dinsdag 14 oktober 2008

A small TaiChi competition




Last Sunday there was a friendly small competition organised as a practise for both contenders and judges. like a warming up for the national championships that are held in a month. it all started at 10 am in the morning. I had to rush down to the school but it turned out the times weren't that fixed. the competition was held in the other TaiCHi school in the building opposite our school.

After signing up we started with a warming up. there were lots of judges who were new and had to practise for the NK. I am a student from a school that teaches Yang Style TaiCHi the traditional way. It was intresting to see what other styles were out there and what different opinions there were regarding the differences among the styles. When i went to China I learned the Chen style that has it's own character. There are not many people practising Chen and it was clear that no one had ever seen this form. It was funny one lady was shrieking enthousiastically CHEN!

most of us started in the beginners group Yang. it is one of my not so good qualities , i get extremely nervous when i have to perform for an audience. One of the judges started to question my annoncement that i would do the yang 24 form the traditional way. That was intresting because another student had just walked the same form and then he had not noticed a thing. He claimed it wasn't traditional.NOt soon after the gong the shaking started it was so annoying. i tried to breath and keep my balance. later when i saw the video it looked better then i felt. But it wasn't like i normally walk at all. Too bad but it was a good experience. you just have to push yourself to do these things otherwise you never get over it.

after a break the advanced group started. Being advanced has nothing to do with how good you are but with the time that you have been practising TaiCHi. When it is 3 years and more you automatically become advanced.The Sihing of our school did very well. After a lunch break and a few more advanced students, it was time to show the judges the CHen Form. We walked it together but should have been judged seperately.That was not clear to all the judges. some came to tell us that we better do it apart as we were not walking in a synchronised way and have a different way of walking. but most of them got it right. There were no other people doing CHen and i think it was intresting for them to see something new. I was a little less nervous and it felt almost ,like fun.

Shyness sucks and i am trying to overcome it by forcing myself to do these things. it is nice to compete and learn from it.well the positive thing was that i did not hold my breath this time like last year...

then it was time for Tui Shou. there were only to other ladies to compete. So it was a short game. It was funny the two ladies were excact opposites one was soft but to weak and the other one was strong and tried to push hard. It was fun. I tried to stay gentle. But one of them still thought i used a lot of force. HMMMMMMM i was thinking that it is perhaps good that not everybody goes to China, this lady would be so shocked.

After a bit of fun pushing we went home. I cooked a Chinese Style dinner, and then we had ice cream with warm blueberries mmmmmm that is just the best dessert!

donderdag 18 september 2008

More Paintings






































These are all oil paintings. For many years i had a fascination for jungles and after travelling and seeing how a real jungle looks that admiration for nature only grew. The shapes the colours the intense feeling it envokes in you it is so alive and vibrant.

dinsdag 16 september 2008

A weekend in Brussels






 

This weekend was as hectic as hectic can be. It started off with our Chinese classes early on Saturday. It was once again a very good class! We learned a lot we can now say that China is a big country and Holland is not, it is small…. We also got introduced with the Moon festival, and ate moon cakes in class. The moon festival is all about meeting up with your family and admire the beauty of the moon while eating moon cakes. The story goes that there once was an archer Hou Yi who stole the elixir of life from a Goddess. His very beautiful wife took it from him to spare the people the faith of the tyrannical ruler living forever. She drank the elixir and then floated away to the moon. Where she still remains.

We had some food in Chinatown and had to go back to Leiden again. We also had an appointment with a new traditional Chinese doctor who is from Hong Kong. He really wants to learn Dutch so we decided it would be fun to teach each other! There is nothing better than a native speaker; I think we all learned a lot. After that I had to rush home to pack a bag and set off to Rotterdam were my brother was going to pick up my mother and me to go to Brussels My twin brother had invited us to come down to see his and his girlfriend's new apartment and enjoy the concert that was given in the monastery nearby. His balcony is perfect we could see the stage from there and the great light show and of course clearly hear the music.

Wow what an amazing place, the apartment was really big and the view was just stunning! They lived in a tiny place before but this looks fantastic. It was so good to see that they were both so happy and doing well. We had some food together and ofcourse some drinks and listened to the music. It was the SolisteN concert at the Abdij ter Kameren. Sinead o'Conner, Jose van Dam a famous Belgium opera singer, Billy Paul (the writer and singer of the Me and Mrs. Jones song), Lu Yu Cheng also an opera singer, and Catherine Lara were all performing.





