Just another WordPress weblog

Our new website is up, and we’re ready to go with our second PHUSIKOI event! It’s going to be a fun filled day, giving you a real exercise on awareness of the mind and body.

Come along and see for yourself!

Hello!

Below you’ll find the layout of the December 13th event!

SCHOOL OF DESIGN (A BUILDING, 1st floor)

1PM: FRONT OF HOUSE OPENS

1.15PM:  GINO YU speaks, CENTURY OF THE SELF screened, TED TALKS room opens

1.45PM:  TANYA KAPS & ALEX PARKES speaks

2.15PM:  LORRAINE JUSTICE speaks

2.30PM: BRAIN STORY screened

2.45PM: BOBSY speaks

3.30PM: MIRANDA KAUR speaks

3.45PM: ZEITGEIST ADDENDUM screened

4.00PM: MANI GYANU speaks

4.30PM: KUMI MASUNAGA speaks

————————————

P CORE VENUE

5.30PM: DRUMMING WORKSHOP

6.45PM: FRONT OF HOUSE OPENS

7.00PM: YOGA in PQ002 STUDIO, “DANCES IN HONG KONG” screening in P306

8.00PM: NIDRA

8.20PM: KIRTAN

9.00PM: MUSIC

9.30PM: DJ CHATA

11.00PM: RITUAL

11.11PM: DJ M THEORY

There are several motivations for the Phusikoi event that we have planned for Dec. 13th.  First and foremost is the celebration of being alive.  We often take fore-granted what an incredible opportunity it is for us to be here.  The society, culture, and the media have en-cultured a way of being that may not be sustainable, or nurturing towards inner growth (with attention being directed outward and toward the future vs. where you are and what you are experiencing in the present moment).  Traditional rituals have become commercial opportunities and have lost their potency in connecting people with nature and the natural cycles of life.  

Phusikoi is about bringing together like-minded people that have the courage to explore new ways of being.  To personally inquire into the bigger questions of who we are and why we are here, at a personal level, as a community, and as species.  What is your experience?  What is your explanation for what you are experiencing?  Where does this explanation come from?  What if you let the explanation go?

The event weaves together elements that feed the mind, body, and spirit.  We are exploring new rituals for modern life, in a similar vein to other new rituals that are emerging around the world such as the Burning Man Festival in the United States and the Boom Festival in Europe.  Rituals that bring like-minded people together in an open way (mind and heart) to celebrate life.

We’ve lined up an interesting mix of speakers and topics for the Phusikoi talks that will be held concurrently with the movie / video screenings, drumming, and other activities during the day. Among those currently scheduled to speak include:

Gino Yu (1:15 pm) - Gino is working toward reviving the “spirit” of the Phusikoi (our namesake). Who were the Phusikoi? and why the Phusikoi? A quick google will give you some background of what the name represents and its origins. However, if you are interested in why it is relevant to modern life, come see Gino’s talk. Gino is an Associate Professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University specializes in digital entertainment, creativity, and consciousness.

Tanya Kaps and Alex Parkes (1.45 pm) – Tanya and Alex are artists media producers working on projects that facilitate personal growth and transformation. They are also among the best yoga instructors in Hong Kong. Among their current projects include a film on the global awakening of consciousness (http://www.themakingofbeing.com) and The Experience, a mind-body-spirit “Event” that combines yoga, singing, and dancing which you will get a taste of in our evening event.

Lorraine Justice (2:15 pm)- Lorraine is the Director of the School of Design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In that position, she inspires and motivates the best work from a faculty of over 80 creative designers, a process she often refers to as “herding cats.” Creativity and innovation are important to any organization seeking to survive and grow in this increasingly competitive world. Learn some of Lorraine’s secrets at her talk on Managing Creativity and Creatives.

Bobsy (2:45 pm) – Bobsy is a fixture in Hong Kong’s holistic community. Whether its conceiving and founding new sustainable ventures such as Life Cafe, leading a group in Kirtan, or organizing a tree-planting days on Lamma Island, Bobsy serves as an inspiration to everyone he comes in contact with. Bobsy will talk about the SAVE THE HUMAN campaign and efforts in Hong Kong.

Miranda Kaur (3:30 pm) – Whether it has been as a disk jockey, a flight attendant, or an entrepreneur, Miranda has followed her intuition throughout her life. She will share her experiences in learning to better understand (and let go of) the fears imposed by external world-views to find and trust your intuition, leading to more fulfilling meaning and purpose. Her talk is titled Work Our Intuition to Achieve Your Goals.

Mani Gyanu (4:00 pm) – Previously a stewardess, Mani is also a film-maker with her first documentary that we will be screening in our evening session, Dances in Hong Kong. Mani founded Maaya Productions, focused upon enlightened entertainment with several projects in development. Find out more about Mani in her talk (she will also take questions after her film screening) and from her website (http://maayaproductions.com).

Kumi Masunaga (4:30 pm) – Kumi has been leading drum circles in Hong Kong and throughout Asia for over ten years. Kumi has a passion for drumming that is infectious. More than just a social event, or a ritual, drumming can be used for spiritual healing and growth. Join any of her events and you will find information about Kumi at her talk and website http://www.drum-jam.com.

Come join us for an exciting afternoon of lively talks and discussions!

Hello!

On the 13th of December, starting at 1pm, our first Phusikoi event will commence. 

Concurrently with the guest speakers, we will be showing a series of films and videos in two rooms.

