Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon for Chinese New Year

They're showing Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon on Movieplex.... over and over and I was pretty excited to see that it was in Mandarin on my American TV. But I didn't put it together that they were probably doing this because it is Chinese New Year season until I saw that it was still on. AFer all Kung Fu Panda 3 came out for Chinese New Year season too. I'm telling you, because of China's strength, Chinese New Year is totally an international holiday now. Plus it's cool anyway.

It's funny because I was just telling Grace that Chinese New Year has some developing to do. I mentioned that there weren't really any Classic New Year movies. Dong Sing Sai Jau, comes to mind, but it's like China jumped straight from real hard core traditional stuff, to straight hardcore sell out commercial stuff.

I didn't really think of Crouching Tiger as a Chinese Movie, but I guess from an American standpoint, it would work. But you really want something funny. I bet Kung Fu Panda 3 will really be the ultimate Chinese New Year movie in America and in China, for a while.

As many smart Chinese People as there are, I think that because of the politics in China, and also the politics here in America fro Chinese Americans... well there isn't a Chinese Charles Dickens who wrote a Chinese New Year novella. I saw a cute little video and there are legends and stories that are similar... but they don't seem to have become a thing yet.

The Chinese New Year music blasting at that 88 food court market today was the type of techno craziness that China and Eastern Euro countries formerly part of the Soviet bloc have in common. It's a different taste, or perhaps slight numbness of taste if not lack of.


And so the famous international Chinese Cultural movie I'm watching on tv, was directed by a Taiwanese director.


Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

You know, when I first watched this movie, I was watching it as a Chinese American that did Kung Fu and watched a lot of Kung Fu movies. As a Kung Fu movie, it is out of place in terms of how the other movies were a the time. That's why internationally it did very well, but mainlanders, hated it and said it was really a Lo Fahn Kung Fu movie.



Now as I am watching it, I can actually watch it as a Lo Fahn, and if you look at it from the mytholigical story telling of the West.. it's actually pretty awesome.

And it's true, it's not really a Kung Fu movie at all. I would argue that most of the shit that happens in this movie in terms of Kung Fu is not only "unrealistic" it is alternate realistic. I mean it's not even really happening.

Now when you watch this movie in hindsight, remember that Ang Lee would later win his big awards for Broke Back Mountain. What's that about? Hidden sexual repression.

Crouching Tiger has some actual real sex. But I would argue that most of the Kung Fu is also sex.

The Green destiny sword. What is it? What is a man's sword? Even in Romeo and Juliet you hear this sort of Julie is my Sheath for my dagger etc.

So Zhang Ziyi steals Chow Yun Faht's manhood err His sword.

There is a scene (the famous one) where Zhang Zi Yi is fighting Michelle Yeoh in a Moh Goon show down with all the weapons. Zhang Zi Yi touches the blade of the sword.  as it rings out. She's been holding it this whole time, fighting with it, but when she touches the blade part.. that is full of innuendo and Michelle can't take it. "That's Lu Mu Bai's! (dick which belongs to me....if only in a spiritual way)" Because where as Zhang zi yi has real sex with the bandit from the desert, Michelle and Chow Yun Faht have been meditating and sipping tea instead, being spiritual lovers.


Zhang Zi Yi runs away with the sword and Chow Yun Faht follows her an dhere comes the bamboo scene. This totally doesn't really happen either. Don't even talk about the Hing Gung. JUst look at how the faces fade in and out like subconscious images. It's a day dream fantasy, except somehow the man and young girl are communicating. She fantasizes about him. But he takes his sword (manhood) and says she doesn't even deserve it and throws it in the river. A dark figure then takes her (Jade Fox). She's totally like your typical disney witch. She's also a trickster Fox. she now has the manhood and says that she and Zhang Ziyi can "be their own masters." There's some kind of lesbian thing with that. I'm not imagining it. Plus remember Broke Back Mountain might have been a way to look at it from a new perspective, where homosexuality is scene as heroic or right instead of having Jade Fox, the Villain be the one suggesting that. Jade Fox is sore because the Master slept with her, but didn't treat her as an equal human being, (i.e. teach her Wudan style sword) But it's totally not really about swords. It's about relationships.

Jade Fox drugs Zhang Zi Yi with horny lustful ecstacy and sets a trap for Chow Yun Faht. Now the sex almost comes out into the open, But Chow Yun Faht is too moral and doesn't take advantage of the girl.

Instead he puts it in her.

His chi that is. So he shows her love on a spiritual level. Jade fox tries to kill everyone but is killed. (Does she even exist or is she just the crazy dark side of adolescent hormones manifesting themselves as a person? Whatever same thing. She's gone now.)

So Zhang sees that her spiritual parental figures, love her and now she tries to help.


Okay I watched the movie ou of order too so I'm going to jump back to when Zhang Zi Yi is wreaking havoc in the bar. It seems unrealistic that a young girl could be so much better than all those masters. It wasn't just the sword it was her too. How could her Kung Fu be so strong?

In the movie it is.

And in real life, if Kung Fu  is sex, passion, and love, then many young girls do make fools of respectable powerful men, making them crash all over the place at bars and tear a whole house down. That shit happens every weekend, except if you can control that, then your club can make money off of this instead of being in tatters. In fact even that iron arm guy that she outs... there can be a lot read into that.. your not all that hard. lol

So in the end she jumps off a cliff and her lover seems happy and unconcerned about it because in the movie, people can kind of fly, in anycase she isn't committing suicide.. and in real life she is just doing that leap of faith he talked about earlier. She doesn't choose fer home life, or a life where she runs away with him, she chooses to find her own path. Today that would be some sort of career woman or personal journey that young girls do all the ime. Starting a company or backpacking through Africa, whatever.


Anyway, I want to read the novel the movie was based on, though all this crazy stuff is probably ONLY Ang talking. I'm just saying it's kind of cool to look at it from a mythological context. It's deep. It's just not that Chinese.

Walking Meditation

After my daily work out, I've been making a point of ending with walking meditation. I used to practice this a lot, but it was sort of just mixed into my other kung fu and part of the advanced training. However I am totally using it in my beginner's classes now. Why?
Well first of all it's simple.. and I've been focusing on stuff that is simple.
Plus I realized that after you pushed your self, that slowing down and trying to walk with your eyes closed really really slowly is a challenge. It's actually kind of trippy too. Something about moving makes you feel way different then sitting or even horse stance meditation.

I saw something on Facebook about meditating on happiness, and I realized that I might as well start doing that too. It might be weird to be throwing punches while at the same time closing your eyes and picturing your kids doing cute things... but that's totally what I did today. I mean when I am doing the repetitive punches, it's not like I really need to be that martial. I don't need to picture where I am hitting anymore. I got it. I understand the move. The exercise is more to stretch out my waist and arms and train my body. So meanwhile I can exercise my mind by thinking happy thoughts.


Later on when I do a more free style practice (both slow and sprinting) I sort of still have to picture the enemy though. I wonder if ultimately, this is harmful to my luck and well being though.

