Sep. 15 Thu. 2005
After a long-time flight, I was arrived in Warsaw with tireness. When checking-in hotel some problems happened that made me wait for a long time because the staff didn’t find my confirmation immediatly; foretunely, it eventually went smooth on everything.
The temperature here is so strange that it’s a bit cold outside but very warm in the chamber. I found Warsaw airport much smaller than that in Kaohsiung, and it’s near to city center which can just be conneted by bus.
In the afternoon I took the bus to Old Town, getting tickets and program book to the festival, and walked around there to take some photos. Later my friend and I met on the plaza and found a restaurant in the market square whose price wasn’t too expensive. Traditional Polish food is so special and delicious that I like one kind of jam made of berries; moreover, they have very good service. Polish people are usually kind to help you, henve I never worry if I don’t understand their language or what’s printed on the map.
I stay in a single room in Grand Hotel today, being expectative for the concerts tomorrow. What’s the most satisfying for me is to take a hot shower immediatly when going back to the hotel, and then I write some posrcards to my friends and family in Taiwan, including myself.
Travelling alone is really so easy and exciting that makes a good experience.
Sep. 16 Fri. 2005
Around noon I took the tram to Jewish Cemetery, but it wasn’t their opening time that I went to Mcdanold’s to modify my schedule.
It was raining all the day (sometimes heavy); redardless the weather, I went to New Town to visit several churches and historical buildings. After the tea time, I walked around Old Town again, but I didn’t enchance into the Royal Palace for the time being closed. I found a restaurant with vegetarian dishes byside the plaza that has some handsome waiters and delicious foods.
This evening was the first concert of Warsaw Autumn, hold in Philharmonic, where the acoustic effect is very smooth and fine. First time listening to live “Acoustic Archievement” music, I found some different sounds and ideas that I wrote all my thoughts on the program book. Works performed tonight had good orchestration and timbe, without too many strange articulation and skills; however, the whole effect was very charming. I’ve listened to Matsushita’s Hi-Tien-Yu for three times which today was included, and at different ages I have vary feelings. Now I can clearly hear the mutual relationship between the solist and the orchestra in the crescendo concerto form.
The second concert was hold in Chopin Academy where has very special pipe organ and sculpture of Chopin. The program was mainly “Sho” solo performed by a Japanese lady, and the selected works were quiet, with many long notes, slow pace, chords, clusters, and silence that made the figure become more evident and important.
I hope I can find some new ideas and plan to rewrite my composition under working. Maybe I have to give up some initial thinking I insisted searching and trying.
Sep. 17 Sat. 2005
In the morning I visited National Museum, where a lot of Polish and European paintings as well as decorative arts are exhibited. Then I walked on the street nearby; for a pity that Ostrogski Palace is unavailable until Oct. 1, I had my plan change to find the Wersaw Mermaid that took me a very long walk. In order to take the tram, I walked along the river bank for a distance, and even saw an abnormal guy on the overpass.
Initially I tried to stay in a coffee bar or fast-food restaurant before the concert started; however, I couldn’t find any shop so that I chose to sit down on the bench by the bus stop in the cold winds.
Today’s first program took place in “Koneser” vodka stiller, which is similar to an old factory and has very good resonence. An Russian chamber music group played several Russian composers’ works, and I also always wrote down all my responds. I found that many Polish people can still rarely understand English that we were difficultly communicated with each other.
I was arrived bake in city center when it was only 40 minutes to the next concert; hence I stayed in an Asian vegetarian restaurant for my easy dinner, fried noodles with various vegetables, which cost only 15 zloty.
Tonight I first time listened to Huber’s and Holliger’s works, whom I only heard their name without studying anything about their compositions. I like both of them much, and there was another composer’s work interesting that I never felt boring or drousy during the concert even if I was very tired. It’s very worthy to go to this festival for so many cheap and excellent performances available here.
Sep. 18 Sun. 2005
In the morning I visited Earth and Science Museum which is on a hill near the hotel. Foretunely today is free for visiting, and I saw many minerals and fossils. After that I attempted to take the tram to Koneser; however, the kiosks near the museum didn’t open, and the driver didn’t sell a ticket on the tram that I couldn’t get on it. A kind madam helped me to solve the problem of communication, and then told me how to get an one-day ticket as well as where to take a more suitable bus.
