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Promptly at 6 o'clock on the hot humid morning of August 9, a beautiful 17-year-old Ethiopian girl arrived for morning exercises at the outside practice arena of Wuqiao Acrobatic School. But for her the steam-like air was nothing. "Here it is much cooler than in Africa," she said.

 

And she was not alone. She and 22 other students from Ethiopia and Kenya, aged 13 to 22, were studying Chinese acrobatics at the school in Hebei Province.

 

Hard and Hardy Work

 

Shortly after breakfast, Hapati arrived at the acrobatic training hall and took her place on her gym mat, wearing a protective steel-reinforced mask. Then with her feet she lifted up a large crock several times larger than her head. The crock began to dance on her agile feet and beads of sweat began to roll down her face.

 

 

Meanwhile a 15-year-old young woman chose the more difficult and risky task of balancing a wobbling wood block on top of a pole held in her mouth, while placed at the very top is a potted flower. If this were not enough, she also spun several colorful plastic circles around both arms. It took her several months to master the technique.

 

The 13-year-old, Susan is the youngest among the 23. Her favorite exercise is plate-spinning. Several plates spin at once atop thin poles.

 

Observing the wide variety of Chinese acrobatic events, the vivacious Kenyan girl, Helen, has decided to master each. Currently she practices several styles, such as foot juggling, playing diabolo, plate-spinning and vaudeville. Her favorite is the juggling table. "We do not have this kind of big red table in Kenya. I think it's typically Chinese stuff. I really like it!" Each day after drills, Helen has a sore midsection and an aching back. However, she enjoys her life here. She especially enjoys drilling and playing with students from the same continent and of the same age. Meanwhile, she experiences an oriental culture very different from her own.

 

Life in China

 

The young students are learning to enjoy Chinese cuisine. Helen explained that not long ago she knew nothing of dishes like stir-fried eggplant and beans in a pod. Her favorite Chinese food is mantou (steamed bread) with scrambled eggs and potatoes, and the popular Wuqiao Braised Chicken.

 

 

In her spare time, Helen likes to meet new Chinese friends and shop. However, according to the strict regulations of the school, the students are not allowed to leave the grounds without supervision. Helen says she understands the purpose of the regulation. "We like this kind of rigorousness. There is a Chinese saying that a severe teacher brings up brilliant disciples. Though the regulation is strict, we can sense our Chinese teachers' concern for us."

 

Compared with other students, one particular young Ethiopian man seems to study his acrobatics with particular vigor. Before coming to China, he was a commercial photographer and operated his own photographic studio. Lively in disposition, he would like to make more Chinese friends, but his Chinese is an obstacle. So he has determined to master the language. He talks with Chinese teachers at every opportunity. The interpreter sent by the school to assist the foreign students has become his favorite Chinese teacher.

 

Each of the students has his or her own hobbies. The 20-year-old Ethiopian man, Salaman is fond of music. He was formerly the keyboardist and chief singer with a band in Addis Ababa. He purchased an electronic keyboard here in China, and he often plays and sings songs of his homeland for the other students.

 

 

A foreign student practicing.

 

Fiscal Future

 

Though only 17 years old, one young woman already has a firm plan for her future. After her study in China, she will return to her country to perform and teach Chinese acrobatics to others. In this way can she also earn a relatively good income. "I will get 300 BIRR for each performance," she counted on her fingers. Every month she can give 15 performances and earn 4,500 BIRR per month, equal to 4,500 yuan. "This is a large income in my country. Generally, people earn no more than 300 BIRR each month." Her father has been a worker all his life, and today he makes about 300 BIRR a month.

 

 

Foreign students play with their Chinese schoolmates.

 

The dream of Alamu is also to give performances when she returns to her country. She hopes to perform in western nations, like Germany and the US, with many other classmates. "For one performance in the US, I can get US$100. That's a big account!" She looks forward to acquiring a set of props for the performance of juggling swinging board. "You know, we can never get these things in Africa, but they are so important for my performance."

 

 

The 16-year-old twin brothers moving adeptly about their routine already have five years of experience in performing and touring and they have developed an extraordinary sense of coordination. This is very obvious in their cooperation of caps juggling. The two brothers are confident about their future, "It is for sure that we'll be popular, because we learned the best art in the best place of the world." After returning to their country, they will take their act on tour in the capital and big cities. To them, the most important goal is "to take the precious Chinese acrobatic culture to Africa and let more and more African people understand the Chinese culture."

 

The 23 African students are enthusiastic about their drills and rehearsals as they prepare for their performance at the Sino-African Summit held on November 4, 2006.

 

(China Pictorial October 18, 2006)