Hello again!

Long time no write; you may be relieved to have gotten rid of your square eyes. Not for long…I feel this may be a long-un. So make your self comfy…cup of tea, a nice bit of cake (oh how I long for the former) and a pre-read wee stop.

Ready…?:

Did I mention helping out with the Lingo school at the 9 Dragon pools, which happened to be situated 2.5 hours walk from where we actually ended up? I think so. Well…word on the street (well from the interpreter) is that we should have been paid. Never mind ay? Sharing is caring and all that!

Gradings:

Yes. I have had two of the beauties now.

Monday 31st March (I think) was the basics grading.

Here you have to demonstrate your ability to perform some basic kicks, a front and back sweep, and the basic 5-step form.

For those martial artists out there, the kicks involved high section front kicks, in to out crescent kicks, out to in crescent kicks (all of these performed WITHOUT chamber position… ie straight up and straight down…supporting foot planted firmly on the ground). We also had to do a funky sideways kick (super hard to explain), jumping front kicks, and all sorts.

The front and back sweeps are performed within a mini form of their own (you get but one shot at each).

The five step involves a sequence of punches, kicks, blocks, and cat stances. You do it one way and then in mirror image.

I wasn't particularly pleased with my performance in the basics. I was really nervous (you have to do it in front of the entire academy). Not to use it as an excuse…but…the whole school were also waiting for our class. The grading was held towards the end of the afternoon session. My lovely Master made us hold a side kick for 3 minutes on each leg, and after each leg-holding-mission, he made us do 50 sliding side kicks on the leg to get the blood pumping again. Then he got us to do some pretty hard core pad work. We came running out of the training hall and straight into the grading. All I can say is that at least I was warmed up!

I quickly participated in the afternoon hard Chikung session in order to dissipate my frustration at my performance. It worked a treat as we spent the second half hour chopping trees with our hands.

The following Tuesday, I had my grading for the Tombay (sp?) form that I had been learning parallel to the basics. It has since been explained to me that this is an "ape" form…and it actually makes sense now I think about it! As some of the movements are quite ape-like (slapping of floor, double punches etc).

It is a sequence of moves involving grabs, punches, kicks, blocks, stances, travelling, jumps and it the grand finale involves 4 kicks…the last of which is a tornado kick.

I was nervous again, but not as much as the first time. Having only been shown the ending Thursday, and not having had the chance to practice said-tornado kicks until the Sunday due to injury (will explain later), I was a little anxious. But I gave it my best shot and was pretty pleased in the end. Yes, I wasn't as low as I should have been and I am still bending forward in Cat-stance, but it went OK. Geordie James video'd it…so hopefully I can get it on here.

With those two out of the way, I am now learning the Staff! Woohoo! They have given me a weapon. Hehe. Foolish people!

Currently I am learning how to do the "flowers"… It's a way to describe the circle-like motion that you make with the staff around your body to create your protective "bubble". Pretty word for a pretty movement. But you wouldn't want to get in the way of the stick when it's swooshing. Trust me…I've biffed meself a few times! Master says I should do it 1 millions times. So 1 million times it is.

The injury:

It came from a jumps and rolls session a couple of Tuesdays ago. Master got us to do some really cool stuff. We created a spring board out of some of the mats. We had to do a flying side kick to the right and then punch a pad in front of us with the right fist. It was excellent fun. However, when I took my turn to hold the pad, one of my class mates veered towards us a little too much when doing his jumping side kick. He landed and simultaneously bashed my knee with his as he thwacked the pad I was holding for the punch. It hurt at the time, but after the initial shock it was OK and I was able to join in (or at least attempt to succeed in) the next challenge, a flying side kick to the right, a side kick to the left and push front kick all off one jump. Hehe. It was a challenge indeed!

But then overnight the knee got some swellage going on and stiffened up and was pretty painful for the next 6 or so days…hence not being able to try the tornado kicks until a few days before the grading. It's all gravy now though. Well…as gravy as any person's knees can be in this place!

Jumps and rolls continue to be a big challenge for me. The basic stuff is improving…like backwards rolls, cartwheels and stuff. I can stand straight and flip forward onto my back without touching the ground, and I can happily attempt to do a row of forward flips from a headstand, but I am still incapable of running up to a stick held at solar plexus height and jump over it into a forward roll. It's like I psyche myself up, do the run up, dive forward and then freak out mid-air. My brain over-rides and asks "What the devil are you doing?!" and then I chicken out mid-air and land flat on my face…much to the amusement of my classmates and Master Wei. I'm not quite sure how to override the brain. Logic tells me that to do it properly will eliminate all pain. Hmm…I'll just have to keep trying!

Take-downs-wise, we have learned some pretty cool ones. A few weeks ago I actually thought I was going to break something! Shifu has told us quite directly that we must remember everything he teaches us, for in the temple, if he ever forgot something, he was physically punished. I've heard through other students that some masters were shown a whole form start to finish once, and only once, and then told to practice. If, in the grading, they got it wrong…there would have been serious consequences. Ooer. It's really difficult to remember everything. I guess a beating or 2 or 3 always helps to you want to remember though!

