Lei Ann...Off Duty

*lei ann…ON DUTY ~ getting ready for year of the snake!*

in five days, it’ll be chinese new year…lunar year of the black water snake 4711!   from this week on for about a month, the above lion dance costume is pretty much the outfit i will be wearing most of the time…hahaha!  most of our lion dance & kung fu demonstrations are private events, but we (me & other performance team members of my kung fu school) will be doing the traditional lucky chinese lion dance at the downtown crossing macy’s at approximately 2:00 on sunday, feb. 10, the actual day of chinese new year.  if anyone wants to see me in my less than fashionable wear (and shoes with NO heels…gasp!), come on down ^_^

*lei ann…ON DUTY*

so, i can’t believe i’m posting this. welp…too late, already clicked submit…done & DONE. you see, i usually don’t like mixing up stuff. when i eat asian food, i seriously avoid having the meats/veggies/sauces leak onto my white rice. i like keeping the rice pristine. i don’t like my different groups of friends mingling together, like spa girls amongst martial artists…no one has anything in common to talk about. BUT…here i am posting one of my kung fu photos on my all fashiony, prissy, high-heeled personal style blog. WTH?

as cute & girly as i looked yesterday, today i am decidedly not girly (but still cute right? hahaha). one of my duties of my second career as kung fu instructor is performing…whether it be demonstrating martial arts techniques or chinese lion dancing for various events, exhibitions or festivals. today, we were hired by the hmart in burlington to perform lion dancing for the store’s anniversary. so for today, lei ann…off duty is officially “on duty” ^_^

OF NOTE…even in regulation kung fu garb, i’m still on trend, right? check it…i’m FINALLY wearing red pants!!!

gong hay fat choy…year of the rabbit! i’m following all of the usual chinese traditions (even though i’m not chinese, but having done chinese kung fu for nearly 20 years now, i’m almost culturally chinese ^_^). so, didn’t wash my hair today (washes all your luck down the drain)…check! didn’t clean the house (same idea…don’t want to sweep out all your good luck)…check! not a difficult one to follow at all :) try to pay off all your debts (i did make the final payment on a major loan earlier this week)…check! didn’t spend money today (again, sets the tone for the new year)…check! ate noodles (for longevity)…check! finally, here’s a hard one that’s going to be very difficult for me.

don’t buy new shoes. 

in cantonese, the word for “shoes” sounds like “rough” and you don’t want to have a “rough” new year, so have to hold off on purchasing new kicks :( luckily…i got these new chinese shoes earlier this week (anyone remember the black ones like these that we bought in junior/high school?) as it is allowed to buy new shoes & wear them *on* the new year. also threw on my MIL gift of snowmen red socks for extra, extra good luck. i’m a fan of pattern mixing, but this is getting ridiculous ^_^

soooooo very excited to be attending the IFB conference next week! i went last year & had a blast with amy of punkystyle & other blogger friends, but i didn’t expect to go again this time around. *however* proenza schouler as keynote speakers??? plus some of my favorite bloggers presenting? that’s it…i’m in there like swimwear!

btw…did you guys know it’s chinese new year’s eve? click the photo above for a great article on some of the traditions and customs that are celebrated around this time. i’m hoping all the red i’m sprinkling on my tumblr lately will bring me good luck! gong hai fat choy! year of the bunny rabbit! i know amy would be happy to hear this ^_^