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 | Blogs > Whatsherface > WhatsTheBeef? > The More You Know, The Less You Know |
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I have a lot of mantras. My students know them well as I chant them over and over again. It can get tiresomely boring but I cannot help myself. Here goes ... Less is more. Music comes first, dance comes second. Leave your ego at the door. Be true to yourself and stop trying to imitate others. Dance for the love of it and not for fame And the one I seem to spout the most - The more you know, the less you know The last becomes increasingly apparent as I get older. My preconceived notions of many things regularly receive a huge jolt, reshuffling and disgruntled readjustment when I open my eyes, ears, heart and mind. I force myself to do this all the time. It is the only way I can see past my own ego and complacency to what really lies before me. It is a habit born from necessity at a young age. Promises were made and seldom kept. Like the child I was, I kicked my legs and bawled, screamed and railed at the unfairness of it all, feeling immense hate and self-pity. Then someone, usually my mother or my grandmother, would take hold of me and shake me. Life is not fair. Get used to it. Harsh, especially to a young child. But very true. As I grew older, I learnt to see beyond the supposed wrong inflicted on me to see the possible reasons behind it. I am no saint. It was not to understand and forgive the "evil-doers" but to analyse the reasons and the implementation of the wrongs so I can either cut it off at the root or plot my vengeance. Yes, I was an evil child. I did not forgive nor forget easily and my grandfather had taught me revenge is best served cold. However, life happens and at what I thought would be my final stretch, I learnt to come to peace with myself. And from that, it enabled me to see others in a clearer and less angry light. It's not always about you. Life does not revolve around you. You revolve around it. With many of the same hapless souls caught in the neverending cycle. Sometimes we are cast against each other and the impact and friction cause us to spark off each other in angry flames. Other times we brush each other in gentle, velvety caresses that cause us to catch our breaths and pause in mid revolution to tangle sweetly with each other. But in the end, we expire from this whirlwind on our own. Shedding all the debris collected during our journey. And hopefully ending the dream with some grace and dignity. Realising that we come into the game alone and leave it the same should make us understand that the ultimate perpetrator of all things good, bad, happy or sad ... is us. We inflict and cause whatever that happens to us upon ourselves. Things that happen can either stick or flow off us. I have a bad habit of getting caught up in things and letting them bother me more than they should. I am human and it shows in the petty gripes, whines and irritations I experience and inspire. Then I sit back and execute my self-imposed exercise of opening up my senses, which should include good, common sense, and really look at the issue at hand. Often times, I realise it is all unnecessary and prideful. And I walk away from it all so I can start another leg of self-discovery. I avoid words like enlightenment and self-actualisation as I deplore the new-age faith and spirit healings that babble like empty vessels to the willing, desperate throngs. But I must admit that seeing the light in more ways than one has made life much more peaceful. One of the things I see immediately is that people with a bit of knowledge are more dangerous than those who are totally ignorant. I am one of those. I find myself having to cast all my supposed knowledge off before I can accept and adapt to new things. It is a constant struggle that I chide myself into. This conundrum infects many dancers. Yesterday night, I received a new student in one of my most advanced class. She had insisted on joining us despite being told it was an advanced class. Because she had 5 years of ballroom training. I sighed when I heard that. I knew she would struggle terribly in my class. A rank beginner would have had less problems than her. Why? Because a total beginner would not resist all the differences in the two dance forms. She would not impose her own supposed knowledge on top of my teachings. She would not question and would readily move when and how I tell her to. Ballroom has many rigid structures and beliefs that will cause her to resist a new training. And her body would be undisciplined and unused to specified, controlled isolation. I knew it would be a painful class and sure enough I could see her struggling and panting at the end of the class. And at the start of it, she was telling me she wanted to join my class for an easy workout. Right. In her case, it was truly one of the more she knew, the less she knew. But her mind could not accept that concept. Most people cannot. The pride in knowing and the process of acquiring that knowledge makes many of us unable to let go. Admitting you know nothing is something many of us have problems with. I remember a group of ladies in China once jeered at me behind my back after a