Mighty Mike Show @ Circulum

It's been a fine and busy weekend for us in Ostrava, as it was Circulum time, a yearly street circus show with artists from all over the world. This time there's been acrobats and clowns from Argentina, Italy, Macedonia, Finland, Germany and many other countries - but the absolute best was a Canadian, Mighty Mike.

He is a classic vaudevillian character, the strongman. He was strong, he was funny, and the kids and I visited his show three times, each time laughing and applauding as if we'd never seen it before. He tore a deck of cards in two, juggled three bowling balls, juggled a sledgehammer and two lit up torches, and juggled three sharp knives while balancing that same sledgehammer on his chin and a wine glass filled with water on top of the sledgehammer. All the while joking and doing a great show.

Some highlights of the show (those aren't exact quotes):

— You call that clapping? You can do better than that! If you came with a baby, throw it in the air! If you're American, fire your guns!

— Žongluju kladivem. Yeah. Right. Ty vole!

— If you're in the first row, could you please sit down, so that those behind you could also see? If you want.

— It's a low-budget show, what did you expect? Get used to it. (after having clapped down a suitcase handle)

— If I don't make enough money, I'll have to go back to doing my old job, selling drugs to kids in the Czech Republic.

— Bavite se?! everybody screams "YEEEEAH!" Okay. Petset korun? everyone laughs No, wait, wait. I'm an artist, jsem z Kanady, I had to pay for the ticket here myself... Sto korun?