Look at the bottom left of this video. See that orange head? That's Ryan. I was right beside him to the left but you can't see me ever (My hat makes an appearance in the Guerilla Radio video though, I think). But yeah, we were literally like 7 feet away from Tom Morello.
It was like this:
Tom
Guy in front
Ryan and I
And Alanna was way in the back somewhere. We were supposed to find her but didn't really want to leave our awesome spots. Sorry, sweeties! I think I've made up for it though. Maybe. I dunno. Either way I'm sorry and either way she's going to give me a hard time for it. We're goobers.
So it's been a while since my last update that didn't involve praying mantids. And since quite a bit has been going on I figured I'd do a little update.
Biggest news is that Alanna is now in Brazil. She'll be basically taking another year of high school, not to mention going on some pretty amazing trips through the rain forest and Rio. I'm definitely going to miss her, but luckily we're able to talk online a couple times a week. I'm sure she's going to have an awesome time. If anyone wants to say hi she's keeping an online journal at http://alannainbrazil.blogspot.com/. I'm sure she'd appreciate some words of encouragement.
I just moved into my new dorm room a few hours ago. The first thing I did was make sure I had enough room to practice Pakua. Xingyi is a given, you can practice that anywhere. My room is a little dinky, which is to be expected as it's a single room, but it's perfectly fine for my needs. My bed is lofted, so I can fit a bookshelf or a TV under there, plus it's perfect for building forts. I also discovered I can do pull-ups by hanging onto the frame of my bed. I have to keep my knees folded, but it works.
I do have to share a bathroom with one other guy though, which isn't all bad, considering past years I had to share with like 20. I get my own sink in my room, which is pretty handy. There's also this awesome lodge in the lobby that sells SoBe and Frappucino's. A multipurpose room is at the end of the hall, and within this glorious room are many many huge bean bag chairs. They're freakin' comfy as crap. I'm also really close to the Rec Center, so I can get there quickly with minimal hassle.
My schedule is also pretty awesome. I have one class on Mondays and Wednesdays, and it doesn't start until noon. Tuesdays and Thursdays I have 3 classes; from 9 - 12:15 and then from 3 - 5. Fridays I have nothing going on at all, so I'm working at Scot's until they boot me. Which I wouldn't be disappointed if it happened soon. I'm also probably going to be working at the library again, so that'll definitely help with money. Plus with Alanna gone for a year I might actually be able to save some...
So yeah that's pretty much it. I'm just chilling in my room for now waiting until the hall meeting. I had sushi for lunch and mom's bringing me a pizza from DaVinci's as she'll be there with her friends for dinner.
Shaping up to be a pretty decent year at the college, so far.
A friend of mine mentioned animal totems when she saw my praying mantis. She was kind enough to make a copy of an excerpt from a book she has called "Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small." And since I found this mantis (or maybe it found me) the day right after Alanna left, I think what the book says is particularly relevant:
"Mantis has shown up in mythology and lore. In China, a system of the martial arts evolved around the activities of the the praying mantis. Kung Fu is based upon the imitation of animals and aspects of nature. One form of it is the praying mantis form.
Most prominent though are the tales of the praying mantis found in African lore. To the Kalihari Bushmen of Africa, Mantis was a Bushmen. There are abundant tales that speak of Mantis and his adventures. In many ways, they are similiar to the coyote tales of the plains Indians and the raven tales of the Northwest Indians. Whenever Mantis got himself in trouble, he would go off and hide. He would then go to sleep and dream a solution to his problem.
This epitomizes the keynote for this insect- the power of stillness. Through learning to still the outer mind and go within, we can draw upon greater power- physical, emotional mental, or spiritual. That stillnes can be simple contemplation, a meditation, or even sleep and dreams. The ancient mystics spoke of seven levels of silence that can be used by us, the first being simple comtemplation and the last being death. In between them are dimensions that can add tremendous power to our life. This is part of what the praying mantis teaches. It teaches how to still the outer, so that when it is time to act (in any form) it is done with a surety, accuracy and great power.
According to the Dictionary mantis comes from the Greek word meaning "Prophet". If we learn to go into the stillness, we can open ourselves to prophecy. One form of meditation sometimes taught in conjunction with traditional kung fu is called "chi kung" or "qi gong". This meditation helps the individual to go within and direct the body's life force along specific avenues, strengthening and empowering it through the various organs and systems of the body. This has healing and strengthening applications. We can learn to use the stillness in varying degrees- whether for creativity or for healing- and this is part of what the praying mantis teaches.
For those with this totem, some examination may be necessary. Are you being indiscriminate in what you say and to whom? Are you being impatient? Are you needing help meditating and quieting the outer mind? Are you missing opportunities to grasp life's rewards because you act too hastily? These are all things that the praying mantis can help with.
Animal-Speak, p.343-4
And this is something else I found on the internet:
"The Praying Mantis teaches how to still the outer mind and go within ourselves.
Through this, we can draw upon greater power --
physical, emotional, mental or spiritual.
That stillness can be simple contemplation or meditation or even dreaming.
Healers often have Praying Mantis totems -- for they use
their inner stillness to focus their healing power.
The greatest lesson this totem teaches is patience.
Learning to wait for the right moment before striking."
