All Things Yummy

I’ve spent about a week with the Yamaha P70 Digital Piano - now that I’ve had some time to play on the piano (and listen to it on a fairly nice headphones!), I figured I’d add my two cents about this piano coming from a purely classical point of view.

Sound: There are two piano voices on the P70 (on top of electric piano, organ, etc). I tend to play with the first piano voice since the second voice sounds as if I’m playing in an empty room - it has that hollow tone to it which I find a little off-putting. Both voices sound fairly nice around the middle octaves but the lowest octave leaves much to be desired - playing single keys are fine but if you play any chords on the last octave, there seem to be some sort of dissonance between the overtones that makes the chord sound muddy and a bit off. The top end is slightly shriller than I’m used to. However, in typical classical pieces where very top and bottom octaves are rarely reached (and even if they are, they tend to be one-off notes, not chords), the P70 sounds surprisingly nice and life-like. I can reach the limitations of 32 note polyphony by playing extended runs with sustain pedals on… but only if I try - I’ve yet to run into notes cutting off in playing actual pieces.

Key Action: Another thing that I was fairly worried about was the key action - overall, it’s not that bad. I’ve seen pianos with far worse action and after a week of playing, I’m already used to the weights and responses. When I first started playing, it felt as if the keys weren’t returning fast enough (ie, no bounce off the strings of a real piano) but I don’t even feel that anymore. At the store, I preferred Casio Privia Digital Piano’s action so it’s good to know that my fingers are already getting used to the P70’s. The Privia’s sound wasn’t as… rich as the Yamaha’s.

Pedal: Yamaha P70 comes with piddly little pedal that looks like it came from a sewing machine. The pedal that comes in the box is also on-off so half-pedaling is out of the question. Yamaha FC3 pedal supports half pedaling and seems to be of reasonable price so if you’re serious about playing, pick up the pedal while you’re getting the piano.

Build Quality: Sturdy plastic, not much to say. It’s fairly light (~25lb?) and the built-in music stand plastic thing seems a bit cheap but hey, what can you say for $600?

Output: P70 comes with 2 headphone jacks and MIDI ports. No line out, so it’s not really meant for gigging. As a day-to-day practice piano, P70 seems to have everything you need and more.

At the end, what it comes down to is that when I’m playing, Yamaha P70 doesn’t distract me away from playing music. As a $600 entry level digital piano, that’s more than good enough for me.

Every now and then, I come across something completely wonderful and amazing that makes me feel energized and empowered.  Not empowered in a metaphorical sense, but in more literal sense where my head becomes so full of creative ideas, melodies, code, or prose that I have to get it out of me into a physical medium.  It could be some random melody or a news article - everything from Franz Liszt to a red rose lying next to a statue has gotten me into this state.  Well, I guess I can add another thing to that every growing list.

I’ve just finished reading A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami.  There’s not much to say about the plot since that’s not really the point of the book.  In very simple and straight-forward sentences, Murakami forges disjointed and digressive plot involving tiny little details and thoughts that are easily dismissed in a normal day-to-day life.  Reading through the pages felt like looking at a crowded picture where only an odd item to the side is in focus, with everything else veiled by pleasant, surreal, and enveloping fuzziness.  The line between fantasy and reality is just one of things that’s blurred out.

The biggest thing about the book, though, is that it resulted in endless stream of scenes, dialogues, and characters in my brain.  For all I know, they may languish in my head until they die a slow, painful retreat into the oblivion….  but I still appreciate having them.  Who knows, maybe I’ll actually sit down with couple of sharpened pencils and actually dump them out into the physical world.

Interestingly enough, I also went to watch Pan’s Labyrinth with couple of friends - though (I presume by necessity) the movie follows much more linear plot than the book, the two seems to share a bond in the way it merges reality with fantasy by surrounding with beautiful but surreal images and attention to little details.  It was wonderful and beautiful movie, though it did make me a bit squirmish…  Your mileage may vary, but it’s definitely not for little kids.  Time to hit the bed, maybe I’ll go dream about the sheepman hanging out with faun or something silly like that.

