Eastern Promise

Here is my big lip after the Shaolin Basketball incident. After it happened I felt like what I imagine it is to have a dose of Botox. Nice (There was a better picture but it got all mixed up so I’ll save that one for the UK return Slide Show! oooh!
It’s a lot smaller now, if a little scabby from the cold. Again, nice.
Since then we played Basketball one more time yesterday… it must be the season here… well it is China – anyone’s guess!
Will publish any other nice bruises for you… something to look forward to I’m sure.

Hi everyone,
I woke up this free Sunday morning to discover snow!

I went down early to one of the training hall to do some yoga. I really felt like having a good stretch without the incouragement to bounce by the teachers. Whenever we are stretching and a teacher comes close I pretend to bounce but as soon as they go away I go straight back into yoga style! Yee-haw!
Anway, after yoga and a bit of breakfast, we got together and organised who was going to the city. Beofre we left I took some pictures of the school in the snow. Of course it’s not normally this white, it actually looks clean here, so lucky really. It’s preparation for the photos to come of the not so whiter than white version.
Here they are…
Around the school:
Front Gate
Main Office building
Kung fu Wall painting
Training Hall 1
Stephen (my room-mate) and my room:
My Bed
Toilet – just moved in, need to clean

We got a slow cab into town and to the massage place where everyone normally goes on Sunday. I got an acupressure massage, and the doctor knew all the right places to get me whincing. No, it was really good and he was very nice. I think it would be better if I knew some Chinese though so that we could maybe communicate something more than the occasional laugh and flinch. There were some points that were very tender and I’m sure he could have told me why. Nevermind. Next time I want to try some cupping… this treatment sounds like you should have to cough at the same time but I assure you it’s not like that.
Normally everyone goes to an all-you-can-eat restaurant after massage but because I had to wait, I went to the supermarket an then came here to the biggest internat cafe I have ever seen. Smoky and full of game-playing, film-watching teenagers!

May add some more soon
Ciao for now x

Hi y’all.
Feeling a lot more up beat now and enjoying myself.
I made a big realisation that all this Shaolin malarky (?) is actually just choreography. If I wanted I could learn it anywhere to a certain extent. So this makes it a lot easier to fathom.
Sanda (Chinese kick-boxing) is still the main bain, but I survived the last one of the week this morning so it’s up hill all the way. I’ll see about the possibilities of doing extra tai chi instead… we’ll see. I have my first tai chi today… yey! So fingers crossed it’s good.
Apart from Tai chi, they are all external arts. What I’m really after? Internal, magic, the alchemy of base into gold. This I think everybody has, but that’s the reason I need to look internally, with the aid of the softer arts.
I will enjoy the time I spend here, but will be content to move on as well.
Playing basketball today in class… don’t ask me why, Shaolin basket ball or something. Got and accidental elbow in the face and a split lip, nice. All fine, will take a photo and post it on Sunday. Something to look forward to!
Love to all
Tom x

