Summer School 2013 - washing Gi's

So, my first full summer school. Although I'm yet to know for sure I imagine every summer school is quite an experience regardless of how many times you go.

Having learnt my lesson from my mini summer school adventure the year before I entered into this one with much more restraint.
I recommend summer school to everyone, it's brilliant, but it is damn hard. It is both physically and mentally challenging and I noticed this year that even the senior students approach it with care because it is just as challenging for them.

Generally members of EMK all stay in the same flat and a chore rota is put together. Everyone should in theory have one job to do each day, such as cooking dinner or preparing lunch. And generally people do different tasks each day. I signed myself up to wash and dry the all the Gi's. Everyday. Woops.
Despite Tom and Tim asking me if I wanted to reconsider, genuinely giving me a way out because I wasn't to know, I decided that since I had signed myself up for it I would therefore do it. Woops.
We were doing the washing for two shihans and several shidoin and their Gi's needed to be cleaned and returned to them bone-dry every day.
When you have to get up every morning for either Zazen or Batto-Ho, you don't want to be up until 1 am waiting for the Gi's to finish their third cycle through the tumble dryers.

You see there are lots of other things to do in the evening as well so sometimes you may not get to start washing the Gi's until way after classes have finished.

If it wasn't for Tim having the foresight to bring a very interesting piece of kit that I believe is called the "Dry Buddi" then some nights I wouldn't have even been in bed by one.

To be honest most of EMK stayed up until the Gi's were dry anyway. Each night Sensei's Gi had to be checked by Tom Tam. There was something rather enjoyable about presenting Sensei's Gi to Tom and watching as he performed the official Tom Tam bone-dry test (patented of course) and waiting to receive his stamp of approval. I also finally learnt how to fold a Gi properly, that's right, there's a proper way.

Not much more to say on this. I hope you enjoyed reading.