Concert is cancelled in Hong Kong, two weeks before the performance, almost two months after paying for the air ticket. It is perfectly fine if a concert has to be cancelled due to varies reasons (better be real good reasons), but the fact that the director did not intend to inform me about the cancellation, until I happened to ask him about the concert, on Facebook. Seriously, this is not even a professional vs. amateur issue; this is about responsibility. Should I have signed a contract before I decided to attend the performance? I guess a paper is more trust-able than a person, which is sad. This person calls himself a professional musician and a teacher, which is even more sad---way to corrupt an entire generation of musician. Teachers should really learn about moral issues before they are allowed to teach, especially, young kids.

I never learned about fraud in school---way to spend an international air ticket to learn just that. Worth it?

It feels like I have been composing a lot this semester, but I actually haven't written that much. My bass trombone quartet commission is coming very slowly. I have this urge to finish it ASAP--don't know whether it's a good thing or not. Perhaps I am just anxious about commissions, that I want to see a finished product as quick as possible. I am, however, very satisfied with my recent completed piece Katachi IV for alto saxophone and live electronics. I can see my style slowly changing and evolving. Honestly, I would have never imagined it be like this, say, five years ago. I am excited, and anxious to see what's next.

More travels are ahead of me: Bowling Green, Hong Kong, Iowa... as much as I love traveling, I am broke.

Had three concerts in four days! It was a lot, but hey, can't complain! My music is being played! What could be better than that? (don't know if it's ever gonna happen again---I mean, three concerts in four days!)

The symposium at Connecticut College was a great experience. I met many musicians/artists, and made me feel that, we are all in this TOGETHER! Daniel was a great performer. It was a somewhat different interpretation, and that's what's fantastic about live performances! There was a slight feedback issue towards the middle of the piece because of how the speakers were placed (sorta weird position...), but everything else went well. And, a new commission for piccolo violin!

Wish I had time to drive to Boston or New York City... Oh well. Stay at airport for the whole night just to save this one night's hotel fee, worth it?