Prince Restaurant Anniversary!

Lion danced for a restaurant in Parra today. We usually get calls from the local "Mr Chao's Restaurant" in Hurstville to do this type of anniversary stuff but i guess this guy wanted it too.

Singers, live band, dancers, performers and 'apparently' discounted banquet food.

We got called in for the lion dancing as per usual plus also a demonstration of wushu. I opted out of the demo because I haven't been training at all, so nothing to demo. Quite sad really, I wish it wasn't like this but hopefully things will change.
The crowed is always keen to see this shit go down!

The funny juxtaposition in the sign on the way out.

CNY is almost over.

Yes, Chinese New year was in the first week of February and it has been long past that week. But for me CNY is full of festivities that go on the whole month. So now it coming up to the last week of Feb and the lion dancing is slowing down about now. Just a few more this Saturday and the next, then after that I'm done for now.

It's been another wonderful fun filled year. In terms of lion dancing, it has had it ups and downs, confusion and stress, last minute mock ups and of course the substantial amounts of sweat that just drip down your face like a leaky tap but in the end it's just the greatest fun and I'm so grateful to be given such an opportunity to experience such a culture.

I have pretty much given up all my spare time to help out in the shows and it's all worth it. Despite how sweaty and tired i get. It's amazing how all this can affect your body. Because of all these shows involving fast explosive actions/moves I've become a fair bit stronger. I'm able to actually able to keep going alot longer and i won't be as exhausted at the end of each show.

It's funny because (yes I know my body actually has no body fat already but) I have lost a bit of weight/fat. On one day my weight actually managed to drop down to 55kgs I think, before the cny festivities my weight could actually reach the 59kgs. And it's really noticeable! People say I jump higher and as vain as this might sound but my muscles are actually starting to look ripped. It's quite unattractive sometimes because my body is so unproportional and it just looks funny. I still refuse to wear singlets out socially though.

I am quite disappointed though, our club doesn't actually a lot of people and it makes organising shows quite difficult. What's even more disappointing though is that there is hardly a time when we have someone spare at hand to help take photos. Very sad about that, I do yearn for photos of each show and videos too.

The suspense!!!

This is the most suspenseful lion dance video i have come across to date. It starts off at the 57 sec mark and then after that slip you can clearly see the confidence of the two athletes diminish, then comes more little slips and jiggles. Shame for the disqualification but still props to them competing, I can only dream of competing at that level in Malaysia.

Welcome 2011.

So i spent new years eve at a mates mates pad in Manly and this was the view i woke up to.

The view was amazing and the night was fun too, Just hung out with friends and made new friends. A good start.

Then there was pain of waking up from next to nil sleep and pack my stuff and leave that place to head down to chinatown for a lion dance.

I find it quite ironic that my new years day is opened up with liondancing, with todays show being the first of many, symbolic of this years start to the Chinese New year festivities.