Note to self: update links.

Got to teach in a minute so I’m keeping this quick and short:

Had a relatively okay week – most of it was devoted to the preparing stuff for my two music students as well as for the big group of 25 students on the 6th. I must say I’m not exactly looking forward to teaching the big group – not that they’re like the nasty kids I used to teach at STM, but because they’re of different ages and music abilities (11 – 15 year olds, beginner to grade 8) and I can foresee trying to coordinate them to play four pieces of music (Vivaldi, Beethoven, Jazz and Pop styles) could pose a lot of problem. “Which key next?” “Which note next?” I’m being biased here, but sightreading music is a sophisticated skill – you’ve got to read the note, find the key on the piano and depress it, know how long it lasts, know what the other hand is doing, all within a split second. Then repeat the process over and over again. Making sure everything goes fairly well is tricky (but achievable). My biggest fear is that most students will be playing in time and correctly, but there will be a couple that are playing the wrong notes and out of sync, and not knowing they were doing that at all.

Anyway, apart from that I’ve been thinking of how to expand my teaching practice. I really need more students to teach music too. At the moment I’m coping financially but not earning significantly much beyond my keep.

Yesterday it was Kate’s birthday. We went to this place called Viva Viva which serves food and has live music. The food was pretty over priced, I thought. Kate had a mushroom risotto served a la Rice Krispies and I had a “cheese” omelette; I’m still looking for the cheese. The live music was 90 minutes late starting as they were messing about with cables and all that. Really, the place was so small that the musicians should have just plugged their guitar and mike into their own amps, instead of messing about with the house system. “Can we lower the guitar volume and up the main? How about if we …? Hmm… no. How about….?” It was alright once it started though, I guess. I didn’t think very much of it, but Kate enjoyed it, so that’s all that matters.

I got for her some toffee chocolates, a jewellery box, perfume, and an Alexander Technique book (The Universal Constant of Living). The last one took four weeks to order and deliver, so I had to keep my mouth shut for a long while and not spill the beans.

There is another “cold” spell here in London – temperatures not going above 14 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Of course, that will mean nothing to the other triathletes, but it’s still too cold for me. My feet freeze when I’m indoors! My only hope of some sort of cardiovascular activity is to continue my pressups and weights and do lots of walking. Running outdoors will come when better weather comes around.

Got to teach now. The rest of the weekend will be spent doing pressups amidst other tasks, I think. I hope everyone has a good week of training and I’m looking forward to reading the blogs!