tai chi Archives - 8 Feets And Heart Beats

The End Of Our Tai Chi Chapter

November 13, 2014 by Robbie Smyth 12 Comments

‘The Smythie Graduation and Award Night’

Firstly, because I’m the writer here, I award a ‘GOLD STAR’ to ME!

When we started out on this little ‘learning experience’ it was tough. Well, for me it was tough. It was HOT beyond anything I had ever experienced, I thought I might just melt. My body ached and screamed from places that I never even knew existed, I never could have guessed just how tough life can be when your knees just fail to work! And then there were my own personal demons. They were on full speed, fast forward, maximum volume! My stubbornness was having a great run and being one to buck-up (fiercely) against routine … well, need I say more! BUT … through all of that I did it! I made it down to that training room 86 out of the 88 days, I trained for 352 hours out of the 356 and I will happily admit, that by the end, it was possible that if time allowed, I may just have agreed to a bit more time here! (What … did I say that?) This experience has changed me. Not in the way that is visibly noticeable, I’m not walking on a cloud or standing as gracefully as one of those white Chinese cranes for 8 hours straight, but I just feel so much lighter, alive, sensitive and alert. And stronger, I feel physically stronger than I’ve ever felt before. There’s a long way to go to get the full benefits of practicing such an amazing form of art, but what I will take out of this experience is profound, and happy and lovely!

Secondly, a ‘GOLD STAR’ is awarded to our amazing, and patient LIAM

For reasons totally opposite to my own, for the simple fact that he is actually packing up and leaving after JUST 4 and a half months (18 weeks = 88 days = 356 hours!) For anyone who knows our Liam you’ll understand the sheer scale of how difficult this is for him. He admitted the other day to one of our Tai Chi buddies that he’d happily stay for 1, 2 maybe 3 years – if only he had a willing family! SO … a MASSIVE gold star for Liam – for leaving!

A big shiny ‘GOLD STAR’ for our little Master Jed.

He is quite simple amazing! He has made us proud, over and over again. He picked up the forms so quickly and his enthusiasm and his zest for life was infectious. Every day he was there, in the training room, participating and learning and just being our crazy, energetic and adorable Jed. I don’t think there will ever be another student that smiles as much during their practice as our boy. He really does light up the room – and our hearts. YOU ROCK JEDABUG! (and yes, you will be an incredible Master one day who will bring joy to all of your students!)

AND last but definitely not least, I award a big shiny ‘GOLD STAR’ to our little mini Master Deni.

There were many times when I’m sure she wanted to scream out ‘NO MORE’, maybe hide in the cupboard, even give herself a belly ache to avoid that training room, but she didn’t. Yes, her feet may have been dragging at times but Deni was with us, moving her little legs and tiny little body every session. She’s a girl of my own heart so I appreciate just how big a deal this has been for her. There were many times over the past 4 months that we wondered if she was actually taking anything in, but she surprised and delighted us on the very last Wednesday of training. We had an exam … and she absolutely blitzed it! Her moves were perfect and she remembered everything. She wasn’t just going through the motions, she was actually feeling it. I wasn’t the only one in the room beaming with pride when she completed her exam, you should have heard the applause. So … well done our little princess. You are a star, and we are so very proud of you!

So that completes this chapter, and our “Tai Chi experience” in Yangshuo, China.

A Dragon’s Backbone!

October 9, 2014 by Robbie Smyth 4 Comments

Sometimes there are places and destinations that just blow your expectations right out of the water!

I have to admit, that the ‘Top 10’ destinations here in China scare me. After our experience at The Butterfly Cave, attempting the simple task of walking down ‘West Street in Yangshuo on a public holiday, then a crazy day at the Guilin Water Park (too bizarre for words!) I’ve been avoiding the ‘tourist hot spots’ like the plague, much preferring to pedal as far as possible in the opposite direction. The crowds here are like nothing I’ve ever experienced, crazy, chaotic, noisy and always, ALWAYS a ‘total sensory overload!’ I was chatting to Jed the other day about the population of China (more than 1.3 BILLION people!) and he cracked me up with his comment,

“And I think that half of those people are in West Street Mummy’

It sure feels like it at times!

