China and Japan

Hi Everyone,

I am now in Japan! Whew hoo!! But before I get into that, I'll backtrack to where I last left off.
Let us begin in North China.

So there we were at 10pm at the train station. All 40 plus people with all their luggage. This is the local train in a town that doesn't get many foreigners. Apparently, our presense freaked out the locals because they were so outraged that they tried to prevent us from boarding the train! They had to call out the guards to protect us from the mob! Can you believe it? I was there and I still kind of don't believe it.

Kung Fu school midway up Wudang.

Locks following you up part of the way to the top of Wudang.

Finally! I made it... busted knees and all... Ahhh.. I cannot describe the feeling of getting to the top, looking around and seeing clouds, mountain peaks here and there and being in such a sacred place. Meditating at the top (no guard rails folks so you had better not fall asleep! Ha!) of Wudang was one experience I've checked off my life's to do list.  Surreal...

The locals tried to attack us and keep us from boarding. The atmosphere was pretty serious and stressful. At night, there were guards at either end of the platform to keep the locals on the trains alongside ours from entering. What a crazy night we had, not only that, but we only had a ten minute delay to get all of us and our suitcases off the train before it continued on.

It was pitch black, 2:30AM and we were all pretty stressed out and exhausted and on our toes for a possible attack.

Next we headed off to Henan province, Luo Yang city where the world famous and older Northern Shaolin Temple was.

IT was AMAZING! I won't get into it here, but suffice it to say that I was blown away. I have no words to describe how incredibly happy I was to walk the same grounds as those monks. I felt right at home, and in fact, this was the same place that I was planning to come to and train a number of years ago. I think I may still do that for a three to six month journey somewhere down the line. Once my knees are up to it perhaps.

Near the front gate of the Northern Shaolin Temple.  Aren't you excited just looking at this picture.... don't you wish you could be there? I know you do. I know I do.

This is the original archway leading to the front gate of the Northern Shaolin Temple. It was one of the only parts of the original building which was not destroyed in the fire.

Inspired to do a little practice "out back" behind the main buildings of the Shaolin Temple.

Now here's a familiar site...

I'll skip ahead to Peking/Beijing where we got to say AT THE SAME HOTEL for three whole nights! What a treat! I actually got to unpack my bag. I hadn't seen the bottom of it for a month! It was lovely to just relax and do as we pleased. I treated myself to some German hazelnut spread (similar to Nutella) and ate it with some banannas - oh,....there is indeed a God, there is indeed a God - it felt SO good to eat something sweet with happy nostalgic qualities. hmmm.. yum yum.
Now back to Japan: so for all of you who know that Catholicism isn't the most popular religion in my vocabulary, will be quite surprised to find the following; I am currently living in a church! That's right, a church.

We're talking serious bible study christian church. They house the English teachers for an incredibly low rent price, and since I am a friend of a friend, they've offered a space for me too. Issn't that really kind of them?  I thought so.

Originally I was going to stay with my friend Junko, but she recently found a new job that requires her to be out of the house pretty much all day, from 7 - 7pm. This place has more english speaking folks, an onsight laundry, free internet, a kitchen and clean bathrooms. So for now, it's better for me to stay here.
My first day here we went swimming to freshen off. That was very nice, even more so since it was incredibly humid that day. I am figuring out the train system, it's excellent, but this place is bloody expensive, makes me wish I had brought more things from China. My visa allows me to stay until November, but I may only be financially capable of staying until mid October. Then I head off to Hungary to visit my grandmother. Well, life always throws interesting twists our way, I'll see what actually transpires. This Sunday I will be introducing myself to the church community here....should be interesting for one more versed in Buddhism than Christianity.....ha ha..
good qi to all
Yvette