If you've ever spent any time in China, you've probably been asked to participate in some sort of variety show. Maybe it was the beginning of the school year or a major holiday, or maybe for no reason at all. In any case, somehow you got roped in to perform and you had no choice but to put on some cheesy act to pass 5 minutes on the stage.
A day or two ago I volunteered to sing in a choir for the closing ceremony for the Olympics in Qingdao. At first it sounded like a great idea until around 1:37pm today when I realized that I wasn't just "singing in a choir," like I had originally envisioned.
First of all, I need to note the condition of the preparations when I got to the venue. Workers were still gluing down the surface of the stage, setting up chairs, the sound system and other crucial details. Thick wires littered the ground and electricians fiddled with junction boxes. That's not even to mention that the stadium looked about 30 years old, its age showing through the rusted guard rails and the dust ridden seats and ancient structural design.
So, I arrived at this busy swarm of activity and realized that I wasn't going to get out within 2 or 3 hours. Nope. As I asked around, I kept hearing estimates more like 8pm in the evening! Why? Well, it wasn't just a choir sing-along, it was a group choreography where we would probably end up doing group lip sync some 80's or 90's Chinese pop song.
Under my circumstances I decided that it was too much to commit to. A couple of hours into the practice, I just politely said that I never realized how involved the performance was and walked out. Simple as that.
Instead of standing in line waiting to run through a routine, I dined in style with my office staff at a local eatery. Tonight was our going away party for the closing of the Olympics. My taste buds are still dancing with delight!
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