25Nov2008
So I've been horribly remiss in updating the blog, as per usual. I've come to the conclusion that now that I'm back in Canada, and have been for a couple of years, my life is pretty boring and not necessarily the sort of thing that people would want to read about. And I don't feel that I have a driving purpose in life to blog about, like some other folks I know. And yet somehow I still have a fairly loyal handful of readers out there, and I do feel sort of neglectful of you.
So here's the whine for this post - I'm getting sick. Sore throat, sniffles. Blech. Ah well. At least it's happening now, and not earlier. Fortunately no choir practice for me tonight as I'm not singing the next concert due to an upcoming business trip to Ottawa (last time I did a concert the night before a business trip, I never really recovered, and was cranky the entire time).
So what's been up for the last couple of weeks? Work, mostly, but also music. On the 21st, my choir performed Handel's "Solomon" with the Alberta Baroque Ensemble and a selection of amazing soloists (hence the gladness that the cold is happening now, and not earlier). I thought it went well, as did most others, apparently. The choir director seems to have concurred, in spite of some very last-minute adjustments, and really, that's the opinion that matters.
Afterwards I went out to celebrate a friend's successful PhD defence. And he got to asking me why I joined the choir. And it took me a while, to be honest. I did have to think long and hard about it. I could answer immediately why I didn't join - to be social. I do have a few friends in the choir but they're very limited to a select number - just enough to give me a buffer zone. I go, I sing, I leave. I don't stay and chat. I avoid the social gatherings after concerts (usually 'cuz it's well past my bedtime... when you work at 7 a.m. anything after 10 p.m. becomes a late night... and not going to lie, average age in the choir is closer to my parents' than my own).
As for why, I suppose there are multiple reasons. I like the music. I know that sounds pretty stupid and obvious, but your average 20-something usually isn't into 'classical'. Hell, the majority of my friends don't come to my concerts, and I can totally understand that (although I sometimes wish that some of them would - no, this isn't a dig to anyone who was out celebrating or had other plans that night; it's not you to whom I'm referring). But for me, I've already gotten to fulfill one ambition - singing Mozart's Requiem - since joining. It's that sort of thing that makes it totally worthwhile to me. It's certainly not everyone's cup of tea. But I digress.
I didn't want my training to go to waste (I trained classically all through high school).
I missed choral work (I was in an awesome choir under the amazing direction of Dr. Mark Sirett, who was such an inspiration - I've always regretted that my family had to move away from that, and unfortunately the choir is now defunct - and was an alto section lead my first couple of years of uni at a local church, but hadn't done choral work since).
When I was still working at the University I was looking for something to keep me busy that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg.
And those are the big reasons I came up with, really.
And y'know, if the job makes me move somewhere else in Canada, with the exception of a few individuals, it's just the music I'll miss. Hopefully I get moved somewhere where something similar exists.
On a completely different note, Magnolia has mentioned a musical theatre project to me that might go up for this summer's Fringe, depending on how the lottery goes. And she's suggested I should audition. Which both scares the crap out of me and is kinda exciting all at the same time. I've not done musical theatre since Kiwanis classes in high school. I have no formal dramatic training. And in all honesty, I'm not sure I want to make the time commitment. The Fringe is not for the half-hearted, and I'm trying to save vacation time to go somewhere super in 2010. But I'm not going to lie. I'm intrigued...
So I've been horribly remiss in updating the blog, as per usual. I've come to the conclusion that now that I'm back in Canada, and have been for a couple of years, my life is pretty boring and not necessarily the sort of thing that people would want to read about. And I don't feel that I have a driving purpose in life to blog about, like some other folks I know. And yet somehow I still have a fairly loyal handful of readers out there, and I do feel sort of neglectful of you.
So here's the whine for this post - I'm getting sick. Sore throat, sniffles. Blech. Ah well. At least it's happening now, and not earlier. Fortunately no choir practice for me tonight as I'm not singing the next concert due to an upcoming business trip to Ottawa (last time I did a concert the night before a business trip, I never really recovered, and was cranky the entire time).
So what's been up for the last couple of weeks? Work, mostly, but also music. On the 21st, my choir performed Handel's "Solomon" with the Alberta Baroque Ensemble and a selection of amazing soloists (hence the gladness that the cold is happening now, and not earlier). I thought it went well, as did most others, apparently. The choir director seems to have concurred, in spite of some very last-minute adjustments, and really, that's the opinion that matters.
Afterwards I went out to celebrate a friend's successful PhD defence. And he got to asking me why I joined the choir. And it took me a while, to be honest. I did have to think long and hard about it. I could answer immediately why I didn't join - to be social. I do have a few friends in the choir but they're very limited to a select number - just enough to give me a buffer zone. I go, I sing, I leave. I don't stay and chat. I avoid the social gatherings after concerts (usually 'cuz it's well past my bedtime... when you work at 7 a.m. anything after 10 p.m. becomes a late night... and not going to lie, average age in the choir is closer to my parents' than my own).
