Vapiano

You know how my last post was made at about 2am this morning?  Well, I had to be up at 7am...  Admittedly, my original forecast for the day's activities meant leaving home at 8:30 this morning and returning home at 7:30 this evening.  I realised I could come home between church this morning and the rehearsal, but it was still a rest-free day.  I've been feeling in need of toothpicks to hold up my eyelids since about 9am.  It was a Many Coffee Day.

After the rehearsal (for Handel's oratorio, Theodora - performance is in St John's Cathedral this coming Saturday, 7:30pm), I had a bit of time spare in the city.  As my brother is also playing in Theodora, I shouted him coffee.  We were going to go to a certain coffee chain...But Vapiano was closer.  Phew.  It's located just off the Queen St Mall, in the bit of Albert St that leads in the direction of the Botanic Gardens.  A fairly new building development that also houses Kathmandu, a tea house, and a sushi restaurant, I felt like a cool person just walking towards it.

Vapiano does things differently (how perfect for my blog!).  As we approached the register, we were greeted by a friendly staff member who asked if we'd dined there before.  Total newbies, he gave us each a chip card (like a credit card) and invited us to the bar to order coffees.  How this works: whatever you order is put on the card, when you leave you present the card and they then let you know how much to pay.  Just don't lose the card.

I'd had lunch at 11:30, and I knew I wouldn't be eating until about 7:30, so I was hoping to have a little something to eat.  Hoping to have a little something vaguely healthy to eat.  Without actually ordering something real (like pizza or pasta), I was left with only sweet things.  I almost didn't give in, but I mentioned the presence of tiramisu... My brother was unable to resist, so I opted for a Creme di Fragola.  It included strawberries - they're healthy, right?

I like the red of the decor, and a wall of black and white prints - love it.  I had a moment of "I wonder if that would work in my place..." Probably not though.  I also had my brother take photos.  Hm.  Really hard to keep a straight face.  Sometimes, really hard!

Good coffee, good decor, good wait staff.  Will visit again for real food.  Ooh, and they have real basil in pots on the tables (just not on the comfy cool red-cushioned area tables).

Outfit #12 - Bonus! - Staff Concert

 Tonight was the school's annual Music Staff Concert.  I can humbly say, it was pretty spectacular (as it always is).  I can't really imagine wearing something other than black to perform, so the black dress came out again.  I love these shoes (I know I say that a lot, but still...).  They may look dainty and uncomfortable, but I've worn these for 14 hour days and still felt human.  Stiletto, but a mini platform, a strap to keep things in place, a cute little bow.  These photos were taken once I returned home, but I think it's the camera rather than the tiredness that's the cause of the red eyes.  Although, this was the least scary of the lot.

Outfit:
Dress: Hot Options.  Shoes: Pulp Noir.  Earrings: silver roses.  Hair clip: ???  Violin: made by Arthur John Parkes.  It's a long story, but he's now a bishop.

Obviously, the concert was not in my living room.  And I never actually play in this exact spot, ever, because there's a wall. 

I work with really talented people.  Not just great teachers, but really skilled performers.  We should be charging $50 a ticket minimum!  It's a bargain at gold coin donation.  I was part of 3 things, as well as the (unrehearsed) group staff thing at the end.  5 of us on strings accompanied our Head of Music and a singing teacher in 2 parts of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater.  3 of us performed the last movement of the Brahms trio for French horn, violin and piano (agh!  written in a key that's great for horn, not for violin).  And 2 of us performed the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia duo, on violin and viola.  This was the 2nd time I've performed that piece, and thankfully it went much, much better this time.  The last time, my E string slipped near the top of the last page, and I just could not foresee success for those ridiculous runs.  I had to stop, retune, and then start up again - it really ruined the mood.  This time, all strings stayed put, the music (mostly) stayed on the music stand, and after the first couple of bits my arms and brain calmed down.  And because I apparently have a smile fixed to my face whenever I'm performing, no-one could tell the nerves were there.  Success!