On the first
day that I came to Tianjin, I caught a glimpse of this strange beast. Many
times I have tried to catch it; but once I moved, it would rush by quickly and
I would be left staring at nothing.
But now, at
long last, I have succeeded in my (self-imposed) mission. I have caught… on
camera… a 3 wheeled car!
A glimpse of
the 3-wheeled car (circled in red)
I know it
isn’t much. But to me, it is actually quite interesting. In Singapore, I
normally see “toy cars”, unbelievably small cars that can fit at most 2 people.
But this car is really unusual, although (I think) it can fit 4 people, it
looks like a life-sized toy. And with only 3 wheels, it just adds to the
cuteness factor (if you can call a car cute).
At last!
Proof of the existence of 3 wheeled cars!!!
There are
many curious vehicles here in Tianjin that I normally would not be able to see
in Singapore. Appended below are some other vehicles that I have never seen (or
don’t see very often) in Singapore.
Trishaw (Only
certain places in Singapore still have trishaw services.)
A kind of taxi
Another kind
of taxi
Trams
(Usually, they’re found in the Singapore Zoo. This one was being used at Tianjin’s “Orchard
Road”!)
A bicycle with a cart attached behind.
A scooter with a cart (for carrying food/items) attached behind.
I wonder why
we don’t use the vehicles like the taxis or scooter (shown in the photos above)
in Singapore. I should think it has something to do with the safety standards.
I am not sure if the taxis shown in the photos have seat belts but some people
leave the doors open when the taxi is moving (Which is rather dangerous but I
believe it’s quite stuffy inside). As for the scooter, the food/items may fall
off the cart and hit a passing vehicle or make the road dirty and slippery.
Either way, it is not safe on the road. As for the 3-wheeled cars, I can’t
think of any reason why they are not used in Singapore- They’re so cute (did I
mention that?).
However, as interesting
as it was to show and talk about these unique vehicles, it cannot compare with
the fun that I had during today’s Taiji class. A professional came and taught
us some simple moves. Some moves, when executed, made me feel surprisingly
calm- Perhaps it’s the nice-and-easy motion of it all.
The Taiji Master
then showed us a complete Taiji quan
with slow, deliberate and elegant moves (quite unlike our unsteady, abrupt
movements). Maybe next time when I’m older, I’ll take up Taiji too.
The Taiji Master
doing his Taiji quan
Me wearing the white Taiji top
“Kungfu” Masters!
Jun Hao
wearing the complete Taiji outfit
Those playing
chapteh observed that the chapteh was rather big compared to those back home in
Singapore. They were even more surprised when the Taiji Master told them that
in China, they used the top of their thighs and the sides near the toe end of
their shoes to keep the chapteh in the air instead of using the sides of their
heel (as we Singaporeans play). If you observe the photos of how the Taiji
Master and Samuel kick the chapteh (see photos below), you will see that there
is a difference in how they angle their foot to kick the toy.
The Taiji Master joining us for a game of chapteh
Bernard (in white shirt) and Louis watching Samuel execute his chapteh moves
As I end this
blog entry, I think I quite enjoyed today. Not only have I completed my
(self-imposed) mission, I had fun during our Taiji class (although I must admit
that before the class started, I thought that it would be dull and
uninteresting). I’m glad that I was proven wrong on the notion that Taiji was
slow and boring. In actual fact, I think it is really quite graceful and
calming.
It won’t be
long before I hit the bed and begin my own Taiji quan in my dreams.
Here’s
wishing all my dear readers a pleasant night’s rest!
Best regards,
Marianne
No comments:
Post a Comment