[Part 2 of 4 about Connections. Here is Part 1.]
In my perfect world, there would be no such thing as a bad connection with another human being. I've been relatively lucky as far as my share of undesirable experiences go and strive not to let the ones I have experienced affect me in a way that takes the joy out of life. Doing this on the social dance floor is so much easier because the interaction is always framed inside a 3-4 minute song. [If you need a new thought on how to not let the bad things bring you down: check out this blog post].
First things first: In writing about "The Bad and The Ugly", I want to make it clear that I am describing how things feel from one follower's perspective (that would be me!) on the dance floor. I am NOT claiming to speak for all follows, nor do I know the true character of the leads who might be guilty of these connections. A dance may tell me something about a man's character but its certainly is NOT the sum total of who he is as a person. These observations I share are not judgments. For me, dancing is a state of mind and I do my best to suspend the analytical/thinking part of my brain so I can fully focus on the present: the music, my lead and the movement of the dance.
The Undesirable Connection
There are times when i wish that one could award technical fouls or red cards on the social dance floor for these "offenses". The result would be a time out off the dance floor so that they are informed of their offense and they don't deprive someone else of a joyful dance.
Herky Jerky
Ah, they mean well but boy! do I feel like a rag doll in the hands of this lead. Bravo for the enthusiasm of expression! I would like to remind them though, that while they may enjoy swinging their arms whole-heartedly to the music (and it may even help them to stay on beat) there's a lot of strength generated by that motion and while you are holding my hands, my arms become an extension of yours and the hard, wild movement is not so much fun sometimes. I can't totally relax for fear of an arm being pulled or hyper-extended so I match the tension which can be tiring. Its also hard to distinguish that normal swing for a pre-lead to another move. I'd like to remind these leads that a firm and gentle hold goes a long, long way. Relax a bit, the swaying will naturally happen when your body moves to the music. If you're wondering as a lead, whether you're guilty of this or not: if your arms are circling way outside the frame between you and your partner and you watch them carefully as they are gritting their teeth or thinking "when is he going to stop?" then I would suggest "less is more".
Gropey Creepy
This is the guy who likes to take advantage of the fact that social dancing gives him leave to get close to a girl by just asking her for a dance. He likes to pull the girl in an extremely tight embrace even though the song is going over 180 rpms (its fast). Sometime, he may even reach out and touch (or grope) some body parts that should be admired, not mauled. The irony here is that despite the abundance of physical connection, the dance itself is so uncomfortable, as a follow, all I can think about is how NOT to make any more of a connection. In this instance I try to practice what I can about defensive dancing: my left arm is no longer draped over the shoulder but positioned more as a lever between this lead's chest and my own, I do my best to minimize any natural hip movement for fear of instigating more unwanted attention. I remind myself - its only a 3-4 minute song and at the end of it, I will do my best (and quickest) exit, politely decline any future dances and move on!
Body Odor
Sense of smell is very powerful and even if someone is a great lead (or follow for that matter), body odor can ruin a perfectly wonderful dance. It simply overrides everything else. Personal hygiene is extremely important and its every dancer's responsibility to know what impact you're having on the person you're dancing with. This is one offense that is so easy to avoid! Please, do take the time to check out how things smell before you subject someone else to it. There's a reason why there's are whole industries that provide people with products like deodorant, cologne, perfumes and mints to mask those odors that are a by-products of the food that you eat or the natural way your body tries to modulate its own body temperature (perspiration). If you're lucky, you can ask a good friend to be your "test" and if you're someone's good friend, you should help them out by letting them know. If you're my friend - then please, pull me aside and let me know!
