Drops of ZhengDe

Gate of Heavenly Peace

2007-04-09T23:35:00.000Z

Gate of Heavenly Peace

The light of the screen flickered across my face
My young impressionable eight year old mind
Gazing there upon that screen
I saw a man totally consigned.

The Unknown Rebel stood there still
Halting all their military might
Stopping them dead with only his will
Standing to fight the good fight.

Watching this symbol of protest
Standing solemnly in the square
There is no way I could have known
Of the girl who lived near there.

Eighteen years later I stood in that square
That hot July day under an azure sky
In a country that once seemed so far away
Now seen through another’s eyes.

We walked there happily hand in hand
Around a monument to heroes who had to fight
And she told me of her time near there
With shots heard ringing through the night.

Her long black hair flowed so freely
In a gentle summer’s kiss
How had we come to find each other
Enraptured in our euphoric bliss.

I still think of that tank man today
One lone man taking a stand
And how we all eventually come full circle
No matter how well our life is planned.

A little horrible poetry

2007-03-28T13:42:00.000Z

Mirror

I stood and stared and saw myself
But what I saw was not me
It was not the self I had come to know
But was the self I’d came to see.

I paused and looked and saw her there
Lying on the cold tiled floor
Wiping her blood from my cheek
I raised the axe once more.

I chopped and cleaved and carved her up
Her head rolled by the door
I saw her lifeless eyes stare at me
Saying she was my wife no more.

Speckled there upon my face
Crimson droplets ran their course
Emerging from the once white lace
Which will forever adorn her corpse.

My madness left, the realisation came
I hated what I had become
I saw the pieces of my beloved
And I knew what I had done.

She ran and fled to another man
What anger drove her from my bed
I picked up my axe in a rage
And then removed her head.

I stood and stared and saw myself
But what I saw was not me
It was not the self I had come to know
But the monster I’d come to be.

Kato Sensei Comes Again

2007-03-20T16:34:00.000Z

It was St. Patrick's weekend and despite the harsh winds and flurries of snow, people from all over the country descended on Tuam to attend a seminar with Shihan Kato (8th Dan). Some brave souls from England decided to undertake the journey across the water to the wild west of Ireland. They drove all night and then came straight into the dojo for training. Their dedication to the cause had to be commended. Sensei started off the Saturday morning training by teaching a special class just for children. He guided them through the basics of karate and corrected their postures and positioning.

The second class began at the end of the children's class and training began with some kihon exercises using some often neglected stances from karate such as sanchin dachi, musubi dachi, uchi-hachiji dachi and heisoku dachi. After various exercises focusing on the correct use of the body in punching from these stances, Kato Sensei went on to instruct us in the proper use of the hips and feet when trying to move forward and backwards with a hip thrusting motion. Next we moved on to the kata Rantai, which involves a myriad of leg techniques and unique foot work and proved to be quite a challenge. After going through various sections of the kata it was all put together and performed several times. This marked the end of the first day or training and the start of the celebrations of St. Patrick's day. A very enjoyable evening was had by all. Familiar faces got together and resumed where they had left off and new friends were made.

Sunday morning training began as the previous day had left off with the black belts performing Rantai. After instructing us on some of the finer points of the kata, Kato Sensei taught us the applications and we practiced them with partners. In doing the kata really became alive and each time the kata was performed we were able to visualize what we were doing and why. At the end of the hour the junior grades joined the class and each one was given a black belt to practice with. Kato Sensei showed them different foot movements to close down a variety of distances when sparring with an opponent and then allowed them to practice this with their partner. Kato Sensei then taught them how to use these foot movements in conjunction with kicks with each juniors grade aided by their partner. The class was then broken up and the appropriate level of kata was taught to the relevant grades. The class then finished and one member of the Sei Bu Kan dojo in Cork city successfully graded to shodan.

The feedback from the weekend was very positive and everyone seemed to have had a great time and enjoyed the training and getting together on this Irish holiday. I would like to thank Kato Sensei for coming to my home town and sharing his karate with us, Sensei Brian Toomey for all his help and support on the weekend and everyone at Tuam Karate Club for all their help during the weekend.
Osu!

Choices

2007-03-15T04:32:00.000Z

Someone asked me recently why it is I am making the choices that I have made. To do the difficult thing and leave all I know and love behind. To make the changes that I am making and to go to the places that I intend to go; perhaps never to return. I tried to answer the questions they put forth to me, but my answers were not sufficient. It was this evening, at this very late hour of 4:22am that I stumbled across the work of the slam poet Big Poppa E. There was one poem which caught my attention and held me spellbound as he read it out. I listen to it. Then I listened to it again and then again. It held the answer that I wanted to give. It captures the way I feel about life and better yet…the way to live it. And so I present that poem here so that I can look upon it every day and when next sometime asks me why I have made such a choice, I will point and let them read.

Scars, Part Two

By Big Poppa E

There comes a time in every kid’s life when they must be allowed to discover this truth: the plumpest berries are in the very heart of the sticker bush. It’s the scratches that make them sweeter.

A Me without scars is evidence of a life unlived.

No one can tell you the stove is hot, you must be allowed to touch it. Children protected from playing in the dirt grow into sick adults unable to fight simple infections. Parents can’t possibly redeem themselves for past bad choices by forcing their children into closets for safety, this will only make them blind and afraid and vulnerable and it will make them hate you.

Give me a life full of rope burns and splinters and heart-felt advice I’m allowed to ignore. Give me shins scraped by pavement and cracked front teeth and elbows bloodied into stories worth telling. Then bury me in the ground bruised and imperfect with skin tattooed by a life well earned, well-lived, etched with cautionary tales, drenched with tears and laughter. Every mistake, every stumble, every lesson reflected in my defiant smile.

