Viel Spass beim Anschauen! Wer sich wieder findet und Originalbilder haben möchte, dann bitte einfach Kommentar hinterlassen und ich schicke die Bilder gerne zu.

• Die Bilder von der 17. Streetparade 2008 in Zürich findet man hier
• Den Bericht und weitere Bilder sind hier online

alcuni colori delle foto non rimangono fedeli alla realtà, e l'immagine con la pagina a cuore non vuole stare dove la voglio mettere io, ma non riesco fare altrimenti.. mi accontenterò..

Am Freitag fuhr ich zuerst ins Tessin. Ja, richtig gelesen. Tina rief mich am Donnerstag an, dass sie zusammen mit Moni eine Palme für den "Sperlix-Garden" ausgegraben hätten. Somit startete ich am Freitag gegen Mittag und fuhr Richtung Alpen bei schönstem Wetter durch den Gotthard Tunnel. Natürlich nahm ich auch die DigiCam mit. Beim Einschalten während der Fahrt merkte ich dann, dass der Speicherchip noch im Laptop steckte! Tolle Idee!

Gegen 15 Uhr traf ich dann in Paradiso ein. Nachdem ich die Eltern von Tina "Häsli" kennen gelernt und zwei Kaffee und ein Gläschen Prosecco während der Plauderei auf dem Balkon mit bester Aussicht genoss, verluden wir anschliessend die Palme in den "blauen Benz" und starteten zur Rückfahrt. Da es vor dem Gotthard Tunnel in nördlicher Richtung 10 Kilometer staute, fuhren wir über den San Bernhardino zurück.

Ich musste bis 19:30 Uhr wieder in Zürich sein, weil dann Thom und Domingo am Flughafen eintrafen. Ich schaffte es knapp. Unterwegs rief ich bereits Mike an. Er durfte ausnahmsweise meinen Porsche fahren. Wir verabredeten uns an der Tankstelle am Flughafen. Thom und Domingo sprangen in den "blauen Benz" zur Palme und ich fuhr zur Tankstelle. Dort begrüssten wir uns ausführlich. Dann ging es weiter nach Hause.

Am Freitag Abend fuhren wir eine kurze Züri-Stadtrunde und parkten an der Limmat. Dann wanderten wir durch die Altstadt. Domingo war das erste Mal in Zürich. Thom und ich planten das Wochenende schon vor ein paar Wochen. Domingo wurde dann von Thom mit der Flugreise über das Wochenende überrascht. Was eigentlich an diesem Wochenende in Zürich "los sei" erfuhr er erst während des Abends.

Samstag - Kurz vor Mittag nahmen wir ein sauberes "z'morge" auf der Terrasse ein. Die Palme lehnte noch im Wasser stehend am Geräteschuppen gegenüber. Aber nicht lange. Wir beratschlagten uns kurz über den besten Standort und dann sammelten wir unsere Kräfte und liessen Thom mit dem vom Nachbarn geliehenen Spaten ein Loch ausheben. Arbeitsteilung ist alles.

Dann zogen wir uns für die Streetparade um. Nein, nichts Ausgefallenes. Wir nahmen die "Schweizer Nati"-Shirts mit dem Aufdruck "Zickenjäger". Perfekt "overstyled" setzten wir uns ins Auto und fuhren nach Albisrieden. Von dort aus ging es dann mit der Tram zum Paradeplatz. Die ersten Lovemobiles hatten sich bereits in Bewegung gesetzt, als wir am Bürkliplatz ankamen.

Wir liefen über die Brücke durch die mehr oder weniger verkleideten Streetparade-Fans. Das herrliche Wetter zog einige 100 000 an das Seebecken. Was sofort auffiel: Nur am Bürkliplatz und am Bellevue stand eine grosse Bühne. Wir wanderten weiter Richtung Uto-Quai und trafen auf den ersten Wagen, was uns dazu bewegte nicht wie sonst gegenüber des Steigenberger Hotels Aufstellung zu nehmen, sondern beim Theater.

