I'm off to a meditation centre in Thailand. Their is strictly no contact with the outside world. Maybe there till the 28th December. So no blog posts until i'm finished there.
Have a good Christmas and New Years in advance, just in case i'm still meditating.
Peace, Love and Compassion
Michael
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
China 7 months: What's Been Happening
What's been happening 
Hope all is well
It's getting hotter. I'm sure it was in the high 30's today. Their seems to be a direct correlation between the temperature and the amount, size and color of the bugs. They're everywhere and they bite.
One of the new students in my class was bit by some wasp like thing with green eyes and visible fangs and another student was bitten by something that left fang marks in his arm. The student with the fang marks became convinced that his arm was going to fall off or that he's arm will need to be amputated. His at the hospital right now having it checked out.I check my shoes for scorpions every time before I put them on. Four doors down from me a scorpion was found in one of the students rooms. If you take a 10 min walk from the academy you will find a bunch of women selling fruit and surprisingly in a blue bowl beside them, scorpions! Not for pets but as a snack of some sort. I think you're meant to kill it then fry it. Not surprisingly it apparently tastes like chicken.
One of the new students in my class was bit by some wasp like thing with green eyes and visible fangs and another student was bitten by something that left fang marks in his arm. The student with the fang marks became convinced that his arm was going to fall off or that he's arm will need to be amputated. His at the hospital right now having it checked out.I check my shoes for scorpions every time before I put them on. Four doors down from me a scorpion was found in one of the students rooms. If you take a 10 min walk from the academy you will find a bunch of women selling fruit and surprisingly in a blue bowl beside them, scorpions! Not for pets but as a snack of some sort. I think you're meant to kill it then fry it. Not surprisingly it apparently tastes like chicken.
I have a grading tomorrow. Students are graded each month in front of all the students and masters by performing a form from their particular martial art. The Preying Mantis "basic step" form lasts only about a minute but is very intricate. I'm actually looking forward to performing tomorrow but Seb, another Preying Mantis student is not, in his own words he's "bricking it".Seb started a week before I arrived and is staying a year. He has to be one of the funniest guys here. At first I thought he whined to much but he does put the effort in and I can see his mind and body changing every week. It would not surprise me if he looked like Bruce Lee when he left, he now has a bit of a beer/fast food gut, but it is going.
I just want to mention what I've noticed about the Chinese apart from what I've mentioned already. Chinese men love to huck up flem and spit. Every morning I'm greeted by one of the masters hucking his guts up and spitting in the communal sink; nice. In fact I would say they take pride in it. The more flem you can accumulate with the most amount of sound, the higher up you are on the hucker hierarchy. They don't seem embarrassed at all about picking their nose or farting in public. They don't use tissue when blowing their nose. The floor holds a perfect place in which to aim the snot. They also seem to love singing when ever they can. What embarrasses most westerners the Chinese take pride in, such as one Masters love of techno music and the Venga Boys. I'm embarrassed for him but he doesn't care, he just turns up the volume.
I would tell him he's a loser but i'm afraid he would kill me with his little toe and i think hearing
Boom boom boom boom
I would tell him he's a loser but i'm afraid he would kill me with his little toe and i think hearing
Boom boom boom boom
I want you in my room
Let's spend the night together
From now until forever
Boom boom boom boom
I wanna double boom
Let's spend the night together
Together in my room
before i departed would create so much hate in me that i would be sent straight to Hell where they probably have Venga Boys on a 24hr loop.
before i departed would create so much hate in me that i would be sent straight to Hell where they probably have Venga Boys on a 24hr loop.
Vengaboys=hell on Earth
Hope all is well
Keep the chi real
Saturday, November 8, 2008
China 7 months: The Week
This week has been up and down as I had a fantastic weekend but the week seemed, at times tedious and uneventful and I have been ill for most of it. I don't think my digestive system likes the food here, though it is better than I expected it isn't what I would call good. I really really want a steak! I have decided to cut the poisonous porridge from my diet as I think the boiled eggs will be better.
