Happy Chinese New Year of the Snake!

Lions, Firecrackers, Kung Fu, Drumming… Wah Lum CNY, unforgettable.

8 lions dance to celebrate the New Year at the Wah Lum Temple.

Firecrackers!

Each year, the Wah Lum Temple celebrates Chinese New Year (CNY) by performing the lion dance and kung fu shows for local businesses.  It is truly an unforgettable experience.  Anyone who has shared this experience with us would tell you the same.

On February 10, we started the celebration at 8:00am and performed continuously until 9:00pm!  It was a long day, but a gratifying one.  I am so happy that I am able to help continue the tradition of Lunar New Year in Orlando that my father, Grandmaster Pui Chan, started over 30 years ago.

Grandmaster Pui Chan lights incense and burns paper money to start the celebration

It amazes me to see people of all ages having fun feeding the lion the lucky ‘hung bao’ and watching the shows.  There are very few activities that so many generations can enjoy together, but celebrating CNY with Wah Lum is definitely one of them.

Wah Lum Demo Team members Diana Lam, Teresa Lam, Emmy Chinfatt and Maria Vanderbilt performing double daggers.

The performers also have a good time.  The Demo Team and students train very hard for the big day.  We spent months preparing for the celebrations with extra rehearsals and training time.  It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and character to survive CNY and the training involved.

The Wah Lum team definitely made a lasting impression on spectators as they watched in awe of the lion and kung fu shows.  Some store owners who we have been celebrating with us for over 30 years cried tears of joy at the start of the lion dance.  It is touching, inspiring, and reminds me why it is so important to keep this tradition alive.   It isn’t just about the performances and the demos, it is about the tradition.

Thank you to all Wah Lum members for the support, dedication, and hard work that you have put in to make CNY the best celebration of the year.  Grandmaster Chan, Simu Suzy, Si Jye Tina, and I truly appreciate it.

Sifu Marcus Chinfatt performs the mighty Kwan Do!

Wah Lum Demo team member Nick Mercer performs

Wah Lum Demo team members Stephanie Veloso and Alexia Hop perform for an excited audience

Although I am relieved that the 4 days of over 30 shows is finished, it is also a little sad.  I enjoy seeing the loyal patrons who have supported the tradition at their business laugh and smile together.  I enjoy seeing the generations of family members that are all equally excited by the site of the lion and firecrackers.  I enjoy seeing the firecrackers as the wind blows the smoke away.  I enjoy seeing the enthusiasm in my students as the day nears.  I enjoy going home to silence, but can still hear the drums playing.  I enjoy the camaraderie that my students have for one another as they cheer for one another.   I enjoy the hard work and meticulous scheduling it takes to coordinate the day…and then seeing it all come to fruition.  I admittedly enjoy the madness of CNY, but also welcome the downtime.  I  look forward to next CNY, my year… the Year of the Horse.  (which falls the day after my birthday!)  Mark your calendars for January 31, 2014!

Chinese New Year always felt like the real New Years day to me, after all, it is my tradition.

Performing with store owners!

All Photos Courtesy of Karl Simpson

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Happy Birthday Suzy Chan!

In honor of Simu Suzy’s “21st” Birthday, I thought it would be a good time to feature her in the blog!

We just got back from a crazy weekend in Boston at the Boston Asian American Film Festival.  The festival was a great success, and it was very special to show in my original home town, Boston.  (More on this in the next blog)  We barely got home since hurricane Sandy caused flight cancellations, and MA was locked down.  Despite the heavy winds and rain, we were all thankfully ok.

Hurricane Sandy

My parents and Tina went to Boston to enjoy the weekend of film festival fun as well as attend other Wah Lum events. (seminars, testing, Grand Opening of Wah Lum of Assonet!) A big concern for my mom was that we would not all get home together.  We were all on different flights coming home, so it caused some complications with the storm.  Luckily, my mom and Tina travelled together last night and arrived back home.  We were even more fortunate that my father and I were able to get flights out today, and are safe and sound.  Most importantly, we are all together to celebrate my mom’s birthday.  She was very worried we wouldn’t all be here for her birthday.  Even at her young age of “21” birthdays are very important to her, but the reason they are so important is that she sees this as a time for family to get together.

Chan Family at Orlando Film Festival

For my mom, nothing is more important than family.  She was the youngest of 9 children raised in Kingston, Jamaica.  She is a tai chi master, breast cancer survivor, professional singer…the list goes on!  If you get a chance to see the documentary Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer you will see a small glimpse of  her life, but undoubtedly you will see how her support is what enabled my father to live out this dream.  Rather, his dream became their dream…the Wah Lum Temple.

My mother always wants us to celebrate holidays, special occasions, and birthdays together.  Even if a hurricane is coming!  In the same way, she is the cornerstone of the Wah Lum System, always pushing everyone to come together as a big family.  After all, family is what is most important!

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG

Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer

After years, months, days, and hours of work.  I am finally finished with my first official documentary for Wah Lum Films.  I would have liked to update everyone throughout the process, but there was no time while I was in production or post production.

I am excited to have finished a project that is so meaningful to me.  Not only is my father an inspiration to me, but to thousands of others as well.  In this blog, I plan to keep every one informed about screenings, press releases, festivals, dvd releases, and potential ways that you can see this film.  I will also share stories, behind the scenes, and interviews about the film.

The life of my father is not just about Kung fu, it is about the journey of an incredible man and his dreams.  His  story will amaze any one who watches it.  At first,  I was reluctant to share so much of my father with the world, but I realized that he has already helped so many people, and with this documentray he can inspire millions more .  I want to share this gift with everyone, so look forward to my first official documentary… Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer

Director: Mimi Chan