Poor Oscar

Well, Oscar (my beta) is sick. It is so sad. He used to be so happy and flare his gills and get excited when he saw me. Now he just lays in some random position on the bottom or on the plant and stares at me. He can't swim. He tries really hard, but just falls like a rock down to the bottom of the tank. I'm surprised he can even make it up to the top to get food. I've done some researching...turns out that for whatever reason his swim bladder has failed. That means he can't float. So it is so sad watching him try so hard to swim. He lays on the plant and the bottom and doesn't even care what position he is in. Did you know that betas can lay on their sides, or pointing strait up (sitting vertical)? Sometimes he breathes fast, sometimes slow. He also has some discoloration on his head...it used to be so dark you couldn't see his eyes. Now its multicolored with some gray on the underside and his eyes kind of pop out a little. I think he might have an infection on top of his bladder failing (which could be becuase of an infection). It doesn't help that he is an old man now either.
I have had him almost 1 1/2 years. They only live about 2 years (3 tops) and many betas can be up to a year old when you buy them already. So my beta can be anywhere between 2 and 3 years old. He probably hasn't got much longer, but I want him to die of old age, not becuase he is sick. So I'm going to go get some Maracyn 2 for him, which is an antibiotic that treats a number of ailments, including internal ones that may have affected his swim bladder. I think I'm also going to get a new beta bowl for him. While I have loved my bowl that I have, it really is too small for betas and if I lower the water for him so he can eat easier he will hardly have any room to move. It makes me sad to see him so sad and tired all the time.
..,
{ o }}>=
"lll"

Some more Asian nerdiness...

[It's official. I need to learn an Asian language. And then go study/teach in that country. Yet another person told me today that my Chinese pronunciation is very good, not including the couple ppl that tell me my Thai pronunciation is good as well. And Japanese, although that language is easy in comparison. If I were to ever learn a language to use in my life, it is going to have to be an Asian one. Apparently I can speak very well, as opposed to the other languages I've tried.]

So Jai-Ching has been telling us that an ethnomusicologist from China is going to be guest lecturing for several weeks. Dr. Wong arrived today, and was originally going to start teaching next week, since he just flew in from China last night. Well, he instited that he start today. It was such an awsome class. He doesn't speak much English so Jai-Ching was translating for us. He is so funny! Very happy person, and he got so excited over the little things he was teaching us. You could tell that he loves Chinese music and it's history.

So here I am, trying desparately to memorize the Chinese sentences we have been learning. I told him "Lao shu ni hao ma" ("How are you teacher"), "Wan dan ming zu sheu Hue Mei-Xue," (My name is Michelle Heuer. Oh, and my Chinese name Mei-Xue actually means "beautiful/pristine" and "snow", not "snail" according to my Chinese friend Lena), and "Wa dan dran yea sheu yin-yue" (My major is Music). The only thing I messed up on was my name. I can pronounce everything else fine! Just not my name. Go figure. The back of my neck/left shoulder knots up trying to pronounce it. I'm sure that's not supposed to happen.

He gave us an overview of what he is going to be talking about. There are lots of different categories and subcategories of music and the different functions it served, and each is sung/played differently. I guess not unlike any other culture, but in Asian cultures it just seemed more strict in separation, more functional and identifiable. It was truly fascinating...and exciting when I could actually identify certain words he was saying, like "yin-yue" which means "music." He was so good at explaining differences with his tone and hand gestures that sometimes we didn't need Jai-Ching to translate. This is the coolest class ever!!! The only hard part is all the reading we have to do.

AND a flautist in the class (who happens to be a poly-sci/econimics major with a chinese minor) brought in some Chinese flutes and Mr. Wang helped her play some (the Chinese notational process is different, as well as the fingerings on the flute as compared to a normal flute). Maybe she can teach me a little bit some time.
(AHHHH!!!!!!)

