Monday, June 30, 2008

A Dedication To All My Band Brothers

To all form 5’s here today, I would like to thank you all for being my good brothers in The Saints for the past 5 years. Life in secondary school wouldn’t be fun without joining the band and meeting you guys. Joining the band was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life and the thing that I won’t regret doing in secondary school no matter how much I need to sacrifice. With you guys, I share my everything, my happiness and my sadness, my joy and my pain. The tears we dropped, the laughers we had, it’s pure memories in our hearts now. Form 1 was the time we were juniors of the band and we are now going to leave the band. Closing my eyes and thinking back the times when I was a little junior till who I am now, I can sense how fast time flies.

The Michaelian Military Band is the place where I’ve brought up as what I am now. Without the band, my life would completely be a different story. Today is our last day in the band and my heart feels really heavy just to retire from the band. The band has left so much memories in me that I couldn’t put down.

Remember the times when we come to school for night practices? Hanging out after practice in the afternoon at mamak? Teasing each another? Spending a night in school after concert? Having supper during midnight in KFC? Complaining bout practices? Laughing and crying after every competition? Crying in the lecture theatre 2 weeks before 2004 Perak Band Finals? Coming to school in the morning of competition day for rehearsal at stadium? Feeling nervous before it’s our turn to perform? Warming up behind the stadium? The feel of stepping into the stadium and on the field? The moment when we stepped out and hear the cheers of the crowd?

These are the things we are putting down now. Honestly these are the memories that made my tears flow down my cheeks while typing this. Few hours from now we would be leaving the band but I always keep this in my heart. I really hope to see you guys, my brothers coming back next year, spending another 12 minutes on the stadium field together and bringing our band to achieve greater heights. My dream has always been getting 1st in Perak and touring with the band to overseas. I feel nice whenever I spend my time with a Michaelian Military Bandsman. The feeling is more than just a normal friendship. Things we do together, we do not do it with other people. No matter what happens, keep this in your hearts my brothers

“ Once a band member, Always a band member”

My brothers,
- Joshua
- Navin
- Shahrin
- Bryan
- Jeffery
- Louis
- Wei Sheng
- Desmond
- Sharma
- Wah Lun
- Wilson
- Goh
All the best in your future undertakings

~With Pride Shall We March~

AGM 2008

Yesterday was AGM and then was when I felt that time passed so fast. I still remember the times when I was a form 1 being ordered and commanded by seniors in the line, looking at seniors leave the band after AGM and now it's my turn. How I wish now I am still a junior looking at EXCO's passing their posts to the seniors. Time passes too fast and it was my turn for my batch to pass our posts down to our juniors. 5 years is really that fast? I wonder what would've happen if I did not join the band in form 1. I would be missing so much fun. The thing that I will keep most in my heart is always the competition day from morning till midnight. That is always the best day in my life. Not to forget, all my friends and all who went through band life with me. Thank you all. You guys are the best people I've ever met in life. Without you guys, my life wouldn't be so meaningful. Without you guys in the band, I wouldn't have experience so much, learn so much and grow up to be who I am now. Special thanks to my friends of my batch, my juniors, my seniors, my instructor, my teacher advisors. Thank you all who helped the band to be one big family consisting of people from different backgrounds. THANK YOU

~With Pride Shall We March~

Sunday, June 22, 2008

So Near Yet So Far

Went for Band Finals yesterday night and I felt many things. I feel uneasy cause I am doing something different from what I've been doing. Normally I should be behind falling in and preparing to warm up. This year I walk around the stadium and look at bands warm up. It's completely the opposite of what I've done. I was there in the stadium but I wasn't performing. It's just weird for me for a change in time for me. However I enjoyed being a spectator and after the competition I felt as if I've just finished a competition. Maybe it's because SMI's rival lost that makes me feel as if I've competed. Well, time has passed and like what Navin says, it's time to move on. MMB '09. The pride of St.Michael will be back~!

It ended up with
1st - SMK Nan Hwa, Sitiawan
2nd - SMK Ave Maria Convent, Ipoh
3rd - SMK Perempuan Perak, Ipoh

After that night Navin came to my house to overnight and talk a little issues bout band but we fell asleep due to tiredness.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Perak Finals Tomorrow Night

Normally this time of the year I would be preparing for the big day of my life. The Marching Band Competition. I would be polishing my shoe now, ironing my uniform and preparing my clothings for morning rehearsal. Can't sleep at night cause the day next day will be very exciting. And for year 04 05 06 and 07 I never missed a chance getting the pride of the "Michaelian Spirit" on the competition day once in the stadium.

Many things in St.Michael has lost the "Semangat Michaelian" which is something that drives me in the band every year during the competition. Stepping into the stadium itself can make me feel the cool breeze on my hands and the pride of a marching member. I want it back but unfortunately we can't turn back time. St.Michaels every year on the field will give an impression on the audience not by it's competitive show but by it's spirit of a michaelian. I never take competition so much as a competition. I take it more as something I do when I have the "Michaelian Spirit". Winning or losing doesn't matter to me as long as I keep the tradition of doing it with the spirit of a michaelian.