Unluckily the bus didn’t come immediatly, so I decided to take a taxi for being in a rush. The taxi driver understood no English that I could only dedicate where to go on the map, and he wasn’t acquainted with that place; as a result, I was arrived around 20 minutes late.
The programs today were all quite excellent that made deep impression. In the afternoon I had enough free time to visit two points, Royal Palace and Chopin Monument, which were placed on entirely different direction. Royal Palace was free for entrance, too. Then in the evening I had my dinner in the same vegetarian restaurant where I went yesterday, ordering another food. There was a Malaysian girl as a waiter, treating me very friendly.
In the concerts tonight, I met a Polish youth who has whiskers and we talked to each other. After ending he acompanied me to find a store where I finally bought some drinks and walked back to the hotel. So tired today that I just wrote a postcard to Robin and sent a message to my mentor to mention my circanstence here. I hope it to go more smoothly tomorrow that never get lost again, and I feel complexity in my mind after hearing so many good performances on those compositions.
Sep. 19 Mon. 2005
Being too tired, I got up a little late today, and went to visit Jewish Cemetery where is some distant from the city center. Many tombs there were carved in both Polish and Hebrew; besides, it was bizarre that their backs sometimes appeared different people’s faces. I’ve taken a photo that shows this strange appearance.
The program in this afternoon was a fringe event, meeting the composer Ishiro Hosokawa, who spoke Japanese and was translated into Polish. Hence I didn’t understand the content of the lecture that I could just sat there, reading the score. After that, I went shopping until when before the concert tonight.
In the evening, for convenience, I still had me dinner in the same restaurant. Today’s performance was very excellent, gained much applause. I admire their delicate orchestration and dramatic tension inner muisic. Works of Japanese composers were more like French style that the sentences was constructed of several mild phrases with different dynamics and articulations. The last concert today took place in St. Trinity Church, performed a Russian composer’s Requiem of which the instruments included a chamber orchestra, 3 soloists, mixed chorus, piano, harp, and percussion. It was a grand piece that was played for all the concert without intermission, blended both tonal (historical) and atonal materials. I like its mystic, solemn style, which made me think of John Tavener’s music. It really moved a lot of audiences.
On the way going back to the hotel, I met a German girl who studies musicology, stayed in Warsaw for doing research of her doctor dissertation about Polish composers and their works. We talked to each other, and she told me that there’s a cheap, delicious vegetarian bar on the opposite side of my hotel. I think it will be my lunch tomorrow.
Sep. 20 Tue. 2005
At noon I took the taxi to Lazienki Park, for the bus didn’t come that I couldn’t wait. I visited there and took many photos, having a long walk. The palace on the Water, Theatre on the Island, and Chopin Monument are the most famous sights where both many tourists and citizens stay.
Then I took the bus and the tram to the concert, which is quite distant from the hotel and the place where the next program was held. Foretunely the festival office offered an additional bus for their guests to directly leave to next concert which was outside from the other side of Warsaw city. The second concert was much better that the former seemed to be students’ works for their amateur appearance, and I thought that even my own composition is also better.
Amazingly the last piece of the concert tonight used only diatonic sonority as its pitch material but did very successfully that the combination of both acoustic and visual effects were naturally proper, with graceful orchestration and splendid musical variety. I got a new conclusion from today’s performances that both inner relationship and acoustic logic are important to the music even if when one tries to create a special atmosphere among the work.
Sep. 21 Wed. 2005
At noon I took the metro to Jewish Ghetto, there I met a girl who came from south Africa and was a freshment in Warsaw. We talked and visited with each other, taking a lot of photos and exchanging our native languages. Her language “Ndebele” is very difficult for most people to pronounce that includes several strange consonants such like “x”, which should be pronounced as “g” simutaneously with a tongue slap.
Then I catched the bus to the concert where I met many young people, including painter, composer, musician, and audience. One of them was a Polish girl, who was on the same way to Philharmony and we took the taxi together for the time being too rush. Tonight was my first time listening to live performance of Boulez’s orchestral work, “Notation”, which is an excellent piece containing several complex layers inside. The conductor and the large orchestra were very good that gained much applause when ending.
The last concert today took place in another art center far away from city center; therefore we youngers took the taxi together and shared the cost. It was very special that the program was performed in completely darkness for all the duration, around an hour. I was not used to open my eyes without vision, so I closed them for just listening to it. I enjoyed that good acoustic experience very much.
