UBBT: Worth 1 more good deed point?

I start my first professional term tomorrow morning. My IPT, me being a student teacher, is one of the more important things to do with my degree. It’s the first day and they highly recommend being well rested and guess what: my roommates who needed me to pick them up from the airport at 11 are now landing at 1:45am. So much for being well rested. I’m going to go pass out in my bed until then, and as I’m falling asleep I’ll ask myself if this is worth it for my 1000 good deeds requirement.


On a positive note, with the snow melting at this rate, I’ll be able to bike to my student teaching which is across the river and 8.5km away. With my new inner tube and trip-meter for my bike, I’m stoked to get on the trails again.

UBBT: Our Banquet

I don't know about the rest of you, but last night's banquet was by far the most enjoyable one yet. First I want to congradulate the new Sifus again. You all did so well! The demos on stage were fantastic! I especially like the part-by-part renditions of Lao Gar and Kempo. The Kempo one was kind of surreal because the two not doing the form were constantly moving, hands moving in and out almost pulsing, breathing in unison. It was just a really interesting effect. Broadswords, spears, butterfly knives, sticks, bokkens, feet and fists were all flying around that stage to full effect. The intensity was there to the Nth degree.

The lion dance was just hilarious when the lion was drunk. The facial expressions on that lion, with its mouth hanging open, it one I’ve seen on many of my friends and in the mirror a few times as well. Also, sweet reference to Night at the Roxbury! And as always, those guys pulled off some pretty sweet moves up there.
Watching the kid’s demos from the wings of the stage was both stressful and energizing. I was holding my breath through the beginner black dragons because I choreographed it. I made a couple changes to the line-up while in the basement and one of the Tiny Tigers someone snuck in to the group, but overall I think they did great. If anyone was sitting to the front of the room and right of the stage, they might have seen me rocking out to the music for those demos as well. I was having way too much fun.
Aside from what was on stage, the entire night was just an awesome experience. A huge number of students, me included, volunteered to help set up, mind tables, do odd-jobs, clean up, and just keep the place running smoothly all night. All of us helpers were talking and laughing while cleaning up and it went by so fast. There was a definite sense of community and we showed it by making ourselves a part of the celebration, being a part of it and owning it.
Happy Year of the Tiger! We definitely started it off right.

Happy Year of the Tiger!

I wish you a Happy Chinese New Year! 过你新年快乐！


As is the tradition with our school, 1000 pushups and situps. I just so happen to be awake right now and have done 200 of each so far. The rest will get done as soon as I wake up and throughout the day.

Also, it’s V-day. Good luck to everyone in getting through this holiday intact. Happy V-day!

UBBT: Herding Cats

Our school’s Chinese New Year celebration and black belt promotion ceremony is coming up way to fast. I’m not one of those moving up to black belt this year, and I wish them all the luck I have to offer, but I get to make the Demo for the beginner kid’s class. This task of getting about 30 kids in age from 6 to 11 to perform a choreographed demo to music on stage is not to be taken lightly, I realize now. Sometimes, making kids do things can feel like trying to herd cats. We’ve been working on it now for a few weeks and I was wondering if I might have started too late, but tonight’s class gave me a bit of much needed hope. I split the class into three groups, each group with a different short combo. I just tried for the first time to put it all together today with the blocking and the cues to come on stage and the music and all the madness that comes with putting this together. I’ve never actually done anything like this and, instead of getting advice or help, I’ve basically just been winging it but it is working. Somehow. The class impressed me today too: I asked them to stand quietly while I figured out each group’s entrance, exit and order on stage and, for the most part, they did. Of course they weren’t perfect, but considering that I asked them to stand still and do nothing, I’m happy with anything short of a riot. There is still a lot to smooth out and a few things to figure out, but it’s going to work.

Dream: Midgets in Bear Suits

I was walking down a street, looking for something. I’m not sure what. I was walking and I came to a parking lot. Someone had set up a stage that was shaped like a submarine that had breached the surface. as I approached, dozens of midgets in bear suits jumped up and started singing and dancing, with full cinematics and chorus lines and lights; it was a sight to behold, both stunningly choreographed and chaotic. They sang and danced and I sat against a block to watch this show that was for me alone. I was entertained and confused and a little disturbed. Then Ryan pranced onto the stage in a black leotard with little white hearts on it, singing the lead. This was really odd because Ryan is very homophobic and would never do this, ever. I was even more confused but laughing my arse off, glad to be sitting or else I’d have collapsed from my aching sides. As I laughed, he leaped onto the box I was leaning against and belted out his finishing lines. Just then, everyone stopped and in the background was Chris Griffin from Family Guy yelling, “I told you: I hate f---ing texts!” The whole show had just been an elaborate text.

UBBT: Short

This past week’s been tough. Midterms and big assignments and whatnot. I’m dropping the ball a little on my physical requirements and need to kick my own butt into gear again. I’ll start by busting out 300 pushups and situps and some Kempo repetitions before I get to bed. This is a really short blog, but I’ll make the next one really long and wordy, maybe even insightful too.