If it were me, I would have saved it to buy a better double bass.
Anyway, I have gradually learn to realise that I am not a person from the mainstream. I do shop, and the following would be things that I would be glad to shop for:
Music-related books
Thanks to my music theory tutor, who obviously is a supporter of the publications written by the late Prof. William Lovelock, I have found myself visiting the Yamaha at Plaza Singapura shopping mall to get my supplies of such publication. While doing so, I would find myself browsing many other music-related books found right there. I could say that Yahama has quite a fairly interesting collection of reference materials that would suit my preferences than those found in Music Essential, another store that sells music-related publication.
Page One also carries interesting music-related publications, so I would usually find myself at the Page One section of the Kinokuniya bookstore at Ngee Ann City shopping mall.
It has became a necessity to shop for such books as I needed a couple of good music reference books to refer to so as to write decent programme notes for the DipABRSM exams.
Double Bass related scores and books
I also like to shop for double bass scores. After much search around the known parts of Singapore, I have found out that Gramercy Music is by far the shop in Singapore with the most extensive collection of double bass scores and method books. Most double bass players who are sitting for ABRSM Grade 5 to 8 practical examinations could find some of scores at Gramercy Music required for their exams. Do check it out Gramercy Music out if you are a double bass players sitting for ABRSM of those mentioned grades.
However, there is actually quite a limited collection of double bass scores and books available in Singapore. As such, I have found myself purchasing many of such items directly from online sources as such Lemur Music.
Double Bass Accessories
My friend, Mystic, may start to exclaim if she were to know I am still looking for a double bass bow case that suits my needs. I remember that two years ago, Mystic, had been so nice to travel all about Singapore with me to search for a suitable double bass bow case, but I did not find one that had pleased me enough.
It is worthwhile to shop for double bass accessories because these items will certainly come in handy since I play the double bass fairly regularly. Furthermore, I get to know what limited choices a double bass player in Singapore would have when it comes to shopping for double bass accessories.
Books in general
I remember Emily telling me that most music-students and music-professors would find themselves either in shops selling music-records or books. I suppose there are some truth in it, because I prefer shopping for books than shopping for fashion.
Books related to visual arts, architecture, travel, culture, anthropology, music and ancient civilisations tend to attract my eyes and interest. Reading is good, it enriches the mind.
Recordings
I usually don't buy recordings because I can't find interesting double bass recordings in Singapore. I also realise that if I do buy recordings, I do not listen to them on a very regular basis, so I figured it might be a more cost-effective way to simply listen to music from 92.4 F.M. over the radio. In addition, I can go the library@esplanade to borrow recordings from the library.
Anyway, I do find myself window-shopping at shops that sells CD and music-recordings. HMV and Borders generally have a few collections of double bass related CDs that would be available for sale, so I usually visit either one of these.
If I do purchase the recording of any symphonies, I will definitely get a recording of a complete symphony, and not one with an excerpt of it. When I see CD compilations containing excerpts of many symphonies in the stores, and I realised that I will put them back onto the shelves once I realised that those were excerpts and not complete works. It may be just me, I prefer listening to complete symphonies than excerpts of symphonies.
I have been looking around for one particular CD, but have yet to find it. It's: Arthur Rubinstein - Chopin 19 Nocturnes (ASIN: B000031WBV). If you were to see it in Singapore, please do let me know?
Having written the above, I am quite interested to know what my peers would shop for and their motivations for shopping for these things. For one thing, I still can't quite figure out what makes some of my friends willing to spend a substantial amount of their money on fashion. If it were me, I would have saved it to buy a better double bass.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Hearing protection, for music players
I live in a noisy world. This is my conclusion.
Most of the time, when I walk into shopping malls, I could often hear disturbing background noises. I presume those background noises occur due to loud music played by the individual stores of the shopping mall, and the poor acoustics of the mall.
I think VivoCity is a fine example of a poor acoustics (but beautiful, though) mall. When I was at VivoCity on Christmas Day, my ears kept sending me signals that the place is horribly noisy!
My home is a noisy place, unless everyone else is sleeping or not at home. I have parents whom I think have hearing problems but who think that I am too fussy in insisting that the volume of the television shouldn't be too high. To add to my woes, I have brothers who play mahjong. I don't mind the occasional noise when the mahjong tiles have to be shuffled, but I do mind the volume of the television and radio which were switched on to provide some entertainment. The volume is far too loud than I could sanely bear.
***
With ears sensitive like mine, it is often a painful experience to bear with noises. The bad news is that I heard that one corner of my workplace would be undergoing some refitting and renovation works. Noises again.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, human ears can only endure seven-and-a-half continuous minutes at 115 decibels before hearing damage begins. (View my source)
But I think I am living in a world where I may be subjected to such noise hazards many of the times.
***
One of my blog friends has been very kind to offer to get me ear filters to protect my hearing and offer some relief to my ears. The best part is that she was so thoughtful that she took the trouble to show me the various available designs of ear filters so that I could choose the one that would best suit my needs. She brought to my attention that there is something special about these ear filters. I have yet to find them in any other music shops in Singapore. Anyway, these ear filters are suitable for musicians to use while playing!