Can't Find the Beat
Of all the offenses, this one is hardest for me to cope with. I am still not quite sure that there's a good way to "fix it" without being a total a_ _ to my lead and back-leading. The beat is the pulse of the music and dancing off beat just feels wrong! Its like being pulled in 2 directions at once. The music says one thing and my lead says another: I want to flow with the music but also need to follow my lead and they are at odds with each other. Its like being in the middle of an argument between my mom and dad who want me to do 2 entirely different things: a paralyzing conundrum. I find myself stuck in place between 2 opposing forces and still having to move! I shudder at the thought. My dear leads who have a hard time finding the beat - please listen to the music as much as you can! Practice finding and moving to the beat: tap it out, bob your head, tap your fingers. You don't have to find the 1 to start all the time - just find the beat 1st. After that, when you get used to hearing and feeling the music, you'll be able to find that 1 or 2 or 5 or whatever count you desire.
The Uncertain Connection
This next category of connections is on its own because I think its has an easy fix and the connection isn't as ugly as the previous ones. Its more like a warning or yellow card versus an all out penalty.
Confidence is attractive. To dance with uncertainty takes positive energy away from the dance and as a follow, its hard to respond well when I'm not sure what I've been asked to do.
The solution here is simple: "Fake it like you own it." A simple dance, led with confidence and fun will trump a series of botched up, uncertain set of moves any day. Everyone makes mistakes and I can tell you that leads who dance with confidence will make a mistake part of their "plan": flash a smile to charm or a sheepish one to apologize and its like we shared a private inside joke instead.
I know that there are some leads out there who might not agree and who feel like they have to be "all that" and more to lead a good dance. All I can say is, if you dance with confidence (remember confidence does NOT equal cockiness), there is a positive energy that you bring which enhances the connection.
Dancing is supposed to be fun - so have fun! You can still smile, take care of the lady your dancing with, distract her with your charm and let her enjoy the dance with you. Uncertainty is another "joy-killer": how can you be happy if you're not sure? When I sense that uncertainty in my lead, I do my best to smile to help to put him at ease.
If you're a beginner lead and are too busy worrying about not knowing enough moves. Check this out: most beginner classes will teach you anywhere from 6 to 8 moves and you can execute the moves in closed and open position: 2 for the price of 1!! So, think about all the possible variations: simply change the order of how you lead the moves and you can easily fill up a whole dance.
This type of connection, while uncomfortable, isn't undesirable because in my experience, confidence builds over time with positive feedback and practice. Its so cool to dance with someone who's actively learning and improving because one day, without even knowing it, things just "click" and I'll be swept off my feet into a dreamy dance connection.
Coming in Part 3: The awesome connections!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Connections - Adventures in Life (Part 1 of 4)
Some of the best adventures in life result from those wonderful and unexpected connections that you make with other people. I am very lucky and extremely grateful to have made so many wonderful connections in my life so far. My connections in dancing have certainly added to these adventures and have all contributed to helping me grow in becoming a better follow.
So, to give weight to how important this topic is and so I don't write a blog article that turns into a short story, this begins Part 1 of a 4 part series where I'll share my views on dance connections.
As much as there is so much joy in partner dancing, I hate to admit that not all connections are equal. Some are so memorable, I can still remember them years after and some are just memories I don't want to re-live. I do believe that every connection teaches me something about myself and makes me more confident in who I am.
In my perfect world, anything to do with dancing would only be a joyful occasion. Reality often reminds me that this is not always the case. The good news is, there are ways to make more of the good kinds of connections and less of the "undesirable" kind.
Dance is a microcosm for real life and the social interactions and connections on the dance floor are a hotbed of metaphors for those same interactions off the dance floor. So, based on my experiences so far, I'd like to offer some general advice that will lead to more positive connection on the social dance floor.
BIG UMBRELLA GUIDELINE: A nice, simple introduction is always the best way to start.
There aren't words enough to describe how important this. This rule applies whether you're dancing with someone for the 1st time or not. It can make all the difference in making or breaking a connection. I'm just suggesting that every interaction should start with a nice "Hello".
If you already know the person, then that can take different forms:
1) A hug
2) A kiss on the cheek
3) A chest bump
you get the general drift.
