The Strongest

"I'm so hungry." Shao said in the car on  the way to his violin lesson.
"Why didn't you eat all your lunch?" Mommy asked.
"Yeah."
"All of it?"
Noah paused for a while and then said, "No."
"Why not?"
"I was talking."
"What was so important that you couldn't finish your lunch?"
"I had to say something." said Noah.
Who were you talking too?"
"Maia."
"What were you talking about?"
"I can't tell you it's top secret."

Some time passed. And in that time, Noah realized that he wanted to listen to Kidz PLace live on the radio.

"You want Kidz PLace live?" Mommy asked.

Noah nodded.

"You need to tell me what you were talking about with Maia."

Noah closed his lips.

"Were you talking about Kiran?"

"No."

"Were you talking about Miss Shea."


"Ummmm it's not about a person."

"C'mon Kids PLace live. Hamster song."

Apparently Noah told Maia that he was the strongest person in the class and that Arthur and Alexander were not really that strong. And he even told this to Alexander and Arthur in a not nice way.

"And that's why you didn't get to eat lunch?"

I had been in the classroom and while I was there (a month ago) Arthur was telling everyone that he was strongest. "We both can be strong," Alexander suggested.
"No, don't you know what strong is? I am strong or you are strong we can't both be strong."

Well Noah is actually small for his age and this was a month ago. So now I guess Noah is starting his own campaign about whose the strongest. Which seems like it is probably all talk.

"Strongest" was not a thing that I knew about in my classes as a kid. In fact as far as I can remember there were kids who were just obviously stronger to the point of know question because they were two or three times the size of everyone else. I never got into a fight with them because I pretty much got along with them. People would fight all around me and I wouldn't be touched because it was so clear that I was not in this campaign. I think the Campaigns when I was a kid were about who was more thug or gangsta and although I once bought a Kris Kross tape, I mainly listened to Disney songs, and didn't understand why words were mispelled on real adult tapes and CDS.

My mother tol dme a story about being in Catholic school, and how a girl said to her, "Say I'm stronger or I'll beat you up."
"You're stronger." My mother said. And she didn't fight in school until she was kicked down the stairs by a girl. At which point she blacked out or "went bezerk" coming to with the girls hair clenched in her fist after she had rammed her the girl's head into the concrete several times with  blood flowing.

Well it seems like Noah thinks he wants to talk about being strong now even sacrificing his meals just to say this. Maybe it's time to share my mother's story with him about what talking about being strong can get you and that you shouldn't care about useless titles like that, especially if you are sacrificing actual important things... like meals.

Excitement

Some of the parents are trying to inspire more people to come to the Wake Up the Earth Parade on Saturday by having a "make your own lion mask" station outside after school. Noah was really excited about that, so much so that I asked him if he wanted to do that mask instead of his lion head. I mean, it would be easier for us. 

Also another parent made a 5X5 Curley lion, the winged lion, which is the school's mascot. It is impressive.  And when she admitted that she studied at the MFA for sculpture, it makes sense. She ave me some tips too one materials to etc. because I had tried to make lion heads before and ended up having to dump them. Of course I guess I should finish painting our K Lun Dragon creation. But there is also no rush because we won't use it for a while. 

Jonah made a bunch of paper plate shakers and Noah was pretty excited about those too. I'm not sure if the excitement is what made him wake up at 6:30 or so, but he did. He even started practice Kung Fu without me.

"Shao's down there practicing like a good little soldier" Grace said teasing me. 

"Let's get down to business... to defeat.. the Huns." I sang in a joking way and then went back to my meditation. But then somehow Noah asked me a bunch of questions and I went downstairs to join him. I did my 5 Tibetan rites, which I have been doing as a thing. And Noah joined in. Then it was Mountain wind basics, and we did charging 100 basics for palms, punches, punch block, and punch push. 

Noah did a bunch more Sup Ji moves yesterday so he needs to do those last two basics, to clean up the way they look in the form. He used to dislike basics. But now that he sees that they apply to the forms, he likes them. 

As we did the charging punches Grace ran by singing the Mulan song again which made us laugh which made it difficult to concentrate on punches. I guess it was a funny seen because we were both punching as hard as we could and I was shirtless. 

Noah kept asking question during the rest period like, "Why do we have our hands behind our back? Why are we walking in a circle? How many circles are we walking?" During the Five tibetan rites, which I only did 6 of each move he was like, "How many more do we have to do?" right at 4 or 5. For the Punch block he also asked, "How many more are we doing?" During the 100. But during the charging fists and palms he didn't ask that. In fact he would ask at the end, "Was that 100 it didn't feel like 100." 

In other words. He can get mentally tired pretty quick and needs a break. But physically he is fine. At the same time, we did the slow Mountain wind stuff at the beginning. Slow and hard like a mountain. Slow and soft like the wind. And then a combination of the two. So it's not like we only did the charging moves, which tend to be unprecise even when I do it. 