I felt so privileged to even browse through each of the various kinds of musician earplugs. I found myself reading away the instructions on the packagings.
**
Come to think of it, earplugs designed for the musician will come in handy. If I were to be sitting right near the tuba or trombone, no matter how lovely the instruments are played, the volume can still be pretty loud at some juncture. This evening, while catching a concert by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, I actually saw one of the double bassists who was sitting very near the tuba putting on earplugs just before the end of the intermission.
Some years ago, I had the opportunity to play the double bass with a jazz band, I was so put off by the loud volume from the amplifier connected to the instruments of the band that I had not been playing with any other jazz band since. Normal ear plugs didn't work for me then since it was difficult to hear some parts of the music using normal ear plugs. On the other hand, the HiFi HEAROS ear filters that my blog friend showed me today are designed to reduce the volume level without changing the frequency balance of the music that musicians would hear while playing. Hey, I realised that I love understanding how things work.
**
Eventually, I chose Xtreme HEAROS Ear Filters for it has a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 33 Decibels. I figured that I will need ear filters with higher Noise Reduction Rating to bear with the noises at home.
Having gone through so many kinds of ear filters and knowing the functions of these ear filters, I realised it was hard to resist buying one of these ear filters for my orchestra's double bass tutor, GM, as his birthday present. Furthermore, the personnel at that music shop have been friendly, attentive and customer-oriented to share with me information on how such ear filters could help protect the sense of hearing of musicians, at my pace. The informed knowledge of the product got me to decide on getting the High Fidelity HEAROS for my tutor. It costs $28 per set, and I think it is value-for-money for its technology and the hearing protection that it offers.
Information on the packaging of the High Fidelity HEAROSWhen I got home and surfed for more information about the ear filters, I realised that many of those ear filters for musicians can also be used in contexts where one is subjected to loud noises. Knowing this made me feel even more thankful to this blog friend of mine who is so kind to get me a set of Xtreme HEAROS Ear Filters as a gift. I am feeling blessed to get such an ideal, practical gift. Here's to thank this blog friend once again.
I like the gift because it comes with a free case for the ear filters. I think this is a great idea. I had often faced a problem of carrying earplugs around because those earplugs that I had bought from the pharmacy are usually kept in cardboard casing or do not come with any case. Now, I shall be a proud owner of the HEAROS Ear Filters, and I shall proudly show you how a pair of the ear filters would look in the case.
By the way, while surfing HEAROS website, I chanced upon a Musician's Article on HiFi HEAROS. I think it is an interesting read to check out.
In case any of my Singapore-readers would like to find out where to get this rare find of mine, here is the location of the store where you can purchase HEAROS ear filters, right in Singapore:
MUSIC ENSEMBLE PTE LTD
35 Selegie Road
#03-09 Parklane Shopping Mall
Singapore 188307
Tel: 63381210/ 63381220
(Please call after 10 a.m.)
(Nearest MRT station: Dhoby Ghaut)
**
If you have tried it and like it, please spread the word around. Our hearing and our ears are precious enough to be given the due protection.
****
URLs that you may wish to read:
http://www.hearos.com/products-music.htm
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/document?doc_id=92595&g=live
http://www.hearos.com/products-00211.html
Sunday, February 26, 2006
The story of the lost mute
I had lost one of my double bass mutes while I was in Aberdeen last year. It took me a few weeks after I was back from the Aberdeen trip to realise that I had left the mute on one of the double basses that we had rented in Aberdeen.
I shall be more careful next time.
The Tourte mute (for the double bass) can rest safely and securely above the tailpiece of the double bass when not in use. This is one great feature to have, especially when the mute is placed on one's personal double bass. Yet, it also means that a double bassist should be very mindful when he/she is using his/her Tourte mute on a rented double bass. In my case, I had forgotten to take the mute off before I returned the rented double bass.
Today, I got myself a Tourte mute from Frank Brothers to replace the mute that I have lost in Aberdeen. I had wanted to get one last year, but did not manage to find a Tourte double bass mute until today. A rare find, it must have been? That is why I decided to get the mute today even though I already have one Tourte mute on the double bass at my home. Double bass Tourte mutes just seem not easy to find, it won't hurt to get a spare one, right?
I shall be more careful next time.
The Tourte mute (for the double bass) can rest safely and securely above the tailpiece of the double bass when not in use. This is one great feature to have, especially when the mute is placed on one's personal double bass. Yet, it also means that a double bassist should be very mindful when he/she is using his/her Tourte mute on a rented double bass. In my case, I had forgotten to take the mute off before I returned the rented double bass.
Today, I got myself a Tourte mute from Frank Brothers to replace the mute that I have lost in Aberdeen. I had wanted to get one last year, but did not manage to find a Tourte double bass mute until today. A rare find, it must have been? That is why I decided to get the mute today even though I already have one Tourte mute on the double bass at my home. Double bass Tourte mutes just seem not easy to find, it won't hurt to get a spare one, right?
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