I have a Question for You! That's right for You!

Well today is my last full day in Hong Kong, and I have to say that I've really had an enjoyable week with my cousins, the Zweigs. During the week I've not only been treated to anything and everything, but they also suggested that I go see the "Big Buddha" which is located on an outlying island about 45min. away by ferry. At first I just kind of brushed it off, mainly because this week has been the first time I've really been able to sleep in for over 2 months! But eventually I realized that I'm not on this one year quest of sorts to master the art of sleeping-in, but to experience the world. So yesterday I set out to Lantau Island, and after a 45 min. ferry ride and then a half-hour taxi ride, by the craziest taxi driver in the world, up and down winding roads situated perilously high above the ocean, I made it to the Big Buddha. When I saw it my mouth kind of hung open for a little, while in my mind I was thinking, "wow, that's a big Buddha." The Buddha is the largest outdoor sitting Buddha in the world, and so I spent about 2 hrs. looking around taking photos. At one point the sun was in the perfect position such that the beams of light could be seen through the gaps between the fingers of the Buddha, and I took some pictures that turned out to look like the Buddha had a bright star in its hand. Then I went to visit Po Lin Buddhist Monastery, which was nearby, and then enjoyed a nice vegetarian lunch, now bringing me to my question.

Have you ever surfed in Hong Kong?

Beijing and the Beard

I'm in Beijing with my Dad right now, until tomorrow when I fly to Hong Kong, and let me just say that I am in complete heaven. After eating some of the most terrible food of my life (which could be based upon what I am about to describe) for two months, my father and I are being treated to meal after meal after meal by the heads of Beijing's medical University. I've eaten at the most famous Peking Duck restaurant in the world, Henry Kissinger ate there, and many other high ranking political officials from around the world. I've had traditional Northern Chinese HotPot, traditional Szechuan cuisine, and traditional southern Chinese cuisine. Also I've sipped tea while watching Peking Opera, been to the Forbidden city, been asked if I like Chairman Mao Ze Dong (haha...) and want to buy a book of his quotations, and climbed the Great Wall. It has been one amazing experience these past couple days in Beijing, not to mention the past 2.5 months! On top of all that, yesterday I shaved off my beard, which was looking quite Savage (in the words of Matthias son of Zeus) and Manly after not shaving for for 2 months, because I was told I had to look proper when I visit my grandma in Malaysia. All in all, I have had an amazing experience in China, and I will be sure to come back soon...very, very soon!

It's Snowing in China

Today is officially my last day at Kunyu Martial Arts Academy and thank goodness I didn't leave a day earlier than planned. It dumped snow here a couple hours ago turning the area into a winter wonderland. It was truly beautiful and I took advantage of the situation by taking several photos of me doing Kung Fu in the snow (I am truly sorry that I have not been able to upload any photos online, but China blocks the photo website that I would have uploaded it to). This evening I will meet my father in Yantai and enjoy a nice dinner. I'll have my first real shower in 2 months and then the next morning we'll wake up early so I can give him a tour of the martial arts academy. Then it's off to Beijing for 4 days. As I made clear in my previous post I have truly learned to love this area and can't wait till have another chance to come back. Talk to you all soon!

My Master Swung a Metal Pole against my Shin

Actually he just kicked me really hard with his shin (while doing a grappling move that could have potentially ripped my shoulder out), which is basically a metal pole because he's been conditioning his shins for about 36 years by kicking trees with it. Let's just say that you would know how much it hurt if you heard the sledgehammer-like sound he makes when he kicks trees, punches trees, beats trees to a pulp, etc.
The truth of the matter is my time at Kunyu Martial Arts Academy is drawing to a close. Soon it will be airplanes, cell phones, and the hustle and bustle of normal life. My time here could only be described with a feeling of contentment. Even though I feel I could have tried harder, suffered more pain, and learned more I feel that I have truly done my mind and body a lot of good. I've learned Plum Flower Mantis Boxing in the region where the Praying Mantis System was born, I've read Lao Tzu's Tao de Ching and pondered life and its necessities where Taoism was born, and above all else I've come to a state of inner peace in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I wake up every morning to the Kunyu Moutains in the distance, to roosters crowing, and to the farmhands walking to work. This place has inspired quite a lot of lyrics and music, and has inspired me in so many different ways. So much so, in fact, that I am already drawing on the possibility of returning here next March or April, but that's not set in stone yet.