Mommy had fed him and he brushed his teeth and put on his shoes and we got to school before the door even opened... basically he got a ton of points today. He brought his shakers to school, which is good, but also bad if Jonah ends up wanting them. But I guess we could just make another pair. 

Saturday of inner peace.

"Snuggying is when you are lying down 100% close to someone with long hair and you open your eyes." That is Jonah's definition of snuggles or snuggies. I didn't here this because Noah woke up at 6:00am and we had breakfast and then we went biking. We had fun until while playing soccer at the field I kicked a ball into Noah's goal. He got angry at me beyond reason and it took forever to get back to playing. My strategy was that I wouldn't play with someone who was acting like that. We could play however he wanted, with whatever rules in his favor. We could just pass. We could just have one goal, I could let him win, but if he was going to flip out I wouldn't play with him.

We returned home to have a Kung Fu class which was pretty good, then we went to a birthday party where they wore themselves out. We picked up Pizza and other junk food, which I stuffed myself with while watching Kung Fu Panda. Now I am watching Kung Fu Panda 2 at Noah's request.

Every time I watch these movies (I didn't like the first one when I first saw it) I see something new. In fact I think the filmakers, as hard as they worked on it, and as much research as they did, may have created something much better than they even necessarily understand. What I mean is, by copying the cinematography of countless Kung Fu movies which focused mainly on action instead of plot but nonetheless had deep moments in them, they created a really deep allegory. By taking all the great stories and a symbolism and putting it into one movie that entertained and made sense, the created something worthy of scripture. Something better than the things it was based on, because past legends and movies had flaws. Plot flaws, sections that were boring, but they had that idea, which the KF panda movies absorbed.

For instance,
What I saw in Tai Lung this time was a force within yourself instead of an actual person. I suppose the same could be said of Po. But I only realized this when Master Sifu is waiting for Tai Lung. He closes his eyes while it is storming outside and then when he opens his eyes and Tai Lung is there when he opens his eyes. Now this could be that Tai Lung ran up the whole mountain in the blink of an eye and chose to stand there still as Master Shifu opened his eyes. Or, maybe it is that Tai Lung just represents the dark side, anger, all those bad things in Master Shifu's Past. In other words, Tai Lung is almost not real. Master Shifu summoned him. Which was true. He couldn't have escaped if Shifu didn't send the goose to Chau Gam prison. In fact, although Master Shifu doesn't understand the dragon scroll, in a way he does. After he looks at the scroll which is "empty" but shows his reflection, he gains understanding not by looking at the scroll, but looking at his reflection in the reflection pool after saying, "Master OO gwei was wiser than us all."
In other words, he sees this issue as him. Tai Lung (big Dragon) is was the dragon warrior, Shifu's Dragon warrior, who Shifu created because he was prideful. Tai Lung represents a dark side of Master Shifu as much as he represents a person on his own.

I guess I think about these things because Noah keeps asking me questions about the movie even when we aren't watching it, which is why we chose to put it on today.

We don;t have a family altar. When I was little I saw Faht Siu, the fat laughing Buddha, and Huan Yin in the house all the time. Instead Noah just saw a book holder of two fat buddhas and asked me what it was. As I write this I kind of feel like that might have been a mistake, because now Noah doesn't really know about these things. But anyway he asked me what they were and why they were fat and I tried to explained how the fatness probably represented wealth or a form of happiness to people who were starving.

But I realized, and said out loud that Po is actually a better symbol. Because a "fat Panda" really is the perfect Dragon Warrior. After all a fat Buddha is much more powerful than a dragon, much more powerful than the Monkey King and the monkey kind just went and took the pillar form the Dragon King's palace right?

But Po is basically a Buddha with his joyous attitude and outlook on life and the way he deals with suffering. He is still working toward enlightenment or the ultimate Kung Fu. He isn't completely there yet. But he has the Buddha nature inside which is tied to our real life experience (eating, making noodles, being working class and in the service industry) rather than ideas of grandeur and Dragon Warriorship. In fact it is the noodle making that unlocks his ability to understand the Dragon scroll.

A Panda may look cute and have Buddha nature in that it is vegetarian, eating only bamboo. But ultimately, a Panda, is a bear with carnivourous teeth and bone structure. Bears are symbols of power as much as Dragons are. After all the Bear is to Russia as the Dragon is to China. And Souuthern China is really about TIgers as a symbol of power. Cranes, represent internal power and immortality. In other words, a bear makes perfect sense as a dragon warrior. Nothing weird or funny about that at all. I'm not saying there is anything Russian in KF Panda. I'm just saying bears are symbols of power,

In other words, these stories are really great. Greater and more deep than some of the stories they are based on, even though they are comedic in nature.

