It's late, and I need to get up early tomorrow, but before I go to bed I just have to jot down some thoughts about the greatest musical experience I witnessed in my entire life. Greater than oft-repeated highlights of hearing the mellotron intro to kid a at the impressionable age of 14; or being clued into the raw power of tube amp distortion - those were influential, revelatory, but relatively succinct episodes; Joanna Newsom's concert was 90 mins worth of quintessential live music experience.
Listening to her breathtaking harp and weirdly wondrous voice on record is a marvel - watching it live is something that opens one's mind to new musical horizons. The requisite alacrity for harp proficiency might ostensibly produce an immediate but superficial awe, but let's not forget that Newsom is a songwriter and performer - and vocalist, particularly since the recording of Have One on Me - of the highest order; destined to be immortalized in the annals of folk music, like her hero and opening performer Roy Harper.
Backed by a band of immensely talented individuals (who are self-confident enough to realize one or two little mistakes need not detract from the performance at all), she brought the regal classicism of technical excellence to a show with the grandiose momentum of an arena rock event. From the conspicuous - such as the graceful arm gestures after a pizzicato violin phrase - to the subtle - as with the sympathetic resonance of un-muted mandolin strings - each moment was immaculately crafted to perfection. I watched in amazement - without an ounce of envy, or the slightest feeling of "hey, maybe one day I might be able to play something like that", that I sometimes catch myself experiencing at such shows - and simply enjoyed witnessing masters of their craft at work.
But back to Joanna... she was so sweet and lovely in person! Whoever gave me the impression that she was something of a snob? Her inimitable vocal inflections - in turns delicate and tender; or playful and lilting - never fails to seize one's attention; hearing it live was strangely natural, and further testament of how well she's developed it as an integral instrument in her music. I could, and really should, go on, but I'll spare everyone the allegories and alliteration (but mostly, I need sleep). In closing, I thank God for such a beautiful, downright moving performance.
Tomorrow, I return to the mundane drudgery of engineering texts and school projects. But today..today I remember how wondrous a gift music is. On a day where terrible weather, train delays, and the incessant shifting around of an old man in the seat in front of me threatened to make my day miserable.. Thank You God for the splendid creativity You have blessed people like Joanna with; and enabling them to share their gift with the world. Heck, thank You that I'm able to appreciate her music (cos there are people who don't *shrug*). And of course, thank you, Joanna.

It has been pointed out to me (by someone who apparently takes the time to browse my blog archives - I feel embarrassed) that I never did post my list of favourite albums from 2009. Yes, it has become a habit of mine (to those who know me well, anyway; and some who don't) to take part in this slightly pretentious, highly narcissistic practice of the year-end list. While I'm rather happy with my 2008 effort, I simply didn't have the time last Dec to put together anything similar. Exchange preparations, and, well, the fact that 2010 quickly started careening by, kind of took my mind off any notions of publishing a quick 2009 list.
Well, 2009 was an exceptional year (which contributes in part to the difficulty of actually ranking albums) with the pop renaissance of 2008 in full bloom, and a continuing breakdown of the dichotomy of the indie aesthetic and mainstream accessibility. It is heartening - regardless of which was the cause and which the effect - that people are listening to better music, and good music is making itself increasingly easier to find and appreciate. The year is littered with success stories which would have been anathema to the snobbish high-brow art-rock atmosphere of the early 00s.
I could go on and on, especially about the lo-fi and abrasive noise trends, but I don't really want to spend the time doing so. In any case, knowing that my regular musings on this topic results in plenty of consternation - or at least confusion - for readers, I have judiciously applied the KISS principle to this list. If you wish for a more detailed opinion, kindly message me. Without further ado, my very belated list of favourite albums of 2009:

10. St. Vincent - Actor
Fantasy soundscape startlingly realized in Technicolour, populated in equal parts with lush orchestral arrangements and menacing guitar leads. A smorgasboard of inventive contradictions and unsettling personas with an undercurrent of anxiety and panic, anchored by Annie Clark's deceptive mutability. Like a satisfying short story collection, Actor unveils a rich, uneasy splendour upon retelling, shedding light on the troubled and eerie lives of its inhabitants.

9. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
Classy and alluring, Two Dancers' debonair art-pop is finely balanced with lyrics speaking of the disenfranchised and outcast of society. Purposefully ambiguous and sometimes ominous, the album is tempered by a thinly-veiled cheekiness and a cleverly-restrained sense of passion. The band's patient, often-metronomic approach dovetails beautifully with frontman Hayden Thorpe's falsetto, often culminating in grand, exhilirating anthems.

8. F*** Buttons - Tarot Sport
A wildly successful mash-up of sweeping post-rock and meticulous house, Tarot Sport is an euphoric, monumental explosion of dance music made for a stadium-sized experience. Compared to debut Street Horrrsing, Tarot Sport isn't so much a further venture into accessible noise territory as it is a hyperspace jump into mainstream concsiousness - the likes of NME and Q gave it year-end nods - which to me represents a small but significant truimph for the avant garde.

7. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
I find Embryonic immensely difficult to digest, but remain fascinated by its grisly mix of forceful, even brutal, noise and Wayne Coyne's increasingly-ironic sense of existential bleakness. Over 70 minutes of fractious sounds - seemingly designed to drive your classical music teacher mad - and fatalistic lyrics signal yet another sea change for a band which has come to be known not for their garage roots or psychedelic rock experimentations, but the grandiose symphonic pop of their two rose-tinted, life-affirming landmarks. Long may their eccentricity continue.

6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Drowned in Sound - among others - have suggested that YYYs have been the defining band of the decade. As irksome a concept as that may be, it is fitting that it was in 2009 they released the album that will probably cement their place in history. It's Blitz! is a remarkably brilliant record that many will consider to be the perfect example of "true indie rock". It's got everything a convert could want - ebullient new wave dance-rock, an unexpected embrace of synths in favour of guitars, heady but tender ballads, and all the poised urgency of the New York garage scene that YYYs blasted out of at the beginning of the decade.

5. The xx - The xx
It is a point of satisfaction for me that I caught on to The xx early. It seems frivilous, now that they're famous, but I remember my excitement at discovering a new band making the sort of music every bedroom musician with a delay pedal or 4-track sequencer wished they could. This Young Marble Giants minimalism is what appeals to many, but it's the record's immaculate sense of space and restraint, along with guitarist Romy Madley Croft and bassist Oliver Sim's irresistable chemistry, that makes it such an accomplished, mature debut - a sensual, austere soundtrack of lovers' dialogue.

4. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Universally loved - fans range from Kanye West to Michael McDonald - Veckatimest catapaulted Grizzly Bear from hugely-respected indie art-rockers to international superstars solely on the strength of its indisputable musicianship and intricate arrangements. Despite the current mainstream trend of lauding ostentatious art-school noodling and sh**gaze fuzzworks, there is no denying the elegant, effortless genius of Veckatimest. Its dense, ethereal textures, beckoning harmonies and graceful nuances all strengthen the notion of Grizzly Bear being musicians' musicians; and their warm, sepia-drenched sound harkens to days when music was chiefly considered as an art.

3. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
David Longstreth's voice, along with his almost-conceited academic approach to songcraft, means Dirty Projectors are probably destined to forever divide opinions. They have always been brilliant, but in an alienating, awe-inspiring sort of way - like a work of art to be admired, rather than adored. It was with alarming ease, then, that Bitte Orca wormed its way into the collective bossoms of milliions of slack-jawed listeners. Impossibly gorgeous, the album is an astounding display of songwriting acumen and instrumental virtuosity. Their most accessible album by far, Bitte Orca sheds the band's previous obfuscation for overtness, and their at-times frantic embellishments for bucolic bliss. A huge part of this is due to cover pin-ups Angel and Amber being given way more mic time - they provide the album with much-needed empathy, and help make even the intimidatingly complex passages seem like a whimsical breeze.

2. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
It seems strange to discuss this album - the sort of pop masterpiece heretofore always being resisted by "serious" critics. Despite its strong showing in various publications' year-end lists (second place, in fact, based on Metacritic's Best of 2009 summary), I have the suspicion that many are embarrassed to admit just how much they love it. A perfect burst of effervescent pop-rock, Wolfgang... is the sort of instantly-addictive, hook-filled guitar record primed for chart success. Does it matter that an established indie band has become famous, licensed their song for a Cadillac ad, or played at the prosaic Eiffel Tower? Sophisticated songwriting at its tightest best, the album sheds all excess in favour of a pristine, precise rendition of life's simplest pleasures. The stark, conflict-laden lyrics, delivered without a hint of irony, suggest that the band know exactly what they're on about; and it has nothing to do with commercial sell-out - it's about engaging the muse of unfulfilment.

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
A high water mark in a watershed crossover year, Merriweather...'s success is the most compelling because unlike similar chart-busting (ugh, what a term) indie records, it didn't adopt any traditional mainstream conventions - be they strategic iPod tie-ins or watering-down their sound - but instead was simply a well-timed, perfectly-porportioned culmination of all their years of experimentation and sonic touchstones. Even more accessible than Strawberry Jam, Merriweather... flaunts the group's freak-pop streak while charmingly straddling the edge of enigmatic, inscrutable psychedelia. Significantly, Avery Tare's volatile yelps have given way to genuine, almost tender proclamations of love and friendship, which also serve to accentuate the band's effulgent, mercurial mix of electronica, ambient and avant-pop as great songs, rather than simply great music. Feverishly anticipated and almost flawless, it heralded a joyful start to the year and paved the way for countless imitators. As it turned out, nothing since has came close to it, but oh do we look forward to the day a record surpasses this.

The casualties of whimsy and caprice:
Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
Antlers - Hospice
Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Bear in Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth
Manic Street Preachers - Journal for Plagued Lovers
DM Stith - Heavy Ghost

And some harmless fun:

Favourite songs I didn't expect to like
5. Lady Gaga - Paparazzi
4. Taylor Swift - You Belong with Me
3. Big Boi - Shine Blockas
2. Lily Allen - The Fear
1. Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

Most annoying songs incessantly broadcast by the radio
5. Owl City - Fireflies
4. Black Eyed Peas - I gotta Feeling
3. Kings of Leon - Use Sombody
2. Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
1. Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA

Albums I tried hardest to love but didn't
5. The Horrors - Primary Colours
4. The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
3. Mew - No more stories are told today / I'm sorry they washed away / No more stories the world is grey / I'm tired let's wash away
2. Wavves - Wavves
1. Wilco - Wilco (the album)

A few screenshots provide a glimpse of how I've been spending my free time on the computer...




Silly waste of time. I was hoping RTS AI circa-2009 would actually learn, but the same tactics of dojo rush, VX/tengu spam, crane-build Twinblade spam, Tanya rush, etc, pretty much worked for something like 45 out of 50 "challenges".

Woah, moar stars. Also, Empire is overpowered. And Gemma Atkinson looks better in drawings.


Alternate and open tunings are fun. Playing acoustic has been quite a different experience. I should really work on my picking technique but I invariably end up finger-picking since using a pick tends to get pretty loud.

Well, this was supposed to be out last week, but I’ve been really busy, plus I’ve been sick since last Saturday and haven’t really felt like taking the time to update. Been coughing for the past few days...better since I acquired some Pi Pa Gao, but I still went to see a doctor today. I don’t really feel sick, but I’d rather not draw it out, and the coughing is annoying and embarrassing. Besides, medical expenses are (eventually) covered by insurance. The doctors here operate only on appointment! The only open consultation GP I know of is the one on campus, and it’s only open from 11am to 12am. Yes, you read that right, a solitary hour, and not even during lunch break. What’s more, the pharmacy is 2.5km away from the clinic.

