Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat 順手牽羊／顺手牵羊, Shùn shǒu qiān yáng

This one I took to heart when my Uncle Francis taught it to me.

Not so much the pilfering... but you take what you can get. Basically after my mom died he offered me some money and I was gonna be all Chinese and refuse it and he was like,"That's not what I want to here. You take what you can get."
There are several ways of looking at this.

First let's look at the pilfering way. I am reminded of Truman Capote's in cold blood where the killer is taking coins from under the bed after murdering a whole family. This is even lower class than the pilfering the goat in the example.

But here is another example.

Once in Boston, I helped this lady carry her bag to the train station. When she got there she tried to tip me and I refused at first and she was like, "please don't make me chase you I don't have the energy I'm old."

This was before my Uncle had taught me the lesson. I took her money reluctantly, but you have to remember that when someone is trying to give you something.... to refuse it can be rude too. Not only rude but it will hurt their feelings.

Later in a snowstorm (actually it was in New Jersey) and post Uncle Francis's lesson, I was helping this guy shovel out.

I did it in horse stance and enrgenitically.

"Aww man I didn't ask you to do this." (btw it only sort of matters but he was black and I am white passing)

"I'm just getting a work out." I said. Because of the proximity to New York. He probably thought all of this was a hustle. I actually was just getting a work out and had nothing better to do. I didn't want to be stuck in the hotel room. I had run on the treadmill at their little gym and that really messed up my lungs because of the nasty air. So shoveling was a way to get out of that. Because I treated it like Kung Fu, I was shoveling harder than say the normal person would shovel. I was not looking for money.


But when he handed me $20  I said "Thanks!" just as Kung Fu energetically.

That money bought my family some yummy dumplings at 88 which was the only store that did not close because of the snow and was within walking distance.

And I know you cannot judge a whole race based on one or two interactions. But I will just say that I like how this man PAID me and $20! Bam!

I will always remember it even though that $20 is long gone, the experience of getting it and buying dumplings with it in a blizzard is still there almost 5 years later.


Personal: Well the above was personal too but more up to date.

Today was a Kung Fu day. Thursdays is usually sparring day. I have made a point to try and be a better father. So there was no scolding. The kids jumped the Card board Coscto box that is our hit pad. And that was a lot more fun than usual. Then they did sticks which was dangerous as hell for me and then I fought them with sticks, back and forth between going against me with a stick and just attacking the card board. Then we did "swords" which were just shorter metal sticks and then knife against sword (could use a plastic bottle but in this case I used a duplo building block) and we ended with double sword against the stick.

We had to do slow and controlled... but honestly we did a lot of moves (Noah that is. Jonah is not ready) Looked pretty cool. I saw that the time just flew by and we were working out.

"Would you do this everyday?" I asked.

Noah paused. "I still like having says off."

So we will keep it like that.

Friday is a day off with optional Lion Dance. Saturday is supposed to be fighting forms.... but given that Jonah simply isn't ready and that Shao is actually doing pretty well at the free styling weapons... maybe we will just do some light lion dance.

I found where the Asians are in the neighborhood. Different types of Chinese.

Maybe we can get some kind of lion dance thing going after all. Maybe it will just be seasonal.  And maybe Grace can help with the Lion dance class.




We are actually going to go someplace to do Chess and Yoga I think and a birthday party so we will see if any lion dance happens this weekend.