Lei Ann

i’ve really loved star print ever since dolce & gabbana featured it so flawlessly in their fall 2011 collection.  sooooo, when i saw this maxi skirt at my local target (in the girl’s section no less) of course i snatched it up.  and yes…it’s a maxi skirt…for a girl…that i’m wearing as a dress. *sigh*  i do love being short in the sense of how much more freedom i have with changing up the items in the wardrobe, but sometimes it’s also laughable XD

anywho, kinda channeling a 1950’s housewife betsy ross who sewed the flag into her dress then went all jane jetson, threw on futuristic heels & got tired of her bangs :)  ummm yeahhhh…something like that ^_^

wearing: harajuku mini star skirt || target cardigan || thrifted metallic belt || marni patent leather platforms (circa 2008/2009?) || spike the punch necklace

if you live up here in the northeast, i don’t need to tell you how *bizarre* this winter has been.  truly, the oddest one we have had. whoever heard of a snowless boston winter?  especially compared to the monstrous dumping we got last year.  not just the lack of snow, but the fact that almost every day this year has averaged in the high 30s to low 40s.  i’m not complaining *trust me*.  every time i don’t have to shovel my uphill 150 foot long driveway, i’m grateful!  i just feel bad for the polar bears.  global warming…it’s getting freaky now.

i mean, geez, i never even had to pull my heavy sweater bins up from the basement.  i’ve been getting by on t-shirts & blazers.  even wearing this sweater dress (which mind you, only has cap sleeves), i was kind of working up a sweat walking around in the bright sun out there.    

speaking of bright…eeekkk, i’m really loving how coppery caramel my hair turned out, but i still forget, look in the mirror & then wig out over how light my hair is again.  almost like i don’t recognize myself.  oh well, it’s just like the temperature outside, not complaining, but still getting used to it o.O

wearing: swapped blazer || sweater dress & belt c/o kmart || UO leather cuff || DIY skull/cross earrings || isabel toledo for payless booties

so, i’ve been doing something i haven’t done in years & i’m *kinda* starting to have second thoughts.  i’ve been messing with my hair again.  not good.  i’ve had everything from my natural jet black to j. lo blonde hair.  a year ago, i pretty much went dark so my hair would require less maintenance.  that got a little boring however.  so, it started.  first i did my own hair color, testing out esalon.  i was gonna write a whole review post, but there was really nothing to it.  i liked the customized color & it was as easy to apply as any drugstore brand.  my roots were done & blended in quite nicely.  then the bangs came.  now, i decided i wanted to lighten up my hair again…which i always tend to feel once spring is right around the corner.  i went to a regular salon to do that as i wouldn’t try to bleach my own hair myself.  even then, i went with the intention of having more of that ombre lightening effect.  i decided to keep it just to phase I for right now with my hair back to a light caramel coppery color & lighten the ends later on…just to give my poor hair a break from all this constant processing.  even though my hair is coarse & fairly strong, don’t want to abuse it *too* much…still gotta keep it healthy, ya know? so, hopefully this will be enough goofing around with my hair for now (& maybe a lot more hat wearing…hahaha!) & we’ll see what i end up with eventually :)

i loves me a kimono robe style jacket…easy, comfy, less restrictive than a blazer & just more fun!  it can look super chic (to the next lev) with a short sexy skirt for a night out (also handy for keeping you warm), but again to dress up an otherwise casz outfit.  i know i just said the other day i don’t do t-shirt & jeans, so *of course* what am i wearing today? hahaha…well, for some odd reason i don’t really count black jeans as “jeans” jeans…cos they’re black.  don’t even ask…it’s friday night & i’m tired & my brain’s all loopy & my neck is jacked up from doing my last lion dance & kung fu performance of what felt like an unusually long CNY season…hence the fuzzy logic & comfy outfit :) oh & hey looky what else…i got bangs ^_^

wearing:  h&m kimono jacket || h&m purple t-shirt || c/o kmart black skinny jeans || thrifted pink belt || pink glass pendant from a santorini, greece gift shop || red/gold murano ring from isabella gardner museum gift shop || michael kors rose gold watch || sam edelman zoe booties

wearing:  mcq for target dress || h&m (barcelona) military blazer || aldo outlet tassel necklace || LF stores liquid leggings || simply vera wedges

even though military style was crazy popular a few seasons back, i feel like it never really goes out of style…much like animal prints, stripes & menswear styling for women.  they never truly disappear, just resurge every now & again :)  this is one of my favorite blazers i got from spain almost 6 years ago & i still love to wear it…especially to pull together a casual outfit.  i’m not a jeans & t-shirt kinda girl, but when i do go casual, this is my usual laid back formula…long t-shirt dress over leggings & comfy wedge heels.  oh…and tassels.  tassels never go out of style ^_^

wearing: ebay leather top || LF stores hi-low red skirt || LF stores fleece-lined leggings || express tassel belt || asos glitter & suede platforms 

sorry for the quick bathroom shots, but these pictures were taken *after* MDH & i came back from our valentine’s day dinner & we had burgers & fries getting cold in the kitchen.  confused?  let me explain ^_^

so, 2 years ago on V day, MDH & i went to this excellent japanese robata grill in NYC.  since then, i knew the same type of restaurant opened up here in boston, but see, there must have been a reason we didn’t flock to it right away.  it was *mediocre* at best, we knew more about the menu than the wait staff & the whole evening was just off for some reason.  i even left the place just as hungry as i came in.  did i let it get me down though?  nope, no worries…tasty burger was right across the street to save the night. so instead of a gooey, chocolately sweet after dinner treat, i opted for a cheeseburger & fries as my take home dessert!  if you knew MDH & i regarding food, sounds like a typical valentine’s day…hahaha!

accessories:  james piatt “brass” knuckle handle purse || swapped snake bracelet || express bead bracelets || glamourai double knuckle ring || asianicandy earrings

i’m surprised i’ve not yet paired up this brocade pleather/fabric obi belt & these satiny wedge heels before!  from the autumnal colors to the asian floral patterns…they’re perfectly matched for each other! i’ve had this belt for several years & one of my all-time favorites. i’ve worn it everywhere from a wedding in NYC to a plain ol’ work day at the office.  fancy, yet simple.  easy, yet eye-catching. 

so, i talked about in a previous post that i had some great dinner & other food-related events this weekend…whiiiiiiiiich all went to pot…boo hoo :(  yup, plans fell through & fizzled out.  no biggie…i’ve been so good at losing all the weight i gained over the holidays, it’s for the best.  or…that’s what i keep telling myself.  well, at least i can look forward to a romantic valentine’s day dinner with MDH tomorrow.  yippee!  hope everyone has a great V day tomorrow…or an anti-V day, if that’s more your speed…

wearing: swapped (or thrifted, can’t remember anymore) beige dress || design hive market vendor obi belt || macys floral tights || h&m wedges

i’m not one to make big sweeping political statements on this ol’ blog here.  let’s face it…fashion is fun & politics, well (especially as of late), ummm…not so much.  not that i’m trying to hide my political leanings or anything.  i am a minority woman who lives in massachusetts, so you can probably figure it out ;)  in any case, whichever way you feel about being right (or left)…i was intrigued with the fashion designers who came together in support of barack obama’s upcoming presidential campaign.  i’m all for people financially supporting whatever cause they believe in, but if i can get designer duds in exchange for a donation…heck yeah!  why not? with all the political wackness out there, it can be hard to figure out what to believe in.  well, you can believe in hope…you can believe in change.  *i* believe this georgina chapman floral tote will look mighty nice swinging from my shoulder ^_^

above from l to r: thakoon panichgul silk scarf, alexander wang hoodie & richard blanch nail laquers…all available on runway to win

i had actually ordered this sweater almost 2 months ago…before the new year started…even before valentine’s day was nary a thought on anyone’s mind.  i thought i’d wear it now instead of in a few days because…well, you know…i’d hate to be that obvious or anything :) plus, i’ve never been able to resist a finely shredded sweater…especially when i didn’t have to do the shredding myself XD 

also, took my hard fought & won cat tote bag out for her first walk outside today.  of course, don’t tell peenut though.  wouldn’t want him to get jealous :)  is everyone looking forward to their weekends?  i’ve got some exciting plans for the next couple days…& when i mean exciting, i mean it all centers around food!  more on that later ^_^

wearing: asianicandy heart sweater || anna sui for target skirt || target watch || jason wu for target tote || christian siriano for payless booties

as much as i love both trends & have plenty items of both, i’ve always been been more partial to snakeskin than leopard print.  it just fits my personality more.  it doesn’t scream “look at me” like leopard print does, but maybe more whispers in your ear & makes you do a double take.  yeah…like that ^_^

i adore these sweet ladylike shoes which are easily over 10 years old.  if you haven’t figured it out by now, i find it hard to throw anything away!  i remember too when i first bought these pumps, i thought they were pretty high & chunky & were quite uncomfortable for me to walk in.  bwahaha…little did i realize the height of the heels i’d be wearing now!

