Hey there, Ken checking in his oft-neglected blog. :)
Anyway, X-mas came and went without incident. Got some nice sweaters and jeans and various other knicknacks.... Oh. And cash. Love the cash.
Let's see... recently I've taken up a strange new habit. I picked up a nasty cold that has popped in and out of my personal radar, and I remembered back when I was a wee toddler, my mother would make warm Coke/Pepsi to help make me feel better whenever I was sick. So now I'm taking every bit of soda we had in the house (Ginger Ale, Coconut Soda, you name it) and adding BOILING WATER to the mix inside of a nice sturdy mug. I think I'll be trying to drink all my sodas in the future like this... it's rather pleasant, and helps ease up on the sugar.
I haven't tried it on beer yet. Very, very, very hesitant on that.
Still training at PMAA. It's pretty dead there right now, as most of the members are away for the holidays. It's pretty cool though... kind of like getting as semi-private lesson with Eric or Sifu Nick.
Kung fu is on hiatus... doesn't start up again until after the New Year. Hope my flexibility hasn't completely taken a nose dive by then...
Friday, December 30, 2005
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Ah ha! Videooooooo!
Now you can see the cats in brilliant motion pictures. :)
http://media.putfile.com/Alls-Fair-in-Love-and-War
Enjoy!
http://media.putfile.com/Alls-Fair-in-Love-and-War
Enjoy!
Friday, December 23, 2005
Massive Catblog Pic post!
This ones for Ling... now he looks like a hat.
*Slurp* Yum.
Yeah, it's cheap housing... but it's free!
Happiness is a nap and a pillow.
We look so..... unenthusiastic.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Monday, November 21, 2005
Dan Inosanto Seminar - Aftermath
The second day of the Inosanto seminar went better than the first day for me. The pace was slightly less frenetic, and I felt more in tune with what was going on. Perhaps it's just a simple resignation on my part that I wasn't meant to get everything at once all the time, but instead to take whatever I can and run with it.
Having my friend as a drill partner helped a lot throughout the second day... he pointed out one or two things I didn't know or understand, and I pointed out one or two things he didn't know or understand... and it was done, and I guess we both got a common benefit from the seminar as a result. As it should be.
Guro Nick Sacoulas was super-helpful throughout the day, helping out all his students whenever he wasn't working out with one of the other instructors at the seminar. There will be plenty to work on once we're all back in PMAA for training.
One thing I wanted to share is my observation that Guro Inosanto, despite his legendary status and skills, is also quite a warm, humble human being. Most instructors do the demonstrations on their students, lending the aura of invincibility to themselves, the appearance of being nearly untouchable. Guro Inosanto, on the other hand, let his chief assistant do all the crazy super techniques and disarms on him, often explaining the technique as the assistant continued to "finish him off" with a rapid swirl of sinawali. This is not to say Inosanto didn't have a counter, as every once in a while somebody would ask "how to counter?" and he'd just go, "Oh, like this", and the audience would "ooh and aah" as he'd dismantle the once-invincible assistant in equally impressive fashion. Like I said in my previous post, he moves much faster and is much stronger than you'd imagine a 70 year old man to be. His willingness to have his assistant do all the techniques on him for demonstration shows tremendous humility and non-concern for such archaic Chinese and Japanese need to show "face", almost as if he was saying "He's kicking ass because I taught him to do that, and I'm proud of him and sure of myself.".
A Kali demonstration can get awfully hazardous whenever there is disarms involved. Sometimes during the demonstrations the sticks and training knives get ejected so forcefully the dislodged weapons just go flying into the audience... it was a miracle nobody got hurt!
After the seminar ended, there was a brief ceremony when they handed out certificates to those who attended both days of the seminar. Everybody got to shake Guro Inosanto's hand, and it was a great honor. I'm probably going to laminate or frame the certificate to preserve it.
Afterwards, like a masochist, I went for an hour of kung fu training. I don't know why I push my body to such extremes now, but I'm liking it. And looking for more.
Having my friend as a drill partner helped a lot throughout the second day... he pointed out one or two things I didn't know or understand, and I pointed out one or two things he didn't know or understand... and it was done, and I guess we both got a common benefit from the seminar as a result. As it should be.
Guro Nick Sacoulas was super-helpful throughout the day, helping out all his students whenever he wasn't working out with one of the other instructors at the seminar. There will be plenty to work on once we're all back in PMAA for training.
One thing I wanted to share is my observation that Guro Inosanto, despite his legendary status and skills, is also quite a warm, humble human being. Most instructors do the demonstrations on their students, lending the aura of invincibility to themselves, the appearance of being nearly untouchable. Guro Inosanto, on the other hand, let his chief assistant do all the crazy super techniques and disarms on him, often explaining the technique as the assistant continued to "finish him off" with a rapid swirl of sinawali. This is not to say Inosanto didn't have a counter, as every once in a while somebody would ask "how to counter?" and he'd just go, "Oh, like this", and the audience would "ooh and aah" as he'd dismantle the once-invincible assistant in equally impressive fashion. Like I said in my previous post, he moves much faster and is much stronger than you'd imagine a 70 year old man to be. His willingness to have his assistant do all the techniques on him for demonstration shows tremendous humility and non-concern for such archaic Chinese and Japanese need to show "face", almost as if he was saying "He's kicking ass because I taught him to do that, and I'm proud of him and sure of myself.".
