Day 4: Water Park

May 4:
We had to arrive on time to breakfast today in order to leave on time for the "Water Park," which is more like New York's Central Park. It was close enough to walk, which Larry wanted to do, but the University gave us a bus again. Oliver came with us and his friend Baldwin. They're such nice, cute guys. Lakia said hi to him on the bus when he climbed on and Larry snapped (nicely) at her. She coiled up and became withdrawn and missed Larry telling oliver to giver a hug/say hi so when he approached her she said she didn't need him, but then realized what was happening...it was all miscommunication. I felt bad for all parties involved.

I went to the public bathroom downstairs in the lobby and Lakia warned me to take off one of my pant legs because it was a squatter. It was an interesting experience. In our rooms we have sitters but the squatting was different, I am glad I only had to pee, my thighs wouldn't hold me long enough to dispose anything solid...

At 8:54 am we arrived at the park. We clamored off as a group but began to split up and reconvene at various times and locations. At first I noticed some of us mimicking a group doing some exercises and was slightly embarrassed because I could have appeared like we were mocking them. So instead they decided to go behind and join them. Again we had people staring after us all the way around the park. Parts of it looked like Dr. Seuss Land while other parts were "traditional" architecture and beautifully painted. I was already to expect people exercising and walking around, dancing etc from a movie in Anth344 Medical Anthropology class, but it was neat to experience in real life. I also didn't expect the ferris wheel.

I like to hang behind everyone or off to the side to capture candid shots of everyone doing what they do, making the faces they do, and sometimes capturing a video or two :p

When we came across people dancing (some of it was something that resembled ballroom and one couple was doing a very nice Viennese Waltz) I tried to Hustle with Milah...but she was a bad follow ;p
Sometimes people come up to Sunny and Jia and ask "what they are" and they explain American Chinese, but I think that concept is hard for the strangers to grasp, as they just stare at all of us...Jia keeps getting irritated that they mistake her or ask if she's a tour guide a lot...

A man leading some TaiChi? asked/told me something but I did not understand so he said bu dong. Lou and I venture off together taking pictures sometimes because he does that too. A lot of people are fascinated with black people and take pictures of our lovely ladies a lot, whether asking or not.
We had a nice photography session on some rock garden? after watching people doing various things by the lake. Pictures will eventually make it to facebook to explain more visually...

A lot of people asked Larry if we could go to the zoo and he consented. It is at the end of the park, small but they still wanted to go. A sweeping lady saw Ellen's braids while we were waiting for Baldwin to buy tickets and Amanda said she would have went off if that woman had touched her hair. It was interesting until a crowd began to form so we had to hurry inside the zoo before a scene broke out...