Before I forget:
MuscUTS in Concert - 3pm Sunday, October 30th 2005 at Ultimo Public School, Quarry St Ultimo. Tickets at the door.
The UTS jazz band, orchestra and choir are all performing.

Went to the joint choir + orchestra rehearsal today. Room bookings were screwed - there was some mandarin-speaking group in the Ashley-Smith room. They left after a while so that the MuscUTS president could paint (that's the only room the Student Union allows painting to happen in). We moved back in there too.
We spent most of the time between 11:00-12:30 practicing the In Ecclesiis, by Gabrielli. It's really difficult to count; the time signature changes between 4-2, 3-4 and 3-1 a lot. The conductor makes it even more difficult to count by not conducting the 3-4 section with sensible timing, instead opting to conduct only the first beat of the bar. Even though in some bits, the timing is 3 semibreves to a bar, I've resorted to counting minims, and even crotchets, in some of them. So difficult to grasp rhythms!

At 12:30, we took a lunch break. I painted the 'Oct 30th' in green on the poster. :D

The orchestra members dribbled in and were all present by the time we started again, around 13:10. We tried to combine the orchestra and choir parts, only to find that the orchestra members hadn't seen the In Ecclesiis piece before, and that they played far too loud for us to hear each other singing. (Though apparently, the orchestra conductor had had the instrument scores for months now.) -_-;;;
We ended up separating again, with the choir having to practice in the corridor because the room next door, which we'd used for a while that morning (Ashley-Smith room had been double-booked, remember?) had been taken over by some group who were eating biscuits.
To make things more difficult, Michelle, the pianist, left soon after the groups had separated (due to other commitments). So then the conductor tried to play piano and conduct at the same time. Didn't work too well, of course. His sight-reading/piano playing isn't all that spectacular.

At 15:00, the orchestra and choir joined together again. There were still problems, especially with counting. I felt really irritated that I couldn't keep the rhythm properly. I hate the In Ecclesiis piece now.
Around 15:45, it was decided that we'd all had enough. The orchestra packed up and left. The choir did a short run through of the Ecce Homo piece (yay, Mr Bean silliness!) to boost our low morale, then finished at 15:55.

I took the train to Town Hall. Walked leisurely around, managing to find the Backpackers Hotel in the process, until 16:20, when I met up with other members from the Animania Volunteers Backstage group. Signed cards for our 3 managers.
Climbed 4 floors of stairs to reach the roof of the Backpacker's Hotel, which is where the Animania Volunteers afterparty was held. I could have taken the lift, but I didn't know where the lift was, and I figured that I could do with the exercise. It's actually pretty small.
Spent quite a few hours just mingling. Kept my bag on the entire time, since I didn't feel like losing it.
All the managers were given Pocky by some of the volunteers. XD
Lots of photos were taken. I feel like an idiot for having forgotten a camera.
Found out that a guy I knew (but don't know his name) despises broccoli. He makes disgusted/sick faces when he sees people eating the stuff. Consequently, people had much fun teasing him.
An entire plate of prawns were eaten by three people.
I took photos with someone else's camera. And tried to stick Pocky up the MC's nose.
Shinzo appeared with her bf, but disappeared before it got dark.
The ice cream tasted a little like playdoh.

Around 16:20, certificates of participation (and showbags with some stuff) were handed out to each volunteer. There were also prizes for best ppl from each group; best group and best volunteer. All the managers got a certificate of participation, a showbag, and a bottle of wine.
The two HR girls got presents. Earlier, I think Louis was presented with a box of flowers from a guy from Backstage, who knelt as if proposing. XD

I finally remember the guy's name - the international student in his final year of an IT degree - Vincent! He got a hug for his efforts at trying to catch me on camera. (And because I thought he was cute.)

w00t. I hugged god. XD
(Actually, that's just one of Damien's - the guy who managed the tech stuff - nicknames. A more popular one seems to be 'Damo'.)
I think I surprised him or something. He seems to be more fragile than he looks. Are all skinny techies like that??

Anyway, I ran off after that. Took the left down from lvl2, but the lift went back up to lvl4 to pick up two more (Baulko? I know their faces...) Animania volunteers.

Found I'd just missed the train. Ended up getting to Eastwood by 20:00. Missed out on the Granny Smith Festival! >_<
Gave Benny his requested Elfen Lied on a DVD with a crapload of other stuff. Played a little DotA as his character while waiting for parents to appear.
Parents arrived, parked, bought duck and bbq pork, then went home.