Beautiful
I sparred with Ori on Saturday and came to the conclusion that I need to sort my life out. I am fitter, stronger, leaner and faster but was being slapped about and for some reason I found it hard to hit him. It was not finding the target that was the problem but my brain would not let me cause harm to another human being. This is something I plan on rectifying.
Watching the *Ninjitsu class last Saturday it became clear to me that combat comes down to footwork, timing, distance, angles, technique and reaction. The speed of your reaction and the reaction you want your opponent to have i.e. do you want them to go backwards, forward, flex, extend, do want to break, push, remove or cause pain and psychology is probably the biggest factor because if you have all the physical requirements but your inner voice is screaming "no not the face, please not the face!" you will be beaten worse than a skin head at a Black Panther convention.
Timing, speed, footwork and to look good in black
A lot of question have been running through my head lately, like, what am going to do when I get back to London(if indeed i do go back), where do I want to live (country), who am I, career etc. There are so many things I would like to do but it comes down to money and time. The mountains create a perfect backdrop to having such thoughts run through your mind.
Best place to come and ask questions and sit waiting silently for the answer
Every Friday all the students get to do the stair run which is grueling to say the least especially in 35 degree heat. My time last week was 35:16 so was really hyped about smashing my time this Friday but my stomach was not really up to it, so instead i went to the cave where apparently Zen Buddhism started. I went before when I did the stair crawl with Tom but haven't been back since. It was great, after spending very little time meditating in the cave I left feeling completely relaxed and calm. I had no question to answer and everything made sense again. Those 8 Immortals really do have an affect or maybe the incense they use in the cave is "special".
The 8 Immortals
*Two of the students at the academy are quite accomplished in the art of Ninjitsu (2nd dan and 5th dan). They have kindly offered to teach once a week on Saturday.
I hope everyone is well.
Friday, November 7, 2008
China 7 months: Schedule
5.30- in the school yard or by a river near the national park I perform my own Chi Kung, breathing squats, downward dogs, then I perform the Praying Mantis forms very slowly as a form of Tai Chi, meditate for 5-10min then I have a quick cold shower.
7.00- breakfast which currently is porridge with soya powder, goji berries, honey and peanut butter. Later changed to fruit, *4-6 boiled eggs and a cup of Green tea which worked for me much better especially when i implemented my own training into the schedule.
8.30-10 training Mantis
10.30-11.30 training Mantis
12- lunch
12.30-3 reading, nap, computer stuff, drink a litre of *Green tea
3-4.30 training Mantis
4.30-6 my own training which usually involves body weight movements, weights, energy system work
6.30- dinner
7.0- slow walk
8.0- a cold shower
8.30- read
9.0- sleep
I love this schedule. Sleeping at 9 and waking at 5.30 is the best sleep pattern i've ever had. I feel fantastic. Sleep quality and rhythm is real important to me, if i have less than 8hrs of sleep, or have to wake before light (which is the case when i'm seeing clients) i feel like crap even when everything in my life is healthy.
Green tea has been used for thousands of years as a beverage and therapeutic agent. In countries such as Japan and China, the drinking of teas has remained a commonality among the people of these countries. Green tea has antioxidants that help against the breakdown of tissue. In fact, studies have been done using green tea to help with certain Cancers. It has many benefits which include improved fat loss, a cancer preventative, helping with diarrhea, protecting the skin from sun damage and even tooth decay.
I feel pretty good off drinking a litre a day. Used to in London take in supplementation form which is also good.
Some may say aren't i worried about the amount of Cholesterol i'm consuming. The only thing i'm concerned with is not eating enough. Cholesterol gives structural integrity to your cells and is needed for certain hormones. Cholesterol will only attach itself to the walls of the arteries to protect them from the poison that may be floating through your bloodstream from eating crap or taking drugs, medical or otherwise.
The problem is made worse if adequate antioxidants are not consumed. It's not the Cholesterol, it's the state of the persons body consuming the Cholesterol. Ever since everyone has started avoiding Cholesterol, Saturated fats and fats in general there has been a steady increase in brain disorders such as Alzheimer's. The brain is 70% fat and the rest is protein. Don't eat enough fat, then prepare to get stupid.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Alzheimer’s disease is now the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, surpassing diabetes. Diabetes caused by eating to much sugar and grains and Alzheimer's caused by not eating enough fat and protein yet the Governments of modern society still insist that the average citizen should consume anywhere from 6-11 servings of grains a day.
