Wait! I need more time!

Quick updates.

1) I finally finished moving into my generation's version of the 21st century and got a twitter account! You can follow me on twitter (@taylorsnotes) to get updates on...well...you know, things about which one tweets. I figured that since twitter is considered micro-blogging, and this here is an actual blog, it might be cool to have micro-blog updates (under 140 characters) next to my normal blog updates (over 140 characters).

2) I don't know where time has gone! I fully intended to update my blog after attending the Mark O'Connor Method Camp, but somehow found myself busy with all sorts of non-blog things. I will be putting together entries on Italy and Mark O'Connor, and then should, I think, be caught up.

3) We flew into Minneapolis last night for a corporate gig we had earlier this evening. Because we had rehearsals today, I didn't get to see too much of Minneapolis, but I was able to get dinner with my great friend Sarah last night. Back when I was auditioning for Barrage in 2006, Sarah was the most instrumental person (next to my parents) in helping me to prepare for the process, even taking my head shots on multiple occasions! She has yet to see us perform, but will hopefully be able to make a show later this year.

We had dinner at a restaurant by the Mississippi River and then took a short walk around the area.

The tall, yellow building is referred to as the "Tall Blonde." (Reflections at the bottom of the picture are in the Mississippi River.)

4) Tomorrow morning we leave the hotel at 4 a.m. to catch a 6 a.m. flight to Denver for an evening performance in Steamboat Springs, CO...which means I need to be up in 5.5 hours and should probably be sleeping right now.

5) This blog was 1,752 characters in length.

Shijiazhuang

Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you...my final post on May's trip to China!

I feel like all I've been doing for the past weeks is uploading photos and videos of China to my blog...which couldn't really be further from the truth, but it's a feeling nonetheless. There's just something so daunting about embarking on a set of posts I know will be difficult to compose (especially the first two on culture). I must say that I'm quite glad to be rounding the corner. Now, I just have to write a few more and I'll be up-to-date!

In other news, I'm currently in Charleston, South Carolina, attending the very first Mark O'Connor Method Camp! I was trained in the first two books of his method a few months ago, and am here to receive training for Book III, which is being released this week at the camp. I've been looking forward to visiting Charleston, but am even more excited about spending the week hanging out with string players and music educators who are interested in the same types of music as I am!

It looks to be an incredible week.

But now, back to China.

We spent two weeks in downtown Shijiazhuang rehearsing for our performances in Italy, working on some new material, and cleaning up the show. 

It's hard to describe exactly what Shijiazhuang feels like because it's a very much a city in transition. 

I guess it was most like what happens when you clean a messy room: Shijiazhuang was at that strange phase where the cleaning has started but parts of the room somehow end up looking messier before they look cleaner. In one moment, we basked in the opulence of a giant mall adorned with recognizable faces, and just two blocks later we came upon the debris of a building recently imploded to make way for new housing.

Here are some photos I took around Shijiazhuang. All of these places, with the exception of the university, were within a 10-minute walk from the hotel.

The library, with sidewalk parking next to the building.

Please don't throw banana peels from your car.

The People's Park of Shijiazhuang.

Mao Zedong.

Bicycle parking on the sidewalk.

With our translator, Eric, and our technical assistant, Ja Wei. Eric, who graduated from university while we were in Shijiazhuang, gave us a tour of his campus before he moved out.

Hebei Normal University. (By the way, Shijiazhuang is the capital of Hebei province.)

Housing.

Going to Eric's room. Each room has three bunk beds, six desks, and six guys.

The building where students get hot water. All of those colored thermoses on the ground are communal: pick one up, fill it, take it.

Eric and Tim play ping pong near the recreation center. The residence halls are in the background.

The gang with Eric.

Eating late into the night at the Aegean Sea, our favorite restaurant in town.

NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts were a great form of entertainment while in China (available as a free podcast through iTunes). After seeing one with concert violinist Charlie Siem and learning of his modeling career, I spotted his face just down the street the next day.

Natalie Portman.

Pandamonium!

When we were in Chengdu, we took the morning to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, the biggest conservation center for pandas in the world!

On our way in the cab!

Eric (our awesome translator), Kristina, Kiana, me, Daniel and Phil.

I wanted to think the red pandas were looking at me...

...but then I realized the woman standing behind me was getting ready to feed them.

"This area is home to many wild birds."

Mei Lan, the official Panda Ambassador for Earth Hour 2010, and, from what we overheard on a nearby tour, the most photographed panda on the planet.

This is definitely my favorite photo.