There was an amazing light show and fireworks at the end of the night. We finished eating quite late and when we were almost going to bed one of the neighbors dropped by. He is a musician called Mano and definitely not an average behaving person. He showed up again the next day wearing tiger pants…that was very funny. It was great to meet him, he was very good fun, very friendly, and we heard some beautiful songs. My brother told me that sometimes he shows up at their place to play some new songs for them. That was what really surprised me; everybody in the apartment building was so nice and friendly with eachother that is quite special. People in the Netherlands usually are a lot more distant.
The other neighbor a very friendly lady also dropped in to meet us and we all had coffee. In the afternoon we went for a small walk in a nearby park that was very big and quite beautiful but busy. Mano with the tigerpants also came along. We had some food when we got back and then it was really time to go. I was very glad that I did not had any classes yesterday pffffff I need a bit of time to recover from all that running around!

woensdag 10 september 2008

Ni Hao!



 

Last Saturday we drove down to Amsterdam for our first class at the Chinese school. It was early. at 7 am my alarm clock was annoyingly beeping and I really had to get up. For a moment it was flashing through my mind that this is what I wanted and if I want to learn Chinese getting up must be the easy part. Soon I was sitting in the car with Koen listening to some peaceful Buddhist chants. That will calm anybody down. The nokia navigator worked fine until we reached the city center of Amsterdam. It tried to sent us up a bicycle lane repeatedly and we drove around in circles for a while. Just in time we made it to the school. It is opposite Paradiso, a very well known popvenue.


 

The classes were given in a very nice old looking high school. There were 2 classes so that the groups wouldn't be too big. After the introduction speech the class started with probably the most essential sentence in all languages: Wo ai ni ; meaning I love you. Our teacher is a young lady who normally works at the Shaolin temple! We didn't have the chance to talk to her yet as other people are trying to do the same but next time we definitely will! The class started and soon we were asking each other questions in Chinese, the class existed of many vocal exercises, tone practice and a bit of writing. If my classes French would have been this fun I am sure It would have been a success too!

3 hours flew by and before we knew it we were walking around on our way to Chinatown to have lunch. The sun was out and it was a great day. Some student apparently thought the same as they were cruising around in a motor boat dragging one of their friends who was dressed in swimming pants with a beer in his hand and was lying down on a airbed.

Brrrrrrrrr the water in the canals is incredibly dirty so I thought it was pretty brave but stupid. I guess drinking beer helps. We found a great restaurant and the food almost tasted like it did in Beijing. It was delicious we had some eggplant with tofu, some duck and of course lot's of tea. When we got out we visited the Buddhist temple that is opposite the restaurant. There was a big statue of Guan Yin in the hall, which was very beautiful. There were books about the fundamental Buddhism that were free to take so we each took 1 and made a donation. I had walked by many times and always wanted to go in for a look. Then it was time to go back. We were rather shocked by the parking fee and then only found the car after a long search. Then we had to pay another 4 euros just because we had to search for the car. Next time we are probably taking the train.

It had been a great day, we learned a lot and I am confident that next them I will be able to have some conversation in Beijing! In the evening I went to see the Forbidden Kingdom. It was a very Chinese kinda day!

donderdag 4 september 2008

They are so beautiful!


The past days i have been busy preparing my paintings for the little exhibition. For a change I decided to be slightly more commercial and make name cards and a small promotion booklet with an introduction of myself and pictures of some of my paintings. Who knows what happens. My domain name for a future website is also registered. So it is all very exciting. Yesterday was crazy after I spent half the night putting a somehow representative booklet together, there were some last things to change on the paintings and ofcourse sign them. Then I ran off to have the booklet bound so it would look more professional and rushed back to varnish the most recent painting. One of my friends was so nice to offer to pick me up as it would have been rather difficult to transport the pretty big paintings otherwise. The space was just perfect for two big paintings and the reaction was very positive the reception lady at the chiropractors office said that they where so so beautiful. now when I think of it , it is funny my friend saw the bench where you lie on when your bones are put in their right position again, he said it looked like a torture device from the middle ages… so now before people go in they can comfort themselves with the loving, compassionate expression of my GuanYin inspired paintings. I had one of the paintings above my bed and always when looking at her it makes you feel peaceful as if she is watching over you. This might sound strange as I made the painting but it is as if there is more to it. It is not only paint on canvas. It is weird not to see them for a while I got very attached to the paintings but it is great that other people can now see them and enjoy. I forgot my camera so it is just a snapshot from my mobile.