After I really get settled into my routine I think I am going to add a weapons section to my daily practice in the afternoons. Maybe I will only do this every other day though. I don't want to burn out. I just noticed that when I did my weapons practice on the weekend, I was pretty sore afterwards... which basically means my muscles are not as strong as they should be. But I still don't want to overdo it.

Epic Camera fail

Of the many things I have to do today I failed at he most important one.. which is getting QUALITY video of Noah and Jonah's concert. Did Dai Dai do many cute things on stage? Yes he did. Did I bring my camera with the zoom lens that would have been able to capture it all for the viewing pleasure of Grace and Gong Gong and Amah? Yes I did. However, when I pushed (the wrong button) which I guess would have taken the picture, the battery died. Why? Because I shot a bunch of stuff yesterday and forgo to make sure it was charged for today. Now know this. I am pretty upset. Not so much because I missed the concert... but because I had to sit there in fear.
I really don't want to hear about this all year.

I must meditate and prepare myself to be calm when criticism comes and to ignore it and not respond.
In fact I can already feel myself going over to the dark side over this.

So what will I do? I'm going o go do my work  out... go to my lion dance, and we'll video he kids doing the songs, by themselves.


That's all I got.

Noah's Boats

Noah has taken to  building and testing his own boats. He loves bringing them to school with him too.
I don't help him buildi them at all, mostly it's me getting out of the way of his creativity

Kung Fu Social

I always really enjoyed how after Kung Fu, when walking home, people couldn't really quite part and there was a bit of a social end to the night. Talking. Sometimes about Kung Fu, sometimes not, always late at night. The old classes ended at around 8pm and then we would start cooking. Now my classes at First Baptist Church end at around 9pm. I try to fit in so much stuff into an hour, and honestly I sort of get it done. I'm kind of proud of myself for that. We do meditation, external internal, some drills, and then ended with two different types of walking meditation.

I have enough students now that I am breaking even, and the thing is we are already all friends. So it feels really good for me to be able to share my love of Kung Fu. In a way I feel like I am recapturing those first times when I joined Woo Ching White Crane as a 14 year old.

That's not a knife, this is a knife.

For whatever reason I was talking about knife stuff, you tube videos with a friend and student at the playground. The truth is, the way I would react if someone pulled a knife on me would probably not be that different than a normal person's reaction. I don't think I would use some very clever and clean looking technique. Is it possible I would freeze like a deer in head lights?

That is possible.

Running or distancing your self might be the best solution. But that could be difficult if my kids are with me. So the main thing would be putting myself in between the knife and them.


Once in a physical altercation.. .would it make much difference that they had a knife? I don't mean in terms of my odds. My odds are screwed. I mean in terms of my reaction. I might go for the hand holding the knife... if I even saw it, which I probably wouldn't.

The one time this old guy pulled a knife on me, I just grabbed him (not the knife). He put the knife away. It was still in it's scabbard. In fact I was wondering did I really just see a giant hunting knife. This was only confirmed by the fact that I said to him "You pulled a knife on me."

He then said, "It's my knife, I bought it with my own money."

I never accused him of stealing the knife mind you. That was not my issue.

I eventually let him go. He tried to pull it out again, and it was my words admonishing him that actually stopped him. Some people would say I was way to merciful in that case. But since neither of us even got hurt let alone died I would say for that particular case, given the guy's age, that was probably the correct reaction.

The point is, the knife situation is always considered to be a situation where words are now useless. And so the answer for what you do is usually physical. Fight or flight. And the fight aspect is usually some cleanly demonstrated sequence of moves. I'm not saying those are ineffective. I know some stuff to do, but I don't practice them as much as my more basic stuff... so probably, my body would react with what I practice... When I grabbed that guy, running was not really responsible because it happened at the Kung Fu school and other people were sleeping there. So I had to be the attack dog.
I grabbed him in a way that was sort of martial artsy in some aspects... but in other ways it was just grabbing him like a bully. The only thing I learned from that encounter martial arts wise was that I start working on shaking chi gung cheun ging (inch power) with a sort of side ways Karate chop. But also I worked on all sorts of angles and techniques more, because I realized it's important to be able to hit repeatedly from strange or awkward angles with one hand, because other hand may be grabbing, and usually people really are not defending themselves and the spot you are hitting is just open and could remain open for repeated strikes. If I performed this type of thing, it would look extremely stupid and boring. People might wonder what the hell I am doing and if I have lost my mind. Although when I demo it with words and talk to people, some people have mentioned that they were impressed.


It's funny how stupid some advanced and powerful Kung Fu can look.

Lion Dances for the Quincy School system

There were a few years that our lion dance team performed at the Montclair and Wollaston school. In the past we had a lot of members of our Lion Dance team that worked for themselves or were between jobs, or were stay at home parents... but times have changed. Last year we did not have that many people who were free. But Noahs' Gong Gong happened to be up here. Not for Chinese New Year. But because of all the snow, the Chinese New Year festivities happened in march and Gong Gong was here because it was warm enough for him to now return.

In any case, with his help and the help of my Si Hing, we did a little performance. Gong Gong even made a little video.

They called me up this year and I was super excited to do it again. There was only one problem, I don't drive. Not only that, but even if I did, Grace had to work so I wouldn't have the car. 

My Si Hing was also busy. I had to say no....

But to tell the truth I really wanted to do it anyway. But I realized that it just wouldn't be that good of a decision. If the kids were older, like 8 and 10. I might have done it. I would totally even sleep over at the school just to perform in the morning. Though I'm sure that's illegal. Why would I do that? Do I like lion dance that much? Well I tell you I like it that much when the performance is for children at a school. You really get a good feeling about it. I mean I could take the T and walk , but could my kids walk that far? I'm not sure. Plus I would have to carry equipment... how?

The only way I can justify  not doing this thing for these two schools is that I will be doing something with my kids for New Year at their school... which I may be doing for free... but it will be a lot more manageable.

Why am I writing about this? Tomorrow is the day of their Chinese New Year celebration.

I wonder if they found a team to perform? What will they do instead if they don't? I feel kind of bummed about not doing it. 

Snow day

I took a little snow day off of my stick class. My justification was I would have to shovel. But the shoveling was pretty easy and I sort of feel unaccomplished for not having done my daily bit of Kung Fu. I realize I am totally addicted to Kung Fu then. I mean I'm feeling withdrawal now. I better go and just do some stick stuff in the front yard or something.

Violin Monster

Jonah really likes creating arts and crafts for himself. We went to Noah's violin lesson and Jonah argues that he shouldn't have to go because it wasn't even his lesson. The thing is, it's not like I can leave at home by himself.

Anyway, Jonah made this picture of a monster and I noticed that this "monster" looks a lot like a violin. He also traced his hand. Pretty cool huh? I'd like to see it with color.

Bob Halloran

Bob Halloran, author of "White Devil" will be doing a pre-game coverage for the Patriots vs Brooncos game on Channel 5 WCVB.
I will be interviewing  him regarding the book soon for the blog. If you have write in questions let me know. E-mail and Facebook work too.

