Bratislava

The only reason I put the Slovakian capital on the title was because I felt like it. Woo hoo. But really, it sounds like a cool place. Because it's in Europe. Not really a reason. 've heard that it isn't the best place to live. But ok. Yay. The real reason that I'm posting is because a very non-traumatic event took place, with me being the center of it, today. I went to an audition. The symphony audition. Ah, what joy. A symphony audition. One of the banes of my existence. Sitting in an awkwardly silent room wainting for yout ten minutes to shine. Or not. It all depends on your skill. Yay... So, I'm at school. My audition is at 4:20, or so I think. We are supposed to arrive fifteen minutes early for the audition. But it is 4:00, and not one is picking me up. I start playing Pacman on my phone, right as my friend texts me. "Yo, Linh." I'm so happy. No one has texted me in 29 days. Then, my dad calls me. Pacman is canceled. I groan. As I turn around to acknowledge my father's arrival, he calls me again. I immediately glare at him, and gather up my cello, backpack and tennis bag. When I get to the car, the door magically opens. Magic. Magic. I tell my dad, "Aren't we supposed be at the office now???" "...Yes. In a way. I'll drive (giggle) 100 mph." "Thanks, dad." So we drive 100 mph minus 70. So much for going quickly. As we chug along the freeway, I start playing Diner Dash 2. I get so immersed, I don't realize that it has become 4:20. And we are nowhere near the office. "Dad! We're late!" I yell and almost drop the phone. Last year, we missed the application, so this year, I actually want to be able to audition. At the right time. My dad starts to make an odd noise, like a tiger purring, but laughing at the same time. I haven't heard it ever before. "It's at 4:30." I sigh, and resume playing the game on my phone, although I have almost lost, due to the brief interlude. When we reach (finally) the office, my dad tries to park. "Growl. Growl." The cars in the lot have taken up all the spaces, other than one minuscule space. My father carefully places the SUV in the parking lot, making sure to not have any room for the other cars to move out. He delicately moves out of the car, and picks up the audition form. He has crossed out the name of my former teacher, who is already registered with the association, and instead has added the name of my current teacher, who is obviously not registered. When my cello and I reached the building suite, I get a momentary mind blank. I then realize that the door on the right, which I am staring at is in fact the door to a light remodeling business. I open the other door. I am greeted by a blast of music, violins plucking and violas singing. Not literally. And there are only two instruments in the practice area. Faintly in the distance, I hear the sound of a cello playing the Boccherini Concerto in B flat Major. I have played that a year ago. Setting up my cello, I observe the other auditioners. One child sports a miniature violin and is attempting to tune it. Hence the plucking. Another auditioner is the violist. He is cranking away at arpeggios. I suspect he is playing a C Major scale. Moms stare at me. After fifteen minutes of waiting, at 4:40, I am called into the auditioning room. The conductor is currently writing a form on the previous auditioner. I awkwardly wait, and she says, "Commence." Scary. She is currently all professional. So, I commence my scales. I play a D Major scale, and D Major arpeggio. After finishing my etude, with a 1 page cut, she stops me, as I start playing my concerto. She has already heard it. "Your arpeggios weren't very clean at the top. Could you hear that?" I nod my head. "However, I will take you. You have been a very good girl, and three years in Sinfonietta is much too long." My heart jumps for joy. I meekly depart the room, as the director of this whole shebang smiles warmly at me. We leave the room and drive home.