However, I couldn’t find my dinner except for fastfood, and I regreted spending too much money eating. Gotten too many fried foods, I felt stomachache when back to the hotel.
Sep. 22 Thu. 2005
I had my lunch at noon in the vegetarian bar opposite to the hotel. Its food wasn’t expensive, but I didn’t enjoy the raw carrots and salads. Then I went to the Royal Route where many palaces and churches located, taking many photos under the fine weather with sunshine and blue sky.
Unexpectively one friend who came from Taiwan for International Chopin Piano Competetion encountered with me on the street, and directly speak Chinese to me. I couldn’t recognize who he was immediately until I asked him; actually I forgot his majoring in piano that I assumed him just as an enthusiast for classical music.The concert in this afternoon was performed by Karios Quartet who played works of string quartet for all the program. They had amazingly many strange sounds and effects that gave me a lot of inspiration on my recent writing; as me decision, that I decided to rewrite it and open my eyes on the music field was accurate.
In the evening the program was an opera which was constructed of many different kinds of music styles, mixing both two languages, French and English. Everyone on the stage could be an actor, including the soloist singer, the chorus, the orchestra, the conductor, and so on. Although I neither made sense of the libretto nor understood the plot at all; however, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the splendid performance very much. This was my second time to watch a live opera, which made more impression and showed better appearance. It was also a specific experience.
I felt so tired after successive two concerts for a little throatache and headache that I should wear more clothes when leaving the hotel.
Sep. 23 Fri. 2005
In this morning I went to Zachodni station to buy a bus ticket to Zelazowa Wola,, where only three buses are available per day. Foretunely, a kind gentleman who is an English teacher helped me to do it smoothly, because the officer in the tourist information there didn’t speak English at all. He was very glad to help me when he knew that I study music in Taiwan, and rhen showed me where the platform is as well as how to recognize the words inside the bus.
After taking lunch, I went back to the hotel, designing some materials about my composition, and had a nap until the evening when I took the tram to Bemowo sport center for the concert. The program was Boulez’s “Repons”, which is a masterpiece for soloists, ensemble, and computer, taking place in an old gym located on the suburb of Warsaw that I should walk through the path when arrived at the final tram-stop.
Both the work and its performance were soperfect that I guessed Boulez must be more amazingly excellent if he conducted his own work by himself. Machines and computers of IRCAM actually developed very good technique to create highly acoustic effects that were delicate and exquisite.
The second concert was in the other art center where we can take the free bus offered by the festival office. It was performed by a Korean group who looked some unfriendly and vulgar on first impression, but the music was special and attractive that we could entirely enjoy in it. By comparison, among Asian people I prefered Japanese for their good manner.I found CD in Poland very expensive that I could rarely afford them; however, I bought some of which commendable but scarce in Taiwan, such like Scelsi, Partch, and some of other Polish composers whose works are cheaper than foreign ones’.
Sep. 24 Sat. 2005
The first concert today was at noon, so I directly walked to Philharmonic from the hotel. They chose a series of calm works for this program that I could hear a lot of delicate sounds and their graceful combination.
After that, three friends and I took several photos and then went to Old Town where we walked around for buting some souvenirs, because today was our last day in the festival. Two of us had to leave earlier that only the Polish girl and I took a long walk around the market square, choosing something special; eventually I bought three nacklaces, two artistic bottles, and a key ring. However I spent much money buying CDs, even if they were expensive, I purchased it as long as it’s unavailable in my native country and rarely seen.
We went to the final concert which only had two works in the program after our dinner in Green House. I prefered Hosokawa’s work, but I could enjoy in another piece, too. Actually I heard many acoustic fragments that inspired my some ideas, but I couldn’t be attracted with it all the time for its vulgar permutation without any development of those materials. At the ending we said goodbye to each other, and I didn’t know when we can be together again: maybe never or many years later, I think. I believe that we must meet on different statuses in the future as long as we can stand on the world stage, being an excellent musician or composer.
When going back to the hotel, I wrote the last postcard to Robin, telling him all my feelings and leaving eventual words in Warsaw that I hoped to meet with each other in Taipei soon after tomorrow. I suddenly found my vacation was about end, and there remained only one month for me to complete the work. It’s really a terrible reality.
