Friday 18th October, 2013               1750

What’s happened? Let me see……..

Actually not a lot. Yesterday was my day off and I spent it exactly like that - off. The film crew came to the shops to film for a short while and then suggested that the boy cameraman come to my home and remain filming until I went to bed though. I declined, mainly because I had a couple of things to do, namely cook for myself and the pets, change the bed (last night I simply had to break out the new summer quilt as it is getting a bit chilly at night now) and partly because not only did I not realise they wanted to be THAT intrusive but also because once I am home very little happens besides the aforementioned other than me sitting drinking at my computer and they have footage of that already.

They did come and film my second class today and unbelievably I caught two girls towards the back of the class sheltering their mobile phones with their books whilst watching a film! Not only has that just cost them marks but I confiscated the phones for the lesson and showed the phones to the camera. It’s disrespectful at the best of times but completely beyond the pale when there are two cameras scanning the room. The Chinese don’t like to lose face apparently yet they risk doing so constantly by engaging in this sort of thing. Rest assured those two will know all about it in the next class. Somehow I felt dismembering them on film today might put an unwelcome slant on the finished article.

In the break though one of the other girls, Betsy, came and invited me to a concert this evening. She has two tickets and nobody to go with her. My first instinct was to say no. I am always tired Friday night this term due to the early start and long day plus the kids here like South Korean pop bands (Gangnam and all that). However I asked where it was - where we have our Christmas concert so no travelling - and what it entailed. She didn’t know for sure but it is students from another uni (who came this morning on two coaches) so I suspect (and indeed hope) that it will be classical music. If it is I doubt I will be treated to Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance in D Major but it may well be pleasant. Fingers crossed.

After class I spoke to the film crew and said tomorrow I may go to town for lunch and shopping if they wanted to film. Vivian, the girl whose idea this was, seemed reluctant, saying they didn’t want me to think they were following me everywhere. I can only assume this is due to my refusal last night. They are more than welcome to film me at lunch (and even have lunch themselves) and come to Lottemart with me and I shall tell them so in the morning if indeed I go. I will have to go sometime this weekend anyway. I am taking my camera to the concert shortly so hope to be able to post a couple of pictures of whatever it turns out to be.

2140

Yes I did go, not knowing what on earth I had agreed to. What I got was 90 minutes of excruciating………

Joy.

It was the student symphony orchestra from Anhui Teaching University in Wuhu. Impossible to count but my best guess would be somewhere between forty and fifty musicians. And yes, students they may have been but musicians they most certainly were.

I’m not a huge fan of classical music, liking of course only those pieces immortalised in popular films and Land Of Hope and Glory but I did once get invited to a British Telecom sponsored do in St Mary’s Church in Luton which they were recording for Classic FM and thoroughly enjoyed that (along with the free dinner!).

Relieved it wasn’t Korean rock or pop I sat there wondering what was in store.

What I got was an orchestra with four instruments you would see in a western one I recognised and loads more I can’t even name. This was classical Chinese music. Not a tuba, double bass, trumpet etc in sight. Before you change channel I must say even though I never understood what the hell was going on I loved it. Music you may only hear when used in a western film with a Chinese content. It was utterly fabulous. Would I go again? You bet!

I attach some pictures, not the best quality but I was a little way back, together with the picture of the Ball Hair Trimmer in the campus supermarket.