A Journey To Inner Peace…or Something Like That| 2 min read

Sometimes it would be absolutely freezing and elderly men would be sporting just shorts and vest.  It baffled me for some time, until I did some research and found that what these people were actually doing was practicing Tai chi. It is probably the favorite Chinese past time – up there with KTV for sure.

TTC aim to provide the best possible taste of China for the newbies (chickens feet n’ all) therefore Tai Chi is a must.  And so, on Tuesday afternoon the interns wandered over to the big white building on campus, some dreary from lessons, some weary from Wangfujing the night before.  However, Howard, our Tai Chi master and self-confessed slave/devoted husband to Tai Chi, was about to change all of that in just one hour!

Everyone moved in sweet harmony as arms and legs swooped and soared through the air (no one was harmed I might just add).  A powerful atmosphere was invented as wide eyes full of concentration and serene intensity searched for inner peace and connection with nature.  Well, sort of! This was, after all, a beginner class.  People stretched and slinked into dynamic and eccentric positions the best they could-some contorted and creative and some just plain painful! Nevertheless, each one as wonderful as the next! T’was a flamboyant display, to say the least.  Artistic simulations of some much loved Yun Shou and Qi Shou Shi motions roused hilarity and some uncertain smiles among the interns- just a load of good ol’ afternoon fun!

Several burst buttons and slight split seams later, along with more than a few fits of giggles-and even the sub zero temperatures were long forgotten, let alone any sleepiness.  Howard had sprinkled his oriental magic and it was bright eyes and bushy tails all round!