So with social dancing - BONUS! There's this song that's playing in the background.... AND it has an introduction too!
Here's what I suggest:
1) Take the 1st few 8 counts to establish the beat/rhythm of the dance. One of the hardest things for me as a follow to do is to dance off beat. Its almost as bad as scratching your nails on a chalk board. When you take the time to establish your rhythm in a comfortable position (Open embrace or closed), you're able to take that few seconds to smile at your partner, listen to the music and set yourself up for the rest of the song.
2) Get a feel for your partner and their dancing style. I don't mean feel her up. I mean start by checking to see if you're connected by moving side to side. Execute a few basic moves(cross body, inside turn, outside turn) and then rev it up if you think she can handle more. I'm pretty sure that if you're opening move is to throw your follow into a quadruple spin,its not the friendliest way to say "hello" unless your dancing with a whirling dervish (no offense intended). Instead of that nice hello, you'd be saying "Let's see if you can handle THAT! Show me what you got!" Not exactly the most friendly of hello's.
3) Get in to a flow and then build up the moves. Most leads that are learning will have a set of moves that they'll want to just run through and that's ok because we all have to practice what we learned. BUT, its a bit jarring to do a move that doesn't quite fit so well with the music. Just because you can do something in time and on beat, doesn't make it "fit". LISTEN TO THE MUSIC - if it means not dancing right away, then take the time. I can't tell you how many lovely jazzy songs have been not quite as lovely because a lead decides to execute these series of quick fast turns and direction changes that just don't fit as well as smooth variations of cross body leads with turns, sweeps and flares that help express the music so much better. Its just as bad to try to dance in a tightly closed embrace to an extremely fast and happy song: not only to you (the lead) run the risk of crossing the line into being a pervert, but you also just kill all the energy of the song and will force your follow into an extremely defensive stance which just ain't nice.
4) Try to match your partner. Yes, for advanced dancers this could mean toning down quite a bit. Ever seen a ballerina dance with a head banging rocker? Its probably quite entertaining for the people watching but I'm willing to bet that as a far as a connection goes, not so much. Its a much better dance experience all around if you can match each other. Key words: Match Each Other which implies that its a 2-way street! Don't force it, don't stress it and whatever you do, don't belabor it! If something doesn't work, don't get upset. Humor is a good alternative to most situations on the dance floor and at the very least, just smile (that's what works for me almost 100% of the time). If you make a mistake and own it, no apologies necessary: sheepish smile, keep on dancing and your golden. If you're dancing with someone new, who's to say you didn't plan it anyway? In rueda (which is a group dance) when a move goes horribly wrong our caller will call "reset!" and execute a basic move to get everyone together again. You can do this too - just come up with your reset move, smile and move on.
The final catch all: I'm diverging a little here to share a personal belief that a mark of a good follow is that they can match any lead. The key word is CAN. Just because one can do something, doesn't mean one chooses to do so or likes it. Social dancing for most people is about the joy of expressing music through movement with another person. Everyone has their own wants about what that is and if someone only chooses to dance with people they know they can connect with, that's their choice. Don't make it into your issue. Personally, I believe that there's more great connections to be experienced out there all the time. By giving everyone a chance - at least give one dance - I can always find them. If it turns out those few minutes are not so good for me, then I can choose to decline the next time that person asks.
These are my general rules to achieving nice connections all the time. There are exceptions obviously and then what do you do when the other person is just not cooperating or operating with the same rules? I try to address that a little bit in the next parts of this series where I talk about specific connections. I've generalized the connections I've experienced into different types/categories which I'll get into in more detail.
Here's a preview of what they are:
The Undesirable Connection: This is the connection that, for whatever reason, leaves you with a bad taste. These are the experiences that reaffirms the things that you don't like in interacting with people and give you the opportunity to handle them with grace (or at least minimum damage).
The Uncertain Connection: Though I think this is unique to a learning situation, its still happens in real life so I want to give it a category of its own. Often this connection will lead to another type as time passes.
