Climbing the Western Hills

Yesterday the group took a short bus ride to see the Western Hills in Kunming. We learned about Buddhism's history and practices and then climbed these beautiful hills with shrines and temples along the way. From the hills we had the most beautiful views of the city. (We hiked up and took the chairlift down)

Learning Taijiquan

Yesterday morning the group woke up early to go visit a local park. It is an amazing phenomenon in most of Asia that parks in the mornings become filled with people, mostly older generations, enjoying the new day by dancing to wake up the body. We walked by couples dancing a salsa-like combination, groups doing aerobic dancing in circles or in lines following each other in unison, and individuals doing Tai Chi or taijiquan (in Chinese). I liked the music coming from a big group doing synchronized dance movements, so I stood in the back row and followed along. Other friends joined on and the western students enjoyed learning from the Asian elders. I was awake and alive and completely content. But our trip to the park was just an introduction, we had to go back to the university to learn about taiji from a Chinese scholar, former UMass professor, and now just a healthy 87 year old. This man gave us the background information on taiji, since we will be learning it every morning between Chinese language classes.




During his talk, I felt inspired and reminded of how Asian culture amazes me and now I want to try to explain the excitement. Taijiquan is rooted in Taoist culture, which views the world as possessing two opposite forces, yin and yang. The world, the body, the mind must always strive to be balanced between the two. Chinese people seem to uniquely understand how different elements can bring the body into balance. Just the other day, one of the leaders, Charles, turned down food saying his body had too much yang, instead he made a different selection. I too can tell if I have eaten too much of one thing, but it is poetic and interesting (and truthfully something I am just scratching the surface of while being in China) to view the world in terms of always maintaining balance between opposite elements. It is an entirely different way of viewing the world.

I too want to always strive to maintain a healthy mind and body. Today this professor (who survived the hardships of an intellectual during the Mao years) stood before us looking vital, strong, and excited about life, and told us taiji practice helps him to have strength and a peaceful mind. By doing movements and fully concentrating attention, one can forget problems and quiet the mind. According to research, the practice helps the central nervous system, expands blood walls, reduces heart pressure, allows for more exchange of oxygen, and aids the digestive system and the urinary system. When all five systems are okay one can truly enjoy good health.

So this man requested our group to go home and teach our parents, family, and friends. I wondered how many of my loved ones actually give themselves that time in the day to clear their mind, or would have the patience to practice taiji? It is just foreign to many Americans.

Well I look forward to practicing taiji on this trip. I guess I would call that my spirituality- my life goal to try to maintain a healthy mind and body. I just feel stronger and excited when I set that goal for myself.
It also impresses me that from the beginning of Chinese history, maintaining balance was also life’s purpose.

Finally The Internet

It was basically a smooth and comfortable flight to Beijing. Apparently flying at the end of February allows each coach passenger his or her own row. Continental, in particular, offers over 300 movies, hundreds of T.V. shows, games, and music. Although, I was busy enjoying the entertainment and sleeping for about 5hrs, I still walked off the flight with a lethargic feeling in my body. At the Beijing Airport, I was hoping to share my layover with the entire group (minus one other person) arriving from San Francisco. However, my next plane to Kunming was leaving from another terminal and I didn’t know how big or confusing the airport might be. So I sat alone and drank strong tea to prevent me from falling asleep and missing my flight. The final leg of the trip was a test of stamina. I passed out head first on the tray table until my neighbor shook me to eat the gooey chicken and rice. As I ate, my neighbor gave me my first Chinese quiz. She asked me the basics- who I was, where I was from, and why I was traveling. Then she kept prying and I had to ask for repeats or give the headshake smile. But she was not ready to give up on me. She gave me her phone number and asked to get ice cream in Kunming once I bought a cell phone and could call her back.

When I finally arrived late in Kunming, I started to feel the nerves tighten in my stomach. It was already 11:00 at night and I had to find the program that had already spent the day bonding. As I walked with my bags past customs, I scanned the crowd for an “S.I.T.” sign. Panic immediately took over. No sign, just masses of Chinese people. I pushed my cart of luggage back and forth until someone tapped me on the shoulder. My savior, Charles, one of the three Chinese leaders, said “S.I.T.?” I followed him towards a big bus and stepped into twenty-one faces staring at me. Luckily, at the back of the bus there were two friendly faces to make conversation with, but they were the only two people I really met that first night. We arrived at Yunnan Nationalities University and were lead to our own hall of dorm rooms. Two at a time people slipped into rooms and instantly we were situated. I began to unpack my things with my new roommate, Adrienne, while also trying to meet people. But everyone was exhausted. I was too, yet it still took me awhile to fall asleep. Wow! I am in China- my head was racing.

The next morning we woke up late and headed out of the university as a group of twenty-two American students. Just one American causes a stare, so you can imagine the looks we got en masse. This first meal was an absolute feast. In the beginning the colors and flavors were amazing, but the dishes did not stop coming. The waiters were constantly moving dishes onto smaller plates and balancing new ones over the old. The group was divided into two tables and I really got to enjoy new personalities. After lunch, we were off to our orientation location in Tonghai, a small village two and a half hours south of Kunming. The official meet and greet took place in a nice hotel and through the Buddhist temples on the maze-like Xiu Mountain. The higher we walked, the more the temples and gardens became ornate and elaborate. It was wonderful to enjoy the beautiful weather (about 70 degrees and sunny apparently always), stroll in groups or alone, and sit to watch locals engage in many different types of games. Imagine this landscape as a part of everyday life! In Tonghai, we also watched a local orchestra play traditional music, and watched women, ages 75 to 90, dance on their bound-feet and then lead our group through ritual dance motions, surrounded by the amazed community. Although orientation came on abruptly and I did not even have time to write an email saying I had landed safely, the trip was worth the ride through Yunnan’s striking mountains and diverse culture.









Now I am back in Yunming with the internet and I am slowly exploring this interesting city. Next post- life begins in Yunming.

February, 19th- The Night Before Departure

Who nu I'd know what's nu in Yunnan?

Now you can too...

I will be in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province (north of Vietnam), studying Chinese language, culture, and ethnic minorities. I am traveling from February to June with SIT World Learning, one of 22 other American college students. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences and photos on this blog.

Stay tuned...