Final Thoughts from PSYO China Tour 2016

Final Thoughts from PSYO China Tour 2016 

By Kelsey Uyeda, PSYO Manager

China is an enigma that requires exploration, understanding, patience and appreciation to be unlocked.  It has a hint of unpredictability, which leads to adventure and immediate intrigue.  The vast country does not lack for identity as the pride for their culture and history is stirring.  They respect and value the historic but are fascinated by the modern.  Due to all of this, the PSYO China Tour played out how it did and gave us the platform to write our non-fiction story.

           

Stories can be comedic and or memorable: climbing the Great Wall in the pouring rain and not giving a care in the world of how soaked we were; visiting the Forbidden City and thinking this is what living in Westeros and the Iron Throne in Game of Thrones must be like; being one of the first Americans to visit a world grown out of innocent imagination and creation with a hint of home that was Shanghai Disneyland. 

However, not all stories swirl around a historic site.  Stories can have social commentary, symbolism and allusions to educate us.  Our tour guides were maesters, who not only had us experience China but also indulge in its culture, language, spiritual beliefs and history.  We learned the art of bartering at stores, which is a skill you either have or don’t.  We learned about the importance of feng shui and the reasons for a homeopathic lifestyle.  We were exposed to traditional folk music and instruments that taught us music is universal but distinctly unique to its birthplace.  We watched an acrobat show alluding to how modern China is part of an ever evolving era but an era that never forgets the past that got them to where they are today. Additionally, the seemingly banal facts such as why Shanghai men are considered favorable husbands or the significance of tea in everyday life were equally fascinating. 

           

If a word or quote could best describe the overall experience of the PSYO China Tour, Forrest Gump’s famous quote is it: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.”  We knew we were going to China but none of us could predict how our fate or destiny was going to play out.  However, similar to how Forrest Gump’s life events created his bus bench non-fiction story, the PSYO China Tour created the colorful non-fiction story we will be telling for years to come.

Thank you to all parents, friends, and families and home that followed along in our adventures in China. This tour could not have happened without you! Thank you to the dedicated board members and friends of Pacific Symphony whose support has helped us touch students’ lives season after season, especially our amazing board chair Elizabeth Stahr. Thank you to my colleagues Eileen Jeanette and Bella Staav, and our wonderful maestro Roger Kalia for making this tour an artistic success! Last but not least, words cannot express the amount of gratitude for the unconditional love and support from Charlie and Ling Zhang to the Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles and Pacific Symphony. YOU made this dream of touring a reality for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

-      

By: Denise Sturrock, PSYO parent, 2016 Tour Blogger
Desiree Sturrock, age 12, Assistant tour blogger and emoji editor 

Today we visited the Shanghai Nanyang Model High School. One of the top high schools in all of Shanghai - it's (quoted from Charlie Zhang) the "Harvard of Shanghai high schools." There are about 10,000 students attending this school and they reside on campus in dorms. Faculty consists of about 400 instructors. Our gracious hosts provided us with a boxed lunch from none other than McDonald's - my understanding is that they wanted us to have a meal that reminded us of home. I don't normally eat McDonald's (except the fries or hash browns), but...I must say that a large Coke on ice, fries and a Big Mac was actually really nice - thoughtful of our hosts and tasty for us .

A few interesting facts about compulsory education in China shared by our tour guide:

- The school schedule used to be 6 days a week but was changed to 5 not long ago.

- In elementary school, the main subjects are math, English, civics/government, PE, art (music and visual) and homemaking (sewing/cooking). Prior to high school you must take an exam and your score determines whether you will be accepted to a college prep high school or vocational training school. No pressure!

- In high school, the days are long. Competition to track toward university acceptance is fierce, so high school students attend school all day (about 7:30a.m. to 5p.m.) tutoring (our guide called it "extracurricular" education, but it's not club soccer and it made Kumon seem woefully inadequate) is after school with a teacher. Afterwards, students get home for dinner at about 9p.m., eat and study more until midnight at least!

- High school is 3 years (equivalent to sophomore through senior year in the U.S.) and for 1 week in each year of high school, students do projects that are intended to help them appreciate the life of a worker (build with wood, work with metal and farm).

- Academic pressure does not ease much during college, though students do have options to participate in non-academic activities like social societies.

