Monday, January 2, 2012

Shen Yun, Continued...

Now let's see, where did I leave off? I think it was my return from Beijing. Yes well, as things did not go according to plan (as often happens in this life) I called up MOm and Dad, told them I was coming home, booked my flight for September 8th, and prepared to restart my professional pursuits in the Cincinnati area. As my parents are probably the most incredible people to walk the earth, they warmly welcomed me back into their new Kentucky home so that I would have a place to stay until I could get back on my feet financially.

First meal back in the US? Red Robin! My god, it's true what they say about not knowing what you have until it's gone! Milkshakes, veggie burgers (those divine vegetarian entities are so rare in China!), and properly oil-laden French fries and onion rings. Homer Simpson was right, if you rub a piece of food on a napkin and the grease mark doesn't let you literally see through the napkin, then clearly the food item was not made with the appropriate, US Government-sanctioned amount of artery-clogging goodness. Truth.

My first week back I think I just slept a lot. I mean, I made a hibernating bear look like it was only taking a 5 minute nap. But it felt good. I spent my afternoons taking walks to the Kentucky government building to become a Kentucky resident (wierd), renew my drivers license (easy test), and help mom and dad turn in paperwork for their house. Luckily the building was only about a mile away. On the weekend, Dad and Mom coaxed me from my room and said, "We're going with you to find a car. You need a job and a car to get there." ah, my parents are wise. So we went to Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, and I think one other place but I can't remember what it was. I was looking for your basic small sedan, really the cheapest thing I could get. Well, the Nissan people said they just got in a used car in great condition: a 2009 Nissan Sentra with only 30,000 miles. It was perfect, and I think Mom and Dad liked it too. We all agreed on it and then I put a downpayment on the sporty, little red car and drove it home at around 9pm that Saturday night. Voila!!!

The next week I was still sleeping in a bit too late. However, I began searching for a part-time job. I think I applied to every single restaurant between Burlington,KY and Kenwood Mall north of Cincinnati. I got interviewed on the spot at B-dubs and Currito, and then went a few days later to Ruby Tuesday where I was also hired quickly. I decided to work at RT's in Kenwood-I figured I get more tip money and be less fat than if I worked at Currito, and less lung-cancery than if I worked at b-dubs (you can still smOke in restaurants in Kentucky).

That same second week a good friend of mine informed me of an opening in a tour group that needed a horn player. He gave me the contact information and within a few days I found out the audition date which ended up being only 4 days away. Well, long story short, I won the job. So now here I am in New York playing principal horn in the Shen Yun Performing Arts Orchestra.

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