Death Rates (i use American stats because they are usually a good indicator of the state of the rest of modern society)
1st heart disease
2nd cancer
3rd doctors
-
6th alzheimer
7th diabetes
Modern eating+modern medicine to combat modern living= misery, pain and death.
7.00- breakfast which currently is porridge with soya powder, goji berries, honey and peanut butter. Later changed to fruit, *4-6 boiled eggs and a cup of Green tea which worked for me much better especially when i implemented my own training into the schedule.
8.30-10 training Mantis
10.30-11.30 training Mantis
12- lunch
12.30-3 reading, nap, computer stuff, drink a litre of *Green tea
3-4.30 training Mantis
4.30-6 my own training which usually involves body weight movements, weights, energy system work
6.30- dinner
7.0- slow walk
8.0- a cold shower
8.30- read
9.0- sleep
I love this schedule. Sleeping at 9 and waking at 5.30 is the best sleep pattern i've ever had. I feel fantastic. Sleep quality and rhythm is real important to me, if i have less than 8hrs of sleep, or have to wake before light (which is the case when i'm seeing clients) i feel like crap even when everything in my life is healthy.
Green tea has been used for thousands of years as a beverage and therapeutic agent. In countries such as Japan and China, the drinking of teas has remained a commonality among the people of these countries. Green tea has antioxidants that help against the breakdown of tissue. In fact, studies have been done using green tea to help with certain Cancers. It has many benefits which include improved fat loss, a cancer preventative, helping with diarrhea, protecting the skin from sun damage and even tooth decay.
I feel pretty good off drinking a litre a day. Used to in London take in supplementation form which is also good.
Some may say aren't i worried about the amount of Cholesterol i'm consuming. The only thing i'm concerned with is not eating enough. Cholesterol gives structural integrity to your cells and is needed for certain hormones. Cholesterol will only attach itself to the walls of the arteries to protect them from the poison that may be floating through your bloodstream from eating crap or taking drugs, medical or otherwise.
The problem is made worse if adequate antioxidants are not consumed. It's not the Cholesterol, it's the state of the persons body consuming the Cholesterol. Ever since everyone has started avoiding Cholesterol, Saturated fats and fats in general there has been a steady increase in brain disorders such as Alzheimer's. The brain is 70% fat and the rest is protein. Don't eat enough fat, then prepare to get stupid.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Alzheimer’s disease is now the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, surpassing diabetes. Diabetes caused by eating to much sugar and grains and Alzheimer's caused by not eating enough fat and protein yet the Governments of modern society still insist that the average citizen should consume anywhere from 6-11 servings of grains a day.
Death Rates (i use American stats because they are usually a good indicator of the state of the rest of modern society)
1st heart disease
2nd cancer
3rd doctors
-
6th alzheimer
7th diabetes
Modern eating+modern medicine to combat modern living= misery, pain and death.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
China 7 months:The Massage and the Indignity
Apparently you can get an hour long Chinese style massage in Muping for the equivalent of 2 English pounds. Sounds great. So Ori and I catched a taxi with Hannah (cool British girl) and Ursula (away with the fairies Polish girl) to get a massage. We arrived to find different rooms with different amounts of beds in them. We were shown to a room with four beds so as to have our massages together but Hannah was not to happy about that situation so Ori and I waited for another room to become available. As I was sitting, waiting I observed that this is unlike any massage establishment I have ever been. I'm not saying that it's not a massage place, but I would not be surprised if by night it was not a brothel. It was just a feeling I got. About 10min later we were ushered into room and told to lay on our backs. I saw a man in another room having a face massage so I thought great. Whilst in Japan one of Yuki's friends was a face masseur and performed some techniques on me, and they felt wonderful.
