This is the last day of the second school week. I waited until today to update my blog so that I could fully gauge the week in its entirety and not just any one moment as a week is not determined by one day. This week overall was pretty good. Most of my classes are making sense and I think I'm starting to get the hang of my Classical Asian performances class.
On Monday, we covered the basic routine of Bali if I remember correctly. It essentially felt like I was raising my feet up like a warrior from an ink painting from India or China would act if they could so act. The hand motion to it was fun and I could see it as if it were part of a meditation of sorts more than a dance. More or less like a moving meditation like that of Tai Chi Qua'an. I probably should have written about Monday on Monday so that I would remember more of the class other than the motions. Well, I take that back. On Monday, we went through what we were each bringing to Bali and the Ramayana performances. When we started talking, what I bring is my Kung Fu which I find sort of funny that I'm the one bringing Kung Fu this time around. Regardless, it seems like it'd be fun to organize a fight routine of sorts. It makes me feel like Sammo Hung of sorts. But, also on Monday, we did a lot more of the advanced stretches which I have to say I really needed to do since I was really aching from weight lifting on Sunday. This cleared the pain right up. I really enjoyed it.
As for Wednesday, I was surprised. We started learning about the theoretical aspect of the class as well as more movements. Francis told us about a lot of the history of the Balinese people and how they remained Hindu for so long even after several crusades by different people. But, the thing I found the most interesting of all that class was the philosophy, of the Hindu belief system I think, in that Neutrality follows Creation which follows Destruction which follows Neutrality. I started thinking about it a lot and it really made me happy today when I was thinking. I mean, the reason for it was that, to me, it feels like it has the message that no destruction is permanent. I mean, no Creation is permanent but it is nice to think that there is a reaction for every bad thing that happens such that something good happens.
Anyways, for most of class, Francis taught us that but then, he brought up another one of my classmates that knew a lot about Hindu dances and she taught us three Mudras as well as an opening step that I was liked and actually practiced a couple of times in front of my Hindu friends in my Dormitory. After that, we all sat in a tradition circle of sorts. I'm sad to say I forgot most of the names but happy to say I remember the motions and movements. The circle, however, had three overall circles and involved a chant that sounded to me like "Chutpk" except the last part of the k gets cut off when you say it and you say it as if you're expelling air from your lungs in order to release chi (in terms of how I see it). We started to learn more about the dance throughout class and I'm happy (which as you read you'll find I'm usually very) to say that I didn't drop the class and I'm looking forward to Monday save Hurricanes (3 of them) don't cancel class.
'til next time,
Me
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