Sunday, May 24, 2009

Almost theereeeeeeeeeeeee

1 more to go!!!!


hahaha...yes yes yes yes yes!! 1 more to go! then I can officially have my holidayssssss....i never have a holidays which is more than a month!!! =D
I can't wait for it...seriously =D




Anyway...some nice story from Khaw Lin again =)

At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Hondorf. I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines, Iowa. I've always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons-something I've done for over 30 years. Over the years I found that children have many levels of musical ability. I've never had the pleasure of having a prodigy though I have taught some talented students. 

However I've also had my share of what I call "musically! challenged" pupils. One such student was Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single Mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys!) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. 

But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student. Well, Robby began with his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor. 
As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary pieces that I require all my students to learn. 

Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him.. At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always say, "My mom's going to hear me play someday." But it seemed hopeless.. He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in. 

Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons. 

I thought about calling him but assumed because of his lack of ability, that he had decided to pursue something else. I also was glad that he stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching! 

Several weeks later I mailed to the student's homes a flyer on the upcoming recital. To my surprise Robby (who received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and because he had dropped out he really did not qualify. He said that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons but he was still practicing. "Miss Hondorf . I've just got to play!" he insisted. 
I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right.. The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives. I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my "curtain closer." 

Well, the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run an eggbeater through it. "Why didn't he dress up like the other students?" I thought. "Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?" 

Robby pulled out the piano bench and he began. I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen Mozart's Concerto #21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo. From allegro to virtuoso. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were Magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people his age. After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo and everyone was on their feet in wild applause. 



Overcome and in tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. "I've never heard you play like that Robby! How'd you do it? " Through the microphone Robby explained: "Well Miss Hondorf remember I told you my Mom was sick? Well, actually she had cancer and passed away this morning. And well . . . she was born deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special." 

There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care, noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil. 

No, I've never had a prodigy but that night I became a prodigy. . . of Robby's. He was the teacher and I was the pupil For it is he that taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself and maybe even taking a chance in someone and you don't know why. 

Robby was killed in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995. And now, a footnote to the story. 






Miracles do happens.....



I hope there's miracles for tomorrow paper too!!! 
Wish me luck for the final one!!! =D

Thursday, May 21, 2009

YAH!!!!

Woke up at 7am...


I slept around what, roughly 9 yesterday night? =S and I woke up at 2 something...
and I couldn't sleep at all after that =S

But after a while...I fall asleep again.....and got up at 7am, WITHOUT THE ALARM =S

weird laa....

Anyway, went and check my mail and read the news, normal la, that's what I do every morning =)
someone said I'm like an uncle =S



While checking the mail....Got a mail from my orchestra.....


and it says
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Hi, we have officially invited to perform in ShenZhen on 8/21 right after our Korea trip. Also, we might have a concert in Hong Kong which still in negotiating, more details will be advise later.
 
pls refer to below tour schedule and plan your off dates from school or work accordingly. thanks
 
August 7 - concert in Penang
August 8 - concert in KL (tentative)
August 11 - Malaysia to Korea
August 20 - Korea to HongKong/ShenZhen
August 23 - HongKong to Malaysia
August 24 - back to work and school




The moment i saw that....I was like "what?!!! r u serious?!! ahahhhahaaaha"




So, my orchestra and mua, have been invited to Hong Kong to perform too!!! YEAH!!!

I'M GOING TO HONG KONG  =D




Now, back to study =(
Wish me luck!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Hmmmmm?

3 more to go!!!!


Evidence....ok ok la i think....hopefully I can get what I'm hoping for..... =)
*PRAYING*



  




  

IN PRISON 
AT WORK 
you spend the majority of your time in an 8'X10' cell .you spend most of your time in a6'X8' cubicle.. 
                               
 



  

IN PRISON 

AT WORK 
you get three meals a day (free). 
you only get a break for one meal and probably have topay for it yourself 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 




  


IN PRISON 


  

AT WORK 
you get time off for good behavior. 
               
         
you get rewarded for good behavior with more WORK. 
                                      





  


IN PRISON 

AT WORK 
a guard locks andunlocks the doors for you ..     
                              
          
you must carry around a security card and unlock open all the doors yourself .




  


IN PRISON 

AT WORK 
you can watch TV and play games. 
you get fired for watching TV and playing games. 



  

 
IN PRISON 
they 
allow your family and     
friends to visit. 

  
AT WORK 
 
you can not even speak to your family and friends. 
                                  


 
  




  

 
  
IN PRISON 
  
AT WORK 
  
 
all expenses are paid by taxpayers with no work at all. 
                         
         
You get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for the prisoners.   
                                                                               
         
 







  
 
 
 


Humm? 
NOT FAIR MAN!!!






Company Company Company.....
pls bless me! 
Good Luck again to me!!!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Great Idea

1 down, 4 to go!


Tort was ok today....kinda happy with myself actually =)



Anyway, Weny sent me this mail...check it out =)




Found in a car in Malaysia …Good idea!!! 