I've just stared reading the book and it is a page turner. It covers some of the history with Steven Tse too. I don't know, I think it's really cool seeing stuff about Boston and New York's Chinatown in print like that. I would have loved to do a project about it in High school or something. In fact I remember with the very few stories I knew, that I inspired my roommate in high school to write a paper.

The book reads like a novel and Bob Halloran's writing really draws you in. I'm totally jealous of his writing actually.
Halloran wrote books about Mickey Ward, Whitey Bulger, and Stephen Flemmi. I've been doing a little bit of research of my own, and to prepare for the interview.

But so far I'm really a fan of the book. Some of the stories are different, but Halloran does deal with possible discrepancies between what John Willis says and what may or may not have happened.

I'm pretty excited to finish the book and to interview Bob.

Chinese New Year in Non Chinese neighborhoods

I submitted a little call to action type article. So that's why my writing style today is all weird. It will be cool if it gets printed.

Here goes:

Why should non Chinese want to celebrate Chinese New Year?

In general there are a lot of people who want to learn about other cultures. But

China (and therefore Chinese Culture) in particular is a big deal now and Americans want to learn as much as they can. Chinese New Year has the benefit of being a pretty cool holiday with Lion and Dragon Dance. Plus there are less religious connotations and so people don’t find it threatening to their own culture.

What can I do to promote Chinese New Year?

One thing you can do is encourage your non-Chinese friends to come into Chinese Communities to celebrate. Chinatown’s Celebration will be on February 14 (the same day as Valentine’s day.)

Another thing you can do is celebrate in your own neighborhood or school. If you know lion dance or how to make a special type of food, you can offer to do that at your child’s school or with a couple of neighbors. Last year, I performed at my son’s school and also paraded around to a few houses in the neighborhood with the lion head and drums and  some friends. If you don’t have a lion head at home, you can just make a flat faced mask, and by some cloth for a tail. Drums can be buckets. Maybe it’s not as great as the “real” lion dance, but what about the first lion dance? You have to start from somewhere. This year a few houses, next year a parade around the block.  One day Chinese New Year could be as popular as Halloween or Christmas. (Samhain and Yule)

Should I stay home from work or School?

There are a lot of petitions on Facebook to make Chinese New Year a holiday, and sure you can stay home with your family if that is part of your tradition. But it’s worth thinking about bringing the holiday out to the workplace and school and making others aware of it as well.

That's it.

So why am I doing this? 

Last year I saw complaints about DeBlasio on Facebook and I signed the petition to make Chinese New Year a Holiday. Why not? Hell I bet a ton of non Chinese people probably signed it too. Anything to get off school right? But here's the thing, the best is to bring the holiday out into the open any way you can. 

Last year I did try to do a parade. One of Noah's friends showed up (This was Feb vacation week). They were also a mixed family. The mom is actually Japanese. She made this little treat bags to give to the houses we went to that said Happy New Year in Chinese and were filled with popcorn. That was sooo cool. She helped out while carrying the younger baby on her back through snow drifts. 

Apparently many Japanese celebrate the same Lunar New Year (depending on which sect of Buddhism they follow) and there is also the Western New Year.. and another New Year. I also did a presentation at school with another mixed family. The father is Vietnamese. So they explained some traditions about Tet and then Noah and I did a little lion dance. 

This year I will definitely do something at school. The parading outside was hard for me with Jonah. But it would be cool to do that too. It's just that the kids can't walk that far. Maybe I could do something on the weekend with Grace there to help? Maybe post something on Next Door to see who in the neighborhood would be interested in a lion dance? I will probably break the traditional rule of keeping the drum going the whole time. It was just too difficult last time wit limited people. 

We'll see. 

I just remember the first year feeling so alone on Chinese New Year and not really knowing what to do (again Feb Vacation.) Because basically all of my holiday associations are stuff I learned outside my own family (with the exception of red envelopes).

I'm still debating how to do the parading this year. I'm leaning toward less is more because last year was difficult for me. However I don't want to look like a wuss either because Noah's friend's mom showed up with a baby on her back and was totally climbing snow mountains and everything. Maybe I shoudl just suck it up and do what I can. It's only once a year.

If it's on the weekend and Grace can help we could totally just do the big head sometimes.

We'll see. 

Letter from my mother in Kathmandu to Francis and Nelly in Paris 1973 Part 2

Nice little drawing of the shirts here. I totally want a male version of this. I'll type out the letter later.

Continued...

Also- About a wedding shirt (must be white?) Too bad this isn't Kashmir where they embroider really beautiful things to order. Nepal surely has it's own special variety of excellence but I'm still just buzzing  around everything trying to get beyond the tourism trinket trip of new array of junk. At first, all such shit is somewhat attractive. If only for it's color or shine but after a while and having seen so many, you begin to discriminate and notice the shit craftsmanship- turned out especially for tourists, cheesy fabric-sewn together like it was made to fit the abominable snowman, with thread so thin and weak that a couple of washings reduce the whole things back into a tattered old garment. But even some of this shit-work- if cheap enough, might be worthwhile trying to sell on the flea market. On the other hand, I'd like to find a nice short for Francis. I'm thinking of either a Chinese silk or Nepalese velvet (not white velvet though) fabric. As for the styling- maybe the Nepalese one- nice, I like it, but it's definitely a very peasant-like shirt but very well fitted, not baggy. Don't know if these tailors are very adept at other designs unless I use a pattern of some other shurt- I'll try to do something nice- About size, for Francis I'll try to guess from some guy who seems to be a similar build. Sizes for our "big deal" - there is no such thing as sizing in any of these mid-east and eastern countries. Everyone has his clothes tailored. Travelers too. As for the tourist displays in the cities- these clothes are all a guess or small, medium, large at best. So here again I'll also just guess but with the sligt advantage that the styles are really pretty suitable to fit several different sized people. Upper left shows the men's shirt, same for women except shorter- coming  only to the waist. Pants of the same fabric (simple elastic waist or drawstring) legs- I'll try one in the traditional bell shape, but a bit wider (o.k.) another- your suggestion- with elastic at the ankle (how about at the knee?) and all puffy like pantaloons. Want to describe  especially the women's shirts and dresses- really fine style These two fold around the waist with the longer (attached) belting going around the front again to tie (depends on length of that belting piece. Into this belting is also designed a good bit of the skirts yardage, so that it folds back as two big pleats (one on each side of the back on top of the actual back portion of the skirt. Sleeveless but the Tibetan women wear a small short blouse underneath. (Hope you can understand explanation here) they prefer black , but we should do flashy colors I think but no blouses. This is also possible as just a skirt rather than a full dress. I'll see about it. Also had some shoulder bags in mind. These kinds that seem interesting. One very flashy, shiny and colorful made from pieces of Chinese Silk and fringe

(end of first page.)

So this is Adam talking.. it's interesting how everyone would totally wear these styles as "Kung Fu" shirts or clothes or outfits nowadays. So the top shirt is male. Shoot I want one now. Were people all wearing these back then? This was '73. Okay I'll type the second page later.