 

Now it is back to the books, tomorrow I am expected to hand in a very intelligent paper about the essence of the Rule of Law so some serieus study lies ahead. Have a great day everybody !

zondag 31 augustus 2008



Summertime for a little longer!

This week has been filled with preparing for a new year at the university. I was a little troubled when I found my university student card posted to me saying that I was signed in as a bachelor student. Ieeeeeeeeks after a few visits at the student office it turned out nothing had gone wrong and a new card was on its way. It is very exciting to start with my master of Philosophy of Law. It will include los of writing but that should not be a big problem!


 

The Kung Fu school also had opened its doors again so it was time for some serious training; we have practiced most days but in a much more relaxed tempo. It was great seeing everybody again and train. The school feels like a second (or first?)Home and not being there for 2 weeks was weird but we were lucky to have found a great spot in the park.

Then there was the attempt to tidy up my room in which I miserably failed. I did selected stuff to throw out but came to the conclusion much more needs to go. I have enough books to start a small library and enough paintings to open up a museum. Upcoming Wednesday the exhibition at the chiropractor's office will start. I am excited to see the reactions and hope that people like my work. Last time they did so it should be okay. This work is much better I think. I am still finishing of the last painting.


 

Leiden is such a great summer town.
Last Friday there were the Rapenburg (one of the most beautiful canals here) concerts. There was a huge floating stage anchored in the middle of the canal and little boats in front of it. The streets around it were packed with people and for a good reason. My friend and I went to see Candy Dulfer who made the whole place swing. It was the first time to see her life and she was just fantastic it impossible to stand still! The previous night had been quite a late one as we had a going away drink with a friend from Kung Fu who has now left to Ghana to work there. It was sad to see her go but I know she is going to have an exciting time. We will miss her a lot, as she was slightly crazy in a very good way and great to train with and not to forget extremely funny. But friends are not gone when they are out of sight.

Today is supposed to be the last summer like day of the year and it might be the last change to go for swim in Dutch waters.

vrijdag 22 augustus 2008

Inspiration




It has been weeks since i last touched my brushes but today i got it all out and almost finished this painting that i have been working on for some time now. It will be on show on my next exhibition. GuanYin the Goddess of Mercy is my Inspiration for this work. I tried to make the painting breath love and compassion and feel that in my own heart while i was painting.

woensdag 20 augustus 2008

Chinese School!


A few days I signed myself up for a beginner's course of Manderin Chinese at the Chinese School in The Hague. Who could have thought that so little people dare to start a Chinese Course, we got an email informing us that there were not enough applicants for the course. But it is no disaster the same course is given in Amsterdam, so it just means getting up early on Saturday. I can't wait to be able to scribble down a few characters and communicate with my friends in their own language only if it is just a few sentences to start with.





I felt so bad last time that I could not talk more. I sent Xu Laoshi a card from Finland and I tried to copy the characters to write down his address and finally success! The card arrived! It will be even nicer to send a small letter. With a lot of study and patience it must be possible! And I use to think French was a tricky language… Almost everybody who has gone to Beijing has the China bug and wants to go back. You have to go there to experience it. I even watch half the Olympic marathon in the middle of the night just because they ran through the TianTan Park almost following the same route as the bus we took almost every morning. There it all was, the Temple, the big pathway were the emperors used to walk upon, the big beautiful gate with its majestic big red doors. Then they ran out of the park almost passed the little shop were we used to buy great Beijing fresh probiotic yogurt from a very friendly lady, there the Hong Ying photo shop, the busstop, it is hard to believe that only 2,5 months ago I was walking there virtually every day and it was and felt like home. Learning the language makes me feel closer to my friends there and the idea of actually being able to have a simple conversation is very motivating!



Maybe i will be able to read what is carved into the bamboo!
It looks beautiful but if anybody knows what it says please let me know it could be anything.

zaterdag 16 augustus 2008

Falling trees and Rats



The Kung Fu school were we normally train is closed for a short summerbreak , the weather was good so it was perfect to train outside. Okey you have to leave your weapons at home because unlike in China you are not allowed to wave your sword or spear or even a stick around.

