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20080613

Schedule for 16th June!!!

BAND MEMBERS DO TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING...

1.)

All band members (J1s & J2s) pls report to the band room by 12.30pm for the Official handover ceremony.

2.)

FOR THOSE WHO WENT FOR THE TAIWAN TRIP!!

People who are holding on to the tuners, luggage belt remember to bring them back on the 16th June, 12.30pm together with your instrument.
There will be a Taiwan Trip debrief and stock checks by the QMs!
**Blue group and Green group will be staying back after that to clean up the band room.

** J1s who are having econs. lecture from 10am-12pm, you can return your instrument from 9.30am-10am. After your lecture report back to the band room by 12.30pm.

** J1s Exco. members pls report to the band room by 12.15pm for a short meeting!

its all about music
|6/13/2008 12:09:00 pm|

20080610

Enriching Enchanting Exciting

PJCSB Overseas Music Exchange Programme (Taiwan) 2008
28th May - 1st June

A unforgettable platform for us to learn more about MUSIC, CULTURE, LIFESTYLE and PEOPLE of TAIWAN by first hand experience. The short five days trip was packed with different places of tourist attractions and two well-known schools for music exchange.

DAY 1 : arrival at taipei international airport taiwan

The first place we visited when we reached Taiwan – Xi Men Ding! It’s a shopping area where you can check out Taiwan’s latest fashion and also taste the famous “Ah Zhong Mee Sua” , fried chicken cullet and bubble tea at our own expenses. It was very different but delicious!
The name of Xi Men Ding came from the period of Japanese colonization.

Day 2 : Kuang-Jen High School

On the second day we went to Kuang-Jen High School to have our first exchange. We’re very excited!! The moment we reached the school, the first thing we did was to take pictures. After unloading the instrument, we head towards their music room to set up our instrument first. The very next door is the band room and while setting up our instrument we can hear them play. I was awed by the tone of the band. They sound nice and full. They performed 2 pieces before we perform for them. It was very impressive, the way the band plays. They work on their dynamics which make the music more exciting and interesting. One learning point from this exchange – listen to the band and play what’s require without the conductor reminding all the times. We constantly need reminders for intonation, dynamics … … unlike them who already know what they should do while playing. I’m quite disappointed with our own performance. Maybe it’s because it was our first exchange and we were too nervous. Another learning point was to calm down before any performance and look at conductor at all times. This is essential as the conductor migh t include some last minute changes to enhance the music. This exchange showed us the purpose of a conductor. Look at the conductor at all times.

After which we played a combine piece, Centuria and had a short interaction time before we had ashort lesson with the conductor whereby he went through with us the piece, Japanese Graffiti.

During the interaction time, they told us that their instruments are bought by themselves and the most expensive one was about 80’000 Taiwan dollars which is about Singapore $4000. This comes as a surprise for us as in Singapore our instruments are bought by the school. They also told us that they have practices everyday at least an hour and combine practices once a week for 2 hours. Comparing with ours, we have slightly lesser practices. This interaction time gave us a chance to know each other better and also about their education systems as well.

After visiting the school, we went to 3 different places namely Yeliu, Chiufen and Taipei 101. We also had lunch at a restaurant that serves us something like steamboat and some local dishes .

At Yeliu, there were many different rock formation. This is due to the wave erosion, weathering and the action of the Earth’s crust. The rock formations there were very interesting and this type of natural rock formations are not found in Singapore. The different rock formation had some interesting ones like one that look like the map of Taiwan, face of the queen, King Kong, an olden days clog and also two dogs kissing in one of Disney movies. The scenery there was very beautiful. There also stood a statue of a man named Liu Tian Zhen. He saved a group of students from the sea and was fully drained by the time the last person was saved and he drowned. It was indeed a sad story but his heroic act would always be remembered.
At Chiufen, it was said to be a small Hong Kong as it had everything there. It had nice mountainous and coastal scenery and had gold mining history. There are many snacks sold there and many souvenirs that can be bought from there. We had a very fruitful trip the
picture of the Kwang-Jen High Scho
re as we were able to enjoy the food, shopping an also the scenery there. However as this place is located at a mountainous area, transportation there is rather difficult.
We later on went on to Taipei 101 which is the tallest building in Taiwan and second in the world. We had to lie down on the floor to take a full picture of the building. It looks somewhat like a bamboo stem and it looks very magnificent. We then went back to the hotel, Paradise hotel for debrief and then rest for the next day ahead.
After visiting the places, we went Raohe night market to have our dinner and it was bustling with activities and was an eye opener for us. The food there were delicious and there sold a lot of things to buy. It was very different from the night market you would see in Singapore.

Day 3 : Hua-Gang Arts School

To start off the day, we went to Yang Ming Shan to take a look at the scenery and also to refresh ourselves with some fresh air early in the morning before going to Hua-Gang Arts school. We also did our warm-up exercises there and it was indeed a very different experience for all of us.

The exchange with Hua-Gang Arts School was much more enjoyable! It was more of a performance than a formal exchange. Though we are the first item for the performance but the atmosphere wasn’t as tense as the first exchange. Instead it was kind of relaxing. The main reason will be that the audience which were mainly students, they applauded and cheered with enthusiasm which spice up the atmosphere. It was heartwarming. Their performing arts groups performed for us and they did a great job! We dropped our jaws throughout their performance.It was kind of sad that we don’t really have much time to interact, but luckily we got their email address which we could keep in touch with.

Next we went to National Palace Museum. The National Palace Museum houses the world's largest collection of priceless Chinese art treasures, one which spans China's nearly 5,000-year history. Most of the museum’s 620,000 art objects were part of the Chinese imperial collection, which began over 1,000 years ago in the early Sung dynasty.

