thhhhbbbt!

I knew that the beginning of my I Ho Chaun year and the end of school were close together when I signed up. I was worried that I would be spread too thin... and that's exactly what's happening. I feel like my year should have started with a bang, in previous UBBT years the beginning was always the easiest for me, it was easy to be motivated and driven especially at the start, but this year has started out feeling like a squeak instead.
I am just not able to put in the hours to my training that I would like to. In these final weeks of school I have been doing more traveling to off campus sites to complete my large animal skills and assessments and of course the tests, always the tests! It's the tests that keep my feeling like I am chained to my desk with my eyelids propped open with toothpicks staring at my books.
I am unsure what my practicum hours are right now so I'm worried about missing classes for the 6 weeks I will be there- I will be commuting to and from Westlock everyday. I haven't been able to make the first 2 meetings! Basically I feel stressed that I'm falling behind and I've had such a slow start, I feel a bit like dead weight on the team right now.
I know this will pass, I just wish it would happen sooner!
Andrea Prince
andnowlikeyoumeanit.blogspot.ca

2013.03.17 First tangent - Part 1

Ok, this will be the book project, and the titles are going to be different, and I'll play with it to find something that works well, same goes for the body of the blog posts. :)

Before I dive into the specific book, I feel that today's post topic is the first but necessary detour on this journey of understanding.

Chances are, part of anyone's childhood included various superheroes, with various super powers, dreams and wishes to have these powers, and further day dreams about what you would do if you had them. Something very pervasive in our society today is that in order to achieve great things, you must also be special, super human, a god among men if you will. In any modern story, movies included, the hero always has a special origin story, of how this hero came to be superhuman in one way or another, but it comes with some weakness.

This is not fiction, I believe this is real, just not in the direct way that one might think. Suspend disbelief, and consider for a moment what a super power usually entails:

1) A feature, skill, ability, or strength, the hero possesses and relies upon to achieve the desired outcome, or another advantage that was thrust upon our hero at some point.
2) Some event that causes serious psychological damage, resulting in either and overwhelming drive to change society as they know it.
3) Their increased ability also comes with an inherent weakness that is occasionally taken advantage of by their opponents, and the hero always wins by using another strength to make up for their weakness.

Now if we keep these base parameters of super powers, and we ignore things like flying and shooting lasers out of our eyes, and other fantastic things, it should also be realised that it rarity is not a requirement to a super power. One such example would be telepathy. But what if we all had a power such as telepathy? What would you do differently if you had a superpower that was even more powerful than telepathy? Even Professor X could only use his ability within that time. Spock can only share his mind with someone who is next to him. What if you could do all that but go beyond time and space?

Because we can. Language allows us to communicate ideas with each other. Books allow us to hear what people hundreds of years ago had to say, how they think.

To be continued....

http://amadmanspursuitofclarity.blogspot.ca/

Captain's Blog, Stardate 2013.03.17, U.S.S. Enterprise - Inspiration and Shaking in your boots

This week, I'm not sure where I'm going with this blog post.

First, a quick blurb about my book project blog. It may be apparent, that a post has yet to be made about it.  I see a huge draft copy that I'm still pounding through, because it's not done, it's not good enough, I don't find it perfect enough to post yet. I had a conversation with Sihing Langner the other evening after practice, and he reminded me that it's ok to be a work in progress. This seems rather simple, but for me, I find it's a lesson I learn over and over. It's always a work in progress. I am a work in progress, and that's ok; in fact, that's the way it should be. My Da Mu Hsing is a work in progress, Kempo too. I caught myself mentally berating myself because it's taking me longer than expected to learn Lau Gar, that my numbers are not where they are, that my Kwan Dao is not where I want to be, and so on. But today, I look at things, and I can say this: I achieved twice the amount this week that I did last week. I am not where I want to be, but I am getting there, and I think that has to be ok for now.

