I’m listening to Mozart’s Symphony #36 in C Major …
I’m listening to Mozart’s Symphony #36 in C Major on an WPR online broadcast. It brings back memories of college in Taichung, when I was principal trumpet in the Central Taiwan University Coalition Orchestra or some such group, and we spent many weeks rehearsing this piece for an international tour of Tainan County. Our director was Tu Hui-min, who liked my performance so much he later invited me to teach another college orchestra how to play Holst’s The Planets even though I’d never actually performed it before and, due to a winter break cavorting around Hong Kong, hadn’t touched my trumpet for roughly a month. Needless to say, he wasn’t too impressed with me. It wasn’t all bad, though; at least one of the violinists was really sexy.
Still, I miss being part of a musical group these days, be it a symphony orchestra, a chamber group or a jazz band like the one my friend Boogie and I were in in college. There’s something about creating music that simply sitting and listening just can’t touch. If I ever get a proper set up, I’d like to do some more composition, maybe even score one of my films.
Speaking of films, Tall Paul is back on the island after a month in Blighty, and we’re scheduled to do principle photography on his next project on Monday night at the restaurant we scouted out last time. We met up tonight and looked at the apartment of an apparently wealthy individual who turned out to be someone I met at the play the other night. The apartment, located on the corner of Yenji and Renai, is sparsely decorated in a style that screams “Tasteful Porn King”, as Tall Paul most delicately put it to our host, who volunteered to get out some really groovy vases to add to the effect. Unfortunately, filming there is going to have to wait until the end of the month. I really should do something in the meantime.
The FTV reporter and cameraman came over this morning to interview me about the book. She asked me a few questions, some of which I didn’t quite get even though they were all in English, and they filmed some of my pictures. Then they filmed shots of me walking around in the pelting rain glaring at people. Still not satisfied, they came with me to my office, where my co-workers were fast asleep for their noon siestas, which I’m afraid we had to disturb them so the crew could get shots of me staring intently at the Windows Startup screen and shuffling papers. This brilliant collage should be airing tomorrow night at 11pm or possibly 7pm. I don’t know; I don’t have a TV in my room, but they said they’d mail me a tape or something. I can’t even remember what I was babbling on about, but I do recall losing my train of thought several times while trying to not look at the lens. Dreadfully amateur, I know; I still think I am more comfortable on the other side of the camera. At one point she did ask me if I planned to make Taiwan my home. “What do you think I’ve been doing all these years?” I wanted to say, but I just said “I think I already have.” instead. She also asked me in true multiple-choice fashion if I “felt” American or Taiwanese. Silly. Who knows how they’ll edit that mess into a coherent interview. The China Post should also have a piece on the book in tomorrow’s Prime Time. I hope they include excerpts, but they should at least have some photos.
It’s been storming heavily most of the day. Hopefully most of this will end up in the reservoirs; we sure could use it. It’s nice to hear the sound of thunder. Surely the cicadas can’t be far behind.