There it is the most normal thing to do but here the police will most certainly be called. We did bring our bricks are a much cheaper and more fun way to strengthen your muscles with then going to the gym and lift weights or so. When we were in China Xu Laoshi showed us how to use them.






I am not so strong yet and those bricks felt really heavy but Koen was having no trouble with them. Just have to keep trying, I guess.

It was very nice to do Qi Gong under the trees, with bird sounds and the wind blowing through the trees. Afterwards you feel completely recharged and relaxed. Ofcourse you can do it inside to but it feels so much better outside. We found a relative quiet place and with the 2 of us it feels better then when you are standing there by yourself. Less people are making comments now, perhaps they are getting used to us. On wednesday it was very stormy weather with some rain now and then, but remembering what my mother said a few weeks ago ( to my grandmother as a response to her saying that surely we would not go outside as it might rain) ; " It's good that you did not make me out of sugar". When it isn't cold it is even nice to be in some soft summer rain! Because of the strong wind (8) it would have been stupid to stand under the trees, that would rather uncool to do health improving exercises and then get struck down by a big branch or so, or worse a whole tree. Luckily there is a pavilion near to the small lake that sometimes is used for music performances. It was great, the raging wind through the trees, the bending reeds reminded me of bamboo, I love the moving of the trees, leaves, water and reeds in the wind, that flowing motion as if some unseen force that normally is just playing around softly suddenly is running wild and has to let of some steam, dancing wildly in the skies and occasionally roaring loudly.

I had just taken a picture and put my camera away to continue training when there was a loud ripping noise, an enormous branch of a nearby tree felt down not far from a boy sitting on a bench. We were looking at it with our mouths open but he didn't even seem to blink his eye nor did he feel the urge to move (he was sitting under the trees). Not much later his friends showed up and he kinda waved at the branch. I can only think that he must have been stoned or so. Then it started to rain like crazy and some middle aged people who had been running together, came to shelter at the pavilion. We were just walking around with our bricks and they found it all very interesting. They did some stretching and so did we. After they left we used the smooth metal poles that had just the perfect size for conditioning our arms. I haven't been able to find a nice smooth tree yet and it really isn't nice when you bang your arm into small bits that stick out. The trees here are often covered in green stuff so afterwards you look like the hulk without the muscles. Pine trees or clean white birch trees are nice but until we find them these poles are perfect. You have to build it up slowly and hit in a relaxed way then it even feels rather nice (no I have NO other funny hobbies) and you slowly condition your arms without injuring yourself , after some pushhands it was time to go home again.


The rats in the park are not scared at all this is the second one i have seen.

maandag 11 augustus 2008

Kung Fu, and an art exhibition



The passed days have been packed with Kung Fu classes and great fun. After the relatively chilled out time in Finland I had to pay the price with some serious muscle ache but that was my own fault. We did things varying from Broadsword, spear vs broadsword, the tiger part of the tiger- leopard form and even training in the Art of War which was battlefield practice.

There were so many lessons going on at the same time that it was hard to pick one. For everybody who now is slightly confused since some time I have been practicing Choy li Fut and TaiChi and Bagua for a short while. This passion brought me to Beijing last year and made me eagerly return this year. There is so much to learn and to discover! Apart from that I paint, and just had a phonecall from the chiropractor practice if I would like to exhibit some work again. So that is good news. I always wanted to become a painter and spent some time in art school but found it very difficult to get a foot between the door in the art world.
I love to paint more then to lobby. Because of my trips to Asia and my Finnish roots these are the things you can find back in my paintings.

I love nature and bright vibrant colours, my work is figurative with some more abstract elements occasionally. I use all sorts of materials. But love oil colours and watercolours, the way I use watercolours isn't the traditional way but I will show you some examples of my work. Don't be shy top let me know what you think!

dinsdag 5 augustus 2008

Leaving one home to return to another


Listening to some music I sit in my room now. This afternoon I took a flight from Turku back to Helsinki and then Amsterdam.
There were some great views and some heavy turbulence as it was still stormy but all went well I ran to my connecting flight, my bag with blueberries arrived and my room hadn't burned down. In the airplane I read something about the former Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen and I got curious about her music and wow does she have a great voice! It just cuts through you. If you hate opera or classical schooled voices you
might not like it but everybody else should have a go at listening to her album :My Winterstorm. Next time she comes to the Netherlands I have to go and see her! I will share some pictures with you from the flight and wish you all goodnight!


