it's over!

After what feels like hundreds of hours in the making, Butterfly Dreams debuted today with two shows, at 3pm and 8pm respectively.

However, with all that post-concert high, there's really no rest for the weary...

Yesterday's rehearsal started at 2. I didn't show up because of class. I eventually turned up at 7, only to learn that the musicians who turned up at 2 spent the whole afternoon doing nothing. Typical efficiency at work again... The full run eventually started at 9, and ended at 12. I kid you not.

After the rehearsal, I almost quarrelled with Mr Wu because I told him I could only turn up today afternoon (it started in the morning) because of teaching. The truth was that I had a new student whom I was seeing for the first time, and it wasn't nice to cancel. He said that I should try to find a solution to the problem. The difference is that he's the boss and I'm the employee, so I've more difficulties when it comes to cancelling. He also said something about 'it's not about the money, it's about the heart' which made me very angry. How dare he talk about 'heart' after the way we musicians have been treated, and he, as our representative, not standing up for us but instead siding with the dance people? At least, it's how he's being seen at that point.

Today, the new student pulled a no-show on me, so you can imagine how freaking angry I was. I'd penalize her by counting it as a lesson, but unfortunately she hasn't paid up. Boo. So I rushed down after teaching Dominic, and arrived at 2 o'clock on the dot, which was the supposed standby time for the afternoon performance. Whereupon I learned the morning run through ended at 1.50. Nice one. Sis also doubted the wisdom of having a full run just before two performances...

I went onstage with an empty stomach because of a lack of appetite, and the performance had scarcely started when I felt incredibly hungry. During the intermission, I quickly wolfed down the lunch that sis had saved for me, but didn't have time to finish before we were mustered onstage again for the second half. All in all, the afternoon had its fair share of hiccups, and we were all wiser for the evening.

Dinner was quite a fun event with everyone teasing Simeon for his 'fantastic' Chinese. (The guy is only capable of speaking in first and third inflections.) I ate little though. Damned appetite problems. Prior to the evening performance, I also wiped my strings and made careful preparations to sound my best.

The evening performance was definitely sleepier than the afternoon. In fact the dancers seemed to forget their lines more. Can't blame them. They've been overworked to heck this whole week. I dozed off several times when waiting for our turn to play - though given a choice between 'tired' and 'bored', I'd definitely pick the former. The music sounded better, though, and my solo during 'Hua Die' was stunning. Credit the alcohol swabs. =D

Socialized a bit and took a few photos with friends (the China guys in DES are a great bunch), then it was off to take a bus home. Had a great supper at Al-Ameen: sis had tissue prata and I had their famous chicken briyani.

I'm tired.

Tomorrow I've a trial class at 1pm. The little boy pulled a no-show on me last Sunday (why are people always disappearing on me? D:) and his class was rescheduled to this week. Same thing as today: he hadn't paid. Made me leave church waaaaay early for nothing. If he doesn't come again tomorrow, I'm freaking going to refuse him the trial altogether. Grar.