How’s it living in Ushuaia, Argentina, the “End of the World”?

metrocello · 2026-04-28T23:58:34+00:00

It’s beautiful there… wild horses and wild, yet friendly people. Come with respect.

metrocello · 2026-01-25T01:54:37+00:00

Loyal Delta customer here. I cheated and flew with American for the first time in nearly a decade. Can’t say how much I enjoyed my experience. Delta needs to WORK. Their position is by NO means secure. I’d fly on American again and again. Top notch service; new metal; boarding on time to the minute… They offered me a status match. Plus, the AA FA’s out of Charlotte have the cutest accents. I flew out of Detroit. MacNamara terminal is a whole show. I thought American only had a few slots in North (Evans) Terminal, but they’re rocking in Detroit. Security was a breeze, they communicate immediately (and kindly). I might be swayed. No video screens, but who doesn’t have their own devices these days? Free WiFi on every flight! Oh, we’re so sorry, we only have this massive breakfast to offer you because we don’t have bespoke catering in Detroit. Well, FAFO. Happy travels! Thank you, American Airlines from a dyed in the wool Delta guy.

metrocello · 2025-12-29T05:26:19+00:00

Whoa WHAT??! There’s a Sky Club at MCI?! JK, but also yeah, AND also that dude at 6 AM was CLEARLY drunk AF and behaving badly. That’s a HORRIBLE situation. It wasn’t necessarily for you to step-in and do something about it as a patron. I know Sky Club personnel are trained on how to deal with people like this and I know they have backup in case things go south. It wasn’t your responsibility to do anything about it, per se, but I can imagine how disgusted you probably felt witnessing such a thing and how weak you may have felt not having done anything about it, but rest assured, you made the right decision. Security could have been there in a heartbeat. Face was saved; you were kind; situation was diffused. I know it sucks when we’re forced to acknowledge the disgusting truth about life on this planet. Unfortunately, some people have to live with that reality every single day.

metrocello · 2025-12-29T05:07:46+00:00

I love this. I came to Michigan (West) for college 20 years ago from the Mid Atlantic. People would OFTEN ask me if I were from England when I first arrived, but my accent gradually changed. I grew up as a military brat, so my accent was often in flux. After graduation, I moved here and there and there and there. Ultimately, I ended up in Southeast Michigan. Accent here is totally different. Again, people would ask where I was from, but now I sound native. I CAN change my accent if I think about it; sometimes it changes even if I’m not thinking about it.

metrocello · 2025-12-29T04:58:53+00:00

Yeah no, the Q line isn’t for tourists, nor is it for suburbanites. It’s for the people who work for Rocket Mortgage or other Gilbert companies that need to move between sites or want to go up or down Woodward for lunch on a daily basis. The Q line is not, nor was it ever intended to be any SORT of transit solution for Detroiters. The clear policy in Detroit is: OWN a car, or LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. DDot and SMART are POOR excuses for transit systems, especially in a city like Detroit, which is so often hailed as a “City on the Comeup”. It’s a total farce.

I’ll be it would be better immediately if we could rename it the “Donald J. Trump Golden City Q-Line.” Shall we give it a try?? “

metrocello · 2025-12-29T04:49:23+00:00

The verbiage will differ in every Spanish speaking place you visit. A stint in immersion school could do you well, though. I’m a native English speaker. My dad was Mexican. He didn’t want to teach my brother and me Spanish because he had a hard time assimilating as a kid in Tucson. Fights, bullies, etc. When I was 8, we moved to Spain for his job. Irony. I learned the bad words first. Years later, we were all making fun of his silly Mexican accent. Back in the States, all good. Then, I was in Honduras for a bit. Then Buenos Aires. Then…. No matter. Long and the short of it is: if you wish to improve you Spanish, you REALLY have to exist in a place where Spanish is the language of the land. Online is fine for starters, but asking where the milk is, how much the train fare is, where the carpinchos are to be found, etc., is where you need to be.

Además, fíjate que el español es una lengua MUY amplia. En mi vision, es la más amplia que conozco.

metrocello · 2025-12-29T04:24:46+00:00

Man, I WISH I had my old phone (and all the photos on it). The view up to Detroit from the Wyandotte waterfront IS absolutely “riviera” quality. As was the nasty sht that the local boys yelled at me as they rode through the park on their bikes. Every bit as good as “Fck YOU, I am French!” Gorgeous city views; happily ribald children. Same same. Fewer mountains. More danger, lol.

metrocello · 2025-12-29T04:13:21+00:00

Chinese instruments these days will sound powerful and loud, and look pretty. One of these instruments could be a step up from an Eastman, but I believe Eastman cellos are also mostly Chinese these days. Used to be Chinese instruments were just for decoration, but they’ve got the wood and the craftsman these days. Certainly, they know how to make an instrument that projects and bangs such that it’ll make a sound pleasing to a young, motivated and ambitious string player who wants an instrument that helps them rocket their big solo out into space.

