Is kung fu fun??

I have had a strange experience several times since coming to train at my school in China. I've heard from many different people, that training isn't fun. It's not supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be hard work and grueling, but it's definitely not fun. This always gets me a little bit upset.

Who decided that kung fu shouldn't be fun? Yeah, it's hard, and it's sweaty, and sometimes it's frustrating and difficult, but why can't it be fun too? Someone said to me today, yeah it's fun if you're just taking it easy and not practicing hard. I was a bit insulted. Just because I'm out there sweating my butt off and having fun at the same time, does it mean that you're training harder than I am? Or is there just something strange about me that I really love getting the shaky legs that you have after a really brutal class, or I finish class drenched in sweat but with a smile on my face?

Or is it that to them hard work is something that you're not supposed to enjoy? Is it important that you're forcing yourself to do something that you don't have fun doing? I really just can't understand this...

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I've recently discovered that I have an intestinal parasite. It's nothing serious, mostly just disturbing. I went to the doctor on Friday, and got some medicine. I'm really tired, and the medicine makes me a little nauseous, but all in all I'm physically holding up well.

It's really scary to be a foreign country and have to deal with this stuff. It's more stressful than any of the other stuff I've had to handle here. I know I'm going to be fine, but I still find myself struggling to fall asleep at night. 

Friends

Over the years here I have had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people (and lots of crazy ones). I've met people from all over the world and some of them have become a second family to me. I know that if I were to be in their respective countries, I could always count on them to do whatever they could for me and vice versa. It's amazing that I've had this opportunity and I've learned a lot about other cultures because of all these people.

Sometimes it's really hard to see them go. It's like you've met a person that you have become so close to, in however long they've been here (sometimes a couple of months, sometimes a year or more), and when it's time, they just get up and walk out of your life. And of course I know many of them I will see again, and many of them I keep in touch with. But sometimes there's a question in your mind. You think, I really love this person, but will I ever see them again? I always of course hope the answer is yes, but I imagine there will be people that I won't have the opportunity to see again. We aren't all on the same path.

Three wonderful people left the school this week. They made an important impact on my time here, and I guess all I can do is say thank you. I'm so grateful we got to know one another.