Thank you for visiting. Here will be my various posts about Symphony X.
My name is Yukari. Female, Japanese. Born and living in Japan. Studying English and trying my best, but please let me know if you found mistakes in my sentences. Much appreciated. Putting "All good" on my handle name like a badge because I got the word from Mr. Pinnella on his Facebook, to my English dictation of his gear rundown video in Oct 2015! Please check my post out here at "Pinnella Gears @ GEAR GODS (2015)"! Also I got a huge honor to meet Mr. LePond in Japan on Oct 8th 2016! Please check my post out here at "To Heaven and Back - The Evening with Mr. Michael LePond"! On the next day Oct 9th 2016, I experienced Symphony X live show for my first time at Loud Park in Japan! YAY!!!!! / ご訪問ありがとうございます。Symphony Xについてのブログです。管理者プロフィール：Yukari 女性、日本生まれ日本在住。英語を学び、可能な限り正確を期しているつもりではありますが、お気付きの点がありましたら、お知らせくださいますと幸甚です。2015年10月にピネーラさんのギア紹介動画が出てピネーラさんのFacebookで紹介されたとき、その英語聞き取りを私がコメント欄に投稿、それに対しピネーラさんから "All good" 「まあ大丈夫」とのお言葉を頂きました！以来、その言葉を勲章のようにハンドルネームに付けています。このブログの投稿 "Pinnella Gears @ GEAR GODS (2015)" をご覧ください！2016年10月8日には、日本でレポンドさんとお会いすることができました！投稿『To Heaven and Back - マイケル・レポンド氏との夕べ』をご覧ください！その翌日2016年10月9日、Loud Parkで初めてSymphony Xのライヴ体験！！！
When I got the appointment to see Mike, I thought "Maybe it is going to be almost like an interview?!" But he was kindly going to see me personally as one of his friends, so I didn't feel like to record the conversation.
I thought that if I want to do an interview, I must offer to do it officially, get permission to record the conversation, and talk with a well prepared process.
Of course I prepared questions, topics that I wanted to talk with him, but I wanted to have a natural (regardless of whether myself was "natural" or not) conversation with him.
But once the talk was done, the information from him was definitely NOT to be kept just in my brain!! I asked him if it is OK to post on my weblog, and he kindly gave me a willing permission.
I started to write down everything I remember on my way home after the talk.This post is based on the memos.
As I organize this post, the flood of new questions poured out and I sent texts to him, and he kindly answered them. My gratitude to him is really endless!
I'm trying my best to write this in English, but English is not my mother language. I was born and have been living in Japan, have been studying English for long time. Mike talked to me very clearly and slowly so I was able to understand well what he told. But since I didn't record the conversation, the words may not be exactly the same as he said. And if you found any strangeness in the grammar, it's my fault.
Unlike an official interview, the topics are not in the actual order, not in very neat style, but with honor and gratitude, I'd love to bring the information from Mr. Mike LePond.
【Talk】
・Joining Symphony X
Me: Recently I read Mr Romeo's interview and I was surprised to know the way Symphony X was formed. Mr. Romeo sent his demo tapes to many music media, then he got a phone call from a Japanese record company (Zero Corporation) , he was asked if he had the band to play the music, and he answered Yes!, but actually he didn't. Then he started to gather the members and previously they were not friends with Mr. Romeo, except Mr. Miller."
Mike: Yes, that's true.
Me: How did you join the band?
Mike: One of my friends who knew Symphony X told me "Symphony X is looking for the bassist and I think you fit." I hadn't listened to Symphony X yet at that time, but I heard that they had CDs out and they do tours worldwide, and it was cool for me because I was a local musician (in New Jersey), so I decided to have the audition. I got a phone call from the band, and went to the audition.
They sent me the music, and I practiced and practiced everyday after I got home from work.
I asked myself "Which do you want? Don't learn these songs and go back to my work? or become a worldwide musician?" and I practiced.
Then I went to the audition. Russell was going to join later, and it was instrumental at first.
During the play, I kept looking at other members well, somehow I could play, and felt very good.
