Why we match

Grace had wanted to watch Jupiter Rising for her combined birthday and valentines present. However this will not happen because we don't have a baby sitter. I was listening to review of this movie, which I only sort of wanted to see because Sean Bean is in it and basically it sounded like it would be much like the Matrix,lot of special effects but plot and dialogue that falls apart. I fell asleep watching the Matrix for a class in college and actually wrote a whole paper about why it was recycled and boring.
 "Who cares if it doesn't make sense it will have good special effects." Grace said. And I said, "Wow you really are the guy in this relationship." My point is, she works I stay at home. Okay. But also in terms of which things to watch, I like Downton Abbey, where as she wants to see the movie for the special effects.

I'm not saying she is a guy and I am a girl in all aspects. I'm really not very feminine at all in my appearance or demeanor. And of course I don't want to watch all these reality say yes to the dress stuff that she likes. But I just thought that in this instance, of what we are looking for in a movie, that it might be why we match. I mean if she was dating some other guy and they like the same movie just for the special effects, that could be cool at first and it would be cool as teenagers I guess. But after a while that would be weird. I mean how can you really be with someone that likes all the things that you like? That would be annoying. You would fight over stuff. You would be competitors instead of species that have a symbiotic relationship

To end,
Grace is the most beautiful woman most suited to be my partner and I am the luckiest man ever to walk the earth to have her as the mother of my children not just in the big things, but also in the little things.

To Grace.

Owning your rituals

I was recently commenting on a Lion Dance discussion panel on Facebook regarding the touching of the lion's horn. I threw in my two sense, that though impractical there wasn't anything against it. But then there were others of a tradition who were strongly against it. Though we never touch the horn, it was never seen as something as stepping over the tail. But the discussion made me go back into my mind to remember a story of the opening I shared.

My Si Hing was going over different ways you can open with the lion. One is to kick the head over yourself. and one was actually to grab the head by the horn and through it over yourself. My Si Hing had seen this done by old school people while still in China. And now I recall that my Sifu actually did mention not to touch the horn. The reason why I didn't first remember it was because he didn't make a big deal out of it. He didn't start yelling like, "Hey! don't touch the horn!"

It was more softly like, "When you perform don't touch the horn. Some people don't like it," Not we don't like it, "they say that the horn was put back on by Kuan Yin and they think that's what the ribbons signify." The red ribbons that are not only on the lion, but also on altars and the Tiger fork and are bought in the supermarket.

Now let me point something out. My Sifu does not speak English. and even in China he was considered the epitome of Traditionalism. A throw back, A counter revolutionary. In fact he had to pay for his traditionalist thinking.

That being said, at least part of him, when it came to lion dance, was somewhat open minded. For instance, his daughter was watching woman's team perform a dragon dance and saw them step over the dragon in their routine. Something which is now common in China.
"Who wants to see a woman straddle a dragon on New Year's" his daughter cried out.

But later, my Sifu mentioned that before in his village that was unheard of. But here in this environment and even in China, people's mentality are different and would not consider it a bad thing. And that the rules are dictated by the majority of people's beliefs. In fact many times, when we followed all these rules, he always said that we would just make sure we followed them, but not thrust them onto others.

In any case the story of Kuan Yin re-attaching the horn, is to be respected depending on your audience, and since it is an easy rule to follow (don't touch the horn) it might as well be followed. But not because you have to, more just to make people who you are performing for happy. But if it makes you unhappy to follow a rule, then of course you should just do what you want After all you are the one performing.

A Box of books

It was an amazing feeling to get the Books that I ordered. To see finally in my hands what had started as an idea. To write a book titled "Kung Fu and Love." In fact the idea was an off the cuff one. My friend said, "You're a Sifu. You know Kung Fu. But I don't care about Kung Fu so how is this going to relate to my life? You should write a book about Kung Fu and" he gestured to the stove, " and then gestured to the air, "Kung Fu and Love."