At the end of my life, the last thing I want to see is a long series of safe choices and measured steps. Give me instead a life filled with triumphs, fuelled by countless lovely missteps and wonderfully painful bad choices. Please God, please let my last dying breath be scented with gentle regret for things I had the courage to try and none for the things I dared not do.

I have learned so much and still I have skin left untouched. I still have work to do, I still have life to live.

The only lessons worth learning are the ones that leave a mark.

To listen to this piece as it should be read I point you to the poet himself, as he brings his passion and defiance into every word. Click here to here to listen.

To find out more about Big Poppa E and his work go to his website: www.bigpoppae.com

One Perfect Day

2007-03-09T22:58:00.000Z

I sat on the stone wall that separated our garden from the field at the back of our house. It was July and I was about thirteen years old. I let my feet dangle loosely over the edge of the wall and I closed my eyes and felt the warm rays of the sun bathe my face. A gentle summer breeze blew the warm summer air against it. I opened my eyes and looked out across the golden field and listened as the breeze made the long grass rustle. I remember it was especially silent that day. There were no cars rushing past on the main road, no lawnmowers trimming the grass and no loud screams of other children playing in their gardens. There was just me, sitting on that wall, on that fantastic day. There was nothing special about that day, nothing wondrous or amazing happened and yet thirteen years later I can still close my eyes and feel that same warmth and hear that rustling sound. I remember sitting on that warm stone wall and thinking this was perfection. I felt so relaxed and so happy. I choose at that moment to remember it forever. Whenever things get on top of me I can always go back to that special time and remember the things which are important to me. All I have to do is close my eyes.

I am not sure what compelled me to write this but I feel all the more relaxed for doing so. Everyone needs that special place for themselves, their own private space. That space that while you can tell others about, they can never join you. For that place is yours and yours alone. A place where you can go and forget about all the inconsequential details that bog us down in our day to day existence and concentrate on what is really important for you. For me it is that one perfect day.

If indeed there exists an afterlife, and it was different for all of us, then I would choose to be sitting on that wall again, without a care in the world, feeling the warmth of the sun and listening to the rustling grass. That would be my heaven. My perfect day.

Training in Japan

2007-03-07T16:58:00.000Z

I can only imagine what it must be like to be enrolled on that course. At first there must be excitement and certainly some nerves. I am sure I would think it was going to be tough, but I think I could not possibly know what to expect. You can read the writings of others and hear their experiences, but knowing about the experiences of others does not mean you have experienced them yourself. To endure the Instructors Course in Japan must indeed be one of the toughest things there is. From what I have read it is not so much to attend, take part and participate in the course but rather endure, suffer and survive. To dedicate yourself to the perfection of your technique and adopt this extreme and cruel lifestyle really says how committed you are to developing your karate.

There is only hard work on this course. It is relentless, brutal training day after day for two years under extreme pressure. Training along side your peers and having to give it your all or suffer the consequences. One small mistake, one lapse in etiquette and your senior will let you know by a beating. This lifestyle applies to both inside and outside the dojo. For the kenshusei (trainee instructor) there is no let up, there is only constant pressure day after day.

Can you imagine the dread that you would feel walking into training everyday knowing that today might be the very day that you get badly beaten for some infringement. This kind of environment forces you to change, to become better, faster and stronger. Either that or you just do not make it through. Simple as that, sink or swim.

But graduation does not mean that your training is finished. In a recent Shotokan Karate Magazine (SKM) interview written by Scott Langely about Takashi Yamaguchi (6^th Dan), Yamaguchi Sensei says:

“So after you graduate, it doesn’t mean you stop shidoin geiko (instructor training), in fact that is when you start shidoin geiko properly. In karate there are no ends, only beginnings. Starting karate is a beginning, Graduating for the course is a beginning. There are no ends, The only end is death. This is Shogai karate, it means from beginning to death.”

Yamaguchi Sensei still trains on this course every day and the results can really be seen in his karate. His speed is amazing and his technique is so sharp. He is inspiring to watch and at the same time I found him to be a gentleman both inside and outside the dojo.

For a first hand account of what it is like to train on this course I refer to you to an article written by Scott Langley, he also being a graduate of the Instructor’s Course. The link to the article can be found on the JKS Ukraine website.

It was during my trip to Switzerland last year with two of my students that we had the opportunity to train with Sensei’s Yamaguchi and Ishimime. It was truly fantastic. These instructors are in their prime and when you see them move they make it look so easy. But there are no shortcuts in karate, there is just dedication and hard work.

Until next time, Osu!

Kime and Zanshin

2007-03-06T19:28:00.000Z

To start an explanation of kime let’s look at the first line of the wikipedia definition:

“Kime (in Japanese 決め) is a Japanese martial arts term. In karate it can mean 'focus' - the instantaneous tensing at the correct moment during a technique.”

In his “Best Karate” series Masatoshi Nakayama (former Chief Instructor of the JKA) defined kime as:

“…an explosive attack to the target using appropriate technique and maximum power in the shortest time possible.”

From this you can begin to form an idea of what kime is about. When practicing a karate technique with kime, physical and mental focus must exist. When the technique lands on the opponent it must be like a surgical strike in its precision and delivered with maximum power. All elements of the technique must be controlled at that instant and they must all work in harmony with each other. The breath and technique are combined and the result is a devastating attack to the enemy. This concept stems from the ideal of “ikken hissatsu” which means to “kill with one blow”. The best representation of this ideal can be seen during kihon ippon kumite or indeed jiyu ippon kumite. Two opponents face each other and one attacks and one defends. The encounter is very fast and the defence and counterattack must be strong enough and precise enough so that the ideal of ikken hissatsu is upheld.

This then leads us on to the idea of “zanshin”. One again let us look at some sections of the wikipedia definition to enlighten us:

“Zan·shin (Japanese: 残心) is a term used in the Japanese martial arts. It refers to a state of awareness - a state of relaxed alertness. The literal translation is remaining mind.”

