Allan Waltham
Born in Glasgow, Scotland
I've been a wanderer all of my life and many a sight I've seen..........(from an old Scottish song about Aberdeen)
Actually, I've been lucky enough to have lived in and travelled to several parts of the world including South and North Africa, all over Europe, USA, Malaysia, Thailand, India, China and more. Workwise too, I've been around the block manys a time. I left school at sixteen (went to university when I was thirty five) and have been involved in many areas of work from printing to auditing, from bookmaking to hospitality, from a singer in a band to a dotcom/bomb, from dabbling in law to teaching at university and now enjoying life in China. It has been an unpredictable and at times bumpy path (whose isn't?) but ultimately a satisfying one. Like many, I love finding myself in unexpected situations and ending up in a "Well, how did I get here?" type of scenario. I suppose it's just often the case of opportunity knocking on the door, deciding to open the door and then jumping into places or situations that give you the chance to experience a few things and have a few tales to tell. Maybe not unlike the situation you are in now. Will I jump in and visit China? You have the opportunity. It is always going to be your choice. All I can say is you are unlikely to regret it. My adventures have left me with many lasting memories and the feeling that cultural interaction is a valuable tool for reshaping our lives and goals. Terry says I have an easygoing sensitive character with a warm sense of humor bound to enrich all those who meet me. Cheers, Terry. Well I am Scottish after all. To me laughter and adventure are the magic that paves the way to finding yourself and transformation. I beleive that doing things makes you happy but doing things for others makes your heart happy and a happy heart is a fine thing to have
I've managed to reach fifty one and been married for six years to the lovely Wu Mei Mei from Guangxi Province in the south of China. Good luck rained down on us to give us wee McKenzie our three year old girl who's worked out very cleverly how to dazzle us and terrorize us in equal quantities. Maybe you'll meet her one day.
If I had only twenty four hours on earth I'd choose to spend it on safari in Africa with my two lovely girls, though a day soaking up China would come close. I came here in 2001 and felt, in some surreal way, a strong affinity to the motion of the place and a feeling of somehow belonging. A load of rubbish really. Only the Chinese can ever be truly Chinese and belong to China. But it's a feeling that persists just the same. I seem to be part of the wallpaper now and never get bored with the local culture and life despite the exasperating moments that hit you from time to time. I'm not going to try to describe anything else to you about being here and anyway if you join us at one of the Getaways it'll be all about your feelings, perceptions and experience, not mine.
Until we meet.
Allan Waltham aka Mister Al
Terry Black
Canadian
When I was 12 years old my parents put me on a 12 hour train ride to visit my grand parents on my own. It was an adventure that changed my life. After that I was hooked on travel and exploring. It wasn't until years later that I finally got out of North America and further a field but the seed was planted then. I first started meditation in the late 1970ies after I took a class in parapsychology. I think I was the student voted least likely to succeed but I went on anyway. In the early 1980ies I led and participated in hundreds of meditations. I started holding retreats and was the founding chairman of the London Holistic Health network and later the North Bay Holistic health network. In the 1996 I left the company I owned and managed for over 20 years to travel. I just woke one day and figured I had been doing the same stuff for years and unless I moved on I would still be doing it 20 years later. Some call it mid age crisis. I call it mid age adventure. Wandering around I visited about 20 different countries including Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, India and Nepal. While living in Mexico I spent 6 months with a Mayan medicine man learning the philosophy of their healing arts. The last 7 years I have been teaching and living in China where I met and married my wife Sasha. Sasha has become a mentor challenging my western perspectives and expanding my vision. I have spent a lot of time in the solitude of the remote Canadian wilderness. It's hard to imagine the transition to the crowds and culture of China and its captivating appeal for me. Had I not ventured into the unknown I would have lost the opportunity to grow and experience some of life's many wonders. It seems that every time I found myself far from home and my safe familiar surroundings I could see my life more clearly. The Chinese have a saying-"Sometimes you have to get off the mountain to see it! My misadventures were the hands that sculpted the new changes in me. I realized that often when I got home it was the stories of the things that went wrong and shit that happened that people wanted to hear about. Strangely in retrospect the unexpected 'calamities' frequently seemed hilarious. 'Bad' can be good, I guess.
Not everyone gets the chance to get off the beaten path and close to a different culture. Now Allan and I hope to offer this opportunity to others. We are all independent people with our own personal needs and dreams. Travel and getaways can serve people as a catalyst to developing self awareness and personal growth through experience. China's unusual culture and environment can make an excellent forum for experiencing. I would love to share it with you!
