Changes Not So Small

Experienced major changes this week...

Change #1: Leaves
Let me tell you, the northeast knows how to do fall right (the pics don't do it justice). I was sad I haven't been able to go on any nature walks/hikes to see the colorful leaves and was so grateful that I got an eyeful on the drive to the temple. I was really happy when we got lost so we could take the scenic route haha. Going to the temple blesses lives in unpredictable ways :)

View from the entrance of the Washington DC temple

Change #2: Grad School
Got the answer I needed in the temple about big decisions regarding my graduate education. I still need to talk to several directors to make sure my new plan will work...Stay tuned.

Love my visiting teachees :)

Change #3: Dance
I went to 4 different dances/dance classes this week that resulted in a major shift in my dancer identity, which I hold as prominent as my Asian/Mormon/woman/singer/pianist identity.

About a month ago (when I had been sick for a month), I was having major ballroom withdrawals again. So I listened to Jeffrey R. Holland's talk "Remember Lot's Wife" AGAIN, got advice from another BYU Ballroom alum, and bought a pass for 5 classes at Joy of Motion to try other kinds of dances.

Afro-Brazilian/Cuban:

This was my first class :) Unlike my super awkward experience with African dance (see blog post), this was right up my alley! It was like Latin Ballroom except without a partner. We did lots of rib isolations, core contractions, lat/shoulder movements (for lack if a better description), pressure steps, and hip rolls. The only thing I wasn't used to were the huge head movements! Very sore neck, shoulders, lats, abs, obliques, inner thighs, and hamstrings afterwards. I wasn't able to have any pics taken during the class but the instructor and another student agreed to pose some of the moves afterwards :D

Isn't it interesting how we all look different doing the "same" pose?

Broadway Jazz:
I've always loved musical theatre and movie musicals, especially the oldies from 1930s-50s with the likes of Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. So I was super excited when I had the opportunity to start work late and take this morning class!

I only got one good pic but was able to record the routine with the instructor!! (see video on Facebook) It was so fun to feel like I'm [semi]performing again and tap into my theatrical side ha.

Halloween:
By Friday night, I was super sore and tired but couldn't miss out on the multi-ward Halloween dance! So Jessie and I got dressed up and dolled up. I just went as "a more glamorous version of myself" because I wanted an excuse to wear fake eyelashes again hehe. So I just piled on the makeup and Jessie did a great job with giving me a 'fro

My main goal was to be unrecognizable. About half of the people I talked to had to do a double take or hear me talk first before recognizing me. Mission accomplished!

Met up with Melanie. We all just wore what we already owned haha.

Didn't really go there to dance, it was just awesome to see all the creative costumes!

Ballroom:
I was really looking forward to going to the Chevy Chase Ballroom after my first time 5 months ago, but it turned out to be the closure I needed to move on from my ballroom phase. It felt good to dance waltz, foxtrot, Viennese waltz, cha cha, etc. again but NOBODY talked to me or asked me to dance. I've never encountered such cold cliques at a social dance before and was quite shocked. I ended up having to initiate everything because I was there to dance.

When I moved to DC, I mourned that God was forcing me to end my 7 year ballroom career. It never occurred to me that He was giving me a chance to enhance and broaden my dance career!

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)

I don't have the time, money, partner, coach, or facilities to compete or perform ballroom anymore. But I've found that I'm able to do the things I enjoy about ballroom in other dances. There are so many reasons I dance and want to keep dancing:

- To learn more about my body and how it works
- To learn how to control my body
- To learn about other cultures
- To learn about American history
- To find new things my body can do
- To magnify the talents God has given me
- To inspire others to step outside their comfort zone
- To inspire others to fulfill their potential
- To earn a dancer’s physique (lean muscles)
- To feel healthy
- To feel beautiful
- To dress up
- To meet new people
- To discover/enjoy new music genres and songs
- To be fit (cardio, strength, flexibility)
- To challenge myself

Most dancers start out with jazz, ballet, and modern as their foundation. I'm doing it backwards! I started out with ballroom and salsa (still doing that), and am now starting to explore jazz, ballet, and modern...all the while trying all kinds of other ethnic folk dances. I'm excited and grateful be able to continue developing my identity as a dancer.

