Week One Survived.

Well, i have survived my first full week of training at the Chan Wu academy in East Nowhere, Nowhere, Middle China. (Actually, a village called Wan Shan, near the town of Dengfeng, which is close to Zhengzhou, if you're map gazing) Apart from sore arms and a resemblence to gumby (minus the green), im doing well. You quickly fall into the train, eat, nap routine out here, especially since its just about planet Mercury hot out here. Naw, im playing. We cleared this field behind the training shed so that we can train outdoors, which allows for a wonderful breeze, but has a downward slope that makes headknocking flying crane kicks a little tough to land. But you live and learn, or you fall in the dust. We started the staff form this week too, which is a nice change, and allows you to form really sweet blisters in between your thumb and forefinger. But if i ever get into a kungfu battle in the poolhall, y'all best watch out. We took yesterday morning off of training to go to this "festival" in the village where they were possibly "bringing out the new buddha" or something of that nature that involved serious drum banging, paper and incense burning, dancing, and more drums and incense burning. And firecrackers.

The old folks there are intense, (circus) You can tell they been through thangs, cause the either have some gnarly feature, like a missing eye or shark's teeth, or when they look at you it's with the world in their face and they say, in a half second glance, "y'aint know nothing lil foreigner with your camera, 30 years ago i had to hold this festival in my basement under a blanket. And i nearly choked from burning all this paper." They dont really say that, but they do have the look of ages. Anyways, they look really sweet.
So i got at least two more weeks here before heading out. Don, if you read this, and you get a phone call in the middle of the night, that's me, pick it up. Still planning the rest of this trip, here, suggestions welcome.
-----Will