Concepts of Time

One cant imagine the amount of organising involved in going to teach in another country. I've heard it mentioned that the hardest part about going away to work is the arranging before leaving for different shores. There is so much to think about and I'm really good at "just thinking". I've come to the conclusion that countries run on their own concepts of time. I thought this when I lived in Ireland, a country where buses don't run to schedule and in some towns don't even leave from the same place day to day and everything is so casual and friendly that it just doesn't matter(Love you Ireland!!) The United Kingdom's time is rushed, frantic, and I found rather unfriendly...and Australia, well we try to be punctual but rarely manage to pull it off and is similar to Ireland but not as consistent with generosity and gay abandon!!
I'm starting to see that China (whilst having the same time zone as Perth) maybe also has a different concept of time and organisation. It's just a feeling I get :-)I guess it will take a while to settle in. When visa's etc go through and everything is finally all as organised as it's going to be, I should arrive in Yichang, China around the middle of August.

All Roads Lead To China !

Whilst busily trying to organise where I was going to go and what I was going to do, I realised that I wasn't just letting go and letting be. So I stopped trying to shape my destiny and see what would happen. A pathway leading to "Yichang China" illuminated. This is somewhere that I hadn't heard of and because I had been looking in different directions, I didn't at first take much notice of the offer to look at this job. With some gentle persuasion I loosened my grasp and glanced at this opportunity. What has opened up before me is an offer to teach in a school that seems very suited to someone such as myself. The job itself starts later this year giving me plenty of time to get organised. The more I read about Yichang the more it appeals. It is firstly famous for "The Three Gorges" and it's beautiful scenery, second is the somewhat massive Dam that was built there and thirdly seems to be that it has a very warm and friendly atmosphere.
Now one thing I have learnt of late is that nothing is for certain, but many things seem to be leading me this way. I will keep you posted!

Taijiquan (Tai Chi)

I have to admit I love sports, all sports. I love to participate in them, I love to relax and watch them on T.V and I love to go to the venues and watch them live. There isn't many sports that I don't enjoy and If I'm not participating I almost find it like a form of meditation to sit and watch, I get so drawn into whats happening, it's hard for the mind to ruminate on much else. I also practice meditation each day, but it has never actually occurred to me to combine the two in the form of Taijiquan (what we also know as Tai Chi). Recently after seeing an advertisement for a beginners "Tai Chi" class I went along to give it a try. WOW...It's difficult. I can see why it is said to be a form of meditation, you have to utilise your mind fully to remember the moves and then there is the physical aspect. It really works out the muscles and apparently massages the internal organs at the same time. All this while getting your life energy (Qi or Chi energy) flowing. Quite amazing really !
I should point out that there are different forms of Tai Chi, none of which my moves yet seem to resemble, but I have linked the title of this post to a Taijiquan page with some really interesting information and some great video footage of some experts showing how it's done. Personally I love the Taijiquan demonstrated by Su Renfeng which I have added here for your viewing pleasure. "So graceful".

Friendship

Sometimes friendships are formed by the most unlikely of people and in this case, animals. This is "Daisy and Jo Jo". Not much needs to be said, Enjoy!

Benefits of learning a new language

Bored, nothing to stimulate your mind, depressed ??? Maybe you could think about the challenging and rewarding experience of learning a different language. It is confidence boosting, interesting and fun, also it doesn't have to break the bank as there are many free downloads and sites to help you on your way. I have been learning Russian and more recently Chinese Mandarin. It has been an added bonus that I have also managed to make friends in these countries via a website called "Language Exchange" If your interested in chatting with people in different countries, this is a very useful site.
http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/
Here you can post a message (for free) and find friends in different countries to converse with and help each other with your respective languages. It's great fun and a great way to find out about the cultures as well as the language of the country that takes your interest.
Learning a language gets your brain active and can make you feel like your really accomplishing something great. I recommend picking a language from a country that you really find interesting, as you delve into the language it inevitably gives you glimpses of the way the natives of that country think and you start to become involved in finding out all kinds of fascinating information about the country, it's people and the culture.
For those thinking Chinese mandarin sounds interesting http://chinesepod.com/
"Chinese pod" is a great site giving you a free trial of just about the whole site and then if you just want a basic account, it remains free.
In Australia we have access to many short language courses through colleges etc. This is great to give you some direction if you become lost or don't know where to start.
In all, learning a language can be very rewarding on so many levels. It can open up different pathways in your life and best of all it's fun!

Ok, lets go !

O.k, it's all moving in a different direction now. This is my very first blog to mark the occasion. Time to be supple and bend with life. This blog site will be about positive, good news, fun and enjoyment as I head into a new phase of life. I've qualified to teach English as a Second Language (E.S.L)and would love to go to China or Russia to teach. I am fascinated with these two countries and fascinated by languages in general. Where I'll go or when I go, I'm not certain.....Anyway, one day at a time...one moment at a time....and in the mean time.....