WELCOME!

Post-trip Syndrome

Fifth day back and I'm starting to miss the place and life back in the village!Fortunately, work hasn't piled up yet(and fats haven't piled up too!), it's one of the rare moments when I can just sit on a chair and do absolutely nothing and be bothered by it. For now, life's still slow for me, no deluge of sms and meetings plus reports plus applications plus proposals.

Oh yeah!I just completed my report on the trip. It's the usual fluff stuff but there are points that I think is worth sharing.

1) Unlike in Singapore where we don't see children with polio, I saw many of them on my first day while at the market. Children, adults, crawling with their arms against the dirt on the ground.

2) I guess protein is really hard to come by in the village. Fish, egg and meat are often highly salted that you probably wouldn't wanto eat large chunk of it at a time. Poultry and fish are cut in a way such that there are many hidden bones everywhere. The chicken and fish must have died a horrible death being hacked (anyhow) to death.


Over rate/ Under rate

Oh,and finally the second half of the note has been translated, many thanks to Sam's friend who helped with the translation. I bet he/she spent half the time trying to figure out what the note was talking about; it didn't make much sense when i read the translation for the first time..

But in conclusion... hahaha, I think it was a rather funny note!
Yay, it's christmas eve!

While walking around clarke quay, I saw many foreigners and suddenly came to be reminded of something strange that occurred recently.

Many of my classmates in the past semester have asked if I was from China, while the homestay hosts in Cambodia commented that I looked Cambodian. However, nothing beats the time (not too long ago) when I was sec 1 and Louis Chew asked if I was from Germany. Real truth aside, I'm rather curious in finding out which nationality you think I belong to.

What do you think?

I am...
	Chinese (PRC)
	Cambodian
	German
	Malaysian
	Indonesian
	Thai
	Singaporean
	Mixed blood
	Others (eg. outer space)
pollcode.com free polls

Merry Christmas!
Hello there! I'm back!

It was a great 18-day trip to Cambodia where I got to experience a different kind of life and live with different kind of people. The host family were as friendly as the other members of the community who never failed to exchange greetings in their newly-acquired english. And then there were people like Srei Jikud, Follow Me that has made the trip less monotonous.

The Khmer village life is quite different from that of the city dwellers. Pace is slow, people are happy and easily contented (as they probably have not many wants), things are extremely cheap, people are kind (less the sugar-cane stall aunty who tried to cheat us with a price jacked-up four times). It was an enclave disconnected from the outside world and since everything there crawled at snail's pace, I could find time to make apple pies, make bamboo flute, jog around the village and row boat in the river on top of the tasks that we're assigned to.

The great disparity between city and rural life have given new meaning to a few terms found in my dictionary:

1) Poverty
Never have I thought of living in houses made of wooden planks held together by nails, or even eating plain rice with a few crumbs of salted fish for a meal. Egg was such a luxury. Watching the children plough with heaps of soil during recess while at school and collect the water bottles that we carelesslymisplace. How can poverty in Singapore compare to that in the village?

2)Ruggedness
Beetles buzzing in your rice, mosquitoes swarming round your arse when you try to do business and insects sharing the vegetable that you're having for dinner; the Cambodian hosts seem to not be bothered by it at all. And they could make toys out of plants, split tree branches in one or two chops of the axe and run 10km in slippers in a cross-country terrain.

3)Clumsiness
Having suffered many cuts from the lack of proper foot wear while walking through areas with thick undergrowth, I collected many more injuries toward the end of the trip. Being knocked down by "Ferrari", jumping and tripping over a hammock, knocking my head against the solid walls of Angkor Wat (I was just trying to test the soundness of the structure.) and got a few more cuts here and there from more clumsiness.

Alright, enough talking, it's time to let the pictures do the talking.





Surprised to see a new blog skin?

Hahaha,after many hours of hard work and perspiration (of cos lesser than the previous time) I've finally managed to change everything more or less. Always couldn't find time to do anything about the lousy old blog that I had, so I decided to spend a few precious hours of my short holiday to do it up before I leave for cambodia!

Hope you like it=)
My blog's growing cobweb already. Oh well, haven't been blogging in a long time, but since I'm online, I might as well just write something here just to show that I'm alive and kicking.

Time for me to revamp my blog and update all that outdated information, stay tuned for new blog skin after final exams.

I'm currently quite confused. I feel like I'm devoid of feelings, yet, I still feel guilty. And great apes, I'm locked out too. Shouldn't have suggested it in the first place.=x

After flip-flopping over my decision, I finally convinced myself to skip lessons(for the first time) to go catch Alan Gilbert's masterclass with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra at NUS. It was a difficult decision to make after i had pondered and re-pondered over whether to attend that (probably) once in a life-time masterclass. (Do note that the occurence of conducting masterclasses in singapore follows a statistical poisson distribution with a natural rate of 1 class per year Poisson~( 1 ) )


欢迎光临~I think some of us have mastered this phrase unique to the taiwanese in our 5 days in taiwan. This has been one of my most tiring trips of all time, and I'm sure you would agree with me.