And

“In karate, it means staying alert and focused and does not necessarily involve the direction in which one is looking, or even the condition of having just "finished" a fight; it also means being aware of the possibility of being attacked at any time whatsoever.”

When practicing karate, the practitioner must be aware at all times of what he/she is doing and at no time let their mind drift. For example when engaging in kumite you must be relaxed and yet ready for anything that your opponent may throw at you. When you are relaxed it means that you can react quickly and appropriately by applying a sufficient defence and delivering a decisive technique. Elimination of all unnecessary tension in your body is important for quick movement but your mind most also be relaxed and not focussed on any one course of action. In this way you can freely react to any situation and allow your training to come to the fore.

So in order to have an effective karate technique one must have both kime and zanshin. Once the technique is delivered the karateka must still be in a state of readiness and aware of his surroundings, ready for whatever may come next.

Perfection

2007-03-06T16:21:00.000Z

We enter the dojo and don our gis and as we step out onto the floor we feel the familiar sensation of wood against the soles of our feet. When you first start karate the notion of training in your bare feet is alien, but after a few years it is almost a comfort. Students take up positions in various parts of the dojo, stretching and loosening their bodies, readying themselves for the task at hand, the practice of karate. Every time you come into the dojo you hone your technique, making it sharper in the same way a craftsman polishes his tools, for how can anyone do the work they need to do if their tools have been neglected? The karateka looks at the minute details of a technique, eliminating any wasteful movements to ensure efficient and effective application of their weapon to the opponent, the only weapon that a karateka has…his/her body.

My mind is always drawn back to the mental images formed by an article written by Dave Hooper which contrasts training in Japan with training elsewhere in the world. To quote from his article “Karate-do: The Way versus the Cul-de-sac”:

A Karate Class — somewhere in Japan

“Ichi…ni…san…shi…”

To each count, a group of dan grades execute gyakuzuki. The sweat running down their impassive faces reveals the degree of effort and concentration that their practice demands. The sensei briefly interjects to re-emphasise the importance of keeping the shoulders relaxed during the movement. The rhythm of the count remains constant, almost hypnotic; undisturbed by the kiais that contrast so sharply with the otherwise inaudible breathing. As each set of ten counts is completed, so the next begins: a never-ending sequence to be eventually halted by the sensei’s call of “yame.”

To me the Japanese method of training presented in that article seems so pure. So hypnotic as Dave Hooper puts it. The students just stand there and polish their techniques, again and again without complaint, refining them until their techniques become so fast and powerful that they can seem superhuman. But it is not superhuman. It is just hard work, dedication and an attention to detail which produces such quality. Each time I line up on the dojo floor and training starts, it is this image that I have in my mind; the perfection of technique and an understanding of it which is gained only through countless repetitions and study. This is the art of karate.

This is the endeavour to which we dedicate ourselves. It is not easy, often frustrating, but ultimately rewarding. We keep coming back, donning our gi and stepping out onto that wooden floor once more. There is nothing else I would rather do.

Sneaky Students & Stalking Dogs!

2007-03-05T18:43:00.000Z

Recently I decided to register on Bebo.com and have a look around and there to my surprise I found a photo with me in it on one of my student's profiles. The internet is such a sneaky place and so to further compound the problem I am now posting the same photo here so it can be enjoyed by anyone around the world who happens to pass through this blog. Let me tell you that we get viewers here from Los Angeles in the USA to Beijing in China and everywhere in between. So now these sneaky students can see themselves here as well.

In other news I think my dog has become a stalker after the argument we had recently about his payment for modeling work he had done. If you have no idea what I am talking about check here and then here to see how the story has developed. Anyway I was working away here in front of my computer and I heard the very soft patting of paws on the landing behind me. Turning around I caught the rogue trying to sneak back down after getting out of the sitting room somehow. It is important to note the Max is not allowed up stairs usually, which leads me to conclude that he is indeed a skilled spy. See how he has his body pressed to the ground, trying to stay low under the radar and evade detection. What was he doing up stairs? What plan could he possibly be hatching? I am not sure but I am a little afraid to use the toilet in case he has rigged it to explode or something! Keep watching this space to find out how this tale of domestic terrorism plays out!

Sneakiness abounds! Either that or I am becoming more paranoid in my old age. The pets of the world are plotting against us!

A Night Mooring Near Maple Bridge (枫桥夜泊)

2007-03-04T20:54:00.000Z

To the right you will see the beautiful scroll which adorns the wall in my room. It has been hanging there since Christmas and I never get tired of looking at it. It is a thing of beauty. All the more so since I it was written especially for me by Lailai's mother as a gift. Using an older style of Chinese calligraphy she wrote Zhang Ji's (张继) famous poem "Night Mooring Near Maple Bridge" (枫桥夜泊). Zhang Ji was a famous Tang dynasty (唐朝)poet and there is a bridge in Suzhou was has been made famous by this poem and while I was in Suzhou last year I did not get a chance during our brief visit to see it. Perhaps next time. In traditional Chinese writing such as that seen here the characters are written with a brush and the words are to be read from top to bottom, starting at the right hand side and progressing left.

I have included the text of the poem as it would be written using modern simplified Chinese characters, pinyin and of course and English translation.

Simplified Characters:

张继 Zhang ji

月落乌啼霜满天，
江枫渔火对愁眠。
姑苏城外寒山寺。
夜半钟声到客船。

Pinyin:

枫feng1 桥qiao2 夜ye4 [泊bo2;po1] 张zhang1 继ji4

月yue4 [落la4;lao4;luo1;luo4] [乌wu1;wu4] 啼ti2 霜shuang1 满man3 天tian1 ，

江jiang1 枫feng1 渔yu2 火huo3 对dui4 愁chou2 眠mian2 。

姑gu1 苏su1 城cheng2 外wai4 寒han2 山shan1 寺si4 ，

夜ye4 半ban4 钟zhong1 声sheng1 到dao4 客ke4 船chuan2 。

English:

Moon sets, crows cry and frost fills all the sky;

By maples and boat lights, I sleepless lie.