also, i got this XL dress from one of the many clothing swaps i go to & it is humungo on me!  nothing that wrapping its matching belt around a couple times can’t fix…hahaha!  i’ve learned quickly at swaps that not having the correct size of an interesting item doesn’t preclude taking it home.  a belt here, covered with a blazer or cardigan there & no one’s the wiser that it’s not the perfect fit :) plus, if you’re lucky, like me, you get plenty of sheer blousony fabric that flaps flirtatiously in the wind ^_^

wearing: swapped h&m snakeskin dress || glass pendant (santorini gift shop) || anne klein watch || inpink earrings || nine west bow pumps 

wearing: hugo buscati (VS brand) blazer || cookie monster t-shirt via NY comic con vendor || simply vera wang chino leggings || JC cosmic litas

nothing much to report today…considering i spent all of yesterday thinking it was tuesday, so i’m kind of living my day all over again in terms of being confused over my schedule…hahaha!

this is the outfit i wore to hang out for a friend’s birthday at a bar…casual night drinking margaritas, eating nachos & watching UFC 143.  nothing like a crisp white blazer with pushed up sleeves (a la miami vice) & a man’s big face watch to easily sharpen up a simple graphic t-shirt & leggings.  speaking of highly stylized 80s TV shows, i should probably stop outing myself as to how old i am, huh? do you youngun’s even know what miami vice is or how much the shiznit it was back in the day?  

it’s 8:30 a.m. on a frikkin’ sunday morning.  WHAT the heck am i doing awake & blogging, especially when i have to go lion dance later this afternoon???  well, as the whole universe knows, jason wu debuted at target this morning, so you know what had to be done.

as i stood in line at 7:45 in a line easily 20 women already deep & twice as more behind me, i started thinking.  first, i listened to the convos around me.  bitches be making fun of these other bitches waiting in line for cheap clothes, just because a designer label was attached to them.  bitch, you’re waiting here too, so who’s the bitch?  geez louise.  i waited at 5 in the morning for versace at h&m, so a measly 15 minutes at my local target…that ain’t no thang.

however, i started thinking back to the first of these diffusion lines that premiered at target years ago.  behnaz sarafpour & proenza schouler stayed on the racks for weeks.  no one even know who they were.  did *i* even know who they were at the time?  can you imagine if proenza schouler did a collection for target *now*?  THAT would be utter chaos!  now, every tom, bitch & harry is out here for these collections.  maybe they’re just recently jumping on the bandwagon.  maybe cheap designer duds are too enticing.  maybe they don’t give a shit about the clothes at all & just want to make a quick buck off of ebay.  who knows?

at 2 minutes of 8:00, a security guard came out with only 2 sets of instructions “no running & only 6 items per person.”  that made me very glad that they were somehow keeping some sort of semblance of control.  as soon as i walked into target, i had to make that snap decision of heading either to clothes or accessories first, which luckily i knew the layout of my target store having been there umpteenth million times.  i really wanted the cat bag & scarf, so to accessories it was…plus the majority of the women were already pulling clothes off the racks in such a whirlwind, that i didn’t even want to get in on that mess.  there were only 2 cat scarves left.  i calmly took both plus one of the cat totes.  when i wandered back to the clothing racks, i didn’t see the blue pleated skirt i wanted, did grab one of the cute cat long t-shirts…wasn’t interested in anything else, so i was out.  done.  in, all paid for & out in 10 minutes.

in retrospect, all these collections are just a blur now.  some items i really covet & still wear to this day…a tracy feith dress here…a rodarte lace cardigan there.  other items, like some JPG tops, still sit in my drawer with tags on.  my strategy these days is to completely peruse the lookbooks of these collections before they come out & ask myself “what do i really, *really* want?”  some of jason wu’s stuff was very cute, but who doesn’t have a white blouse & a black bow to easily create some of these looks?  the cat accessories are definitely the hallmark of this collection & what i truly wanted, so blessedly didn’t go overboard with the debit card.

so, what am i even trying to say?  as i find the hunger for these collections grows with each passing designer, my interest is waning.  is it the natural progression of not desiring what is popular?  am i just having a more discerning eye (and tighter wallet)?  am i completely disinterested in the early morning waiting game & then flurry of excited shrieks & disappointed moans?  naaaaaaah!  hmmmmmm…this is all way too deep to contemplate early on a sunday morning.  i guess i’ll think about it later…the next time i’m standing in line for the next target designer collaboration….bwahahaha! shit…isn’t marni for h&m coming up soon as well?  oh dammit…

i have a confession to make…i wore the same skirt two days in a row!!!  *gasp* oh the horror!  well, if anna wintour does it, who gives a rip right?  simple laziness…this skirt was already right there from when i wore it all of 2 hours last night, so threw it on again.  also, decided to continue the fair isle craze from the day before that.  wear, remix, repeat…easy, peasy, japanesey :)

also, here’s a fashion don’t (usually…for me)…wearing flat shoes.  practically no heels?  am i feeling all right today?  even i like a break from platforms every now & again.  plus, these are definitely my favorite knee-high boots in the category of distressed & post-apocalyptic style.  well, even in a world overrun by zombies (which will happen, just you wait)…gotta have the ability to run away fast, but *still* gotta look good, right? hahaha!  

wearing:  swapped (via the closet) fair isle sweater || ebay metallic leather skirt || pour la victoire kerry boots

wearing: urban outfitters refashioned embroidered kimono top || ebay metallic leather skirt || aldo outlet earrings || asos glitter & suede heels

i typically work late thursday evenings & *of course* which night of the work week are most events held on?  needless to say, i miss a lot of fun activities in & around the boston area because of that, HOWEVER i was surprisingly free & clear of patients last night & was able to make the one event that i was looking forward to…the zoora trunk show! 

didn’t think so soon after chinese new year, i would end up wearing dragons again, however i thought, well, why not? where else but to a fashion event showcasing avante garde designers (who create such chain & feather creations that lady gaga herself places an order) could i wear a refashioned silk bomber kimono jacket complete with embroidered dragon, metallic leather skirt & sky high asos heels?  besides, once all my chinese new year celebrations are over & done with, i’ll totally be over this whole year of the dragon thing…hahaha!

anywho, the event was very fun!  i missed the major launch of the zoo-ra website at the apple store last week, so i was very glad to experience the trunk show before it hit the road & peruse the pretty rack of clothes.  some of the saliva-worthy samples were definitely the alana hale vest, the nirva cape (she’s a good friend & i just looooove her clothes) & the emily muller asymmetrical yellow skirt that lovely holly of covetous creatures modeled for photos.

of course, none of these events would be any fun if it weren’t for the camaraderie & company of sweet blogger pals like naomi & najeema…even if *ahem* one of these girls hardly cooperates with having her photo taken :p  at least this time, she gave me a different finger than she usually gives…hahaha!

all in all, it was a great evening & i was glad for the opportunity to take these sweet kicks out for the night.  congrats again to aubrie & the rest of the zoora team & wish them much fun on the rest of their trunk show travels!

thanks to naomi for taking my outfit photos ^_^

my favorite design team of all time has to be dolce & gabbana.  their collections are always so flirty & girly, yet grown up & sexy too. just enough color, sassiness & over-the-topness to always be on the verge of mind-blowing.  one of my favorite seasons was fall RTW 2010…with the gorgeous contrast of sheer fabrics & fair isle knits.  it was so much so my favorite that i was determined to DIY myself a lot of the knitwear.

that was *over* a year ago…bwahaha!  so far, all i had gotten done was this…a sad, sad emulation to this top.  i had actually gotten as far as knitting one outstandingly poufy sleeve, but now it’s been so long, i can’t remember how i did it to knit the other one.  that’s what i get for not writing what i’m doing as i go along as i tend to knit a lot just by eyeing it vs. following a pattern.  oh well…HALF a DIY is better than none at all right?  i did manage to knit a scarf last year to match this one.  that counts…kinda, sorta?  i still have high hopes that i can finish this top off in fine fashion.  if not…well, maybe i’ll just attach the one sleeve & consider it my *avant garde* look!  at least the tube top wondrously matches the lining of my blazer today. extra points for that, right?  hahaha!

