dead cat alert!

Its been awhile, three days without a post. Sorry.

I taught my first english class with another american on Sunday. we rode the metro to another part of twon, don't remember the name just that it was seven metro stops towards El Marg. It was in this rundown old building with small classrooms, but the people there more than made up for that. It also had a very personal feel. We had a class of 17 students, 16 boys, one girl. They all spoke varying levels of english some wiere good others were okay but all had a basic grasp. We are teaching a 102 class of english. It was the first class so everyone was shy and non-responsive. I have been told that egytians are shy by nature, I am not sure I buy that but this group was. They are about my age to or a little younger, some in university some in high school. It went weel and hopefully next class we will be able to dig into the meat of English and see what we can eat. The class meets once a week.

I have started going to my new dojo; I have been to two classes. They are taught by Sensei Ono and take place SatMonWed at the Nadi A-Sid (The Shooting Club) in Mohandisseen. Clubs are nice, I read once that Egyptians who can afford them join them. They are these huge complexes that cover city blocks and have fields, mats, gyms, paths, and food places. The mats we practice on are outside under a roof, which is really cool and different than before after just playing inside. The other students are all real friendly and helpful but I do kind of miss the other group of people in Abasiyya.

The hardest thing in Aikido parallels very much the hardest things I experience while living in Cairo. I have learned things a certain way from my instructors and that it is what I have always considered the right way. Now, essentially I am being retaught many things, and while none of them are completely different they are slightly different that I have to work really hard to do it the way Sensei Ono wants it done. Same letters different arrangement.

The one thing that I have been able to see with studying under a differernt structure are the defeciences in my training, like how much I need to work on my tenkan. I knew it needed practice but back in the states, I was in a routine and didn't see my mistakes as easily because I was thinking the same way all the time. Now I have to force myself to focus even more on my stance and such. I think it is good for aikidoka to train outside their home dojo for a little while. You get a different perspective than you are used to seeing by a qualified person. So if you just replace the words about Aikido with Cairo and America you can see how it parallels.

One other thing I have had to do, is when I am doing something that I think is right and it is part of what I learned back home, and then Sensei Ono will come and say do it this way, it is frustrating because I thought I had it. Also frustrating is when people I work with in the dojo tell me how to do the technique when sometimes they have less experience than me. This is where I have had to work really hard to stay humble. (because I am the humblest person you will ever know (this pharase is a joke and full of sacrcasm so i hope you see that)). So I listen to them, sincerely thank them and try to do it the way they show me. Why-because my way is not correct or better than theirs. I have so little aikido experience that I need to learn from everyone I can. Also, this is there dojo and they have been doing aikido for a couple of months the way they have been taught and therefore know more than me. Also, I remember being told by probably both Shihan and sensei about the value of working with all different types of people. I guess I am just not used to working outside my own dojo where I don't know anybody or anything. Again replace all aikido words with cairo and it parallels nicely. It has been a great learning experience in how to be just a better person (and that is only after two classes). Thank you to all my teachers aikido and not for preparing me to learn over here in cairo.

dead cat alert refers to what i tell myself whenever i pass the petrified dead cat on the sidewalk walking to the dojo. morbid and sad yes, a little funny-sort of