July 11, 2008

Writing from dusty and hot Kabul, Afghanistan. Last update was about getting married in China, work last year, and Christina's appendectomy in the high mountains of Tibet with a dull rusty nail. (Ok it was Italy--with a very handsome surgeon.)

We are currently working with the Mobile Mini Circus for Children.
Seth's 6th time in Afghanistan and Christina's 4th. We started with a honeymoon in the Wakhan Corridor of Northeast Afghanistan, one of the most remote areas of the world.

If you know anything of Afghan customs between men and women, you may have figured out this is not ideal honeymoon territory. No handholding, eye gazing, certainly no public hugging and kissing---and everyone sleeps in the same room. Needless to say Christina is not pregnant--though the Afghans we know can't wait for us to have children.

This year has been quite a good one so far. No near deaths! In our newly married life we have found one thing we dissagree on--Afghan Chaka. The cream of yoghurt left to sit in the heat for days. Seth leaves the room, and Christina spreads it on everything.

We had a lovely tour to Central China (Hanguoushou). Performing outdoors with several other clowns, lions, tigers, and bears--and a fantastic Chinese acrobatic masked lion act. This area has a beautiful waterfall considered the highest in Asia--and also the highest priced. Admission USD30. Unless you are with a clown who can trip, fall, and charm his way in.

We made new friends at the Toronto International Circus Festival where we played our mask show indoors to full houses and our Waterbombs showoutdoors on cold windy days.

We head to Edinburgh for August and China for September and part of October. We are trying to learn both Dari and Mandarin and the going is rough. Fortunately we can pantomime our way around the world.

In comic commiseration,

Seth and Christina