More from Roma

So, it is evening abd I am at mybusy hostel with a lot to write about. Unfortunately, all of the letters have rubbed off the keys and some of the keys are different (as usual) so I apologize for any typos.

I would like to start by recounting a conversation between 3 singer-friends and I. Two were Italian and one Roumanian. We were all talking in English, out commen language (the Roumanian did not talk any Italian) when one Italian girl burst out:
"I AT waiting!"

The other Italian immediately corrected her.:
"No," he said, "You should say: I ATE waiting!"

"No,no," the Roumanian girl burst in importantly, "It is I CHAYT waiting!"

I waited, but no-one asked me for any pronounciation tips. Other countries are funny!

***
I found the church with the competition in it after a lot of map-peering and seeminglyaimless wandering (just because the streets look straight on the map is no reason why they should not twist and curve in actuality)

So, I found the church and they were just announcing the Semi-Finalists (I go right to the semi-finals as I won a previous competition) I waited until the church cleared out and the rehearsals startedwith the pianist. I know, I would kill to play that well. However, it was still not well enough to accompany in a public competition. More about that later.

Picture how I appeared at thatmoment: I was tired. My hair (which I had wasked the night before) looked like I hadbarely touched it with a brush, and sort of stringy at the same time (trains and changing climates are not good for hair, and I HAD just barely touched it with a brush...I had so much else to remember to do!).My clothes looked like TRAIN and had that TRAIN smell (piss and apple juice) that they always get no matter how lovely the train is. Almost no makeup (teensy bit of lipstick), and a beautician would cry to see my poor skin. I was gorgeous, you can imagine.

We started to rehearse, and in burst a television crew. I had videotaped my rehearsal, so my expression is on tape- I bet it is pretty funny! - as the lights flooded the stage suddenly and the cameraman kneeled inches below my face and taped me singing. It was hard to concentrate on the pianist or the music!

The competition started and soon it was my turn to sing. The Hebrew song went all right, but when we started the Bach Cantata the pianist turned 2 pages instead of 1 and it all fell apart. I kept singing but there was a murderous look on my face for the rest of the sing. The words were: "I find happiness even in my sorrow",and my thoughts were:"I HATE you evil pianist!!"
She also played too fast,a nd I even conducted a bit and sang slower andonce she got back on track she baralled towards the endwithoutlooking up.

Now, I have not been in a proper rage for so long. I had missed it! All I have been feeling for the last month and a half is a constant weariness punctuated by moments of annoyance (usually when haulingmy bag or when trying to catch a bus or find an address) and of a longing for my bed/parents/gerbils/blender/tap water/piano/space heater etc. I had a throughly good time looking rageful!

And then (this is the good news!) at the end of the night the head of the competition came over and told me that in her opinion I will make the finals, but that if I do not, she would still like me to sing the Hebrew piece in the prize concert. That will be broadcast on television. ON THE VATICAN CHANNEL!

Now, of course I would rather be in the finals(cross fings, I will know tomorrow!) but it will still be tres exciting to be on the Vatican channel!]

I just received an email from Budapest about my upcoming cantorial duties. Also I have to tell South Africa that I am coming. 10 days!! Sweet bed, here I come!