moving on

Well, Saturday I left for home, and despite my arriving at Osaka-Kansai Airport two hours in advance, I nearly missed my plane, since the slow employees of Northwest took a good 45 minutes to check people in, then security, and my plane was leaving 10 minutes early (since when do planes leave EARLY?!?!?!?), and immigration-that-i-didn't-realize-was-necessary that caused me to panic since i couldn't read the signs and Aki wasn't with me after security and my plane was supposedly already boarding (they let me cut to the front of the immigration line) and then a tram to my gate. Whew. Then a twelve-hour flight to Detroit–fun times. Layover in Detroit. Flight back to LA. Finally home. Anyway, sorry if my blog hasn't been very interesting lately, unless you happen to be planning a trip to Japan. I wanted to get everything in order for myself to help me remember my trip. I'll get back to normal now. Not that that's more interesting, anyway.

Since I've started the Japan trip entries, the world has kept turning. We lost two great directors. Merv Griffin, who funds an orchestra I play in, also passed away.

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and I was so RIGHT about Snape, for the record. I enjoyed it, though I could have done without the epilogue, thanks.

I've taken an audition for which I was unprepared, but it helped me get ready for school, which starts tomorrow. My last year of school! Almost 20 years straight. Yikes. And it went OK, but gosh I wish I had a better reed! I mean, I usually do, but I REALLY do right now. I don't think I like this Victoria cane as much as I thought I should (or for its price). I might stop by RDG soon and get something else.

Several of my friends have now moved, and a few even have gotten their first orchestral jobs (congratulations to Jamie, Michael, and Julianne!!!). I will miss those who are leaving very much.

And I came across an interesting quote from Italo Calvino, in a collection of his short stories called Numbers in the Dark. This story is called "Henry Ford," and presents an Italian perspective on the quintessential American Man, Henry Ford:

"So, just as ecology originates in the culture that produced pollution, so antique dealing originates from the same culture that imposed the new things that have replaced the old."