7-20-14
Yesterday,
I had a nice day going to Taipei with Ariel, my twenty-eight year old. I got the biggest applause at Red
Room for my rendition of "Roadhouse Blues" and the reading of "I
only need to ride the river." There were about seventy people there on the
second floor of a beauty salon on Da-An Street a few short blocks from
Cheng-Hsiao Road near Sogo. The only kinks in the day's plan was Ariel's
misunderstanding that Jeremy Lin would be at an Adidas store and Leona's giving
directions to Red Room that took us a long hot twenty minutes out of our way;
we should have followed the directions from the Website. I made everything
right.
It was the
first time I've gone to Taipei without Leona's lead. Directions were easy and I
had no problem finding places I wanted to go. We got off at Taipei Station and
took the Blue train to Dun-Hua Station. Even though Jeremy wasn't there, we
took some nice photos. The only annoyance was this 37 year-old woman who kept
following us around and we had to talk to in English. I couldn't be rude. As
soon as Ariel took my advice and asked someone in the store when Jeremy would
be there, we left to go to the Eslite bookstore a few blocks away. Ariel stood
looking at his smart phone throughout the stay in the bookstore so I thought
we'd better leave so we could interact more. We got back on the train and went
to the Green line Gung-guan station at Taiwan University for Thai food for
lunch. Ariel gave the food a B+ but I thought it was swell. We left in the heat
and walked a few blocks to the Water Park. In there, the children danced in the
water attractions but Ariel and I went to a shady bench to sit and I practiced
playing and reading for the evening's event.
We left the
park because Ariel had to go to a bathroom and recharge his phone somewhere. We
got back on the train and took it to find Red Room. I followed Leona's incorrect
directions and we ended up taking a Brown light-rail two stops that we
shouldn't have. We had to walk back in the steaming street twenty minutes and
finally found the venue. When we arrived at 3:30, they were in the midst of a
children's show. We sat down inside on the rug and I cooled my feet. I got
sentimental watching the double children from mixed marriages more common now
that it was in 1984-89 when Simone, Ariel, and later Renna were the focus of
unwanted attention. There is still a stupid thrill about their children in
Taiwan from the ignorant public. It was nice they could just be themselves in
Red Room playing a performing as a few did.
Ariel was
hungry around 5pm so we left Red Room to walk to Ding Hao. I suggested we go to
the food court but I wasn't hungry after the big lunch. Ariel went to get
himself food and I looked long and hard for a place for us to sit. I finally
found one. Ariel sat down and ate. I told him I was going to get a Cold Stone
Creamery ice cream and went. When I got back, he was gone from the seat and
someone else had taken them. I asked him why he gave up our and found seats and
he said he was finished eating. I took my ice cream and a cup of warm water
upstairs and outside behind Sogo to find a place to sit and eat it. While
there, I practiced the song and poem again.
We walked
back to Red Room. Ariel is a great chatter and we spoke with a few people
there. I listened to his advice from his experience with the people during his
stand-up comedy presentations. He was a great supporter of me and encouraged me
saying I would be the best. We discussed how I should present an introduction.
I kept it short; in fact, mine was probably the shortest introduction and
presentation keeping as I did the five minutes. I didn’t put my name first on
the sign-up list for the open mike, at Ariel’s advice. I went on fourth. I blew
the crown away with “Roadhouse Blues” and had everyone clapping in time through
the scat portion of the song. I got the biggest applause.
The other acts sucked and gave mostly long boring introductions. The best
act was Dreamarsene, two magicians who had done the same skit earlier for the
children. Being there two and a half hours, only a
half hour was entertaining. Everyone but I went way over the five minute
allotment. I had two more poems prepared to read. I got four business cards and
had none to exchange but Ariel chatted me up and make connections for me. He
was great! During the fifteen-minute break I spoke with a dozen guests who
loved my poem and song. I will keep contact with the guests through the Red
Room Facebook page. I barely mentioned my short story book while I was there
but I will on their Facebook page.
I saw my rendition of “Roadhouse Blues” at Red Room last evening. Hearing Ariel’s
chuckles and seeing only half of my performance recorded sucked; I thought at
least he had recorded the whole song. He didn’t record the poem reading. He
said he didn’t have enough room on his smart phone. He didn’t prepare for me
enough; still too into himself. Maybe I can get a recording if Red Room did it.
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