Training at Aikikai Biella dojo

Tuesday night I visited another dojo in Biella area: Aikikai Biella dojo, located at the very beginning of Valdengo, just outside Biella. Earlier Ivano, the dojo instructor, had also classes in Biella, but now he invested time and work developing an extremely nice dojo in Valdengo. Lots of work for now, but when finished he will be rewarded by several satisfactions!

The dojo has already quite a lot of students:

Training at Ken Kyu Sei Biella

Monday night, for the best jet lag cure, I visited a dojo in Biella where ages ago (I think 1999) I had already practiced once:  Ken Kyu Sei dojo, with Vittorio Beloli for instructor. I had the great chance to participate to both a beginner and then an advanced student sessions.

Aikido at Ken Kyu Sei Biella

Vittorio’s Aikido (as he told me) is a combination between Tada sensei and Fujimoto sensei teachings. For me are both quite new. I practiced with Tada sensei in Japan, and I met Fujimoto sensei students, mainly at Endo sensei seminars.

Italy, definitively not China

I am at home, for sure now: I could have been in doubt, arriving by night, killed by the jet lag, sleeping at wrong hours, but after yesterday lunch.. I am pretty sure this is Italy, Biella…

toma cheese, bread & barbera

panettone & moscato

FUNNY THING OF THE DAY - Yesterday night, after Aikido practice (I’ll write later about this) I walked 15 minutes to get home. I live quite in center Biella. Not historical center, but also not outskirt.. Anyway, on the short walk home around 9:30pm, I crossed 6 cars and 3 people!!! Another proof I am in Italy, not China for sure! Even if I had some doubts when I met those 3 people: they were.. Chinese!! Then, after some thought (I wanted to call them laowai, foreigners, as many time I have been called) I shout at them “Happy New year” in Chinese, 新年快乐, and after a few seconds (startled by the Chinese or could not understand my shitty Chinese! Or both), they did answered 新年快乐!! Maybe I am still in China, and just was luck to find great food!

Happy Year of the Dragon

Happy Chinese New Year everybody!!

新年快乐!!!!

2012 – the year of the dragon has started..

..and my jet lag kicked in right on schedule

Wrong flight time???

FUNNY THING OF THE DAY – I hope the picture uploaded properly. Note the last flight, MU7371: this was my 23:30 flight to Beijing. When I arrived at the airport around 9pm the monitor was as in the picture… Like my flight was actually anticipated!! I was quite surprised, shocked and afraid!! But the flight MU7371 is normally only on Fridays at 2130, and today it’s a special situation because if CNY holidays. So the automatic panel was not properly updated!

Delayed..

35 minutes for a start, for snow or not who knows..

It has stop snowing..

Delay until 5-6am tomorrow morning are acceptable for me since my flight to Italy is around 11:30.. But I’d rather be a little less stressed..

…

Now I’m on Beijing.

The flight I have been coughing continuously, not sure why. Also my throat is a little sore. A pity: I’m afraid for the long flight.

Now I’m at a cafe on the third floor of Beijing international airport. Free wifi, probably everywhere, but here a quite comfortable sofa and place for my luggage. Safe place close to me. I’ll try to catch some sleep until 7-8 in the morning at the price of a mango milkshake.

One night in Beijing

Or better, in Beijing airport..

If the snow did not stranded my flight, right now I’m having my night in Beijing..

..Beijing airport!!!

Sunday morning, flight to Italy.. hopefully!!!