Children's Day Preview

Friday is Children's Day here in China. I remember growing up and celebrating Mother's Day and Father's Day, and asking why there was never a Kids' Day. I was usually told "Every day is Kids' Day!".

I now know this to be true...every day is Children's Day! Although maybe it's different in China...maybe Friday is the only day of the year when the teachers don't brow-beat the students into learning. Hmmm. I'll get back to you on that next week.

At any rate, Children's Day means all the classes put on plays and dances, and all the parents will come and watch. It's been a stressful month due to all the practicing.

The students' outside play time was axed in favour of Children's Day rehersals, so the kids are roudy all day long, and have been since the first week of May. It's a bit frustrating as it makes teaching more of a challenge.

Because of all the planning and preparation that must go into the Children's Day program, everyone is stressed. The teachers are rampaging on confused students, and the kids are being whipped into submission. I don't imagine they enjoy doing this very much, since they get yelled at and pulled around by their arms and hair so they stand in the right place.

The Chinese seem to really enjoy dancing and plays, and putting on shows. It's quite different than what I'm used to, although it could compared to the annual SDCS Christmas Program, but multiplied by forty-two. Costumes are made and bought, and it's a big deal.

Dr. Rong is usually the school doctor, but in the weeks leading up to Children's Day, she becomes a one-woman sewing sweatshop. She's been working at least ten hours a day for the last week making costumes for the kids.

The following pictures are from today's dress rehearsal. They're mostly for Carol's benefit, since I know that pictures of random kids aren't that interesting unless you know who they are.





This is Carol's class. I'd be so embarrassed...I think by the looks of their faces, they are too!







This is my class. We were initially not going to have costumes, because it would be too much work for Rong. I guess something changed, and now we're all decked out in homemade two-piece fashions. Obi gives us a close-up.





Here is the class I teach from 3:30 to 4:00. Leo or Mark is the one looking at the camera. I don't know if it's Leo or Mark because they're twins, and it's impossible to tell them apart without the name tags on their shirts.

The class sings a few Chinese songs while moving their heads from side to side. They have Chinese flags taped to their backs for some reason, the ones they were giving out when the Olympic Torch came to town.





This is Carol's baby class, dressed up as mice. There's a song that plays that I think is about cats catching mice, or something. I helped them get dressed into their costumes...they're pretty helpless. It must be so much work to be with that class all day! They are cute though.



Tina and Carrie are in the class I teach from 2:45 - 3:15. They are doing a fashion show, where they strut the runway and do stupid moves at the end of it.

I assume this is Chen Lao Shi's idea (Christina), since she buys a lot of clothes and has been losing weight since November. I wonder if she only eats rice cakes and soup. I figure she thought dressing her kids up this way would be cute, but I think it's just...I don't know.





Here are Carol's kids again. They are wearing different clothes for their second number. They're in fatigues and march a lot. Rong was busy making them each their own red beret, so they don't have them in these pictures but will on Friday.



This is the class I teach from 3:30 - 4:00 again. They're wearing the leotards that Carol's class was wearing right before. Just awesome...sharing sweaty skin-tight costumes!





Here are Karina and Joe doing their pairs dance. Karina was Carol's co-teacher, and Joe is the kindergarten's care-taker, security guard, and all around nice person. Watching their rehearsal, I noticed that Karina knows what she's doing, but doesn't really care about this dance.

I also noticed that Joe really loves dancing, but looks more like a kindergarten care-taker and security guard trying to dance, rather than a dancer who doubles as a kindergarten care-taker and security guard! At least he's passionate I guess. He does a cartwheel once, and it was...uncoordinated.



Here's Rong sewing. She's trying to stop me from taking the picture, because she feels all haggard from the hours spent toiling behind the manual sewing machine. Between classes I see her walking around stretching and rotating her arms to keep them limber. She usually has a pained look on her face while doing this.

So, that's Children's Day. There's a stage all set up in the square outside, but the weather is supposed to be really bad on Friday, so it will likely happen inside the school, just like today's rehearsal. I may take some pictures of the big event, but I may not. We'll see.