It didn't seem like Easter at all this week in China. There are no Easter bunnies, or chocolate eggs in the stores, and no one is thinking about going to get their new Easter suit for Easter Sunday.
John Weigand, who is playing Herr Zeller (whom I'm also understudying) arranged for us all to go to this interdenominational church service her in Chengdu. I really didn't think I was going to go, because in my mind Easter didn't seem that important or that it was even happening. Last night I told Emily (Frau Schmidt) that I would go with her to church today. When she called at 8:30am, I said, I'm too tired I'm gonna stay in bed, but I couldn't go back to sleep at all, and ten minutes later I called her back and told her I was going.
I can't imagine that I would have missed this amazing experience. A man, named Eric, who works at the U.S. Consulate came at 930 and picked us up and took us to church. In my mind, I expected there to be like 50 people tops, in a little tiny church somewhere in a ghetto area of Chengdu. These are the typical churches that I'm used too, with my experience of foreign mission work with my dad. We arrive at this huge high rise building, which is typical of this city, and we go up the elevator to the 3rd floor. We walk into this huge room with about 400 seats, within 20 minutes every seat was full. It was amazing. There were so many westerners there to fellowship and worship on Easter Sunday.
The first thing we did, was introduce every single first time visitor. I was the first one from our group to get passed the microphone, and I said My name is Chris Ketner and I'm here with several members of the Sound of Music Asia Tour. There was uproarious applause, it was so overwhelming and moving. The service itself was extremely moving and uplifting and encouraging. The spirit of the people was so overwhelmingly inviting and comforting. I sat there and really experienced God in an amazing way. I was really inspired to stay focused on my walk as a Christian while on tour. All I could think of the entire time that I was in the service was how abundant and blessed by the Spirit of God that church community is. I hope that next week, we will be able to go back and fellowship with all of those Christians, who are living and working in China, away from their homes from all over the world. I'm so glad that I went this morning, and I thank God for bringing me here and letting me have this experience.
HAPPY EASTER!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Living a Cliche
So much has happened that I feel like I've been here for years. I don't even know what to write about, it all seems like a huge blur, and like it happened years ago.
We all walk around like celebrities, especially the little kids. Being blond is especially attractive to the masses of Chinese. I can't walk around without being stared at, smiled at, or gawked at. Today at Starbucks, Greg, my rooommate, and I were like animals in the zoo. The four people at the table next to us, stared and talked and laughed about us constantly. Now I know what being a goldfish feels like, the language barrier being our glass bowl, which separates us from the "outside" world.
Speaking of Starbucks, Greg and I are probably the two most cliche Americans. The first thing we did when we first got here was walk around and explore the city, but first we went to Starbucks and picked up 2 Grande Lattes. How cliche could we possibly be, two 6 feet tall, blond headed kids walking around the streets with our Starbucks Lattes. Of course I don't speak Chinese, but I know exactly what all of the Chinese people who stare and point at us are saying: "It is true, Americans are all giant blonds who drink Starbucks all time." Also out of the many meals, I have already partaken of while in China, the majority of them have consisted of 1 trip to McDonalds, 1 to KFC, and 2 to Pizza Hut. This only further exemplifies the American stereo-type.
Rehearsal is going so well. Everyone really works well together, and we have all hit it off. There has also been rumor of a little show-mance...further to details to follow at a later date. I had dinner with Tiffan, who is playing Elsa, who recently graduated from OCU. Let me just say, that that dinner was nothing short of a 3-ring circus. The waiters would not leave us alone, and were staring at us the entire time we were trying to read the menus. The one who spoke the most English, kept giggling like a school girl, every time I would ask her a question. Tiffan was very overwhelmed from all of the attention.
