sick with the flu

Only a few months ago, I remember going to the supermarket to by ease-a-cold (that stuff is gold!).
Now, I am struck down with the flu yet again. But that should be no surprise. It IS winter now and the winter bug is being passed around. Something serious is being spread because I was teaching on Wednesday and almost all of my students came to their lesson sick, spluttering or sniffing. Quite the charming isn't it!

Today is the final day for semis of the 9th SIPCA. Even I'm nervous for the competitors. My predictions for the Final 6 are (and not in this order at all):

Ran Dank
Hoang Pham
Tomoki Kitamura
Tatiana Kolesova
Mariangela Vacatello
Eric Zuber

I think Eric Zuber has a good chance in making it because his Mendelssohn fairly impressive. His 2nd movement showed much more expression than what he has presented so far.

Charlie Albright is also great however I have issues with him in the fact that he spread out most of Chopin Op 25 throughout his program and also split up his Sonata!

Tatiana will most probably win Audience prize especially after her jazz rendition in Stage 3.

In about 12 hours, Yoonsoo Ree will finish off Stage IV with her chamber music component and we will all await for the results.