The Salsa Lesson

Fun Fact No. 70: Boondoggle rules. Remember boondoggle? Sometimes referred to as gimp? Neon colored plastic rope to make cute keychains? Jamie Freedman recently made some. Anyway, it´s way cool here. People make chairs, rocking chairs, bookshelves, and other random things out of it. The mototaxi drivers use it to make the divider between them and their passengers.


So I´m playing this fabulous salsa tune with Explosión on Saturday night and it is SO stressful. Not the playing in front of 1,000+ people. Honestly, gringa on stage = a success no matter what. But these musicians are really incredible and playing with them has been a thrill and a terror - they are so damn good that I totally suck next to them. However, I have learned so much musically. They are really patient with me and I´ve been getting these quick private lessons here and there and it´s done me a world of good. And to top it off, turns out the best way to really get in with everyone in the band is to show that you´re a musician too (regardless if you´re mediocre). If there was any barrier between me and some of the band, it´s dissolved. I even was invited to beers with "the guys."

Earlier tomorrow night, I have a concert with my choir. And there´s a bit of a surprise here. Turns out that one of the members of the choir from back in the day was stuyding voice in the Conservatory in Lima and got a scholarship to study opera in Paris. He happens to be in town this week to visit his family and he´s singing with us. Dude. The boy can SING. It´s going to be a great concert - just one of each (SATB) in the choir, a few flute sonatas (including 2 by my best student), and some vocal solos. I´m excited for it.

I´ve been incredibly sleep deprived for almost 2 months. I have been sleeping really restlessly and not all through the night. This is agonizing for me, and I can´t handle it anymore. I think it´s just stress about the stuff I have to get done before I leave, but I need it to stop, because I can´t enjoy my last weeks if I´m constantly exhausted.

Monica leaves on Sunday and I´m a bit crushed. She´s coming back to Iquitos in a month, but by then I won´t be here. Tomorrow we´re going to hit the beach during the day and then she´s coming to both concerts tomorrow evening. I´m trying to enjoy every last minute with her!

Oh, and I finished the new Harry Potter. I didn´t realize it hadn´t come out yet. I knew my version was pirated, but I didn´t know that it was THAT pirated. Anyway, it´s great. REALLY great.