wearing: swapped blazer || handknit fair isle tube top || F21 skirt || target watch || piperlime heels || h&m black ring || koi fish pendant

i don’t do many skincare or makeup posts or anything to do with my overall beauty routine, however i will admit that i do take great care of my hair as it admittedly is my crown & glory :)  i’m very fortunate to have that kind of durable asian hair that takes a lot of use, but doesn’t show much abuse.  from ages 9 to 17, i pretty much permed my hair almost every year.  from college until now, my poor hair had run the gamut from almost completely all blonde highlights to dark raven burgundy & all other hair color in between.  these days, my hair care is pretty simple & routine…just trying to keep my long straight hair as healthy as possible from all these years of abuse ^_^  unfortunately, i’m still rough with my hair as i do like to flat iron every day & i’ve found that having quality heat appliances goes a long away in minimizing that damage.

so, when misikko contacted me if i wanted to review their hana 1.5 inch tourmaline salon grade flat iron, i was like “heck yeah!”  i’ve used flat irons for years, but never thought to buy one wider than 1 inch.  i don’t know why that never occurred to me!  my hair is pretty coarse & thick, so it can take a while to part my hair in small enough sections to flat iron through 1 inch at a time.  the wider surface cut that time in half!  

i was also tickled pink to see the pretty presentation that came in the box…not only the flat iron with a heat resistant resting pad & case, but fun accoutrements like a sleep eye mask, hair serum, a paddle brush & e.l.f. makeup :)  thanks misikko!

first of all, i liked the heft & weight of the hana flat iron.  my current nume one is very heavy, but the hana one still felt sturdy & of quality material, but very light & doesn’t pull on my hair at all.  i can adjust the heat anywhere from 140 to 450 degrees which i know for some girls, that’s very important.  i tend to use around 300 degrees for my thick hair, otherwise it takes forever to smooth down, so i like that i can raise the temperature as needed or lower it as well if i feel i’m imparting too much damage to my hair.  finally, i like the curved edges of the flat iron as i never flat iron my hair completely stick straight.  i like to smooth most of my hair down flat, but then curl the ends in just so, to add some movement & interest to my long layered hair.  again, the wider width of the flat iron made a nice subtle enough “swoop” to the ends of my hair without curling up too much.  did that just make sense?  hahaha!  anywho, i am very pleased with how easily & effortless this hana flat iron gave me the results i typically like for my hair. it’s a keeper :)

of note, i was compensated by misikko.com for this review but my opinions are 100% my own.

photo above:  via afterhourstelevision.com 

so, i have the typical style crushes that most fashionable young chickadees have these days…rachel bilson, mila kunis, the evil queen from once upon a time. uh, wait, WHAT???  if you’re a fan of the show like i am, i’m sure it’s because, like myself, you love the modern take & unusual twists that they have done to the fairy tales we all grew up with.  i love crossing over of characters from one story to another…like when snow white was dancing with cinderella or how the evil queen cavorts with the “other” evil queens.  speaking of the evil queen (snow white’s one), her outfits in this show are beyond fantastic!  i’ve been loving her wickedly glamorous regal wear, but this outfit really blew me away.  in this episode, it’s what she’s wearing while riding in her royal carriage…so her “casual” travel outfit so to speak.  isn’t it grand?  i *die* for that embossed leather capelet, the corset that pinches her waist so exquisitely teeny tiny & her voluminous velvet-flocked satiny train (since i have a penchant for anything satin & voluminous…tee hee hee) draped over the leather leggings & boots.  i could do without the huge curly 80s mall hair, but the hat too…fabulous!  not just a queen, but a regal huntress.  *sigh* if i were an evil queen…heck, even a pleasantly sweet, but occasionally mean, plain ol’ acupuncturist just trying to make her way through an enchanted forest, i’d totally wear this!

left photo via imdb & right photo via spoilersguide.com

wanna know my typical outfit during chinese new year?  this is IT!  hahaha!  in all seriousness, this is the busiest time of year for my kung fu school as we’re hired to do various lion dance and kung fu performances to bring good luck & prosperity to whatever businesses, restaurants & establishments plus honored guests we dance for.  on monday, we got the (last minute) call by one of my favorite (& definitely one of the biggest) clients we have, chef ming tsai, to dance again at his restaurant, blue ginger!  this is *only* the beginning of what i’ll be doing the next 3 weeks O.O  buddha…help!  hahaha!

photo credit: blue ginger’s facebook page

So, it’s at this point in the trip that I stop writing in my journal daily…for whatever reason. So, the last 2 days I will sum up (very briefly) as much as my addled memory will allow. Can’t believe I’ve been so lame on posting about this trip. It’s almost a year now at this point. Laaaaaame…

I do recall that the day before, was crazy rain…like torrential monsoon! So that canceled our trip to the Wah Lum Temple.  Instead, we had to wake up early the next morning (before leaving to go back to Hong Kong) to make the trip to the Wah Lum Temple.  It was still drizzly & dreary, but we made it!!! Started off by walking around & touring the inside & courtyard of the temple.  Then, when Master Chan decided that we were all going to bai san, oh lord, he had I don’t even know, maybe 20 bundles or more of incense sticks.  We junior sifus had to help light all that incense & pass them out amongst the students.  I was choking from all the incense smoke & my hands were covered with yellow incense powder that slowly mixed to yellow paste on my skin with the rain. It was a wonder I kept my white shirt pristine! 

After that, we had time to go around the temple still & even out to the area just outside the temple called “Jade Alley” - obviously famous for all the jade shops, kiosks & carts selling all manners & incarnations of jade :) I loaded up so much on my 2001 trip (some items I *still* haven’t worn), that I didn’t buy any jade this time around.  Lastly, we drove to the cemetery where Sijo Lee Kwan Shan’s grave site was.  Now, I remember in 2001 that it was in a different location.  That location was so shabby though.  When we got to this memorial marker, it was in such a state of disarray…litter strewn about, overgrown weeds & bushes.  Master Chan had to clear all that away before we could even pay the proper respects. So, I assume he had his marker moved to this facility with more attentive maintenance. His new grave site was on a hillside & had a very impressive view.  We again all paid respects with bowing and lighting incense.  Once we were all done, we loaded up on the bus & headed back towards Hong Kong!

 
Day #14: We wake up to a kinda rainy day. This is the day we go to the Wong Fei Hong Memorial & the Wah Lum Temple. We were already told that we most likely will be doing an exchange that day, so I prepare by bringing the official performance polo & my kung fu shoes, although I still wear my platforms & the umbrella. We start off by eating breakfast in the hotel which was a very NICE Western breakfast…bacon, hash browns, even strawberry drinkable yogurt! It wasn’t as good as the Dannon one I had back in 2001, but still good. We get on the bus on the way to Foshan to Wong Fei Hong’s Memorial first. When we get there, it’s sprinkling rain & there’s a huge courtyard that was to be the demo location, but then it started raining harder & they were pulling the mats out from the rain. We wait around a bit, buy stuff from the shop & was told that the show would start at 10:30. Right then, it was raining SUPER HARD!!! There was a typhoon in the area & we were getting the brunt of it just then. I had never seen such HUGE raindrops that came down so fast! It seemed that each drop was like a bucketful of water! Instant soaking if you were caught out in it! We had to do the demo on a stage that was on the other end of the courtyard, so the audience really couldn’t see us, but it was the only place that it could be done. The Wong Fei Hong group demoed first with their hung gar. From our group, it was *** with the first Shaolin form we learned (how awesome to be a kid, learn a form faster than most adults just the day before & already perform it with such energy & spirit!), ****, ****, me, Sifu **** & finally **** & **** with their 2-man set.


After that, we left to go to lunch. It wasn’t too far at this kind of outdoorsy, but under a tarp/plastic roof type of place. I liked the location, but again, the food was just too much & even with the exercise from the demo, I was still not that hungry. At that point, we learn of a lot of people getting sick & **** had even thrown up at her table after taking some medicine, probably food poisoning. It was still raining hard. The staff at the restaurant were so nice. They were shuttling little groups of us under huge outdoor-type umbrellas back to the bus. As we head back into Guangzhou, it was decided that it was too rainy to tour the Wah Lum Temple, so we will do it in the morning. We were all happy as we now had plenty of downtime until dinner to just rest & relax. I had other plans however.
I talked to our new young tour guide, Pang, who offered to accompany me to the computer district of Guangzhou to look for my Ramos Android MID. We decide to take the subway which we had to take 3 different lines & took about a half hour to get to. After looking in 3 different buildings that had floors & floors of computer shops, we manage to finally locate it…or something close enough to it, the Aigo MID. I’m not sure if it’s actually the Ramos & just under another name or a whole different product, but it fit the bill exactly of what I was looking for. Unfortunately, I thought it retailed for 1000Y & I only had 1100Y on me. Pang had managed to negotiate the price down from 1500Y to 1300Y. He lent me the other 200Y. After that, we headed back to the hotel. I had about 45 minutes to relax until it was time for dinner. **** & I shop a bit nearby & she totally finds her LV Speedy 35. Looks fairly good, not horribly fake & cost only 260Y. She’s psyched, but doesn’t have enough money, so we have to wait until after dinner. We take the bus to dinner which was at a location that with all the traffic literally took 90 minutes to get to. It wasn’t a great place either. I think their specialty was seafood, but nothing stood out.

