this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction

Thought this accurately depicted the NYC state of mind.

This is my last week in The Big Apple and I cannot describe how great it has been to be here for 6 weeks, but at the same time, I really miss home. I can't wait to get back to normal life, not catching a subway to a tourist filled square, working for the day, and taking a subway back home to a closet sized room for the night. I have had so many great experiences in the city and can't wait to share them with all my family and friends.

Going through this program has confirmed what I want to do for a living, but it also helped me to realize what I do not desire in life. I realized that I am not, nor will ever want to be a litigator. Yes, the name is ironic due to a certain school mascot I have a relation to, but it is just not me. I can't imagine going in front of a room full of people, a jury, and a judge who grills you with questions (on appeals court at least). I am fine working in an office, meeting with clients on a personal basis and settling the dispute via non-trial methods.

I am really ready for law school. I have this weird obsession with being busy, so I feel as if this could translate well into losing my life studying at said law school. I have always been open to an academic challenge and can't wait to experience this in law school.

The rest of this blog is completely random, but it is something I really need to talk about. There was a free NY Philharmonic concert in Central Park tonight that I did not attend. Let me first say that I think the NY Phil is absolutely amazing after seeing them in concert on Friday night. I am very impressed by their control and artistry. Alas, this is not the reason I did not attend tonight (aside from the reason that I am feeling under the weather). The real reason was the guest artist; Lang Lang. Lang Lang, if you are not familiar with him, has gained extreme international fame for being one of the "best pianists of our time". I could not agree with this statement any less. I will say that he has done an amazing job at opening the realm of classical music to people around the world that do not listen or appreciate the genre. I am not talking about this facet, however. As a pianist, I look at the overall presentation of the artist as a musician, both technically and musically. I will say that Lang Lang has incredible technique that allows him to tackle any piece. Where I stray from the popular opinion (mostly composed of non-pianists) is his understanding and presentation of the music he plays. He is incredibly "showy" to the point that sacrifices the music. It is my opinion that amazing music can speak for itself and does not require the performer to "put on a show" so to speak. Yes, Lang Lang can play every note written on the page, but what is that music when there is no emotional understanding? Lang Lang simply overstates too many things for me to appreciate him as a pianist. This has been a long rant about something pianists could spend hours talking about, but I just needed to say this (or blog in this case) to everyone. If you are not too familiar with pianists and are interested in researching or listening to a Chinese pianist, please go with Yundi Li. He is someone who really understands music and performs it in a way that gives meaning to the piece and respect to the composer.

Can't wait to come home on Sunday!