Pili Puppets 霹靂

You can not flip through the channels here and not see Pili Puppets  霹靂 on somewhere. From my first moments here, Z and I were pretty mesmerized (well at least for a few minutes). I appreciate how Taiwan has preserved Chinese cultural history. When Fujian immigrants came to Taiwan and intermarried with the indigenous, they brought their hand puppets and their old Taoist/Gong Fu legends and stories. Taiwan has taken this folk art to the next level, an international TV series and film (Legend of the Sacred Stone).

The Taoyuan airport has this incredible exhibition of the Pili Puppets of Taiwan. As I was checking in at Singapore Air, there on the  TV monitors were the Pili puppets explaining the airport's rules and regulations using their typical drama. I found it entertaining at 4 in the morning.

The  Roles/Characters:
The Sheng Role生 has the three variations: The Elegant scholar (wen sheng), the man with martial arts skills (wu sheng) and the older male (lao sheng).


The Dan character is the female role and has four variations: The young, unmarried, mischievous adventurer (xiao dan), the refined daughter from a wealthy family (zheng dan), the elderly woman (lao dan) and the comical female character (chou dan).

Su Huan Jeng素還真

Fei Yu Yuan J

The Mo role末is the elderly man character and has to variations, the man who speaks (bai kuo) and the ones who don’t speak (cun gong).

Hao KunL

The Jing character 淨 is the face painted role. A race painted red means he is loyal, if yellow, honest, black represents a violent temper and green signifies a villain.



Luo Huo

The Chou character丑is the clown and usually has a white spot painted on the nose.  He/she is also called the ‘little white flower’ (xiao hua lian) and there are four types; the female comic relief (chou dan), the military chou, the literary chou, and the regular chou.

Qin Jia Xian

葉小釵Ye hairpin, xiao chai(scar) is the most tragic and popular character. His famous nickname is “crazy sword” or ” mad blade” he is a silent swordsman. His shoulder length white hair and the slash of a sword on his face make him more distinctive. His unbeatable fighting techniques make him the number one warrior.

Animation Collective developed Wulin Warriors for American television, created the show bible and episode scripts and 13 half-hour episodes, which premiered on Cartoon Network in February '06. Check out the opening theme song below:

Some of the characters from the series人名：

Su Huan-jen 素還真

Su Hsu-lu 素續緣

Feng Tsai-ling 風采鈴

Ye Hsiao-chai 葉小釵

Jian Jun 劍君

Luan Shi Kuang-dao 亂世狂刀

Ching Yang-zi 青陽子

Mou Kuei 魔魁

Hua Jue Bai-lian 花爵百鍊生

The Mysterious Swordsman 神秘劍客

Mysterious Maiden 神秘女郎 (不可思議的少女 ^_^)

Thousand Mountain ancient woodsman 千山樵老 (一千個山頭的老樵夫 ^_^)

Heaven Lifter 擎天子 (上帝舉起者???，這個譯法有點敏感，會不會

引起耶穌的抗議呀?)

Little Metal 小金剛 (小金屬 ^_^)

Hai Hsi-jun 海殤君

Wu Wang Tian-zi 無忌天子

Han Tan Leng Yue Du Chue Ying 寒潭冷月渡鶴影 (好長的名字呀~~~)

Mr. Boneskin (Lord Jian) 骨皮先生 (劍上卿)

Jian Ru-bing 劍如冰



Seven Creation Knights 造世七俠

Eight Sky Tiger Generals 天虎八將



The settings地名：

Porcelain Celestial Land 琉璃仙境 (陶瓷天地? How about Lazurite Fairyland?)

Mouth of the Dragon Saint 聖龍口 (龍之聖徒口)

Ancient Labyrinth 耆老迷 (老人迷宮 ^_^)

Gao Lin Residence 篙棘居

Circle of Justice 天外方界 (正義界???)