Romeo took me out for a walk, and I worried if he was going to tell me "You can go home now", but he asked me "Can you do tours?" or some positive and practical questions. So I thought "Am I going to pass the audition?" and waited. Some days later I got a phone call and they told me that we were going to do one more audition! I went like "Doh...!!"
The songs for the 2nd audition were from "Twilight in Olympus", Through the Looking Glass (Part 1, 2, 3)
Smoke and Mirrors
After that, finally I got a call and told I passed."
(Later via text↓)
Me: How many days did you have before each auditions?
Mike: About a week.
Me: [became like "The Scream" by Munk]
・Silent Assassins
In 2014, Mike released his solo album "Mike LePond's Silent Assassins" (the project name is the same) which has 9 songs, all music and lyrics were created by himself.
The name "Silent Assassins" are based on the soldiers hidden in the Torojan Horse, and also represents very well his talent as a composer.
(The band that Mike LePond joined in the '80s, and re-started in 2014.)
"Metal" Mike Chlasciak: Guitar solo for 6 tracks of the 9 tracks (except track #1 #3 #5). Metal Mike website
Also the guitarist for Halford! Also played for Testament, Sebastian Bach, etc.
He moved from Poland to New Jersey USA, where is the home ground of many great musicians, including Mike LePond (and Symphony X).
Previously Mr. Lepond played the bass for Mr. Chlasciak's solo album "The Metalworker" (2013)
(We can taste the cool guitar and bass at Mike Chlasciak's SOUNDCLOUD.
and then Mr. Chlasciak played for Mr. LePond in return.
Michael Romeo: Guitar solo for 6 tracks of the 9 tracks (except track #2 #5 #8), Keyboards, Programming of the drums, Recording engineer
Previously Mr. Romeo's multi-talent (playing guitar, bass, keyboards, programming the drums) was shown by his solo album "The Dark Chapter" (1994) . And in 2014, he made use of his multi-talent, this time for support his bandmate's solo album!
Personally I miss the real drums, but it's interesting when programmed by Michael Romeo!
Michael Pinnella: Backing vocals
This mystery when Mr. Romeo plays the keyboards and Mr. Pinnella does the backing vocals only! (but interesting.)
I have huge love for his 2nd solo album "Ascension" (2014) which has short lead vocals sang by him, I believe. (the CD has no credit of other than him, and comparing with his speaking voice, I believe it was sang by him.) Listening to Silent Assassins, I believe I can "hear" his voice, but it's close to "feel". I need more proficiency.
・The name
Me: How did you name the solo project "Silent Assassins"? It's so cool.
Mike: It's a good question!
Me: [laugh]
Mike: I love history and mythology. When I was a kid, I had this word "Silent Assassins" in my head and thought "It's cool for a band's name!" So, when I made the album, I told the management of Symphony X that I'd like to name the project "Silent Assassins", then they said "Put your name on it." I went like "Ugh..." [unwilling expression]. But for such reasons, it became "Mike LePond's Silent Assassins".
Me: The name "Silent Assassins" represents really well that you, a basist, create the music and lyrics and releases a solo album....But saying so, I think you are actually not so silent in Symphony X songs.
Mike: [laughs]
Me: For example, that bass line of "Charon"! I love it so much!
・Red Death
Me: I love "Red Death" [Track #2 of "Mike LePond's Silent Assassins"] so much where the bass sings the melody as the main instrument. That is really great!
Mike: Ah, that beginning.
"Red Death" [from the official YouTube for Mike LePond's Silent Assassins]
It's not exaggeration to say that I became a fan of Mike forever at the instant I listened to this beginning. It's just so so cool.
Me: It's natural that the guitar or the keyboards become the main instrument, but when the bass becomes the main instrument, it's really....
Mike: Different! [very joyful expression]
・Edgar Allan Poe
"Red Death" is based on a short story "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe.
"Masque of the Red Death" from Michael Romeo's solo album "The Dark Chapter" (1994) is also based on the same story! It's interesting to listen to both of Romeo version and LePond version!