Chaos of West Street … on a quiet night!

Even though the thought of hitting the ‘hot spots’ fills me with dread, I can still appreciate the need for these lists. Currently I’m in the midst of wading through the Lonely Planets ‘top 30’ to help me plan the rest of our China trip. I mean how can we possibly be in China and not see the Pandas, or take a walk on the Great Wall? The ‘Top 10’ tourist spots are there for a reason right? They are, quite obviously, the best experiences that country or region have to offer, whether that be for cultural reasons, a lesson in history or the sheer beauty of a natural wonder.

Which brings me to our recent … totally awe inspiring, and amazing experience …

Bring on the Longji Terraced Rice Fields, more commonly known as the ‘Dragon’s Backbone’ (and the very much preferred title by our little tour group!) It rates as one of THE places to see here in China, and originally, before the Butterfly Cave experience, it was tagged in my well-worn guidebook with my trusty little post-it notes.

This time of the year just happens to be one of the best times to view it, even so, when Master Huang mentioned it I was torn between feeling the dread of sharing the experience with 10,000 Chinese tourists, and that all too familiar feeling of excitement that comes with discovering new places. The excitement won out. Before I knew it I was nodding my head madly and hoping that everyone else was in agreement. As luck has it – they were.

Once again we found ourselves all bundled into the car, the Smythie family, along with Master Huang, Alex and Paul (our fellow Tai Chi students) heading for yet another adventure within our adventure.

Our travel buddy, Alex.

4 hours later we put our feet down in Longsheng county.

With a feeling of excitement (and a touch of relief that we were finally out of the car) we made our way through the big fancy gates and meandered up a street lined with little shops selling all sorts of knick-knacks and everything the visiting tourists should need.

Right from the onset I was mesmerised. I followed along with a spring in my step, taking everything in and feeling a little bit like a kid-in-a-lollyshop. So much to see! If someone had of told me that we would be climbing in excess of 600 stairs to get to our hotel maybe I wouldn’t have been so spritely, but my adventurous heart had me climbing those stairs without complaint, and likewise for our little travel partners!

We climbed the crooked and seemingly endless trail to a village called Ping An, which was where we would rest our heads for the night. It’s a charming village town that’s documented as being over 600 years old. The buildings are all built in the traditional ethnic minority style using mainly wood with shingled roofs. It made for a pleasant change from the concrete blocks that now seem to be China’s style of housing.

And the air was different, perfect mountain air, clean, crisp and invigorating!

After a delicious lunch with our comfortable and easygoing group we started the climb towards the peak of the ‘Dragon’s Backbone’. In the car on the way to the terraces I chatted with Liam about how I’d be hard to please after being in Bali for a couple of years, and also being lucky enough to have trekked in Northern Vietnam on a few occasions, in short, I figured these rice fields would have to be pretty spectacular to give me something to write about – well, here I am, writing, and pleased is an understatement!

I love rice paddies, and always have. There’s something pretty special about the mix of clever human engineering and the natural elements that bring it all together. When I look at rice paddies I not only see the expansive vistas of lush green paddies, but I also see the workmanship that goes into creating them. Then, if you care to delve deeper, the mechanics that go into the irrigation and distributing equal portions of water to each paddy is nothing short of genius – but maybe I’ll treat you to that lesson some other time 😉

These terraced fields were mostly built about 650 years ago, well before machine and certainly before any computer program could give you a hand in designing such an enormous area of productivity. The sheer scale of these rice fields just blows your mind, and the thought of the work needed to farm such an area is almost overwhelming.

THEN … there’s the pristine beauty of it all. Picture this … we walk up (more) rickety old stairs and I see a glimpse of the terraces to my left ‘ohhh – look over there…’ We walk a little further, a few more stairs, then around a slight bend and WHAMMO! Right in front on us, actually all around us, is the most incredible display of rice terraces that any of us have ever seen. The perfectly contoured lines paved their way over and around the mountains creating an incredible patchwork of golden yellows, deep greens, earthy browns, and all held together perfectly by a glorious warm light!

