Our meditation room is under construction. The entire third floor (which is where the meditation room is) is being renovated and so we can't use that room. I miss meditation. Especially since we now have training for 2 hours in the evening instead. To me it seems like ant-meditation, we feel more tired and sore after class than we did before. I can definitely notice that in general we're much grumpier too. Overall, it's rather unpleasant.

I remember how hard meditation was at the beginning, sitting in one position for a whole hour was like torture but now I really crave it. Kinda funny. Hopefully it just continues to get better and better with more practice.

I've been knitting a lot but accomplishing little. Started a sock, got about halfway through the toe and decided I hated it. So I started knitting a lacy shawl instead. After numerous mistakes and having to undo it and start again 4 or 5 times, I've finally got it figured out (for now anyway) and I'm having a good time. I guess that'll have to relax my mind until the meditation room is done. I hope it's not much longer now.

Sometimes I feel like I'm too old for this stuff!

Last week we did a bunch of conditioning stuff. Jumps, duck walking, one legged hopping, squat thrusts, etc for 4 days consecutively and boy am I sore. The day off did help but I think it'll actually be an other week or two before I'm all better. Watching some of the younger students recover really makes me realize that my age is starting to catch up with me. I guess I am turning 30 this summer so it shouldn't really surprise me. Oh well, with age comes wisdom. Right? haha

So I'm back to "normal" life again. Mel and I had a safe trip back with no problems. We spent a few days in the city of Xian to check out the terracotta warriors and a few other cool sights. Xian is really cool, I will definitely be heading back there someday. It felt really good to get back to Wudang though. I feel comfortable at home and here, not really anywhere in between though.

We trained for about a week and then had a few days off again for Chinese New Year. It actually worked out very well, we got back into it but then had a few days off to recover from sore muscles before more practice. Chinese New Year was crazy as usual, lots of food, fireworks, and karaoke with very little uninterrupted sleep. It was fun though.

One thing I'm not enjoying is the renovations that are happening on the floor above our room. It is really noisy which is especially annoying in the afternoon between classes when we sometimes like to take a little nap. That floor is also where our meditation room is and it really sucks trying to get to it through a hallway full of debris in the dark, not to mention all the dust. Well I just hope it won't take them too much longer to finish.

The actual kung fu training is pretty good, despite the aforementioned sore muscles. I think we all really needed a break and now everyone seems to have a pretty positive attitude. Shifu hasn't been pushing us too hard yet either so classes are a nice combination of work and play, spending lots of time on individual practice and basics. I'm liking it! I have a lot of flexibility goals for the year and a few others that I'm mulling over. Certain things are hard to quantify, like wanting my side kick to be faster while maintaining proper technique. So I still have some thinking to do.

My major new year resolution was to stay more positive and not let small things get to me as much. So far it's going well, I can usually notice myself getting mentally worked up and control my thoughts. The problem is that sometimes I honestly enjoy being in a bad mood. I know it sounds strange but I think I have some belief that not getting angry about things means I'll get walked all over. Once in a while it feels good to me to be the person that everyone walks on eggshells around. I just hope I can learn to be more constructive about the things I want to be different. Thats why a positive attitude should help, I can keep a clear head and work on changing the things that need it rather than just steaming futilely.

I leave to go back to China in a few days.

On the one hand I really don't want to go back, it's so cold sometimes with no indoor heating and I'm really enjoying the food and modern luxuries of Canada. I am glad though to be getting back to training. I've been sitting around for about a month now and I'm pretty tired of it. It'll be great to use my body again and I feel refreshed and positive about the practice again. I really needed a break and now that I've had one, I'm really happy to start doing some kung fu!

Well I have missed a few weeks of journaling due to a combination of business and my computer being in 'the shop' but I'm still alive and kicking.

It's been really nice to be home. I was really missing Canada, being away for so long makes one appreciate how great it is here. The air is so clean and fresh! It smells fantastic. The food is great and I'm really enjoying spending so much time with my family and friends again. All in all a good time.

I have really been slacking and hardly doing any training at all. A little stretching, a little qigong and tai chi is about it. I am trying not to beat myself up over it though. The purpose of the break is to rest and come back ready to train hard again so I am doing my best to just relax and enjoy myself. The last year has been very challenging and I know the coming one will be too so I will make the most of this time without guilt.

While I am home I can actually upload a photo! This one is of me in front of a precarious overhang on the mountain. If you've seen the new karate kid movie, you'll recognize it as the place with the snake scene.

The break has begun!

On Wednesday Shifu spontaneously gave us an extra week and a half of break time so we are officially off now. yay.

My mom is checking into changing our flight home so we'll have another 5 days or so in Canada. If that works out we'll be super happy to head home early, if not, we plan to go spend several days in the city of Xi'an and see a bunch of historically significant sights as well as rest and eat some tasty meals. Either way we'll have a great time. It seems so bizarre that such a long awaited break has started unexpectedly early.

I woke up with a cold yesterday and spent almost the entire day in bed but I'm feeling better already. Hopefully this means I won't get sick on the way home like I did last year, though I suspect that was due to eating something that didn't agree with me and not a virus.

Well I may be incommunicado for a few days next week depending on our flights but should be back into the swing of things shortly thereafter.

It's December!

The break is getting closer and closer and I continue to get more excited. I'm really looking forward to going home again this year.

I don't really have a lot to say other than that. Last night we got an impromptu lesson from Shifu about internal alchemy. Really cool. Of course we won't start to practice that stuff for a long time yet, it was just the theory. He also talked about how skipping the physical training at the beginning and starting with the spiritual stuff was dangerous. It could even make you go crazy. Good incentive to be patient, not that I have another master to learn it from anyway.

Well, until next week....