Olivia teilte mir im Vorfeld mit, dass sie auf Wagen 3 mitfahren würde. Ich konnte sie aber leider nicht entdecken. Es wäre ein schöne Erinnerungsfoto geworden. Tja, schade. Man(n) kann nicht alles haben.

Der meiner Meinung nach phantasievollste Wagen war der des "Pirate's Club Hinwil", auf dem ein Feuerspucker zusätzlich für die nötigen Lichteffekte sorgte.

In einem anderen Lovemobile sperrte man die Raver kurzerhand mit "wilden Tieren" in einen Käfig.

Wie man es bei Temperaturen um die 28 Grad in einem Tigerkostüm aushält, entzieht sich meiner Vorstellung. Witzig auf jeden Fall.

In den Rave-Pausen - wenn eben mal kein Lovemobile vor uns stand - langweilten wir uns sicher auch nicht. Mike, Thom und Domingo nahmen ein lauwarmes Cerveza ein (Paulaner) und nahmen die Sonnenbrillen eher selten ab, um sich die Augen an den vorbeiflanierenden Schönheiten nicht zu verblitzen.

Echt Spass und Abwechslung brachte das Lovemobile des "MAD" mit seiner Schaumkanone mit sich. Wer sich am Morgen nicht ordentlich gewaschen hatte, der konnte das nun nachholen.

Die Fans der Streetparade amüsierten sich mit uns - in der überwiegenden Zahl. Manche sahen die Angelegenheit eher skeptisch. Wie der Kollege auf dem Bild. Während die Schönheit links so richtig Stimmung macht, betrachtet er die Menschenmenge eher nachdenklich.

Erwähnenswert ist ebenso, dass man auch ganz selten auf pralle Behältnisse stiess. Phantasievolle Kostüme gab es übrigens entgegen so mancher Medienberichte ausreichend. Und wer sich an den weniger gewichtigen Stoffmenge erregt, der sollte eher nicht an einen Badestrand fahren, sondern den nackten Tatsachen ins Auge schauen.

Das schöne an den Mitfahrenden, wie auch an den Besuchern der Loveparade selbst: Alle Alterklassen und Nationalitäten sind vertreten - getreu dem Motto "Friendship".

Domingo drehte sich zwischenzeitlich etwas im Kreis, freute sich aber über die Bekanntschaft zu einer Gruppe aus Augsburg. Diese reisten am Morgen extra an, um die Streetparade zu besuchen.

Das traumhafte Wetter erlaubte auch traumhafte Aussichten auf die mitfeiernden Lovemobile-Dancer(innen)

Aber auch auf der Strasse entdeckten wir die ein oder andere ausgefallene Schönheit (mit eigener Stange) oder ein teuflisch gut verkleidetes Pärchen.

Nachdem der letzte der 27 Lovemobiles an uns vorbei gefahren war, wanderten wir noch etwas plan- und ziellos durch die Stadt. Was mich extrem wunderte: Eigentlich findet um diese Zeit die "Rundfunk.fm"-Party statt. Doch das Landesmuseum war wegen Umbau geschlossen. Die Website von "Rundfunk.fm" ist nicht erreichbar und auch sonst finden sich keinerlei Infos im Web. Somit fiel für uns ein fester Bestandteil der Loveparade flach.

Im Hauptbahnhof traf dann Domingo noch auf eine Indianerin aus Spanien und liess sich mit ihr ablichten. Sie suchte ein Taxi und wir fanden die Tram zurück nach Albisrieden. Dort bestiegen wir unser Auto und fuhren müde gegen Mitternacht nach Hause.

Unterwegs hätten wir beinahe den Osterhasen überfahren. Ich konnte ihn aber auf der Flucht noch fotografieren. Ebenso entstand noch ein Gruppenbild ohne Dame von den etwas müden Nati-Spielern Mike, Domingo, Thom und mir.