We walked for hours that afternoon, and for hours we were not only surrounded by this amazing view but we were in it! It seemed that every corner brought about a new chorus of ‘WOW’S and AHHHH’S’. Cameras clicked and time stood still.

Just incredible!

Jed and Deni Discovering The Dragon’s Backbone!

It’s said that the name ‘Dragon’s Backbone’ came about because the rice terraces resemble a dragon’s scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon. No matter how it all came about, we couldn’t have asked for a better title for our Jedabug. It just so happens that his new fascination is for … yep, you guessed it – DRAGONS!

And as if the day couldn’t get any better, we found ‘Nine Dragons and Five Tigers’, another perfectly placed viewing platform. We arrived just in time to do our 74 form of Tai Chi alongside Master Huang as we watched the sun setting over this stunning, and peaceful part of the world.

Million Dollar View! (from our bedroom window!)

We woke the next morning to the million-dollar view and as I stared out of our window I had to pinch myself – again!

I was so grateful for this experience, and for Master Huang’s recommendation that we ‘head for the hills’.

We started the day with a short practice, and the 74 form overlooking this man-made wonder. A truly magnificent way to start the day!

Jed and Master Huang

Thank you Master Huang, thank you Master Tina, Alex and Paul, for being part of an experience that’s sure to be one of the highlights of our time in China!

Our Tai Chi Team!

AND .. a little movie for you to enjoy!

200 Hours of Tai Chi

September 25, 2014 by Robbie Smyth 6 Comments

This week we clocked up 200 hours of Tai Chi training here in Yangshuo – a great achievement for the Smythie team!

Tai Chi Illustration by Deni

I vaguely remember the conversation that initiated this little, and somewhat unexpected side-trip on our world tour, but I think it went a little like this … Liam and I were throwing the names of some of our top destinations around, trying to come up with an itinerary for the next 12 months. Somehow China, and in particular Yangshuo, ended up in the mix. It started as a bit of a ‘pie in the sky’ thought, you know … one of those fleeting moments of … ‘wouldn’t it be cool to live in a Tai Chi school for a few months?’ Then, as it so often happens with us, it evolved into a little more than that. We’ve been living that ‘pie in the sky’ thought now for 10 weeks, and planning to stay for another 6.

There were a few obvious reasons for Yangshuo, to practice Tai Chi first and foremost, the fact that we’re in Asia anyway, and we both liked the idea of a destination with a purpose. The fact that the countryside outside the gates of the school is so incredibly gorgeous is a huge bonus, and certainly adds some magic to the whole China experience.

Back in October 2011, I travelled through Vietnam with my Mum. We stayed in a gorgeous little boutique hotel right next to the Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi. Each morning I would wake up early, leave Mum to enjoy a much needed sleep-in, and walk to the lake. I discovered, on these early morning walks, the beauty and grace of Tai Chi. Each morning the perfectly manicured parks and lawns that surround the lake were full of people of all ages, from the young and fit – to the older, but still so nimble. It was then that I fell in love with this peaceful form of martial art. I loved the solitude of the ones practicing solo and I loved the more upbeat groups that practiced together, their little ‘ghetto blasters’ perched upon a park bench pumping out tunes that seemed perfectly timed with their moves. I loved everything about it. I would sit and watch them for what seemed like hours, all the while with a big smile on my face. When I reflect on that time I now realize that it was then that the seed was planted, and this flame I now hold for Tai Chi was ignited. I’m so grateful for that experience. It was a blessing and most certainly the catalyst to us being here right now. I’m forever grateful that Mum needed those sleep-ins (thanks Mum!) because now I can be one of those graceful, peaceful people on the banks of the Hoan Kiem Lake, welcoming each morning with the grace and beauty of Tai Chi.