Besides falling sick, there was a bunch of eventful stuff over the past 3 weeks. I moved into my new apartment last week – it’s not perfect, but surely much better than the previous one. I have my own bedroom and closet at last, not to mention balcony (with a pleasant 14^th-storey view of Rotterdam), clothes dryer rack, iron with board, large dining table and 5 chairs, thanks to my flatmates’ reclusive nature and our mutual determination to avoid and ignore each other. Well, no problem, I get to sequester over half the apartment, and besides, they seem pretty comfortable cooped up in their own rooms. One might say I’m adopting the wrong attitude, and I would agree; unfortunately, ignoring them is the best I can do at the moment. May I never have to mention them ever again in future updates. The apartment also comes with an oven, which I’m very grateful for as the option to bake enables a slew of easy meal solutions. I’m less thrilled about the shower – the pressure from the hot water valve seems to be really low, I never feel like I’m really washing myself clean!

Anyway, had this update been posted last week, a major topic would be about the absence of internet (and TV, but I’m not bothered about that) in the new apartment. Internet is not included in the rental contract, and, to cut things short, obtaining a connection would’ve been prohibitively expensive (in my opinion). After contemplating the issue for a few days, I decided I’ll make do with using the internet in school during the daytime. After all, the internet proves to be more of a distraction usually. Still, in my heart, I was fussing about how inconvenient it would be to have to go to school on weekends just to Skype my loved ones. So, I left the matter in God’s hands, since He knows best if internet would be more of a boon or a bane. I’m glad to report that last Thursday while speaking to one of my neighbours, he very kindly offered to share his wireless connection. He lives 2 units down, so the signal is awful, and it’s only active when he has his computer on at night and over the weekend. However, I’m thankful that I’m wired about 4 hours every night and most of the weekend. Now I just need to block sites like Facebook and Youtube!

I had my spring break two weeks back, which afforded me some time to visit the rest of NL, and catch up a little with my schoolwork. I am still rarely able to pay attention and actively follow lectures, so I really need to read up on my own. Anyway, I went to Amsterdam, The Hague, and Kinderdijk, which is a windmill farm. Amsterdam is a very scenic city, largely due to the canals and waterways that break up the monotony of what would otherwise be another dense, hectic European capital, lending it a certain organic quality. I was less impressed with its attractions – it may have the largest number of museums per square metre, but most of these museums appear really rudimentary and lacklustre. My friends and I only spent a day there so we couldn’t really check out most of the attractions, which close around 5pm. It didn’t help that it was a Saturday – the queue at the Anne Frank House was at least an hour long! I will probably visit again on a weekday to see it, along with other missed attractions such as the Rembrandt and Van Gogh museums and the Heineken Brewery.

The Hague was, quite simply, boring. Despite the presence of the ICJ, the Binnenhof, and Madurodam, a miniaturized city, there isn’t really much to see. The main draw for coming back would be its Chinatown (well, China-street, more like, despite being the second largest Chinatown in NL), although a large portion is Chinese Indonesian rather than “authentic Chinese”. Kinderdijk was much better, although it was raining and the windmills weren’t spinning at that time of the year. In any case, I’ve already uploaded what photos I took onto Facebook.

Also, I’d like to thank everyone who has written back to me in one way or another. Although I don’t reply to these, I’m very glad to hear from you guys, especially as I don’t have many opportunities to msn friends back home due to the time difference. I’ve made a couple of friends in rather unexpected ways; and the curious natures of how I met them – too lengthy to describe here, unfortunately – lead me to believe they aren’t due to simple chance. The most interesting must be David, from Papa New Guinea, who has surprisingly stayed in Singapore – Potong Pasir, to be exact – for a few months, and is even thinking of returning there to work if he obtains a diploma. It’s nice that I’ve been able to meet so many people, Dutch and international alike, in the past few weeks. I hope this will continue to be the case even as exams draw nearer! Ok, I’m sure I’ve missed something, but this will have to do for now... take care, everyone!