Free T day

Our Friday free T day meant we journeyed out to Chinatown. We got Dan Tahts, red bean rolls and a cookie. Noah played with Moh Goon things like drums and weapons. Jonah decided to throw these balls that they use as practice oranges all over the place. Then the whole family had a night out at Xinh Xinh. Xinh Xinh is one of my favorite restaurants in Chinatown with kids. I rarely ate there before I had children, but afterward it makes a big difference if the place is of a more relaxed atmosphere. Chinatown Cafe is our usual place when i t's just me and the kids. But Grace parked near Arch stone so Xinh is the most logical.
After that the kids went home and I stayed in Chinatown. Of course I forgot to bring my phone with me because I left my "children pack" with Grace, so I stood in the CCBA parking lot and yelled up to the school because the door was locked. An old lady was heading in and I ran to catch the door or wait for her to call someone. I suddenly realized that I was a guy with no kids around me wearing a hoodie. I listened in to her phone conversation for clues if she thought I was a potential mugger. Then I just started talking to her in Chinese. She may have recognized me. Anyway, Someone was coming out from our school and so I got in with no prob, and spent the next few hours talking about Kung Fu and nothing much.

Apparently the kids did their stances at home. Jonah doing "Diu ling ma" and saying what was the proper stance to Noah. Actually, since Jonah has been to so many kids classes with me where we do the stances he is more familiar with the stances.

Then I guess for story time, Noah chose the electricity book, "Switch on Switch Off." Noah tried to read it by rote, and Jonah kind of noticed that  he wasn't reading the words that were on the page, so he started helping Noah which really pissed Noah off. Noah then brought out a baby book for Jonah and said, "Here Dai Dai, THIS book is for you." Basically, know your place younger sibling.

I guess Noah cried a little because I wasn't there and they were sent to bed because Grace wanted to watch the Bruce Jenner special. I arrived home to catch it too. I will admit, I had no idea who Bruce Jenner was other than a guy on the Kardashian show which I only notice is on when Grace watches it, before I find something to read after I can't take watching it. But I was fascinated by HIS story.

I kind of wondered, would he have been an Olympic athlete had he become a woman or engendered female as a teenager? Or was it suffering that made him be able to accomplish that? Would he have had all those kids if he had become a woman earlier? Or... since h has been dressing as a woman this whole time anyway, but only now people know about it, does the whole thing not really make any difference at all other than he is happier because he can come out with it?

I found let down at the end because I felt like if he is comfortable why why didn't he just do the interview as a woman like that Navy Seal who changed gender? I mean it matters to him and his happiness, but why does it matter to me? Well I did learn who he was as an athlete etc.
Other than that  I had stayed up for no reason but now couldn't go to sleep. So Grace and I talked about nothing much until too late and of course Noah woke up at 6:00am. So we painted a dragon head and went biking and soccering after breakfast.

Vacation Week adventures

What did we do this week? Well Noah learned how to ride his bike without training wheels. Jonah got a finger infection and got medicine for it, which I almost forgot about until I started blogging about this and ran to do that. (I guess this blogging thing is pretty important)
The boys got to witness and participate in an experimental test of a boat drone by Wentworth students at the pond. We had a few play dates, one which ended in a last minute party at our house which included board games and lion dance. I think we did a lot this vacation week. We even hung out in Chinatown for a bit. What will we do tomorrow for the last day of vacation that doesn't include the weekend? A day that the Subway is supposed to be free. Shall we travel somewhere? Downton? Haymarket? Faneuil Hall? Sounds like a good idea in theory. In practice, based on past experience it sounds like a nightmare. Maybe we'll go to the library. Maybe we'll do what Jonah really wanted to do this whole time.... stay home. We'll see.

The slightly racist joke

Months ago, I made a slightly racist joke. It was one of those jokes about Time. Usually at a lion dance we arrive at a certain time, 15 minutes before the dance is supposed to start, and we end up waiting for 30-40 after that time when the dance actually starts. At this point someone will joke that we are running on China Time. I have discovered that this joke applies to all ethnic groups except perhaps the Japanese, Germans, and since they are the ones that made the clocks, probably the Swiss.
At this dance a friend, a Si Hing, was visiting from South Carolina, or New York, or whatever place he had now done business. He was looking bored. So I decided to give him some shit so that he would cease to look bored. He is Vietnamese. And it turns out this was a Vietnamese wedding. And so I made the time joke. Except I was overheard, and probably the guy that over heard me did not know I was talking to someone Vietnamese. And he definitely didn't realize there was a decade long history between us, where my nickname was actually Bak Gwai.

In fact, I can't even say, "oh it's okay I'm half Asian" because Chinese and Vietnamese are not the same and I had forgotten that there is actually some tension and sensitivity there, especially in regards to all the implications of a "time" joke.
It pops into my head like bad Karma every once in a while.
For instance I was reading a book where the boy was washing bowls with ash and Noah asked me why. The only reason why I knew that's what he was doing was because I read one of Thich Nhat Hanh's books where he talked about washing bowls with ash as a boy. Which made me think of Vietnam. Which made me think of my Vietnamese joke from months ago.

Although the intention of the joke was not malice, the result probably caused some pain. Definitely to the guy who overheard, and maybe even to the guy I was telling the joke too, whether he would admit to it or not.