Practicing Tai Chi on the banks of the Hoan Kiem Lake, Vietnam

As I mentioned in previous posts Liam and I really have very little background In Tai Chi. Apart from the little I have read, I really can’t boast a great understanding of the philosophies, the principles, or the history. But what I do know is that it is hugely beneficial for the heath of mind, body and soul. I feel the change in myself and that is enough for me. We can spend time on learning all the theory, and get deep into the understanding of the eight basic methods and the five elements but at this stage I think it’s enormously valuable to focus on learning the basic moves, really ‘feeling’ them, and then adapting our own style to the sequences. I guess if our idea was to teach, especially in the West, then we would need this theory for a full ‘rounded’ learning experience. There’s no doubt that we are, for the most part, a head based society so therefore the theory component is necessary BUT for now, I’m happy to do the ‘feeling’ part. I recently came across this great quote that fits perfectly for this stage of our Tai Chi experience …

Learn enough to be able to practice, practice enough to understand, understanding results in improvement.”

– Cheng Yi and Cheng Hao – famous Chinese philosophers.

Bit by bit, day by day, we are getting the information we need to help us on this learning journey, whether that’s in the new moves and forms, or snippets of Master Huang’s thoughts and teachings.

The style of Tai Chi that we are learning is Chen. For those who don’t know a lot about Tai Chi, there are 5 different styles and Chen is the original one. Although it has elements of both fast and slow movements, it’s standard practice that the students learn, and perfect, the slow movements before applying the quick moves. We’re far from the ‘quick’ stage, and as our Master politely put it, with his heart warming laugh …

You might ‘feel’ the Chi (energy) moving through your body in about … maybe 2 years, then you will be ready to learn and apply the explosive moves.

Hmmm, looks like 200 hours isn’t such an enormous achievement in the greater scheme of things!

Group Tai Chi. A great way to start the day!

Chen style is the combination of Yin and Yang. (Have I even told you how much I love Yin and Yang?) In practice we talk a lot about opening and closing forms, up and down, left and right. Master Huang will often remind us that …

When you want to move forward, you move back first. When you want to kick to the right, your body needs to move to the left first.”

Expansion can’t work without contraction first.

During practice I see slow flowing moves followed by super quick explosions of power and energy. There’s lots of stamping and lightening fast punches and kicks, seconds before a sequence of graceful and sweeping movements that almost put you into a state of meditation. The forms (8, 21 and 74) are perfectly balanced sequences of gentleness and power, fast and slow. A perfect display of Yin and Yang – opposites that work together in harmony.

Watching our Master is a joy. In one moment he looks to be floating on air, the next you can literally feel the energy rush past you as he uses his Chi in an explosive move. He is the perfect example of how all of these opposing forms join together to form a gentle, yet powerful sequence of moves. He is certainly an inspiration for us all.

Jed’s Fantastic Artwork

The meaning of Yin and Yang, the philosophy and how it works in our day-to-day life is a big part of what this is all about for me. Balance and harmony, the light and the dark, how opposites work with each other to create perfect harmony, how one can’t survive without the other. If I can give even a small amount of this understanding and its application to life to my kids then my job here is done. I’m a believer in if you immerse them in it, it will become a part of their consciousness, embedded in their little memories and minds, and for the most part without too much intervention or intentional ‘teaching’.

Jed drew the above picture for his mate Tom. He drew this straight from his mind, his imagination, he didn’t copy, he didn’t ask for help. You can imagine my delight when he came to me, holding out his final artwork with an enormous smile on his face,

Do you like it Mummy?

Did I like it? I almost cried! Partly because of its beauty, and his kind and heart warming message to his little mate, and partly because as a ‘home-school’ mum he showed me, through this beautiful piece of art, that he got it – perfectly, and right into that big expansive heart of his!

Our Tai Chi Experience

August 10, 2014 by Robbie Smyth 1 Comment

5 weeks in Yangshuo, China.

