On my way

Strong sun, more than 25 degrees and soon I’ll put my now heave backpack on my shoulders and head to the metro station. A little more than 1 hour and I’ll be in at Hong Kong border, than 1 more stop and bus to HK airport..

A night at the airport, for a change and a new entry in my airport bench experiences

Tomorrow Tokyo where I will meet in the night a good friend for a sushi dinner, best way to start this new Japanese experience!

Hombu dojo and Aikido Shinagawa Kouyukai on Saturday for getting 2 sessions with Irie sensei, and then most probably back to Hombu for 2 more sessions (but my conditions is far from top, so I will judge during the day what I can do.. thinking the week in Saku will be demanding as well!).

Sunday I have already scheduled both hombu and Rikuyokai Aikido dojo, where in the latter Endo sensei will be teaching.. and I know at least 1 would be a little envious for this, even if I do know his Sunday is usual Aikido top as well

So, cheers folks, more news soon from a land where neither my blog nor wordpress are banned

Hakama finally fixed..

..and then ready to leave!

During the practice holidays in Scandinavia my hakama broke apart, opening (as usual) on the back “plate” side (koshi) and not having anymore Aiki-mama Jacqueline to fix it for me with her magic sewing skills I asked the only colleague that understands some basic English to help me to get someone fixing it. It is quite common to see on the street some old ladies with a tiny stand a nd a sewing machine on doing basic jobs (I mean, basic for them!).

So we went to one, but since I needed the thread to go through the gummy plate, the lady sent us to a shoe repairing shop just close by (if my colleague was not there I would have been stuck already!). There, with a hand propelled sewing machine for hard jobs the lady made me a double seam in the back plate! 10RMB well spent (and I think it was expensive since I am a foreigner, but how to complain!)

FUNNY THING OF THE DAY - Of course, a laowai at a local street shop is always source of much attention in China (as anything different from the day by day boring ordinary life). So when I was squatting at the shoe repair shop and helping to move the hakama without taking it completely out of the bag (for not make it dirty, but not only.. it would have been impossible to explain what it was, especially trying to avoid totalk too much about Japan in these days that the island related problems are coming out again!). Anyway, I snatched a picture 1 second after I left the shop and normally htere are not so many children or people around it!! I left, the show was over.. and they were leaving as well

Tissier sensei in Stockholm!

Yes, it is *that* time of the year..

I will miss it.. this year as well, next, hopefully not..

As so many before, one of my favorite appointments in Aikido year..

Many memories and good friends I really miss:

FUNNY THING OF THE DAY – A good life example, being 7th dan shihan and still carrying mats: Jan Hermansson

Jan Hermansson

Congratulations for the 5th dan!

Fukumori san, the first Japanese guy on the right side of the picture, recently got promoted by Endo sensei to 5th dan!

The picture was taken long time ago in Vienna, at Shimizu sensei seminar when I had extremely lot of fun to practice with both sensei and Fukumori san.

Long time no see, Shanghai!

Tomorrow starts the 清明节, Qingming festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day festivity, 3 days off form work, at which I add a forth one and take a trip to Shanghai to meet friends I haven’t seen in ages! That mens of course that next week will be a bridge including a working Sunday.. yeah!

On the oither hand, I will manage to catch 2 Aikido sessions, one at Shanghai International Central dojo and the typical first of the month Saturday of special practice at Shanghai Xijiao West Aikido dojo. Resulting not only in good Aikido but also in meeting lots and lots of friends after ages! This will help my mind during the working Sunday!

I miss also the feeling of a big city: going to Hong Kong helps a lot (maybe even too much!! it is really crowded in the streets HK!) and the offer in restaurants and activities there is something I also major miss in Longgang. Even Hefei was better!

Anyway, soon get on my way, and some time after also bye bye Longgang and China..

I’ll miss some as well, not from Longgang though!

Have a good wekeend folks!

More Aikido practice in Hong Kong

Another nice practice at Doyukai Hong Kong dojo, unfortunately only one session for me this time:

very serious group!

less serious group!

Weekend of Aikido in Hong Kong

Last weekend I took free on Saturday and went to Hong Kong for the weekend double session at Doyukai Aikido dojo.

I had the pleasure to meet Nagai sensei (center of the picture) at Endo shihan seminar in Hong Kong a few weeks ago. It was very nice to enter in contact with Doyukai dojo and the international bunch of people practicing there. So interesting that it was worth ask for a free Saturday and head to Hong Kong for participating to their weekend sessions.