Meeting the Boss

I don't know if I have written much before about our main boss, Georges. He is the founder of this whole company and runs everything pretty much by himself. He's also the one that hired me, but that is the only time I have ever met him and even then it was just on Skype for like 15 minutes and that was it. Anyway all I have ever heard about him is how harsh of a critic he is and that he always finds something wrong with every band when he comes to see them. Everyone says that he always yells all the time and he'll put you in your place in a split second. So you can imagine I was a little nervous to meet him in person and have him come see our show. Well the day finally came, he came back to Vietnam on Monday and came and saw us for the first time on Tuesday night.
He came up to the club during the first set and just paced through the whole club going from one side to the other, sitting down for a minute but then getting right back up and pacing some more. After we were finished we all went back and talked to him. He was so nice! He didn't yell, he told us how great we are doing, gave me and Trina a couple pointers and that was it. Then he stayed and watched the rest of our shows and then we all went out to eat with him afterward, and he payed for all our food! He told us at dinner that if he had seen our band a month earlier he would have been sending us to Bangkok next instead of Oman, dang why did he have to say that? He told us that Oman is really going to test us so we better be ready.
So after that I thought we wouldn't see him up in the club again for awhile but then he came up again last night. This time he didn't seem like he was in as great of a mood. Everyone told me as soon as you see him pull his IPhone out then that means he's taking notes that he'll give us at the end of the night. As soon as we started our sets he had his IPhone out and was typing like crazy! I was preparing myself the whole night for all the notes we were going to get. I figured he must have just been really nice the first night since it was the first time he'd met me and seen us as a band. After our last set he called us all over to a corner and Trina said, "get ready for the notes." All he said was that we are a real band. He said we aren't just some group that he has put together, he can tell how much we love music and that it's in our hearts and that's why our band is so good. He said he could send us to a gig anywhere and we would succeed because we are just that great! I couldn't believe that's all he had to say, he must not have been taking notes like we thought. I still feel like the bad stuff is coming though, so I'm not getting too relieved, I just feel like it's buying us time while he's being so positive. Especially since everyone says he's never like that. But hey, maybe we really are just that good, but I don't know, I'm still waiting!

A Bloody Adventure

So today was the day we had to go have tests done for Oman. I guess they are really strict about who comes into their country, so even though we all already had a lot of these tests, we all had to go have them done again. Now if any of you know me you know I am terrified of giving blood, OK not just terrified, I almost pass out every time, I don't know why, I know it's not a big deal but I can't help it! So needless to say I was a little nervous.
When we got there we had to fill out some paperwork and then just sit and wait. Then I was called first, I thought that would be a good thing, getting it over with, but I was wrong. First they took me upstairs and took my height and weight. Then I had to go sit and wait some more. Later a doctor called me into his little office and asked why I was there, and I told him we just had to have these tests done so our band can go to Oman, but he had no idea what I was talking about. The only test that I knew for sure we had to have again was the HIV test so I told him that and he filled out my paper and told me to go back to the waiting room. After about 5 minutes the girl called me back and I headed in trying not to show my nerves. But immediately after I sat down I told her how scared I was and to be gentle, not that she understood me but I felt like I needed to say that. So the first bad thing was she couldn't find my freaking vein, that always happens, and by the time she finally did I was ready to scream! So she took my vial of blood and I was so relieved to be done. Then she sent me back out into the waiting room. After another few minutes the doctor from earlier called me back into his little office and said, "oh I'm so sorry, I just got the e-mail from your company and it lists all the tests you need, and the nurse only took one vial of blood and we need two." I was SO mad!!! Why did I have to be first and be the experimental guy, I'm the one that hates having my blood drawn more than anyone and now I have to do it twice!? I calmly said, "OK" and then headed back into the nurses room. Now since she already took blood from the only vein she could find in my arm, she decided to use my hand. And boy oh boy I do not recommend that to anyone. I don't know why but having blood drawn from your hand hurts about 10 times more than having it taken out of your arm. I was so close to passing out, I wish I had just so I didn't have to remember it!
Finally that part was all over and I got to go back downstairs for the rest of the tests. We had to have some X-rays, an eye test, and then just a basic physical. What a fun day right? All I can say is that I am SOOOOOOO Glad it's over. Whew.

Finished Product

This week has gone by so fast, I feel like I hardly did much of anything but somehow the week is gone! The shows have been going great and I've met a lot of really nice people. There are tons of foreigners here so it's cool to talk to them and find out how they ended up in Vietnam, most of them are here for work, and the others just for vacation. I didn't realize Vietnam was such a touristy place before I came here.

