Only 10 days until departure

Oscar Peterson

Hey all,

For those of you in jazz band with me, this is a story that will interest you.  Just a little bit of background first, though.  In Mexico, when I was freaking out about homework that didn't exist, I figured out (with only a little help from Dad and Lori) that I wanted to research Oscar Peterson.  He seemed interesting as both Dad and Lori agreed that he had been compared to the Mozart of jazz.  It turns out that Brandon (oh, darn him) chose him before me, so instead I am researching Gene Harris.  Anyways, my grandpa (Ron) has the best story.  Sorry for the copy and pasting, but it sounds so much cooler when he tells it.

"This happened when I was at college at the Royal Military College in Kingston.  I had an old car which I kept hidden in down town Kingston as the cadets at RMC were not allowed to own or drive cars.  So I kept it at a service station in Kingston and I could sneak out the window in my room, put my skates on and skate around (in Winter) to this service station, put on a disguise and fire up the old Plymouth.  I had heard that Oscar was in this bar in Watertown just across the US border from Kingston so took a couple of other guys with me and we headed down to this bar.  We had a few drinks, then during one of the intermissions, Oscar came over to my table and sat down.  During the conversation, I told him that I played the piano a bit and he suggested that we get together in a duet during the next set.  So he called me up and sat down, he playing the bass and me the treble.  He had drums and a bass and we worked out way through Georgia on My Mind and one other improvised medley in jam style.  My most striking memory was the size of his hands.  He could easily play a 12th with both hands...quite remarkable which was one of the reasons why he sounded like 2 guys playing.  His technique was beyond words...these large hands moving over the keys like lightning and never, never a wrong note.  I stayed there until the place closed at 2 am and then managed to get safely back to Kingston, stash my car and sneak successfully back to my room.
This would have taken place in January 1963 during the beginning of Oscar's rise to the world's best jazz pianist.  I saw him several time after that in concert in Toronto but never had a chance to speak to him about the night in Watertown, New York.  I highly doubt if he would have remembered.
Incidentally, my car is at the bottom of the St Lawrence River now after we were racing the ferry from Wolfe Island to Kingston one night on the ice.  We managed to get a bit too close to the open ferry channel and it went through the ice.
Myself and another guy managed to successfully escape, crawl onto the ice and walk back to the barrack block on the ice, about 2 miles.  I bought this car for $25 so it wasn't a significant financial loss."

Isn't that cool???????  25$  Awesome. I love you Ron.

Hugs,

Ali

Oscar Peterson Link  Listen to this.  Not the best quality of picture, but it still sounds AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Again, hugs,

Ali

Fiji

Okay, so Gavin just showed me where we are going to be staying in Fiji.  It is called Malolo island resort.  I hear that the only thing on this tiny little island is the resort, so it is going to be BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!  Anyways, here are some of the photos.

Aren't you jealous?

Hugs,
Ali


P.S.  I now know when I leave for my dad's house for christmas.  It is the 22 of December, and then I come back the 29th.  ( I know, cutting it close, aren't we?).  Anyways, if we want to find a time for a whole bunch of us to get together, it needs to be before I leave for Christmas.

Anyways,
I love you all,

Hugs,
Ali

Catherine's Elf yourself

Well, this is the one and only time I'll ever be able to dance.  I thought it was funny.  Catherine, I salute you.


Elf yourself dance

Hugs,
Ali

Sayulita Trip Conclusion

Well, I am home to the freezing, bitter sweet place that I call home.  Lucky me.  Aside from this, I got to see all my friends and family that I have missed oh so much (Not Actually Sarcastic, can you believe it?).  I uploaded all my photos, and since I promised to post them on my blog, here they are.


Enjoy feasting your eyes on the sun and sand that surrounded me for a week (don't murder me at school :(  Please????)

The (one and only) room of the house

Looking out from out balcony

Once again, a closer image from our balcony

I just thought I would put a picture of myself up just for the fun of it

We called this "pretty beach", or the "playa ..."  (the dots were because the only word that I know in Spanish is playa=beach)

Pretty Beach

Pretty Beach

Dad and I @ pretty beach

Not actually quite sure where this is.  Either pretty beach, or our balcony.  I vote pretty beach

The center of the town.  To the left is a town square type this with grass and stuff (I don't have a photo of that),

Don't know where this is in Sayulita.  I just liked the sign.

I thought it was a prettyful colourful house

The pool @ Casa de Ensueno (it was really cold!!!!!)

Also from our balcony

There were a lot of stairs to our house.    These are just a few of them.

Same stairs, no Dad

This was la playa des los muertos

This grave had grass growing on it.  As you can see, it was the only grass there.

This was a weird grave.  There is already one dead person, but there is empty space for more people.  It was just a hole in the ground.  Kind of looked like a cellar of sorts.

This was taken near a workout area (right beside the beach of the dead.  Ironic, huh?).  It was really, really pretty.

This was the actual beach part of the beach of the dead.  No bodies here (well, there might be) but there was a house that fell over.

I was standing on rocks.  Hehehehe.

This is dog corner.  So named because in the evening, all the dogs that don't have homes gather here.  Don't particularly know why though.

The resident dogs of dog corner.

Casa de Ensueno sign

It thought it was pretty.

Ali