Tai Chi in the Park

Park lessons are always an interesting photo opportunity.  Usually if we're having a park lesson, we're at Hyde Park.

Not only is it a lovely place to do Tai Chi, it's also a lovely place to wander round and take photos.

Tai Chi-ers!

  Wanted!  According to this sign, these turtles are an invasive species.

 

Warning!  Seed pods may fall without notice (except that there is this notice, so it's not really without notice, now).

And this just makes me think of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.  Also, this photo must've been taken in early spring, as this is the Jacaranda Walk.  Jacarandas spend most of their time being rather boring trees, except for a few weeks in late November when they're covered in purple flowers, before turning green for Summer.

We've also had a few impromptu park lessons in the park located next to our usual venue.  See some photos here! 

Other oddities in that park are the bus stop (I sat there for quite a while, but never saw a bus.)

And the No Parking sign.  Inside the park.  Where no cars can actually get in.  There are actually a few scattered round the perimeter of the park.

Today's park lesson was held at a new location called Rutter Park.  It's not a very big place, although it is located right by a primary school and community centre.  And the most interesting thing about this park is the not-so-comfy armchair and lamp.

Up close, it appears that the chair is made out of bricks, with a lovely floral design stamped all over the brickwork.

And it's all sitting on a lovely mosaic floor!

I love coming across this sort of thing in parks.  And to find that they've not been horribly vandalised and trashed (although the arm chair does show a bit of a burn mark on the back rest there...) is always a plus.  I know I've not been to many of the parks in my suburb lately, but I don't recall any of them having stuff like this.

And the important final part of any tai chi class...the post class gossip!

 Sadly, the hot topic for today has been our Sifu's bad health - he's been in hospital for the past week with a nasty infection in his foot.  His family are supposed to be flying here from China this week so he can have someone to look after him at home.  It's sometimes hard to remember that Sifu is 80 years old - he doesn't look anywhere near that!  I'm hoping that that is a testament to the health benefits of Tai Chi - the looking good for one's age, not the infected foot, that is.