WEAVING: An Afternoon of Pinay Poetry/Performance/Song/Dance

I hope you can come out and support this performance. It has been a while since I've done a performance like this and what started off as a request for a dance number for an all pinay line-up transformed into a more invested piece for me this time around. This piece reminded me of the type of artist I'd like to be to the world.

Hope to humbly share this part of me with you on Saturday. Feel free to invite friends and loved ones.

Have a wonderful week,
Cheryl
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"The (Dis)Embodied Filipina: Fashioning Domesticity, Weaving Desire Exhibition" satellite event

Type:
Music/Arts - Performance
Network:
Global
Date:
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Time:
2:00am - 4:00am
Location:
Pacific Asia Museum 2nd Floor Auditorium
Street:
46 North Los Robles Avenue
City/Town:
Pasadena, CA

Join us for an afternoon of poetry, dance, performance and song by 8 talented Filipina American women living, working and artmaking in Los Angeles. These amazing women will be performing new work/pieces made especially for this showcase. Support their creative efforts and enjoy an afternoon filled with powerful, inspiring and thought provoking art in the Museum's 2nd floor auditorium.

Co-sponsored by: Project Pacific Pipeline, UCLA Amerasia Journal's Women Issue "WHERE WOMEN TELL STORIES", HABI ARTS & Kundiman West Coast

PAMALAK (Poetry & Performance)
Rebecca Baroma
Alfie Ebojo
Melinda Corazon Foley
Melissa Roxas
Stephanie Santos
Minerva Benedicto Vier

KANTA (Song)
Nicole De Jesus
Jenny San Angel

SAYAW (Dance)
Cheryl Samson

Rebecca Baroma is a special education teacher at a middle school but has been incognito for a few. She dabbles in different forms of expression and is currently working on a play which will be read in December at East West Players. She is very happy to be back, up and running.

Alfie Ebojo – bio traveling as we speak

Melinda Corazon Foley - writer, performer - novels, screenplays, poetry, webisodes. proudest projects to date: "the ice hotel" for bryan - and "vigilante"

Canadian Native, Nicole De Jesus, is a singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist, and visual artist. Originally trained as a musical theater singer, Nicole has also ventured off in a variety of styles of music, such as rock and pop. When not doing music, she is creating art through painting and drawing, which happens to be Nicole's first love. She currently resides in the Los Angeles area, where she holds a voice studio for singing lessons known as "Nicole De Jesus Voice Studio".

Cheryl Samson is a proud member of the Balagtasan Collective, a family of artists and organizers, where she was able to merge her love for artistic expression, community organizing and involvement, as well as truly express her identity as a Filipina American growing up in the Los Angeles area. 5 foot Pinay, a quarter Chinese, she truly loves the life that she was blessed with, the family that defines her and the friends that save her thru and thru.

Jenny San Angel has been playing music since she was a band nerd in jr high playing clarinet (one time, in band camp). By day, she's a Net Admin at USC - by night, she plays drums, guitar, bass, and keyboards for various projects. Her weaknesses? Mac n' cheese, beer, Japanese food and Rubik's cubes (not in that order).

Stephanie Santos - bio traveling as we speak

Minerva Benedicto Vier is a writer-performer from Cebu, Philippines who currently lives in Los Angeles. As an actor, Minerva has performed in various L.A. stage productions for theater companies such as Center Theater Group, Playwrights Arena, Casa 0101, Will & Co., Antaeus Classical Theater and Collage Dance Theater. As a writer, she has penned the plays Stateside Girls, Uterine and Magdalena among others. As a dancer, she has worked with The Second Company of Alvin Ailey and is currently working with Silayan Dance Company (a Philippine contemporary dance company) in Bihag: A Hiphop Tinikling.

Curated by: Irene Soriano Brightman

==

Admission
$9 for General Admission
$7 for Students and Seniors
Free for Children Ages 11 and Under
Free for Members

Off to a good start

Good dinner, good conversation, good company and good atmosphere. Take it slow =)

Orfeu Negro and LA rooftops

Sunday evening spent on a rooftop in LA, overlooking the streets of downtown during sunset. Started off with some Samba and then moved into a capoeira roda. Prior to the playing of Orfeu Negro, we enjoyed an introduction by Fabiano do Nascimiento on the guitar as he played acoustic songs from his guitar taken from the soundtrack of the movie.