Right now, things are changing. I am changing them. A year ago, I decided to leave a career path that I put everything into for 5 years. That doesn't seem like a lot of time, but to me, it's over 25% of my time so far. At this point things are coming fast, coming at a blur, and I'm starting to shake a bit. My knees are knocking a little. My resolve is solid as it was, but the nervousness is still there. It was until this past week, someone I really look up to said to me "It's exciting, and it's supposed to be, because if it wasn't, life would be pretty boring. If you're uncomfortable, you're on the right track." - not verbatim, but close enough. As I move forward, I remember this, and with solid knees, I hope I am always this uncomfortable.

"Just show up" this is another nugget that has been given to me this past week. It was at that point that I made the connection, that perhaps the secret to kung fu is just that simple. Just like life and any other outcome we may be reaching for. Just keep showing up.

Somehow, sometimes, I forget the bottomless depth of inspiration around me. It's nothing new, not something we don't know, but it never fails to amaze me, that all we have to do is look around and find that we are surrounded by so many experts. In kung fu and otherwise.

I'm a work in progress, and I'm ok with that, because I'm surrounded by people who I can look up to and see how it's done.

http://amadmanspursuitofclarity.blogspot.ca/

GMO food

I ran across this article in my research and it really highlights how aware we need to be with our food choices. I know, I know, somedays its all I can do to get food on the table and I'm tired of having to care so much too. I just want to eat, thank you! But its getting pretty damn scary, some of the things that are allowed and are being pushed on us all in the name of progress. If this is what 'economy' is then perhaps we need to rehaul the system! Check out this article on Genetically Modified food (GMO's)http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/tests-rats-suggest-genetically-modified-foods-pose-health-hazards And as far as eating goes? I've found going back to as natural as possible seems to be the easiest--as in as close to how the food was as possible; meat--local is best, and I'm still searching out sources, veggies, fruit. Learning to make jerky, and all kinds of stuff. And you know what? It tastes WAY better--why we ever chose to get packaged is a mystery to me. And yes, I do work fulltime, so no I dont have tons of time either but hey. My health and that of my family is worth it--even if it means figuring out how to make my own BBQ sauce.

“ME” Days

Fridays are “ME” days. Why I say that is yesterday was Friday and I had a tone of things that had to get done for other people before the Saturday came, and I was considering not going to class last night so I could get all of them done. Then I thought why should I give up something that I enjoy, and am passionate about, plus it relieves stress (something that I need these days), I also find that I can get lost in Kung Fu and forget a time what is happening around me outside of the Kwoon. 

Fridays could be everyones “ME” days if you so chose to make it yours, or any other day that works for you. Oh sure there will always be a unforeseen circumstance that will come between you and your “ME” day, but if you chose a “ME” day and consciously be selfish and stay focused about what that day is for, you will find yourself giving up less “ME” days and be able to accomplish great things.

Everyone on the I Ho Chuan should consider making Friday into a “ME” day since that is that day we have a block of time that is scheduled for us at the kwoon, be it an official class or practice class everyone should be there. FYI Attendance was low last night.

Where am I? What am I doing?

Finding time for giving blood…

One of my personal challenges is to donate blood at least 4 times this year.

This was a risky challenge with the short Chinese year and the required 56 days between donation, factoring in occasional sicknesses and inevitable anemia, and trying to plan around my trail runs for the summer months. In fact, this challenge may be downright impossible to meet.

Luckily, my husband reminds me, there is always plasma.

Still, I am going to crash the Blood Bank at the TLC on Monday right before class to try my luck at getting my first donation in. Hope to see you there…

http://sharidactyl.wordpress.com/

Sharida Csillag

What up

Hello everyone, i am drawing a blank on to what i should write about, i guess i will say that i have a busy month ahead of me. I have my dad's birthday, then my aunt's get together, then i also have to go to the university for a registration seminar and also pick up a financial aid forms. Also I have going into the first six day of the next month i have to wait on April 4 at 10:00 am to click the enroll button so i make sure i get the class i want, then two days later  will be going to my tattoo appointment, just so they can design it not to get it done yet. I am thinking of getting a tattoo of a white tiger wearing some battle torn armor in a wintery theme and black and grey. So yup that is what is going on with me right now.


239 Lbs

Sihing Langner