maandag 4 augustus 2008

Eternal Love, forest party decoration and a Wild Sea





 

Today is my last day here back to cheese country tomorrow, so even while it was rather cloudy and my grandmother had a seriously nasty temper tantrum, we just had to escape for a bit to listen to the rustling of the wind and freeze our butts off in a not so warm sea. It is such a nice feeling to roll down hill with your bike, a strong wind in your face and a nice smell of forest and sauna in your nose. It was extremely cloudy but it didn't matter. We made it to the 15:00 O'clock sauna which we had all to ourselves, it was stormy almost but we weren't going to miss out on the I- am- almost- having- a- heart attack- but- am- loving- it- feeling that you get when you go from 80+c to a 18c. The sea was wild and the waves were big but it felt great. And then you run back to warm up in the sauna again. There is nothing that revives your system better than that. If you do not feel alive then something is seriously wrong.

Then we set of to have a last look at Kuuva Nokka probably my favorite place here in Ruissalo. There was one path that we hadn't explored yet so now was the time. The forest floor looked as if there had been a party the previous night, as if someone had sprinkled yellow confetti everywhere. Birch leaves turn into the liveliest bright yellow in autumn and the ground was just covered in them! We had a look at the sea and a walk on the rocks. They are covered in brightly colored green and yellow mosses and have stylish patterns on them. It is not hard to see where all that famous Finnish design comes from!
The place was deserted but beautiful, the sea was almost green, there were dark
heavy clouds and the wind was making the leaves dance. Normally the sea is friendly and tranquil but not today. I will miss this place. Then we saw these 2 or should I say united trees. Never ever have I seen two trees embracing each other.

They looked like to old lovers that were forever entwined with each other (I told you I have romantic tendencies sometimes). Embracing each other and joined at the hip as it can be.

To soon it was 17:00 o'clock and we went for another sauna (such luxury) our friends were there to (the nice lady with the pictures) and we had a good time chatting and enjoying the sauna. It was hard to leave the water knowing that tomorrow I would be in a plane back to Cheese country. The thing that makes it better is that trainingcamp will start shortly and I have exciting things to do as choosing a master. The water felt so cold that it felt like it was biting you instead of softly caressing you. Stingingly cold but it felt so good. I had to get out because it was almost Sauna time for the men. We had some coffee and pulla with our friends and said goodbye. I made my first blueberry pie today and Korvapuisti they are delicious. No more munchies for me when I get home. I totally understand why everybody is so fat here.


zondag 3 augustus 2008

An Early autumn and a late bird




After almost 3 weeks of warm sunshine and hardly any rain, the tropical temperatures of almost 30c everyday are over. On Solar Eclipse Friday it was perfect with not a cloud in the sky for most of the day. I am embarrassed to say I missed the eclipse but I guess I have to watch it in China then in 2009! Yesterday we went once more for a raspberry hunt. When I was just stretching out to pick a few more I heard loud screaming bird noises. There was a nest of what I think were blackbirds in the raspberry bush. Their eyes were still closed and they clearly were just out of the egg. Quite late I think so in the end of the summer. After a quick snapshot I let them be and saw the mother bird going back to the nest. This was the first time I say such tiny birds from so close! Because it has not rained at all, the once good nesting place was not so good anymore all the surrounding vegetation had disappeared and the raspberry bush had shrunk. But still it was hard to spot the nest. When we left it started to rain softly, but not enough for a thirsty forest. Now just after breakfast the sky is clouded up and there is cold breeze, some trees are turning yellow already, it is an early autumn this year. Let's hope it will rain so the forest can turn green again!



We did manage to pick some rasberries and blueberries

donderdag 31 juli 2008

Part 2 of the Vepsä Trip and more matchmaking attempts…


As promised yesterday here is the rest of the tale on the Vepsä trip. After talking to the really nice couple for a long time we went for a coffee. As we were pretty hungry we hurried down to the restaurant. I already wrote about the food it really was not at all inviting. So we stuck to the coffee and kinda Dutch as we are apart from all that wild Finnish blood running through our veins we dug up our own energy cookies with cranberries. My mother has very well adopted the Dutch way of bringing your own food and feeling no shame to eat it with your just bought coffee. All people who had been there before had brought their own munchies. We had taken pulla Kranssi, water and a banana.

Swimming and hiking up steep hills makes you pretty hungry! It was another hour until the boat was to leave so we sat down on the swimming beach that is extremely safe for children as you had to walk at least 200 m before the water would reach any further then your knees.