So I did get the right train. And I did arrive in Zhengzhou. And I did wait out side the station for over an hour and wonder where somebody was to pick me up. And I had my doubts and I did have another mission to getanother taxi driver to use the meter.
I decided to get a taxi to the school since I had either missed the person who was going to meet me or there had been a mix up. I eventually got there at about 12 midnight to find all the lights out. I walked around in the dark for quite sometime around the grounds looking for some sign of life. I knocked on one door and got a Chinese answer to which I wasn’t sure how to reply so said thank you and continued my search. I eventually found another light and knocked on another door. It turned out to be the cook who woke the Shifu, Shi Yanlin. He had thought it was tomorrow but was verynice about the whole thing. I fetched my things and we went to my room, sharing with a German guy, Christian.
I went almost straight to bed.
The next morning, I got up at 6.15am to watch the first trainingsession. I was happy to find outthat it was not running for a whole hour and was similar to whatI had experienced in my training in London.
I had a tour of the site and some introductions to people and activities etc. All the people are really nice and level-headed from all over Europe. Because of the Chinese holidays all the Chinese students are away and will be back next week.
I joined the second morning training and it was fine, learning a new form. The third training however was not so rosey. Itwas Sanda, Chinese kick-boxing. We only have it twice a week but I am definately not interested. It seems so agressive, reliant on speed and muscle and not much else. And the Shifu (teacher) is a masochist who is quite nice outside of class, only 20 years old but I think is a closet homosexual. That’s just between you and me though.
The class, I felt was pretty mindless and I felt, wasn’t part of the magic I was searching for when I left for this trip.
It made me think about what I want from this journey. I am not sure thatwhat is taught here has much knowledge of the body or much focus for what people want out of it. I think if I wasn’t honestaboutthgis then I would be punishing myself.
I need to give the whole place a week or so to give it a chance but at the moment I think I mayonly stay a month. The main Shifu, Shi is really nice and gentle and I think is probably quite spiritual. He introduced me to the small Buddha here as a sort of good luck ceremony. It was really nice but I don’t think it is possible to live any kind of spiritual life in this environment, at least that’s how I feel at the moment.
I haven’t had Tai Chi class yet, and I am looking forward to it tomorrow. I may choose just to do Taichi as I feel it’s more of what I am looking for. How in depth and detailed it will be, I don’t know yet.
The place itself, well frankly it’s dirty. It’s cold and dirty. I thought everybody would have duties to keep it clean, but … erm, no. The place seems to be really run down. I know it’s China, and I don’t mind simple life but not dirty. I haven’t had a washyet since I have been here and the shower will re-open next week. There is hotwater available but the thought of stripping down and getting cold is not something I have brought myself to do yet.
We also don’t have regular Buddhism lessons, only half an hour reading once a week. And no meditation.
Also I’m not sure the ‘vegetarian’ food is all that vegetarian – oh dear.
Stick it out for a bit longer, that’s the idea. See how it works out.
I feel a lot better than I did yesterday, now that I am justgoing to be honest with what I want and don’t want, if it’s not right then I’ll move on.
I have been think about going to the Wudang mountains next month, just south of here wher Tai chi is supposed to have started. And then, maybe move on early to Japan, we’ll see I need to do some research and talk to some people.
On the whole I feel quite positive about the outcome. I have already learnt some big lessons on honesty, who and what I am and want to be. I just didn’t think I would learn them in the way that I did. I am happy for the lessons all the same.
I will re-connect on Sunday maybe with some more pictures.
The number here is 0086 371 658 13883
We are 8 hrs ahead of UK time. My timetable is training until 7.45am, training 9.30am -12noon, and then 2.15pm-5pm. If anyone wants to call then just ask for Tom. Also please don’t call after 9/9.30pm. I’ll leave it to you to work out when these times are in your local time. Also, extra training on Tuesday and Thursday 6-7.40pm and no afternoon training on Thursday. Sunday is our day off. On the times off I think everybody goes into the city for the supermarket and more time on the internet so may not be there some of those times off. If you speak to someone, ask them when I might be back. Mum and Dad, maybe you could think about looking into Skype, ask Minami how it works.
I don’t think I have reallypainted such a good picture and they always say don’t judge a book by it’s cover. I am fine though but missing home quite a lot.
Catch you Sunday
Tom xx

Last night I went to the station in plenty of time… about 3 hours to spare in actual fact. Nodded a bit in one of the massive waiting rooms of Beijing Station. About 2o minutes before the train left I thought I’d go and find the platform. I couldn’t see it on the board so asked at information. I am so stupid… wrong station! I should have been at Beijing West station. How can I be making so many stupid mistakes. I have to be so careful from now on…. I ran out the station hoping to get a taxi there on the double. I jumped into one and then the driver didn’t want to use the metre! H ewanted to charge some stupid price and of course no guarantee we would get there. I got out and went from taxi to taxi but no-one else understood really what I was going on about. It got to 10 mins before the train so I gave back and with my taol between my legs headed back to the hostel with a hope that they still had space for the night. Luckily they did and I rebooked another train for today. I alss called the mobile of the master Shifu of the school because I couldn’t get through any other way. He seemed very nice and somebody will pick me up from the station at 10 pm tonight. At last I’m finally on my way and so my next contact should be at the school. Fingers crossed!
Quite nervous now and a little scared. About a year of preparation coming into fruition now…. Here we go… BANZAI (sorry, don’t know the Chinese eqivalent)
X