Michael LePond, Michael Romeo and Symphony X collectively have many tunes based on the stories by Edgar Allan Poe!
Previously I had been very interested in Poe but hadn't read yet. After I became a fan of Symphony X in 2014, I bought a series of Japanese translation of the complete tales by Poe and read all of them. Got an English book, too! Will read it also. It's more interesting to read the original stories and then listen to the tunes!
Mike: "The Masque of the Red Death" is my most favorite story by Poe.
Me: Me too! And I love not only Poe's dark stories but also beautiful ones. I can't remember the title now....("The Island of the Fay") but he has a story about an island in a river. It's very beautiful. I love his stories like that, too.
Mike: He really has various kinds of stories.
-----
I was so happy for the fact that I could talk with Mike about Edgar Allan Poe....but many days later, I realised that I didn't talk about "King of Terrors" by Symphony X! Big miss! Who started the idea to make a song based on "The Pit and the Pendulum"? I think it was Mr. Romeo because it looks like he prepared almost all of the ideas for the album "The Odyssey" (2002) (also other albums lately). But possibly was it Mr. Lepond? Are Russell (I have goosebumps for his read aloud and the shout!), Mr. Pinnella and Jason also readers of Poe? I'm interested.
In spite of I missed to talk about it, I said this....
Me: Yes. It's like Edgar Allan Poe came to the present, got long hair and playing the bass.
Mike: [laughs]
-----
How dare I said this to him directly....!? But I really think he looks like....and I love it.
・Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Mike's 2 favorite novelists are Howard Phillips Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. I read so in a post on the Silent Assassins Facebook.
"The Outsider",Track #4 of "Mike LePond's Silent Assassins" is based on a short story "The Outsider" by Lovecraft.
"The Outsider" [Lyric video oficially introduced on the Silent Assassins website and Facebook]
In the same way about Poe, I hadn't read Lovecraft yet but had been interested, and because of Silent Assassins I finally got a complete series of Japanese translation of Lovecraft and started to read. Will get the original English version also.
After this meeting, I read "The Outsider" and found that the story has some sililarities between "The Masque of the Red Death" by Poe (Apparently Lovecraft loved the world of Poe and had some influences.) It's interesting that Mike chose the 2 stories to do the musical rendition in the same album.
I had read an interview of Mike, he was telling that the 2nd album of Silent Assassins includes 2 more tunes based on Lovecraft!
I asked Mike "What are the 2 works by Lovecraft?". His answer included a word that I hadn't heard before, so I asked "What does it mean?" He answered "It's a name that Lovecraft created." and told me the spell. After I got home I looked up the index pages of the Lovecraft books I have and found the title I think "Is this the one?!". But I don't write it here just in case it's not correct. Excuse me. The correct titles will be revealed once the album came out, so I didn't text Mike to ask. I'm looking forward to the release day!
"Avengers Of Eden"
Based on "The Doom That Came To Sarnath" by Lovecraft.
The word that I asked Mike "What does it mean?" and he kindly told me it was created by Lovecraft, and the spell was "Sarnath"!
*Addition: Jan 14th 2018:
1 more tune based on Lovecraft was released!
"Hordes Of Fire"
Based on "The Festival" by Lovecraft.
(Addition on Jan 14th 2018 ends here)
・Silent Assassins 2nd album "Pawn and Prophecy" will be out!
Previously in an interview on the internet, Mike revealed that he is working on the 2nd album of Silent Assassins, and the title is "Pawn and Prophecy" ! And the title track is over 20 minutes!
(I didn't come up with this question during the conversation, and asked him later via text↓)
Me: Is the 2nd album's title "Pawn and Prophecy" based on the novel "Pawn of Prophecy", the 1st volume of "The Belgariad" series by David Eddings?
(When I read the interview that Mike was talking about the title, I googled and this novel showed up, so I was thinking "Is it based on this novel?")
Mike: Pawn and Prophecy is Macbeth from Shakespeare
Me: Macbeth!! Cool!
I have read it years ago but now it seems like I forgot details....I will dig it again!
