Kari Brooks’ Blog- My trip to Thailand…
6-15-05 (5:30 a.m.)
I slept only about an hour last night, sometime between 3:45 and 4:45 a.m. I dozed off a little, but before that, sleep was hopeless. I’m so excited about the trip and my mind is racing about what I’m going to experience in the next ten days. I think I went to Wal-Mart four times today, the last time being at about 3:00 a.m. I keep forgetting to grab something that I’ll need for the trip…the travel shampoo, a toothbrush holder…I’m also walking off some nervous energy in the process! I’m a little anxious about the flight! I can tell my stomach is worrying a little because it’s managed to rebel on just about everything I’ve eaten today!
32 Hours Later…
We just arrived at the Grand Hotel and I have no idea what day it is! I’m not really very tired because I’ve slept off and on throughout the three flights. I feel sorry for the people sitting next to me because although I didn’t snore, I kept abruptly waking up every time my head would fall over! I imagine it was quite distracting! Checking in to our rooms was interesting, when you combine total exhaustion with a language barrier, things can get discombobulated! I’m in room #2611, all to myself! The room is very nice with a glass shower and a view to die for! As I’m unpacking my bags, I realize that I’m quite hungry! I found the room service menu and decided to TRY to order myself some chocolate mousse off the dessert section. I was pretty sure the man on the other end of the room service line understood what I had ordered, so I put on my pajamas and waited for my food. About ten minutes later a nice man knocked on my door and presented me with what looked like a pitcher of warm milk…I just chuckled at my first experience trying to communicate in Thailand, because it was an absolute flop!
The flights today weren’t as bad as I had anticipated. On the 14 hour one from Chicago to Seoul, my goal was to make it the entire way without using the bathroom on the plane. Needless to say, my goal was unsuccessful, and after about nine hours and two meals, I gave in to Mother Nature! The meals on the flight were very good.
6-17-05
Today was an amazing but exhausting day. The breakfast buffet in the hotel is AMAZING and I found myself eating as if I had been starved for a week. The corned beef is excellent and I went back for seconds of it…ok, thirds, I won’t lie! I also had green guava juice for the first time. I have a feeling that throughout this trip there will be a lot of firsts!
We rode the subway to the Grand Palace today; I was amazed at how inexpensive it is to use public transportation. We had to wait until 1:00 p.m. to go on the Grand Palace tour because they only let you wear pants due to religious beliefs and Scott (Brown) was wearing shorts. We were told though that at 1:00, they let you borrow pants to wear for free. So we took a tuk-tuk (which kind of looks like a three wheel golf cart taxi) around for some sightseeing. I imagine it was quite a comical site to see Dr. Mortenson on one side, Scott on the other, and me squeezed in the middle of the tiny back seat of this tuk-tuk! I joked that it had been a long time since I had been this close to two older men like that! The tuk-tuk was quite an adventure, swerving through traffic like it was invincible, and there were several times when we looked at each other with wide eyes and priceless faces, wondering if we would make it out alive! There was no question that the only airbags in this little tuk-tuk were the three of us in the back seat!
Eventually we made it back to the Grand Palace, and Scott borrowed some pants that resembled a pair of blue nursing scrubs. We found ourselves a tour guide and went off through the palace grounds. Our guide turned out to be quite a funny little lady. We had a hard time understanding her, but could tell she was having quite a good time. At one point she grabbed my hand and started reading my palm, she said, “Oh you have very big heart!” The Palace grounds were stunning. Everywhere I turned provided another opportunity for a picture, but the pictures I took really didn’t do it justice.
That evening, a tuk-tuk took us to a seafood restaurant where you can pick out your meal from a tank and they cook it fresh. It was very interesting! The first thing they served us was a soup with shrimp and snails in it, although I swear I saw an eyeball in mine! We all took one sip of the soup and agreed it was good…four seconds later, our tongues caught on fire! The meal continued with prawns and sea bass, both of which were very good.
I think I will remember this day for the rest of my life, what an adventure!
3:45 a.m.
I CAN’T SLEEP! Thank God we get HBO in English here!
6-18-05
I think I sweat more today than when I was a chubby little sixth grader trying to run the mile in gym class! Today we went to the Chatuchak Weekend Market, with over 7,000 stalls! It was amazing! They had everything from silk ties to squirrels on leashes. I bought a ton of stuff to give to people when
I get back. I got my dad some ties, and my mom a woodcarving and a silk table runner. There was so much, it was impossible to see it all. It was very hot today and I was completely soaked with sweat for a majority of the day. I’m going to have to get out my winter coat when I get back to Manhattan because anything under 70 degrees is going to seem cold after being here.
Tonight we went to the Greyhound Café. I had my first experience ever eating octopus, and I’ll admit, it was quite good. I’m also getting the hang of chopsticks… although octopus is very slippery! Michael Anderson joined us for dinner, and we had some great conversation. After dinner, we walked around town and it was amazing to see how alive the town still was. People never seem to sleep here!
I’ve only been here a couple of days, but I feel like it’s been much longer. We managed to see so much in so little time! I don’t know how I’m ever going to explain this to people back home. I’m realizing more than ever that this is truly an opportunity of a lifetime to be here.
