And they had to leave
It was time for them to go home, back to Nagoya, Japan.
It was a very very hard moment for me. I hate this parting. There'll be a gap in me that will take me sooo long to fill. Band life became so much more happening and fulfilled in these six days.
I can't speak Japanese except for the basic arigato, konichiwa, and iichi, ni, san that we would say while taking photos. They can speak and understand English but they're not so good at it. There were many times that we had difficulty understanding each other, but music bonded us ever so closely to each other. Music knows no boundaries, so there were no barriers between us. I thank the guy up there for the existence of English, and of course most importantly, music. I thank this guy again for leading me to join the Band, if not I would not be satisfied with my life at all.
At MJC
I went back for the farewell practice (which in the end wasn't a practice at all). Waited quite a while for them because they went to JB in the morning and we had to finish up the board we were supposed to do for them.
We helped the Japs pack their instruments back into the cardboard boxes and taped them up. I managed to help a bit more la, they're slightly less reluctant.
After which we all settled back into the band room and were separated, each school on one side of the room. And I didn't know what happened in between, I went to meet my Hai Sing junior to pass her a score.
I returned to the room to see some kind of kill-time interaction going on. Mr Wong sat in the middle, and as he could speak a bit of Japanese, he was the mediator. An MJCSB member then selected someone from Meiden whom they may be fond of whatsoever, and shook hands with him or her in the gap in the middle.
Felix sabotaged me, he told Mr Wong that I chose Mr Ito. Please la, I didn't even say anything much about Mr Ito. Felix's explanation was that I took a picture with Mr Ito the previous night. So what? I was very furious but shrugged it off la. Angry because it's a conductor that we're talking about and it isn't a fact at all. I grew so red that everyone was laughing at me. Irritating. AiYa, Felix got to shake hands with Tomoko ma, so of course he'll be damn high. Hmmph.
There were no initiatives from Meiden's side, it's always us sending people up. Yan Qing shook hands with the cameraman (ironically), the Meiden students who came forward most of the time are Toru (the stringbassist), Tomoko (the very kawaii tubist), the Jap drum guy, and Fukuda (the baritone saxophonist). Jennifer shook hands with Shinya, she thinks he's pretty! Haha. And I agree!
Killing time with the match-making thing
Watching a slideshow of the photos taken during the week that they were here
Their captain giving a speech
If you notice, hanging from the projector is a bunch of blue stuff. Well, don't underestimate that! The Japanese made that for as, it comprises of 1000 over paper cranes sewn together to form that large ornament. So nice right? So touched.
Then there were all the speeches again. Mr Ito and Mr Kajiyama taught us this cheer that the Japanese do when a very good event happened. You have to clap and yell a bit...it goes like ta-ta-ta rest ta-ta-ta rest ta-ta-ta rest ta and you shout 'AH!" or something like that. So it is clapclapclap, clapclapclap, clapclapclap, clap-AH-clapclapclap, clapclapclap, clapclapclap, clap-AH- - - and you repeat for I don't know how many times and you applaud at the end. Easy to catch the rhythm all that la. And we did it together =)
Clap along
And we had some spare time which turns out to be time for what is termed as 'cam-whoring'. Took as many photos as we could.
The tuba section! Can someone tell Samuel not to sneak at the back anymore? He seems to be like this for every photo
Shota and I with the board
Shinya and I
Felix and Shinya
I'm envious that Shinya was stiff when he took the photo with me yet so relaxed while taking with Felix. Never mind, they're a conservative lot I guess.
With the cute Tomoko!
Ah, that look of bliss on Felix's face
In fact I think that was a nice picture. Don't float, Felix. Though I know you floating in air will be a tad too hard a task to accomplish. =P
Kidding la! Orh la orh la ah gu gu gu.
Kimberly and Shota
Kimberly and Tomoko
Kimberly and Shinya
Candice and Shinya
Candice and Shota
This is the Japanese drum percussionist with Kim
Shota looked so obliged and I was smiling spastically
Felix and Shota
The Japanese had to go to the Night Safari after this, before proceeding to the airport back to Nagoya. Even though the fact that I'm going to send them off later and I'm going to see them in a matter of hours, I still cannot help it la. We gathered at the assembly plaza and took a group shot of both schools. At that point I saw some Jap girls crying and I thought I felt my heart jolt or something.
After the shot as we followed them out to the bus-stop for them to get onto their busses, something came over me and I cried! I don't remember what happened and then Kim they all saw me and were sort of consoling. Then Tomoko turned around and saw me crying she was like 'Ohhhh!' And hugged me. Even as I type now I can feel the ache on my cheeks. It was such a nice gesture that money can't buy. And I cried even more. Haha. Shota and Shinya were on the bus already. Shortly after Kim, Candice and Sabrina (from euphonium) were crying and they blamed me for infecting them. Sorry la. Just don't look at me. And the Jap cameraman was poking his videocamera (those studio recording kind) at me and I hid behind Kai Yan. I could make faces in front of the lens, but not to let the Japanese see me cry.
