The 70th Anniversary of China singing show, day one and two, and a cows head and legs!


So one night I was minding my own business wandering uselessly around in the park, when I got a message from parklady.It was a photo.  I have discovered that she is a member of the Tuijia ethnic minority.  The costume that she and the others are wearing is the Tuijia traditional dress.


The message translated as "Hey I am in the stadium singing, wanna come and play?".  I have said it before but I just love how the Chinese use the word 'play'.  It just means 'hang out with' or meet.  Just such a lovely word and one I will take back to England!
A woman I now know as Wan Sanhong, me and the guy from the office next door to mine at school!

When I got toe the stadium, I said my hellos to parklady who ushered me over to Wan Sanhong. Wan Sanhong spoke English.  We chatted a while.  It turns out she had only been in Jiangkou a month and is actually from Zunyi county, the same county that Star is from.  Coincidences happen even in a place as big as China!

Another one of me and Wan Sanhong.
Me and the majority of the Tuijia singing group
The tuijia group getting ready to go on stage.  
It is at times like this that I wish I had my big camera with me so I could zoom in and photograph what was happening on stage!  However, when I packed for China there was a weight and size limit on my baggage so unfortunately it was essentials only!  Anyhow, at the end of the night, parklady wanted a few photographs... and so did a few other people!  I obliged, but standing front of stage, even after the show was not my most comfortable experience!

Me, feeling slightly awkward,  posing for a photo for parklady whilst a singing group was still on stage!!



Me and a Tuijia man in traditional dress.
Me and 'someone' and parklady in traditional Tuijia dress







Eventually the evening came to an end, and I started to walk home...but Wan Yi caught me. He saw the Chinese flag in my shirt and insisted in taking photos!  The poses where what he wanted...not my choice!

Day 2

Day 2 was slightly more problematic.  I had been told that it was invitation only.  SWAT were on duty.  It was invitation only.  They were amicable but I could not get past them.  The only way was to get a teacher from my school to come from inside and chaperone me.  I had no telephone number of any teacher so that wouldn't work.  I took off my hat and pretended to run past the SWAT guys.  They were not amused.... in fact tehey had no idea what I was doing and just smiled quizzically.  *note to self "don't try that again!"  After refusal, one of the SWAT guys said I could go upstairs and watch.  I did.  After a while al lot of students came from my school.  They had been recruited to wave the flags at appropriate moments.  We messed around a littele until we 'got a look' from SWAT. We then behaved!
some of the guys from school.  Cheeky one just besides me!
...another of the guys from school.
The competition eventually finished and representatives from teh winning team came on stage.  They were wearing the same outfits as my friend!  I was just about to ask, when I got a text saying her team had won!  Excellent, a local government team were the winners!

representatives of the wining team outside the stadium.
I hung around a while and noticed that SWAT were doing a team photo.  I asked if I could be in their photo and gave my phone to the photographer!  There I am.  I even got a souvenir Chinese flag badge off the shoulder of one of the guys! 
Me and SWAT!.. and a couple of kids from my school in the background wearing summer uniform.
My souvenir badge!

After all this, Sherrie took me to the courier and set up my new postal address (see Chinese packages posting) and I tok her and her husband out to dinner.  I then went and played in the park and walked home.  On the way I passed my local beef noodle restaurant.  The guy had just finished some axe work!  He was quite happy for me to photograph it!
Axe handle foreground, cows head, bowl of bloody water and cows limbs in the steel bowl in the background.  Food hygiene?  Not a problem????


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