Dancin Out!

Some times are..... hard. 
Times where marinating in my tears only makes it worse. 
I need to get up off this floor. 
I gotta move. 
I need to feel the splinters pierce my feet as I slide across the floor. 
I am gonna lace up my tap shoes and add new indents to the wood. 
I am going to leap, lunge, turn, kick, switch, reverse and all that jazz. 
And bruise my knees til my stockings bleed and then get up and do it again. 
Not even stopping for a water break cause my sweat will cool me off the natural way. 
I am gonna push myself till my sugar is high and my throat is pumping cause my adrenaline is rushing. 
Turn without spotting till I am dizzy. 
Doing splits in first, second, and fourth position standing up against the wall until my legs are numb. 
Like a lyrical genius, I am going to choreograph with out even thinking. 
Making orange colored skies visible. 
And I will feel the heat with the bar like I am dancing with somebody.
I am not gonna stop dancing until i can hit at least 5 turns in a row right and left. 
I am going to hit my leaps in first, second, turning and switching. 
I wont stop moving until I am bruised, swollen, beaten, and bleeding. 
And I will do it all to myself. 
With nobodies help. 
I will dance till the pain brings tears to my eyes. 
Tears to cover up the real reason why i cry. 
See Natalie Cole would laugh it out of her life. 
Laugh so hard til she cried.
But me, I am going to Dance it out in the most traumatizing, abusive way i know how. 
Releasing all my anger until my body hurts and I can do nothing but fall back on to the floor and cry it out.


This is a poem that I wrote years ago... or maybe I won't call it a poem. Rather, an expression of words that I had to get out of my head and onto paper. There is nothing like the passion of dance. Everything around us moves...everything dances. Dance is a visual expression of music and lyrics, or the lack there of. It has the ability to reach all your senses to deliver it's message. And, in China, dance is a big deal.... 


I had no idea, but I was totally excited when I saw it... Groups of people line dancing at the supermarket! Every evening, no matter the weather, the locals come together. They put a song on the loud speakers, and they dance. They seem to know which line dance goes to which song. I do not know how they practice. Maybe, they just do it so often, that they just get into the swing of it. It is really interesting to see. No matter what supermarket you go to. They are there right after sun down. A section of the grounds are marked off; and lines of people come together for this evening ritual. In the same fashion, in the morning, many of the older people will get together to do flow yoga. Maybe after the children have been dropped of to school. The sun is up and the air is cool. This is the time for the people who may not be able to keep up with line dances, or going to the gym. And, like most outside events, it is free. Hatha flow yoga is said to be easy for beginners and older adults. It seems to be soothing and great exercise all at the same time. I have even thought about joining them, but I am usually on my way to work when I see them. But, they are interesting to see. I have also rode by locals dressed up in costume performing routines in small groups.   There are probably a few different groups taking turns dancing with others beating drums or shaking something behind them. Again, I was on the bus. I could not get in any pictures. It was fascinating to see. I am not sure the reason behind it, but it was very cultural. It reminded me of going to the community center and partaking in the African dance with the ladies in the traditional costumes. So needless to say, the locals like to be OUT DANCING!


My most favorite event that they do is ballroom dancing in the park. Me and some of my foreign associates were spending time in the local park. As we were leaving, we could hear the music with the reggaeton flavor. My friend from the Philippians and I immediately got excited. We walked up on a group of people doing the salsa. She and I jumped right in! I think the locals were surprised to see us join in on the dance. We danced our way all the way through the crowd. And at the end of the song, we took a bow! lol. That was so much, we have been back twice since. We can not understand the teacher, but we made do by watching their body language. Even in just walking past the park, I can hear the music playing. It has a way off putting a smile on your face. 


Now, for the younger adults.... they love to dance. They will pop and lock all day. They may not even be sure of what the song is saying, or they will spend the time to decipher the words. They love to freestyle, and most are current with the latest dance move. I had a group who was too excited to show me the dougie. I had to give them a few pointers on their flow, but they were some great dancers. Their society is very encouraging to them about promoting their craft. Groups display their talents on stage of local events or at night clubs. There is a battle coming up later on this month. Where different groups will compete to see who is the best. I hope I get to make it to see that. They put so much effort and care into their craft, it was inspiring. So I decided to find a place where I can dance. After asking around, I found a dance studio not far from where I work. They offer jazz and hip hop. And from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm the classrooms are open for personal use. I met the instructors, I observed the class, and I took a free class. I was sold! So, this was my first week of class. I thought it was going to be weird, but I fell right into it. And for the most part, my classmates don't mind me unless they want my help. I really enjoyed the classes. I was so amped after they were over. I am really sore though! Like, I really worked hard, and I got to show off a bit too lol!. 


The class is actually helping give my life routine. It is really good exercise, and the people are nice. I can honestly say that I had not felt this way about dance in years. It is good to find what I enjoy here where so many things are unfamiliar. It seems to be that dance is a big part of the culture here. It brings people together. It is a work out. For me, it helps tear down that great divide that makes us so different. So, whenever I am feeling restless, or stressed out...the studio is just a bus ride away.......or my nearest supermarket lol.


