The Gift of Thanksgiving

I'm immensely grateful for the gift of life both for my own life and the lives of my loved ones. They bring so much joy into my life so willingly it takes my breath away when I bother to think about it, which I have to confess, is not all that often.

Yet somehow, this Sunday, the first Sunday in Advent this year, I was moved to reflect about the gift of thanksgiving. I have so much, when I bother to think about it, I realise how ungrateful I am most of the time. Instead I focus on the things I do not yet have and this has an effect on me of being more grasping, more task oriented. When I try a little harder to be grateful though, all that melts away, and my soul somehow softens, and it is easier to see all the good things I have already been given and also to look beyond my own immediate desires and wants to the wider world beyond. It is the start of contentment.

And it is also the start of a period of reflection for me, as a preparation for the celebration of Christ-mas, the celebration of the Christ-child, made man: Emmanuel.

Who could have imagined such a gift.

We get, not what we ask for, but our God, in his generosity, gives all of mankind, far more than we ever dreamed of. And this is for ALL mankind, not just Christians. And this little child, soaring beyond the stars, beyond anything we dared hoped for, this is what we celebrate at Christmas.

Nidan to Yondan Aikido Grading

Aikido gradings are tense affairs for those who are grading but happy affairs for those who are watching. It is a spectacle of technique and nerve, more the former than the latter since most are more than ready to meet the grade. The last grading at my dojo was no exception but this one brought its own surprise. Two very senior women, both of whom have been practising for 15 years and showed up to watch and take ukemi, were called up to the testers' table and asked to grade on the spot.

Needless to say they did extremely well and were duly double-promoted from nidan to yondan, an extremely rare event and certainly the only one I've ever seen or heard of. Being double promoted is rare enough at junior grades but at this level, skipping sandan is virtually unheard of. However as these two women number among the best aikidoka in our dojo, I'm not surprised. After all, one's skill at an art is always obvious rather like how a good cook is recognised simply through the eating of his/her food. It's hardly necessary to grade to achieve recognition.

It amused me to watch one of the women deal with one of the men who volunteered to ukemi for her. He got a light backslap in the face for his efforts as he failed to anticipate her atemi (strike) as she was turning back and has a tendency to resist which in this case, is simply asking for trouble. But that of course simply displayed her mastery all the more since she being a petite under 5 foot woman could easily take down this guy who towers more than a foot above her.

Skill in this case trumps being thick.

Caving in Halong Bay

Photos courtesy of Taking5. All rights reserved.
Ever been in a karst cave before? This is what it's like in one of the larger caves in Halong Bay, Vietnam. As it's part of the Unesco Heritage Site area, the cave has been lit with a few bright lights within all the better to see with. However if you're unsteady on your feet or claustrophobic, don't. It's a steep climb up stairs often without a handrail and the cave can be a little moist on the ground. So wear decent shoes and go slow.

I've seen karst landscapes before in Kedah, Malaysia so none of this was a surprise to me although it has to be said this was the largest limestone cave I've been in yet. I also saw temperate climate limestone scenery in England but there, they have a whole activity called caving in which one has to don special suits etc and it is a much more adventurous sport than the casual tourist walk in Halong Bay.

The best bit was coming out of the cave and seeing the large stone legs overhanging as if someone up there was enjoying the vista across Halong Bay too.