Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Ordeal and Thank Goodness for the June Holidays!

Finally, the mid-year school holidays are here!  As discovered during the earlier March holidays, I really feel the big difference about the school holidays now that Renee's in the formal school system.  For the past few weeks, I've been like a mad woman, trying to watch over Renee's practices - something which I hardly managed to, due to the need to attend to Rachel's needs and  the house-chores.

The highest point of stress came from Renee's preparation to the latest Nafa internal examination as it also served as the audition to the performance at their year end concert and the participation to the International Competition at Italy next year.  Renee's reluctance to practice hard/seriously almost drove me crazy!  She's still a kid, we told ourselves but as the teacher remarked "这是一个难得的机会"(this is a rare opportunity) and only a few are given the opportunity to go for the audition.  Thus, we felt the obligation to push her abit more, especially during the last 1 week since she's also been falling ill on and off for the earlier weeks which also affected her practices(but still... haiz).  But, seeing that she's finally feeling alittle tensed up(strange, since she didn't seem bothered abt her laziness to practice), we decided to 'let loose' even during the last crucial days - whatever will be, will be...

Having to stay home(so that Renee can do her practices, however willing/unwilling she was) alone with no help(hubby's out most days and nights too! even when I was hving high fever myself these nights...) had also made me felt soooo trapped, so this break will give me some allowance to relax abit - and I sure need it, badly!

Although Renee's shown reluctance to practice her violin and we were at the point to think that perhaps she still didn't see the importance of this audition, when she proved otherwise(arrrggggh, in this case, I really dunno what to say anymore...) by being nervous during the studioclass a day before the fateful day(her nervousness can be observed obviously over the video which I'd be posting up at FB soon).  She even 'followed' what her fellow classmate did(another selected one) and placed her bow on the violin whilst waiting during the piano part, aiyoh!

On the actual day, we weren't allowed into the exam room and standing outside, papa's overhead and told me(I've gone to nurse Rachel whilst waiting for her turn earlier) that Renee has forgotten some parts of the exercises piece earlier.  However, from the bit I've heard, I think she played ok, though I missed the 'forgotten part', :P.

Prior to the exam, the teacher had told us that he'd arrange with us again for the lessons during the school holidays but we did not hear from him and began to worry that perhaps Renee really didn't do well afterall.  I was tempted to phone the teacher but papa told me not to...  However, unable to resist the wait and with the need to clarify the lesson arrangement with the teacher, I phoned the teacher this evening and boy, were we all SOOOOO relieved to hear him say : "哦, 拉得很好, 所有的老师都觉得她拉得很好, 只是Kayser她有拉错".  Of course, as a parent and for the good of her future, we certainly hope that besides the group performance, she'd also be selected as a soloist at the concert and as a participant to the competition,  but with such a remark, honestly, we are very happy/contented already... *phew*

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