Quitting, TB bassists & TX Carrots

[QweziRider]

"Musicians who have made a career of touring the world, know that you should not try the local cuisine anywhere near days you’re playing a concert, because if it makes you sick, you could miss a show."

Yeah, tell that to Mark Knopfler's entire band (only a single example) who, as evidenced by tour diaries for the better part of two decades from Guy Fletcher and Richard Bennett, go completely against that notion and come out fine the other end, tour after tour. Yes, they certainly have their own chef in every venue, but it's all local food procured that day and they are well known to hit local joints every day of their tours. Hell, when I'm out working the road, I go way the hell out of my way to avoid fast food, hit the local joints, and we have no chef. Not sick once from food.

 

[Gorn]

If I was touring the world doing anything, not trying the local cuisine would make the whole thing not worth it.

 

[two fingers]

In my opinion, "happy" is a byproduct.

The goal is whatever the goal is.

Success is one possible outcome.

The three aren't necessarily related, or even compatible.

Not for me. I want to be happy, and at peace. If that happens as a result of success in a given profession, fine. But, if I strive for success, reach it, and I'm still not happy, forget success in that profession. I'll try something different.

But it will never be the other way around for me. Give up happiness in the struggle to reach success in a given profession? Nope. Not gonna happen.

Happy is the ultimate goal. It's totally possible to be happy with very little traditional success and/or riches. (Luckily, I haven't had to test the theory of the latter. But I know people who are happier on a daily basis than I am and live with much less.)

So, no, it's not a byproduct for me. Happy is THE goal. Even at almost 50 years old, I continuously swerve and adjust to keep me pointed at happy. I get things (objects, people, stressors, etc.) that don't make me happy out of my life. If my current job (love it) ever gets stressful, I'm out. Life is too short. And I am constantly bringing new ideas into my life in an effort to stay happy and at peace.

If whatever I'm doing doesn't make me happy (or at least doesn't maintain status quo of my current level of happiness), I'm out. On to something else. I need my family, food, shelter, nature, and some "spiritual things" to be happy and at peace. I do NOT need traditional "success". In fact, I have been offered a track for a huge promotion at my job. I refused to even enter into the program after talking to the person I would (theoretically) replace. I don't want his job, even at more than twice the pay of my current job. I currently make "more than enough". And I'm happy. I never, ever head to work thinking "Not THIS crap again.". I don't daydream about retirement. And I don't want to start.

Short version: Happiness (for me and my family) IS the goal. It's the ONLY goal. Everything else is a "byproduct" of that one goal.

 

[QweziRider]

If I was touring the world doing anything, not trying the local cuisine would make the whole thing not worth it.

Bingo! The whole point of going places is to immerse yourself in the place as best you can.

 

[Gorn]

Bingo! The whole point of going places is to immerse yourself in the place as best you can.

That too, but I want the food. I’m going to some city in some country in another part of the world and I’m supposed to go to McDonald’s? Get outta here with that nonsense.

 

[Wood and Wire]

If I was touring the world doing anything, not trying the local cuisine would make the whole thing not worth it.

Bingo! The whole point of going places is to immerse yourself in the place as best you can.

I used to feel that way, then I got something nasty, in a part of the world where you DO NOT eat with your left hand.

I had been flown into the country, at someone else's expense, to perform - and could not, because of my own selfish / stupid actions.

Thankfully everyone was incredibly understanding, and sympathetic, but I felt so guilty about the situation I only allowed myself a day and a half off.

I then made sure I was in the studio / on stage regardless - and spent most of the time on the sidelines, delirious, and semi comatose, but jumping into action any time I was needed to perform, before collapsing again as soon as the take / performance was over.

Believe me, trying to perform, whilst also trying not to explode from both ends really doesn't feel good.

Besides the nausea, and sense of vertigo, the crippling stomach cramps and red raw bum hole make it almost impossible.

The other thing the doesn't feel great, is the realisation you've just eaten bush meat, for the sake of a cultural experience.

I stick to established restaurants, and international fast food chains, when I'm working on someone else's dime.

 

[LBS-bass]

"Musicians who have made a career of touring the world, know that you should not try the local cuisine anywhere near days you’re playing a concert, because if it makes you sick, you could miss a show."

Yeah, tell that to Mark Knopfler's entire band (only a single example) who, as evidenced by tour diaries for the better part of two decades from Guy Fletcher and Richard Bennett, go completely against that notion and come out fine the other end, tour after tour. Yes, they certainly have their own chef in every venue, but it's all local food procured that day and they are well known to hit local joints every day of their tours. Hell, when I'm out working the road, I go way the hell out of my way to avoid fast food, hit the local joints, and we have no chef. Not sick once from food.

Seriously, if you're not using that as an opportunity to really experience regional cuisine, you're missing out on an opportunity others would be envious of.

 

[LBS-bass]

I used to feel that way, then I got something nasty, in a part of the world where you DO NOT eat with your left hand.

I had been flown into the country, at someone else's expense, to perform - and could not, because of my own selfish / stupid actions.

Thankfully everyone was incredibly understanding, and sympathetic, but I felt so guilty about the situation I only allowed myself a day and a half off.

I then made sure I was in the studio / on stage regardless - and spent most of the time on the sidelines, delirious, and semi comatose, but jumping into action any time I was needed to perform, before collapsing again as soon as the take / performance was over.

Believe me, trying to perform, whilst also trying not to explode from both ends really doesn't feel good.