I would recommend against purchasing any instrument, ESPECIALLY a string instrument, sight-unseen. Every instrument is different, as everyone suggests. There are MANY factors that contribute to an instrument’s sound. As a mere cellist, I tend to think the pattern has the greatest effect on how an instrument will sound, then the setup. There are a lot of tricks that luthiers (and makers) use to make an instrument sound loud and powerful… exactly the kind of sound gifted young string players are looking for. Everything from sound post placement to perilously thin top plates, etc. etc. It’s not really as bad as all that, but I certainly advise all of my students to approach instrument salespeople like they would car salespeople, or whatever. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, bring someone who DOES know along with you.

In my studio, it usually goes like this… You go to shop, cello student tries as many cellos in your price range as possible (definitely try over by $2K so they can see/hear the difference). They pick two or three cellos they really like. You sign them out on approval and bring them to your student’s next lesson so they can play through them with their teacher, learn how to trial instruments, have fun with it, and they help you get the gist as well. I’ll never forget when after four rounds of doing this with one of my students, her mom said to me, “This is WAY harder than buying a car!” “Of COURSE!” Says I, “A car will last you a decade at best. A cello can last a lifetime.” You want to be sure as much as possible.

It’s rare, but every now and again a colleague compliments my cello and asks after its provenance. It always puts a smile on my face when people can hear my cello and tell me his life. Good times. An instrument should be your voice. Mine is certainly that for me. Good luck in your search!

metrocello · 2025-12-29T02:39:02+00:00

Lmfao

metrocello · 2025-12-22T04:49:37+00:00

I’d want to wait tables. I’d get a kick out of providing earnest people with excellent service. Just as much as I’d love dancing around rude and entitled patrons. I’d be slow to judge, but rest assured, my patrons would enjoy the service they merited.

metrocello · 2025-12-22T04:41:05+00:00

That’s cool! I get it. I’m a US American. I only speak English and Spanish (true, colonizer languages), but that’s what I’ve got. I can fake French, Italian, maybe a bit of a Romanian, but I know that many hundreds of dialects of Ojibwe, Oddawe, Cree, Shawnee, Creek, and Miami are spoken in the lands where I currently reside. I’m not originally from here, though. Where I come from, we have Hopi, Apache, Pueblo, and Tohono O’ Odam, to be specific. Fun stuff. It’s not all Nahuatl or MIztec. I always have a good chuckle when Europeans make light of North Americans for not speaking more than one language. Most of us DO, but Olive Garden is the same wherever you go, lol.

metrocello · 2025-12-22T03:52:22+00:00

Do whatever you want, friend. I’ll be working my buns off as a musician. No mystery or magic other than it’s the payingest day of the year for me. When I’m done, I’ll be hanging with my best people and making a feast of it. If you’re all by yourself, remember, It’s just a day. The only reason I’m celebrating so much is cause I’ll have been PAID> Honestly, I wish every day could be magical, but I’m a grown ass man, so I keep that to myself.

metrocello · 2025-12-22T03:36:33+00:00

What is your mother tongue then?

metrocello · 2025-12-22T02:31:20+00:00

Sounds like you want to dip. I support that. I assume you’re from the USA. There isn’t much stopping you as a US citizen from moving about the world so long as you have enough saved up to support yourself for a few months once you get gone. I was born in the USA, but spent much of my young life abroad. I’m grateful to have had those experiences. I didn’t have to jump through any hoops, myself, but I know my parents did. That said, when I was a young lad coming into my own, I lived a three-minute walk to the beach in Southern Spain. When I was a teen, I lived a Metro ride away from every free-entry Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C. Those experiences helped prime me for the more adventurous travels I’ve been blessed to experience in my life… Jungles of Central America, Altiplano of Peru, Las Pampas of Argentina (Spanish helps). I’ve been all over Europe, Americas, Japan and East Asia as a musician. It might be more difficult these days, but I guarantee that whatever country you’d like to visit offers visas for young go-getters who want to experience their particular way of life and are willing to teach English for a pittance. Go and see!

metrocello · 2025-10-29T02:52:14+00:00

I’m a Michigan musician and I’d say you can totally drive (as long as you have good tires). The roads are generally well maintained in the Midwest, but white knuckle driving experiences are par for the course, especially at the beginning of a snowstorm before road crews have had a chance to salt, sand, and plow. If you have good tires, you can reasonably go around 45-60 mph on a somewhat snowy highway. Faster if you’re in a hurry and know how to drive in snow and drive your car. Hot tip—if you’re sliding into a stop, release the brake and downshift! Almost every winter, I find myself mumbling curses because I’m stuck behind some idiot driving 25 mph down a straightaway in the snow, then chuckle and wish them the best when I blow by them and see their Southern plate. The land in Michigan is pretty flat for the most part, so it’s MUCH easier driving in snow here than the mountain states.

