Five things, all by themselves

[oloriel]

Today was a Good Day.

I had to skip work in order to go to Prof E.'s office hour, but it was totally worth it. Prof E. managed to take pretty much all the fear I had about the Japanese studies part of my exams from me. Quote: "You know, I think these exams are about showing that we taught you well. You'll doubtlessly have other professors who're trying to make your life hard. I'm not into that."
<3

Thus motivated I finally dared to check my e-mails and see what Prof K. replied to my mail about Thursday's presentation. I've been scared of that ever since Friday, because my handout sucked, but all he said was "I assume you'll elaborate and give further examples in the powerpoint?" Which I was planning to do anyway, so yeah.

I also made chocolates. For posterity: Yes, you can totally grind pistachios in a nut mill. If you toasted them beforehand.

Colloquium was ok - got some helpful tipps for properly organised thesis-writing, let's see if I remember them when the time comes.

Best part came afterwards, though. Pretty much on a whim I decided to go to the university choir's "inofficial Christmas concert" because choir! music! and it was lovely. It's so embarrassing how much choir music does for my mood. Listening isn't quite as nice as singing, but still good. ^___^

Yay!

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/macalla_/]

Klingt gut :)

Und ich freu mich auch, dass das mit den Nüssen funktioniert hat. Was hast du eigentlich genau gemacht?

[eliathanis.livejournal.com]

Mist, zu dem Konzert wollte ich auch. Hab's nur total verpeilt. ^^;

[chili-das-schaf.livejournal.com]

Choir music also always lifts my spirits.

I can only recommend that choir if you want to join one. Seems the new musical director brought a lot of fresh wind in there. I also can recommend mine, of course ;)

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Wilde Pralinenexperimente, die größtenteils gelungen sind. Ich versuch morgen mal einen Picspam zu machen :)

[arwensommer.livejournal.com]

I don't know about your professors, but where I work, it's usually a blend between the two. If you sit on your butt all semester and then complain you have "so much reading to do" before the exam, you tend to get a "And this is my problem HOW?" reaction. If you however do the work, participate and generally not make a nuisance of yourself, you score brownie points. Brownie points means I actually ANSWER your question, in stead of saying "Welllll... if you'd prepared during week 3, you'd have your answer." or "The answer to your question may be found in chapter 4 of the syllabus." :D

Like I said, that's what that sentence during my first lecture is all about: "I strongly encourage you all to keep up with the reading. Not doing so is your choice, but it WILL lead to the feeling of getting bit on the butt by something very large with lots of sharp teeth."

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

I've been playing with the thought for I don't know how long. It generally boils down to my usual cowardice. "I'm scared of auditioning, I'm crap anyway, they don't need me, you can't shake a tree without ten sopranos falling out of it, why even bother?"

Of course, you effectively dismantled the latter excuse yesterday... ;)

[chili-das-schaf.livejournal.com]

Let's dismantle the rest xD

I can guarantee you: Each of "my" choirs is always happy about new members and both are very welcoming and by no means demand professional singers. I was five years in the first one and am now three years in the second one and loved it in both. My singing has developed from zero to acceptable just from singing there.

In the Collegicum Musicum choir they're actively searching for new members, they handed out flyers and postcards at the concert - but introduced auditioning now, as it seems.

In my recent choir the soprano has shrunk incredibly. They are the weakest voice now. It also has, alas, a waiting list. But: No auditioning! It's the just-show-up principle, as soon as you're in.

So you have the choice between two evils, auditioning or waiting list. That, and the repertoire. The CM is very classical, the Cacofonixes more modern but also more actively church-involved.