May the Force be with you

What's so great about Star Wars anyway? I think when you watch the movies the generally fall short of the ideas. 90% of the magic behind Star Wars is the music by John Williams, and the idea of the Force.

What is the Force? Since Star Wars came out in the 70's the idea of the Force and Jedi Mind tricks and a Jedi Master have become part of the American and indeed the modern human beings Psyche. Joseph Campbell talked about Star Wars as being the great myth for us now. How all the Jedi stuff was extremely Zen, and modern myths really have to take place in space. 

It totally is the power of the myth and the things that are represented in Star Wars that make it great. Because most of the stuff is as surreal as the Odyssey. You have Knights wielding Swords at the same time you have ships that travel faster than the speed of light, while never taking Relativity (a scientific theory that was proven that has existed for a really long as time...speaking of time in the archaic sense.)

Star Wars takes place out there... but it's really about everything happening in here.

I've read a lot of Kung Fu stuff comparing the Force to Chi. For me, Chi was always something very physical or a poetic expression of something physical. It was respiration. It wasn't something outside the body. I mean by myself in my imagination I might think about it as something that permeates the Universe. I still may do that. But I would be uncomfortable having a serious conversation like that with adults. I'd feel more comfortable talking about spirits or God than Chi that way, because when you practice Chi Gung, and you start talking higher plane stuff I feel like there's a higher chance that you might radicalize or go crazy or fanaticalize yourself, especially if there are reasonable looking adults around you agreeing with you.

But when you talk about it as the Force, something you know was made up even though it was sort of "based on" Chi, that's different. You are more free because you know you are in the mythic or fantasy realm, even if you are using martial techniques somewhat grounded in the physical and practical world. 

In fact talking about Chi was hard with my son Noah. But reading him Roan Novachez's Star Wars comics was an easier way to talk to him about meditation. Reality has so many hold ups. Myth and Fantasy are just understood intuitively because there is a suspension of disbelief. 

But because Star Wars has been around, now a lot of people want to takl about How the Force is really Chi. Let's look at the phrase "May the Force be with you." Do people say that in Buddhist countries? No. Do Kung Fu masters talk about the Chi protecting you? No. 

But people in the West (and it's little colonies and offshoots that are not geographically in the West) say God be with you, or Allah be with you. 

The Force (and if you believe in the old Chi theory some Martial Arts writers are talking about then Chi too) is actually an elemental God. I mean in China they may talk about Heaven watching over you, but even in that case Heaven has become more personal than the Force. The Force, the universe, destiny, Fate,  it's like an elemental God that has been put into the a prime place in life in the Star Wars myths in a way only God or the Holy Spirit (Holy chi as spirit also comes from air just like Chi) is put  there in the West, or the Middle East. 

But the Force is part of an American Myth... so you don't have to get into all the hold ups that these other archaic traditions can get into. Plus the Myth was created by George Lucas and is owned by Disney so you don't feel beholden to it. 

In fact, when Lucas started trying o make the Force more explainable (it's meta chlorians) or even more Abrahamic (Anakin is born from the Force. The Force impregnates his mother) The mystery becomes kind of more lame. 

It is have that Force (that you know you made up) and keeping it vague and mysterious, with the powerful John Williams score that really moves you. And have this Force and sword wielding practitioners exist in a world with Ships (Dragons) that spew fire that can destroy planets very far away. It's a nice little mix of Euro and Asian myths put into modern view of the world out in space. Yeah the ideas are awesome and they make a good religion, or myths of reference point.

Recycle Rockets

These are some cool stuff the kids like to make by themselves out of old bottles and construction paper. Most are Noah's. The one with purple wings is Jonah's.

Letter from my Mom from Kathmandu to my Uncle Francis in Paris 1973

My mom wrote this letter in Kathmandu, Nepal September 11, 1973

"Dearest Nelly and Francis,

Received your letter (with money $100) safely. I'm going to try to buy everything here in Nepal. Here's what's good here -shirts Nepalese style-very cheaply made and cheesy material but colorful-Bags and belts made from heavy woven cotton thread also colorful. Bags from scraps of Chinese silk- Its expensive up here compared to South India and fairly touristy (only in Kathmandu Valley) Everything as you know is slow here- especially with the bargaining- I'm beginning to find out some prices but they don't move down easily. So before I send anything I also want to price stuff in Pakera and some other places than Kathmandu. Also might have problems getting back into India so I think it best to try out the Nepalese shit first, I'll look for some pants and shirts- a few matching the shirts probably. I'm a bit worried about whether you can make a profit after the cost of air-mail. I'm going now to find out about that- Closed big festival for the living Goddess today. I'm going to get some Nepalese shirts made up in velvet with puff shoulders- first a few cost $35 Rupees $3.50) I feel we could easily make profit on these alone but I'll send lots of other stuff for trial. I'm really excited. Like a new adventure even though I have doubts about my bargaining power. I practice everyday! About the money and sending it as you did. Registered letters get ripped off on general principal here so its better to send money order through post office (However cash dollars are invaluable on this end. I need at least a week to get this all off O.K./ I'm ecstatic excited happy that we'll keep in touch. It was good to hear from you! I've read and re-read your letters. If this deal works out we should try more from other places- Bombay is good and cheap and we could then get together somewhere. Another thing stones (for shirts I hear) (smoky topaz here in Nepal is only 75cents per karet) Find out the price in France. - maybe good- lots of other cheap stones here but the shit is lousy. I miss Afghanistan and the Afghan people- Mongolians in the north are beautiful. The Nepalese, but especially the Tibetan people are another fantastic sight. Northern Punjabi Indians have been real heavy on me, but still I'll have to go back there. (New Delhi) after Nepal. Reassure Mom that I'm OK. One can handle any people after the Turks and Persians not to slight  the Arabs. /New ideas are popping into my head every time I go through the Bazzar. This week is bad though because of the festival. A lot is closed down. Silk or cotton. Cheaper than velvet. (Chinese silk too) in brighter colors. Must buy some material and make contact with a tailor- have prospects just from walking around today and rapping with merchants, drinking i.e. od-ing on tea and shit. Hope you realize that the long drawn out rituals of doing business is a tradition that you can not hope to skip if you really expect to do any bargaining- otherwise you pay higher price for having rushed it- western style- and not having respected the eastern preliminaries, which by the way ALWAYS entails the most indirect and round about route in conversation- business and/or friendship. Only in the most incidental maneuver does the easterner ultimately almost absent-mindedly come to the point.....The big difference is I think that for the westerner - what's on his mind is very soon on his lips. That's it-that's all cause the easterner NEVER will commit such an obvious and direct type of naive behavior. See what I mean? Like if I should dare to call into a shop just from the entrance to inquire about the price of an item hanging outside. You can be sure that that price will not only be higher than usual touristic ones, but also that my bargaining power is far, far less than if I had first walked right into the shop and proceeded only with curtesies, greetings and inquire about the festival and only passively noticing items to be sold when the shopkeeper himself begins to show them and then always only asking about the craftwork, traditions behind its use etc.. within a few visits the price and the bargaining can begin./ I'll move itas fast as I can and still hope to have everything sent off within a week. Also, I'll write soon if anything turns up and of course inform you about the details of you receiving. Really just wanted to confirm getting your letters and fill you in on what's available here, write to me immediately about any suggestions ideas dos don'ts; anything that might help. Suppose I have to continue on another areogram cause I would like to draw you some pictures pf the shirts and pants and especially the dresses- really nice ones. Nelly, about your Pakistani shirt- this can easily  be made anywhere in the east and also in quanity, if you think it's a particularly good market item. See next areogram #2"

That's it. I had to Wikipedia what a aerogram was. Okay now I have to get going and do family stuff. 