class. They told someone that I was crap because I told them during class that I knew nothing. That I was constantly learning myself and that each week, I find my knowledge challenged and overturned by the new things I learnt. Fortunately, this person knew me well and apparently told them all off for being fools. Being a bit of a Sinophile, I was actually rather amazed at their lack of discernment and understanding. I would have assumed that the Chinese with their ancient art of philosophy and learning, would comprehend the concept of endless learning and unlimited ignorance. But then again I just proved my point, didn't I? I, thinking I knew much about the Chinese culture, imposed an ideal of higher intellect and comprehension upon them. When like me, they are also eternal students. They just do not realise it yet. For the bloggers here, much has been said and printed recently about scamming, playing, fakes and the such. Enough. Lessons learnt. Venom unleashed. Reign it all back now. Find peace within yourself. The more you know, the less you know. In the immortal words from 6th Sense ... I see stupid people. |
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5/14/2008 1:55 am |
I'm finding peace within myself with a cuppa Imperial Herbal Menthol Tea. Aaaaaaaaaahhh. Then I'll go to the next level of contentment via a couple of the most fabulous walnut cream popsicle I discovered at this Korean grocery. Life is good. And you know, ignorance can be bliss, because it opens you up to so many opportunities to learn something new. Paul and I are actually talking about checking out Wushu because a business associate of ours took it up when she was already in her late 30s and couldn't stop singing praises of how it clears her mind and improves her focus. She's been doing it for 6 years now, and her enthusiasm's contagious. So we thought, nothing to lose if we give it a try, and if it's not for us, move on. Always fun to try something new, and the older I get, the more I realize it's being open to new ideas that keeps one young. David wants to come along, too. He loves it that his aunt's this adventurous. I'm dyslexic. I scream Ho Dog instead of Oh God in the throes of passion.
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 5/14/2008 2:58 am |
I always tell my students, "It's not difficult, it's just new." "Only try to remember one thing from every class, any thing extra will be a bonus." "Language is like sport, you have to get out there and play." "Phonetic pronunciation will be punished with death." That last one is because Spanish is basically a "say what you see" language, and English ain't. The first two are to stop them panicking. The third one is to encourage them to practise. (I think I lost my lesson plan somewhere along the way here).
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5/14/2008 3:21 am |
I'm finding peace within myself with a cuppa Imperial Herbal Menthol Tea. Aaaaaaaaaahhh. Then I'll go to the next level of contentment via a couple of the most fabulous walnut cream popsicle I discovered at this Korean grocery. Life is good. And you know, ignorance can be bliss, because it opens you up to so many opportunities to learn something new. Paul and I are actually talking about checking out Wushu because a business associate of ours took it up when she was already in her late 30s and couldn't stop singing praises of how it clears her mind and improves her focus. She's been doing it for 6 years now, and her enthusiasm's contagious. So we thought, nothing to lose if we give it a try, and if it's not for us, move on. Always fun to try something new, and the older I get, the more I realize it's being open to new ideas that keeps one young. David wants to come along, too. He loves it that his aunt's this adventurous. Ignorance is bliss. I wish I knew less as it gives me a headache. I think wushu would be good for you guys. Remember I said Justine should take it up yonks ago? I found that it really helped me to focus and taught me discipline and self-control. Not fighting back was the biggest lesson. Ren. Hey, David should stay true to his face! Learn taekwando.  Poor boy.In the immortal words from 6th Sense ... I see stupid people.
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5/14/2008 3:24 am |
I always tell my students, "It's not difficult, it's just new." "Only try to remember one thing from every class, any thing extra will be a bonus." "Language is like sport, you have to get out there and play." "Phonetic pronunciation will be punished with death." That last one is because Spanish is basically a "say what you see" language, and English ain't. The first two are to stop them panicking. The third one is to encourage them to practise. (I think I lost my lesson plan somewhere along the way here). I also tell them not to panic and to breath under the music. And also that holding their breath while dancing is not good. Hard to dance when you are dead. Lesson plan? What's that? I am notorious for dancing and teaching according to my mood. Sure, there is a fixed dance but anything can change depending on my mood. If I am pissed off, almost nothing can make me dance. If they try, they regret it. In the immortal words from 6th Sense ... I see stupid people.