Wujian village 鳴劍山莊


http://www.pili.com.tw/en
http://www.animationcollective.com/wulin.html
http://bbs.nsysu.edu.tw/txtVersion/treasure/palmardrama/M.984147607.A/M.984147755.D.html

Chinese New Year To Me

Chinese New Year to me means new door gods at 7-11. The whole world washed in red and gold paper decorations, the stores selling traditional Chinese clothing, and red underwear for that important, auspicious first day. I enjoy making Chinese New Year arts and crafts with my class. We have flying dragons floating all around our classroom. My front door has a single character for "blessing"  fu 福 which hung upside down means "coming". Its not like I went out and bought it, the book store gave it to me for free. What I do buy every year around this time from the bookstore is this packet of 12 Chinese prints based on the coming new year animal. This includes for example, posters of paper cuttings, art, calligraphy, the chronology of the dragon in Chinese cultural history.

Chinese Paper cutting

Here is an interesting video on some of the origins of Chinese New Year’s customs and the Nian story:

For my Taiwanese friends it is their Christmas. The whole family gets together and eats auspicious sounding foods, the names of fish, pineapple and orange sound similar to lucky words in Mandarin. Red envelopes full of money are given. There is a protocol, the night before, the first day, actually every day, whose house to go over. I think the universal practice is to clean the whole house (out with the old in with the new) and wear new clothes inside and out.

I was at my Chinese “parents” home tonight and they were with their friends playing (betting) Mahjong. They gave Z a red envelope. They invited us to watch fireworks at the City Council building, but Z pretty much detests fireworks up close (and she lives in Tainan!).

Now it’s the year of the dragon, supposedly auspicious for everyone. There is an old story about the Chinese 12 zodiac animals below. Gong xi fa cai from me and Z!

My Chinese New Year Read: The summer before the Dark

My holiday read was this Doris Lessing novel “The Summer before the Dark.” It was fascinating. I wonder if it has been turned into a film yet and googled it and didn’t see any –yet. I see myself writing the screenplay, Jane Campion the director. The ideal actress would be Julianne Moore as Kate and Amanda Siegfried as Maureen but they have done similar characters together, it would be too formulaic. I would go with another actress, someone like Diane Lane as Kate and Santiago Cabrera as Jeffrey.

It would be fun to be on set in Istanbul, London, Spain. I enjoyed the bits on international travel, travelers, holiday as I was on the road myself. Even more interesting were the themes of growing old, female identity based on youth and attractiveness, marriage, infidelity, motherhood, freedom and loneliness. A searing passage into middle age, the mourning of lost youth. I could sense this, what is just around the corner as I read this on the eve of my 37th birthday. It’s a woman’s midlife crisis in London early 1970’s.

Although it takes place in the 70’s I think these themes as well as the issues of socioeconomic inequality and street protests particularly poignant. Also the storyline of working for the UN, these well-educated, over paid policy makers still relevant. The entire story could easily be taken place now.

As I was reading Kate’s journey I asked myself will she pull herself together by the end of it, when she reunites with her family? If not, then what? I also appreciate Lessing’s admiration for the importance of dreams. Kate’s dream life is so much a part of her journey, I get that, I have always talked about my dreams. It would be fun for a filmmaker to incorporate that whole seal dream motif, I see the snow, hear the Icelandic, otherworldly music. It is shocking this hasn’t been made into film yet. I might just write the screenplay as a sort of writing exercise, my new creative project for the New Year.

The Triumph Of Tebow: God is a Bronco Fan

Everyone in Colorado has known for years, that God is in fact a Broncos fan. It is just recently the rest of the country is finally learning. Ok I've been a Bronco fan through and through, grew up watching Elway. I am just so fascinated by the whole Tebow phenomenon, this national conversation about Jesus and faith. 

