The "Soldes" (Summer Sales) in Paris started a few days ago. Having no idea what to do during my first weekend without textbooks, I went shopping, more precisely WINDOW shopping! I enjoy looking at beautiful designs, colors and patterns very much while I seldom have the courage to buy anything. While I was walking in the Galeries Lafayette, (famous department store just next to the Palais Garnier) I thought of my coming summer holiday in Hong Kong and I was kind of looking for light colored and light T-shirts for a HOT summer in Hong Kong. This made me think of a moment that my mind captured around four years ago, after my first summer holiday in Hong Kong after I joined the Paris Opera Ballet School.......

My first summer break in Hong Kong was not an easy one, it seemed way too short for me. After one year staying far away from my family, I wanted to do so many things during my summer break: to see different changes of my hometown, to taste the food that I missed the most,  to get prepared for a new school year in Paris, to buy different things that I couldn't find in Paris, to find gifts for my friends in Paris...... The terrible news was that my aunt, Ann, who was not married and who had been living with me since I was born, was diagnosed with breast cancer, middle-final stage. We were very close and she was especially supportive to me. Because of that, every minute of my holiday seemed particularly precious to me. As I didn't know when I would see Ann again, or would I still have the chance? 

I went to watch a local ballet competition with my parents two days before my departure for Paris. Watching the competition next to my parents among the audience, I was at first very attentive, then nostalgic. The idea of leaving Hong Kong in two days came to my mind all of a sudden. I started crying, in the darkness, my head lowered towards my chest. Since that moment, I became so unhappy.......

..... until my last dinner of that summer holiday at a "Tai Hing" restaurant at the downstairs of our place. My mind was empty, I almost gone crazy, too scared to leave my family, and Ann again. My whole family was there: my parents, Ann, my sister and my grandmother. I ordered a bowl of Ramen with ham and egg, the dish that I would miss the most. Looking at this bowl of Ramen in front of me, my tears went down, right into the bowl. I cried, it was however much enjoyable for me, it was a release. "Little brother, don't be unhappy.......", my grandma said with such emotion while touching my shoulder softly. I was very touched by this voice, grandma seldom speaks so softly to me. This only made me cry out even more. 

At the airport, before I turned my back to my family, my last glance was towards Ann....... certainly both of us were wondering if that was our last goodbye. 
In a way, it was. Two months later, I came back to Hong Kong urgently, and found Ann waiting for me in a hospital bed.........



What stayed in my mind is this image of a bowl of fragrant Ramen, blurred by my tears. It was especially tough to get over, my favorite bowl of Ramen was especially bitter. 

First time for me to see my name on the official castings! Can you find my name in there? I will be performing on 6th, 8th, 11th and 14th in Justin Peck's new piece. 

Yesterday night, after one week of intensive revision and exams, I went back to the Paris Opera for the final rehearsals. I discovered the sets and the costumes yesterday of Justin Peck's creation. They look very nice to me. Not necessarily the most innovative designs but everything looks nice in general in my opinion. 

On the left, it's me with the mask that I will be wearing while dancing. I haven't tried dancing with it yet, the other cast did the rehearsal last night. Apparently with the lightings on stage we don't see much and makes it particularly difficult to dance with. 

A nice shot of the second movement! 

I also watched the other ballet: Brahms-Shoenberg by Balanchine. Actually I am supposed to be understudying this ballet. However, since Justin Peck's piece and this one always have rehearsals at the same time, I missed almost EVERY rehearsal of it! I really hope that I will not have to replace in this ballet ...... 

​This gala in Marseille was a special one, because it was right in the middle of my Baccalaureat exams. So it was a double stress: stress from the proper gala performance because it has never been so unprepared for me (I was doing a new piece too!) , and even more stress from the exams. I tried my best to do my revisions in the high-speed train, even though it was really uncomfortable to revise in the train, it made me kind of dizzy. 

We departed from Paris on Saturday morning by train. Upon our arrival in Marseille, very sunny and pleasant weather welcomed us there and we had lunch at the theatre. The show started at 9pm, so we had a lot of time to get prepared and to rehearse on the stage before the show starts. ​

Even though I was exhausted after the show, I had a terrible night, I couldn’t stop thinking about my mathematics exam on Monday!
was a football match in Marseille (Euro 2016).

​Fortunately a delicious buffet breakfast at the hotel pleased me. Buffet breakfasts at hotels are always a regale, don’t you think?

This afternoon, I finally finished all my exams for the Baccalaureat! I am so excited! No more gala performances, no more revision, no more exam...... only 8 performances at the Opera left before flying back to Hong Kong! 

