Death-defying daredevils gyrated, leapt and balanced, while drummers tapped out a hypnotic beat and the audience screamed in terror and shock: all part of the incredible TAS Middle School Chinese New Year show! I'd witnessed these athletes in full flight last year and Cass has seen them many times, but nothing quite prepares you for the moments of awe that seem surged with electric excitement just that little bit more each year. The Chinese Acrobats vary the routine each year, but they also seem to up the ante: I don't remember the strength and agility and sheer bravado of an acrobat stacking chair upon chair, then tilting two on top on the tiny surface areas of their angled legs, then, impossibly, doing a handstand on them! If you have any doubt about the veracity of that comment see the video posted above or here later on. My opening comment about "death defying" stands: he, and probably we in the front two rows, were in clear and present danger of life if the chairs had 'a tumbled!
The short term between Christmas and CNY came around incredibly quickly this year, but not soon enough for us as our tech disaster lingered into a third full week. My thoughts went out to my niece just starting her career in teaching this week: the teaching gig has changed dramatically with the advent of newer technology each and every year. Kids' education is a field that should and does embrace all the latest gadgets and approaches to prepare kids for an increasingly digital world. We've kept abreast of the changes and have utilized most of the tools to a lesser or greater extent. When they work, everything goes swimmingly, yet when they collapse we were glad we could invoke our "old school" skills and still teach the curriculum seamlessly. It would have been disastrous if we had no backup set of skills from the old playbook! Anyway, lots of hard copies of materials, hand-written notes and grades, along with some good old-fashioned "chalk and talk" (albeit with whiteboards and markers!!), and we muddled our way through day after day of promises of better times that never appeared. On the very last day there appeared to be some distant blinking cursor of light at the end of a very long dark tunnel, so we'll hope for the best when we return next Monday!
As is our tradition, and considering we've already had two decadent overseas trips this academic year, we resisted the temptation to pack up and jet off to exotic islands or golden beaches this CNY break. Instead we've enjoyed the sleep-ins and lazy days afforded to us in this strange and interesting week. This morning, Chinese New Year's Eve, we were puzzled momentarily by the change in the setting outside our apartment. Normally, players are swatting tennis balls on the courts opposite and traffic hums in the distance. There are neighbours greeting one another, scooters puttering and a general zing of life as the day awakens. Today, there was nothing but birds chirping: it was a little unsettling in a city of boisterous millions, almost like a zombie apocalypse!
We decided to take advantage of this "dead zone" to visit the familiar stone steps of the challenging Tienmu Gudao (or the 1300 steps!), as we hadn't been for a while and the shuffling and trail blocking of hordes of people would be one eliminated impediment. We scootered up with flimsy jackets in the cool, overcast conditions and were indeed greeted by a deserted trail. It was a little surreal to huff and puff up the stairs to the accompaniment of just our own exertions and the rustling of indeterminate wildlife just off the trail. The monkeys kept themselves to themselves mercifully: perhaps they were celebrating a family meal like the rest of the population? We spotted all sorts of beauty as usual, from sun-dappled trails on the ridge line at the top, impossibly green foliage, and caterpillars with the fuzziest, hairiest bodies we'd ever seen!
We're blissing out with all this leisure time and luxuriating in the thought of it continuing through the week. We might take the car for a spin or we might not, watch some movies or choose to stay at home, or go out to eat (this will definitely happen!). It's good to have the time to make some choices and not be locked in to any schedules: Happy Year of the Pig!
Photos: CNY show wonders, Tienmu Trail nature and Cassy checked her "hibiscus" coloured shoes against a fallen example of same...pretty close!