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Ecuador Day 9
Well, inspiration or not, today I am not having the best day. In fact, I am having a really hard day and spend most of it just trying to smile and teach. I don’t know what is wrong with me, but maybe it is going around. The students seem edgy and Njål and I snap at each other before going off to our separate corners.
As the day goes on, though, we all seem to settle down a bit. Most of the students have gone back to working on their violins today, while I am working with the two girls who are only doing bows. Both of them joined the class late, and neither of them had done anything with the violin class the week before, so I was happy to work with them. They both have come a long way and I am hoping that they keep rehairing bows after I leave.
We went to lunch with a couple of the students but I couldn’t eat much. I haven’t had much appetite here at all and today it is just gone. But the company was nice and I was reminded again how quickly my time here is coming to a close. Before that happens, though, tonight is going to be the highlight of my entire stay.
Tonight is the big concert and the FOSJE Orchestra is playing Tchaikovsky’s 5thSymphony. I am really, really looking forward to this. Not only do I adore the Tchaik, but I get to see some of our students perform. Tonight, for the first time ever, I made the connection between what I do with bow work and the actual performance, itself. You would think that I would have figured this out long ago….especially seeing as how I rehair my own bow!! But this week, I rehaired two of the musicians bows. They were in such terrible shape, and these people were playing at such a high level that I wanted to do their bows myself. When I saw them up there playing on them, I felt like I had made a true contribution to the performance and it felt really special.
And, of course, I get to see Maestro Aizaga conduct. That, I am really excited about.! The concert started with the trombone choir. I am assuming that no one told them that we had plans to take their studio space because they played beautifully, as if they hadn’t a care in the world! J And then came the Tchaikovsky. As the opening theme flowed out of the orchestra, tears started pouring down my cheeks. Call it inspiration, call it beauty, call it what you will……I was just overcome. It felt like everything was swirling together….how lucky I was to be here, how wonderful Quito is, how proud I am of my students, how grateful I was for new friends, how amazing this program is, how alive I am feeling…..and the tears just kept coming until the applause began. It is a performance that I will never forget.
Afterwards, Njål and I were invited to go out with Patricio and a bunch of other people for a late dinner. We ended up at a fabulous Peruvian restaurant and before I knew it, I was ensconced in a huge, long booth between Njål and Belen. There must have been 25 of us all lined up at this table and as the Pisco Sours started coming, the talk and laughter got louder and louder. I switched back and forth between talking cello with Belen and chatting with Njål . When he said, “So….what did the Volturi do next?” I started laughing so hard that I couldn’t breathe. And interrupting from time to time to answer Patricio’s questions, or Belens observations, I finished filling Njål in on the final stories of the Twilight Saga. It was the perfect end to the week. J
Tomorrow is one more day of teaching, but I leave in the evening, so this feels like a finale. And what a finale it is…..
Buenas Noches,
Anna
We’re Gonna Dance Upon This Earth! |
Music
Bow Class Fashion! Anna in Ecuador Day 8
Ecuador Day 8
This morning, in the cab going to the school, I remarked to Njål that I thing there is something very special about this place. I should be completely exhausted…..I have been running like crazy and getting by on 3-5 hours of sleep a night. There is no way that I should be feeling so alive! “It must be being so close to the equator,” I said. “No” he said with a smile. “It is inspiration” And I knew immediately that he was right. There was something magic happening here in Quito and I can feel it in my heart.
The students are doing great, today! We have moved on to faceplates and all of the students are rehairing really well. Njål asks me if he can teach violin repair the following day, and even though I really hate to lose a day of instruction, I say yes. In all seriousness, he had a ton more to teach them and time is running out fast. Plus, I do have two student that are only doing bows, so I will continue to work with them.
The best part of class at this point is that we all know each other well, and are really comfortable with each other. Juliana comes to class in white pants…never a good idea when two of the guys are still sanding ebony fingerboards all over the place!! J So she fashions an apron out of a cello case and a big black trash bag. When she completes the look with a face mask, I can’t help but laugh. Yep, she really has turned out to be one of my favorite people here!
Lunch was spent with Patricio Aizaga, (the director of FOSJE), his wife and some staff members. The plan is to discuss the future of the workshop in regards to FOSJE.. When Njål and I went to meet him, he was still rehearsing the orchestra, so I got a chance to see him at work. He is truly the most extraordinary conductor I have ever seen. Passion literally radiates out of him and you can feel that making music is a true partnership between him and the musicians. He was so captivating that I wanted to grab a cello or bass and jump in. I have never been that inspired by a conductor!!
