December 16th - Dang I Slept A Lot

米粉 - Rice Noodles!

My Thoughts 🤔 我的想法

What a good weekend! I slept a good amount on Sunday and did a great workout throughout Saturday. I've even stayed on my 3rd shift schedule throughout the weekend and got some Christmas shopping done.

My thoughts throughout this weekend have been, how will I use my time for the rest of December? I know I have three people who want to spar before I leave on the 30th so that might use some of my time up. Of course I'm still trying to keep training but I think my focus is shifting a bit towards study and spiritual stuff as I'd like to learn more things and trying to challenge my way of thinking.

I've also been thinking of new training shirt ideas. Now, I know I never made those other T-Shirt designs. I really like the Luohan Uniform of the Shaolin Monks so I decided maybe I'll try to buy some traditional Chinese Vests（传统的背心）and add my designs to it. (See picture above) The problem is that I'd have to manually make these by buying a little T-Shirt Press and buying a few of the vests (which are not cheap!).

A video my girlfriend sent me of someone from her gym in a MMA fight. (Black Shorts)

Study 📖 学习

Haven't seen this section in a bit! I have studied this weekend but I am taking a different approach to studying. I am using music while driving to practice my listening and memorizing, when talking or reading I try to take a handful of vocabulary and use it until it is in my brain. So every day I try to expose myself to 1-5 words each day and then while talking with my girlfriend I try to use them.

That is why my vocab list is so small today.

属 Shǔ "to lose (a game)" (Verb)
赢 yíng "to win" (Verb)
传送带 chuán sòng dài "conveyor belt" (Noun)
卡车 kǎ chē "Truck" (Noun)
叉车 chā chē "Forklift" (Noun)
拿 ná "to take" (Verb)
情绪化 qíng xù huà "emotional" (Adjective)
田径队 tián jìng duì "track and field team" (Noun)
繁体字 fán tǐ zì "Traditional Chinese Characters" (Noun)
棉花糖 mián huā táng "Cotton Candy" (Noun)
歪理邪道 wāi lǐ xié dào “false reasoning, fallacy, not true" (idiom)
无氧运动 wú yǎng yùn dòng "Anaerobic Exercise" (Noun)
有氧运动 yǒu yǎng yùn dòng "Aerobic Exercise" (Noun)
综合格斗 Zòng hé gé dòu "Mixed Martial Arts (Literally: Comprehensive Grappling)" (Noun)
沙漏 Shā lòu "Hour glass" (Noun)
新手 xīn shǒu "Newbie" (Noun)
手册 shǒu cè "brochure" (Noun)

Meditation 📿 坐禅

I am still trying to meditate (to be honest not every day) but I'd like to make it apart of my normal habit. From what I have read and seen, the basic meditation position is sitting in some way with your eyes closed then you focus on your breathing for 15-20 minutes.

My first attempt was 2 and a half minutes long. I only got to focus on my breathing and figured out what sitting position I liked before my niece came up and started talking to me so I decided to wait until everyone had left.

My second attempt at a 15 minute meditation was better. Everyone was gone and I had eaten enough food and drank enough 热水. So, I sat down and tried to meditate, focusing on my breathing. A few things "happened"; firstly I noticed my shoulder wasn't sore like it was in the morning and I had a hard time focusing on my breathing but after a while it was okay. Then, my sitting position grew uncomfortable and I began noticing small points of my body hurting. A point in my calf, a point in my back, a point in my stomach. Then the challenge became to focus on breathing while "defeating" each point and it worked for most of them except my back. The soreness point in my back is what stopped my meditation 5 minutes early. I guess I grew more aware of my body but I didn't realize how tough 15 minutes would be.

Maybe I'll try to do 15 minutes before work.

How has your guys' December been?

-Johnny "白武龙"