Chinese Acrobatics

It was rainy and cool today - probably about 15 degrees. As I say that I think about Canada and the weather reports I've been hearing from back home. I guess 15 degrees isn't so cold!

We stayed around home for most of the day. Although it wasn't a school day we did do some extra work because we are planning our trip to the great wall and don't expect to be able to get a full day of schooling in on that day. We were reading some history stories and learning out pyramids and how they were used for the graves of ancient pharaohs who had been mummified. We decided to make pyrmids. It was a pretty good exercise in geometry and a great way to ensure the history lesson sinks in. The girls had to take it a step further and before you know it we had mummified Polly Pockets (useing strips of toilet paper) to put in our pyramids. The girls had great fun putting treasures in the pyramids and acting out different morbid scenarios.

We headed off to a Chinese Actobatics Show in the late afternoon. We were about to buy our tickets but a woman said she could get us a better deal through her company, a travel agency. We were a bit skeptical but decided to try it. She was taking our money and about to head off to get tickets, but Nadim wanted to go with her. She said no problem, so he followed along and sure enough got us some cheaper tickets. We saved 120 RMB, just over $20 on the tickets and went in to the show.

The show was very good. At one point they had twelve acrobats balanced on a bicycle, at another there was a guy standing on a balance with two girls hanging from his sides, a guy sitting on his shoulders and another guy standing on a balance on his head, and at another point there was a contortionist so bent that she was pretty much sitting on her own head! Below is a picture of the contortionists. Very strange, and kind of amazing.

This morning we had gone over to a building nearby that had a fitness centre and swimming pool. The girls had a nice swim and jumped in the pool for their friend Kendra. It wasn't the same as swimming in Kendra's pool, but it was still fun.

CM