I have been trying for quite some time to lose weight. My pattern is predictable: lose a little, gain a little; lose a lot, gain a lot. Over and over and over again. It is easy (at least for me) to lose perspective on something like weight loss. It sometimes seems so futile. Afterall, we have to eat, don't we???

When I was still smoking cigarettes and trying desparately to quit I remember someone telling me that each time you quit and then start again you are just practicing for when you finally quit for good. Well, I practiced many, many times before I finally quit. I realized just before I finally quit for good that my attitude played a very important part in the process. When I really believed I could do it, I did. All of the "practice" helped to bring about the realization that I was able to complete something I had started many times. Even though it was very, very difficult.

And so, with weight loss, I'm trying to believe these little episodes of losing and gaining are just practice for when I finally lose all the weight I need to lose. At least I hope so...

It has been an unusually warm winter in upstate New York. We have only had about 60 inches of snow so far this season which us unusually low for us. Well, we finally are getting some snow again and the temperatures are colder. I'm glad. I like the change of seasons and I like experiencing the differences in the seasons.

The Art of Karate is not a means of self-expression. It is an opportunity for self-understanding, of going beyond one's self.
-Terrence Webster-Doyle, Karate, the art of empty self

The test:
3 rounds - each consisting of:
10 minutes of jump rope;
50 updowns;
50 pushups;
and 50 situps;

Arms held straight out in T position for 5 minutes;
Hold pushup position for 5 minutes;
10 rounds of bag work - 3 minutes per round;
9 rounds of kumite - 3 minutes per round;
1 round of 2 on 1 kumite - 3 minutes;
Perform the kata from the Shodan rank.
Describe the Bunkai for 2 kata - one of my choice and one of the instructor's choice.
My choice: Pinan Godan
Instructor's choice: Seienchin
Today's test started at 1:30 pm and ended at 9:50 p.m.

In the beginning we study the Art of Karate because of a need for power, because we are afraid. If we are intelligent, this stage passes and we find that we study because we want to understand what the deeper meaning is. This is when we come to see that Karate means "empty self", and this is where practice takes on real significance.
Terrence Webcter-Doyle, Karate, the art of empty self

The test:
7 Mile run;
30 minute conditioning;
Perform 24 kata that represent kata requirements for orange, purple, green, blue and brown belts. Tomorrow will be the tough day.

Karata-do is an empty handed art of self defense... [It] is a martial art for the development of character through training, so the katate-ka can surmount any obstacle, tangible or intangible.
-Masatoshi Nakayama

 
I have reached a milestone in my training. I am testing today and tomorrow for promotion to shodan (black belt status).

Without a word of warning,
the blues walked in this morning
and circled round my lonely room.

Oh it must be written for me,
that I would be the one to always lose.

Yesterday I was singin' a love song,
but today I'm singin' the blues.

-(adapted from a song by) Aretha Franklin

Each time I go to Kamanzi an intersting thing happens. Moments after our arrival I begin to see little eyes peeking through the bushes and around the trees. One by one little children arrive. At first they are very shy and run away (laughing) if I try to approach them. But all I have to do is produce a camera. All of a sudden, they are all around me wanting their picture taken. Digital cameras are especially nice because then I can show them the picture immediately after I take it. After the first photo their shyness is gone and they are very interested in me and anyone else who has a camera.

I am somewhat tentative about taking pictures of adults. I try not to intrude on people in general and I don't want to seem like the stereotypical tourist swooping in to take pictures. But I have found that the adults like their picture taken at least as much as the childern. When we went to the school one day, all of the workers were there and were getting ready to end for the day. I sheepishly asked if I could take a picture of them. They were so excited, they arranged themselves and this excellent picture is the result. They were delighted when I showed them the picture. It was a great way to break the ice. I got to know many of them, not because we could talk to each other (many of them didn't speak English and I don't speak KiKamba) but because we could communicate through pictures. They were able to show a little bit of who they are by allowing me to take their picture while they posed.

This is one of the ladies that helped to cook our meals every day. Each home has a separate building for a kitchen because they cook over an open flame of wood twigs and branches. I have had taken several pictures of this window. One day I saw her watching as I was taking pictures of other people, so I pointed to her and then to my camera. She opened the window wider and struck this pose. You will notice smoke coming out of all around her which is from the open fire they use for cooking. Because they use wood in an enclosed structure it gets pretty smokey in there. She was so delighted when I showed her the picture. This is one of my favorite pictures.

Nduma came to the village of Kamanzi several years ago. One day he just showed up. Although he has Down Syndrome he speaks Kikamba well. He would not tell anyone where he came from though. The village cared for him giving him a place to sleep and feeding him. Some time after he arrived someone passing through recognized him and let his relatives in a village several miles away know where he was. They came and took him back home. Several weeks later however Nduma cam back to Kamanzi. He apparently preferred to be in Kamanzi and has been there ever since.

What amazes me is how the village has adopted Nduma and assumed responsibility for his care. Most everyone pitches in to help with his care. He does not seem to be a burden for anyone in the village. He is fed regularly and has a room to stay in. Everyone looks out for him to make sure he is ok. It is interesting that he is not "homeless" as would happen here if someone just showed up with no money and no family. The people in Kamanzi care for him like they would care for their own children.

Whenever we visit Kamanzi Nduma becomes part of our team. He seems to enjoy being identified as a part of our group and we enjoy his company. Nduma is an example for me of how I believe "civilized" people should treat others in need.

This begins a series of articles on Kamanzi Kenya. Kamanzi is approximately 40 miles west-southwest of Nairobi Kenya. For the past 4 years My church has been in partnership with the Ia-Itune (e´ah e tune´a) African Brotherhood Church. Our partnership includes building a school and supporting the community through medical supplies, teacher training, and working (and playing) with the children. For the past 2 years I have been fortunate to go on these trips with the team from my church. I have taken a lot of pictures and have had a lot of experiences. Most notably for me I received my African name on my first trip to Kamanzi. The people in Kamanzi are of the Kamba tribe which is one of the Bantu tribes. Their language is Kikamba although most also speak Swahili and many also speak English. Kamanzi is nestled in rolling hills in Kangundo Province near Kivaani. Getting to Kamanzi is a challenge (at least from the perspective of Americans) because there are no paved roads. Heading to Kamanzi via Mombasa Road there is a point where you leave the paved road and there is nothing but dirt roads the rest of the way. The village of Kamanzi has no electricity, no running water, and no sewers.

Although it lacks many of the "conveniences" we enjoy in the US, the village of Kamanzi is, in many ways, more civilized than many places I have been in the U.S. In future articles I will try to impart some of what I experienced during my times in Kamanzi.

I love flying. It is magical being several thousand feet up in the air. Flying through the clouds brings me a sense of amazement that is hard to describe. I get a similar feeling when sailing on a large lake or being on the ocean.

There was a young girl who was in a wheel chair on the flight. She was with an adult woman who seemed to be her mother. The interesting thing is that she had trained companion dog with her. It was a beautiful black lab. This dog was amazing to me. It was so calm throughout the entire flight. It was obviously devoted to the young girl and she was devoted to her dog. This dog acted better on this flight than some children I've seen on flights. Better yet, he/she acted better than some adults I've seen on flights.