a new empire

Reinventing myself: Roth 4.0

Once again, I feel like I’ve evolved so much that I’ve became a different person.  
Once the time is right, I would like to show you all what I’ve been working on, and have been through, and everything will make sense…

Much love

Next Up on My Reading List

1. Bruce Lee Spirit/Tao of Jeet Kun Do
2. The Power of Now
3. The last of Hunger Game Trilogies
4. Native American Healing/Remedy (not a book)
5. Aromatherapy (not a book)
6. Herbology (not a book)
7. Organic/Biointensive farming and gardening

Yep, I know I’m a hippie, but that was way before West Coast. 

A Sustainable Life

Ok folks, I hate blogging, and I lied about giving a much need updated since I don’t follow through (see post from 3 mos ago). But well, I’m going to suck it up and just starting writing more regardless as what type of thing I should share. I want to get into the habit of just making more time to write. (And partly, because of a new gig I got, I should jump back on my social media days, so my off-the-grid days are over). Part of it is because I’ve been busy living life…and also deal with other logistics stuff, such as always figuring housing from month to month as I’m a nomad right now. 
 
So currently, I’m on an independent study. Last semester, I wrote up a proposal and got it all approved, so I’m officially getting credits for doing my own project—which is pretty boss, because after so much theoretical studies, I just need some hands on experience and some real life living and I just want to MAKE stuff, you know. 

My journey has been positively quirky so far: 
I’ve pretty much been in a different city/town/state for the past 5 months now. 
I’ve never traveled this much in my life time, but I think I worked up to get to where I am now, and 2012 is one of my best years yet.
This is what my timeline has been like:

Aug - Dec 2011: Move to SF/Start art school
Dec 2011: FL
Jan 2012: Noho, MA
Feb: Berkeley, CA
March: Oakland/SF
April: SoCal TBA
May: SoCal TBA

Summer 2012: Cambodia (FOR REAL THIS TIME)

First off, right now, I’m living a sustainable PLACE, in Oakland, CA, where I’m living in a roadshow bus, for this whole week. It’s been an interesting experience with communal living—since the last time I shared a room with someone (beside my partner) was 3-4 years ago… So, we’re pretty much living in a converted bus into RV style, with little amenities. I know I’ve been spoiled, so I suck it up and continue my process of pushing myself out of my comfort zone. The place is very sustainable (we recycle and compose everything, and with our waste, we make art out of it). For example, one of PLACE’s partner collect bottle brick (where you make sure your bottle is completely fill with waste before you carelessly throw it away) and diverse the waste into art.

(Click on the image to go check more out about it). 

I do some handy work for them, because I really want to learn more ways to be more self-sufficiet and also more self-sustainable. I want to learn about how food are grown, how I can prepare them, learn about natural remedies, herbs, etc. I want to learn some workshop skills that will benefit me in the future. Who knows? Maybe one day, I’ll partner up with a green architect friend and build my sustainable home with my bare hands? 

Although it’s way over my head, I’m really digging this urban ecology stuff. Man… I have so much to learn and I feel so overwhelmed at what I don’t know, but this is a great start. In exchanged for a place to live, I offer my skill-trade, which means, I’m offering them by helping them with the video production end of stuff. 

It’s been interesting to meet folks that I would never normally meet. For example, this guy has told me that he’s been living a vagabond life for the last 8 years of his life now. He goes from place to place, not ever really knowing where he might be next week or month. I’m amazed because I know that I can push this nomadic lifestyle of mine because I know that it is temporary, but I don’t think I can do it for 8 years. I do it now because I want to take advantage of my young energy and the resources that I have at my disposal. I do it with the incentive that this is temporary, and that I can relax a lot more later. For the next 2 years of my life, I can only be in a place 6 months max, and then I’m off to my next destination. Can’t get to attached, otherwise, it’ll be hard for both parties to separate. 

Next up, I got accepted as a student delegate to the 30th San Francisco Asian American International Film Festival. HELL YEAH! I’m so pumped for this opportunity, because I’m finally getting into the groove of the film scene here.

And I was expecting to be just solely doing agrarian living, so this would be a nice change of place. It’ll be a great network opportunity and to understand more fully of how the film industry work (at least for festivals). And interesting enough, the Asian American community on the West Coast has such a different vibe to those on the East Coast, so I’m just trying to figure out my transition. I’m still trying to get used to my identity as an Asian American guy, living on the West Coast, where it’s nice that I’m not always the minority. 

That also means I will need to look for housing in SF…as I am really a vagabond right now, which bring my topic to AirBnB. If you guys don’t know what it is, check it out. For me, it’s the new way to live and travel. 



For the last month, I spent my time living in a stranger’s house in Berkeley. I love what the city has to offer, but I wasn’t so happy living in the heart of one—so when I was finally living in Berkeley, I felt so at ease and at home, and mostly because it reminds me of Northampton, my hometown back on the East Coast. It just nice to feel like you can come home to relax and be away from all the noise—whereas if you live in the heart of it, the party and noise don’t stop, even when you want to sleep. And whenever I want to go to the city, I just hop on BART (which is the subway/metro here) and I’m there in less than 40 minutes. The host and I got along well, so it was a very pleasant first time experience.

Next up after the film festival, I’m be going WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities for Organic Farmers) likely, in SoCal. I have a few places in mind, but I want to feel it out the end of March and see how I feel. Do I want to work at a vineyard? Do I want to do an artist residency? Do I want to work on a small farm? Do I want to want to learn from a holistic healing center? Because food and housing will be taken care of in exchange for my labor, the world will be my oyster. 

Although I was not born with a golden spoon, throughout my lifetime, I’ve learned to manage to make my own gold…and somehow, I feel that I was born under a lucky start…because I know that when I’m not taking care of myself, someone else will. :)

But not everything is rosey. This nomadic lifestyle can take a toll on your physical and emotional health. It can get lonely at time. Not everyone can do this. I am just thankful that I was blessed to have the skills to be friendly and make friends easily, and I’m glad I still have one best friend that I can share everything with. She has been someone that has helped me through a lot of time and has always been there to help and support me. I am forever grateful to have her in my life.

I encourage everyone to get out of their comfort zone, if they can help it, to live life nomadicly while they don’t have to much baggage yet. I’m no where rich, but I’m a kid who know how to make things happen, and when there’s a will, there’s likely a will. Trust the universe (even if you experienced an existential crisis, like I did), and the universe will lead you the way.  

As for me, after this 2 year experiment/experience, I will be strong in all the ways possible…and no matter what happens, I will be okay. 

There are 7 phases in my life.

Right now, I’m at phase 3, and is working work hard to make phase 4 come true, following by phase 5, riding it at phase 6, and then living it at phase 7.

You can tell that I’m writing an essay

Whenever I update my social media more often.
LOL
it’s true