A Kali demonstration can get awfully hazardous whenever there is disarms involved. Sometimes during the demonstrations the sticks and training knives get ejected so forcefully the dislodged weapons just go flying into the audience... it was a miracle nobody got hurt!
After the seminar ended, there was a brief ceremony when they handed out certificates to those who attended both days of the seminar. Everybody got to shake Guro Inosanto's hand, and it was a great honor. I'm probably going to laminate or frame the certificate to preserve it.
Afterwards, like a masochist, I went for an hour of kung fu training. I don't know why I push my body to such extremes now, but I'm liking it. And looking for more.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Dan Inosanto Seminar
I just got up about 3 hours ago from a comatose nap induced by my first martial arts seminar... I was so exhausted! Dan Inosanto is in town, and gave the first day of a 2-day seminar on JKD, Silat, and Kali. For a man that is supposed to be celebrating his 70th birthday in a few months, he sure doesn't move like his age. His eyes are still bright and his movements very sure, and seems to be the pantheon of health. I'm sure his late friend Bruce Lee would have been proud.
We started off with a little bit of light shadowboxing to get warmed up, then proceeded to work through some standard kick-punch combinations, mostly off of counters. Each of these was followed by a "blitz", which was usually 7 seconds of rapidly hammering a combination over and over as many times as possible, which I imagine served both as a way to up the cardio and keep everybody loose and alert. Each of these combinations were first demonstrated by various members of Nubreed Martial Arts, who is hosting this seminar. Their movements were crisp and efficient, and seemed to please Guro Inosanto. Of particular note were these two little girls, who were quite fast and sure with most of the combinations (some of which strung out to as many as 6 or 7 techniques long!), and this got some big applause from all of us attendees.
We then broke for lunch, and got to digest our food while enjoying some native Filipino music, the players of which mostly hailed from Mindinao and other parts of the southern Phillipines. They continued to play as Guro Inosanto brought us through a whole punch of single stick, double stick, stick and dagger, and silat exercises. It really made for an interesting effect! (We usually have hard pumping techno or hip-hop going at PMAA)
Now, a couple of notes of frustration, most of which stems from not being used to this type of thing, even though I have some modest experience in martial arts. First of all, Guro Inosanto talks fast, and goes through multiple possibilities of each technique and motion quickly as well. (Okay here we go... you can do this... I'll show it again.. you can do this. You can also do this, this, this, this, this, and this. Need to see it again? Okay, here we go...) I now know where Guro Nick Sacoulas got his style of teaching. :) I think this is because of the very fluid nature of combat, and also Guro Inosanto needs to cater to the more advanced students so they get what they pay for. However, you can see how this could utterly confuse a much less advanced student such as myself, as I'm still trying to process the first 3 techniques, as he's going on to maybe the 4th through the 7th variations. I have about 7 months of Kali under my belt... consider how bewildered somebody would be if they had zero to 2 months experience! I suppose as I grow and get more accustomed to the system, the next seminar will be more fruitful, and so all I can do is practice hard so I'll be less lost next time. Moral of the story: Seminars are most beneficial to those who have considerable experience in what they are going to the seminar for. Beginners such as myself should prepare for a bit of frustration, but I've learned that it's normal.
My other point of frustration, is how important it is to have a partner of roughly equivalent skill and a good demeanor and training ethic to work with. I found myself stuck working with somebody that... and I'm trying to be diplomatic here.... has at best sub-optimal hand-eye coordination, the attention span of a fruit fly, and the cognitive ability of a three-toed sloth. It was getting to the point of being dangerous, as I would watch his brain shut off and just random flailing ensues as he wouldn't pay attention that what the drill was (we'd often just work one or two out of the 5,6, or 7 technique variations... which is fine with me, because I'd rather get a few techniques right rather than crap all over 7 and get nothing from the seminar), and what angles and sequences he did attempt were nearly unrecognizable. I will state that this person seems like a really nice guy, and maybe there's a reason, medical or otherwise, for his shortcomings (we all have them), but I felt he was very hazardous and frustrating to train with.
A friend of mine also got stuck with a partner who obviously has much more experience in JKD/Wing Chun... which is fine. Except, my friends partner insists on sucking up valuable training time trying to re-teach the whole concept, and going full-tilt full-blast all the time. We're talking about Guro Inosanto here... there's no need to try to reteach and modify what a living legend in the art has already assigned as the drill. And full blast kicks to the knees are just damned dangerous (I should know... my knee was totally messed up from such a kick during a Kempo class some 10 years ago... it hasn't been the same since) as well as overpowered joint locks. I've had one class where I had to partner up with this guy, and I totally sympathize.
Needless to say, hopefully, my friend and I will try to get there early tomorrow and partner up to avoid the same respective situations again, so that we'll have more fun at the 2nd day of the seminar. It's an extreme honor to be in the presence of a living legend like Dan Inosanto, and I look forward to gleaning a little more from the immense wealth of experience, kindness, and dedication this man has!
Wish me luck!