Tuesday, has come to be known as massage day, or in other words, the day of many gropings. Greg and I were not called for rehearsal at all on Tuesday, so we decided to go to the "spa" in the hotel, and get massages. They were priced at 108Y which is approximately $15.42. As soon as we get there, the owner takes us back in to our seperate massage rooms, and then comes in to mine, and asks if we are here for sex or just massages. He does this by making an ok sign with his left hand and using the index finger of his right hand to enter the circle of the O of his left hand, while saying "You like...?" I quickly said, "No thank you, just a massage." My tight jean sporting, overdone make up wearing, pretend masseuse comes in and immediately turns on the TV and starts rubbing my back in the most bored and uninterested way possible. The occasionaly cupping of my nether regions, was the only thing that she seemed to be trained to do. Needless to say it was not the massage that I expected.
That same night, we went to this place that advertised themselves as offering 2 and1/2 hour massages for 120Y or $17. This was exactly what I had expected and wanted in a massage. I went with Maddy, Rebecca and Clay (who is playing Franz). The whole experience was surreal. When we walked into this huge complex, there were mobs of massage therapists sitting on couches, and as you walked by they all stood up and bowed their heads to us. They took the 4 of us into of huge room that had the biggest bed I've ever seen. It had 4 pillows and 4 blankets. 4 little ladies come in and begin to perform their duties. It was the most thorough 2.5 hour massage I have ever had. I felt so great after. My favorite part was when my lady was petting my blond hair and moaning, like "ooo look at my pretty new pet." It boosted my ego like crazy. I will be going back to this place at least once a week.
Sometimes I forget that I'm here to 'work' and that this is not a vacation. From re-reading what I just wrote, I haven't really been talking about the show or rehearsal. It is a huge part of what we are doing here. It just seems to be the only factor of normality in this other worldly planet that we are living in. Ok, I'm tired of writing and I'm gonna go. If you read this, please make a comment, because on my last blog, there were no comments, so I feel like no one is reading it...please show me love, cuz I'm so insecure.
We all walk around like celebrities, especially the little kids. Being blond is especially attractive to the masses of Chinese. I can't walk around without being stared at, smiled at, or gawked at. Today at Starbucks, Greg, my rooommate, and I were like animals in the zoo. The four people at the table next to us, stared and talked and laughed about us constantly. Now I know what being a goldfish feels like, the language barrier being our glass bowl, which separates us from the "outside" world.
Speaking of Starbucks, Greg and I are probably the two most cliche Americans. The first thing we did when we first got here was walk around and explore the city, but first we went to Starbucks and picked up 2 Grande Lattes. How cliche could we possibly be, two 6 feet tall, blond headed kids walking around the streets with our Starbucks Lattes. Of course I don't speak Chinese, but I know exactly what all of the Chinese people who stare and point at us are saying: "It is true, Americans are all giant blonds who drink Starbucks all time." Also out of the many meals, I have already partaken of while in China, the majority of them have consisted of 1 trip to McDonalds, 1 to KFC, and 2 to Pizza Hut. This only further exemplifies the American stereo-type.
Rehearsal is going so well. Everyone really works well together, and we have all hit it off. There has also been rumor of a little show-mance...further to details to follow at a later date. I had dinner with Tiffan, who is playing Elsa, who recently graduated from OCU. Let me just say, that that dinner was nothing short of a 3-ring circus. The waiters would not leave us alone, and were staring at us the entire time we were trying to read the menus. The one who spoke the most English, kept giggling like a school girl, every time I would ask her a question. Tiffan was very overwhelmed from all of the attention.
Tuesday, has come to be known as massage day, or in other words, the day of many gropings. Greg and I were not called for rehearsal at all on Tuesday, so we decided to go to the "spa" in the hotel, and get massages. They were priced at 108Y which is approximately $15.42. As soon as we get there, the owner takes us back in to our seperate massage rooms, and then comes in to mine, and asks if we are here for sex or just massages. He does this by making an ok sign with his left hand and using the index finger of his right hand to enter the circle of the O of his left hand, while saying "You like...?" I quickly said, "No thank you, just a massage." My tight jean sporting, overdone make up wearing, pretend masseuse comes in and immediately turns on the TV and starts rubbing my back in the most bored and uninterested way possible. The occasionaly cupping of my nether regions, was the only thing that she seemed to be trained to do. Needless to say it was not the massage that I expected.
