VIOLA AND PIANO

There was an intermezzo of sorts during the folkloric dance show seen earlier. Two women played selections of classical music that I did not recognize. From a distance I thought the one in the center was playing a violin, perhaps in its lower registers. Using my long telephoto lens I now see that it was a viola. The coordination and expression were excellent.            

Elegance

Our Chinese festival has a parade every year. It was smaller this time and I wonder if there were dropouts due to the rainy morning. This group of women, though, projected elegance and style. Their costumes made me think of spring and new flower shoots.              

IT'S THE SAME THE WHOLE WORLD OVER

No explanation needed. Seen at a folkloric dance performance at the botanical garden's Chinese Festival.          

FLYING DRAGONS

There is a show of Chinese acrobats every year at the festival. Usually they are spectacular (see about the first third of the pictures here). This year I think they sent the AA or AAA league team. (American baseball reference. Let me know if you are unfamiliar with this.)  The show didn't raise anyone's blood pressure.

Still. there were some cool visuals. This young man was playing with a couple of those large Chinese yo yos. (I've seen way better displays.) But then he attached a long paper dragon to one end of the string. Not complex but tasty eye candy.        

KUNG PAO CHICKEN

If you have ever attended a cooking demonstration you have probably seen one of these angled mirrors over the food prep area. This way the audience can see everything that is going on. 

The annual Chinese Festival was at the Missouri Botanical Garden this weekend. It had rained much of the morning and the grounds were sloppy so Mrs. C and I decided to do something indoors. There was a cooking show in which a Chinese chef prepared a popular dish, kung pao chicken. I had no idea how complex the original, properly prepared fare was compared to the take away you might get at the local Happy Buddha Chinese Buffet. You could line up for a taste at the end but I didn't want to stand that long.          

I'm Sorry, I Just Can't Stop Myself

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I really am sorry, but these kids at the Chinese Cultural were just so cute that I can't resist posting a few more of these shots. Besides, I get a lot more page views when I use these instead of the artsy stuff.

Comments on my friends blogs may be a little thin over the next couple of days so apologies in advance, There's a family outing tonight and that's when I usually write my posts and comments. Then Mrs. C. and I are taking a little weekend road trip to Hannibal, Missouri, birthplace of one Samuel Clemens, who called himself Mark Twain during his writing career. There is all sorts of Tom Sawyer-Huck Finn-Becky Thatcher touristy stuff up there. On the way north tomorrow, we'll stop at the Mississippi River towns of Clarksville and Louisiana if they are not under water. Should bring back plenty of good pix.

Downtown St. Louis 365 wonders why the big statue of Stan Musial is so misshapen.

Free Throw Practice?

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This looks like it could be a basketball drill, but then the clothing isn't ideal for hoops. Another picture from the Chinese Cultural Festival. While these girls were waiting to go onstage their expressions ranged from cheerful to anxious, completely blank to Buddha-esque contemplation.

And speaking of blank expressions, Pinocchio gets the head squeeze on Downtown St. Louis 365.

Oriental Beauty

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Photographers all know that you win some and you lose some. I'm putting this portrait in the W column. But it can happen that an imperfection defines the allure of an exquisite flower; here, the amblyopia. From the Chinese Cultural Festival at the Botanical Garden.

Oooohh Noooo says Mr. Bob on Downtown St. Louis 365.

I Love A Parade

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The parade at the Chinese Cultural Festival. So much warmth and color. Our experience when we visited China is that not everyone is so cheerful. At least you can breathe here.

Downtown St. Louis 365 makes eye contact.

So, uh, can we top that?

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Some stiff competition in the cuteness department for the young ladies in yesterday's post. I believe the announcer said the costumes and dance were from western China. They look more like central Asian or Turkic than what I think of delicate traditional Chinese (like I'm an expert). All these kids had a lot of discipline and great ensemble work.

Downtown St. Louis 365 has your back covered.

Gratuitous Cuteness, Chinese Edition

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There was a Chinese cultural festival recently in the Missouri Botanical garden. The best part was a show by several groups of Chinese-American performers. These girls were scene-stealers, unless you think they were upstaged by the pair we will see here tomorrow.

It's all about the joy of being a St. Louis motorcycle cop on Downtown St. Louis 365.