:D

So what exactly has changed since transiting from studying to working?

I'll start with the cons first:

1. No more student discounts at restaurants/clothing stores/movies! It's amazing how much discounts are given to students! :(
2. Blank face when those who are still studying talk about their assignments/exams
3. Waking up at 7am every morning (which is a good thing for me actually heh)
4. Not being able to stay up late at night, my bedtime's usually before midnight now (due to point number 3)
5. No more term holidays/semester breaks GAH. Annual leave is something I treasure very much
6. Having to be more careful with my spendings: now I REALLY know how my parents feel when I spend their hard-earned money...

The Pros:

1. No studying!!! woohoo
2. No assignments to hand in/exams to sit for/group presentations
3. So much more free time to catch up on tv series (A LOT of them)
4. Stability
5. The increase in my bank account balance at the end of each month $$$.... which leads to the most important point of all:
6. Being able to afford this pair of AMAAAAAAAZING boots:

I just died and went to shoe heaven. BLISSSSSS.

Oh yes, it's 3 inches high and I'm not even a heels type of person, but it literally feels like I'm walking on a carpet of foam in these. No kidding. Yes it cost almost one sixth of my monthly salary, but I'm keeping this leathery piece of art until I can no longer walk without a cane, and then pass it on to my children and grandchildren. THAT's how much I'm in love with it.

Heh ok I'm done with expressing my undying love with my latest purchase. Bring it on, Dunedin winter! ;)

Gratitude

I'm grateful for a lot of things.

Among those are:

• Grateful that mum brought me for piano tuition classes since I was 6 or 7 years old
• Grateful that despite wanting so bad to quit learning piano when I was about 9, mum encouraged me to keep practising and trying out new piano teachers
• Grateful for my last and most memorable piano teacher, Mrs Chen :)
• Grateful for her patience, her dedication in teaching me how to LOVE playing and not just learn the pieces for exams, how she went to my 7th grade practical exam with me, and how she comforted me after I freaked out and cried after the exam (which I passed, hehe).

Because of all those, I have the opportunity and courage to play in front of 500-1000 people last night. Not just to perform, but to lead people in praise and worship and bridge that gap. I can't possibly describe what an amazing feeling that is: to work together in a band, playing our individual instruments but creating that perfect sound, adrenaline pumping while looking down at hundreds of people in the audience, spotlights shining down... you get the picture.

All the hours of practising when I was younger seems worth it now. The hours practising as a band before the event, 3 hours of soundchecking (the longest I'd ever been in), not having time to for proper dinner (coffee and a slice of cake), the nerves and ahem 'wanting-to-go-toilet-so-bad' feeling were all nothing compared to the outcome. For that, I am GRATEFUL.

So thank you, Jo, for asking me be part of the music team for the Resurrection event (Easter) organised by the combined churches of Dunedin. There's just no better way of knowing and playing with all the talented musicians in other churches in the city. And thank you, God, for overseeing all the decisions and events leading up to today that have allowed me to keep playing :)