A New American Boy!

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15 years in the making....the day finally arrived!

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My buddy Ping has been doing Tai Chi since he was a boy in China. He continues to study with another Master from Canada, and teaches Tai Chi at the local community college and at North Mountain Park every Saturday morning.

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Ping & I will never forget the astonishing beauty of the gracious Thais, their traditions, their fiery hot food, and landscape peppered with ancient temples (chedis) and a gritty break-neck urban environment.

cha - oil on canvas by Ping Wei 2006

Well spank my baozi (pronounced: bow-tza, meaning "buns") and call me a Tiananmen square, but I miss running around the streets of Beijing! 2006 marked my second journey to China with Ping, and I can't wait to go back. China is transforming at a break neck pace, and the cities are awash with commerce and the latest trends and merchandise. Capitalism? Bite your tongue! The Chinese call it Chinese Socialism... Hey, whatever floats your sanpan!

The way to the Han Dynasty was, no doubt, paved with good intentions. As was my intention to post this blog three weeks ago at the start of our trek through China. Alas, a whirlwind tour of Shanghai, Wuxi, Xian, Chengdu, Beijing and a brief respite again in Wuxi was a formidible distraction from hammering out this blog in real time. Nonetheless, here's a few memories, observations, pics , culural notes and mind jamming English translations that peppered our journey through the Middle Kingdom. Enjoy!