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Dec. 11th, 2005 09:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tylikBack from Master Chen's seminar.
Started it with a headache bad enough that I was dizzy most of the time on Friday. My back feels better now than it has in weeks. (My legs feel like they've been doing martial arts for most of the day for the past coupla days. Which isn't a bad thing in its own right.) I think if trained this much every weekend my back would be a lot happier.
I need to write more about the content of the seminar when I have a chance. But I need to let it percolate first. I did get more feedback on my form work from Master Chen than I had before. That was good. And it was just a good seminar -- a small group, where he usually teaches much larger ones, but all the better for us... and I got the impression that he enjoys working with fewer people, and getting to know people over the years.
I was a doof and didn't speak to Master Chen in Chinese when I first got in. (I feel really bad, and dumb about that.) I got in, with a bad headache, and all out of sorts, and he came over and greated me... and I responded in English, and then only over the next few minutes figured out that Chi, who was supposed to translate, wasn't there yet, and that he was probably hoping I'd fill in. And I probably could have, especially if I'd known to expect it, but having failed to respond in Chinese, he pretty much gave up on me, especially since I just kind of blended into the group. (He knows me, and he knows I speak Chinese, though he might remember that I tend to be a bit shy about speaking.)
I talked with him a bit before I left on Friday (they seemed mostly amused by my being insecure about my spoken Chinese) and then by Saturday I was feeling better and ended up speaking with him and his wife at some length. What is my problem? I spend so much time stressing about my Chinese not being good enough, and yeah, sometimes I just can't figure out certain phrases, but whenever I just get over myself I do just fine. I have *got* to find myself a conversation partner. Or at least introduce myself to one of the many Chinese speakers who are in the lab around the corner and regularly use the kitchen next to my office. I am so lame.
Chen Shifu and his wife thought that Craig and I were related, and were suprised to realize that we were married. They said our faces are a lot alike. What is that about? (We've now had several Chinese people think we must be related. And yet I don't think really look alike, at least to western eyes. High cheekbones and prominent arched eyebrows? Long hair?)
He had us blow through all of Laojia Erlu in about an hour and a half. Darn. (About half the people had never done the form before.) OTOH, I now have a practice partner who remembers the whole form.
I wish I had a picture of Shifu's face when she saw that![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wushuzac was in the class, home from college.
Chen Dao is about the awesomest form ever. (And after a few twinges the first hour, my neck and shoulder stopped complaining. I really didn't think I could deal with a whole day of dao.) Whee!
And Master Chen is coming back, this July! I think he'll be teaching Jian. (I have been waiting for *years* to learn Chen Jian.)
Afterwards, Craig and I went looking for a place to eat on the Ave, and found a place named "Jack's Tapas Cafe" with the words "mostly Chinese" between the above title, which made for one of the odder ideas for a restaurant I'd yet seen. Below, it said "小同小吃", which sounded a bit more promising, so we checked it out. And I'm so glad we did -- their shaved noodles were good (and I'm really picky about shaved noodles) but their layer bread with scallions and sesame seeds was one of those dishes that I ate only to know absolutely and for certain that it had been comfort food for me when I was a child. Except I'm not sure if I've ever eaten it before... (It might be reminding me of central asian dishes I've had.) Not your run of the mill Chinese restaurant at all. Northernish... Northwestern, maybe?
Started it with a headache bad enough that I was dizzy most of the time on Friday. My back feels better now than it has in weeks. (My legs feel like they've been doing martial arts for most of the day for the past coupla days. Which isn't a bad thing in its own right.) I think if trained this much every weekend my back would be a lot happier.
I need to write more about the content of the seminar when I have a chance. But I need to let it percolate first. I did get more feedback on my form work from Master Chen than I had before. That was good. And it was just a good seminar -- a small group, where he usually teaches much larger ones, but all the better for us... and I got the impression that he enjoys working with fewer people, and getting to know people over the years.
I was a doof and didn't speak to Master Chen in Chinese when I first got in. (I feel really bad, and dumb about that.) I got in, with a bad headache, and all out of sorts, and he came over and greated me... and I responded in English, and then only over the next few minutes figured out that Chi, who was supposed to translate, wasn't there yet, and that he was probably hoping I'd fill in. And I probably could have, especially if I'd known to expect it, but having failed to respond in Chinese, he pretty much gave up on me, especially since I just kind of blended into the group. (He knows me, and he knows I speak Chinese, though he might remember that I tend to be a bit shy about speaking.)
I talked with him a bit before I left on Friday (they seemed mostly amused by my being insecure about my spoken Chinese) and then by Saturday I was feeling better and ended up speaking with him and his wife at some length. What is my problem? I spend so much time stressing about my Chinese not being good enough, and yeah, sometimes I just can't figure out certain phrases, but whenever I just get over myself I do just fine. I have *got* to find myself a conversation partner. Or at least introduce myself to one of the many Chinese speakers who are in the lab around the corner and regularly use the kitchen next to my office. I am so lame.
Chen Shifu and his wife thought that Craig and I were related, and were suprised to realize that we were married. They said our faces are a lot alike. What is that about? (We've now had several Chinese people think we must be related. And yet I don't think really look alike, at least to western eyes. High cheekbones and prominent arched eyebrows? Long hair?)
He had us blow through all of Laojia Erlu in about an hour and a half. Darn. (About half the people had never done the form before.) OTOH, I now have a practice partner who remembers the whole form.
I wish I had a picture of Shifu's face when she saw that
wushuzac was in the class, home from college. Chen Dao is about the awesomest form ever. (And after a few twinges the first hour, my neck and shoulder stopped complaining. I really didn't think I could deal with a whole day of dao.) Whee!
And Master Chen is coming back, this July! I think he'll be teaching Jian. (I have been waiting for *years* to learn Chen Jian.)
Afterwards, Craig and I went looking for a place to eat on the Ave, and found a place named "Jack's Tapas Cafe" with the words "mostly Chinese" between the above title, which made for one of the odder ideas for a restaurant I'd yet seen. Below, it said "小同小吃", which sounded a bit more promising, so we checked it out. And I'm so glad we did -- their shaved noodles were good (and I'm really picky about shaved noodles) but their layer bread with scallions and sesame seeds was one of those dishes that I ate only to know absolutely and for certain that it had been comfort food for me when I was a child. Except I'm not sure if I've ever eaten it before... (It might be reminding me of central asian dishes I've had.) Not your run of the mill Chinese restaurant at all. Northernish... Northwestern, maybe?