I lay down, eyes closed, relaxed looking forward to the anticipated bliss i was about to receive when I was suddenly smacked in the face. The adrenaline started pumping, but assumed this is what they do in China so kept eyes closed and remained calm. She laid her hands on my eye brows and proceeded to try and rub my FACE OFF! It was like she wanted to see my skull. She pinched and prodded around my eyes; I did not open my eyes from the fear of losing them. She moved down to my nose and lips where again she tried her best to erase my facial features from my cranium. Then my ears. I was thinking no not the ears, I like sound. She stuck her fingers into my ears and then brutally and insultingly rubbed my own ear wax into my forehead.
I heard laughter it was the other girl laughing at the fact Ori had a lot hair on his stomach. My girl seemed interested and stopped to have look and feel. Great a rest bite. She came back and literally started punching my head, no jokes, actual closed fist, full on Mike Tyson abuse on my head. I was a little worried about now, but stayed cool. Then she started punching and smacking my legs with obvious enthusiasm, narrowly missing my groin. I was actually worried that if she made a misplaced hit I might be left infertile. Then she grabbed my foot, span my leg and viciously pushed my own knee towards my face. She was assaulting me with my own limbs, this girl was a pro. After slapping my shins for 5mins I was instructed to take my top off and turn onto my stomach.
Good boxer, bad masseus
This is where the panic kicked as I was sun burnt on my neck and shoulders. As I lied there thinking, there is a reason why its 2 pounds she pushed her face into mine, pointed to my sun burnt skin and started laughing. I just pointed to the sky and said nervously "yeah the sun". This is when the random, unprovoked violence when up a notch. She actually tried whole heartily to rub the skin from my spine, including my neck. Remember there is no oil used in this massage. When she failed at doing that, though the skin from my sun burnt was coming off. She just brushed it away and laughed, probably thought job well done. I wanted to tell her all my secrets but she was not interrogating me, it just felt like it.
She saved her special moves till last. A special technique were you punch your victim and then smack them immediately in the same spot, from low back to neck several times over. After that she must have been bored as she just randomly pinched, poked, prodded and smacked where ever she felt whilst she talked with the other girl.
After it was done, they left. I sat up in relief and asked Ori "do I still have my face". He just laughed but I was grateful the answer was yes. I left the room and thanked, God, Buddha, Allah anyone who was really listening, for giving me the strength to withstand such a beating.
We went down stairs and the, I think manager and the girls that massaged us brought cherries and a watermelon. I think so as to help the healing process but I believe a counselor, priest and an ambulance would have been more suitable. Before we left all the staff got very exited and started taking photos of all of us, I suspect it's there form of a trophy.
I made it out in one piece feeling like I really needed a massage.
I lay down, eyes closed, relaxed looking forward to the anticipated bliss i was about to receive when I was suddenly smacked in the face. The adrenaline started pumping, but assumed this is what they do in China so kept eyes closed and remained calm. She laid her hands on my eye brows and proceeded to try and rub my FACE OFF! It was like she wanted to see my skull. She pinched and prodded around my eyes; I did not open my eyes from the fear of losing them. She moved down to my nose and lips where again she tried her best to erase my facial features from my cranium. Then my ears. I was thinking no not the ears, I like sound. She stuck her fingers into my ears and then brutally and insultingly rubbed my own ear wax into my forehead.
I heard laughter it was the other girl laughing at the fact Ori had a lot hair on his stomach. My girl seemed interested and stopped to have look and feel. Great a rest bite. She came back and literally started punching my head, no jokes, actual closed fist, full on Mike Tyson abuse on my head. I was a little worried about now, but stayed cool. Then she started punching and smacking my legs with obvious enthusiasm, narrowly missing my groin. I was actually worried that if she made a misplaced hit I might be left infertile. Then she grabbed my foot, span my leg and viciously pushed my own knee towards my face. She was assaulting me with my own limbs, this girl was a pro. After slapping my shins for 5mins I was instructed to take my top off and turn onto my stomach.
