Today was certainly a day of mixed emotions. We had a day
filled with rain, long waiting, laughter, and a beautiful moment on the city
college track.
We started off our day by heading down to the area where a
few floats were being made. We were to take a picture, but soon discovered that
the times had been wrong and that we actually had over an hour to wait. When we
were finally able to take a picture, the rain muddied many of our moods. We
were also able to tour a few of the floats and see the process of their
creation. The best part was being able to step out of the rain and under a
tent!
We then drove along the parade route for a little while
(actually, a long, long while) and picked up some snacks around the way. As we
arrived at Pasadena City College, the rain began to clear and most, if not all,
moods considerably lightened.
We met up with our Chinese counterparts and ate some In and
Out burgers that were provided for us. I think that I gain a marching band
fifteen every trip that we take.
The Chinese marching band then got into their awesome red
uniforms, and we blocked for a short practice. It was extremely cool seeing our
red and blue uniforms together.
By the way, if my writing seems a bit lackluster, I blame
the early wake-up calls. Someone really needs to talk to Mr. Wilson and co.
about those. I want to sleep!
We then performed our show in front of a very large crowd.
It was a bit nerve-wracking seeing bands much larger and louder ahead of us,
but I thought that we gave a great performance. The Chinese also performed extremely
well, especially considering that they are not used to performing on the
football field.
The best moment, and the one I’m most excited to write
about, was when the Chinese and us performed a piece of our parade route for
the audience. Let me set the scene. The sun was beginning to fade behind the
building and it cast a brilliant golden glow across the football field and
track. Our blue uniforms provided a sharp contrast to the red ones of the
Chinese. Mark, our drum major, stood in front with an air of excitement. I
looked at the Chen, the Chinese student next o me, and we wished each other
luck. Then, the whistle sounded with a shrill, and we were off. Playing the
medley of Chinese and American folksongs alongside the Chinese and in front of
a large audience was a moment that I can’t quite put into words. The audience
was cheering and waving and Mr. Wilson stood in front with a proud look on his
face and a camera phone in his hands. It was a moment that I will remember for
the rest of my life.
After the performance, the Valley Christian students were
treated by a trip to the mall. Then, on our return home, we were unfortunate
enough to be behind an enormous accident and had to wait for another hour. When
we finally returned home, nary a word was said as we all collapsed into bed.
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