“Could you explain your experience with Qi? I’d like to hear why you believe it exists, and why your belief definitely isn’t a result of immersing yourself in a situation where everyone around you believes and acts as though it exists for several months,” James asked on the Why I love Common Lisp and hate Java post. A wonderful question indeed and a discussion worthy of its own blog post.

In a random hotel restaurant in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, where all the tables and chairs have been put to the side for the afternoon Tai Chi practice, we formed a perfect human rectangle of 12×5, if it weren’t for Fu Nengbin, the teacher topping the cake. Only Alan Au from Vancouver was younger than me; the average age was probably around 55. Most of them have been practising for over a decade. I could barely keep up, but…