• Hier findet ihr alle Bilder der Streetparade 2008
• UPDATE: Streetparade 2008 Bilder Teil 2 (Outtakes)

Zumindest von mir sind es etwa 190 Stück. Wenn ich Zeit finde, dann bearbeite ich noch die restlichen nach. Aber heute nicht. Mike liegt mittlerweile auf seinem Bett und döst vor sich hin. Thom surft im Internet mit seinem "Tablet-PC". Domingo landet wohl soeben nach 1 Stunde 50 Minuten in Palma de Mallorca und ich bin auch noch etwas geschafft von der Party des Jahres. Wer es verpasst hat hinzukommen, selber schuld. Bis zum nächsten Jahr sind es ja nur noch 12 Monate. Hossa!

PS: Wer sich auf den Bildern wiederfindet - ich würde mich über einen Kommentar freuen :-)

She's from Moscow, Russia and it goes from even before she started ballet.  It talks about her family and what they did in the war, evacuation, rationing, her start in ballet, and her life going through it.  I mean, I'm not that far into it and it's a big book, but if you're really interested in dancing, then I really reccomend it!!!!!!!  The book is called "I, Maya Plisetskaya"  so yeah!!

I feel like dancing.  So like yeah.

The American people have chosen Joshua Allen as the winner of this year's reality show "So you think you can dance".  From the moment this little guy stepped unto the dance floor to his last performance he wowed the judges. He made few mistakes throughout this journey.  What I admired about Joshua is that he seems to be a humble guy who  keptp his focus on his dance, listened well and took advice offered by the judges. He gave 110 per cent of himself, you could see how much winning would mean to him and he did. 

He is remarkable and so are the other three finalists. They were all terrific but there was magic with Joshua. I tuned in only to see him and if I missed his performance a week, I was mad with myself.  He was a joy to watch and such an inspiration to young folks especially young black children. I hope they take from this that you have to work hard for what you want and never to let anyone tell them they cannot be who they want to be. It's all about dedication, focus, preparation and wait for your chance to shine.

Congratulations Joshua and all the finalists. You are all winners.

frequently based on customer suggestions, her own inspirations and trends she notes from our website.

The new designs always get us all excited - fun to have new things to see and to see how people use them. But we have some really cool long time designs, too. So I am going to feature some of them before the new designs come in and steal all the attention.

So, todays design is...#93, Dancers. (Okay - so I am a big So You Think You Can Dance fan.) But the Dancers design has always been a favorite. It has a great feeling of movement. It is both modern and traditional in feel - sort of a folkloric design that appeals to lovers of Judaica.

My youngest sister has 3 little girls who are in dance -and I gave her a Christmas tree ornament with the

dancers design to represent them.

The cool thing about our business is that any design can be added to any of our items. So if you want to have a night light with a dance design, you can have it. Or a dance flask, or a business card case for a dance teacher, a pill box for those pain relievers for a new dance student, a compact mirror with a pretty dancer to check her lipstick. And on and on. We also offer many different items and colors appropriate for male dancers, too, like money clips and metal wallets.

So for all those dancers and dance fans - consider the Dancers Design for a nice gift from us.

Technorati: dance, dancer, dancers, 3 dancers, modern, contemporary, Judaica, dancers night light, dance pill box, business card case for dancer, dance teacher, dance business, dance studio, dance flask, dancer money clip, male dancer gifts, metal wallet, Christmas tree ornament, dancer ornament, danc compact mirror, so you think you can dance, dance fan, dancer gifts, gifts for dancers

NOTE :: No one allow to use it any where in sites, in forum .. ect !

She said that she has changed since our first meeting. She says she went from a naïve young girl to a woman gaining life experience. She thought things would [miraculously] change once we were married. No matter how much I had spoken on this subject previously, she learned there is no miraculous change.

