Shawn:  It’s going good, can’t complain too much, if at all. =) 

Shawn:  Hmmm…maybe laid back. 

Chung Lao:  When did you start playing drums, and why? 

Shawn:  When I was young, I began banging out rhythms on anything that would make noise, using my hands/fingers as sticks.  Then I started playing on the bongos, with my fingers.  Mind you, I was attempting to play drum rhythms on the bongos, as opposed to bongo/congo rhythms.  I first played an actual drum set in 1995 when I was in my Gr. 8 music room. 

As for why I started playing, it’s probably because I was always slightly rhythmically inclined and fond of percussion. 

Chung Lao:  Which drummers have influenced your style? 

Shawn:  Well, first off I learned a lot from Joel.  So I guess my style definitely is influenced by his.  I learned a bit from Paul also, so I have a slight influence from him as well.  I also picked up a few things from Glen and tried to incorporate anything he taught me as well into my drumming.  I’d have to say by far they are the best drummers in our church.  Another drummer (not from our church), would have to be Dennis Chambers, a phenomenally fast drummer. Until you’ve seen him play, you cannot believe how fast he is.  

I am always learning, so I’ve picked up stuff from Benji, Aba and a whole bunch of other guys.  

Chung Lao:  What do you think of IndaPhatFarm.com? 

Shawn:  I have to say that it is a very impressive site:  quite organized and the best place for the youth to come together, whether it be just to see what’s going on, to vent, to keep in contact with each other, to get advice or whatever else.  

Chung Lao:  Was the United States justified in going to war in Iraq? 

Shawn:  I think they may have been justified only in going in to get Saddam Hussein.  But after that was done and over with, as far as I’m concerned, they didn’t have to stick around.  I thought their main goal was to get Saddam; after accomplishing that they should have let the Iraqis be. 

Chung Lao:  Name some countries you would like to visit/re-visit, and why. 

Shawn:  I would love to re-visit India and Saudi Arabia.  Seeing the place, family and old friends would bring back fun childhood memories.   

Chung Lao:  What is the first thing you notice about a person? 

Shawn:  Body language: to judge how the person feels around me.

Chung Lao:  List your favorites:

        I.  Music: Gospel, R&B, Jazz, Latin Jazz, Latin Music. 

Chung Lao:  Is the NHL worth saving? 

Shawn:  I don’t really like hockey.  But I am Canadian.  So sure, why not.  

Chung Lao:  While we’re on the subject, what’s your take on arranged marriage? 

Shawn:  I am against traditional arranged marriage but am for a more reformed, if you want to call it that, arranged marriage.  It can be alright in the sense that the girl/guy is actively involved in the process as opposed to the parents, just doing stuff behind their backs. But as for me personally, I don’t know, I guess I’ll see what happens.

Chung Lao:  Why is it that the Expos were garbage in Montreal, but upon moving to Washington DC, they became the hottest team in baseball (for a while anyway)?

Shawn:  It’s because they couldn’t read French.  

Chung Lao:  Name someone you admire, and why. 

Shawn:  Hmm…someone I admire. This is a tough question for me, not because I don’t admire anyone, but because I admire a lot of different traits in different people.  If I was to choose just one person, the only person that comes to mind would have to be one of my best friends. I choose not to say his name for the sake of privacy, but I admire him for the love he has for God, his family and his friends. I’ve know him for a while and I’d seen a lot of the trials he’s gone through and how he persevered through them with his deep and solid faith in God. A lot of times, that alone has encouraged me during my tough times.  

Chung Lao:  Are we living in the End Times? 

Shawn:  I am absolutely certain that we are; with all that’s going and been going on, I think its frighteningly obvious. 

Chung Lao:  What are some Pros/Cons to living in Toronto? 

Shawn: 

Pros:  Great place to live, lots and lots of different cultures, great food, great people and a beautiful city.

Cons:  Gay pride parade, lots n lots of brown people. 

Chung Lao:  Describe the ideal church, even if it’s not realistic. 

Shawn:  A place where a person can truly worship God and where the word of God is preached in its entirety, a place where a person is respected for who they are and not prejudiced based on looks or attire alone.  

Chung Lao:  What is something you can’t stand in a person? 

Shawn:  Dishonesty, and someone who is a fake. 

Chung Lao:  Should Michael Jackson have been acquitted?  Give us your thoughts. 

Shawn:  Yes and No. Yes, because I think that in this case he may have been innocent, but I don’t know, I’m just speculating. And No, because I think he might be capable of doing what he’s been charged with. I don’t know if that makes sense or is reason enough for him to be acquitted or not.

Chung Lao:  Using Microsoft Paint, please draw us a picture. 

Shawn: 

Chung Lao:  So can we expect you, Shannon (brother) & company to represent Canada at the 2006 Blessan Samuel Classic? 

Shawn:  Yes, you can expect us to represent Canada, but I don’t want to say a definite yes. I’d say there is a 89.342% chance that we will be there.  5.658% is because I don’t want to speak for everyone and we have to make sure we can come. And the other 5% is because we feel bad coming for the first year and taking your trophy away from you guys. =) 

Chung Lao:  Describe the ideal wife. 

Shawn:  The ideal wife is a person who loves and respects you for who you are, a person that can be trusted and trusts you, someone who can be herself around you and most importantly someone who is honest about everything. 

Shawn:  I would have to say that the ideal husband’s traits should reciprocate that of the ideal wife. 

Shawn:  One that will love and respect you, will aptly and promptly eat food that is given to it, and be thankful for it. One that would clean after itself and its surroundings and would continuously amuse you. 

Chung Lao:  Alright, you are on a late night dive into some underwater caves, off the eastern coast of Australia.  You decide to enter a cavern that you hadn’t explored before.  As you enter the cavern, you sense a rumbling in the rocks, and realize that the cavern entrance that you came into, is collapsing.  You make a break for the entrance, but by the time you get there, it’s been sealed shut by falling rocks.