Signing Off........
Hey there! Sorry It's taken me so long to wrap this blog up, but it was absolutely crazy my last few days in Japan as well as in the U.S. . So, I'm back in Worcester and, after a few days of sleep, am still adjusting to Eastern Daylight Time. My travels from Osaka to Worcester(via Seoul and New York) took about 30 Hours to complete. Needless to say, it's good to be home.
However, you haven't heard the craziest part yet. Some of you may have heard about an earthquake or two that hit Japan last week. Well, the first one struck during our final performance- It was one of the scariest thing I've ever experienced in my life. There we were suspended from the band bridge geting ready to begin Lucy Sorlucco(Schneider)'s final number when all of a sudden things began shaking like mad. As the band bridge is supported 50% from the ground and 50% from the cieling, we shook even more than most of Osaka. Not to mention the existing questions about the ability of the theatre's grid to hold the set's weight without a 6.8 level earthquake. I'm not ashamed in telling you that as soon as I heard the Music Director say "GO!", I was the first person(besides him) off the band bridge and under a door frame.
As soon as things settled down, which took about a half an hour, we finished the show, said our prayers, and finished packing for the next days journey. Well, at about midnight the same night, wasn't there another earthquake- this time a 7.2 that lasted for almost a full minute. When I teel you that the walls were swaying, I use no hyperbole. Because the buildings in Japan are built to absorb the movement created by an earthquake, the joints of the building were allowed to shimmy to the beat of mother nature's drum. For anyone who has not has the pleasure of an experience like this, let me tell you that you can live a full life without having one. In fact, I think it took a few years off of mine!!
OK, with that out of the way, we left the hotel at 9 AM and flew to Seoul, arriving at 3PM. We had a layover in Seoul until our 7:45PM flight took us straight to New York in a lovely 14 hour tour on which I slept all of about two hours. We arrived at JFK at about 8PM EST(9 AM Seoul/Osaka time), where Mike Kaz picked me up for the journey's final leg to beautiful Worcester, arriving home at 1:30 AM EST. All in all, about 30 hours from doorstep to doordstep.
As I said, I'm having a little trouble adjusting back to the local time, but should be OK in a few days. I thank all of you for reading this blog, as I have enjoyed writing it for such wonderful people. I may not be Hemmingway or Hugo, but I hope I was able to let you visualize at least a little of the world I was calling home for these few months.
Many offerings of peace, love, and harmony to all of you(I know it's corny, but it's true!) and. since I'm now in the U.S., I say for the last time- An-nyong Hayseo, Ja Mata, Sayonara, Auf Wiedersain, Good-bye. Thank you, God Bless and may all your adventures be Asian.......Well,
at least in spirit. BYE!
Peace,
Steven "Gags" Gagliastro
However, you haven't heard the craziest part yet. Some of you may have heard about an earthquake or two that hit Japan last week. Well, the first one struck during our final performance- It was one of the scariest thing I've ever experienced in my life. There we were suspended from the band bridge geting ready to begin Lucy Sorlucco(Schneider)'s final number when all of a sudden things began shaking like mad. As the band bridge is supported 50% from the ground and 50% from the cieling, we shook even more than most of Osaka. Not to mention the existing questions about the ability of the theatre's grid to hold the set's weight without a 6.8 level earthquake. I'm not ashamed in telling you that as soon as I heard the Music Director say "GO!", I was the first person(besides him) off the band bridge and under a door frame.
As soon as things settled down, which took about a half an hour, we finished the show, said our prayers, and finished packing for the next days journey. Well, at about midnight the same night, wasn't there another earthquake- this time a 7.2 that lasted for almost a full minute. When I teel you that the walls were swaying, I use no hyperbole. Because the buildings in Japan are built to absorb the movement created by an earthquake, the joints of the building were allowed to shimmy to the beat of mother nature's drum. For anyone who has not has the pleasure of an experience like this, let me tell you that you can live a full life without having one. In fact, I think it took a few years off of mine!!
OK, with that out of the way, we left the hotel at 9 AM and flew to Seoul, arriving at 3PM. We had a layover in Seoul until our 7:45PM flight took us straight to New York in a lovely 14 hour tour on which I slept all of about two hours. We arrived at JFK at about 8PM EST(9 AM Seoul/Osaka time), where Mike Kaz picked me up for the journey's final leg to beautiful Worcester, arriving home at 1:30 AM EST. All in all, about 30 hours from doorstep to doordstep.
As I said, I'm having a little trouble adjusting back to the local time, but should be OK in a few days. I thank all of you for reading this blog, as I have enjoyed writing it for such wonderful people. I may not be Hemmingway or Hugo, but I hope I was able to let you visualize at least a little of the world I was calling home for these few months.
Many offerings of peace, love, and harmony to all of you(I know it's corny, but it's true!) and. since I'm now in the U.S., I say for the last time- An-nyong Hayseo, Ja Mata, Sayonara, Auf Wiedersain, Good-bye. Thank you, God Bless and may all your adventures be Asian.......Well,
at least in spirit. BYE!
Peace,
Steven "Gags" Gagliastro
posted by Gags at 3:47 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home