NY Travel's Blog #2...no spinny stuff here

Now I'm on the new jersey transit train to Dover to visit aileen and hang out with her while she teaches her workshops.

New York has been very good to me , mixtures of youthfulness and feeling old to. Went to my grandma funeral which was actually a beautiful experience. I didn't cry a lot it was really a joyous time. I felt like the family really celbrated her life.

It was amazing that most of the family came out and shared some real time together. I saw my uncle donald and my cousin Tyler, the lost but now found cuz calais and a whole bunch family. It is a crazy thing to watch the family become older. Watching family members die, get sick have kids. I feel really nostalgic when I saw my family this time. How young and strong someone was opposed to their older physically weaker self.

Today I talked with my dad about death. I think when his mom died he became really concerned about what would happen when he died, made me sad but at the same time woke me up to many realities I will face.

My dad during the funeral was asked to give a little speech and he said something really profound. He said that he hoped that some family members would grow up. At first I thought he was talking about my cousin elliot, who when my dad said this shook his head and smiled, but when I think about it more, he was talking about the younger generation of the family. That we need to step up and help keep this family together. Which I never thought of before that the older members of the family have tried real hard to keep the family together and now it's our turn. They worked hard to make christmas and thanksgiving and all the other occasions.

Now it seems its the grandchildrens turn to start being the glue that holds the family together, so that the next generation remembers to do the same.

Before Wildfire

This is an old blog I wrote about a week ago....


Hey everyone I'm here in long island chillin with dad. Let's see since I've arrived here many things have happened. But I want twith aileen which was wonderful. It was on a super cool private beach in Pacifica. Watched the sun set met some nice Natives. A cool juggler named heartlife. Spun fire great time. Thx Jimay and Rodrigo for everything



The same day I also found out my grandma died. My dad called and I knew what he was going to say. When I hung up the phone I was not sad but still happy. It was such a mixture of a hi and low. Life has been a lot of that recently, tremendous differences in situations.

So the next day I booked a flight to ny , which meant that my previous flight was pretty much nulled. Which was a downer, I was out 600 bucks for the flights!

Also I was leaving in about three days which meant I had three things pressing to finish. The conclave video for bm,

Check out www.youtube.com/vulcanconclave

aileen and I's circles of light video and the dma yearbook. So if I was a bit distant it's cause I was in the weeds. If you don't know what that means it's when your waiting tables and you can't seem to be fast enough. Btw sorry roomies for ditching my chores.

More to be continued....

Been a while from the last blog. I am subbing in fifth grade, they are reading there books. Lets see…in the past week I have been kind of lounging around the house making some tech poi videos. Not real tech but fundamental tech stuff. That has been a rewarding process, now everytime I teach my hybrids or flowers class I can point the students to my videos, which is a goal for me and my instruction.

Here's my you-tube account

http://www.youtube.com/user/iduali

I want to teach in person, have online video help for the workshop and written text. And even if the student wants to go further into the way I think they can buy a DVD. What’s super cool is that I can reach anyone, no matter what price they are willing to offer and they can choose to support me, because I care, not cause I need money from them. That’s part of the reason why I like having a teaching job. I do not have to worry about ensuring I sell dvds, magazines whatever. I can be more of a person and artist and not a sales person, perhaps not starving, but I can have the “schole” or leisure to work on my craft.

Hmm. Lets see, this weekend I will shoot Fire Smoothies COL entry, that should be fun. Aileen’s spinning is shining right now and some of our partner work is feeling like soon its gonna be real good and solid. If anyone has time to shoot for us, that’d be schweet.

our ghetto, undersconstruction website, hopefully I'll get on it soon...

www.firesmoothie.com

I went to spin jam last night and hung out for a while and taught and practiced. Its weird going to a jam, I want to practice but sometimes I feel like I should be teaching, not that I don’t enjoy it, I dunno. But spin jam was fun.

Oh I did win in settlers of catan the other day over bryce, Jordan and brian. That was a good win = ).

I just made a flyer for my new york workshops, which I am kinda proud of. I really hope people come and check them out and learn something. I am not really looking to make a lot of money or anything. Just get to know some new york spinning people. I am still up in the air about treking down to Philly or DC.

My grandma needs to go to a hospice now, she had another stroke, leaving her unable to chew or do much of anything. When I am in New york I’ll probably see her for the last time until I have to come back for her funeral. That’s really sad, I know that my dad is probably pretty broken up about it. I am gonna give him a couple a days before I call him. He called when I was in class once to tell me, I was sorta short on the phone but I was in the middle of teaching. Kinda sad, not really looking forward to the Chinese funeral, it’s a rough haul….folding paper, sitting in a smoky room, really close to a dead body….

