Man.....

I got so fat during this winter......
I just ate so much and stored all of them, I feel like...... I have not done any kind of exercise for long time. (Except Hula/Tahitian Dance and Belly Dance.)
And now, I am eating snacks after lunch in my office
Horrible What am I doing

Yes, I just closed my snack bag.....

I feel so big right now
I seriously need to work out somehow.... and stop eating so much since I am not doing anything to burn them down...... I usually eat a lot, but I do some activities in between.... so I have never worried about it too much. Oh, now.... I do

I better burn this fat before I will go on Half Dome Hike or Death Ride!! Seriously

Hmmmmmm I should start walking to Caltrain station to save gas, earth and my health

I was thinking to go to the beach since one of my friends was suggesting me to go this summer, but I have to lose my fat first to wear bikini.......
We'll see if I can lose weight and have time to go beach between mountains...... hehehe

ABRSM

Wow...... I have not heard this word for longest time, I feel like.....


Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music = ABRSM.

They provide music exam to grade your music skills.
It is exam by Royal family of England(whatever-).... what do we have to take exam?
Pay money, go to the exam and do your best Who gets money? Hmmmmm I do not know...... England?

Well, if you know this exam, you also know that there are so many criticisms from famouse musicians and music teachers about grading MUSIC by certain ability or mind set.
Grading music is not something I love to do. I respect all kind of music and artists, so I can not grade them. There are many artists that I prefer to listen, but it does not mean that other are worse or anything.....

My friend was looking for the flute teacher to take grade 5 ABRSM exam, so I heard this term after...... 13years or so.
My flute teacher in Japan, who plays the flute all over the world (mainly in NY, and he lives in NY now), did not like the idea of grading the music either.... so I heard all these stories and how much this grading system is useless when you talk about REAL music skills. And obviously, I was not playing music to get better grade.... but make beautiful sound for whole wind orchestra or orchestra, especially in my solo part. I enjoy music with others, but by myself (except the piano sometimes... hehe)
So I heard all b***s*** story about ABRSM and I totally forgot about that for long time.

I actually took a grade exam with the piano once... I rarely talk about it since I personally think it was horrible, useless and wasted time to enjoy music...... and I hated it
I skipped all the lower grade and took something fitting for my ability at that time, but man..... that was maybe the worst experience ever I had in my music history. I had to study so much WHATEVER theory over music and you have to do different kind of music even though you do not want to..... It was seriously horrible. I paased the exam, but I decided I would never ever take anything like this again. I was pretty mad that they can pass me just because I remembered something and do something so simple and useless during exam

I learned music theory and composing classes during my college since I was scared to take regular Biological Science classes with my poor English first..... I decided to take classes in my second language first, which is music Yes, I call music notes and marks LANGUAGE.
Honestly, that was much better than studying for ABRSM exam.....

I sometimes wonder why people try to compete in music world......
To be popular is so important for music? To have a paper showing your grade is so important for music? Some people enjoy music that way, so I guess I do respect that... but I will never be that way.

I sometimes wonder..... I started playing the piano because..... piano was making some interesting noise when I pushed the key on the piano. I found that amazing when I was 3. It was that simple reason to start enjoying the music. And somehow I ended up getting some useless grade......
I never wanted to be that way to enjoy my music.

And I will never do again.... that was my mistake in my life. I wasted like 3 months to take this grade exam...... while I could enjoy music as is.....

I just think back that mistake over ABRSM grade.......
Amazingly long time ago, but I still have this feeling that I was stupid to care about papers proving I passed music exam.

Well, sometimes it is good to recall some mistakes in my life so that I will not be that way again Right

This was just a story about my mistake
Hopefully you do not make this kind of mistakes over what you like to do

Last ski trip in season 2008/2009

We could not have much time this year to go to snow......
So for the last time for this season, we took a day trip to Bear Valley-

My camera stopped working as soon as we hit the slope...... ( I think it was too cold and my camera is too old..... )
So I could not take pics of Matt! That was the first time ever.....
Instead of me taking his pics, he took my pics with his camera this time

Me on the top of Bear Valley
My favorite Oakley Ski jacket and pink ski pants should help other to find me easier-



The weather was not horrible. It was the first time to have decent weather when I go to snow with Matt. It was pretty cold, but not too bad.


Me stopping checking the slope.......
I am not sure why I am stopping actually......



Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay


Somehow this picture came out so small..... but this is me struggling on the flat course......


And the sun came out while I am pushing myself forward, and I am praising the sun here

I was very happy to see little sun finally


Well, the weather was not the greatest.... but it was fun snow day-

Thank Matt for driving all the way and back