First week of class has been pretty uneventful. Lots of free gaps in between here and there, but mostly due to communication skills feedback sessions. Had mine just on this Friday. Was marked with a clear pass, something which I didn't see coming, especially when I thought this second one was worst than my first, what with all that nervous laughing in between. Apparently the tutor thinks I must have done something that made the patient to not get angry with me, for that was one of the first few questions she popped up as soon we were finished reviewing the tape together. I couldn't really think of anything, apart from my looking rather sorry at how things have turned out for the patient. She did mention as well that I should be careful to not come across as promising things to the patient as well that I might not be able to keep. I'm didn't do any of that sort of course, but then considering how often I kept on saying I'll try my best to find an alternative for the patient, a distressed patient might actually come to expect it, only to be let down if there weren't any. One option that certainly never crossed my mind which my tutor later proposed was to tell the lady that she could bring in a support person too. Don't believe that my tutor thought I dug out a lot from the patient too, for as far as I can tell, finding out that she had an accident and that she's somewhat claustrophobic isn't much, especially when there was so much more which I had wanted to know about but had not the time to ask.

Tried making mooncakes as well, using Kuali's recipe. The filling turned out okay I guess. Not sickeningly sweet and full of yam flavour, but I have this niggling feeling that the skin wouldn't have burst if I had spent more time stirring and cooking the filling. The recipe said to stir until it came clean off the sides of the wok. But considering that I was using not a wok but a pot, and that my fingers were hurting from stirring all that sticky stuff that kept getting stickier and stickier(!!), and afraid that it might burn on me and waste my entire effort up to then, I stopped when the thing became quite gooey. When it cooled down it certainly looked no different to the filling I usually see being used by those pastry chefs -- firm and shiny and easily mouldable into balls. The pastry didn't come out quite like I expected though. The pastry was meant to be flaky but mine came out after baking having a sort of pie-crust like texture and taste. Not sure if it was due to it being baked rather than the frying which was how that mooncake was traditional made :S ... But puppy and I did note that it was only those with the yam as a filling that actually burst while the ones filled with red bean paste were fine. How odd, considering that the red bean filling was rather liquidy compared to the yam filling I made. Though my overstuffing the skin with yam filling (which I didn't quite do with the red bean filling) might have been part of the reason. Darn, should have just went for the snowskin version rather than being smart and doing some baked version. Darn, why did that Asian grocery just had to be shut and 'go church worship god' (the exact words they used on their sign... sounds more like an order rather than giving a reason why they were shut LOL!) until so late in the day?!! Unreasonable Mano-mano I am, I have now zapped their butts so that I would be happier about my failure :P!

Dance practice still going on as well. I wonder if there's been much improvement on my part. Most times I can't or don't see myself in the mirror -- too busy looking down at my hands mostly and occasionally being the one facing the back! I've still no idea how to turn gracefully, if I get the counting right which I think is rarely, I get dizzy that I find it hard to stand up straight and do what my arms were supposed to do. If I don't get the counting right, same thing happens. LOL. I try to turn my head right at the last minute like how ballet dancers do but somehow my neck doesn't quite obey me each time. Sh was talking about filming ourselves and then emailing the results out to everyone. I think filming is a good idea, I'm curious as to how we all look, but perhaps it'll have to be a thumbdrive method of passing the file out. Don't think my baby has enough space to film six minutes of stuff though, but I guess it's one thing which I might try doing next practice or later...

Music practice on Friday as well. I'm still making a few mistakes here and there, though it's more a case of remembering and watching out so that I don't make mistake... or rather keeping in mind those places where my fingers are prone to decide themselves what keys to hit rather than what the score dictates. Considering that we three had played this together before, it's not much of a problem I think, even if the event is this coming Thurs (I heard that the careers night is the same night as well too... darn... a bit upset about that as I really want to go having missed last years *shrug*, not like it's stuff I wouldn't find out myself though eventually). What worries me a little though is the difference between the two singers. I wonder how easily it is to tune into a softer voice and then having to 'tune out' a little with a louder voice coming through afterwards. A bit worried as well, if that time is for talking amongst the families and students, would they be able to do so with singers in the picture? But then the song doesn't have much meaning to it though it there aren't singers, then it would be just a waste of effort and we might as well not bothered in the first place. But can't wait though, we haven't done any performing for so long as a group now, though I guess this will probably be the last before we each run off to our allocated cities.

Jan having came back just recently from Aklnd as well has reawakened that little fire inside me. I must go up to Aklnd sometime next year or after to have a look soon. I want I want I want!! :D