We started off with a little bit of light shadowboxing to get warmed up, then proceeded to work through some standard kick-punch combinations, mostly off of counters. Each of these was followed by a "blitz", which was usually 7 seconds of rapidly hammering a combination over and over as many times as possible, which I imagine served both as a way to up the cardio and keep everybody loose and alert. Each of these combinations were first demonstrated by various members of Nubreed Martial Arts, who is hosting this seminar. Their movements were crisp and efficient, and seemed to please Guro Inosanto. Of particular note were these two little girls, who were quite fast and sure with most of the combinations (some of which strung out to as many as 6 or 7 techniques long!), and this got some big applause from all of us attendees.
We then broke for lunch, and got to digest our food while enjoying some native Filipino music, the players of which mostly hailed from Mindinao and other parts of the southern Phillipines. They continued to play as Guro Inosanto brought us through a whole punch of single stick, double stick, stick and dagger, and silat exercises. It really made for an interesting effect! (We usually have hard pumping techno or hip-hop going at PMAA)
Now, a couple of notes of frustration, most of which stems from not being used to this type of thing, even though I have some modest experience in martial arts. First of all, Guro Inosanto talks fast, and goes through multiple possibilities of each technique and motion quickly as well. (Okay here we go... you can do this... I'll show it again.. you can do this. You can also do this, this, this, this, this, and this. Need to see it again? Okay, here we go...) I now know where Guro Nick Sacoulas got his style of teaching. :) I think this is because of the very fluid nature of combat, and also Guro Inosanto needs to cater to the more advanced students so they get what they pay for. However, you can see how this could utterly confuse a much less advanced student such as myself, as I'm still trying to process the first 3 techniques, as he's going on to maybe the 4th through the 7th variations. I have about 7 months of Kali under my belt... consider how bewildered somebody would be if they had zero to 2 months experience! I suppose as I grow and get more accustomed to the system, the next seminar will be more fruitful, and so all I can do is practice hard so I'll be less lost next time. Moral of the story: Seminars are most beneficial to those who have considerable experience in what they are going to the seminar for. Beginners such as myself should prepare for a bit of frustration, but I've learned that it's normal.
My other point of frustration, is how important it is to have a partner of roughly equivalent skill and a good demeanor and training ethic to work with. I found myself stuck working with somebody that... and I'm trying to be diplomatic here.... has at best sub-optimal hand-eye coordination, the attention span of a fruit fly, and the cognitive ability of a three-toed sloth. It was getting to the point of being dangerous, as I would watch his brain shut off and just random flailing ensues as he wouldn't pay attention that what the drill was (we'd often just work one or two out of the 5,6, or 7 technique variations... which is fine with me, because I'd rather get a few techniques right rather than crap all over 7 and get nothing from the seminar), and what angles and sequences he did attempt were nearly unrecognizable. I will state that this person seems like a really nice guy, and maybe there's a reason, medical or otherwise, for his shortcomings (we all have them), but I felt he was very hazardous and frustrating to train with.
A friend of mine also got stuck with a partner who obviously has much more experience in JKD/Wing Chun... which is fine. Except, my friends partner insists on sucking up valuable training time trying to re-teach the whole concept, and going full-tilt full-blast all the time. We're talking about Guro Inosanto here... there's no need to try to reteach and modify what a living legend in the art has already assigned as the drill. And full blast kicks to the knees are just damned dangerous (I should know... my knee was totally messed up from such a kick during a Kempo class some 10 years ago... it hasn't been the same since) as well as overpowered joint locks. I've had one class where I had to partner up with this guy, and I totally sympathize.
Needless to say, hopefully, my friend and I will try to get there early tomorrow and partner up to avoid the same respective situations again, so that we'll have more fun at the 2nd day of the seminar. It's an extreme honor to be in the presence of a living legend like Dan Inosanto, and I look forward to gleaning a little more from the immense wealth of experience, kindness, and dedication this man has!
Wish me luck!
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Monday, November 07, 2005
Friday, October 28, 2005
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
African Roots in the Martial Arts: An Interview with Kilindi Iyi
African Roots in the Martial Arts: An Interview with Kilindi Iyi
I was just surfing through the net randomly, searching for martial-arts related stuff... It's an interesting article. Go read it.
I was just surfing through the net randomly, searching for martial-arts related stuff... It's an interesting article. Go read it.
Friday, October 14, 2005
I hate the rain now...
The northeast US has been deluged with rain for almost 5 straight days now, and doesn't look to let up until Sunday....
I just realized I haven't really seen the sun clearly for about that amount of time. No wonder everybody is depressed.
I just realized I haven't really seen the sun clearly for about that amount of time. No wonder everybody is depressed.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
The Official Ribena Website rocks!
The Official Ribena Website
... and I love how it tastes... been drinking this stuff ever since I was a wee toddler. Good for your health too!
... and I love how it tastes... been drinking this stuff ever since I was a wee toddler. Good for your health too!
Friday, September 30, 2005
Crikey!
Ouch... Kali really messes with your arms and hands... I'm so sore right now...
Today at PMAA we were practicing Heaven Six Sinawali in a variety of configurations.... standing up, moving side to side, forward and back, in a circle both directions, kneeling, sitting, lying down... We were doing this for nearly an hour straight. Took a couple of nice cracks to my lead right knuckle...
Went on a date with a beautiful and lovely woman tonight. Enjoyable conversation, and a fine taste for Japanese food. We currently are at "Friends" stage, for now and the forseeable future, if anything.
It's a bit disappointing, but I enjoy friendship as much as I enjoy loving.
In this world of chaos, there is surely a shortage of both, and it must be cherished.
