Waiting

I took a photography class in Grade 11, and we used both film and digital cameras. Despite the technological advantages with digital cameras, I loved using film. This is a single bulb portrait of Natalie, a good friend of mine, using a film camera. She’s quite goofy, and not knowing how the pictures would turn out, I was surprised to find a serious looking picture of her after I developed the film. Sometimes, waiting to see the results make pictures that much more worthwhile.

Single-bulb portrait of Natalie S.

No more textbooks

After completing my final final (haha…?) yesterday, I am officially done with my first year of university! That is, if you exclude summer school. What a whirlwind. It was such an exciting year, and I can’t believe it went by so fast! But I’m looking forward to sleeping in, having movie marathons, and reading novels instead of textbooks.

All of my first year textbooks, the most expensive one being the German textbook at about $150.

My feeling after walking out of the last final of my first year of University. Huzzah!

Not Smarter Than a Second Grader

For the past couple of months, I volunteered at an after school program in an elementary school. While doing arts and craft, one boy named Marcus came up to me to show me his drawing. I stared at it in bewilderment, it was nothing more than wild and random scribbles and paint splatters. Nevertheless, he proudly held up his piece of paper and exclaimed, “Look, I’m Jack Pollock!”.

Jack Pollock is an influential American painter who was famous for his abstract paintings. I only learned about him in my first year of studies at UBC. I’m nineteen. Marcus is eight.

Pollock painting
By Hans Namuth (1915-1990)

Agnus Dei

University Singers performing Agnus Dei by Krzysztof Penderecki
At the Chan Centre, the University of British Columbia

This song was dedicated to the people of Poland for their day of mourning.

note: I couldn’t record the whole song, so it actually cuts off a bit earlier. Sorry!

Regina Coeli

I never took any business courses in high school. Rather, I was heavily involved in the performing and fine arts department. At one point, I was a member of three choral ensembles and two wind ensembles at the same time! I was excited to find out that non-music majors could register for music courses at UBC and signed up for Choral Union right away, a massive choir with more than 150 voices. I really enjoyed this class, since it was pretty much the only time I get to read music (dust is pretty much collecting on my violin, unfortunately). On top of that, there were wonderful perks such as no finals and no textbooks to buy!

The beautiful Chan Centre.

UBC Choral Union performing Regina Coeli at the Chan Centre.

Pilgrim’s Hymn

UBC Choral Union performing Pilgrim’s Hymn by Stephen Paulus

note: the video is intentionally blank. I didn’t know how to convert the song’s format to mp3!

All good things come in threes

A couple of weeks ago, my German professor passed around a wooden basket filled with juicy mandarin oranges and explained that they had oranges left from a luncheon meeting earlier that day. The next class, they had another meeting and so she brought us oranges again. On the third class, yet again, I saw the basket being passed around again. But this time, she bought the oranges by herself to give to us. Why, you may ask? Because, she explained, “As they say in German, Aller guten Dinge sind drei!”. Such a sweet lady!

In keeping with the theme of three, here are three pictures from my trip to Europe in March 2009:

Silhouettes and bridges.
Venice, Italy.

On her way somewhere.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany.

Walking the dog.
Verona, Italy.

Lined up against the wall

Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada.

Residenz München

Munich, Germany.

Quote

Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t the fine line between sanity and madness gotten finer?

George Price