Scenes from a Cambodian Restaurant

DAY 15: (Danny) As soon as we touched down in Cambodia, I had the greatest feeling! I was happy to be here and knew we were in for a great adventure, one that would change us forever. Our U.S. Embassy liaison spirited us through customs and we were on the road to the hotel in no time. Because it was rush hour, we were treated to Phnom Penn traffic which was an exiting adventure filled with scooters, scooters and more scooters.We also saw many Tuk Tuks, which are like rickshaws but with a motorcycle front. I was amazed how many people they could fit on one scooter and I saw as many as four at a time, although one of those passengers was a baby. We have heard of as many as five passengers on a scooter, but I haven't seen that yet.

Our hotel is amazing and everyone we’ve met thus far is awesome. We checked in quickly and then had a dinner meeting with the embassy folks to go over our schedule. While we were waiting for our embassy liaisons, I sat in with a traditional Cambodian drum and xylophone duo (after the drummer showed me the basic pattern). They were really cool. Our hosts took us to Ramdeng, a creative Cambodian restaurant that used local cooking school graduates as the help. I had told my best friend Colleen that I was going to eat some crazy stuff in Cambodia after she suggested I try monkey brains, like in the first Raiders of the Lost Ark. Well as soon as we opened the menus, Johnny spotted sauteed red tree ants and I knew I had to try that. Then we saw a snack: crispy tarantulas with lime and pepper sauce. I told everyone I was going for them and the cameras came out. I was the first one to taste the spiders and then when I exclaimed them to be crispy and spidery. They all tried both dishes. The spiders tasted like bacon and the ants had a thread-like (?) after taste.

There was also fish in banana leaf, mango salad, sauteed string beans and tiger beer. We had the best time and I’m so proud of how adventurous the group was tonight. I feel there is an exuberance and hopefulness of the youthful population here and you can feel the excitement everywhere you go. I love the Cambodian people and if this first night is any indication of what’s to follow, then we’re in for a real treat!

Bandstand Boogie

DAY 14: (Brian) Singapore is an incredibly modern, safe, clean, and cosmopolitan city. It thrives on the diverse cultural mix of people and influences from all over Asia with many ex-pat Americans, Brits and Australians all taking advantage of the squeaky clean, rich environment for raising kids. Modern architecture and constant urban renewal seem to be the rule with cranes and construction crews building without end. No sign of recession here with bustling high-end shops, malls and boutiques up and down the Orchard Avenue area near our hotel. You can buy any high-end item here but don't you dare drop any litter or worse - chewing gum or cigarette butts - on the street for fear of strict prosecution. I notice, also, alcohol seems pricey here. Vices of all types highly discouraged, it seems.

But then there's FOOD! Did I mention the food?!There are food centers like Lau Pa Sat with dozens of "hawker" stalls where you can eat ANY type of Asian or Indian delicacy for very little money.I’ve always had an affinity for genuine Cantonese cuisine, something that seems increasingly rare even in New York City and non-existent in New Jersey where I live. So I am in Chinese food heaven here! Steamed fresh fish in ginger soy sauce, fresh Asian greens in Hoisin sauce, BBQ Satay skewers (chicken, beef or lamb) and giant shrimps. Not to mention the Dim Sum stalls that steam the real deal: dumplings, shumai and buns of all types in small bamboo baskets prepared while you wait. And, exotic fruit drinks, teas and beers to wash it down with.Each stall has its own specialty and the aggressive vendors vie for your business, following you with unrelenting offers of tables and menus. Needless to say, none of us are losing weight on this tour.Our concert venues started with a fantastic large stage in the middle of the City’s Botanical Gardens.Enclosed by a giant clam-shaped structure surrounded by a lily pond and a beautifully manicured lawn rising up a hill it, couldn't have been more ideal with a light breeze and state-of-the-art sound gear on tap. I kept saying (as a joke), "We just can't work this way!" to Shana and our ever-helpful State Department representative, Rachel.Johnny was even more animated on this big stage (if you can imagine that) with grand comic gestures and running leaps to the edge of the stage in a mock threat of jumping into the lily pond (something I was afraid he might actually do). The crowd ate it up and we played two encores for them.Next day was an intimate setting in a public library in the brand new Esplanade Cultural Center at the breathtaking new waterfront area. They should call this city Shangri La.We enjoyed the fine acoustics and an in-tune baby grand piano even when the sustain pedal broke in the fifth number. No one seemed to mind the piano notes ringing into one another or Johnny lying on his back under the piano in the middle of the set in an attempt to fix it. Maybe we’ll leave that in the show.Our day off consisted of a visit to the amazing Asian Civilization Museum (Danny and me) and a visit to the unique Nighttime Safari Zoo by the four of us. But Danny has shared that already.