Sep. 25 Sun. 2005
I got up early to take the bus to Zachodni station in the morning; fortunely there were money-exchange and bus tickets available that I never need to worry if I didn’t have enough cash or couldn’t take a bus. The always checked your ticket on a city-suburb bus, and I was affraid of the circumstance like in a few days before.A Japanese boy who studied piano and Japanese literature was also going to Zelazowa Wola, and we met each other at the bus station. He assumed me as a Japanese; then we talked and visited together all the day, listening to two ourdoor Chopin concerts and a competetion in Culture and Science Center. We took a lot of photos, and surely, bought many souvenis that included Chopin’s hand, which I yearned for before. The bus to Zelazowa Wola was interesting that when it was arrived, there was a broadcast playing a melody of Chopin’s “Military” polonaise by the trumpet. We both laughed when hearing that funny reminder to the tourists.
Chopin’s birthplace was in a village which there were only a few houses and cars, distant from Warsaw city. I’d seldom been a rural area; therefore it was very exciting for me to take such an old bus, passing through the fields under the beatiful sunshine. The waether today was fine, suitable to do to the countryside that we enjoyed our day-trip very much, walking in the park by the water, surrounded with Chopin’s music.
It was also my last night in Warsaw, so after the competetion we had our final dinner in a restaurant near the city center, where we could find some delicious vegetarian foods, under handsome waiters’ good service. The Japanese boy was very kind for acompanying me to eat vegetarian food and sharing them with me, and I really felt moved.
Before farewell to Poland, I kept very impressive memory in my mind that I could rarely be concious with the time going so fast as so many events occured and so various thoughts given. Maybe my pace here was much faster than that in Taiwan; hence, my new life is going to start.
Sep. 26 Mon. 2005
After check-outed, I had my last lunch in the vegetarian bar opposite to the hotel, and took the taxi to the airport with Tien-Ming, whose flight was only 35 minutes earlier than me. We said goodbye to each other, also.
My flight was on 16:15, from Warsaw, transfered in Amsterdan, Stopped in Bango, and arrived in Taipei on Sep. 27, evening. During the flight I met another Polish girl and an Englishman, the former was first time traveling alone, transfered her flight in AMS, and I helped here to find the boarding gate; the later was on both the same flight and bus to Taipei with me, so we eventually began to talk.Here is the end of my 12-days self-trip in Warsaw.
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Sep. 15 Thu. 2005
After a long-time flight, I was arrived in Warsaw with tireness. When checking-in hotel some problems happened that made me wait for a long time because the staff didn’t find my confirmation immediatly; foretunely, it eventually went smooth on everything.
The temperature here is so strange that it’s a bit cold outside but very warm in the chamber. I found Warsaw airport much smaller than that in Kaohsiung, and it’s near to city center which can just be conneted by bus.
In the afternoon I took the bus to Old Town, getting tickets and program book to the festival, and walked around there to take some photos. Later my friend and I met on the plaza and found a restaurant in the market square whose price wasn’t too expensive. Traditional Polish food is so special and delicious that I like one kind of jam made of berries; moreover, they have very good service. Polish people are usually kind to help you, henve I never worry if I don’t understand their language or what’s printed on the map.
I stay in a single room in Grand Hotel today, being expectative for the concerts tomorrow. What’s the most satisfying for me is to take a hot shower immediatly when going back to the hotel, and then I write some posrcards to my friends and family in Taiwan, including myself.
Travelling alone is really so easy and exciting that makes a good experience.
Sep. 16 Fri. 2005
Around noon I took the tram to Jewish Cemetery, but it wasn’t their opening time that I went to Mcdanold’s to modify my schedule.
It was raining all the day (sometimes heavy); redardless the weather, I went to New Town to visit several churches and historical buildings. After the tea time, I walked around Old Town again, but I didn’t enchance into the Royal Palace for the time being closed. I found a restaurant with vegetarian dishes byside the plaza that has some handsome waiters and delicious foods.
This evening was the first concert of Warsaw Autumn, hold in Philharmonic, where the acoustic effect is very smooth and fine. First time listening to live “Acoustic Archievement” music, I found some different sounds and ideas that I wrote all my thoughts on the program book. Works performed tonight had good orchestration and timbe, without too many strange articulation and skills; however, the whole effect was very charming. I’ve listened to Matsushita’s Hi-Tien-Yu for three times which today was included, and at different ages I have vary feelings. Now I can clearly hear the mutual relationship between the solist and the orchestra in the crescendo concerto form.