Reading has always been a disposable pleasure for me, something to fill in the times when I had nothing else to do (or when I didn’t feel like doing anything, I suppose). I read mainly for the sake of reading, and although I’m fairly opinionated on the things that I read, I’m more of the type who’ll read the random books anyway and complain afterwards.

I’ve always been fairly well read - when I was a kid, my parents went to used book stores and bought books by the pound for me - but it was just something to do, something to pass the time with, just yet another place to gain knowledge. There were only select few books that left me inspired, which is perhaps the reason why I tend to borrow books instead of buying them. This in turn forces me to read them at a certain pace, which then makes them even more disposable in my mind.

Yesterday, though, it occurred to me that I’m looking for that vivid, inspired imagery that I can touch and taste in the wrong place. After wandering the bookstore for a while, I think I’ve found what I’m looking for.

Well, here’s my happy item of the day. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do - I actually laughed out loud at the end.

may i feel said he
(i’ll squeal said she
just once said he)
it’s fun said she

(may i touch said he
how much said she
a lot said he)
why not said she

(let’s go said he
not too far said she
what’s too far said he
where you are said she)

may i stay said he
(which way said she
like this said he
if you kiss said she

may i move said he
is it love said she)
if you’re willing said he
(but you’re killing said she

but it’s life said he
but your wife said she
now said he)
ow said she

(tiptop said he
don’t stop said she
oh no said he)
go slow said she

(cccome?said he
ummm said she)
you’re divine!said he
(you are Mine said she)

… The book I’m reading is called “The Making of the Atomic Bomb”, by Richard Rhodes. The book isn’t really about the bomb itself, though, it’s more about the scientists and everyone else who worked on the bomb and its effect in history. The hopes and fears that drove people to work on such weapon, scientist’s realizations about the terrible power of their invention, the hopes of US government in avoiding invasion of Japan, horrors of people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It marries two of my loves - history and science - so I’ve been really enjoying it. It’s also interesting to read about some of the theories and processes behind making of atomic bomb while the current event in North Korea mirrors some of what happened 60 years ago. I’m kinda sad that there’s only about 50 pages left, though.

Anyway, I’ve always been the type of person to find something to focus on and just go for it, ignoring everything else including my feelings in the process… I guess sort of like find something to be passionate about and just completely throw myself in and kinda lose myself in the process. I’ve always been intensely private and (mostly, though I have my wild moments) reserved, so I’ve never really felt in… “touch”… with my emotions. Think of it as being good at just not thinking about it and moving on forward… Though for all I know, maybe all the other guys are like this because this isn’t kind of talk you have with other guys.

Maybe that’s why I’m feeling a bit off my element at the moment - up until now, I’ve always had clear and focused goal always in front of me with clear deadlines. Graduation, Solar Car, Races, Projects, Tours, Exams. It figures that real life isn’t not so cut and dry, and I need to find my passion.

Though it happens fairly rarely, there are times when I find myself kinda floating along without any clear or definite focus. Whenever that happens, I get this mild anxiety that kinda gnaws at me until I do find something. Interestingly enough, though, my ideal idea of a vacation is being on an isolated island somewhere with absolutely no plans or deadlines and with someone who thinks and feels the same way as I do. However, if I was ever in a situation like that, I’m sure I’d make up something to focus on. Maybe climbing trees, or learning to play a guitar, or building a gigantic sand castle, or something equally mundane. I think that’s the real reason why I enjoy baking so much, it requires complete and total focus and concentration while you’re juggling everything in the air.

Perhaps you’d call this active suppression of my feelings or something, but to tell you the truth, I’ve never really thought about it nor have I really felt strongly about the way I feel about things…

So, I’ve never had that dark side - maybe it’s because I don’t dwell on things too much, maybe because I’m a guy, maybe because I forget things too easily, or maybe because I’m mostly happy (or at least content) with any little small things that I find in my everyday life.  Maybe I’m blessed that way.  But on the flip side, I’ve also had very few times of feeling intense emotions.  Perhaps it’s better to be this way, or maybe I’m missing out on life, I don’t really know…  Maybe it’s partly because I know that no matter what happens, I trust that God has a reason and purpose for it.

