Not an hour ago I left from the theatre where Arkhipovsky had given his solo concert, and I thought I’d write down my impression of the man’s music. You know how when you first learn to ply an instrument, you think about playing the appropriate notes in the correct sequence; a few years later you can play the notes without thinking much about it, so you think about intonation and using staccato or glissando or whatever technique is used for emotional emphasis with your instrument. I think, this man was not thinking about any of that. I got a feeling that he was concerned with making the air in the room vibrate in accordance with his will. The level of not even control but of feeling the instrument is insane. Sometimes an event of great significance happens, let’s say a fratercide. People talk about it and express a hope that it never happens again. Parents tell the tale to children, each speaker forgetting unimportant details and providing explanations for the important but difficult to understand points. The tale adapts to become the most memorable and the most efficient way to convey the moral. It becomes myth, or a sacred story, valuable because of its distilled concentrated nature. Arkhipovsky has distilled music

Hey, it’s Pi day! Today at 16:20 we sat into a mini van, which picked up people from two other hotels, and brought us to a meeting point where we all got into a coach. By 17:50 we were at the Siam Niramit complex. First, we went to eat there - all the rooms were beautifully furnished and decorated, and the food ranged from the usual European dishes to the traditional Thai ones. I finished my plate first and went to the space between the food court and the 100-year village. There there were some areas with different crafts, like cutting paper ornaments, weaving fish out of what seemed like palm leaves and something like henna drawings on the skin. I didn’t come to the latter, but I did make an ornament and a fish. I went to the recreation of the traditional village - there were wooden houses in different regional styles and with different purposes. The houses were separated by a river full of fish, and connected by wooden roads and bridges. In some houses people were doing crafts and cooking. I tasted two things - an egg cooked in banana leaves, and some crispy rice treat with creamy coconut sauce - both in one-bite portions. There were souvenirs and an old man offered boat rides along this river to couples. There were beautiful lanterns along the safety rails and in the trees. After all that in the central square there was a pre-show about, as I took it, a cat catching a fish, and some female deity/princess with a horned animal. To finish it off, there was a parade that culminated in what I think was a rain calling ceremony, and the fountain behind the scene activated. Everything was beautiful and already felt like a proper show, although it was short. But it was just to give us a taste of what was going to happen later. I will not describe the synopsis of the actual Siam Niramit show, but I will express my emotions about some aspects of it. The organisation level is very high, all logistics are easy and comfortable for a foreigner. There are subtitles and an English voiceover in between scenes, so you always know what you are going to be looking at. The acting is impressive to say the least. The structure of the show is well thought through. And, of course, the special effects are magical! By 23:00 we were home. Cannot recommend Siam Niramit highly enough, it - is - a - must if you are visiting Thailand and have the means to attend the show. Also, a lot of things seemed straight out of Avatar the Last Airbender's episode with the Fire Nation theatre, e.g. the last photo (but also the theatrical effects) P.S. the date and time on my Nokia “camera” had reset for some reason, so it is wrong on the pre-show and village photos

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