Going to the Circus

When we went to see the boys yesterday, one of the "Mamachkas" caregivers told us that Riley was going to be going to the "Tseerk" aka Circus later that day and that we were invited to go along. How could we pass up that opportunity.

One of Riley's favorite Mamachkas, Natasha and I talked later on and without too much difficulty determined that we would meet at the orphanage at 2pm and walk to the circus.

We had passed by the tents for Circus Karabov a few times as it was on one of main roads. It took about 30 minutes to walk there at a good clip. This was an old style 1 ring circus, much like you used to see in small towns. One of the mamachkas explained that the circus was from Moscow.

Honestly, it was a great circus. You don't need to understand the language to understand a circus and we all had a very good time. Monkeys, camels, cats (housecats), trapeze artists, gymnasts and unfortunately clowns. I say this because, I am cursed to be the perfect target for clowns. The last time I was at a circus is was a big Barnum and Bailey production in a coliseum with three rings and thousands of people. Yet somehow the main clown found me and took me center ring. With a tiny circus tent, I was doomed.

They picked about 6 other people first and had them ringing bells, clanging on pie pans, playing washboards and horns, etc and then they picked me. I was given a big garbage can lid and instructed to scream and throw it on the ground. Luckily the clowns only used pantomiming to instruct me. When I let out a big roar and threw down the lid so it clanged, the crowd went nuts. Then they had me sit down and wait while some music started up and they directed the other 6 to start playing their instruments. When they finally had it going the way they wanted, they had me take my turn and roar and throw. Again, the crowd went wild and the clowns and I joined hands and bowed to both sides of the tent. The mamachka in front of me was crying she was laughing so hard.

Pam was very upset that she didn't have the camera, so luckily no photos of my spectacle exist. Riley mimed me doing my act later on and everyone apparently thought I was a good sport about it. This show appears to have been for the various orphanages mainly so only a couple of men were actually in the audience and I believe the clowns thought that I was actually with the orphanage. It was a very good time.

Oh yeah - cross dressing is apparently the height of humor. From what little television we've seen at least a couple of comedies feature men in drag and at the circus one of the acts was four very large men in drag and one tiny man in a sailor outfit. It was pretty odd, but the audience found it hilarious.