Spent the rest of the night hanging out with Xochitl and her capoeira family. A girls night out over Pho, Vietnamese crepe and vegetarian spring rolls. Ended the night chillin' at Xochitl's crib, as she introduces the song "India/Love and Happiness", a mixture of Brasilian sound and house music. What a way to spend a Sunday =)

Okonomiyake at Emiko/SANO's place

After an 8 hour work day on Saturday, I got to wind down at Emiko's/SANO's place. Good thing, because Okonomiyake was on the menu! I love Okonomiyake! I can't wait to have it for real when I get to Osaka and Hiroshima this winter! Oishi!!!

Afterwards, we went on YouTube and watched the latest video on DJ Sara from Osaka. Many of you have seen her in action with her younger brother, Ryusei, 2 years ago, now watch her latest on the turntables this year. I hope to meet her in Osaka someday. I can't wait to see where she ends up =)

The True Meaning of Thanksgiving

I just came back right now after delivering a box full of food to one of my students' families, who lives in a mobile home community here in Gardena. The whole experience was surreal and I was truly humbled by what I saw and touched by the smiles that were reciprocated from my arrival. I can't tell you how many times I counted my blessings as I drove out and returned to my school site. How often do we forget the everyday things we take for granted that most people would wish for? So this, I see, is the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

Thank you for allowing me to share and I hope all of you find things everyday that you can be grateful for. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

MF Doom, Kutmah, Coleman and more this Saturday in Chinatown!

and just when you thought that was off the chain...guess what's poppin' on Saturday, over the hill from me? God, I love livin' in Echo Park! =)

Dam Funk and Peanut Butter Wolf, down the street from my house!

okay, it's a Thursday night but I'd be a fool to pass up the opportunity in seeing Dam Funk and Peanut Butter Wolf when it's only down the street from my house. This is ridiculous! I have work tomorrow at 8am but the funk is drawing me in...

It's Who We Are When Times Are Hard

The weather is getting colder. Work is getting more stressful. Times are getting hard. There have been some disappointments lately. I'm tired.

But most importantly, I am learning from all of this that it's who we are when times are difficult and not easy, that defines are true character and demonstrates our strength and ultimate potential.

Just when I feel like giving up, if I hang on a little longer and push a little further, there will be reward in the end. I just have to believe in the universe and in me.

Everything has a season, everything has a reason. In the end, I know, it's happiness that I want to attain and love I want to hold in my heart.

Proud to be Filipino

I am proud to be Filipino and this man (in the picture above) makes me even prouder and reminds me of the fight that we all have inside of us. If there is one individual that will unite Filipinos throughout the entire world and get them to spend about an hour glued to the tv screen, it is Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao. For a country as divided as the Philippines, with all the history and suffering we've experienced as a country, as a people, this man restores pride in all of us.

He made me miss training in Filipino martial arts. He is a great reason why my family is able to gather and watch the fight together. I love hearing my mom scream at the television in the same room as me, and my dad talking shit to his opponent. I love my half-Filipino, half-Mexican nephew, schooling me on how Mayweather is scared to fight Pacquiao. I just wish I could be in Vegas right now with my girl, Christine, celebrating this victory with all the other Filipinos out there.

Thank you Pacquiao for reminding me of the fight that's within all of us. No matter what battles or struggles I face on the day-to-day, you remind me that there is still fight within me and being Filipino, we can continue to forge ahead, no matter how many people try to knock us down, no matter how many times we get hit, and no matter how many obstacles come my way.

Thank you Laura, for the Pacman cookies tonight =)

Mochi with Thaomy

This morning I received a surprise phone call from my college roommate, Thaomy, who was in town from San Francisco. I guess San Francisco lacks good Japanese restaurants so we spent a relaxing afternoon in Little Tokyo.

After eating lunch at Oomasa, I took her to Fugetsu-do for some yummy mochi. Great with Royal Milk tea, I love my mochi and am getting ready for my trip to Japan next month =)

Winter nights

Winter nights are coming soon. A hectic week at work led to an evening jog around Silverlake. Lo and behold, the playlist of choice on my ipod happens to be the 80s music category. Stumbled upon some good songs including the one below. "Take on Me" was probably my favorite 80s music video of all time. Even still when I watch it, I remember why. So innovative for it's time and there's never been another video like it, none that I can recall.