I also had to watch a Chinese movie for a paper I have to write later. I watched Red Cliff (and Red Cliff II), which is a 2-disk movie based in feudal China at the end of the Han Dynasty (203 BC I think). It's all about how an evil powerhungry war-mongering prime minister for the emperor starts a war with the other 2 kingdoms, who join forces to oppose him. There are a lot of traditional Chinese culture in it, a lot of staff fighting and those lightning-fast movements that made Jackie Chan popular. Not a lot of Kung-fu though. The plot was very intricate, showing both sides strategizing how to defeat the other. It got really suspenseful, and the actors portrayed all the characters really well...you felt like you were in the story. It is 6 1/2 hours total and I watched most of it last night, it was so good. Downside: Really gory, but a really fake kind of gory (bright red watery "blood" that doesn't look real at all). All the same, I could have done without it...but it is about war, so it did give it a more realistic view. If you like action/drama like Lord of the Rings or The Patriot or Gladiator-type films you would like it.

Harry Potter (CAUTION!!! THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS!!)

So the last 6 months I decided to read all the Harry Potter books in order....except I didn't read them. My dad has them all on cd with Jim Dale as narrator (he is amazing!!!) so I decided to listen to them all. I was on 6 when I drove up here and finished it up here. However, I didn't have the 7th book on cd, since it was at home, but I did have the book with me so I read the book. I had only read it that one time when it first came out, so the only thing I could remember about what happened was how the book ended. I had forgotten all the other information about thier journeys and all the stuff they find out that wraps the series together. JK Rowling was a true genious in the whole harry potter storyline. Well, I had also forgotten that Harry sacrifices himself in the woods when he thinks he has to die. I knew that he doesn't die, but I totally cried anyway. The way that chapter was written was so sad and so moving.

I am such a sap.

School.

Whew!! It is getting pretty busy here. I only have two classes, Music of China and Music Theory Review (ugh). Basically, I failed all my diagnostic exams that I took before school started. Well, the history I knew I would fail, I didn't really want to kill myself studying over the summer. Now I wish I had, because there are so many cool classes here to take and I have to pick and choose because I can only take 9 credits. I was taking a World Music class that focuses on the cultures of Asia, but I ended up switching it to Music of China class, which also doubles as my required history elective I have to take, and now I'm just sitting in the other class for fun.
I thought I would pass Theory though. Although when I looked at the test, there were enough stupid mistakes for them to think I needed the review class. I think I don't need to be there, I remember everything we have done so far and I'm even tutoring another student.

The Music of China class is really cool...I'm learning how to say all kinds of things in Chinese, and right now we are learning about the kinds of instruments. I have to know how to say certain things in Chinese becuase we are having a guest instructor for a month, and he's an ethnomusicologist from China and I don't think he speaks much English...our professor Jai-Ching (pronounced Ray-Ching) Wong is going to be translating. So I now know how to say things like "thank you teacher" "how are you teacher" "My major is _________" "My name is ________", and how to count to 10. Oh!! And Jai-Ching also gave all Chinese names. Mine is He Mei-Xia (Hue May-Sheu--you say the las part half-way between an open "A" and "U"...hard to explain). It kinda sounds like "Hematia" if you say it really fast, with no stresses. The first word is the closest sounding word to my last name (they use last name first) and the other two words closest to my first name. "Mei" means beautiful and "Xia" means snail. So we all address each other in class by our Chinese names, it's pretty cool. Sad I'm not learning Thai though....:(. I'm not sure which language is harder. Thai is easier for me to pronounce, although I do Chinese really well, but Thai also has 5 main inflections where Chinese only has 4. It's hard becuase you have to say the words with the right inflection. The way you say "Ma?" and "Ma." mean different words. Crazy. But fun.

I'm also doing wind ensemble and putting together music for my recital in the spring. I'm doing two harp quintets (harp with string quartet) and i'm way excited about it. I'm also doing this super cool piece by Michael Mauldin called "Birds in Winter." It is really mysterious and beautiful. My teacher Faye Seeman really keeps me busy and on my toes, and she helps me stay focused on my goals, which I like (and need). I love her she is great.

PLEASE READ!!!

My dad sent me this email, I'll have to ask him where he got it...I guess it has been circulating around. But it is so profound, I'm posting it here on my blog. Hopefully people will read it, understand it, and realize that Obama is doing exactly what this paragraph warns us against...and then spread the word. I fear that our country is coming close to this. We cannot let it happen. Here it is:

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This is probably the 5 best sentences you'll ever read. This is one paragraph that should be in every book, in every school room, in every city, in every state, in our great Union . Our educators should make a lesson plan on this one statement and beat these words into every head, in every class, in every state, in these United States of America.

