Ballet and Piano, finally!

I'm so upset with the ballet schools in Singapore.
After learning ballet for more than 2 years, Coco is still in Pre-Primary Ballet!
Now that Kavanagh Dance School is closing its branch down at our nearby Community Centre, I have to source for another ballet class for her and I just found out that there are actually two different types of syllabi for ballet! And hers is the simpler of the two and so she has to downgrade to Pre-Primary Ballet again. Imagine the shock I got!

I was so worked up I couldn't continue blogging. After I cooled down and thought about why I wanted Coco to learn ballet, I figure that passing exams are not that pertinent as compared to my initial intentions. I had wanted Coco to have confidence, poise and the correct postures through learning ballet, but now, I'm starting to be obsessed with her passing the grading exams, as if it is the more important reason.

I guess I will let Coco try out the ballet class at the next CC. I would want her to enjoy what she does. If it's too stressful for her or proves to be unenjoyable, I'll withdraw her from ballet.

Another 'project' I've undertaken is buying a new piano for Coco. Yamaha U1 to be exact. I've finally made up my mind to get a new piano despite all the hassle I've gone through for a used piano. My elder sister is kind enough to help me pay up for the piano first, afterwhich I will repay her in instalments that stretch to five months. The reason I've decided to get a new piano is really because I'm tired and exasperated over the running-abouts to the second-hand dealers and always getting answers like 'Oh, it's just sold.' 'The new shipment will be here on ... (date)' 'We haven't tuned the pianos up yet.' 'Actually, we don't have the model you want.' I feel that the frustration, unsureness, feeling of uncertainty and anxiety is just not worth it.

My father was totally against the idea. Truth be told, he didn't even agree to me getting a piano, used or new, at all. I talked to him, told him that learning piano requires a piano for daily practice, that a used piano of more than twenty years also costs $4,000. He only softened after I said,'It's all your fault! You didn't allow us to learn piano when we were young. If you did, we would have a piano and I won't have to buy a piano now!':P
Surprisingly, he said,'If you had asked, I would have allowed you to.'
I retorted,'Not a chance! You didn't even send us to Nursery.'
He said,'Nursery is indeed a waste of money.'
I told him that in the event that Coco really does give up learning piano, I would go and learn instead, since learning to play piano has always been my desire. So the piano would not be a waste after all.
From there, he started to soften on his tone. When my sister called regarding buying of piano, he didn't object when I said,'Ah pa said 'ok' already!' :)