It was Albert Einstein who said that the most joy in his life has come from his violin. 

Many would question why a scientist - a physicist at that - would even play a violin the first place, but according to Einstein playing the violin helped train his intuition and contributed to his conception of the theory of relativity.

Einstein's playing of the violin was actually a hobby to him, one that he truly loved.

I can actually relate to how he felt about his violin, I too feel that way about my cello; however, what started out as a hobby for him, only happened by force for me.

I don't even remember the very first time I touched my cello, I just know that I've always had it, it wasn't my choice to even learn to play it. But like I said, I grew to love it, and now the string instrument is like an extension of me.

When life gets too hard, or I feel like I need extra breathing space, I just reach for it and when I pluck that first string, I instantly feel at peace.

At the bottom of my cello, are some raised dots, it's actually braille, I didn't know what those raised dots meant until I was eleven or so.

It's my mother's favourite Bible verse, the book of Matthew, Chapter Eleven and Verse Eight:

'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.'

I'm not at all religious, I've never stepped foot into a Church, Mosque or Temple out of my own volition. But isn't that the most beautiful thing you've heard?  

As the audience of about five hundred people stands on their feet, I bow deeply with a sigh of relief. A few persons at the front were able to throw some roses on the stage.

After gratefully picking up the ones I could, I bow twice then exited the stage. 

Thank God it's over. 

The bowing doesn't stop as I enter the backstage, other musicians and some composers are all clapping in a congratulatory manner as I pass by. One of the stage handlers hands me my cello case before she moves on to wherever he's rushing to. 

Why does everyone in New York always seem to be rushing? 

After my last show in Jeju, I had to catch a red-eye flight to New York. My father didn't come with me this time, not because he's busy or anything, but my mother's family is in attendance and there's some animosity there that I honestly do not want to get into. 

I have an aunt here in New York who runs her own upscale Indian restaurant, she's the eldest of my grandmother's four daughters. My other aunts along with my grandmother still live in India, and honestly, I'm a bit jealous of my cousins.

They have an entire support system behind them and they're free to make their own choices and not feel pressured into doing something that they don't want to do. Like, go to an audition in a country far away.

Yes, my Dad's still going on off about that stupid audition that I have no interest in doing. I didn't even think about going all the way to Australia for an orchestra when I'm already apart of one here at home. 

What's his deal anyway? 

I safely exit the backstage area without bumping into any equipments or instruments, it's way too crowded back there for some klutz like me to be roaming free. Now all I have to do is find my family and get the hell out of here before any other orchestra scouts decide to engage me in a long conversation.

If my Dad was here then he would drag me around so I could rub elbows with people that I do not care about. I can't believe that he even told me to make some connections while I'm here. What kind of father would do that anyway? What I really wanted to hear was don't be nervous, you'll do great.

All the wealth in my life can't even buy