The second concert was hold in Chopin Academy where has very special pipe organ and sculpture of Chopin. The program was mainly “Sho” solo performed by a Japanese lady, and the selected works were quiet, with many long notes, slow pace, chords, clusters, and silence that made the figure become more evident and important.
I hope I can find some new ideas and plan to rewrite my composition under working. Maybe I have to give up some initial thinking I insisted searching and trying.
Sep. 17 Sat. 2005
In the morning I visited National Museum, where a lot of Polish and European paintings as well as decorative arts are exhibited. Then I walked on the street nearby; for a pity that Ostrogski Palace is unavailable until Oct. 1, I had my plan change to find the Wersaw Mermaid that took me a very long walk. In order to take the tram, I walked along the river bank for a distance, and even saw an abnormal guy on the overpass.
Initially I tried to stay in a coffee bar or fast-food restaurant before the concert started; however, I couldn’t find any shop so that I chose to sit down on the bench by the bus stop in the cold winds.
Today’s first program took place in “Koneser” vodka stiller, which is similar to an old factory and has very good resonence. An Russian chamber music group played several Russian composers’ works, and I also always wrote down all my responds. I found that many Polish people can still rarely understand English that we were difficultly communicated with each other.
I was arrived bake in city center when it was only 40 minutes to the next concert; hence I stayed in an Asian vegetarian restaurant for my easy dinner, fried noodles with various vegetables, which cost only 15 zloty.
Tonight I first time listened to Huber’s and Holliger’s works, whom I only heard their name without studying anything about their compositions. I like both of them much, and there was another composer’s work interesting that I never felt boring or drousy during the concert even if I was very tired. It’s very worthy to go to this festival for so many cheap and excellent performances available here.
Sep. 18 Sun. 2005
In the morning I visited Earth and Science Museum which is on a hill near the hotel. Foretunely today is free for visiting, and I saw many minerals and fossils. After that I attempted to take the tram to Koneser; however, the kiosks near the museum didn’t open, and the driver didn’t sell a ticket on the tram that I couldn’t get on it. A kind madam helped me to solve the problem of communication, and then told me how to get an one-day ticket as well as where to take a more suitable bus.
Unluckily the bus didn’t come immediatly, so I decided to take a taxi for being in a rush. The taxi driver understood no English that I could only dedicate where to go on the map, and he wasn’t acquainted with that place; as a result, I was arrived around 20 minutes late.
The programs today were all quite excellent that made deep impression. In the afternoon I had enough free time to visit two points, Royal Palace and Chopin Monument, which were placed on entirely different direction. Royal Palace was free for entrance, too. Then in the evening I had my dinner in the same vegetarian restaurant where I went yesterday, ordering another food. There was a Malaysian girl as a waiter, treating me very friendly.
In the concerts tonight, I met a Polish youth who has whiskers and we talked to each other. After ending he acompanied me to find a store where I finally bought some drinks and walked back to the hotel. So tired today that I just wrote a postcard to Robin and sent a message to my mentor to mention my circanstence here. I hope it to go more smoothly tomorrow that never get lost again, and I feel complexity in my mind after hearing so many good performances on those compositions.
Sep. 19 Mon. 2005
Being too tired, I got up a little late today, and went to visit Jewish Cemetery where is some distant from the city center. Many tombs there were carved in both Polish and Hebrew; besides, it was bizarre that their backs sometimes appeared different people’s faces. I’ve taken a photo that shows this strange appearance.
The program in this afternoon was a fringe event, meeting the composer Ishiro Hosokawa, who spoke Japanese and was translated into Polish. Hence I didn’t understand the content of the lecture that I could just sat there, reading the score. After that, I went shopping until when before the concert tonight.
In the evening, for convenience, I still had me dinner in the same restaurant. Today’s performance was very excellent, gained much applause. I admire their delicate orchestration and dramatic tension inner muisic. Works of Japanese composers were more like French style that the sentences was constructed of several mild phrases with different dynamics and articulations. The last concert today took place in St. Trinity Church, performed a Russian composer’s Requiem of which the instruments included a chamber orchestra, 3 soloists, mixed chorus, piano, harp, and percussion. It was a grand piece that was played for all the concert without intermission, blended both tonal (historical) and atonal materials. I like its mystic, solemn style, which made me think of John Tavener’s music. It really moved a lot of audiences.
