I just had The Worst Night Shift Ever ( at least for this current rotation ).

After two 4-hour-long naps, I'm still reeling from the after-effects of 9 hours of continuous talking, thinking and ( worst of all ) pacifying. Singaporean parents have a nasty habit of showing up at the ER past midnight for even the most insignificant complaints. But nothing beats the mindset that accompanes this insanity -- pure paranoid psychosis. For the LAST TIME, 37 degrees Celsius isn't a d*** fever! 38 degrees WILL NOT harm your kid! IT'S A B****Y COLD, D****T! ( Am refraining from my usually obvious swearing, after a particularly effective church sermon yesterday. :))

At 3am in the &*%^$# morning, there were -- count them -- 25 patients still waiting. The afternoon shift had already left -- even though many of them stayed back at least an hour to help us out -- which left 3 MOs and 1 registrar to hold the fort till 8am. The crowd finally cleared at around 4:45am, but even then, the trickle never ceased. Fortunately for me, I got off at 6am, or else I would've probably ended up hitting someone ( likely a patient or a parent ).

With my entire post-call day gone in a hazy flash, I'm now trying to salvage the hour or two I have left before forcing myself to go to sleep in preparation for the 8-4 shift tomorrow. This sucks.

Still, at least I had a really good Saturday evening. :)


The Klazz Brothers and Cuban Percussion Concert ( 16th October 2004 at the University Cultural Centre )

Website: www. classicmeetscuba.com

Another one of those impulsive decisions, thanks to a friend / colleague who told me about it about a week ago. As you can guess, it wasn't sold out. We were 3rd row centre, which proved to be a huge advantage.

By the way, the UCC is one heck of an ugly concert venue. A show of this calibre deserves better, but sadly, violinist Maxim Vengerov was already booked at The Esplanade that night.

The Klazz Brothers and Cuban Percussion troupe comprise 3 Germans ( pianist, bassist, drummer ) and 2 Cubans ( on congas and timbales ), blending classical and jazz with infectious Latin beats to delicious effect. Hearing them for the first time was an out-of-body experience!

Seated only a few metres from the stage, we had unobstructed, close-up views of the stage and musicians. The Forster brothers -- pianist Tobias and bassist Kilian -- were on the left, drummer Tim Hahn in the middle, and Cuban percussionists Alexis Herrera Estevez and Elio Rodriguez Luis to the right. From the moment they started streaming out one by one ( led by Hahn ) to add layer after layer to the intro of their opening piece ( can't provide the specific title at the moment, sorry ), I knew the next 2 hours were going to be special.

This is one of the very best concerts I've ever been to, and worth every single penny. Who would've thought classical and Latin could mix so well? From Mozart to Brahms to Schubert to Beethoven to Bach to Bizet, the thrills came fast and furious as the audience clearly recognized the opening bars to each piece, applauded enthusiastically, then gasped at the sheer artistry of their improvisations. A work by Mozart became a hot Mambo number, Chopin's Tristesse Etude a sensual rumba, Beethoven's Fur Elise a festive salsa, and the beautiful Pathetique Symphony ( which literally took my breath away ) a dreamy combination that easily conjures up images of smoky dance clubs. Familiarity with the original works can, of course, work for or against you. In my case, it was the former. And for that, I give full credit to the band's impeccable interpretations of these otherwise conservative compositions.

As for the jazz element, it comprised less than half of the entire repertoire, but was no less enjoyable. George Gershwin's Summertime stands out for its upbeat tempo and hot percussion. And during the encore, Charlie Chaplin's Smile made an unexpected appearance during a medley ( which, by the way, also included a Brahms lullaby :)). So cool :D

Lots of interaction with the audience, mostly via bassist Kilian's frequent commentaries and subtle yet hilarious jokes ( e.g. "People say we always play only famous pieces, so here's a REALLY OBSCURE Beethoven number, which NONE OF YOU know." They launched into Fur Elise next. Haha! )

Even though the other band members didn't speak during the concert, they were equally friendly in various ways -- flashing smiles, gyrating animatedly, encouraging us to clap along, grabbing a few people up on stage during the encores and joining them for a Rockettes-style routine. This extended to the post-show autograph session, and I've got a nicely posed photo with the German fellows to prove it! :)

But don't for one second mistake their music for light classical jazz. It definitely helps if you're a musician yourself. My friend is proficient with string and wind instruments, and I play the piano. We both detest the likes of Bond ( 4 scantily clad girls whose "skills" make my hair stand ) and my friend says the 12 Girls Band ( a group of overrated Chinese women wielding everything from the pi-pah to the erhu ) have successfully ruined the genre of traditional Chinese music.
The Klazz Brothers, thankfully, do none of the above. There's ample credibility since they're all extremely talented ( Tobias, especially, is a joy to watch on the ivories ), and they've got a keen ear for what works and what doesn't. In less able hands, the delicate process of fusing classical with Cuban might have been disastrous, but they've managed to take well-loved pieces and actually improve on them. Purists may howl at the blasphemy of it all, but I consider it a fitting homage.

Another highlight would definitely include Tobias' original composition, titled Ballad No. 1, which he played solo during the 2nd half of the show. My jaw dropped during that performance! Initially a simple melody, it gradually escalates to Liszt-Rachmaninov proportions, defying laws of physics, yet executed so perfectly that every single note was crystal clear and wonderfully in sync with the the one preceding it. Flying arpeggios, whizzing chromatic scales, and exquisite technique -- it's gonna be on their upcoming 3rd album, so you MUST give it a listen!

Standing ovations greeted their encores and curtain calls, followed by a long line of autograph-seekers thereafter. With a promise to "return next year", they posed for a few pictures ( mine included, yay :D) then left, exhausted yet pleased. I've been playing their CDs in my car ever since. Come back soon, guys! And thanks for a magical evening!