It reminds me of that Sufi three gates of speech.
1. Is it true?
Actually it wasn't because the guy who overheard me was telling me that we were starting right then.
2. Is it necessary?
Absolutely not. I was just trying to make my friend not bored. But boredom never killed anyone. He had his phone. Besides, meditation is always a good think to practice at times like that. I should have done that instead.
3. Is it kind?
Absolutely not. Again though what I intended was to make someone feel more welcome, I awkwardly ostracized two people.

So when Noah asked me to tell him a Nian story, which he usually does after we read a book and turn out the light, my story went like this.

"Once upon a time there was a Nian who made fun of everyone. He made fun of slow people saying they ran so slow they were always late to everything. He made fun of fast people saying they are so fast that they must put all their energy into their feet and probably are not too smart. He said all these jokes all the time and spread them throughout the world, and everyone laughed at them because they were afraid of the Nian.
Then he went to the Big Fat Buddha and started making fun of his weight, saying that he was so fat how could he be enLIGHTened.
The Buddha laughed anyway but it was a laugh of truth. He asked the Nian why did he fill everyone's ears with such mean things? Was it because he was empty inside?
The Nian suddenly understood that he wanted to make people laugh, but that he was doing so in a way that hurt them. So from then on all the jokes the Nian told were nice jokes that were also funny."

Noah was snoring before I finished the story.

Infection fear

Jonah likes to bite his nails, which I tell him not to do because it is dirty. But today he has what looks like a horrible infection. Grace saw it last night but just thought it was a booger, glancing at it. But looking at it closely it makes my skin crawl. We called the doctor's office but they don't open until 8:30. The pediatric on call will call me back as soon as she can. If there is a morning appointment open we will take it so I guess, last minute, we will not be doing the Little Panda class. Jonah seems fine but what if what if what if. So today's little adventure will be to the doctor's office, and frankly I've never seen an infection that gross on a human before, even if it is small. It's green and yellow. I hope it's not gangrene or something like that. I didn't even notice it because I don't look at my kids fingers that much. This could also be from not washing hands enough, or properly. We always fight about the nail biting and washing hands. But I vaguely just thought these things would make him sick. I didn't realize it would manifest itself in just a visible monstrosity on your finger.

Riding a bike

 Noah learned how to ride a bike today. It took some pushing and going down a hill. He did it in the rain without a helmet. But he learned to do it, and really he did it by himself. The best thing I did for him was ignore him. In fact I think part of parenting may very well be knowing when to ignore your child, or at least to pretend to ignore them. For instance right now they are playing together in the other room quite nicely. We had some arguing about the fact that I wasn't letting them watch TV. But I know once I turn that thing on it ain't going off. Also, I plan for us to watch a NOVA program about Math later. I tried to do a Kung Fu class on the field, for points. But Noah just wanted to ride his bike. He also wants to get points but his explanation for not doing the 5 point Kung Fu class even though he says he wants to do a 10 point Kung Fu class was, "But I'm so proud that I can ride my bike and now M can see that I can ride my bike. M is a friend of Noah's. I guess it is true. It isn't all about points.
Now I could step in and have a 5 point Kung Fu class now, which I might do if this little game I hear somehow goes bad and turns into a fight. But for now I will leave them.

Money, numbers, and dreams

I spent much of the morning searching for the very chrome book I am now typing on, supposedly because I had to blog about a dream I had in which I made money every easily, and how that compares to dreams of flying very easily I use to have. Or I could have blogged about how Noah and I did Kung Fu at 6:30am outside. But would it kill me to have to use paper and pen and simply keep a dairy? I used to do this in middle school and ended up throwing books and books away of my inner musings about God and history when my mother died and I had to move out of the apartment. So I guess yes, it is important that I blog, because one day, my kids can pour through what I wrote. Of course they probably won't. Maybe they will be interested when I am dead. Well in that case only my grand kids might be mildly interested in what I wrote, and they would probably prefer a condensed version. My book for instance.  Which makes me feel like I should have done a better job on my book.

In any case, last night I dreamt that I was borrowing money from a bank, bought a property, sold the property for like $30,000 dollars more in a day and then went off to buy more property to rent to people. A voice in my head said, "see? Money is this made up thing you can just make appear out of nothing!"

Ironically as I was doing all this I was working far more than I do now. I mean, usually people dream or day dream about making millions so that they can stop working. Right now I do not work. So if I were to get money of a vast amount, I suppose I would (like in the dream) try to buy things that made money. In other words. I would earn money to start working, to get more money.

I guess I was so busy working in my dream that I needed to take a break from that by waking up and doing some meditation and Kung Fu outside with Noah, which was at 6:15 or so. We warmed up with the 5 Tibetan Rites, and some basics and kicks for 15 minutes. Then it was forms outside.

So in other words, my dreams were work. My actual life, was the leisurely dream.

