In China, Blog Represent Happiness, Family, and Longevity

By-Jimmy Pittman
First off, I should preface this blog by stating that it will not be a detailed synopsis of every leg of our journey thus far, simply because the days have started to meld together and I can’t remember whether the pearl factory was in Beijing or…uh…Other Beijing. However, I’ve been utterly enamored with every second of this trip.
Okay, so I lied, here’s your synopsis: We arrived in Beijing, played on the Great wall on day two (most surreal experience ever-amazing), went to pearl, jade and cloisonné factories (Greetings American Consumer!), Tiananmen Square (Don’t talk about “Bad Day”), the Summer Palace (Gorgeous), and a traditional Chinese teahouse, mostly in that order. Then came the bullet train to Zhengzhou, a grittier slice of the Chinese pie than the (relatively) westernized Beijing. We played one concert there a few days ago and another outside Zhengzhou at Keifeng University. The latter was the biggest performance of my life, and went great, apart from the God of Tuning banishing me to the land of Quarter-Step Flat during the final song. Apparently the audience didn’t mind, as one strapping young student insisted on carrying my bass to the bus. Being a man of extreme sloth, I obliged. This warm reception carried on to dinner, where we had some fantastic conversations with the students. From speaking with them, I realized all the inadequacies of the American school system. They can carry on a conversation for 30 minutes after 3 years of English, I can’t remember how to order dinner after 3 years of Spanish. Yesterday will be hard to top, but we’ll see.
For the most part, China is exactly the same as portrayed in every American cartoon whenever a character falls down a hole to the other side of the earth, except with more bikes and indicators of an increasingly free market society. Also, there aren’t any rickshaws, much to my dismay. My thoughts now alternate between a desire for the comforts of home (1 billion people and not one damn slice of cheese!) and my impending melancholy when I leave this socialist paradise. Really though, I just miss everyone back at home, and look forward to you all assaulting me with questions about how big the Great Wall was when I’m really jetlagged.
Love,
Jimmy