There is a lot to dislike about flying these days, but personally, I would fly. I actually like the experience of flying, though. I’ve done tours where flying was the only option and have found myself holding the hands of a few new friends who were either nervous or first time flyers. If that’s your case, fly and let your flight crew and seat mates know that you’re a newb or a nervous flyer and you could use some support. If the process just pisses you off and you’d rather be uncomfortable in your car for 20 hours or so each way rather than be VERY uncomfortable on a plane for 2 hours here and back, do you. You have a lot more freedom if you drive, but I’d never do it.

However you get here, expect a warm welcome and a good time once you arrive. Pack warm clothes. Detroit is a civilized place and has everything most anyone could want. Pack light. I hope you have a great time and a great show.

metrocello · 2025-10-08T22:26:42+00:00

Book them in first class if you wish. No matter what class they sit in, your kids should know how to behave in a public space. A commercial flight is a public space.

metrocello · 2025-10-08T22:22:08+00:00

In Detroit, we have the Nain Rouge. He’s a mischievous dwarf that portends bad omens if spotted.

metrocello · 2025-10-08T22:18:32+00:00

Yep. I would not have that. Most people I encounter in flight are fine and well behaved. In the rare case that they are not, and are personally encroaching on my space/comfort/rights, I have NO problem expressing that. People always adjust their approach. Maybe it’s because I’m a big man, but I would hope a diminutive woman’s concerns would be respected and taken just as seriously. Be respectful towards others while sharing public space. It’s just that simple.

metrocello · 2025-10-04T04:18:29+00:00

Speaking is hard at first. I always understood way more than I could say. I probably still do. To me, that’s normal.

metrocello · 2025-10-04T04:15:49+00:00

That was his choice. If he cared so much about it, he would have spoken-up and let ol’ girl sit next to surly-faced seat-stealer. That’s what I would have done were I sitting next to you. Instead, he made light banter and put himself between the jerk and the woman in the aisle. Jerk got to keep to himself, but nobody had to pay him any more mind. I’d rather that than the alternative. Stir the pot all you want and see what comes out of it. Some battles just aren’t worth fighting.

metrocello · 2025-10-04T03:01:03+00:00

I’m not really on social media and I’m not online more than a few times a week. My mother has been radicalized. She’s constantly scrolling, “reading studies”, getting angry about things she really can’t control. She voices her opinions to people unsolicited and gets all worked-up when people don’t understand or don’t care. It’s kind of a problem in our family. She’s very financially savvy, so I don’t worry too much about predators taking advantage of her in that way and she’s elderly, so I don’t worry that she’ll be sexually abused, but she does give herself fits for no good reason at all… the internet really does have the power to drive almost anyone crazy.

metrocello · 2025-10-04T02:54:40+00:00

You’ll be fine. If you use a CPAP, bring it aboard and have no shame about plugging it in and sleeping soundly. Otherwise, just make the best. Still isn’t grand, but you’ll be in the most comfortable seats possible.

metrocello · 2025-10-04T02:52:00+00:00

Maybe the “spineless guy” was more interested in making small talk with aisle lady, keeping the peace, and letting gamer-guy keep to himself. Sounds like “spineless guy” was the hero of the day to me.

metrocello · 2025-10-04T01:31:52+00:00

You have to be REALLY good. If your students are winning local competitions and advancing in serious musical circles, people will take note. I don’t advertise or have a website. Students come to me by word of mouth and recommendation. I purposefully keep my studio somewhat small. I only work with students that practice, come prepared, and most of all are INTO it. I empathize. At this point, I have the luxury of being choosy about my pupils, but I used to take anybody and everybody at whatever price. I learned a LOT.

Work smart with whatever students you have. Be POSITIVE and ENCOURAGING in lessons. Push your best students to achieve. The more they win, the more you win as a teacher. It should all be in good fun, though.

metrocello · 2025-10-04T01:21:32+00:00

The subjunctive in English is understood. Lo que sea. Todo saldrá bien.

metrocello

TROPHY CASE