I knew that coming to China would be heading down a new path to unknown adventures and who knows what. I have a very distinct memory of my brother saying that to me at the airport at 1.00am in the morning before I jetted off to the "Middle Kingdom". Something along the lines of "You're off on a life changing pathway, but you don't know where that pathway will go yet"...yes, very nervous and exciting times. I really had no idea just what a huge impact China would have on my life. I still don't know where the courage came from to get on that plane, why I came to Yichang (a strange little city) out of the millions of places in China that I could have picked? That has since become very clear!
China of course can be very challenging and along with many other foreigners living here, I too feel the complexed mixed emotions of a love for this country and it's people and the times of dispair and disillusionment. Infact, I think one of the big things that China has taught me is that "You just never know".Things are never what they seem. At a time when things seems like disaster and chaos, well this is when the most unexpected and best things can follow. They say that life is suffering followed by happiness on a perpetual cycle.
ANYWAY...this post has gone in a different direction to what I originally intended. What I was going to talk about is one thing that I do love about China, it's rich culture and history. Before I came here I didn't know what would happen, but one thing I did have in my mind to do was learn a Chinese instrument. Up until know I have had little time. Last year was mostly spent adjusting to the lifestyle, the job, the language etc....BUT this term I have managed to enrol and start lessons to learn how to play "GuZheng". It really is very exciting for me and I think I have fallen in love with the instrument almost instantly. Having majored in Drumkit at University, this is of course a completely new direction for me to take but one that i think will give the blocked musical creativity within me a chance to burst out:-)lol
Because it is such an old traditional Chinese instrument, it also gives me huge opportunities to learn more culture...AND...because the teacher only speaks Chinese, more opportunity to learn Chinese.
Hey, even if it bores you, I'm afraid you may have to put up with lots of Guzheng information in my up and coming blog posts
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