On the way going back to the hotel, I met a German girl who studies musicology, stayed in Warsaw for doing research of her doctor dissertation about Polish composers and their works. We talked to each other, and she told me that there’s a cheap, delicious vegetarian bar on the opposite side of my hotel. I think it will be my lunch tomorrow.
Sep. 20 Tue. 2005
At noon I took the taxi to Lazienki Park, for the bus didn’t come that I couldn’t wait. I visited there and took many photos, having a long walk. The palace on the Water, Theatre on the Island, and Chopin Monument are the most famous sights where both many tourists and citizens stay.
Then I took the bus and the tram to the concert, which is quite distant from the hotel and the place where the next program was held. Foretunely the festival office offered an additional bus for their guests to directly leave to next concert which was outside from the other side of Warsaw city. The second concert was much better that the former seemed to be students’ works for their amateur appearance, and I thought that even my own composition is also better.
Amazingly the last piece of the concert tonight used only diatonic sonority as its pitch material but did very successfully that the combination of both acoustic and visual effects were naturally proper, with graceful orchestration and splendid musical variety. I got a new conclusion from today’s performances that both inner relationship and acoustic logic are important to the music even if when one tries to create a special atmosphere among the work.
Sep. 21 Wed. 2005
At noon I took the metro to Jewish Ghetto, there I met a girl who came from south Africa and was a freshment in Warsaw. We talked and visited with each other, taking a lot of photos and exchanging our native languages. Her language “Ndebele” is very difficult for most people to pronounce that includes several strange consonants such like “x”, which should be pronounced as “g” simutaneously with a tongue slap.
Then I catched the bus to the concert where I met many young people, including painter, composer, musician, and audience. One of them was a Polish girl, who was on the same way to Philharmony and we took the taxi together for the time being too rush. Tonight was my first time listening to live performance of Boulez’s orchestral work, “Notation”, which is an excellent piece containing several complex layers inside. The conductor and the large orchestra were very good that gained much applause when ending.
The last concert today took place in another art center far away from city center; therefore we youngers took the taxi together and shared the cost. It was very special that the program was performed in completely darkness for all the duration, around an hour. I was not used to open my eyes without vision, so I closed them for just listening to it. I enjoyed that good acoustic experience very much.
However, I couldn’t find my dinner except for fastfood, and I regreted spending too much money eating. Gotten too many fried foods, I felt stomachache when back to the hotel.
Sep. 22 Thu. 2005
I had my lunch at noon in the vegetarian bar opposite to the hotel. Its food wasn’t expensive, but I didn’t enjoy the raw carrots and salads. Then I went to the Royal Route where many palaces and churches located, taking many photos under the fine weather with sunshine and blue sky.
Unexpectively one friend who came from Taiwan for International Chopin Piano Competetion encountered with me on the street, and directly speak Chinese to me. I couldn’t recognize who he was immediately until I asked him; actually I forgot his majoring in piano that I assumed him just as an enthusiast for classical music.The concert in this afternoon was performed by Karios Quartet who played works of string quartet for all the program. They had amazingly many strange sounds and effects that gave me a lot of inspiration on my recent writing; as me decision, that I decided to rewrite it and open my eyes on the music field was accurate.
In the evening the program was an opera which was constructed of many different kinds of music styles, mixing both two languages, French and English. Everyone on the stage could be an actor, including the soloist singer, the chorus, the orchestra, the conductor, and so on. Although I neither made sense of the libretto nor understood the plot at all; however, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the splendid performance very much. This was my second time to watch a live opera, which made more impression and showed better appearance. It was also a specific experience.
I felt so tired after successive two concerts for a little throatache and headache that I should wear more clothes when leaving the hotel.
Sep. 23 Fri. 2005
In this morning I went to Zachodni station to buy a bus ticket to Zelazowa Wola,, where only three buses are available per day. Foretunely, a kind gentleman who is an English teacher helped me to do it smoothly, because the officer in the tourist information there didn’t speak English at all. He was very glad to help me when he knew that I study music in Taiwan, and rhen showed me where the platform is as well as how to recognize the words inside the bus.
After taking lunch, I went back to the hotel, designing some materials about my composition, and had a nap until the evening when I took the tram to Bemowo sport center for the concert. The program was Boulez’s “Repons”, which is a masterpiece for soloists, ensemble, and computer, taking place in an old gym located on the suburb of Warsaw that I should walk through the path when arrived at the final tram-stop.
