a new empire

Parenting done right

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 17:05:59 -0700

Parenting done right

Vous Si Gentil

Mon, 28 May 2012 11:14:00 -0700

Vous Si Gentil

With You

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:25:00 -0700

With You

Reinventing myself: Roth 4.0

Sun, 13 May 2012 19:03:00 -0700

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

Blackbird Blackbird PURE (soundtrack for SFAAIFF...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:16:44 -0700

Blackbird Blackbird PURE (soundtrack for SFAAIFF trailer)
beautiful piece of art

Next Up on My Reading List

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:14:00 -0800

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

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

A Sustainable Life

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:02:00 -0800

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.

As I’m packing up to leave my dorm for good, this song...

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 12:00:58 -0800

As I’m packing up to leave my dorm for good, this song popped up on my Pandora (haha don’t ask me what station, it’s cheesy).

This has been such a tumultuous but also very incredible semester.
Good things do happen when you keep putting yourself out of your comfort zone.
Although it got lonely at time (and also disappointing at the people that I thought would be there for me turned out to be flakey), it was all worth it for the experience and also for the people that I met. For all the things that I learned and also witnessed. I can’t believe of all the opportunities that I’ve been blessed with and also for the opportunities straight ahead of me…

I leave you with Mulan’s Reflection. I remember this song vividly in 2008 when I was a high school senior, trying to break away from everything that I knew. And wow… 3 1/2 years later… I still get sappy when I hear this song…and then I look at myself in the mirror and see the kind of person I have become…and I just can’t help but get a big ass grin on my face. :)

Before, I didn’t had an incentive to blog, except to update people on my life. That wasn’t effective…as I just didn’t see it as a priority…but what I’ve learned, is that it’s important to share your experience and put it out there. So, I’ll try to write more, and write even when I think no one is reading.

I’ll write a bigger update once I’m back home in Florida for the winter.

Until then, friends =]

There are 7 phases in my life.

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:50:31 -0800

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

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:29:12 -0800

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

Whenever, I hear this song, especially if I’m running, I...

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:18:00 -0800

Whenever, I hear this song, especially if I’m running, I pretend I’m James Bond.
Best workout whenever I do that.

Media Literacy is important and sexy

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:13:00 -0800

~~People~~ Students nowadays are so damn well educated. They’re amazing, all these, and all that. But when it comes to emotional, spiritual, sexual, mental, and other self-care that doesn’t revolve around parties, drugs, and alcohol, they are beyond malnourished. And it also doesn’t help that they are media illiterate.

inspiration

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:09:00 -0800

inspiration

when will I find Autumn?

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:08:00 -0800

when will I find Autumn?

Norodom Sihamoni

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:43:48 -0800

This is someone I can model after.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norodom_Sihamoni

UPDATES

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:07:00 -0800

It’s been awhile since I wrote.
Once again, so much has happened since then.

So, I’m just gonna break it down quickly.

I love San Francisco. I really do. One second I’m at my dorm, the next block I’m in Chinatown, and if you take the 38 MUNI, I get to Japantown. If I walk a bit further down the Tenderloin, I see a mini Saigon and I can get some pho. Thai Food are everywhere and I might even run into someone Khmer. On my way to school, I pass cable cars, and tourists taking pictures of Lombard St. My school has an amazing view of Acaltraz, the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate, and just an amazing typical view of San Francisco hills with Coit Tower as the backdrop. If I want some inspiration, I’ll just walk further down to Fishermenwharf and get some fresh air and sea mentality. There’s always something to do, and you can never get bored. It’s quite the romantic city, and I just only wish I share this with a beautiful someone. This place has so much history and has so much to film. I love it. I can get food at Trader Joe’s and work out at 24 hour fitness right afterwards. It’s also nice to see such a variety of Asian men and where they make up a big majority.

As much as I move my school campus, I’m ambivalence about my school. Being at my previous school has spoiled me so I’m not use to downgrading in resources (no meal plans, no gym, no transportation, and although my school is at a breathtaking area, I really hate living in the Tenderloin and where everyone has to commute to school). But I’m definitely getting the “real world” experience. I shop for food every other day…Being a student doesn’t allow me much time to cook so I often eat out or buy ready2eat food.

I’ve also been pretty good at being vegetarian…I haven’t give up seafood yet but eventually, that’s a goal, and I want to get more into raw food.

I realized that there is a big difference between art and liberal arts kids. The folks here are very talented. (How awesome is it to say that I have friends who are gonna be the next Annie Lebowitz, who went to school here btw, or friends who can paint and give me tattoos, or friends who make amazing sculptures or screenprintings? (Ed Hardy went here btw, and his original tatt shop is just down a couple blocks from school). It’s really amazing to be around so many skilled folks. However, it’s been often hard for me to connect with them at the level I was used to…Let’s just say it’s hard to talk to them beyond art…and that is something that I really miss.

That’s something that I’ll be twerking with.

I went through my first existential crisis—which I will elaborate more when I have more time. (Tonight, I have to whip through art essays so that I have more time to film next weekend…School ends less than a month for me…so wow…once again, I am learning so much in such a condensed amount of time). But through that experience, I’m much more equipped with the “real” world that I’ve been avoiding for so long.

Something that I have realized here is figuring out true long distance friendships. It has strengthen my bonds with others, but for others, I have been truly disappointed with my San Franciscan friends. I moved out here with just the bare essentials, and I was gonna be fine surviving by myself (as I have no families or connections here) so I wasn’t expecting much—but then I get led on. It’s the “friends” who tell me they wanna meet up with me, and then flaking out on me—that is what I despise most in a person’s character. I hate being led on…simple as that. Don’t be putting up a front that you’re gonna be “taking care” of me or showing me around when you don’t reply back to me when I say “Cool, when are you free?” I take people seriously up on their offer, so don’t offer if you don’t mean it. Matter of fact, just say that you’re busy—I get it. I’m busy, too, and I was gonna make time for you. But don’t be pretending you’re gonna be a host and what not, when you don’t response.

Then I realize people have their own personal issues, so then, I try to be empathic, and realize, that it’s not me, it’s them. So, yep, other than that, I’ve met new individuals who have made my time here much more pleasant.

Next up, I’ll be doing an independent study next semester so that I will have more time for myself and for my hobbies…and for the friends who value my friendship seriously.

But other than that…Living in the worst part of the city has made me so much more streetwise…Male privilege here is deeply noticeable. I barely see any woman walking around at night, and I don’t blame them. The city is full of unhappy and bored people who has nothing to lose. After living here, I know that I can live anywhere else…Seriously.

That’s it for now, and I’ll update in a month or so.

Photo

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:03:18 -0800

"Sometimes finding your place can force you into a little more writing, reading, thinking and..."

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:32:53 -0700

“Sometimes finding your place can force you into a little more writing, reading, thinking and dreaming…a good place to let your thoughts wander and build.”

- my old instructor in giving me advices on (my new) life

I remember watching this music video back when I was in 9 living...

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 01:56:00 -0700

I remember watching this music video back when I was in 9 living in Cambodia. I remember thinking, when I grow up, I wanna date someone like this Britney Spears (pre justin timberlake/kfed/breakdown). The following year, I moved to the US.

Gosh…I miss my childhood nostalgic sometimes…I remember thinking wanting to be the age that I am now…which is 21… Wow…I did live up to what I expected out of myself.

I remember this song when I was like 7…living in back in...

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:18:07 -0700

I remember this song when I was like 7…living in back in Cambodia…and thinking how much I wanted to learn Chinese because of this song…