LA and Beyond

This is crazy and belated, but I did it. I done did it. 

The LA show went down almost two months ago. It feels so surreal that it's over now. Months, weeks, or even days before the show, I was freaking out. How many people will come? What if people don't come? What if I forget the story? The day before the show, I wrote out thank you notes to folks.. up to the point my fingers started cramping. I was so anxious. I pooped so much before the show (ok, tmi).. I also reminded myself to relax the moment I stepped out on stage and that everything will be okay.

Everything was okay. There was a sizable crowd, and everyone was so supportive. I worried that jokes wouldn't land on the LA crowd, but it did (told myself not to worry about if things are "supposed to be" funny--just tell the damn story). In short, I am so relieved.

In October 2016, that little thought of bringing the show to Los Angeles was just a thought--a dream if you may. Then I decided to pursue that thought and see if it can become a reality. It costs a lot to get the theatre, but I was like fuck it! Life is too short to not do the things we wanna do, and so, I booked the space. The most difficult part is really spreading the word, and I'm so grateful CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics for Entertainment), Kollaboration LA, and Project by Project LA supported the show by telling their networks about it. Everyone was so so supportive, and it made the whole LA show what it was--it felt like the whole entire community had my back.

Special thanks to Grace for letting me crash and helping me to get set pieces and loading, Karin for taking beautiful black and white photos, and Cindy, Amy, and Malina for capturing color photos. Sabrina for coming all the way from Oakland, and all the people who came out to the show. It meant the world to share the story with you. 

And now, I'm back to NYC. Back to reality. And everything is back to normal: classes (Improv 301! And Film & TV at The Barrow Group), hustle for AAIFF, work at Nom Wah, and writing--been outlining two feature films--and experiencing writer's block, ha! I'm getting over this hump where I have to sit down and write everything that's been on my mind with these two stories. I know the ending to both, it's just the journey (emotional) in between that is hard to write. I'll figure it out soon enough. Setting a deadline for the end of this month. Yes, always have deadlines. Otherwise, a dream is just a dream. Do.

I've also been reading Taraji P. Henson's memoir. I saw a video of her circulating on Facebook talking, where she gave a speech on what it means to ignore naysayers and keep on with keeping on. It inspired me so much that I picked up her book. This morning, I balled my eyes out when she talked about where she's from, her family, and her love life. I related so much to everything and got so emotional. She has this fire and sass, and unapologetic energy about her that no one can take away. She's a strong ass woman, and I'm working now to get as tough as her.

On my way home, I read the part where she talked about moving to Hollywood with no money and had to beg just to find a place to live. That shit is too real and inspiring. I have dreams of moving to Los Angeles (I told the head chef at Nom Wah last week and shit came out of my mouth), but I need some seed money and some brush-up on driving lessons. It'd probably take me two years to save up enough just to get a used car and rent for a few months. I never thought I would've said this, because let's be real, I don't even like LA that much. But like Taraji's father said, "why are you just living? Why aren't you going to LA where all the jobs are?" Her father's words is exactly what I don't wanna hear but need to hear.

Part of me wanna take it slow--one step at a time. But Taraji did it with no real acting credits, no agent in LA, no car, and no place to live, AND with a baby on her hip. If she can do it, I believe I can. I gotta stop making excuses. I have to be more daring.

I'm going through the mo right now, a rough patch if you will, but I promise I will look back one day and say I gave it my all. You have to, because otherwise, why start? 

Crazy spilling this out man. Time for beeeeed. Good night world.

Tomorrow is a new day. And.. the hustle continues! 

Au Revoir HK and Japan

  I'm finally back! After almost a month in Hong Kong and Japan, I'm finally back in New York friggin' City. In Hong Kong, I mainly spent time with the fambam since all of my mom's fam is still in HK. In Japan, we (my bro and I) hung out with my bro's high school buddies. It was so much fun! I snapchatted and took pictures the whole time. One thing I'm sad about is that I didn't vlog this time around. I guess a picture is worth a thousand words? I'm still a bit jet-lagged from the trip. I would wake up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall asleep for another two hours (thank lord for Instagram and Twitter). BUT, I'll wake up around 10/11am. I wonder when this will subside--maybe another week or so?

I also got an eye infection about a week into the trip. Just my luck. Still recovering..

After the trip, I reflected and wrote down some notes for both HK and Japan. It's stuff I've been thinking while at both locations, but didn't have the time to write it down cuz by the time the end of the day rolled around (usually around 9pm), I was muy tired from walking all day.

Alright, here we go...

Hong Kong 1) Imagine NYC. Multiply that density by 2-3 times. That's how many ppl there are in HK.. walking on the streets/getting on the subway, or as they call it: The MTR. 2) People walk in an insanely fast pace. On really crowded streets. Watch your purse. Keep your eyes wide open. 3) People always talk about that New York hustle like it's something. Wait 'til you go to HK. 4) There's no napkins on the dining table, and sometimes there's no toilet paper. Always bring your own pack of tissue. Keep like at least two packs of tissue in your bag. 5) Their water isn't as clean as NYC, so do not drink it. Even if you're really thirsty. 6) Happy Hour in HK is $5HKD. It's unreal. That's less than $1USD. (At Lilly's). Go to the 6th floor. The 5th floor is more like a dinner spot. 7) The RMB (China's currency) is currently worth more than HKD. 8) When you walk, always bare left. 9) When taking a two-story bus, and if it's empty when you hop on, try to run upstairs and grab the front seat. It'd be a heck more of a ride. 10) No, people aren't arguing or have anxiety. That's how loud people talk, and that's how people act, they just can't keep calm--well in certain parts of HK anyway.