I will write about my last Marseille trip in the coming days :) 

The gala in Marseille is finally over! By now I have only got three more days of exams to worry about before my summer holiday in Hong Kong! I can't wait!
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The gala was especially successful. The audience in Marseille loved it. They were all on their feet during the applause at the end of the show, and we did the curtain call for a long time. This is with no doubt the most rewarding for us when we perform in different cities.
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For me, I did a new piece called "Me Two", a mix of dance and theatre elements. I appreciate this piece very much as it brings new perspectives to the performing art of dance. It was especialling challenging for me to pick up this piece because i was focusing on my exams and I didnt have enough time for rehearsals. I am much relieved that it was not bad.

Another interesting thing to talk about is that there is the Euro 2016 football match right now in Marseille! We experienced crowded trains and hotels because of that.

This is why we see this when we arrive at our hotel after the performance......

And in fact, I am enjoying my breakfast buffet right now, let me upload more photos of the magnificent theatre later maybe after my exams.

This moment has finally came. I find myself between long rehearsals at the Paris Opera and different exams for the French Baccalaureat. This morning, I had History-Geography exam. Since I couldn't find the time and the energy to study this subject (which I've never liked!) during the year, this morning's exam was pretty tough for me. I know that it's nothing comparing to my professional career in ballet, but curiously, the fact that I knew I was going to an exam completely unprepared stressed me terribly. Am I too perfectionist? Thinking about it over and over again in my head, I had two bad nights. It's funny to think about how well I slept the night before my Concours d'Entree (audition for entering the Paris Opera Ballet last spring) even with a very hot weather at 42 degrees C. ! And I stressed so much for this unimportant History exam that I didn't manage to sleep well. Unbelievable! Isn't it? I can't understand myself. 

This History exam is finally over! Woohoo! When I first looked at this morning's exam paper. I made fun of myself! "European governance since the Treaty of Maastricht" I was like "HAHA! Great Chun Wing, you haven't even heard of it before, try to have 1/20 though!" Since then, I felt relaxed. I couldn't do anything for it anymore. I'd better enjoy those three hours. I started writing, Introduction..... First part..... transition....Second part.....Conclusion. Three hours passed by. What I wrote was only what came to my mind while I was writing. Surely that won't give me a good mark, but I enjoyed writing at least! 

Tomorrow, I am going to miss a rehearsal of the second cast (my cast!!) of Justin Peck's creation at the Opera, because I am going to have an English written exam at the same time. I don't know when I will have another chance to rehearse this ballet before I actually will dance it on stage. Even worse, tomorrow is the last day before my departure for Marseille for Saturday evening's gala there. I don't feel ready for this gala, at all. Roller coaster ride again! If only the final path of the ride would be towards the sky!! Upon the clouds! 

This coming Wednesday, I will have my first written exam - Philosophy. This is certainly a very stressful period for me: plenty of exams that I don't feel confident with, plus a new piece to learn for a gala in Marseille this Saturday just in the middle of the exams. I really look forward to go over this stressful time and I can't wait to enjoy my summer in Hong Kong with my family. Finally! 

I managed not to over-work. (actually did I? Haha, I don't know.) The Paris Opera Ballet's Giselle is one of my favorites. I let myself enjoy this ballet at Opera Garnier at some evenings. 

Each time I sit down in one of the best seats and watch this ballet, I feel thankful of how lucky I am. When I struggle with my mathematics, I try to go to Giselle to find some emotions. Each time, I leave my seat with tears in my eyes. I feel great watching this ballet, I feel like as if I've come to find emotions, instead of watching a proper ballet dance performance and appreciating the brilliant technique of the dancers. It feels wonderful. 

Referring to the title of this post, what I decided just yesterday is that: I will only concentrate on Mathematics this time and I will do what I can for the rest but the other subjects should NOT bring me more pressure.  I have been tough enough with myself over the past few months for the baccalaureat (actually over the past few years am I not? fighting for a place at the Paris Opera or in another company?) Last week, my attitude was like: Go Chun Wing! You are close! Try working on the other subjects now and perhaps you'll get your baccalaureat this year! 
.... Well, today, I give up the other subjects. Maybe I can't stand this mentality. I've decided to do a scientific session because of my interest in science, not because of getting a pass at the exam. So right now, I would prefer to relax. I can always continue to study other scientific subjects next year! And finally, that won't bother me to finally learn what I am interested in. :)

This week in Paris, there's a Chinese Food Week event which has the objective to promote authentic and homemade Chinese restaurants in Paris. Each day, they introduce one different Chinese restaurant of their selection to the Parisians. With some of my Hong Kong friends, we joined Monday's event. 
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It was a Sichuan restaurant owned by a Chinese family which moved to Paris. As you could probably imagine, the real Sichuan food was delicious, but very spicy as well! 

I appreciate this event very much. There are a lot of Asian restaurants in France but most of them are fast food restaurants. I didn't know that there are actually so many authentic Chinese restaurants here. Their event is successful! I enjoyed the evening. 

I am so busy right now. Even though I have a lot of feelings and things that I would like to write here, I just cannot find the time. I shall concentrate on my exams first, then I will continue writing.