After dinner, we head back to the hotel. **** gets her purse, we head to McDonald’s for some food & on the way into the hotel, run into **** & some of the other guys on their way out with Tai Tai to go foot washing. We “invite” ourselves along & before we knew it, we were whisked away in cabs to a gentleman’s club about 20 minutes away. It was another huge & professional place, but a little ghetto compared to the one in Shenzhen (then again, NOTHING will beat THAT experience). Some of us get foot massages & some go for regular massages. I thoroughly enjoyed my foot massage which totally included back, neck, shoulder & thigh massages as well. After that, we head back into the cabs, back to the hotel & to sleep :)

(*side note* ~ sorry for the CNY interruption, but now we’re back & not many days left, so my china/HK journal will be finished soon. promise ^_^)

Day #13: A nice leisurely morning. It’s basically another all travel day. We don’t have to check out until 11:15, so **** & I head upstairs to the revolving restaurant to have breakfast. We don’t even need a breakfast pass, just give our room number. We were told there was Western breakfast, but it wasn’t all that thrilling. The only Western things I had were white toast with butter & a fried egg. After that, we head back out to shop. We hope the fake LV guy was already open that morning, but he wasn’t there & his stall was still shuttered. We look in 2 electronic shops for my Ramos. I find something very close by a brand called Oppo, but I didn’t think it was *quite* it. I couldn’t figure out how to convert it to English & I tried every menu, but it was very close…touch screen, small size. Hopefully, Guangzhou will be more helpful to me. After that, we check out, but then head to lunch! Oh man…we were still full from breakfast. It was a place I think specialized more in seafood. I saw HUGE circular tanks of crabs. I actually enjoyed the boiled shrimp…very simple & fresh. After that, it seems we have a little time to kill, so Haibo brings us to a smallish kind of supermarket where you can sample stuff before you buy. I try some stuff that looked like pressed hawthorne fruit, but buy nothing. We finally head to airport & it’s the same as last time, but seemed to run much smoother. The plane was 30 minutes delayed, but nothing bad.

After an uneventful plane ride, we arrive in Guangzhou. We get on a brand spanking new bus! It’s a double decker! **** & I immediately take the 2 seats in the very front of the top floor so that we get the entire view of the highway as we’re driving. **** also sits with us & basically acts every bit the little kid that he is, so we have to belt him in so that if the bus stops short, he doesn’t go flying through the window. Since it’s late, we drive immediately to the restaurant for dinner. Again, nothing special. We don’t like the food so much & it’s soooo much, so much leftover & such a waste. What I liked about Guangzhou is that compared to Zhengzhou, there’s greens everywhere…like on the highway, the medians, the sides of the road. It just makes the place look much more lush & more like a nice tropical city vs. a city that’s disgustingly hot & dirty. After that, we finally arrive to what we’d been hearing is the nicest hotel yet, the Dongfang Hotel! It was totally 5-star! You can tell it’s a big business hotel…more foreigners. While walking to our room, 1-834, we keep looking out at the window to the pool which looks more like a big lagoon! It’s so pretty, but at this point, it’s 10 at night & it closes at 10:30. We’d loooove to go swimming, but we’re too tired, so we go right to sleep.

what my school does during chinese new year…in chinatown…every year ^_^

video via the chinese consolidated benevolent assocation of new england

so, i wake up today all totally stiff & sore with my neck jacked up. why? yesterday was my 15th boston chinatown chinese new year celebration in a row!  yup, all these years of lion dancing, tossing lettuce leaves & oranges, getting pelted with firecrackers in rain, sleet, snow and freezing temps in the teens…never missed a one!  ahhh…good times, good times…

since i didn’t take my “good” camera out with me, here are some awesome shots from the boston photography center meetup page :)  gong hay fat choy!

this is our lion dance stage performance! those kids did a great job…and by great, i mean *i* didn’t have to do it this year. *pumps fist* YES! not that i wouldn’t wholeheartedly do it if need be…but 15 years…i’m getting too OLD for this stuff :)

also, if you are going to be in the cambridge area next weekend (sunday february 20th) particularly the harvard square area around noon-ish (near the hong kong restaurant & the park in front of peet’s coffee) but don’t quote me on that, we’re TOTALLY doing it all again! if you can’t find us, just listen for the drum beatings, cymbals clashing & firecrackers popping…hahaha! happy year of the rabbit…until next weekend!

all photos via the boston photography center’s meetup page

photo courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

Day #12: Still woke up to not having breakfast…just ate some crackers & trail mix. I don’t know if I would just rather have the extra half hour to sleep or our dinners are so filling and late that I’m just not hungry…probably! Our very last training session :( Kinda sad. We knew it would be just review. We head down there & start working out.  Then, 2 German guys whom I guess were also training at the school wanted to take a picture with Master Chan & all of us. Kinda funny. After doing all that & reviewing the forms a bit more, it had only been 15 minutes! It was gonna be a rough session, but we powered through it. Then, they told us that Master Liang was going to be coming at 11:00 (end of our session) & if we could perform the forms for him. Most of us felt ready for the 1st form, but less of us for the 2nd form. For certain people not even ready to show Master Liang the 1st form, **** had to ask them to step aside. So, we did the forms for him & he seemed pleased, even though he told us that the T-stance where we punch down & fist at our shoulders, all had to be quicker and TIGHTER! Hahahaha…I was secretly pleased that we received instruction from THE head instructor himself. It was quite an honor. Then, as if he hadn’t been so generous to us already, he presented each of us with a certificate that was totally personalized with our names, birthdates, etc. that was essentially a kung fu certificate that we had trained there!  A Shaolin diploma!!! Totally awesome…so official! After group photos, we cleaned up & got ready to check out. While we were waiting on the bus, Master Liang even came on to wave goodbye one last time. I think he was very sad to see his good friend, Master Chan, leave.

Next, we drove to Zhengzhou, a less than 2-hour drive. I put on my iPod & I swear to God, I didn’t think I fell asleep at all, but what felt like 30 minutes later, we were already in Zhengzhou! It’s like I missed the entire highway driving. As we drive through Zhengzhou city center (very busy & congested with traffic…compared to the tranquil cool mountain city of Dengfeng), Haibo points out the 2.7 Memorial Tower, a very obviously old building in the middle of this modern city. Then, he points out to the right out of the windows our hotel…dang, it was a massively huge yellow round building!!! We were told there was a Spinnaker type restaurant on top…SWEET! When we get to the hotel, we go through the usual sweaty, hot mess of getting our bags & standing in the lobby to get our room keys. **** & I are in Room 9014…not too shabby, but a small room. We relax for a bit by watching the end of Mission Impossible 3 & then head out to do some shopping. The hotel was in the midst of what is known as the 100-year-old street…just a very long strip of shopping…everything from department stores to street stalls. We first head out as a group with the Malden group, but quickly go our separate ways when ****, **** & I want McDonald’s McFlurries. **** has to poo, so heads back to the room. The 3 of us then walk around for about an hour, but nothing looks interesting. We head back to the hotel. Some of the main group had earlier gotten cash or vouchers or something from Sipoh because they wanted to get pizza for dinner (now that we were in a major city again). The rest of us walk to the restaurant where dinner was arranged which I could only describe as in a mall food court. The food was fine…nothing special, except they started with French fries O.O 

On the way back to the hotel, we’re allowed to meander and shop for a bit. We find a cutesy shop where I bought OPI glitter polish & a cute panda microSD card reader. On the street, **** buys 3 fake LV cosmetic bags & I get a Tous one. I think they’re so cute & not horribly obviously fake. **** is very happy. Back at the hotel, I inquire about foot washing, but **** doesn’t want to do it. On the way back to the room, we run into a bunch of the guys who were going foot washing, so I conveniently joined them. We only had to go to the 7th floor & I felt it was weird as that whole spa was run by men, but whatevs. We were escorted into a room that had 5 chairs which was perfect for us…4 guys and then little ol’ me…hahaha! I felt bad for **** & **** as they had men for foot massagers since they obviously wanted women. I would have traded but I wanted to be rubbed by a woman as I didn’t want TOO much pressure after being sore from training. I totally fell asleep & don’t remember her massaging my right foot & leg. For 128 yuan, it was a foot washing with a double soaking, thigh percussions & then the reclining chair was made flat, so I could flip onto my stomach where she rubbed my back. Not bad! After that as we were leaving, **** & the kids were playing pool just outside of the foot washing spa. They were waiting for foot washing too, but the hotel didn’t have enough masseuses, so they were basically waiting for us to be done. Teeheehee :) Then, I finally went upstairs, took a nice long hot shower to finally feel clean again & went to sleep.

