I have been invited to attend a Kids Yoga Trainng by an old friend who worked with me when i was teaching yoga in Taiwan, five years ago from 1994 to 1998. Since then, she has expanded the Kids Yoga to an organisation that teaches approximately .. classes every week in Taiwan, including classes for special needs kids at the Taipei University hospital and other places. Last year she started to work with a woman in Mainland China and help her set up kids yoga there. She has taken two of her Taiwanese teachers there twice already and they have been teaching a group of six young women employed by the Chinese woman, how to teach kids yoga.
What she wants me to do there and what i can do to help are still a bit unclear, but i trust that things will sort themsleves out. At least I will be able to see how they teach now and hopefully learn something there, and perhaps teach some of the deeper side of yoga. After consulting my dear husband Roberto & the kids, we decide it is ok if i go.
So, i send off by mail for my visa with only two weeks till I have to fly - it arrived within the week. My ticket with Southern China is paid for by the woman in China, and I am sent - not a ticket, but a number - will this do I ask, and am assured yes, but anyway i find the Southern China Office number at the Brisbande Airport and check - apparantly that is all I need, along with my passport and visa. So, it's all good! I have been doing as much extra work as i can reently to make sure we have enough for my time away, as well as looking after the kids and house, so it's been pretty flat out.
It all seems pretty strange, going from summer and a busy family life to 10 days away, in winter (3-10 degrees average temperatures I see) at a yoga training in China. Well, let's see.
Early Saturday, the day of my flight, and the day before my 53rd birthday, Roberto drives me to Varsity Lakes train station. I slept a fair bit of the way there because i was up till 2am packing and getting everything ready. From there it's a 90 minute ride to Brisbane International Aiport. At the next station on jump a bunch of "Schoolie" from Melbourne who had just finished their holiday on the Gold Coast - apparantly they had a great time. Talking with one young fellow about life and study made me feel happy that i am a bit older now and perhaps have gathered one or two drops of wisdom in all my travels that he appreciated to hear.
Arrival at the airport half an hour before booking in time - and the lineat the counter is already probably 100 people long. Ok, furst taste of China - there are lots of people! Talking to an Australian woman who goes regularly for business I find out that the cash I am carrying would be better off in my bank as the ATMs are very convenient and give a better rate of exchange than cash. oh well, can't do anything now, not that I shoudl need much. My accommodation and food will be provided by the school in China.
i pass thoughcheck-in and immigration and find a spot on the comfy bench seats at the gate, close my eyes and have a rest. And could do with one now, so will continue soon!
