Bob,

[ingagroznaya]

I have a student who is 50. Originally she claimed to be 37. Now she is 29. Do you want her?

[Bob]

What???

[Bob]

Was this directed at me?

What does that mean?

(Bob's head begins to buzz faster and faster.... "If it wasn't for my horse, I never would have made it through college.... If it wasn't for my horse, I never would have made it through college.... If it wasn't for my horse, I never would have made it through college.... If it wasn't....")

[arensky]

Was this directed at me?

What does that mean?

(Bob's head begins to buzz faster and faster.... "If it wasn't for my horse, I never would have made it through college.... If it wasn't for my horse, I never would have made it through college.... If it wasn't for my horse, I never would have made it through college.... If it wasn't....")

HAHAHAHAHAHAH !!!!! 

da Lewis Black in da International House of Pancakes! 

[ingagroznaya]

Bob, you seems to have a reasonable sense of humor. With all my crazy students I am losing mine. I can not laugh, I'm genuinely scared. I know what exactly m1469 would suggest -- " to grow". Is there any room? So yes, this post directed right at you.

When she ( my student ) clamed to be 37, I was ok with it. Now she claims to be 29, being 50!

If anyone has something lighthearted to say, please do.

[ingagroznaya]

Gosh, Bob...I meant as a student. You do not think she's dangerous?

[penguinlover]

What's wrong with 50?

[Bob]

(Bob avoids an anuerism.  A near miss. )

If they are serious about saying their age is way different than what it obviously is -- then they're nuts, yes.  I would keep an eye on them.

If they are just a little nutty, I would just ignore it.  I've found with students and some people I have to very much "turn my brain off."  Esp if I'm not around them for some time.  Because sometimes they say things that make no sense to anyone but them (if that), but my mind likes to make sense of things.  I had to concentrate at first to do this -- to not think much about the strange thing they just said.  Just add a comment like "Wow, that's interesting," or a "hmm" and you avoid agreeing to something.  It is definitely a teaching and people skill.  

If she's 50 and says 29 I would give her a puzzled look at say "You're 29?"  Then laugh and say "I thought you were 37 before?"   Nicely question.

Fifty though -- It could be the mind going.  Or it could be something she does and thinks is cute, or helps her cope.  Who knows?

This thread seems kind of fishy to me.  I don't what to think about it.


If she keeps this up she'll be a teen again, then into the single digits, and then pretty soon you won't have a student at all.

[pianistimo]

maybe she is going through mid-life crisis late?  when i turned fourty i thought 'i'm really getting old.'  i was tempted to change my name, too.  you know, buy a whole new set of clothes and pretend i don't know any of my friends that have more than one child (or less).  but, then i realized i had three and it wouldn't be so easy going 'incognito.'  i didn't have the money for the sports car anyway.  i notice a neighbor who must be turning fourty - cause he's got the glasses too.  he acts all cool until he gets out of his sports car in the driveway and the kids mob him.

there's a multitude of reasons why people might try to pull off 37 and then 29.  for one thing, to see how young they can get without people laughing their heads off at them.  just tell them that in a few years they'll outgrow the obsession they have with how old they are and get back to reality.  or, completely go berzerk. 

[ingagroznaya]

If she keeps this up she'll be a teen again, then into the single digits, and then pretty soon you won't have a student at all.

Bob, there is nothing fishy in this thread.

Being not a native English speaker, I could not put it in words. Thanks for your funny answer.
This woman is my most advance student. I know I am losing her in both ways and soon she'll be gone for good, if she is not already... 29?

Thank you all. I did not know how else to deal with it. I find it so creepy and weird. I'm 37 if you're at all curious. Had a few whacky students in the past, but this just does not seem healthy. One hellowa crises it must be.

[ingagroznaya]

Her live-in boyfriend, who's paying for her lessons introduced her to me as someone who is 37, I could not help my self:" Oh, so am I!" From what I've learned, we had a similar background and I was so excited.  Several months later she turned 29. One day she brought her books with dates on when she originally worked on her pieces. She was actually 5, when she originally worked on first movement of "Pathetique". I'm not the type who can "turn my brain off" easily, so I looked her up on intelli-search. She's 50. Yaiks!

Now I can't help it, but feel as if I am a part of some kind of conspiracy. Not a place I'd like to be.
I find it all very unpleasant.

[pianistimo]

she must have passed for 37 at first - which means she must be in ok shape physically.  you're just worried about her mentally?  if she is the most advanced student you have - i wouldn't worry.  chalk it up to vanity and a good laugh. 

hmmm.  what would bob do?  go for the dental records. 

