Lions and Firecrackers and Kung fu, Oh My!
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, and firecrackers. Lots of firecrackers.
When I was younger, and the Temple would go out to perform, we had fewer participants, which meant a lot more kung fu for the few of us who performed. It didn’t matter. We loved it. As much of a ‘mysophobe’ as I am, CNY was one time I didn’t mind the germs or dirt. Rolling in firecracker dust on the parking lot floor was expected. Exciting even! What is CNY without hearing the drums play over and over in your head before you go to sleep, or coming home and finding firecracker remnants in your hair? No cuts or scrapes? That just means you didn’t celebrate properly.
Ask any performer what the shower at the end of CNY day 1 is like, and they will all tell you the same story. You watch the 
dirt 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.
I remember telling my students this year after the floor was wet from the rain, “you don’t need to split and roll on the ground.” Sure enough, they got out there and did the split and rolled around on the ground. At first, I wondered why they were doing it, I just told them they didn’t need to do it! Why are they getting all dirty? Then I remember how I was at their age and what I did as a young performer. The excitement of the shows, the adrenalin, and the fun of just getting messy for CNY. Why would I try to stop it?
It’s part of the tradition, part of the culture.
Photos: Courtesy Karl Simpson and Hao Nguyen
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 time in the garden and tending to his fish. Whenever he goes on vacation, one lucky person is given the task of watching over his fish and plants. No one wants this job. All will be going well, and then right before he is due home, suddenly a plant or worse, fish dies! It is a nerve racking time for us back home and we have been known to try and resuscitate fish! No CPR or anything, but we were taught to push the fish through the water, as it moves the water through the gills. We have saved a few this way.
stepped outside and saw nothing except a little stick in the ground with some branches and a little leaf. I said, “Where’s the fruit?” He said excitedly, “In 10 years you are going to be really happy. You 100% have a lot of fruit.” I grumbled and went back in the house. 10 years? How was I supposed to wait 10 years for a piece of fruit? Why not go to the grocery store and get it NOW? Why wait? I was an impatient child, and had much to learn. 10 years quickly passed, and I had forgotten about the tree. (again, not an outdoors person, so not once had I watered that tree) The tree did bear fruit, and so much in fact, that we always had an abundance of starfruit almost year round. Fast forward 30 years later, and here I am gathering fruit from that same tree today.
more than just simple chores. He is constantly planning for the future, planting seeds today, for the fruit for tomorrow. My father, a true master, has the foresight to know how fruitful and abundant a tree can be with consistent care and hard work. I do not have a green thumb, so I have a lot to learn before attempting to plant a new tree. However, I will continue to nurture the trees that my father has planted, and I will continue the traditions he began. I will also light incense to honor my ancestors, and I will try to practice hard work and patience (foh gee diu jin) every day during every task no matter how big or small.