Both the work and its performance were soperfect that I guessed Boulez must be more amazingly excellent if he conducted his own work by himself. Machines and computers of IRCAM actually developed very good technique to create highly acoustic effects that were delicate and exquisite.
The second concert was in the other art center where we can take the free bus offered by the festival office. It was performed by a Korean group who looked some unfriendly and vulgar on first impression, but the music was special and attractive that we could entirely enjoy in it. By comparison, among Asian people I prefered Japanese for their good manner.I found CD in Poland very expensive that I could rarely afford them; however, I bought some of which commendable but scarce in Taiwan, such like Scelsi, Partch, and some of other Polish composers whose works are cheaper than foreign ones’.
Sep. 24 Sat. 2005
The first concert today was at noon, so I directly walked to Philharmonic from the hotel. They chose a series of calm works for this program that I could hear a lot of delicate sounds and their graceful combination.
After that, three friends and I took several photos and then went to Old Town where we walked around for buting some souvenirs, because today was our last day in the festival. Two of us had to leave earlier that only the Polish girl and I took a long walk around the market square, choosing something special; eventually I bought three nacklaces, two artistic bottles, and a key ring. However I spent much money buying CDs, even if they were expensive, I purchased it as long as it’s unavailable in my native country and rarely seen.
We went to the final concert which only had two works in the program after our dinner in Green House. I prefered Hosokawa’s work, but I could enjoy in another piece, too. Actually I heard many acoustic fragments that inspired my some ideas, but I couldn’t be attracted with it all the time for its vulgar permutation without any development of those materials. At the ending we said goodbye to each other, and I didn’t know when we can be together again: maybe never or many years later, I think. I believe that we must meet on different statuses in the future as long as we can stand on the world stage, being an excellent musician or composer.
When going back to the hotel, I wrote the last postcard to Robin, telling him all my feelings and leaving eventual words in Warsaw that I hoped to meet with each other in Taipei soon after tomorrow. I suddenly found my vacation was about end, and there remained only one month for me to complete the work. It’s really a terrible reality.
Sep. 25 Sun. 2005
I got up early to take the bus to Zachodni station in the morning; fortunely there were money-exchange and bus tickets available that I never need to worry if I didn’t have enough cash or couldn’t take a bus. The always checked your ticket on a city-suburb bus, and I was affraid of the circumstance like in a few days before.A Japanese boy who studied piano and Japanese literature was also going to Zelazowa Wola, and we met each other at the bus station. He assumed me as a Japanese; then we talked and visited together all the day, listening to two ourdoor Chopin concerts and a competetion in Culture and Science Center. We took a lot of photos, and surely, bought many souvenis that included Chopin’s hand, which I yearned for before. The bus to Zelazowa Wola was interesting that when it was arrived, there was a broadcast playing a melody of Chopin’s “Military” polonaise by the trumpet. We both laughed when hearing that funny reminder to the tourists.
Chopin’s birthplace was in a village which there were only a few houses and cars, distant from Warsaw city. I’d seldom been a rural area; therefore it was very exciting for me to take such an old bus, passing through the fields under the beatiful sunshine. The waether today was fine, suitable to do to the countryside that we enjoyed our day-trip very much, walking in the park by the water, surrounded with Chopin’s music.
It was also my last night in Warsaw, so after the competetion we had our final dinner in a restaurant near the city center, where we could find some delicious vegetarian foods, under handsome waiters’ good service. The Japanese boy was very kind for acompanying me to eat vegetarian food and sharing them with me, and I really felt moved.
Before farewell to Poland, I kept very impressive memory in my mind that I could rarely be concious with the time going so fast as so many events occured and so various thoughts given. Maybe my pace here was much faster than that in Taiwan; hence, my new life is going to start.
Sep. 26 Mon. 2005
After check-outed, I had my last lunch in the vegetarian bar opposite to the hotel, and took the taxi to the airport with Tien-Ming, whose flight was only 35 minutes earlier than me. We said goodbye to each other, also.
My flight was on 16:15, from Warsaw, transfered in Amsterdan, Stopped in Bango, and arrived in Taipei on Sep. 27, evening. During the flight I met another Polish girl and an Englishman, the former was first time traveling alone, transfered her flight in AMS, and I helped here to find the boarding gate; the later was on both the same flight and bus to Taipei with me, so we eventually began to talk.Here is the end of my 12-days self-trip in Warsaw.
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Chen-Hui Jen, Composer 