Currently, I'm sitting in the Toyko airport... in the Delta Sky Club! Livin it up on spring break. That's how we roll!
This trip has been an incredible blessing to me. I cannot even begin to describe how many people have impacted my teaching life, my personal life, my spiritual life, and my musical life. I'm just NOW beginning to process everything from the trip. I'm sure that it will be a long process and that I won't even understand a lot of what has happened until much later in my life. However, I know that this trip has GREATLY impacted my life and my future. I have been opened to so much more and I have discovered that there is SO much more in this world than I had ever known. The students at this festival were BEYOND amazing. I had no clue that high school students could show so much appreciation and love for someone they just met! Not only were the students a blessing, but the faculty and staff that we worked with were outstanding. They were SO hospitable and never hesitant to hand their choirs over to us for a rehearsal. I can't thank them enough!!
The concert on Saturday night was unforgettable. The choir performed with such immaculate attention to detail and, more importantly, JOY in their hearts. I was so blessed!!
Here are some pictures of the incredible students that I met:
Our FABULOUS hosts for the week... we couldn't have done ANYTHING without them!!!
Have I said yet that I LOVE ASIA?! I love Hong Kong and I love everything about everything!!! It's just delightful and people are so nice!!
Tonight is our huge festival finale concert. The students have been SOOO well prepared and they are absolutely ready for this festival. I am so proud of my section!! yeah altos!!!!
Yesterday was a sight-seeing day and we had a BEAUTIFUL day of touring. So many great memories were made and great pictures were taken! We rode a train, boat, bus (where shaylee almost puked...), and car alllll in one day! Lots and lots and lots of rehearsing yesterday and today was just a run through of the program. It's going to be STELLAR!
Here are some pictures from yesterday!
Ok... today has been AWESOME!!! We have gotten to conduct several children's choirs today and they are responding VERY well!! It's so fun to connect with them... even though they struggle understanding a lot of American culture stuff. Anywho, I've been having a lot of fun with the kids at the school and the staff. They are SOOO hospitable and fun!
Also, there are some (and by some, I mean about 30) Yemen soccer players staying at our hotel and they honestly look at Shaylee and I like they have never seen a female before. it's absolutely hilarious. At breakfast this morning, they sat at tables next to ours and never stopped staring. Literally. It was SOOO funny!!
Here are some great pictures of us so far... I won't post all of them, but at least you can see some of our adventures! Also, I'll post some videos too!
This was a tank of fish at our hotel that you have to choose your fish from for dinner! gross!!!
This is all of us at the "Ladies' Market" in a pretty shady part of Hong Kong... but it's a market FULL of designer knockoffs... and we got to barter for EVERYTHING!!! (Oh yeah... and we got authentic bubble tea!!)
alright... sorry that I haven't been updating much... there is no free internet!!!! And, the battery on my computer is dying. ugh. So, I'll be posting pictures and videos when I get home. I am eating soooo much yucky food that I never thought I'd like, but I actually do like (sushi with crab, a fish with a head, wasabi, etc.) Anywho, the choir stuff has been REALLY taxing and a lot of work, but the kids love us and they're fabulous! We're at an incredible music school... with 7 levels and a kagillion music staff. It's awesome. Anywho, we're really tired after our delicious sushi meal, so it's bed time! Adios!