Story #24: Aja aja fighting! 아자 아자 화이팅!

"Aja aja fighting" is a term used in Korea and worldwide meaning simply "Never give up, never stop fighting". It is generally pronounced aja aja hwaiting, however it is commonly written in the English equivalent. In a more casual meaning, it is the phrase that empowers people to keep on going forward, almost "looking on the bright side of life", looking for the "clouds silver lining" so on and so forth

Similarly, Chinese: 加油; pinyin: jiāyóu -- a Chinese figure of speech or idiom. "jiā" means to add, and "yóu" means oil or fuel. So it literally means "add oil" or "add fuel." It has the meaning of "be stronger!" or "be more strong-minded!"
~ Thanks to Wikipedia and other websites

Some highlights to my busy week:
* I scheduled a meeting with another agent located in NJ for next Tuesday, so we'll see how that goes.
* I got to NY Saturday night and came back home today. Overall, the past weekend was fun and served as a great learning experience. I had the opportunity to be on camera for the first time. Although I wasn't playing a major role, it was interesting to see how everything on set between the directors, staff, sound guy, main actors/actresses and extras were strategically placed and planned out. I played a Middle School/High School student extra in the independent film, "Dream Brothers". First paid job! :)

Moving forward:
Things are getting crazy...but in a good way! Tomorrow I have to head back to NYC, and this time I'll be staying there for four nights. Man if you thought last week things were hectic with all the people I had to call, the places I had to go, and the events I had to attend to, well this week is going to be even more hectic. Tuesday I have an audition, Wednesday-Friday I have a shoot, and I also have an audition on Friday. So much stuff on my mind! Aja aja!

Alright, well that's all for now. I'm completely out of energy and need some rest and down time. More updates to come!
Mucho <3

Following Stars: Sam Tsui

I just thought it was about that time again to shed some light on those who work hard and strive for the best. Through all of the trials, errors and accomplishments, Sam Tsui has really made a name for himself and he has proven himself to be quite the success story.

"Samuel Tsui (born May 2, 1989[2]) is a Chinese American musician and Internet celebrity who rose to fame on YouTube. He is best known for covering and performing songs by popular artists, as well as original medleys and mashups. Tsui is currently an undergraduate at Yale University." For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Tsui









More updates to come!
Mucho <3

Story #23: Forever and a half

It has been forever and a half since I last posted anything! I'm sorry, for my procrastination and lack of updates.

Although I'm stuck in the crack of being labeled as a student and not a student, where I have gone beyond the title of undergrad, I still have the luxury of experiencing the rituals of spring break away from classes. I may not have followed the exact rituals of an undergrad where one travels to a different country and goes on crazy drinking escapades, leaving unforgettable experiences that will forever bring laughter in future "share and tells". My week remained the same as every other week this 2011 year minus the MCCC classes. So, what's new? This Friday I have another audition in NYC. It's for a music video for the band IMA ROBOT, an indie band from California.

It's getting late. I will try to be more timely with my updates. So stay tuned!

Mucho <3

What a wonderful weekend

The familiar weekend location of New York City held a new surprise for me. Instead of the usual auditions, I went to the city with the intentions of reuniting with old friends and by old I mean my college friends. I realize that friends may come and go, but those who stay in your life are ones that change your life forever. Not for just the major impact that they may make but for their continuous support and presence. No matter the length of time that passes without speaking, it seems as though, as soon as we meet, it's like we've never left each others side. If you can do that with people, you know that you guys are close.

This is dedicated to the girls that made this NYC weekend extra special for me:

Silver and Gold

Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.
New-made friendships, like new wine,
Age will mellow and refine.
Friendships that have stood the test-
Time and change-are surely best;
Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray;
Friendship never knows decay.
For 'mid old friends, tried and true,
Once more we our youth renew.
But old friends, alas! may die;
New friends must their place supply.
Cherish friendship in your breast-
New is good, but old is best;
Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.