Today at PMAA we were practicing Heaven Six Sinawali in a variety of configurations.... standing up, moving side to side, forward and back, in a circle both directions, kneeling, sitting, lying down... We were doing this for nearly an hour straight. Took a couple of nice cracks to my lead right knuckle...
Went on a date with a beautiful and lovely woman tonight. Enjoyable conversation, and a fine taste for Japanese food. We currently are at "Friends" stage, for now and the forseeable future, if anything.
It's a bit disappointing, but I enjoy friendship as much as I enjoy loving.
In this world of chaos, there is surely a shortage of both, and it must be cherished.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Mmmmm...
I've had a good weekend these past 3 days.... Very special people out there, and I'm honored to be with them.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Oh sweet blessed internet!
It's back... it's back... YAY!
... and it turns out the outage was because some repairperson forgot to reconnect the cable while doing some routine service.... ARGH!
Incompetance... I know sometimes it can't be helped, but damn, it sure seems to be spreading like a disease.
... and it turns out the outage was because some repairperson forgot to reconnect the cable while doing some routine service.... ARGH!
Incompetance... I know sometimes it can't be helped, but damn, it sure seems to be spreading like a disease.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Yarrrrrrrrr!
Yarrr! I be an internet wireless pirate!
Actually, not really. But the broadband cable in my house seems to be out of commission, robbing us of internet and cable TV. (I need my American Chopper fix! argh! Curse ye, Time Warner Cable!) You never really appreciate these things until they're taken away from you. Hopefully the cable company would get off their lazy asses and fix it. (I think it's a branch or something that knocked something loose on the pole during Saturdays' severe rainstorm).
So, if you've been trying to reach me over the past few days, that's why I've been slow in responding to e-mails. Best to reach me via cellphone, unless Cingular goes to the crapper too.
Actually, not really. But the broadband cable in my house seems to be out of commission, robbing us of internet and cable TV. (I need my American Chopper fix! argh! Curse ye, Time Warner Cable!) You never really appreciate these things until they're taken away from you. Hopefully the cable company would get off their lazy asses and fix it. (I think it's a branch or something that knocked something loose on the pole during Saturdays' severe rainstorm).
So, if you've been trying to reach me over the past few days, that's why I've been slow in responding to e-mails. Best to reach me via cellphone, unless Cingular goes to the crapper too.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
???? - QuickTime - SHINOBI
???? - QuickTime - SHINOBI
I totally want to see this movie... wish I was in Japan!
It has a song by Ayu as well! ;)
I totally want to see this movie... wish I was in Japan!
It has a song by Ayu as well! ;)
Friday, September 09, 2005
Ananova - Woman, 93, grabbed robber where it hurts
Ananova - Woman, 93, grabbed robber where it hurts
*snicker*..... *chortle*.... *giggle*.....
BWHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAA!
*snicker*..... *chortle*.... *giggle*.....
BWHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAA!
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Dynasty Warriors 5
... has been my new obsession. Yes, I know it's a very odd view of old Chinese history and legend, wrapped up in a video game that has rather repetitive gameplay and odd voice acting. Yes, I know they essentially keep releasing the same game over and over with a few minor tweaks each year. But dammit, it's fun. :)
http://www.koei.com/launch/dw5/index.htm
http://www.koei.com/launch/dw5/index.htm
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
An Angry 'Times-Picayune' Calls for Firing of FEMA Chief, and Others, in Open Letter to President Bush
An Angry 'Times-Picayune' Calls for Firing of FEMA Chief, and Others, in Open Letter to President Bush: "Here is the text.
***
We heard you loud and clear Friday when you visited our devastated city and the Gulf Coast and said, 'What is not working, we�re going to make it right.'
Please forgive us if we wait to see proof of your promise before believing you. But we have good reason for our skepticism.
Bienville built New Orleans where he built it for one main reason: It�s accessible. The city between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain was easy to reach in 1718.
How much easier it is to access in 2005 now that there are interstates and bridges, airports and helipads, cruise ships, barges, buses and diesel-powered trucks.
Despite the city�s multiple points of entry, our nation�s bureaucrats spent days after last week�s hurricane wringing their hands, lamenting the fact that they could neither rescue the city�s stranded victims nor bring them food, water and medical supplies.
Meanwhile there were journalists, including some who work for The Times-Picayune, going in and out of the city via the Crescent City Connection. On Thursday morning, that crew saw a caravan of 13 Wal-Mart tractor trailers headed into town to bring food, water and supplies to a dying city.
Television reporters were doing live reports from downtown New Orleans streets. Harry Connick Jr. brought in some aid Thursday, and his efforts were the focus of a 'Today' show story Friday morning.
Yet, the people trained to protect our nation, the people whose job it is to quickly bring in aid were absent. Those who should have been deploying troops were singing a sad song about how our city was impossible to reach.
***
We heard you loud and clear Friday when you visited our devastated city and the Gulf Coast and said, 'What is not working, we�re going to make it right.'
Please forgive us if we wait to see proof of your promise before believing you. But we have good reason for our skepticism.
Bienville built New Orleans where he built it for one main reason: It�s accessible. The city between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain was easy to reach in 1718.
How much easier it is to access in 2005 now that there are interstates and bridges, airports and helipads, cruise ships, barges, buses and diesel-powered trucks.
