Tv In The Park – Birthday Pic With Lou And Friends

Just a perfect day, Tai Chi in Central Park…

After wishing Tony Visconti a happy birthday earlier today, he explained that he was just back from having spent some of it with friends in the park: I had a great time today already. It’s World Tai Chi day and I spent the morning in Central Park with my school, including Lou Reed.

Obviously my journalistic instincts couldn’t leave something as seemingly surreal as that alone without a further explanaition… so Tony kindly gave me one, so to speak:

The girl and guy are tai chi classmates of me and Lou although Sha Zon is a concert pianist.

This is an annual event. Parks all over the world are brimming with various tai chi schools (there are over a hundred variations of tai chi, probably more). This morning we were a group of about 500 participants and observers. Lou is very serious about tai chi and David was the go between for putting us in touch with each other.

I studied tai chi in London, in the 80s, but I never found a teacher that I liked when I moved to New York. Lou told me about Master Ren Guang-Yi, the bloke he’s been taking on tour with him who does some tai chi onstage when Lou is singing. Our style is the Chen style. Lou and I were part of a small group of six who did a demonstration today. For me, this was the perfect way to start my birthday.

I have a little essay on my website about tai chi and also the Alexander technique under Other Interests.

So now you know kidz. If any of you were walking through Central Park this morning thinking: “No, it can’t be.” ..well, I’m afraid it very well may have been!

Thanx for that Tony, hope your day continued to go as nicely. Please accept our best wishes for your birthday and thanx for the Bowie-related stuff over the past 35 years or so… and the T Rex stuff …and Iggy, Sparks, Adam Ant, Thin Lizzy, The Stranglers, The Boomtown Rats, Hazel O’Conner, Zaine Griff…etc., etc., etc.