-----
Temporarily took a break from reading Lovecraft, I read "Macbeth" again. Years ago I got some books by Shakespeare and had "Macbeth" already in my bookshelf so I could start immediately.
Macbeth hears a prophecy from 3 witches and starts to be "a pawn" of the prophecy....
The musical rendition of "Macbeth" by Mike LePond....over 20 minutes! I'm so pumped for this!
・Recording members for "Pawn and Prophecy"
Mike: The song over 20 minutes has some female vocals, and it's the only thing left to record. When it's done, the album is done. I think I can release it in 2017.
*Correction: Nov 14th 2017 It will be released on January 26th 2018! Mike released the info on his Facebook post.
-----
*Addition: January 2017 Mike posted on his Facebook.
4 female vocals for the song based on "Macbeth" mean the 3 witches and Mrs. Macbeth, I guess!
Also 2 guitarists other than Michael Romeo were announced.
Lance Barnewold (Facebook) (I also wrote about him in the section "The live band Silent Assassins" below ↓)
Rod Rivera The guitarist for Rivera/Bomma (Mike is a member of the band. Rivera/Bomma Facebook)
Me: I'm really looking forward to it!
Mike: The lead vocal will be Alan Tecchio again.
Me: Yaaay!
Mike: Romeo will join again.
Me: Yaaay!
Mike: Pinnella will join again.
Me: Yaaay!
(Later via text↓)
Me: It's very interesting that Mr. Romeo played also the keyboards for the Silent Assassins 1st album. Was that because you offered him? Or he offered you?
Mike: He offered me because it was easier than calling someone else
Me: Wow! I'm so touched by his support for you, and his talent!
Also it's interesting that Mr. Pinnella played no keyboards but joined as a backing vocalist! Was that because you offered him?
Mike: Yes. Pinnella has a great voice
Me: Yes! I love his solo albums and the 2nd one "Ascension" has short vocals on 2 tracks, which I think he sang. Great voice!
Do Mr. Romeo and Mr. Pinnella do the same roles as the 1st album?
Mike: Yes but Pinnella will play some piano on the title track
Me: Yaaaaay!!!
-----
The first album is interesting with Mr. Romeo on the keyboards and Mr. Pinnella on the backing vocals, but when it turns to the piano for the epic song based on "Macbeth", Mr. Pinnella takes the platform! I'm not sure if he chuckled and said "Ah....now you want me?" but I'm thrilled to feel like the sleeping God awakes....
Mr. LePond said that Mr. Pinnella plays "some" piano for the song. How much the "some" is....? I've been wondering and pulsating. Anyways I will be happy even if it's short!
When I heard just Mike LePond made a tune over 20 minutes, I definitely want to listen to it, and in addition it's based on "Macbeth" and Mr. Pinnella plays the piano.....I'm really looking forward to listen to it....!!!
・The live band Silent Assassins
Me: I read in your interview that you organized the live band for Silent Assassins. Who are the members?
Mike: The vocalist is Alan [Tecchio].
Me: Wow!
Mike: Romeo and Pinnella will not join. I will do the shows with some young musicians from New Jersey.
-----
*Addition: Oct 8th 2018 Mike LePond's Silent Assassins 1st live show happens in New Jersey on Dec 22 2018!!
(I will be there! Once I made it, I will post about it here on this weblog!)
Me: Yay! It looks cool! Can't wait to listen to it sounds cool in the album!
Could I ask the title of the soung you used the 8 string?
Mike: I am the Bull
Me: Wow! Myself is like a bull wanting to hear the song!
Mike: Haha
Me: Did you play the 8 string with fingers also? without a pick?
Mike: With fingers
・Beyond 4 string
(continued from the topic about the 8 string above, also via text↓)
Me: I always think you are a very cool 4 string player (I also think you are very cool with any numbers of strings!) but, Have you ever thought of changing to a 6 string bass player? like John Myung for example?