Good boxer, bad masseus
This is where the panic kicked as I was sun burnt on my neck and shoulders. As I lied there thinking, there is a reason why its 2 pounds she pushed her face into mine, pointed to my sun burnt skin and started laughing. I just pointed to the sky and said nervously "yeah the sun". This is when the random, unprovoked violence when up a notch. She actually tried whole heartily to rub the skin from my spine, including my neck. Remember there is no oil used in this massage. When she failed at doing that, though the skin from my sun burnt was coming off. She just brushed it away and laughed, probably thought job well done. I wanted to tell her all my secrets but she was not interrogating me, it just felt like it.
She saved her special moves till last. A special technique were you punch your victim and then smack them immediately in the same spot, from low back to neck several times over. After that she must have been bored as she just randomly pinched, poked, prodded and smacked where ever she felt whilst she talked with the other girl.
After it was done, they left. I sat up in relief and asked Ori "do I still have my face". He just laughed but I was grateful the answer was yes. I left the room and thanked, God, Buddha, Allah anyone who was really listening, for giving me the strength to withstand such a beating.
We went down stairs and the, I think manager and the girls that massaged us brought cherries and a watermelon. I think so as to help the healing process but I believe a counselor, priest and an ambulance would have been more suitable. Before we left all the staff got very exited and started taking photos of all of us, I suspect it's there form of a trophy.
I made it out in one piece feeling like I really needed a massage.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
China 7 months: ่่่่่The Place, People and Facilities
The people here are very cool, friendly, relaxed, funny and sociable individuals. Most are on a gap year before university, some are here because there is nothing else back home, some to get away from alcohol and drugs (mostly weed), some are here to find themselves and others are here just for the martial arts/China experience.
Everyone here is pretty young as I am one the oldest. The dynamics work well here. It feels like a little family. They really are an eclectic mix of people who I really enjoy being around.
Warning to anyone who is thinking of traveling here do not go through the organization "real gap" as they charge double and deliver nothing additional. Go through the academy website which is http://www.chinashaolins.com/index.htm.
The place and people are not as "hard core" as I thought they would be, but there are some. The young males provide the competitive edge and extra enthusiasm.
Students can stay between 1 month and 5 years but for the most part people stay a max of about a year though one of the girls i met is staying possibly for 2 years. I don't blame her. It is great here. For 2000GBP a year you have your rent and food covered and there are no additional taxes or bills to deal with. If you bought an extra 1500 you could eat out near enough every night, have massages, go to springs/spas every week, buy niceties for your room, basically live like a king for a year whilst living in the mountains learning Kung-Fu.
The English make up most of the students (mostly Londoners), then Americans, Norwegians, a few Icelandic, a few Irish, 1 Canadian, 1 Bosnian, 1 Scottish, 1 Mexican, 1 Indian, 1 Welsh, 1 South African, and 1 Australian.
The Masters are really cool people. My master is quite a charming man. He is always giving us lectures which I don't think the translation gives them total justice. He tries to create a family feel as he refers to our group as brothers. He is tough. The skin around his arms and hands are thick which is not surprising as he is always hitting something and thankfully it's the trees that get most of his attention.
The place is an amazing sight of stunning mountains, greenery, farm land, farmers and little roaming dogs that I think don't really belong to anyone. I think the Chinese call them breakfast, lunch and dinner.
My favorite time during the week is the when I routinely walk after dinner. I walk as slow as I can without coming to a standstill, breathing slowly, purposefully and simply absorbing the sights and sounds. It is during this time that I dread going back to London. When I look up at the mountains I'm compelled to think that they hold a truth. I don't know how to explain it but there is a truth in them. I don't know what that truth is, but I feel it.
The road I walk on is generally free of people but occasionally I'll be greeted by farmers or there wives and simply nod my head in greeting or say "ni hao", which is hello. The local community are friendly enough, scruffy, weathered and wrinkled in appearance and much darker than the Chinese I see in the city.
Not many cars use the road just outside the academy it is mostly used by noisy tractors, motor bikes and bicycles.
The facilities are basic which I like but when you realize how much money the academy is making you know they could turn it into the Ritz if they wanted to. The currency is 15RMB to 1GBP and when I was paying in cash part of what I owe the academy which was 5000 Yuan, one of the translators present had her head forward, eyes widened and I cant be certain but I'm petty sure I saw some dribble. I actually felt her stare burn my fingers as I was counting the money. The 5000 was only a third of what I had to pay, can you imagine if she had seen the "full whack". This academy makes some serious cash.
