Acrobatic show

Well this is my "grand finale" of blogging on the China trip. However, this amazing performance was something we were lucky enough to experience on our 1st day in Beijing. (the ladies above are spinning plates on each stick, while they manage unbelievable moves.) According to our tour guide, these incredibly talented people start training at approximately 3 years old and may retire as young as 18. If I weren't in the 1st row, I never would've believed the stunts they pulled off to be physically possible. I was in awe. I think I was the only one to buy a DVD at the end of the show - it was 95 YUAN = a little over $10 U.S. dollars.
The same night we got to experience something else amazing in Beijing: "4th of July on crack"
For 12 years the citizens of (urban) Beijing were not allowed to light fireworks. But this year, Beijing rescinded the ban. As soon as a family set the dinner table, they would set off firecrackers letting their neighbors know the New Year's celebration had begun in their household. Keep in mind how crowded China is. The capital EXPLODED! There was so much noise and so many lights the 1st 24 hours of fireworks, it seemed as if night never fell upon us. Some members of our trip went out in the streets, buying firecrackers and setting them off with the people of China. I stayed in and haven't heard the end of it since. But I had a nice, safe view from my huge window at the Holiday Inn. The hotel we stayed at was REMARKABLE! (highly recommended next time you're in China) I was asleep at midnight when the most heart pounding scene ever errupted outside. I woke right up and it felt like I was a reporter in the middle of a war at first. Then I smiled and appreciated the colors as they burst freely throughout the sky, symbolizing perhaps what is a small sign of civil liberties. Firecrackers are traditionally believed to be a symbol of happiness in China. So I was happy for them.

Unfortunately, the fireworks pictures wouldn't come out, but here is another acrobatic shot:

There are 10 people riding ONE BICYCLE. My friend Miki told me they fit whole families on a moped over here, but this is ridiculous. :O)