Have One on Me, Joanna Newsom's eagerly-anticipated third album, was released today, a mere 5 days after being leaked.Most people have heard of Joanna Newsom by now. Her debut The Milk-Eyed Mender was regarded as a quirky record which typecasted Newsom as an eccentric with a fondness for obtuse lyrics and a penchant for the harp, but abounded with straightforward, austere gems which quickly polarized opinions. Ys, on the other hand, was an ambitious, collosal suite of folk melodies and string arrangements. It was difficult to digest, yet almost universally admired, if not necessarily loved. Tellingly, whereas The Milk-Eyed Mender was regarded as an experimental or freak-folk record, everyone called Ys a folk album. Whether these reflected the public's burgeoning appreciation for Newsom's inimitable style, or a rapid normalization of what is considered "experimental" and the scene-shifts of pop and indie aesthetics, Newsom has become - at the very least - a fascinating and refreshing artist.
Enter Have One on Me. Described as a triple LP with a total length of around 2 hours, it surely conjured disturbing images of 20-page lyric sheets and 20-minute songs. Fortunately, by "triple LP" it means precisely that, a record divided into 3 parts, each fitting nicely onto a vinyl disc. 2 hour records are all but extinct in the iPod age, but it is a testament to this album's immaculate sequencing that one can sample it in pieces - indeed, I often used the skip button while returning to the album, albeit at different points each time - and still fully appreciate the experience. And experience is exactly what Have One on Me is - a beckoning, sweeping voyage which feels very different in mood and lyrical focus to Newsom's earlier work. If The Milk-Eyed Mender was akin to a feverish pop-dream; and Ys a quixotic fairytale, Have One on Me seems more rooted in the real world, inviting one to participate in the effervescent imagery.
Part of this may have to do with Newsom's singing, which has gained a newfound clarity and richness. The string arrangements are also somewhat reigned-in, lending Newsom's words and harp-playing greater weight. Even the music is strangely accessible - with a number of songs featuring amenable, "warm" blues chord progressions - providing the record with a certain simplicity and approachability, terms which have become dissociated with Newsom.
Of course, there are still dense, meandering songs with tangled, esoteric lyrics, but these seem to play an important role in highlighting the road-markers on the album, as well as spinning the yarn for the immense tapestry of love stories Newsom weaves. Yes, perhaps the most significant difference about Have One on Me is that it's unapologetically about love. Romance, sadness, family and friends, the ease of love, the difficulty of holding on - the subject's myriad themes are approached in an equally diverse fashion.
Despite this traditional singer-songwriter focus, the album is possibly deeper than her previous works; and yet establishes a connection almost immediately - like any meaningful relationship. It grows and develops each time one listens, changing as one returns to the seemingly-familiar sections. Compared to Ys, which was like trying to catch hold of a fantasy to delve headlong into, Have One on Me feels more intimate, seeking to be discovered and understood.

I'm back! Well, I was never really gone, just couldn't be bothered blogging.
Henceforth I'll post updates about my exchange here, hopefully at a frequency of at least once every fortnight!

For completion's sake, these were my first 2 updates sent by email:

Dear friends,

I write to you in the middle of the journey from Dover, England back to The Netherlands (though you'll only receive it when I manage to find internet connection). I must say, the decision to take the overnight bus & ferry trips has been a poor one – cramped coach, the occasionally unruly passenger, and an immensely tedious 11-hour ride with nary a wink in between – but nevertheless it gives me a good opportunity to draft a long-overdue email. It’s been 2 weeks since I left Singapore, although it often seemed longer. I would've liked to update sooner, but I've been shorn of time in the first week, and internet connection in the second. In the interest of brevity and lucidity I will try to keep my points succinct, but as this is my first update, I have much to say; and ask that you indulge me.

I spent the first week in Delft, attempting to orientate myself and seek accommodation for the next 6 months. Delft is indeed tiny – perhaps the size of Jurong, but strip away the outlying districts and it’s even smaller – and not particularly vibrant in any way. The locals can be surprisingly dour and unhelpful despite an immaculately polite facade (which isn’t to say there haven’t been some friendly and obliging people). Some people have told me how beautiful Delft is, and I suppose this unfairly tempered my expectations, but I was somewhat underwhelmed. It does have an austere charm of a little town unsullied by intense industrialization, but, flanked by The Hague and Rotterdam, it can hardly be described as rustic; and it boasts no particularly breathtaking scenery of its own. Granted, there’s a genuine vibe of quaint, idyllic settlement nestled between densely-populated cities, but the flip side is that there’s not too much to actually do in town.