When they left I went to throw the wet tissues away when Mr Wong called me. I turned and he said '哭到这样 (cried to this extent)!' I whined a bit and said I can't help it. And I saw that his eyes were red! I was like, 'Mr Wong, your eyes are red!' And dunno Felix or Kai Yan or Hong Wei asked if he was crying, he didn't reply and went up the stairs. Awww...first time that I knew Mr Wong is like that!
Since I had time to spare I went home for dinner. On the way back I was practically on the verge of tears la...so stupid! Haha. Can't stop myself from feeling that way.
I went to find Felix and Hong Wei at the Terminal 2, to find them huddled at the computer unit and typing 'Tomoko Ono' at Google. Irritating. Haha. Samuel didn't come, I don't know why.
When the Japanese arrived at the airport, instinctively Meridians went to help.
Queuing up to load their luggages
Felix is and was so irritating! He went to the weighing machine (meant for luggages) and weighed himself there, with the digital metre showing us his weight! Haha I won't reveal his weight here la.
Sabrina asked me if I were to cry again, I said with a loud 'No!' and added 'I'll try not to cry.'
And when they were more or less done with their luggages, cam-whores (read：照相妓) reappeared .
Kai Yan and Tomoko
Tuba and stringbass sections
Shinya, Kimberly, Shota, Felix, Candice, Ms Sia, me, Kai Yan
Me, Toru - it's like the last few minutes that they're in Singapore that I went to take a photo with him
Jie Ying and Toru
Kai Yan and Toru
Kai Yan and Shota
Cliff reading a message in Japanese for his fellow Japanese section mates
With the stringbass girls. I still don't know who is who
The section! Shota had the Chip (and/or Dale) handphone holder on his head!
Shinya and Kai Yan taking a stiff photo. But at least they smiled!
I LOVE THIS PHOTO! Hahaa it's a very well taken photo!
Shota was at first quite stiff because he was holding on to lots of stuff, then I asked Kim to help him hold so he could be more comfortable and that was what he did!!! I didn't expect this, but...wa! I am and was elated! And dunno who around us were like 'Oh Erina, so this is what you want huh?' wth. Haha.
I like the way the Japanese pronounce my name, they can catch it quite easily because they got names like Eriko and Whatever-na etc, so their way of saying Erina is very very nice and smooth and natural! Singaporeans always take a while to get used to my name.
This is Mr Ito in the MJ PE tee that Mr Wong presented to him and Mr Kajiyama
When Mr Wong gave Mr Ito the PE shirt, the latter immediately took off his jacket and wore the tee over his top. So sporting la! And he wore back the jacket with the MJ tee in there. I heard that when they left he was still wearing the shirt! So nice~ Mr Kajiyama changed into the PE tee shortly afterwards, he was busy.
Trombone and stringbass sections. Ryan was giving a stern face
I don't know his name. Either this or that. Haha. He's a euphonium player and he's a joker. But very adorable
The euphonium girl
He's a flautist. He trims his eyebrows, even though there aren't much left
This is the more serious euphonium player
After that their teacher-in-charge was shouting some instructions in Nihon-go, and Shota said 'Oh...we have to go.'
Mr Kajiyama then gathered us up and talked to us as a whole, he was thanking us etc, until he said something like, 'We treat you like real brothers and sisters,' That was when I couldn't control and broke down again. (And the cameraman poked at me, again) And so, chain-reaction undefeated, Kim, Candice and Sabrina wept too.
And they really really had to go into the customs already...we walked them all the way there, forming a passageway with us on two sides for the Japanese to pass through to the doors...I was already crying like whatsoever la..and Shota and Shinya waved bye and Shota looked at me and gestured not to cry (goodness I can feel like I'm going to cry now). 好不舍得...Then Tomoko came and she came and held my hands and said something like 'Erina! You are like a real sister to me.' And I cried some more! It sorts of aches to finally know how she thought of you. And there they went.
When they left, Ms Sia was shooing them home and she saw me. '哎哟! 哭到这样!!' and I ran away from her, away from the suaning haha.
But this isn't the end! Plans are ongoing for MJ to go to Nagoya soon. I hope to go ASAP 'cos I wanna see the Japs again, but I hope to prolong it so that I can have time to save up more and if possible go for Japanese language lessons! (I don't know how I'm going to cope, but surely hope I can make it!)
I love you all so much!
