Tag Archives: Tai Chi

Michael Bolton is a hit in China! Ha, ya’ll!

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October 7, 2010

Up at 6:30 am, I can never sleep in.   A Latte is in order, using a coffee filter, tea strainer and IKEA frothier with my S.I.T. ground coffee, I whip up a strong one.  Today I think I will look out the upstairs balcony window.  Across the way is a young man pacing on his roof top terrace with a book in hand.  I saw him yesterday morning doing this.  Is he studying for a test?  SAT exams are coming up.  They are not offered in China. High school seniors planning to go to college abroad or in America will need this test for their application.   Students travel to Hong Kong to take it on October 8th and 9th.  The flight is over two hours, I can imagine the expense.  I look further down to the courtyard and there are twelve people in three rows doing Tai Chi.  That looks easy so I stand up in my purple night gown and brown fuzzy knee length robe and begin to follow the movements.  This is interesting, the movements give the impression of slowly moving your prana around and then there is a quick movement to push it off of you.  I like this.  It might get rid of bad spirits.  Although I moved half way around the world you would think I had gotten away from the bad spirits, but who knows, maybe a little Tai Chi is in order.  I brew another cup of coffee and trot back to my perch on the balcony. The class is over but two students remain practicing with red fluffy fans.  The movements are fluid and almost hypnotic.  This is quite enjoyable to watch, much better than TV.

Alice called last night while I waited on wedding fire crackers to explode and wanted to meet in the center of the city to listen and buy some music.  I hailed a taxi and off I went.  The city is different at night, with all the lights and many people bustling around.  I meet her at a foot bridge and we walked to a side street and into a CD shop.  Sawyer is there chatting with the owner, they are friends.  We look at music and it seems the Chinese are in love with some of my favorite music from 90’s.  Michael Bolton, Celine Dion, and Kenny G are their favorites.  To all of my art teacher friends, Mr. Garrott, Miss Gilly and Mrs. Arago you put up with my Michael Bolton posters and music, guess what they are hits here and now!  Ha, I told you this was good music.  Now a whole country loves them too!  I ended up with some old Beatles, Hall and Oates, Norah Jones and Sheryl Crow for 15RMB each.  The discussions centered on what Americans listen to now.  I had to break it to the shop owner Bolton is no longer a big hit in America.  Americans move on to newer musicians and melodies.  He just couldn’t believe me!

We walked down the street and there were night vendors set up on the sidewalk.  I checked out burlap looking shoes, PJ’s and then my eye went to some old Chinese art books.  Ah ha, a find!  I ended up with two, one on Ceramics and the other on paintings.  They are fabulous, colorful and of course in Chinese.  But art is universal, who needs words?

Someone is shooting fireworks this morning, I can’t see where they are coming from in the daylight, bummer.  I woke up about 1 am hearing a huge display of Roman Candles go off.  In a variety of colors and array of lights, it was like a dandelion explosion.  Then a phone call from Possum Kingdom followed.  My realtor is renewing my property contract in the Hills over PK.  Anyone interested in two acres overlooking the lake?  It is too far for me to vacation!

Ji Ming Buddhist Temple and meeting a “Leader!”

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September 5 2010

Today was a special day.  I inquired about the Ji Ming Temple last week and Alice the Chinese economics teacher said she would take me.  Today we meet up and walked first to her friends Ceramics Art Gallery.  I was able to see all kinds of ceramic and porcelain tea pots, cups and jewelry made by local artisans.  They had throwing ribs made of bamboo, that was very unique, and durable.  What fun I had there.  Ended up with some sweet gifts and earrings for me.  Figuring how to ship small items may be interesting, will have to check into DHL.  Alice’s friends have a bamboo caged little pet in the shop, named “Leader”, like leader of the government so Guli the owner calls him.  The pet is a large grasshopper.  It makes the funniest noises while you shop.  I want one!  so Guli said he will keep an eye for the woman vendor who sells grasshoppers on the street.  He said he saw her with 200 caged grasshoppers.  His is a month old and eats pumpkin and cabbage.  I got to touch it’s foot.  Alice bought a teapot and got a lotus pod.  They said the word for seeds means children. So the lotus flower has many children, I can relate!

Alice’s husband met up with us after his Tai Chi class and we took a taxi to the temple.  It was many flights of stairs.  I threw coins in a giant tripod container — if your coin goes in you become wealthy. Took me many tries to get that darn coin in that hole.  At the top of the temple you can eat Vegeterian food and it was very crowed today.  We got a seat and I finally ate “mock meats” instead of just vegetables.  We had a vegetarian beef meat and a bowl of noodles with mock shrimp.  It was very good, similar to Sumi Veggie in Richardson. I tried Plum Juice, very tasty.  We looked at all the Buddha sculptures, very large, colorful and quite impressive.  I saw only four real monks, all bald, even the girl.

We then strolled  Xuanwu Lake Park next to the temple.  The temple has a huge pagoda and a great wall around it and continues down to the next pagoda and another temple probably a mile or so away.   It is similar to the Great wall in Beijing.  These walls were built to keep the enemy out, the Mongolians.   It is quite old, but in good shape. The entrances have arches and are magnificent.  On the lake was hundreds of small boats similar to paddle boats.  It was a colorful site to see.  In a park area, the senior citizens dressed in yellow Chinese old fashioned clothes were preparing for the fall festival, by practicing their music.  Another group was singing Chinese opera.

As I am writing this I hear opera outside my hotel window.  A student is practicing his singing too.  Occasionally I hear piano coming from the music building.  It’s all very soothing and delightful.

Another good day and tomorrow, school.  Maybe I will figure out how to do laundry in the morning, since my class starts at 11:20.

I need a “Leader!” and I shall name mine “Obama!”