Tai Chi graduation day

September 10th, 2003 at 12:00am

The last day of the Tai Chi and Meditation course. To celebrate our accomplishment (and ok, maybe to get out of the morning session), we asked Keith (the instructor) if we could go to a temple for the morning session to practice our sequence there. Actually we all went out to dinner last night since Stewart and Harry are leaving this evening, and the real plan was to get Keith drunk so we didn’t have to do the morning session at all! But it didn’t work since we only managed to make him have 2 drinks. So Plan B was to suggest the temple, and he agreed! Actually we realized after that we didn’t make out so well because it took more time to get to and from the place than the time of the session, but whatever – It was still good to get out and see something after ten days of ‘Tai Chi Boot Camp,’ as a former student of the class described it. We went to Wat Doi Saket which is located up on a hill and has views of Chiang Mai and the surrounding mountains. It was very nice, even if we did have to climb 180-some odd steps to get there. They have some very unusual and interesting murals inside the temple (like I think the monks were eating ‘happy’ mushrooms when they painted them), and there is a nice big buddha outside. We were going to practice under the buddha, but the sun was strong with no shade there, so we walked down to a shady area next to the playground. I could not help but notice that the playground consisted of a model helicopter and a B-52 bomb look-alike, and wondered if the design was influenced by ‘American Imperialist’ activity. Well I suppose we could try to blame it on China.

Anyway we had a nice session there, and then practiced the entire sequence one more time in the evening session. Keith then presented us with our official Tai Chi Chuan 60-hour course completion certificates, and it was a done deal. He said he really enjoyed our class, and that we had done well. Thanks Keith! Stewart then headed out to catch a plane back to London (after 7 years of travelling with Oxfam he says he hates to travel and I can understand), and Harry was off to the train station to catch the overnight to Bangkok. Harry ‘lost’ his passport on an overnight bus to the south (this is why I never take the overnight buses, it is one big thieving session), and had to get to the British embassy to sort out his new one. They had actually sent a new one up to Chiang Mai, but had him down as ‘Female’ in the new passport, so he had to send it back. What a drama, but Harry was handling it very well. What else can you do?

And so I am the sole student left in the Naisuan house this evening. Dr. Wong wants to continue with the acupuncture for a few more days, so I’ll stick around and get started on the 5th Harry Potter book while hopefully clearing up the rash. It is still there but not as bad as it was 5 days ago. And I suppose I will practice the Tai Chi as well. Keith said that the first 20 days after the course are critical in terms of practicing the movements so the body will remember, and I agree, but I already know that I am taking tomorrow off!

300 steps to Wat Doi Saket

Many important lessons to learn here

Big Buddha at Wat Doi Saket

Entry Filed under: Chiang Mai,North,Thailand