Two Sides of a Coin

AS I was entering the lift with my violin after my lesson at Braddell Heights Community Centre, I noticed an elderly lady frowning at me in the lift. I raised my eyebrows as if in wonderment and to my surprise she spoke to me in Mandarin, "So you are the one ah, making all that noise?"

"You mean music?"

"I can hear you play the piano and violin everyday .....aiyo.....very noisy ah."

I smiled sweetly and kept quiet. What do you say when an elderly neighbour reckoned it was noise she heard and not music. What would she say when I learn to play the gu zheng next year? Maybe playing Chinese songs on the gu zheng might be some music to her.? Luckily she was not our neighbour when my siblings and I were growing up in Penang. My family members played so many different instruments at home - piano, violin, cello, trumpet, clarinet, guitar, saxophone, drums, ukele, accordian, flute, etc. Sometimes you could also hear eldest or second sister singing with piano accompaniment!

On another occasion, I was in the lift rushing for my violin lessons. A gentleman smiled and said, "I like your piano and violin playing. Wow! You play two instruments ....so talented. Hope to let my daughter learn the piano when she is older."

I smiled sweetly and said, "Glad you enjoy music. Good to let your daughter learn
either the piano or violin in the near future."

In life, there are always two sides of a coin. We cannot please everyone.

Gan Chau