Speaking of sleeping and resting. Yesterday after a vigorous playdate I was too tired to venture into Chinatown without a nap. Mommy was the first to Clonk Out. I soon joined her. Then eventually Noah found us. After burrowing into the covers for quite some time he exclaimed loudly (he was right next to my left ear), "Baba! What is the biggest real number that you know!?"

Mommy, in my right ear shouted, "Aiya Cha!" and then, "Get out of hear. Sleeping or get out." Eyes still closed.

All was quiet, and then try to sleep as I might I began shaking with laughter.

"Let me sleep!" she said.

I then repeated what was yelled in my left ear and then my right ear and she began shaking with laughter too.
"That was like 10 minutes ago."
"No that just happened."
Anyway this became a running joke throughout the day, Jonah sometimes interjecting as well with "Rayo's number or Loader's number? Which one is bigger infinty or Loader's number?"
"Infinity isn't a number. THat's why it's Loader's number." Noah would say.

I only mention all this because perhaps it is all these numbers which made me dream of money. Can't prove it, just a guess.

Song of Jonah

"Sing me a song Dai dai" Mommy said to Jonah has he ran through the house plucking at his guitar.
" one two three and a, b, c one is smoky and three is in the night
 but infinity is the biggest number
in the Wooooooorrrrrlllllld.

I have a biggest number
it is twenty eight
But it isn't as big
as one hundred and two

But I love you infinityyyyyyy!"

"I love your song Dai dai."

"I love you to Mommy." Jonah gives Mommy cheems (kisses) and then he goes over to me
and gives me cheems.

"Hello myself!" he says and I give him cheems back laughing.

Spinning Gwun

5 Year old Romance

I've been noticing that Noah will always try to walk with a certain girl in his class. I will mention again that Noah is in k1. Not only does he always purposefully hang out with her wait till she play in the playground after school before going there himself, and also forcing me to stay at the playground until she leaves, but while racing to school usually he is determined to beat Jonah to the cubbies. However, Jonah has won a few times now and Noah doesn't care because he is busy walking and talking with this other 5 year old girl. I instinctively even back off when they are laying together and observe from a distance. But it wasn't until he just now told Gong Gong on the phone that not only was she his friend but "a five year old girl that is beautiful to him, did I realize that this was a like like sort of like.

"Who is more beautiful Mommy or" and the girl's name, Mommy asked.
"Of course" and then Noah said the girls name. Mommy was shocked.
"I still love you though Mommy. But K---is just more beautifuller to me."

Well so this development has now taken the household by storm somewhat.

Francis' Obituary

Obituary for Mr. Francis John Peters

Mr. Francis John Peters age 65 of Lake Worth, Florida passed away peacefully on March 3, 2015 of natural causes. Francis was born on October 26, 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to his parents, Mr. Richard John Peters and Mrs. Veronica Peters. Francis loved to play basketball, football and baseball and in later years enjoyed going to the Gym for a good work out. After Graduation from High School Francis was inducted into the United States Marine Corp during the Vietnam War Era, where he was later discharged as the result of a battle wound of which he was meritoriously awarded the Purple Heart for his bravery and courage during a dangerous incursion in the country of Vietnam. He also was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, the Navy Unit Citation, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal w/1 and the Vietnam Medal w/device. In later years Francis met and married his wife of thirty three years, the love of his life Edwardine while living in Sanibel Island, Florida and in 1980 they moved to the Lake Worth area. He was a vivacious person always in a great mood; he was never a downer, forever the eternal optimist. He loved to travel the country and abroad taking in all of the sights and sounds that the world had to offer to him. Some of Francis' interest included reading, particularly American History and other subject matters; he was always searching for internal enlightenment. Francis also loved to fire up the barbecue and get the pots and pans going in the kitchen to prepare a spectacular meal for his family and friends on a moment’s notice and without hesitation. He also loved watching Fox News and vocalizing his opinion about the Geopolitical nature of our world to his wife, family and friends; never missing Sean Hannity or Bill O’Reilly on the nightly news reporting. He also loved sharing a good time with family and friends or just being alone with his wife cuddling or by himself enjoying a Glass of Red Wine. Francis had a brilliant mind and was a successful businessman until his recent retirement where he enjoyed giving back to the community through volunteering. Francis was a great husband, father and friend and he will be forever loved and missed by all who knew and loved him! As it is written by Lord Alfred Tennyson, 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. He leaves to forever honor and cherish his Eternal Memory a loving and devoted wife, Edwardine; his loved children, Katrina, Daniel and Julian; his admired brother and two adored sisters, Richard Peters, Kathleen Peters and Charlene Peters. A Private Visitation will be held for the Family on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at Palm Beach Memorial Park Funeral Home, 3691 Seacrest Boulevard, Lantana, Florida 33462, (561) 586-1237. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 6090 Hypoluxo Road, Lake Worth, Florida 33463, (561) 966-8878. Military Honors and Burial will follow at 1:15 PM on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 in the South Florida National Cemetery, 6501 South State Road 7, Lake Worth, Florida 33449, (561) 649-6489 with the United States Marine Corp providing Honors to the Family of Francis John Peters. Those planning expressions of sympathy are asked to consider donating to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675, (855) 448-3997 or to donate online: ( https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=66& ) or for local donations to the Wounded Warriors of South Florida, 1335 Old Dixie Highway, Suite 3, Lake Park, Florida 33403, (561) 855-4207 or to donate online: ( http://www.wwofsf.org/donate ) in Memory of Francis John Peters. Online condolences can be shared at:www.palmbeachmemorial.com.

