Feature story by Brittany Caldwell of the University of Central Florida schools of Journalism 3/19/20 “Take It Day by Day” Chief instructor Mimi Chan (center) demonstrates a kung fu form to a group of students. Photo by Hao Nguyen, Courtesy of Wah Lum Temple Cars whiz past a yellow brick wall on North Goldenrod Road. […]
I have been asked about teaching a ‘women’s self defense’ seminar over the years, and I always decline because in all honesty, I don’t ever feel like I am a true authority on the subject. Yes, I have done kung fu my entire life. Yes, I have done sparring class. Yes, I have been taught self […]
Even though we don’t get a true Autumn here… it always feels like the leaves are falling on me! October 12th is my father’s birthday, October 31st is my mom’s birthday, and November 2 is the anniversary of the temple. This is a busy time for me! I always get overwhelmed and am worried about what […]
I’ve been meaning to write a recap of my training weekend in Boston with my Si Hing (older kung fu brother), Sifu Bob Rosen. However, we had a little storm named Irma come through and kind of threw things of track. Weekend 1 The Labor Day weekend was time I had designated to do my personal […]
I am at war every day. I am at war with the mosquitoes that inhabit the Wah Lum Temple. I’m at war with the heat. I know some people may not believe that the earth is truly warmer than it was a hundred years ago, or that 1.53 degrees does not seem like very much… for […]
O always tells people if they want to lose weight just follow around Grandmaster Chan for one day. That is definitely one way to burn calories. A day in the life of Grandmaster Chan consists of waking up before the sun and working in the sun, often until it goes down. Grandmaster Chan enjoys his […]
Nope. I can’t juggle. I actually can barely catch a ball. However, I do juggle tasks and priorities all the time. Same goes for my personal training, unfortunately sometimes it has to take second or even third place in line of what needs to get done. When the Sifu Test was approaching, I was in kung fu […]
Those who know me, know I am a foodie. What is a foodie? By definition: a person with a particular interest in food; a gourmet. Yes, that’s me! In previous posts I discussed eating around the world and all of the exotic foods I enjoy. In this post, I thought I would get a bit more […]
When people ask me how long I have been teaching, and I say over 25 years, I often get a confused look. Perhaps because I look so young! ha. I wish! I often think about age and experience and realize those two numbers represent entirely different things. Just because someone is ‘older’, doesn’t make them more […]
Some people ask me what my typical day is like? Nothing about my life seems very typical, but I do have a routine. Usually, my routine is filled with the thought of show planning, trip planning, or scheduling for the Temple. However, on the ‘off season’ (who am I kidding, there is never an off season at […]
I’ve been thinking about media a lot lately. Especially after starting this blog and my new Culture Chat Podcast. Anyone who knows me knows that I have always been opposed to ‘social media’. I miss the intimacy of getting a personal call from a friend with big news, instead of an announcement on Facebook. I appreciate the […]
Every 3 years all Wah Lum instructors take the Sifu test, even if they have previously certified. Why? Standards. In order to maintain the highest standards and quality of instruction, we are all required to test in front of Grandmaster Chan and our peers. Yes, even I have to test! This weekend, my kung fu brothers and […]
Sifu Antonio’s wife, Suelen told me that the students requested that for the grand opening show in Brazil, I do at least 1 butterfly kick. It seems to be my signature move. It makes me laugh because the very few films I have worked on always involve this movement. Mulan, Mortal Kombat Conquest, etc. Growing […]
Today O and I visited a village in the Amazon called Boca de Valeria. I was excited for this stop because it is the first stop that isn’t a metropolitan city. Our tender boat pulled up to a small platform and upon arrival we were greeted by lines of local children who were eagerly waiting […]
I can’t remember the last time I sat down to do a real puzzle. Not a 10-piece puzzle with a toddler while babysitting, but a real puzzle. Tina doesn’t have too many activities on board, so I thought she might enjoy doing a puzzle or playing a board game. She went to the shelf of […]
In my previous post I talked about kung fu at sea. Tai Chi at sea is equally as challenging as kung fu, as I need extra balance on a moving ship. Most days are smooth sailing, but there are some windy and rocky sea days that make tai chi really difficult. I admit, when I […]
Kung fu at sea is challenging. Even though we are on a relatively large ship, the movement of the ship can be felt while walking, sleeping, and most notably while training. I have always loved the sound of the ocean. It is calming to me. When we are on cruises, we usually get up in […]
I wanted to take a moment during my day at sea to recap the weekend that I had in Rio de Janeiro. Being in Rio was an eye opening experience. The entire trip, although only a few days, seemed like a week. Probably because we were awake over 27 hours the first day we were […]
I spoke with Sifu Antonio a couple of weeks ago, and he told me how excited his students were for the Wah Lum of Brazil Grand Opening. It was a special treat for them that Grandmaster Chan and other Wah Lum Sifus were attending. He was wondering what we would be performing at the show, and I confessed […]
Dramatic? Me??? Although kung fu is a creative outlet, I often miss the career path I dabbled in years ago in acting and stunt work for film. I miss the work, and it shows through some of my past projects like Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer and Journey to the West (right). I was told by my partner in crime, O, […]
One of the earliest memories I have of getting on a plane was when I was going to Toronto to visit my family as a young child. I think it was on Eastern airlines. Anyone remember them? I believe the flight was delayed, it was a long drawn out day, and I was really tired. Thank goodness […]
I can’t believe my Brazil trip is already around the corner. This is the longest trip I have taken at 27 days in total! 24 of those days will be spent on the cruise ship. Some people think we are crazy for taking such a long cruise, but as I have mentioned before, I love being […]
O and I always talk about how lucky we are to have traveled the world. We laugh because one of the first questions I asked him was if he had a passport. I told him, he was going to need one immediately! Sure enough a few months later we were in Locarno, Switzerland. It’s been nonstop ever […]
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 […]
We are almost finished with the shows for Chinese New Year (CNY). It’s hard to believe in 2 days we did 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, […]
Today I did something I never do. I went outside to pick starfruit from the tree outside of my house. I do not consider myself to be overly girly, but I am not what one would consider an ‘outdoor’ person. I have allergies, I don’t like insects, and mosquitos are attracted to me like honey to […]