His Christmas card was the top selling one on e-bay this year, his jersey is the 2nd highest selling in the NFL now (Z got one for Christmas from Grandpa).  Tebow hasn't even won a Superbowl but he already has a best selling book out. Ok so I am not back in Denver in the thick of it, I am living here in Tainan and read the papers, talk to my family on Skype, I caught the 3rd quarter of their last OT game, so I am very removed. Still its interesting to me.

 

Obviously I am cheering him on. It has been amazing watching the various reactions; the anti-Christian backlash (Bill Maher the notorious atheist for example) or even from Christians themselves who believe faith should be compartmentalized to the private sphere (Terrell Suggs).

There was that funny SNL skit that caused an uproar, with tight ass believers, i.e. Pat Robertson's total lame reaction. No wonder people are turned off by Jesus if people like Robertson are the loudest believers out there. I have faith Jesus has a better sense of humor than Pat Robertson. Tebow himself found the skit funny. Jesus was a man who hung out with rough and uncouth fisherman, I totally can see him sitting in a football locker room. I disagree with SNL's argument that Tebow is in "everyone' face" about his faith, he gives all the credit to God. I think that makes most American Christians from a Puritanical performance oriented theology totally uncomfortable (we ought to work hard and earn the victory). He is not in the natural a very talented quarterback by any means, and then these miraculous endings are nothing short of supernatural.

Even if Broncos are to lose to New England on Saturday, I think Tebow is a total champion. He has made million of people google John 3:16.  He has made people who consider themselves Christian just a little uncomfortable. Anyone who pushes the comfort envelope has to be interesting.

Of course Bronco fans are the best supporters too. We work hard, play harder and we are very devoted. I would not be surprised if the Broncos go all the way this year, "all things are possible..."

The Merging of Two Forces

This was the week of the converging of 2 parties. First on the gym front. Gyms in Tainan are the stuff of legends, a big gamble. Two years ago I paid a year membership at the fabulous Flying Club by my house, went to Colorado for Chinese New Year came back and the place was closed, the owner took off with everyone's money to China. Expats who have been here longer have even more horror stories. So I have been a member at E-Powerhouse every since then. The gym is close enough, small, locker rooms are like a stinky closet, don't ask me about when a lady drops a bomb, there is no air ventilation. The weight room is pretty good, a lot of buff meat heads go there. They have yoga, spinning and combat and dance classes. My membership ends in July.

I found out on Monday they are moving, merging with the pool/gym/spa where Z takes her swimming class. They will move the library or weights and its actually a bigger space with  a coffee bar. Z can watch me dance while I take a class. Membership fees are the same, but a little more if I want to swim. The pool is closed during lunch (bad business move) so I wont pay extra for that and just buy the tickets to use the pool as I already do, swim while Z has a class.

The spa is decent enough, dry sauna, and wet sauna, nothing close to the luxury of the former Flying Club, kinda musty and cave like, but great for a sweat. The pool is fantastic for laps. So that is one merger. They will renovate during Chinese New Year plus a week off and have added a free month to everyone for the inconvenience. Now they have a special 8 months for 5000NT. Did I mention this new location (under my former apartment) is closer to my home and work? Now I can ride my bike, no need for the scooter.

Pastor Yeh, Mary (Sharefun's owner), Vivian Yeh new assistant principal

The second merger of forces has been my church with my work. Chinese Pastor Yeh and his wife Vivian have come on board to Share Fun's management. It was announced to us at our weekly meeting Wednesday and they officially kicked it off at last night's annual end of the year staff dinner (I won 4200 NT!). Since Vivian has been busy behind the scenes these  past few weeks, the whole atmosphere of the school feel so much more lighter.

I have a positive feeling that change is happening for the best.

New Years Chez Moi

On Sunday's Christmas night wedding feast I decided I would invite people over my apartment on New Years before they set off to their various parties.I wasn't up for a crazy night and I never have more than one party over at a time, except for that surprise 36th b-day party of mine.

