Last Sunday, I was at Lola's house as I visit her every now and then. (We are, after all, next-door neighbors!) Anyway, as Lola was eating and talking to Tatay, I wandered off in the all-too familiar living room and lifted the cover of her piano. (I was around four or five when she started to teach me to play the magical instrument -- the same exact piano from decades ago!) My fingers found its way on the black and white keys as I attempted to play the ever-famous Für Elise (the first-ever "major" piece I've learned). To my dismay, I also came to realize that I had forgotten a number of notes and couldn't even, for the life of me, begin to remember the right chords (for my left hand). How absolutely frustrating! So I opened up the seat cover and dug through the books that Lola has kept over the years. I discovered my first-ever piano book from more than twenty years ago; the one Lola used when I started playing. There were even notes, still, such as, "Practice this" on the corners of the pages. So I went through each page and was overjoyed when I learned that I can still read notes! I haven't touched a piano in years, yet I could read the musical notes printed on the staffs all too easily. Amazing! Needless to say, I played a number of nursery rhymes, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean being one of my favorites! (I also realized that I still know how to read the measurement/time/tempo of music. Coooool.)

After playing through the entire book (well, not really; I just chose songs that I liked LOL), I attempted to go back to Für Elise and remembered a bit more. It was like having puzzle pieces come together from my finger tips. AND THEN I gave Ballade Pour Adeline a shot --- and failed miserably! I played some nursery rhymes yet again and did some finger exercises (which Lola required, in the past, before and after playing real pieces) while I did my best to remember the notes and the positioning of my fingers on the keys. I felt absolutely terrible and for once I thought I might finally have an item #1 for my 'List of Things I Regret'. Haha! I don't know how long I sat there, playing various keys, but I got up from my seat triumphantly as I remembered some chords and notes. I think I was able to play the first twenty seconds of the piece. (I first learned Ballade Pour Adeline when my cousin, Cris, came to visit us in Hawaii from Germany. He knew the piece by heart and gave me a copy of the music and taught me the first few parts. I learned the rest on my own because we had a piano in the house anyway and on top of that, my parents found me a piano teacher, whom I visited once a week. I remember she lived someplace far, in an apartment. She was a really nice old lady. ☺)  

Anyway, I am now determined to play the piano once again. Thank God for the Internet; I easily found the piano piece for Ballade Pour Adeline, which I will be working on in the days (weekends) to come. Words cannot describe how excited I am! I'll work on Für Elise as well, of course, and then perhaps to more beautiful (classical) pieces. SO EXCITED. 

Currently studying these music sheets (Ballade Pour Adeline).

I swear I used to know this by heart! Heehee.