Norleans X-Ray Rallye 2010

Just a minute ago I realized that the first month is over. Only four more left. That's the bad news for today. Good News? A lot!

Let's begin with Tulane. To tell the truth I was not completely confident when attending the first MBA courses here. As I had done economics and not business all the time before I expected myself to miss some basic knowledge in business. Fortunately the basic knowledge in business seems to be way easier to understand than it is in economics. Nonetheless it's a lot of work. At the moment we're working on a project about heating Tulane's swimming-pool solar powered instead of doing it with the old conventional system. It's exciting to work on it especially because there is a good chance for that project to be realized.

Other projects are an analysis about clean-coal technology and the X-ray of my shoulder which may also be realized within a finite time frame. To be on the safe side about my MTB-crash-upgraded shoulder I was told to get an X-ray by the end of January. As there is no opportunity to do this on-campus I did a little research about Hospitals in New Orleans and started into the great "Norleans-X-Ray Rallye 2010" today. Now - at least - I know three adresses that may help me. And I know, that the American health care system as a system is at least as good structured and well designed as Obama's final draft for health-care after having introduced all the private insurance-corporations' good ideas.

But it's nice to know that I'm not only the passive subject when it comes to having administrative fun. As sketched in my last posting I got two instruments from the Department of Music on Tulane Campus. I don't want to get in detail but here is a list of things that are working now. Michael Batt, the local facility manager loves me for every line.

• I've got access to a little room beside the band room where my instrument is stored.
• I've got access to the practice rooms. 
• The practice rooms are at the other side of the second Newcomb-building. There is one more room where I can do practice. 
• I'm registered in the Newcomb Department of Music IT-System.
• I got a new Tulane ID-card. Now it works with that IT-System.
• I retrieved my mouthpiece after having it locked into a room unintentionally.

Orchestra rehearsals are held every Monday from 8 PM to late PM. The marching band does practice every Monday and Wednesday from 5.15 to 7.15 PM. Needless to say that we had heavy rain from 5.30 to 7.45 today. I thought that my Austrian band doesn't care that much about music when it comes to marching. Here I found out that doing long marching practice is possible without caring in any way about the music. After marching for two hours the only musical statement was "Hey guys, have a look at your music sheets 'till Wednesday. Our sound was crappy today". The other side is that they really care about the show. That's not only marching here, that is screaming, that is running and that is dancing. At least the Sousaphone section has one more time the easy part which really doesn't mean that we do nothing. Christoph asked if it is possibly to throw Mardi-Gras-Beads when playing the Sousaphone. Yes. It is possible and, of course, it is part of the choreography. Fortunately positive prejustice about bass players' natural manners was validated one more time which means that I really feel as a part of the Tulane Marching Band already after a week. I think Greg Tacconi, the other guy in the picture and my section leader at the TUMB should manage to meet Andreas Fleißner, the Tuba-section leader in my hometown. Today he killed some serious bandleader's comments by playin' the first four notes of "(The Saints) Go Marchin' In". But he is serious. And he is good on the Tuba.

Last not least there's one more bad news today. Our neighbours two blocks away had some serious conflict the last week and it seems as he had to leave the house. The positive thing about that is that I've got a Ghettoblaster now. And our kitchen looks way more homelike with the new pictures.

best regards from Crescent City