Even though this place has really grown on me, what I guess I'm saying is I will see you all very soon, and can't wait to be home.



---Also, I have decided to offset the amount of carbon I have and will burn throughout my travels via an organization called Carbon Fund (http://www.carbonfund.org) and I encourage you all to do the same. It is a lot less expensive than you would think, and can apply to airplane travel, automotive travel, home and office energy, and everything in between. Basically an inexpensive/cost-effective way for you to prevent global warming, and preserve the beautiful world we live in.


PEACE, LOVE, and ROCK n ROLL

So Sorry

Hey everyone, how is it going? It's been awhile I know. The internet has been out at our academy for the past week and a half with sudden moments when it does work for about half an hour scattered in between. Also, the power blew for about 12 hours yesterday Afternoon-Night, the water stopped working for awhile, and then the sewage got screwed up...anyways, all in a weeks stay at Kunyu Martial Arts Academy. I've been really working hard in the past week our two developing power, flexibility, and strength. Also I have progressed quite a lot with Mantis Boxing and I have found out that the style of Mantis taught here is called Plum Flower Mantis Boxing, which is supposedly more deadly than Seven Star Mantis, for those of you who know what that is It's also been getting really cold here, and as the seasons change it seems tensions have been getting worse. Recently I have been losing a lot of respect for my master, well actually especially today. A lot of the people complain in my class that he doesn't teach us enough or fast enough for the amount of money we pay, but the truth is he wants us to earn a new move or a new form which I have no problem. He is extremely disciplined most of the time and several times he has talked about how his master beat him or how a man came to buy the move list of the most advanced mantis form off of his master, and his master refused, which I think is really good. However, several things have turned me off my master recently. First off, I asked about Qing Gong (the art of lightness, a true art that has been documented and where wire kung fu movies like Crouching Tiger came from) which is considered a lost art of China (as in the Chinese government got rid of everything pertaining to it), and he replied that it takes many years of Qi Gong practice to develop such a skill, but he also said if there were Qing Gong masters why wouldn't they be playing basketball for China. In my opinion, someone who has spent so much time and effort practicing Qi Gong and focusing their mind and body wouldn't be interested with the money involved with basketball. He has done a lot of other things that I really didn't think he would do, like laugh at less advanced students, but mainly he has been giving off a lot of negative energy lately. Maybe it's due to the change of seasons, I don't know.
On a brighter note, my Qi Gong has been developing immensely. I have been practicing near to 4 hrs. every day and can really feel the energy. Just yesterday, for the first time, I really felt like I was entering emptiness. My pain faded and I began to see things with my third eye, INTENSE. This is not some kind of scam all this seeing and feeling energy people talk about, it really works. The other day I also feel I have developed my own Qi Gong method to increase energy. We were doing our usual meditation in Mantis class and I felt like a flame was coming off of my body, and for some reason my hands began to drift upwards towards the sun. Then after a few more minutes of Qi Gong breathing I felt like a fire tornado was shooting out of my body, and I really started sweating. I also realized that my body had taken on a stance similar to the Chinese symbol of fire (thus I've dubbed this method Fire Qi Gong). I felt immediate energy, but decided it would be best to balance it with a more peaceful Qi Gong posture, and the moment I changed I began to sweat less, but I still felt the energy coursing through my body. It was some pretty weird stuff, I was willing to believe it at first, but the evidence is all there so I dunno.
Anyways, I am sitting here at my desk, the sun has just dipped down past the Kunyu Mountains, where Taoism was born, right outside my window and I am thinking of all of you.

PEACE, LOVE, AND ROCK and ROLL