That same night, we went to this place that advertised themselves as offering 2 and1/2 hour massages for 120Y or $17. This was exactly what I had expected and wanted in a massage. I went with Maddy, Rebecca and Clay (who is playing Franz). The whole experience was surreal. When we walked into this huge complex, there were mobs of massage therapists sitting on couches, and as you walked by they all stood up and bowed their heads to us. They took the 4 of us into of huge room that had the biggest bed I've ever seen. It had 4 pillows and 4 blankets. 4 little ladies come in and begin to perform their duties. It was the most thorough 2.5 hour massage I have ever had. I felt so great after. My favorite part was when my lady was petting my blond hair and moaning, like "ooo look at my pretty new pet." It boosted my ego like crazy. I will be going back to this place at least once a week.
Sometimes I forget that I'm here to 'work' and that this is not a vacation. From re-reading what I just wrote, I haven't really been talking about the show or rehearsal. It is a huge part of what we are doing here. It just seems to be the only factor of normality in this other worldly planet that we are living in. Ok, I'm tired of writing and I'm gonna go. If you read this, please make a comment, because on my last blog, there were no comments, so I feel like no one is reading it...please show me love, cuz I'm so insecure.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
China=My New Home
Hey ya'll, I'm in China. Me, Chris Ketner, is living life in Asia. I know, hard to believe, but its true, so here is a brief account of the main events of the first day in China.
What seemed to be the most disorienting flight, which was advertised as a 16 hour flight, but could not have been more than 3 or 4 hours. This sensation was probably created by Maddy and My drug induced coma, which caused us to sleep well over 8 hours. When we got to Shanghai, it still didn't fell like we were in China, a country which was closed to outsiders for so long. Maddy and I immediately changed money and then went to pick up our bags.
Once we got our bags, we had to go and re-check them for the connecting flight to Chengdu. We all got in line at this little re-check place, just outside of baggage claim. Of course at 5am, it wasn't opened. At 5:30ish a lady comes up in a military style uniform and tells us we have to send our bags through an ex-ray machine, that was behind we were lined up. So about 100 people, who were in the front row, crammed back around to the ex-ray, and we were now in the back. The lady at the ex-ray, just said to start sending bags through. While trying her worst at crowd control, she neglected to watch the ex-ray monitor, making this extra bit of security pointless and hilariously circus-like. Once the circus got into full swing, cast members and kid's moms had to load luggage onto the conveyor belt and then push through, with luggage carts in tow, through the mob of confused and irritated Americans, waiting to put their bags through. Once the bags came out the other side, they began to pile up, making the floor look like the floor of a neglected factory assembly line; neglected by the worker who had a massive diarrhea attack and forgot to turn of the conveyor belt. Each bag kept coming through, nudging the others out of the way, until there was a clog of bags in the ex-ray machine. The whole time, the one guard is looking from side to side, from piled up bags to worn out, pissed off Americans. She looked like a kid that got lost in the mall and didn't know which way to go, but knew it was her fault for running away into the candy store, occasionally shouting orders in Chinese to maintain and ensure her presence and power wasn't forgotten.
This seems to be a major theme in Chinese culture; to randomly shout tow or three syllables just to announce their presence. Last night at our first attempt to find dinner, on our own, in China. The 13 year-old kid, i-pod and cigarette in tow, who seemed to own or at least run the restaurant, would randomly scream 3 tones at the top of his high soprano voice. I would jump and look around to make sure the place wasn't on fire, and to see if he was giving the order for evacuation. Then I would calm down, and notice that the locals didn't even flinch an inch, and they were still slopping down their tin bowls of mystery mucus stew, with their mouths half an inch or less from their bowls. The soup itself was not bad, and was a close cousin to the American version of egg drop soup. This, more authentic, version was much thicker, and presented itself in the color and texture of the snot that flies across the room, after a really hard and loud sneeze. The taste was similar, but was later brightened by the older Chinese woman (owner I'm sure) putting a huge spoonful of hot sauce in my bowl, and motioning with her hands to her mouth, as if to say "now eat monkey."