Japan 1) It's my first time here (Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Hakone)! Everything is so beautiful and cute. 2) Alright, how come all the girls here are walking in heels? 3) This place is just as crowded as HK. Well, Tokyo anyway. 4) Ok, not sure if we should bare right or left here. Follow the arrows on the stairwell in the subway station. 5) If you're not going to multiple cities and just visiting Tokyo, DO NOT buy the JR Pass. 6) Omakase is half the price of what you get in NYC--with better fish. 7) There's a lot of root vegetables (mashed up in a form of gelatin) you might not have had in your past life; eat it anyway. I heard it's good for you. 8) There's ice cream. Lots of ice cream. 9) If you can, just bring a budgeted amount of cash from your bank account. Otherwise, your account will be empty by the end of your trip. 10) You will want to buy everything. Stop. Take a deep breath. Ask yourself, do I really need this? Or better yet, do I have space in my luggage for this? The answer will surprise you.

On both 1) If you're a budget traveler, use AirBnb to save on living costs. Yes, you might end up far off from a train station, or live in a motel converted to mini living spot that fits the AirBnB standards, but it will cost a fraction of, say, a hotel (even if you split it between a few peeps). 2) Never discount the tastiness of street food. Not only does it taste good/good for the soul, it also says a lot about the culture. 3) Always haggle. 4) Monitor the weather conditions at least a week before you go, and ask friends who live there for clothing advice. I ended up bringing fall weather clothes to HK when it was 88 degrees outside. It was hot! 5) Buy the Octopus (HK) and Pasmo IC (Japan) cards for the metro. You just have to beep in and out of the station instead of always buying single tickets. It's like the Metrocard, but waaaaaay cooler.

Ok, I miss these places already. When can I go back? :P

Have you ever been to Hong Kong or Japan? What do you think?

Wanderlustin' Dreams

Lately, i have been thinking a lot about travel and new explorations. I guess you can say a travel bug is biting--hard! So i came up with a travel bucket list: places i have been to and places i want to explore more. I realized there are so many places i want to explore! Places i have been to:

-Hong Kong -Guangzhou, China -Toisan, China -Macau -Niagra Falls, Canada -Boston, MA -Northampton, MA -Pennsylvania, PA -Stamford, CT -San Diego, CA -San Francisco, CA (three times ♥) -Santa Barbara, CA -Los Angeles, CA

Places i want to check out before i turn 25 (ambitious, i know): -Shanghai -Beijing -Taiwan -Korea -Japan -Philippines -Thailand -Vietnam -Cambodia -India -Amsterdam -London -Toronto, Canada -Seattle, WA -Las Vegas, NV -Portland, OR -Chicago, IL -Salt Lake City, UT -Austin, TX -Dallas, TX -Los Angeles, CA (again!)

Do you have the same wanderlustin' dreams? ♡

The City of Angels - Days of Discovery

When I booked the trip out to LA, my whole intention was to check out Kollaboration Star, a show consisting of finalists who have won their regional competition and is competing for the title to have a chance to perform in the MNet Music Awards in Hong Kong.  I figured I'd be in for a treat because everyone is so talented.  And yes, the show completely blew me away.  It was not only the talent, but the heart, passion, and soul that transcended through their art.  I can see and feel what they were all about--special congrats to Mike Izon from Kollaboration Honolulu for winning.

After Kollaboration Star ended, it was time to check out what this city has to offer!  I thought LA would be walkable, but boy, I was wrong.  We had to drive everywhere--from Glendale to San Gabriel Valley to Webminister to Downtown LA.  Sometimes I get so carried away, I would forget to take photos, but I'm glad I had the ability to take pics of these landmarks and hot joints while out here.

And finally, I have been able to spot meaningful art, and check out food joints that are hidden.  It just comes to show that your art/restaurant doesn't have to be fancy--it just has to be good, and people will naturally gravitate towards it.

I still have one more post for this LA Adventure.  There were so many things to see and do ... I wish I had more time to do more!  This only means I have to visit again.  LA, you'd want me back, right? :)

The City of Angels - Settling in West

The first day is almost over.  It is 2:08am in LA, but my body clock is still living on east coast time, so it's already 5:08am!  Today was mostly chillin' and settling into the space: the city, the food, and the people. The weather was surprisingly cloudy and rainy. I always imagined LA to be sunny and bright, so it was a bit disappointing. But I have a feeling the sun will come out tomorrow-can't wait to get some vitamin d! I captured today's trip in a few quick shots.

Throughout the day, Linda, KNY team member, and I, had the pleasure to meet most of Kollaboration Seattle's team. Everyone is so nice, and when we were reflecting on our day, we agreed that everyone whom we have met (a lot of folks we just met today) are already acting like family. There's so much love going on that I cannot wait to meet everyone else from the Kollaboration Global team. It is Kollaboration's magic that is bringing and holding us together. #dowork #dreambig

Oh, and if you are in LA, Kollaboration Star is happening on Friday, November 16 at The Alex Theatre in Glendale. To buy tickets, go to Kollaboration's website.

See you all there! :)

Hong Kong

It's almost been a year since I visited Hong Kong.  This is a photo I took while I was in Tsim Tsa Tsui.  I knew I wanted to check out the nightlife, but still didn't have a chance.  But hey, I checked out the nightlights.  It's about the same, right? Anyway, I'm heading off to Los Angeles in a few minutes.  Ahh, first time there, can't wait!