Belize & China, Applause & Awkwardness

Wednesday I woke up at 5:30 in the morning to be off and ready for my first AU Rotary presentation with the Darlings, my host club. Well, we were all ready...everyone except me, of course. I even got my things ready the night before! How do I manage to be “running behind” every time? *shrugs* John and Marie are very considerate, however, and didn’t make too great a fuss about my being a few minutes late. We hopped into the car and off we were! When I arrived at the meeting location, I met Mike, the President of Sydney Darling Harbour, as well as many of the members. Their club has about 25 strong members, as I understand. Lovely people! I warmed up, suffered through not being able to consume my food while everyone around me did just that (I try not to eat before I sing), and, after a kind introduction from John, proceeded to give my presentation.

“This would be no different from my other presentations,” I thought. How wrong I was! As soon as I got to the pictures of last year’s Belize trip, I couldn’t hold my emotions together any more. Those were my kids! And Mrs. Mesh is no longer with us! And these girls have dreams, just like I do. And I want to help them see their dreams become a reality. One feels so small when one compares oneself to the immeasurable scale of life and its circumstances. However, I can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens me. Praise God!

The presentation went well, I think, and I plan to attend once more next week, when one very influential political and community leader comes to speak on her involvement with improving the lives of and providing homes for homeless people. Sounds very interesting!

I went to school after my presentation, inadvertently just missing a class I had been invited to sit-in on. However, this first class was just the “hellos” and “set-ups”, I think, so I hope to make next week’s. I did get the chance to make many new friends, though! All such gifted musicians!! It blows my mind. I get to study in the same institution as people this talented!? WOW! THANK YOU GOD!

In the middle of coffee and conversations, we are suddenly bombarded with a Chinese camera crew. I know, it sounds random, but stay with me. A famous Chinese Opera performer, known as Li Yugang, had been performing in Australia. He came out to meet a few students and see the school (as well as make a few pro-mos., of course), and since we just happened to be sitting conveniently in his path, he had a chat with us! Now, this was one of the coolest musical encounters I’ve had so far. Chinese Peking Opera is quite different from Western Opera. In fact, most Western audiences may think it quite “grating on the ears”, for the sound is very resonant and forward in the placement (the best way I can discribe it is by comparing it to Fran’s laugh from “The Nanny”). Now, as a musician, I can appreciate this difference in musical taste. In Chinese Opera, men play both the female and male roles. Li Yugang is renowned for his talents in being able to come across as a handsome, strapping young lad and, just moments later, as a beautiful and graceful woman of culture. You have to see the pictures to believe it!! The contrast is striking but very unnatural to me. In fact, I still feel a bit strange when watching him perform as a woman.

So, there I was with this famous Chinese artist, and guess what transpires in the next half-hour or so!? I sit next to him, sing for him, sing with him and am encouraged and invited to visit China to perform with him one day! Now, granted, it wasn’t just me his producer was talking to. Obviously this guy wanted promotion and media coverage, but the fact that I got to have such an exchange from someone so, so different from my own culture, in such a rare and sporadic moment....it was just totally sweet!

When Li Yugang asked why I was at the Con, I replied I was actually on scholarship through Rotary as an Ambassador of Goodwill for America, my country. As his assistant translated my response, he nodded slowly and smiled, “Me too!” How cool? So, all in all, my afternoon was quite exciting!

And, to add to all of that, I have two and a half of my songs memorized! :D My first lesson with Barry Ryan on Wednesday. I'm totally excited!

Last night I went to the District 9750 Presidents’ meeting, where I performed two pieces. The first was the all-too-famous O mio babbino caro, a-capella, while the second was a broadway piece entitlted The Girl in 14G. I really like the latter. It requires you to be able to sing in broadway, classical and jazz fashion. However, I don’t think it went over so well with the crowd. Few people laughed, and the entire time I was performing, I kept thinking, “Eesh, get me off this stage!” The energy was very dead. It was an older crowd, however, so maybe that had a lot to do with it? I don’t know...it was pretty uncomfortable. When I went back to my chair, people kindly whispered, “Great job,” or “That was really good!” or things of the sort, but I could still feel that energy in the room. If you’re a performer, you understand what I’m referring to. It’s that sense of... “Totally should have done a different piece.”

I sat there in my seat, wishing I were the size of an ant so that I could squish myself into oblivion, when the Spirit kicked in and said, “Hey, dude! Stop your moping! Your value is not in your performance. Your life is not in impressing others. Your existence does not end at the end of your lifetime! Remember, there’s this little thing called ‘eternity’ just waiting to happen.”

Thank you, God! How quickly I forget that if my mind is set on things of the Spirit (the eternal) it is life to me, but when I set my mind on the flesh (my desires and the things of the world) then it is death.

So, I cheered up quite quickly as I pondered about my God and how great He is to me, and before I knew it, the meeting was over. I got many contacts who wish to have me speak and perform at their meetings. Yay for calendars!