Mike: No, because Romeo hasn't gone to a 7 string
-----
This gem of answer amused me so much, but I thought it's also a very practical answer. To play music as a band, he thinks the range of the guitar and the bass are a set. But from another point of view, since Mike played the 8 string for the new solo album, it also sounds like he is saying "If Romeo goes to add the string, I can go along anytime.", and it thrills me.
It's a matter of course that the guitar and the bass are very close and interactive, but I forgot that "matter of course" a bit. I was impressed newly by his way to think the guitar and the bass are a set.
・Finger picking
Me: Why did you choose finger picking?
Mike: When I was 13 years old, I became a fan of Gene Simmons of KISS (Facebook),and started to take bass lessons. And my teacher played with fingers. It just fitted me, I think. I just didn't change.
-----
Gene Simmons plays mainly with a pick! (It looks like he sometimes plays with fingers for some songs or music videos, but still his main style is to play with a pick.) I have read an interview Mike tells that his father took him to a KISS live show, and he became a fan. A boy got blown away "Wow, cool!" by seeing Gene Simmons, and he knocked the gate of the bass world, and he was welcomed by a teacher who plays with fingers....it's too interesting Mike! Such a destined entrance!
・Score
Me: How do you write music? Do you write on scores?
Mike: For Symphony X, Romeo prepares most of the music.
For my solo, I don't write on scores. I play with the bass or the guitar and remember it.
Me: How do you let the recording members learn the music?
Mike: I make demoes.
・Writing lyrics for "Underworld" (the album)
Me: I think it was very natural that you joined to write lyrics for 5 songs [of 9 songs] of "Underworld", after the other members of Symphony X listened to "Silent Assassins".
Mike: Russell was busy, so mainly the "3 Mikes" cooperated.
[makes "3" with his fingers saying "3 Mikes", and slightly laughs shyly.]
・Tool for writing lyrics
Me: How do you write lyrics? Do you write on paper? or use digital devices?
Mike: I write on paper sometimes, or use the software called MasterWriter. （MasterWriter website）It helps me to find words, and I don't have to look up dictionaries.
・First visit to Japan!
I asked about the cancellation of Symphony X for Loud Park back in 2004. Mike told with very apologetic and sad expressions. The booking was actually done. (I even doubted it. My apology to Loud Park 14.) Also the reason of the cancellation was the same as Loud Park 14 announced, due to the schedule of the recordings for the album "Underworld".
Even if they came to Loud Park in 2014, it was 16 years after the band's first visit to Japan in 1998... And this time in 2016, the band finally returned to Japan after 18 years. And for Mike, he didn't come to Japan at all for almost the same years, since he joined Symphony X in 1999 (from the album "V: The New Mythology Suite" released in 2000). I really celebrate his first visit to Japan!!!
・Rehearsal
Me: Symphony X arrived to Japan today (Sat Oct 8 2016, the 1st day of Loud Park 16) and you will do the show tomorrow (2nd day of Loud Park 16). I'm wondering how do you do the rehearsal?
Mike: We don't do the rehearsal.
Me: You....you don't!?
Mike: We have our crew and they set everything for us.
Me: So....you just go on the stage and play!?
Mike: Yes. [laughs]
Me: Is it the same for every festivals?
Mike: Yes.
-----
I think the situation was the same for all artists played the 2nd day (the 1st day too?) of Loud Park, but...it's incredible that they did THAT show, THAT setlist without rehearsal! (I experienced it in the audience!) Right before Loud Park, they played 6 shows in USA and Canada, so maybe they were riding the flow....but wait, wait, wait, it's still too incredible!!!
・Mr. Itaru Kanno from Caparison Guitars
Me: Are you going to see people from Caparison?
Mike: Yes. Itaru Kanno will come to see us tomorrow at Loud Park.
-----
Mike said there was a technical crew for Symphony X, so I thought Mr. Kanno was going to see Mike as a friend. Some months ago on Facebook, I saw a photo of Mr. Kanno, Mr. Romeo and Mr. LePond, took at somewhere in USA. I'd really love to listen to / read the 3 geniuses talk about the guitar and the bass!
Me: Which artist do you like to see at Loud Park this time?
