Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Twelve Girls Band


If we're on the subject of Chinese classical music instruments and how they can be adapted to the modern music world please listen to another of my favorites: Twelve Girls Band (女子十二乐坊 Nǚzǐ shí'èr Yùefǎng). Goosebumps!

Youtube here. Website here.

Band members (actually 13 in total) play the erhu, pipa, guzheng, yangqin, dizi, xiao and sometimes duxianqin and hulusi.

Erhu virtuoso: George Gao


Few people that have visited parks in China have failed to see someone playing an erhu - the Chinese two-stringed instrument that many call a Chinese violin. If you want to hear someone who can really play the erhu please listen to George Gao ( 高韶青 Gāo Sháoqīng) (see performance here and here). Remember the erhu has only two strings! Absolutely amazing!

www.georgegao.com

Wood block print exhibition Beijing

Rain II ©Ralph Kiggell
Lotus No.9 © Chen Qi

Faramita No.1 © Chen Qi

Don't miss the incredible group exhibition of work by artist-printmakers at Amelie Gallery in 798 Beijing. Runs until March 6, 2009. A definite must see.

More here.

More Miche Booz


© Miche Booz

Another lovely painting from my brother-in-law, just posted on his Facebook page. 

Snatching food from a beggar

It's been an interesting day.

First...

...my husband went out, got a haircut, came back looking like Pauli Walnuts in The Sopranos, went out again, had another haircut, and now looks like Gustav Wasa.

Then...

... we went to dinner, ordered too much food, asked for two doggy bags, one for Emy's lunch tomorrow and one to give to any street person we might come across on the way home. Walking home we found a man rummaging through a bag of old restaurant slops. I asked "Would you like some spare ribs?" He answered "Yes". I gave him one of the doggy bags and walked on. A minute later Burton says "I guess I'll give some other beggar the spare ribs". Realizing that I had given away the wrong doggy bag (Emy wanted the sweet-n-sour pork for lunch) I went back to the beggar - who was just opening up the bag I had given him -  and said "I made a mistake, here are the spareribs", switched the bag out of his hands and took back the sweet-n-sour pork.

When Gustav Wasa passed by a few minutes later the beggar was happily eating the spare ribs. 

Emy's going to have a great school lunch tomorrow.

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Sweden © Ingrid Booz Morejohn

Today the weather in Chengdu is so beautiful that I feel like throwing myself on a green lawn and looking at the sky. The grey has left and the birds are singing. Let it last!