[bananafish]

Well, I don't think there's any wrong. Btw, I'm in my negative digit of age right now, it's rejuvenating.

Welcome to the world of denials. Your student is a brilliant jokester, she should join the circus.

[bernhard]

I have a student who is 50. Originally she claimed to be 37. Now she is 29. Do you want her?

If she looks 29 you can send her to me.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Bob]

I still vote for nuts.  Keep an eye on her.  But if she keeps coming back, teach.

You could tell her you are sorry because you thought she was older and you only teacher forty-year-olds and older.

[ingagroznaya]

Bernhard, I am so flattered by your attention... I look pretty good for my 37, Bernhard .
Anyone else here infatuated with Bernhard?

[ingagroznaya]

Bob, thanks a lot. I have another thread about my student, a psychologist in her 50th who I fired couple of months ago. This Friday I went to a concert and had to sit two rows away from her. How uncomfortable! Now I just yell to all of my adult students as soon as they enter my room in a greeting manner:" If we will have another age discussion, you'll be fired, You'll Be Fired, YOU'LL BE FIRED!!!"

[ingagroznaya]

Yes, You'll be fired! But, Bob, as much as I would like to, I can not turn my brain completely off  -  another student who takes a lesson before my ageless genius ( I mean, playing "Pathetique" by 5 years of age is no kidding matter ), giggles out loud: " My father is an orthodontist. She can't be 29 or 37. Look at her teeth! ". My studio is out of control. I don't know where do we find the time to get anything done on top of all this aging drama.

[ingagroznaya]

she must have passed for 37 at first - which means she must be in ok shape physically.  you're just worried about her mentally?  if she is the most advanced student you have - i wouldn't worry.  chalk it up to vanity and a good laugh. 

Pianistimo, I do not feel OK to be an inspiration to someone who is so insecure and vain.
I have too many students in their 50th ( younger and older ) to really care how old this woman is. I never questioned if she is physically fit to be age given. It just became too obvious - she bluntly lies. I can't believe someone as brilliant as her would smother them selfs with a dirt. I have completely lost all respect for the person and can not go on teaching her as I did.

Piano lessons are about sharing. Sharing requires trust. I can not teach her anything. We aren't on Do Re Mi level.

[alejo_90]

Bernhard, I am so flattered by your attention... I look pretty good for my 37, Bernhard .
Anyone else here infatuated with Bernhard?

Lol  , I'm not infatuated with Bernhard, but I do admire him the most, he's my favourite PF member.

Best
Alex

[ingagroznaya]

Bernhard, she is all yours starting tomorrow. I will not give another lesson even if she begs.
Bob, she wrote me several e-mails in the last few days, pretending to be her boyfriend ( I just finally figured it out ). This woman is in fact totally insane! I have managed to teach her for over a year. Ouff, it's over

[nomis]

Bernhard, she is all yours starting tomorrow. I will not give another lesson even if she begs.
Bob, she wrote me several e-mails in the last few days, pretending to be her boyfriend ( I just finally figured it out ). This woman is in fact totally insane! I have managed to teach her for over a year. Ouff, it's over

This is bloody hilarious! 

[bernhard]

another student who takes a lesson before my ageless genius ( I mean, playing "Pathetique" by 5 years of age is no kidding matter ), giggles out loud: " My father is an orthodontist. She can't be 29 or 37. Look at her teeth! ".

Er.. . My condition of acceptance was that she looked 29 . This does not seem to be the case, so I will refer her to Bob...

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Bob]

I don't know... What does she look like?  Tell her I need a picture first before I decide.


That was a joke.  And probably the most sexist thing I haven't written, although there might be some kind of grain of a truth in there somewhere.

Of course in real life I am not that shallow.  If they will pay, I will teach.

[ingagroznaya]

sh*t, guys... If I was scared before, do I feel scared now. She just left my place and yelled hysterically on the entire block "She just fired me!!!!!!!!!!" You had to hear her yelling. It was more then just tears. She yelled like a true Japanese samurai, when cutting his own throat. God, this woman is mental. Help! I am afraid.

[alejo_90]

***, guys... If I was scared before, do I feel scared now. She just left my place and yelled hysterically on the entire block "She just fired me!!!!!!!!!!" You had to hear her yelling. It was more then just tears. She yelled like a true Japanese samurai, when cutting his own throat. God, this woman is mental. Help! I am afraid.

Wow ! she's nuts, she's more crazy than David Helfgott  .
If I were you, I'd call a psychologist to help her, but bloody hell, she's really mad!!