Signed 31072006, 0136hrs
It was a very very hard moment for me. I hate this parting. There'll be a gap in me that will take me sooo long to fill. Band life became so much more happening and fulfilled in these six days.
I can't speak Japanese except for the basic arigato, konichiwa, and iichi, ni, san that we would say while taking photos. They can speak and understand English but they're not so good at it. There were many times that we had difficulty understanding each other, but music bonded us ever so closely to each other. Music knows no boundaries, so there were no barriers between us. I thank the guy up there for the existence of English, and of course most importantly, music. I thank this guy again for leading me to join the Band, if not I would not be satisfied with my life at all.
At MJC
I went back for the farewell practice (which in the end wasn't a practice at all). Waited quite a while for them because they went to JB in the morning and we had to finish up the board we were supposed to do for them.
We helped the Japs pack their instruments back into the cardboard boxes and taped them up. I managed to help a bit more la, they're slightly less reluctant.
After which we all settled back into the band room and were separated, each school on one side of the room. And I didn't know what happened in between, I went to meet my Hai Sing junior to pass her a score.
I returned to the room to see some kind of kill-time interaction going on. Mr Wong sat in the middle, and as he could speak a bit of Japanese, he was the mediator. An MJCSB member then selected someone from Meiden whom they may be fond of whatsoever, and shook hands with him or her in the gap in the middle.
Felix sabotaged me, he told Mr Wong that I chose Mr Ito. Please la, I didn't even say anything much about Mr Ito. Felix's explanation was that I took a picture with Mr Ito the previous night. So what? I was very furious but shrugged it off la. Angry because it's a conductor that we're talking about and it isn't a fact at all. I grew so red that everyone was laughing at me. Irritating. AiYa, Felix got to shake hands with Tomoko ma, so of course he'll be damn high. Hmmph.
There were no initiatives from Meiden's side, it's always us sending people up. Yan Qing shook hands with the cameraman (ironically), the Meiden students who came forward most of the time are Toru (the stringbassist), Tomoko (the very kawaii tubist), the Jap drum guy, and Fukuda (the baritone saxophonist). Jennifer shook hands with Shinya, she thinks he's pretty! Haha. And I agree!
Killing time with the match-making thing
Watching a slideshow of the photos taken during the week that they were here
Their captain giving a speechIf you notice, hanging from the projector is a bunch of blue stuff. Well, don't underestimate that! The Japanese made that for as, it comprises of 1000 over paper cranes sewn together to form that large ornament. So nice right? So touched.
Then there were all the speeches again. Mr Ito and Mr Kajiyama taught us this cheer that the Japanese do when a very good event happened. You have to clap and yell a bit...it goes like ta-ta-ta rest ta-ta-ta rest ta-ta-ta rest ta and you shout 'AH!" or something like that. So it is clapclapclap, clapclapclap, clapclapclap, clap-AH-clapclapclap, clapclapclap, clapclapclap, clap-AH- - - and you repeat for I don't know how many times and you applaud at the end. Easy to catch the rhythm all that la. And we did it together =)
Clap alongAnd we had some spare time which turns out to be time for what is termed as 'cam-whoring'. Took as many photos as we could.
The tuba section! Can someone tell Samuel not to sneak at the back anymore? He seems to be like this for every photo
Shota and I with the board
Shinya and I
Felix and ShinyaI'm envious that Shinya was stiff when he took the photo with me yet so relaxed while taking with Felix. Never mind, they're a conservative lot I guess.
With the cute Tomoko!
Ah, that look of bliss on Felix's faceIn fact I think that was a nice picture. Don't float, Felix. Though I know you floating in air will be a tad too hard a task to accomplish. =P
Kidding la! Orh la orh la ah gu gu gu.
Kimberly and Shota
Kimberly and Tomoko
Kimberly and Shinya
Candice and Shinya
Candice and Shota
This is the Japanese drum percussionist with Kim
Shota looked so obliged and I was smiling spastically
Felix and ShotaThe Japanese had to go to the Night Safari after this, before proceeding to the airport back to Nagoya. Even though the fact that I'm going to send them off later and I'm going to see them in a matter of hours, I still cannot help it la. We gathered at the assembly plaza and took a group shot of both schools. At that point I saw some Jap girls crying and I thought I felt my heart jolt or something.
After the shot as we followed them out to the bus-stop for them to get onto their busses, something came over me and I cried! I don't remember what happened and then Kim they all saw me and were sort of consoling. Then Tomoko turned around and saw me crying she was like 'Ohhhh!' And hugged me. Even as I type now I can feel the ache on my cheeks. It was such a nice gesture that money can't buy. And I cried even more. Haha. Shota and Shinya were on the bus already. Shortly after Kim, Candice and Sabrina (from euphonium) were crying and they blamed me for infecting them. Sorry la. Just don't look at me. And the Jap cameraman was poking his videocamera (those studio recording kind) at me and I hid behind Kai Yan. I could make faces in front of the lens, but not to let the Japanese see me cry.