The future is as bright as our faith :)

Culture Me Happy

I'mmmmmm back! Oh it feels so good to have my health back! This was the first week in over a month I've felt well enough to resume my regular activities and I have been SO HAPPY. God knows what He's talkin' about:

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so... righteousness could not be brought to pass...neither good nor bad...happiness nor misery." (2 Nephi 2:11)

I appreciate my health and body so much more after not being able to use it fully for so long. I feel so much more alive! Here's what went down...

Thursday - Saw an ad for a new play at GW and rushed to buy tickets. Stayed on campus after work and met up with Britt to go to Thai Place, a nearby restaurant I've been wanting to try. Cute little joint on Pennsylvania Avenue.

One of my favorite Thai dishes is Pineapple Fried Rice, and I wanted to see how theirs was...didn't disappoint!

Britt got Panang (peanut) Curry, which she let me try :) So yummy, and beautiful!

Caught up with Britt :)

"Almost, Maine" had a beautiful set in the Dorothy Betts Theatre

The play was a series of vignettes about all kinds of love. So funny, poignant, and profound. Oh I loooved it! I hadn't been to a play, let alone a good one, in a long time and I forgot how much I love learning through different media and feeling my mind being stretched in so many directions as I ponder and analyze its various messages and symbols. I could easily have seen it again.

Friday - after the stressful preparation for the Board of Trustees meeting, my boss took us out to lunch! She even let us pick the restaurant! Got to cross another one off my list - Little Viet Garden in Georgetown :)

Appetizers: Shrimp paste roll with grilled sugar cane (which was surprisingly flavorful!) with peanut sauce and crispy spring rolls with fish sauce

I introduced them to pho and all its fixings - it was a whole new world for them haha

So happy to have finally found a place with affordable and legitimate pho! It's all in the broth.

Went to The Salsa Room that night - first time in a month!

My feet were out of shape and I couldn't last more than 2 hours haha.

Got to dance with alot of good dancers tho!

Saturday - went to the much anticipated Stake International Pioneer Festival! I'm on my ward activities committee so I got to help with the soap carving table :) The kids were so cute, I can't wait to have some of my own.

I'd never heard of soap carving before, much less done it myself, but I had to try it if I was gonna help kids do it!

There were lots of other fun family activities, including ones that were popular during the 1800s, like stick pull

Lasso station, manned by missionaries haha

Live bluegrass band!

Sack races :)

Pie eating contest! Such a wasteful and unhealthy "sport" can only originate in America

My snowcone was really sour

Inside, there were long tables stacked with homemade ethnic food from around the world. My stomach is not big enough to take full advantage of such occasions!

The festival ended with an absolutely wonderful performance. They played a video that showed how the expansion of missionary work has brought such cultural richness into the Church. Every time it mentioned a certain culture, they would pause the video and live folk dancers from the stake would perform. I.e. Irish dancers

A New Zealand dancer

Chilean dancers

Nigerian dancers

Romanian dancers

Indian dancers - hip thrust?

Maypole dancers

Procession of missionaries waving flags of the countries where they served. It was so beautiful, it almost brought me to tears. I am a direct beneficiary and product of missionary work and persistent member fellowshipping :)

It made me even more happy than usual to be part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In addition to containing the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and all the ordinances/covenants required for salvation, it's a global, multicultural, and inclusive church. I am so grateful I found it!

That night - found out one of my old dance team friends was in town! DK came to visit and obviously we had to take a dance picture together, so we looked at some of our old pics for inspiration and found this little treasure. We were partners in a tango/paso doble medley in 2009.

3 years later...we still got it, no? :D

Sunday - It was great to go back to my ward after General and Stake Conference and catch up with old friends :)

In other news, I decided to pursue a Ph.D. in American Studies after all so I can teach college students about black music's influence on the American mainstream, beauty and body image, historical immigrant groups, and food in American culture. 2 years to finish my Master's in Higher Education Administration and then I'm following what my heart really yearns for :)