All posts filed under: Life

Musings on the things that matter.

Important Places for Kecskemet Kodaly Institute Students Part 1

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Singaporean’s national hobby is having good food so apologies in advance if the following blog post shows this predilection… Below are pictures that show the way to an excellent Italian restaurant known as Cezar (Caesar) Restaurant. Along the way, there are many other things that any foreigner living or studying in Kecskemét should take note of for one’s convenience and daily living. It must be noted that this series of posts takes reference from the Kodaly Institute since that is where we study, live & play. Here goes: Kodaly Institute, the Best Pedagogical Institute in the World (Sorry for the shameless promotion of my alma mater, I do that a lot…). Leave the Kodaly Institute & turn left. Vincent’s, the Best Cake in Town Turn right at the corner, keeping church on your left. Vincent’s is just a few steps away (on your right). This is one of the most important places for Kodaly Institute students… because Vincent’s has some of the best pastries & sweets (desserts) in town. Most cakes costs c.a. 500HUF. Drinks …

How to get to Ferihegy Railway Station from the Budapest Airport (By Bus)

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Addendum 1 Aug 2025: Updated this with a new YouTube video. https://youtu.be/55_fcGSwcsk?feature=shared Original post: I just realised how complicated it can be to find one’s way to Budapest/Kecskemét upon arrival at the airport after a colleague from Singapore got in touch saying he was going to visit. Here’s a blog entry with pictures to help all future English-speaking Kodaly Institute/Liszt Academy students and/or first-time visitors who are non-native speakers on how to get oneself to the “Ferihegy Railway Station” from the Liszt Ferenc Airport Terminal 2. Look for the sign below upon exit from the airport and take public bus No. 200E. Bus tickets are available from the Jegyek (Ticket) vending machine. Sometimes, the bus driver will also have tickets for sale for you. Bus 200E takes c.a. 10 min to reach Ferihegy Railway Station. The Hungarian name for this is Ferihegy Vasútállomás (fair-read-hedge vor-shoe-tah-low-mahsh). I would do this in IPA to be absolutely scientific about it but considering most people don’t do IPA, I shan’t bother. I would suggest writing this out on a …

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

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Let’s summarise 2011… January TATLO (THREE) in Manila performance with SYC Ensemble Singers February Saint Andrew’s Secondary School (SASS) Arts Education Programme Completed Laudate Dominum for Solo S, SAB. March Annica’s Birthday Bash at Kbox (pool table, beer, food in a huge KTV VIP room) Radio Channel for the Arts (too bad have to go off to Hungary so can’t help make it work out) Hosting various Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Performance Exchanges Vietnam Tour with SASS Workshops for various choirs Performance with Steve Dobrogosz April Hosting and attending more SYF Performance Exchanges Conducted concerts Passing of composition mentor Leong Yoon Pin 2011 SYF Central Judging (Gold with Honours, Golds and Silver, it’s been a lucky year) and Workshops SSO Workshop of local composers’ works (what a feast for the ears!) May Drinks with Kodaly Seminar Asia friends! Nice Award from SASS, donated half back to the choir Poland Competition with SYC Ensemble Singers (Overall festival champion aside, singing and living in Poland was fun!) June Herlina got married with Nikolaus! Hosted Dr Miguel Felipe …

Flying with Babies for First Time Parents

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Flying on Lufthansa’s B747-400 with 14-month old baby Athena for the first time is quite an experience. For starters, taking off involves using the following cool contraption. YES, there is actually a safety seatbelt for babies on planes (this is for all you first-time parents out there).  How does it work? Essentially, it enables you to seat the baby on one’s lap. See the middle loop there? Thread your own adult seatbelt through the loop, and belt up baby and yourself. The Lufthansa people will offer this before take-off. Worried about pressure changes resulting in blocked ears for babies? Would advise that you start feeding the baby as the plane is moving onto the runway and/or approaching the destination. Apart from clearing blocked ears, the comfort afforded by drinking or eating milk/food is added assurance for those easily disturbed by machine sounds. Baby Athena cries from hearing vacuum cleaners, but it was a wonder she wasn’t bothered by airplane engines and slept through most of our 11hr-long flight from Singapore to Frankfurt! If you don’t …