Journal entry 4-13-08
Next stop, Shenyang. This city is further North of Beijing. It is less metropolitan and there are far fewer foreigners (ie. people not from China, including anyone like me). They speak much less English. This time I really needed a translator at the events. We played our first show in a beautiful auditorium at the Shenyang Music Conservatory. About 400 students, I’d say. It took a little longer for the crowd to warm up then in Beijing, but my theory is that I didn’t have time to hang with any students before the performance, so they had to become familiar with me over the course of the show. After a few songs, I teach them how to open up more, by coaxing them with call-and-response, and by wearing my heart on my sleeve. By the end of the concert they were bursting with excitement. Christian said, “It was like the Beatles!” They were cheering, screaming at the top of their lungs, reaching out for high-fives. What a FANTASTIC crowd. I tell you, I’m having a love affair with my audiences. I think of my audiences like I think of individual people. I think of them, I look forward to meeting them. I feel them as if they are a long lost friend who I have at last come to connect with again. The afternoon before our show I wrote: “Tonight I will tell the audience in Shenyang that it is an honor to be there before them (we will have a translator). I want to tell them that it is so wonderful to meet young musicians, like ourselves, in China. I will tell them not to worry if they cannot understand English, because if they watch me and listen, they will most certainly understand my spirit. There is a big heart on my tank top today. I will let them know, I come from my heart.”
About the Communism: I do not get the sense that Chinese people feel oppressed or at a disadvantage due to their home politics. One may argue that if you control the media and drill certain ideas from birth, you can convert your crowd into followers from the jump. I get the sense that the Chinese are proud of their country. They don’t seem very stressed out about the media censorship, that’s prevalent, and the big government. They are, however, definitely kept in line by the military. I don’t think people walk around in a general state of fear, but it is rather matter of fact that you’ll get shot or, uh, subdued if you try to rise up against the government. Direct opposition to the government will not be tolerated. We are not going to Tibet or in that region. I am told there is more ethnic diversity over there, and more tension over the desire to express freedom of religion, culture and speech. Again, if you try to oppose the government, you will be uhh…slaughtered, sometimes slowly. The oncoming Olympics is a very big deal for China. The country is very excited about hosting the Olympics. The government has made major moves in terms of helping clear the air pollution. For example, they’ve planted tress for oxygen and have given most buildings entire face lifts. Now, 4 months before the Olympics, there is a ton of construction in Beijing and Shenyang. They are expected to have it all completed before August. I feel the Olympics is a large step in the direction of China trying to be more lenient and open. For such an insular society to have welcome arms toward the rest of the world is very, very new for them. They still monitor all activities of foreigners and anyone who maybe perceived a threat. One Embassy member in Beijing laughingly told the story of how his house is obviously monitored. To the point where he’d get home from work and his house would smell of cigarettes and all the computers would be jammed. Hi kids apparently started setting booby traps for the snooping Chinese government agents…such as a bucket of confetti above the doorways. And yes, all the traps were tripped. So, there is big government at work. We’ve been told our hotel rooms are laced with cameras and the telephones are monitored – of course.
4-17-08
In Shenyang we were lavishly hosted from the door by Embassy rep Joe Kruzich. I think Joe is a professional entertainer. He took us to his favorite Schechuan restaurant on the first night, after calling the owner and requesting her to keep the place open late especially for us. The food was intensely spicy. It made my lips numb. I met Embassy reps Stephen and Julia that night. Julia is over-seeing all the security for the upcoming Olympics. Stephen is a brilliant man who reminds me of my dad. He’s really easy going, down to earth, subtle and intelligent.
Second show in Shenyang was in a night club. This is classic…There is a huge floor to ceiling rolling neon billboard, casting Chinese announcements (probably my name in Chinese characters) throughout the set. On the tables are small vases with little Chinese flags and American flags bunched together as a show of unity. The front table also had Korean embassy reps, American Embassy reps along with Chinese officials. The club generally becomes a Karaoke club, so it has Chinese pop artists’ photos lining the walls. There was a smoke machine hissing out fog during my songs. Toward the end of our set – to our surprise - pyrotechnics went off from the stage. And to cap off the show, an explosion of confetti burst from the rafters. It was a really fun venue. It felt very much like a television studio set. Afterwards we finally got to see how business gets done….it’s called BAI JIU! I believe it translates as “white lightening,” or what we might consider as moonshine. Joe arranged dinner at a neighboring restaurant from the club. We had a room upstairs to ourselves within which were two huge round banquet tables. Each table sat about a dozen people. One table was already occupied by all Chinese business contacts of Joe’s when we arrived, including the owners of the club we had just played. We, the band, Joe, Stephen, his wife, new friend Nathan and wife-to-be, plus an amazing animated Chinese friend of Joe’s filled the second table. Let the toasting begin! Everyone gets a small wine glass (or big shot glass) of Bai Jiu, stands up, raises glass, cheers about the toast being made, says “Gam be” (or “bottoms up.”), then downs their glass. I cheated and sipped, which is a good thing because here were at least 5 toasts….that my friends leaves the consumer officially “toasted.” Lots of warm laughter and deals being made. The food was also perfect. Christian (my guitarist) broke the rules and stole a plate of Duck off the lazy susan. I’ve got him on camera unceremoniously housing the plate off the rotating communal table top. That was a great time.