On the Catwalk

I did my little English lesson for Maya’s class today, and afterwards the class went out to the playground for afternoon exercises. The teacher divided the class in two, girls on one side and boys on the other (notice that there are more girls in Maya’s class than boys). She’d brought the small boom box they use to play cassettes, and I expected to see folk dancing, or perhaps some kind of I’m-a-little-teapot-type children’s dance. Instead, we got models on the catwalk!

The teacher sent the kids out in pairs to strut their stuff on the catwalk to a driving disco beat:

And the teacher encouraged them to strike a pose – and with Mimi behind the camera, the kids really hammed it up!

I have no idea what this was about, but I thought I’d die laughing. Most of the girls seemed to have seen models on the runway before, and would do their turns and poses like seasoned pros. The little girl in the red skirt put such a swing in her hips on her way back UP the catwalk that I thought she’d sprain something!

The little boys looked more like they were auditioning for the opening montage in a James Bond movie than modeling clothes.

Others just had to add the typical Chinese two-finger salute (though this looks more like John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever" to me).

Maya graced us with a princessly curtsy.

It was just so bizarre! What a strange exercise for 3-to-5-year-olds. I can’t say I appreciate such grown-up behavior in little kids. Though the music was different, all I could hear in my head was that one-hit wonder “I’m Too Sexy.” Remember it?

I’m too sexy for my shirt,

so sexy it hurts . . .

I'm a model, you know what I mean,

And I do my little turn on the catwalk.

Yeah, on the catwalk, on the catwalk, yeah.

I shake my little tush on the catwalk.

I don't think I'll ever understand China. Here I talk about how the Chinese are more modest than Americans in dress and deportment, and then I see something like this! But it really was a hoot to watch!