Firstly can I apologise lots and lots for being rubbish with this thing! The internet connection at the academy is abysmal so i've finally managed to find an internet cafe and some time to update it and it STILL wasnt working......anyway all sorted.

Hello kindly folk!

Needless to say I've been quite busy over the past couple of months since last post. I think last one was just before my first grading? Well now i've done 3 gradings! The basics grading was the scariest because I was still new here, it went ok it's onloy basics so it wouldhave been difficult to mess up. The second grading was Tong Bei Quan, a fist form which didnt go so well..... im not too good at fist forms so next it was on to learning how to use a staff ( YAY! frst weapon!). Well i'm a lot better with the staff, the grading went above average but still not good (its bloomin nerve racking being infront of the masters, not fussed about the students any more)

So that's the 3 gradings but what am i doing now? where does swinging a big stick logically lead onto?Well the staff got longer and a sharpe little metal bit got nailed onto the end: a SPEAR

That's what im doing on the forms side of things, otherwise things are all ticking good: acrobatics is progressing slowly now doing one handed cartwheels with little problem but a still a far cry from bakflips! Sanda (kickboxing) have done a little bit of sparring which is good fun and very different to kicking pads! But ive been told today to stop training completely for a couple of days by the doctor because my groin has been getting progressively worse over the past 4 or 5 weeks. I went to a more alternative hospital which was more friendly than the other one the use massage, acupuncture, suction cups and heat pads as opposed to x-rays and asprin! Anyway the lady examined me then i got a massage from a very kind blind bloke (he did work there it wasn't just a random act of kindness) who then found out what the actual problem is (language barrier has kept this from me for the time being all i know is that tornado kicks are off for a bit) then I was lead into another room where two heat pads were put on my groin for about 20 mins. I then got some medicine and some smelly patches to put on my groin for 24 hours. Hope it al works so that I can carry on putting full effort into learning spear, which i love, it is a very efficient weapon and a brilliant form (this is it on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMw5K-0-oBw )

On a slight tangent the Chinese Government is causing visa chaos because of the Olympics. They are only issueing one month visa at a time! which means I have to go back to the police station, waste a days training, once a month since i arrived until the end of August paying full price every time which is pure hassle..

The food here has and is getting a lot better than it was when I first got here and water melons have come into season so i have at least 2 of them a week as well . Im also looking into using the academy's kitchen to make myself a huuuuge bowl of pasta which is the main food I miss properly!

Since the last post I have only been out once which is good for the ole money saving thing! Oh yeah I have also sorted it out with the headmaster so that i can stay until early october, the 6th to be precise, and my dearest lovely mother has changed my insurance and flight (can we get some praise sent her way please????)

Right... I bloody hope this thing works now as it is the 4th one ive done over recent weeks and it is jolly fustrating to keep redoing!

Please let me know whats going on a home, any mundane things are gems to me... not that im homesick or anything

Lots of love

xxxx