Honestly, it was more of a circus de soleil touring troupe than a chamber ensemble concert tour, for we wake really early each day just to go through the same routine -
0930: fall in/move out
1000:visit
1200:lunch
1300:move instruments to concert venue
1400:rehearsal
1930:concert
2230:move instruments and music stands back to bus
2330:应酬supper with the teachers..zzZZ

leaving us with little time for any leisure and sleep. By the third day of the trip, many concussed on the sofa during rehearsal (including me) and couldn't wait to return to hotel.

Haha, and there was one night when I received Z's sms that she received my mooncakes in London! I'm not sure if they were mouldy already, cos the mail took longer than expected, and I thought they would have been confiscated at customs. Oh well, mushroom-cake maybe.

I guess it's sort of normal for blogs to slowly become inactive during school term (just like mine).

Ok, back to school work/projects/ and work for now..
Hmm..I haven't blogged anything in a while. Too much has happened and it all happened too quickly. And there's nothing happy to blog about so I'd prefer not to..Listening to Mahler 5th Symphony's 4th movement and thinking about it; it used to be something that was of such remote possibility. Now it's happening to me. My life thus far, has never been more complicated and messy than this. Sometimes, it just seem too enticing to give up all that I have and walk away altogether. It's just too much for me to bear.

What started before I created this blog never came to an end. All that I fought so hard for was just an illusion. I'm saddened. with only 2 months left, I guess I'll find out for myself really soon.
Wah, check this out! I never knew this video existed until Faith told me she had been watching it in preparation for the student conductor's selection..Don't you think the conductor looks familiar? ;)


Sorry to all who visit this blog regularly for the recent inactivity (and more inactivity to come when school starts..)
Thanks to everyone for your concern and encouragement,and not forgetting the teacher who gave me a dress-down for being so preoccupied with work when I can't blow the flute. I'm sure without your tags,smses and words of encouragement I would not have got back more than 90% of my facial muscle function so quickly..

Ah,and a new profile link(from Arts Sphere webbie actually). Just click 'profile' in the top left green box.

Heng Xiangle
On the left, you’ll be able to see the names people used-to/are-still calling me. I’m currently an undergraduate at Singapore Management University studying economics and business. Am I busy? I sure am! On a usual day, I would be out before 8.30am and not back before 10.30pm.

To keep everything from spinning out of control, I live by a little book. In 2009 its white, for 2010 its going to be RED! In this are some of the most important meetings, addresses, phone numbers and helps to keep me organised. While on trains, I’ll probably be penning down meeting agendas or contents for a proposal. If you turn to any page, you can see each day filled with loads of meetings and events. I can’t imagine what will happen to me if I lose that book someday. Slack, maybe?

And so you see, it’s rather hard to get me. Camping on Msn to catch me when I come online would probably not work. You can try SMSing though it doesn’t work at times for I often forget to charge my phone. Haa. Emails will be replied in either one or two working days.

Alright.

About myself(the side you’ll probably hardly see), I enjoy exercising ‘cause I can’t imagine myself having a beer belly in a few years time. Nooooo!! I don’t wanna be permanently pregnant. Jogging and swimming are my preferred exercise as they are great endurance exercises that help do away the fats as compared to going to gym (can’t stand the stench). Nonetheless, I’ve got a great liking for food, especially with great company. Any food not too exotic would do fine, it’s the people that matters more anyway. And I like chocolate too! If you run out of gift ideas, just buy me chocolate. I eat all kinds of them except:

Banned Chocolate Products(Don’t buy them unless you want me to hate you):
Gold Coins
Chocomint sweets
Any mint –containing chocolate

Likes:
Chocolate-coated roasted coffee bean
Maltesers
Chocolate Truffles/Pralines


Another part of me is deeply involved in music. I spent much time teaching and performing and it is really rewarding when you see people really appreciate your music. Apart from that I spend the rest of my time between the few orchestras and music groups that I’m in. Whenever time permits, I’d travel back to my alma mater to encourage the students and catch up with the alumni. And they gave me a few prizes for doing something which I thought was only right as a way of giving back. Having led quite a number of orchestras for quite a number of years, I guess it is time for me to move on.

Now and Beyond
For now, the SYCO and Arts Sphere are probably the last two music groups that I would be leading/co-leading and hope they grow in strength to become successful performing groups by the time Ieave. It has always been a personal goal to see SYCO become successful and put in place a system of leadership renewal which will ensure the orchestra’s continued success. On the other hand, a successful Arts Sphere Chamber Ensemble will be a first in the field of Chinese chamber music and would have more profound impact on the lives of many members including my own. Moving on, with Project Aphireak as my first major community service, I hope to go into more such projects to help those in need, hopefully tapping on my music skills to help the less fortunate.