Wow, okay I’m gonna go, write more later, take care everyone!

Bloggity with the summer plans all laid out!

Well since last time I have lost a tooth finished 9 days of filming and relaxed quite a bit.

The filming projects have been a real drag on my practice, I felt really bummed afterwards and had to really kick myself to practice again. Lucky I downloaded a juggling siteswap generator that is really fun to play with to keep myself interested with juggling.

www.siteswap.org

I was spinning quite a bit of poi in the last few days. Since writing that tech essay and spinning with G, talking with tank and greg I have tons of new ideas sprouting up in my head.
Spun hoop a lot yesterday and also did a fair bit of contact staff, I forgot about the pain on the back of the hand after practicing too many angels...aww..I miss that.

Sage came by yesterday www.sagefire.info and I taught her some doubles stuff and then she gave me a bunch of cool patches.

A couple of days ago I was offered a contact to work three days a week at a school. Seems pretty sweet. I get to school at 10 and leave at 5pm. And the school is pretty understanding about my juggle schedule, which is really awesome. I really like all the kids at the school too. They are much cooler that SHCP kids, its funny not sure if its a high school thing but I was always getting ripped on by the high school kids about my dress, like I was all unkepmt they really noticed.

Heres a video some kids made for a project last year. Try not to laugh too hard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgRpkwoQpbM&feature=channel_page

Sooo the summer starts soon, on my plate so far is June 5th I have two gigs with Copperlanter
http://copperlantern.org/

Then on June 12-15 I go to Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa.
http://harmonyfestival.com/

I'll work at the kids area teaching kids how to spin poi or juggle or something.

Then on the 16th Aileen and I head off to the east coast for Wildfiire www.wilfireretreat.com
Sorry chad I promise me and A will buy our tickets!

Some time spent there with family, mine and aileens. I'll teach workshops in NYC and maybe pop on down to DC and philly...come on some one convince me!

Then I come back have a day then off to the gathering in New Mexico. I might try to plan some workshops for the way back could be fun.

Then there's ten days until the FAF in oakland I will perform there with Vulcan Crew and Copperlatern.
http://www.thecrucible.org/

When then the week after that is the Reno FAF hosted by controlled burn, which I think is gonna be a blast!
http://renopassport.com/compression-fire-arts-festival-controlled-burn/

Then the very next day I head off to camp winnarainbow for my yearly stint as a camp counsler and juggling instructor.
www.campwinnarainbow.org

As soon as I get back I start teaching, I'll have a science class to tidy up and I'll need to plan the first two units or at least well into the month of september, cause I'll be gone at BM for the week before labor day.

Okay, now you all know what I am doing...so I will really take today off....maybe.

May 11th 2009

Well, time to blog.

Everyone from FD time came and then left, the place has felt great. People were made happy. FD despite rain was a smashing success. No one was hurt everyone got along and got fed. I am so grateful that people dedicate so much time and effort into FD that it was almost easy. Few snags, we did tear up a budget truck, spend a bunch on tarps we didn’t use, and we may have flown too many people out.

I was kinda bummed with all the FD stuff because I did not really get enough time to practice with everyone. I would have really like to have trained a bunch with all my old and new friends, but I was running around getting all sorts of misc things done. I hope that when I am all busy kinda frantic and distant people know I still really want to know them and spend time with them or my old friends don’t think I forgot about them….sorry Bri!!! I really had hoped to have had enough time to make a little routine with Meg, didn’t even have time to ask her…. =(

Before FD we had a party at the flowspace. Thx sean and prisna!! The magazine came out on time as well. www.kindleonline.org. Jeez that magazine was awesome, I am so happy to have lily, meg and ian as working partners in the magazine. They really kick it into gear and make sure things get done. Also its amazing the amount of community support for the magazine.

Our new poi DVD got shipped. www.vulcandvds.com. Which was a project with many people. But really much time is spent with Greg and Hoodie. Right now we are in the midst of producing three NEW instructional DVD’s. I am real happy with the work we have all done together, we have a business that we all believe in and can make a difference in the future of all spinning….oops just threw a kid out of class.

Right now I am in class keeping kids working and silent for homework. I think next year I will fully become Mr. Yee again. Well at least for three days a week. I’ll teach science and that will be fun. I really like working with kids. It's challenging but its still what I have always been about which is teaching.

Tonight I am going to the palace of fine arts to film Grimm and Mem’s partner Fan piece, should be pretty cool…..yeah!! Four followers of my blog!

