moving on fast..

this last month i was told that "luck is preparation and opportunity" and  boy was that insightful. its funny that sometimes we work really hard to try to make opportunities for ourselves and not really ever focus on the preparation part. I've spent most of my adult life preparing for something. that i still have no clue what it is. i have not a clue where my life will turn or where it will go, but all i  know is i am ready for whatever may come my way. I've made it a point to prepare for everything and anything. and i mean anything. I've learned to be flexible and jump through every door that is opened for me and close every door with a lesson learned. its very interesting- this way of living. I've learned how to be just easy going and positive. I sometimes think how hard it must be to be stuck in something you hate and doing something that means nothing to you. that's what keeps me moving. 

i feel that life is about living it to the fullest while being happy and enjoying every breath that you take and all the little moments that make it worth living. I'm glad i somehow was able to gather this knowledge of living life for the now and preparing for the tomorrow. at times i think its a waste of my time sitting in class and learning nothing new, but I've learned from these past years about college life -is that it will help me deal with all sorts of people as well as push myself when no one is pushing me. i really thing that pushing yourself with dreams and goals is the only way you can truly be happy and live. one of my dear friends is currently living life for the now as well as being prepared for the next move of his life. i think some of us live our lives preparing and in the end we win. having the skill sets for success is something that not everyone has. and studying for four years to be ready for the next level is always the winning aspect over those who are just stuck in no where land. 

my other friend sent me an email saying that to never lose momentum, once you're moving keep going and never stop. don't look back just go. and i really agree with that. once you stop you're stuck and you'll have to work very hard to get going and even harder to get to the speed you were at before you stopped. and with that. lets all just take a breath and a drink of water and move faster to the road of success. 

shalom. 

ps. the photo is of my dunny army ready to conquer all... and the acorn squash was a subject of a horrible drawing assignment. 

Chinese New Year

i'm half Chinese. and i was raised in a household that held up to all Chinese traditions and with that. i think of Chinese new year much more of an importance than regular calendar new year. for me Chinese new year is a time to get my act together. its the days that lead into the new year that we prepare for. this year Chinese new year is on Monday the 26, 2009. and its the year of the ox, which means i'm turning 24 years old this year. 

the days before Chinese new year is all about getting it together. you try your best to pay off all your debts from the previous year to not carry any of it over to the new year. you clean your house to get rid of all the bad spirits that you collected or followed you around in the past year. you stock up your kitchen with foods so that you start the new year with all that you may need. you dont go out buying anything, or you're going to start the year spending your money. you give lucky money to family members and all those who come pay tribute to you on new years day. giving money means you're giving those wishing a good new year luck. they receive it from you and you also get luck in return from their well wishes. you have a large dinner the eve of the new year with your family. you eat a bit of everything to help symbolize good things coming to your family. 

those traditions have been instilled in me as a young child when my grandfather taught me the meaning of all the things that i had to do. i'm a bit sad this year as i cannot spend it home like i did last year. but i will of course call my parents and grandma and great uncle/aunt early in the morning as to have the first greeting as i have done ever since i was a little child* that only happened by default because my mom had always made me go to school on Chinese new years and i would have to pour tea for my family at 7am before school started. so now i start the new year every year early, gives me the one up on everyone else.. :) 

so with tomorrow being Chinese new year. i'm cleaning my room and trying to be in a good mood to hope that the rest of the year will be the same. with that i wish everyone a happy Chinese new year filled with good health, great fortune and happiness. 

shalom. 

creative means...

so this is my last semester of college. and i am excited.  not only do i graduate in may, i'm taking some pretty cool classes. three are studio art classes (art of photography, computer art and drawing)  i decided since i was able to choose anything i want, i decided to go with something that would 1.) help me understand art more (art history major) 2.) learn more about myself. 3.) teaching myself a skill of creativity. 

now i know the third one sounds odd, but let me explain. being creative is very hard. i'm not artistic at all. you can tell if you were to ever look at my paintings. but that's besides the point. the point is that taking classes like that forces you to think outside the box. takes you out of your comfort zone, or it makes you more confident. in these classes, the assignments are fairly simple, but that's the catch, you have to make it yours, own the assignment. make it you. and for me sometimes it makes me think for hours to what the possibilities are. there are many ways to draw a pepper, many ways to take a picture, but the results have to say my name and my ideas. and that's the hard part. what is my style what do i find interesting... 

 through the last several years, i've learned a lot, and one thing that i've learned is that people rarely leave their comfort zone. be that a job, industry, style, lifestyle, state, time zone, country: no matter what your comfort zone is, you probably wont leave it. only a few will ever take the journey to leave and make something happen and become better people for it. i always try to encourage my friends to make something happen that is outside their comfort zone because only then do you really find yourself and become a more confident person. moving from one apartment to another doesnt count, unless you move into another state. the whole idea of leaving everything you know to find something new and making it your own is exactly what i am doing, both in my life and my art classes. i find it so relieving that this is what i get to do, find myself. its hard but i'm welcoming the challenge. there is nothing better than learning more about yourself and seeing how well you think on your feet. using all the skills you learn you are able to adapt to new situations and the real you really shines. and i love that about creativity. an open mind is one of the most powerful thing a person can have and that my friends cannot be taken away from you. 

so with that.. i hope to create some decent art and perhaps have a portfolio to follow me around as artistic representation/proof of my journey of growth here.... all the way from home and my blankie of los angeles life. 

shalom. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year! 

well here we are... 2009 !  we actually survived 2008 and hopefully 2009 will be at least 3 times better than 2008. *don't aim too high otherwise you'll just be disappointed 

so thinking about life i'm just going to state some goals and such for the new year. 

its going to be crazy but it might just work out alright with the right attitude. 

1. graduate from college. 

2. move back to los angeles 

3. find job/housing in los angeles

4. maintain relationships of all kinds

5. get and keep fit. *this is fifth on the list because all the other ones are more realistic. 

6. travel more *hopefully 1st trip to vietnam and asia is in this year's plan 

7. blog more 

8. laugh more  

9. be nicer to people 

10. make an outstanding memory every month of 2009. 

yes i know i set very normal goals. but seriously, there is nothing wrong with working on the basic elements of your life. getting yourself together in small steps to reach a bigger and more special overall life goal is the only way to actually live a life worth any merit. there are a lot of people out there who live very shallow and materialistic lives and they are completely content with it, and thats okay as the saying goes 'ignorance is bliss'.   for me, i want to live a life with some purpose i want to be remembered as someone that everyone liked, i want my relationships with people to matter, i want to matter as a person to my greatest ability. i might not find the cure for any disease but if i am able to help others to be happy and live up to their fullest potential then i can say that's okay with me. 

maybe in a few years my goals will change but for now, i think that's enough for my young self. i still want to leave some room for errors that will teach me lessons. i've learned that perfection is boring and hard work. so being super or pretty good at something will be okay for 2009. we all can control only so much of our lives, but with the decisions that we can make, lets try for the best and do the things that we know makes us happy. 

with that, i leave you all to reflect on your 2009 goals and have a wonderful night. 

shalom.