Outside Suzhou Hanshan Temple is in sight;

Its ringing bells reach my boat at midnight.

The English does not do the poem justice. It captures what is being said but the feeling is in the sound of the Chinese words. There are other English translations available which might be more literal but I think this one captures the feeling of the poem nicely. Other more liberal translations add too much to the poem and take away from its simplicity and economy of words. The poem is peaceful and tranquil and at the same time possesses a hint of loneliness. All the same I really love this poem and it is one of my first exposures to some of the great works of poetry that China possesses.

If you would like to hear how this poem sounds when spoken in its native language then go to this page: http://kid.baby.sina.com.cn/2004-11-15/4054.html

我要谢来来妈妈，她给了我这张绘画. 谢谢!

Wrecked!

2007-03-03T23:44:00.001Z

There is really nothing like a good hard basic kihon session when you are training karate and that is just what we had today. The sweat was pouring off people, running down their faces and stinging their eyes. They pushed themselves hard and kept going and going, trying to give it everything they had, not knowing when the end was coming, trying to maintain a good technique, while at the same time doing the combinations at speed and with full power. All the while they were being watched and corrected, they were under pressure. Do it faster, stronger and better. Their hearts were pounding and their muscles screaming and then it came. The call to stop. They held their positions, unmoving and breathing heavily. Eyes fixed to the front, focused, ready for the next command. It was at this point they were given a break and allowed to get water. They collapsed on the ground exhausted and rested themselves while they had a chance. They knew it would begin again soon.

Good learner, bad learner

2007-03-02T14:50:00.000Z

On one of my usual mooches around the internet I cast an eye on a blog called nihongojouzu which deals with learning the Japanese language and the resources available. I often look at this site to give me ideas on how to learn Chinese more effectively. The author of the website posted a video recently that he uses at a JET programme recontracting conference each year which shows the differences between a good learner and a bad learner when it comes to studying the Japanese language. The video contrasts one student who, while living in Japan, speaks English most of the time, watches English TV programs, reads English language publications and speaks only to English speaking friends; and the other student basically does the opposite and totally immerses himself into the language and interacts with people wherever and whenever he can. It is a funny little video but it highlights some of the mistakes that people make when studying a foreign language in the country in which it is spoken. However I am not so sure I would go so far as bothering people eating their lunch on park benches or anything like that! hehe

The link to the video can be found on the blog above or on YouTube here.

That's all for the moment!

Chinese Idiom #1: 一枕黄粱

2007-03-01T21:40:00.000Z

一枕黄粱

Meaning:
The phrase can be translated to mean "Dreams of grandeur" and it means dreams that cannot come true.

Character Meanings:
黄粱 is a type of foodstuff, millet.
枕 is to rest your head or sleep.

Story/Background

The story behind this phrase comes from the Tang Dynasty(唐朝) and involves the scholar(读书人) Lu Sheng (卢生) on his way to sit the civil servant exams(赶考) in the capital city. Along the way he mets a Daoist priest(道士) at an inn and he asks him to teach him the secret to great success, great riches and gaining a high position(荣华富贵). The priest tells Lu Sheng to rest his head on a pillow and sleep. It is not long before he is dreaming. At the same time the inn keeper is preparing them some food, all the while Lu Sheng dreams of great riches, having a beautiful wife, five sons, ten grandchildren, living until eighty years of age and attaining a very high position in the government. Just as he woke from his dream all of his riches disappeared, the inn keeper was still steaming the rich which was not cooked all the way through and Lu Sheng was without all his wealth and titles.

So from this story the phrase "一枕黄粱" was generated which means a dream that cannot come true.

To explain it in Chinese: "黄粱"就是小米, "桢"指睡觉. "一枕黄粱" 指不能实现的梦想.

As with a lot of Chinese idioms the meanings can be very obscure unless you know the story behind them.

Usage:

To put it into context and how it can be used I will use an example from a conversation that I had today with Lailai. Two years agoI had attended a conference which was in Japan and I just found out that it is in Hawaii this year. It is on at this very moment and unfortunately I am unable to go. It was at this moment that Lailai gave me the perfect example of the use of this idiomatic phrase when she expressed her desire to go there right now.

她说了: 我梦想去Hawaii,但是不可以,真是一枕黄粱

She said: I dream of going to Hawaii, but I cannot, it really is "a dream that cannot come true"

That sentence is just to give an idea of how the phrase can be used in conversation.

In the future I hope to put up more Chinese Idioms and their origin. Watch this space!

Learning difficulties and Chinese

2007-03-01T19:09:00.000Z

This morning I saw a program on adult literacy in the UK which detailed the programs and methods by which people can learn to read and write well. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to try to get around in the world these days without being able to read or write, but I had to admire the courage that these people have in seeking help to overcome this barrier. It was extraordinary to think that some of the people featured on the program were at one time labeled as stupid and retarded because of their learning difficulties. It was like people had just given up hope on them immediately and abandoned them. For some though there was a light at the end of the tunnel and they managed to overcome their difficulties and master the written word. Inspiring stuff. There are many groups and resources available now today to help the adult learner and it is a far cry for the state of affairs that labeled people with learning difficulties as "unhelpable".

A reading group was featured and two members of the group were singled out on the program. They were brought to bookstores and libraries and they were presented with different books. One of the group members, a lady, wanted something that she could read to her grandchildren . The other member, a man near seventy, was extremely difficult to please and was very fussy about what he wanted to read. He said that he often never gets past the second page because he gets bored. It was rather easy for the lady to find something she wanted to read but the other group member took some persuading. He was shown a machine that can scan in the page of any book and read it back to him. After scanning a few pages he was excited enough about what he heard to give the rest of the book a go by himself. It was still a struggle to read an entire book from cover to cover but there was a great feeling of accomplishment when they had done it!

