Shijajuang

I spent the last 24 hours of my life in a place called Shijajuang, China watching my friend, Peter, get taped for a TV show where he sang a song called "Da Zhong Guo (Big China)" and performed with dozens of other foreign (non-Chinese) singers, dancers, and actors. He's actually a teacher in Northern Hebei Province, China, but he fit the role weell for this weekend. It remindeed me of "The UN" meets "The Super Happy Fun" Hour...complete with a set of African contortionists, flashing lights, a director going crazy to finish his show, and a Pakistani pop-star.

The first picture is of Peter, dressed in his traditional Chinese red-and-yellow attire, and I, dressed in my famous Chinese "The North Face" knock-off jacket, after his show.

The second is from the bus I rode on at 6:30 AM passing a tractor-trailer pulled over on the shoulder, which caught fire and had dozens of people streaming to pilfer the contents of the vehicle, which appeared to be mostly ramen noodles and dried food-stuffs.