Despite the city�s multiple points of entry, our nation�s bureaucrats spent days after last week�s hurricane wringing their hands, lamenting the fact that they could neither rescue the city�s stranded victims nor bring them food, water and medical supplies.
Meanwhile there were journalists, including some who work for The Times-Picayune, going in and out of the city via the Crescent City Connection. On Thursday morning, that crew saw a caravan of 13 Wal-Mart tractor trailers headed into town to bring food, water and supplies to a dying city.
Television reporters were doing live reports from downtown New Orleans streets. Harry Connick Jr. brought in some aid Thursday, and his efforts were the focus of a 'Today' show story Friday morning.
Yet, the people trained to protect our nation, the people whose job it is to quickly bring in aid were absent. Those who should have been deploying troops were singing a sad song about how our city was impossible to reach.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Kayne West says George W Bush doesn�t care - NME.COM
Kayne West says George W Bush doesn�t care - NME.COM: "'I hate the way they treat us in the media, when you see a black family it says they're looting when you see a white family it says they're looking for food,' said West before personally targeting the President.
'George Bush doesn't care about black people,' he declared adding that America is set up 'to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible', Billboard reports."
'George Bush doesn't care about black people,' he declared adding that America is set up 'to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible', Billboard reports."
Good site for political commentary and stuff
Man, I like the way this guy thinks and talks.
http://www.xoverboard.com/
In other news, I'm growing my hair back again... Shampoo and conditioner, I almost forgot what it was like.
http://www.xoverboard.com/
In other news, I'm growing my hair back again... Shampoo and conditioner, I almost forgot what it was like.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Gasoline Rant
Okay, so I've been in and out of the country this summer, and haven't driven around much. When I left for China, gas around $2.36 for 93 octane (the only grade my car could take, I think... @#$%@# 1.8 liter Turbo Volkswagen engine). High, but manageable.
So... I fill up my car for the first time in a while.... cost me $50 bucks! Gas around my area has now skyrocketed to $4.07 for the same grade.
Public transportation is looking much more appealing now.
But hey, at least it's still cheaper than in Europe... over there, I saw prices for 97 pence per liter. So... basically that equals about 7 or 8 US Dollars per gallon.
So... I fill up my car for the first time in a while.... cost me $50 bucks! Gas around my area has now skyrocketed to $4.07 for the same grade.
Public transportation is looking much more appealing now.
But hey, at least it's still cheaper than in Europe... over there, I saw prices for 97 pence per liter. So... basically that equals about 7 or 8 US Dollars per gallon.
Finally got around to it...
Photos from the England-Scotland COS tour are now up! You can access them here.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Off to Scotland soon!
Yeah yeah, I know, never update until something big comes up.... But anyway, I'll be touring with the Children's Orchestra Society in their tour to Scotland and England. It'll be the first time I've stayed for any length in a European country! I'm quite excited!
Originally, I was just supposed to do a little piccolo and chaperone or do sectional work in the trip, but it seems I'm playing more flute than I bargained for, because one of the flute students had a last minute cancellation of the trip. Fortunately, we have a viola player that could fill in for some of the stuff.
The COS is a very talented bunch, and I'm proud of the musical spirit of these young folks that is well beyond their apparent years.
Unfortunately for me and my metabolism, we've been rehearsing pretty often, and I've tried to make it to most of the recent rehearsals.... meaning I've put some severe disruption in my training schedule for martial arts. :( I'll go for one more kali class (and possibly the muay thai class afterward, depending on what the schedule holds) to try to get some last minute exercise before having to rush off to JFK airport for the flight to Edinburgh. At least it's not as long as the flight to Asia, and thus, less inactivity. The trip is also relatively short (yay!), going from the 18th to the 27th. I'm scheduling my lessons around beginning of September, because I'm guessing I'll need some adjustment from jetlag and some "me" time.
Looking forward to this trip... I think it's going to be a good fun one.
Originally, I was just supposed to do a little piccolo and chaperone or do sectional work in the trip, but it seems I'm playing more flute than I bargained for, because one of the flute students had a last minute cancellation of the trip. Fortunately, we have a viola player that could fill in for some of the stuff.
The COS is a very talented bunch, and I'm proud of the musical spirit of these young folks that is well beyond their apparent years.
Unfortunately for me and my metabolism, we've been rehearsing pretty often, and I've tried to make it to most of the recent rehearsals.... meaning I've put some severe disruption in my training schedule for martial arts. :( I'll go for one more kali class (and possibly the muay thai class afterward, depending on what the schedule holds) to try to get some last minute exercise before having to rush off to JFK airport for the flight to Edinburgh. At least it's not as long as the flight to Asia, and thus, less inactivity. The trip is also relatively short (yay!), going from the 18th to the 27th. I'm scheduling my lessons around beginning of September, because I'm guessing I'll need some adjustment from jetlag and some "me" time.
Looking forward to this trip... I think it's going to be a good fun one.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
UHnnnn......
Got back last Thursday from the long trip in China (actually wasn't that long, just felt like it), finishing off assisting in some solos for a certain youth orchestra tour (It's not Children's Orchestra Society's gig, and you'll see why I stress this later). Planes, with their hideously pressurized and recycled air, get me very sick, and I've lost my voice. Only the Airbus 330, with it's heavily moisturized air streaming from the top in a heavenly fog, gave the most comfortable ride.