HI.
Went to the Summer palace today… It’s about 12 km North-West of the centre. Took an audio tour round the grounds. It’s huge and about 2/3 is water. It was used by the Emporers to escape the heat of the Forbidden City in the summer. It is famous for being the residence of the Emporess Cixi who seemed to be very powerful in her day and often challenged the power of the Emporer.
The main part of the palace was closed for renovations, probably in preparation for the Beijing Olympics 2008 (for which practicallythe whole city is in preparation for!)
The lakes are massive and because it was winter they were frozen. Amazing! Such an expanse of solid ice. There were scores of people on the lakes despite the signs. I think it must have been about a foot thick and although I thought I heard one or two cracks (mind-tricks, I’m sure), it was a fantastic sensationto walk on it. I’ve never been on a frozen lake before!
A stroll on the ice
Slow boat to nowhere

On the way back in, I went to the Lama Temple. It’s the largest Tibetan Buddhist Temple outside of Tibet, which I thought was a little strange that it survived the Cultural Revolution when so much in Tibet was destroyed.
It’s a huge complex with a 9m high golden Buddha in the main hall. There were hundreds of people there offering incence to all the different Buddhas. It was nice to see it as a working temple instead of a dead museum. There were several monks walking round in their fine plain robes, pretty unaffected by the whole affair.
Also went to a vegetarian restaurant where all the dishes are named after their meaty counterparts but made with soy and tofu. Nice.

The streets were littered with red fire cracker papers this morning.
Happy New Year. Welcome to the Year of the Dog! Woof!
Went to back to the Taoist Temple Dongyue Si this morning to light some inscence and say hello to a doggy 2006!
Back to the hostel for breakfast and then off to the Great Wall! Take two… Action!

I was picked up from the hostel by a nice young tour operator called Yuko (I think) which is Japanese for snow (don’t ask me why a Japanese name). We walked through the chaos of Spring Festival to meet the driver of the tour bus. Happy New Year everyone! The year of the Dog! Everyone was on their way to the Temple fairs all around Beijing today.
We picked up all in all about 10 of us in all. Yuko gave a nice talk on Beijing and Spring Festival and the Wall. The particular section of the wall we were going to was called Mutianyu.
On the way we stopped off at a factory workshop that makes the opper gilded vases cloisonne (again not sure), was quite interesting but not what I came for. Next stop the wall.
Because we only had such a short time, we took a cable car up to the mountain tops…. I know, very touristic but I’m glad I didn’t walk up and then have less time there.
Wow, it’s amazing! I think it’s something to do with the height at which it is. You can see all around. But also it’s really nicely made. It has been restored but it seems a really simple and clean construction. Click on the links to see the pictures…
Into the distance
A bit of snow
Guard tower
On the way down I almost got forced to by 2 T-shirts I glanced at. Two very persuasive women wouldn’t let me pass until I parted with my money. A bit further along they were selling them for less… typical! Still getting duped!
Really nice day, I think that clean, open space really helped clear the system and freshen me up.

