Mrs Ilano is the most awesome cello teacher ever :D

Today's lesson was productive :)
Mrs Ilano: Play your open strings
Me: *plays open strings*
Mrs Ilano: Ah, I see that you've finally practised your cello x)

Haha I really admire her experience and vision. Indeed, I haven't practised my cello for quite a long time cos of Chinese A-levels and OP, and I've been smoking through my previous lessons. But 4 hours yesterday and another 3 hours today made me reconnect with my cello again :) and Mrs Ilano could tell that just by the tone of the open strings.

One day during cello lesson a few months back..
Mrs Ilano: Hong Rui, stop playing.
Me: Yeah?
Mrs Ilano: Do you know something? Your right arm is longer than your left.
Me: O.o Are you serious? I don't believe it. *puts down cello and straighten out both arms*
Me: OMG.

Yeah my right arm is longer than my left arm by around half a cm >_< and I had to have someone else point that out to me. I have lived 17 years of my life in vain.

Another one..
Mrs Ilano: Hong Rui, stop playing. I have finally realised why you can never hit that note properly.
Me: Ok must be my posture again right?
Mrs Ilano: No, its your fingerboard. Your fingerboard is not shaved properly. There's a slight bulge on that particular note which you're trying to hit, that's why you always slide over it and play it sharp.
Me: O.o

Then we spent 5 minutes analyzing my cello from all sorts of angles and using all kinds of rulers. Turns out that she's right again x)

Lesson before my promos practical exam..
Mrs Ilano: Hong Rui, what time is your exam?
Hong Rui: Hmm, if i don't remember wrongly, it should be 9:50.

On the day of promos prac..
9:30. Sms from Mrs Ilano: "All the best! Play Well! :) "
10:30. "How did it go? :) "

So awesome right? I secretly call her Grandma Ilano because she's just so caring! :D She's like half the reason why I want to be a music teacher next time too! :)

Haha and today she just saved me another $50 from my music H3 by loaning me her awesome book on Bach cello suites. It's like brand new!
Mrs Ilano: "Haha I tried reading them, but I fell asleep halfway through it x) After you finish reading the book, teach me okay? :)"

Let's end off with one last final encounter. 3 weeks ago.
Mrs Ilano: Hong Rui, stop playing. I can see that there's something wrong with your right thumb. It's very rigid, are you experiencing any pain?"
Me: Yeah D: I don't know why.
Mrs Ilano: Yes you do, you must have been doing something to it. Stop doing whatever has been causing you that pain.

And so, today marks the 21st day since I last played Lumines on my phone. Unlike my rubik's cube, which I threw away to stop myself from playing it, Lumines cannot be deleted from my darn phone. But I swear I won't play it again, for my cello playing's sake, and for Mrs Ilano :)

Awesome teachers ftw ^_^