Next stop, Cambodia!

Sunshine Lily Pads and Dumplings

DAY 13, continued: (Danny) When we were driving from the Singapore Airport to our hotel, I was immediately struck by that familiar cosmopolitan feeling one gets upon arrival in Miami, LA, or NY.The sleek, clean modernism of this city, set like an emerald in a tropical setting, is a stark contrast from our previous stop in Papua New Guinea. The main drag was a combination of Rodeo Drive and 5th Avenue, only on steroids! We were dropped off at the Regency Four Seasons Hotel.When I walked in, my jaw dropped! The opulence of just the lobby was staggering and I knew we were going to have a very different and enjoyable week in Singapore. As soon as we got settled in our rooms, we took off to the famous food hawkers stalls where we chowed down on dumplings and chili crabs galore.I have eaten some of the best Asian food EVER in Singapore and have had to step it up in the gym because otherwise, I’d be a giant dumpling, myself.

Our first concert at the Singapore Botanical gardens was a blast. The place is a cross between Central Park and a Zen garden.The band shell was shaped like a giant clam and was surrounded by a lily pad filled mote. The audience sat on the grass and was treated to a great night of music by the Johnny Rodgers Band.We signed lots of autographs afterward and packed up in time to go out to a different food hawkers market. I see a recurring theme in Singapore and there's talk of going to Little India for lunch.

Our next concert was at the Esplanade on Singapore's downtown waterfront. We played at the very modern library and arts center which houses a few theaters, event spaces and an outside stage on the water. The skyline is amazing and modern, not what I expected, and is one of my favorite cities in the world so far. It was an intimate audience of about 80 and we were treated to a baby grand piano for the first time on the tour. Johnny has had to carry and play his electronic keyboard everywhere. We had a great time playing, and of course, found yet another great food situation.

Yesterday was our day off and we had grand plans of bird sanctuaries, food markets, museums and night safaris but rest was the order of the day and as a group, we did manage to go to the Night Safari, which was so much fun.We took videos of frisky leopards, frightened each other in the bat cage, got lost on the jungle trails and finally made it safely back to our hotel.

Did I mention we also ate at the food hawkers market? I guess you assumed that already.Well I went right for the soup dumplings and by the time Johnny got there, the soup dumpling Nazi, said, “No soup dumplings for you, no more!” I guess I cleaned them out of dumplings and he was so tired of steaming them, he closed up.

Today is our last performance in Singapore at the Polytechnic Institute. We are heading to Cambodia tomorrow where the adventure will continue. I'm looking forward to playing again today with my brothers and am having the time of my life, especially when we perform. The music takes my mind off how much I miss my friends and loved ones and hopefully brings us all closer together.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

DAY 13: (Johnny)

Rules of the Road 2:

Before you checkout, check your hotel room for all your belongings. Twice.
Then check again.