I don't generally put people's names or pictures of them up on my blog, but I have to post these: (Photos taken by Alice Gao - http://lingeredupon.blogspot.com/)

More updates to come!
Mucho <3

Story #22: Scrap it

Scrap it - stop talking about something
We often say "stop it" or "drop it", if we don't want somebody to continue talking about something. In the "lost" show, When Sawyer couldn't stand Charlie's talking, he said "scrap it". (the phrase is often used to drop an idea or a plan, see comments)
~ Thanks to I am Chinese. Correct my English

Act I Scene II

It's the scene that will put a quick and story-less end to my  Act I of Hypnotiq. This story-less tale ends with a flop. The one minor detail that capped my talent was my age. The minimum age requirement for an advertisement for alcohol for the state of New York is 25; which I miss by almost 2 years. And it is for this reason, that I will scrap this script and start anew.

Now to end this "story", I bought myself some...stuff: a few colors of nail polish and lipstick (I'm exploring my girlie side :p ), eyeshadow, a new tooth brush, eyeliner and hair ties.

New Script! -- Yael Naïm - New Soul

Artist: Yael Naim lyrics Title: New Soul

I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take.
But since I came here,
Felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake

la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...

I'm a young soul
In this very strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout what is true and fake
But why all this hate?
Try to communicate
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make

la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...

Continued New Soul Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

I promise, more updates are sure to come!
Mucho <3

Story #21: Time Flies

Something that you say which means that time passes very quickly, often so quickly that you are surprised I can't believe your son is at university already. How time flies! I never seem to manage to finish my work. The time just flies. ~ Thanks to TheFreeDictionary

With all the things we need to get done, haven't you ever felt like the world we live in was not made for a 24 hour time frame?

The days pass fast
The work never subsides
Take a nap and you miss a beat of life.

Move, rush, bustle & hustle, noise, shove, stumble, wave, call, tap...STOP!! S-T-O-P...
Feel the breeze... take a breath...
Close your eyes...shh...quiet

All refreshed?
Times still ticking
Ready?...Set?...Go!

------
So here's the "story". Remember last week I had a photoshoot for something called Hypnotiq? Well, I got a callback. I'll be taking a 8:23am train to NY tomorrow morning. I'm getting to where I need to be...just one step at a time.

More updates to come!
Mucho <3

Mood = Happy :)

We all end up searching for the same things in life (with the obvious exceptions to every rule)

We all want that happy ending. Some people want the easy road to that ending, and others want to face and overcome challenges before getting there. Either way, when you reach that last step or when you're even taking your last breathe of life, everyone wants that happy ending.  This is a relative concept that is based on our subjective experiences. So, even those who are depressed and feel like they don't deserve a happy ending will still long for that content feeling that leaves no negative aftertaste.

No matter how many people we ask, we all seek confirmation. We turn rocks upside down just to find one person that agrees with us. That tells us that what we want to do is worth trying and that what we are doing is right. So, what it all really comes down to, is digging deep and really finding out what you really want and giving yourself the confirmation you need and yearn for. It's about creating that self confidence so you don't necessarily have to depend on an outside sources of confirmation. Be strong, know who you are and take risks. We're only human, and we only have one life. So make mistakes, learn from them and move on.

Along with confirmation, everyone wants acceptance. And this can be found through love, support and friendship. These ideals are all intertwined with trust, loyalty and honesty to form the desired positive reinforcements in life. Even the darkest of hearts needs someone beside them. Even the dishonest wants honesty. Even the wrong doers have a conscience. What they believe may not be socially accepted or politically correct, but it may be right in their own minds and hearts. Acceptance is not limited to those of certain race, age or wealth. We all want to be accepted by someone.

However you look at it, you can either walk down the safe road and wait for what the future may hold or you can take that risk and pave your own future. Truth be told, time will keep ticking and life will keep going, but the future will always remain unknown.



So why am I so happy? Just a few days ago, I got my new MacBook Pro!! And to make things even more exciting, I just got an "acceptance" update on my replacement authorization form. What does this mean? There was an NVIDIA GPU chip problem that lead to a recall. Well, in 2007 I purchased my HP Pavillion tx1000z (don't judge for my terrible purchase) which falls in their criteria range to be approved for a computer replacement. So basically, my HP that doesn't even work anymore will be replaced with a new laptop! Although it's not top of the line, something is better than nothing!!!

