This is My Life - Spring/Summer '06 I'm Charles, the chronicler of things, people, places, and events. Everyday is an event really, but we tend to forget that.

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel's Caulking helped erect the bigger and better Dick's.

 

 

 

Dustin and his singer Nick putting on a private show at the Main Pub.
Actually, they came to play open mic, but there were acts scheduled,
so they just took the time to practice in back instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seth can do all this crazy shit on his trampoline, but is
impressed by an aerial. I don't get it.

 

 

 

Rich getting the gold medal at the Battle of Chicopee. It was a little tournament
held by the Kungfu Acadamy.

 

 

 

Wayne was the only person from our school who
participated in the sparring. He did awesome.

 

 

 

For some reason, it looks like Marco took this picture himself...
Myspace style.

 

 

 

Me at Kenpo

 

 

 

Seth #2 with his son. I need kids... start my army.

 

 

 

Me with Graham, a friend I made in Montreal.

 

 

 

That's Shane from Australia. I met him in Montreal, and
we went to the New England Hardcore Music Festival
together a week later. Quite random.

 

 

 

I hadn't seen Jen (friend from Uconn, doing the scary face) in a while.
She invited me to a her birthday party down in Norwich. On the way
there, I got totally lost, because Norwich is the most poorly planned city
in the history of the world, and I'm going to be forced to destroy it.

 

 

 

A band playing at Jen's party. It was at some bar/club.

 

 

 

The crew being comfortable and intrusive at Borders.

 

 

 

In May, our school hosted another tournament. No blood at the demo this year.

 

 

Ed and Thong only show up for special events. That'll be me one day.

 

 

 

Mariana being motherly.

 

 

 

Dwayne warming up waaaaay too early.

 

 

 

What's even wierder than Pricilla's crosseyes is the intense
stare of the non-crossed eye. Block it out, you'll see what I mean.

 

 

 

That's Keith, he does martial arts, mostly internal styles. I told him
about this tournament and he actually showed up to watch.

 

 

 

Master Hu and Gordon Liu picking out lunch. Not a sight you see everyday.

 

 

 

Brian: Why isn't Charles competing?
Fran: I'll find a way to get out of this.

 

 

 

Why? Why did I volunteer?

 

 

 

Kevin doing nanquan in the amputee division.

 

 

 

This guy's competing without his lower legs. Brave, brave fellow.

 

 

 

Marco with Gordon Liu. Haven't heard from him since that day... troubling.

 

 

 

That's John, I remember taking classes wushu with him many years back.
He has his own school now.

 

 

 

Peter masterfully wielding the double handed straightsword.

 

 

 

The tournament was in a smaller gym this year and felt a little hot and crowded.

 

 

 

Jim being fatherly.

 

 

 

The Chinese Team competed in group division with their demo form. They won.

 

 

 

Wayne probably wishes there was sparring division in the competition.

 

 

 

The new and improved team.

 

 

 

Jiayin won the all-around women's contemporary wushu prize... again.

 

 

 

Trying to block me taking a picture with a crab leg? Ain't gonna work.

 

 

 

I guess that with the Happy Face Guys more or less disbanded, anyone
can do our pose now.

 

 

 

This picture looks fake.

 

 

 

The Borders cafe is no more. They rennovated it with a Seattle's Best
cafe. I don't like it. No more soup.

 

 

 

Borders, as always.

 

 

 

Ahh, don't be sad Miso, you'll like it in Abu Dhabi.

 

 

 

Henan ruining her skirt at Dwayne's kid's birthday party. I was there
for the food and booze.

 

 

 

A guy playing the Mandolin at the Main Pub. He's supposedly world
reknown.

 

 

 

Pool, I won. Chinese kid stayed to train at our school a few months,
forgot his name.

 

 

 

We were supposed to have a short Kempo demo, but it was cancelled
due to rain. That sort of sucked cause Seth and I choreographed a pretty
cool fight scene the night before.

 

 

 

The Kenpo class is part of the PAL (Police Athletics League) Program.
The demonstration was supposed to promote PAL.

 

 

 

That's right, she bought a beer without being carded... is it really that hard
to guess an Asian person's age? I bet she bought herself a kid's meal the next day.

 

 

 

Showing some artwork at Sully's again. I don't know this guy, but he's
always there.

 

 

 

Amy doing the camera pose. She actually showed me
a function on my camera I didn't know about. Shame.

 

 

 

Me with some of my stuff. It was supposed to be motivation to create
artwork again, but alas, I'm lazy.

 

 

 

Amy with her artwork.

 

 

 

There were housing inspections at my apartments, and though we've
had cats for 11 years, techinally, we're not supposed to keep pets. So
I spent the entire day driving around with the cats in my car.

 

 

 

Enishi hid under the seat, Miso curled up in back, but Marco... Marco
goes crazy in the car. It probably brought back memories of the war.

 

 

 

Marco decided to be dog-like.

 

 

 

Seth showing Danielle our combat form because I wasn't going to be
able to make it to a demo. Hey look... no guilt trip!

 

 

 

This warning was posted months ago. The car was finally moved this week.

