What is over 6000 miles away, severely jet-lagged and experiencing a language barrier?

I’ll give you three guesses, but I suspect you’ll only need the first one.

 

(Read More...)

Those of us who are staying at the Hampton Inn near Logan Airport have arrived safely and without incident. There were a few frightening moments of indecision when we stopped for dinner at the Rockingham Mall food court - if we're going to be in China for three weeks, is it okay for our last American meal to be Chinese food? - but most of us decided on sandwiches or pizza, thereby averting any and all culinary crises.

 

(Read More...)

In between folding tank tops as small as they can possibly go and repeatedly hefting a very angry cat out of my suitcase, I found the time to watch a video about one individual's journey to China. He's rather well-traveled, having also visited Japan, and has provided life-changing advice to millions of people, so I thought I would share some of what I learned from him. 

(Read More...)

Our send-off concert on Saturday night was quite a success. We've come a long way since our first rehearsal last October and we sound like a poised and capable choral ensemble. The Chinese folk songs we're singing - "A La Mu Han" and, as our director Carroll Lehman calls it, "The Other Chinese Song" (better known as "Qing Chun Wu Qu") - have progressed very nicely. We still trip up on pronunciation occasionally (try singing sixteenth notes in Mandarin sometime - it's not easy), but, as Carroll has told us, our audiences will appreciate the fact that we're trying. 

(Read More...)

How many Koosh balls can you fit in a suitcase and still have room for souvenirs? This is one of many challenging questions facing myself and the other members of the New Hampshire Friendship Chorus as we make the final preparations for our three-week long choral tour of China. Share our adventures as we perform in Beijing, Xian and other cities, and join our sightseeing tours to places like the Shaolin monastery (the birthplace of kung-fu) and Longman Grotto - without having to adjust to a 12-hour time difference or bring your own toilet paper. Are you a nervous spouse, child or parent of a tour participant? Don't worry - this blog is called "Mom, I'm OK" for a reason. Relax in the knowledge that we are safe and await pictures of Chinese bathrooms with joyful anticipation.