Today is my last day in China. Yesterday we spent the morning at the Great Wall. The scenery was amazing. The cable car ride up and the tobbaggon slide down were also fun. We came back to Elizabeth’s apartment and hung out for a bit. Then after Jeremy came home from work, Elizabeth, Eileen, Sarah and I all went for a nice meal in a restaurant together. Great fun!
My flight doesn’t leave until this afternoon. I think we will probably invade Elizabeth’s and Jeremy’s apartment sometime this morning for some last minute face time with Elizabeth, Alex and Sarah. Jeremy has to work but will come back in time to shepherd me to the airport.
The flight is a long one, but I am braced and ready to get back to my routine. Somehow my smart phone can read my gmail despite the fact that Chine routinely blocks google sites. This morning I had an email from John Sheridan in New Jersey that he will be performing my Chorale Prelude on Nettleton this weekend. I have been carrying around this little piece with me in China in hopes that I might get a second or two at a keyboard to practice it. I’m also planning to use it this weekend. I’m planning it as a prelude, Mr. Sheridan mentions in his email he will be doing it as a postlude. I wonder if he is doing it with a larger registration. I hadn’t thought of that, but it should work.
Very satisfying to get an email like that. Another organist surprised me a while back by letting me know she was going to use this same piece. I think it must be functional and free. Nothing wrong with that. I do think of doing some more composing now and then. When people play my work, it makes me think that my compositions may have some appeal to others.
I mostly compose and improvise for the sheer fun and personal satisfaction I get from it. As Zappa says sarcastically, “No Commercial Potential.” He also has a bit where a promoter promises him he could make his band as successful as The Turtles. The lead singer from the Turtles actually joined the band and was involved in the performance of that piece which culminated in the Mothers doing a cover of the Turtles’ big hit “I Can’t See Me Loving Nobody but You.” I always admired that.
Well it’s been fun to be in China. Lovely to meet my new baby granddaughter Alex and see my daughters and Jeremy. I will miss Eileen for the next three weeks she remains here, but I hope she continues to relish her role as Grandma to Alex the way she has been.
I will probably put up more pics after I return to the USA since it’s a bit easier and i wil have more time to do so. I have a new internet modem waiting for me unopened from Comcast which might make my wifi work a bit better at home.
In the meantime I loaded my Kindle with articles from the New York Times for the flight. Between them and my bio of Mao and the book on the Forbidden City and sundry other books on my Kindle I think I will have plenty to occupy my time on the flights home.
Up, up and away.