Meditations on a stick

I am planning a new outdoor class for Sundays in spring. It will be a meditation class with a yoga mat and a Kung Fu stick. My thoughts were that people like props for their meditation. Beads, sticks, crosses, statues. I used to think those things were silly but I realize that even though the "crutches are for cripples" idea has truth to it (I heard that one over and over from Warren Myers at Groton) a Crutch can also be a helpful tool. Other aids of transportation can make an able bodied person (and a handicapped person) travel faster, like bikes, cars, and airplanes.

In any case. I thought it would be a cool thing, to have a class where you do some poses on a mat with a Kung Fu stick, but the focus would be meditation.


In the winter, there is no point in bringing a mat though, because there is no way I am sitting on the ground now. But I thought, maybe I should just start going out and doing some stick stuff every Sunday just to get used to it. And I really loved going through all my sick forms. In between the forms I did some basic drills, the same way I have been doing Mein Lei Jum (Tai Chi) and doing basics Mon-Fri at 8:30. (I have already posted on the internet that this is a "class." So even though it's just me, in my mind that is already a class. $50 a month or it is included in the fees for my other class.

So do I really need the mat?

Now I'm feeling like I need to pick a day to do my sword stuff. I think that should be Saturday morning. I totally didn't do any Kung Fu yesterday after doing it everyday for a week. I felt depressed. I felt like a loser. I went through withdrawal, and I realized that if I don't do my Kung Fu thing in the morning, I may not do it.

If in my mind I don't have some sort of reason to do my Kung Fu in the morning (a class which I have already told people about on the internet, then I am more likely to say, "Oh I'll just do my Kung Fu stuff later."

Okay, so I will make it official right here.


Mon-Fri 8:30 am Mein Lei jum, Kung Fu and Tiger Crane class. $50 a month

Sat Mornings 8:30 am Sword Class $20 a class

Sunday Mornings 8:30 am Meditation on a stick $20 a class.

I guess I will start out with basic stuff anyone can do and do the forms slowly so they can follow along.
And then I will move into more complicated stuff. Even if it is too hard to follow along it is good to expose moves to beginners, so that when they eventually do learn them, they will pick them up more quickly.

Grace had a Dream.

Grace had a dream last night that she was a black man. In fact the details of the dream are so convincing that my superstitious side wonders if dreams are not all in the brain but come from elsewhere, and if somehow she got this dream from a spirit or something. The fact that MLK day is coming up is also worth noting. In any case- to the dream.

"I was part of this playwright club in New York. It was like a gym where you pay your $100 or whatever and you get a desk and you are supposed to write you play and there are people to help you edit or whatever... and I just knew for some reason that I was a black man, it wasn't like I felt it was strange I just knew... and everyone else in this place was either white or Asian. In fact a desk down from me was that guy David Huang or whatever that wrote M. Butterfly and people would tap him on the shoulder and and shake his hand and smile, and be like, 'We should collaborate.' and I was like 'Huh people don't treat me like that' but it wasn't like I was crying about it, I just knew that's how it was."

"And  I could feel that people would see me coming and before I opened my mouth they were already like, 'No you can't do that' and ready to shut me down. But I didn't feel like it was because I was black. I just felt like it was because that's how it was. And any time anything didn't go my way I automatically knew how to deal with the situation. I could feel that I was very fit and very strong, but I had this great idea for a play and I really wanted to be a play write."

"The play was a love story between a black guy and a black girl and I had all these original songs that I had written for the play and I just knew that they were good songs, but when I submitted my play to this black girl who was editing them she was like, "this ain't no good! and these songs ain't no good."

"So I knew that I had to like flirt with her to get her to even notice the play. So I was like 'look boo' or something like that I can't remember what I was saying but I was talking black and she was talking black because I was trying to get her to help me but at first she wouldn't, she was like, 'I ain't your boo and these songs are no good.' So I told her that I wanted the songs to be like this Casey and Jo Jo song and the other one was like that 'I don't want no scrubs' song and there were a few other songs that reflected what stage of the relationship to two characters were at that point in the play. And she was like, 'well why don't you just use those songs then!' And she was like 'Here I'll show you how to write it."

"So then she started writing the play for me and I was like, 'Okay' but I was still looking over her shoulder to check because I still needed to see if it was good because in the end it would be mine."

"And so I could feel that this was just a really hard way to live, but in the dream I didn't that this was because I was black I just thought that this was the way of life. Everyone else had computers and everything but I didn't even have pens, even though I had paid my $100 or whatever membership fee just like everyone else. And I could tell that it was assumed even before people looked at my play that I couldn't write and that I probably didn't read as much or something, so that even before they looked at anything they would just assume that there was no way that what I wrote was any good."

"So anyway everyone else is writing already but I have to just keep hustling and hustling just to get to the point to start writing. I hadmy little desk with all this lucky bamboo everywhere, but no pens. So I had to go around and flirt with all the admins who were black girls and smile and ask them if I could borrow a pen. And they would suck their teeth and look away while handing me the pen like, 'Sorry ass. Here's your pen" types of expressions on their faces. But I just had to do keep hustling to get my pens, get my paper, and get back to my desk with the lucky bamboo placed around it to write my play. So I was all set up to write it, and then that's when you said.."


"Grace are you awake? You said you wanted to get to the Post Office by 8am. It's 7:15 right now."


"And that was my dream."

Has anyone else ever had a dream like this? I wonder if there is some black play write who just died or something and decide to give his experiences to Grace. I swear it's like the muses are speaking to her.

Mommy and Aunt Dotsy

Here are some photos of my Mom and Aunt Dotsy. 

They are from a photo booth obviously but what was the story behind them? Was it at a carnival? When were they taken. They are in black and white and my mom looks pretty young. 

So Aunt Dotsy was my godmother, and technically she was my great aunt, but I always just called her Aunt Dotsy. I remember when I was young I thought I had two Aunt Dotsy's because she had different hair styles, and the hair styles made me think that she was actually a different person. 

Story land or Chinatown

I had to take Shao to the doctor's today. It turns out he does have fluid in his ears. What does this mean? We check it out again in three months, and then if it's still there we talk about the possibility of surgery. 

