Far far away

10 days left until I leave for Shanghai. How things have changed in the two years since the last time I went overseas.

I had my third riding lesson today. All my lessons so far have been with different instructors. I did go to a cheap riding place for my past two lessons but it was kind of lame because I was in a group lesson with 7 and 4 year olds, walking, trotting, 30cm jumps and there wasn't much instruction going on (NO, JESS, STOP KICKING AND STAND UP WHEN THE HORSE IS PEEING), so today I decided to splurge on an intense private lesson. Which was totally awesome. My instructor was nice enough, and I have almost mastered the rising trot! The first time I trotted properly at my first lesson I was bouncing all over the place and felt like I was about to fall off my horse, but today I finally figured out what a trot is meant to be like. It's meant to be easier, my instructor said, if you play an instrument because you are meant to be keeping in time with the horse's rising and falling rhythms. But jeez, it is a hell of a lot harder than it looks, even with my hands gripping the saddle and the horse on a lunge lead. And it is a huge workout for my calf muscles. My balance is way better now and it's so much fun though. Last lesson next Thursday, and then I'm off to search for English-speaking riding lessons in Paris. I also want to learn cello in Paris if I have money left over.

I accompanied that singer on Wednesday and it was totally shit. I had a few stuff-ups (the singer didn't notice because I am good at covering stuff-ups). It was freaking intimidating even though I wasn't the one auditioning. 6 judges. SIX. And an effing gorgeous concert grand Steinway. My second time on a Steinway. Thank God the singer was totally not taking it seriously. Well, not really even though she claimed to do so. She graduated in 2011 and she is doing a diploma at AIM, but they won't let her do a bachelor's degree because she isn't committed enough apparently. Got a 40 something result for an ATAR. She is the epitome of my worst nightmare and how I could potentially turn out to be, bad enough as that sounds. Everyone was wearing fancy dresses, as in full on recital/exam attire, so thank God I did the accompaniment for someone first otherwise I would show up next Friday at my own audition as the only one wearing jeans. But I'm not taking this audition seriously either, because I'd rather not be doing music at uni.

I think I will go on a working horse riding holiday in Ireland, England or Scotland for my Christmas break, which is from 21-29 December. Ireland probably, as the currency is in Euros so it's easier for me, and also it's cheaper. Or should I go somewhere else in France for a week, or perhaps London? No idea. Actually I think I will go for Ireland after all. Need to think about health insurance because horse riding is pretty dangerous.