Sunday morning on the street where I live....

I woke early, dressed and headed to my favorite breakfast street vendor - the guy who sells Jiang Bing - this translates to a what like to think is a Chinese breakfast burrito.  I have posted about these great foods http://surpriseshanghai.blogspot.com/2010/12/chinese-breakfast-burritos-again.html, here.  After a great breakfast I walked around the block and encountered these ladies, dancing their little hearts out!

The street was full of them, maybe 100? Maybe more.  You cannot see their faces but they are all over the age of 50.  Clearly retired.  I watched them and thought, are they practicing for some event?  Remember the 1,000+ beautiful 18 year old Chinese girls who performed in the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony?  I thought hmmmm, is there some other event coming up? Targeted to the seniors?

There was music playing on loud speakers and they were waving their fans and dancing around in a very organized fashion.  Clearly they had been rehearsing.

After about 15 minutes I decided to continue my walk and I found this sign.  I also began thinking, didn't I see this last year?  And the year before?  I was beginning to put it all together, this is an annual or perhaps even biannual event.  The Ladies Dancing in the Street Event. They even have an official sign, so it must be good and I assume sanctioned by the government.