This brought up in my mind once again the importance of the material being used for language study to be relevant to the student and being available in a variety of formats. From the viewpoint of studying Chinese the same ideas ring true. Not only has the material to be interesting in order for the student to stick with it when it becomes more difficult but it should be available in many different forms. Students should be able to see it written, hear it spoken and speak it themselves. What works for one person may not work for another and this is perhaps why schools have such mixed results when it comes to language learning. New technologies and resources should be exploited by schools and in that way new avenues of learning can be opened up to students.

The same issue of how languages are being taught in schools was raised in the blog article Changing how we learn by Ken Carroll on the Praxis Language website. With the British government announcing that they want to ensure that non-European languages are going to be studied in schools, you have go to ask the question: Is it going to make any difference when they are still using outmoded language teaching methodologies?

Laughing when you study? 好好！嘻嘻嘻

2007-02-28T19:15:00.000Z

近来来来的妈妈给了我一本书-成语100则，这本书有汉字和拼音。
。我学习初级中文课程所以这本书给我很多新的词汇。

Here are some pictures of the book that I mentioned. As you can see it is very colourful and beautifully illustrated inside. Each story is short and takes only one page and comes with both characters and pinyin. There are more books in the series however I only have this one and this one is enough to keep me going for quite some time. Each story gives an insight into a specific Chinese idiom and where it came from and as a result the reader can gain a further insight into Chinese culture. I have not been able to find a place where you can get this exact book online but if I do find a source I will list it here on the blog. If anyone reading this knows where it can be gotten feel free to leave the information in the comments section.

It is material like this which makes learning Chinese interesting and enjoyable. In this same vain of thought ChinesePod has also started offering similar cultural insights with the inclusion of things like puns and rhymes into their lessons which makes learning very enjoyable indeed. Their latest lesson offers an insight into Chinese humour with this repetitive tale of old and young monks in a monastery on a mountain. The text is given below but please follow the link to get the mp3 audio and hear the lesson with great explanations. Simple and very enjoyable. Now you too can impress all your Chinese friends with this never ending tale of monks and mountains!

初级95 Monks in the Temple on the Mountain

从前有座山，山上有座庙，庙里有个老和尚和小和尚。

老和尚对小和尚说，从前有座山，山上有座庙，庙里有个和尚和小和尚。

老和尚对小和尚说，从前有座山，山上有座庙，庙里有个和尚和小和尚。。。

Another example of this style of lesson is given in Intermediate level lesson 81, where the whole area of the Chinese love of making puns was explored. I have to say I really enjoyed the lesson. Once all the vocabulary has been assimilated by repeated listenings it is a nice feeling to be able to sit back and enjoy the whole piece in its entirety. I have often come across the Chinese art form known as the pun on several occasions completely by accident when I ventured to cast out a phrase and it was taken the completely wrong way even though I had said it correctly. Double meanings and sentences out of context can spell trouble. You have been warned!

中级81 Sheep, Wolves, and Fruit: a Riddle

草原上来了一群羊。猜一种水果。

草莓。

草原上又来了一群狼。猜一种水果。

杨梅。

草原上来了一群狼，没吃洋。猜一种海洋生物。

虾。

草原上来了狼，杨惊叫，狼还是没吃羊。猜一种海洋生物。

龙虾。

A good sense of humour is one of the most important things in life and having fun and laughing with others is an important part of integrating yourself into any society and communicating with others, so why not use that as a method to study a language? Why not indeed. I look forward to more of these types of lessons from ChinesePod in the future. I always find that the language constructs I remember the most are the ones that provoke the biggest (positive) reaction from the people I use them on. What bigger reaction is there than to tickle someone's funny bone and bring a smile into their day?

Thats all for now! Study hard!

Eindhoven Express to Thai Food

2007-02-28T00:43:00.000Z

On a dark , overcast and wet day in Maastricht Anna, Tingting, Lailai and Steven brave the bad weather and head out to Eindhoven in search of nice Thai food. I was not there but I have been given my orders to put up these pictures. I think that it is a form of torture for some unknown crime I have committed. Just looking at the pictures of food alone makes me hungry!

Lailai looks so happy here on the train, knowing that at the end of her long journey she will be treated to some nice spicy Thai dishes. Even the bad weather cannot dampen the spirits of our motley crew.

Thinking of all that nice spicy food on the rapidly moving train made Lailai hungry and very hot and so she cast off her coat to reveal some very brightly coloured clothes. So stylish. We can still see that she is brimming with happiness.

The camera managed to capture these two naughty girls up to something in a quiet corner of the train. Look closely at Tingting's and Lailai's faces...they look so innocent but you just know that they are planning something.

Ah Ha! We finally see what those two were at! They had been playing with some strong glue on the train and it got into their hair. Tingting knocked it onto the ground and when they both reached down to pick it up, they bumped their heads together and now they are stuck like this!

At this point they are still stuck together but Lailai no longer finds it very funny and waves at people outside the window to come and help her and separate her from this mad woman. Tingting however looks quite happy to be stuck to someone else's head and so smiles nicely for the camera.

The group arrive at the restaurant in Eindhoven where they are met by Rubing who is wondering why Tingting and Lailai's heads are stuck together. Anyway they all try to ignore it and smile bravely for the camera. Tingting shows us two fingers trying to tell us that "Two heads are better than one!".

It was lucky that the restaurant had something to get rid of the glue and after a few moments Tingting and Lailai were separate and the meal could begin. Here we see Lailai looking so happy because she knows the nice food will come soon! Like a little cat she begins to purr! Miao~!

Above we can see some of the tasty dishes they were served at the restaurant. From soups and starters to more substantial meals served with rice. Everyone agreed that the food was excellent and delicious.