Day #11:  So, we wake up EARLY for a change which is really different this trip. In 2001, I felt like we were always getting 6:00 wake up calls. We head back to the SHAOLIN TEMPLE at 7 to be there for 7:30. The surprise show was that the abbott had invited us back to do a show for him! Craaaaazy!!! When we first get there, it’s raining again (what a surprise), so we kind of wait in the bus while they set up. Then we form our lines with the flag out in front & march over to the front of the Pagoda Forest. The monks had set up a table that was full of flowers & fruit. After lining us up properly & bowing in, they did a special ceremony for us that I still have to find out what exactly was done…I’m sure some sort of blessing. The monks chanted, sang, hit wooden & bell instruments & Master Chan yelled out the proper times for us to be bowing…hahaha!

When that was all done, we were led again to the Shaolin Temple into a back area that looked more like a warehouse & we were told later it was the monks’ training hall. I guess they originally wanted the demonstration outside, but because of the rain, it was held in there. We started right away with the program we did in Hong Kong. Everyone did fairly well. For me, it was particularly special & SOOO surreal.  In front of the abbot, the head monk of the FAMED Shaolin Temple, the very *source* of Chinese kung fu in many people’s minds…I performed my Shaolin form in front of him. Incredible! To this day, I still can’t believe I did it (and didn’t mess up)!  After that, the monks also demonstrated, but even though there was a big crowd of them with weapons & everything, there was only like 4-5 programs. My thinking was the time frame was running too long, so we only watched a short exchange. The abbot then talked to us & told us that with all the groups coming through there doing kung fu, that we were the best! Yay us! Then, we left the Temple. Next, we headed to a sightseeing spot, Zhongyue Temple, to tour for a little bit. This is the part of the trip when it’s pretty much you’ve seen one temple, you’ve seen them all. We walk through, take pictures & unfortunately the rain made it all kinda miserable :(  After that we head to lunch, which Haibo surprised us with a new place…a Beijing style restaurant that seemed expensive. I guess after complaining of the other place, he brought us here which we LOVED! Not only was the food *different* but very, very delicious!!!Post-lunch, we head back to the hotel for our afternoon training. It was rough…my body was still sore, but not too bad. I pushed through. It was my thighs above my knees that were killing me. We finished the second form. Hooray! After that, we showered, relaxed & went back to the Beijing restaurant for dinner where Master Liang surprised us by joining us! I guess since it was our last night in Dengfeng :( Not only did he grace us with his presence, but they arranged a special treat of Peking duck for us which was soooo good…not greasy or anything! Also, I was extremely psyched to have learned how to professionally roll a Peking duck pancake! Can’t wait to bring those skills back & try it in the US! Finally, after dinner, ****, **** & I headed back to the Shaolin shopping center across from the hotel *one* last time. We had asked Haibo to have the bus drop us off at some other shops that were further away from the hotel to shop at & then we’d walk back, but he misunderstood & dropped us off at the regular one that we had been going to all this time. We felt a little sheepish that we asked him to do that & it was just the regular shops, but we had to get off the bus…hahaha! So, our last chance items…I only ended up buying black Feivues (for less than $3USD). Then, back to hotel. I *finally* checked out the kids playing up in the badminton/ping pong room on the 7th floor since I had never been up there & it was our last night, then headed to bed.

Day #10: Another full day of training. We spent the morning session from 8:30-11 reviewing the first Shaolin form we learned and then starting the second form…which is kinda same, but a lot different too from the first form. I love it…different enough, but with similar enough techniques to get the two forms mixed up…ha! After that, we head to lunch…guess where? Yup, the same restaurant we’d been eating like the past 5 meals. The bus driver tricked us too because he took a different route, so we got excited as we thought we drove down a different street, but it was the same street & we just came at the restaurant from the *other* direction. DOH! After that, we were told that we were going to a sword factory.  Now, I was excited!  In 2001, we toured a sword factory & watched weapons being made and were able to peruse though dozens and dozens of weapons. Although I didn’t buy it at that factory, my most prized double-edged sword I did obtain from that China trip.  However, the sword factory we went to today was totally NOT a sword factory. What **** & I had been waiting for all these days was a total disappointment. It was more like a fancy showroom of swords that I felt weren’t even really functional working training weapons…more like display replicas, which is fine if you wanted something just to hang on the wall.  I personally like to be able to swing my weapons around…call me *crazy.*  In any case, **** & I decided to go get ice cream at a local mom & pop shop before we get back on the bus to wait for everyone to come back from buying their weapons. We head back for the afternoon training session which was learning way more & now we’re about almost halfway through with the second Shaolin form. After that, we again head to dinner, yup same EXACT place, but I guess now Haibo had said something to the staff because the food was totally different. We had things like fried chicken wings & fried pineapple fritters. It’s kinda weird that they must have thought that all we Americans wanted was fried stuff, but HEY, it was good & different! I may like their spicy chicken dish, but I can’t eat it for 6 meals in a row! After dinner & back at the hotel, we had more relaxation time, so ****, **** & I went back to the Shaolin shops across the street & bought the stuff we browsed through the other day…a green school uniform for each of us, **** bought a green satiny kung fu uniform & shoes & I bought 2 satiny uniforms & shoes for Mrs. So. We ran across the way to another store where I finally bought **** (if you know me at all IRL, you know these weapons I’ve been wanting for well over a decade)! So excited…hope I actually get to use them some day. We get back to the hotel in time for a run through of the show for the next day, basically the same programs we did in Hong Kong. Tomorrow, I will say WHERE the show is ;)

Ahahaha…not the most *appropriate* photo, I know, for a kung fu blog, but hey…New Years Eve was just that kinda night ^_^  I’ve accomplished a lot in terms of my kung fu for 2010.  I don’t know how I can top it in 2011, but I’ll try.  Because isn’t that what it’s all about?  The journey?  Thanks for sharing this journey with me…and I *promise* in 2011, I will finish my China journal…promise!

Day #9: Today is just a sightseeing day & I’m sooooo sore from practice (my thighs are crazy sore!). **** & I decide to skip breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant for more sleep & we’re just not hungry at all. We get on the bus at 8:30 & head to Longmen Grottoes. It’s totally raining when we get there & I forgot my umbrella, but at least had my Wah Lum jacket. Still, it was miserable & raining hard enough that most of us had to buy ponchos to wear to walk around. It’s just like at the Shaolin Temple…there were turnstiles & we had to take a tram. It starts off ok, yeah, yeah, land of 10,000 buddhas. It’s cool & all, but I’ve seen it all before & we can’t even take cool group photos because of the rain. Well, we do the best we can & then we’re out. We head to lunch at some restaurant that unfortunately was soooo filthy. **** found a dead fly in his glass. We found a fly in the fried fish dish. Some of the food was really pretty good, but the uncleanliness totally creeped us out.
Next, we head to Dr. Tea’s teahouse to have a respite of tea. We totally have a tea demonstration complete with very attractive young Chinese women serving the tea, we taste 5 kinds of tea, are shown the etiquette of tea drinking, etc. They totally market to us & we all fall for it. I end up buying a tin of Luoyang peony tea for 150 yuan which was equivalent to over $20 USD. After I thought about it, I was kinda pissed I spent so much on tea when I was being frugal elsewhere.  I actually go in with ****  & **** on the special where if you buy 5 cans of tea, we get a free teacup set which is super cool in that the black dragon design on the outside turns red when you pour in the hot tea. 

After that, we head to General Kwan’s Temple. So, pretty much the same routine as I remember in 2001, as we’ve done at all temples already this trip…we bai san, we pay a donation, everyone buys stuff, we take posing pictures, the whole bit. They had wedged General Kwan’s kwan do so that you can still touch it & pose with it, but you can’t try to lift it up anymore like we could in 2001. After that, back to the hotel for a little rest & out to dinner for another hot pot meal. This one was MUCH better than the last one, with homemade hand-stretched delicious noodles, but ugh, so much food!  Plus, when Sigung keeps putting food in your bowl, there’s nothing you can do but eat it. Also, it’s ***’s (from Malden) birthday, so **** had arranged to have a cake for him & they all sang Happy Birthday. The cake was pretty good…a total Eldo’s cake. Back on the bus & to hotel, again in a total food coma.  Too tired to even go up & watch the kids play badminton. Time for bed!