Oh yes, the Visa story. I have noticed that my 6-month visa permits me to stay in the mainland for only 90 days at a time. Unless I can find another solution (which I reckon would be costly), it would seem that I must leave the country by 31st May (90 days since my arrival). So…I am toying with the idea of ending my studies here on the Friday and heading down to HK for a few days and then commencing my travels from then. Originally I had thought to nip out and straight back in to return to the academy, but realistically, this would only be for a couple of weeks more. So it may make more sense to make a clean break and start trekking.I had better start planning!

The weather here gets toastier and toastier everyday. It's wonderful. We've all caught the sun and everyone is smiley. And they have introduced ICECREAM to the academy shop. YUM. Of course, this being China, the ice-cream probably doesn't contain any actual milk, so it tastes a little strange, but it's refreshing nevertheless and at 2 CNY a pop, it's just great.

In fact, it was so toasty on Friday, that after we had been stretched to within an inch of our lives on Friday, Shifu let us go swimming in the dam / lake down the road. It was f.r.e.e.z.i.n.g! But really refreshing. Master Wong even got in, much to our amusement. Boys and water are such a funny combination.

Last weekend I went out again…under much duress. It was American Kyle's (the dancing guy from the performance at the top of the mountain) leaving do, and both Nathan and Pierre's bdays. Approximately 22 of us stormed a restaurant in Yantai pertaining to Gary (one of the interpreters)'s aunt. It was a pretty rowdy affair. There was beer and brandy (neither for me, don't worry!) and some freestyle rapping with beatboxing. The restaurant people were so amused, they placed some sort of filming device on one of the counters and proceeded to film much of the meal…which I found rather strange. Also, from where we were sat in the centre of the long, narrow restaurant, we had a view of the kitchen door, which had some slats missing from it. On more than one occasion, I caught sight of 3 faces peeking through the holes at us, beaming like excitable small children. The faces belonged to the chefs. Just like in a Disney cartoon!

After this, we all piled into taxis and headed to "The Palace" a recently discovered hot springs in Yantai City, not dissimilar to the one in Muping that we go to. Only much, much bigger. The ladies still don't benefit from any hot baths perse. But the guys get huge baths and this that and the other, and the men's PJs make them look like little Greek princes from way back when. We must have been in the shower, and marvelling at the beauty products available for ages, as Sarah and I only caught the very end of the performance being shown upstairs. It would seem we were slightly better off that way, because the guys spent the rest of the evening debating whether or not the dancing ladies were in fact men or not. Many of them were very disappointed to have been fooled in the first place. Teehee.

Then the bar tour began. In the basement below the Palace is a bar called Baby Face. It's pretty modern and plays Chinese house-style music. Had I been drinking, I would have absolutely loved it. They have strobe lights, lasers, all sorts. And Pyrotechnics and performing bar-people. There are also podiums for the general public to perform on. Naturally 3 of the guys did. One of them being a club-dancer by profession. You should have seen the crowds that they drew. They even inspired some of the Chinese people to get up and give it a go!

When my weary, sober body could take no more, we went back to the Palace to stay the night. Very comfy beds, I must say, but the LOUDEST snoring I have ever heard. Dad, even louder than Clive. And it was a WOMAN! I was incredulous. Had I not have been geeky enough to bring some earplugs and my iPod (laugh as much a you like at the earplugs. They saved that snoring lady's life, I tell you!), there would have been a mysterious death in the room…by asphyxiation-via-pillow.

Charlie, Sarah and I didn't fancy hanging around Yantai all the following day so set off home early. It was a proper adventure. Nearly a misadventure, as we were attempting to take a bus. I am so very glad we had Charlie with us, as he can speak a bit of Mandarin. Just as it seemed that we would never get on a bus (let alone the correct one), we finally managed, 1 hour later to board one and get going. It has made me realise that travelling around after my time at the academy is going to be anything but a breeze. Ooer.

Ooh. I had my first Massage, or Man-sage on Friday. I figured that after running (mostly walking) up the mountain four times and coming down the last time partly on hands and feet (head first) I would try it out. It wasn't bad, I must say. Pretty hard and a little painful at times, but good. It lasted 45 mins and cost a whole 50 CNY…which equates to less than £4. Nice. I'm going to try a foot one next time.

Right…think that's enough for one day.

Happy birthday to Mummy! Davey G! And Binkie!

Hope you all have wondrous days!

Thanks again for all your messages and stuff. Keep em coming. Apologies again if I am slow to respond.

Lots of love to all. Hope you are well. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Joselyns:I finally posted your letter yesterday....nearly a month after writing it. We were in the post office for 45 mins trying to send x1 letter and x2 small packages. What a palava. It was a bit of an adventure... hehe.I reckon you should get it in about 2 weeks.xxxxxxx