Come home and warm up the oden that I made over night. Winter is great for oden and nabe. Next on the menu, after I cook nabe? Guess. Indian food! I can't wait to cook this season's specialty dishes =)

LA Wonderfull this weekend, presenting DJs Rashida (LA), Bobbito and Spinna (NYC)

Until 4am! Because just like me, I know you love you some Stevie! And you know this brotha pumped out them hits before Prince and Michael ever hit the scene ;)

Mop Top 20th Anniversary Reunion in NY this past weekend

I truly wish I could have been in NY this past weekend, but instead, I'll just share an article off of the HouseDancers.com website. I LOVE Mop Top/Elite Force Crew. They're the reason why I dance today. Look out for footage, coming soon.
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This past weekend, November 7-9, 2009, many dancers lucky enough to be in NYC experienced a monumental event: the 20th anniversary / reunion of the Mop Top collective, which also consists by extension of the world famous Elite Force and Dance Fusion crews (+ Wiseguys). The dancers who make up this collective are the most influential artists of the Hip-Hop and House Dance generation, having inspired dancers on a global level for more than two decades. They are:

• Buddha Stretch (Emilio Austin, Jr.) [Brooklyn, b. 1968]

• Caleaf Sellers [Brooklyn, b. 1969]

• Ejoe Wilson [Bronx, b. 1970]

• Marjory Smarth [Manhattan, b. 1969]

• Tony McGregor [New Jersey, b. ~1970]

• Loose Joint [Brooklyn, b. ~1971]

• Mike Clark (MikeU4ria) [Brooklyn, b. 1972]

• Sekou Heru [New Jersey, b. 1969]

• Shan Selby [Brooklyn, b. ~1970]

• Bobby Mileage [Boston, b. 1972]

• Brooklyn Terry Wright [Brooklyn, b. 1973]

• Henry Link [Brooklyn, b. ~1970]

• Voodoo Ray [Harlem, b. ~1968]

Collectively, the Mop Top crew has appeared in dozens of groundbreaking music videos, films, and concert tours and have worked with all of the major players in the pop industry (Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Diana Ross), hip-hop (Will Smith, Brand Nubian, Gangstarr, Heavy D) and House (CeCe Penniston, Crystal Waters, Dee-Lite). They have established and judged dance competitions the world over, and have participated in countless seminars and instructional workshops. Perhaps most importantly, the members of Mop Top have taken social dance movements from the urban vernacular and developed them into legitimate American art forms that are now emulated worldwide on a scale never before witnessed. Many dancers of the collective are destined to occupy the same rarefied air as dance luminaries such as Alvin Ailey, the Nicholas Brothers and Katherine Dunham.

The success of the Mop Top family is not only measured by their individual and collective talents as dancers, choreographers, and instructors. It is their dedication, hard work and passion that have set the foundation for generations of dancers to come. Each member of the collective is a pioneer in his or her own right, embodied with their own unique style, technique and approach to the respective art forms of Hip-Hop and House Dance. Not since the Soul Train dancers in the 1970s had a young group of dancers commanded such an impact on the world of what is commonly referred to as “street dance”. But the Mop Top legacy will arguably shine brighter than any self-taught dancers who preceded them, because Hip-Hop and House music as a cultural phenomenon have captivated a world-wide audience in a way that no other music has since, and perhaps ever will. And we can never forget that the origination of these crucial musical forms, the most powerful and enduring of the 20th century, was inspired by the Dancers.

They were all born between the years of 1968 and 1973 and graduated high school between 1986 and 1991, during the rise of the Golden Era of Hip-Hop. As New Yorkers, they danced at the epicenter of Hip-Hop’s explosion into the mainstream and redefined the cultural landscape of Hip-Hop through such classic films as “Wreckin’ Shop: Live from Brooklyn” (1992), arguably the greatest Hip-Hop documentary of all time. From their roots in Hip-Hop, they transitioned to House and transformed it. While earlier forms of House Dance had developed in Chicago (jacking) and New York (lofting), members of the Mop Top crew innovated the style in the late 80's and early 90's, crafting it into its own distinct entity, and managed to develop House Dance into an international phenomenon, the effects of which have only begun to be realized.