Trained in kung fu on Sunday, vaguely remembering my forms. Was a rough workout. Gao seemed pleasantly surprised to see me back there.
Had full intentions of training Muay Thai Monday, but jet lag and relapse of illness caused me to oversleep my nap... Just as well, since it's not good to be hitting people, or being hit by people, while sleepy and dizzy. :)
I'll probably make up for it tomorrow if I go to the JKD class on Tuesday. I really need the exercise, because pretty much all I did in China was eat, drink, and sit on a tour bus. Didn't really gain that much weight per se, but definately had some muscle reduced to fat.
So people ask me regarding China and Taiwan... How did it go?
The performances went alright, but I had a lot of profound disagreements with the way the tour was being operated. Logistically, planning was okay, and the touring company was top notch, with the exception of some near disasters at the Beijing train station, barely making our train. The main beef I had was the focus of the tour... it seemed a lot less centered on the children and the music, and more centered on shopping for the parents, and excessive sightseeing to the point that some people (including myself) became ill because of the constant shift between 101 degree humid weather outside and dry 70 degree tour bus temperature, as well as excessive political posturing for the benefit of certain top members of the organization.
Being a musician, a tour should focus on the music, and the music must be as top quality as possible. Anything less, to me, is unacceptable. Rehearsals were too long and too far spaced out, and lacked detail and polish. Mostly they were just unneccessary run-throughs, more for the benefit of the brass ringers - who were there anyway just to cover up a shockingly weak string section core, and the conductor - who is a nice guy and good musician, but is clearly lacking confidence in his group, the sense of which subliminally affected his orchestra. This was exacerbated by the fact that the children were exhausted.... sightseeing was compressed and rushed through, even on the day of a concert, tiring the kids to the point that they didn't want to and/or were unable to rehearse/perform at maximum concentration. On one particular concert day, the kids were made to wear full concert dress in an outdoor setting in near 97 degree weather, for about 3 hours... all just to take fancy pictures and a meeting with the Mayor of Taipei (who wasn't wearing a suit, by the way). I had it easy... all I had to do was play a 7 minute piece, with maybe maximum 20 minutes of rehearsal... the poor kids were faced with a nearly 3 hour rehearsal with no break(!).
It is why, after seeing what happened during the course of the year, and especially on this recent tour, that I'm severing all ties to this organization best unnamed, and concentrating full-time with the Children's Orchestra Society. It is, in my opinion, the choice for any young musician and parent of a young musician, because it's all about the music, and it's all about the children.
Okay, enough ranting... I'll be posting again soon for a pic or two.
Trained in kung fu on Sunday, vaguely remembering my forms. Was a rough workout. Gao seemed pleasantly surprised to see me back there.
Had full intentions of training Muay Thai Monday, but jet lag and relapse of illness caused me to oversleep my nap... Just as well, since it's not good to be hitting people, or being hit by people, while sleepy and dizzy. :)
I'll probably make up for it tomorrow if I go to the JKD class on Tuesday. I really need the exercise, because pretty much all I did in China was eat, drink, and sit on a tour bus. Didn't really gain that much weight per se, but definately had some muscle reduced to fat.
So people ask me regarding China and Taiwan... How did it go?
The performances went alright, but I had a lot of profound disagreements with the way the tour was being operated. Logistically, planning was okay, and the touring company was top notch, with the exception of some near disasters at the Beijing train station, barely making our train. The main beef I had was the focus of the tour... it seemed a lot less centered on the children and the music, and more centered on shopping for the parents, and excessive sightseeing to the point that some people (including myself) became ill because of the constant shift between 101 degree humid weather outside and dry 70 degree tour bus temperature, as well as excessive political posturing for the benefit of certain top members of the organization.
Being a musician, a tour should focus on the music, and the music must be as top quality as possible. Anything less, to me, is unacceptable. Rehearsals were too long and too far spaced out, and lacked detail and polish. Mostly they were just unneccessary run-throughs, more for the benefit of the brass ringers - who were there anyway just to cover up a shockingly weak string section core, and the conductor - who is a nice guy and good musician, but is clearly lacking confidence in his group, the sense of which subliminally affected his orchestra. This was exacerbated by the fact that the children were exhausted.... sightseeing was compressed and rushed through, even on the day of a concert, tiring the kids to the point that they didn't want to and/or were unable to rehearse/perform at maximum concentration. On one particular concert day, the kids were made to wear full concert dress in an outdoor setting in near 97 degree weather, for about 3 hours... all just to take fancy pictures and a meeting with the Mayor of Taipei (who wasn't wearing a suit, by the way). I had it easy... all I had to do was play a 7 minute piece, with maybe maximum 20 minutes of rehearsal... the poor kids were faced with a nearly 3 hour rehearsal with no break(!).
It is why, after seeing what happened during the course of the year, and especially on this recent tour, that I'm severing all ties to this organization best unnamed, and concentrating full-time with the Children's Orchestra Society. It is, in my opinion, the choice for any young musician and parent of a young musician, because it's all about the music, and it's all about the children.
Okay, enough ranting... I'll be posting again soon for a pic or two.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Meow meow MEOW! (translation: very late cat pics!)
