China Tour Blog #4: Ethnic Mongol Yoghurt and Friendship

The morning after our Beijing Modern Music Festival debut concert, we headed back to the Beijing airport for the trip to Nanning.  It was a quick trip in and out of Beijing, but many of Esprit's musicians shared their stories of hopping onto the very efficient subways (of which there are many, sigh) and headed out to Tienamen Square or The Forbidden City etc.

Violinist Anne Armstrong even made it out to the Summer Palace. All these touristic amblings took place on the afternoon of our concert after our morning dress rehearsal, jet lag or no jet lag, evening concert or no evening concert! A confident orchestra!

Wandering around Beijing Airport the next morning, waiting for our flight to be called, the musicians were buzzing about the delicious yoghurt they found at a little airport snack shop – ETHNIC MONGOL YOGHURT - Grassland Range Delivery - in the most beautiful heavy indigo glass jar. You had to punch a hole in the top and slide in a straw. It was absolutely delicious! So smooth and creamy – a dense, slightly sweet thick liquid you can drink with a thick straw. It was a taste sensation!

Unfortunately, that may have been my first and last taste of this liquid delight as I have never ever set eyes of this indigo jar before. I am packing the empty in my suitcase as my souvenir of the Beijing Airport.

Waiting and wandering, who should we bump into but the very same NDR Orchestra! The orchestra members greeted each other like old friends! Such is the nature of musicians the world over. They were on their way to Shanghai, we were on our way to Nanning!

Two delightful encounters at the Beijing Airport: Musical friendship and Ethnic Mongolian Yoghurt! What other unexpected encounters await Esprit in China!

– Alexina Louie