To My Little Sister…

I was six when I first saw you in our mother’s arms.  As soon as you were placed into mine, I knew that I would love and protect you with every breath of my life.

Thank you for loving me and being there for me through my rough times.  I haven’t always made the right decisions, and I’m sorry for the times I’ve disappointed you.  You have always inspired me to become a better version of myself, day by day.  I promise to be a big sister that you can look up to, as I have always looked up to you.

Now you’ve left to go to Germany for a year, and even though we have been separated many times before, I still can’t get used to feeling that there is something missing. You are going to have a wonderful experience and are going to come back with so much knowledge of the world.  I’m so excited for you!

Everyday I will think about you and smile.  We have so many adventures waiting for us when you get back.

I love you with all of my heart.  You will always be my hero.

The Addiction of Rock Climbing

Okay, so I haven’t gotten to climb outdoors…yet.  But I do know there’s no comparison when it comes to the intensity that comes with training for it.  Nothing gets your blood pumping like trying to navigate a reach with the strength draining from your arms, while you’re 50 feet above ground.

I scoped out Rockreation (a local rock gym) last night and was pleasantly surprised at their facilities.  I’ve been out of practice for a little over a year now because I no longer have a partner to go with.  However, I’ve learned to do a lot of things on my own in the last year…so I think I’m ready.

Rock climbing is a sport in which people climb up or across natural rock formations or man-made gyms, with the goal of reaching the end of a pre-defined route.  This is one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports.  A successful climber needs strength, agility, endurance, balance and mental control.  Along with the traditional proper training, yoga is often recommended and included in conditioning.  It takes a lot of hard work and training to be able to sustain yourself on a climb.

I once tore a photo out of a rock climbing magazine and taped it to my computer at home.  It was a picture of a man peering over the very top of a peak, as you could see the tops of many mountains below.  This 2X3 inch photo motivated me to reach several of my goals.  What a truly amazing accomplishment, and luckily, an obtainable one.

Eagle Claw Kung Fu

Along with the Wushu training that I previously wrote about, I have also been pursuing Eagle Claw kung fu, for training in a more sparring-based martial art.

Eagle Claw is a traditional Chinese martial art that is known to be one of the oldest and complex of the remaining Northern Shaolin kung fu systems.  Although is includes the traditional long strikes and kicks that are typical to Northern systems, Eagle Claw is unique in that it teaches gripping techniques and system of joint locks, pressure point strikes and takedowns.

There were many different types of kung fu in my area, but I chose the Eagle Claw program at Shan Tung Kung-Fu because I really liked the teachings of joint locks and pressure point strikes.  I needed a martial art that I could effectively use with my small stature.  Having the ability to keep a large attacker off balance and at the same time being to disable him with an excruciating lock is a very powerful tool to have.

Aside from the physical benefits of the training, I always leave feeling so at peace with myself.  I am thoroughly exhausted, of course, but there is something almost spiritual about leaving all of your life stress behind and doing something that is balanced, intense, and just for you.

I will be attending the Las Vegas Chinese Martial Arts Championship at the end of the month, so keep an eye out for my post on the event with photos and hopefully video as well.  Although I will be only an excited onlooker this time, I plan on being a fierce competitor at the next event.

My Tanzania Destination: Rau Village!

I finally found out where I’ll be stationed during my service trip to Tanzania!

Rau is a low-income village with a population of nearly 12,000 that has a beautiful view of Mount Kilimanjaro. There is a large market nearby, where once a week vendor come to sell everything from second-hand clothing to local crafts.  People come from all over the region to do their shopping.

Rau is near Moshi, which during the colonial times, was once one of the economy giants of Tanzania.  On the outskirts you can enjoy waterfalls streaming from the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, coffee plantations, and houses from the local tribe of Chagga.

Just a reminder that I still need sponsors.  Please click here to contribute!

UPDATE: I was unable to secure funding due to the state of the economy. Thanks for your support and stay tuned for more adventures!

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

The Olympic Games have been the most anticipated sporting events since they were inaugurated in Athens in 1896. This year, the Beijing Games will consist of 302 events in 28 different sports. In honor of the event, I wanted to mention a few interesting facts:

The five intertwined rings of the Olympic symbol represent the unity of the five inhabited continents. The colors, white, red, blue, green, yellow, and black were chosen such that each nation had one of these colors on their national flag. (Click here to see Olympic Symbols from the past, present, and future.)

During the opening ceremony, the “Parade of Nations” captures the excitement of the event as the competitors of the Olympic Games walk by in country. Traditionally, Greece enters first due to its historical Olympic origins and the host enters last. The rest of the countries enter alphabetically.

The closing ceremonies, however, take a completely different approach. One by one, the flag bearers enter the stadium first followed by the thousands of Olympic competitors, without any distinction of group or nationality. This method, suggested by a schoolboy in 1956, brings together the athletes of the world as “one nation”.

Many successful Olympic athletes become heroes or celebrities in their own countries.

I’d like to close with the Olympic Creed, which in so many ways applies to life. “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” Well said.

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The Black Rhinoceros

In preparation for my Tanzania adventure, I have been researching the history and culture of the region. One of my greatest curiosities in this continent is the the amount of incredible animals of which, in the United States, we are unfortunately only able to observe in captivity. I wanted to start with some of the more popular species in the African culture. I previously posted on the lion, and next on Africa’s Big 5 list is the Black Rhino.

One of the most notable traits of the Black Rhino are the two (occasionally three) keratin horns and the front of its skull. The largest known horn ever recorded was five feet long. That’s as tall as I am! They also have horrible eyesight, leaving them to rely on their sense of smell and hearing. In fact, they have large ears that rotate like satellite dishes to detect any possible threats.

Black Rhinos have a reputation for being EXTREMELY aggressive. Yet they only attack out of fear, panic and confusion. With their poor eyesight and highly excitable nature, they have been observed to charge tree trunks and termite mounds. Oddly enough, they aren’t aggressive toward others in their species and rely more on bluffing their threats when the occasion arises.

There was a time when the Black Rhino was the most numerous of all the rhino species, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Sadly, they have been nearly pushed to extinction due to poaching and loss of habitat. The horns of the poached animals are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and are said to have the ability to revive comatose patients and cure fevers. These effects have not been confirmed by medical science.

There are now about 3,600 Black Rhinos existing in the world today.