It’s past one in the morning. I just had a cold sh…
It’s past one in the morning. I just had a cold shower since there’s no hot water. My flight to Perth leaves just after 7am. That means I have to get up at 4, take the 4:40 am bus to the CKS airport to make the flight. Should I even bother sleeping? Obviously I’d rather be blogging. Oh, and I guess I should pack as well.
The weather this morning was brilliant. I managed to get up in time to make it over to the site of the Taichi competition by 8am. The reason for this was the opening ceremony, where everyone stood in lines behind their group leaders while various and sundry officials make vapid speeches. I spent most of the ceremony trying not to roll my eyes and ruin someone’s photograph of the ceremony. At one point, though, after we finished bowing to the ROC flag and singing the national anthem, they started playing the theme to Monty Python’s Flying Circus and I burst out laughing, drawing several unfriendly stares. I just couldn’t help myself. All of the sudden I envisioned Terry Gilliam’s animated feet flying around the room and smooshing people.
After that, aside from a brief moment of panic when I thought that I had my pants on inside out, things went smoothly. I managed to keep from screwing up, and although I was nervous, people said it didn’t show. 2nd place isn’t so bad, although I still think that Taichi and competition really don’t go together. They’re exact opposites, concept-wise, and it seems like one negates the other. In any case, it was pretty interesting , since even though I’ve participated in Karate and Shaolin Kung-fu competitions before, but this was my first Taichi competition. I was the only “foreigner” actually competing that I could see, but there were a couple of non-Chinese in the audience. I took some pictures of the Tui-shou (pushing hands) competition, some of the other participants, and the scene “backstage” where people wait before going on.
Afterwards I went out to buy a CD case and Zhang Zhen-yue’s latest album, “Trouble”, at Tower Records. Kirk called and said he needed my copy of Windows 98, so I said I would call him when I got home. Then I went to the 70’s Airport Love Waterpark to give the Enterprise tape to Dean, and we watched it on his VCR. Dean and Kay are almost moved out now, over to a surprisingly nice apartment near the old Taiwan News office. Dean let me borrow his backpack to take to Australia, which was cool of him, although there’s a Canadian flag sewed on the back, which might give people the wrong impression (i.e. that I’m a decent person), but it’s a big, useful backpack. In exchange I helped Dean and Kay stick some furniture into the back of Kay’s little car, and we drove through the streets with a couple of shelves sticking out of the trunk and the “Trunk Open/Garbage Truck Approaching” melody ringing in our ears as it started to rain. Kirk and a new friend of his came over after I got back to pick up my Windows CD. Apparently said friend is installing a new computer, although I don’t dare assume too much.
So it’s after 1:30 now and I’m still not packed. I don’t think I’ll be getting much, if any sleep tonight. Oh, well. I guess I can sleep on the plane. See you in Perth, or perhaps in Singapore if I happen upon an Internet connection while I’m there.
