ARCH ACADEMY GLOBAL TRIP 2016 - DAY 9

May 9

COOPER:  DAY 9

Lazy Day: Table Tennis, Soccer, Hiking, Basketball

Today we enjoyed what the monks refer to as a "lazy day." That said, it was anything but lazy by most people's standards. Most of our group slept in till breakfast at 8am or a little later. Matt and Chip went for a nature hike right after breakfast, while I spent the bulk of the time between breakfast and lunch playing ping pong. CJ and I had a neck and neck tournament going throughout most of the day, while Wesley, Matt, and Noah joined in a little later. Noah has a mean serve, and when I told him this he simply replied, "Yes." Despite the short response, I must say I've never seen Noah as talkative with the Arch kids and staff as I've seen him here. Eric echoed this sentiment, saying he can't remember a week when he saw Noah smile this much. Actually, all of the kids seem pretty relaxed and happy here. I think they're having an easier time than the staff even! The monks all love the kids; Arch Academy is the talk of the town, or I guess more accurately the talk of the village.

When we got a little loud during the ping pong tournament CJ actually turned to a passerby and said, "sorry, I know this isn't very mindful." He simply smiled and replied, "Actually, it is very mindful to be in the moment." No harm no foul! A monk joined us at one point to watch the game, and my Swedish roommate also played a few games with us. I was surprised he played so well, but he explained this by saying, "I'm a Swede!" I guess Swedish people play a lot of ping pong? Things got real when Taylor stepped in, but CJ gave her a run for her money. Wesley proved a formidable foe as well. That said, they were all very good sports and shook hands after every match. John took a few of the kids on a short hike before lunch, and I think there was basketball at one point as well, but I was still immersed in the tournament at this point.

Plum Village is fun because it's reminiscent of a tiny college campus in some ways; if you're looking for someone you know they're at the tea house, the dining area, or the ping pong table. If we packed a hackie sack I swear we could just say, "Meet you on the quad!" Speaking of packing, I still don't have my suitcase. Last we heard it was in London and they were trying to send it to San Sebastián in time before Plum Village. The funny part is I wore my boots onto the plane in preparation for the supposed rain on the trip. Still no rain, and lacing/unlacing boots every time I go inside is getting a little old. That said, this week's been a little too fun to care.

Upon returning from my post-lunch hike I found Drew had started a pickup game of soccer with Diana, CJ, and Wesley. The Swede joined in as well, and soon even some of the monks did! There were a few English people who joined the game within a few minutes, so I guess technically they played football and not soccer. I got slow-mo footage of Drew blocking a monk's kick on my phone, which may be the funniest thing I've seen in a while. I can't get my phone to connect to wifi, but rest assured it will be on the internet soon! We also got some great photos of Eric and Noah wearing flower crowns that Taylor made, which will be online as soon as we can post them. Again, Internet isn't exactly a focal point of Plum Village life haha.

We had a Happiness Meeting today at 4:00, but Taylor had to leave before it even started because a wasp had found its way into her sweater and stung her. The irony was not lost on her. She mindfully let out a whispered scream inside the meditation hall, and we quickly got her outside to let the wasp free. Fortunately Eric had packed some aloe which helped.

It's almost dinner time, so I'm sure there will be even more exciting events to come before bedtime. That said, I wanted to start the blogs early today so the kids could get some good rest before another standard Plum Village day tomorrow. Hope all is well in California! We can't wait to see you all soon.