Lunch ended up being wonderful, but we never did discuss the future of LSF and FOSJE. Instead, Patricio and I swapped stories about Indiana University, Gustavo Dudomel and different musicians we knew. The others may have been bored, but it was one of the most wonderful conversations I have ever had! J Later in the day, Patricio and his wife came to tour the workshop and Njål and I took him on an impromptu tour of the building. We have found the perfect workshop and the fact that it will displace the trombone studio is not of any concern to us at all. J J After assurances all around that there is a future for this project, we said our good-byes.
Njål had to teach a quick Tango lesson to three of us at the school and then he and I headed to Café Libre for one final night of Tango. Several of the students are going to meet us there, but he and I are hoping to catch the last hour of the lesson that they offer first. We get there, I put on my ridiculous shoes that I bought for Tango, and Njål and I join in the lesson. The idea of Njål taking the lesson is ludicrous, but I am so glad that he did. I was so nervous that I was glad to have him to dance with. At least he won’t be surprised if I step on his toes!
We dance two dances and I can’t seem to do anything right. I got worse and worse and finally, close to tears, I tell Njål that he needs to go find someone else to dance with. Someone who knows how. But he says no. So we keep dancing. But the teacher chooses that moment to make us all switch partners. I end up with a man who is obviously very unhappy to be paired with such a beginner. He kept barking terse dance instructions to me in Spanish and by the time the song ended, I had to step outside for some air.
I don’t think I like Tango very much.
I hid for the rest of the lesson and then joined out friends at the tables they had pulled together. Soon, Kathy showed up and I was so glad to see her! She is a wonderful dancer and I love to watch her. If I could ever dance like that, I would die of happiness!! J And, with her here, Njål can dance with someone that really knows what they are doing, so the evening is looking up. However, I am done dancing for the evening. I take one last turn around the floor with Juan Carlos, but my self esteem can’t take it anymore. I have spent a week stretching myself and being brave, I am done.
As the evening wound down, it came time for the final three songs of the evening. Njål walked over to me and held out his hand. You have got to be kidding me. I shook my head, but he said, “Come on.” With a sigh, I got up. The first few steps were dreadful and I thought I was going to cry right then and there. But Njål , always the teacher, said, “Just close your eyes and trust me.”. And like that, I was floating. I floated and spun and stepped and followed and before I knew it, the song was over. I looked at him with big eyes and couldn’t believe it. I just Tango-ed! The next two songs went by without me noticing…..I just closed my eyes and trusted him and Tango-ed. I probably looked ridiculous to an on looker, but I felt alive and confident and beautiful.
I think I love Tango.
Buenas Noches,
Anna
We’re Gonna Dance Upon This Earth!
www.traildames.com
“What happened next?” Anna in Ecuador-Day 7
Anna in Ecuador-Day 7
Today we had a great day in class! I am starting to get to know the students a little bit better, and I am thinking that we will be putting hair in the bows today!! We started off by moving some of the worktables around a bit, so that everyone would have room. I do most of my demonstrating and work, at the worktable in the front of the room, but I like to get up and wander around, helping everyone when they need it. Njål and I share the front table and by the end of the first day, it is a miracle we can do anything on it!! It is covered by a million tools, but I love it. It looks like we have been working here for years and I am surprisingly comfortable, given that it is never easy to work away from your normal set-up.
Anyway, the day passed uneventfully, but with lots of laughter. In the quiet moments, when everyone was working, and Njål and I were doing our own projects, he would say, “So what happened next?“ and I would continue with the unfinished tale of the Twilight saga. At this point, we are through book 2! J Meanwhile, most of the students are struggling with cutting plugs, but they all seem to have good attitudes about it. We start putting hair in the bows and I am really excited to see how fast people are progressing. These students are really excellent musicians, and I think that all of that discipline and dedicated study prepares them for the focus and concentration you need to do lutherie work.
After class, Njål and I are invited to go to dinner with Juan Carlos, his family, Juliana and her mother. We walk to a nearby pizza place and have the best time laughing and talking. Juan Carlos and his wife and daughter are one of the neatest families I have ever met, and
I especially hit it off with Belen, their daughter. She is an 18 year cellist and if the repertoire she is playing is any indication, she is a really great cellist!! J She is so friendly and as it turns out, also a Twilight fan, so we had tons in common and just laughed and laughed.