Now I guess the procedure is not that difficult, but I'm freaked out about the whole thing anyway and putting Shao under. I'm totally ready to call up my friend who does weird voodoo chi gung. (Not saying it's real or fake it's just out of the ordinary) to do some shamanistic healing. Why not? Worth a shot.

I never wen under and I've never had surgery. Maybe that's why I'm freaked out about Shao having to do it.

Plus my two cats growing up died when they got neutered because fo a reaction to the anesthesia. So I guess I'm superstitious. 

Anyway on the way home we heard these women talking and they were like, "Oh my my god I live right down the street from Story Land...."

So I turned to Shao and asked him if he would like to live right down he street from Story Land. Wouldn't that be nice? It would mean Story Land every day in the summer. Although he would probably get bored of that.

"We live close to Chinatown.." Shao mentioned. 

Okay.

"Which do you like better Chinatown or Story Land?"

"Uhhh... Chinatown!"

Really?!

"I like Chinatown because it's closer."

I just thought that was cool though. That Chinatown would even come close to story land. Maybe that's why I never really went anywhere else much when I lived there. What for?

White Devil Movie and book.

So Grace had told me that I should have written a book about John Willis years ago, in fact I wrote out a letter and was ready to mail it to him. "No he's going to be all freaked out that your like a stalker."
Others told me, "Your nothing like him. Not in personality, not in appearance."

They explained that for him it was calculation and about money. But for me, I was about ideals.

(You could say the same thing about my mom, that she was about ideals. That's probably where I get it from.)


But still, there are similarities right? And just because one book was written that doesn't mean I still can't write another right? It's also interesting that though we never crossed paths (maybe once accidentally, I would have to confirm with him though) that I know people who know him.

In fact I had heard about him for a long time because everyone would always be like, "Wow you are the SECOND white guy I know with impressive Chinese."

When I was listening to Bob Halloran about his book "White Devil" on WBUR Grace just hammered in, "I told you to do that! I told you you should have done that!"

Of course she also told me not to mail that particular letter.

Now there is a movie being made and Grace was like, "Yeah you could play him in a movie."

But when I say let's film it she says, "But your bald. what about that dot on you face? This guy was really big you would have to bulk up.

Yeah but it's just BASED right? It's just a movie right? Who are they going to get? Jeremy Renner? Matt Damon? The biggest insult of all would be if they got Mark Wahlberg, who has a tense relationship with the Asian American community. But Hollywood would totally do it. I mean would it be that different from his role in the corrupter?

IN any case, Me and Dai Dai each made little videos. I just want to show that I can do a Boston accent and do a  guy speaking Chinese... in a Boston accent. That's different then how I normally speak Chinese. I just thought it would be funny. So I'm dressed up in my Irish outfit, AKA my nice clothes, and here me and Dai Dai go! Enjoy!

And the other version with Dai Dai as the dealer. In this version he is dealing Oreos. 

Okay so these aren't the best videos. But I plan to revisit this project and maybe some other scenes as well. 

Hell, now that I think about it, just because the pros are making a movie, doesn't people in Chinatown can't make their own version. In fact, when the Hollywood version comes out these other versions (which will have to actually be good to compete... but people would still watch them even if they're not for entertainment purposes. Ever see "Mad Black Men" which is a reprise of "Mad Men." ?)

So I'm not good with making videos and stuff.... yet. But I'm working on it. And this would have to be a collective effort anyway. 

Someone told me, "Dude just write a book about your mom instead."

I will definitely do that anyway. It's good to have a family book and my mom did a lot of cool stuff before she met my dad, but there is some overlap with the story of "White Devil" which apparently Warner Brothers is putting as one of their top priorities.

Besides, even if I had written a book.... Bob Halloran's would still have gotten more notice anyway. 

Family: Chinese Christmas card.

Letter from a Chinese Aunt.

Translation: done by a friend via Facebook:

『四』means the fourth of a number)Uncle and aunt:
How are you? I have to say sorry first because I didn't wrote back to aunt.
How about these days? Is the baby getting fat? I was wondering if you can send me some pics of you.
To Uncle, please translate this letter to aunt for me, if she can't read in Chinese.

Nephew
Shao-Wen, and Yao-Kuan.

End Translation

So.... I just realized the people who wrote this would be my Chinese cousins... whom I've never seen, ever. 

First Baptist Chruch

Just a reminder that my Kung Fu class at First Baptist Church on 633 Centre Street starts tomorrow Tuesday, January 12 at 8pm. The cost for the class comes to $20.00 a month, so that's $60.00 total Come to the Church tomorrow to start class!
-Sifu Adam

Letter from my mother: From Japan, to Francis

My Mom always used to keep this photo around because she liked to remind herself that she used to be skinny. It was taken in Indonesia. My mother spent most of the 70's in Asia. 

I cropped her out of the larger photo, which looks like this.

We forget that our parents were young. In any case, here is a letter from my mother, to my Uncle Francis and his then wife Nelly. 

The letter is from Japan. My Uncle must have given it back to my mom at some point.

(Page) 1

Dearest Nell & Francis,

"Oh well here I am and what to do next. I hope you get here quick before I make any decisions. I'm really bad on decisions. Dying to look like a Paris fashion model for the night club scene and being whatver I am in between. The money is unreal but I've got a lot to say, First, be sure to hit Indonesia. It('s) the best place anywhere cause every where in Indonesia is different and with really good people. Yeah, a bit of rip off butthey're poor as shit, they need it. And it's not heavy. But careful of the magic mushrooms in Bali. Just take it easy. I didn't. Magic, Everything, I was there.

Phillipines, Yeah. Here (Japan and H.K. expensive but this is where you can make money and there's no place else until you hit Perisa---long way but also good. Chicks make lots here but guys too, teaching Eng(lish) (about 3,4 US per/hr min. Chicks much more in the night club scene. Get Jerry Glackin's address in Iran (Persia) before you leave. He will know what's happening here. After this and it's really cheap. (1,000 US/year 1 person for everything---and I had a good time. Most went on dope. But no dope easily gotten here except from weirdo ex- U.S. army which I don't care to gt into. Rather abstain until I find some good freaks (breaks?) -But I really miss it. Sake isn't quite up to it. Customs never checks the bottom of anything especially for smiling chicks. Here Nell you need fancy clothes for nightclubs best gotten when your in Hong Kong. The investment is worth it. And design your own shit. Have fun. More than anything don't forget to hit Indonesia first

Page 2

You might never leave. Cheap. Cheapest of all and really beautiful--- everywhere. There's a small freakish kind of scene in Bali but Bali is much much more than this, get away from this after a while and meet some Balinese. They're- well you'll see.

I know it's risky But can you send a little dope--

flat in an envelope c/o Piete Restante? If you think it's o.k.----Do, if not don't. I don't trust the people I've met here. All U.S. Navy or xx

Do what you think -Don't worry etc./ I've got so much to tell you. And people I want  you to meet/ Don't get stuck in Bali though- Off Sumatra theirs islands, islanlona (?) everywhere with no tourists just smiling people. Yeah the Catholics got eaten up in boiling pots and everybody laughs about it now but they don't mind if you come and bring new fangled fish hooks--but they dig that shit on the new reel(?) they've got ones of their own.