Day #8: The first official training day FINALLY! It seems an easier day since training is all at the hotel on the training floor right behind the lobby. So, instead of the whole process of eating breakfast & getting on the bus and drive off…we just go downstairs.  It’s kinda weird that we’re training there. It almost seems because we’re the foreigners we get some kind of special treatment. I was totally expecting we’d be outside in the hot sun, wind or rain. However, I am *not* complaining.  It’s all kinds of muggy & hot in the training hall anyways…so outside in the sun would just be not nice.  **** & I eat breakfast around 7:45 & training is at 8:30. When we get there, we meet the master teaching us & he’s a very young guy. With **** interpreting, he tells us we’re learning a form that is one of the 10 most important Shaolin forms.  Very exciting…very solid, foundational stuff.  So, we begin training. It is very Shaolin…a lot of long fists & T-stances. I feel at a slight advantage since I learned Shaolin back in 2001, so I already have a feel for how the cadence and pace of the Shaolin style is expected to look.  We actually learn the form the first 2-1/2 hours. It’s fairly short, but many intricate moves. When we finish, it is determined that perhaps those that the young master feels are ready to move on, they can start learning the second form, while the rest of the group move to the back of the training hall to continue reviewing the first one. When he picks, he totally picks me first! I think it’s because as I learned it, I didn’t just *do* the moves, but did it with focus and intensity. Again, perhaps unfair as I already have experience in Shaolin.  Or also because I was standing closest to him when he started picking…bwahaha!!!  Unfortunately, I saw that **** & **** totally knew the form, but he didn’t pick them because they kinda just walked through it. See…gotta show any kind of masters you are training with that you are willing to work hard and gotta be on point at every moment.  Lesson of the day kids…

After that, we are dismissed to grab quick showers and then on to the bus to head out to lunch.  We ended up going to the same spicy restaurant we went last night, but at least this time, we got to do the buffet. I didn’t eat very much even though I felt hungry after all that sweating and working out, but I didn’t want to get totally bloated up for the afternoon training session.  After that, we return to the hotel. We review the complete form for an hour & then the master begins the new form. He only shows us the first part, but then he has us partner up for application work. We worked on that with each other until time was up, so we never even really start the 2nd form.

Another quick shower or “refresh yourself” break and on the bus for dinner.  We go back AGAIN to the same spicy restaurant for dinner. At this point, no one is happy with that food because we just want something different. There was some sort of spicy chicken dish that was adequate that I liked, so at least I had that to eat plus the white rice.  After that, Haibo had arranged that if people were interested, there was this outdoor concert that apparently is some sort of combination concert/great light show with wire work and performers high up in the air in front of a brightly lit mountain.  It sounded like truly a spectacular event and I was intrigued, but I didn’t want to spend 248 yuan to attend. So, while most of our group went, ****, ****, **** & I walk over to the Shaolin shopping center “across” the street to browse. All those stalls are nothing but kung fu stuff…AWESOMENESS! I totally see a pair of Feilongs I want, but they don’t have my size :( We peruse other items like fans, bead bracelets, uniforms and other weapons.  We know we’re at the hotel for a few days, so that shopping trip was more to scope out stuff that could be bought later.  After that, it’s back to the hotel & sleep….blessed sleep.

Day #7: Another leisurely wake up late kinda morning.  Yeah late…we get the 7:00 a.m. wake up call, hahaha! **** had set up his Yahoo chat so that Sifu & **** could chat a bit before we had to go to breakfast (breakfast passes for the hotel’s restaurant – all Chinese, no Western option). Then, we line up to walk over next door to Master Liang’s school. We get an incredible reception with girls lined up, waving flowers and chanting welcome.  We basically tour there for the next hour – looking at the training facilities, dorm rooms, etc., even in the kitchen where the staff was prepping for lunch.  It was all pretty frikkin’ incredible…over 7000 kung fu students.  The massiveness of the school was crazy!  We end up in the waiting room of Master Liang’s office (where they gave us water & candy & it was gratefully air conditioned) while the big wigs chatted for a bit.  We then headed back to the hotel for the kung fu exhibition in the lobby’s Kung Fu Theatre. We knew we were going to have to do an exchange, but it was decided only a few programs…****, ****, **** & **** fighting & the big group form & MOST importantly, NOT me! Hahaha! The students’ programs were very good…the whole range of things that we’re used to seeing…hard body qi gong, weapons, hand forms, group forms, the small monk kids. Then, it was our turn afterwards. The theater was so nice.  Those of us in the front row had tea to sip on.
After that, we thanked the monk kids & took group photos, etc.  Then, we got on the bus for our sightseeing. First stop, this nun temple that had a famed Buddhism vegetarian restaurant. It was actually all very good…I thought it was just straight up vegetarian, but it was more like the Buddha’s Delight in C-town, the whole fake meat thing. Very tasty! We all liked the fake eel dish. After that, some shopping in their gift shop & FINALLY off to the Shaolin Temple! Oh man, as we drive up, I realize it’s verrrrry different now. The old stalls of street hawkers is replaced by sleek & modern-looking shops where you can still haggle. There was a giant jumbotron & LED screens everywhere, turnstiles, etc….just like Disneyworld! We even had to board a tram to go to the temple. A tram?  A tram for goodness sake! Exactly like Disneyworld!  Although, I rode on the back of the tram facing backward.  We were going so fast, it was fun & scary since I wasn’t belted in or anything. We finally get to the front gate & it is exactly like I remember. We take a group photo & head on in. Haibo starts with the tour guide info that I already know about…Master Chan’s monument from Wah Lum, the different towers, etc. We walk around, people buy some blessed beads, we take photos, the usual.

Then, the crazy part of this day starts. Sigung went to look for the abbott, whom I think is the same generation disciple of the Shaolin Temple. He didn’t find him, but as we start walking out, a young monk runs up to him & says he is in. We turn around & are led through doors that were made apparent to us that this was NOT part of the normal tour. We head to a courtyard area, but apparently, the abbott can’t receive visitors in his home (or there are just too many of us & it had been raining, so I wouldn’t want muddy shoes all up in my abbott house either), so we were ushered into another room which is obviously a receiving room as there were enough chairs for almost all of us. Sigung & the abbott begin to talk story & we watch & listen. Haibo translates for them saying that we were all very lucky as the abbott is also the vice-chairman of the wushu association in the area & is in Beijing & abroad a lot, so it was rare to catch him at the temple & him actually having time to meet with us.

After all that & taking photos & they exchange gifts, we head over to the Pagoda Forest which is a 5-minute walk. I forget how much I like it…as it’s so pretty with all the pagodas set among the hills and trees. We take more photos, some goofy ones, buy stuff at the stalls & we’re out. We get on the bus & head back to the hotel. After another brief relaxation time, we bus over to another hotel for dinner…this time, local cuisine which was very spicy. I didn’t enjoy it very much & again, we get so much food that it’s such a waste & just like last time, the thing is that we always get more beer than soda with dinner & most of us want more soda, so we’d have to pay an extra 10 yuan. No biggie, that’s like a buck fifty for a liter size, but just annoying.  After dinner, back to hotel & even though it’s only 9:30, I’m totally tired & ready for bed!

It’s been a crazy, yet super fun & very fulfilling year for me thus far in terms of my kung fu.  Back in May, I helped my school celebrate 40 years of Wah Lum in the USA…right in Boston where it all began.  Then, in July I went to China again with Sigung, Sipoh & students from the USA for a competition, training and touring which maybe you will read about *one day* if I ever get the entire journal online…hahaha! Finally, to close up the year, last weekend I traveled down to the Wah Lum Temple, our official headquarters, to help them celebrate 30 years down in Orlando.

I got in Friday night.  It was pretty much preparation day…group photos of all the instructors and students who were lucky to be in attendance, rehearsals for the big group forms and lion dancing plus other meetings for us instructors. Nothing major, but you could feel the anticipation and the excitement of the activities to come!

Saturday morning was a bright-eyed & bushy-tailed kinda morning.  Had to be at the Temple by 8 a.m. for the sparring and tai chi divisions in our in-house tournament.  Eeek!  Unfortunately, it was pretty chilly that morning too.  Sorry O-town…us New Englanders brought the cold down with us :(  Florida’s not used to that kind of cold so early in November yet…hahaha.

When that was all over, it was on to one of the local high school gymnasiums which we needed the large space to host the forms divisions of the tournament!  With over 200 competitors, it was amazing that we kept to an on-time schedule.  All the students worked extra hard to showcase their best efforts, a lot of medals were given out and we were out of there in a timely fashion!

After the tournament was over, we had a few minutes there to catch our breath or for me, just lie down & close my eyes, but before we knew it, back on to the next event!  We returned to the high school, but this time the auditorium side where the night’s OVERSOLD OUT exhibition show was going to take place! Now, I’ve been to plenty of these kinds of shows in my time & it was pretty much just like Boston earlier in the year…lion dancing, drumming, big group forms, 2 or even 3-man empty hand or weapon fighting sets, individual forms…you name it :)  Everyone did great!  Especially me…and by great, I mean I managed not to drop my spear or poke my eye out with it while performing! Hahahaha!

