New York and Italy
Today was one of those days that made me realize why I love grad school.
I just finished my first final. I'm shooting for 10 points below average, because
a) if I'm lucky that's what I got
b) with that grade I should be able to pull off a C in the class. Of course I need a 3.2 to take the PhD qualifying exam a year from January, so it'll be tough to pull up the old GPA, but at least I won't have failed outright.
In other news, I found out I not only need to do research Thursday and Friday after I finish my 3rd exam and before I leave for Germany on Saturday, but I should also be doing it when I get back in January. So much for a long winter break.
However, at least my work makes someone happy. See the email I got below from someone in Italy in response to one of my Youtube videos. Maybe I should move there and and play accordion. I might do better.
Quite recently you seem to have gained a couple of enthusiastic fans:
my two toddlers, aged 5 and 3 [1], are since long keen on Wallace &
Gromit films, and are now asking me more and more about your youtube
post [2] in such a maniac way that we now "must" have breakfast and
dinner with your performance in the background.
:-)
Now, it happens that our own family comes right from the spot where
most of the best accordions in the world are crafted [3][4] and this
adds to the real clue of the email: I've recently bought myself an
accordion and started learning music.
While my skills are right now next to zero yet, and I practice with
the classic and boring music scales up and down, I would also like to
start and play some little thing that pleases my children.
My big problem is that while I "could" guess the melody, I know
nothing about basses.[5]
So here is why I write: could/would you please send us the music score
of that Wallace & Gromit music, please?
We will be happy with anything, no matter if complete, and no matter
even if is "correct" or "guessed"; even some handwritten hint on how
to play would suffice.
Xerox copy, handwritten on papyrus, email, homing pigeon, no matter
how you can deliver such tiny knowledge, please be assured that my
children will be much pleased.
Please, feel yourself like a fat Father Christmas for one day, and let
my children enjoy their father [6] play their beloved music!
If you like, of course ;-)
Luigi [7]
----
[1] Here they are! http://www.kirpi.it/listing/soffio_bis.JPG
[2] http://youtube.com/watch?v=ekYO2p68NII
[3] Castelfidardo, which lies in the middle of Italy.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=it&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=castelfidardo&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.02306,82.265625&ie=UTF8&ll=43.467622,13.546486&spn=0.118107,0.32135&z=12&om=1
[4] Including your Guerrini.
[5] Out of curiosity, we also happen to live in Milano, just some 50
km away from the small Stradella village where the most used bass
system for accordions originated.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=it&geocode=10963798675224208464,45.339200,9.201590%3B6322495050927916170,45.293960,9.211860%3B7495012725751551149,45.259160,9.203860%3B18431627584104075593,45.255600,9.200960&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=Milano&daddr=Via+Roma+%4045.339200,+9.201590+to:SP205%2FVia+Vigentina+%4045.293960,+9.211860+to:SP205%2FVia+Vigentina+%4045.259160,+9.203860+to:45.259422,9.203796+to:stradella&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=10&via=1,2,3,4&sll=45.266275,9.17256&sspn=0.458141,1.2854&ie=UTF8&z=10&om=1
[6] Hiking in the Dolomites, Italy
http://www.drivemeinsane.com/cgi-bin/visitorpage.cgi?record=943&theme=0
[7] If we can do anything as a reward for your kindness, please let us know.
PS - I'm realizing now that I rarely post with a "positive" mood. I should start. Maybe next time I'm optimistic...
I just finished my first final. I'm shooting for 10 points below average, because
a) if I'm lucky that's what I got
b) with that grade I should be able to pull off a C in the class. Of course I need a 3.2 to take the PhD qualifying exam a year from January, so it'll be tough to pull up the old GPA, but at least I won't have failed outright.
In other news, I found out I not only need to do research Thursday and Friday after I finish my 3rd exam and before I leave for Germany on Saturday, but I should also be doing it when I get back in January. So much for a long winter break.
However, at least my work makes someone happy. See the email I got below from someone in Italy in response to one of my Youtube videos. Maybe I should move there and and play accordion. I might do better.
Quite recently you seem to have gained a couple of enthusiastic fans:
my two toddlers, aged 5 and 3 [1], are since long keen on Wallace &
Gromit films, and are now asking me more and more about your youtube
post [2] in such a maniac way that we now "must" have breakfast and
dinner with your performance in the background.
:-)
Now, it happens that our own family comes right from the spot where
most of the best accordions in the world are crafted [3][4] and this
adds to the real clue of the email: I've recently bought myself an
accordion and started learning music.
While my skills are right now next to zero yet, and I practice with
the classic and boring music scales up and down, I would also like to
start and play some little thing that pleases my children.
My big problem is that while I "could" guess the melody, I know
nothing about basses.[5]
So here is why I write: could/would you please send us the music score
of that Wallace & Gromit music, please?
We will be happy with anything, no matter if complete, and no matter
even if is "correct" or "guessed"; even some handwritten hint on how
to play would suffice.
Xerox copy, handwritten on papyrus, email, homing pigeon, no matter
how you can deliver such tiny knowledge, please be assured that my
children will be much pleased.
Please, feel yourself like a fat Father Christmas for one day, and let
my children enjoy their father [6] play their beloved music!
If you like, of course ;-)
Luigi [7]
----
[1] Here they are! http://www.kirpi.it/listing/soffio_bis.JPG
[2] http://youtube.com/watch?v=ekYO2p68NII
[3] Castelfidardo, which lies in the middle of Italy.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=it&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=castelfidardo&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.02306,82.265625&ie=UTF8&ll=43.467622,13.546486&spn=0.118107,0.32135&z=12&om=1
[4] Including your Guerrini.
[5] Out of curiosity, we also happen to live in Milano, just some 50
km away from the small Stradella village where the most used bass
system for accordions originated.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=it&geocode=10963798675224208464,45.339200,9.201590%3B6322495050927916170,45.293960,9.211860%3B7495012725751551149,45.259160,9.203860%3B18431627584104075593,45.255600,9.200960&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=Milano&daddr=Via+Roma+%4045.339200,+9.201590+to:SP205%2FVia+Vigentina+%4045.293960,+9.211860+to:SP205%2FVia+Vigentina+%4045.259160,+9.203860+to:45.259422,9.203796+to:stradella&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=10&via=1,2,3,4&sll=45.266275,9.17256&sspn=0.458141,1.2854&ie=UTF8&z=10&om=1
[6] Hiking in the Dolomites, Italy
http://www.drivemeinsane.com/cgi-bin/visitorpage.cgi?record=943&theme=0
[7] If we can do anything as a reward for your kindness, please let us know.
PS - I'm realizing now that I rarely post with a "positive" mood. I should start. Maybe next time I'm optimistic...