Weekly Photo Challenge: Horizon

Weekly Photo Challenge: Horizon.

I knew which one to pick right away.

Hawaii Sunrise with Star

Hawaii Sunrise a few minutes later, breaking over the clouds

Weekly Photo Challenge: Through

Weekly Photo Challenge: Through.

Sun shining through the clouds in Hawaii in 2003.

Sun through the clouds

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wildlife

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wildlife.

Taken in a bamboo forest in Hawaii.

Bamboo Forest in Hawaii

Weekly Photo Challenge: Morning (Option A)

Weekly Photo Challenge: Morning.

This photo was taken at Haleakala in Hawaii at sunrise. What a way to start a morning. Just had too many photos on this topic.

Morning at Haleakala

Tai Choon

A few weeks ago, we experienced a level 1 typhoon. There was a beautiful wind going and it was the first time I didn’t have to use the air conditioning in my room. Erin, Daniel and I go outside so Erin could get some air. It is now raining in full force and the wind is going very strong. We go down to the ground level and play in the wind and rain. How refreshing and energizing it was! Of course, at 2 am, there aren’t many people around to witness this act of insanity (the security guards gave us some funny looks). I start up a kata, Sanchin. Even though my breathing was quite loud, I could barely hear myself over the noise of the storm. The wind blows my wet hair into may face like a whip. Within a minute, we are all thoroughly soaked. I say this would be a great time for tai chi and my two friends agree.

We go to the second floor courtyard of the residence and go through iron thread, 18 postures of awareness and the basic set. At one point, a security guard comes out and tells us it is dangerous to be outside in this weather because of potential falling objects. We promise to return inside shortly after we finish another set. What a rush! My compatriots agree. This was Erin’s first time doing tai chi and Daniel’s second. I practically had to yell to give them instruction and I was less than 5 feet away from them.

This is not the first time that I’ve done the arts in crazy weather. I am reminded of Hawaii when I did weapons katas on the shore of the ocean while a rain storm raged on. This was much more than that. Calm within the storm. Hawaii was more of a fighting back. This was an exercise of internalization and taking the energy in and using it to power myself. Absorption instead of countering and fighting. Nothing like it on this planet.