Profound short paragraph:

"You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."*

* Adrian Rogers, 1931*

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Happenings

Ok, so it's been a while!! I feel bad, but it has been so busy, and when you are working and doing things all the time away from your computer it is really hard to post. Doesn't mean I couldn't have at all, the only time I could was going to bed and then I would never really feel like it, since I had to get up at 4:30am to go to work every day. But now that is over!!!!

I am now in Dekalb, IL about to start at Northern Illinois for my masters. Weird huh. I think it is anyway. Lots has been going on that I have to tell you about! Especially the last couple of weeks....

Ok first, we went on vacation the week before last. It was a blast!! We went to Colorado for a week and played around outside. First we went hiking up in the mountains, then we went on a 3-day white water rafting trip. There were 10 of us total, with 3 guides. At night we would camp out close to the water. The guides cooked for us and we might as well have eaten like a cruise ship for meals. The first night we had steak and potatos, pancake and bacon breakfast, amazing fresh sandwhich fare, and the second night BBQ chicken and corn on the cob, cooked over the coals with the husks on and everything so you had to peel and eat. It was all soo good! We also did some rockclimbing and rapelling while we were out there too. I was sad when the 3 days were over. The rafting started out with a couple 3class rapids. The second day we progressed to 4 class rapids in the morning, then after lunch we got on some inflatable kayaks called duckies and did some class 3 rapids in them, then just played around in the waves the rest of the time until camping. I love kayaking...out of everything we did, whitewater kayaking is probably my favorite thing. The 3rd day we did class 5 (that's the most intense rapids). After rappelling from the campsite to the water, we did some class 4 and then got out to scout out the class 5 before we actually did it, and out guide pointed out things like where we should go if we got thrown out and where we were supposed to be and safety stuff. Also we scouted out our path through the rapids and what we should do if we got off course. Then we went down it.....sooooo fun!!!! We were all soaked but none of us fell out. After the class 5 we went into Triple Drop which was a really fun class 4 and then into a series of rapids called Numbers...9 in all back to back, a combination of class 3 and 4. The last meal we had was the best fajitas I have ever had. Amazing the food you can cook over coals or a camp grill (all the other meals were over hot coals and fire grid).
On Friday we did a cattle drive. We were on horses and herding cows and everything. It was so much fun, and we drove them from one end of the property to the other, which was around 10,000 acres total. I don't know how many acres we drove them, but we were herding for 3 hours. It felt so good to back on top of a horse. I never heard more cows mooing than we did at one time either. On Saturday we spent the morning at Royal Gorge, with the longest suspension bridge in the world. Very cool. We got to see some native animals such as bison (a white one too), big horn sheep, and elk, which make this really high pitch keening noise that you think is from a bird at first. I also learned how to throw a tomahawk. I landed 3 on the wood target!

So that is my vacation. I have to get ready for church now, first time in this area, but I'll be sure to post some more later!

Last day of Hot Springs Music Festival

I just heard back on my car. I'm not sure all the details, but basically the verdict is my car is undriveable more than 15 feet at the moment. From what I understand, it overheated, leaking water and motor fluid (you guys can correct me if I'm naming the wrong things), which did something to one of the cylinders. Not quite sure yet if it is worth replacing yet or not, it will depend on what all in there needs to be replaced or not. I'm kicking myself becuase all this is something that could have been prevented days ago. Not just that, but could have prevented even if I didn't drive home the night it broke down on the road. Again, life lesson: check your gauges regularly!! (and take it immediately if it's making funky sounds. That too.)
So Dad is driving up with a flatbed trailer to pull it home, since they can't fix it in time for when we need to leave.

Dang it!!

Anyway, today is the last day of the festival. I'm kinda sad...it went by too quickly. All the concerts were good, but I'm not sure yet if I'm going to get any cd's...if I do it will be of the Potpourri concert, the one where the apprentices bring their own music and put together chamber pieces themselves and then audition them in to play in the concert. I didn't play in it this year. There was a quartet arrangement of some pieces from the opera Carmen that my mentor brought, but we could never get it together in time. I also got to play Hans Strauss's Nocturne for french horn and piano that my friend Doug the tuba player brought to try out on tuba and harp. It was really cool, and really pretty, and we got to discuss different ways of rearranging it with both our mentors.

