Quick Update!

This has to be short, I don't have time for too much! In bullet fashion, this is what has happened in the last few weeks.

1. Piano Trio = awesome and hardcore. I really like working with my new partners and I think the Shostakovich will turn out exceptional. 

2. Lessons are really intense and I feel like I will never have enough time to practice everything I need to practice. My hands might just fall off first, which would be bad. I just have a lot of repertoire to learn.

3. Chinese is fun. I feel like I've made progress. I can definitely communicate much better than last semester, I've even had a few of my Chinese friends tell me that I'm actually not that bad...

4. The Shanghai Sinfonietta convened this week from Wednesday to Friday, we prepared an entire concert in only 2 rehearsals and 1 dress rehearsal. We played with the cellist, Jian Wang, who is featured on the movie "From Mao to Mozart" if you are interested. 

5. We had the concert last night and it was particularly fantastic. I think everyone had a really good time.

6. I've gotten much closer to my Chinese friends so far this semester...I have a lot more of them, and we spend a lot more time together (this is the product of having rehearsals all the way in Pudong and having to travel an hour back and forth by metro). 

7. It looks like France in May is a go. I just sent a copy of my passport to the Xu Zhong (the conductor)'s assistant...there will be more updates on this when I actually find out things.

8. I'm really tired...this week has been kind of stressful. I think we're getting massages tonight.

 

9. I need to go practice...

Offline...

So part of the reason I haven't recently posted is due to my current lack of internet at the dorms. You see, we only paid up to six months, because they told us it would be cheaper than paying for a year, but now those six months are up and we have to reorder. That has been accomplished, but someone from the company has to come and install the the hardware in the room (this will supposedly happen sometime this week). So until then, I am online when I am at various coffee shops...

In other news, the last week and a half have been extremely busy. I have hit the ground sprinting. Last week, I had three hour rehearsals for orchestra every night before the concert on Saturday. In the midst of that all, my piano trio started and I had a lesson (which means hardcore practicing has to start again). This culminates in the fact of me playing the violin for 8+ hours everyday after having barely done two everyday at home...uh oh. 

The concert on Saturday was wonderful. Rehearsals were interesting, to say they least. On the second day of rehearsal, our conductor stopped, looked straight at me and said, in English, "Where are you from?" I answered and he asked a few other questions about Oregon, my exchange, etc. It was extremely awkward as it was in front of the entire orchestra, roughly 99 other students, all Chinese (except me). But in the end it was a really great concert. It was the 50th Anniversary of the Butterfly Lovers' Concerto, being performed by the woman who premiered it 50 years ago...so that was actually quite amazing. 

In other news, I have a ton to do. Today I have to move my stuff over from one room to another and I have a lesson at 5. It also happens to be Joanna's birthday, so some form of celebration will be required. Fancy massage anyone? I vote yes. 

I am off to practice! I will update when I actually have internet in my room again!

OH! And I joined a professional orchestra. It is called the Shanghai Sinfonietta, conducted by Xu Zhong. I will be in my first concert with them on Friday the 20th! Yay!