Mantis training room
The academy is a large building with about 26 bedrooms, 2 showers, 1 laundry room, internet room, dining room and 4 training rooms all varying in size. The rooms are a nice size and are usually occupied by two students, but now for the next 2 months, we've been told there will be 3 to a room which is 1 too many. In fact I was told there are 30 students when I arrived, now there is close to 50 and someone suggested before I leave there will close to 70 students. The toilets are basic, 2 Western and 1 Chinese per floor. The toilets I guess are not equipped to deal with toilet paper, so all paper is to be put in a bucket that's placed beside the bowl. FYI a whole class has got the "runs" and I think everyone has experienced that here; it's the rice and porridge combo! Which means you have the pleasure of experiencing some interesting sights, sounds and smells when entering the WC. All part of the adventure.
There is one electric shower and one solar heated shower. The electric shower is inside the main building and has hot/warm running water all the time. I prefer to use the solar shower. It's dirty and the water is cold depending when you use it, but I like it. No one really uses the solar shower apart from me, a frog I've seen a couple of times and a few others students which means no queues. I also think having cold showers create a bit of discipline and is in fact, good for you.
Actually i personally believe having a cold shower encourages Thyroid function, Acetylcholine production, Collagen manufacture, the use of brown fatty acids and wakening the dive response. I can't actually prove any of this as it is purely anecdotal.
*Thyroid function: Adrenaline
*Acetylcholine: neurotransmitter associated with higher levels of perception, Nirvana, cognitive function, muscle unit recruitment.
*Collagen: building block of connective structures such as ligament, skin
*Brown fat: used predominantly after hibernation periods
*Dive response: changes blood flow towards the heart and brain, increases red blood cell count and slows oxygen consumption.
The food is basic. Mostly 5 plates consisting of 3 different meals. Typically its cabbage with small pieces of chicken, a plate of onions and a plate of canned tomatoes with a little scrambled egg. The students and I our genuinely excited when on Mondays and Thursdays we have "orange chicken", dumplings on Thursday and I can't remember what day but during the week we are treated to a small omelet that is shared between 6 people. It's not bad, not great but better than expected.
The academy and the students are definitely not what I expected. Before coming to the Academy i had envisioned the training to be brutal, the food scarce and the global focus intense but at times it felt like a summer camp, which is nice but it's not what I came for. The way I looked at it, was because of the summer camp feel it actually is more of a test because if everyone was disciplined, there was no tv, the Masters were strict and the academy shop didn't sell sweets, crisps, ice cream and other crap it would be easy to be disciplined but with all the distractions it is more of a challenge.
Everyone here is pretty young as I am one the oldest. The dynamics work well here. It feels like a little family. They really are an eclectic mix of people who I really enjoy being around.
Warning to anyone who is thinking of traveling here do not go through the organization "real gap" as they charge double and deliver nothing additional. Go through the academy website which is http://www.chinashaolins.com/index.htm.
The place and people are not as "hard core" as I thought they would be, but there are some. The young males provide the competitive edge and extra enthusiasm.
Students can stay between 1 month and 5 years but for the most part people stay a max of about a year though one of the girls i met is staying possibly for 2 years. I don't blame her. It is great here. For 2000GBP a year you have your rent and food covered and there are no additional taxes or bills to deal with. If you bought an extra 1500 you could eat out near enough every night, have massages, go to springs/spas every week, buy niceties for your room, basically live like a king for a year whilst living in the mountains learning Kung-Fu.
The English make up most of the students (mostly Londoners), then Americans, Norwegians, a few Icelandic, a few Irish, 1 Canadian, 1 Bosnian, 1 Scottish, 1 Mexican, 1 Indian, 1 Welsh, 1 South African, and 1 Australian.
The Masters are really cool people. My master is quite a charming man. He is always giving us lectures which I don't think the translation gives them total justice. He tries to create a family feel as he refers to our group as brothers. He is tough. The skin around his arms and hands are thick which is not surprising as he is always hitting something and thankfully it's the trees that get most of his attention.