I Got the News

From The National, Papua New Guinea

Arc of a Diver/Double Bass Player

DAY 10, continued: (Brian) Papua New Guinea is a place of wonder, for sure. When we landed, our State Department contact, Brian Asmus, greeted us with an amiable smile and several locals to help us with our gear. All the Papua New Guinea fellows were friendly and seemed eager to help. They had broad grins revealing bright red gums and teeth that I assumed, at the time, was bad dental care. We later found out it was the red juice from chewing the betel nut – a pervasive local habit which gives one a dizzying, quasi-nicotine-like rush.All of our performances and workshops were in and around Papua New Guinea’s largest city, Port Moresby, and the drive into the city went past a scary, ramshackle market that Brian A. said was quite dangerous and even off limits to security personnel. In stark contrast, our hotel was quite nice and in the most modern part of town. In Port Moresby, this consisted of a small cluster of 10-story high-rise buildings but you could see this city is about to undergo a major building boom with Exxon/Mobil moving into town in a big way after a major natural gas discovery here.

Like any port city, we were advised on what parts of town to stay away from but we never felt unsafe at any time in our five-day visit. All the local people were warm and friendly. After a night of time-zone adjustment rest, we had a performance at the U.S. Ambassador's home for State personnel and a good time was had by all including the Johnny Rodgers Band. We played against a gorgeous backdrop of the Port and Papua New Guinea’s hills with cooperative weather. The State people were great and appreciated some genuine American entertainment from back home. Next event had us at the Port Moresby International School, a private high school with kids from all over Papua New Guinea and some from Australia. We worked with some very sweet kids from the music department and their teacher was an Australian jazzer who later joined us on trumpet in our performance there. The kids and the very international faculty were welcoming and gave us the impression that this really was a great place to go to school. Extremely well-mannered students, rugby players and trees laden with ripe mangoes around the amphitheater made it all idyllic. Our show went over big time and we were inundated with kids wanting autographs.Next day was our day off and I convinced Joe, Danny, Shana and even our rest-conscious Johnny to get up early and go for a trip to Loloata Island Resort for a day of snorkeling, boating and animal watching. Everyone thanked me (later) for waking them up at 6:00 AM to make the 8:30 AM reservation because we all had a fantastic time snorkeling on the remote island at a reef rich with tropical fish. We had a ball frolicking with and gawking at the island's little pets: mini wallabies, parrots and an old tree kangaroo named Monte.The van ride back to our hotel, however, was sobering as we passed through shanty squatter villages with striking poverty. Like many places around the world, people flock to the city trying to find work and cannot afford the rent due to inflated real estate prices. The result is a proliferation of these villages without basic utilities or sewage. This is a nation of truly stark contrasts between the rich biodiversity, ancient indigenous cultural traditions of the highlands and coastal provinces all crashing suddenly into 21st-Century technology and new corporate investment money that we pray makes its way down to the impoverished children and unemployed residents of this fast growing city. Our good State Department people are helping with AIDS and domestic violence prevention programs here and we much admire them for their efforts.Our final day started with an unforgettable workshop and performance with some local students and adults at a very modest parish stage. Inside the hall there was a cache of incredible totems expertly hand carved by artisans depicting indigenous iconography and animals of all types. We did our Ain't No Sunshine workshop with the very shy onlookers/participants and Johnny did not give up, did not let them escape his coaxing. His persistence was rewarded when he shrewdly let a group of young men pass the mic back and forth to each other on their own in a vocal call and response over our bluesy vamp. This really brought them out of their shells in a big way and our following show had them all gathered 'round the stage as they genuinely seemed in awe of our playing.
As in Fiji, I again held “Bass Court” after the show with demos of my solo playing plucking and bowing, up close and personal, as I truly was taking the double bass where no one had taken it before! I'll never forget the experience. Wait 'til my buds on Talkbass.com hear about this! It's (kind of) every Double Bass player’s dream to expand the world's knowledge and appreciation of our noble instrument and I feel great pride in having done this in both Fiji and Papua New Guinea.The apex of our trip culminated with a performance, open to the public, at the Ela Beach Amphitheater complete with the Governor of Port Moresby, the U.S. Ambassador, State people, an opening act: The Sing Sing Tribe (an incredible, young acapella group!),the teachers, and some of the students and people we met during our wondrous week.Time to get some shut eye on this flight to Singapore. What a month we're having! Somebody pinch me...