Lailai is really enjoying her food here and takes a brief moment to pause and pose for the camera! Her eyes say: YUM!

Tingting also allows a moment in her busy schedule to pose for a picture. She is like a naughty child eating ice cream and getting caught. A little surprised but happy nonetheless. I wonder what she is eating? Perhaps she will leave a comment later and tell us.

Lailai turns to the camer after eating so much and gives us a very relaxed pose. Steven however cannot waste any time and turns his back to the camera and tries to hide what he is eating. He is devouring a chicken skewer.

Beer or cola? You decide...actually I think I will have both! And maybe I will have the flower too.

Eh? You want to steal my food? Not a chance! Look at my big scary claws, they are very sharp! BOO!

Outside the restaurant. All is well and everyone is full and happy. A little wave from Lailai and off the group go back to Maastricht as they sleep on the train.

Here the group gathers together before they leave and say goodbye to Rubing. Lailai, Tingting, Anna and Rubing wait in the cold for their express train home.

Until next time, Goodnight Everybody!

ChinesePod - Mandarin on Your Terms

2007-02-27T16:05:00.000Z

I love learning Chinese. For me it is not an academic exercise but a means of communication with Lailai and while she speaks English extremely well I feel it is only right that I should aim for an equivalent fluency in her language. Learning languages for the sake of learning can be a rewarding experience by itself but there is nothing better than the feeling you get when you have the chance to put it into practice. To sit in on a conversation in Chinese and to be able to understand what is going on still makes me excited. Of course my level of Chinese is nothing spectacular but it is amazing what you can pick up and how your ear can be trained to pick up the gist of what is being said even though you might not know every single piece of vocabulary that was being used. It is that ability to train your ear and become familiar with the sounds of the language that can get you through a conversation.

I had been picking my way at the language for years trying to crack open the nut that is Chinese but my success was limited. Using books with dry dialogues that moved too fast, presented too much and got too advanced too quickly compounded my problems. It was when I was searching the internet (yet again!) from resources for learning Chinese that I came across ChinesePod. It was like the hazy fog that separated me from my goals suddenly started to be dissolved by the voices of one Jenny Zhu and fellow Irishman Ken Carroll. Presenting daily podcasts with practical Chinese as it is actually spoken has been a godsend! With varying levels of lessons there is something there for everyone attempting to start or improve their learning of Chinese.

The Chinesepod system allows you to learn at your own pace and tailor your learning for your specific needs by allowing you to dip in and out of their large collection of lessons to make sure your Mandarin Chinese learning is meaningful to you. However one of the most important aspects of learning with Chinesepod is the online community of learners which has developed. The sharing of resources between users and the feedback they give to Chinesepod are what make it so engaging. Furthermore that feedback is listened to and acted upon to bring the lessons that are wanted by listeners.

In short I am a big fan and my increased progress is due in no small measure to Chinesepod which is why I have included a link to their site on my blog. If you want to start learning Chinese and haven't yet done so then head on over to www.chinesepod.com. With free daily podcasts you can only gain from this service.

They offer many more tools to help you to "drill down" the language, to borrow a term from Ken Carroll, which are available when you subscribe to them. At this moment I can not afford to subscribe but I am sure that their learning tools perfectly compliment their excellent lessons from what I have seen from their website. A free preview is also available for one week which I have yet to try since I am waiting for a time when I have nothing else to disturb me and I will blast into it headlong!

Hope this post can steer some people in the right direction when it comes to their studies of Mandarin Chinese. Good luck!

Super Model

2007-02-26T20:42:00.000Z

we are super model, wahahaha Zhengde looks very handsome, but this pants little bigger for him, do u know how much about this pants?

Chocolate Rabbit Update

2007-02-26T20:06:00.000Z

CHOCOLATE RABBIT UPDATE!!!!!

The chocolate rabbit is now in real danger of disappearing, only you can help to save this endangered species from disappearing off the face of the Earth! As you can see from the photo only the face is left of the poor bunny! Lailai desperately wants to eat it and it maybe too late to save him. 嘻嘻嘻

Look into those cute rabbit eyes. How much longer can he last? I bet he will be gone before the end of the night. Even I feel like eating him now!

All of a sudden I feel very hungry, I wonder what I will have! (Evil laugh inserted here!)

Dog and Mouse?

2007-02-26T18:27:00.000Z

Looking at the post from yesterday you will see that my dog loves to pose for photos and will stay perfectly still for anyone who wants to take snaps of him. However as I said he always demands some sort of payment for his modeling work and this was obviously not to his satisfaction yesterday. After lunch I returned to my desk only to find Max surfing the internet using my laptop. Somehow he had heard that I had used his image on this blog without his permission and that was something that he had not agreed to. Needless to say he was very annoyed and he was in the process of searching for a good lawyer on the internet when I caught him. Luckily I had my camera with me and I was able to catch these few photos as evidence! Such a sneaky little dog!

However the one thing that hindered his internet search was the mouse. He was trying to figure out how to use it when I got this picture of him. After some pushing it with his paw and sniffing at it he realized the game was up and that he had been caught using the computer. I think I need to watch Max more carefully from now on. He may even be leading a secret life that we do not know about. Maybe he makes tea in the kitchen at night and watches late night Jerry Springer on the TV!

In this picture you can see that he is giving us the innocent face and pleading his case. This face says, "I wasn't doing anything I swear, I was just sitting here keeping the chair warm until you got back". A likely story indeed. I for one am not buying it.

You cannot fool us anymore little doggy, we are onto your game. Stay tuned for further Max adventures.