After a short (seriously - it was only about 45 minutes and traffic was relatively light compared to what we've experienced during the past few days in Beijing) bus drive, we arrived at the Model School. Setting up for rehearsal was described by Symphony staff member Eileen as "Tetris." We had to squeeze over 100 students onstage! But we managed. Dr. Kalia was also interviewed by a local TV news team just prior to the show, which shows the keen level of interest the community has for this event. When the concert started, it was clear that once again, everyone brought their A-game. It was like watching two professional orchestras in a row. Auditorium acoustics were fantastic! The audience was completely engaged and obviously appreciated the performance given by both groups. What an absolute privilege to be there to experience this. The program consisted of:

- "Spring Festival" Overture (combined)
- Overture from "The Force of Destiny" (Verdi) and the last movement from Shahrazad (Model School), and
- Selections from "West Side Story" ("Boy" and "Mambo") and the last movement from Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 plus an encore - the "Star Wars Imperial March" (PSYO)

As PSYO completed the last few bars of Tchaikovsky; however, my throat started to tighten and my eyes welled up. Then I could feel a wet drop in the corner of one eye, and another drop forming in my other eye. I took a deep breath and tried to collect myself. I didn't really want to start crying in front of everyone, and I know my daughter would be baffled by my reaction (later I told her about my reaction and her comment was, "but mom, it's not even a sad song"). But that wasn't it at all - it wasn't even because our daughter is in the group or because it's so amazing to be here in China on this tour, I think it was because I was reflecting on the deeper significance of this performance. Watching these young people make a connection between east and west through music - transcending cultural, historical and political differences - what a joyous moment. As I write this, I know words are inadequate to describe how it felt to actually be there, but suffice to say, PSYO played in a way that made you feel something - and isn't that what art is meant to do? Help us communicate without words? And on a more personal level, so may of us, myself included, have immigrated from China and other nations or we have ancestors who immigrated before us. Why? I think mostly to have more freedom and opportunity that was not available in our native countries. How amazing to come back to the place from which many of us came and make a connection through music. Thank you PSYO. With utmost and heartfelt sincerity, thank you. 

Today after the show, we had some down-time...YAY! Actually HALLELUJAH (Handel's Hallelujah Chorus chorus should now be playing in your head). We were able to return to the hotel, refresh, relax and eat. Immediately after dinner we attended a Chinese acrobat show . I wasn't sure what to expect because I've never seen one of these shows before and the PSYO staff who previewed the show explained that it's not really a Chinese version of Cirque de Solei. Now that I've seen it for myself, I'm glad I had nothing to compare it to. Honestly, it was the most physics-defying display of human effort I have ever seen. Their mostly non-harnessed acrobatics left me in a constant state of awe (wow look at how strong and artistic they are!) fear (I'm not sure the human body is meant to bend that way - it might break!) and stress (if they put one more motorcycle in that metal sphere/cage I'm sure someone is going to crash!)(at one point 8 were simultaneously driving around that space in circles). Needless to say, it was a riveting, entertaining and extraordinary show. Everyone seemed to enjoy it immensely. Our tour guide considered this the best acrobatic show in Shanghai and I think he must be right. When I go home, I'm going to recommit to a workout regimen. Probably...

Extreme Weather and A Review of Shanghai Disney

Denise Sturrock, PSYO parent & 2016 Tour Blogger and 

Desiree Sturrock, Age 12, Assistant Tour Blogger and Emoji Editor  

Shanghai Disney - what a great opportunity to come to this park so soon following the grand opening. We got lucky (?) with the weather because this was the first day in several without any rain, but it was hot...how hot?, you ask, well let's just say it felt like going to Disneyland as if it was contained "under the dome" and the dome was a giant spa steam room. ️According to my weather app, it was 90 degrees and I'm sure the percent humidity was close to that. But...this Disney park does a great job with providing covered waiting lines and air conditioning. Apparently (I did notice this but thought it was just me until other students told me that had similar impressions), the bathooms are super-cooled (like a meat locker). One group employed a strategy of dashing into the bathroom for 5 minutes between rides to splash water on themselves and reapply sunscreen. So resourceful! My personal method for combatting the heat was to drink slushies all day. It's like a trifecta of heat/fatigue combat - 1. Brain freeze, 2. Sugar high, 3. Taste bud sensation. The slushies are amazing - like 7-11 on steroids - I even had one that had what appeared to be Mickey head-shaped boba mixed at the bottom. Wow! Slushies heaven! Ok enough about that - I'm starting to crave another...

We were very dispersed today - the kids basically formed small groups and wandered the park on their own. I think it was especially nice for them to have free time and fun after yesterday's long day filming the remake of Planes, ️Trainsand Automobiles (buses) . When we met up at the end; however, my impression was that spirits where high and it was a fun day for everyone, despite the heat and humidity. I heard a lot of animated conversion and saw a lot of smiles. A commonly heard comment as we headed to the bus was "I can't wait to take a shower," and "my feet hurt so bad"! Same! Why did I wear heals? Duh...

Anyhow, we're back to the hotel now and and it's time for bed, but I will briefly share some observations of Shanghai Disney that struck me...

- Unique and/or re-imagined rides were amazing and so much fun...everyone seemed to love Tron (a super-fast roller coaster on cars that resembled motorcycles and positioned you as if you were riding a motorcycle) and Pirates of the Caribbean. Blake and I loved pirates so much, we went right back on after we finished our first ride. The special effects were incredible!

- How strange to hear everything announced in Chinese and watch all the pre-ride videos by actors speaking Chinese - no subtitles and only minimal English translations. At least instructions at Disney are mostly either previously memorized or intuitive...keep you arms inside the vehicle at all times, fasten your seat belt and pull to make sure it is secure, the safety bar will automatically come down across your lap...I could almost pretend that I understand something in Chinese besides "gung hay fat choy" (sp?)