London was an enjoyable if somewhat lonely experience. I won’t bore you with the details; suffice to say that I spent much of my time purposefully getting lost and catching a glimpse of the city’s less common sights and sounds. Without a doubt, the highlight of the week was catching Shugo Tokumaru, live in a cosy acoustic venue – a pub cellar, to be precise, complete with (relatively) cheap beer and bad pick-up lines. His virtuoso performance both inspired me and cast a disparaging light on my utter lack of talent. I’ll be uploading some videos and photos in the next few days.

Thus far, this exchange is turning out to be quite the opportunity for growth. I’ve had to grapple with several difficult decisions – and bad mistakes – chief of these being my accommodation arrangements. As many of you know, I arrived in Delft without having firmed up any sort of housing agreement. This brings me to my single major gripe – my two would-be flatmates. In my highly judgemental opinion, they are difficult, irresponsible, self-centred, and generally clueless; I find it difficult not to blame them for at least some of my accommodation woes. We are supposed to share an apartment by virtue of the fact that we are all on the “free mover” exchange independent from NTU. Yet, I could, and probably should, have applied for a no-frills, single-room student hostel when the opportunity was presented to me, yet there must’ve been some brain-dead part of me which thought that constituted a breach of fellowship and trust – in our local vernacular, “pang seh” – and I foolishly stuck with them. I know this sounds harsh, and it's rather immature for me to be complaining, but this whole matter has been a considerable source of stress and anxiety which has threatened to derail my exchange before it even began in earnest.

By God’s grace, I managed to find a nice flat, albeit only for March to end June. But for the whole of February, I’ll be staying in a miniscule apartment with no bedrooms, bare furnishings, and probably dreadfully-inadequate heating. May this month pass swiftly, and may I learn to accept and make friends with my flatmates. I have plenty of flaws myself, so this will be an interesting exercise in adaptation and diplomacy.

The circumstances have been difficult at times, but I thank God for seeing to so many of my needs, even those I was not aware of. Whether it was holding back the weather or opening new doors for me, His provision has kept me hopeful that this may be more than simply an escape from the tedium of studying in Singapore, but a genuinely life-transforming experience. I eagerly anticipate worshipping at Levend Water church this coming Sunday, and joining up with an international cell group soon.

Speaking of escape, I fear my expectations of an easy semester were grossly inaccurate. It has been said that students go on exchange primarily to “play” – explore a foreign land and immerse oneself in a different culture, with exams a mere formality. Yet here I am, facing a timetable twice as packed as my regular ones (out of the 8 or 9 modules I plan to take, there are regular schedule clashes for 4 of them), and the foreboding hear-say that two of the modules have a sub-40% pass rate. After about 9 months away from school I’m more than a little rusty; hopefully I’ll be able to work hard and smart and do enough to pass all my modules.

Anyway, school has already begun, although Orientation Day is on Tuesday and Registration Day on Thursday. I have this nagging concern that my circle of friends will end up being the NTU group and a “United Nations” bunch consisting of international students, without really ever getting to know the locals. I pray this will not be the case, though I no doubt have to work on my apparent disposition of detached disinterest.

Finally, some notes on my general well-being. I’ve adjusted fairly well to the weather although I still like my room nice and warm. Unfortunately my skin still dries up easily and itches and peels... I’ve experienced snow (well, hail) and it’s really not as pleasant as Christmas movies would have you believe. Food-wise, I’ve yet to cook anything other than convenience food, and I’ve been subsisting on mainly sandwiches, plus the occasional kebab, Chinese takeaway, and pasta. I’m rarely full, but I try to sleep early before I get too hungry.

Well, this is about three times too long already, so that’s it for now. That and I'm feeling very sleepy. I’ll upload stuff onto Facebook when I have the time. Hope all is well, and I appreciate your little messages and prayers. Stay in touch!

Peace,
HL

and

Hi friends,

Just a quick update as I've gotta do some shopping for groceries before the supermarket closes. It's amazing how fast food runs out (yes I don't usually buy the groceries back home heh)! The past 2 weeks have gone by in a flash, largely thanks to school. This is good, as it means I'm 2 weeks closer to moving into a nice flat with my own room; and bad, as it means I'm 2 weeks closer to exams. There are only 7 weeks of lectures, thus it's a sobering realization that even as I'm still rousing myself from my academic indolence (and the lassitude of a 9-month break from studying), almost 30% of the course content has already been taught!

