Rebellious 5-year-old
Let’s just call her AS for reference.  She’s extremely bright and cute (and she knows it) but she seems to be going through an elementary rebellious stage in her life (I wonder what her teen years would be like?).  She is hapa (mixed-blood) as her father is Chinese and her mother is American, and both are very intelligent and hardworking people in the medical field.  So, she’s got the brains and more brains.  Too much brain to be honest.  Anyways, she’s so smart that she has already signed up to do all these things: Chinese school, ballet, piano, Kumon, violin, and maybe some other stuff that I don’t know about.  Trust me, it’s scary.  When I was five, I don’t remember doing anything, other than watching He-man and Mister Rogers.  Those were the good ol’ days… 

So for the past couple of lessons since winter break, she’s been acting up, as in not listening to me and her mother, asking questions as if to change subject, and other random behavioral issues.  I used to be very patient, but once I realized that she was doing all this on purpose, I began to feel temperamental and hopeless.  But I have to keep telling myself that it’s not all my fault.  Both her parents are so busy that they don’t have time to sit down and practice with her.  No wonder she can’t play one line of music all the way through for me.  Not even once.  But the good thing is that she knows what pressures come with the violin because she was performed in a recital last month and played three variations of Twinkle.  I imagine it was great!  She even performed the whole thing by herself again a month later for me.  So now we’re trying to learn songs faster but it’s hard because she doesn’t practice.  I think it just takes time for her to get back into the swing of things.  Next song: Lightly Row

Pacific Music Institute 2006
The main reason why I went to Hawaii was to be a part of this year’s PMI and serve as a string clinician.  Sounds too technical?  Basically I was in charge of coaching the violins, teaching them what I know about playing in orchestra and efficient practicing.  I gained experience in the auditioning process, organizing sectionals, and a took care to act as a rolemodel for the students.  Even though I wasn’t from Hawaii, which may have been obvious, I tried to relate in other ways.  

First Day
I definitely felt anxious.  During the morning drive, I could tell that Randy was happy-excited and that I was the total opposite, a nervous-wreck.  But I think I hid it very well and Randy gave me some good advice: "You’re the best player they’ve ever hired and you have lots to share with them."  In short, "just do it.  And have fun."  Haha.  When we arrived at the camp grounds, I immediately had mixed feelings.  I was already familiar with the facilities and now that I’m a staff member, I know I have more freedom and rights.  However, once we dragged our instruments to backstage where the check-in tables were, one of the adult volunteers asked us if we were checking in.  Uhhhh… no.   She was immediately corrected that we were staff.  She assumed that we were students!!  *gasp*  Anyways, I just brushed it off and picked up my STAFF folder.  We immediately headed to the Auditorium where the kids gathered for orientation. 

I was nervous knowing that I had to introduce myself at orientation.  It’s a normal thing to do and it helps the kids get to know you right off the bat.  But I didn’t prepare anything, and although I think I can just wing anything, I get scared right before I have to say something.  But ooh, thank god, time was running out and the item on our schedule was string orch meeting in the meeting room.  This year’s clinicians are Chad Uyehara, Elton, Lynn Tamayoshi, I-Bei Lin, and Randy and me. 

To be continued at a later time…