- The food offerings were a bountiful variety of all types of Chinese cuisine (oh and slushies!) - I only found one "American-style burger restaurant" on the map. We opted for fish and chips and it was delicious!

- Shanghai Disney exclusive souvenirs! Yay! More pins for your Disney lanyards - unique Mickey ear hats - Chinese characters on certain merchandise (you know it's all appropriate wording because hey, this is Disney) all at the low, low price of...What? how many yuan did you say? Do you accept visa? Hmmm...What's my limit again? Have I reached it? I think I paid off the bill before we left for this trip. Gosh, that makes me wonder...did I turn off the oven? Did I ask the neighbor to put out the trash? Did I take that load of wet towels out of the washer and put them in the dryer? Should I call my sister (the only person with my house key) and make her drive over to the house and check? Naaaaw...not now, it's bed time in Shanghai - I'm on "vacation" ...

Oh and one more thing before I forget - a special shout-out to Alicia, Luchi and Evette for making Desiree's day today! You girls rock!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: An Adventurous Day with yet Another Successful Performance!

By Denise Sturrock, PSYO Parent & 2016 Tour Blogger

and Desiree Sturrock, age 12, Assistant tour blogger and emoji editor 

Before I go into too much detail regarding today's events, let me start by complimenting parents on the wonderful job you've done raising these kids. Today was a major travel day. We started early in the morning, everyone had to listen carefully and follow directions exactly, conditions for communication were challenging (often we had to take directions in loud, crowded locations - like the train station), and our cellos and low brass instruments arrived a little late (long story but suffice to say it all worked out). Despite these travel and logistical challenges, the kids were wonderful - always following directions, maintaining their good moods and manners, going with the flow, then arriving to the venue and going straight into rehearsal (they really had to muster their energy and they did it!). It's truly a pleasure to observe their professionalism and poise first hand! Thank you for all you do as parents to instill these characteristics and thank you especially to all PSYO members for your exemplary behavior. 

Now for the details...starting with yet another surprise from the PSYO staff. Unbeknownst to all tour participants, a crew from Hollywood joined us today for filming of the remake of the Steve Martin/John Candy comedy classic, Planes (well not really, but it felt like it), Trains  (665 miles traveled), and Automobiles  (actually busses - 1 hour to the Beijing train station, 2 from the Shanghai train station to Wuzhen and 2 back again)...I don't even want to think about total overall mileage...

Unfortunately, none of us are SAG  members, so despite the potential for 90 minutes of silver screen fame, the contract negotiations for payment of PSYO members as extras must have been a struggle. Maybe if we had unpacked the instruments and played during the train trip (5 long, I mean, glorious hours) empty cases would have been filled with donations and our efforts to put a new spin on this beloved and classic movie would have been monetarily rewarded. Perhaps next time...

On the train, a few "fun?" facts...

- there was a temporary misplaced passport scare, but that's all it was - a temporary scare...phew...

- vegetarians scored today with Subway sandwiches - the carnivores received mystery meat sandwiches that also include a layer of hard-boiled egg and sliced cucumber (hmmm...Chinese interpretation of a club sandwich?)

- Overhead train bin space was plentiful - I'm sure the 100% PAC pass rate among PSYO members also contributed to this

- Motion sickness issues were non-existent as far as I could tell (well maybe I was the only one feeling a little green around the gills), which compels me to comment on the aftermath of all this travel in one day...

After reaching terra firma in Wuzhen, I'm certain many of us suffered from that weird feeling you get when you get off a moving vehicle after many hours and you feel like you're still moving. What a blast! Hopefully the hotel room won't spin as we fall asleep tonight! Dramamine anyone? Or on a more optimistic note, perhaps this is just good conditioning for all the roller coaster-type rides at Shanghai Disney tomorrow. 

Anyhow, after a quick rehearsal, we traveled by golf cart from the performance venue to dinner and had another fabulous banquet-style meal (every time we eat, I feel like I'm going to a cousin's wedding banquet!). 

The culmination of our day was certainly the concert! The Grand Theater at Wuzhen was a gorgeous venue. We had a sold out crowd - packed with families that brought children of all ages. After introductions (translation by our own Danielle who gave the remarks in Chinese - again Chinese school pays off in a big way!), we were treated to an amazing performance, and once again, PSYO's show was outstanding. I'm in awe of the fact that after such a long, strenuous travel day they were able to play with such grace, musicality, passion, and exuberance (and with a sense of humor - not naming sections, but sunglasses  were again donned for the encore and another section had coordinating Flintstone-style hairdos, actually think of Pebbles. LOL!!!) But overall, there is no doubt that they are true ambassadors of music! This audience was clearly very appreciative of the performance - they gave the kids a standing ovation! I even heard some guests humming the imperial march as they exited the venue. What a treat for everyone present to be a part of this. Parents, be proud of these amazing young performers, they are truly something special.