Lo all

[Chicken]

Apologies...

Onesp1ng usually corrects my pinyin by example with tones (LOL), but I did see a few bits of your pinyin that were certainly not my version of authentic.

Not that that's how you will feel, it's just one year can be a long time when away from home with no close friends.

If you say something like this and infer that this applies to Dengfeng its clear you haven't spent much time in the place. The only two circumstances that you cannot make close friends in Dengfeng over the course of a year, is if you are socially impaired or you choose not to.

When were you in Dengfeng, I mean what week of the year, to reach such a conclusion? Didn't you speak to anyone? Chinese or Western? I've never been in a place more embracing.

If you travel round, Culture Shock is quite different... you continuously have new, new, new... Also culture shock doesn't affect everyone the same, but 3 months in is around the time of the deepest oscillation. Given you have been in China so long, I'm surprised you haven't picked up on it more in all the newbys that turn up. I'm also living it at the moment with my other half who despite living in the UK for 2 or more years, is now up to his neck in "the English Life" and is oscillating wildly.

In light of these observations... I think your advice

I think thats a perfect idea !

was well meaning, yet a touch hollow.

Respectfully,

Chicken

[baiwanxi]

Yeah, maybe a touch hollow.

I was in Dengfeng in the middle of Feb., just a few days before Chinese New year. I was the only foreinger there, that is I didn't run across any onther foreigners that whole week. The schools were all empty of students, they had all gone home. I'm sure there was a foreigner or two still there training at this school or that, but I never saw one. I did talk to a number 5 or 6 Chinese, Dengfengers, and two monks, but none of them were all that "embracing". Though, one of the monks, a few years younger than me, was a really nice guy. I would have liked to talk to him longer.

I'm sure Dengfeng is a little more "alive" durring other times of the year. Hwever, it was a nice time to be there. There was street dining most every nite. Street vendors selling New Year trinkets everywhere, and good food to be eaten. Not to mention, when I got to the temple I was one of five people there ! No shit ! When I first walked up tho the main gate the only other people there besides me were the vendors. That was amazing ! Every hall I entered, I was the only one there, besides the monk watching the hall.

New Years is a rough time to travel in China, true, but I highly recomend it for sight seeing. You won't find another time of year where the tourist places are more devoid of people. And this comes from experience. Go durring the Chinese New Year vacation, get there early in the morning (the first hour the place of interest is open) and you WILL be the only one there. You may have to wait in long lines at the ticket windows of train stations, but as long as you go there a few days in advance you can always get a ticket.....

Not you on paticular Chicken, but whoever else may read this and wants to travel CHina....

Anyway. Maybe I'll have to watch my words more carefully when suggesting advice in the future.

[ibluemonkey]

uh huh so you dont recommend 3 months the first trip?
and no answers on the chi thing? Oh yeah i just found the "russboasia" section of the site, whats it actually like training wise in comparison to say training with decheng?

[Chicken]

Yup, 3 months is not an optimal time for a first trip, especially if you have never been away for a while before.

Oh another thing on the Chi... I've said this somewhere on the site before. If you get holed up in a school in total immersion in Dengfeng, and the school is well run, and opeating Buddhist morals... you once you've defocused from youself you should be able to feel the harmonious collective Chi... its the equivalent to a hum, only its a spiritual one. I think its very much like a hive of bees, something triggers them and they all start vibrating as if as one... it feels like this and its Chan.

I have bounced this one off the warriors and they agree vehmenantly with me and seem almost extatic that I've "seen the light" so to say.

So basically, chi is not about just one feeling, I think there are lots of different types of Chi... I've only experienced a handful.

Chicken

[ibluemonkey]

i think iunderstand what you mean by different types of chi though perhaps different flavours/ sensations works better than different types at least they all feel different even if you cant tell what the difference is? i think im rambling. suffice it to say that i think i know what you mean but ive never experianced the "resonating" thing before