It’s that time of the year again. For me, the holiday season means to literally schedule time off and fly back to Philadelphia from wherever I am to be with my family. Oh, Philadelphia, the very first city I would claim as my second home when I left Taiwan as a 14 year-old girl, full of dreams and hopes. From there, that young girl set out to conquer the world. Now, years later, after having lived on three different continents and having traveled so much of the world already, I finally had the realization that nothing is more important than one’s home and family. And there is not a better occasion for warm, cuddly, family time than the holiday season!
Ching-Yun Hu, Pianist :: 鋼琴家.胡瀞云
This year, I will be flying back to Philadelphia from Germany, where I currently reside. My family is spread over three continents at the moment: Germany, the USA, and Taiwan. But, we always try to be together at this time of the year. Over the New Year, we will play monopoly, eat “homey” food, sleep in, and meet with friends. This kind of life is so rare for me since I am always on the road carrying my suitcase from one city to the next. I think of this feeling of love and security with nostalgia.
The holiday season is also a time to reflect. In the past, when the clock struck midnight, the beginning of the New Year, I had a ritual of playing a Chopin Nocturne on the piano and then writing my New Year’s goal. I stopped the playing part of the ritual a few years ago, for the sake of my neighbors, but the goal-writing continues. It could have been goals concerning my career, good health, and establishing wonderful friendships. But this coming year, it will be something different. It will be about personal growth; about finding truth within myself and reflecting on these revelations through my everyday interaction with people and my music making. And of course, I hope all goes well for my extended concert tours, my new album which is coming out next March called “My Chopin,” my plans to get a deeper understanding of German classics, and many many more adventures waiting out there. What would your New Year’s goals be?
So, I hope you will all enjoy a warm holiday season with your family and loved ones. Don’t forget to give thanks and to forgive, and to make this holiday season the most unforgettable one yet. Let us all embrace the beauty of each other, and may all your dreams come true. See you in 2011!
xoxo
Ching-Yun
