Wrapping things up....

Already, nostalgia of this place is seeping in before ive left. within my departure is burrowed a strange mix of opposed emotions. i believe culture shock will greet me upon my return.

So as the ripples of my stone cast into the pool of Korea will imminently fade, so shall the kernels of my blog. I hope to share some more personal stories with you fair friends, face-to-face, back in brisk minnesota. fare thee well, this blog shall sleep.

Tom Franek

Piano Exam

So last Friday I took my piano exam. The week leading up to it i put most things aside and practiced maybe an average of 7 hours each day. But Tuesday before taking it i made the mistake of cliping my fingernails. My folly resulted in the fingernails partly wanting to tear from my newly sensative skin. The tension of a fingernail tearing from the finger is not a pleasant one. I amended the problem thanks to some korean friends who introduced me to paper tape. i duly applied it, and indeed it lessened the blow.

The exam itself is in actual fact quite short, a mere 12 minutes of heart pounding...umm, im distracted by the girl next to me in the PC room eyeing herself up with a webcam for the most appealing photo she can possibly get, preparing for chating i suppose. Well, anyway, students are required to prepare 30 minutes of music. I myself prepared maybe 40 minutes, 8 pieces, and they could only hear the beginings of 6.

I entered the cool large room and after a bow (not a performance bow, a traditional bow of respect) towards the 7 or so distantly seated Yonsei piano faculty, I seated myself at the piano...

...I think it went well. Despite all of the practice, there's still things to work on. but im proud of the climactic push.