The On-Again-Off-Again Connection: I think that description says it all and like the Uncertain Connection, it can evolve into another kind of connection over time.
The Solid Feel Good Connection: These are the connections I strive to have the most of as follower in dance as well as a person navigating through life.
The Mwah! Connection: Heavenly, my "top 10", totally whack! Ideally - all connections should be like this. These are the connections that are so memorable, you'll find yourself talking about them years after they 1st happened and hopefully they are happening still. Life would be a dream if all connections were like this one.
The Electric Out-of-This-World Connection: This connection is old black magic that makes your head spin and leaves you bemused, sometimes bothered and totally bewildered.
So, to give weight to how important this topic is and so I don't write a blog article that turns into a short story, this begins Part 1 of a 4 part series where I'll share my views on dance connections.
As much as there is so much joy in partner dancing, I hate to admit that not all connections are equal. Some are so memorable, I can still remember them years after and some are just memories I don't want to re-live. I do believe that every connection teaches me something about myself and makes me more confident in who I am.
In my perfect world, anything to do with dancing would only be a joyful occasion. Reality often reminds me that this is not always the case. The good news is, there are ways to make more of the good kinds of connections and less of the "undesirable" kind.
Dance is a microcosm for real life and the social interactions and connections on the dance floor are a hotbed of metaphors for those same interactions off the dance floor. So, based on my experiences so far, I'd like to offer some general advice that will lead to more positive connection on the social dance floor.
BIG UMBRELLA GUIDELINE: A nice, simple introduction is always the best way to start.
There aren't words enough to describe how important this. This rule applies whether you're dancing with someone for the 1st time or not. It can make all the difference in making or breaking a connection. I'm just suggesting that every interaction should start with a nice "Hello".
If you already know the person, then that can take different forms:
1) A hug
2) A kiss on the cheek
3) A chest bump
you get the general drift.
So with social dancing - BONUS! There's this song that's playing in the background.... AND it has an introduction too!
Here's what I suggest:
1) Take the 1st few 8 counts to establish the beat/rhythm of the dance. One of the hardest things for me as a follow to do is to dance off beat. Its almost as bad as scratching your nails on a chalk board. When you take the time to establish your rhythm in a comfortable position (Open embrace or closed), you're able to take that few seconds to smile at your partner, listen to the music and set yourself up for the rest of the song.
2) Get a feel for your partner and their dancing style. I don't mean feel her up. I mean start by checking to see if you're connected by moving side to side. Execute a few basic moves(cross body, inside turn, outside turn) and then rev it up if you think she can handle more. I'm pretty sure that if you're opening move is to throw your follow into a quadruple spin,its not the friendliest way to say "hello" unless your dancing with a whirling dervish (no offense intended). Instead of that nice hello, you'd be saying "Let's see if you can handle THAT! Show me what you got!" Not exactly the most friendly of hello's.
3) Get in to a flow and then build up the moves. Most leads that are learning will have a set of moves that they'll want to just run through and that's ok because we all have to practice what we learned. BUT, its a bit jarring to do a move that doesn't quite fit so well with the music. Just because you can do something in time and on beat, doesn't make it "fit". LISTEN TO THE MUSIC - if it means not dancing right away, then take the time. I can't tell you how many lovely jazzy songs have been not quite as lovely because a lead decides to execute these series of quick fast turns and direction changes that just don't fit as well as smooth variations of cross body leads with turns, sweeps and flares that help express the music so much better. Its just as bad to try to dance in a tightly closed embrace to an extremely fast and happy song: not only to you (the lead) run the risk of crossing the line into being a pervert, but you also just kill all the energy of the song and will force your follow into an extremely defensive stance which just ain't nice.
