VIOLIN PASSION

Name: Mr Mattew Ostringer.
Age: 30
Occupation: Violin Teacher
Martial Status: Married with one kid
(*see, he wears a ring on his right hand instead of left, cos he wanted to disguise the fact that he's married... NOt!! haha, its actually not advisable to wear accessories on the arm where you hold the strings)



Name: Evo
Age: Secret (Forever)
Occupation: Student (violin)
(**Sharon and Karen: "Oh, ok already, we note your point")
Violin does have a chance of becoming my hobby/pasttime, if not for the fact that it is costing me a bomb. I really salute to parents who wake up early and fetch their kids to learn Violin/musical instruments, cos its not only hair and nerve wrecking, its also wallet slimming (*very fast).



The normal rate is one grade a year. Every 3 months cost from $300 (grade 1) to $1008(grade 8)!! Excluding GST, exam fees, textbooks, scale books and equipments!! I calculated previously that it will take me $25,000.00 for all to complete Grade 8 (and at its minimum fastest time-frame!) **I heard Francis vaguely grumbling that this sum of $$ can be the down-payment of Mistubishi Lancer. **haha**

I used to feel that Kids nowadays are very fortunate, then I stopped to ponder yesterday that, i guess most parents put off child-bearing till they can well (*very well) afford all these.. I am already very "pei fu" with my parents. They toiled and struggled to pay for Childcare &private tuition, drove us ard, waited up while we party (*ok, only I partied), install Air-con, buy PCs (4 PCs at home)

I am not boosting about wealth. We live in HDB, eat hawker food, went to neigbourhood schs.. Bottom-line is, they have sacrificed for us. My parents could have spent the money saved from car installments, or made us work for our studies (saving thousands a month) to lavish on their own life-style. More hip Hp, more facials, more holidays etc.. No.. they used the money on materials and items that they feel can let their children lead a more comfortable life.

My friends won't believe when I tell them my dad still gives me (*and all sisters) pocket money while we worked during school holidays. The pocket $ only stop when I started working 2 yrs back. And my dad still drives me to my violin classes every sat morning.

And their only console is for their children to excel in life. hmm.. I cant promise my parents that I will do them proud forever.. But I will try.. at least, they are thrilled when they attended my uni graduation.. **Haha**

The 3 words we don't tell our parents enough is: "I love you.". I recalled once after their arguement, i pasted a post-it note of "I love you both" on their dressing table. My dad moved it to his bar-counter and its still there.

Evo: "Daddy, Mummy,I love you"