Being Not a Dragon Warrior: Lessons from Dreamwork's Kung Fu Panda

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery,

but today is a gift,

that is why it is called the present..."

--- Master Oogwai, Kungfu Panda

Dreamwork's latest installment of animated cartoons hit the child-fun button right on target. I accompanied my nephew to his first movie experience (the poor boy has to be temporarily sent away before his elder sister's brand new notebooks and textbooks got a full dose of his artistic expressions ;P) and I had to sit in a jampacked row of shrieking kids and toddlers in all shapes, sizes and level of cuteness...name it, they're all there. If the bubbly laughter and jubilant glee in every Po's antics were any indication, Jack Black (voice behind Po) did a good job. Very well, indeed.

The story revolved around a clumsy and confused panda (he calls a duck his Dad, imagine?) named Po that was thrusted by a mix of funny circumstances to be hailed as the Dragon Warrior. A true-blue foodie, his master Shifu (voice of Dustin Hoffman) has to train him using the best tool available: food. Apart from the amazing fight scenes (Kung Fu fanatics: yehey!), the movie made every cartoon character cute--- enormous eyes, pudgy cheeks so kids were amused eventhough these characters kicked each other to death. No wonder there is so much violence in the world!

The scenes of the movie also reminded me of the Forbidden City in China and its majectic halls.

Facade of the Forbidden City. Tourist lines are always long.

Imperial Gold. Gold coins found in the Empress' coffin.

Obviously impatient. Sharon and I waiting in line at the entrance.

Still waiting. Arnie amused himself snapping away while Ruth, our tour guide, was nowhere in sight.

Inside the City. With the influx of tourists here at present (background), it's amazing that this was off-limits centuries ago. There are still some parts of the palace though that were not open for public viewing even today.

It's nice to be king. The imperial throne in what was left of its glory.

Payong Girls. Posing at the signage of the Hall of Central Harmony.

In one way or the other, we have been like Po forced by circumstances and life choices to become something that we are not or we thought that we are not (being a dragon warrior is just a syllogism). Amidst the rough edges and apparent ineptitudes, one can be the best the they could possibly be so long that you are prepared to toe the line (with or without siopao in a bowl). Moreso, there is no secret formula in the silk scroll. Ain't life great?