4) Try to match your partner. Yes, for advanced dancers this could mean toning down quite a bit. Ever seen a ballerina dance with a head banging rocker? Its probably quite entertaining for the people watching but I'm willing to bet that as a far as a connection goes, not so much. Its a much better dance experience all around if you can match each other. Key words: Match Each Other which implies that its a 2-way street! Don't force it, don't stress it and whatever you do, don't belabor it! If something doesn't work, don't get upset. Humor is a good alternative to most situations on the dance floor and at the very least, just smile (that's what works for me almost 100% of the time). If you make a mistake and own it, no apologies necessary: sheepish smile, keep on dancing and your golden. If you're dancing with someone new, who's to say you didn't plan it anyway? In rueda (which is a group dance) when a move goes horribly wrong our caller will call "reset!" and execute a basic move to get everyone together again. You can do this too - just come up with your reset move, smile and move on.
The final catch all: I'm diverging a little here to share a personal belief that a mark of a good follow is that they can match any lead. The key word is CAN. Just because one can do something, doesn't mean one chooses to do so or likes it. Social dancing for most people is about the joy of expressing music through movement with another person. Everyone has their own wants about what that is and if someone only chooses to dance with people they know they can connect with, that's their choice. Don't make it into your issue. Personally, I believe that there's more great connections to be experienced out there all the time. By giving everyone a chance - at least give one dance - I can always find them. If it turns out those few minutes are not so good for me, then I can choose to decline the next time that person asks.
These are my general rules to achieving nice connections all the time. There are exceptions obviously and then what do you do when the other person is just not cooperating or operating with the same rules? I try to address that a little bit in the next parts of this series where I talk about specific connections. I've generalized the connections I've experienced into different types/categories which I'll get into in more detail.
Here's a preview of what they are:
The Undesirable Connection: This is the connection that, for whatever reason, leaves you with a bad taste. These are the experiences that reaffirms the things that you don't like in interacting with people and give you the opportunity to handle them with grace (or at least minimum damage).
The Uncertain Connection: Though I think this is unique to a learning situation, its still happens in real life so I want to give it a category of its own. Often this connection will lead to another type as time passes.
The On-Again-Off-Again Connection: I think that description says it all and like the Uncertain Connection, it can evolve into another kind of connection over time.
The Solid Feel Good Connection: These are the connections I strive to have the most of as follower in dance as well as a person navigating through life.
The Mwah! Connection: Heavenly, my "top 10", totally whack! Ideally - all connections should be like this. These are the connections that are so memorable, you'll find yourself talking about them years after they 1st happened and hopefully they are happening still. Life would be a dream if all connections were like this one.
The Electric Out-of-This-World Connection: This connection is old black magic that makes your head spin and leaves you bemused, sometimes bothered and totally bewildered.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Its Not About Perfection, Its About How You Handle Your Mistakes
As I continue to dance and grow as a dancer, I am struck by how differently people seem to approach their dancing. So many people strive for perfection and yet perfection can be so different, depending on what it is you love about the dance and what your goals are.
I realized that for myself, while achieving perfection is a challenge I can strive for, what's important to me is how well I can handle the unexpected twists and turns on the dance floor.
It would be lovely to live in a world that does not measure how well you do something: where you're not being judged against some standard or high bar. Instead, wouldn't it be more pleasant to focus on how much you've learned and the joy that you share and experience along the way. I believe the mastery of a skill should be celebrated as much as the journey along the way.
I don't deny it. It's great to get 100%. One of my clearest memories during my freshman year at MIT was the fact that I was the 1st one of my freshman friends to get 100% in a calculus quiz. I remember that my fellow freshmen friends looked at me with such respect: I impressed the hell out of them all - me, this chinese girl from the Philippines.
When I'm social dancing, the perfect moment is this indescribable high I get when I have struck an effortless connection with my partner and the music. I'm smiling all the time as my lead plays with our movement so that the expression of it fits hand in glove with the music that's playing. The dancing is effortless, like walking on clouds. And, when the music ends, I'm breathless: not just from the physical dance but from all the fun that I'm having.