Needless to say I picked Kung Fu and Love first. But I do indeed plan on writing Kung Fu and Cooking as well. But I have some other projects I'm working on first. Now the only question is, How do I sell the books that I have? In my mind, these books were something that I could sell at the end of a lion dance presentation. Not like at a wedding or a store opening. But you know, the type of Lion Dance and King Fu demonstrations that are more workshops. The educational sort. The sort that is more talking and some drumming and Kung Fu and Lion Dance and teaching. But mostly talking.

My Si Hing would like it. I mean while the performers rest gasping for air preparing to do the Kung Fu aspect of the performance, what better time to do a reading from my book? I mean usually I tell the story of the Nian and the Lion and all that. But Now I could just read. It kind of gives you an extra scholarly feel to your Sifu-ness you know what I mean?

But now the more I think about it, the book I wrote, might not be a good match for that type of scene. I mean, my book is not a kids book, so I can't read it for elementary schools. Well I could read parts of it, but how could I sell it? So now I should probably contact Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (probably after the Chinese New Year scramble) and see if I can't set up some sort of book signing thing there and see where I can go from there. I heard mention of a book store "East Meets West" and I should probably check that out too. But honestly one of the most exciting things I plan to do, is sign one book and give it to my Si Hing, hopefully to put up by the schools sign. There are a couple of ancient looking texts up there right now, with titles in Chinese. One of them is the 9 yin manual and the other the flower manual. These are actually fictional titles from Kung Fu novels and whoever takes the bate and actually looks inside the book will find that they are blank. My Si Hing has a sense of humor. But it would be cool to have my book up there. Like a trophy you know? Anyway, visitors could actually have something to read.

Well Check out my book on Amazon. Kung Fu and Love. I'm trying to sell it on Kindle too but I guess they are reviewing it for that.

Also if you read my blog and have any ideas on how I should sell this please comment. And also, by my book! It will make a great Valentines gift! And if you read it and like it please tell people about it!

A Fool's Injury

One one of the Snow days I decided to try and get Noah to do a Kung Fu Class with me. Not the regular Yoga Fu we've been doing within the confines of a mat, but a performance style one. Noah was not interested at all. So as I began to try out fdiiferent moves and then do some of my old kicks that were jumpy and spinny and show boaty, I tried one i was not as familiar with as I felt my body warming up.
Bam!
My foot hit the corner of Noah's Thomas the Train play set, a table where you can lay down track and train that has been covered with other sorts of toyr for a while now. Well I didn't break my foot, but it was that sort of hit where your toe goes numb and you aren't sure. It was bad enough that my foot was bleeding slightly even though I didn't hit anything that was actually sharp.

The endorphins or stress hormones that went through my body while I wiggled my toes while Noah looked at what looked pretty gross to a kid pulsed in a way that made me feel... alive.

Well it still hurts but it wasn't broken. But it very easily could have been. And even If I had practiced outside in this way I could have pulled something. I think this is a sign that I should stick to my Yoga Fu when inside. I.e. stay within the confines of the small mat.

And then when I do begin to practice outside in warmed whether, still keep my movements within the familiar of what I have been doing recently, and not what I may have done years ago.

I'm not saying I should never to jump kicks or even learn new exciting athletic things. But just not now. Instead, anything I try to do that requires athleticism, stretching, jumping, spinning, should be done slowly first. And after all, the fact that I can still do the routine that is on the mat that I was doing before even with the hurt foot, shows that is really the direction I should take my training for now.

I realize I was thinking about performing, in a space in the future and was working towards that, experimenting. But really when I practice, I should just focus on here and now and what I can do here and now.

Marketing Kung Fu and Love

Well I guess writing my book was the easiest part. The hard part will be marketing it or selling it. I thought I put it on Kindle Direct Print, which markets the book by giving it away for free on Kindle for a certain amount of time. But I guess there is a reviewing process for all that.
I bought a few copies and will try to sell them myself, to neighbors relatives and friends. Actually some have already said they will by the book online. (Some have already bought it. )
But the exciting part about selling the book was always in some sort of Book tour. I figure I can do some sort of Lion Dance workshop of some sort and then sell my book afterward. But now that I have the book I am trying to think of an appropriate place to do this. My class in the park wouldn't really make sense. Neither would a Lion Dance class at Noah's after school. Even if the book were for children, it is the parents who must by the book. But also, the book isn't really for children.

