Uncertainty

2 months later, I'll fininsh my study in Sheffield. Time passed really quick since I have been here in 2004.

Graduating means unemployment and a lot of uncertainty to me coz I don't know what's my next step, work or further study? And if I am going to work, what kind of job will it be? Where will it be? How much is the salary? Moving house? Hong Kong or UK? etc...But for furhter study, do I have enough money to go on? Where should I study? What should I study? etc...Those things are really annoying. But the main concern is that I have to be sure I will be graduating this July.

To graduate means a lot of hard work behind. Recently I am fed up with essays! I have one essay needed to be finished next Tue and three more before 27th May. Futhermore, I will have Italian exam and Piano exam in late May and early June. That's what I am really stressful about....and I am preparing for the car theory test as well..

So! In order to reduce the stress, I always go out to other cities to look around. It's mentally and physically unhealthy that I always stuck at home and sit in front of a laptop. I found that in a month (i.e. this March), I have been to four places in UK! (yeah, coz I am not sure whehter I will still stay in UK after graduation, I have to see more!)

9th March 2008 Stonehenge and Bath

Yesterday

I took a train from Sheffield at 10am and arrived in London at 1:15pm yesterday.

I attended a concert by Yundi Li with the Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. I was sitting at the Row H 22.

Yundi played the Greig's  Piano Concerto in A minor. I really enjoyed it with its powerful and lyrical melodies. It's a really a shock to me coz I have never been so closed to listen to his playing.

There was a lecturer in mathematics sitting on my right hand side and a Japanese women sitting on my left hand side. She was lucky that being able to get the autograph of and photo with Yundi Li.

The Holst was also great and hilarious. The last movement of it was really intriguing with the voice of the ladies choir. I felt like I was out of this planet and embarked on a mysterious trip in the space!

After the concert, I went to Japan Centre in Piccadily to buy books and food stuffs. Around 7pm, I had a dinner at a Korean restaurant in China Town. Then, took a train at 9:30pm going back to Sheffield.

Today, I went to the JET programme talk at 1pm in Arts Tower. At 3pm, I was having a private Japanese class with my new sensei. I really enjoyed it coz 99% of the converstation was conducted in Japanese and I didn't realize I can understand it. However, I didn't know that I fogot so many basic Japanese words...

Practice makes Perfect is always true!

Gambarimsu!

長い夏休みが終わった。１０月から、私の勉強の時間です！でも、私はうれしいです。何で？日本語と、ドイツ語とイタリア語も勉強できます。本当に楽しいです。（音楽の勉強はどこ。。。？）

今日はイタリア語のクラスがあった。美沙さんとゆきさんと一緒に勉強しました。クラスは３時間だけど、楽しいと思う。どうして？会話練習たくさんがあった。

ゆべ、初めで日本語のクラスへ行って、新しい先生に会った、先生は親切だと思います。クラスがちさいけど　（５人だけ）、私たちの会話のチャンスたくさんがあるんです。とてもいい練習だと思います。

私は言語の勉強は大好きです！これから、頑張ります！

明日はドイツ語のクラスがあります！

2007 Sound On Sound Expo, London

2nd March 2007, Friday

Today I went to Sound On Sound (SOS) Expo, the biggest Music Technology expo in the World! in Kensington Olympia Exhibition Hall. Got up at 7:45pm and took a shower, rushed to the Sheffield train station to catch the train at 8:27am going to St Pancras Station, London.

Arrived at 10:50am, went to the expo by tube, took about 30 minutes. Arrived the venue near 12noon (that's the time I have precisely calculated).

It needs 10 pounds entry fee but I registered online in advance so I only needed to pay 7.5 pounds. 

To be honest, my schedule was quite tight coz the organizer had seminars on sound recording, in the basement,  from 12-1:30pm, 2-2:40pm, 3-4:15pm and the closing time is 5pm. So, I don't have much time to hang around other stalls...

The Poster..

Outside the Olympia Expo

Inside the Olympia Expo

12:00 to 1:30pm Recording Session Begins! Followed by Q&A session.

Session hosted by SOS editors boards and performed by SOS band.

Bass...

SOS editor Paul White (right)

Vocals...note the duvet on the back, it's to absorb any reflected sounds, prevent the sounds bounce back to the microphone. also the shield behind the microphone, it's to absorb the sounds as well..

Time for adding percussion..

A Closer look at the drumkit and microphones

2:00 to 2:40pm Producer Panal and Followed by Q&A session. They are famous UK producers making CD of Lily Allen..and others...

3:00 to 4:15pm Mix and Mastering Session Begins! Followed by Q&A session. It's all about enhancing the sound quality of the original recording. All about Equalizer and compressor.

Evident of attending the Expo..

So many enthusiasists attedning the seminar...I was always in the front row!

When there's a time between the seminars, I went upstairs to see what's happening. Here's the lucky draw prizes for everyday! It's £65K worth of equipment giveaway!

Prizes inside the "room"

A Closer look....APPPLLLEEEEE!!

Also on the ground floor..Steinberg Demo Theatre

Finally, after finishing all seminars, I went to the first floor to browse the stalls and get the contacts of companies for my lecturer.

I like this one! CD-ROM/DVD cover printer

New product from SE, to absorb reflective sounds.

Genelec

Edirol

I like this Home Studio, it's really comfortable. What a pleasure of doing your own recording and mixing in such an incredible home!

Of course...AKG is a must in the Expo. See? Limited Edition, Not for Sale.

I like Yamaha as well.

Other snapshots

Korg

I left the expo at 5:20pm, with bags of leaflets I got from the stalls. Also, I have subscribed the Sound on Sound magazine there coz I can get a Sennheiser headphone for free. In addition, I've subscibed to Musictech as well, got a dynamic microphone. That's what I needed.

Planned to stay a hostel in West Kensington for a night (coz at first, I planned to visit the expo for 2 days. But it seems one day is enough). However, it's raining and I thought I can use my return train ticket (which is valid from 2nd March to 1st Apr) to go back to Sheffield. Then went to St Pancras and finally got on a train at 7:25pm. Arrived Sheffield at 9:50pm.

I would definitely come back to this event next year and reccommend more friends to go. It's very well organized especially in the seminars parts, it's all explained. And I'm glad that I could even meet the producers on the spot. I saw some audience even gave out their demo to the producers after the seminars was finished.

A Great Success of Sound on Sound.