Without saying the marriage will dissolve, we both know it. It is inevitable.

Since she prefers to have sex once or twice a month [now], I am seeking other venues. She always knew that if I did not get the sex I want that I would go elsewhere. I have always said, “A person is getting sex. It is just a question of how and from whom.”

Shall I explain my “other venues”?

Although this blog is anonymous, I still wish to protect the identity of the young lady I have met, so I will call her Tanisha.

Tanisha and I met a few months ago when my wife and I first moved to this city. If you can imagine, we met a strip club. She is a dancer.

At the time, Tanisha knew I was engaged and knew my whole story… new to the city, where I worked, my son, my fiancé, my interests… she and I talked a lot while I was visiting her club. We talked a lot and shared with me the same personal information about herself.

“I don’t normally share my personal life with customers, so I don’t know why I am sharing all this with you. But, you seem like a trustworthy guy,” she said to me in those first few months. Trustworthy. It is a description not often given to me, and I relish it.

I stopped going to the club for months since there was so much strife at home. However, I relented because, in the words of my wife’s encouragement, “You should do what makes you happy and stop sacrificing so much.” Also, I wanted to be among the company of women who would give me the affection I am starved.

As part of the discussion/argument with my wife, I told her she should stop accompanying me during activities I enjoy because she only takes the fun out of them. I had never said this to her before and I had always strived to resolve those things she would bring up – bills, personal problems, “he said, she said,” and other drama – with patience, listening to her statements and trying to redirect our focus. Never successful, I still tried. However, I just can not afford to take her with me anymore, forsaking my own enjoyment. It takes a toll on a person to always be under the grind without relief.

So, as you can imagine, I had returned to the gentleman’s club without my wife. Also, since she and I are no longer having sex, conversation, or any other forms of closeness and marital intimacy, I am seeking it elsewhere, which is what I was also doing at the club.

Once before, my wife accompanied me to the same strip club and met Tanisha. In fact, Tanisha sat down at our table with us and took part in lengthy “girly” conversations with my wife (then fiancé). However, I knew instantly from Tanisha’s expression when she sat down with my wife and I, and introduced all parties, that she became withdrawn and possibly disappointed. She became aloof with me despite my observable enjoyment in her company.

When I had returned, recently, to Tanisha’s club, she passed by me a few times with her customers on their way to the private room for lap dances and, as soon as I looked her way, she was quick with redirecting her eyes and ignoring my presence. This instantly told me what I had suspected: we had connected.

From the bar, I watched a black girl dance on the back stage with vivaciousness, vigor, and contagious energy. She was having a great time, enjoying herself, and connecting with the men in the establishment, which showed by how many times she was going back to the private lap dance room (and ignoring me in the process).

I really could not believe it was Tanisha when I first saw the girl dancing because she had so much positive energy. Moreover, this girl dancing had fairly large boobs whereas the Tanisha I first met did not even have A cups. Tanisha had been the only black girl dancing at the club the last time I was there, so I thought this had to be a new girl, but she danced so much like Tanisha, but with more zest. The bartender informed me the woman I was watching actually is Tanisha.

Tanisha had gotten a breast enlargement. She is approximately six-foot tall with legs that reach Canada, C-cup boobs she is till getting used to (she bumps into them and mistakenly pops them out of her outfit), and a toned, slender body that reflects her discipline in physical fitness and professionalism. In short, she is beautiful.

From the I had entered the club to the time I left, I had only sat at the bar and never approached the stage. I never tipped any of the girls.

Sitting at the bar, I made it a point to bullshit with the bartender and other customers at the bar. I learned this tactic from Manswers, a television show, on how to date a stripper. It seems effective.

