Bushcraft

I am away from tomorrow to Anam Cara in Inverness-shire for 4 days, studying bushcraft with one of Ray Mears' course instructors, Willow Lohr. I have not had a hance to upload my drawings form TCC or photos from Weapons Days here, will do when I return.

Location for 4th Annual Weeklong workshop

It's less than 2 weeks to go to the week long workshop at Fetternear Hall. For those of you not familiar with the area, there's a map available here.
I'll be typing up directions to the hall. If you're expecting to arrive during one of the sessions it may be handy to give to your taxi driver at the station or airport. Let me know if you need a copy.
For anyone arriving in Aberdeen about 5-5:30pm on the Saturday or Sunday, I could arrange to give you a lift out to the hall. Please get in touch

Weapons Day

...will take place this Sunday 1pm-7pm at st Mary Magdalene Church Hall, Trinity Road.

Taichi Caledonia

I had an excellent time. However, I appear to have taken only about 5 photos, all of ducks. I will get a few pics from the ones my friends post soon. So much to tell, but it'll have to wait until I have had a rest. The bed in the chalet was so uncomfortable that I need a massage and a good night's sleep in my (very firm) bed.

Wednesday Short Form classes through the summer

Short Form classes will run on demand through the summer at 7pm on Wednesdays at Paolo & Davina's place near Monymusk, starting tomorrow 8th July. There will no class on the 29th July as we will be at Mark's summer workshop.
This is aimed primarily at the folk learning Short Form at the beginners classes, but any Great River students are welcome to come along. We'll do warmups & partnerwork as well as form. Price TBC.

Please contact us by Wednesday each week to let us know if you'll be coming. As the lightning killed our internet connection yesterday we won't have regular access to email for a few days, so please phone or text - I'll email our numbers to the students I have addresses for.

For students in the north of Aberdeenshire, Ev may run a class at Gartly, near Huntly, subject to demand. Please contact her direct ( mailto:ev@greatrivertaichi.co.uk ) if you are interested.

Thursday Long Form class ...

... is at the Friendship room, Kemnay Hall this week (9th July).

T'ai Chi Finzean

Those of us that couldn't make it to T'ai Chi Caledonia made the most of the beautiful weather with an impromptu 5-element workshop at "T'ai Chi Finzean"! What a lovely way to spend a day: bare feet sinking into the Earth while we practised staff (Wood), sabre & sword (Metal).

Pic by Scott
Then a refreshing swim in the Feugh

and a bonfire in the garden.


Many thanks to Anneke and Neil for their great hospitality.

White crane spreads its wings

Slow Down

My old friend Claudia Zeiske (in the hi vis vest to the right of the picture) of Deveron Arts recently organised a great festival in Huntly called 'Slow Down' and Scott took some T'ai Chi in the Square. From the photo it looks like folk are following along nicely. Ev runs regular T'ai Chi classes in the Huntly area, as well as in Elgin.

Peng An

I saw this local south London Chinese take away from the bus and it really is called 'Peng An' or 'ward-off, push' as we like to say in T'ai Chi.

Woodpecker Wooliams

My dear friend Gemma makes wonderul music, and I have been rehearsing and playing live with her recently. She has some CDs out with small independent record labels and some great tracks on her Myspace page, if you'd like a listen. We'll be playing a festival in Cumbria in September but before that there'll be a London gig on 14th August organised by the Resonance FM guys, Dexter Bentley. All are welcome... more details when I get them, or go to Myspace.co.uk and search for Woodpecker Wooliams...

Taichi Caledonia

I am off to TCC tonight but I am having a quiet day at home rather than training as I have been haring around too much this week, lots of teaching and studying in the humid hot weather. I will be on the train until nearly midnight... Have a peaceful and productive week.
Caro x

Bad Customer Service

Here's a bit of my hidden shallows... I don't usually blog about anything so mundane as shopping, but I so rarely shop anywhere other than charity shops for clothes that I thought I would. I bought a great looking pair of jeans from FCUK, French Connection, wore them about 8 times, and washed them twice. They split at the bum and the knees, and no I haven't put weight on! I took them back with the receipt after less than 2 months of having them, as unfit for use. Customer services have just sent them back to me with no refund saying it was not their fault and was due to wear and tear. I don't remember having done any open-cast mining or pavement-laying wearing them... I went on a boat and hung out with mates at a gig: hardly hard use.

So, buyer beware, FCUK are pants, their customer service sucks, let's start the boycott here!

I guess I'll write one more time, but what can I do? I can't prove I didn't cause the wear and tear, so they don't have to replace them on the 'fit for use' statutory rights issue. Any ideas, let me know. I am £70 worse off and jeans-less. I think I will go back to schlepping round the charity shops until I find a pair that fit. Ho hum.

Aberdeenshire Sunday Class - 5th July

This Sunday's class is at Neil & Anneke's in Finzean.
We would like to invite you all for something to eat after Taichi this Sunday and if you like stay for some dancing, bonfire or swim/dip in the Feugh, depending on the weather! 2pm onwards for a 2.30pm start.

ID Cards

HURRAY!
ID cards will now not be compulsory in the UK.

What kind of mad authoritarian organisation thought it would have been a good idea... oh yeah, our government.

Taichi Caledonia

I will be away in Stirling from this Sunday at T'ai Chi Caledonia, and I'm really looking forward to it. Ev will also be there too, from the Friday. I will be arriving late, as Saturday will be spent studying with Master Wang in London. I will have my mobile phone with me if you need to contact me, the number is on my main website. I am not sure if I will get internet access during the week.

Partnerwork sessions in London

The first of the partner work sessions took place yesterday and was well attended despite it being a hot sunny day outside. The hall we use is light and airy, which is lovely, and 11 of us played at all manner of push hands and other work for 3 hours. The next ones are on Saturday 10th October and 21st November. In 2010 they will run about 8-9 months of the year. Once everyone has all the basics of Ta Lu, Wabu, DPH and other foundation studies, Mark will resume his partnerwork days. Organising these mornings is a bit of enlightened self-interest on my part. I have no burning desire to run the days per se, but can't wait to do partner days with Mark again along with all my students and colleagues.
Incidentally, with 11 of us the cost worked out at just £5 each, which was great.

Workshop stay arrangements

I just heard from my London good student Rob that he'll be arriving late on the Saturday night and doing the week with us. All the Scottish students have met him at previous intensives. Is there anyone who has a spare place to put him up? He's a lovely chap, and handy round the house too! Do let me know. Thanks, caro x

Aberdeenshire Sunday classes - 28th June & 5th July

The drop-in class will be at Scott's this Sunday if it's fine - the forecast is currently looking good. If the weather takes a turn for the worse, then class will be at Paolo & Davina's.
And on the 5th July we'll meet at Neil and Anneke's place.