The opera theatre production of Carmen was sooooo good. It was adapted from the original to a much smaller chamber orchestra, down to only the main cast (no chorus), and ran without intermission for a total of 1 hour and 20 min, roughly. And it was transcribed to english. If you know anything about Bizet's Carmen, there was no fluff in this one...just the nitty-gritty emotional story that is Carmen. It was really intense, and so good! The singers were absolutely fantastic...and the set was built by my mentor's husband (who runs all the setup stuff at the festival) on very little budget and mostly stuff laying around....and it looked so good! The stage was set up like an arena, bales of hay outlined a small circular stage on the feildhouse floor.

So, I'm officially done playing harp. I don't play on tonight's orchestra concert, but I do get to play with the percussion section. Yep you read right. It is a piece that allows anyone to participate in. So there are a lot of us, who aren't playing on the piece, that are doing various percussion instruments as a group...and you don't really have to read the music either, you just watch and do you're rhythm. There is some african drums, tom-toms, clave (which is hard wooden sticks banging together), whistles, cowbell, and clapping hands. I get to play the maracas. WOOHOOO!! It's really fun.

Here are some pics from the festival. This first one is of that fried banana cheesecake thing I told you about. It was sooooo good....

This is a brass quintet jamming songs from West side story at the Brauhouse patio:Here is a pic of a fountain walking along the sidewalk, and of the Quapaw bath and spa, one of the historic bathhouses on bathhouse row (now remodeled and working) here in historic district of Hot Springs:

Oh, and Stephanie, just so you know I met you're stunt double.......:o)

car trouble

OK..........yeah.

My car broke down. On the road. While I was driving it. Yep.

It had been running fine...or so I had thought. Then it started making funny noises. Then it just died on me last night. Couldn't get a hold of a tow truck, got a cab home. Called the tow truck this morning. Dad came back up. (He came up for my concert and then left to drive home and got stuck by the storms all night so he wasn't far away. My car broke down driving home from dinner.) Took it to a highly recommended auto place. Took a look at it, could be serious, may not be. I hope I don't have to get a new car, that would really be unfortunate, don't you agree?

So, waiting on the verdict. Apparently the water level was at zero and "smelled hot"....which means that I didn't notice my water temp gauge moving into the hot zone. Stupid me. But I had been driving so little while I was here (just a mile or so here and there) that I never stopped to just look at it. Which is still stupid becuase it is something you're supposed to check every time you turn your car on. woops. So yeah, I feel awful, and hope I didn't just ruin my engine. Life lesson here folks :l
I still have 3 days before I have to leave, so hopefully what can be done will be done by then. Cross your fingers!

Other than all that, I'm great! Concert went great last night. My duet with the flute was as close to flawless as you can get in a performance. And I got to stand and be recognized, so that was cool. Dad came out and really enjoyed the concert too. Anyway, I'm going to go watch a movie, maybe play on my computer...just be lazy today since my hard part is over in the festival. I just got back from the Colonial cafe where I had a stack of peanut butter chip pancakes....yum. Bet you're jelous huh?
:o)

Hot Spring Happenings

Ok, so tonight is the concert where I play Bizet's l'arlsienne suite 2 and Shulman's cello concerto. It is a pretty big concert. The Shulman is pretty modern, but I love it, and kind of has some middle eastern vibes to it. The Bizet is awsome. Everyone knows the 4th movement too....unfortunately the only movement I don't play on. But I do have an exposed duet with the flute in the third movement. So. Excited!!

Ok, so other than that, nothin much. Except yesterday my car decided to not start while at a movie rental place. Called a tow truck and everything....and then it started an hour later. So cancelled the tow truck, which was good. It has been fine since, other than this occasional click-clack sound the engine is making. I'm worried that my car has lost it's will to live. It just got out of the shop for bad coils and spark plugs. But we are thinking that it might have been vapor locked, whatever that means. But it made me miss the African drum piece on the chamber concert and the Brauhms so booooo!!!

Gotta go eat dinner before the concert. Love to all!!

..............

I am exhausted.