Mike: Whitesnake!
(a couple of days later via text, I asked Mike "Did you enjoy the Whitesnake's show at Loud Park from the stage side or somewhere?". He replied "They were good, yes".
I enjoyed too in the audience!)
・TWD
Mike: Did you see any live show recently?
(It was not an interview but "natural" conversations, so sometimes Mike asked me questions!)
Me: I saw Queen + Adam Lambert at Budokan! (on September 21st 2016. They played Budokan for 3 nights in a low, 21st-23rd September 2016.)
-----
I said so happily and proudly, but it looked like didn't tug at Mike's heartstrings so much.
Me: ....I saw The Winery Dogs in April! (on April 20th 2016. Mr. Mike Portnoy's birthday!)
(The Winery Dogs website)
Mike: Ah, The Winery Dogs! I love them too.
Me: Really!? Yaaay!
-----
By the way, when I listened to "Run with the Devil" from the Symphony X's album "Underworld" for the first time, it reminded me of The Winery Dogs. And I found it interesting that the song has the lyrics like running from the Cerberus, the 3-headed watchdog of the Hell.
(During this conversation, my brain wasn't working normally because I didn't come up with the question if Mike has seen The Winery Dogs live. I sent texts to Mike later↓)
Me: Have you ever seen The Winery Dogs live show?
Mike: Yes I saw them.
-----
I was interested in when was it, the tour with their 1st album? or 2nd album? But at this point, I remembered that Symphony X and The Winery Dogs (and Queen + Adam Lambert) played the same festival Sweden Rock in June 2016! I was so happy when I saw the news on the internet. Why didn't I remember it immediately!? I was happy to see a photo of Russell with The Winery Dogs. (Russell's post on Facebook）
I was starting to blame myself for sending so many questions to Mike after I met him. So I didn't ask further, but I think Mike had a chance to see The Winery Dogs show at Sweden Rock at least. Have Mike talked with Billy Sheehan? I'd like to ask Mike someday if possible.
But, it was so great that I could talk with Mike about Mr. Billy Sheehan!
Mike: [gesturing Billy Sheehan's intense play on the bass] He is really great!
Me: When I saw PSMS in 2012....(it looked like Mike didn't know PSMS, so I explained) Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan, Tony MacAlpine, Derek Sherinian (Mike: Great!) formed a band and called themselves PSMS, and they came to Japan in 2012. I saw Billy Sheehan (and all of the members) for the first time and I was really surprised. "Is that the bass!?"
Mike: Sometimes he sounds like keyboards! [laughs]
Me: He is a pioneer of the bass really.
Mike: His another band is really BIG in Japan, right?
-----
I thought he tried a cute pun and my heart was killed, but possibly he said so just naturally, no pun included.
Me: I think you are a pioneer too. There are not so many people who are bassists and write music and lyrics and release solo albums. I really think you are a pioneer.
Me: I'm a fan of Dream Theater too. Symphony X once toured with them [in 2007]. Did you talk with Mr. John Myung?
Mike: Yes. He is a very quiet guy.
-----
Mr. Myung is famous among fans for his quiet aura, but I was impressed newly to hear from Mike who met him actually, that the first word came out about his personality was quietness. But when I was thinking so....
Mike: He is quiet, so it's hard to hear what he is saying. [Leaning his body for the gesture trying to catch the voice.]
-----
"Quiet" was not about when he isn't speaking, but about when he IS speaking! Not about impression but about more physical aspect....!
Mike: But he is a very nice guy.
Me: What did you talk with him? Did you have chances to talk about gears?
Mike: Once when his gears were ready on the stage, he showed me the gears and we talked. I played his bass. It sounded good!
Me: Did Mr. Myung touched your gears?
Mike: No, we didn't have a chance to talk when my gears were ready.
-----
I'd really love to listen to Mr. LePond and Mr. Myung talk....! Someday on some bass magazine, please!
By the way, from here are some topics other than music.
・Accountant
Me: I read the FAQ of Symphony X official website, that you worked as an accountant for 10 years before you joined Symphony X.
