california_emeryville ever dumbening Not much here really. Most recently, IKEA moved in (you can pass judgement as you wish). A small triangle of land, a wedge between Oakland and Berkeley. It doesn't even get the industrial pride of housing the foot of the bay bridge. Oakland steals it by a few hundred feet. Most just pass through, as I often do. Once a week, though, I point my dragon-green Civic down MLK and drop into Emeryville--intentionally. There's a parquet floor, four inch squares, five strips of wood in each, alternating horizontally vertically. In tai ji quan the feet are usually rooted in some combination of 45 and 90 degree angles. The floor was not laid for us, but here we are--aligned. Little lode stones, we all soften to the pull. relax separate yin and yang center equilibrium rotate from the waist beautiful ladies wrists "If I hit you over the head with a ball-peen hammer, you relax very quickly, or a bullet to the head. Watch what happens. Tells you something. Mind is what prevents us from relaxing." Terry, born in China, left at age six. It's a good thing my Chinese is better than his, because otherwise I have nothing. He says the same things, shows us the same things, week in and week out. Why do I keep coming back to Emeryville? Sometimes I drag myself there. Having someone gently push you to face yourself can generate every emotion on the spectrum. There's nothing in this town except who I am and a wise man holding a mirror. Looking out the huge sliding windows, we stand at the end of the form, watching our breath, watching our thoughts. Why is it so hard to just be on that floor in that room in that city for those few moments? Have you ever watched your mind? It's rarely in Emeryville, unless you're not, or unless you are and you're centered. 020112 ... norms_party Oh hi, thanks for coming, there's hor'dourves in the dining. Well, mix, mingle. 020112 ... ever dumbening A winter rain serves as the vector, infecting. Sweet red vanilla scent of cherry blossoms. Timing, everything--different here. I'm transported to zhongguo_beijing, reminded of the sculpted branches, arms drenched in buds, furred by milky pink. "Of the one hundred and eighteen principles, only 'relax' is infinite. Upright is upright. Straight is straight. Single weight is single weight. But 'relax'--that's infinite. [...] If you still your mind, wah, it's far better than skiing down any silly little mountain." One more hour, one more step. In beijing, as deep as my pain went, I was still able to see those blossoms, to smell; but the beauty is softer tonight, clearer. 020207 ... lost theres finally someone else from cali 020208 what's it to you? who go blather from