I invited co-workers, my friends in Taipei (just in case) and some friends here in Tainan. It was a low turnout, but enough to be cozy. My closes Tainan friends plus 2 co-workers. It was mellow.I had a bottle of red and was up for making Fireflies. I had some finger food, cream cheese and salmon stuffed cherry tomatoes and red onion, blue cheese puff pastry triangles.

There were 8 adults and 6 kids, Z was the only girl. Three of my guests are divorced, one separated, the other announced their upcoming marriage, one has a spouse who lives and works in another city and comes home every other weekend, then there's me. Just call me Sgt. Pepper. It was like the Breakfast Club grews up, the Tainan version. Everyone left and my friend David stayed we watched the countdown on TV. Simple night for I expect a simply wonderful 2012.

Thinking about the Transit- Our Singapore Layover

At first I was dreading our long layover in Singapore because I knew we wolud be tired from the previous night's night bus from Tainan to Taoyuan. Then the more I started checking out Changi Airport's website I was getting petty excited about it. I figured we could take a taxi into the city maybe chill at the Botanic Gardens again (we were in Singapore in July). Now I don't think we will leave the airport, except maybe for one of the free tours.

Z is totally stoked about Changi and at night before bed , instead of a beloved story she wants to hear our Sumatra itinerary and specifically our layover in Singapore. She is excited about the kids science room and the gardens, I am excited about the nap room or the transit hotel and getting a shower. I hope we catch up on sleep during our flight so we can catch one of the free tours and enjoy a swim on the rooftop pool. Everything there is pretty affordable which is surprising because Singapore was expensive when we were there.

I cut and pasted from the airports website and converted prices into NT.

Changi Singapore Layover Possibilities:
1. FREE TOUR (2 hours)  Registration timing and operating hours Tour timings

7.00am to 3.15pm, daily (Terminal 2)

7.00am to 3.00pm, daily (Terminal 3) 9.00am, 11.00am, 1.00pm, 3.00pm, 4.00pm

(All tours are conducted in English)

2. Soak up the sun and take a refreshing dip in the rooftop swimming pool (30 mins) SGD $13.91 (327 NT) nett for non-hotel guests. 0700hrs to 2300hrs daily TERMINAL 1

3. Get a new hairdo or manicure (45 mins)

4. Catch a blockbuster movie for FREE at the Movie Theatre (2 hours) (term 2+ 3

5. Rediscover the beauty of nature at one of Changi's themed gardens (15 mins)
Term 1: Cactus Garden, Term 2: Fern Garden and Pond, Orchid Garden

6. Tuck into a hearty meal and chill out at Harry's Bar or Hard Rock Cafe (45 mins)

7. Try out a fish micro-massage therapy at the Fish Spa & Reflexology (30 mins)

8. Refresh with a quick shower (20 mins) SGD $8.56 (211 NT) nett for non-hotel guests., each Terminal

9. Have a go at the FREE Xbox 360 and PlayStation® 3 games at the Entertainment Deck (30 mins)

10. Ambassador Transit Hotel (Budget) single, TV, shared bathroom ($41.20 SGD/988 NT), Napping areas all terminals

The Querks of Work

"Ya gots to work with what you gots to work with." --Stevie Wonder

"We work to become, not to acquire." --Elbert Hubbard

2011 Fitness in Review (or My Anaerobic Anamensis)

I am no meat head, I wouldn't consider myself a sports person, although I grew up watching predominately basketball and football, still enjoy cheering for my NBA team (the Nuggets) and NFL (The Broncos). I have no Olympian physique. I don't have the Hollywood cookie cutter body type, but I'm strong,and I like to sweat. If I had to carry my 20 kg daughter on my back up a mountain I could do it.

This past year some fitness breakthrough sorta fell into my lap from new information I gained and I was able to learn a lot and improve my fitness and overall strength. It has always been easy for me to hit a plateau especially coming from Colorado at altitude, and then working out in Tainan at sea level, cardio was just too easy. I had to go all out for 40 minutes on a cardio machine before I was able to get my heart rate up to 180.

