Dalian, China - Fun Ideas on Retirement

The original tour was scheduled to attend a school, complete with a performance by the children.  Since it was Saturday, the school was closed and we were rescheduled to go to a local community center for a performance.  The guide said that the retirement age was in the mid to late 50s and that the older adults they took time to learn art skills.  The center members put on dance and musical routines, as well as sold crafts.  Enjoy the photos and have fun. The participants surely enjoyed themselves and the interaction with the visitors.  This man was my favorite.

The tour bus pulled in to a long line of double parked buses. We had our departure time announced and were released to see things as we pleased.  A drum group greeted us as we walked from the bus to the center entrance.  Look closely and you will see a tourist on the left.  The drums looked like a lot of fun to play....it was soooo tempting.

 These were the leaders of the band.

 This Lady in Pink greeted us with a friendly wave as we walked in the door.

 One of the dancers prepping for her performance.

 This man was quite a character and mingled with the guests, posing for photos.

 This lady was so pretty and happy.  She smiled and was very friendly, a good hostess.

 These guys were characters, with their matching moustaches.

 There were a few children in the area and they were happy to allow you to photograph them.  I had "made in the USA" pencils to give as gifts.

 My favorite guy, again.

 These dancers balanced a ball on the handheld "racket ball racket".  Do not attempt to do this in the house, is much harder than it looks and can get dangerous.

 Time to get back on the bus.  I took a few last "listens" to the drummers performing outside.

 I was well behaved and didn't try to play their horns, as tempting as it was.

This was a nice stop.  I was initially disappointed that we weren't going to a school, but the enthusiasm of the adults and their sheer joy in the performance made this stop a success.

One more photograph of my favorite guy. You can see more of his costume and fancy hat.