Once dinner was over, Njål and I hopped into a cab and headed across town. Tonight is a going away party for John and all of the Tango folks are going to Hermann’s house to Tango. I am a little worried about how late we are….it is almost 10 o’clock! But Njål just shakes his head at me. Turns out that yet again, I am showing my ignorance of the Tango scene!! Ten o’clock is early for Tango!
Once we get to the apartment, I am ushered into the kitchen with everyone else while Njål goes off for his private lesson with John. Around this tiny table are 8 or 9 of us, sitting knee to knee, drinking wine and laughing. Well, mostly they were laughing because at this point, everyone was speaking full on Spanish! J But I don’t mind at all. I love to hear the language rain down on me, and I enjoy trying to follow the gist of it. Most everyone is absolutely fabulous to me, and except for one new woman, I already know everyone. Kathy and Juan David are there and they kiss me and make me feel like an old friend. The only person who seems entirely unhappy to see me is Hermann’s wife. She is a large, loud woman with tons of long black hair, red lipstick, and to quote Njål , a very impressive bum! This is the third time we have met, but she is obviously not happy to see me. I search my mind for what I could have done to offend her, but literally, there is nothing. So, I don’t worry about it. Instead, I enjoy the conversation and join in when I have a clue what is going on. J
Later, John and Njål finish his lesson and everyone sits down to eat. Having already had dinner, I sat and drank wine while the conversation swirled around me. Soon, however, it is time for dancing.
First off Marivi, a wonderful woman who is actually the one that invited Njål to join in the Tango scene in the first place, did a dance for John. It was a spoof of the dance that John had performed at Cafe Libre the other night and it was awesome! With that, more spoofs followed and then different people danced and danced. It was almost 4 am when things finally wound down. I could barely keep my eyes open, but I was content. Hermann’s wife had gone to bed hours ago, so I felt like I was surrounded only by friends. I had video-taped a lot of the dancing so we hung out for a while longer while John transferred it all to his computer. Finally, we said goodnight to all and headed home. What a great day……..
Anna
PS- In the cab on the way home, Njål said, “Wow, Hermann’s wife really hates you!!” J JWhen I laughed and asked him why, he said that it is probably just because I am American. Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all!!! J
We’re Gonna Dance Upon This Earth! |
You Can Never Have Too Much Tango…Day 4 Continued
Day 4 continued……… After driving back to Quito, we all go our separate ways to get ready for a big group Tango lesson followed by a Milonga tonight. We still have plenty of time, so Njål and I head down to the Indian Market in the Mariscal area to buy some souvenirs. We get out of the cab and I look up at the giant black clouds that have rolled across the sky. ¨You know¨, I said, ¨this might be a great time to go have a coffee and let this storm pass before we wander through the open air market!¨ He agrees and we head for the Hilton Hotel that happens to be there on the corner. We settle into a much-too-nice restaurant next to a window and order coffee as the rain starts to pour and lightning begins to flash across the sky. Talk about good timing!!! We talk and laugh and exchange stories about violin making. The conversation goes from serious to hysterical and back again, neither of us bothered by the fact that this is probably the worst coffee either of us have ever had. J By the time the coffee pot is empty and the rain has stopped, it is time for Njål to head to his private Tango lesson. The shopping will have to wait for another day. I dance away while the die-hard Tango people slip out quietly. Noticing Njål standing on the side quietly, I went to ask him if he was ready to go home. Tiredly, he says ‘yes’. Unfortunately, though, the DJ picked that very moment to play “I Will Survive”! I begged and cajoled and Njål reluctantly followed me out onto the dance floor. I enjoyed myself to pieces for the next few songs which consisted of American greats, such as “YMCA” and “Thriller”. Njål was a great sport and kept me company on the dance floor til I ran out of energy. It is close to 2 am and it is time to go home. Tomorrow is my last day of playing tourist and Njål and I have been invited to visit a music festival outside of Quito. I figure I should save some energy for that……. J Buenas Noches………… Anna |
The Middle of All things- Day 4
Day 4…………
So, my brother and I have a game….it goes something like this.
He says, ¨I have canoed the boundary waters of Michigan!!¨
I say, ¨Yes, but I have sat on the hillside of a Masai village talking to warriors!!”
He says, ¨Yes, but I have bicycled across the South of France…twice!!”
at which point I say, ¨Yes, but I have ridden a sled across a frozen lake at midnight under the Northern Lights in the Arctic Circle!¨.
