Symphonia India

It's been raining a lot here, and in addition to that there has been a lot of rehearsals that don't involve all of us. The result: some boredom and stir-crazy feelings. Tomorrow we will start to rehearse Mahler, which means that more of us will be distracted. When you don't have enough to do, it's easier to become homesick. The enormity of the tour hits you in the face and you just want to go home and pet the dog.
We are on a huge plain that meets the mountains. There are a lot of farms and ranches around us, and it's flat, flat, flat in one direction as far as we can see. Sometimes we see lightening far in the distance. You can watch storms approaching and see it raining miles away. Last night we got a great thunderstorm with a lot of rain. Everything is so green here.
I got asked for the second time yesterday if I was Italian. Apparently I pronounce things in Spanish like an Italian. It's still wrong, but at least it's not with an American accent.
We are mostly playing established works by European composers like Shostakovich and Brahms. We are playing one piece by a Mexican composer named Carlos Chavez. We performed his Huapango at Carnegie Hall in February, and now we are playing his Symphonia India, also known as his second symphony. All of the themes are based on music from the indigenous people of the Sonora desert. The percussionists are also using instruments from that culture. It's a pretty intense piece.
I am glad to be here among friends. I love all the people here. But I need to get busy or get homesick.