I also met this girl, and about 5 minutes after I met her I knew something was weird. She wasn't like the other girls here, she was really forward and pushy, reminded me just of the girls from Malaysia. So we were talking and she kept telling me that I need to come hang out with her after the shows, and I kept making excuses but she wasn't buying into any of them. It was like Deja Vu, right back in Kuala Lumpur. Then I come to find out that's where she's from!! How in the world did a crazy, pushy girl from Malaysia find me in Vietnam? Ahhh!! It's like I am a magnet for them! As soon as I found out, I told her I had to go to the bathroom, just so I could get away, because I know how those girls are. On the downside I'm pretty sure that she'll be back. I also found out later she was on X and offered some to all the other guys, so next time I see her it will be easy to get away because I'll just tell her I don't deal with druggies.

Alright now onto some awesome news, I got my suit on Saturday and it is awesome! It fits so perfectly and looks so great, I've never had anything custom made to my body, and now that I have I feel like I'll never want anything else. We all wore our new outfits last night and we looked great! Now in a couple weeks I'm going to go have a white suit made, and I can't wait!

New Suit

Not too much has been happening since my last post. The shows have been great, really good crowds especially on the weekends. We do have a couple funny characters that come to the club almost every single night. They are these two women, they don't come together and I don't even know if they know each other, but they stand right in front of the stage and dance. They don't dance with each other or anyone else for the matter, they just dance, they close their eyes and do these crazy moves that don't even go to the beat of the music. One of them is really quiet and when I talked to her one night she was nice and kind of shy. The other one I guess has been coming to the club for years and used to be obsessed with the old male singer. So as soon as I talked to her she started telling me all about him and how he moved and sang and everything. She is CRAZY. So now I know not to get stuck talking to her anymore.
On Friday night we did one of the best shows we've done ever, in my opinion. I don't know what was so good about it but it just felt right and great. People loved it and couldn't say enough nice things about us. This guy named Dave, who has been friends with our band leader for a couple years said that this is the best group of people that he has seen in a band for a long time. It felt really great to know that someone who has seen lots of the different El-Live bands thinks so highly of us, what a confidence booster! Saturday and Sunday were good as well, but nothing compared to Friday.
Then on Monday, our day off, Andrea and I went to the tailor to be measured for new suits. We had to send pictures of suits that we liked to our band leader and then he approved one and we had to take that picture with us to the tailor. Of course the one that I got approved was a Justin Timberlake suit. So we went to this little shop about 15 minutes walk from our hotel and walked in, showed the girl the picture of the suits we wanted, picked the material, she measured us, and then we were done. She told us to come back the next day to try them on. Yes I said the next day, crazy right? So we went back there today and they had pieces of the suit finished just to make sure the sizing was all right and everything. Once we finished that she told us to come back Saturday to pick them up. I can't believe how fast they are. My suit is going to be awesome though, it's a three piece all black suit, it's going to look so nice. And it's only costing me 2,530,000 dong, which is about $125 US. So cheap! Once I get it finished and everything I will post pictures so you guys can all see it.
I'm still loving Vietnam, I don't know what it is, even with all the crazy traffic and street vendors it's just very relaxing here.

New Foods

Things have been going pretty great, the special event we did on Monday was the big company party for all the Sheraton employees. It was basically a huge talent show, all the employees got up and did little acts, dance numbers, and sang songs, it was pretty fun to watch. Then we were the last ones to go, so we got up and did one 45 minute set and the crowd went crazy. It was probably the biggest response we have had ever. It literally felt like we were rock stars, and all the people were reaching up to the stage and trying to touch us, it was awesome. After that we hung out around the ballroom for awhile and just talked to everyone, they were all so nice, at least I think so from what I could understand!
Then Tuesday was our official opening night. It wasn't too crowded but it was still quite fun. Hardly anyone was out on the dance floor but they all clapped a lot after each song so that was good enough for me. As long as I know they are paying attention, that's all that really matters. Oh I also met our company president's wife and son yesterday. They just got back from a little vacation to Singapore. George, the president, is now in Jakarta because there is a new contract starting there and he wants to be there for the opening so I still haven't met him in person yet. His wife and son were very nice though, but I could not imagine living in a hotel permanently. I know that's what I'm doing now, but they have lived here for like 2 years and they just eat in the same buffet we eat at for every meal. Crazy right? Anyway back to the shows, everything went great, except our sound is still a little funny, so today we went up around 4 and got it all fixed, so now I think it will sound great!
So the buffet here has been awesome, the food always changes and there are so many choices. I just wanted to mention some of the odd things I've tried like crocodile, which kind of tastes like a mix between chicken and fish, it's pretty good. Then the other night I tried rabbit, there was lots of little bones in it so I wasn't a big fan. I've discovered so many new fruits that I love, my new number one favorite is passion fruit, I can't even describe how good it is. Then after that my next favorites would be dragon fruit and jack fruit. There's all these crazy tropical fruits that I've never had and now I feel like I can't live a day without them! Tonight I just discovered something that reminded me so much of home. It was pieces of grilled zucchini with cheese and tomatoes melted on top, my dad makes something like this on Sunday nights back home, it's SO GOOD! I was so excited to see something so familiar and tasty I think I ended up eating like 10 pieces of it at lunch and then they had it again at dinner so I ate even more! I can't even explain how good it was, I don't know if it was actually that amazing or if I just loved it because it reminded me of home. Either way my meals were so great today because of that.