6-19-05 (9:00 p.m.)
I had another wonderful day today! We got up early and went to the Lumphini Park before breakfast. The park was beautiful and full of activity! There were hundreds, if not thousands of people walking, exercising, and doing marshal arts. It was fascinating to see some of them doing this in long sleeves and pants!
After breakfast, Scott, Dr. M, and I went on the subway and then the Skytrain to the boat station. For 100 baht each, we got day passes to ride the boats as much as we wanted. We rode to the most amazing temples I’ve ever seen in my life (Wat Arun and Wat Pho). The detail and intricacy made me speechless, and it was almost frustrating because I knew my photos weren’t doing them justice! I took about 100 pictures in no time. Everywhere I turned there was another awesome photo.
For dinner, Dr. M, Scott, Mike Anderson and I met up with Neville Young and his mum. We ate the dinner buffet in the hotel and it was just as good as the one at breakfast! I went back for about three or four trips through the food line. I tried snail for the first time, and I decided that it would also be my last time. Too juicy for me! (YUCK!)
Neville and his mum are absolutely marvelous! They are very enjoyable to be around and especially interesting with regard to their English accents. I was telling Neville about our trip to the Grand Palace and warned him to wear pants, not shorts, or else you can’t get in. He gave me a very strange look and then said, *insert English accent* “Do you mean long trousers, in London, pants are undergarments!” After hearing that, I recommended he wear both! (I’ll never forget that!) Listening to Neville and his mum made me want to add the words “lovely” and “spectacles” to my vocabulary! Although I seriously doubt that when I say them, they would sound as cool as when they do!
6-20-05
Dr. M had the board meeting today so Scott and I were planning on going back to the Chatuchak Market. At breakfast, Dr. M found us and asked if we would take our 14 Russian friends (Brandt Brass plus Mr. Veniamin Margolin) along with us. We met them in the lobby shortly after breakfast. We took them on their first subway ride ever, and then walked in the heat to the market. As we got within sight of the market, we saw that it was closed! Not knowing what to do, we pulled out the trusty map and found the next closest market. (I began to worry because Mr. Margolin was with us and I feared the heat would really bother him!) We set off towards the other market, feeling horrible because we were taking these guys on a wild goose chase in such heat! Well, we never really found the other market, and after about 30 minutes of acting like we knew what we were doing, we finally decided to head back to the subway. One of the guys with us thought maybe we should try going to the Thailand Cultural Center, so we went for another two stops on the subway, got off, and tried to find the Cultural Center. Long story short, we never found it. It was probably right in front of our faces, but after some more wandering and a lot more sweating, we finally abandoned hope. We ended up stopping at a food court area, where the Russians assured us they’d find their own way home.
Needless to say, the only thing that could have gone worse on this excursion is if we had lost someone! (My future as a tour guide is doomed!)
6/21/05
Today was the first morning since I arrived that I woke up at the right time and not in the middle of the night. I must have slept like a rock because when I woke I was half on the floor, half on the bed. Breakfast again was outstanding. I was still slightly stuffed from yesterday’s three buffets. For lunch Scott and I tried to find a Thai Barbeque place that we heard was 200 meters to the left of the hotel, but after passing the same five blocks and the same old lady three times we decided it was too hot for a scavenger hunt and headed back to the hotel buffet. I keep putting off doing laundry, but as of tomorrow it will be a must. I sure can’t wear anything twice in a row without a wash.
DAY 1
The conference started today and the hotel rooms are full of tooting and buzzing. I love to just walk down the hallway and hear trumpet, it’s like my own little version of heaven! I feel as though I’m among my own people!
Today was an exciting day with the first performance starting with the King’s Royal Trumpeters. Seeing them and then the Mahidol Wind Symphony made me really realize that music is the international language. The fact that I could musically relate to people that don’t speak the same language as me is fascinating and although I had some idea that that would happen, it didn’t fully sink in until today.
The whole day was wonderful, popping in and out of clinics, master classes, and concerts, I can tell that this is going to be an inspirational week, and I’m looking forward to the next couple of days!
DAY 2
After a nice early warm-up this morning, I must admit, I went back to bed. Playing early really motivates me and starts my morning off on the right foot, but the jet-lag is still with me. I think so far I’ve ordered more room service in the middle of the night than during the day! I went to a great clinic on combating stage fright, and it really forced me to think outside of the box. I don’t have a huge problem getting in front of people, but it was very relaxing to go through some of the mental exercises mentioned in the class.
I’ve got a bit of the jitters today, partially because I had about eight cups of coffee this morning, but partially out of nervousness for our performance tonight. We play the prelude for the Brandt Brass at 10:00 p.m., and I’m excited to play in front of everyone, but want to play it perfectly. I was blessed/cursed with the perfectionist genes in the family and it can really effect my entire day if I let it! I guess I just envision myself cracking that ever-so-important note and causing the whole audience to riot and run me out of town! (Nothing like a little positive thinking before a performance, right?)
