The Cultural Festival

The request came in an email. "Can you organise the foreign teachers to perform at the cultural festival?" The fear rose immediately within me!

What? Me? Cultural? I forwarded the email to the other teachers and before I met up with them, some had already had discussion. And another followed as we tried to determine what we could arrange given just one week's notice. I replied with a promise "to do my best" which is common Chinese speak, and asked a few questions about time, place, etc. Which, as it turns out went unanswered.

We have no music, no costumes, no... well, nothing. The only suggestion midst great hilarity was to consider doing the Hokey Kokey.

So having laughingly agreed that this could be our only option, we agreed to discuss it further, even though we knew that few of us would be available at the weekend. Oh, well.

On Friday afternoon I received a phone call from the director if International Exchange Office. Could I tell her the detail of the performance. Trying to keep a straight face on my end of the phone, I bravely announced that we would be performing a traditional English dance called the Hokey Kokey, and it would require audience participation. And by the way could she tell me more about the event. I agreed to send an email with the strange spelling to her, and request further information.

Shortly after I sent the email, the phone rang again. Another staff member of the Exchange Office telling me the time, where we were to perform, and wanting to have our music. Oh, heck! (well, I censored my comment which I said quietly to myself.)

I have been trying to download some music from the Internet, which only works spasmodically at present, so makes life difficult.

So we had another "meeting" to discuss it. Much hilarity! Costume?? Well, you are going to just wait and see dear reader. I just can't imagine what rehearsals will be like - and the performance? Thursday night next! Heeelp!!!!!