Cirque de la Symphonie

As a band geek, I frequently watch concerts. I wanted to join the Queen's Wind Symphony unfortunately, they didn't have an extra instrument for me. I found a place where I could borrow instruments from, for free. However I didn't get about borrowing my instruments due to the odd opening hours and my travel plans. So I didn't get to perform this semester. 

Boys & Girls Club to borrow instruments

Nevertheless, I still got my dose of music from the Kingston Symphony Orchestra. So coincidental that it was their 60th anniversary! I went to their website and managed to get a discount for their ticket because apparently I qualified for the youth discount :)

The Kingston Symphony Orchestra was clean, precise, expressive and together; evverything a professional orchestra should have. :) The collaboration to perform several circus acts was genius! It definitely isn't easy to do a music collaboration because the band is often louder than other performing groups, or in this case, it could be easy to unconsciously play too loudly or too mechanically. However, the night's performance was delightful and awesome! :)   

Repertoire

So many pieces I like in this repertoire, so hard to pick a favourite! Well but I really liked the two pieces from Swan Lake :) If swan lake comes to Singapore I would definitely watch it again!

Tina, Neguine, Maria and Suzanne

The peeps who went to the concert with me! :) We all enjoyed the concert and couldn't stop raving about the many stunts that the circus people from Quebec pulled off. Been a long time since I've watched a circus show, so I really enjoyed it!

After the concert, the sun began to set. We spontaneously went to Spin Dessert Cafe for some dessert. I didn't have much, just a warm cuppa apple cider. I didn't think it was especially yummy but anything warm is appreciated in the winter :) During the summer and fall, the farmer's market at the springer's market square at City Hall always sold their homemade apple cider in huge bottles and they were sold reasonably as well. It had a richer taste compared to the one here which tasted watered down. Definitely a must buy! I regret not getting the huge bottle when it was still around. 

Apple Cider

Whipped Cream and Cinnamon Powder

So in love with Cinnamon! Cinnamon is available in Singapore but is not used as often. In North America people have cinnamon with pancakes, cakes, coffee, and even apple cider. I liked the pancakes with cinnamon sugar on the morning of Queen's Homecoming :) Shall write a post on that soon!

Back in my room :)

I opened the Luncheon Meat!

I don't know how to handle real meat so the only meat I cook is processed. That day I was cooking fried rice and I bought this from food basics while doing groceries. However, I didn't know how to open it :( Anouk, my floormate from Netherlands saw me fiddling with it and asked "Hey, do you need help?" She continued "You don't need that. You mustn't have opened that before." At that moment, I had a can opener in my hand. I somehow knew it was the wrong tool but that was the only one that had the potential to open the can so I tried it anyway. I must have looked so dumb!

I was surprised that she could open it because I don't think Caucasians eat much canned meat. I was wrong. She told me her mother sent her a box full of food items and there were many cans of luncheon meat. OH. So not only asians eat luncheon meat haha. A discovery for me. She took the can, twisted the key like metal piece off the bottom, thread the metal through it and began twisting in a clockwise motion. 

WOW. I've never seen a can open this way before and I still think its so cool! :O The pros of living in an exchange student hall is you get to learn new things everytime you're with your hallmates. :) Anouk was also one of the people I first spoke to because she was eating spreading Nutella on bread and I find that a more familiar sight than spreading hummus or jam on bread (which most other european exchange students do). :) A little dumb, feeling some connection over a jar of nutella. But yup :) People do seem more approachable when you share some similarities :)

Movie Night in the Common Room

Later that night, when I went to make myself a cup of milo, Jasmine had put on Aladdin. Movie nights start at 9pm and I seldom join them because my taste in movies is quite selective and I'd rather spend the time skyping than watching a movie I don't enjoy. But! This time its aladdin! I used to watch this on repeat when I was younger. I didn't mind watching it again now! Also, its coming to the end of the semester. I haven't spent much time with my hall-mates and I thought its the best time to do it. 

I kinda like how the arrival of winter makes us stay around in hall more :) As we approached serious winter, there were more days where we'd just sit in the common room and chat, or watch the news, or cook together. Kinda liked that :)