-Sorry for a few days interruption, it's now about the 11th of Feb and I'm freezing my ass off here. They don't have heat in the houses. You've got to get your own. I've got a kerosene stove but it doesn't give off much heat. We had an earthquake here (my first experience) It was about 2 in the morning and I happened to be reading "The Exorcist" Well that was something I'll never forget. Alone and with all the weird sensations in my mind from reading this book. Suddenly the whole fucking building started shaking and the things and me in my little room too. The candle and flowers on my little table fell to the floor pther stuff too. At first I really didn't know what was happening and the

Page 3

obvious devils were in full action in my mind then I thought it must be an earthquake but wasn't sure till the next day when people were talking about it. / Mom's Birthday is in a couple days and this time I haven't gotten a card in time- can't find any nice Japanese cards only Western ones./ Still have to get a job. Oh it's easy enough but haven't gotten my head together to go into the night scene again. It was a bit heavy in the night clubs in Hong Kong but sometimes you need a rest from dealing with the kind of people who go to them__ Next week I'll do it. Been looking for two months, teaching a bit of English to get by. I seem to get fat when I get unhappy I've noticed. Not that I'm anywhere like I used to be__pure podister (?) Anyway, a good friend of mine is coming to visit (from Osaka) on the weekend. (Jap.) You have to meet him. I've been telling him about you both.  Can't speak English much to anybody but him. Meanwhile my Japanese is really lousy so I talk to myself a lot. After reading the Exorcist I've taken up a good bit of American slang again. But mostly to myself. When I do meet Americans they keep saying I'm not American cause my accnets changed a bit I guess-- to what I don't know. I can't tell that it's changed/ I miss you/

Soon as I get spem good stack of money together I've got to send some goodies home. Some neat and beautiful stuff here. Jesus I might even stay here. Who knows. Sterim (?) Just washed my sweater. Don't have a coat yet but I'm putting it off because it will be warm in another month or so and I feel warm enough- almost with my sweaters. I felt so arrogant looking while I was walking around. So many people and everyone bumping into you and pushing- a big city Tokyo

Page 4

I know this is to be expected in crowded places but I just felt like telling everyone to fuck off when they kept pushing me-- not used to it anymore. But whenever I give my old dirty look I'd get a pardonable Sumimasen--- people excuse. Even shoplifted some gloves and toilet papoer today (5 rolls) Just letting out my old things and I needed the gloves. But shit I feel a bit guilty  cause most people are so honest here. Don't want to start messing up the scene/ Saw a lot of Jap addicts in the street today- unusual really depressed me but couldn't talk to them alone needed somebody else with me.  (there is a stain on the page) One drop of wine for you the rest for me I'll treat Jesus.

You better when you come to visit though. It's freezing here. I hope it gets warm soon. I'm smoking (cigs) again but not much/ Oh there's so much to tell you before your April trip.  But just keep my address here in mind and my friend Yuki. He'll know where I am in case I get thrown out of Japan for a while. His name and address in Osaka!

Hideyuki Takahashi (Yuki for short)

...

Hagiwara, Kawanishi City

Hyogo, Japan

(near Osaka)

Write me c/o Poste Restante Tokyo through my real address is on the back of the envelope anyway. Either is good. How is Richard? Kath. Haven't heard from them in a long time. Take my love-- Dolly

Morning Chess

Cymbals.

I think Dai Dai could totally play cymbals well if he wanted to. He could totally do head to. So right now I'm just going to focus on familiarizing him with it. I mean he already knows it but not in his body. He's been watching all these classes but he didn't feel like he had to do it yet. He's not going to learn how to perform this year. But he will be more hand on in my classes and know the drill. That's my requirement.



Shao has his work cut out for him. He has a lot of material to maintain.

Poems: Chinese Elysium

Joy!
A belly of Beef Chow Mein
And hot Soy milk
Sugar high and tongue still burnt
Riding my bike
Slowly home
Like an old man
with that February Feeling
of New England Chinese New Year nearing
Though it's only January.

What is this joy I feel?
A Melancholy joy
A happiness on condition
with strings attached.

I have not felt this since high school.
The strong emotion of true hate and true love
But over a Chinatown meal
and a change in weather?

All this time I thought poverty or boarding school
or teenage angst to be the wellspring of
my strong emotions.
Perhaps I'm manic depressant (but at the same time?)
Or maybe it's the MSG mixed with sugar.
I no longer have the tolerance I once had.

Flying past
green grass
of the southwest corridor
green is lined with balls of icy snow.

Elysium!
Chinese Elysium!
Russell Crowe
Told me so.
In a speech in a movie last night.

I believe him on this warming winter day!
I fear not!
In fact right now I don't give a fuck about anything... but in a good way
And I simultaneously care deeply about everything.
Every green blade of grass
As if I am passing through a moment of eternity
and this is it.
This is my presence and all there is.

The burning of the tongue makes the sweet soy milk sweeter.
The weird sadness I feel makes the joy more joyful.
I breathe in and go with the joy
I let it flow
And pedal slow
Like an old man that I am not.

Altar talk

I think I have an interesting belief system, especially since it is still absorbing new ideas. So I'm going to start making videos about it surrounding my little home altar. If you have any questions please ask as they will help me focus my videos.

Although this doesn't have much to do with Chinatown, I'll share this to the Chinatown blog too (probably invoking the ire of many) because I talk a little bit about Kwan Gung , Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei.)

Kids check: counting money

So not everything we do at home has to do with Kung Fu. In fact since yesterday we went to a violin lesson, which took a long time to get to, we sacrificed Kung Fu practice. I could have made them stop doing this little activity they made up for themselves. But their learning something. Sometimes Baba just has to get te hell out of the way.

But we will me doing Kung Fu and Lion dance practice today.

I started Dai Dai on doing some "serious" training. All that means is that his responsibilities have gone up a little. And the purpose of our training is Chinese New Year. It's not like they will have to do anything. (Well maybe Shao might get a gig or two where he has to perform) Yeah it would be good if Dai Dai can cooperate. But mainly it's about that Chinese New Year parade and working toward that goal. Besides we stopped doing lion dance class for a while and it's time to start it up again.

New Year's Resolutions

Okay technically I totally failed to do all of my Kung Fu resolutions yesterday... But the ritual of physical exercise and meditation have not been the hardest for me. The hardest have been the business stuff... of my virtually non existent business. Or the learning of new skills, like making videos. They have almost got me depressed.

Pictures

Let's just post some family pics first and see if anyone says anything about them. And then I'll do separate posts on them later with the info collected.

Family Tree

This is the second request I got from my Top Ten list.

Basically, Grace, got most of the Peter's Family Tree out of my Aunt Kathleen, something which I have failed to do. (Maybe Grace should have worked for the CIA)


I have always told Grace that I am Irish, Polish and German on my white side. In fact my mother told me that we are mostly Polish, but she used to hide this fact because she grew up in a German-Irish neighborhood.

