Awwww, this is so sweet of you, Liz, I don't know what to say.....
...hold on, I do know what to say. Thank you so much for this little tribute!!
I haven't played much lately, let alone made a level myself. This is also because of the hobby mentioned in the famous one-liner. I say hobby, but it's turning into a lifestyle. You see, one can't just put things here and there, as it were. This needs VISION, CONCENTRATION and DISCIPLINE.
So my Japanese teacher took me to Friesland for 2 months, where, on some remote Zen-farm, I've been standing naked in a barrel filled with camel's dung for 17 hours a day, Concentrating on the mantra "Ni!" Within a few days I got used to the smell, after which the Visions started to arrive. At first only images of enormous pizza's, as I wasn't allowed to eat whilst in the Zen-barrel, but in the 6th week flowery color patterns started to emerge as well. Discipline was trained by, among other things, the fact that I was allowed to shower each night for only 4 minutes and 12 seconds exactly. The harshness of this technique can only really be appreciated after practicing Zen for 17 hours. Letting the water run for even a second longer resulted in what was called the "Pineapple Punishment". I won't elaborate on this, but I will say for the record that I've had difficulty sitting down only twice. I learned my lesson quickly....
My Japanese teacher is harsh, but fair. And he even has a sense of humor. On the early morning of the 63rd day he announced I had earned my reward. And I could find it on the bottom of the barrel. Very Zen-like. I dived in and after choking around for a minute came up with my new Belt! As it was all covered in camel's dung I wasn't sure at first which color (and which grade) I was going to have. After an hour's washing it turned up exactly the same, so I now officially and proudly carry a Brown Belt in JFA. Thank you, Camelishi Shito!!!!
