Tustin,
California,
USA
13th January 2005

Malcolm’s Ramblings Part 7

Hi to all from sunny California! Did I really say that in December? The Sunday after Christmas is cloudy and by evening it is raining. On the Monday it rains all day and by evening we have storm force winds as well. Since then is has been rainy on and off and the past week has been continuous torrential rain. The roads around here are flat concrete, with no camber (it rarely rains here!) and so the standing water makes driving difficult and aquaplaning common. Californian drivers do not know how to drive in the rain, so bumps and crashes are common place.

Christmas camp was excellent (read all about it on the web site) and we recommenced our concerts on the 29th December. On New Years eve we had a later concert, but got back to our host family's house before midnight – some Americans don’t just use fireworks to celebrate, in a country where firearms are common, these are frequently used and fired into the air. We arrived home early as the thought of a citizen, who had been drinking, and handling a gun, was not pleasant.

We are based about 60 miles east of Los Angeles in the San Bernardino area, just south of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is strange, living in towns with palm tree lined streets and snow covered mountains in the background. At Big Bear, 60 miles away from us they have 3 feet of snow. When the wind blows from the mountains, it brings the cold air with it.

We had an earthquake the other night, I never felt it, nor did my host, but she said that she knew there had been one as she woke to hear the water sloshing about in the toilet! We around the area of the infamous San Andreas Fault and ‘quakes, I am told, are common. I guess that as they are “lubricating” the fault to smooth the slippage, lots of small ‘quakes will be common – better that one big one!

Auntie Carlene joined us just after New Year. She is the head of the choir’s boarding school in Uganda; she had been home visiting her family in Red Deer, Canada, and came to be with us for a week on here way back to Kampala. Auntie Julia, the choir manager, came to spend some time with us as did Daddy Ray; they all left after the filming, see below. Uncle Merv and Auntie Evelyn, our temporary bus driver left us when we got to camp, and Uncle Craig came back to fill in for a few weeks until Uncle Garry and his wife joined us this week.

We spent Monday at Burbank Studios, Hollywood and at the NBC Studios. The kids had been invited to sing as a backing group with Wyeclef Jean on Jay Leno’s “The Tonight Show”, which is watched by millions of viewers. Wyeclef’s song, “A million voices” is featured in the newly release film “Hotel Rwanda”. This film tells the story of Paul Rusesabagina, who became an African “Schindler” during the Rwandan Genocide in 1994 when it is estimated that 500,000 Rwandans were massacred in just a few months by the Army. We spent the entire day practising and rehearing for the show. Video taping, before a studio audience, took less than 5 minuets. Six members of the choir recorded a similar thing for CBS’s “Late, Late Show” the previous week.

I am concerned about the tightening up that ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) are doing with regards to spam (unsolicited email) and therefore this will be the last Ramblings you will receive from me by email, unless you email me to give me permission to send them to you All the Ramblings now appear on the website and you can, if you wish, read them there. This applies to everyone, family & friends alike. Remember, to continue to receive the Ramblings etc. by email you need to email me to “subscribe”. You can cancel this at any time.

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We are going to be around southern California until Mid February, when we move north towards San Francisco.

Have to go now, I’m in Starbucks (wireless internet hotspot) and my coffee is long since gone. I have to teach this afternoon…