What’s Next?
Chinese New Year is almost over, so what is next on the Wah Lum calendar? It turns out 2017 is quite a busy year. I am a planner. I like organization. I like to schedule in advance, because I get so busy throughout the year. I’ve always been this way, even as a child. My parents on the other hand… are very spontaneous. My father is famous for saying, ‘OK, we go now!’. (just ask anyone who’s been around for a day and they’ve probably seen him running around the Temple in fast forward) Last year, I looked at the 2017 calendar and knew what to expect.
1st Quarter: CNY!
2nd Quarter: This year is the big Sifu Test, yes we Sifus also have to test! Wah Lum Sifus have to certify every 3 years to maintain the standard of the system. More on this in the future.
3rd Quarter: This is usually tournament and training season for students.
4th Quarter: Temple anniversary events and holidays…AND I have my big trip to Antarctica planned from 3 years ago! I’m psyched.
We also planned out events for 2018: Brazil and Germany Wah Lum Grand Openings and the next China trip.
However, late last year, my parents decided now is as good a time as any to have Brazil’s grand opening event, so we called Sifu Antonio in Rio de Janeiro and told him the ‘good news’. Surprise! Would you like to have your grand opening in February? Why the change? I told him that Sigung and Simu are adverse to flying now, but they found a cruise from Rio to Orlando, so you can have your event in February if you like. Sounds good? Sifu Antonio graciously accepted and was even excited that his grand opening was imminent, and started scrambling in fast forward. So, the Chan family will be going on a 24 day retreat to study kung fu, vacation, and philosophize together in February.
This past January, my parents were discussing the European cruise they are going on in October. They came up with the idea that since they will already be in Germany, why not have the grand opening for Germany then? So I made a very similar phone call to Sifu Torsten that I made to Antonio. Guess what? Surprise your grand opening might now be in October of 2017 if you agree… Sifu Torsten graciously accepted and is now scrambling in fast forward too.
We sometimes call this the Wah Lum Way. We plan, but ultimately, when my father says, “OK we go now!” Well, we go now. In Wah Lum, moving in fast forward is sometimes a requirement, and learning to be flexible is beyond just the physicality of doing the splits.
Who am I to complain? I’m going to South America, Europe, and Antarctica all in one year! 2017 had a good plan, but now has an even better plan. Being a part of the Wah Lum family means moving in fast forward and sometimes having to drop everything and ‘go now’, but at least we know that we are going places.
Thanks to all of you who have subscribed – please subscribe below if you would like to be updated when a new post comes out! I’d also love to know what else you would like to hear about. Scroll alllllll the way down to subscribe and leave a comment.
over 30 performances. I’m not sure why I am always surprised, because this has been our tradition… this is our culture. I only know how to celebrate CNY one way: with lion dancing, kung fu shows, and firecrackers. Lots of firecrackers.
dirt literally go down the drain, you feel the burn from scrapes you didn’t know you had, you feel amazing to be under the warm water, and could probably fall asleep right there in the shower. That is the essence of CNY. The lunar calendar marks the ‘new year’ for us, a new beginning. We wash away the dirt and negativity from the past, recognize the hardships that will soon be in the past, we embrace the warmth of the new beginning, and we feel the challenges of being tired from hard work… But then we get up and do it again.