Hong Kong
Last night as I tried to nod off to sleep, intermittently disturbed by the downstairs “happiest couple on earth” and the pigs being herding to the nearby slaughter house a new strain of noise appeared: Drumming. Long Hard three beats to three half beats Chinese drumming. I thought, “I so like coming to stay at the fishing village 40 minutes away from the city by boat. There are so many more traditions and fun things to partake in.”
I wondered if they were doing this as a parade of some sort because someone has passed away or because we are three days from our new year and they do that at midnight. But I soon found out I was wrong on all counts. This was not some traditional ritual, it was just good old fashion, practice.
I know it was practice because they would stop, get pretty good and then someone would lose the beat, bum bum bum, clank, clank clank, bum bum bum, clank clank clank, bum, clank, bum, clank, bum clank clank clank clank… bum… plop.. stop.
And there would be silence. And I would slowly envelope myself into the middle ground of reaching REM and then CLANK, CLANK, CLANK. I would wake up again. And then bum bum bum, clank, clank clank, bum bum bum, clank clank clank, bum, clank, bum, clank, bum clank clank clank clank… bum… and I would slowly be lulled by the repetitive beats and the comfort of good musicianship, and rapidly reach the higher consciousness of beats just ready to drop off and
SILENCE.
Ah. Either or I would have been fast asleep. I begged them in my mind to either quit or get good quickly. Neither happened. The last time I looked at the clock it was 5am. I respected these people who otherwise have jobs or went out fishing to practice until 5am but I wished they would make up their minds to play or discuss.
Sigh. Well if that’s not telling me the proper New Year is starting. The one that has everything to do with luck and change of fortune opposed to clocks and calendar, this is it!
Okie. Dokie. I am off to clean my apartment and buy myself a new outfit (as well all should).
Have a good Year of the Monkey!!
Love Yan
Yan Sham-Shackleton Online 