Taiping, 25 January 2010
Fade
The sun has yet to rise and the park is busy already.
Arhu (Chinese violin) sounds from several cassette players.
Different groups of Chinese are practicing Tai Chi.
The moves look familiar.
My memory plays back instructions of my Chinese teacher back in Holland:
Sit back,
foot turn,
push!
There is no teacher's voice here in the Taiping Lake Gardens.
Whoever wants to join, joins in.
Learn and doing are one and the same here.
I have to dig deep into my memory.
Alamak, my Dutch Tai Chi lessons have faded far away!
For a couple of days I observe the Tai Chi trainings.
The memory fragments align into smooth movements in my head.
To make real physical moves is more difficult.
As long as I can copy the moves of a teacher, I am fine.
But, after a turn I loose sight and am lost immediately.
My memory is not revived enough yet to make these exercises on my own steam.
The old words of my Tai Chi teacher back in Holland echo in my head:
Skip practice for a day.
| Skip practice for a week.
| Skip practice for a month.
|
Only you will see.
| Your teacher will see too.
| The whole world will see.
|
Aduh.
The whole universe sees now that I have not practiced
for years.
After my first training
my neighbour says:
Learning Tai Chi takes a very long time.
It is meant as an encouragement,
to me as a beginner.
I just keep silent about how many years it takes to let Tai Chi
fade away.
Till
next nut,
Nut