As for why, I suppose there are multiple reasons. I like the music. I know that sounds pretty stupid and obvious, but your average 20-something usually isn't into 'classical'. Hell, the majority of my friends don't come to my concerts, and I can totally understand that (although I sometimes wish that some of them would - no, this isn't a dig to anyone who was out celebrating or had other plans that night; it's not you to whom I'm referring). But for me, I've already gotten to fulfill one ambition - singing Mozart's Requiem - since joining. It's that sort of thing that makes it totally worthwhile to me. It's certainly not everyone's cup of tea. But I digress.
I didn't want my training to go to waste (I trained classically all through high school).
I missed choral work (I was in an awesome choir under the amazing direction of Dr. Mark Sirett, who was such an inspiration - I've always regretted that my family had to move away from that, and unfortunately the choir is now defunct - and was an alto section lead my first couple of years of uni at a local church, but hadn't done choral work since).
When I was still working at the University I was looking for something to keep me busy that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg.
And those are the big reasons I came up with, really.
And y'know, if the job makes me move somewhere else in Canada, with the exception of a few individuals, it's just the music I'll miss. Hopefully I get moved somewhere where something similar exists.
On a completely different note, Magnolia has mentioned a musical theatre project to me that might go up for this summer's Fringe, depending on how the lottery goes. And she's suggested I should audition. Which both scares the crap out of me and is kinda exciting all at the same time. I've not done musical theatre since Kiwanis classes in high school. I have no formal dramatic training. And in all honesty, I'm not sure I want to make the time commitment. The Fringe is not for the half-hearted, and I'm trying to save vacation time to go somewhere super in 2010. But I'm not going to lie. I'm intrigued...
Which is where I currently am for work. Although I've not seen much of it. Honestly. Cab ride to the hotel. Inside of hotel room. Mall across the street. Meeting rooms in hotel. Last night I escaped and made it out for dinner with some friends and had the best catch-up chat I've had in a very long time. But of course, it was night, it was dark, not much to see. Today, more inside of hotel meeting rooms. Cab ride back to airport.
The worst bit is that I have no idea why I'm here. My boss decided it was "a learning experience", but I have nothing to contribute and don't understand half of what's going on.
Ah well.
Someday I will make it out here for a really for real visit. Someday.
The worst bit is that I have no idea why I'm here. My boss decided it was "a learning experience", but I have nothing to contribute and don't understand half of what's going on.
Ah well.
Someday I will make it out here for a really for real visit. Someday.
I finally got to see the friend from that last post for the first time since she's gotten back this weekend.
She met a guy while she was on training, and when I heard this, I was incredibly happy for her. And I still am, I guess.
But with the exception of the times when she was driving, she spent a huge portion of the time we were together texting, and I'm pretty sure a lot of them were to the guy in question, although I can't be 100%.
Granted, we were in a sort of house party situation so it's not like we were one on one and having an in-depth conversation, but it felt like she was totally tuned out, not only myself but the other people present, the entire weekend, which really sucked after my friend B and I made an effort to try and sort of make her feel special.
I know she's still probably not feeling all that great. I can understand that none of us out here won't exactly know what happened during her training, and we'll never be able to 100% relate to her circumstances, and I know that infatuation is a glorious feeling (being in the midst of it myself, and knowing that if that text message came I'd probably feel amazing - and no, I don't know if the feelings are reciprocated, but given my track record, I'm probably getting my hopes up for nothing, and yes, perhaps I am a teensy bit jealous of the fact that she's managed to find someone, but I wouldn't have minded so much if not for the behaviour attached to it... but I digress...).
Nevertheless, I'm feeling like there's this wall that went up while she was gone and it makes me sad. I know people change and drift apart, but I'm wondering what's going on with this...
She met a guy while she was on training, and when I heard this, I was incredibly happy for her. And I still am, I guess.
But with the exception of the times when she was driving, she spent a huge portion of the time we were together texting, and I'm pretty sure a lot of them were to the guy in question, although I can't be 100%.
Granted, we were in a sort of house party situation so it's not like we were one on one and having an in-depth conversation, but it felt like she was totally tuned out, not only myself but the other people present, the entire weekend, which really sucked after my friend B and I made an effort to try and sort of make her feel special.
I know she's still probably not feeling all that great. I can understand that none of us out here won't exactly know what happened during her training, and we'll never be able to 100% relate to her circumstances, and I know that infatuation is a glorious feeling (being in the midst of it myself, and knowing that if that text message came I'd probably feel amazing - and no, I don't know if the feelings are reciprocated, but given my track record, I'm probably getting my hopes up for nothing, and yes, perhaps I am a teensy bit jealous of the fact that she's managed to find someone, but I wouldn't have minded so much if not for the behaviour attached to it... but I digress...).
Nevertheless, I'm feeling like there's this wall that went up while she was gone and it makes me sad. I know people change and drift apart, but I'm wondering what's going on with this...