Chabi and Nabi pics, finally, as promised... using my new S-E 710a. :)
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Why, hello there
Yup, another month without posting anything... it's no wonder the women think I'm unreliable. :-)
Anyway, decided to switch to Cingular and get a new cellphone... Verizon is great, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't work internationally and accept SIM cards. I got a Sony Ericcson S710a phone, and it takes great cat pictures. I just have to get off my lazy ass to actually post a few. It's a full featured phone, and I've been having fun playing with the Bluetooth connectivity.
Was working out in Kali class yesterday, trying out some of the newer sticks I bought to test out... my training partner for the class was going fast and furious during the Heaven Six drills, and I looked at my left stick - completely shattered on the surface! A quick inspection of his sticks revealed the reason... they were like 35% bigger in diameter and much much heavier! Turns out size, at least in stickfighting, does matter. :P
Ok, I promise to post more often... (fingers crossed). :)
Anyway, decided to switch to Cingular and get a new cellphone... Verizon is great, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't work internationally and accept SIM cards. I got a Sony Ericcson S710a phone, and it takes great cat pictures. I just have to get off my lazy ass to actually post a few. It's a full featured phone, and I've been having fun playing with the Bluetooth connectivity.
Was working out in Kali class yesterday, trying out some of the newer sticks I bought to test out... my training partner for the class was going fast and furious during the Heaven Six drills, and I looked at my left stick - completely shattered on the surface! A quick inspection of his sticks revealed the reason... they were like 35% bigger in diameter and much much heavier! Turns out size, at least in stickfighting, does matter. :P
Ok, I promise to post more often... (fingers crossed). :)
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Monday, June 06, 2005
"It's hot, hot. Africa hot! Never got this hot in Brooklyn!"
Name the movie that this quote came from. Clue: Matthew Broderick said the line.
Anyway, it is indeed hot in NYC now... all the strange weeks of sometimes unseasonably cold weather has given way to perfectly seasonable yet muggy weather. And my air conditioner died, with impeccable timing. Time to find a replacement.
On a quick preview note, The Children's Orchestra Society, of which yours truly is an assistant conductor and alumnus, will be having it's final concert for the 2004-2005 season on June 12th at 4pm. Concert will take place at the Ralph and Ricky Lauren Performing Arts center. It is located at 30th Ave & 75th Street, Jackson Heights in Queens. More details to come in a few days.
Anyway, it is indeed hot in NYC now... all the strange weeks of sometimes unseasonably cold weather has given way to perfectly seasonable yet muggy weather. And my air conditioner died, with impeccable timing. Time to find a replacement.
On a quick preview note, The Children's Orchestra Society, of which yours truly is an assistant conductor and alumnus, will be having it's final concert for the 2004-2005 season on June 12th at 4pm. Concert will take place at the Ralph and Ricky Lauren Performing Arts center. It is located at 30th Ave & 75th Street, Jackson Heights in Queens. More details to come in a few days.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Saturday, May 21, 2005
What I do as part of my living...
These pictures were taken by my friend Raymond Kim at the May 12th JSE showcase.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
UNLEASHED!
Saw Jet Li's new movie on Sunday... it's very good! Bob Hoskins and Morgan Freeman were their usual amazing acting selves, but Jet Li really impressed me with his improvement. You could actually see his character develop within himself as the movie went along. It is reported that Li actually got acting coaching this time around, and it shows!
The martial arts choreography was done by Yuen Woo Ping... pretty good, although I prefer the fancier moves of his usual repertoire rather than the nitty gritty no-holds-barred style of fight that (rightly so) was drawn up for the combat scenes in "Unleashed". Camera angles were a bit choppy, but that's to be expected when working with stunt people who aren't used to memorizing long complex move sequences.
The nice thing about this movie? Mozart's music saves the day. :) Go see it!
The martial arts choreography was done by Yuen Woo Ping... pretty good, although I prefer the fancier moves of his usual repertoire rather than the nitty gritty no-holds-barred style of fight that (rightly so) was drawn up for the combat scenes in "Unleashed". Camera angles were a bit choppy, but that's to be expected when working with stunt people who aren't used to memorizing long complex move sequences.
The nice thing about this movie? Mozart's music saves the day. :) Go see it!
Monday, May 09, 2005
Hello again.... :P
Oopsie... it's been quite a while since I posted anything, eh?
Things have been going okay in the world of Ken. Let's count the ways.
Music: Students are doing well as always, though the NYSSMA debacle that happens every year has reared up it's ugly head again. It's a crap system that just stamps a grade on music students, most of whom are forced to perform a piece that's above their level. The parents usually don't even understand the system... all they see and care is whether their child has an "A+" next to their name. Never mind that it takes away valuable lesson time better spent on etudes and improving musical attributes in favor of spoonfeeding (or forcefeeding) a student a piece they may or may not be ready for. My non-NYSSMA students are 9 times out of 10 the better-advancing ones.
Orchestra-wise, the JSE is finally shaping up to become yet another fine group in the COS continuum. The recent round of placement auditions has upped everybody's level, and they did a fine job in the May 7th showcase. I'm looking forward to June's concert! Will announce that when the time draws near.
Martial Arts: Gao's Kung Fu Academy recently had a nice demonstration appearance at Union Square NYC Sunday May 8th. My friends Jason Kong and Peter Lundgren recently attained the Academy's first Black sashes. Congratulations to them! It'll probably be about another year before I attain Black sash... 4 more forms to learn, and lots and lots of repetition and practice.
