I know this post looks long, but it's a lot of video, with a little writing to explain.
You'll enjoy it --you know who you are ;)
Chinese Fireworks.
You'll enjoy it --you know who you are ;)
Chinese Fireworks.
The #1 sound you get used to in China (in addition to honking, screeching breaks, and random music blaring)... at all hours of the day and night. Weddings, birthdays, parties, holidays, and any other occasion that provides an excuse to make some noise, whether or not you can see the colorful sparks. Case in point: I woke up to fireworks every day for 4 days. At least it was a nice, consistent alarm! Then, the other afternoon, Kari and I were having a conversation in my room, when fireworks started going off. Neither of us flinched a pinch. Fireworks are normal. Until... sparks and pieces of the fireworks started hitting our windows, from all the way 12 floors below us in the parking lot of our building, hitting windows. I tried to get video of it, but as soon as it started rolling, the fireworks ended. Of course. Later in the day, I found firecracker remnants in our laundry room. The window had been open during the explosions.
International Culture.
The PTA (Parent-Teacher-Association) at AIAN, our international school, hosted a Family Fun Day picnic and activities last weekend at school. Organized and recreational games in the warm fall rays, potluck style international foods, and many languages. Great atmosphere.
International Festival Stadium Opening
On Tuesday night, we teachers at AIAN were invited to an opening ceremony/inaugural event for Ningbo's Third International Festival at a new stadium here in Beilun. It was insisted that we sit front and center in the middle of the crowd, presenting the "foreign faces" of Ningbo. The show was entertaining. Enjoy some images and video clips of some of the highlights of the three-hour presentation (captions/explanations for each image are below each video or picture)
Some of our teachers were even featured in a 'welcome to Beilun' video short, by a Frenchman who is married to one of our Mandarin teachers. Faces on the big screen in front of thousands of Chinese business people at the international festival! Exciting! Kari was even featured! (She has a video of that, but is quite displeased, since they had told her what to say, and it was pretty slow and elementary.)
International Festival, cont'd: Fair Foods
Last night (Friday), some of our Chinese friends took us to the International Festival in downtown Beilun. Our friends are Shelley, Abby, and Alice (who are TAs at AIAN), Alice's boyfriend Meow Meow (not sure how to spell that, but yes, the pronunciation sounds like the noise a cat makes), and some other friends of theirs. We walked around, enjoying the music and the sights of the festival. Or should I say, the Asian faces stared at the sight of me and Kari. Per usual, we caucasian foreigners (laowai) had camera barrels pointed at us and clicking from all directions. Well, mostly Kari. Because she's taller and is redheaded, and my hair was pulled back, and therefore less conspicuous (maybe?).
We sampled various types of international cuisine--though mostly Asian--a smorgasbord of fried foods and sweets such as cotton candy, ice cream, and sugar-coated/hard-glazed fruits, and some Indian nan bread and crepe-like pastries with bananas enveloped in its thin layers. Being vegetarian, I of course, only partook in the healthiest of choices: ice cream, bread, a fried banana with a tomato paste squirted on it (mmmm, sounds revolting, right? a new combo of strange ingredients, even for my eclectic and creative tastes), and a sampling of other nuts and sweets. I abstained from partaking in the meat extravaganza.
Also, check out Kari's blog about the Port Culture International Festival: http://thetravellingstrawberry.blogspot.com/2012/10/port-festival-by-video.html
 |
| Volleyball & soccer & relay races @ Family Fun Day; our school buildings are in the background. |
 |
| Families compete in relays on our back field/track. |
International Festival Stadium Opening
On Tuesday night, we teachers at AIAN were invited to an opening ceremony/inaugural event for Ningbo's Third International Festival at a new stadium here in Beilun. It was insisted that we sit front and center in the middle of the crowd, presenting the "foreign faces" of Ningbo. The show was entertaining. Enjoy some images and video clips of some of the highlights of the three-hour presentation (captions/explanations for each image are below each video or picture)
Dance... this video is just a sample of one of the many dance presentations we saw. Other styles included Riverdance, African Congo, and Asian dance routines. (Check out the prima dancer's killer ponché and nice extension at right around 25 seconds.)
The famous singer Yang Kun, who I gathered was a pop sensation by the male dancers flocking all around her, sang a few songs (it was hard to tell, but I think one of them was in English... "Cinderella"?
Another musical performance was delivered by Chinese celeb, Sprite, who was one of the semi-final singers and now judges on the American Idol-esque "Yang Kun's Team of the Voice of China" (SUCH A BIG DEAL HERE!), to the audience's great pleasure. As you'll see in the videos, security guards had to restrain and warn fans and paparazzi (@ around 31 seconds into the video clip). Also, you'll observe some outrageously up-close and personal camera work. The first performer of the night actually pushed the cameraman away because he got too close. Ummm... I think that's what they created "zoom" for?? But I could be mistaken...
There was some pretty spectacular Acro (Chinese acrobats acted out a story, about cavalry, I gathered)
These were just some of the tricks they presented, jumping on flexible boards as if they were trampolines, about 8-inches wide, would be my guesstimation. This should be a new Olympic sport, to complement gymnastic events such as balance beam, vault, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline!
Aaaand, insert random fashion show??
Now let's add some crazy tropical beach men?
Some fantastic opera was sung towards the end of the night.
 |
| Closing to Ningbo's Third International Port Festival |
 |
| Abby, Kari, (ME!), Shelley, and Alice |
Last night (Friday), some of our Chinese friends took us to the International Festival in downtown Beilun. Our friends are Shelley, Abby, and Alice (who are TAs at AIAN), Alice's boyfriend Meow Meow (not sure how to spell that, but yes, the pronunciation sounds like the noise a cat makes), and some other friends of theirs. We walked around, enjoying the music and the sights of the festival. Or should I say, the Asian faces stared at the sight of me and Kari. Per usual, we caucasian foreigners (laowai) had camera barrels pointed at us and clicking from all directions. Well, mostly Kari. Because she's taller and is redheaded, and my hair was pulled back, and therefore less conspicuous (maybe?).
 |
Nutritious dinner: strawberry ice cream,
fried banana, and almonds.
|
 | ||
Delectable-looking sugar-glazed fruit.
|
 |
| Fried banana |
 |
| I sorta tower above Alice and Shelley. I'm tall in China. (?) Weird. |
Also, check out Kari's blog about the Port Culture International Festival: http://thetravellingstrawberry.blogspot.com/2012/10/port-festival-by-video.html
On another random note, let me just say... it is really amazing how fast the two of us (Kari and I) can chow down on brownies. A pan a week (however, finished in 2-3 days!). Pretty impressive. It's amazing we don't weight 2,000 kilos. Each. We should be breaking the elevator. Good thing I take the stairs a lot. 12 floors cancel out the calories, right?
The honking seems to be right where you left off in Costa Rica, huh? I heard a very loud, long horn the other day sitting at a traffic light and thought of you. :)
ReplyDeleteHaha nice. Actually, they honk more here than they do in CR.
DeleteWhen they know they're going to run a red, they don't attempt to stop or slow down. E-bikes, taxis, semis, and buses just lay on the horn real long and hard and barrel on through the intersection. As if honking makes it okay.
I guess this is what happens when cars and roads come to China within a short period of time (cars have only been here for about 25 years really). When massive populations suddenly begin driving and don't follow rules on the road.