Troubles

We went to a St Patrick's day parade today, which was great. But increasingly we are ha ing trouble with my children's behavior or rather the effect that my children's behavior has on the family unit.

Right now I am ignoring the situation actually because I feel that if I stepped in it would only increase the problem.  I have said to friends that what pushes my buttons is stuff surrounding my kids. I will get very angry quickly. Right now, Noah is crying bloody murder over stuff like being ou sihed for not eating his food. At this point I don't know who is right or wrong.

Ir rather I feel that everyone is wrong and the household needs a regime change. I. Some ways the truth is that despite everything, I am actually more in charhe than other men who are breafwinners are of their households.

A week ago I felt that Xi Jinping was overstepping bounds.... but given todays events, I can see his logic.

The logic is " I watched and waited while yall tried to work stuff out... and now I realize things will only work if I am in complete and utter control."

Thats how I feel now. Of course that cannot happen even if I was the bread winner. The mere fact thatone has to earn instead of create shows lack of control.

Kung Fu classes

I have these Kung Fu classes that geel like they will never start...everytime they almost start it ends up there is an event or something. I am teachibg the class midsemester and I have decided sincebthe kids already learned some hand form and ninchucks from another teacher, that the best thing to do us show them a staff form. That way everyone will feel theu are learning somethi g new. Of course even if I taught a hand form it woukd be different, but they might geel they are being forced to start over. Plus there are aspects of the staff that are going to be really easy, and other aspects that are difficult.

I think there needs to be some form of playing that involves free play  not quite sparring two person exercise. Maybe even ground techniques. There are no mats so nothing really hard. Nothing where anyone can get hurt. But definitely they need to be able to see what all the stances, movements, and techniques are for.

Chinatowns

For New Year's we visited quite a few Chinatown's. Brooklyn, Philly, Boston. Travelling to another Chinatown kinda feels like travelling to an akternate universe. Like those movies where you change something in the past and that has consequences for your future. Like in Philly, the biggest Lion Dance club us the Philadelphia suns and it is run by a church. To make a Boston comparison, that would be like if Boston Chinese Evangelical Church had the largest Liin Dance troupe. See? Isn't it weird to play this game? Weird and fun right? There were other differences too. I wanted to do a post on the Chinatown Blog about it...but  feel like I dont have time to do something real formal...maybe I'll just share this post over. This post I am writing on my phone while waiting for my son's bus to come.

Parades

Well we did many a Chinese New Year event and parades, from Brooklyn to Philly to local NJ events. This weekend we will go into Boston as well. We will miss Manhattan, but honestly parking is so hard...maybe next year... and with a team.

Funny stories about fircrackers...I will tell you next time.

Chinese New Year's Eve

Chinese New Year kind if crept on me. I did a few events for it already. But the whole cleabibg the house and decorations thing was haphazard. I did what I could. I have valentines candy in a Chinese New Year candy dish. At least they are red colored. Hong baos shoukdnt be hard. And u did clean up a little. The problem is the house still has a lot of stuff and now us not the time to tackle it.

Tomorrow is no school. But I have to go to work. A neighbor offered to watch the kids, but what if my kids misbehave? Well I guess that's better than work right?

Writing a novel on your phone and other stuff

I tried writing a novel on my phone, and realized this was over zealous. I wrote one characters introduction twice. How can I write without seeing the words ftom my orevious post? I almost want to gi back to hand writing, though I know that will take even longer when editing.

And them I found several nivela I had written in their rough draft form. I read part of them to Noah and so so many mistakes. Perhaps tomorrow I will begin combing through these books while reading them aloud to him.

Recently my schedule does not involve much reading or writing. I cook clean and teach Kung Fu and practice a littke while watching the Condor Heroes... the 1983 version.

Teaching my kids is going to give me a stroke. I must make sure to make them do Kung Fu first... before anything else. If I let them play outside first they are all tired...if its homework first, the work just never gets done.

Also, now that they know a fighting form and a hand form its correction time.... which is si much harder than just showing moves. To teach a clear technique... maybe its just not worth it. Its worth it to show them but maybe not to demmand that level if performance.

I tried to show them something "easy" and of course Noah can just do it anyway, but Jonah sort of can, but then quickly loses patience.

I guess the key is just a little everyday... maybe even a little several times a day. 10 min. In the morning. 10 min after school, 10 min  befire dinner. But then its like pulling teeth and 10 min. Turns into 1 hour...

We'll see.

Chapter Three Haiku cookies

The girk spoke softly in the flickering light, from which fire or candle was the source was unclear. Old Xiong wanted to turn on the lights but the girl, who nire and more seemed to give off an aura not onky of mystery, but of something oerhaps nit quite right, had eyes on him. The stare seeme ti freeze him where he was. But the okd man laughed thinking "I am an ild man and this pretty young woman is staring at me. I am enjoying the experience. That is the onky reason why I am not getting up to turn on the light." So he spoke aloud, "Kara turn on the light." But Kara was enchanted to. And so had the sinking feeling one gets when your car  has lost control and is swerving into oncoming traffic.

He cleared his throat and looked at Kara.

"So....." said Kara trying ti save old Xiong face by speakibg first whike he played nysterious Sifu..  though perhaos this play acting woukd be useless against a womab whi comes to your hoyse apoearing out if the shadows at midnight. "What's your name?"

"I am the rightful warrior queen of the kingdom in the reflection of the moon on the lake."

"Errr... so we shoukd call you...." Old Xiong began..

Her eyes flashed copper...."Serena"