Best
Alex

[edona7]

Yes, the woman is nuts, but probably not certifiable.  I would recommend taking a little time to calm down, write down what happened today and a history of the bizarre interactions (just in case there are further interactions later on), and thank God she's no longer your student.
But don't bother with a psychologist, I doubt she thinks she has any problems.

[kelly_kelly]

Bernhard, I am so flattered by your attention... I look pretty good for my 37, Bernhard .
Anyone else here infatuated with Bernhard?

  That's a bit weird... are you sure that your student is the insane one?

[ingagroznaya]

Obviously NOT sure, Kelly_Kelly. That's why I posted here.
Which part do you find weird? My infatuation with Berhnard or me looking pretty good for my 37?

[ingagroznaya]

She was a thunder. I truly miss her. She played for at least 43 years...Damn. All was nuts. Thank you for all your replies.

[barnowl]

ingagroznaya, I'd feel a lot better if you reported in here every day or so.

I'm not too happy with your fired Thunderer on the loose.

[barnowl]

BTW, is ingagroznaya any way akin to kibbe naya? 

[keyofc]

Why would you care how old she is anyway?  If she is fifty and passed for 37, she probably wanted to see if maybe she could pass for 29.

She is trying to figure out what is the youngest someone would guess she is probably.
So what?

[ingagroznaya]

Who or what is "kibbe naya"? Sorry, I was very busy, Barnowl. I am fine.

KeyofC, I think I have already answered this question. It was not an issue of age. It was an absurd behavior with several other problems, which I did not cover here. It's all got to a point where I was no longer willing to ignore it or play alone.
Speaking of age, she played on our recitals and I was preaching to my other students:"You, lazy busters, if "........."  can play Pathetique by 5 years old, why can't you?" It's not like she was studying here anonymously. It was not age issue, it was issue of a moral.

[pianistimo]

edit

[ingagroznaya]

Ranting to my self. Ignore me. Just ignore me.
She was Asian! Pass for 37, pass for 50... When you are Russian lost in Africa - all Asian people look the same! I have no idea what Asian woman should look like at 29 or 50. She looked like Japanese to me. That's all.
When you grow up behind "the curtain", you don't ask your self silly questions like: " Huh, this is an asian woman/man. I wonder how old is he/she? ". What you do ask: " Huh, this is an Asian woman/man just walked into my studio. I hope it is my student. Because if it is someone new, I can't tell".

[pianistimo]

i thought russians and asian people were somewhat culturally mixed and had a good toleration for each other (since they are both living in the east).  and what is this 'russian lost in africa?'  i'm somewhat confused where the original question has migrated.  i guess it is still about age.  i think u are secretly jealous of people who age well.  start eating some seaweed and u'll find the secret.

ps i still admire ur wandering mind.  it's slightly familiar to me.

[ingagroznaya]

It's " Your", pianissimo. It really starting to pianissisiss me off lately.
Toleration has nothing to do with it. In fact I wish all of my students were asians. They know how to work.
Russian and asians are culturally mixed? Are you kidding?

Pianistimo, I am very attractive woman of a reasonably young age. One don't feel jealousy of aging well while actually being 37.

I had a conversation today with my student's grandfather. He told me a sad tale of his wife illness. She got a brain surgery this weekend. Parkinson. He tells me how he asked her "how old is she" and she ( his wife ) responded - 42. The woman is in her 70th. As sad as the story was, after I finished conversation I could not help my self ... I giggled.

I wish her the best and a very speedy recovery. I figured, maybe my former student also has Parkinson. Beginning stage.

ps. my place is freshly painted. I am afraid I don't express my self clearly enough. My head hurts terribly and fumes makes me think I am in my 20th.

[pianistimo]

brain surgery for parkinson's?  this must be a new treatment.  i saw 'gene therapy'  where they stick needles in their forehead and somehow pass this gene therapy into the brain...but somehow that sounds more painful than just cracking the skull and dumping it wherever it needs to be.

my grandmother had parkinson's.  it's somewhat of a terrible disease.  she once got one of those freeze moments whilst walking down a sidewalk and tripped and fell flat on her nose.  and, the sudden tenseness and tremors were irritating to her.  i wished that i could just take it all away somehow.  it was hard to watch and when she would fall and things - it made it worse.  she used to be a very athletic person and never had a problem getting around or doing things.  guess that we have to be thankful for the times we can do things without bother.

sorry for irritating u.  i still think u have a talent for writing about bizarre things in a descriptive way.  and the way u modulate.  u seem like u understand life - but, are somewhat stuck in a circus atmosphere.  u need a boost beyond ur students.  how about a class for urself?  maybe a writing class or one of those ikibana flower arranging classes?  although, i could see u taking a tango class easily.  i was thinking about taking one myself.