Extremes

The first in extremes is told in the story of Lang Lang, a twenty-something classical pianist from China. I just finished reading the book that I have pictured in the sidebar. I'll quote a couple paragraphs here.

"Fortunately, compared to Chinese schools, the American system felt downright lax. Students were not disciplined, and they would think nothing about not completing their homework, which was unheard of in China........In general, schoolwork was easy in America. It seemed that students got by doing very little. As a fifteen year old boy, I didn't object to this. In fact, I liked it. I welcomed being in a country where kids were more carefree about school and independent - and even defiant - of their parents,........To see kids my age question authority was a revelation."

"The more he (father) saw me acclimating to American culture and American attitudes, the stricter he became and the more resentful I became of his interference. In China, parents are in charge. In America, kids are in charge of themselves, and I was primed to assume control of my own life."

Lang Lang's story puts quite a perspective on cultural differences AND certainly illuminates the pressure that China's one child policy has created within that culture. Not to mention the evident lack of respect shown by a large proportion of American youth.

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Towards the beginning of September, I began anxiously awaiting the daily mail delivery. I was hoping that September's Piano Technician's Journal would contain my "Diamonds in the Rough" story that was originally posted on this blog. The editor had emailed the draft to me for approval. It was edited and retitled, and although I felt it was a tad sterile, I approved the version. The file indicated the September issue at the top of the page. So I assumed.....

incorrectly evidently, that it be in the September issue. Very disappointing to have no "Tuner's Life" in the September issue especially since it was to be my story. Maybe next month?

However in the meantime, the editor of the Tools, Tips & Techniques section of the Journal emailed and requested that a suggestion I had made on the Pianotech List (online) be used in an upcoming Journal issue. I went ahead and gave her approval for it's usage. (Thank you 'F' for confirming that my idea would work before I actually used it on a job a while back) So, I'm waiting to see that in print, too!

Last week, the newsletter editor of the Boston Chapter of the PTG sent out an email appeal for material. I sent him a text file and pictures of technical I had written some time back and never used. Yay! A few days ago the newsletter arrived and my technical had the bottom half of the front page and half of page two!

Add to that some really super compliments on the Pianotech List, from a fellow technican, about my keywork and I'm feeling darn good!

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And finally have been our weather extremes. Wet, wet summer, in general, as witnessed by the photograph below.The following photo will give you some idea of the size of this (these) fungus.Now this weekend is supposed to be rainy and miserably humid, and instead the sun is shining brightly. Still, we have Sunday for more rain and hopefully Monday, as I'll be working!