Being back in the swing of things meant school on a Saturday afternoon - the 26th December in fact. We were told that Alex's school had a sports day held at the university sports field and that she would be required to wear a uniform. We were puzzled but set about purchasing her uniform on Friday. Here are the required red skirt, white shirt, white tights and black shoes that the note home stipulated. The hardest item to buy was the skirt but all up they cost around 150 kuai (around $20). 
Alex also had some homework - an image of an ox that had to be coloured, cut out and put onto a string to wear around her neck. The purpose of this item was a mystery to us until late on Saturday afternoon.
We got to the sports ground a little early - remember that we'd only just arrived back from Australia less than 48 hours ago - and Alex was excited to see some friends.
Sebastien drew his own little crowd.
Brett and Sebastien make friends where ever they go. 
Then Alex was hustled away with her tongshi and reappeared a little time later looking a little uncertain.
Yep, the obligatory makeup. Even the boys got the makeup treatment. The red dot in the middle of the forehead is for good luck. There were tears from Alex at one stage that had Brett comforting her in the waiting line for the parade - it was all a bit much for her having been away for almost eight weeks plus she didn't get the princess balloon. But the tears were dried and things got underway.
Before the Sports Day was to start we had the official opening ceremony that preceeds most events. (**I should note here that many of the following sequence of photos came from the kindergarten's website). The officials were seated at a long row of tables in front of the sports field. 
A parade of the children in their classes (each in a different uniform)
through the ubiquitous red dragon arch and then a flag parade with military presence and what we believe was the national anthem, a flag raising, 
and some welcome speeches.It soon became very clear why we had been treated with almost nightly renditions of "Washita" complete with hand and body movements as Alex's class performed for the crowd.
After this, the "sports" began. It seemed to be a time when parents expend some physical energy playing with their children rather than organized sports in the sense that we know.Daddy and Alex get ready to go.
Daddy and Alex walking on the elastic tightrope.
Mummy and Alex jumping through hoops.
Our Fulbright friends - and possibly the only other laowai in the school - he is in the next class in age.
Alex took some time out to pick up confetti from the scatter gun - this picture reminds me of the one of me taken at a wedding when I was picking up rice/confetti at about 2-3 years old.
For each game that you play, you got a stamp/chop from the supervising teacher on your Ox necklace (aha!) and at the end of the afternoon you could line up (with the rest of the school) to get a surprise bag of goodies for your efforts. We were really tired (actually Mummy was cranky :( ) so we went home before this. But all in all it was a good day and quite interesting to see what a chinese preschool does for its Sports Day.
1 comment:
Oh my God! What a day! I thought our sports days were over the top ;-) thanks for the updates Lys, I had a good cry reading them - bloody hell you guys are a long way away! You have inspired me to get off my butt & update ours!
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