 Then I was having these epiphanies that were later confirmed by experts that the traditional cardio with the machine, even their heart rate monitors were not a realistic way to achieve my fitness goals and break on through to that next level.

I found Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS  and his Turbulence Training info online and found his free podcasts extremely helpful. He also has a blog and on his podcast will just spit out workouts that I can write down. Turbulence Training has totally transformed my thinking about exercise, I mean radically. TT is more effective, more time efficient and in more ways more gentle and loving with my body although the workouts are more intense.

TT training differs radically from conventional American gym dogma, that cardio should be on a soulless machine for 40 min-60 minutes 4-5x a week with some weights 2-3x per week. And on top of that weights typically means doing 3 sets of 15 reps, doing supersets of the same muscle group until exhaustion. TT training is totally anti-cardio and all interval. The metabolical resistance training is more body weight and free weights, with a fitness ball, doing super sets based on one push followed by a pull  of different muscle groups stopping BEFORE exhaustion. You stop when you can still do one more rep. Its kinder to your  body and builds up the body rather than traditional body building that tears down the muscle  tissue (followed by rest) to beef it up. The interval training is on a spinning bike, 5 minute warm up followed by intervals (like 30 sec all out HARD, followed by 30 rest, or 45 hard, 60 rest) for 6-8 x followed by a 5 minute rest and stretch.  TT training is only 3x a week, so my M, W, F and I am in and out of the gym in 45 minutes. A warm up is doing push ups, squats, lunges. The rest of the days Craig recommends some light exercise for 30 minutes doing something enjoyable with your family. He reinforces that wisdom that's so important in this age of cyberspace, real human connection  (how I miss my gym buddies, especially Andrea), workout buddies where are you?  TT is all about changing it up every 4 weeks which means it never gets boring and your body has enough time to respond to the exercises but then before it adjusts too much, you tweak it again.

On my off days, I recently discovered from the American Kettlebell trainer Dave Chesser in Taipei, the Body Rock website. The star of that show is Czech trainer Zusana who is totally amazing, has a perfect body and  very sincere about inspiring people to work out hard. By hard I mean intensely for about 10-16 minutes 6 days a week.  All that time I wasted in the gym! Lately Zuzana has been MIA and there some guest trainers, but you still get an exceptional workout. I still go back to do some of the earlier workouts with Zuzana. Body Rock uses body weight, sand bags, an interval timer and sometimes a ugi ball, and almost always a dip station. I put bags of kitty litter into a backpack, use an online interval timer, and use the hand rails on my treadmill as my dip station.  I do bodyrock 2x a week, either on Sat, Tues or Thurs, with one rest day. However, if I have my period I will rest.  And these past 2 holiday weekends, I have been having 2 rest days.

The advantage of TT and Bodyrock, is I have more time, faster results, real fitness, its not boring.

So today is Tuesday and I logged onto Body Rock and did their New Year fitness test.  I highly recommend it to see where you are and after competing 30 of their workouts see how fast your body responds. That's what I plan on doing, it will be a challenge and unlikely if I can do this on the road while traveling through Sumatra in 10 weeks.

The test is only 7 minutes long of 50 sec train intervals with 10 sec rests in between. I believe my score would of been higher but my butt and shoulders are cashed from yesterday's TT. My scores:
Squat Jumps: 42
Push Ups: 25 (some on my knees)
High Knees: 100 (might of been more hard to count, 50 R + L)
Burpees: 18
Jump Lunges: 40
Tuck Jumps: 24
Sit ups: 22

My fitness goals of 2012:
1. Add more kettlbell into the mix (I usually do KB on my Tues Thurs once a week)

2. more yoga

3. relax more

4. sleep earlier at least by 11

5 at least 10 pull ups by June

6. portion control

Food is an important issue, I love it.I have a hearty appetite, I could never skip a meal if I tried. As Craig Ballyntine says, "you cant out train a bad diet." Not that I eat junk food, I eat well, just portion control and slowing down to enjoy it, which goes hand and hand with rest and relaxing, no rushing around.