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5/14/2008 5:36 am |
I bear witness to this. The more knowledge I think I acquire the more I find I myself on the shallow ends, there is so much to learn out there
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5/14/2008 5:44 am |
Walnut cream popsicle! I've never had that! Sounds positively intriguing. Ignorance is bliss. I wish I knew less as it gives me a headache. I think wushu would be good for you guys. Remember I said Justine should take it up yonks ago? I found that it really helped me to focus and taught me discipline and self-control. Not fighting back was the biggest lesson. Ren. Hey, David should stay true to his face! Learn taekwando. Poor boy. I'm dyslexic. I scream Ho Dog instead of Oh God in the throes of passion.
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5/14/2008 8:08 am |
A lesson plan is what you decide to do just after going into class. Hard to dance when your dead....I'm going to use that line this weekend.
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5/14/2008 1:53 pm |
I bear witness to this. The more knowledge I think I acquire the more I find I myself on the shallow ends, there is so much to learn out there In the immortal words from 6th Sense ... I see stupid people.
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5/14/2008 1:54 pm |
A lesson plan is what you decide to do just after going into class. Hard to dance when your dead....I'm going to use that line this weekend. Going dancing this weekend, are you? And where are the tapas stories? In the immortal words from 6th Sense ... I see stupid people.
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5/15/2008 8:57 am |
Oh that thing that I throw out the window when I enter the studio? Going dancing this weekend, are you? And where are the tapas stories? "You just drink my beer? Going dancing later? Cos it's hard to dance when you're dead." *delivered in Charles Bronson-like drawl* Ah, tapas in Granada....thing is, they still do it the traditional way there. A lot of tapas bars these days, you go in, sit down, order drink and tapas from the menu, and sit and wait to be served. Vamos, just like a normal restaurant but with tapas. But in Granada, you go in, elbow yourself a space at the bar, shout for a drink (beer or wine, obviously), pay a flat rate for the drinks and then get tapas plonked down in front of you. Drink, eat. Shout for another drink, waiter shouts out "Tapas de segundo!", and you get a different plate of tapas plonked unceremoniously in front of you. I love it. By the time you get to "Tapas de sexto!" you're either full or drunk or getting there, but you're happy. That's if you decide to stay in the same bar. Doing the rounds is fun too, you just need to do more elbowing.
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5/15/2008 9:05 am |
LOL, do you know I used to have a colleague whose husband looked just like Charles Bronson? It was uncanny. Hey, I like the sound of the tapas bars in Granada! And the waiters must be rather crash shot to remember how many plates of tapas you are up to. I have sharp elbows. Good for elbowing for space. What kind of tapas do they have? I need some literal food visuals now that I am one-eyed. Come on, talk culinary to me. In the immortal words from 6th Sense ... I see stupid people.
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5/15/2008 10:50 am |
This is tapas in the true sense of a tapa, i.e. something to cover your drink with. A piece of bread with something on it. But it's the somethings that are important...jamon serrano, chorizo, sobrasada, salchichon, queso, hueva, chistorra, morcilla, butifarra, salchicha, mortadella...as you can tell, there's a lot of meat, especially pork sausage going on. You can go to chain restaurants like Lizarran for your fancy tapas, but it's just not the same. Oh, and your numbers are back in the lottery again tonight. Cross something.
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5/15/2008 10:48 pm |
Oooohhhh, I got all hungry reading the list. I used to frequent a pseudo-Spanish wine bar for their sangria and tapas. Very pretentious little place but it was within walking distance from the house. They certainly never had the range of variety that you listed. Crossing my eyes. In the immortal words from 6th Sense ... I see stupid people.
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5/16/2008 2:36 am |
I won 8 euros, you won 1. So it's back into the pot for Saturday again. We might not be millionaires, but this lottery thing seems to be paying for itself at the moment. Well crossed.
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5/16/2008 11:26 pm |
1 euros! Wow, maybe I can afford 1/5 of a tapas platter now! OK, keep at it, mate ... for the tapas & wine. Feck the millionaire shite. Am happy if it can keep me fed. Crossing bar strap at the back too. In the immortal words from 6th Sense ... I see stupid people.
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