Heng Xiangle


Xiangle is the recipient of the this year’s inaugural Singapore Youth Chinese Orchestra (SYCO) top accolade awarded by MOE, ”Excellence Musicianship Award” and is currently the President as well as the Dizi Principal of the SYCO. He is concurrently the Vice-chairman of Arts Sphere Chamber Ensemble as a Dizi musician and was part of the ensemble that clinched First Prize in the biennial National Chinese Music Competition 2008 was with the ensemble when it won the top prize in Folk Instrumental/ Ensemble Category in North Wales, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. He is also currently the Music Director of The JU Quartet as well as Singapore Management University Chinese Orchestra.

Xiangle has performed in Beijing and Bangkok with his school’s orchestras, Tainan ChiShi International Arts Festival in 2006 with SYCO, London and Wales with Arts Sphere Chamber Ensemble in 2009, and did a successful concert tour across three destinations in Taiwan with in Oct 2009. At the age of 21, he made his first guest performance with Singapore’s only professional chinese orchestra, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, as one of the orchestra’s youngest guest musician.

He has done performed and done recording for several TV stations, including UK’s ITV Tourist Trail programme, BBC Wales and Taiwan’s local television station. Nonetheless, his musical involvement is not limited to the chinese classical genre. Other notable recent involvement includes a musical production entitled Butterfly Dreams that was staged by Dance Ensemble Singapore as well as the visually stunning fashion-in-theatre production Asia On The Edge 2009 jointly organised by The Arts House and PICO. Xiangle has worked with many music personalities such as pop duo, Soler, music arranger KennC, local xin yao personality Jiu Jian, award-winning British Eric Watson as well as NUS lecturer Shri. Jatinder Singh Bedi.

Xiangle started his playing the harmonica at the age of seven and then the cello when he joined the school's chinese orchestra as a cellist and percussionist. In 2001, he went on to learn the dizi under the tutelage of SCO dizi principal Yin Zhi Yang. In the short span of 2 years, Xiangle achieved a Merit for his Grade 9 Dizi examination that was organised jointly by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Central Conservatory of Music in 2003 . Within 3 years of learning the Dizi, he won 3rd prize in the National Chinese Music Competition of the Intermediate Category.

Deeply involved in promoting Chinese music and culture, Xiangle has led orchestras that he has had a part in, being the Chairman of Temasek Secondary School Chinese Orchestra (2003-2004), Vice-President of SYCO (2005-2006), Chairman of VJC Chinese Orchestra (2005-2006), President of SYCO(2006-2007). To recognize his contributions to his alma maters, Xiangle has received numerous awards, including the coveted ‘Friend of Temasek’ Award. Xiangle has also led a delegation of SYCO members in 2006 when the group participated in Tainan International ChiShi Arts Festival in Taiwan and also co-led Arts Sphere Chamber Ensemble in their recent trip to Llangollen,in which the ensemble clinched first prize.

With great enthusiasm in promoting Chinese music and culture, Xiangle was the pioneer member of the SYCO when SCO took over the orchestra’s management and was also the Vice-chairman of the pioneer member’s committee that helped steered the orchestra to what it is today. In 2005, he co-founded the Ju Quartet together with three other friends and has grown from strength to strength and accumulated a wealth of diverse experience in various facets of performing art, including musical production and avant garde art exhibition. In 2009, he once again artistically spear-headed the founding of a Chinese orchestra in Singapore Management University and was the founding Music Director of the orchestra.

Apart from playing the flute, Xiangle has conducted VJC Chinese Orchestra twice, having led the orchestra as its acting conductor for Vhapsody 2008 at a moment's notice in the absence of its Music Director and conducted along side with Mr Quek Ling Kiong in its annual concert in 2009. Under mentorship of Mr Quek, Xiangle led VJC Chinese Orchestra to clinch the Gold award in the recent Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging 2009, making him one of the youngest conductor of a Gold Award-winning school at the competition at the age of 21. Xiangle is currently studying conducting under Mr Quek and has attended masterclass held by internationally renowned chorale conductor, Stephen Cleobury as well as New York Philharmonic music director Alan Gilbert. Apart from VJC Chinese Orchestra, Xiangle has conducted many other orchestras including Temasek Secondary School Chinese Orchestra, Temasek Alumni Chinese Orchestra, Singapore Management University Chinese Orchestra among others.

Amanda
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Elvia
Faith
FongSun
HongMing
JiaLin
JingWen
Jonathan(VJCO)
JoyceLim
JoycePoh
LiJun
LiuTe
Junkai
Minhui
Norris
Olivia
Peiyun
Phoebe
Phyllicia
RachelYang
Sarah
ShiMin
SiewFong
SYCO
Wanying
WuQiong
XiaoAn
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YiJia
Yvonne
Zilu

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the Other Side

theJUquartet

Arts Sphere Chamber Ensemble

Singapore Youth Chinese Orchestra

» boxing day post
» Merry Christmas!
» Cambodia OCIP
» Taadaa!
» I'm alive!
» Where's my inclination?
» Taiwan!
» It never came to an end
» I found a Video
» Thanks everyone, I'm fine=)


» December 2008
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» December 2009

Email me at: xiangleheng.2009@economics.smu.edu.sg

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