Welcome to Canada!

Tonight is my first night in Canada. My first flight from Burbank ran behind schedule so when I arrived in San Francisco, I had to run and transfer to my next flight. Thank god I've been running and am in good condition. I made it to my transfer just in time for take off.

So I met my Canadian cousins for the first time. I thought that they lived in Toronto but actually they live in a nice town an hour away from the city called Brampton. I'm going to have to rent a car in a couple days so I can navigate around Toronto by myself.

Tonight was a great first night. My cousins are VERY Filipino and I felt right at home. Dinner was good, with some good Filipino home cooking and I immediately bonded with my family. I have two younger cousins, Christian, who is 14 and Yvette who is 12. They are half-Portuguese. My cousin, Anghod, married a Portuguese guy, Tony. Christian and Yvette both play basketball and Yvette is VERY into Japan. She wants me to teach her Japanese. She loves anime and she said she wants a Japanese boyfriend and eventually wants to move to Kyoto someday. We already have a lot in common =).

Tomorrow we will be going to the CN tower in Toronto which is known for it's famous view and 360 degree rotating restaurant. There will be a thunderstorm though so there is not much we can do. On Monday, we will be going to check out Niagara Falls and the butterfly conservatory that SANO recommended. Tomorrow night I will also check out a famous dance studio in Toronto that Emiko recommended, Street Dance Academy. I plan on taking their "Advanced House Dance" class and who knows maybe some more classes while I'm here. You know me, can't stay away from dance no matter where I go.

I saw pictures tonight of more of my cousins in NY and Canada whom I have never met but will hopefully meet someday. I plan on taking lots of pictures while I'm here and will update my journal when I return to LA. Tomorrow, I get to meet my 19 year old cousin, Kevin, who is really into hip hop dance and he has his own crew here in Canada. He's actually coming with me to my house class tomorrow and he even wants me to take his hip hop dance class taught by his crew on Sunday. I'm really looking forward to building with my Canadian family while I'm out here. It's gonna be a great experience!

Anghod already told me that my dad's side of the family is really known for their dancing and their singing. It was a great discovery for me to learn that and now it makes sense that it runs in my blood. I think I'm gonna really have a great time out here and can't wait to update my blog with pictures and my Canadian adventures. To be continued when I return to LA...=)

"Make Her Say" video

My best friend, Mari, sent me this video. The colors are nice and overall it's a cute video. We both agree.

Mushroom dinner

For people that know me really well, they also know how much I LOVE food! Lately, I put myself on a strict health diet since I am on a new health regiment, I have committed myself to a no complex carbohydrate diet for dinner, which pretty much means that I no longer eat rice, pasta, or bread for dinner, only during the day. I think it will help me gain more energy, compliment my exercising and just be good for me overall. Hiroko, my girl friend from Kansai, cooked us up this yummy dinner: salmon and mushrooms with butter, salt, and soysauce/shoyu! It was perfect with mugicha on a warm summer night in LA!

Magic Gas

This image was just so funny for me. I took it yesterday with my friend Hiroko when we went walking together. I mean, it's obviously a gas tank that says "we now sell gas". I mean, "duh, of course you sell gas? It's a gas tank, right? What else are you gonna sell? Water?" And on the bottom it says "magic gas". The irony of the image, or maybe the sarcasm, haha...only in LA =P

Gifts from Hiroshima

Take came back to LA after being in Hiroshima for 2 weeks. This time he came bearing gifts. All the gifts were things that I really liked. Arigatou and welcome back!

Shiro/しろ

Summer season is the season for international visitors. I met Shiro-san thru Emiko and SANO when she arrived here from Shizuoka to New York to Los Angeles. She is an amazing Japanese graffiti artist (as you can see) and kind person. Her art is growing to be more popular in the US. Welcome to Los Angeles Shiro-san!

Happy Bday SANO!/おもでとう おたんじょおび さのーさん！

Surprise bday dinner for SANO at Natalee Thai restaurant in Culver City. Dessert was served at Open House afterwards courtesy of Julie. White chocolate and ginger cheesecake. Yummy! Happy Bday SANO!

