On the 6th of September, I went to Ijok. It was my first time in a dewan sekolah, and my second in a public school. It was bigger than I thought it would be. It was also hot. They had at least twenty huge fans blowing air around the room, but they were only pushing stale air at you. At least I got to sit down. Those poor actors and dancers on stage.
"Would you like to play the cello in a musical? They need strings players." My Aunt was very enthusiastic about her church project. The show would be part People's Park Baptist Church's community service project in a little town called Ijok, with the church donating foodstuffs to about a hundred families as well as giving them a performance. So I said yes.
The first practice I went to revealed to me that the musical was not actually a musical (though one of the ladies mom talked to enthusiastically compared the performance to the Phantom of the Opera), but more of a drama with songs and videos interspersed. They told me that we would be playing two chinese songs, and two Sheila Majid songs, and that they were very happy and thankful that I was there to help them.
The play was about a woman named Rachel. Rachel, in a very dramatic scene involving her catching her husband with another woman, moves to Ijok to start over. Her two children whine and complain about how Ijok is boring. One breaks down and sobs, the other mixes with the wrong crowd and gets beaten up. Women from the town come to comfort Rachel with gifts of nasi lemak and clean up her house. The father follows them to Ijok, tearfully pleads forgiveness and the drama ends with a rousing rendition of 'Bersatu Hati'.
It was fun. I got to play random songs with my cello and meet new people, most of whom had been working for a few years already, and also do something for the community (Dad likes to tell us to do this). Mom wasted no time in telling people about it and got several friends (you know who you are) to come along.
The night itself went very smoothly. Residents were invited to come to get free stuff and medical checkups as well to watch a show. The stage had prop houses with doors and windows that opened, the musicans were cordoned off into a little area on the side. The lights dimmed. Music began. I daresay the audience enjoyed it. I know I did.