My bank account has yet to be set up - a problem I attribute directly to ABN’s glaring inaptitude. In fact, one of the most noticeable things here is that the way things are done here is rather inefficient. I suppose it is only a glaring contrast in light of Singapore’s intense focus on productivity and efficiency, but more than a few times I found myself thinking, “this would be going so much faster in Singapore”. In any case, finance is not a problem; in fact, I’m carrying too much cash with me, which is why I wish to deposit the money asap. I might have to ask a friend to help me break up my large notes soon.

TUDelft is impressive. A quick tour of the Aerospace Faculty showcased their extensive laboratories which include 5 wind tunnels (including a supersonic one), a zero-gravity simulator, and the SIMONA flight simulator. It is easy to see why the school is so involved in research, including military projects. Some of the set-ups that are left lying around would be put on prominent display as the pride of NTU MAE. Whereas NTU has a donated, obsolete A4 which is nothing but a display piece (and inadvertent obstacle course for 1^st and 2^nd year glider projects), TUDelft has an F16 which is often tested on.

Of course, that’s not to say everything’s perfect. The school has its share of lecturers who can’t teach and/or put you to sleep. Sometimes it’s not prof’s fault, as with some math-courses-in-disguise such as flight dynamics. There’s one really effective prof – a young one, no wonder – who’s teaching two dynamics courses; and he’s reinvigorated my interest in aerospace dynamics (and dynamic systems in general) – I feel I’m really learning much more in his lectures than I did in NTU (I’ve also come to realize the static systems taught from sec school through JC really are useless). But the best course has to be Sustainable Development for Engineers. This doesn’t seem to have caught on in Singapore or Asia in general, but there’s significant interest in sustainable development here, and it seems poised to be the current modus operandi for the aerospace industry. The prof’s an astronaut! Really interesting person with many innovative ideas and propositions, although one can figure out that some of his statistics and numbers are biased. He’s also highly critical of the government, particularly their budget allocation...Singapore needs lecturers like him. Next week, the course will have a guest lecturer: Michael Braungart! Some of you may have heard of his book, Cradle to Cradle.

Finally, I visited Levend Water church. It’s a little smaller than I imagined – services are held in a small warehouse with a congregation of about 150 – but I’m thankful I managed to find an evangelical church so quickly. I still feel a little unfamiliar as some of the worship is in Dutch, and the sermon is translated concurrently to English, but I feel comfortable worshipping there, and I’ve joined an international cell group. We meet weekly for Bible study, although we don’t have the privilege of easy access to study guides here in Delft. Something interesting on the calendar – Heidi Baker is coming to preach in Amsterdam on Monday evening. You can view some of her sermons here : http://www.fathersglory.com/insp/Roland_&_Heidi_Baker.htm. I am thinking of attending, but I doubt I’ll be able to reach on time after school; and it’ll surely be a packed conference so I don’t wish to be late.

Alright, Happy CNY and Valentines’ to everyone back home! More updates in a few weeks, or when interesting things happen. I’ve decided to post my updates on my defunct blog (http://loldeadairspace.blogspot.com/) instead of emailing, so that those of you who can’t stand seeing these mails in your inbox don’t have to haha. Till next time!

Regards,
HL

Too many times my acquisitions have been based on human reasoning, greed, and snazzy marketing. It’d be unfortunate to use God and the worship ministry as an excuse to be materialistic. A few years ago I might’ve had a strong case to upgrade my gear (Cheapo short-scale Yamaha -> Boss overdrive and chorus. Plastic pick. Muddy, undefined amp. No delay!) as I genuinely required more tools in order to truly contribute in my service and give my best to God. Invariably, however, my needs became wants, despite a sense that I was abusing my privilege as a worship guitarist to fulfil my GAS. Fortunately, over the years I've managed to trim off most of the excess and now possess a solid, if not particularly interesting, gear rig.

talk.

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so goes the backing track of all the sighs we ever sighed