Afterwhich we went to the Martyrs Shrine where we saw the guard changing ceremony which takes place every one hour. We manage to catch the last one of the day at 4.45pm. Martyrs Shrine was built in 1969. It is grand and magnificent. It was built to honour the men who had died during the war and their heroic acts.

The Shi Lin Residence was the former home of the late President Chiang Kai-shek. It was placed under the care of the city government and partially opened to the public. The expansive and elegant garden has a romantic European feel, with rose beds and tree-lined paths, making it a popular place for taking wedding photographs.

Day 4 : fisherman’s wharf, Dan Shui Old Street and the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall (Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall)

Stand along Danshui Harbor and feel the cool wind blowing at the face. Nice site to take photos as well. The lovers’ bridge – it was said that lovers who walk over this bridge have to hold onto one another hand if not they will end up breaking up. Dramas in Taiwan are also taken from there dun to it’s beautiful scenery.

After which we went to the Danshuei old street where they sold a lot of food, souvenirs and also they are famous for their hard eggs and their ice cream there are very tall and very different from Singapore.

Then we had our lunch at Five Cent Drift Wood. A very unique and interesting restaurant. This restaurant was based on a dream by a lady from young. She earned the money to built her life long dream restaurant by selling her art pieces as she’s an artist and the blueprint of the restaurant was thought by herself. It was very beautiful.

Our next stop after this was the discovery centre of Taipei. It was a city museum dedicated to the historical development of Taipei. The facilities inside employs a large amount of visual and auditory data as well as interactive exhibits. The facilities there indeed help us understand Taipei better and have a better knowledge of Taipei.

Next we proceed to the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall.It is located in the heart of Taipei City. The great building has become a landmark of Taipei City.There are also places for international art performances and they are the National Theater and National Concert Hall.
The material used for the memorial hall is white marble. The roofs are decorated with deep-blue glass as part of the reflection of blue sky and bright sun and the garden is planted with red flowers. As a whole, the colors of blue, white and red express the National Flag and the spirit of freedom, equality and brotherhood.

After all the visiting we went to a Taiwanese cuisine restaurants and later on to the shihlin night market. The shihlin night market is one of the largest night markets in Taipei city. At the night market there are a lot of great food like the large pancake enfolding small pancake or shihlin sausage. There are also many shops there that sold souvenirs and also a great place to shop and eat.

Day 5: Home Sweet Home

Planned to go Taipei Confucius Temple but it was under renovation so we went to another temple which was just a street away. Main reason was to pray hard for studies!
After that we went to grandest hotel in Taipei and the building was very grand and big. However we were forbidded to enter the hotel and hence we could only take photos from the outside. Our last destination in Taiwan was at the Mira mar shopping centre, the largest shopping centre in Taipei and there was also a ferries wheel located in it. It was very big but most of us went there to do some last minute shopping.

Bye TAIWAN! :)

CREDITS: Joanna, Jie Ying, Poh Gek, Pei Rong, Clement and Quan Xiang .

Labels: PJCSB Overseas Music Exchange Programme (Taiwan) 2008

its all about music
|6/10/2008 01:10:00 pm|

20080605

Taiwan Exchange Programme 2008!

YESYESYES, We just came back with lotsa good memories, great experience, goodies and most importantly, the band had gained more knowledge! from the super fun
PJCSB Overseas Music Exchange Programme (Taiwan) 2008

Oh-kay, I shall let the photos speak the few million words for me.

Photo credits: Hui Lin , Elaine and Samuel.

PJCSB with Mrs Tan (PJC's principal!) :D

-----DAY ONE-----

Blue Sky

Everyone was happy and very excited.

-----DAY TWO-----

Guangren Zhong Xue

(We had fun learning and exchanging there)

Ye Liu Geo-Park

(where the weird stone carvings are, all done naturally by nature.)

Jiu Fen Street

(we bought lotsa Mochi, the fruit jellies, the weird wind instruments and handmade souvenirs here)

It's scary when an uncle drives his bike super fast through this tiny "street"

Street of Taipei

Yes, you should know what's this.

The magnificent Taipei 101

Raohe Night Market

Guess if this is a real or fake dog.

-----DAY THREE-----

Guang Ming Shan Park

(For fresh air and a great morning to start a brand new day. We had our warm ups there, too!)

Hua Gang Arts School

(the first art school in Taiwan)

Great dancers

(they are actually drama students)

BYE PEOPLE, we'll miss you!

Watching the guardmen change their shift in style.

The "Shi-Lin Guan Di Garden"

Dinner at this Seoul Garden alike place.

-----DAY FOUR-----

Fisherman's Wharf, Lover's bridge.

Friends can cross the bridge together, too.

Love is in the air, can you feel it? They sure can!

Happiness

TamShui old street

The Five Cents Dime (Lunch)

The Taipei Discovery Centre

Hui Lin

"Tai Wan Min Zhu Ji Nian Guan"

(was the "Zhong Zheng Ji Nian Tang")

"The Freedom Square"

" The Guan3"

That's the Taiwanese flag on the ceiling!

(there are 12 points around the circle, each represents an important value/virtue.)

and apparently, it started raining when some of us were in the "guan3"

and so we combined forces, sharing umbrella, and with the help of some pple lending their umbrellas to those who doesn't have one, we managed to cross all hurdles and reach our destination : the bus.

Good Dinner :D

The power of Pioneers needed to heat this steamboat up, so that we can have our dinner. bahh..

The Shilin Night Market

stalls that sells the same things, repeated every 3 stalls..

and i guess we were too busy queuing for the XXL chicken, so no one took a picture of the queue, it's not VERY long (like the ones we see here), but it's the only stall with a queue.