So tomorrow's the big day. I'm getting my wisdom teeth out at 8:45am tomorrow. Maybe I should go to sleep. :-( I'm starting to feel a little "nice." Kickin' it with my roommates is great.
So it's also the end of the year and people are making their promises of things to do in the coming year. I hate making resolutions. For some reason I always break them. Maybe it is high time to start writing things down, just to help me really make the self improvements I have been meaning to make. Well...nothing like being on a liquid diet for a few days to get a new diet started. Ah...damnit...time to sleep.
12.29.2004
12.22.2004
That feeling...
I don't know why I'm still awake. It's damn past 1am and I'm still not that sleepy. I was practically falling asleep at church tonight AND I still need to recover from my damn cold. I haven't been able to speak in the past few days! I've been searching for something...that feeling...that feeling that lets me know it's Christmas time.
Every year I get like this. I can buy/make/receive as many gifts as I want and it takes a lot to get that feeling. Maybe because I'm older and more jaded and just see through many things. This year is no different. I don't know how to get that feeling either. Maybe I need to make note of it when it does happen so I'll remember for future holidays. Christmas doesn't really start for me until the 25th anyway. And it really doesn't end until the 6th. :-) God bless those three wise men, and of course, Lola Cresing!
Every year I get like this. I can buy/make/receive as many gifts as I want and it takes a lot to get that feeling. Maybe because I'm older and more jaded and just see through many things. This year is no different. I don't know how to get that feeling either. Maybe I need to make note of it when it does happen so I'll remember for future holidays. Christmas doesn't really start for me until the 25th anyway. And it really doesn't end until the 6th. :-) God bless those three wise men, and of course, Lola Cresing!
12.12.2004
Community is...
This past weekend was another great one. It was busy but very productive.
I was finally able to speak with LR regarding a business opportunity that has direct connections to the Pinoy community. She's getting older and would like to retire soon. The contributions she has made to the community have been tremendous. She's always a willing and wonderful supporter of various events and wants to ensure that the work she has done continues after she's retired. I felt extremely honored that she would think of me as having a hand in continuing such contributions. The main task at hand is to look for a physical space for the business venture. Hopefully the dust will settle soon with a related organization so that plans can be a bit more concrete. Since LR's business relates directly to another organization that is in a small state of limbo, it would be ideal to ensure that services do not overlap once transitionary states have ceased.
Saturday evening was a bit hectic. I'm always amazed how quickly the FilAm ARTS team can pull something together. It just goes to show how great we all are at working together. It was the last night of Dogeaters and it was FilAm ARTS' night to co-sponsor the show. We had a reception before-hand so there was plenty of good food to go around. The caterers were running a bit late so Jilly was running around trying to find them in the beginning. I've grown to just come prepared for setbacks here and there. I've learned to just go with it.
The people on the panel discussion after the event were: Jessica Hagedorn, one of the directors of the Ma-Yi Theater Company from NY, the new Filipino American studies professor from UCLA, Joel, JIlly, Alison and Jon Lawrence Rivera, director of Dogeaters. My stomach always jumps a bit whenever I encounter these types of people from my ethnic community; individuals who have made significant social and cultural contributions that have helped to progress our ethnic group's role in the development of American society. I have great admiration for this kind of work and still hope that one day, I can make similar contributions. There was a panel discussion after the show and the major question to me was, "Where do we go from here?" The play has created a ton of momentum for another production AND SIPA. I was speaking to one of the main people who did the promo for the play and he mentioned how many Pinoys did not even know SIPA exists - another tell tale sign of how much SIPA is lacking in marketing their services to those outside of LA, which kind of makes sense since they mainly service the people who live within a 5-10 mile radius of the office. Many things were said about wanting to see and support more Pinoy productions. No one will give us a voice if we don't demand it and it has to keep going. Much was mentioned on the topic of theater acting as a tool of community organization. Where would this world be without art?
One amusing tidbit of the evening was when I went to bring the panelists bottles of water. When I was leaving, I managed to knock over the tray of water bottles. Of course, there were a number of laughs and giggles in the audience but whatever. I laughed it off and decided to just come back for the tray. ahahahahaha! It had to be one of my best public performances in quite some time.
