China Agricultural University was kind enough to provide us with complimentary tickets to the Paralympics sitting volleyball match held here on campus. We went Friday evening after I finished teaching and watched the match between Russia and Iran. Seth wasn't too happy to be there...until people started lining up to take pictures with him. I think Benjamin and I both enjoyed it more than we thought we would.
When you hear the term "sitting volleyball" you think it's going to be a pretty laid back game, but it was quite impressive how aggressively the athletes played. The rules were very similar to regular volleyball with the major differences being the size of the court and the height of the net. Also the athletes had to have part of their body in contact with the floor at all times. Most of the athletes had one leg, and it was pretty amazing to see how they quickly they could move around the court to bump, set, spike, and block.
On Saturday we were invited by the Foreign Experts Bureau to see a performance by China's Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe. It was a collection of performances in which all the participants had some sort of disability. There was a lot of variety to the acts, including both Chinese and Western style dancing, singing, and acting. Benjamin really liked the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, a traditional Buddhist dance sometimes referred to as the Thousand Armed Buddha, but I missed that one because I had to step outside with Seth. I did get to see most of the performances, though, and one of my favorites was the dance Butterfly Lovers directed and performed by the hearing impaired. It is considered the Chinese Romeo and Juliet, but without the disappointing ending.
When you hear the term "sitting volleyball" you think it's going to be a pretty laid back game, but it was quite impressive how aggressively the athletes played. The rules were very similar to regular volleyball with the major differences being the size of the court and the height of the net. Also the athletes had to have part of their body in contact with the floor at all times. Most of the athletes had one leg, and it was pretty amazing to see how they quickly they could move around the court to bump, set, spike, and block.
On Saturday we were invited by the Foreign Experts Bureau to see a performance by China's Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe. It was a collection of performances in which all the participants had some sort of disability. There was a lot of variety to the acts, including both Chinese and Western style dancing, singing, and acting. Benjamin really liked the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, a traditional Buddhist dance sometimes referred to as the Thousand Armed Buddha, but I missed that one because I had to step outside with Seth. I did get to see most of the performances, though, and one of my favorites was the dance Butterfly Lovers directed and performed by the hearing impaired. It is considered the Chinese Romeo and Juliet, but without the disappointing ending.
