First China Cultural Exchange - April 1999

 

My tradition of writing captions for photos didn't begin with this website. When I returned from the first Wushu Center China trip in 1999, I put the developed photos into cheap albums from Walmart and wrote stupid comments underneath each picture. They were silly and I didn't think much of them. Unfortunately, when I afforded a nicer album, I threw out the old ones along with the comments. I regretted it soon after... realizing that pictures can say a thousand words, but words can bring back a thousand memories. That's when I promised myself... never again... These are just a handful of pictures from that incredibly memorable trip... China was a totally different country then.

 

 

beware, they're really terrorists

 

Shanghai old street markets

 

For the longest time, i thought Laurie was 16

 

Jackie in a bottle

 

I've decided that people who do wushu don't age.

 

I'm guessing if you visited this exact same street today,
there'll be BMW's parked on the street.

 

Amongst other things that amazed me that trip, a giant boat made of pure jade

 

It's mandatory to pose on this rock every time we go to China.

 

 

 

We had a tour of green tea gardens

 

That old dude on the left, Paul, was my roomate. He got really sick and
passed it to me... that really sucked.

 

 

We were treated to a performance by the Zhejiang team.
It was our first encounter with professional level wushu.
Needless to say, I nearly crapped myself.

 

Me with the girl to tried to teach me double spear in vain.
(turns out the girl is zho jing... who knew?)

 

Chenmin teaching changquan basics.

 

 

 

Ed was a very colorful character on the night of the banquet

 

It's funny how i can recognize some of the team members now.

 

Nathan... I don't know how and why our friendship survived
through the years.

 

 

Master Hu with the bald master guy who was at our tournament.

 

Nathan doing his famous Nate pose.

 

As you can see, I had my camera on me at all times.
Some things never change.

 

We were treated to a night of Beijing opera. This was the monkey king performance.

 

Eating in China is a daily adventure in itself

 

 

 

 

Me doing a split on the Great Wall of China... suckas!

 

Nathan doing the Jimmy before the Jimmy existed

 

The Forbidden City

 

 

 

The kids posing in front of the Shaolin Temples... what the fuck is wrong with us?
We look retarded.

 

 

The Shaolin "Monks" put on a show for us.

 

 

Come on man, life isn't that bad.

 

 

The reality of training at the "Shaolin Temples"

 

 

A guy carving chops I got for Alison. At that time, I thought
chops were the coolest souvenier.

 

We toured the Terra Cotta soldier excavation site. Of course they didn't
allow any photographs, but this picture gives the jist of it.

 

 

 

Xi'an