Canada

I made a last minute decision to go to Toronto, Canada next Tuesday. I'll be staying there for 8 days and meeting my dad's side of the family that lives there for the first time. I'm SO excited! More family to meet and my first time in Canada! Even more so, Caribana (the video above), I'll be able to check out, which is the largest Carribean festival in ALL of North America! SANO, Emiko's husband, told me about it and it worked out with my schedule, so I am able to participate in this year's Caribana events =) I'm glad that my wishes to go to another country every year has worked out. Canada is close to the US, so the flights were pretty affordable. Canada and NY this summer and my New Year's will be in Tokyo. I'm so lucky to have an amazing 2009. I got my job back also with a raise. I'm now permanent status which means that my job is secure for sure. I'm definitely thankful and blessed to have had such amazing opportunities and rewards this year, making way for future travel and opportunity =)

Ready to Run

My running shoes came today and my ipod arm holder came in last week! I researched what would be the best running shoes for me and this review seemed to be the most convincing because it said that it was also for runners whose "feet tend to roll inward a bit when you run." I didn't know this about myself until recently, so it was important for me to find the appropriate shoes for my feet and to focus on correcting my feet positioning. The design of the shoe is okay, but most importantly, I wanted the right protection for my body when I run. I'm looking forward to getting into good condition!

Malibu

In the summer I like to escape away from the city and relocate to where it's cooler next to the ocean. The ocean waves are the perfect medicine for the soul. Kumari and I took a drive up the coast and found a private beach to relax and escape for a couple of hours. It was beautiful. Broad Beach Road in Malibu. Reminded her of South Africa and me of Hawai'i. One day, I'll make a trip out to South Africa with Kumari. It's in the future plans.

Shall we dance?

What a great movie. When we approach our life and dancing in the same manner, from our heart, is when the living begins. It's not about the steps and the techniques that we apply along the way, all that matters is that we feel it inside and approach it from our hearts.

Japanese 101 review

Studying Japanese once again. The review is challenging but exciting. I'm making good use of my library card for free resources. Discipline, determination, hardwork, focus, but most of all FUN! Here I come! はじめ！

Practicing Patience

I have the tendency to fill my day with so many things that I end up rushing thru things to complete every task but it doesn't always come out the best. That is my overall tendency as a whole, as an individual. It works for me a lot of times but it also goes against me and I miss the process and the beauty that comes from taking my time with everything that I do. This is something that I want to improve on.

This commercial from my childhood about Heinz ketchup is the image that comes to my mind whenever I have to remind myself to be patient. Yet the message is strong and true: "The best things come to those who wait".

Osaka Children at HDI 2009

Inspiring and even more amazing in person. I think my jaw must have dropped a few times. This is the future of dance before us. Sugoi! Osaka represent! =D For those who didn't go to HDI this year, half of the competition were people from Japan and at least 10 of the dancers were children.

A Renewed Sense of Hope

With you I am reborn and a renewed sense of hope fills me. Let's create and make things happen!

Motivation

I found some new motivation from this past week. An international visitor brought to me a fresh new perspective on things: dance, life, and love. I realized how much more beautiful LA really is and remembered the beauty and energy of NY as well. My brother also left today to start his new life in Miami. This is a continuous period of transition and change but I know the positivity is growing and great things are still coming my way.

NYC HDI, here I come!

It's here. We leave for NYC tomorrow and the battle is on Friday. I'm nervous, but I have to remember to have fun, relax, and dance my heart out while most importantly listening carefully to the music and letting it take me there.

I have had an amazing week in LA so far and I know where my heart is now. That has been the best feeling I could ever ask for.

I also got my job back so I'm really looking forward to that and going to Japan for New Year's this year!

My dreams are coming true and I'm thankful to the universe for allowing all my drams to manifest. =)

i'm happy

i haven't felt this way in a long time. I'm blessed and happy but most of all thankful. What more could I ask for? =)

6 days and training

I spent the last 4 days, going on 5, taking a break from my dancing and cleaning my personal space. I've never spent that much time cleaning my living space but I felt that it needed to be done. There was so much energy and so many memories from the past 3 years that I've lived here that I felt like it needed a good cleaning. This year alone I endured a lot, went thru many transitions within my career, personal life, family, friends, etc. but now I feel like I'm entering a new chapter in my life. I've grown so much, I am amazed at how far I've come. I feel the shift spiritually and I knew in order to follow the transition, I also needed to transform my space and get rid of the things that I no longer needed to make room for the things that were fast approaching.

This week will be a meaningful one for me and one that I am excited about and looking forward to. I have spent the last couple months training for my first dance battle in NY this year and when asked if I am ready in many ways I feel that I am. Mentally, spiritually, energetically, emotionally. I find myself still growing within the world of dance but I feel that I have met many individuals along the way that have inspired me and have helped me to grow. I still have much more growth to undergo but I think I am at a good point and there's no turning back.

6 more days before HDI, here I come! =)