Excluding weekends that amounts to 23 days, 46 session, and 92 hours of being totally engrossed in mastering the art of Tai Chi. We’ve all been busy trying to remember, and perfect each tiny little move, the position of our hands, the degree that our back foot sits at, the depth of our ‘sitting’, keep your back straight, weight on the left leg, shoulders down, relax but show strength … all of this ‘mind stuff’ while we’re attempting to be as graceful as one of those white Chinese cranes with big beautiful wings, trying desperately to float through the 21 form like our Tai Chi teacher, Master Tang. It looks so easy, but now that we’re in this kind of learning environment you realise pretty quickly that there’s a whole lot more to mastering this form of martial art than meets the eye! A WHOLE lot more!

Yep, we’ve just chalked up 23 days, 46 session, and 92 hours of learning. We’re far, FAR from perfect … but a whole lot closer than we were 5 weeks ago!

Our Tai Chi Team in Xingping

Jed has taken it on with the enthusiasm he displays for life… fast and furious and full of humour. The depth of his memory has surprised us all (just quietly he can move through the 21 form with a whole lot more confidence than I can). Each afternoon we have to do the sequence in front of the class, and each time I fumble and wobble and botch it up somehow, Jed however, moves through his sequence perfectly – yes, a little quick, but move through it he does. Everyday he ends his sequence with that enormous, infectious smile that we all love so much. That’s our Jedabug!

Jed’s Tai Chi ‘to do list’!

Deni, just like her Mumma, feels a little bit unsure and her confidence slips when she’s on display, but, thanks to her Daddy’s patient teachings, each day she’s remembering more and more and she’s standing taller at the end of her sequence. Our hearts sing each time. Seems she is getting it – even if by Osmosis!

Our future Tai Chi Masters

I have to be honest with you, when we arrived I did wonder what the hell I was doing here. Even though I knew this stage of our journey had huge purpose I still felt a little shell-shocked for at least the first few weeks. I don’t like focusing on the negative, I don’t feel it serves anyone, and mostly, I feel like it sounds as if I’m being a little ungrateful for this amazing journey that we are on, but all of these feelings have prevented me from writing and sharing our (and particularly my) experiences – so … warts and all, here is my take on our first month – the good the bad and the ugly!

Due to a total lack of research and planning on our behalf (BIG tip for fellow travelers – check your seasons!) we arrived ‘smack bang’ into an excruciatingly painful hot spell. It’s the middle of the ‘hot’ season here – and HOT HOT HOT it has been.

Being Aussie’s we’re all pretty used to heat but the summers back home have nothing on this! It’s been incredibly uncomfortable to say the least. Where it’s a dry heat in Australia the humidity here gets up as far as, and beyond 90%, (forecasting 98% this Wednesday – ekkkk!) so for those who haven’t experienced that scale of humidity, it’s the sort of level that just by standing in the shade you’re guaranteed of feeling the sweat trickling down the back of your legs within minutes – no exertion necessary! It’s also that kind of heat that the weather bureau report as ’36 degrees – feels like 44!’ I’ve always wondered about that form of reporting. Maybe it’s just to make you feel better when you’re seriously questioning your comfort levels and pain threshold? Whatever the reason, I now understand the need for the ‘FEELS LIKE….’ statement and I like it!

We train weekdays from 9-11 each morning then from 4-6 each afternoon, which leaves us the time in between to get out ‘n’ about to discover our surrounds – the countryside that is so stunning that travelers worldwide come to check it out! Only problem is that during this time of the day the weather is so damn hot that it’s near impossible to leave our room, especially considering we’re travelling by ‘pedal power’ now. So for the past 5 weeks we’ve been pretty much housebound, and for one that suffers terribly from ‘cabin fever’ it’s been a challenge for me, to put it mildly. I have had to learn to be ‘ok’ with being still, feeling ok that we’re not out adventuring and discovering what it is about this area that attracts so many people … and cameras! It does feel a little bit cruel, but it’s been very interesting, and good fodder for a bit of self-evaluation! The rest of the team seem ok with it, lots of reading time, movies and homeschooling time but for me it’s been hard. I’ve resigned to looking at the scenery from our bedroom window, planning the weekends, reading maps, and flicking through the Lonely Planet over and over again.

