by windwalker on Thu Dec 15, 2016 8:08 am
Due to my work I’ve lived in a number of places in Asia for yrs at a time as an expat.
Worked in Southern China, Guangzhou, lived in Beijing where my focus was only to practice and train with my teacher and his group there.
I remember my first trip into china for work. Taking the bus from HK to Guangzhou. After the passport check going into china. It seemed like leaving a picture where everything was in color going to one where everything was in black and white. The skies always seemed to be overcast with a yellow tint, In talking with the locals many from different places most didn’t seem to care for the area.
In high tech, often the work is long, and kind of stressful but also can be interesting and fun overcoming language barriers trying to figure out what happened with some production tool. In Chinese the words “ I don’t know” were pretty much the standard answer when asked what happened.
China, is China. Depending on one's own outlook it can be very fun and interesting or very frustrating and depressing. I don’t think I could really work there long term in my field, but just training with my teacher and his group was very rewarding, interesting and informative.
I call them my taiji family, indeed that was how I felt and still feel.
Having said this, I am sure that others would echo my thoughts, there seems to be a level of understanding
that unless one was brought up there it will never really make sense. For me I just noted it.
I would highly recommend anyone studying Chinese MA to go there. The locals seemed to be
very happy and proud of being able to share some of their culture and help with what they know is a very daunting path to follow.
I remember while in Tianjin, watching a chen stylist practice he noted my interest and asked if I did ph and would like to try. I said ok, to his surprise threw him out. An older woman watching said something to him and came over to play. This time I was the one thrown out. I had asked my friend who was that, and what did she say. My friend said “ that was his mom, she told him what he did was not correct, and showed him the correct way”
Had to laugh way to go “mom”
Last edited by
windwalker on Thu Dec 15, 2016 8:16 am, edited 2 times in total.