DAY 3
Last night’s performance was a total success in my book. Both of our pieces went well and I was happy with how I played. The whole evening was inspirational, and the Brandt Brass concert was very enjoyable. I met the group last year while I was in Germany, so getting to see them again was like reuniting with old friends.
I’ve gotten to meet so many great people here this week. To me, there’s nothing more valuable that having a great conversation with someone, and I’ve definitely gotten a chance to do some of that! In talking to everyone, I’ve realized that there is an endless amount of things that I don’t know. I never thought for a moment that I knew everything, but it didn’t occur to me just how much I don’t know until now. Hearing people talk about trumpet makes me want to learn as much as I can.
I saw the Michigan State University Graduate Trumpet Ensemble perform Tsunami Memorial Canon for a prelude today and it really made me feel lucky to be able to attend this conference. This is truly a valuable opportunity to be here and I felt an obligation to make the most of my experiences in Bangkok.
Getting to hear the first ever performance of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra tonight was like witnessing history. I’m saving the program because how often can you say you’ve been to the first performance of a brand new major orchestra? There were such wonderful players and soloists tonight that it gave me that feeling that every musician lives for, the one that reminds you why you love to play. I especially liked the Eric Ewazen piece, Emerald Rhapsody for Three Trumpets and Orchestra.
DAY 4
Hard to believe its already the last day of the conference. The Festival of Trumpets was incredible today, and the sheer amount of trumpet sound that entered into my ears was something I’ll never forget. It’s sometimes frustrating to try and articulate my feelings towards the instrument because I sound like a little child in love for the first time, all I can do is babble about how great it is!
The Banquet was also grand and the food was delicious. The speech that Veniamin S. Margolin gave when he received the Award of Merit is something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I don’t speak a bit of Russian but even I could see his passion and absolute appreciation for music in what he was saying. At the end of his speech he said “God Bless You” with the most sincerity I’ve ever heard.
The topper to the whole conference was the evening concert played by Jens Lindemann. I had never heard him play live before and it moved me in a tremendous way. It had been a long time since I had felt as though I could cry and laugh in the same concert, but his playing gave me those two opposing feelings! I just sat there for the entire performance, an emotional basket case! His musicality was amazing and was the final match in a collection of fires that had been ignited in me throughout the week. This year’s conference was everything I had hoped for and more!
6-26-05
Today was probably my most favorite day of the whole trip. A group of six of us went to the river and rented a boat to take us around for the day. It was one of those really long, skinny boats with a giant motor on the back of it and a guy steering it. It was a slightly overcast day so the weather was perfect for a boat ride! The guide took us around for hours, occasionally stopping for the little floating markets to sell us something. The views were awesome. Probably the coolest thing to me was just seeing how people lived. There were no distractions of highways or cable TV or Internet to distract from life, just people.
We stopped at a snake farm and I got to hold a gigantic boa, I thought I’d be fairly calm about it, but the second its slick body touch my hands, I freaked out completely. Then we watched some men handle cobras and vipers in a show that would make any normal person sit on edge! Right before we got back on the boat, I saw a lady holding a baby monkey. I asked if I could pet it and when I did, it reached its little human-like hand up and grabbed my finger. Before I knew it, he had stuck it in his mouth to suck on! It was adorable. There’s no doubt that if I lived in Thailand, I would have a pet monkey!
Sitting in the boat with the wind blowing through my hair was so relaxing! In the back of my mind I knew that I would have to go back home tomorrow and it made me kind of sad. The last ten days had been full of new experiences, one right after the next, and the thought of going back to reality was sobering.
6-27-05
This morning I sat in my room with my suitcase on one bed and my bounty of souvenirs on the other. For some reason, I felt that if I stared at them long enough, they might shrink making it possible to get them all packed. I ended up buying a backpack at the market because I knew that this was going to be a problem. Trying to pack made me feel like I was doing one of those mind puzzles where you have to fit each block together into a perfect square but there’s only one way to do it and a million ways not to! It took a lot of brainpower to get everything into that bag! For gifts, I had bought about six stones with elephants carved in them and it was quite obvious when I finally picked up my suitcase it had nearly doubled in weight!
Dr. Mortenson took Scott, Michael Anderson, and me back to the Greyhound Café for our last dinner in Bangkok. I got the Sea Bass Au Gratin, and it was Mmm Good! I’m going to miss the food here in Thailand, that’s for sure!
About 9:00 p.m. we headed off to the airport. I was dreading the next 32 hours, but knew they were inevitable! As I checked my bag, I said a quick prayer that nothing would shatter inside, and that it would end up in the same place I was at the end of the trip home. After that it was out of my hands!
I failed again to make it without using the airplane’s bathroom but can congratulate myself in holding it for eleven hours instead of nine this time. It’s always that last airplane meal that puts me over the top!
Postscript:
What can I say…after hours of travel, it felt great to be back in my house in Manhattan, Kansas. But I can honestly say that this was the trip of a lifetime. My greatest role model once said to me that, “The more you travel, the more you want to travel!” After a trip like this, I believe it! The experiences that I have had in the last ten days will stay with me for the rest of my life, and the motivation and inspiration I feel has never been greater. I know that I must live every day to its fullest and thank my lucky stars for having the opportunity to experience these things!
