A lot has happened since my last post, both good and bad.
I'll start out with music. There was a talent show at my university and I participated with my violin. It was very interesting because I only found out about the talent show two days before it was held, and I didn't start planning for it till the day before. I was unsure of what song to do. After some thought it came down to two choices. I could either do a coagulation of fiddle songs, or my own rendition of Love the Way You Lie by Eminem. I have been working on a rendition of Love the Way You Lie for a couple months now, and am almost finished with it. Because of that, I thought the audience would really enjoy it if I played a much more simplified version... live. So I put together a track that would be do-able live, practiced it, and played it for my host family. They loved it.... but I was unconvinced. When I made the violin cover of the song, I was not expecting to play it live, therefore, it did not sound like it was meant to be played live.... simply put, it was missing the other parts that I could not play at the same time.
So I started working on the fiddle songs. After I was satisfied with a collection of varying styles, I also played that for my host family. When I asked them what they liked better it took a lot of discussing and arguments to come to the conclusion that in their opinion I should play the pop song. I took their advice and went to bed with the assumption I would play Love the Way You Lie for the talent show the following day.
As you might have guessed that wasn't how it turned out. I didn't end up changing my mind till after I had already reported to the organizer what song I would be playing, and if I needed any electronic hook-ups. Me changing my mind was mostly due to three of my closer friends here studying abroad. When I was waiting for the first act of the show to start (I was scheduled at second to last) they came up to me and explained how as cool as the pop song would sound, it would be something everybody knew, something not as original, and quite frankly not nearly as impressive. The things they were saying were things I had already been thinking, but just had been unsure how how impressive a violin cover of a pop song (primarily a rap song) would be. My final thoughts on the matter are that it isn't meant to be played as a live song - since I need the background parts to make it full and complete.
So I played the collection of fiddle songs. When I got on the stage I was right away singled out as a foreigner, and the MC's had a fun time teasing me! I was going to attatch a video so you could see for yourselves, but I am experiencing difficulties.
Then came the performance, and over-all I was very pleased with how it went. I had actually planned to play part of "Danny Boy" right before moving on to Orange Blossom Special (the last song) but while I was playing on stage I got the feeling that that would have been slightly too long - and also that the audience wouldn't have been able to follow the change of paces very well. Anyway, I'm ranting now. I was going to attach the performance of the video but again, problems with the upload. I'll attach a link for it some other time, for now... moving on.
A couple of weeks after the talent show was over, I was at the university, walking to the bus stop, when someone stopped me and asked if I had a minute. He introduced himself as one of the judges from the talent show that I played violin in. He said that he'd been looking for me ever since that Wednesday, but didn't know how to find me. He then introduced himself as a DJ who fills his weekends with gigs, and that he would be interested in having me work with him. He expressed interest in making music together - some club and house music - possibly recording some, and then performing with him at his gigs. Needless to say I was very excited about this opportunity and gladly gave him my phone number!
So that was the good of the last few weeks! Now comes some of the bad.
Wednesday the 19th my basketball team had a game. We played at our usual spot in Valparaíso, a home game. This particular game was unusually intense for our team, and the reason for that is that we lost our last game to a team that we definitely should not have lost to. That loss raised a lot of passion within the coach and players alike, and it made us pumped and ready to go against whichever team we may cross.
The game was a close one. Our players walked the walk after talking the talk... meaning they did what they said they were going to do, and raised the intensity level. On the other team there was a guy who throughout the whole game was causing problems - with the refs, and the players on the UAI (my university) team. At the very end of the third quarter he got a little too hot headed and swung his elbows trying to secure a rebound. I was too close when he did this, and paid for it. His swing took me to the ground with a mouth full of blood. It wasn't till after we finished (AND WON) the game that I got to realize the extend of the damage. I knew right away that not all of my teeth would be there, but I didn't know how bad it was. My top right big tooth was badly chipped, and completely fractured, from the top to bottom, and especially on the right side. My top left big tooth was not chipped, but also badly fractured - from the top to bottom, and again, on the right side. My bottom left big tooth and the tooth directly the left of that one are also chipped, though not as badly... but those teeth, unlike the two on the top, are badly loose. The top two teeth are causing me very little pain, only from things like breathing with my mouth open, and drinking hot or cold liquids. The two on the bottom, however, are causing much pain as they try to settle back in their correct positions.
I went to the dentist on Thursday - a day after it happened. She capped both of my top big teeth, and did a very good job. It feels different to me, and they are slightly longer, but I have been told that the damage is unnoticeable. Judging by all the damage done to my top two teeth, and by how much my two bottom teeth were loose, my dentist told me I was very lucky to have not lost all four of them on the court. I am not, however, lucky to have to live with the results. Short term diagnosis - Only soft foods for the next ten days, and no sports. Long term diagnosis: Because of that one pissed off basketball player, I now will have to wear a mouthguard whenever playing any physical sport, or run the risk of getting hit again, and have all my front teeth fly out of my mouth. They are very weak, and I will always have to be careful.
It is now Saturday night, the 22nd of October when I am writing this. This whole incident with the teeth happend on Tuesday the 18th. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I ate virtually no food. Friday was for sure the worst day I have had in Chile, and probably one of the toughest days I have ever faced. The pain in my mouth was nothing, I could have lived with that - and maybe even made it go away by taking a strong pain pill... but the pain in my stomach from not having eaten for three days straight was unbearable. It wasn't just my stomach, it was my whole body. I couldn't think of anything else, I couldn't concentrate on anything. My hands were shaking, and I was very weak. I had hardly eaten anything on Wednesday cause it was just one of those days, and then Thursday nothing because of the pain, but Friday I wasn't allowed to eat anything because of the caps they had put on my teeth for fear of coloring them. It was one of the toughest days of my life and I won't be easily forgetting it.
I would like to thank Kylie Stanfield, Courtney Jenderny, and Sophie Kem for making me a care package filled with the best of what I am allowed to eat. It is really great knowing that I have friends here in Chile that will do that for me. Thanks girls!!
It is now Friday, the 28th, and I am just editing this document one last time before I post it. It has been a week and two days since the smack in the face. I went to the dentist today and she re-covered my teeth for the final time, making sure everything was set, strong, and ready to eat food again. The top two teeth, as battered up as they are, only need a few more days of recouping... but my bottom two teeth are still quite loose. Basically, because of that I am still on the bland food diet - although now it is better because I can for the most part eat normal foods if I choose to, but only if I cut them up into small pieces and chew them without any of my front teeth.
I hope this post wasn't wasn't as boring as it is long! I am doing much better now than I was last week, so no need to worry people back home :) I'm being careful! Bye bye now.
