I was cooking/destroying some dumplings at my makeshift window kitchenette and watching the kids down in the courtyard play basketball. I always have to keep the window open while I cook/destroy things, which is a lesson I learned after the smoke detector went off the first time. Since it was open I could hear the basketball players yelling in Chinese (by now the phrases I usually expect to hear are “hao qiu!” and “cao ni ma!” which are “good ball!” and “fuck your mom!” respectively.)
Amidst the beating of basketballs against pavement, cries in Chinese and crackling of my dumplings, then, I was a little surprised to realize I also heard violins and flutes.
I leaned towards the window a little to hear better. Maybe it was the PA system playing some patriotic tunes again. A little odd for basketball background noise, but not uncommon. But if it was a recording piped through the outdoor speakers, why was there that vibrating feeling every time I heard a kettle drum? And a recording’s pitch wouldn’t be off-kilter like this, would it?
I never knew my school had an orchestra!
I asked Tiantian about it, whom I found coaching a student through some weekend exercises in the office. “Maybe you can play with them!” she laughed.
It’s already a little strange to think that I actually like to hear pitches clash if only for nostalgic reasons, but even stranger is the thought that there are people who never knew that I actually identify with music so strongly. Many people. Makes me feel a little older realizing that now there are “phases” in my life that divide the people I know.
The dumplings were decent, I reflected as I munched on them, but if I ever cook for other people I should probably work on getting them to be a little less slimy.
Grandma was asking if you are still writing and I hope you will soon get your computer working again. I know what you mean about the surreal feeling that, here you are with a surrounding that utterly doesn’t give a darn that you have all these life and experiences in your past that it almost make one wanting to pinch oneself just to test if it is real and you have not gone to another world and time zone. The challenge, not solvable, is to make them them all existing in one world as if all these people know each other. On the other hand; it would defeat the purpose and essence of exploration.
Pretty poetic Dad.
Yeah, it’s getting a little frustrating not to have the laptop working. I usually blog whenever inspiration hits me, but being limited to the office computer interferes with that a lot. It’s been about a month since I had a post of any real significance. What’s more worrisome is that someone here told me that a package can take up to a month to be delivered if there were no special shipping methods ordered. I know I’m probably just antsy, but I hope that package gets here soon.
Just so you know, I expect some homemade dumplings when you get back.
Be careful what you wish for!