My New Blog

I recently started a new blog called, "Live Healthilee." It is more focused on health than anything else (hence the name), although I do post about things going on in my life as well. You can check it out here.
I hope you'll like it! :)

My Orchestra (ECYS) Videos

Ok so I was just scanning through all my posts and realized I have a ton of drafts that I never actually published! I don't want them to go to waste, so here is one of them from...almost 2 years back. Woow quite a long time ago...I don't actually play in ECYS anymore. :P

Here are a bunch of Youtube clips of the orchestra I'm playing in (ECYS). They're kind of old, but I think someone just posted them up recently. Most of them are from either the Season Opening concert in the beginning of the year, or the winter concert.

If you look closely, you might see me in the back row! Some of the clips (like the cello, violin, and piano concertos) feature other people though, so don't freak out when you see some random guy/girl at the front. :P

Enjoy!

Liszt: Les Preludes

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97tVmxtI2Lg&feature=related

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBiCcY6pD2Y&feature=related

Dvorak: Cello Concerto, Mvt. 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KqF6TsJJBE&feature=related

Vieuxtemps: Violin Concerto No.5, Mvt. 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDwhF3TgEtU&feature=related

Prokofiev Symphony No.7

Mvt. 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wuz6T6Abk0&feature=related

Mvt. 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyjfk9X74nM&feature=related

Mvt. 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzWYbKeDSCQ&feature=related

Mvt. 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kbA-HT5Mhg&feature=related

Grieg Piano Concerto Mvt. 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekmj6_bZN-A

Home Sweet Home

Alright, I'm really out of this aren't I? I haven't posted a single thing since February! Well I've certainly got a lot of catching up to do here... 

When I went back on my blog today, I saw: "Jane's Times (2011)" even though the last post was on February 29, 2012. Now how outdated is that? 

Anyway, how have your summers been? I went to Qinghai and Hong Kong. Lots of great memories...it was super fun! I probably won't post any pictures though since I don't have any good ones... :/ My iPod camera is really low-quality.

I actually arrived back in the US yesterday night. The flight was really smooth (slept for around 10 hours according to my mom [still don't believe it!], then ate stuff and watched "Big Bang Theory" for the rest of the time). "Big Bang Theory" is so funny, I love it! Too bad I don't have cable at my house; otherwise, I would watch it all the time. :P So the plane landed smoothly...then when my mom and I went through immigration, the lady was like, "What's the relationship between you two?" I can tell my mom was thinking, "Duh, mother and daughter. What else...?" Haha if she actually thought we were sisters, my mom would totally be doing the happy dance right now. Okay, then it was luggage claim. By the end when everything was gone, we still couldn't find my luggage so we went to the lost and found table. I wasn't sad actually since I was in total denial that my luggage was gone. When we were about to leave, the guy decided to be nice so went down to check it out...and he found it! Aha I knew that luggage wasn't gone! ;) It was apparently pretty heavy and also angled in a way so that it couldn't slide up the conveyer belt. Whew...if the guy hadn't found it, I would've lost over half my wardrobe.  Long story short, it was an interesting trip home.

Happy Leap Day!

I haven't posted in such a long time!! I've run out of things to say recently. I feel like I should focus the blog more into one topic, like music or arts and crafts or sports (wushu/dance, not basketball, etc.). :P But usually I like to talk about a whole bunch of random stuff, not just one topic. Hmm.... Suggestions on topics/whether or not I should change my blog are appreciated! :)

So anyway, happy Leap Day!!! February 29th wouldn't be showing up for a while after today, so treasure the moment when you write today's date on your homework and whatnot! xD

Happy (early) Chinese New Year!

Happy early Chinese New Year!! The actual day is on Monday. This year is the year of the dragon. It goes in a cycle for what animal it is every year. Haha sorry I'm too lazy to explain it in detail (plus I don't even know all the details anyway :P).

My grandma and granduncle came to visit and just arrived yesterday night. They brought some super tiny Chinese New Year chocolates that I thought they were really cute so I posted another picture! x) The shape they're in is what ancient Chinese gold pieces looked like; gold represents wealth so that's why you might see a whole bunch of decorations shaped like that at Chinese places.

Other cultural practices during the new year include giving out red packets to the children, lighting lanterns and firecrackers, eating 粘糕/sweet rice cakes, eating various candied fruits, and eating a lot more other stuff (lots of food!). This is also a time when people visit relatives and socialize. It's just really festive in general! :)

La Galette des Rois

This is "La Galette des Rois," or the "King Cake" that I made for my French class! It's supposed to be round but the dough was a little small so it was hard to shape into a circle. :P

Anyway, the reason I'm making this for my French class is because every year, during the month of January, it's part of the French culture to eat this cake to celebrate the Epiphany. (Well actually because it's extra credit. ;P) The Epiphany is when the Biblical kings travel to Bethlehem to see baby Christ Jesus after He was born.

This cake is sold in bakeries all over France every January. It's made of two flaky puff pastry layers with a dense frangipane filling on the inside. (Frangipane is a filling made or flavored like almonds.) Hidden somewhere inside is also "la fève," usually a little porcelain figure or bean. The person with the piece of cake with "la fève" in it gets to be the king/queen, and is awarded a paper crown. Also, the "la fève" can be anything; sometimes, it's even a little cartoon figure!

Can't wait to eat it in class tomorrow hehehe. ;)

Happy New Year!

Happy NEW YEAR!! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. In a blink of an eye, another year will be gone and it'll be 2013! Break has gone by really quickly too. I'm going back to school in two days, not including today. Time passes by when you're having fun. :)

I'm posting this in advance because I'm going to a friend's house (actually my brother's friend) for dinner and New Year's countdown soon. For now, I got to practice practice practice pianooo!!! :P

Well, to whoever's reading this, I hope you'll have an awesome day and a terrific new year filled with sugar, spice, and everything nice. ;) Happy new year again!