A few pics of the Rt mart dancing group...lol!


Until next time....

Expanding My Brand

In China, there are many pros and cons to being a foreigner. When I first arrived, I was pleased to see that Hefei had a good-sized community of foreigners. I have met people from all over the world. Most of us are teaching, and there are few that may have a side business as well. On Average, Foreigners make way more than the locals. We work less hours...maybe between 15-25 hours a week. Even when, they raise the price, and give us the "it cost more because your foreign" discount, it is still cheaper then what most of us would pay in our home countries. With the night life, We are treated like celebrities, and the club owner is just grateful that we make appearances. And for most foreigners, that is enough. That is all that they require. That is their Chinese experience. They are complacent with being the puppet....behaving the way foreigners are expected. They work a little bit, Go out after, and recover the next morning. And, maybe, if I was just "running".... that would be okay with me too. But, I want more. There has to be something worthwhile to gain from this experience.

I remember three things that my Father used to always tell me: "If you can sell yourself, you can sell anything.", "Be content, but never satisfied", and my favorite...."Those who forget their past, are condemned to repeat it".

So first on my quest for "more", I decided that I was going to become a student of the language and the culture. I downloaded Chinese learning software. I have a Chinese grammar and pronunciation tutor twice a week. I am becoming more observant and inquisitive about the behavior and meaning of the culture. Slowly, my courage is building to begin using the simple words in public...like Hello, and Thank you lol. My teacher is always getting on me about talking with my neck. But, every word has four different tones and meanings. So, you have to say it with the right tone, or it could mean something you don't want it to. So, as I process the word in my head, I say it with my body to make sure that I am using the right term. She and the other teachers get a kick out of it lol, but it works for me. I am intrigued by there daily lives. I do my best to understand why they behave the way they do. I find similarities, as well as differences. Many times, I notice that we all have the same issues, it just made better sense to them to handle it in a different manner. For example, the Chinese are very straight forward people. So, when it comes to driving, beside them or behind them means nothing. In America, we rely on our mirrors, our lights and our signals to tell other drivers our intentions and to make the safest move. Yet, here in China, the horn replaces all of that. Because other drivers are not going to pay attentions to what is not right ahead of them. And the number one goal is to reach the destination by any means necessary. Using your horn in the U.S. for anything other than an extenuating circumstance is likely to get you cussed out, shot, or killed lol! But here, it is polite. It is the manner by which the roads are kept safe. Seems impossible, but China has one of the best driving records in the world...Go figure! The point is, taking the time to learn and understand a different culture will make it easy for me to adapt in a number of situations. Having this skill and experience makes me more marketable.

Secondly, I am constantly searching for more work. Not just more teaching, but corporate as well. I am looking here and at home. I love my job. I actually am beginning to like the kids. But, it isn't enough. I am doing my best to be proactive in finding the next best move. I am keeping my options open. I don't want to sit still and become complacent with my current life. I am focused on what comes next, and most definitely not going backwards. When I look at how far I have come, it is impossible for me to be satisfied. I know how easy it is for everything to slip right through your fingers. Sometimes my search for greatness leads to many restless nights. There is almost a fear of going backwards. At the same time, there are thoughts of self sabotage that creep up. I must remind myself to live in the blessing; and to take progression one step at a time. Sometimes, I have to slow down, but I refuse to give up. The Chinese are hard working people. Many of them, never get to enjoy the luxuries that their own city provides. In living here, I can't see myself just lounging. So no matter if next year comes, and I am here, home, or somewhere else, I want to be able to say that my next move will be greater than this one. I want to truthfully be able to say that my life was a blessing to me and to those around me

I took this journey mostly to find answers to questions that I did not even know how to ask. Yes, its true, I was running; but this trip has become so much more than that. I am expanding my brand. I am a greater commodity to whatever job I take next, or to the life of any person I may meet. At first, I was really home sick; and pretty disgusted with the manners of these people. I have since found that my opportunities here are endless. This trip has the potential to broaden my horizons fare greater than just going to go visit the Great Wall. I am two months in, and I am looking forward to the next ten to come. I refuse to spend it getting wasted all night, and the bulk of my following day recovering. I wake up earlier. I call my family, and then there is business to be done. I could have stayed home and partied. I much rather be up filling out resumes, practicing my Chinese, and then followed by a dance or yoga class in the evening. Then, when my foreign associates ask me where I have been, I tell them, and watch the look of confusion take over their face. Don't worry though, I plan to do a lot of sight seeing and touring; and it is fun to go out every now and then. However, I want to really experience China. I like doing what the locals do. That is the stuff that makes you great, and not being in VIP.  That will definitely be an upcoming blog, Chinese Night Life....

Anyway, sorry this was late. I hope you all enjoy. Miss you guys dearly. Feel free to share, and keep me in your prayers!

Look for my next blog coming soon: Dancing Out!