With my wonderful connections to the people at Henan Channel 9, I got to see the media Pre-release of Kung-fu Panda 2. It was in Chinese... and Chinese voice actors are not any where near as good as English speaking ones. Still had some flavah though, so im most definitely gonna see that deranged peacock again in English.
I was pleased. I wasn’t expecting much. There was a whole new avenue (done before in “real” kung-fu movies, but still nice) that they took, and i felt they did a good job of making it “awesome.”
It was interesting in some sense, because the story tracks Po’s change from his kinda blah kung-fu to realizing the value of Taichi. Instead of being all hard (which he isn’t anyway) accept the soft as well. It also finally answers the question of “why is his dad a duck?”
Though, like most good stories, it got my dander up, and I have been spending the rest of the day on overdrive trying to figure out the meaning of my life. Even im tired of that line of thought~ but its part of what makes me me.
Anyhow - I went to the bathhouse in an attempt to get myself to chill out and stop being so hopped up on potential for the future. Didn’t work. Hot, Hot, Hot - did not get me to that stage where I could let myself go. I over-heated faster than usual.
And then I headed to the cold pool.
I’ve heard of Cold showers before and they’re magical uses for the overly hormonal (who isnt...). This time though, it had a different use. I was mentally in overdrive, and once I settled in after the initial shock of being in a warm room and having been in hot water, going into rather brisk water, my mind finally went still.
---
I know I haven’t written in a while. Im sorry for the lack of contact (that and something is up with my computer so my microphone is currently out of commission... very frustrating... especially without a genius bar at the apple store to solve my problems.)
I’ve been in a doldrums stage. For those of you unfamiliar with the term “the doldrums” where/ are a situation/period of time where there is no wind in the particular area of sea where sailors are. When you have a sailboat... thats a problem... It was a time known to drive people insane! And with good reason. The feeling of not moving forward when you are supposed to be moving forward is vexing.
I thought that was where I was because I didn’t have what I though should be measurable and observable growth.
The cold water though helped me to realize something (can you tell I like metaphor?)
The old chinese idea of Yin and Yang (the white black circle thingy) is all about balance~ and I think im at the Yin stage (negative/female).
I’ve had so much growth in a variety of arenas, I think this stage im at is more reflective and reevaluating. I’m constantly reflecting and reevaluating, thats one of my favourite pass-times, which is why I think this took me by surprise.
This kind of reflection isn’t the kind im used to. I’m used to using the past as a way to move forward (future), but I think I need to use the past to deal with now (present). Its small semantic distinction which is part of why I think i’ve been missing the point.
---
Here and Now
Current events:
I am going to be on a “sketch” (like a small show as a part of a larger show for Henan channel 9).
My other show with Channel 9 is being put on hiatus while the station waits for official paper work to go through to make me a legal part of their operation... something foresight once again did not reveal. It’ll be a month or two.
So - that will mean life will be different
Also different, most of my friends are disappearing from Zhengzhou for the summer. People are moving on, or going out of town. Aussie buddy at work is going to Australia for about a month (June). Oklahoman friend and his wife are going to Beijing for about 2 months to go work on his Chinese, which im glad for: I need more white buddies who can speak Chinese ~ for frill and vanity’s sake. American friend - going back to America.. etc
Am I depressed: no. Ask me in a month or so... but not yet.
I think right now is part of the reflecting stage. Its gonna be a bit more introverted, but that seems to be the trend.
I dont feel like traveling too much. I do want to go see the great wall finally, but maybe that’ll be when I go visit my friends in Beijing when they go...
I think its just an autumn period where I get to look back on what i’ve learned and put it into practice.
I finished the reading the bible through a few months ago, and I find myself purposefully in the OT again. How odd is that ~ wouldn’t have done that before now. I find myself thoroughly infatuated with King David.
He had himself an action packed life. Theres no way he could have foreseen everything that happened to him - hence all the divination that man was doing. I think its funny that people get sooooo choked up about spirituality and consulting the supernatural, to the point that we dont even recognize that a lot of the old testament “seeking of God” was done through some VERY non-modern non-conservative fashions. But thats a topic for hopefully non-boring theologians to “unpack” as one of my teachers would say.
He had to take his life day by day, or he wouldnt have made it. He’d have died from ulcers or something waaaay before his time. He put his life in God’s hands and lived a life of - let me honour you and lead your people to honour you aswell. I think thats why I’m infatuated with him right now. He’s a ghosty bada** who wreaks havoc on the infidel, he purposefully sought out the will of God and made himself the little piece of metal in the middle of the compass, and still had personality. Though I’m not interested in quite so many concubines ~ thank you very much.
I’m back in 2nd Samuel... which oddly enough has no Samuel in it, because he dies half-way through 1st Samuel... go figure, trying to find out more.
In this, the autumn of my exile stage (5-6 months until I return home for my first visit in 2 years 3/4ths there... autumn...) I’m going to take a chance to breathe and study my butt off so that I can be at a more stable level in Mandarin. I’m getting to the point where I can “settle in”, so I just need to go IN now and stop staying on the fringes.
Theres so much more to say, but I don’t think im ready to say it.
Love you all regardless, and I hope you’re doing well in your own journey. There’s no rest for the weary, but there might be a nice gentle stream with a canoe in it somewhere... just saying.
-Peter
No comments:
Post a Comment