The place is an amazing sight of stunning mountains, greenery, farm land, farmers and little roaming dogs that I think don't really belong to anyone. I think the Chinese call them breakfast, lunch and dinner.
My favorite time during the week is the when I routinely walk after dinner. I walk as slow as I can without coming to a standstill, breathing slowly, purposefully and simply absorbing the sights and sounds. It is during this time that I dread going back to London. When I look up at the mountains I'm compelled to think that they hold a truth. I don't know how to explain it but there is a truth in them. I don't know what that truth is, but I feel it.
The road I walk on is generally free of people but occasionally I'll be greeted by farmers or there wives and simply nod my head in greeting or say "ni hao", which is hello. The local community are friendly enough, scruffy, weathered and wrinkled in appearance and much darker than the Chinese I see in the city.
Not many cars use the road just outside the academy it is mostly used by noisy tractors, motor bikes and bicycles.
The facilities are basic which I like but when you realize how much money the academy is making you know they could turn it into the Ritz if they wanted to. The currency is 15RMB to 1GBP and when I was paying in cash part of what I owe the academy which was 5000 Yuan, one of the translators present had her head forward, eyes widened and I cant be certain but I'm petty sure I saw some dribble. I actually felt her stare burn my fingers as I was counting the money. The 5000 was only a third of what I had to pay, can you imagine if she had seen the "full whack". This academy makes some serious cash.
Mantis training room
The academy is a large building with about 26 bedrooms, 2 showers, 1 laundry room, internet room, dining room and 4 training rooms all varying in size. The rooms are a nice size and are usually occupied by two students, but now for the next 2 months, we've been told there will be 3 to a room which is 1 too many. In fact I was told there are 30 students when I arrived, now there is close to 50 and someone suggested before I leave there will close to 70 students. The toilets are basic, 2 Western and 1 Chinese per floor. The toilets I guess are not equipped to deal with toilet paper, so all paper is to be put in a bucket that's placed beside the bowl. FYI a whole class has got the "runs" and I think everyone has experienced that here; it's the rice and porridge combo! Which means you have the pleasure of experiencing some interesting sights, sounds and smells when entering the WC. All part of the adventure.
There is one electric shower and one solar heated shower. The electric shower is inside the main building and has hot/warm running water all the time. I prefer to use the solar shower. It's dirty and the water is cold depending when you use it, but I like it. No one really uses the solar shower apart from me, a frog I've seen a couple of times and a few others students which means no queues. I also think having cold showers create a bit of discipline and is in fact, good for you.
Actually i personally believe having a cold shower encourages Thyroid function, Acetylcholine production, Collagen manufacture, the use of brown fatty acids and wakening the dive response. I can't actually prove any of this as it is purely anecdotal.
*Thyroid function: Adrenaline
*Acetylcholine: neurotransmitter associated with higher levels of perception, Nirvana, cognitive function, muscle unit recruitment.
*Collagen: building block of connective structures such as ligament, skin
*Brown fat: used predominantly after hibernation periods
*Dive response: changes blood flow towards the heart and brain, increases red blood cell count and slows oxygen consumption.
The food is basic. Mostly 5 plates consisting of 3 different meals. Typically its cabbage with small pieces of chicken, a plate of onions and a plate of canned tomatoes with a little scrambled egg. The students and I our genuinely excited when on Mondays and Thursdays we have "orange chicken", dumplings on Thursday and I can't remember what day but during the week we are treated to a small omelet that is shared between 6 people. It's not bad, not great but better than expected.
The academy and the students are definitely not what I expected. Before coming to the Academy i had envisioned the training to be brutal, the food scarce and the global focus intense but at times it felt like a summer camp, which is nice but it's not what I came for. The way I looked at it, was because of the summer camp feel it actually is more of a test because if everyone was disciplined, there was no tv, the Masters were strict and the academy shop didn't sell sweets, crisps, ice cream and other crap it would be easy to be disciplined but with all the distractions it is more of a challenge.
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