Opening Night

The last couple days I didn't do much exploring, mostly just slept and relaxed to make sure I was all ready for our first night of shows. We thought our first night was going to be Tuesday but then on Friday night they told us we were starting on Sunday.
Saturday night we all went up to the club, it's called Level 23, and watched the band that has been here for the last couple months. It's a six piece band just like us but they have a drummer, guitarist, bassist, and three female singers. They were not good at all, they were all in their 40s except one of the girls and they all looked like they were exhausted the whole show. They hardly ever smiled and all of their movements were so lazy, it looked horrible. So after we watched them we told them good job and then went out to another club to hang out for a little bit. It was so tiny and crowded that I only stayed for like half an hour and then came back to bed.
So then came Sunday, our opening night! All the instrumentalists got up around 10 to go set up everything and start working on the sound. Then around 3 Trina and I headed up to do our sound check with them. It took almost two hours to figure out how to make us sound alright. The equipment is so old that we sound like we're all muffled like a bad telephone call. We finally got it fixed up enough that it sounded alright for the night, they said we can work on it more throughout the week. After sound check we all went to dinner and then went back to our rooms to get ready.
At 8:30 we went up to the club to get ready for the first set. At this club we only do 3 sets on Sunday, and Tuesday to Thursday, then Friday and Saturday we do 4. And we end around midnight which seems so early to me now, I love it! The club was pretty empty for our first set but the few people that were there loved it, they clapped after every song and were hardly talking while we were singing. As the night went on more and more people came and we had everyone up and dancing, it was great! People really love white people here. Everyone I meet tells me how handsome I am, it's so funny. Most people don't speak very much English so all they say is, "You so handsome, what you eat?" I don't really know how to respond to that, so I just say thank you. Everyone is really nice here, well at least I think so from what I can understand ha ha.
Mondays are usually our day off here but tonight we are doing one set for the company party here at the Sheraton. So hopefully that goes well and the rest of the week too!

Motorbikes

I've been having so much fun exploring this city! I feel like I've seen so much already and we've only been here a couple of days. It's so nice to have this week off before we start working. Yesterday was a pretty busy day, we found out on Wednesday night that we were going to have to sing for the government here on Thursday morning. I guess the new band always have to do it so they government can approve them. They have never not approved of a band, but we still had to do it. So we got up at about 6:45 am, I don't even remember the last time I was up that early, and we headed up to the club to set up. We ran through the five songs we were going to do and got all the instrument plugged in and ready. The sound system is pretty nice here, except the equipment is very old. The microphone I will be using is held together with tape and there are pieces missing on it. The technician told me if it stops working I just need to shake it ha ha. But it works all the same. So after we got all set up we headed back to our rooms and got changed and then went back up to do the little show. I sang two songs, Trina sang two songs and then we did one together. It was pretty awkward because there were only like 6 or 7 guys there and they were all very old. They just sat there eating their breakfast and talking to each other, not even paying attention to us. After each song it was completely silent, but we made it through it and got approved.
After that we all went to breakfast and then went back to our rooms to sleep. Once I woke up Trina, Andrea and I went to dinner and then went out to this little coffee shop across the street to hang out for a bit. Once we were finished there we went and checked out a couple more malls, we found a cool arcade in one of them and then a bowling alley in another. And they were both within 5 minutes of the hotel, so cool! Then we went back to our rooms to relax for a little bit before going out again.
Around 11:00 Trina and I met in the lobby and took a taxi to this place called Crazy Girls. It was located on this street with a whole bunch of other bars and food vendors everwhere. We met our bandleader JD, and our drummer Jay there. We all sat outside at these little tables and just hung out. After about two minutes of sitting there I felt a tap on my shoulder and some woman holding a baby was asking for money. I told her no, and before I could turn around another woman selling books was in my face asking if I wanted one. I said no again, then another couple minutes later another girl came along selling cigarettes in a briefcase. It went on like this the whole time we were there, I got used to it after a bit but in the beginning it was so weird. After we were finished there Jay called his friend with some motorbikes to come pick us up.
When they arrived we each got on the back of one and took of down the streets. I was a little nervous after seeing the traffic and how crazy these people drive here, but actually since it was so late at night there was hardly anyone on the streets. It was so fun, they took us on a kind of scenic route so we could see some more of the city, well mostly just so I could see because they've all seen it before. It was a blast. They ended up dropping us off at another place called the Apocolypse, another club, but we just walked in for a minute and then walked down the street back to the hotel. It was a fun packed day!