Papua Was a Rolling Stone

Day 10: (Danny) It's hard to believe that we’ve already left our second country and have been in Papua New Guinea for five days. When we landed in this nation of tribes and villages, I sensed the presence of pain and struggle. I think we were all nervous with security briefings but kept an open mind. We’re New Yorkers, after all, and used to being aware in our surroundings. The airport personnel and transport crew were really sweet and our gear made it off the plane safely and into the trucks to our hotel in Port Moresby.

I noticed that most of our crew had what looked like bloody teeth and mouths. I was a little freaked out at first but soon found out the red teeth came from chewing betel nuts mixed with mustard root and dipped in lime (crushed coral) powder. The combination turns your gums, teeth and mouth a dark bloody red. Betel nuts also have a very intoxicating effect if chewed all day and is likened to chewing tobacco.Our hotel was up the hill from Ela Beach and the views of the harbor and ocean were spectacular. We were confined to our hotel at night but I decided to take an afternoon walk to the beach. First, I stood outside the gates of the hotel for a few moments. Then, I ventured across the street and finally, I walked down the hill and onto the beach. There were lots of people out so I felt pretty safe. People would wave and say, "hi," but I sensed this place could get serious after dark. With an 80% unemployment rate, there is, sadly, a lot of poverty and strife and the time to get into trouble. That said, I saw no violence, crime or anything that made me uncomfortable. I met only humble, beautiful and welcoming people in Papua New Guinea. Despite statistics and a reputation of poverty, the children and people were all smiling and gracious. The island itself is a paradise of unparalleled beauty and that green tropical richness is evident in the hearts and souls of its people.

It makes me realize how spoiled I am and that just beyond the doors of my posh hotel, there were children living in shacks made from cans and tires. They have no shoes, no running water or electricity, but persevere despite their dire circumstances.Our first event was an outdoor performance at the American Ambassador’s home on a hill overlooking the bay. We played a couple of sets for the Ambassador’s guests, local business leaders, embassy folks and Papua New Guinea government ministers. Everyone had a good time. For us, it was but a glimpse into mainstream Papua New Guinea society within the capital city.Over the next few days, we conducted some master classes and concerts at the International School and an outdoor Catholic parish house. Although the Melanesian culture is shy and humble, once they are immersed in the musical experience, they open up and embrace the spirit. We had very similar experiences in Fiji but realize, now, that no one wanted to seem pushy or be perceived as greedy. We had so much fun working with the local people and students and they seemed to have fun with us. I believe we learned something from each other.On our first full day in Papua New Guinea, we took a boat ride across Bootless Bay to Loloata Island. As soon as we walked down the long dock, we were greeted by these large blue birds crested with peacock-like feathers. The Papua New Guinea pigeons, originally from the mainland are much prettier than their New York City counterparts.We were greeted by little Wallaby kangaroos hopping around the area. We saw a tree kangaroo and some beautiful, but noisy, parrots. The staff on Loloata Island prepared a great breakfast for us and showed us around the grounds, which were right on the bay. Then, we boarded a small skiff and ferried to another small island beach for snorkeling.I’d never snorkeled off a coral reef before and was blown away by the colors and variety of fish and fauna. I didn’t want to get out of the water and stayed in until the boat took us back to Loloata Island.

When we got back, we had an amazing lunch and bought some gifts to take home. We signed some CDs for the staff and left for the main island and the city. Words can't describe how beautiful the islands are and I'm not sure the pictures can do them justice either. I would love to stay on Loloata Island next time I come back to Papua New Guinea.Last night, we played an outdoor concert at the Ela beach amphitheater. The U.S. Ambassador and the Port Moresby Governor introduced us to the crowd after a great local vocal group opened up the concert. We had so much fun and found out that it was the first ever nighttime concert held at the venue.At the end of the concert, they presented our band with a beautiful wooden Kundu drum which has a lizard skin.We are flying to Singapore today and I’m exited to go to a new country but part of my heart is staying behind in Papua New Guinea. It was once sung, “Wherever he laid his hat was his home.” Well, I would like to hang my hat here again someday and pray that the beautiful people of Papua New Guinea continue to persevere and protect this beautiful island country preserving its beauty for future generations.