Chinese Acrobats

Vesper had to go to a wedding in the country, so I'm left alone again (such is my lot) until Saturday.

I decided to take in a Chinese Acrobatics show last night. It was held in an ancient theater down a dubious alley downtown, but the show was amazing. I'm sure you've seen this sort of thing on TV, but nothing prepared me for the real live spectacle. Cirque du Soliel blows compared to this.

There were girls who twirled saucers at the ends of sticks (four in EACH HAND) while they danced and did flips. There were boys jumping through hoops backwards, feet first. There were girls who could sit on their own heads and stand on their own shoulders while they balanced another girl doing the same while balancing full wine glasses on the ends of sticks gripped in their teeth. There were uncyclists who flipped metal bowls onto each other's heads with their feet. Two and three at a time. Total madness.

Now I ask you, why is it that China doesn't win every single gymnastics event at every Olympics? They must do really well at least, right?