As much fun as the weekend had been thus far, the *real* pinnacle and ultimate treat for me was Sunday.  You see, the Temple had rented out a movie theater to premiere the one (and might be the *only*) showing of a documentary on Grandmaster Chan’s life.  First of all, this movie theater.  It was one of those kinds of theaters that you can order food while watching the movie.  What a concept!  We need this in Boston!  Instead of rows of seats, there are groupings of a small round table & 2 chairs. You could order actual food instead of just popcorn & feast while watching your movie. Brilliant!  As awesome as that was, watching this movie about Sigung’s life…from the moment he was born in Shajing, China to his struggle and hardships and finally his success that he has found here in America, I was blown away! 

With all these phenomenal activities and hanging out with my kung fu siblings and cousins whom I’ve known (some of them) for over a decade now, it was truly a time of fellowship and camaraderie.  Also, mostly inspiration! My kung fu cousins always perform awesome kung fu, but there’s no one more inspiring that Grandmaster Chan.  He truly is a living legend & I feel humbled and filled with awe that I get to learn from him and be a part of this enormous kung fu family that he has worked so hard all his life to build. Congratulations again Sigung for the 30 year success of the Wah Lum Temple!!!

Day #6: It’s pretty much just a travel day. We were given breakfast passes to eat in the hotel’s restaurant. Nothing noteworthy…I had a mix of Western & Chinese breakfast…mostly Western with French toast & bacon and then a weird kind of Chinese fruit. After that, we load up the bus with our luggage & off we go to Shenzhen Airport to fly to Zhengzhou. When we first arrive, we’re at the wrong terminal, which was easily walkable. Well, would have been more *easily* walkable if I didn’t have to schlep my 70-pound hard-sided luggage around :(  Our tour guide collects up our passports & we wait around the ticket counter area for our boarding passes to be set up and assigned to us. When we finally check in all our bags, we learn that the agents had sped up the whole process with the promise of a kung fu demo…so *** did his little form. That kid…we can’t get enough of him :) I was kinda shocked actually.  You would think Chinese people get to see kung fu all.the.time so wouldn’t get excited about it.  Not true!  That or it was just a slow day at the airport and the ticket agents needed entertainment…hahaha!  We proceed to sit and wait at our gate which apparently was the wrong one that we had been sitting in front of all this time…I sense a theme. We finally get on the plane, no incident, not even delayed. It’s a 2-hour flight to Zhengzhou. Lunch was rice with chicken & cabbage, some kind of bun, a fish cake/seaweed salad, cherry tomatoes & Eldo cake. When we arrive in Zhengzhou, pick up our luggage & head out of the airport, guess who do we see? HAIBO!!! I was so happy to see the same tour guide that we had back in 2001!!! I excitedly try to tell him that I met him way back then, but of course he wouldn’t have remembered me. Sigung was nice in totally trying to tell him who I was. 

We get on the bus & head to our hotel…the Chan Wu Hotel. When we drive through Dengfeng, we already see all the kung fu school stuff. We know we’re in kung fu country now. The hotel is like a frikkin’ Shaolin Disneyworld hotel!!! Massively big, kung fu stuff everywhere, a gigantic General Kwan statue in the lobby & weapons racks everywhere!!!  Students already working out outside…hundreds of them. We line up at the front of the hotel before going in, ready to bow to the grandmaster, Sigung Liang Sr., who owns the hotel & the school next door. After we do that and we were given gift bags of Master Liang’s books, we then check into our rooms.  *** and I are in Room 320.  We have time to relax for a bit before getting back on the bus to head to dinner.  

I sorta liked the restaurant we went to this time, but unfortunately they had a sucky hot pot buffet (sucky because the only meat available was lamb *blech* & none of the veggies I like – especially no watercress…booo!!!). After that, I videotape for a bit around the hotel, but it’s been a tiring day (like every day).  I get to relax for a bit before going to bed.

Oh hey…look who was featured on Boldfacers last week!  Kung fu fashionista, huh?  I still giggle just saying it. Check it out…

Day #5: We have an early 6:30 call for the bus. I get up & check out super early, surprisingly a little after 6.  Guess I’m too anxious to sleep and lounge in bed.  I sadly say goodbye to the free ethernet cord once I check out. After we pile on the bus and drive off, we discover we got a weird miscount and accidentally drive almost out of the city before we realize that we left *** behind (a Temple student). After we go back to get him, we finally head towards the HK/Chinese border. Once there, we all had to get out of the bus, collect our own suitcases, fill out HK departure forms, fill out China entry forms (the first of many such forms) then proceed to wheel our own shit across the border.  That whole customs & immigration thing was uneventful. When we all make it through, our tour guide leads us to our next bus & we drive into Shajing/Shenzhen. At this point, it’s around 9:00 and we stop at a restaurant for dim sum which was again very good and tasty, however very different from Hong Kong’s more touristy, commercialized, safe dim sum.  This was really more authentically Chinese with more unusual ingredients.  I actually liked the shredded chicken & 1000 year old egg congee.  I could see the mortification in ***’s face as she realizes this is the kind of food she’ll be eating now and then despair on her face when I remind her that now that we’re in China, it’s gonna be squat toilets from here on out. I laugh at her while she looks like she’s gonna cry. 

After that, we take a walk over to the Wah Lum headquarters.  It’s super hot and stuffy in there, but it’s great to see that it hasn’t changed much from when I visited in 2001.  *** makes sure that every few months, someone comes over, cleans & does bai san to keep the traditions going. They give us bottled water and we mill around and take individual/group photos. Then we head back to the bus and drive around. Sigung is acting like our local tour guide and telling stories about the area and what it was like when he was a kid.  He makes a hilarious joke and calls us all on the bus “lofan” although he ain’t talking ‘bout me!  It’s funny and all, but then I realize that they’re stalling for some reason because we’re kind of driving around aimlessly, even driving through a busy town center/shopping area more than once. I’m guessing we couldn’t check into our hotel yet. I sit next to *** who’s particularly a riot today and we keep repeating the lofan joke all day. After only that brief walk and riding around in the bus, we’re actually supposed to be eating lunch at noon. We get there and I can’t believe we’re eating again.  I’m surprised that we actually find we’re hungry & we do eat a lot! Noteworthy were the mushroom and whelk soup, omelette, tofu dish and spicy salty fish.  After that, we walk around again a little more, this time to the Chan Family Memorial. This is the place where I totally blanked out on my form 9 years ago and felt totally shamed and Sifu made me hold the heavy gong the rest of the demonstration. *** takes a photo of me pointing to the very spot that I FAILED all those years ago. When we first get there, I felt so rude because I (along with some other people) totally FLIP OUT over the coolest thing thing I HAVE EVER SEEN!  A mah jongg table that has an imbedded dice tray, so it shakes it for you and a recessed hole that you push the tiles into and then it actually reshuffles and organizes all the tiles so that when it all comes up through the floor of the table the walls are already built up…in other words, an AUTOMATIC MAH JONGG TABLE!! It’s insane! I really want one & to send one to my parents. After we watch the elders there play some speed mah jongg, we walk around, take pictures and then all bai san individually.  There’s a roasted pig at the altar. Sigung busts firecrackers that scares the shit out of people which I saw coming a mile away! Then *** says Sigung wants an impromptu demo. It was crazy, no one was prepared. *** said Sigung wanted me to perform and I would totally have switched kung fu shoes with *** (because I was wearing my platform flip flops), but my jeans were too tight. I wasn’t worried about ripping my jeans, but more because those stupid jeans were low rise and I didn’t want my underwear flashing everyone.  I fail again at the Chan Family Memorial T.T  However, *** totally blanks on her form & Sigung even had to step out & show her moves. She’s the 2010 fail while I was the 2001 fail! Whew!  *** ends the demo. Then, we bow to a picture of Lee Kwan Shan (Sigung teases that he’s happy we’re there and that he’s smiling).  We’re all so hot & sweating badly at that point.  We head back into the bus & FINALLY to the hotel.

Our hotel for the night is the ChangFeng Hotel (we’re in room 519) & it’s FRIKKIN’ BALLER! Total 4-star hotel. When *** and I get to our room, I immediately read there’s a pool on the 8th floor. We quickly change & go up. It’s gorgeous and totally empty when we arrive!  Before we can even get in, we had to register with a pool attendant, put our stuff in lockers, get slippers and take a shower. The pool was soooo nice…overhanging blue fabric, view of the city, super clean and 2 fountains forcefully spewing water to “massage” our sore backs. We’re alone for about half an hour before *** from the Temple shows up. Another half hour, *** & crew show up.  *** and I decide to go (now that the entire pool is full of people plus I’m pruney as all heck) to get ready for dinner. At 7:00, we walk over to a restaurant next door to the hotel that had the best dessert…a taro filled sweet bun! After that, SiPoh wants to go for a foot washing, so a bunch of us walk over to it (which is on the other side next door to the hotel) just around the corner. Other people go to play ping pong with Sigung.

