September 2006


IMG:International Festival Chorus - Vaughan Williams - A Sea Symphony

Another great concert for the International Festival Chorus at the Forbidden City Concert Hall. Last night we performed “A Sea Symphony” by Vaughan Williams, with words by Walt Whitman. It was a challenging piece for sure, and alas, we failed at perfection. However, we seemed to have delivered the message to the smaller than usual audience, who made up for their lack of numbers with their enthusiasm. Our next performance of Handel’s Messiah on December 2nd is ceratain to sell out early again this year and will be wonderful, but this concert debuted a very different kind of choral work than is usually available in China. It’s what we do!

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Hybrid Cars have always been cool. Now they are getting to be simply amazing. I dream of the day when all of the cars within the city limits are powered by batteries or fuel cells. If you can zip around in style, all the better! There are plenty of very cool fuel cell powered cars around but they cost way too much to be feasible for most people. In the mean time, a practical alternative exists in hybrid cars. It’s hard to believe how many hybrids are available in the US right now, three and half years since I moved to China. HybridCars.com is a great source to find out more.

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It’s hard to get used to the idea that it really is getting cool. A lot of people have been complaining that its cold, but to my Ohio winter-hardened self, it is immensely invigorating. The sun is warm and soft, but the breeze is cool. Except when there’s too much wind. It’s really been kicking up these past couple of days, to mixed effect. On the positive side, it’s great to see the mountains! I always feel comforted by mountains’ presence, so its nice to be reminded that much of Beijing’s county regions are quite mountainous. It’s time to go hiking! The air is much fresher in the city now, but imagine how it must be in the mountains!

On the down side, all of the dust that flies in your face and covers you with grit puts a definite damp on the splendor. If you stay away from construction sites, you can avoid it, but where in Beijing can you be far from a construction site? Alas, a ray of hope. Parts of Beijing like the area around Dawang Lu are starting to feel developed. The beginnings of a “scene” are appearing. It’s comforting to know that Beijing is committed to a green olympics, and that new construction is heavily restricted after this year.

[tags] Beijing, construction, pollution, autumn, mountains, hiking [/tags]

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