Singing Spinning Split

K-bao's latest obsession is doing cartwheels and the splits. At all hours on the day, and in all places - the soccer field, the living room, the playground - she can be found generally in one of these two positions. Ideally, she combines the two moves so that she first cartwheels and then goes directly down into the splits.

Even more heavenly for K-bao, of course, is to combine these gymnastics moves with her other passion, theatrical singing. In the below video, for example, the K-grandfolks observe K-bao leading her sister in Rachel Platten's Fight Song, all while doing the splits.



K-Pop's friends in Taiwan also got to see this up close and personal. When the family went down to Hsinchu to visit K-Pop's old high school, the National Experimental High School, K-bao quickly found the small theater room and helped herself to the stage. K-Pop's friends who stopped by to say hello were treated to an impromptu performance. No shyness here!

Poetry

K-bao's skills as a young writer have expanded of late, due in no short part to voracious reading. A few snapshots of random notes K-Pop found scribbled on pieces of paper are shown above and below.

K-Pop noticed quite a few nature motifs - sun, spring, firefly, star - as well as some keen awareness of what she is observing and feeling ("hear yourself breathing and you are calm"), as well as what is going on in the background (the observation about K-Mum is a gem). Emily Dickinson, here we come!

Bopomofo

Who still learns bopomofo, the ancient Chinese phonetics system?

Sister C-bao, of course, courtesy of Teacher K-bao!

"Come on Sis! I taught you that one already! Get with it!"

Chinese Chorus

The first week we were in Taipei, K-bao attended a summer chorus camp at K-Grandfolks' church, Hsin-Yi Friendship Presbyterian Church, led by one of K-Granpop's closest friends, Pastor Shen. K-Pop and K-Mum figured this was a way to combine music & singing (K-bao's interests) with Chinese and church (more the K-folks' priority).

The camp was no joke. The teachers were apparently "the strictest in the whole world," according to K-bao. The music was in German and Chinese - serious pieces by composers such as Mendelssohn. And K-bao arrived in Taiwan only in time for the second and final week of the camp, so she had to play catch up.

However, K-bao took gamely to the task. One of the great things about our little one is her gumption and adaptability. After a bit of hesitation on Day 1, she dove right in, and completed the week without complaint.

At the end of the week, the choral group and the drama team put on a little concert play. The full family group attended, including K-Grandmum (K-Grandpop had to be in HK for the weekend), Aunt Catherine, Uncle James, C-bao, and the parents.

Her favorite song of the camp was probably Abenstille Uberall, which K-Pop captured in the video below.

 

After her performance, Xiao Goo-Goo and Shu-Shu presented the little one with a rose.