Once she was done dancing once or twice on stage and finished giving her much-requested lap dances to the men surrounding the stage, she walked to the staff member manning the door and collecting the cover charge. In order for her to get to him she had pass by me at the bar. As she approached, I made eye contact and she diverted, just as we had been doing before. However, I stuck my arm out to accept her, much like a hug. She quickly turned on the charm and “salesmanship,” identifying me as a customer and not a companion. It was as obvious to me like a flashlight in the eyes upon wakening.

I do not recall the details of what was first said, but I dove right in with the obvious and typical salutations: hello, how are you, sorry I have been absent, you have such a contagious and upbeat energy, you are very attractive, and so forth. By her request, or demand, I agreed to a lap dance with her. My first ever with her, and my only all night.

You see, I had gotten lap dances from the other girls but never her, although she and I had talked the most. Also, I had gotten a private room with a girl for half an hour who was NOT Tanisha, as well. Consequently, I am sure Tanisha was jealous, or questioning her attractiveness. In spite of any reason why I had done those things, I got a lap dance from Tanisha that night a few days ago.

It was not her breast enlargement that aroused me, although they certainly are very nice and did help. Her energy excited me; her willingness and enjoyment of arousing me. He playfulness/flirtatiousness is was what excited me. I was hard, extremely hard, and she exploited it through my jeans.

After she finished giving me her gift, I told her how much I enjoyed her lap dance, as well as exactly what I enjoyed. More than anything, I believe she enjoyed my compliments on her new found vitality.

“Everyone has been telling me how much I smile, now. I love it! I love them,” she says, gripping and raising her new breasts. “I do feel better about myself,” giggling and smiling, reveling in her happiness, she continues, “and in life!”

Afterward, she made it a point to me not to stray away because she wanted to sit with me and visit. After her time on stage, we promptly got a table to ourselves. There, we got right back in to our groove, sharing things, talking, laughing, and genuinely enjoying one another’s company. I felt good and bad at the same time – I felt good to be noticeably attractive enough to someone to incur flirting, compliments, smiles, and interaction. At the same time, I felt bad because my wife was not sitting across from me.

Tanisha had to dance, again. It seemed to me that the other girls and the customers recognized Tanisha as a dancer to be reckoned with. Both on and off stage, Tanisha dominated the attention of the men, glided and floated more than walked or danced, and commanded an amount of respect from all. She certainly captivated me, then and now.

Joining me, again, I decided it was time to make my move.

From the bar, “Let’s get a table,” I suggest. She moves to a table where another dancer is sitting.

“Let’s sit over here,” I suggest, pulling the seats out from a table without anyone else around.

“Okay.” She sits down and pokes fun as she crosses her long, exquisite legs, “Are you comfortable, now?”

“Yes. I just wanted some time alone with you; just you and me.”

She pauses from lighting her Black and Mild, smiles at me with eye contact, and touches my hand as she comments, “You’re a sweetie.”

“Let me light for you,” and I pull out my Zippo.

A few dances ago when she and I first sat down together, she had asked me how things were going and I aired my dirty laundry regarding my wife. There, at the table where Tanisha and I were sitting alone, her hand on mine, I told her I would like to get to know her outside this place. It was then that she gave me her phone number and asked me to be sure to call her so we could hang out sometime soon. As women do, her polite request was really an order. It meant I had better call her and not disappoint her.

As part of the exchange, she asked for my number. I was reluctant in answering, but said I had only a home number. Apparently of no consequence, Tanisha was quick to say, “Okay, I’ll give you mine and you call me.”

All night, we sat together. All night, we talked. All night, we laughed. I made her laugh so much she was slipping out of her chair. She was laughing so hard she could not breath; laughing the “silent laugh” of a person gasping for air while laughing. She got so comfortable with me she dropped her salesmanship and guard all dancers maintain as a requisite of their occupation. We were no longer customer and dancer talking and laughing together at the bar; we were Me and Tanisha talking and laughing in a world all our own.