I am afraid that after tomorrow night I will turn emotional. Simply because I lost something I love most in my life.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Unforgettable Memories Shall Last

It feels so different this year especially this two months June and July where there is no band competition for St.Michaels. Every night before I sleep I think back of 2004 - 2007 the times of formation practices and competition. Time passes so fast. I don't notice myself going through so much in band already. So many competitions and so many memorable nights on the field. The feeling is indescribable. Stepping on the field on that night is priceless and it's a once in a lifetime experience. I feel proud when I am in there because I can feel the amount of spectators looking at us marching and playing songs at the same time. It's not something everyone can do. The feel on the competition day is great. Going to school in the evening. Getting the instruments down and prepare to go to stadium. Once in stadium we move to the back to wait and warm up ourselves, change into our uniforms and talk to each another giving each another words of advice and spirits of being a marching member on the field.

Looking back at the photos during the competition and flashing my mind over all I've been through makes my tears flow down my cheeks. Thinking back, I've experience marching with my seniors and juniors carrying both bass and snare drums. And thinking back, it's like it is about to happen and I can't wait to do it but it has actually happened. My time in MMB has come to an end. Why did it pass so fast? Every night when the competition ends I tell myself next year is coming. But now, there is no more chance for me to march and feel eyes on me as a member in the band. I've almost forgotten how it feels like to march on the field since the last time I went there. What I have been feeling these days are the feelings I have when I was a form 1. How does it feel like to march on the field in the stadium? I ask myself recently. All I want now is just another 12 minutes on that field.

These are the most memorable years in my life. 4 years of that. No way I can get it off my mind. The pride is more than anything in the world.

Perak Band finals will be nexy friday night. I can't imagine how it feels like to go into the stadium and sit at the spectators view and not at the back on the stadium.





Sunday, June 08, 2008

There Goes Concert

Concert was yesterday and today I started missing concert already. Concert ended bout 11++pm yesterday night and after packing and stuffs we went back to school bout 1 something in the morning. After resting a while we started our journey to town's 24-hours KFC to have supper. The best part comes when Mun Ming sent us a sms saying that he will pay for our bill. Great~!! So we ordered lots of food and ended up not finishing them so we take away and bring it back for the guard to eat since he is so good to us. Haha. It is so fun to mix around with the SK WInds members.

Band life now would be dull again and even dull for me after handover. No more band practices to attend. The last one would be the AGM. Band life is really coming to an end. I feel very heavy hearted to leave the band or in better saying retiring for The Saints. Normally we finish competition at the end of June before we start to relax but now it's just too early to relax and retire. Will I be back after this year? I miss those fun I had with my seniors last time and my juniors now. My concert members especially those who had fun with me playing basketball from midnight till morning. I miss those times. How can money buy time? If money can buy time I would spend to travel back in time. Well well well, no more mamak food with my juniors, no more fun with my funny juniors. Time passes so fast. Concert ended in a blink of an eye.



Percussion Section Leaders of Term 06/07 and 07/08

Thursday, June 05, 2008

3 Days To Concert

Concert will be coming in 3 days time and everyone has been working round the clock almost everyday to make this concert a success. This concert would be the last major function I will be joining but I hope I could join another concert in the future or even marching band competition. Haha. After this friday. life in MMB will be very dull again. No more extra night practices and going to MAMAK for lunch and dinner with my brothers in MMB. After this week, the band marching competitions will be held in all states and I really want to watch the preliminary rounds next week on monday. Argh!!! I hope my mother will allow me to go. Can't join the competition but at least spectate other bands. This year will be a very interesting year. How would it feel like to be in the stadium again but NOT to perform and compete. *sigh*

Went to penang last sunday and monday. Had a great time eating and eating. See, first we arrived in penang road to eat laksa and chaw kuey teaw. Then we went to Queensbay for a walk till bout 2 then we went to some place(I don't know where) for laksa AGAIN and LOH BAK( A type of food) until bout 4. Then we went back to the hotel to rest, bath and watch some television and before we know it. It was time for dinner. So we went to some place to eat. My, my bro and sis shared 4 bowls of mee and a plate of chicken rice. Haha. Okie Dokie. Very full at that time so we went to the beach side for a walk. For 30 minutes then we went for supper in some place (I don't know where again). Went back to hotel slept and next morning went for breakfast. EAT again la. A plate of chicken shop rice and a bowl of KUEY TEOW TENG.

3 Day To Concert

Concert will be coming in 3 days time and everyone has been working round the clock almost everyday to make this concert a success. This concert would be the last major function I will be joining but I hope I could join another concert in the future or even marching band competition. Haha. After this friday. life in MMB will be very dull again. No more extra night practices and going to MAMAK for lunch and dinner with my brothers in MMB. After this week, the band marching competitions will be held in all states and I really want to watch the preliminary rounds next week on monday. Argh!!! I hope my mother will allow me to go. Can't join the competition but at least spectate other bands. This year will be a very interesting year. How would it feel like to be in the stadium again but NOT to perform and compete. *sigh*

Went to penang last sunday and monday. Had a great time eating and eating. See, first we arrived in penang road to eat laksa and chaw kuey teaw. Then we went to Queensbay for a walk till bout 2 then we went to some place(I don't know where) for laksa AGAIN and LOH BAK( A type of food) until bout 4. Then we went back to the hotel to rest, bath and watch some television and before we know it. It was time for dinner. So we went to some place to eat. My, my bro and sis shared 4 bowls of mee and a plate of chicken rice. Haha. Okie Dokie. Very full at that time so we went to the beach side for a walk. For 30 minutes then we went for supper in some place (I don't know where again). Went back to hotel slept and next morning went for breakfast. EAT again la. A plate of chicken shop rice and a bowl of KUEY TEOW TENG.