Besides the nausea, and sense of vertigo, the crippling stomach cramps and red raw bum hole make it almost impossible.

The other thing the doesn't feel great, is the realisation you've just eaten bush meat, for the sake of a cultural experience.

I stick to established restaurants, and international fast food chains, when I'm working on someone else's dime.

Believe it or not, this is something that can happen anywhere. I was in Minneapolis for a conference and ate something bad in the (chain) hotel there. I also got food poisoning once from a dessert I bought at a national fast food franchise in my neighborhood.

It's not about local vs. non local, it's about who's not doing proper prep in the kitchen, and that can be ANYBODY.

 

[QweziRider]

Seriously, if you're not using that as an opportunity to really experience regional cuisine, you're missing out on an opportunity others would be envious of.

Bingo! To read those diaries (and so much of them center around food), it's just an amazing view of what's out there. And to eat at all the local places I've had the good fortune to see in no small part of the world? I wouldn't trade it for anything. I might not do some of those dishes again, but I sure am glad I had the opportunity.

Heck, I got more sick on three Bud Lights on New Years '85 back in the states after gorging myself all over Europe for a few months on great food and beers.

 

[QweziRider]

I stick to established restaurants, and international fast food chains, when I'm working on someone else's dime.

And fair enough, after the experience you had. You have to do what you know is good for your body when out there on someone else' dime.

 

[CatchaCuda]

I dunno... it's been more than once that fast-food has caused me anal-volcano and/or putting my wrong orifice over the toilet bowl.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Wood and Wire]

Believe it or not, this is something that can happen anywhere. I was in Minneapolis for a conference and ate something bad in the (chain) hotel there. I also got food poisoning once from a dessert I bought at a national fast food franchise in my neighborhood.

It's not about local vs. non local, it's about who's not doing proper prep in the kitchen, and that can be ANYBODY.

I can pretty much guarantee you didn't eat wild gibbon, and chimpanzee.

Usually the label / promotor : agency would take us out to dinner in a restaurant they frequented often, or we had our own caterers. Sometimes we'd grab takeaway from the usual suspect multinationals, and sometimes a member of the organisation would invite us all back for home cooking.

All of those carry some very small risk, but are as safe to close bets as you can get, and importantly, everyone in the organisation is in the exact same boat - if one person gets regular old food poisoning, there a good chance several of you will, and the source is known.

Going off piste, when you're in a professional engagement (as opposed to being on holiday / a tourist) is pretty reckless.

 

[Rickengeezer]

I would have read the OP, but I'm too important.

 

[moon-bass]

If I was touring the world doing anything, not trying the local cuisine would make the whole thing not worth it.

Yeah I call nonsense on that as well. I've read numerous memoirs, road diaries, concert stories, etc. not to mention from lots of people that actually toured the world and this is the exact opposite of every single one. I've never heard anyone advise to only eat fast food and established chains, again I've heard the exact opposite, they revel in local cuisine. I wonder if those folks would treat op with the disdain that he treats the rest of us plebians.

As an aside, I've traveled internationally for my job quite a bit and managed to avoid ... Whatever it is op is saying he avoids.

 

[Krisfield]

Here is your Talkbass Courtesy Carrot Car to take you to your next social media forum. Good luck, and may the Talkbass Carrot Force be with you.

 

[Samatza]

Opinions are like bellybuttons, everybody has one. Personally I enjoy the diversity and range of people here. If it were just pro players I’d probably leave.

Food and other subjects are interesting too, there are things I’ve never tried so I like reading about other peoples experiences.

So best of luck and glad you enjoyed it however briefly. Now I’m going back to my carrot stew.

 

[RNG1]

I’m going to stand up for the carrots and say leave them out of this. Why do I get the feeling this entire original post was just someone being bored and writing it due to quarantine and looking to stir up the carrot soup. (Yes I’m stuck on the carrot thing more than anything else mentioned here). If I’m wrong, thanks for all you’ve contributed and good luck.

 

[Ostie]

I’m not sure why being a full time musician and and a member of TB have to be mutually exclusive, but I’m glad we kept the OP amused for the last few months. Happy that the OP can go back to consorting with REAL musicians, not the hacks who hang out here. Maybe TB should offer an elite version called TalkBass PRO....

 

[RNG1]

I’m not sure why being a full time musician and and a member of TB have to be mutually exclusive, but I’m glad we kept the OP amused for the last few months. Happy that the OP can go back to consorting with REAL musicians, not the hacks who hang out here. Maybe TB should offer an elite version called TalkBass PRO....

Lol

 

[equill]

It's not about local vs. non local, it's about who's not doing proper prep in the kitchen, and that can be ANYBODY.

Agreed.
The best advice I've gotten about eating in unfamiliar parts of the world, was to buy from street vendors who cook it in front of you, and try not to ask what's in it. I've deployed that advice in Hong Kong and Morocco, and done just fine from it - in Marrakesh, the toilets were much more of a health-hazard than anywhere I ate.

Firstly, the food's just been sterilised by cooking, so anything living in it is now dead, and (so I believe) most bacterial toxins break down in that kind of heat. Secondly, the ingredients are almost certainly fresh, because the vendor doesn't have much space for storage. Generally safer than a hole-in-the-wall place where food can sit in the fridge for a month.

Then again, having travelled periodically for work, I do believe in playing the percentages when you're being paid to be there.