The performance at the Alvin Ailey theater on Saturday, November 7, featuring the Mop Top family was a milestone in the history of American dance. Standing on stage, together, unified after more than 20 years, the collective sent a message of solidarity that will unite the legion of Hip-Hop and House dancers worldwide . If the leaders of the Hip-Hop and House Dance generation stand united, than so shall all those who follow in their path. And through unification, all things are possible. While Asian and Europe have long heralded the accomplishments of American street dancers, the United States has traditionally treated dance styles of the urban vernacular as “fads” and have subjugated street dancers to mere background players. While MCs, DJs, Producers and other practitioners of the culture have reaped massive financial rewards and accolades for their musical contributions, the dancers – the individuals who truly bring the music to Life, who transform two dimensional soundwaves into three dimensional art – rarely get a footnote (at least in the U.S.). The entertainment industry at large, and the music industry in particular, have never truly respected dancers, unless of course they stepped to the mic. It doesn't have to be that way and a change is bound to come.

The Mop Top Reunion culminated Sunday night at Funkbox (Sullivan Room), where the original members gathered for a panel seminar to share their history. We learned that many of the members of the crew had known each other since pre-school days. The one common thread they all shared was that they first encountered each other on the dancefloor and worked hard to earn mutual respect. In many cases, their street reputations preceded them, as they took on the aura of urban legends. Battling was the norm, in those days, because the underlying mentality was rooted in Hip-Hop. As Marjory pointed out, they did actually dance in the street. Whether at the World, Union Square, Latin Quarter, Kilimanjaro, House Nation, Wild Pitch, Red Zone, Sound Factory, or Tunnel, they told stories of an era long gone but not forgotten. From their humble beginnings on the asphalt of local parks and hardwood floors of clubs, the Mop Top family shared a "behind-the-scenes" look of how they went on to transform the global scene: Brooklyn Terry’s last minute audition for Mariah Carey, prompted by a late morning call from Ejoe; Voodoo Ray’s arrest on a subway platform that led to the hiring of Link and Caleaf for a Diana Ross video; Stretch’s first trip overseas where he, Caleaf and Link were interrogated by English customs for hours, only to be allowed to party one night in London; Bobby Mileage’s move from Boston to New York as a teenager to pursue his lifelong dream. For true dance enthusiasts, the seminar panel would have captivated anyone for hours on end.

Our only hope is that the Mop Top crew won’t let another 20 years pass before they host another reunion. In general, underground dance communities are often fractured by competition and false claims to credit. Dancers just can’t seem to get it together, perhaps because opportunity from an industry standpoint is limited. The U.S. government, with its powerful grant programs and cultural subsidies, rarely extends a dollar to the realm of Hip-Hop, much less House. Corporate sponsors don’t care unless a million headspins are involved. In the end, it is up to the Hip-Hop and House dancers themselves to build their own infrastructure and stake a claim in American history. Mop Top’s 20th family reunion represented this vision in action and it will be exciting to see what comes next.

Santiago Freeman (Nov. 2009)

He is coming

This past week was full of images, dreams, and reminders of relationships from my past, not on purpose, but by chance. I saw pictures, I read letters, I had dreams, and I sat there and remembered what they meant to me once. I remembered my mistakes, I remembered the good times, and I remembered the lessons that they taught me.

I do believe that things happen for a reason, and it's interesting that they all visited my memory and my heart this past week. I really feel like God, the universe, or my ancestors, are all trying to say something to me.

Maybe they are giving me some kinda sign.

He is coming. I could feel him approaching. I don't know who he is, but I feel like I have to be ready and make room for him in my heart when he arrives.

Preparing for a Performance at the Pacific Asia Museum

Working hard to create the right piece. Pulling dance movements from my past. Hope you can make it!

WEAVING: An Afternoon of Pinay Poetry/Performance/Song/Dance
"The (Dis)Embodied Filipina: Fashioning Domesticity, Weaving Desire Exhibition" satellite event

Date:
Saturday, December 5, 2009

Time:
2:00am - 4:00am

Location:
Pacific Asia Museum Outdoor Patio

Street:
46 North Los Robles Avenue

City/Town:
Pasadena, CA

Description
Join us for an afternoon of poetry, dance, performance and song by 8 talented Filipina American women living, working and artmaking in Los Angeles. These amazing women will be performing new work/pieces made especially for this showcase. Support their creative efforts and enjoy an afternoon filled with powerful, inspiring and thought provoking art in the Museum's outdoor patio.

