Clapton_ The Autobiography - Eric Clapton [152]
These two men had been just as active and inspiring in recent years as they had been right from the start of their careers. They were also friends and colleagues. I had worked and collaborated with them both many times over the years, and Ahmet was the first heavy hitter in the business who truly saw and understood what I was trying to do, way back then. It was a terrible shock. I had Ahmet’s old number in New York, and on the off chance called to see if Mica, his wife, would answer. To my surprise, she answered herself straightaway, and we talked briefly. It was so good to be able to share her grief and tell her how much he had meant to me. There are not that many people left from those days that I would be able to express that to. I offered my services, if she should need them, and I hope I was able to ease her burden for a moment or two.
January signaled the final ascent on the tour. We would start in Singapore and head north into China via Thailand. Most of it was familiar territory, but it was everyone’s first time in Shanghai, and we were all excited about that. Melia and the girls left for Columbus just before me, so that Julie could begin school on time, allowing for a couple of days of jet lag. This was going to be another long leg of the tour, like Japan, and we would be depending on the computer for family support. I was also carrying the complete manuscript of my book so far, with the intention of doing a thorough correction check whenever I had time in my schedule.
The first week in Asia was like a blur for me. It seems my ability to transcend jet lag has completely disappeared in my old age, and my natural curiosity has also diminished a great deal, so that venturing out of my room became a highly debatable occupation. The change in climate was also a shock to the system. Having left an average English winter, we were suddenly planted in extreme tropical conditions, which did nothing to boost my energy, leaving me limp like an old lettuce leaf. Fortunately, we needed little rehearsal and quickly climbed back into a confident stride with the music.
Our daily schedule had quite a few decent holes, so I was able to get my teeth into my book quite early on. By the time we reached mainland China, I was pretty well hooked, and it was all I could do to stop writing, pecking away with my one finger like a demented chicken. I have always enjoyed the different aspects of English literature, ever since I was a little boy, and spelling and grammar have been a source of great fascination for me. The only classes I did well in at school, other than art, were English and English literature, though that doesn’t necessarily qualify me to write this and assume that it will be interesting to others.
With all the expectations I had about Shanghai, it was a huge disappointment. Flying in through the smog and blinking lights atop the bizarre array of new skyscrapers, it felt like I was entering a real-life version of the movie Blade Runner, and for some reason I was instantly on my guard. That feeling never really left for the next few days, and I was always on edge, from the fractious stare-down with the immigration officer when I arrived to the constant sidestepping of street hustlers, selling knockoffs of everything from DVDs to Montblanc pens. Thanks to Hiroshi, who was e-mailing street support and a heads-up to where all the “underground” stores were on my travels, I met some interesting people here. Tommy Chung was the man in Shanghai; he ran the only store to stock Visvim, my favorite shoe, and I thank him for his great hospitality while we were in his town. Overall, though, I was pleased to be moving on.
New Zealand and Australia were a big surprise. I loved it there, after having huge trepidations, all for nothing. It proved beyond doubt that my attitude and state of mind would always govern my impressions of people,