testing

Yesterday the students were all nervous about the test in class.  For me it was not so hard as the teacher gave me a special copy written larger with all the characters transcribed into pinyin.  I have learned some of the characters, but its sooooo slow and the other students can all read and write in Chinese.
An added bonus hidden within my studying is that it requires intense concentration.  Anyone familiar with Vipassana meditation will see the value - its a prerequisite for mindfulness.  My other practice of riding a Ubike in heavy traffic also requires the same skill.

So, you might ask, what does that have to do with the photo above?  Blake wrote:
"Who holdeth to himself a joy doth the winged life destroy,
 but he who kisses the joy as it flies lives in eternity's sunrise."
It is very easy to appreciate the beauty of each moment when one is fully present to that moment. But can that moment stay still? The photo of the lake captures a moment in time.  However, everything is always flowing past us like a river including external events, thoughts, feelings;  the river never pauses for even an instant.  If you have some difficulty grasping the concept, try riding a Ubike at night along busy Taiwan Boulevard in Taichung.