We are surviving Ike!!

[IcemanSK]

Bluekey, my wife and I had just gone to Kemah the week before and one of my masters and some classmates were down in Galveston by the San Luis hotel. You would not even recognize it!! I have lived in Dallas, where I am from, New York City, Hong Kong, London, Austin, etc. and I have never been really scared until Friday to Saturday. The winds in Richmond/Sugarland, 65 miles from the coast and a Houston suburb southwest, got hit with 75-80 mph winds, rain, and carnage. They are estimating may be first of next month before all power restored. People here were pissed by the lack of cooperation between FEMA and the state, so our good mayor and county judge took over. With a potential financial collapse of the economic system, I do not know how the govt will cover the expenses!!

I am so grateful for my long practice of martial arts, as it keeps me centered during this time. Mother Nature, the best female martial artist ever!!!

You are in my prayers!

 

[masherdong]

Everything that Ninebird has said is dead on. My wife and I were so scared that we were up around 3:30 AM when the storm took out our power. Fortunately, our house and neighborhood suffered only a few loose shingles. We had our power restored Saturday afternoon, so we were lucky. We live in Katy and the winds were at least 80 mph. My house is 2 years old so at least our house is built to the new standards or codes. My Si Hing on the other hand had his roof collapse and his house was trashed. We went to help him out a couple of days ago and just to see the damage made my jaw drop. Good thing is that he was able to get his family out in time before it fell.

There are still over a million people without power and they are working as fast as they can. My work place is still without power. They are estimating that power will be back on at my workplace around Monday, the 22nd.

I hope so because I am starting to get a little nervous about not getting paid. Dont get me wrong, I love the time off and all but HURRICATION has got to end soon!

 

[Ninebird8]

Masher, great that you are safe! As I stated earlier, we live in Richmond just past Sugarland and same things, could not believe how easily huge trees were mangled, snapped in half and flown 3 blocks! We have everything back except our landline, even our cable finally!! I continue to be amazed at how little FEMA learned from the last time, and it is also interesting to me that this time no governmental agency is offering up to 3 years of public housing/vouchers to live??? I went back to work on Tuesday, but my firm had the payroll messed up from California but we did get paid yesterday. My martial arts friends, our long years of training prepare us for what to generally face in life, and to handle situations with human beings, but this was incredible. I did see a typhoon when I was in Hong Kong, and Masher I assume you were here in 2001 when Alison parked over us and dropped 31 inches of rain in 18 hours, but the combo of wind/rain was overwhelming. To bring the 4th largest city to its knees was, from an organizational perspective, very interesting. To all on this site, thank you for your wishes. Masher, just out of curiosity, who do you train with in Katy? One of my students and his family lives off Fry past Saums over there? He told me parts of Katy did get hit, and the Cinemark theatre off of 99 is closed at this point. Hope to take the wife and son to a movie just to normalize this weekend!! To all, hug your family this weekend, thank your teacher (s) for the skills they are giving you, and thank your friends for being there!!

 

[terryl965]

Well hopefully the aftemath will be handle better then some other ones.

 

[Ninebird8]

There are some very strong rumors down here now, and I have some contacts at UTMB med center in Galveston, that there are a significant number of body bags and things are being held back. A couple of questions: why is there so few people being shown on High Island, Crystal Beach, and Bolivar Pen, and yet there were enough there originally with no account made for the disparity in numbers...and yet, they are finding all sorts of abandoned animals. Also, why is the gov't not immediately offering all the free vouchers that they did in Katrina? Why is the media being kept from doing certain flyovers or visiting certain areas and there is a significant news blackout in those areas? I know, I know, another conspiracy theorist...LOL!! Just questions that have arisen down here. But, I have talked to several people with contacts who have verified at least this possibility. But why would these potential death numbers be any more shocking than seeing floating bodies in New Orleans?

I am very disturbed by the govt reaction to this and the lack of solid crisis management with the current financial issues. What I would not give for some strong leader to arise in this world, but alas none appear around. My brothers and sisters, I am thankful for the great mental comfort the martial arts afford. I can always go and do standing meditation, qi gong breathing, or practice hard for a few hours. Easy way to escape. Another is getting to see my 12 year old son for the weekend. He always provides me with a new perspective, like texting me and his stepmother to see if we are going dirtbiking or 4 wheeling with our friends and kung fu bros/spouses this weekend. I love his outlook!!

 

[masherdong]

Masher I assume you were here in 2001 when Alison parked over us and dropped 31 inches of rain in 18 hours, but the combo of wind/rain was overwhelming.

Yes, I was. I grew up in Katy so, I have seen my fair share of hurricanes. I was about 8 yrs old when Alicia came to Houston. I think Ike did far more damage than Alicia did, at least from what I remember.

Masher, just out of curiosity, who do you train with in Katy? One of my students and his family lives off Fry past Saums over there?

I train at Jade Mountain Martial Arts under Sifu Whit McClendon. His Sifu is Laoshi Arthur D'Agostino.

Here is our website:

www.jademountain.org

 

[Ninebird8]

I know your Si-gung some. Met him awhile back. I have heard the name Whit McClendon before. My teachers the last 31 years are Jeff Bolt, senior of Yang Jwing Ming, Ricky Anderson, high ranking under Abbot Wang Fui-Yen in Hong Kong, and Leung Shum, Ying Jow Pai eagle claw, under Ng Wei, his teacher and godfather, who was senior and god son to Lau Fat Mon, the Lau sisters' dad.

If I remember right, is not D'Agostino Preying Mantis? Is he the brother of John Cheng and Jeff Hughes who I have know since they were kids almost 30 years ago? Sorry to digress from Ike Masher, just curious. Thanks, my student in Katy just had yard and fence damage. Except for our ATT land line which was up until Wednesday and down since, we are all the way back now, hope the same for you.

 

[masherdong]

If I remember right, is not D'Agostino Preying Mantis? Is he the brother of John Cheng and Jeff Hughes who I have know since they were kids almost 30 years ago? Sorry to digress from Ike Masher, just curious. Thanks, my student in Katy just had yard and fence damage. Except for our ATT land line which was up until Wednesday and down since, we are all the way back now, hope the same for you.
Thanks

Yes, Laoshi is a teacher of preying mantis. I do not know if John Cheng and Jeff Hughes are his brothers or not.

Good to hear that your student only had minor damage compared to many in the Houston/Galveston area.

Yes, we are up and running and have been for a week now. I am finally returning to work tomorrow. Sad thing, we will be working a lot of overtime to make up for the down time last week.

 

[Ninebird8]

Enjoy the traffic this morning, it was crazy!! Usual 3 minute trip almost an hour, looks like everyone is back. Just waiting for land line to come on, and everything else is good to go. Amazing, unlike Katrina, already taking away the pods. Interestingly, FEMA says you must basically be poor before the storm to get help afterward. OH well, thanks to the govt and their bad financial decisions, guess our help went to the $85 billion for AIG. At least ours was a natural disaster....LOL!!! Funny, we can find money for that and for war, but not to rebuild our domestic infrastructure, guess it is not a sexy political topic right now. Oh, there I go again, letting my draconian political nature come out.....I must believe, I must believe!! I guess like chi, never seen but always felt, LOL!!