Chopin waltz Op. 34 No. 2 in A Minor

I have started to learn Chopin's Waltz Op. 34 No. 2 in A Minor two weeks ago. It's not that difficult as it is in A minor (i.e no key signature heh) and the piece is very nice! I heard it endless times on my mp3 and at a point of time I think I was quite sick of it. However, when I started to do it, I fell in love with it all over again :)



It seems like I do not have much affiliation with 2011-2012's Grade 7 pieces. I just don't seem to be able to get pass my A piece and C piece. The worst part would be I don't have a B piece to choose from. All the Classical and Romantic choices were deem to be too difficult for my small hands. I really wish I can go beyond an octave.... So, will I be continuing with my exams pieces? I don't know, really. I wasn't that keen on them and I know it sounds silly but I think I might need more than a year to prepare. Meanwhile, I'm glad that sensei suggests that I should do something else for a break and I'm happy to do my beloved Chopin. I hope Waltz Op. 34 No. 2 will be my repertoire!

Koh Samui

First time going to Koh Samui. Been to Phuket 2 yrs ago and that trip made me fell in love with beach resorts. Therefore this time round, I chose Koh Samui as I have not been there. The island is nice and quiet. The airport, though small gave me a holiday kinda feeling as its structure is so "tropical".

The hotel I stayed is quite ok, it's up on the mountain but rather near to Chaweng beach, the main beach on the island. The hotel room has a jacuzzi and a small balcony. The swimming pool is somewhat small but quiet. I love to look at the nice scenery which is opp of the hotel lift just outside the hotel room. They provide good breakfast but hardly see anyone eating except for the last day stay there. Maybe I was too early for breakfast everyday. Due to the fact that the hotel is up on the mountain, they provide a little ride up to the hotel from the main road and down. The staffs in the hotel are really very friendly.

Chaweng beach is located near the hotel and there are lots of people sun-tanning and doing water sports. I loved the big waves and it was so fun going into the water and "冲浪" lol. The sea wasn't that deep and I really like to walk in the water and play with the water and waves.

It's good to go for some island hopping and I wanted to go Koh Tao. However, the trip was cancelled and therefore had to join the Ang Thong Island tour instead. The snorkeling was somewhat disappointing but I had fun and now I know how to make use of the life jacket and it wasn't that scary actually. Kayaking was fun too, cos I had not done it before. I really enjoyed it even though I thought I might have difficulty cos I don't know how to swim. The boat ride was really bumpy when we return to the main lsland, just like taking a roller coaster. And I zzzz when the ride was not so bumpy.

The motor-cycle ride was fun too. It wasn't as scary as the rides in S'pore partly because the road was narrow and there wasn't many vehicles. But having strong wind blowing towards you while riding was indeed nice.

Had several Phat Thai but I'm not sure why it didn't taste as good as those in s'pore. Green curry was good. Not to mention papaya salad (or was it mango?), Tom Yam soup and beer. I do miss the food there.

Tried out Magnolia Spa which is opp the hotel and enjoyed every moment. I think partly because I wasn't sun burn so I could enjoy the massage which was perfect.

One strange thing, most of the tourists are angmohs and I hardly see any asian tourists, let alone s'poreans. I think maybe the season for going beach resort is not here yet.

Koh Samui is so much quieter as compared to Phuket. Life there is rather laid back. Looking at the happy faces of the staffs in the hotel, I so much wanted to go there to work. I think I'll be very happy working in the hotel.

There's a high chance that I might not go Koh Samui again but this was a good trip. I was glad to be away from the concrete jungle for a few days and had a nice and relaxation time there. Hopefully I will be able to go to another beach resort soon!

Baking

Has been watching parents cooking and baking since young and therefore I have developed a liking for cooking and baking. I have been trying to bake muffins but sadly all my muffins turned out bad. So I tried baking cake and I really enjoy it especially when I use the right recipe and people said they are nice :)

Recently I did a cake. I tried to make a choco cake with choco drops, dried cranberries and almond. It's really a "greedy" cake! I tried doing what oka-san has told me, that is to beat the butter and sugar for at least 20 mins to achieve a smoother texture and the end result was good! (But 20 mins arm aching heh!) I used to beat the butter for only 5 mins or so. Next, I'm thinking of trying out pandan cake and fruit cake. Maybe I'm going to venture into Chinese desserts too. Things like egg tarts. I love egg tarts! :D 拭目以待吧！:)