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mr. Francis John Peters please visit ourSympathy Store.

Cemetery Details

South Florida National Cemetery

6501 State Rd. 7
Lake Worth, FL, 33449

Springtime Hang out

Noah looked so funny walking down the street the other day. We went to the Library to watch a movie and on the way to Chinatown he was just ambling along as if he owned the neighborhood in Back Bay and in Chinatown. Just swinging his arms walking in a T-shirt (since I was carrying his coat) at a pace that says, "Yeah I'm living the good life." It was just funny because he is so small. He was too tired to really run around. We went to Moh Goon and he swung some swords around but ultimately he just hung out. We didn't really do a practice. He ate Candy hiding from me, confused that I could see him in the mirror because he could not see himself. "How do you see me?"
"Do You see me?"
"yeah."
"Then I can see you."
I guess we learned a little bit about light.

But then I remembered why we hadn't gone to Moh goon all that often. I mean, we could hang out like that anywhere, and if the weather is nice, a playground near the house is preferable. I think we wore ourselves out just walking. I guess we are out of shape from winter despite all the shoveling.

Jonah was left home because he has always preferred to just stay home, especially when Mommy is there. In the summer I suppose we will be fed up enough with JP Hang outs to want to go into Chinatown on the weekends. I'm looking forward to Summer and just hanging out with the boys in warm weather and that relaxed playground lifestyle. I plan to hold little classes on our steps too.

Fancy kicks

Noah and I have started to really get into Kung Fu, and I have even regained some enthusiasm for learning some new things. For instance, I have looked up how to do some of the fancy Wushu kicks from Jade Xu. When I first saw her forms, I didn't like them, because I was looking at them from a a perspective of someone ho does traditional Kung Fu. But I like her tutorials. A lot of the warm ups and step by step stuff I never did, I would go into a split or just do the jump kick. But my jump kicks and my flexibility are a lot worse now, and I like the in between beginner stretches she does. When i was practicing so much, I felt like I didn't have time for that stuff. But now that I practice less, I feel like, sure why not do those. Not like a thousand of them, but just ten or so. And then I can work on those with Noah especially when the weather gets better. Of course we can't forget our basics. Perhaps will warm up with basics and then do fancy kicks on the field during the summer before playing in the playground, and then do our little traditional run trough at home. Maybe some stance work in the evenings. I think Noah will like that we would be working on something together, instead of me teaching him. Jonah is more into Yoga. So maybe he will like the dancy type kicks too.

Tonight Noah will be going to perform at a Lion dance. I'm pretty excited about it. It will be kind of difficult to get there in time since I have those classes to teach at his after school. I think I won't be doing that next year. Now that Noah likes Kung Fu and is ready, we have a lot to work on at home. Next year Jonah will probably be ready too and they will have to run through being head and tail together.

Boston Lion Dance - 2013 August Moon Festival (Woo Ching White Crane Kun...

Noah and Jonah actually in this one playing gong and cymbals

US Kung Fu Federation Chinaton Banquet Boston White Crane Boston Ma 2011

Yi Baks drumming and Win' s head. Very good for Noah to learn from.

US Kung Fu Federation Chinaton Banquet Boston Ma 2011 - Tiger Fork form

Noah: Was I born yet?

me: yes!

Noah: Dai Dai too?

me: no.



In fact this was probably March. And Dai dai would be born a few months later. Which begs the question. How did I get away with going to this?

How to thrust with the stick (gwun)

The opening part 2

This is the full opening. When I did my video I forgot to break up the movements into steps 1 through 6.

Teaching videos and Jonah's Rice Cracker story

I'm going to start teaching on You tube. I won't be showing the traditional Woo Ching White Crane Forms. First of all, I don't think you can learn all that in a video. But I will be doing a step by step tutorial of what I've managed to teach Noah so far. Later on Noah will be the one teaching because let's face it, he's cuter than me and more interesting to watch. Dai Dai is a good little student in  this video but he's not ready to teach yet. I've been trying to learn Irish fiddle on You tube and I have decided that most videos show too many moves at once. This video just shows the first part of the opening. I will probably make a ton of videos on just this opening alone.

Later we will move into some stance stuff and the forms will be the guided free forms that Noah performed in Gong Gong's video of our performance at Montclair.



In other Jonah news, Jonah has been stealing Rice crackers from children at the playground. It started with begging this older girl, who teased and made him beg. "I just want a rice cracker shaped like a cylinder!" Jonah complained. But yesterday, a younger girl was mid bite into her disk shaped rice cracker when Jonah ran over making chomping noises and took it from her. I tackled him too late and much of the rice cracker crumbled.