Co-sponsored by: Project Pacific Pipeline, UCLA Amerasia Journal's Women Issue "WHERE WOMEN TELL STORIES" & HABI ARTS

PAMALAK (Poetry & Performance)
Rebecca Baroma
Alfie Ebojo
Melinda Corazon Foley
Stephanie Santos
Minerva Benedicto Vier

KANTA (Song)
Nicole De Jesus
Jenny San Angel

SAYAW (Dance)
Cheryl Samson

Rebecca Baroma is a special education teacher at a middle school but has been incognito for a few. She dabbles in different forms of expression and is currently working on a play which will be read in December at East West Players. She is very happy to be back, up and running.

Alfie Ebojo – bio traveling as we speak

Melinda Corazon Foley - writer, performer - novels, screenplays, poetry, webisodes. proudest projects to date: "the ice hotel" for bryan - and "vigilante"

Canadian Native, Nicole De Jesus, is a singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist, and visual artist. Originally trained as a musical theater singer, Nicole has also ventured off in a variety of styles of music, such as rock and pop. When not doing music, she is creating art through painting and drawing, which happens to be Nicole's first love. She currently resides in the Los Angeles area, where she holds a voice studio for singing lessons known as "Nicole De Jesus Voice Studio".

Cheryl Samson is a proud member of the Balagtasan Collective, a family of artists and organizers, where she was able to merge her love for artistic expression, community organizing and involvement, as well as truly express her identity as a Filipina American growing up in the Los Angeles area. 5 foot Pinay, a quarter Chinese, she truly loves the life that she was blessed with, the family that defines her and the friends that save her thru and thru. Constantly trying to find balance in her life, she loves to: keep her physical body and creativity stimulated thru dance and yoga; capture stories and moments thru her cameras and writing; listen to people's life stories thru her day job; keep her mind stimulated by learning other languages and about other cultures; and stay connected spiritually thru daily meditation.

Jenny San Angel has been playing music since she was a band nerd in jr high playing clarinet (one time, in band camp). By day, she's a Net Admin at USC - by night, she plays drums, guitar, bass, and keyboards for various projects. Her weaknesses? Mac n' cheese, beer, Japanese food and Rubik's cubes (not in that order).

Stephanie Santos - bio traveling as we speak

Minerva Benedicto Vier is a writer-performer from Cebu, Philippines who currently lives in Los Angeles. As an actor, Minerva has performed in various L.A. stage productions for theater companies such as Center Theater Group, Playwrights Arena, Casa 0101, Will & Co., Antaeus Classical Theater and Collage Dance Theater. As a writer, she has penned the plays Stateside Girls, Uterine and Magdalena among others. As a dancer, she has worked with The Second Company of Alvin Ailey and is currently working with Silayan Dance Company (a Philippine contemporary dance company) in Bihag: A Hiphop Tinikling.

Curated by: Irene Soriano Brightman

==

Admission
$9 for General Admission
$7 for Students and Seniors
Free for Children Ages 11 and Under
Free for Members

In Your Eyes

Tonight I still assisted my mom in cleaning out the boxes that were in my room and discovered, well, some more things. Pictures and letters from past relationships. We're talking high school and junior high, haha...man! But, what was really cool to find were the different programs I ran in college and the different letters that students wrote to me that I worked with. I didn't realize that thru all these years, I had touched the lives of so many people and I still find myself committed to this. In my everyday, in my career. I'm sure it's the reason why I became a social worker because I realized that my happiness lied in helping others find their own happiness and own journey, as I have with my life.

In Your Eyes, a song that we used to play at retreats in high school and college. This song holds sentimental value for me. After cleaning thru old memories, I found it to be appropriate. Thanks for allowing me to share. The work and the mission to help others find their path and happiness, continues on.

James Taylor

When I first heard James Taylor, these are the two songs of his I heard and I immediately fell in love. Not just his unique voice, and talent on the guitar, but I really felt his lyrics. They always bring out so much emotion and reflection in me and I always seem to come back to these songs at different points in my life, yet they're really simple. Maybe that's why I love them so much. I feel like I'm a complicated person at times, that simplicity is all I desire and all I ever fall in love with.

After all of these years, thank you, James Taylor.