It is a totally obnoxious, self indulgent game, but we enjoy it. However, today I am thinking that, I win!!! Today, I will Tango on the Equator!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
(I know, I know…how obnoxious can I be!?!?!) 🙂
Njål and I have been invited to join our new Tango friends, John, Cathy and David, to go to La Mitad del Mundo. It means, the middle of the Earth and the equator literally runs straight through this little town giving everyone a chance to dance, stand and kiss on the equator itself. David used to work as a tour guide at the museum that straddles the line, so he has agreed to take us all there and show us the sights. Njål and I meet David at his apartment this morning and we take a bus to the main terminal, where we transfer to the bus that travels the half hour to La Mital Del Mundo. The entire trip costs 40 cents, and it passes quickly in conversation. David is the nicest guy!! Of course, like everyone here, he is very handsome. 🙂 And he does dance a mean Tango!! 🙂 But he is also kind and accommodating and is constantly making sure that I know what everyone is saying and doing. He lived in Chicago for three years and his English is perfect. I don’t mind everyone speaking Spanish around me….I figure if it is something that I really need to know, Njål will fill me in. But I am truly touched by his kindness.
When we get there, we are joined by John and Cathy. John is the visiting Tango teacher and once again greets me with a warm smile and a hug and a kiss. I still find him a bit intimidating because he is just so amazing!!! But he is so friendly and down to earth that I find myself relaxed and laughing with him. Cathy is a stunningly beautiful woman that, really, if she weren’t so darn cool, I would have to hate!! 🙂 She also Tango’s like a beast and looks like a model, but is, too, very smart and down to earth. It turns out that she is studying medicine in college and is going to become a psychologist. Everyone is talking like they have known each other forever and even I am laughing and understanding everything that is going on. The sun has come out and the sky is a brilliant blue. The museum is actually a series of outdoor displays that weave through huge cacti and blossoming flowers. The colors are riotous and every few steps there is a different smell.
We join a tour in Spanish, because I am the only person there that doesn’t speak it and as we wind our way around, David whispers in my ear, telling me all about the displays. Since this was his actual job for several years, he knows everything and is a fantastic guide. A lot of this is about the different Ecuadorian tribes, including those of the Amazon. We see actual shrunken heads, (yuck) and gigantic spiders and snakes. We learn about the tribe that, when the chief dies, they bury the chiefs’ wife and children with him. Alive. All I am saying is that that is a good reason to never marry the chief!!
The best part of the tour comes when we get to the actual equator. I just thought it was cool place, but the weirdest, strangest things happen here!!! They have all kinds of neat experiments that they show you that demonstrate just how powerful it is to be at 0 degrees latitude. For instance, they have a sink of water that when you set it on the line and let the stopper out, it does not circle around the drain….it falls straight out. But when you move it three feet off of the equator, in either direction, the water swirls down. On one side it swirls clock wise, and on the other, counter clock wise! This is all within three feet!! AND, if you close your thumb and forefinger together, and have someone test your strength by trying to pry them apart, you will find that you are much weaker standing on the actual equator!! I am not making this up!!
The best part, though, is that it is darn near impossible to close your eyes and walk a straight line down the equator. You will be pulled to one side or another. This got really funny when the dancers got involved!!! John grinned and lined his feet up on the equator, closing his eyes. He took three steps forward and fell off to one side! With an exasperated sound he tried again, and again!. We were all laughing hysterically!! When all way said and done, I looked at Njål and said, ¨Will you Tango on the equator with me?¨ With a smile, he said, Of course!¨ I now have a video of me tangoing on the equator and then, of course, doing the Dance of the Real Woman. It is not quite the same without the hiking poles, but my heart was totally in it all the same!! 🙂 And the best part is that when you see me almost fall over tangoing on the video, I can totally blame it on that whole ´no balance on the equator´ thing!!!
As we finished up our equator fun, it started to rain and we all make a dash for Cathy’s car. The next thing I know, five of us are crammed into her 1974 Volkswagen Beetle and we are weaving down the road, laughing and teasing each other. The next stop is lunch and David knows a wonderful place with great food. Cathy introduces me to Chicha, a fermented corn drink that is fantastic!! (For my friends in the know, this is NOT the one that is chewed up my men and then spit into a bucket to age!!) We all sit around enjoying lunch and everyone is talking and laughing in Spanish. I do not feel left out in the slightest. I pick up every third or fourth words and let the rest of them fall around me like music. All I know at this point is that I am sitting in a cafe in the countryside of Ecuador with new friends, drinking Chicha and laughing.
I am so glad that I said yes when Njål asked if I wanted to go Tango….
(to be continued…..)
Anna aka Mud Butt