I don't want a sad ending, but I really don't want a happy one!

Yesterday I auditioned for the National Center for the Performing Arts. The ISB faculty arranged for all the singers to audition, and even gave offered us extra coachings on our repertoire. (Our fearless leader is such a mensch!) If introducing ourselves and our pieces in Mandarin wasn't intimidating enough, we were also informed that this would be the first group of Westerner auditions the panel would have ever heard. So... no pressure or anything... you're only representing the entire country with this!

To eradicate some of our extreme stress, a soprano* and I decided to spend a the night before getting a massage. After asking a Chinese singer for directions on a good place to go, we headed out. (I should have known not to trust said singer as he lives in Boulder, Colorado and actually enjoys it. Nobody likes Boulder except for rich aging hippies and freaks. And Jennifer Garner, I remember reading somewhere that she likes Boulder. For goodness sakes, this is the city that brought us Celestial Seasonings and Crocs- gross).

After a nice 20 minute walk we found said spa. We asked for a menu of services. We found this.

True or false: we hightailed it out of there?

True. (And I am judging all of the people who wouldn't have done the same, or even considered that I wouldn't have immediately left!)

Soprano and I walked down a little ways and found a spa that didn't have anything questionable on the menu. And although we were a bit apprehensive, we asked for two massages. The woman clarified our meaning by pointing to her feet, pointing to her back, and then moving her hands back and forth with a massaging horse gallop-esque motion- what else could that mean but a foot and back massage? I sighed and pitied the poor soul who must always fail at game night charades.

 We got into the provided shortie pajamas, ever flattering...

What started as a foot massage ended with some one walking on my back. Apparently the front desk woman wasn't horrible at miming, I just saw what I wanted to see. I'm not mad at it, but I definitely had a man do a rain dance on my back. I even considered accompanying him with a song while he sashayed along my shoulders to my tailbone, but hesitated as I wasn't quite clear on the protocol.

Though I think next time I go I will sing along, at least towards the end, so there is a pleasant ending!


*I know, I made friends with a soprano- I'm so proud of myself! I have made friends with a soprano since Rocitoes... and that girl is crazy.