bagpipes and big john

i got an e-mail today from a guy i worked with at baglan bay in wales. i was working nightshift and looking into buying a set of bagpipes. maybe it was stereotypical but i asked the scots onsite what was good to buy. at the turnover between my night shift and following dayshift, i spoke to the dayshift supervisor (scottish), and i asked him what was a good brand to buy. we talked and he gave me a few options which i noted to look up during the slow parts of my next shift.

when i came in the next evening for turnover, i found a small set of bagpipes called kitchen pipes on my desk. big john had his practice pipes or what are called "kitchen pipes" with him in his car. he was impressed with my interest in wanting to learn how to play and gave them to me. he plays the BIG highland bagpipes, played them at his daughter's wedding if i do recall. i've tried to play them. they are a bit difficult, though i can get some notes out of it. i need to get some new reeds and some string to tighten up one of the drones. i took them with me to india and played them a time or two. even had jules try to make some noise out of it.

anyways, thanks again john. i really appreciate your generosity and hope i can get better, and thanks for following up.