7. Exercise my faith in divine health. As a child of God it is my right to have divine health, never get sick again, retain the dew of my youth as I age. I had that Jesus dream recently where I believe He sent it to me so I could see how he looked, fit, young, the epitome of health and so if I experience symptoms of illness or premature aging, I seriously see myself as I saw Jesus in that dream, forever 30 (or 32?).

Christmas in Tainan

Christmas started for me December 1st. I decorated my classroom, put the tree up at home. I taught the kids the Nativity story and we did various crafts, a Nativity scene pop up display, coffee filter angels, they learned  some traditional carols (which is not easy for a 4 year old with limited English), we made a hand print wreath out of green felt. Later, I introduced the Nutcracker story, the Ginger Bread Man and made ginger bread cookies (minus the Molasses, so not so authentic, but it was edible). Our Christmas Popcorn balls were a disaster, but fun in a science experiment sort of way.

Winter solstice this year was the 22nd and traditionally Taiwanese eat sticky rice ball soup, usually with red beans, peanuts and lichee (a fruit that induces heat in the body). My friend had some bowls waiting for me when Z and I came over, and then when I came home my other friend had some bagged and waiting at my front door. I added some more red beans, black sesame and black rice to make it more hearty.

Christmas Eve  day I went over my former manager Amy's house. The food spread was fantastic. I made a simple polenta+ Parmesan  crust with some indentions and cracked an egg open in them and baked it until the eggs cooked. There was S. African milk cake, KFC, giant prawns, pesto and pasta, pudding, clams, so ALOT. The adults played Secret Santa, and Amy bought each child a gift. Zenaida got a Minnie Mouse watch which she was ecstatic about. I got some essential oil, anointing oil from Rose of Sharon in Israel, which was a strange coincidence because I recently had the dream of being annointed  by that Bishop (earlier blog).



Singing Carols



Z recieved a watch

That night I let her open a few gifts at home, her big gift, the science kit with a microscope and telescope. She has been playing with her "professional" as she calls it and pretends to be a professor.

On Christmas Day we went to church. Z and her kid Bible class entertained us with a song. My Taiwanese friends came to church and we all went to the mall Mitzokoshi for lunch  on the 6th floor, so the kids could play some games at the arcade.


Z at church



Later that night we shared the joyous occasion of a Christmas Wedding  Feast. My coworker Eric, (my boss' nephew) married. A Taiwanese wedding means getting drunk on food and there was plenty of that. The sushi was frozen, but the black chicken soup was amazing, as was the steamed fish. Z volunteered to sing on stage a few times, which was surprising, she is definitely becoming more of performer. I went to bed too late and indulged one wine glass too many and I felt it the next day, Monday morning.   



Monica and her son, lunch time



2012 The Year of My Repose

I’m a big fan of paradoxes; they somehow make sense to me. I am fine tuning this one paradox on the art of doing nothing, I wind up doing everything I need to do and want to do. Entering that rest and thus finishing those tasks that needed to be done. The past few years this has meant mundane tasks like cleaning my floors before work or working out more efficiently and now that I can flow with this somewhat effortlessly, I see my creative side needs to be cultivated and tended like the neglected garden it is.

It’s the New Year and the time to consider goals and resolutions. I have been rolling the thought around my head, “in life only one thing is important:______”. Finally, this morning I heard that still, small voice in my head answer, “rest.” At least in this season in my life as I work full time, busy with mothering tasks and household chores ‘til 10pm, I find little time for quietude. Going against the brainwashed imbedded Puritanical work ethic and even more relentless, just the necessities of daily chores, I guilt free make time for at least exercise (because I would feel guilty if I didn’t exercise, its like brushing my teeth, just must be done.)

