Attention: BOW

It’s been too long. I have neglected my duties as a blog writer. I have no excuses apart from I’m working a lot harder these days and I’m doing a lot of extra hours. Anyway, I promised a blog about bowing.

Koreans, and other Asian cultures, like to bow. It is a tradition that goes back way before I was born and you and your mates and their mates. I’m not a historian, neither am I that interested in dates, so I won’t give you a specific date, I will just let you know that it started a long time ago.

The point of my message to you is that I, too, like to bow. I have moulded it into my new persona. I do it to my friends, my co-workers, even to the kids for a laugh. I obviously do it to shop workers, restaurant waiters, general service providers and doo-gooders. One time that I did it and I thought to myself “That was bloody stupid”, was when I was lifting weights in the gym. One of the trainers was doing his routine stroll around the gym, whilst correcting peoples grabs, pulls, strains, stretches, pushes, lifts etc etc etc. As he passed me I quickly remembered my newly acquired persona and bowed. Mid-bow I realised I was in mid lift of about 40Kg of weights with the aid of my back muscles. I quickly amended my all round multi-technique and resumed normality, in the relaxed position. I felt like a bit of a fool. Since then I have noticed many people doing the same. The politeness of the bow is so essential and expected and custom that no matter what situation you are in, you bow. I’ve seen people carrying countless bags of shopping and still mastering a bow to a fellow heavy bagged up bower. Despite this, people happily do it and they do it with passion and grace. I once saw a couple having a bowing competition on the pavement. It was so funny. They were competing to see who could get their forehead closest to their feet. He won. I want bowing to become common place in my life. When I eventually return to the non-bowing lands of the UK, I will be introducing some sporting bow techniques to my friends and family. So if you’re listening folks, get working on those back muscles, because I will be expecting a bow from you every time I see you, or give you something, or even think about you.

Thank you. (I’m bowing now, as I type – seriously)

(THE PICTURE - I am not bowing, but this is the kind of angle one would expect to see, and execute)