Ok, here’s where the night gets CRAAAAZY! We walk into this place & basically see girls in cute outfits (kinda like prom dresses) all dressed up with numbers. Companions for the night O.O We go up to the 6th floor where we register. I get into an elevator with *** from the Temple (because someone in there was smoking and we don’t seem to mind being exposed to smoke for a short while).  *** and I get served a menu and water.  It was quiet for like 2 minutes before everyone else elevators it up.  Then, we’re all led to this HUGE room with about 30 La-Z-Boy reclining foot washing chairs with personal TV sets attached to each one. Very modern and veeery different compared to 2001. I think I’m just getting a foot washing, but when ***’s and my girls come, they motion for us to have neck & back massage as well, so ok, fine. My foot washing girl starts with my left foot, I feel her touch my calf, run her knuckles along my shin & then I totally pass out! Next thing, I knew, she was gone, but there was still a towel on me. *** who was sitting right next to me said they (her and my girls) went to get hot towels, but that the foot washing was basically over. I don’t remember it at all!  *** said that SiPoh and *** went up to the 8th floor to get body massages, so we decide to do that as well since it was either only another 158Y or 158Y total (the actual foot massage was 108Y with the group discount). It seemed like that was what everyone else in our group seemed to have done and *** and I were the last ones in the room. So, our girls take us up to the 8th floor to this sweet ass huge room (that looks like a very fancy hotel room) with 2 massage tables (I was sooooo glad *** was with me since she could speak Mandarin and communicate with our girls). The room even had its own space age bathroom with clear glass sink & basin, the entire room was the shower and even a steam room/sauna! Craaaazy! The massage girls give us little navy kimonos & shorts to change into and leave the room for us to have privacy. Basically, *** and I go nuts running around the room and bathroom, taking pictures and checking out everything that we almost weren’t ready when the girls come back in.  We finally then start the entire body massage. My girl started with my face & front of body. I kind of sleep, but not really. It was a weird state of (un)consciousness. She then flips me over & proceeds to do my neck & back & shoulders AGAIN! It’s crazy that I just got those areas rubbed for half an hour and here she is again massaging me with the same pressure! By the time all was said & done, it was easily over 3 hours of bodywork all at once. I was a complete marshmallow!  When we’re finally done and dressed, we’re led again down to the 6th floor where we were told it was all paid for. We feel kind of sheepish, but we decide we’ll just settle with *** later who arranged all of it for us. *** and I still feel we should pay, so we thank and tip our girls. We’re finally told there was a 4th floor bridge that connects that massage building to our hotel.  Again, so crazy!  We don’t even have to go outside to go back to our hotel!  So we do what they suggest, but I can see it is kind of a tricky thing. The 4th floor opens up to where you can hear a karaoke bar, so you would be inclined to go have a drink and spend more money, but we’re so exhausted, we head straight to our rooms. Luckily, my roommate *** (who gave me the key earlier) finished up with her massage shortly before mine, so was not waiting too long for me at the elevator. We go into the room. She falls right asleep while I try to journal all this before I forget.  Total exhaustion finally sets in after such an incredibly unbelievable night!

Day #4: It’s a leisurely day….sort of :)  We get up at 9:00 to have breakfast over at the same dim sum restaurant again as a group. After that, we have pretty much most of the day free until the bus leaves for the tournament banquet. ***, *** & I head over to Sham Shui Po to try to find my Ramos which I didn’t see (of course), but I did see counterfeit iPads and iPhones all over the place! *** wanted to buy a new camera, but didn’t. We walked around the street stalls of SSP and didn’t see much that I was interested in buying.  It’s so mad hot and we’re tired of walking around, so we keep walking into drugstores with no interest of buying anything more than a drink, but to also walk around in the cool air conditioning until we’re ready to go outside again…ha!  We head back to the Prince Edward Street stalls.  I buy a couple of purses and *** gets some plastic sandals.  They were really cute and I considered buying a pair like them, except I remembered that I don’t wear flats…hahaha!  We head back to the hotel.  I mistakenly thought practice was 3:00 instead of 3:30, so I was kind of annoyed that I got dressed in workout clothes and no one was meeting up, so I went back to the room.  I fell asleep (whatta surprise) and totally miss out on practicing.

Finally, we all meet up at 5:00 to get on the bus. We drive over to the banquet place (a huge banquet style restaurant which we’re used to…just like China Pearl) except this one had a gorgeous view of the water & buildings. When we arrive, we’re actually fairly early, so the place was a little empty which was great.  We have time to orient ourselves on the nice big stage, take pictures and run through our programs. Before we know it, all the other martial masters, their students and other audience members start filling up the tables.  They set up chairs on stage for the masters and the night is underway.  They introduce all the masters, Master Chan included of course.  They pop balloons again like they did at the tournament.  Then, the event gets started with various martial arts demonstrations.  As we (the Boston school) are used to these kinds of banquets where food is being served, but we’re waiting for our turn to perform, we can’t really partake of the dinner yet.  Always a bummer since things look so good, but I also don’t like throwing up during my form…hahaha!  I think I remembered hearing that we were supposed to be group #25 in performing, but then I saw Sigung come over & complain to the emcee (I was nearer to the stage taking pictures) that we couldn’t eat, so then she announced our name (Wah Lum) immediately!  Awww man…it’s always a weird thing when you’re anxiously waiting to go and it’s hard to keep waiting, but then to go right away! Ah well, I’m used to it after all these years.  Things don’t go exactly the way we rehearsed, but well enough. I did my Shaolin form & that felt strong again. I saw the video afterwards of me doing my form and right after I fell into my split, the masters and students sitting down behind the stage clapped immediately :)  I’m always pleased when my split gets applause, especially when these masters have most likely seen and done it all.  They’re probably just surprised an old lady like me can get down like that…bwahaha!  After we perform, pose, bow and file off the stage, we finally get to eat!!!  As banquet favors, we receive little medals in a tiny red box that matched our big medals (so cute!) and the commemorative 40th anniversary copy of New Martial Arts Hero Magazine. So cool!  I spent the rest of the banquet talking with ***’s mom who sat next to me during dinner and was so very sweet.  She actually reminded me of my mother (sorry mom!).  After that, it’s back onto the bus and back to the hotel. When we get back, *** goes for her first foot massage with *** and the rest of them (which I warned her could be sketchy and she said it totally was), but I decide to stay behind to organize my suitcase and pack up since we have to check out and leave early in the morning.  It’s a big day tomorrow…we depart the relative safety of the mean streets of Hong Kong and finally venture into the wilds of CHINA!

whaaat??? i’m hungry!

meh, i guess the striped sheets are ok, mom. better than the flowery ones.

nap time!

i got so many new clothes for xmas, i haven’t even really used my old ones o.O

no, mommy, noooooooo!!! DON’T! WANT!

cos i forgot my sleep mask at home…

no, mommy…i don’t like being changed to a pencil sketch :(

awww mommy…a bowtie??? really?

mommy calls this a space heater. i call it my new best friend ^_^

a fringe necklace, mommy? really? REALLY???

i go high…you stay low.

is this my present from thailand? oh thank you mommy!!!

ashes? what’re ashes, mommy? & WHAT’YA mean i need a bath now???

where are we, mom? the 70s?

save me mommy!

the only way to watch the voice (& adam levine)…on a 150-inch projection screen :)

creepy dinner companion o.O

How to make a gif

photojojo:

This photography cheat sheet is more than just handy. It’s pretty, too.

Manual Photography Cheat Sheet by Miguel Yatco

p.s. Photojojo’s hiring!!! Both in & outside of SF. Web developers, photographer, store buyer, and freelance writers.

whitewhine:

Just a reminder to everyone to practice safe sex. 

*finally* REAL all-you-can-eat korean BBQ!

ffffood:

whoa

gastrogirl:

easy rainbow jello.

nevver:

What we’re reading

or people i want to machida front kick to the face…whatever works.

tenthousandthingstodo:

punksinparis:

mmmmmmmmm

oh my goodness.

oh my goodness is right!

hahaha! both animals are like WTF???

photojojo:

Sometimes getting that shot means strangling your kid.

by ??? via ak47, mizisocial

pwahahaha! GET THAT SHOT! 

mountquits:

The bread winner

exoticquixotic:

This is what Catholicism is all about. The message has always been love one another, and I’ve never been taught any differently or heard any qualifiers on who to love. There really are good Catholics out there.