I don't always know what's coming in a dance. I still have lots to learn so there are times when I know I missed a cue from my lead or when the his face give away that there was an "oops!" moment. Its a mistake right? Here's the best part - a perfect dance can have those moments but because the connection is so strong, its not really a mistake, it becomes part of the dance. Then, the cherry on the sundae happens when my lead decides to try that missed move again anyway and voila! Magnifique!
I don't always do it well - but I do know that when I can handle my mistakes with humility, grace and humor its wonderful! In fact, I think that perfection might well be re-defined by not just what you achieve but how well you handle your mistakes along the way.
I realized that for myself, while achieving perfection is a challenge I can strive for, what's important to me is how well I can handle the unexpected twists and turns on the dance floor.
It would be lovely to live in a world that does not measure how well you do something: where you're not being judged against some standard or high bar. Instead, wouldn't it be more pleasant to focus on how much you've learned and the joy that you share and experience along the way. I believe the mastery of a skill should be celebrated as much as the journey along the way.
I don't deny it. It's great to get 100%. One of my clearest memories during my freshman year at MIT was the fact that I was the 1st one of my freshman friends to get 100% in a calculus quiz. I remember that my fellow freshmen friends looked at me with such respect: I impressed the hell out of them all - me, this chinese girl from the Philippines.
When I'm social dancing, the perfect moment is this indescribable high I get when I have struck an effortless connection with my partner and the music. I'm smiling all the time as my lead plays with our movement so that the expression of it fits hand in glove with the music that's playing. The dancing is effortless, like walking on clouds. And, when the music ends, I'm breathless: not just from the physical dance but from all the fun that I'm having.
I don't always know what's coming in a dance. I still have lots to learn so there are times when I know I missed a cue from my lead or when the his face give away that there was an "oops!" moment. Its a mistake right? Here's the best part - a perfect dance can have those moments but because the connection is so strong, its not really a mistake, it becomes part of the dance. Then, the cherry on the sundae happens when my lead decides to try that missed move again anyway and voila! Magnifique!
I don't always do it well - but I do know that when I can handle my mistakes with humility, grace and humor its wonderful! In fact, I think that perfection might well be re-defined by not just what you achieve but how well you handle your mistakes along the way.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A Chance to Help: Haiti Devastation
On Tuesday 01-12-2010, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti and millions have been lost and even more affected by the tragedy.
Even though my blog may not have a wide reach, for those of you following and for anyone that happens to land here, check out these compilations of organizations that are setup to help in the aftermath of the quake:
CNN Impact the World
CBS How You Can Help
Even though my blog may not have a wide reach, for those of you following and for anyone that happens to land here, check out these compilations of organizations that are setup to help in the aftermath of the quake:
CNN Impact the World
CBS How You Can Help
Friday, January 1, 2010
Dancing in the New Year!
Normally I just spend a chill evening with family and stayed up to watch fire works. This year, I did something new and decided to go out and dance to celebrate after dinner.
Though I didn't make it to all the parties I would've like to go to (2 out of 5, ain't bad), I had the BEST time EVER!!!!
There's a saying somewhere that predicts the new year will be based on whatever it is you end up doing on New Year's Day.
Well, for the 1st 5 and a half hours, I was dancing, laughing, hugging and having a blast!!! There were lots of good wishes and compliments and smiles. Now I'm posting pictures, massaging my feet and posting a note on my blog. When I wake up I'll be having brunch with my sister and her family and ending the day welcoming a good friend back home.
I'd say that based on the first hours, 2010 is going to be a FANTASTIC year :D
Thanks to everyone that was a part of it: that organized, danced, hugged and smiled with me.
Thanks to my family and friends who made 2009 so memorable.
Love!
Joy!
Dance!
Here's to 2010.
Though I didn't make it to all the parties I would've like to go to (2 out of 5, ain't bad), I had the BEST time EVER!!!!
