Singing in Beijing

I'm sorry if I don't answer all my comments, but I'm having problems logging on to my e-mail, actually I’m having problems connecting to the internet at all. Aaand, I’m using a PC, not a MAC, so I haven’t got a clue of how to do this....

The reason I'm in Beijing is that I'm here to sing Mozart's requiem and Lloyd Webber's requiem here with my choier. The Bergen Opera choier. This leaves me with a lot of time spent in rehersals and very little time off.

We arrived Beijing early yesterday morning and were all tired after a long flight. The ride form the airport to our hotel took almost an hour, as the hotel is in the opposite side of town. As you all know, I usually don’t stay at hotels, actually, I’ve almost never done it before. And espesially not a fancy hotel, so I was kind of exited about that. I think the rest of the choir may think I'm crazy.

The rehersal started at six (I think) and took place in the childrens palace in the forbidden city. Yes, that’s right, we got to reherse inside the forbidden city. No, white people don’t usually get to do that. We are so cool:)

First going from the airport to the hotel and then from the hotel to the forbidden city and back means I’ve managed to see a lot of Beijing in a short time. From a taxi window, that is. And I must say. It's very big and very modern. I mean; VERY big and VERY modern. This is more Manhattan than Manhattan is. I'm not sure what I expected, as I've never been here befor, actually, it's my first time in Asia. But maybe more obvious poverty, maybe a littel less big, fancy skyscrapers.
I'll probably have to get back to this at some time.

Anyways. The toilets. And the sockets. I was plesantly surprised to find that the hotel has european sockets. Hurrah! I can charge all my gadgets. Also, my phone works here. Very nice. The toilets at the hotel are western, you know, chair-like. The toilets everywere else are mostly holes in the ground. Sometimes in really smelly roomes. Like in the forbidden city. Except for the smell-thing it works for me, but I know some of the other choier members really hate it. I just think it's really exotic.

Today we went out to eat peking duck. I don't eat that, so for me it just meant really, really expensive rice and fruit. But hey. Afterwards we saw a acrobat show. It was very good, however, the feminist in me got a little mad. The boys got to do all the fancy balance and jumping stuff and the girls got to do more girly stuff like dancing and balancing plates on sticks + destroy their backs. You know, when they bend backwards and it looks like they have no spine. It's not very healty. It destroyes your back. All the girls in the show were really young. I don't think any of them had passed twenty. I sat on the third row, so I could tell.
So, a bit mixed fealings about the show.

During the day I've thought of so many things to write here, but now I can't really remember them. Probably I'm to tired. I have to get up in less than seven hours to go to rehersal anyway, so I think I'll call it the night.

Fun fact: Chinees musicians have problems with playing in 7/8. Because most chinese music is in two or four. Aparently. Quote the conductor (translated to enlish by me); "This is not gonna work. Can you *** play it on the piano really loud to help them?" It almost worked like, the 36 time. Almost. I'm seeing a lot of "Hosanna" from Lloyd Webber's requiem in my near future.