Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Samuel Grant Robinson: Final 48 hours

What an amazing experience this has been. Finally home after a week of travel, it seems almost surreal. The last 48 hours were a real challenge for all of us. After the last concert in Xi'an, I was so proud of our students. They really rose to the occasion and did the university proud. On Thursday, we spent an amazing day touring the Terra Cotta Tomb Warriors,which was truly spectacular. The evening concluded with a wonderful dumpling feast, where we were able to sample at least 16 different kinds of dumplings, all of which were amazing. We then went to the Xi'an train station and had the chance to experience what was a truly unique travel situation. This was unlike anything I have ever seen, and is very hard to describe. Imagine at least 10,000 people trying to fit through a narrow corridor with no lines, no one managing the traffic, and no rules about who goes first. I had never truly understood the phrase, "a crush of humanity," before this. While not necessarily at the standard the we are used to here, once on the train it was quite pleasant, and many students reported having a good night's sleep.


After the train to Beijing, we toured the Summer Palace, which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It was almost a shame, however, that this waited until the last, because we had seen so many beautiful things, it was hard to appreciate the sheer beauty here, and we did not really have enough time to really explore. After the Summer Palace, it was time to head to the airport and begin the long journey home. It was quite emotional for us to say goodbye to our hosts in China. I will forever remember the kindness they showed to us, and will always appreciate the depth of knowledge they had, and the openness with which they shared their love of their country. Thank you Mike, Mary, Jessica, Sheldon, and all the others!


It is difficult for me to sum up the experience we just had. We packed so much into the week, and it all went so smoothly. I am truly grateful to all the faculty and staff with whom we traveled: Harry Price for his willingness to pitch in and help to make sure that the students were well taken care of; Sam Skelton and John Lawless, not only for their unbelievable artistry, but also for their exceptional sense of humor. They kept us laughing throughout the trip. We also couldn't have done what we did without Susan Grant Robinson, who is always willing to put others' needs ahead of her own, and whose attention to detail was essential in so many little ways when we were so far from home. And I would be remiss not to mention Allyson Fleck and Cecelia Price, who helped in so many small ways throughout the trip. Finally, not enough can be said about the work of Michael Alexander, without whom this trip would not have been possible. I marvel at the amount of work that he put in to make the trip possible, and to see him at work is incredible. He was involved at every stage, moving effortlessly from overseeing the logistics of the tour, to conducting and ensuring that the students remained focused on their art. Thank you, Mike, for making this happen.


Before the last concert in Xi'an, I spoke briefly to the orchestra, and one of the things I told them was that it was my hope that 25 years from now, they would hold a reunion and be able to talk about the experiences they had. When that happens, I hope that I am there to see it, because I'm sure that I will still have fond memories of what we experienced together. I am exhausted and elated, and count myself to be very lucky to have been part of this truly amazing  trip.

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