Being the teacher = being the student

I'm glad I had another humbling moment tonight. My yoga teacher asked me to switch my normal class that I assist her with to assist her with the later yoga meditation class because she wanted me to see the "special needs" students that were in this class. It wasn't the first time that she had taught students with disabilities, so I kinda knew what I was getting into and working in the schools on the daily always exposes me to all sorts of people from all walks of life. Tonight was very educational and insightful though because it's been a year since I've worked with students directly that had disabilities in a more direct teaching environment.

After the class, my teacher asked me what I thought of the experience. She didn't need an immediate answer but she wanted me to just process it. She kept saying how sweet she felt the students were, and especially the class. It was mixed with students who appeared to be developmentally and physically delayed and impaired, and other students without disabilities. She commented on how patient the rest of the class was with this particular group, but expressed to me her challenge to figure out what poses would be best to suit their "special needs". I told her that what I appreciated was that we still kept going thru the class, although some of the poses were simplified, there was never a moment where we had to completely adjust until these students got it. In fact, what I appreciated was that they kept going, even though they were limited physically and developmentally, their drive was inspirational and their determination to do each pose as best as they could was enlightening. My teacher agreed.

Even though they couldn't completely grasp the pose or do it exactly the way we were teaching it, the fact that they did their best and didn't give up was stronger than the accuracy of the movement. That made more of an impression on us and in that moment we became the students.

I have the personality of a perfectionist at times, and get stressed out when things aren't the way I would like them to be or they're supposed to be. But it's moments like these that I have to check myself and remember that determination, drive, and doing your best will outweigh accuracy and perfection because the significance lies in the intent and not the action.

Introducing: The Waackers

Just a preview of what's in store at Boulevard 3 tonight! I'm very proud of Kumari, Raquel, Junko and their crew. Come out and support them waackin' it out, like nobody's business. See you there!

Humble Reflections and Boundless Compassion

I observed and did a lot of reflection this week. Humbly, I checked my ego and myself. I saw how a good friend is constantly teaching me more about myself than I realized or was willing to acknowledge. I listened to a teacher, while I trained, I mean, REALLY listened. Not just with my ears but also with an open heart.

Here are some of the things I had to re-teach myself, remember, and reapply:

1. Just like my mom, I like to get things done right away so I get it over with. If I begin something, I have to make sure I finish it. I do so much at my job and have so little time, that quality is not always as important as quantity, and so I'm used to finishing things fast, so I can move on to the next task. But this is not just a tendency in my work, or with things, this is also my tendency with people, and sometimes people that are close to me. In relationships, I find myself rushing to get the answer, to complete the argument, to end the tension, to put closure on the situation, but in doing this I miss the beauty of the process and make so many mistakes along the way. Individuals are not work, everyone has their own flow, and I have to remember to slow down and trust the process to guide me to where I need to be. I need to have more faith and trust myself and the people I love.

2. Things are not always black or white, yes or no, and sometimes, I want the answer in the way I want it. If it's not one thing, it should be the other thing, and that's about it. But no, there is a spectrum, there are many options, and in between black and white, there is gray. Although, gray is not clearly as distinct as black nor white, it still exists as another color, another way, and falls somewhere in between or could be anything. Sometimes, I just need to be comfortable that the answer is not always as definite as I want it to be.

3. My teacher said "it is important to do the movement slowly". If we do it too fast, then the movement can come out sloppy and it becomes easier to predict and see when you're looking at the big picture. Yet when we do the movement slow, we can pay attention more to the detail and will make fewer mistakes. Less opportunities to make things predictable and instead there is opportunity to enjoy the growth and the process. So I reminded myself, "it is the same thing with love and the relationships we build with others". The slower, the better. Enjoy the process! You'll get to the end, we all do, but the process is where the foundation exists.

4. "When you close your eyes. You are able to listen to the detail of the music and the song. But when you have your eyes open, it is harder to concentrate on just the music a lone because you are looking at so many things around you and become distracted." It is the same with people that we meet. We can be distracted by what is being shown on the exterior of the person, but when we truly close are eyes and listen with our ears and hearts, is when we truly understand the situation, the beauty, and the individual, for who they really are and not what they present nor look like.

Yes, I am still a humble student of life.

Partying with THE WAACKERS this Friday @ BLVD 3: HAPPY BDAY JUNKO!

See you there Friday! Watch out, the lioness may be coming out of her den on Friday ;)

Dance, Music, Art, Fashion, Life!!! One BIG jam session!!! Let's get down!!

