Whoa hoa!!!
Looks rather professional right? Aiyah, you guys probably wouldn't be able to appreciate it one lah...HAHAHA!!! For just $80, it even comes with a nifty red velvet soft case (see above lah). This must be like the cheapest brand new instrument which I've bought....hell even the lousy violin which I got years old cost me $135! But seriously, this new flute which Andy got for me (he brought it back all zee way from CHINA!) is considered good enough even for solo performances.....the old one which I had (see below) is more of a factory-made flute, and at best,

can only be used for orchestra playing. Anyway, the old flute is even cheaper....heh heh...$30 nia!! My new one is made by one of the famous flute making families in China, and from what I gathered from Andy's mini flute lecture, the bamboo which was used to make my flute, was already 3-5 years old before it was 'carved' into a dizi.

Notice any obvious difference between both flutes? The old one is actually made up of 2 separate bamboo sections which are joined together by a golden metallic piece. My new flute has no need for the metallic connector, cos its made up of only one long bamboo 'cylinder'. Anyway, I don't know how this affects the flute itself, but I do know my new dizi sounds way way better and much clearer than the old one. However, no matter how good a flute is, Andy has advised that I would still need to keep practising on the flute to create a good rapport with the instrument. Actually, I also feel a bit 不舍得 towards the old dizi....cos though it may not be as well made as the new flute, it was still THE flute which saw me through the most difficult early stages, plus all the frustrations, disappointment and happiness which I experienced since the day I took up the instrument. Which is why.....I'm definitely still keeping the old flute safely by my side....to remind me of the obstacles which i've overcome in the past, and that I must always stay determined in my quest to master the instrument. But of course lar....its easier said than done. Words are free, but it takes so much more effort to really do it.

Anyway, enough of all the serious stuffs. There was this rather interesting piece of Chinese poetry (I think is poetry lar) 'written' on the top of my flute. Ok, my Chinese standard is only so so lar, but at least I can read all the words on the 'poetry'. But as to what it all means when put together, heh heh heh....I'm not so sure liao. So anyone out there who took Chinese literature, care to enlighten me? =)