There's a saying somewhere that predicts the new year will be based on whatever it is you end up doing on New Year's Day.
Well, for the 1st 5 and a half hours, I was dancing, laughing, hugging and having a blast!!! There were lots of good wishes and compliments and smiles. Now I'm posting pictures, massaging my feet and posting a note on my blog. When I wake up I'll be having brunch with my sister and her family and ending the day welcoming a good friend back home.
I'd say that based on the first hours, 2010 is going to be a FANTASTIC year :D
Thanks to everyone that was a part of it: that organized, danced, hugged and smiled with me.
Thanks to my family and friends who made 2009 so memorable.
Love!
Joy!
Dance!
Here's to 2010.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
2009: A Blast!
I know, I know, its not quite over yet but in 1 more day, I'll be saying "So long" to 2009 and "Hello!" to 2010. I look back at the year and despite some heartache and a few bumps, all in all, its been one fun-tastic year!
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2009
I kicked off the year with an unforgettable Salsa/Yoga retreat in Oaxaca, Mexico that turned out to be simply mah-velous! It helped me take my salsa dancing to another level AND I got to meet some amazing people with the added bonus of finding another good friend in Seattle. I took a record 500 pictures and 63 videos which have been synthesized on my flickr photostream Oaxaca Collection
February 2009
My nephew Max and I had the 1st of many salsa dances and he declared, “I want to be a salsa dancer when I grow up!” – Oh yes, that’s definitely going to happen!! I got to experience the production of Lion King with my niece True (who loved it!) and gifted myself a Kindle 2. I also start my blog: www.tee4life.blogspot.com as a
means of exploring, expressing and sharing my outlook on life.
March 2009
For the 1st time in almost 10 years, I have a mini-MIT reunion in San Jose. It was great to get acquainted with my god-daughter, catch up and old friends and their families! I’m happy to be the excuse for getting everyone together. Apparently, I’m the only one still playing volleyball. Inspired by my niece True and her love for dino’s. Here’s a picture of the little guy on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/snapsfromtee/3339538531/in/set-72157603573504832/
April 2009
As spring sprung, and dancing now takes up at least 4 nights a week, I’m loving every second of it! My glass blowing progresses nicely as well. I made a mushroom sculpture as a gift to my sister’s in-laws (here’s the picture). I end the month by travelling
to Maui with my sister and her family and discover the joys
of shaved ice (mmmm!)
May 2009
Its the sunniest summer for me here in Seattle so far! I started with a new team within Amazon: a training team that is chartered with developing courses to train Amazon’s business teams on the systems that they need to order products, work with vendors and manage the products that are sold on the Amazon website. A new version of Star Trek is released and MAN! did that movie rock out - it was awesome! There was a great trip to Victoria for my 1st Volleypalooza. Then another 1st: participating in a rueda dance demo at the Northwest Folk life festival. Finally, Volleyball Nationals
in Minneapolis where we won in the silver bracket of the Women’s B division.
June 2009
True’s turns 5! I spend a day with my niece to take her shopping for her birthday and it was such a blast! She even drew out a cartoon describing the day! I also took a cake decorating class which led me to baking True’s birthday cake: a purple dinosaur. Then, I had a pleasant surprise being voted the “Best in Show” (aka crowd favorite) for a Student Art Exhibit at the Seattle Glass Blowing Studio. Did I mention I’m still dancing? A lot?
July 2009
The 4th was a blast: volleyball, salsa, fireworks, hang out with old friends and make new ones. I hike Franklin Falls for the 1st time with the kiddos and my sis and her hubby on a hike and its beautiful! One of my best friends from teaching days comes to visit me from Boston and we have a great time catching up! Her stay culminates in a Pig Roast where there was much fun to be had. My friends on both coasts are just too awesome for words. I learned about pulled sugar decorations for cakes too. At this point the summer is really heating up and I finally buy myself an AC so I can sleep at night! Dancing continues to be a blast.