Tech Transitions Article

Hey I just spent a bit of time thinking about these types of things after FD. I should have another out real soon. Also I plan on writing an actual blog soon. =)

Enjoy!



Hey all I just wrote this all up and am curious if anyone else understands this, it has been a synthesis from many sources, finally ready and teachable for the general public...I actually think it is not as daunting to understand as it looks, and will prove very useful if you understand it.

Props to all the techies out there that make me think writing this kinda stuff is at all useful. (Ahem, Richee)


please open this picture in another window before reading through
www.homeofpoi.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20310


Two Object Transitions (for poi, clubs, staffs hands etc)

So for the practical reason for this diagram is to indicate places to transition into different timings and directions. The usefulness of this chart is only amplified by the fact that it can be applied to hands, poi, clubs, doubles and pretty much any two objects in circular motion.

Theoretically this chart also applies to hybrids and compound circles but I haven’t thought it to be clear enough to be transmitted via the internet. It is easy to apply to compound circles when making sure the prop timing is the same as the hand or extended circle timing.

If you are not comfortable with your basic timings and directions, you should practice those first before moving on and understanding what follows.

On the chart

1) Timings are listed these are
tog = same time
split = split time

The Directions are indicated as
Same= same direction
Opp= opposite direction

2) the big O’s represent instances or “looks” of the poi or hands in these timing and directions. I only chose the four cardinal points cause these are the easiest to understand, (for me) other possibilities are possible.

3) One can move around the chart (changing one prop’s direction) clockwise or counter clockwise to practice switching between different timing and directions. Going across the chart requires different understandings (changing timings within the same direction)
Since there is a direction change going around the chart you will be needing to use stalls or stops to move around the Chart.

4) All the Letters A-D and 1-4 for each number just help in describing stuff…they are pretty arbitrary, well kinda is this whole system =) , it has a use to help beginners understand how to move transition between timings and directions. Also I omitted thinking about right and left hands for the sake of theory.

It may help to just draw the whole thing without the numbers and letters to better visualize it.

"The diagram again" It would have been inserted here in the doc.






One Example of how to use this chart:
With just arms do a TOG/SAME extension in any direction (through positions A.1-4) when your ready stop at the left or right (A. 2 or A.4)

You can see that from these two points you can transition to SPLIT/OPP from here. Namely from A.4 to B.4, or from A.2 to B.2. Remember every transition around the chart requires you to change one hands direction or to do 1 ½ direction changes.

Now you are in SPLIT/OPP do a couple cycles here, next stop at the top and bottom with your hands. (positions B.1 and B.3) You can see that when your hands are at the top and bottom you can transition to SPLIT/SAME.

Continue in SPLIT/SAME for a while then when you find your hands at the sides (positions C.4 and C.2) you can transition to TOG/OPP.

Now you are in TOG/OPP, do a couple cycles when you are at the top or bottom (positions D.1 or D.3) you can complete the circuit by returning to TOG/SAME.



Further interesting notes:
This indicates the differences between different timings and directions but what about changing timings while not changing directions? This would be going across the chart.
(from A to C or from D to B)

The difference between SPLIT SAME and TOG/SAME is a 180 degree shift in timing.
What I mean is from TOG/SAME move one hang 180 degrees and you will be in the right positions for split same.

The difference between SPLIT/OPP and TOG/OPP is a matter of moving both points whether together or apart 90 degrees. An easier way to think about this is that SPLIT/OPP is the same as TOG/OPP just shifted 90 degrees (this is actually true in any plane too!! This means you can plane shift both poi from split opp to tog opposite)

I have found a bunch of other ways to go about going across the chart…..I should be making a video soon bout some of this….

Hope you enjoy, I want everyone to comment and to add, because I want this to grow….bye!!

Noel-ski

Pre Firedrums Calm

Well now its the quiet before the storm,
many international spinners form all over the world are about to fall from the sky and land at the vulcan... all with no real plan for their stay minus getting to firedrums and getting back.

Well there will be loads of partying and juggling between now and firedrums.

Not sure if I am going to like having a blog...we'll see.

I rehearsed today with copoper lantern fire theater, it was fun got to act all serious and practice some of the dancey side of fire spinning.

Krissy and I practiced some partner poi for the upcoming dvd. I had a great time with aileen yesterday doing the partner poi thing. Can't wait to explore the ideas that are possible with loads of people.

right now I have a little time before mikey and jen arrive and the bike joust begins!! Last time there was a joust I think I drank too much.

Okay off to shower and to practice before all these people come and I can't practice!!

I am gonna try to write 10 minutes every couple of days or so!