 

But I could not resist the water. The water here is so much warmer than in Mepala. There is no busy Ferry route passing this island so the water is not stirred up that much. It was hot and sunny with very smooth water that for once actually felt warm.


 

Then it was time to go to the boat. Now we wanted to try and go for the better seats so we could see the landscape a lot better. Soon the whole landing place was filled with lots of people.

Again we met the cool couple; she was showing us her sunglasses that were not like any I had ever seen before. The inside of the glasses contained a little build in side mirror so you could see everything behind you. Talking about having eyes in the back of the head! Pretty amazing, on the boat we sat down with them for some more talking and they kept telling us how we should take a little cruise to one of the small islands were they serve you traditional and mostly fresh fish prepared in many different ways outside on the pier. After the dinner there is life music and you can dance outside under the stars on the landing place. How tempting! Let's for a moment pretend I can dance. But as my mother was saying and who are we going to dance with each other? Hm yes it might be a thing that couples or groups of friends do together I don't know. The idée just seemed so wonderful, dancing by the sea on a warm summer night, the sound of the waves, a nice Finnish tango… Maybe another time, it was rather expensive and then it might be nicer if you have a dance partner too, one whose date isn't giving you the evil eye. I do suffer from romantic tendencies occasionally.


When the boat got back in the harbor the riverside was filled up with hundreds of Harley Davidson motorbikes and some other ones too. Never ever have I seen so many at once! In summertime motorbike enthusiasts come together to show their motorbike and admire all the cool and wild models that people have. There were all colors and different designs many looked like one of a kind.



We walked with our bicycles in our hand (my bicycle is very cool too) and had a good look at all the shiny bikes wow. Even my mother had to admit that the bike riders did not look as scary as she had thought initially and surely not all of them were Hells Angels. Only some… It was interesting to see how like it is with dog owners the bike fitted the owner.


 

Today we had to go into town to pay some bills for my grandmother and to stock up on some food besides the ice cream we stocked up on yesterday. It is Licorice ice cream that is sold here in large quantities. Finnish people are licorice crazy. Even in The Netherlands we cannot get licorice ice cream in the supermarket. Too bad it taste pretty funky. We got some vanilla too because licorice and berries don't match.


 

After we got back my grandmother was just finishing her lunch but had some of the warm just grilled chicken we brought her. That is her favorite I think so we finally had a fuss less dinner. Then it was time for an after dinner coffee and to set of to Ruissalo. There was just enough time to bike down there for the 5pm sauna. We made it. One of our friends was there too and she is just a sauna and swim freak like us so she joined us. It was a very busy sauna hour but the atmosphere is usually very nice and relaxed.

We went for a swim first. That might have been a mistake the water was absolutely freezing. We were of course spoiled the day before. The wind was getting stronger and there were even some relatively big waves (for that place). Then it feels better than ever to get into a hot sauna to warm up again. Some ladies were throwing so much water on the hot rocks that you had to cover your face with your hands. After a while it got unbearable and we went for another swim. This time it felt so much better you would think the shock to your body is bigger because of the temperature difference but it felt much better! Later when we sat down with coffee in the sun and we were chatting to everybody suddenly the lady who is our friend said she had some pictures to show me. She was giggling a little bit. She and her husband were laughing a little bit. Of she went and got her wallet, eeeh he looked kinda young. Her son is 24 but the pictures were from when he was 17, he looked very sweet and nice. I am sure he has no idea that his mother is showing his picture to girls. Well let's say I am a little bit older than that, you can't always tell but my passport unfortunately doesn't lie. She said it didn't matter at all. Hmmm well the other way round it happens all the time I have nothing against it I mean it depends on the person.

It is good to know that there is no need to be afraid that no one is interested. It is my own desire of freedom and unusual activities that usually spoils things in the romantic department. I sat there with a red face and before they left she said she would bring another more recent picture next time. It was time for us to go too, It takes an hour to cycle back ,the evening was beautiful but Mommo get's up at 6am….

One of the grill and cook sites on the Island

This Bird Rules!

Peonyflowers and Roses

The Summerpalace 1

The Summerpalace 2

Tian Tan video

Yang 24 form at the Dutch TaiCHi Federation open Championships

chen 24 form at the Dutch TaiChi Federation open Championships

Chen style TaiChi 24 form

visitors