"It's okay" the mother of the little girl said. But here is the injustice of it. Jonah has nothing to discourage him from doing it again.

"I just think he was hungrier than you honey, survival of the fittest. We can get another one." I knew the mother and she was really nice about it. But I know Jonah too. He's not hungry. Or if he is... well he didn't eat much of my dinner later. I don't have a problem with them snacking. But they can't be greedy. It turns out the other kids don't really like the snacks I bring. I will have to work on that. Plus I had stopped bringing snacks because I want them to be hungry for dinner, and to eat, quickly. They can partake of snack for social reasons but not for actual sustenance. It's not really food after all.



Anyway, Mommy talked to Jonah last night saying, "Mommy heard that you were taking other children's rice crackers Dai Dai. That's not good."

Jonah thought a while and then responded, "Mommy, when you watch your show, I sit there very quietly. I sit very quietly through your whole entire show. So I don't like that you talk about these other things."

"He should go into law." Mommy told me.

"They used to say that about me." I said thinking back to what my mother told me when I was in high school.

"Which is true." Grace finished.

Jonah's negotioations.

Jonah had been in trouble with Mommy and when he finally got ready to go to bed Mommy asked Jonah, "Dai dai do you know why Mommy was upset with you? Tell me what you did wrong?"
Jonah paused with his hands in his pockets.
"Well," he said, "I can tell you what I did good today Mommy. I was good at Baba's Kung Fu classes," This was, on a day btw that I did not teach any classes, "I did good sei ping ma's like this," and Jonah did a sei ping Ma horse stance, "and I did good cups, like this" and Jonah performed Cup kuens. "And that's all I'm going to tell you about mommy, the things that I did good."

And with that the matter was settled.

Easter Weekend

Easter Sunday was not very Christian for us. Noah didn't want to go to Church so I just staued home and read the Bible. I think I will do this more often. Not that I am holy. It 's more like I like this flavor of opiate. It helps me with my decision making. Like I'm talking to someone.
Noah and I went to Moh Goon on all three days of Easter weekend. I'm really beginning to feel like my old self. Except now I am hanging out with Noah doing the Kung Fu stuff. I guess my Dad died a year too early. One more year and maybe I really would have liked going to the gambling houses and stuff. Well good thing my addiction can sort of be good for health and probably cultural too. On Saturday, I only spoke to Noah in Chinese. I brought brushes and paper to write stuff with water too.

On Sunday he did his forms in front of Moi Sifu. And then Moi Sifu pulled out $20 and gave it to Noah! The Chinese thing to do would be to refuse the money and fight about it and then finally give in. But the way I see it, Moi Sifu wanted to do this. Why make a big deal about it? After all, now I can just help him if he asks for something. He did it to encourage Noah to practice harder. It was a nice little memory to have. That's why I made sure to write it down.

My time with Jonah was not as enjoyable. Jonah is so bonded to me that he takes for granted really. He had to throw up because he stuffed himself with juice and the rice right afterward. I was trying to watch Madame Secretary with Grace and he runs over to me, to throw up on me. This is not the first time even recently and so I blocked most of it and oved him over to an area with no rug. The thing is, he ran to the only room in the house with a rug, and threw up on me. He still got me in the eye and part of the face and my shirt.

I wasn't like, "Oh are you okay? Do you not feel well?"

Because I know he threw up because he stuffed his face until he almost choked even though dinner was already over. He was hungry because he didn't eat when he was supposed to. And he could have just thrown up in the kitchen, or tried for the bathroom and then told me to clean it up, instead of sprinting to me, to vomit on me. We talked about that.

But he is still cute even when he does all these terrible things.

Well that's all for now.

Dragons of the Orient (1988)

I remember thinking this was kin dof whack when I first saw it. But I had to look it up once I saw some of the more modern Wushu stuff. Me and Noah will watch this now.

Angry Camel tries to bite mans head

My mother had always told me stories about when she hitch a ride down and up through the Sahara. This was probably the 1970's She said that she had tried to pet a camel and that the men told her that they would bite her hand off. Not only that, but one of the men said that they had seen a man's head bitten off. I'm not saying I didn't believe her. But whenever I told this story as a child adults would look at me as if I were foolish. Anyway, it's the first thing I thought of when I saw this video.

My Christian post

So I saw people on Facebook start to post their little faith sharing thoughts. And I also saw this video.





You = water
Sin = water+iodine 
Christ = water+bleach



These type of videos make me realize I am still uncomfortable with most Christian lingo. Basically, according to the analogy shown in this video, if I were Hitler, no let us say if I were Darth Vader (who by the way is the  son of his mother and the Force. So basically Anakin is the son of God.) But anyway, if I am Lord Vader and I destroy planets and torture people including my own daughter, light saber fight with my son and not in a nice way. Strangle my wife with the force. As long as I believe in Christ (and in Star Wars world that would be me because I am the son of the force) all my sins are gone. Hmmmmmm....



