8/20/08

Chi Chang Cheng Jarry Terracotta Warrior


Aug 19th was our second wedding anniversary and we decided to tie in a museum visit with all we have been watching on TV with the Beijing Olympics. The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana presented the largest exhibit of Emperor Qin's Terra Cotta Army ever seen outside of China. It was our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the 20th century's greatest archaeological finds, often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World.

China's First Emperor, the boy king who united the country in 221 BC and began construction of the first Great wall, was not only obsessed with building but also a fanatic about death. After experimenting with potions to prolong his life, the megalomaniac king resigned himself to death on his own terms. He would build a standing army of 7,000 soldiers to enforce his rule over the afterlife.

This terra cotta army of soldiers, servants, musicians, acrobats, and animals silently remained underground for two thousand years. Until, in 1974, Chinese farmers digging a well made the startling discovery of a terra cotta head.

It was a fantastic museum visit AND meeting Jarry doing "live statue performance art" was wonderful. He stood perfectly still near the entrance to the exhibit but then came walking up to us and extended his hand. We learned that he (ChiChang Cheng) has been doing this for over 10 years in his home of Taiwan.

8/1/08

Hokey Pokey in Greek

Do you remember singing/dancing the Hokey Pokey? "you do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around, that's what it's all about". Well watch clown Gina do it in Greek, July 2008 in Tripoli, Greece.