The view from our window.

To get some sort of relief from this stifling blanket of heat, we have taken to our accommodation, namely our 4 x 6 room. Our room is on the 3rd floor, the top floor, of a concrete building. There’s nothing above us at all, not even a roof, so our ceiling gets the full blast of the burning sun. You can imagine the heat that gets generated by the end of the day, you can feel it moving in waves throughout our little room. We have an air conditioner that has been sitting on 16 degrees since the day we arrived, it’s our desperate attempt to create a little bubble of relief, but even that is failing us. The air-con just doesn’t cope at all. By 1-2 o’clock it’s almost unbearable in this little space. Jed and Deni’s room has no air-con so most nights it’s been a ‘4 in the bed’ scenario. So picture this … one teeny room, two double beds, air-con struggling away at 16 degrees and 2 pedestal fans, one pointed at each bed and on full power. Even then I’m struggling to sleep. Sleep evades me when I’m continuously waking in a pool of sweat, and the bed feels like it’s heated. To add insult to injury the sheets are almost flannelette like – give me strength!

Now … with all of this said, with all of the whining and moaning and complaining, then why not move on? Seems pretty obvious right? Read on …

During my ‘settling in phase’ Liam’s comment to me was …

‘None of this will matter when you get into learning the Tai Chi’

At this point, all red-faced and blotchy, sweat pouring from every pore on my body, I naturally wanted to bop him in the nose – you know ‘smell the cheessseeeee!’ put a pebble in his shoe!

What I heard was …

‘toughen up princess’

… when what I was secretly hoping for was the next ticket outta here. Something that went a little like this …

“It’s ok honey, lets ditch this, let’s head for the nearest stretch of white sandy beach and frolic in the crystal blue waters – mojito in hand’

So what’s a girl to do? … I hung in there of course, and thank God I did because Liam was right. (don’t tell him I said that!) Yes, amazingly enough you can handle almost anything, overcome huge discomfort, when you have a big enough reason. For me Tai Chi has become my reason. We have an amazing opportunity to learn this beautiful and rewarding form of martial art, taught and guided by a true master in an authentic environment and this experience, all by itself, is quite something. The feeling of gratitude surrounds me like a warm blanket (argghhh, NO – not warm blanket, maybe a cool dip in the clear, clear blue ocean!)

Clear blue ocean … clear blue ocean!

你好 (Hello) From China

July 22, 2014 by Robbie Smyth 1 Comment

Does Kung Fu Panda live here? …

Nope, we do!

Welcome to Yangshuo China and our new home for the next several months (still undecided on actual time). We landed here almost 2 weeks ago and have settled in well, despite the cruel weather. It’s been ‘stinking hot’, as we say in Oz, so very little adventuring has been done outside of the Tai Chi school that we are staying in. We did, however, venture out over the last few weekends into the town of Yangshuo.

It’s a crazy place, with so so many people. The streets are jam-packed with cars and scooters and pedestrians all fighting for their right of way on the roads. It’s each for their own here, there’s absolutely no consideration for others, pedestrians just walk straight in front of you, seemingly unaware that they’re actually crossing a street, scooters and cars will happily bump you off the road without any concern for your safety at all, if you don’t come home with at least half a doz stories of ‘Did you see that!!!’ (or worse!) then you haven’t ventured out of your driveway! The scooters are mostly electric which scare the bejesus out of you when they fly past – they’re something like a ghost scooter, they have almost no sound at all and you have no idea they’re anywhere near you until they’re literally breathing down your neck! Then you mix in the cars and buses and trucks, who all LOVE their horns, and not a polite little ‘coming through’ toot but an ear-splitting, blaring and offensive scream of a horn that’s held down for way beyond what’s actually necessary … which will also scare the bejesus out of you! There’s really no rhyme or reason to the way these people use their roads, absolutely no ebb and flow happening here. Undoubtedly the worst drivers we have encountered so far. What does that mean for us? …. EYES WIDE OPEN! I’m just thankful that we’ve had plenty of experience on Asian roads up to this point. And no scooters for us this time, just pedal power for the next few months.

