I Remember You

Danny;
It's hard to believe that we haven been here in Malaysia since Nov 2010. As soon as we got to downtown Kota Kinabalu, all the familiar sights, sounds and smells came rushing back. Sabah's capital city is a pleasant Borneo surprise set between lush tropical hills and the South China sea.

After a quick refresh at our hotel we went across the street to have lunch with some of our Hosts from the US Embassy and SPARKS. We went over the details of our concerts and outreach programs. It was great to see Rodger, Chew and all our other Malaysian friends that I see everyday on Facebook.

After our lunch/meeting we went over to the Sabah Institute of Art and checked out the equipment for our workshop tomorrow morning. This is the first State Dept. tour that I haven't brought my own drums and gear, so I was very happy to find a kit already set up for me.

on the way back to our hotel we had to take a couple of group photos;)

The students at the institute made this crustacean chair and Johnny felt his inner lobster come alive, probably a pre dinner premonition;)

We had the pleasure of going out to an amazing Malaysian seafood restaurant to have a dinner hosted by
SWEPA Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association (SWEPA) is an NGO where formation was spearheaded by the Economic Committee of the Sabah Women’s Advisory Council in March 1993. http://www.swepa.org

Chew, our good friend and US Embassy liaison along with these wonderful women, took us on a culinary tour of Malaysia's finest local seafood.

A giant blue lobster, some snails and mantis prawns that are grown in bottles.

There were also some clams and these shrimp with glowing eyes;)

Each dish was better than the next and they were all laid out for us on a giant lazy Susan.

Here's the mantis prawn;

Steamed prawn, crab, whole fish and snails

Johnny had the hardest time trying to get this one out of his shell, but he was determined and finally prevailed.

When we were done with this amazing feast, Chew and Shavia presented this gift to SPARKS and SWEPA. A beautiful book by Ann Dunham

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) and the Embassy of the United States in Kuala Lumpur are presenting – “Ann Dunham’s Legacy: A Collection of Indonesian Batiks,” an exhibition that will showcase 20 batiks from the private collection of Ann Dunham, President Obama’s mother. The launch of the exhibition by Ann Dunham’s daughter, Dr Maya Soetoro-Ng, will mark the first time that the collection will be exhibited outside the United States.

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Well we all had a wonderful time and are looking forward to our workshop tomorrow morning and a radio interview in the afternoon. Oh and of course more food adventures.

Dragonville

Our next stop after Hong Kong is Kota Kinabalu Malaysia and it's about a three hour flight from Hong Kong
While chilling out during the wee hours in the HK airport and waiting for the shops to open, we took the time to go over our new arrangement of Unchain My Heart and found a small crowd gathering around us, taking pictures etc.

More and more people started to enter the terminal as things started to come to life. Amid the hustle and bustle we started to smell something that we had been waiting for and found that universal symbol of happiness or at least one of the things that makes the Band very happy;)

The airport is surrounded by some beautiful mountains and like all majestic places, magical stories and legends abound. There are legends of dragons that cast magic spells to subdue the people of the mountains, but one man unaffected by the spell subdued the dragon and a blood rain fell from the sky.

There are so many diverse people, foods and cultures here on our flight. We were joking about the time in Singapore when we tried Durian fruit, it smelled like a NYC garbage truck in August, but it tasted like sweet onion and pineapple. I wasn't surprised to find another interesting fruit on my plate during on our flight today.

It's called dragon fruit of course. I think I see a theme emerging today;)

Well after two flights and 22 hours of travel we have just landed in Malaysia
The whole gang was here to meet us!

The Night Fly

Last time I flew with the JRB to South East Asia I had my big road case full of drums, a cymbal bag, stand bag and my luggage. It's hard to believe that I only have these two bags this time. I will be in charge of our backpacker travel guitar once we get to the airport.

We arrived at Kennedy Airport around 11PM for a 1:30AM flight and we had an easy time checking in because we hardly had to being any gear. The only big item was Brian's travel upright bass. The Jazz festival's and embassy/consulate has provide that there will be instruments/backline at all the venues and workshops. While we were boarding we met a new friend/fan, a Malaysian student who is studying at Penn State.

Once we were on the plane and got settled in, the guys started getting ready for the long 15 hour flight to Hong Kong.

It was so great to be able to have some time to catch up and talk about our last show at the Iridium on June 5th. It was Johnny's birthday that night, it was a great way to celebrate and have a musical send off for our Malaysia trip.

The flight from JFK to Hong Kong took us up over Canada, the Arctic
Circle and back down over China.
Well I think Johnny and I slept about 12 of the 15 hours of the flight and before we knew it we had landed in Hong Kong for a 3 hour layover before we continue on to Malaysia.

The Guys looked rested and refreshed when they got off the plane.

The airport was deserted at 4:30 AM here and we had a few hours to kill, but Johnny used the time to work on some new stage costuming ideas;)

Soon after we found our we found our gate we made a video of a new on the spot arrangement of Unchain my Heart. You might be able to see it already posted on the Johnny Rodgers Band FB page or visit us at Johnnyrodgersband.com

Whenever I See Your Smiling Face part 2

As we prepare for our third cultural
diplomacy trip as musical ambassadors for the US Dept. of State, I'm reminded of all the beautiful and kind hearted people we have met along the way. I am looking at all the photos of our trips to The Middle East and South East Asia and the one thing that stands out is all your smiling faces :) Each one so unique, special and warm, it makes me smile myself.

While we were rehearsing for our Bon Voyage concert last week at the Iridium Jazz club in NYC (http://iridiumjazzclub.com/), we were looking for a new opening number that would express something universal and welcoming. Johnny came up with the idea of doing James Taylor's song, Whenever I See Your Smiling Face. I love playing this song and I think it's the perfect welcome for our Malaysia concerts.

Often the first contact we have with someone, even before a handshake, is a smile. No words have been spoken, no physical contact, yet in those first few silent seconds we receive so much information through a persons energy and vibration. Often lifelong friendships start with a smile and the sparkle in the eyes, you just know from that instant that there is a connection to something deeper than both of you, a kind of understanding that you share the is-ness of the moment. It is in those first few milliseconds before thoughts and judgements are formed, where you can find peace, a common ground. How many times have you met someone and neither of you speak the same language, yet there is understanding, friendship? I feel that most diplomacy and sharing of culture starts with these beautiful smiles we all have in common.

Did you know smiling can reduce stress, boost your immune system and your mood? Here is a link to some more fun facts about smiling;
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/15-fascinating-facts-about-smiling/

That silent sixth sense behind the smile is rooted in our five senses; touch, sight, taste, hearing and smell. These gateways are how we can experience Sculpture, Dance, the Visual arts, Music, Cullinary arts etc. These are all ways we can relate and learn about each other culturally, but more importantly these bridges of expression keep us present and rooted in being. They bring us together in the art of being alive and sharing the most common of bonds, life.

We are retuning to Malaysia next week through the generosity of the US Embassy, Consulate and SPARKS,
a wonderful arts organization in Sandakan. We made so many friends in Malaysia on our last tour there
and we have been blessed to stay in touch with all of those smiling faces
through social networks and even webcast that was a joint effort between the US Embassy and the Mannes College The New School for Music Prep Division. These electronic opportunities have helped us share music, teaching materials, recipes, music gear advice and most of all friendship.

Even though we haven't been to Malaysia in a year or so, I still feel connected to all the wonderful people I met there during our first tour. I am looking forward to sharing music, stories, food and of course smiles with all of you. So come on, give me a smile