Story #20: Start the ball rolling

To do something which starts an activity, or to start doing something in order to encourage other people to do the same I've started the ball rolling by setting up a series of meetings. The hospital appeal received a gift for $1 million to set the ball rolling.

~ Thanks to TheFreeDictionary

oh...my...gosh...before saying anything about my auditions, I have to talk about my hatred for heavy winds mixed with heavy rain. My (actually my friend's) crippled black umbrella had to retire permanently,  my socks were soaked (even through my boots), coat was drenched, clothes were wet, hair was a tangled mess, and purse was far from dry. It was as if I had just battled through a car wash. The only good thing that came out of it, was that my boots were clean...I just hope that all the water doesn't ruin the leather.

Back to business, Saturday:
The music video was a lot of fun. I met a bunch of NYU freshman and got a good feel for all the different takes and angles needed to produce one scene of an entire film. They all looked like they knew what they were doing, so I can't wait to see how it turns out. If they ever send it to me, I'll see if I can post it up on my blog for you all. After the music video shooting, I had a photoshoot audition with Wu Tang Management. This was a little more promiscuous. I guess I should have done a little research before going accepting the audition. Anyways, I picked conservative clothes to show off and went ahead with it. I figured that it would at least be a good learning experience.

Sunday:
After having a huge and very delicious brunch with my two good friends (♥), I rushed over to my audition for the NYU student film. I'm not exactly sure how I felt about my performance, but considering it was my first time running through lines at an audition, it felt pretty good. I should hear back from them within a week. Keep your fingers crossed for me! :)

To top off my weekend, I met up with my Sigma Psi Zeta Big! I haven't seen her in so long, so it was really nice to catch up with her. We went to MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) for a little bit, and then got Jamba Juice! I was craving it from the night before so it was very satisfying.

More updates to come!
Mucho <3

Story #19: Project Hypnotiq

The NYC experience -- second audition:
I spent 15 minutes waiting and taking shoots for the audition and the rest of the day shopping, wandering around, getting lost, and eating. Unfortunately, I did not get any extra information about the audition, besides the fact that we should be happy and act as if we were at a party while in the shots. I guess I will just have to wait and see if they like my look. :)

I'm questioning whether or not going to NY is actually good for me. It seems as though every time I go, I always end up shopping and buying something that I never intended to buy in the first place! Shopping by myself is not a good idea. Being ambushed by friendly, yet aggressive, sales people makes me feel sooo guilty. I don't know how to say no! They offer you things left and right, spend so much time and effort with you instead of spending time on other customers...how can you say no after all of that? Well, after these past NY visits, I ended up buying a really nice purse for myself, a really nice jacket for my mom, a head band, and Steve Madden shoes (50% off clearance!). The North Face jacket I bought for my mom was a nice rich purple color, it was made from top of the line material where it's super light but still keeps you super warm, and it was on sale.

So, what's my schedule for the weekend? I've got two auditions on Saturday and one on Sunday! I'll let you know how they go and give you more details about them next post!

Stay in touch because more updates are coming soon!
Mucho <3

Story #18: Sky High

adv.
1. To a very high level: The garbage was piled sky-high.
2. In a lavish or enthusiastic manner: The critics praised the play sky-high.
3. In pieces or to pieces; apart: Sappers blew the bridge sky-high.
adj.
1. High up in the air: sky-high trees.
2. Exorbitantly high in cost or value: sky-high prices; sky-high stocks.
~ Thanks to Answers.com

Updates are here!
I'm busier than ever! So busy that all my appointments and events are starting to run into each other. Instead of class tomorrow, I'll be heading to NYC for another audition where it will, hopefully, be more legit than the "hair event". I'm not sure what the event exactly is, but I do know that it's a "2 year national print and digital" where I'm going to try out for Role 4. After going through the audition, I will let you all know more about it.

Another reason for my sky high title...today's Latin Performance class was, although long and tedious, so much fun. Now that we've learned most of the parts, we started to focus more on the formations! So, now it's really starting to come together, making it seem more real. I don't know how to describe it other than using the word "real," except now I feel like there is more meaning to all of the Tuesday practices we have been doing. Later on when everything is set and perfected, and we have a date for the performance, you will all be the first to know when it is! :)

There will be more updates to come (tomorrow)!
Mucho <3