Travel To China

[katepoole]

Has anyone taken their concertina to China?

 

I'm planning to travel there with one in my carry-on, but I wonder if anyone has traveled there with their box.

 

I'm not worried about flying as I have often carried one onto a plane domestically. I will be pretty much in one place studying, not touring. (Maybe I'll get lucky & come back with a sheng.)

 

Thank you for any comments or advice.

 

Kate

 

(Gee, Ken, I guess that was a good dance, 3 posts in one night!)

[Animaterra]

No idea, Kate, but I want to wish you well. When do you leave?

[jmyersgoucheredu]

Kate, I travelled to China the summer before this one (2006) and took my concertina with no problem anywhere. In fact, we took 6 flights in 3 weeks, and no one ever gave the case a second glance. So, take it along and enjoy. It's especially enjoyable to play outside in the morning when all of the retired people (55 and up) engage in activities (exercise, music, dance, games, etc.) in parks and other recreational spots.

 

Enjoy!

 

Jeff Myers

[David Barnert]

Hey, Kate. Have a good trip.

 

I've not been to China, but I can remind you of the usual caveats when traveling with a concertina. If they ask you what it is, try not to use the word "concertina." The word is on the list of confiscatable items because it can mean "concertina wire," a weapon. Also, when you put it on the x-ray scanner, place it in the ordinary position (with the bellows horizontal and the ends vertical, all the complicated shadows in the ends and the bellows clearly empty) rather than sideways (shadows of buttons, levers and reeds spread out all over the image, looks more like a bomb).

[katepoole]

Hi, Allison. So nice to meet you & squeeze at NESI. I listened to Sympathique (in my ipod) all the way home. Do you have that? It has a real nice rendition of Bolero and their classic Je ne peux pas travailler.

I am leaving Oct 1 and returning Oct 25, and starting to get a little anxiety mixed in with the excitement. The purpose of the trip is to study Chinese herbs (that and acupuncture are what I do for a real job).

 

 

Thanks, Jeff, that is just the kind of suggestions I'm looking for. Maybe I'll brush up on some slow airs for the morning T'ai Chi crowd! I was going to take my old Bastari which plays decent and keep it in the soft gig bag & leave the case home. We'll be there almost a month & I'm trying to travel as light as possible. Sounds like you went all over the place. I'll be in Nanjing a few weeks and then a few days in the Guilin section (Yangsuo). Do you speak any Chinese? (I do not.) Is there some familiarity with a concertina?

 

Kate (aka Dr. Dart)

[katepoole]

Hey, Kate. Have a good trip.

 

I've not been to China, but I can remind you of the usual caveats when traveling with a concertina. If they ask you what it is, try not to use the word "concertina." The word is on the list of confiscatable items because it can mean "concertina wire," a weapon. Also, when you put it on the x-ray scanner, place it in the ordinary position (with the bellows horizontal and the ends vertical, all the complicated shadows in the ends and the bellows clearly empty) rather than sideways (shadows of buttons, levers and reeds spread out all over the image, looks more like a bomb).

 

David, thanks! I always enjoy seeing you at NESI.

 

I knew about the concertina wire (by experience), but not about positioning it. I will be careful about that. I must've been putting it down right without knowing it all these years. I'm glad you reminded my again in a post --- good info for everyone to have.

 

I also tell them I have a little accordion as it goes through X-ray, and often pull it out and put it in it's own tray, like a laptop. I offered to play one time, and was turned down (perhaps a little too quickly!)

 

I'll tell you all about it next time I see you.

 

Kate

Edited September 18, 2007 by Kate Poole

[Dan Worrall]

Has anyone taken their concertina to China?

 

I'm planning to travel there with one in my carry-on, but I wonder if anyone has traveled there with their box.

 

I'm not worried about flying as I have often carried one onto a plane domestically. I will be pretty much in one place studying, not touring. (Maybe I'll get lucky & come back with a sheng.)

 

Thank you for any comments or advice.

 

Kate

 

(Gee, Ken, I guess that was a good dance, 3 posts in one night!)

 

I was in China this summer with my family, when this thread on concertinas in China was started: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php...64&hl=China

 

I didn't find any concertina players, but posted a good lead on where to find some folk musicians if you are in Shanghai:

 

"Just back from Shanghai. I didin't see any more of free reeds there, but a friend did. He was visiting a park in Shanghai (Lu Hxun (possibly Lu Hsun) Park) on Sunday afternoon, and reported thast there were numerous small amateur musical groups there, playing traditional and popular music as well as singing songs...just relaxing. Perhaps a dozen or more of these small groups scattered throughout the park.