I love kung fu, but it's beginning to take an extreme toll on my body, particularly my knees and my ankle, all of which have been suffering injuries the past few years. The low stances, the huge expansive movements, and the frequent jumps... very beautiful stuff to behold, yet increasingly troublesome for old Ken to pull off. Hee hee! There's also the issue of combat efficacy in training, since we don't do any sparring, mostly forms and conditioning (the sparring is supposed to start around Black Sash level in the Academy).
I've recently starting taking Filipino Kali classes, as well as some basic Jeet Kune Do and Muay Thai basic training at Progressive Martial Arts Academy. These are very compact and combat-efficient styles... not as pretty, but very much straight to the point. In particular, I like the Kali classes, due to the speed and intensity of the training as we practice double stick, single stick, and blade drills. Sifu/Guro Nick Sacoulas is an excellent teacher and coach. Surprisingly, I've found quite a few similar maneuvers between the systems I've been studying. While studying something other than kung fu might be construed as disruptive to kung fu training, instead, I've found many things that affirm concepts on either side of the system fence. :)
I'll still study kung fu as long as I'm able, because of its deep historical and cultural ties to a long-ago ancestral homeland, and its beautiful movements that lend itself better to film, as well as it's top conditioning regimen that improves strength and flexibility. I'll continue to study Kali/JKD/MT as long as I'm able, because it's no-nonsense and straight to the point, needed for friendly sparring and deadly combat. Martial Arts expression is what I'm looking for, and these all are part of my training.
Cats: Cute as ever, and the weather is getting warmer, so I'll be letting them outdoors once in a while. They both act as ambassadors to my flute studio. ;)
Love life: Non-existant, as always. Too busy with all the things I want and/or have to do. And the few people I want to get together with are too busy too. Oh well.
Hobbies/Gaming: City of Heroes still is my main hobby. Recently started Guild Wars as a side diversion. Finished Jade Empire, and I highly recommend it for anybody who wanted to play their way through a kung-fu style tale.
Well, that's it for now. Will post again as soon as I can... that'll either be several days or several weeks. :)
Things have been going okay in the world of Ken. Let's count the ways.
Music: Students are doing well as always, though the NYSSMA debacle that happens every year has reared up it's ugly head again. It's a crap system that just stamps a grade on music students, most of whom are forced to perform a piece that's above their level. The parents usually don't even understand the system... all they see and care is whether their child has an "A+" next to their name. Never mind that it takes away valuable lesson time better spent on etudes and improving musical attributes in favor of spoonfeeding (or forcefeeding) a student a piece they may or may not be ready for. My non-NYSSMA students are 9 times out of 10 the better-advancing ones.
Orchestra-wise, the JSE is finally shaping up to become yet another fine group in the COS continuum. The recent round of placement auditions has upped everybody's level, and they did a fine job in the May 7th showcase. I'm looking forward to June's concert! Will announce that when the time draws near.
Martial Arts: Gao's Kung Fu Academy recently had a nice demonstration appearance at Union Square NYC Sunday May 8th. My friends Jason Kong and Peter Lundgren recently attained the Academy's first Black sashes. Congratulations to them! It'll probably be about another year before I attain Black sash... 4 more forms to learn, and lots and lots of repetition and practice.
I love kung fu, but it's beginning to take an extreme toll on my body, particularly my knees and my ankle, all of which have been suffering injuries the past few years. The low stances, the huge expansive movements, and the frequent jumps... very beautiful stuff to behold, yet increasingly troublesome for old Ken to pull off. Hee hee! There's also the issue of combat efficacy in training, since we don't do any sparring, mostly forms and conditioning (the sparring is supposed to start around Black Sash level in the Academy).
I've recently starting taking Filipino Kali classes, as well as some basic Jeet Kune Do and Muay Thai basic training at Progressive Martial Arts Academy. These are very compact and combat-efficient styles... not as pretty, but very much straight to the point. In particular, I like the Kali classes, due to the speed and intensity of the training as we practice double stick, single stick, and blade drills. Sifu/Guro Nick Sacoulas is an excellent teacher and coach. Surprisingly, I've found quite a few similar maneuvers between the systems I've been studying. While studying something other than kung fu might be construed as disruptive to kung fu training, instead, I've found many things that affirm concepts on either side of the system fence. :)
I'll still study kung fu as long as I'm able, because of its deep historical and cultural ties to a long-ago ancestral homeland, and its beautiful movements that lend itself better to film, as well as it's top conditioning regimen that improves strength and flexibility. I'll continue to study Kali/JKD/MT as long as I'm able, because it's no-nonsense and straight to the point, needed for friendly sparring and deadly combat. Martial Arts expression is what I'm looking for, and these all are part of my training.
Cats: Cute as ever, and the weather is getting warmer, so I'll be letting them outdoors once in a while. They both act as ambassadors to my flute studio. ;)
Love life: Non-existant, as always. Too busy with all the things I want and/or have to do. And the few people I want to get together with are too busy too. Oh well.
Hobbies/Gaming: City of Heroes still is my main hobby. Recently started Guild Wars as a side diversion. Finished Jade Empire, and I highly recommend it for anybody who wanted to play their way through a kung-fu style tale.
Well, that's it for now. Will post again as soon as I can... that'll either be several days or several weeks. :)
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Catblogging - Round Peg in Square Hole Edition
Something about Chabi attracts him to small confined places...
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
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