We (that means 4/5 of The Ian Scott Group) traveled to Waterloo, ON on Friday evening to cheer on David at the annual Canadian Karate Kung Fu Association tournament and conference. It would be David’s first appearance at a tournament in a few years and we were all happy to be there for him. Friday turned out to be a spring-like mild day, but with lots of rain for the drive, between Orangeville and the small city that is often considered the “Silicone Valley of Canada.”

From Orangeville, on a good day with no snow, Waterloo is only an hour’s drive through some scenic areas including areas along the Grand and Conestogo Rivers. This is also “Mennonite Country” and we encountered quite a few of these religiously devout people out on the highways and bi-ways in their horse-drawn covered buggies. For Kiriaki, it was both an intriguing and delightful site to see. It also made for some great conversations about the differences in doctrine and faith between various Protestant Christian sects, Roman Catholicism, and Greek Orthodox.

Of course, the conversations along the way were much more than about Mennonites and various tenets of faith, but many comments on the beautiful scenery and of course, the excitement we all about the next day’s tournament that David would be competing in. After arriving safely, David spent the evening with his teammates while Kiriaki and I decided to check out one of Waterloo’s oldest independent eateries, the famous “Sonny’s,” that was originally founded by a Greek immigrant to Canada.

Saturday morning was an early start for us all as we had to be at the venue where the tournament was being held by about 8:00 AM. After a quick breakfast at McDonald’s, and some badly needed coffee, we were set for a long day. And what a great day it was! It is always great to see competitors who treat each other with respect and friendship even though they are competing against each other, yet at the same time, there is naturally a hope that “your side” will do well.

And yes, David did well, earning a third-place trophy. One of his teammates, Cameron, was going to be hard to beat with an almost perfect performance, scoring 9.99 from all three judges. Indeed, Cameron’s performance set the bar to beat for the rest of the competitors in that particular competition.

The rest of the day was long but awesome as the members of the various teams were able to participate in various “pods,” electing to improve their skills in different areas. Kiriaki and I took the opportunity to visit St. Jacob’s and the surrounding area and meeting more Mennonites! The dreary weather that included a cold drizzling rain continued but… were we in for a big surprise later in the evening!

Because we had taken Beans along with us, it meant several visits to the car where he was tucked in – but on one visit, we were met with a that big surprise: Snow! And not just a little bit of snow, but tons of it! It did make for a very pretty site, but of course, we’re a little tired of winter here, having had it arrive far too early this season (late October) and it seems that Old Man Winter doesn’t want to give up his throne to Spring just yet.

 

So, it’s not all about Web Design & Development here! And we’re so proud of David’s achievements, that we wanted to share with you, the fun events of this weekend! By the way, David has many achievements, and not just related to karate (where he’s earned his Black Belt and some degrees after), but he’s also written and published two novels.

Thanks, David, for a great weekend! From all of us, here.