New Trier China Tour 2000
LIVE TOUR UPDATE!

Saturday, June 10, 2000

Hello Everyone!

The New Trier High School Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble has made it safely to Beijing China.  We split into two groups at O'Hare--one headed to Osaka and the other to Tokyo, Japan.  After spending a night in Japan, our group headed to Beijing, China.  Our two groups rejoined at the Beijing international airport today!

Traveling almost constantly for two days has taken its toll on our group in body, but not in spirit.  We have seen mostly the inside of an airplane and airports for the last two days.  Not only are the kids tired, but the adults and chaperones are as well.  The group going to Tokyo was able to enjoy KAL's newest audio/video system with TV screens in front of each seat and personal control units. We were able to play video games or select from a menu of eight movies. We do not plan to tell the Osaka bunch about out great fortune. Everyone's high spirits and positive attitude will carry us through an exciting journey through China.  

During our first day in Beijing, we visited Tienanmen Square, the largest public square in the world.  The street vendors saw us coming a mile away and immediately swarmed us when we walked off our two tour buses.  They were selling items like postcards, kites, and other Chinese souvenirs. Each of the groups posed for a picture in front of the well-known picture of Chairman Mao. Standing (or actually sitting in my wheelchair) I was struck with the similarity in ages between our students and the Chinese students who lost their lives in 1989 in an attempt to gain the freedoms we all take for granted.

After visiting Tienanmen Square, we went to a restaurant in Beijing for a special Peking Duck banquet.  The food was superb, although some people had reservations about eating food they could not identify without a picture book. Since no tools were available,  everyone was forced to eat with chopsticks, and several people had difficulty fumbling around with them! Somehow though, this tactical impairment did not keep the young people from eating. Funny how that works. 

At the hotel, we unpacked our instruments and equipment after getting back from the banquet and held a very short rehearsal at 10:30 PM to ensure that our instruments and equipment were in working order.  Everything arrived and there was no significant damage to our instruments. We are now all fast asleep, (including me as I write this) and looking forward to our performance at the Great Wall of China tomorrow!

We are not yet able to distribute e-mails that you have written to our tour group due to unexpected delays in clearing our equipment through customs, but everything has been sorted out.  We will try to distribute your e-mails to our group as soon as possible.  We have also sent out some e-mails that some tour members have written to you, so check for them.

More news when we can get Internet access...

J. Warrick