Gee Oak Tin Association Banquet

February 28, 2010 by Adam.

Last night we, Woo Ching White Crane (a Kung Fu School/Clinic/Lion Dance Troupe) performed at the Oak Tin Association Banquet (s). Banquets because there were two banquets taking place at the same time, one at China Pearl and one at Empire garden. This family organization represents three last names which are supposed to actually be one family. Due to royal relatives being sent to the south and having to change their names so as to not have a bid for the throne… or something like that. Maybe I’ll write another article which more clearly describes this history.

Anyway, the three names are Chen (and all variations like Chin, Chan) Woo (Wu, Hu, etc.) and Yuan (I don’t actually know anyone by this name I don’t think. There are also the Vietnamese spellings of these names but I’m a bit unclear as to what matches up with what.) Most of the people in the organization are under the Chen category and if the fact that two restaurants are needed to hold the banquets doesn’t seem to show that this organization has some influence in Chinatown, then the fact that Deval Patrick, Thomas Menino, Mike Capuano, and Sonia Chang-Diaz came to the banquet should.

As for our performance,  though it was a bit hectic and we were cut short due to time constraints, we did a good job. More importantly I saw some effort from the kids that I haven’t seen recently. Many of our team is of the Woo, Hu, Wu category (we are Woo Ching White Crane after all.)   And so we were performing for family members as well as dignitaries. One of the kids was sweating buckets and I have never seen him sweat.

Most notable to me was the performance by Kelly Tang, who I think is in fourth or fifth grade. This is the little girl I had recently been unable to get to perform. But last night, her Luk Lik form was so fierce and ferocious that I think I could not have done a better job. And if you think I am biased, I saw Deval Patrick’s eyes light up as he craned his neck to get a  better view, while Sonia Chang-Diaz leaned forward to pay closer attention to this young girl.

I am actually not surprised that she performed better when politicians show up.  This is because to some degree I have thought for a long time that she possessed the tenacity and good features to have a successful career in politics. More importantly, she is more preoccupied with what is morally correct and fair than my other students and so I think she will not only be a successful leader but one that is good to the people. Her upbringing will make her appeal to the underclass, and her refined features and the fact that she will become a woman will mean that she will appeal to upper class women as well. If she continues with Kung Fu, well, upper class males will give her a vote and a campaign contribution for the coolness factor.

So you heard it here first. Kelly Tang for Mayor, Governor, Senator, or President. But right now she just has to study for the MCAS.

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