Blogs from Xiamen, Fujian, China, Asia - page 4

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Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen August 20th 2012

Today is sparring day. Yes that's right. I get to fight a 21 year old boy....this will be interesting. After morning circuit I walk down to the basket ball court to see the class have already started a weights circuit. Two longtermer girls are back in Shaolin for this week – Alison and Eleanor a large limbed curvacious bonde 6ft Russina. Not exactly kindred spirits but they are both very friendly and supportive of me being there which I am very grateful for. Alison gradually takes all of the weights off a bar until two teeny round ones are left at either end. "Try this" she says patiently –" I want to see some arm extension." Gulp. I am holding a bar with weights at either end and pushing it out away from my body. ALthough ... read more
Practising take downs

Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen August 17th 2012

"Who do you like? "Says Patrice with a dimply smile. "Come on you can tell me, you are a beautiful woman you could have any one here..." Weeell what I haven't told Patrice is that I've narrowed it down to three but to be honest there is no one that I like enough to really want to do anything about. Its a bit like Big Brother here. (There's even a chicken coop with a bloody rooster that goes off at 5am to wake us up for our morning circuit – sometimes his body clock goes wrong and he goes off at 1 am and 4 am as well which is most annoying. Somedays I can think of nothing else except killing him and making a good old fashioned British roast chicken dinner. God I miss sunday ... read more
The big brother chicken coop

Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen August 12th 2012

Usually on the weekend all of the students go drinking Taining. Most of them end up in The Arches. The owner of the school -Scott Bird owns the barand set it up at the behest of the local mayor. He charges European prices for drinks, staffs it with long term students and has a dedicated flow of customers from the school at the weekend. He's not stupid – but when I meet him he seems a little on the jaded side. He's short and muscly with a shaven headed diamond earrings and flat cap. For a "laugh" him and his number 2 have bought oxygen masks and go running in the mountains with them on - to create an even tougher workout. (funfunfun...)He started off as a personal trainer and then went into a business with ... read more
And over he goes...

Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen August 10th 2012

Today is the day of the Taining run 23k (or half a marathon run) to the nearest town. I've had about four hours sleep and my stomach still isn't very well so haven't digested anything solid for three days. Perfect. The morning looms and somehow the weather gods have taken pity on me. Instead of the usual scorching sun and cloudless blue sky of the past few days the mountains are heavy with rain and strewn with hanging clouds. As half the school will be doing the 23k run (You have to give it to me i'm definitely a woman of extremes – i've gone from never running before in my life to attempting to complete a Half Marathon in the space of a week.) They have decided to do a more gentle morning circuit at ... read more

Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen August 9th 2012

Thursday comes and i'm back for more. Camille and Felix stare at me in wonder: “you are so courageous Dominique...Honestly Felix and I zink you are soo strong...” "mmm Or stupid" I say. The day begins like every other at 5.30 am with a morning circuit of punching and kicking big bags followed by star jumps, mountain climbs, half jacks and press ups. Then we have to do chin ups on a big metal bar. Neither myself or Camille can do this so Felix her brother takes turns in holding us up on his shoulders in a piggy back until we can cling onto the bar whilst supporting some of our body weight. At 6am to 6.30am the Shaolin class stand in the basket ball court and meditate by doing Qi Jong. Then we run to ... read more
Camille at The Reservoir

Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen August 8th 2012

I soon realise that the culture of the school –( with the majority of students being between 18 -23) is based around peer pressure and tall tales. There's a strong pack mentality here and a range of stories whispered over breakfast and retold in between class have begun to take on a kind of mythological and legendary status. Stories about the pain and terror of the Shaolin kung fu classes; the school's owner Scott; and about the infamous drinking sessions with Chinese locals – all designed to strike fear into the hearts of the “newbies.” There are three tales of the Shaolin training that are spoken about by students in hushed tones of fear and dread: The Stairs Shaolin Stretching and the Taining Run. In encounter the first of these on my first full day of ... read more
Never will a set of stone stairs look the same again

Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen August 7th 2012

I wake at 5am for my first morning circuit. I am filled with dread at what the day might hold. I get dressed quickly and descend the steep and stony steps in semi darkness. The sky is misty mauve and bats are still flitting overhead. Clouds hang dark over the wooded mountain tops. It is the easiest of the morning circuits – it is abs. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief. It starts with 300 stomach crunches... I've always enjoyed ab exercises in a perverse kind of way so this isn't too bad. Then we have to sit in a sparring ring with our bums hanging over the edge with our partner sitting on our legs whilst we lower ourselves out horizontally and up again. I can't do it at all. Its like I have no ... read more
Audrey

Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen August 6th 2012

The sleeper bus is not the best i've ever taken! The Argentinian and Mexican night buses are pure luxury compared to China. There is a TV which remains on full blast the whole way playing some weird cross between a Benny Hill esque comedy and a musical. (The Chinese really shouldn't sing.) There is a toilet on the bus but after about 5 hours its filled to the brim with an ominous brown swilling liquid. However the scenery is stunning. I am making my way down to the school in Fujian province which is by the coast – but the school is set in the mountains with the nearest little village about a 20 minute walk away from the grounds - Xin Qiao and the nearest town Taining about 30 mins away in a car. As ... read more
Views from the room
View from the bedroom window

Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen » Jimei April 2nd 2012

Ci svegliamo un po’ piu tardi del solito, il piano è partire con calma perché le gambe sono stanche, e sui piedi ho già alcune, preoccupanti vesciche. Per arrivare a Manang le strade sono due, una alta, massacrante, ed una bassa piu’ agevole o meglio meno massacrante. Noi facciamo quella bassa. La vegetazione è ormai quella tipica di alta montagna, arbusti e qualche pino, ma piuttosto brulla. A parte un paio di salite impegnative, la strada è un falso piano, non troppo dura da percorrere. Sulle montagne di fronte a noi, sull’altro lato della vallata, vediamo l’isolatissimo villaggio di Nawal,con le tipiche case e bandiere tibetane. Le montagne sono semi desertiche e portano evidenti segni di un’antica erosione: scendono con scanalature spettacolari, piccoli canyon. Superiamo il ... read more

Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen February 23rd 2012

XIAMEN AND GUYANGYU ISLAND, INCLUDES SIDE TRIPS TO HAKKA ROUNDHOUSES, QUANGZHOU AND CHONGWU. XIAMEN I spent about 9 days traveling in south China before the mad Chinese holiday season started. Close to the mainland connected by bridge in a large bay is the island /city of Xiamen (pron. “Sharmin”) ;a place I have always wanted to visit; and so far, it has lived up to it’s reputation. The hotel is in the back alleys of the old city and on first visit you need to be personally guided in. As owners say “even the locals get lost in here”. It is run by an American and his Chinese wife. Now I know my way in and out and even found another ‘short cut’ thru fish (and other live animals) street market in alleys past Catholic Church. ... read more
a amaze of alleyways
hotel lobby
about a week here




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