So, North Korea finally tested their nuclear weapons program. So I guess this is how it all starts. I didn’t think it would come so soon, so quickly. This test basically means that arms race will start up again in Asia (Nuclear Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, most likely) since it seems like there’s nobody - not even UN - who can leverage against North Korea.

What I find most surprising, though, is that nuclear test will result in almost certain economic sanctions against North Korea - not even China could veto that after a test directed against their stated wishes. What could North Korea do without aid and supplies from China? Especially going into a winter where fuel consumption would rise?

With Bush in the White House, new right-leaning prime minister in charge of Japan, China that’s increasingly getting tired of North Korea’s antics, and inept president who nevertheless has to answer to growing concerns from the citizens of South Korea… I can’t think of too many exit strategies for North Korea. I just pray that none of that involves atomic weapons being used anywhere in the region.

On a completely different note, I watched The Departed today - it was quite excellent, though I’ve been told the original Infernal Affairs (on which The Departed is based on) is even better.

Last night, we went and watched V for Vendetta, a movie based on a comic book series. The movie itself was fairly entertaining, with the right mix of humour and seriousness combined with slightly unconventional plot.

Before we got to the Feature Presentation, though, we had to sit through trailers for a:

1. Sequel of a movie based on a amusement park ride
2. Movie based on a Japanese game
3. Movie based a comic book hero
4. Third movie based on an old TV show

I guess this is where Hollywood is headed, though looking at companies like EA will easily tell you that making a sequel after sequel will eventually lead to saturation and people getting tired of the entire genre.

In any case, I’ve been going through season 3 of 24. It’s an interesting show. I’ve always believed that one of the reasons why animes are so popular is that because they typically don’t conform to the episodic nature of most TV shows, it allows them to have connected, tightly written stories. They can have overarching theme that doesn’t need to be resolved in 30 minutes, which allows them to tackle stories and themes with epic proportions. With the shows that have been coming out lately, I guess Powers That Be has figured out some of that magic.

Just because I like the show doesn’t mean that I can’t critisize it. As an engineer, I’ve basically been cringing everytime something technical comes up. Some of the funny things I’ve noticed:

1. Infinite resolution photographs. They’re everywhere!
2. What kind of operating system are they using? And they completely mis-use some of the common technical terms, like kernel, and socket, and mount, and crontab…
3. The entire signal processing section is laugh out loud funny. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to think about Kalman filters without chuckling at the phrase “I’m losing the signal, do a Kalman on it”
4. “This search is taking too long! I’ll try using a tree!”

Well, I suppose they could’ve done far worse…

Farewells can be shattering, but returns are surely worse. Solid flesh can never live up to the bright shadow cast by its absence. Time and distance blur the edges; then suddenly the beloved has arrived, and it’s noon with its merciless light, and every spot and pore and wrinkle and bristle stands clear.

I’m currently reading through The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood - it reminded me of the joys of reading well crafted words and see them become real tangible objects within my imagination. This gave me an insight as to why I find books like Harry Potter and the Clancy novels so unfulfilling - simply, they are not novels. They are merely extended short stories.

Philip K. Dick defines the difference as following

a short story may deal with murder; a novel deals with the murderer, and his actions stem from a psyche which, if the writer knows his craft, he has previously presented.

These days, most of the book deals with the murder, the battle, the romance. We have 1000 page books that consist of Jack saw this, Jack thought this, Jack did this, which isn’t what a novel is suppose to be. There is no subtlety involved - either things are completely omitted, or hammered in with a very large, very blunt sledgehammer.

And it’s just not books that are being written that way. The entire culture and mass media is moving that direction as well. We have movies that have nothing but epic battle scenes. We have elections in which subtleties of good, thought-out policies are swept aside for broad stereotypical strokes that paint everything in bright shades of red and blue, covering over any issue of importance.

I don’t know, maybe I’m the one who’s crazy.

