Everyone wants a little piece of the time machine...when I look back...to those good old times in '04, I realize, so many things have changed, so many new things have come, while the old ones seem to fade away, only brought back by the occasional graphic reminder, sometimes by oneself, like me, because frankly, I miss the past. So much.

When there were 96 people.

6 snare drummers
4 bass drummers
2 tom playas
2 cymbalists
2 field mallet percussionists

these were the fifteen (sixteen excluding me) that made the difference in my life. They were my heart and soul, well, at least we were each others'. Nothing can describe the bond between us. Yeah, we might not have known each other so well, but there always was something special. Really special. It was an aura. At the back of the band, on central judging, 17th april 2004, the aura spread. Together it overlapped with the aura of the band, then people knew.

These guys mean business.

The endless scoldings, punishments, endlessly flowing encouragement, discouragement, the rounds, the pushups.

Together. As one. as sixteen, then as ninety-six.

How was it that we could forge this unbreakable bond between us? I cannot possibly explain that. ninety six people. can you imagine? 96 people linked through heart, mind and soul. Remember when I said,

"I could take one look at that person and I know what he or she is thinking. I could look again and know what he or she is doing or is going to do. I understand the movements, I understand their motives. I understand their dreams. I know everything."

Might seem much of an overstatement. I'm not saying I'm God. But I'm saying...well, it was just that unity that mattered.

Everytime I think of that day, I still cannot comprehend. Nothing. I just don't know why. When I was performing...my soul seemed to seep out of my body and watch me from a higher place. Everything...my movements, strokes, all the formations, every little step came naturally. It was as if I had been programmed to do everything like a robot. But I didn't act like a robot at all. I was just this one passionate drummer, giving my all, or rather, more than my all. Aching muscles, jagged pain didn't slow me down. Chin up to the sky. Shoulders back and rigid, chest out. It was as if not even a bulldozer could move me. I could only control myself. Or rather, something else was controlling me. It was...an enormous adrenaline rush. [IF ANYONE HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE, TAG ME.]

And eight minutes passed. It just zipped by. At the end of everything I seemed to snap out of a trance I never even knew about. Something magical about it. Who wouldn've thought passion could be such a powerful thing? And no one could ever imagine what wonders unity can produce. Performing in front of a smaller crowd as compared to the thousands during the finals, was both a breeze, like sitting on top of a rainbow, and a destructive tornado. Musicality and passion are such intangible things [did i get the meaning right?] up till now, I still can't understand them. Even on the piano, playing a slow, minor nocturne, letting my imagination run wild, fingers softening to liquid. When it ends, I feel warm all over...I realized...I didn't even take one glance at my score. And it was only just that one time. Afer that I couldn't do it again.

Seems to come naturally doesn't it? As with many others.

And once again, '06 Titans are going to the national stadium...20 days from now. To beard the lion in his den [confront TKSS for the top band place]. Can we do it?

Let your Unity and Passion decide.