One of the piano teachers at the school was of a very famous family from Hong Kong. Her family included five sisters. One was an international ballroom dancer and another was a top piano teacher. Others were also tops in their fields.
When I would drive to school in the morning, I would hear her recordings being played on the classical music radio station. She was probably the most famous of all the music faculty members though there were others almost up to her level.
During one summer, she and her friend started a school with her other sister and the three of them made a huge success of a piano summer school. She and her friend would stay with relatives in Hong Kong while she taught at the piano summer school in which the students would audition for one of very few cherished spots. It also was very expensive.
For some reason she liked me. She liked me so much that she told me that I was her favorite Caucasian. High praise from her. I think what she meant by that is that I worked hard and had manners which were both very important attributes to her.
She and her friend would take me to lunch a couple of time a year. I always felt like it was a test but I soldiered on and ate everything they ate. I am a bit squeamish about certain foods. Michael and William eat anything. I just don’t.
When we arrived at a Hong Kong restaurant, no matter where the host pointed us to a table, they always refused and chose one they wanted. Every time. I now do the same in Hong Kong restaurants. It is saying, “I may be a Caucasian but I know what I am doing.” We usually order from the other menu – the traditional one. I now know what to order!
They would always be stunned that I would eat everything they ordered. The waiter would always question them in Mandarin and point at me. They would respond, yes, that's right, she wants it too. The waiter was always impressed that I would eat it all. They never told me what I was eating until the end.
Though the years I have eaten: snake soup, the gelatinous matter from the shark fin which looked like snot but had pieces of crunchy cartilage in it, shrimp heads, pudding made of blood, goat, and a special soup for Spring which included an egg and black broth. It was delicious but I discovered that it too was made of blood.
The last time we spoke, she was very unhappy at the school. She felt that the children were too lazy to do good work. She felt that the parents were too soft. She was talking about going back to Hong Kong to teach. She has just a few kids in her studio at the school now and seems to be easing her way out. The program is just not the same after I left. She is done.
Her sister currently has the number one placed pianist internationally. She had the second placed student. I think she is searching for another good prospect and not finding it at my old school. It will be a sorry day when she leaves. Sadly, no one knows to fight to keep her and to find her high-level serious students. She brings so much credibility to the program.
She and her friend were at the memorial service on Saturday. She deeply respected GG.
She is one person I miss so much.
No comments:
Post a Comment