"Excuse me sir, would you like to watch a movie?" says the stewardress at 29,000 feet. She pulls out my personal TV monitor and hands me a wine list. Travelling. This has been my life since 1988, when I first became Gao Pei Hua, a new identity given to me by my record company bosses 8 years ago. Yes, I must admit, my life is sometimes weird. I never know what will happen next, and I always seem to be going somewhere in a rush. It's quite fun though, as I have begun to develop a relationship with my soul. I never knew it existed before until I kept arriving at a new place, and then everything would seem different, changed. My reflection in the mirror would appear different, my step a little lighter, my heart a beat faster. That is when I realized that I had, as the poet Octavio Paz wrote, "Left my soul behind." Now I know it usually takes three days for it to catch up, as it travels through unknown and ancient routes. Today my soul and I got bumped up to business class for no apparent reason. We had "cool noodles" for lunch on Yen-Chi Rd, and now we're off to NYC for a new recording. I'll get there before he does of course, and that will give me a few days of exhilirating detachment from myself. It is an interesting relationship.
You may be wondering about how came to be a recording artist in Taiwan. It all seems very strange, the story behind my transformation into Gao Pei Hua, but that's a whole different book. My love for music started when I was eight, when I heard the saxophone played for the first time on TV, and my interest in writing began the same year when my fourth grade teacher, Mr. Smith, pulled me to the side one day and said, "Corbett, you have a great gift for words. You should develop that further." To think that these childhood incidents would turn into a fascinating career chasing my soul around the world is a dream come true. That's the wonderful thing about being a writer and a musician. You never know what to expect. Arts is an avenue I would eagerly advise any promising young talent to pursue. Remember, it is not how much money you make, but what you have done in your life that really counts. So if you feel like going to a strange place and making new friends, and creating a new life for yourself, I highly recommend that you do it. That's what I did when I came to Taiwan, and I have never regretted it.
I don't really know what an introduction to a book should be like since this is my first book, but I will stick to my golden rule which is "If all else fails, be yourself." That is what I've tried to do while in Taiwan, when things happen that I just can't understand, and throughout this book of poems and short stories, you may pick up on this. I hope that you, as the reader, will learn something about me, and feel like you know me better.
Being a musician, I have enjoyed the richness of being on stage, sharing my music.. As a writer, I hope to understand more about the richness of words, creating moods and feelings in people's imagination. The stage is an incredible rush of energy and ego, but I have always felt that there was something missing there. The contact between audience and performer, it is not a personal experience. Writing on the other hand is very personal. A direct connection with the reader.
This book shares my private thoughts, my inner secrets, and my true emotions. And here I share them with you, my new found friends. Thank you for being a reader, and not being distracted by all the other forms of media overkill available today. Books are a solitary pleasure, and as my reader, I hope you will enjoy your private time with me.
So how did this book come about? Just like most things in life...completely out of the blue. I have always been a writer, in the way I watch life go by, the way a child laughs, the way a falling leaf flutters before being taken up by the breeze. I like to watch what goes on around me, and words are my way of remembering each moment. Life is built on these passing moments, which alone have no real meaning, but combined tells an interesting story.
Here's a quick story:
I was in Taichung with the Ju Percussion Group performing an avante garde classical saxophone and marimba piece. After the concert, we were all starving, so we decide to eat at the night market across the street. Halfway through the meal, I look up and see a tall guy in a red and yellow leather motorcycle jacket walking towards me. Maybe he want me to move my car? "Hey Corbett!" he says, "Where have you been?" I can't believe it, it's Cyril Chu, who I haven't seen in years! I had been a guest on his radio show over four years ago, and liked him a lot. We even discussed the possibility of working together someday, so I tell him that I'm finally working on a book. "Oh really?" he says. He had been in Cairo, and I had been in New York, and here we meet out of the blue in Taichung.
A few weeks later I was enjoying a foamy cappuccino at a cafe in Tien Mu when I ran into a reporter named Deborah Ou who asked me what I was doing between making records. I told her that I was doing a bit of writing. "Oh really?" she says, then took some pictures and interviewed me for Ming Shen Bao. It turns out that she was a fan of mine, and an author as well.
Later I find out that Cyril and Deborah have the same publisher, and that they both had mentioned my writing interests to Lio Cho Fong, and through various twists and turns, one thing leads to another, and this book is born. It is decided that Cyril Chu will translate. Our chance to work together had finally come. A cappuccino in Tien Mu, meeting an old friend in Taichung, my poems, his translations. Just like that. That is the mystery of life. Things happen if you let them.
During our meetings, Cyril reminded me of something I mentioned 4 years ago on his radio show. I had said that I was greatly influenced by my grandfather whom I grew up with. He was a very wise and soft spoken gentleman who taught me that "If you're going to do something, then do it the best that you can." I was amazed that after 4 years, Cyril remembered this, and I kept this in my heart while working on this book. Even though Cyril was in Egypt, and I was between New York and Taipei, we had both decided that this was something worth doing right, and with a little help from God and e-mail we did it!
So that's how it happened, and here it is, my first book, mainly poems, some stories, and a personal glimpse of what happens when I'm not playing the saxophone. I suppose that's what this book is, a peek at those quite moments away from my instrument, when I play with words rather than notes. I truly hope you enjoy these quite moments, and please, don't feel embarassed if you leave this book in your bathroom. Really, I don't mind. I do a lot of reading there too.
Since I have told you about myself through my poems, I think it is only fair for me to learn more about you. It would be nice if we could get to know each other better. So if you have a good story to tell me, or have some thoughts to share, please feel free to write to me. You will find some personalized stationary at the back of this book for just that purpose. Remember, don't be shy.
Finally, please indulge me as I thank the wonderful people who made this dream come true: Irene Chung, your love is stronger than any tropical storm, and a constant reminder that it takes two to tango, Deborah Ou, Cyril Chu, Lio Cho Fong, Mr. Smith, my 4th grade teacher, who told me never to be bored in life. "Only boring people get bored," he said, and of course all of you, without whom I wouldn't have an audience. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
With all this said and done, I bid you farewell and pleasant reading from somewhere above the Pacific Ocean.
Corbett Wall
July 18, 1996
This book is dedicated to the memory of my grandfather, Calvin Wall, who in 97 years lived through the electric lightbulb, the aeroplane, the automobile, space travel, digital watches, two world wars, a marriage of 57 years, and a decade of listening to me practice. In his ubiquitous way, he passed on some of his ageless wisdom to me, and I am forever grateful for his constant spiritual guidance. You are always in my thoughts.
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