The Four-Day Post
The choir retreat was one of the few opportunities that the 8am choir has had for a get-together and bonding, (besides choir practice), even though attendance was not OVERWHELMING, I must say that it turned out very well.
Anyway, Ben Teo (from Legion) joined the choir, and we stuck together (probably because we were anti-social), but also because there weren’t exactly that many people whom we knew personally. All the more important to make friends =P …
Ben Lee (Hannah’s bro) showed his crazy fun side, not to mention weird, while carolling… I must say he’s capable of much mroe energy than his usual Sunday sloth-like behaviour =P (No offense, Ben)…
Ben (BJ) came back from the UK with a British accent, and taught me a few things… Remind me to tell Marcus about this =P (him being a wannabe British)…
Ben Yap didn’t come, dunno where he went or what happened to him, (also dunno if I got his name right =P)
Ben Woon enjoyed himself thoroughly, watching movies, as well as singing his voice out during carolling =P …
The retreat was not much, in fact it was more of a relaxed thing, we watched some French movie about turning criminal boys into a choir, very nice movie, forgot the name =P …
On the second day, we played games. The Chair Game deserves special mention, due to the fact that it is no longer safe to play with plastic chairs. Take note, future PSLs, that the Chair Game, (in which you have to cross an area standing on a limited number of chairs), can only be used with FIRM METAL CHAIRS, unlike the flimsy plastic ones, which we used. The one I was standing on happened to ALMOST COLLAPSE under me, and I was alerted of its amazing weakness for heavyweights. May I also point out that I was NOT the only person standing on that chair. Two people (mainly me and Ben Teo) were standing on the seating portion of the chair, not spreading out our weight whatsoever (we had bigger problems, namely maintaining our lead =P), and therefore directly resulting in the near collapse of a perfectly lousy (did I mention flimsy?) plastic chair.
Yeah, sure, pity the chair….
After that, we had Captain’s Ball (which we lost dreadfully, due to our team’s superb aiming skills =P), followed immediately by a water bomb fight, which was our well-deserved triumph, due to superb strategy and sacrificing members, who served as a distraction, while three of us went around the building to catch them unawares from the back, stealing their own water bombs in the process, and using their own ammunition against them. Ain’t we good?
Carolling that evening was great, if not tiring. We pleased the nuns at the Carmelite monestary with our angelic voices, with great feats pulled off nicely, and harmonious tunes which brought great satisfaction to the crowds, also at our next destination, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Anniversary Dinner. They had to wait awhile, but we sang, ate, and moved on to Ben Teo’s house, where we sang, ate and talked.
The food was great, the house was (very) nice, and the company was fantastic. Val was busy foraging through the salad for her capsicums, while I had my fill of cherry tomatoes. Not forgetting the other great food as well, such as buscuits with tuna dip, and other good stuff, as well as desserts! Trifle, log cake, malt wine, etc. All very good, left me feeling a bit TOO full (becoming a frightfully VERY common situation these days…)
At around 11pm, we made our way to our respective homes, Hannah gave me a ride back, where I collapse on my bed, (after showering and all, of course), only to be woken up a few hours later for 8am mass, where I had to sing AGAIN, this time with a scratchy throat. But I managed to reach MOST of the high notes, although with barely the amount of gusto which was incorporated into the previous night’s performances…
After Sunday mass was an hour-long choir practice for Chrismas Eve mass, in which we learnt new parts and new songs, all very well and good for preparation, but not for my voice. Then we were told that we had a choice, stay on till 1.30 for a combined choir practice (with our mini-Strings orchestra with two wind instruments thrown in), or go for the Thursday choir practice, which is compulsory (but the Sunday one for those who couldn’t make it).
Lunch was at Hannah’s house, entertained by JJ and her brother TJ (BJ was probably hungover), who were constantly quarrelling and mostly entertaining =P.
The combined choir practice went quite well, if not for the participants who were half-asleep. The orchestra was very good, if not professional, since they consisted of children, mostly under fifteen years of age.
Just what I needed, MORE SINGING after somet wo days of non-stop of voice-straining vochal-chords torture. But I enjoyed every moment of it =P …
After my combined choir practice, I sat down with Hannah, Ben and Miriam (to wait for my Mum) and we listened to the SDG choir sing. Probably the most pro choir in St.Iggy’s, it boasted all four parts (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass), and a very talented choir mistress, as well as a multi-talented choir master, who could sing and play the piano (too professionally), and both together as well.
But not for long, since I went to help out the SSVP with their Christmas function, in which they had a multi-course Chinese buffet dinner, which I partook in at some point, but left the bulk of the work to the adults, while I stole to the back secretly to drink two cups of Milo, on cup of Mocha, and one cup of tea, (all not at one shot of course).
I must say, I was eyeing the Malay table with a little envy, since they had KFC meals for dinner, as well as ice cream to top it off. However, I also managed to nick some of their Pepsi, as well as a leftover tub of ice cream.
I retired home, VERY tired, after two nights of short sleep, not knowing that the next day, I would be awoken at five and ferried to the airport to pick up my two very smelly sisters, returning home from Boston, dressed very elegantly, one with a White-Witch of Narnia fur coat, which I took a liking to =P
That day was indeed a noisy one, laden with good food and merry cheer. That afternoon, I FINALLY went to purchase my uniform, even though it would not be ready until about New Year’s Day. But at least I got that done.
That night, after a fantastic feast of a dinner, I went to bed with a happy, bloated stomach, full of high spirits.
The next morning, I woke up with a start. I didn’t get up for Legion! But it wasn’t TOO late, I rushed there, and found them jsut finishing up with their contact work. I joined them for Legion meeting, then had a fun time gossipping and playing pool at Paradiz Centre. Never in my life have I seen the cue ball fly so high =P (Nice one Marcus).
This has been a major four-day course in my life. I don’t expect much later on today (Wednesday)… But maybe I need to get my Christmas shopping over and done with, as well as my homework, and textbook-shopping.
Grrr… What does one require to get a good night’s sleep?