August 2009
My sister’s in-laws are here and we take a family vacation to La
Push and the Olympics (famous because it is the place where the Twilight series of books). I have a new appreciation for the forests and beaches of Washington: its like a fairy world! Together with some friends from work, I embark on my first moderate hike to Serene Lake and Bridal Veil Falls – it was gorgeous! My nephew Max
turned 3 and we got to go shopping together too! I made him a Blue Angels cake (apparently the blue icing lasts for a few days). Summer is definitely in full swing and I’m enjoying the long days and dancing outdoors on the beach and in
the park. Life is good.
September 2009
So much to do, so little time and why on earth is everything happening at the same time?! Dancing is undeniably a part of my life and I love every minute of it! I’m still playing volleyball and blowing glass and my blog is morphing into how dancing is just a metaphor for life ;) I’ve been in Seattle for 2 years now.
October 2009
I visit Boston for a week and I’m able to catch up with so many friends. I spend a beautiful fall day at the DeCordova museum. Fall's here and I get to enjoy a tradition I've setup with my niece, nephew and sister: Pumpkin carving !!!!
November 2009
More dancing: had a blast with the Emerald City Blues workshops early in the month and then attended my 1st Salsa Congress with the best roommates EVER! right here in Seattle. I also decided to join a salsa performance team. We’re still doing a lot of basic stuff and are hoping to have our 1st performance in June 2010.
December 2009
My sister’s family and I take a trip to Manila for the 1st time in almost 9 years. 2 weeks of eating, shopping, sitting in traffic ... I got to catch up with high school
friends I haven’t seen in ages and spend quality time with my family. I’m
looking forward to ending the year by dancing the night away and welcoming 2010.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Home for the Holidays
Its been close to 10 years since I've been back home to Manila (Philippines). Some things seem to have been frozen in time while others have changed so much that I barely recognize them.
The Manila I remember was not so crowded, not so traffic-jammed with more open spaces. For the last 5 days, it seems like I've spent most of my time in traffic inside an air conditioned (thank goodness!) car traveling to the next "eating station" or "shopping station" as I get reacquainted with my old stomping grounds.
My niece True and nephew Max are here in the Philippines for the 1st time and its been wonderful to see them interacting with my mom and dad. Though they see a place that's not exactly like the one that I grew up with, its still way cool to see and hear their reactions.
My family are in good health and despite a few bumps (what family is truly free of bumps really?), I am confident in our love and support of each other.
I've also been blessed to have made friends with some extraordinary people with whom I can share my life with in the space of a few hours, in spite of the long periods of time that have passed: as if years were just the passing of one very busy day. They share with me, a warmth and affection that can only come from having gone through memorable and wonderfully formative years together.
We have all aged and have branched off to make our own paths but these times that we meet are still precious and true. They bring back memories of other friends that may not be present but are with us all the same.
What a gift for being home for the holidays!
The Manila I remember was not so crowded, not so traffic-jammed with more open spaces. For the last 5 days, it seems like I've spent most of my time in traffic inside an air conditioned (thank goodness!) car traveling to the next "eating station" or "shopping station" as I get reacquainted with my old stomping grounds.
My niece True and nephew Max are here in the Philippines for the 1st time and its been wonderful to see them interacting with my mom and dad. Though they see a place that's not exactly like the one that I grew up with, its still way cool to see and hear their reactions.
My family are in good health and despite a few bumps (what family is truly free of bumps really?), I am confident in our love and support of each other.
I've also been blessed to have made friends with some extraordinary people with whom I can share my life with in the space of a few hours, in spite of the long periods of time that have passed: as if years were just the passing of one very busy day. They share with me, a warmth and affection that can only come from having gone through memorable and wonderfully formative years together.
We have all aged and have branched off to make our own paths but these times that we meet are still precious and true. They bring back memories of other friends that may not be present but are with us all the same.
What a gift for being home for the holidays!
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