14th February '09

Well, it’s been a while since I wrote anything. We’re half-way through the intensive, and later I’d like to see what I can say about what we’ve been learning and what it’s meant to me; there's also the kind of chatting that'll wait ‘til I’m back and enjoying a pint of good British ale, chatting and exploring Tai Chi theory; and then there's when I'm teaching and our students are asking really good questions, the kind that come from their own experience…

We have a mid-intensive break, so I’ve come with Dorian and Mary to visit with Tlakaelel, the Azteca/Tolteca elder I studied with the last time I was here in Mexico, almost 10 years ago. He’s difficult to describe, but he’s a great teacher and leader of his community, and a wonderful and actually wise human being. I always feel such love and warmth whenever I even think of him, let alone being with him, and it’s good to be back here. Dorian asked me a great question (she’s like that); “How are you the same, and how are you different to the last time you were here?”



He welcomed us very warmly, then we (Mary, Dorian and I), went with Marco (a young leader and director of Kalpulli Koakalco) and Camilla (a film maker) to San Martin to get us all some food for a few days and to eat some. Marco remembered when I first arrived here, “fresh and clean”, and how I was when I left, “wiped out”. He says he as the pictures to prove it, which I’m hoping to get sent to me as I have no pictures from that time (but great memories).

When we got back Maestro talked to us about the project here, the work that is involved in it, of the people who have been involved in it over the years (including me).

The pyramids themselves are amazing, as always. We’ve arranged to be picked up very early in the morning (even if it is a Sunday/lie-in day!) by taxi (Fernando, also a member of the Kalpulli, so trustworthy and doing it as a favour to Maestro so much cheaper than otherwise).