The saving grace was what I have fondly come to refer to as the Chinese Hot Pocket. It was a small, thick and doughy pita pocket with spicy mystery meat. It resembled something my elementary school cafeteria would have concocted during Asian Heritage Month. Trying to be authentic, but not really having a clue how or what Chinese food is or looks like. Only this time, the Hot Pocket was awesome. It was medium spicy, with just enough kick. This is to be expected from the Sichuan region of China, otherwise known as the spicy food capital of the Far East. It was so good, I ordered a second one! So my snot soup (which I forgot to say had tofu) and 2 Chinese Hot pockets was 14 yuan, which equals just under $2. This for the regular Chinese would have been a feast, but for Chris Ketner was a small meal.
Everyone so far on the tour is amazing, even the kids and their moms are really great. Rebecca Stavis will probably keep me laughing until the day I die. She is probably funnier and talks more than I do, if that is humanly possible. My roommate Greg (whom I'm understudying) and I went exploring all around our area yesterday, while waiting for our room to be cleaned. We immediately went to Starbucks and got Latte's. We then walked through the streets, looking as cliche as possible. Two blond kids in jeans t-shirts and starbucks in hand...we might as well have screamed at the top of our lungs "We are AMERICAN." I greeted and said Ni Hao to as many people as possible. Somehow we took a left turn, literally, and found ourselves and in an open air market. This was something out of a legend or fairy tale. There were pig hearts and live eels and hanging legs and rib cages of animals hanging all above our heads and at our feet. It was amazing. I thought about buying something, or maybe trying some street food, but I decided that having my intestines explode, would not be great way to start my 8 months in China.
On that note, I'm declaring this a safe and bloody stool free adventure through a new and adventure promising place!
What seemed to be the most disorienting flight, which was advertised as a 16 hour flight, but could not have been more than 3 or 4 hours. This sensation was probably created by Maddy and My drug induced coma, which caused us to sleep well over 8 hours. When we got to Shanghai, it still didn't fell like we were in China, a country which was closed to outsiders for so long. Maddy and I immediately changed money and then went to pick up our bags.
Once we got our bags, we had to go and re-check them for the connecting flight to Chengdu. We all got in line at this little re-check place, just outside of baggage claim. Of course at 5am, it wasn't opened. At 5:30ish a lady comes up in a military style uniform and tells us we have to send our bags through an ex-ray machine, that was behind we were lined up. So about 100 people, who were in the front row, crammed back around to the ex-ray, and we were now in the back. The lady at the ex-ray, just said to start sending bags through. While trying her worst at crowd control, she neglected to watch the ex-ray monitor, making this extra bit of security pointless and hilariously circus-like. Once the circus got into full swing, cast members and kid's moms had to load luggage onto the conveyor belt and then push through, with luggage carts in tow, through the mob of confused and irritated Americans, waiting to put their bags through. Once the bags came out the other side, they began to pile up, making the floor look like the floor of a neglected factory assembly line; neglected by the worker who had a massive diarrhea attack and forgot to turn of the conveyor belt. Each bag kept coming through, nudging the others out of the way, until there was a clog of bags in the ex-ray machine. The whole time, the one guard is looking from side to side, from piled up bags to worn out, pissed off Americans. She looked like a kid that got lost in the mall and didn't know which way to go, but knew it was her fault for running away into the candy store, occasionally shouting orders in Chinese to maintain and ensure her presence and power wasn't forgotten.
This seems to be a major theme in Chinese culture; to randomly shout tow or three syllables just to announce their presence. Last night at our first attempt to find dinner, on our own, in China. The 13 year-old kid, i-pod and cigarette in tow, who seemed to own or at least run the restaurant, would randomly scream 3 tones at the top of his high soprano voice. I would jump and look around to make sure the place wasn't on fire, and to see if he was giving the order for evacuation. Then I would calm down, and notice that the locals didn't even flinch an inch, and they were still slopping down their tin bowls of mystery mucus stew, with their mouths half an inch or less from their bowls. The soup itself was not bad, and was a close cousin to the American version of egg drop soup. This, more authentic, version was much thicker, and presented itself in the color and texture of the snot that flies across the room, after a really hard and loud sneeze. The taste was similar, but was later brightened by the older Chinese woman (owner I'm sure) putting a huge spoonful of hot sauce in my bowl, and motioning with her hands to her mouth, as if to say "now eat monkey."