Vietnam!!

Alright I'm here, Vietnam! Our flight was nice and short, about an hour and 45 minutes, not too bad at all. Then we all grabbed our luggage and headed out to find our van to the hotel. Once we loaded up we all jumped in and headed off. The streets here are so crazy. Barely any traffic lights, everyone just goes when they want and there are so many scooters and little motorbikes everywhere. I can't even explain what the roads look like here, they are so jam packed you can't even see the ground. Every time we made a turn it seemed like we were going to hit someone or they were going to hit us! But we made it safe and sound. When we got to the hotel we were assigned our rooms and then all headed up to start unpacking. We are all on the 22ND floor, and the club we are playing in is on the 23rd, so we can just walk up a flight of steps and we are there! The rooms are amazing here, even nicer than the Hilton in KL. Everything is done with a touch of a button, you can turn on the lights, close the curtains, turn on the "do not disturb" sign, adjust the air conditioning, pretty much anything with a little button. The bed is huge once again, and so comfortable. The TV is a nice big flat screen again, but this time we have like 50 something channels rather than 20. The bathroom is quite nice, the shower has 3 shower heads, one above, and two on the sides, so water hits you from every angle. The laundry system here is so cool, we just put whatever we want washed into a bag and set it outside our door, then they wash it and come hang it up in your room for you by the next afternoon! The food is amazing too, we just have one place to eat, it's a really nice buffet and we can eat there three times a day. Then we are also allowed to order room service once a day after the shows if we want. The pool is really small and stays in the shade pretty much all day so it's not that great, but the gym is really nice. Not quite as big as the one in the Hilton but still nice. I think that's about all the details I know so far about the hotel.
Today Trina and I went out walking around, she's been here before with the band so she took me and showed me around. There are shopping complexes and grocery stores and everything we need all right across from the hotel. We went to this place called Ben Thanh Market, it's just all these little vendors in this big building that sell everything from clothes to food to electronics and it's all dirt cheap. After that we walked around some more and headed to a grocery store so I could stock up on some soda. The only kinds I could find here so far are Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, but I am OK with that! By that time JD, our band leader called us and we had to head back to the hotel because our luggage that we shipped was arriving. So we all got our bags and now I'm back in my room just about to unpack!

Last Pics in Malaysia

These are the last set of pictures for Malaysia, next up, VIETNAM!!!

Busy Times!

Wow, this week flew by, I can't believe we are all finished here! It seems like we just arrived and now we're all getting packed to leave again! All week the shows were great, it was pretty full every night because everyone knew it was our last week so they all made sure to come often to see us for their last chance.
New Year's Eve was crazy. There was a line out the door pretty much the whole night and the place was so packed and fun. We had these big confetti cannons all around the stage that were set to go off at midnight after we did the countdown but somehow during the second set our guitar player bumped the cord and all of the cannons went off early. We were all laughing so hard but I don't think the club management thought it was very funny. People still cheered loud when they went off but I think they were a little confused. We did 5 sets that night rather than just 4 and you wouldn't think that's a big deal but by that last set we were all exhausted. After all the sets we all stayed in the club and partied, I didn't end up getting to bed til about 6:30 am. Oh and we also beat the record for sales in the club on New Year's Eve, we beat it by 20,000RM!
Then Saturday night was our final performance. Not quite as crowded as the night before but still pretty good. The shows were all great and then afterward we all had to help take down all the instruments on stage and get everything packed up. When we finished with that it was about 4:45 and then we all went out to breakfast. So then again I didn't go to bed until about 7:00 am.
I slept in a little today and then I'm just going to hang out all day and relax!
Tomorrow is our last night here and it's the first night of the new band. They're called All Access, I'm pretty excited to go watch them to see what they are like. After that we have to be up and ready to go by 11am Tuesday. We fly out to Vietnam around 2:30! I'm so excited for the next chapter of this adventure!