When they left I went to throw the wet tissues away when Mr Wong called me. I turned and he said '哭到这样 (cried to this extent)!' I whined a bit and said I can't help it. And I saw that his eyes were red! I was like, 'Mr Wong, your eyes are red!' And dunno Felix or Kai Yan or Hong Wei asked if he was crying, he didn't reply and went up the stairs. Awww...first time that I knew Mr Wong is like that!
Since I had time to spare I went home for dinner. On the way back I was practically on the verge of tears la...so stupid! Haha. Can't stop myself from feeling that way.
~~~
At Changi AirportI went to find Felix and Hong Wei at the Terminal 2, to find them huddled at the computer unit and typing 'Tomoko Ono' at Google. Irritating. Haha. Samuel didn't come, I don't know why.
When the Japanese arrived at the airport, instinctively Meridians went to help.
Queuing up to load their luggagesFelix is and was so irritating! He went to the weighing machine (meant for luggages) and weighed himself there, with the digital metre showing us his weight! Haha I won't reveal his weight here la.
Sabrina asked me if I were to cry again, I said with a loud 'No!' and added 'I'll try not to cry.'
And when they were more or less done with their luggages, cam-whores (read：照相妓) reappeared .
Kai Yan and Tomoko
Tuba and stringbass sections
Shinya, Kimberly, Shota, Felix, Candice, Ms Sia, me, Kai Yan
Me, Toru - it's like the last few minutes that they're in Singapore that I went to take a photo with him
Jie Ying and Toru
Kai Yan and Toru
Kai Yan and Shota
Cliff reading a message in Japanese for his fellow Japanese section mates
With the stringbass girls. I still don't know who is who
The section! Shota had the Chip (and/or Dale) handphone holder on his head!
Shinya and Kai Yan taking a stiff photo. But at least they smiled!
I LOVE THIS PHOTO! Hahaa it's a very well taken photo!Shota was at first quite stiff because he was holding on to lots of stuff, then I asked Kim to help him hold so he could be more comfortable and that was what he did!!! I didn't expect this, but...wa! I am and was elated! And dunno who around us were like 'Oh Erina, so this is what you want huh?' wth. Haha.
I like the way the Japanese pronounce my name, they can catch it quite easily because they got names like Eriko and Whatever-na etc, so their way of saying Erina is very very nice and smooth and natural! Singaporeans always take a while to get used to my name.
This is Mr Ito in the MJ PE tee that Mr Wong presented to him and Mr KajiyamaWhen Mr Wong gave Mr Ito the PE shirt, the latter immediately took off his jacket and wore the tee over his top. So sporting la! And he wore back the jacket with the MJ tee in there. I heard that when they left he was still wearing the shirt! So nice~ Mr Kajiyama changed into the PE tee shortly afterwards, he was busy.
Trombone and stringbass sections. Ryan was giving a stern face
I don't know his name. Either this or that. Haha. He's a euphonium player and he's a joker. But very adorable
The euphonium girl
He's a flautist. He trims his eyebrows, even though there aren't much left
This is the more serious euphonium playerAfter that their teacher-in-charge was shouting some instructions in Nihon-go, and Shota said 'Oh...we have to go.'
Mr Kajiyama then gathered us up and talked to us as a whole, he was thanking us etc, until he said something like, 'We treat you like real brothers and sisters,' That was when I couldn't control and broke down again. (And the cameraman poked at me, again) And so, chain-reaction undefeated, Kim, Candice and Sabrina wept too.
And they really really had to go into the customs already...we walked them all the way there, forming a passageway with us on two sides for the Japanese to pass through to the doors...I was already crying like whatsoever la..and Shota and Shinya waved bye and Shota looked at me and gestured not to cry (goodness I can feel like I'm going to cry now). 好不舍得...Then Tomoko came and she came and held my hands and said something like 'Erina! You are like a real sister to me.' And I cried some more! It sorts of aches to finally know how she thought of you. And there they went.
When they left, Ms Sia was shooing them home and she saw me. '哎哟! 哭到这样!!' and I ran away from her, away from the suaning haha.
But this isn't the end! Plans are ongoing for MJ to go to Nagoya soon. I hope to go ASAP 'cos I wanna see the Japs again, but I hope to prolong it so that I can have time to save up more and if possible go for Japanese language lessons! (I don't know how I'm going to cope, but surely hope I can make it!)
I love you all so much!
Signed 31072006, 0136hrs
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