The saving grace was what I have fondly come to refer to as the Chinese Hot Pocket. It was a small, thick and doughy pita pocket with spicy mystery meat. It resembled something my elementary school cafeteria would have concocted during Asian Heritage Month. Trying to be authentic, but not really having a clue how or what Chinese food is or looks like. Only this time, the Hot Pocket was awesome. It was medium spicy, with just enough kick. This is to be expected from the Sichuan region of China, otherwise known as the spicy food capital of the Far East. It was so good, I ordered a second one! So my snot soup (which I forgot to say had tofu) and 2 Chinese Hot pockets was 14 yuan, which equals just under $2. This for the regular Chinese would have been a feast, but for Chris Ketner was a small meal.
Everyone so far on the tour is amazing, even the kids and their moms are really great. Rebecca Stavis will probably keep me laughing until the day I die. She is probably funnier and talks more than I do, if that is humanly possible. My roommate Greg (whom I'm understudying) and I went exploring all around our area yesterday, while waiting for our room to be cleaned. We immediately went to Starbucks and got Latte's. We then walked through the streets, looking as cliche as possible. Two blond kids in jeans t-shirts and starbucks in hand...we might as well have screamed at the top of our lungs "We are AMERICAN." I greeted and said Ni Hao to as many people as possible. Somehow we took a left turn, literally, and found ourselves and in an open air market. This was something out of a legend or fairy tale. There were pig hearts and live eels and hanging legs and rib cages of animals hanging all above our heads and at our feet. It was amazing. I thought about buying something, or maybe trying some street food, but I decided that having my intestines explode, would not be great way to start my 8 months in China.
On that note, I'm declaring this a safe and bloody stool free adventure through a new and adventure promising place!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Staring at empty suitcases
Right now I am sitting on my bed in my make shift room in my parents house in Dallas, and I'm staring at a room full of clothes and empty suitcases. Somehow I can't bring myself to begin packing. I'm still plagued by the question, what do I pack in a suitcase for 8-10 months? I have no idea at all. Everytime I think about packing, I just go and sit in the living room and watch another episode of Paradise Hotel 2 on the Reality Channel, which up until 2 days ago, I didn't know existed. If any one has any ideas on what I should do about this packing situation, please let me know.
I am also very plagued by this blog thing. Not just the writing part, but the actual site itself. How do I make my site look cool? How do I add friends, or add other people's blogs to my site, like a friend list. Why isn't everything as easy as facebook? Also I downloaded Skype today, and realized that my computer doesn't have a microphone. Typical of my really nice Dell computer. Should I buy one? I probably won't know how to use it, when I get it. I'm so technologically challenged.
I also feel like I should go out and buy new stuff, t-shirts, underwear, shorts, socks, etc. I feel somehow this is a waste of money, but my biggest fear is getting to China and being unprepared, or every one seeing me wear the exact same thing everyday. I'm gonna be the bum on tour, who has to borrow stuff from people constantly. I need some one to hold my hand through this whole ordeal, or maybe I should just go and wing it. I'm so nervous about everything. The kids on the tour get to bring a parent with them, why don't I? Hopefully Maddy will get me through it all, and she won't let me die.
Ok, in keeping with the tradition of not packing, I'm going to the movies with my little brother!
I am also very plagued by this blog thing. Not just the writing part, but the actual site itself. How do I make my site look cool? How do I add friends, or add other people's blogs to my site, like a friend list. Why isn't everything as easy as facebook? Also I downloaded Skype today, and realized that my computer doesn't have a microphone. Typical of my really nice Dell computer. Should I buy one? I probably won't know how to use it, when I get it. I'm so technologically challenged.