Don’t know why I seem to be doing a daily update, how sad. So anyway here goes.
Slow start to today, couldn’t really get going. Had to go to the bank today to change a traveller’s cheque. That took longer than I thought… I was No. 120!
If you’ve ever workied in a supermarket or something similar where out back there is the freezer rooms with clear plastic strips hanging from above the doors to keep the heat in and the cold out. Well, it’s so cold here (although I heard that it’s not as cold as normal!) they have these plastic strips above all the doors to public buildings here… yawn yawn, well – I thought it was quite interesting.
Got back to the hostel and rented a bike. Went off to two temples. The Taoist (pronounced Doaist) temple Dongyue Si and the Buddhist Temple Dazhong Si.
I have been told that on the year of your Chinese astrological sign (the year just passed was the Rooster – my year) you should visit the temple on the first day, so I decided to go on the last day to say goodbye to the Rooster. Better late than never.
Really nice old, traditional building of the Taoist Temple . This is hightened by it’s position in the middle of a hundrerd sky-scapers. Amazing.
The Buddhist Temple is supposed to have the biggest bell in China. I didn’t see it, although I am not entirely sure it was the right temple anyway. I caugtht a family mid-session with the monks doing some chanting in the presence of a huge golden buddha. I had a moment there. I have always thought the classic Buddha statue was a bit strange especially the expression on his face. But this time it took me… He was untouchable in his peace – nothing could take his serenity. Centred and present… one day, one day.
It was Spring Festival/ Chinese New Year’s Eve/ New Lunar Year’s Eve today. It was a bit like Christmas Eve – everyone busy getting the last minute bits and pieces for the big night. Everyone had a red bag in one hand and a box of fruit in the other. It was a bit strange to be in the middle of it all like being on your own fro Christmas. There’s nothing wrong with that if you know what happens at Christmas. Pei-jen warned me that it would be a bit strange… so on the way home I decided to buy soem things to try to get with it. In the hutongs (Mongolian word for lanes where the poorer Beijingers lived in the olden days) where the hostel is I bought some roasted chestnuts, some fruit, some chewy Chinese sesame sweets and some hard pastry twist things. It was nice actually.
This was the first year after a 12 year ban that fireworks were let back into Beijing. It was all firecrackers and they were everywhere. The story goes that the demon of desease comes out on the night before the new year starts to run riot and all the noise of the crackers scares him away. Before fire crackers they burnt bamboo which would pop and bang when the air in the different segment s would burst free.
Fire crackers all night!

I thought I would take a trip to the Great Wall yesterday which involves 2 1 and a quarter hour minibus rides. I left early and set of for the long-distance bust station. I took the Bejing underground. Very quick efficient and cheap. About 30p a go. Why can’t London take a leaf out of their book!!!
I eventually found a minibus going in the direction although I wasn’t entirely sure for quite a while after yeaterday’s happenings. It was luck io found the minibus.
On arrival to the interchange, it was a matter of haggling with a group of van drivers to go the next stint. I finally got into this one people carrier agreement of a 150Y, more than what I thought, seeing as the bus to there was only 6Y!. We started off and when the driver took the Taxi sign from the dash board and put it behind the front seat I bottled it! I just felt a bit pushed into the whole thing and was still a bit paranoid from the day before. I thought he was maybe not legit and didn’t want to be caught with a Taxi sign that looked like it had been yanked off another car! I asked him eto turn round back to the junction and found a state bus that took me back to Beijing. Besides, I didn’t fancy it by then, being pushed into taking a ride that didn’t feel right and not really being in the mood for it. That’s the trouble with travelling alone I think. You have to rely on your own paranoia or luck in decision making decisions until you get into the swing of travelling or get a feel for things.
Money is such a nightmare. The theory of it really causes me grief! I really don’t like the idea of it and don’t like to think that it’s important to me, but through these sort of experiences, whether I like it or not, money does matter. It also matters to a lot of other people. I think it makes people blind to see beyond it especially when there is a gap in who has more or less. I am not saying this driver was dodgy but, through this veil of money neither party can see beyond to the person.
So back to Beijing, I decided to get off the subway early at Tiananmen Square as I didn’t quite get to see it the day before. It’s a huge expanse of open space surrounded by some gigantic buildings on either side: National Museum, Tiananmen Gate, Mao’s Mausoleum and the Congress building. People just seem to walk across it not really doing anything in particular… except fly kites. There were eagle kites flying super high and many kites all stacked one after the other in long lines.
Bicycles aren’t allowed on the Square (the guide book says that tanks strangely are!), so it’s just space. It’s quite starnge but quite nice really. Quite different to parks back home. In the park the day before, there was harly any open space – there were trees planted out almost everywhere. Then the other extreme is Tiananmen Square, only space.
All for today…