Dogs and Cuckoo Clocks

2007-02-25T18:44:00.000Z

Since I have returned home I have to say that the weather has been less than inspiring. It is no wonder that I am always compelled to leave this country as often as possible in the search of more attractive climes. However there are certain things about your own home that make it very easy to forgive it's shortcomings. There is the familiarity of your own family and the regular routine about the house that make it a home. Here you can see our dog, Max posing for a picture. I have never seen a dog love a camera so much. When he is called and he catches sight of the camera he will stay perfectly still and wait until the photo is taken. However like all models that are involved in a photo-shoot he too expects payment and so once all the photos have been taken he goes straight out to the kitchen were all his snacks are kept and demands immediate recompense. A very smart dog indeed.

My parents have recently returned from a trip to Germany. More specifically they spent a week in the Blackforest region of Germany and they brought back this cuckoo clock for me. Now I can be woken on the hour, every hour to the sounds of the forest which will flood my room. There they have a place called the House of 1000 Clocks. I would hate to be the man in charge of making sure they all kept the correct time!

For those of you thinking about having Thai food for the next week or so (you know who you are!) here are some pictures to whet your appetite. On the right hand side we have delicious prawn cakes and below you can see Pad Thai Gai, chicken in a spicy thai red curry and an assortment of vegetables that really had a beautiful flavor. These fine dishes were eaten in the Pet Thai restaurant in Maastricht. Very tasty food!

A little more information can be found here about the Pet Thai restaurant. Ah wouldn't it be great if you could get a job as a traveling food critic. I think that would suit me perfectly! hehehe

That's all for the moment!

Feb.23 is a very important day

2007-02-25T00:44:00.000Z

Zhengde 一大早就收拾好了自己的背包，但是他忘记了他的sake. 看他的小头梳得多精神呀。

This was the last picture we took together in the Airport. Hope my handsome and cute Zhengde can come back again super soon. My fingers are crossed together now also my toes.

This is what I did at home by myself yesterday. The poor bunny still looks very happy
This time I hope I can publish my work successfully. I do not want my work gone again :-)
AIYA

Back to business

2007-02-25T00:20:00.000Z

Today was my first class back teaching karate since I returned from Maastricht. It was nice to see my students and get back to doing something I love. We are busy preparing for their examination which is coming up at the end of next month and also we are preparing for a course to be taught next month by a Japanese instructor. So we are all looking forward to that. I meant to take some pictures today at the dojo just for fun but in my rush to get to training I forgot to bring my camera and so I have included some photos that I took when I was in Japan last year.

These photos were taken in Kyoto in March last year. We were there for business reasons and unfortunately did not get the opportunity to do any training and so we decided that we had to at least take some pictures of us doing karate while we were there. During a break in the conference that we were attending we headed off and found this nice location and did our little photo-shoot. In hindsight I am glad we took them so that now I can look back a year later and think about the time we spent there. I would like to go back there again but we will see what the future brings. I hope that Lailai and myself can go there together and explore the country further.

Last year two of my students got their black belts at the course we held with Sensei Kato (8th Dan). It was a very proud moment for me and I was so happy for them because I know that they put in so much hard work into preparing for their exam. I hope that the course this year goes as well as the course last year.

Recently a true master of karate passed away leaving a very big gap in the karate community. Tetsuhiko Asai's genius and creativity were inspiring and his technical ability was awesome. Even after his death his example continues to inspire everyone who came into contact with him and learned from him. The greatest tribute that can be paid to this karate legend is to keep his teachings alive and pass them on. As his wife Keiko Asai said in her funeral address: He recently left a note on his desk, saying: “My pleasure and hope from now on is only one thing, and that is to leave behind, for everybody, my skills and knowledge in Karate". I think that is all that any teacher can want from his students no matter what level they are at. To see your students take what you have taught them and carry it on is one of the greatest feelings that you can have. I hope that I have contributed to my own students' understanding of karate in some small measure and that they can use this to develop their own abilities further in the future.

After dropping me off at the airport poor Lailai had to return to Maastricht and go to work. I really hope that she gets a good rest soon. I am sure she needs it after putting up with me over the last ten days. I really miss her and hope to be back with her again soon. How she can suffer this Yang Gui Zi is beyond me but yet she continues to do it and for that I love her very much!

Enough rubbish from me for now!

Goodnight everybody!

Time to say goodbye

2007-02-23T23:03:00.000Z

Alas it was time to leave and as I sat on the train leaving Maastricht and bound for Amsterdam my heart grew heavy. I had seen the scenery countless times before and as I looked out the window at the cold fresh morning all I could think about was the great times I had with Lailai these past ten days. The two of us headed north bound for the airport. The familiar settings of our parting once again surrounded us but it made it none the easier despite its familiarity. As I sit here now on front of my computer in my home my mind drifts back to the events of the past week and while my body may be here typing these words, my mind is still with Lailai.

It seemed like only a moment ago that we walked through the streets hand in hand having such a wonderful time. As the rain beats hard against my window pane I long to leave this place again. I hope to return sometime at the end of next month and that gives me something to look forward to. I am already counting down the days.

Now I know there are some people waiting to see certain pictures and so without further ado I will post them here for your enjoyment.

Here we can see the first known appearance of Amy's red nose! As she walked through the streets innocently during the carnival a strange woman came out of no where with a little paint brush and asked Amy if she could paint her nose red. Amy, thinking that this was a reasonable request, allowed the woman to paint her nose. Nobody knows if her nose is still red, if anyone has any information please put it in the comments below. On the same day she also acquired a red balloon but this has not been seen since!

As you can see even the statues around the city got in on the act when the carnival came to town. If you look very closely at the statue (click on the picture for a bigger view) you can see that he is smiling. A sure sign that he is really enjoying the party atmosphere.

Amy, Tingting and Lailai stand together for this photo with the red balloon. Look at those nice smiles. Have you ever seen people look more happy? 哈哈哈

Lailai and Tingting play the ancient game called "throw Tingting over the wall!". See the smiles on their faces, it is obvious that they are really enjoying the game. Tingting feels like she is a bird flying through the air!

