May they be lifted up....

Our love and compassion go out to the people of China as we prepare for our departure on Monday. There is no way to comprehend the magnitude of suffering that has enveloped this country, as well as Myanmar with it's own tragic death toll. All I know is music heals, music touches hearts and souls without any words being expressed, therefore we will be able to transcend the language barriers as we express our love for our brothers and sisters, wherever they may be crying out. We will be dedicating each concert given in China to the victims of this disaster, a disaster no one called down upon themselves and no one deserved. Life is fragile, this we know, so in the words of Leonard Bernstein, "This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before".

Truly, no man is a island.

Bless the men, women and children....

Monday, May 19, 2008

Travel glitch

Travel seems to take on it's own itinerary, especially after you have planned, organized and thought of every last detail. This fact of life has not totally caught us off guard, now that we are experiencing a delay, rather a cancellation, but not to worry. We must simply stay another day in our rather comfy hotel here in Cincinnati...not a bad deal really, extra rest is now possible, and we have beautiful surroundings in which to idle the day away. Our new flight plan tomorrow will be an 8:30 am flight to Chicago, a quick turnover there and straight on to Shanghai. We arrive a day late, but as fate would have it, and since China is in it's three day national mourning, all concerts and performances of any kind have been cancelled until Wednesday, May 22. Had we been in Shanghai as scheduled we would not have been allowed to perform our first concert. So all we're really missing is an extra day of sightseeing in and around Shanghai, and that's unfortunate, but it could have been worse. We will arrive at 2 p.m. with a free day and evening in front of us. Tired, needing to stretch and anxious to get into our hotel, we'll just take it easy and go with the flow. The letting go part of this trip has kicked in now, I get it, just follow the "flow" and everything will resolve around you! Well, off to breakfast, perhaps a swim in the pool, a soak in the hot tub....not too bad a way to spend the day! We will resume our trip tomorrow more refreshed and ready to travel on our journey. Next post from Shanghai, travel gods willing and the creeks don't rise!

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