The tour before the tour Part I (05.08.2010)

Waking up in my little Country Cottage town, the weather is 13 degrees and pouring and I find it nearly impossible to believe that tomorrow I`m heading off to China. My faithful I-phone weatherman tells me that the temperature in Guangzho (Canton) is 34 degrees, so the first question is- you know it- what to pack? I guess we`ll have to go in layers for outdoor heat and indoor air-conditioning. Umbrellas, rubber boots? My Ikea pyjamas or the nice silk nightie ( it might snow or there might be a cloud of ashes so we might be delayed and have to share rooms, you never know)? Guidebook, Chinese translator, cellphone, sunscreen, extra viola strings-life is full of tough decisions. The latest (last?) itinerary from the office arrives with Chinese cellphone numbers for the office crew and Dieter`s recommendation to bring a credit card, dollars or euros- apparently Swiss money is a great Unknown.
No matter what I do, something will be forgotten, so I`d better check and doublecheck and hope- as well- that I have time to get the ironing and the shopping done before I leave. Yes, folks, "artists" also have to perform menial labor- it`s what keeps our feet on the ground while our souls search for perfection. So wish me luck on my "tour before the tour"- maybe by going around in circles I`ll find my center. I guess that would be appropriate, since "Zhong-guo", the Chinese name for China, translates as "Land of the Middle".