DRESS CODE: Creativity!
FREE B4 1030pm w/ RSVP: Majesticfunk@boulevard3.com
$20 after 1030pm

We created a bi-monthly night hosted by us, The Waackers. This event combines dance & musical performances from working choreographers and artists, live graffiti art & body painting on both canvas & working models, and fashion shows featuring local designers.

This event is to generate more exposure for real artists by creating a stage highlighting their work toward diverse audiences. This event will be a young Hollywood industry night of high standard.

Boulevard 3 creates a high profile platform for young artists to raise our artwork to new standards of excellence. Majestic Funk could be an amazing catalyst for a new era of art and change in LA.

Partying with THE WAACKERS this Friday @ BLVD 3

VTech and Mochilla present: Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble

I have to actually go to another event this Friday, but I wish I could split my time and be here too. I know this is guaranteed to be an amazing show!

VTech and Mochilla present:
Friday November 6th, 2009



Live Performances by:
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble

DJ Sets from:
Madlib
Coleman
B+

The Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles Ca 90026

$15 presale :: $20 at the door
Presale tickets available at the Mochilla HQ's
4124 Verdugo Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065 from 1pm-7pm
+ online at: http://www.ticketweb.com
21 + wiser | 9pm-2am

*for more information please visit: http://music.vtechphones.com

Odoru Dance Studio: Classes have begun

Just helping Emiko out. Please check out a class or two or three. Whatever your heart and body desires:

Dear Friends and Family

How are you doing everyone? My dance studio is opening tomorrow Nov. 3rd Tuesday.
The classes schedules are bellow

Tuesday
6pm to 7pm Bellydance by Melanie
7pm to 8pm Beginning Yoga by Melanie
8pm to 9pm House Dance by Emiko

Thursday
6pm to 7pm Cardio by Emiko
7pm to 8pm Floor Bar by Alycia
8pm to 9pm Modern by Alycia

Sunday
11am to 12pm Intermediate Yoga
12pm to 1pm Cardio by Emiko

Fee $10 per class

Address
511 Molino St. Los Angeles, CA 90031

If you have any questions, please contact me any time.
I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.

Peace and Love
Emiko Sugiyama
(310)486-7716
odorudancestudio@gmail.com

MIss You Much class taught by Anthony Thomas

As much as I really would like to go, I can't. But I hope one of you can, and teach me later. Enjoy!

To the flower picker

I stumbled upon your notes of yesterday
the dried out flower that you bought for me once
was incomparable to the leaf that you picked up from the park
along your path to see me.
They were next to the poem on the page that you ripped for me
from one of your favorite book of poems
written from Jewel.

I play those songs on my guitar but they don't contain the value
that your essence once gave them.

I didn't understand you then
I was too young and naive to accept your
depth, your heart and your kindness.
I just thought you were strange
because I didn't understand the meaning you put behind all your actions.

I heard you got married a few years back
and sent my blessings for you both
my words travelled in the wind
along with the memories.

Now all I do is long for
a fresh flower or leaf picked for me
a note of poetry or words of sweet intentions
given to me unexpectedly.

It's the gifts from the heart
that didn't cost anything
that hold the most value and make impressions.

Thank you.

Flower pickers, tree climbers, and writers

I helped my mom clean out some stuff today that was in my room. Within that search, I stumbled upon some old notes that I have saved. There were items in there that looked familiar but I couldn't quite remember whom they were from. I knew that they were from a past love by intuition so I began to open the pieces of paper that were closed and read what was inside.

They were from a young man my first year of college who was courting me once. He used to write short poetic pieces to me and would leave them for me or deliver them to me and then walk away. He brought me a flower once, and a leaf (his thoughts were if he could give flowers, why not appreciate the beauty in a leaf as well). He was very deep and at that moment in my life, I didn't understand it. I went to visit him once and he was sitting in a tree reading a book of poetry. I would have smiled and appreciated that now, probably even join him, but back then, I just thought he was strange, when what he really was, was unique.

What I would do now just to have a flower picked freshly for me, a poem left when I wasn't paying attention, and to just sit in a tree under the moonlight, reading poetry with the one I love.

It's funny how we long for things that we have taken for granted after they are long gone and after we understand how truly meaningful that memory and experience was for us.

This Is It

Can't wait to see it in the morning at the new LA Live Regal Movie Theater where they had his funeral adjascent to the Staples Center where he was rehearsing for his final tour. Crazy.