Some men find some kind of status in dating a stripper, which I can see. I have a certain amount of respect and covet of a man dating a stripper, and I see him with an amount of status. However, Tanisha is not a status symbol for me. She genuinely exhibits the traits I am attracted to. Visiting with her, her company is pure pleasure. Her body movements, dancing, and physical beauty are enchanting, and her smile is powerfully hypnotizing.

Stripper to others. An enchanting, fine-as-hell young woman to me.

But yeah it was fun!!  And I didn't get a chance to take pictures because my friend wasn't there today, and I'm leaving tomorrow (Tuesday) for CA.  I have to get up at FIVE AM!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEKK!!!!!!  That's not fun!!

But I'm gonna keep stretching and stuff over my vacation, so....yeah.

I feel like dancing.  So like yeah.

Can someone please explain to me why people decide that when two people are smoking outside that they can open up to all the perverted things that they do at strip clubs. I do not want to hear what girl sucked you off at the back or how much you paid for that service. I also do not want to hear about the threesome that cost you a weeks pay or how much money a girl hustled you for. Get this straight, dancers are there for one purpose and that is to make as much money as possible. It is an unfortunate side of the business but a lot of these girls are being beaten and fed drugs to keep them as amicable as possible.

One of the funniest things that I have heard is the girl that is actually dancing to put herself through school but cannot leave the business because they make too much money. I mean would you leave a job that is paying you a lot of money for an entry position job where you are looked down upon and treated basically as bad as a stripper is. I want the stigma that goes along with stripping to go away, that way we can get girls that basically pimp themselves out to get higher positions. Don't get me wrong guys would do the same thing if they were in that position but getting a sex crazed supervisor/boss that would offer a guy a higher salary if he were to go down on her are few and far between. I mean, I would live on my knees if it would guarantee me a six figure salary by the time I was 30, but thats just me.

My point is that strippers are doing the same thing but just out in the open. Sure they have problems and are very easy to bed if you were to meet them for the first time out of the club. The problems do outweigh the good parts, but let me get this point across the positive aspects are usually only related to the bedroom, where your mind will be blown. The negative parts are that the girl is in all likely-hood fucking crazy and will want to make you fucking kill yourself, but the same thing can be said about any quote-on-quote normal girl. 

So my conclusion is that hooking up with a stripper can be fun for a few months but make sure that you are the trusting type because dropping off a girl at work that consists of her taking off her clothes and grinding on some dudes lap for 6 hours can be hard to swallow. 

Here are some videos of wannabe strippers 

Jessica Alba

Random Girls

Salma Hayek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX8qEkAL0MY

Lindsey Lohan

I feel like dancing.  So like yeah.

Here's a nice photo of a lovely dancer during the women's quarterfinals basketball game between China and Belarus at the Olympics. It wouldn't hurt if she could show a little more skin, like the beach volleyball cheergirl below. Though, if you're stuck watching the China-Belarus women's basketball game, you'll likely settle for anything.

I feel like dancing.  So like yeah.

I feel like dancing.  So like yeah.

One reason why I am convinced that we, each one of us, have a purpose is my relationship with Chris.  Before I met - and married - my Beloved, I felt like a romantically ill-fitting puzzle piece; like I was a fraud and didn't belong.  I wondered if people would figure this out at some point.  Though I was a chameleon, I blended in, but never fit in.

Then I met Chris.

Every kink in my nature, every preference - even our personalities! - everything was incredibly  well-matched.  For example, as you all know, I love to dance.  I have always loved to dance.  But I don't like dancing 'with' people.  Sure we can dance in the general vicinity of each other, but I have never been interested in couples dancing.  It just isn't my thing.  Chris?  This is a man who doesn't like to dance, but loves to go out and watch people dance.  Seriously.  Seriously.

Then when I came to a place of forgiveness towards my father.  I absolutely, completely 100% was able to forgive him.  Why?  He did some very awful things to us.  How could I possibly forgive that?  Part of the reason was that he was the absolute perfect parent I needed.  His positive and negative attributes were so insanely perfect  to help me become the person I am today...the person I am in the process of becoming. 

