A Walk in the Park

A fresh breeze rustled the trees when I reached the park but the sky was an even egg-shell blue and the only noise came from the whine of the cicadas, people chattering and the clatter of children's skateboards on the cobbled pavement.

I was planning to hide in the shade of one of the pavilions for a smoke or two when something caught my eye. A man with a sword was performing a slow-motion kata.

So far I have seen people dancing and playing badminton or musical instruments in the open air, but no sign of martial arts. The man was surrounded by people going about their business: children skateboarding or skipping, mothers leading their toddlers along, people sitting or standing in small groups. Nobody took any notice.

The Master completed his kata and stood in silence for a while. Then he took out his cell phone and walked away. Soon another took his place, a nimble man in a white silk kung ku uniform, instructing a couple of bystanders in a sequence of careful motions. Behind him a muscular man in a vest performed a similar sequence for an octogenarian woman with fluffy white hair.

More than ever—more than being able to read the menu, or even the odd street sign—I wished at that moment that I could speak Chinese. I wanted to know whether bystanders could indeed walk up and join in this impromptu martial arts practice. I was haunted by an age-old vision of people performing the careful motions of tai chi in a park at dawn that had always made me want to come to China. And here they were: on a Sunday morning, in ones or twos, quietly practicing while children and bystanders looked on, without the slightest hint of embarrassment or self-conciousness about them.

I stuck my nose in my notebook and started to scribble. It wouldn't do to stare.

Not that I ever stood a chance of passing unnoticed. The kung fu masters sat down on one of the benches so I lit a cigarette, conscious of everybody's health awareness around me. The man in the vest looked over and blew out a crafty cloud of blue smoke. He politely looked away again before I could grin at him.

The air suddely grew fresher and the clouds started to move in. Mindful of yesterday's weather forecast I gathered my things and left with the strings of the er a man was playing in one of the pavilions still sounding in my ears.

I realised that I'd been sitting in the park for over half an hour without any sign of stomach cramps.

Am I finally finding my peace?