 

 

 

There were a couple days that rained wicked hard flooding some
neighborhoods in the region. One night I heard this awful cry coming
from outside. I inspected behind the bush and found a dead kitten... ew.

 

 

 

...But this little fellow was making the pitiful squeaks, so my mom brought
him in and cleaned him up.

 

 

 

...It was no bigger than the palm of my hand and was my joy for a couple days.
The other cats took to it curiously. Marco wasn't too surprised since he's seen
2 kittens get all the attention. Miso was really baffled though, constantly sniffing
it and making a funny face.

 

 

 

Awww, all furry.

 

 

 

Sadly, a few days later, while I was teaching class, my mom left a message
on my cellphone that the kitten died. It was unexpected and sad, but
I guess I'm glad it didn't have to die cold and hungry in the rain.
(I know, disposing it in the Chinese food container is a bit morbid and ironic)

 

 

 

My sister came home to visit for the first time in over 3 years. It's wierd
when a family member comes back because it's like they never left... what
did we do? go straight to the videogames. This time, it was guitar hero.

 

 

 

With Diana down here, my mom suddenly wants to do stuff. Naturally,
we want to get out of the house too, so my went and saw a Connecticut
Sun game down at the Mohegan Sun. This was also the first time Diana
was old enough to go the casino while being home.

 

 

 

Oh no, gravity stopped working.

 

 

 

Yay, refreshments.

 

 

 

Na and Ma. Na is our family's shortened version of Diana. I guess it
sounds Vietnamese-ish. We totally dominated the slot machines that night.

 

 

 

This is how people should react at an accident scene. Enough with the
screams and panic already.

 

 

 

Fran winning $100 on a $20 scratch lotto ticket. Fran?
Buying a $20 lotto ticket? Actually my sister bought one
first and lost, then we pressured Fran into buying one
until he cracked. He shared the wealth though and
treated us all to lunch.

 

 

 

Bomberman... classic. My sister's first time playing it, but she caught on
quick and really really really got on Rich's nerves. Mwahahaha as she'd say.

 

 

 

Tradition continues at the Manchester fireworks. Having been a substitute
teacher in Manchester for the past 3 years, I've gotton to know many
the students in town. I don't like hearing Mr. Le when I'm not working.

 

 

 

Cotton candy's one of those things you forget are really delicious and
fun to eat until someone else buys it.

 

 

 

What?

 

 

 

Na and Ma

 

 

 

Hmm... I was at the same place last year. Everything changes, yet
everything stays the same.

 

 

 

Nathan, his freind Kate, and I had a weekend camping/hiking trip up
in Baxter State Park in Maine. Fun, memorable, exhausting.

 

 

 

Gut

 

 

 

When i got back from Maine, all i wanted to do was veg
out. Instead, new carpet was being put in, so we had to
spend the next few days moving everything.

 

 

 

Earthquake

 

 

 

Fran and Rich came to help move some of the big stuff out of the living room.
While taking a trip through memory lane, Fran discovers that he is merely a
replacement for someone from wushu past... Russ. (not really, Fran's his own
person, but he doesn't have to know that)

 

 

 

New carpet. Unfortunately the owners of the apartments are cheap as
fuck and use cheap labor and materials. Whenever I run my hand over the
carpet, a ton of carpet fibers come up. Oh well, it's not like I'm gonna
be living with it for much longer.

 

 

 

Apparently, that was the most comfortable position possible.

 

 

 

Lightning

 

 

 

Last day of wushu before it closes for China break.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me with Sifu Tyler, head instructor at the Kenpo class.
Black ghis are so bad-ass.

 

 

I had so little to do during the day that I joined Seth on a trip to DMV.
You heard it, I VOLUNTARILY went to the DMV. Zooming down the
highway without any doors to protect me was pretty cool though.

 

 

 

Who knew something like that was street legal.

 

 

 

Alex came all the way from Louisville for an internship. He started wushu
but the school closed soonafter for the China trip. So we hung out and I
traded some of my wushu skills for his karate skills. Good times.

 

 

 

I've never gone fishing in my life, so bright and way too
early on a Sunday morning, I drove down to Alex's side
of the state, and we went to Lake Waramaug to fish.

 

 

 

The very first line he cast (just as a demonstration), he caught a fish!
Damnit, he didn't even use any bait!

 

 

 

Delicious... coated in oreo cookie bits.

 

 

 

Tearing a worm in half and skewering its writhing body
through a sharp hook was a fascinating experience.

 

 

 

After casting my line up in the trees a few times, and catching seaweed
a few other times, I finally caught myself my first fish.

 

 

 

Look how HUGE it is!!!

 

 

 

According to Alex, fishing is not about catching fish, but just sitting and
telling stories. Unfortunately my life is boring so I didn't have any exciting
drunken adventure stories to tell. Alex had fun stories though... and after
being continually interrupted by fish, I eventually left the bait off the hook
and just sat and listened.

 

 

 

The irony here is that I have a book called Practical Origami, and just
a few nights prior, we were commenting sarcasticly about the title.

 

 

 

Last night before my departure, Seth and I struggle through blood, sweat,
and tears to defeat Cowboys from Hell on expert. And finally we beat it...
tag team style... pure sweetness.

 

 

 

The End