One of the rooms will be showcasing TED speakers from this year’s TED Conference 

In the other room, we will be showing the following at the following times: 

THE CENTURY OF THE SELF (EPISODE 1)  - 1.15PM 

ASCENT OF MAN (EPISODE 1) – 2.30PM

BARAKA (ON BLU-RAY) – 3.40PM

And don’t forget, at 7PM, we will be showcasing Mani Gyanu’s film:

DANCES IN HONG KONG: BOUNDARIES NOT INCLUDED  with a Q & A session afterwards.

Hello! 

The first Phusikoi event is less than 2 weeks away!  

We’d just like to clarify that it’s recommended that you RSVP your name and number of attendees by sending us an e-mail at:  info@phusikoi.org  

We’ve only got 100 spaces, and we want to make sure that you get in the door! 

So if you haven’t RSVPd yet, please do as soon as you can.  

Many thanks!

Hello!  The film screenings on December 13th will take place in two screening rooms, concurrently with the lectures.   We’ll be showing animations, documentaries and filmed speakers, dealing with innovative ideas, social awareness, consciousness, as well as nature and art.  

This blog post features one of the documentaries that will be screened on the day: 

ADAM CURTIS’ “THE CENTURY OF THE SELF”  - Episode 1 and Episode 2

From the BBC site: 

“To many in both politics and business, the triumph of the self is the ultimate expression of democracy, where power has finally moved to the people.  Certainly the people may feel they are in charge, but are they really? The Century of the Self tells the untold and sometimes controversial story of the growth of the mass-consumer society in Britain and the United States.  how was the all-consuming self created, by whom, and in whose interests?”

Adam Curtis: 

“This series is about how those in power have used Freud’s theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy.” 

Wikipedia:

“This documentary asks deep questions about the roots of consumerism, representative democracy and its implications.  It also questions the modern way we see ourselves, the attitude to fashion and superficiality.”

The film screenings will start at 1.15pm in A122, School of Design, A Building at Poly U.

Hello!  At 7pm, in Rm PQ304 (3rd floor of P Core building), we will be having a featured screening of the documentary “Dances in Hong Kong – Boundaries not included” followed by a Q & A with the director, Mani Gyanu.   We’re really excited about Mani showing her film at the first Phusikoi event which was a finalist at the Moondance International Film Festival 2008.  

Here’s a synopsis of the film: 

“The Film is a holistic, rhythmic, colorful journey through nine dance styles from diverse cultures including – Chinese, Indian Classical, African, Argentinean Tango, Salsa, Belly Dance, Ballroom Dance, Bollywood Dance and Flamenco that uses dance as metaphor to impart its message of forgetting our man-made boundaries, coming together as one, while continuing to celebrate our diversity that makes life so much richer.  The film also briefly examines how these diverse dance styles as vital representatives of their respective cultures carry and embrace influences of different lands within their fold through history. 

Dances… is centered around the multicultural community of Hong Kong that is fast discovering dance as a hobby and a creative pursuit and finds it a natural source of love, joy, togetherness and spiritual uplifting, making new friendships and dispelling their cloaks of being an African, Chinese, Indian, European or American and coming together as human beings.  This is a world where boundaries and simply not included.” 

Mani’s also been kind enough to give us a director’s statement about how this film came to be:

“During my travels around the world, I’ve often been struck by the subtle similarities in behavior, eating habits, local jargon, music and dance elements, native philosophies of the far off places despite the glaring differences of facial features, nationality, race, color etc.  Even when you observe kids from different parts of the world, they all behave the same underlining the fact that at a core level, we are not so different and separate from each other.  I observed the same during my dance classes that I attended in Hong Kong and in India.  But in India, we all looked the same so if we behaved in a similar manner, it was fine.  What I found interesting was that in Hong Kong, we all looked so very different and sill behaved the same on the dance floor.  I just found it very intriguing that people of different colors/nationalities/backgrounds are coming together and dropping everything else during that one hour.  There was hardly any verbal communication but we all had such a good time and felt we knew each other. 

Besides, I also observed that amidst the frantic pace of Hong Kong work and personal life, dance served as an antidote to the seperation and isolation we all face on a regular basis in this urbane city that stands as an icon of the modern, materialistic world.  I just wanted to be able to capture this other side of Hong Kong through the spirit, excitement, colors, vibrancy, togetherness and joie de vivre that dance offered and more. 

That’s how Dances… was born. 

I am very fortunate to have family and friends who supported my project through their patience, words of encouragement, creative efforts and valuable advice, by providing me equipment at the time and above all by listening to me whining and complaining about a million things that seemed to be going wrong at every stage of this film. 

The paradox is that this film is not really about dancing but simple emotions of love and joy.  Simple things are often difficult to accomplish, and I hope you all enjoy the film.”

You can visit http://maayaproductions.com/ for more details about Mani’s work. 

Hello!  

One of the DJ’s that you’ll be experiencing on the dance floor at the DECEMBER 13th event is DJ PHAT CHATA. 

The young DJ was born in Hong Kong and has performed in multiple cities around the world.   The multi genre DJ is a record label owner, music producer, engineer, artist, and DJ spinning and producing and mixing anything from the 1920s to the present day through the genres of jazz, rock, wonky rave, punk, electro, dnb and hip hop.  

Phat Chata’s played at M1NT, Buddha Lounge, Baby Buddha, Priory, Jem and many other venues in Hong Kong.  

Phat Chata’s name derives from the word in the Kamasutra – “Chatakavilasa”

“My goal’s to take the audience through a musical journey, fully immersed in the moment, losing themselves even for a second, so they can experience pure ecstasy.”