I read through Norah Vincent’s Self-Made Man couple of days ago. Since then, I’ve had the time to sort some of these things out and observe for myself the things that she points out in the book. First of all, a short synopsis: Over a period of 18 months, Norah Vincent, a female journalist, becomes Ned, a man. As Ned, she looks at the world from man’s perspective, infiltrating various places where women would not have access to and experiencing things that women would not typically experience.

Through out the book, she finds that being a man isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, that it’s not a bastion of empowerment that it’s portrayed to be. Being a man comes with their own set of headaches and problems and that some feminists’ approach of bringing woman over man may not be the best approach since we’re all so closely linked and related. She makes some very astute observations that as a man, I had unconsciously followed without even realizing it. After reading through her observations and comments, I was able to consciously notice the type of bond that happens in a male relationship and the possible problems that rises with issues of intimacy and communication between men.

For me, the most interesting parts in the book dealt with Ned’s attempts at dating other women. As a lesbian, Norah was able to separate issues stemming from gender from the one stemming from sexuality. She notes that many women’s expectations of man are flawed and conflicting, and that their previous relationships that may have been a result of a specific person ends up being attributed to the entire male gender, where all males are stereotyped into a certain negative image. This means that each new man not only has to prove himself, but also have to take the burden of all the other relationships that may have come before him. I’m sure the reverse is true and I guess that’s what Hank Williams meant when he sang Cold Cold Heart.

Another love before my time
Made your heart sad an’ blue
And so my heart is paying now
For things I didn’t do…

Interestingly, I found the book to be sometimes overtly sexual, but that might just be from my lack of real world experience… If Sex In the City is any indication, maybe I shouldn’t be too surprised. At the very least, this book is an entertaining and thought provoking look at just how different the two different genders are and just how similar and linked the two different genders are.

Happy New Year Everyone!

People call it the Chinese New Year, but it’s also the Korean New Year, or Seol-Nal… though I guess the best name to call it would be the Lunar New Year, not to slight all the other cultures in Asia that celebrate the New Year with the lunar calendar system. If I was in Korea, I would be considered to be a 24 year old starting from today - that’s right, twenty-four… (And all of you in my class, that’s twenty-five for you old fogies).

That’s a scary thought, to think that I’m just 10 weeks or so away from entering the Real Life ™. After all this training and school, everything seems so anticlimatic. It seems like everyone just graduates, finds a nice stable job, and settles into this depressing routine of work, sleep, and TV. All that optimism from the youth - that idealistic view about how the world can be changed for the better - surprisingly quickly dissipiates when faced with the hard realities of life. Especially without the spiritual anchor, I wonder what people are feeling as they go through their daily drudgery… But then again, after reading things like how content the couch potatoes are, it makes me wonder whether it’s me that’s different from the majority mob that rules this planet. What was it that Richard Bach said in his Jonathan Livingston Seagull?

“Most gulls don’t bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight–how to get from shore to food and back again… For most gulls it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight.”

Reminiscing about Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, which I had originally read when I was back in Korea - I must’ve been 9, 10 at the time - makes me think about all the books I had read years and years ago. The significance and poignancy of all those great literature is finally resonating with me as I’m learning more and more about the real life that’s out there. When I had originally read it, I had no idea why they were held in such reverance… and now I’m starting to realize and - even more importantly - understand it all. Maybe I am growing up… Which means I’m also losing that childhood innocence.

Anyway, here’s my belated New Year’s Resolution, which is aptly on another New Years Day. I would like to be a seagull for whom the flying matters more than the food. I would like to be that seagull who is flying up above everything, enjoying the searing wind, the bright sun, the overhead view of the world, even if it’s a little lonely up there. There is more to life than getting from shore to food and back again.

PS. All this reminiscing makes me want to play Yut-Nori. It’s a wonderful, fun, and very easy game that Koreans play on the New Years Day. I’m pretty sure I still have a set of sticks and the board somewhere in my house. Anyone interested?

Author: Tom Clancy
Started: February 19, 2003
Finished: February 23, 2003

Well, I have many things to say about this book, but I think this quote from the book sums it up quite nicely - “Any opinionated asshole could make money…”