I also feel like I should go out and buy new stuff, t-shirts, underwear, shorts, socks, etc. I feel somehow this is a waste of money, but my biggest fear is getting to China and being unprepared, or every one seeing me wear the exact same thing everyday. I'm gonna be the bum on tour, who has to borrow stuff from people constantly. I need some one to hold my hand through this whole ordeal, or maybe I should just go and wing it. I'm so nervous about everything. The kids on the tour get to bring a parent with them, why don't I? Hopefully Maddy will get me through it all, and she won't let me die.
Ok, in keeping with the tradition of not packing, I'm going to the movies with my little brother!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Back in Dallas
OK everybody, this is my first blog ever, and I don't really know what to do or say. I will try to update it regularly and will mainly be updating you all on what is happening in China while on tour with The Sound of Music.
Well after 2 days on the road, I am finally back in Dallas. My Dad and I packed up my apartment on Monday and drove from New York to Dallas. I did most of the driving, and my dad did most of the sleeping. Along they way we stopped in Abingdon, VA and said hi to one of my favorite people in the world, Evalyn Baron. It was so good to see her one last time and to say goodbye. Hopefully this time next year, I will be working there, at the Barter Theatre! Once we got to Dallas, we had to move all of my brother's furniture out to his new apartment, and we moved all of my furniture in to his old room. Right now my entire life is laying around me in boxes and suitcases and in bubble wrap. It is a mess and I don't know how I'm going to begin unpacking it all, while preparing for China (which is in 3 days), and learning 4 roles for this show. Oh ya, in case some of you didn't know, the Producers called me yesterday and asked if I could take on 2 more understudy roles. So now I will be covering 4 different tracks on this tour, my own (Nazi youth, and others), as well as Rolf understudy, and understudy for Herr Zeller, and someone else that they said I will learn after we open. This all seems daunting and impossible, but its a good experience and more money!
The last weekend in NYC was awesome. I had a great party at Bar 82 on Friday night, and the Fallier's threw Maddy and awesome party on Saturday night. I had the best time, and I was overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of all the Long Island yankees, especially the Falliers. They even had a cake with our names on it, that was pretty sweet! On Sunday night, I had dinner at Sushi Samba with Jaselyn who just returned from a super successful trip to Providence, to visit her new school. I can't believe she is going to be in Brown getting her Masters and I will be trying to finish up my undergrad at NYU. Oh well! I miss NYC so much, and I miss everyone there. Thanks to everyone who came to my party and said goodbye, I will miss you all! I guess I'm off to do more unpacking/packing.
Well after 2 days on the road, I am finally back in Dallas. My Dad and I packed up my apartment on Monday and drove from New York to Dallas. I did most of the driving, and my dad did most of the sleeping. Along they way we stopped in Abingdon, VA and said hi to one of my favorite people in the world, Evalyn Baron. It was so good to see her one last time and to say goodbye. Hopefully this time next year, I will be working there, at the Barter Theatre! Once we got to Dallas, we had to move all of my brother's furniture out to his new apartment, and we moved all of my furniture in to his old room. Right now my entire life is laying around me in boxes and suitcases and in bubble wrap. It is a mess and I don't know how I'm going to begin unpacking it all, while preparing for China (which is in 3 days), and learning 4 roles for this show. Oh ya, in case some of you didn't know, the Producers called me yesterday and asked if I could take on 2 more understudy roles. So now I will be covering 4 different tracks on this tour, my own (Nazi youth, and others), as well as Rolf understudy, and understudy for Herr Zeller, and someone else that they said I will learn after we open. This all seems daunting and impossible, but its a good experience and more money!
The last weekend in NYC was awesome. I had a great party at Bar 82 on Friday night, and the Fallier's threw Maddy and awesome party on Saturday night. I had the best time, and I was overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of all the Long Island yankees, especially the Falliers. They even had a cake with our names on it, that was pretty sweet! On Sunday night, I had dinner at Sushi Samba with Jaselyn who just returned from a super successful trip to Providence, to visit her new school. I can't believe she is going to be in Brown getting her Masters and I will be trying to finish up my undergrad at NYU. Oh well! I miss NYC so much, and I miss everyone there. Thanks to everyone who came to my party and said goodbye, I will miss you all! I guess I'm off to do more unpacking/packing.
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