Afterwards, the majority of us ended up a party down the street. Dulce was hosting it, someone who had been a active with FilAm ARTS a while back. Her property was great! She's renting out this beautiful house that's at the bock of her lot and it's absolutely gorgeous! Joe wanted to show it to me specifically because he knew I was going to fall in love with it!!!! I can't stop thinking about the house! It's in a great spot and it's on the most unique things I've seen in quite some time. I've been in search of someone to get to move in to that place since I can't move in; mine as well keep it in our circle of friends!!!
Reflecting on the entire weekend, I feel more blessed to know that these people have enriched my life in so many ways. It never crossed my mind that I would make such strong relationships with the people I have since I have moved down here. So many faces, so many characters, so much attitude. I love it! It gives me hope that the future will be a little better, a little brighter and a lot more enriched with flavors from all spectrums of life. It feels good to know where I've come from and that I have so much more to go.
I was finally able to speak with LR regarding a business opportunity that has direct connections to the Pinoy community. She's getting older and would like to retire soon. The contributions she has made to the community have been tremendous. She's always a willing and wonderful supporter of various events and wants to ensure that the work she has done continues after she's retired. I felt extremely honored that she would think of me as having a hand in continuing such contributions. The main task at hand is to look for a physical space for the business venture. Hopefully the dust will settle soon with a related organization so that plans can be a bit more concrete. Since LR's business relates directly to another organization that is in a small state of limbo, it would be ideal to ensure that services do not overlap once transitionary states have ceased.
Saturday evening was a bit hectic. I'm always amazed how quickly the FilAm ARTS team can pull something together. It just goes to show how great we all are at working together. It was the last night of Dogeaters and it was FilAm ARTS' night to co-sponsor the show. We had a reception before-hand so there was plenty of good food to go around. The caterers were running a bit late so Jilly was running around trying to find them in the beginning. I've grown to just come prepared for setbacks here and there. I've learned to just go with it.
The people on the panel discussion after the event were: Jessica Hagedorn, one of the directors of the Ma-Yi Theater Company from NY, the new Filipino American studies professor from UCLA, Joel, JIlly, Alison and Jon Lawrence Rivera, director of Dogeaters. My stomach always jumps a bit whenever I encounter these types of people from my ethnic community; individuals who have made significant social and cultural contributions that have helped to progress our ethnic group's role in the development of American society. I have great admiration for this kind of work and still hope that one day, I can make similar contributions. There was a panel discussion after the show and the major question to me was, "Where do we go from here?" The play has created a ton of momentum for another production AND SIPA. I was speaking to one of the main people who did the promo for the play and he mentioned how many Pinoys did not even know SIPA exists - another tell tale sign of how much SIPA is lacking in marketing their services to those outside of LA, which kind of makes sense since they mainly service the people who live within a 5-10 mile radius of the office. Many things were said about wanting to see and support more Pinoy productions. No one will give us a voice if we don't demand it and it has to keep going. Much was mentioned on the topic of theater acting as a tool of community organization. Where would this world be without art?
One amusing tidbit of the evening was when I went to bring the panelists bottles of water. When I was leaving, I managed to knock over the tray of water bottles. Of course, there were a number of laughs and giggles in the audience but whatever. I laughed it off and decided to just come back for the tray. ahahahahaha! It had to be one of my best public performances in quite some time.
Afterwards, the majority of us ended up a party down the street. Dulce was hosting it, someone who had been a active with FilAm ARTS a while back. Her property was great! She's renting out this beautiful house that's at the bock of her lot and it's absolutely gorgeous! Joe wanted to show it to me specifically because he knew I was going to fall in love with it!!!! I can't stop thinking about the house! It's in a great spot and it's on the most unique things I've seen in quite some time. I've been in search of someone to get to move in to that place since I can't move in; mine as well keep it in our circle of friends!!!
Reflecting on the entire weekend, I feel more blessed to know that these people have enriched my life in so many ways. It never crossed my mind that I would make such strong relationships with the people I have since I have moved down here. So many faces, so many characters, so much attitude. I love it! It gives me hope that the future will be a little better, a little brighter and a lot more enriched with flavors from all spectrums of life. It feels good to know where I've come from and that I have so much more to go.
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