My Uncle Francis said that we weren't that Irish, but the Irish relatives were the loudest, and so culturally that's what got past down.

I also remember Aunt Dolores telling me a story about a Polish tradition where the priest comes to each house and blesses meat (steak?) that has fat with a pattern in it, like a lamb. Anyway she was comparing it to what I told her about Chinese New Year and the Lion going from door to door. That was the first time I suspected that we were not as different (Chinese and White) as we are made out to be after all.

In any case, Grace got paper and pen and wrote down the tree according to Aunt Kath.


First the Peters Side i.e. Aunt Kath's Grandfather (my great grandfather)

Katharine Mary Glackin (1900. Ireland. Fresh off the boat)

married to

George Robert Peters. Texas. Crucible Heavy Metals. died 1964

Their children were

1)George Robert.


2)Richard John (This would be my grandfather. he had 6 children)
-Veronica
-Francis
(uh oh what is the order after that?)
-Richard
-Kathleen
-Tommy
-Charlene

3) Donald died 1938
+1
+1(3)
Cindy Lou Sweet. (I don't know what this means I'm just copying the paper. Feel free to chip in Family.)

4) Kenneth (Philly)
+Helen. I guess that means he married Helen

I found a letter from Aunt Helen congratulating my mom on having a baby boy. The return address is on Cottman Ave.

There children are

-Kenneth
-Bobby
-Peggy Margarete
-Jimmy
-Joey
-Donald
-Mary Jane.

Then some weird notation with
Jean Joan Bobby.

So I recognize some names. But truth be told I never learned how it all fit together exactly.


On to the Kirby side.
we start with
Ida Kirby whose Aunt (who was younger than her, was a model) She was born in 18 something

With her first husband she had 10 children.

Withe her second husband (the first one died) she had 10 more children, one of whom was named Tarzan.

With her 3rd Husband  "Chick" Grandfather Kirby (polish?) who worked in the Marine Terminal Shipyard in Philadelphia.

There children were
 1) Frank (killed WWII sniper) (he was a sniper or he was killed by a sniper?)

2)Thomas who m. Liz Judy Barownowski (I need some clarification on this)

3) Veronica (1920-) That's my grandmother who married Richard Peter's -Machinist)

4) Anna who married Bobby Ahrndt
(I have to fix the writing on this later. I think I do have to go on Ancestry.com and maybe some of my family reading this can chip in.)

5) Dolores
who had cousin Mark. I remember being called Mark accidentally by my grandmother as a child which is why I remember this name.

6) Dorothy aka Dotsy (youngest 80's in 2015)

7) Edward.


Here is the paper.


At this point Grace goes "So whose Polish? Whose German?"

The Polish genes are supposed to through Kirby, which was supposedly changed from Kutapatva (spelling?) Of course I went to Poland and asked the tour guide if he had ever heard of this name. He looked at me like I had two heads.

So it seems, I am pretty Irish. That would have been a much simpler answer, having grown up in Boston.
"What's your white side?"

"Oh mostly Irish."

 It would have been like an automatic in, instead of

"Mostly Polish, some German and Irish."


"It's the Polish genes that seem to live the longest" commented Grace. "The Irish side not so much."


Most people think I look Polish, or Italian (which I am not) or Hispanic (which I am not.)

Very few people think I look Chinese. Though that is the biggest section of my genes, and I'm pretty damn sure it's near 100%.... though again a lot of people made fun of my dad for looking kind of white-ish.

For some reason I'm having posting some old pictures I scanned for this. So I guess that will wait for another post.

From Uncle Rich
here are some updates you could edit if you like...George Robert Peters died at his summer home in Avalon, New Jersey. he had spent that morning manually installing pilings for his dock on the Avalon bay a few blocks from his summer home. after putting the pilings in by hand he went home had a bottle of Coca-Cola and had a heart attach. Next his sons Kenneth and Donald were twins. Next Richards children were Veronica, Francis, Kathleen, Richard, Thomas and Charlene. Next Donald was married and had a blue berry farm in Pemberton, New Jersey. Next Kenneth was married to Helen ( I think she is still alive) and his kids included Jean and Joan

Portuguese Food and Guns

This is one the post idea vote so here it is.



We headed back to the Philly house (which is sort of like my ancestral home in that my mom spent the later part of her childhood there) to meet up with my aunts and cousins. For most of the Christmas trip we had avoided the Gun problem... the problem is this. My cousin has a bayonet rifle designed in the late 1800's and manufactured for WW2 for Soviet use. It's cool, I will give him that. But I just feel like it is unnecessary to have it around my kids.

I didn't say anything when he stood like a soldier with the thing pointed up. But as he became more relaxed and lax and the gun began to be pointed horizontally across his lap as my children ran around I asked him, "Is that loaded?"

"Inconceivable that it would be." It was hard to read what he meant by that, and after asking a few more times I came to understand that it was sarcasm.

"How about we just have it unloaded while my kids are here?" I reasoned. And he allowed that.
From his perspective he wants it to protect the family. So when he was acting like a soldier and having it pointed up, I allowed for that. But when he wasn't well no the thing needs to be unloaded.

"Just use the bayonet part to protect us." So he attached that after unloading it and that was the compromise.


Yeah the safety was on, and I will admit I don't know too much about guns, but the truth is, it's just an unnecessary risk. An armed security guard has his weapon loaded, but it is holstered. He doesn't chat and clean it at the bank or wherever the hell he is working.

We went out to eat and found a pretty good Portuguese Restaurant, Tio Pepe's, on Castor Ave in Northeast Philly. There was a bar playing Dominican dance music downstairs. There were a ton of restaurants from various ethnic groups. This seemed like a cool place to hang out actually.

The restaurant was upstairs, which was difficult for my aunt. A quiet family place with nice linen table cloths and wine glass table setting.

Grace ordered the Paella, clams, Shrimp, a noodles and shrimp dish for Dai Dai because Dai dai loves his crimps and noodles a pot of potatoes and pork..  and that fed us. Sangria kept conversation going and my cousin ordered a glass of port. He noted that he could taste the brandy separately even as he drank it and that it was extremely smooth. The kids loved the Paella. Dai Dai fell over at some point and needed to have a talking too. He also entertained himself doing arts and crafts with the noodles.

"Keep it on your plate" I admonished. That is, I would allow the arts and crafts provided that they did not touch the table. That way I could still eat them.


We parted ways outside the restaurant with hugs and promises of seeing each other next year or perhaps even sooner and it was a nice night.


So reader... any other votes from the Top Ten  list? What story would you like to hear next?

Also,
New Years has come and gone and my class at First Baptist Church on Centre street is starting on Janruary 12th. If you are in the Jamaica Plain area in Boston, sign up for it by emailing me. It will be $20 a month but I want everyone to pay for the three months up front. The class will be Tuesdays 8-9pm. Tell your friends!

-Sifu Adam