After they finished playing the game, they decided to dance together. Don't you think they made a lovely couple? See them gazing deeply into each other's eyes. :)

In this picture someone forgot to tell Tingting what was going on and so she is busy trying to get someone to hold her elbow. Amy and Lailai look so excited. Happy times!

Here Lailai, Tingting and Amy try to get jobs as X-Men. See their unique poses. Such power. They will defend this bridge using all their skill. I just wanted to take a picture but as you can see they are getting ready to attack me!

When they saw the flash from the camera they ran to hide. Here they are re-appearing from behind the wall! It is ok ladies you can come out now, the camera will not hurt you. SMILE!

Anna, Amy, Tingting and Lailai get together and talk about all the silly things that they have done. Amy was not expecting us to arrive at her house but she still has her red nose. I think she likes it and it suits her! hehehe

We will survive! Lailai and Tingting keep close together to survive in the cold conditions of the bus shelter. I hope the bus came to get them otherwise they still might be there! :o

Thats it for tonight folks! I hope you enjoyed the latest collection of pics. I am sure there are more out there since I know the whole gang continued to party and have a good time long after we went to sleep because I had to catch a plane the next morning. Feel free to send me any pics that may be out there and I will put them here! I know you have them.

Hope everyone is well and happy, goodnight everyone!

Jiaozi! Jiaozi! Jiaozi! and Ping-Pong

2007-02-22T23:02:00.000Z

Well today is my last day in Maastricht, tomorrow I have to go back home. So sad, but I had a great time here and celebrated Chinese New Year in style with some great friends. First I want to thank all of you for such a great time and I hope the new year goes well for you all! I hope to see you all again soon when I pass back through town on one of my visits! I will try to add new things to this blog on a daily basis so come back often to see what is going on. Lailai will also be posting in Chinese, so there will be something for everyone to read and hopefully lots of pictures to look at. I have many nice pictures of my digital camera that I will be posting in the coming days so keep an eye out for that. You might see yourself there!

Today we all gathered at Anna and Tingting's house to make dumplings and drink wine! hehe In this picture we can see Lailai gathering her Qi (气) preparing for the task at hand. She wants to put all of her energy into it so that we can have delicious jiaozi (dumplings)!

So we began to prepare the dough. Lailai demonstrates here in this picture how to correctly knead the perfect dough for jiaozi! And she does it with a smile and time to pose for a picture, what a professional.

Here you can see a picture of me holding the dough, but actually I have no idea what to do with all these professionals standing around me making it look so easy. I just smile, hold the dough for the camera and beat it as best as I can.

Here is the rest of the team of professional jiaozi makers that I mentioned above! From left to right we have: Steven, Anna, Tingting and Rubing. They all trained for the last twenty years high in the mountains of China to make jiaozi as good as we had tonight. They have my respect！嘻嘻嘻

Tingting and Lailai present the materials that will be used to make the dumplings. I hear that it is very important that the bowl be pink. There is no explanation for this! hehe

Here is Anna kneading the dough again and again. Into every piece of dough she pours her heart and soul. Do you think she is looking a little tired in this picture? She should be, she was kneading this dough for three days to get it just right.

Here we see Tingting also working with the dough but I think she does not know what she is doing since she decided she wanted to make baozi...or was it a football? Either way it made her very happy as you can see in this photo!

The meat was prepared and the team gathered around the table and started filling the pieces of pastry with this mixture. The recipie is a secret. I could tell you what was in it but then I would have to kill you!

So here we can see what one jiaozi looks like when it is made and before it is cooked! This very professional looking jiaozi was made by Tingting who at this stage had decided to give up trying to make baozi and join the rest of us. We are very glad she did! :)

Here is the team busy making the dumplings. As you can see they had no time to stop for a photo during this process. Their speed was incredible and it really was something to witness.

This is a picture of some of the jiaozi that were made. There were so many but when it came time to eating them they disappeared very quickly as you will see later. Looking at them again makes me hungry! I wonder if I can get them to make me some and send them to me. I will e-mail them now! hehe

Here are the jiaozi boiling away in the wok. Looking at them again makes me mouth water! Give them to me now. The team carefully watched each jiaozi to make sure it was properly cooked and they took the temperature of each dumpling as it was removed to make sure it reached their high standards. Amazing dedication to food!

Here Lailai samples the nights work and delights in the wonderful flavour of the jiaozi! Her face says Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! She is also holding a clove of garlic in her hand that is eaten with the dumplings.

All the jiaozi in a big bowl in the centre of the table. Actually there were more than this but I was too busy eating to take any more pictures! Sorry about that. Each jiaozi was dipped into a mixture of black vinegar and garlic and some people added chilli to theirs. Very nice indeed.

Here is the lovely Lailai giving a nice pose for the camera. After the dumplings were eaten, the wine was drunk and fun was had by all. Cute isn't she! ;)

Here is the whole gang after the feast was finished. Everyone was very still for this photo but Rubing's arm (on the left of the picture) seems to be very active. Now it was shortly after this photo was taken that it was suggested that we all go to play ping-pong! This resulted in us getting a little lost, asking a lot of people for directions and eventually finding the place only to be told that we could not play because it was closing. Howevever I might add that the people in charge at the ping-pong club were very nice and gave us all the information that we wanted.

That then brings us to this picture of Lailai and Tingting sitting in a bus shelter trying to keep out the cold. Lost and with no idea where we were going we headed towards the light of the bus shelter and kept close to each other to keep warm. More pictures from this adventure when I get home.

Oh and if you are wondering about the chocolate rabbit then you can see how he is from this picture. His entire back is missing, only you can save him now from his terrible fate! :P

Well this is the last post from me while I am in Holland, I will post again when I am back home and continue putting up pictures and news here. Make sure to leave a comment under this post and feel free to send the link to this blog to others!

So for the time being I would like to say thank you to everybody in Maastricht and I hope to see you all again soon for more adventures and craziness!

Goodnight everybody! 晚安！