pink plastic skirts and AK-47s

This week China's annual Sports Day gave me a welcome break from teaching several classes. Imagine the standard track and field day at an American elementary school - but then stretch it across three days; add in middle schoolers, high schoolers, and even teachers; and kick it off with an evening ceremony/parade/speeches to reinforce its importance and seriousness.

The ceremony started at 4 pm on Tuesday, and was a sight to behold. Every class at TESS was represented - over 6,000 students - including a group from the ISS who marched holding flags representing their nationalities. They were definitely one of the more tame groups in the parade. Here are some photos to back my claim:

ISS students - note the flags from the US, Canada, Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Korea, and Germany.

This outfit would be less strange if it weren't for the thick make-up applied to both the girls and boys. This would never fly at a public school in the US...
I saw these year 1 students practicing the day before the opening ceremony, and sought out my boss to tell him, "Either I'm dreaming or there are rabbits out on the field right now." Turns out I was not dreaming.
What will this "Michael-Jackson-Thriller" costume cost you? Just one month of tuition and 90% of your dignity.
Saved the best for last - yes, these middle school girls are wearing pink plastic skirts and carrying AK-47s. At this point Bob, the 69 year-old physics teacher from Canada, whispered to me, "I don't know know about you, but my, I am finding this quite inappropriate."
Finally - closing with the Chinese anthem. Let Sports Day 2008 begin!

After Tuesday's ceremony, the middle school had their actual sporting events on Wednesday, while the primary kids competed yesterday. Since I am fortunate enough to all young ones on Thursdays, I had all of my classes canceled. I made a morning trip to the ISS anyway to cheer on my students. Ironically, despite the fact they were outfitted with track cleats and clothing while the public school kids wore their everyday uniforms and shoes, they placed last in just about everything. But I was very glad I went to see them, and after being mobbed by my year 2's and 5's I was in an unshakable good mood for the next several hours.

Here I will insert a necessary side story: a few weeks ago I bought a semi-decent mountain bike for ~US$80. I say semi-decent because while the wheels respond to the pedals and the brakes perform nicely, shifting gears results in about a minute of solid clicking and cracking without any real difference in resistance or speed. I guess that can be expected when you buy your bicycle at a Chinese Wal-Mart...

Anyway, since classes were canceled, Andy and I had our own "sports day" - we biked to Shekou, the expat district filled with delicious international food and (*gasp*) white people. It took over two hours to find our way there, but only an hour and a half to get back. It was an awesome trip, although not for the faint of heart: biking from Bao'an to Shekou involves carrying your bike over footbridges, biking along some very busy roads (highways?), facing off with bikes who are pulling truckloads behind them and cars who are in the wrong lane/sidewalk, and trying to guess which vehicles will actually obey traffic laws like red lights and walk signals. Not to mention going through the "Special Economic Zone" checkpoint - bring your passport! - and serious congestion and throat irritation after the ride due to inhaling the thick pollution. But the reward - amazing Indian food and a serious sense of accomplishment - made it worth it. (And I didn't even need to march in a parade in a pink plastic skirt to take part in it.)