I guess I really should do some sort of event specifically for the Book. Grace suggested going through the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and perhaps Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Association, as well as the Public Library. Once I get the book sin the mail I guess I will do that.

In my mind, I was thinking of Universities, and High schools. But then College kids don't really want to buy books for fun like that.  Maybe just like writing the book, if I get out there and start doing this, some ideas will come to me.

Actually if you are reading my blog and happen to have ideas and instructions on ways I can sell my book, I would be grateful for your advice.

Noah's Secret Mission

The door to our deck opens out, which means it was blocked by snow. We have been keeping things out there as if it were a secondary freezer and in order to get them I would have to climb through the window and shovel out.
"Make Shao do it" Grace said.
At first I thought, "Why?"
Then I realized that even though I could do it by myself, for me it would be a chore. For him, it would be thus fun adventure. A mission. A quest.

"Make sure you plan it out first in writing with pictures and steps. He likes that. Step 1. Step 2. etc. Plus draw out a little map of what you are going to do." Grace continued

This sounds like a lot of work for a simple thing. Well that's how Noah likes it. Jonah was to be look out sinc the didn't want to go out into the snow.

This was the plan.

Step 1. Suit up
Snow pants. Check.
Boots. Check.
Coat and hat. Check.
Child sized shovel. Check.

Step 2. Exit through window.

Step 3. Travel to door.

Step 4. Shovel out door.

Step 5. Enter house through door that will now open.

"How long do you think it will take you?" I asked thinking 10-20 minutes.

"I don't know." said Noah. "Do I get points for this?"

I thought about that one. But knowing this was more of an activity created for him I decided that, "You can ask Mommy if she will give you any points for this. Baba only gives points for two things. Lion Dance class, and Kung Fu class."

We commenced dressing at 10:15.

I took some pictures. But the picture I really wanted was Noah going through the window. But I couldn't hoist him through and take a picture at the same time. Giggling, Noah took off through the snow to the door.

Shovel slam shovel slam shovel slam.

"Noah don't hit the door!" Did I mention the "door" is like a screen/storm window door made of glass?
Anyway. Noah hustled and he was done in 5 minutes. In fact he was done int 2 minutes but he wanted to do an extra thorough job.

"Wow!" I was impressed. "You get a point for that Noah. I didn't think you would finish so fast."

"I just tried to get it done like that as fast as I could so that you would give me points!"

Well it worked.

Mission accomplished and high fives all around.

Snow Holiday

How is it that we spend all day at home, or at least on our property and then at the end of the day we seemed to not have enough time? Noah started early this morning, waking up before 7am to eat breakfast and then practice his lion dance. He's been dong dong Chahnging all over the house at all time. I'm afraid I created a little Nian monster. Even when we did coloring and other activities I had a blonde haired child to my right and a red lion to my left that colored with a tiny hand sticking out of it's mouth.

We did a lot of sword fighting games, made a dragon, made a mess of the house, and then procrastinated on the Kung Fu class. Finally Noah sucked it up and did a shortened version of the class.  You may say why don't I just let him play fight with me. Isn't that good enough? No it isn't because I noticed when he does the basics regularly he has more gung in his hits. He needs basics whether he likes it or not.

We didn't go sledding today because Noah didn't want to.

I explained that if me and him went by ourselves instead of with Jonah, it would be different. You know, easier and probably more fun. But the truth is, Noah just doesn't care for sledding. No that's not true. It's just that he has to be forced, and he said he didn't want to sled while the snow was still coming down. With so many adults sledding today, there was a legitimate safety risk, so whatever. The snow isn't going anyway.
Instead Noah did a good job shoveling. Something he actually enjoys. Perhaps we will try sledding tomorrow.