 

Instruments did not include concertina, but four of these groups had button (not piano) accordions. Other instruments included fiddles, Chinese flutes, and the Chinese upright lap fiddle (cannot remember its name). The music and singing was described to me as 'modern and melodic' as opposed to the ancient type played for example in Chinese traditional opera. My non-musical friend reported an oom-pah like sound, with boisterous singing in Chinese. Unfortunately, I didn't hear of this park musical scene until the following day, or else I would have checked it out.

 

So...there is a lead for the next person off this forum who visits Shanghai. Head to that park on Sunday afternoon, and tell us more! "

[katepoole]

I was in China this summer with my family, when this thread on concertinas in China was started: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php...64&hl=China

 

I didn't find any concertina players, but posted a good lead on where to find some folk musicians if you are in Shanghai:

 

"Just back from Shanghai. I didin't see any more of free reeds there, but a friend did. He was visiting a park in Shanghai (Lu Hxun (possibly Lu Hsun) Park) on Sunday afternoon, and reported thast there were numerous small amateur musical groups there, playing traditional and popular music as well as singing songs...just relaxing. Perhaps a dozen or more of these small groups scattered throughout the park.

 

Instruments did not include concertina, but four of these groups had button (not piano) accordions. Other instruments included fiddles, Chinese flutes, and the Chinese upright lap fiddle (cannot remember its name). The music and singing was described to me as 'modern and melodic' as opposed to the ancient type played for example in Chinese traditional opera. My non-musical friend reported an oom-pah like sound, with boisterous singing in Chinese. Unfortunately, I didn't hear of this park musical scene until the following day, or else I would have checked it out.

 

So...there is a lead for the next person off this forum who visits Shanghai. Head to that park on Sunday afternoon, and tell us more! "

 

Dan, that's a great thread. I had searched China, travel in China, etc. & don't know why it didn't come up (new to forum searches I guess). I checked out the Sparrow quartet videos, too, that were mentioned in the posts.

 

This is all such good information. Thanks, everyone. I wish I was there longer -- I don't think that I'll have time to roam the music shops or find the sessions this time round.

 

Kate

[jmyersgoucheredu]

Hi, Allison. So nice to meet you & squeeze at NESI. I listened to Sympathique (in my ipod) all the way home. Do you have that? It has a real nice rendition of Bolero and their classic Je ne peux pas travailler.

I am leaving Oct 1 and returning Oct 25, and starting to get a little anxiety mixed in with the excitement. The purpose of the trip is to study Chinese herbs (that and acupuncture are what I do for a real job).

 

 

Thanks, Jeff, that is just the kind of suggestions I'm looking for. Maybe I'll brush up on some slow airs for the morning T'ai Chi crowd! I was going to take my old Bastari which plays decent and keep it in the soft gig bag & leave the case home. We'll be there almost a month & I'm trying to travel as light as possible. Sounds like you went all over the place. I'll be in Nanjing a few weeks and then a few days in the Guilin section (Yangsuo). Do you speak any Chinese? (I do not.) Is there some familiarity with a concertina?

 

Kate (aka Dr. Dart)

I don't speak much Chinese, but my daughter speaks a bit. We were on a tour, which made things considerably easier.

 

Didn't meet anyone who had any idea what I was playing (then again, that often happens here in the USA).

 

You'll have a great time. Guilin is beautiful!

 

Jeff

[david_boveri]

if anybody in china asks what it is, the word for concertina is , which is written in pinyin (english characters) as liu jiao xing shou feng qin. you can call it a shou feng qin, which means accordion.

 

how to pronounce:

liu jiao xing shou feng qin - lyoh jow fuhng chin means "six sided accordion" (six angle shape hand wind zither)

shou feng qin- show fuhng chin means accordion (hand wind zither).

 

如果你会中文，对不起！

 

have fun in china!

[katepoole]

if anybody in china asks what it is, the word for concertina is , which is written in pinyin (english characters) as liu jiao xing shou feng qin. you can call it a shou feng qin, which means accordion.

 

how to pronounce:

liu jiao xing shou feng qin - lyoh jow fuhng chin means "six sided accordion" (six angle shape hand wind zither)

shou feng qin- show fuhng chin means accordion (hand wind zither).

 

???????????

 

have fun in china!

 

 

EXCELLENT! I'm totally thrilled to know that. I'm writing it down & will ask one of my compadres what the intonations are. feng probably means wind. Very cool.

 

Kate

[Dan Worrall]

Or, you could do what I did, with zero Chinese skills....I walked into a few music stores, and drew a concertina on a piece of paper, showing it to the oldest person there I could see. Unfailingly, all nodded understandingly, and then proceeded to tell me there weren't any in there store or in the town. Smiles all 'round, and I usually bought a Chinese traditional music CD they recommended. Nice people.