Now here is something interesting that I read over the internet : "The darkest realms exists in the brightest minds." In my point of view, it is quite true in my world, not saying that I am smart nor am I saying that I am evil, just that it seems as if most smart people uses their brain on the crocked stuff. Perhaps that's just from the movies of nowadays, where the smart mad scientists versus the stupid lucky good guy... I hope that is not the general case. Anyways, I'll keep on wondring about this sentence during my dream tonight.

Today's the aftermath of the huge power failure yesterday afternoon. The power failure overed the state of New York in the States, and the entire of Ontario. I was in a subway station, waiting for friends when it happened. The light flickered, and all the lights, except for a few went black. Good thing no body I know got trapped in the subway. We walked around the city, and finding everything closed. When it got dark, it got really dark. No street lights, or any light from buildings. I rushed home to help out in the store, in case of any possible trouble. Darkness and breakdown of basic condiitons do things to people. Luckily, Torontonians were very well behaved last night. I actually had a good time guiding customers by flashlights. The sky under the city was suddenly free of light pollution, and the stars shined through magneficently, just like how they were at camp. I actually got up very early in the morning, at 6:30 am in fact. God, I can't remember when was the last time I got up before 10:00am. I went to practice in the park across from my home, for the first time in years. It felt very good, I think I just might continue to do this whole "get up early" thing. They say there's gonna be rolling power outs as they adjust the power grid for the next few hours/days. Hence I have no idea when my computer will floap on me. Maybe even NOW!! .................................no? alright, good.

God knows why I shell out almost 20 dollars each month buying Newtype magazine. Each month, it's the same routine. I would walk down to Chinatown, first visit Kikiwai, and ask if the volumns of "Rough" that I ordered arrived from Japan yet. Nope? Ok then. I would then walk to ChenXiaoJi book store, and ask them if new volumns of "Katsu" arrived from HongKong yet. Nope? Ok then. Finally, after the disappointments, I would walk up north again. Go to AnimeXtreme, and pick up a new issue of Newtype. I don't know why I read it, it has little useful information about anything, it seems to be just a big advertisement catalogue, like those Eatons or Sears used to make. Except you can't place order on most of the items listed in it, and they are always madly expensive. I think I'm buying the magazine simply for Johnathan Clement's The FarWest column. It's simply hilarious, poking fun at the North American anime sub-culture. It's great to indulge in self irony. I don't think I can call myself a "collector" of anime magazines or what not, if I am, I would go hardcore and buy the Japanese Newtypes. But that serves no real purpose, I have enough trouble as it is reading sushi vinegar labels. Ok, my monthly trips does pay off of course. I got 7 volumns of Katsu already, and um, 1 volumn of Rough. The owner of Kikiwai claims that my order will arrive on aug 20th ( maybe ). I sure hope so, I've been hoping since January.

It's becoming painfully obvious that I won't get the chance to study XingYi in the near future. There is only one sifu who teach the style in Toronto, and he doesn't offer any public courses for it. Unfortunately for me, private lessons cost $60/hr, which is way more than what I can afford. It makes my heart ache watching such opportunity slipping away, like being refused after confessing love to a girl. Well, at least there's always Bajiquan. It's time that I settle down and devote my time mostly to only one style of martial art. From the look of it, Baji is gonna be it.