So, when you finally get spat out of all of this chaos, and can turn your attention away from the traffic, Yangshuo really is quite gorgeous! This area is renowned for its natural beauty. All around are these amazing limestone karst that jut out of the ground creating a mystical and almost surreal effect. They are stunning.

The main tourist area is called West Street or ‘the walking street’, rather than being a single street it resembles something of a rabbit warren with cobblestone roads and alleys going here and there and everywhere. They’re lined with authentic looking restaurants and cafes with Chinese lanterns blowing in the breeze. There seems to be a good blend of Western and Chinese, all adorned with the signature fluro lights that display bright red Chinese writing. When you mix all of that with the amazing limestone karst that can be seen from all angles and you have a very pretty and atmospheric town centre. Everywhere you look, from every angle and direction, at the end of every street these karst create a dramatic, yet stunning effect. Yangshuo, and the surrounding areas are famous for these natural wonders, which look like giant stone mountains that stick straight out of the ground. After a little bit of research (thanks Encyclopedia Britannica) I discovered that ‘Karst develop slowly over tens of thousands of years or longer. The areas around Karst are characterized by caves, sinkholes, underground rivers, and the absence of surface streams and lakes. It results from the excavating effects of underground water on massive soluble limestone’. With all of that said they, quite simply, make a gorgeous backdrop that can be seen all around us.

Town Centre of Yangshuo (see the Karst?)

Over the last few weekends we’ve cruised around town on our push bikes and I was impressed by it all then, just imagine when we get out into the countryside. I can’t wait! But more on that later …

Before we left Bali Jed was quite concerned about the whole ‘chop stick’ thing. He decided that he didn’t want to go to China because he couldn’t use chopsticks and ‘how am I going to eat?’ Well, in true Jed form he took on the challenge and by the end of day 1 there was not a spoon or fork in sight! Deni wasn’t too far behind, in her true form observing her brother’s antics first, then picked them up on day 2 and same same – no cutlery needed! So, if we get nothing more out of our time in China, our kids have learnt the art of eating with ‘chopsticks!’

When we shared our next destination with others we often got asked ‘Why China?’

Well, unlike our other travel destinations, where we just sort of landed, and it felt good, and we stayed for a while, this leg of the journey has a purpose. It’s all about the Tai Chi. Our sole purpose here is to learn Tai Chi from a true master. To live where the art is a part of life, and where it all began.

Tai Chi is something that has interested both Liam and myself for a while now. We felt the benefits of it when we lived in Thailand and that experience sparked an interest and desire to delve a bit deeper, and is why we decided to put aside 5 months in China to learn the basics. It’s our wish that it becomes a daily practice for us, as a family. Jed and Deni are participating in the practices each day and I’m so proud of them. 4 hours a day learning a totally new, and slightly foreign martial art technique is a big call for a 6 and 8 yr old, but they’re in there, moving their little arms and bending their skinny little legs.

I often catch a glimpse of them in one of the many mirrors that line the practice room and I can’t help but smile. Jed is determined in his fun kind of way, to learn the 8 form, and I’ve gotta say he’s pretty damn good at it, and Deni is picking up the moves in a very relaxed and casual sort of approach – the approach she also displays towards life. The only distraction is, God forbid, if a butterfly, or dragonfly, or frog, or critter of any description comes into the training room then we’ve lost her for a while. Jed will tend to lose himself in the mirrors every now and then, pulling funny faces and seeing how weird he can look if he moves the bottom of his jaw left and his eyes right, twisting up his lips and opening his mouth as wide as humanly possible, usually with a tip of the head each way. Jed’s personal clown show usually starts right when we’re doing something pretty important like ‘building Chi’ or something like that, and finishes well after we’ve finished.

Having them in the room reminds me of how great it is to be travelling with them, experiencing all these new and often daunting challenges. They bring lightness to everything, (especially dinner time around the communal table!) and remind us all not to take things so seriously. They really do make this journey of ours all the more sweeter, just by being there.