As times are bad, don't spend unnecessarily........like the air freshner in your car, you can consider to DIY it hahahaha 


  

Material: 1 lime or lemon, 3 toothpicks   

Method: peel the lemon as shown in the picture; use the toothpicks to uphold the lemon skin......Bravo!!! 



Haha...could consider eh? =D








Good luck to myself again! 

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Chapter 8, World's financial mess, as explained by Phua Chu Kang

Tomorrow....i'm gonna........
=S


Last Chapter....



Chapter Eight: No Light At The End Of Tunnel

Just like Old chinese proverb said "Everything You Ate You Have To Vomit Out". 
The good time came to a stop by end of the year 2006 when the housing prices started to come down, people who bought houses found out there are no more buyers for the houses so they just defaulted on the loan and said F**K IT!

The Bank try to lelong out those houses but could not find buyer. Citibank, Bank of America all reported huge loses. So, the bank all said F**K IT!

Since Investment Banks has even bigger stake than the commercial banks in these loans, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers all reported even bigger losses. 
So, the Investment Banks also said F**K IT !

When the Hedge Fund saw all the other fellas all f*ck*d, they also cannot escape and Hedge Fund Stake is even bigger! 
So, Hedge Fund said F**K IT !

And of course, all the AAA rating Unit Trusts F**K&D !

Now, Pension Fund F**K%D! 
Education Fund F**K%D! 
The share market F**K%D!
US* F**K%D! 
Eur*pe F**K%D! 
Jap*n F**K%D! 
A*str*lia F**K%D! 
The Wh*le W*rld F**K%D! 
B*sh F**K%D! 
McC*in F**K%D! 
Ob*m* F**K%D!




Well that's all for Phua Chu Kang......







Wish me luck!
I NEED IT

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Chapter 7, World's financial mess, as explained by Phua Chu Kang

it's coming...it's coming =/



Chapter Seven: Not The End Of Story

As usual, eveything that can generate income, people on the the wall street will create a unit trust fund for it.

So, over the last few years, Many Unit Trust Fund that invest in CDS were created.

However, in order to generate good sales for these Trust, these unit trusts must get good rating from the rating agency..

So, the people on wall street used their creativity to 100% and came out with a brand new idea - Assuming the companies already made $80 Billion in the CDS over the years, they will allocate a portion of it lets say $10 Billion to secured the Unit Trust Fund. Using the $10 Billion as 10% securities, the Fund will sell to the public $100 Billion of the Unit Trust.

That means, if the Fund lost money, the first 10% ($10 Billion) of the loses will be covered by the Insurance.

But when it makes money, everything belongs to you!

Good Deal or not?

Therefore, the rating agency also give the fund AAA (highest) rating!

Since the deal is so good and with AAA rating somemore, everyone also bought! Old man bought!

Young man bought!

Pension fund bought!

Education fund Bought!

It was such good business, the Unit Trust decided to issue more Units to be sold!

However, the problem is they never increase the $100 Billion securities! which also means the "reserve" for the losses has decrease from its original 10% to god knows what.








One more chapter to go...

Friday, May 15, 2009

Chapter 5 & 6, World's financial mess, as explained by Phua Chu Kang

It's just hard to be satisfied....


Anyway.....read on from before =)



Chapter Five: Now, Everyone Can Be Rich!?

So, all the deals are now in place and the cash started to flow!

Strange thing does happen when you have such a huge system running - from the year 2001 to 2006, the real estate market in US was at a super boom!
Everyone was buying houses and make a lot of money!

So, they were right about becoming a real estate tycoon without having to come out with a single cent!

So, from house owners to banks to investment banks to hedge fund all making money!

Damn solid!

However, the investment bankers were not too happy when they see the hedge fund was making so much money from the CDO without having to do any donkey work. So, they got jealous and they themselves also invest in CDO!

It is something like Ahloong themselves go borrow from another Ah Loong!

When that happened, the hedge fund managers see that the CDO was in such hot demand, they also became greedy and they pledge the CDO to banks so they can borrow more money to invest in more CDO and everyone just become richer and richer!



Chapter Six: Let's Insured Everything!

When the Investment Bankers see that the CDOs merry-go-round becoming so big round just like the Eye On Malaysia like that, they also got panic already.

So, to play safe, they call the insurance company and tell the insurance company that they want to buy insurance for their CDOs!

Even though the insurance companies are generally greedy motherfuckers, they also not sorhai one.

They study the track record of the CDOs and they charge the Investment Banks a heavy premium for it and give this type of policy an even more power name called Credit Default Swap (CDS)!

Since the hosuing market was ok, and everyone was still enjoying huge profit, the Insurance Companies too made very good money from these CDS in the last few years because they just sit there and collect premium without paying out anything!

That's WIN WIN SITUATION - just like what your teacher taught you in school!





LOL

Owwwww...exam coming..3 days =S

But will still update the rest, don't worry be happy =D

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Are you serious?

You gotta be kidding me again?



I already have so much doubt on what I'm doing right now...
5 days more to exam! and I was checking my mail....
and this thing showed up as the skin for my mail....
what nonsenseeee!!!! =/
.
.
.
.
.









Music is everywhere....
That, actually makes the world so beautiful...
hmmmmm....