There are three sure signs that the school year is winding down and it won't be too long before we're winging our way home again. Firstly, in the covered walkways and shopfronts on the last half of our walk to school, tiny birds start to build nests each spring. when we first see them we know that the end of semester is a way off, but as the chicks hatch, squawk in unison with their tiny beaks and get bigger each day, we know that the end of year approaches. As they plump up and burst from their environs we know it's closer, and when they eventually all fly the coop, term time is right upon us.
The temple round the corner from our house, that we also pass each day to and from school, gets ready for its annual festival. We've actually only witnessed it a couple of times over the years, but it involves a quite bizarre "tongue lashing" ritual, where young men work themselves into a betel nut induced haze before setting upon their own tongues with a sharp, fork-like implement. It seems when the blood streams and the narcotic wears off, the young tyros accept the cheers of the assembled crowd and scurry away to tend to their wounds. All this is accompanied by regular volleys of firecracker strings, various other pyrotechnics and the dancing effigies of the black gods worshiped at this particular temple....all with their tongues stuck out!
The third signal for impending summer (Taiwan) or winter (Australia) holiday fast approaching is Cassy's internment at the middle school play for the weekend. The traditional Friday and saturday nights, plus the Sunday matinee are all prepared for many hours before the performers hit the stage. She is in charge of the makeup crew, and although running like clockwork after all her experience, there is nothing to do about the endless hours needed in commitment on this weekend. The show, Annie, dealing with orphans and dogs etc. was a pretty breezy one in terms of makeup, but her crew still needed direction while the cavalcade of "stars' lined up at the makeup room door each night had to be seen to be believed. I went up after we had a great lunch at Eddie Cantina to see the horror, and although Cass had warned me, I was still taken aback by the crazy energy backstage with people running hither and fro and still hours out from the curtain raising!
As a result, we squeezed our relaxation times in and around the play this weekend. I was able to see the Knights powerful win against the Bulldogs, while I replayed the second half for Cass when she arrived home later in the day on Sunday and scootered over to pick up some delicious Maya Pizza. Why can't they play like this every week?!
We're continuing to pack and stack at school and the weather has finally turned: it's brutally hot, humid and enervating...bring on the holidays, just three more weeks! Photos: some of our little feathered mates, scary black tongues, Ker Qiang Road, foundry art on the street, Eddie's Cantina, the makeup maestro at work(!)
Cass reading Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King and Dave reading Caravaggio, an Artist's Life
