Blow by Blow- 6 april

6/4/2011
Visit to 吴桥 today, 吴桥 is an acrobatics town, where many of the townsfolk know street magic, acrobatics, or anything performance related to a circus.
It isn’t the best place to go.

I had no idea what actually was going on in the town. Until I saw the murals on the wall, then I realized. I don’t like it.
We mainly stayed in an acrobatics theme park, watching many daredevil stunts and pushing human limits to the extremes. I felt sickened as I watched performers swallow metal health balls, smash glass bottles against their head, wrap a steel wire around their neck and drive a motorcycle in a giant metal ball. It was certainly pushed my limits watching these performers do their thing, day in and out, the same thing over and over. I always wondered if they actually like what they are doing to themselves, whenever I see their tricks well done on stage, I cannot imagine all the countless hours spent trying to improve on them, getting injured along the way, all the times they push themselves to the end just to perfect that stunt.
You start to wonder should you be amazed with what they can do, or should you be upset with all that pain they go through just to perform for you. Let me say something straight. I can’t bear to watch any of it. I know they have practiced really hard, but this is just heartbreaking.
Before lunch we were watching a tiger tamer and his tiger in a cage, housed in a local zoo. I have never seen an animal taming performance before, and the way the tamer whipped the tiger was just plain painful to watch.
One of the sirs shared with us that even if the tiger wasn’t in this situation now, it would have been shot and killed, and this was the way it could stay alive. I don’t know how they can bear it. Imagine the mighty feared tiger doing the actions of a cat. Even as a cat-lover, I don’t see anything cute in that.
The worst was when they chained the tiger to a metal table and opened the doors to the cage, encouraging people to take photos with the tiger. I am shocked by the mere disrespect towards the tiger’s abilities. They take the tiger to be some prop in a fashion shoot, where you can pose and play with. Seeing many of my friends queuing for a picture, I hesitated before stepping inside the cage.
I never took the photo.
I stepped inside the cage and felt sorry for the tiger. Charging tourists to take a photo with the tiger is just encouraging them further. Why can’t anyone see that?
Before lunch, tiger taming. After lunch, child acrobats
It hurts to watch them. I noticed a girl who was performing, and she looked barely older than my 12 year old sister, or even younger.

A picture of the girl I mentioned about in the post. She's barely 10 years old, and everyday she has to perform in a circus to earn her keep. 10 year olds in Singapore walk about in their favorite shoes, jump about excitedly discussing about tv shows. There is much unfairness going about.

 These kids are even younger than the girl in the photo above. The one in the middle looks as though he's just 5, and yet he's performing in a circus. I was brought to one when I was 5. Why can't these kids have normal childhoods and enjoy themselves? Why?

 A Beijing Olympics Inspired segment of the show. The performers wore sports attire, so it was less disturbing to see them, and actually puts my mind of their plight for a while. Until one of the girls called for another shot in basket hoops, then I got reminded again. 

I feel hurt when I see anyone’s sister performing as an acrobat. You can call me a wimp or anything you like, but I don’t see anything to be proud of if you didn’t willingly do it. They are not given a proper education so that they do not have the skills or knowledge to leave the troop. The most upsetting is that there are parents who sell their own kids to the troop just to pay off debts or to find someone to take care of their kids for them. I took some photos, but those are the photos that you don’t want to see again.

 I am so afraid of what happens to them after we leave the stage. This was all I had managed to take. 

It hurts. I don’t want to see my sisters or anyone I know in that situation, not to mention a complete stranger. Maybe I’m just too humane for my own good. 

 Peddler with her mobile stall: nothing but a table attached to her bicycle and all her goods behind her. Smart way of moving your stuff around without having to pack and unpack. 

 This poor goat was part of a photo experience of sitting inside a carriage and being pulled along by goat. I pity the goat and his owner, having resort to doing such things to earn extra money. 

 Trapeze act again. I personally don't recommend jumping from a height of 2 floors high and being attached with safety ropes. It's not good for your brain.  

Teenage boys performing a juggling trick using nothing but hats. I still wonder do they like what they are doing. I certainly don't enjoy watching them