My precious lunch breaks have always been jealously guarded from infringement, as are most of my mornings. I wake up early enough to read some Peaceful passages, followed by some wise podcast while doing morning tasks prior to waking my daughter, still I need more rest. Then when she is a wake its this a mad rush to get out the door on time. I hate rushing, rushing her, she is a kid and loves to diddle daddle, which is her right.

Rest is divine, literally in the Judeo-Christian view, God rested, making it a holy commandment. The Hebrew word for “rest” is imbedded in their word for health. There are several proverbs that state this relationship between health and rest. Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.[ Stop allowing yorselves to be agitated and disturbed.]" If you consider the opposite of rest and ease is fear, stress or dis-ease, modern medicine has come full circle and proven that stress is the cause for most if not all chronic illness. Stress literally unravels DNA, damaging our bodies at a cellular level.

I have heard people say health and a stress free life are only possible by living at one with nature. Yet it isn’t a realistic possibility to live according to the natural rhythm of the sun, wake at 5 go to sleep at sunset or even 10pm, we DO have the light bulb thankfully. I lived that way working as a goat herder in Ireland and on an organic farm in a self-sustainable village in Germany and I was not exceptionally healthy or enlightened. You either believe you’re still living a natural life subject to its laws or you believe in divine supernatural health. I tend to be moving more towards the latter even ‘tho it’s totally impossible, which is why it is possible.

Rest just isn’t the absence of work, but an internal state of worry free peace. I can’t imagine not having internal rest without some kind of hope that my future is taken care of, it will all work out somehow. Yet there is that tension of still learning as I go, while not knowing what lies ahead, which makes life and growth far from boring.

Rest can be doing something physically vigorous. For someone stuck working in a building all day, rest might be doing some yoga in the sun or running on the beach. For someone sitting at a computer all day rest might be doing some Tabata training. Exercise regulates the endorphins in the brain, like melatonin for a good night’s sleep and serotonin for a state of well-being. I definitely consider my lunchtime workouts as rest. It’s better than a nap, I’m uber-energized for everything I have to do until 10pm. Last Thursday I was too sore from the previous day’s Turbulence Training to do even a 10 minute bodyrocktv workout. It was such a spring like afternoon I just mastered quiescence at the beach. I need to incorporate more cessation into my mix for 2012.

The paradox seems to be when I maintain my inner peace (it is a choice that needs to be exercised), then Grace has the space to flow w/me (or vice versa is probably more the reality). The laundry gets done, dinner somehow comes together, things happen so effortlessly. Maintaining that peace when things are falling apart is part of my growth. In the coming New Year I plan to carve time for somnolence, to pray more, find my yoga flow again, finish that book, that nagging screenplay, those almost finished paintings. Since studying Mandarin is not my idea of rest (requires a lot of my brain power), I know that Chinese calligraphy is, and I am fascinated by characters.

In my class I often play the Sound of Music soundtrack during lunch time and I am ever awed by the wise lyrics Julie Andrews sang in the song “Confidence”,

“Strength doesn’t lie in numbers

Strength doesn’t lie in wealth

Strength lies in nights of peaceful slumbers

When you wake up—Wake Up!”

Ultimately I need to rest because I have been too busy to dream and I’m a dreamer. I need to be charmed by an idea, uplifted by a vision, inspired by a goal and last year all those lofty aspirations from the previous year lost their luster between the daily grind and procrastination. 2011 was a year of learning (hooray!) a blessed year of travel (hooray!) also a painful year of looking into the mirror of my own destructive habits and underdeveloped parts. I spent the last 3 months of the year waiting for the latest dream to fall into my lap, edify me and illuminate my direction. Just after 2 beach vegging out interludes, I discerned those former inspirations are worth pursuing and the passion will return once I just get over the fear of finishing something and just get on with it.

So here is to just getting on with it! (And doing more of nothing).