Mike: I learned accounting at school. But I didn't get the job as an accountant only. I did billings, or other stuff like that, too.
-----
Like "Did you see any live show recently?" above, sometimes Mike asked me questions, and he asked about my job! "What do you do?" I explained, and he said "Cool!". It will keep me to burn my fuel!!!
My job is an office work that needs some understanding English and translating into Japanese. "But not only translation, there are many other stuff...." as I was saying so, maybe it overlapped his experience that he learned accounting but his job was not only accounting, he sympathizingly nodded and said "Yes, yes..." . It will also keep me to do my best!!!
・Tattoo
I was sitting on the right side of Mike, so when he moved his right arm and the short sleeve of his T-shirt went up slightly, I could see the tattoo on his right upper arm in close distance. (I missed to ask him to take a photo of the tattoo!)
Me: The cool tatoo is showing up!
Mike: It's a shield. [lets me see it well.] I got the surrounding parts in December (2015).
-----
When I was seeing photos from Symphony X shows on the internet in December 2015, I was surprised "Mmm!? Mike's tattoo has expanded!?"
Before
After
Me: Isn't it going to expand more?
Mike: Hmm? What did you say?
Me: [trying to pronounce louder and clearer] ISN'T IT GOING TO EXPAND MORE?
Mike: Haha! No, no! Too much! The idea is to hide under the short sleeve.
Me: Other members of Symphony X don't have tattoo, do they?
Mike: No, they don't.
・My endless gratitude to Mike
I was dying to catch up with the fact that I'm sitting at the same table in a restaurant with Mr. Mike LePond, AND using that brain, I needed to speak English along with the spontaneous conversation, AND have a meal. That was such an acrobatic hard situation for me.
But it was Mike himself who soften the "hard"ness. He listened to me very patiently while I struggle to express what I want to say. I was so touched by his warmness and really appreciated from the bottom of my heart.
Watching his interview videos on the internet, I had an impression that he speaks comparatively slowly and clearly by nature, but I felt that he was consciously speaking to me more clearly. It also deeply touched my heart.
Because of his warmness, I was able to try to speak actively. But listening to myself speaking English, I was screaming in my head like "I'm restating too much!" "I'm looking for words too many times!". But during the conversation, Mike said "Your English is very good." I can't express enough how much I thanked.
Mike finished to eat much earlier than me. I still had much to eat, and to finish it, of course I had to use my mouth to eat. So when I was eating, the conversation stopped and Mike had to be just waiting. When I mentioned about my worry, he said "Oh, never mind. Take your time! I eat too fast!" and mimicked to eat so wild and made me laugh. I was so moved by his warmness....!
・Jet lag attacks
Mike basically wears very soft and calm aura, but at one point during the conversation, it looked like something more than his nature was affecting him.
Me: Oh, Are you getting sleepy?
Mike: But! I want to sit up for a couple of more hours! I want to sleep when the real night has come, so that I can adjust my body to the local time.
Me: [looked at my watch and found that it was a little passed 7PM. We met at the hotel lobby around 6PM, so I was surprised to learn that we already talked for more than 1 hour.] Thank you so much for seeing me after the long travel.
Mike: No, no. If I didn't see you, maybe I stayed in my room alone, fell asleep and I couldn't adjust my body to the local time.
-----
What a kind response....! But if I was actually doing an assistance for him to conquer the jet lag, I'm so honored!
Mike ordered a cup of coffee.
Mike: [sips the coffee] Ahh, it will help me to sit up for a little more hours.
Me: Erm....When should I leave?
Mike: Ah, time we leave here? Maybe after I finished this coffee? Is it OK?
He answered me not "the time you leave to go home" but "the time we leave this restaurant." This kind care warmed my heart also. And it also touched me that he had the coffee slowly and eventually we spent more than 30 minutes since then before we left the table.
It is not over yet!
・If you started from the whole version, already read to "BEFORE the talk" then popped a new window to read this "TALK", please return to the previous window, and check out "AFTER the talk" also!