I am Catholic so I will use a Catholic way of saying it. Sin in Catholic lingo is turning away from God. So all you have to do is turn toward God and you are saved. Of course there is purgatory and all that too. In the Vader example, at the end he is saved and joins the other Jedi in the Force because he turns back to the good side by saving looking and killing the Emperor. But that turning back is shown by an action, in which he still kills someone. In this example it is Luke who is more like Christ even though Luke is the son of the son of the Force. Actually Vader says to Luke when Luke says he can save him, 'You already have." 



Before I started wearing Catholic clothes I considered myself Buddhist of the Chinese Folk religion and later Kung Fu flavor. And most of the Buddhist lingo in English is comfortable to me. (In fact most of the academic Christian lingo I am also comfortable with too. Just not the stuff on the street as it were) So let's look at this experiment from this perspective. Enlightenment wipes away everything just like the Christ. I suppose you could ride on the coat tails of Buddha if you don't trust yourself to gain enlightenment alone and ask to be saved instead (from yourself) This experiment could work with Buddha as Christ too. Except instead of dying to save you, he just taught you instead. Or if you are praying to Kwan Yin, she just comes and saves you. 



Chinese mix there Buddhism with Taoism so let's look at it like that. I'll go with, "All things are the same just named differently." And "the sacred and the profane are the same, just named differently." In fact, in the experiment you mix sin and you and Christ. All these are actually just the same thing. Don't get all excited about colors changing. In fact the glasses and the table and the person pouring glasses are all in one room and all of the elements and energy and all that is part of the same universe. 



And here is where I out myself as not the Christian that usually faith shares. 

I don't believe in converting people. Because ultimately they are already converted, whatever they are doing. The Abrahamic religions are all one religion. The Pagan religions, the Hindu Religions the Taoists and the Scientists and Atheists, it's all the same but named differently. Religion to me is like Kung Fu systems. A boxing punch works. A Wing Chun punch works. The difference is when you are doing Wing Chun, you follow a certain way. When you are boxing you do another way. You can do both. You can mix them. But they are still different and they both still work. 



The atheist or at least Scientific perspective. I assume Neil DeGrasse Tyson is Atheist. Or in any case, he doesn't believe in Faith. He believes in evidence. But some of the most spiritual things in my world view are from him. For instance, that we are the Universe looking and studying itself.  



For Jesus and Buddhism the Kingdom of God or enlightenment was a state of being. That's what I learned at Nativity by the way from a Jesuit priest. Heaven as a place is tool to explain heaven, just like the experiment in the video is actually Chemistry, to explain a point. To just be happy instantly is not easy. But if you give someone a sugar pill the placebo effect can cure a ton of stuff. Christ is like that. In the Catholic religion a priest can give you communion (body and blood of Christ) or just bless you and I myself have felt a feeling. A something. A saving. From a blessing, as I am not allowed to take Communion. So the video above is true, even from a scientific perspective, not because of the power of Christ, but because of the power of your belief in Christ, or a sugar pill, or anything really. 



And the dark side of that is if you are total jerk the placebo effect can work for you too. But if you are a truly good person and helping people, you can still be miserable and even somehow believe that you are not saved or not good or wretched. 



Well let's all seek to be that reborn happy person, risen up from all problems, even from torture and death, whatever your worldview.

A return to tradition

I have been moving more toward more traditional aspects of teaching class. It may be because Noah is now ready for them and as this happens doing songs and dances becomes more annoying for me. Furthermore as I run into more resistance (not from kids) but from others regarding the more "fun" aspects of class, i.e. sword fighting, and line drills that are more like what dancers do, I think I am going to return to doing stances and basics. After all, those are the safest drills to do, even if they are boring. The kids can focus on this for so long, but maybe that's the first thing they need to learn. In fact, I may bring meditation back to my little after school class and have to be more disciplinarian about sending kids who disrupt kids to the office. Perhaps we will just do basics, some push hands, and then at the end take turns doing free style forms one at a time. The performance at the end of the year will simply be stance work and basics. If I end up having more time and the kids can't focus to do basics again, I may start reading a story to them that introduces Chinese Culture.
It was great at first when the kids would repeat the Chinese names of the stances. But then I noticed some of the kids were mocking the words more than trying to say them. I sort of felt like Dave Chappelle watching a white guy laughing at his jokes, but in a way that seemed inappropriate. Was I teaching my art, half of my heritage,  bring it outsiders so that it could be mocked?

But I feel like quitting would be wrong. I will just makes sure that the Sifu is the most important part of the class from now on and not the students. Letting everyone find their own way and all that American interpretation of Kung Fu and Yoga and meditation sounds nice. But in a class there is one Sifu. And since the class is only once a week, the students kind find their own way for the rest of the week outside of that 30 minutes of doing it my way which was my Sifu's way, which was his Sifu's way.