Through his untempered rage, I forged my will.  Through his love of music, my universe included the strength of the intangible.  There is a world beyond what we can see and touch; a world that is expressed and expanded through how we feel and communicate with each other.   Without rain, I could have no rainbow.

As I look back on the events in my life - the people I have met, the mistakes I have made, the dreams I have chased - they all form this incredible tapestry, a map.  It all makes sense...because there are no accidents.

Right now there is someone, right now, who is reading this blog.  For whatever random reason this person is here, right now,  reading this.  This person wants to escape, wants to change their life, wants to effect a metamorphosis.  Did they click through a Wordpress tag?  Find me through a comment I made somewhere?  Through the blogroll of a friend?

Whatever the reason - it is no accident you are here.  Freedom is at your fingertips.  You are the person you are supposed to be, in the place where you are supposed to be.  The place?  A cusp, the brink, the raggedy edge...

Right now you are surrounded by flames and you feel like you might be consumed - but don't begrudge the fire in your life.  It is transformative, cleansing, catalytic. 

It is the fire from which a pheonix is born. 

You can either go through your life collecting baggage, weighing yourself down, or you can go through the fires of these horrible experiences.  You can let the inferno purify your being.  Allow these experience to test your mettle and reveal your brilliance. 

Like gold, it is not through stasis but heat and fire that you shed impurities and grow ever brighter, ever more beautiful. 

Like gold you are flexible, are malleable; you can be made to reveal the beauty in others or you can be made to travel the stars.  Whoever you are, whatever reason you are here, regardless of whether you come back - my message to you is that this  shall not last.  You are not alone.  Your life is perfect, you  are perfect, and you are perfectly ready for this change.

Be brave.  Go boldly into that dark unknowing-ness.  And do it in love.  Because, like the purest gold, you are luminous and esteemed.

友達が友達を呼んでくれたので、順番待ちのグラスも登場。今夜も楽しいひとときになりそうです。

今夜私のパートナーは、ウィルソン　テニスグラス。忘れず真っ白なリストバンドを右手につけました。背の高いグラス達、ポールダンサー、メリーゴーランド、ショットグラスがリビーの４０s−５０sのモノです。

ゴールドドットは５０s、なんだかこの年代のグラスを集めると彼達もまた楽しい会話を楽しんでいるように感じます。これからタパス作り、美味しく出来るかな？

Summer's almost over and fall classes (and school classes) will start soon!! Awwwww and yaaaaaay at the same time!!

Keep dancing!!

I feel like dancing.  So like yeah.

"...on July 27, during an evening rehearsal at the National Stadium in Beijing, the so-called Bird’s Nest, she leaped toward a moving platform that suddenly malfunctioned and plunged about 10 feet into a shaft, falling on a set of steel bars and injuring her spine, according to family members." Nytimes report on Liu Yan

It may just be media framing, but there seems to be an impression that the event was hidden from the public to preserve the "perfect image" of Beijing during the games, which from my perspective seems cruel. I feel that it is worth remembering people hurt while training to contribute to a supposed world bonding event.

In relation to preserving a "perfect image," one British newspaper, for example, claimed that when they initially discovered the news about Liu Yan, they were told by the IOC that she was simply suffering from a broken leg. They were upset to later find the true nature of her injuries, which led to the impression of a coverup. At this point it turns out that she is paralyzed from the spine down, and will likely not walk for life. Chinese websites recently produced a more upbeat story on the beautiful dancer, who clearly deserves a great deal of sympathy and respect. Chinese report on Liu Yan

It is significant to see the different perspectives taken on the issue. While foreign press claim that Liu Yan was a cover up, Chinese press attempt to show how she is happy and holding the peace sign, and still in support of the games, playing her off as a hero. It would be nice to know her true feelings.