just a random thought because i've been seeing the love actually movie trailer/commercial..........but during the holidays its soo easy to think of family and friends! so i wanna say HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND I  LOVE YOU...AND EAT A LOT FOR ME! HEHE

 "destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." --william jennings bryan

I was cleaning up my desk and stumbled upon this quote.  I found this during college and interpreted it as a way to stay motivated to graduate, to reach that ultimate goal and be happy with my decision.  I didn't realize that even after graduation the quote would still affect me, I work an 8am to 5pm job, but I'm still able to be a part of 4C the Power, and that alone has enhanced my life in so many ways.  In a previous blog I mentioned "i love dental hygiene" and I really do, but I love having another outlet that makes me happy (besides science/teeth hehe).  As cliche as it sounds, dreams do come true! 4C the Power has honestly made a few simple-ridiculous dreams come true for me and I'm not sure if I can/should get used to this, but we'll see what is in store for the year 2010!

 Today was another rummage sale to raise some money for 4c the power and also a great way to donate clothes, accessories...anything that i'm not using nor need from my room.  Todays rummage sale and the first were successful, definitely  a learning experience---i think we're ready for the third big rummage sale with better/improved ideas.  THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO DONATED!  

During the rummage sale and basically throughout the day,  some of the 4c interns and I got to brainstorming ideas/events for fundraising, workshop improvements and anything/everything we could possibly do at the 4c office in Hacienda Heights.  A total of 6 solid hours of discussion with great ideas really got me excited, i just wanted to get going with everything----execute the best ideas and A GO GO GO! but we must prioritize first.  Baby steps first...gotta walk first before we run!

THANK YOU 4C.

special thanks to monica, sabrina, carol, yvonne, jerilyn for the great company and hard work, and mi familia for the helping and FOOD! gotta love flea market food! :)

semi related to Diann Kitamura's blog-  http://www.eastvillagers.org/4CTHEPOWER/blog/1017/    and Leeann Jkrush Park's blog--http://www.eastvillagers.org/lifeisthegame/blog/1016/

Date: November 6, 2009
Location: Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, Ca.

Lately I've been reflecting about each 4c workshop I've attended/volunteered to and I may sound repetitive about the awesome-gratifying feeling after each workshop and mi favorito the SHOWCASE! but this most recent workshop honestly got me emotional, I will admit it, I was touched.  

First off the team work the 4c interns have---never fails to amaze me----most things can go haywire yet 4c interns still pull through! and its always a plus to be prepared/organized :) but there's always a few things that are out of our control (nothing without a challenge) and we just gotta deal with it and make the best, so I would love to THANK 4C THE POWER & THE AWESOME INTERNS that made the event/workshop run as smooth as it can given the circumstances.

<3 Mare (another 4c intern)--she opened up the showcase yet again with her beautiful voice and dedicated the song to me for my birthday (i hate surprises) so that was a moment i didn't know how to act--i was awkward but i'm grateful it was a beautiful song and touching performance.  I still wanna sock her in her esophagus but I still love her THANK YOU!

As expected the students performed but for some reason these set of performances gave me the 'mushy' feeling and actual goosebumps--I've never felt so proud for the students.  I know I've said it over and over that after each workshop I have this great satisfying feeling but this was beyond that, it's some what indescribable.  At this workshop I registered each student into the workshop, I quickly saw every face entering-- even the few who were last minute adds---which I think really hit me the hardest---the last minute adds were either just passing by or wanted to join b/c a friend was taking a workshop.  So the last minute add-ins ended up in a workshop they weren't familiar with.  For example, one student took spoken word and had no clue to what spoken word was but seeing the very same student walk on stage with confidence and own it, he rocked his spoken word piece --this particular performance actually got me to hold back a few tears----you know that lump in the throat feeling, the heart fluttering, the happy/butterfly feeling in the stomach and most definitely feeling proud for a person I do not know --all mixed together feeling is what I had.  The spoken word piece was about highschool, senior year, college apps, etc...every emotion a highschool student would experience was summed up in a beautiful piece and executed very well; I recently graduated college and I was still able to relate to his piece so I know for a fact that a theater full of high school students was moved by the piece as well.  The Wilson High School 4C Workshop  needless to say was a success and meaningful one for me. :)

September 5, 2009 workshop in San Gabriel, California.  It was held at the San Gabriel Asian Youth Center and it was pretty similar to the previous workshop, but this time I felt more prepared for the day and the execution was easier.  As usual the showcase was my favorite, too many memorable things happened during the showcase, a good friend of mine and 4c intern started off the showcase and sang! I even made signs for her to help her ego a bit lol or at least calm some of her nerves.  Its just a good feeling seeing how proud the artists/mentors were for their students during the showcase.  The only other thing I can really remember right now about this workshop was the showcase performance from the hip hop music workshop, the song they came up with was a good hook "SUPA SUPA BAD" haha :) the end.

4c workshop MARCH 21, 2009 @ Ochoa Middle School in Hayward (East Bay Area)

This 4C event/workshop was the first one I attended/volunteered.  During the planning process and organization, etc. I can honestly say I forgot the purpose of the workshops, I think i was more focused on getting things done and surviving the weekend that when the actual workshop day started its all a blur haha.  Once the students were all checked in and in the auditorium they headed for the green room and watched wongfu productions film a portion of an upcoming music video from far east movement featuring jin MILLIONAIRE song.  At this point I was really jealous of these students, they were experiencing something so rare at their young age.  I believe when I was 15 years old I was still taking naps haha.  After the Q&A session with the artists/mentors the students dispersed into their workshop groups where each group worked pretty closely with the artists.  (wongfu productions, jin, far east movement, teuro artistry, fannypak/asiid, passion, paul dateh, etc)  Seeing the students work one on one with the artists was a pretty satisfying feeling, these artists were giving back to the community and the students were learning from the experts themselves -in art, music, dance.  After the workshops there's a showcase where students perform, this is MY FAVORITE PART students 'showcase' something they've learned from the workshop and practically everyone is just performing, smiling and having too much fun on stage!  By the end of the day I was reminded of the bigger picture and the movement and its cheesy but the 4 C's --culture, community, creativity and career--really engage and motivate the students for success. 

 RANDOM POST 

sometimes i'm an addict when it comes to the chain letters and/or the useless emails but they never fail to make me smile or giggle.   i'm sharing two random posts that i just like :)

....a Friend does most or all of these... 
(A)ccepts you as you are 
(B)elieves in "you" 
(C)alls you just to say "HI" 
(D)oesn't give up on you 

(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts) 
(F)orgives your mistakes 
(G)ives unconditionally 
(H)elps you 
(I)nvites you over 

(J)ust "be" with you 
(K)eeps you close at heart 
(L)oves you for who you are 
(M)akes a difference in your life 

(N)ever Judges 
(O)ffer support 
(P)icks you up 
(Q)uiets your fears 
(R)aises your spirits 

(S)ays nice things about you 
(T)ells you the truth when you need to hear it 
(U)nderstands you 
(V)alues you 

(W)alks beside you 
(X)-plains things you don't understand 
(Y)ells when you won't listen and 
(Z)aps you back to reality

You’re the apple of my eye, mango of my pie, palaman of my tinapay, keso of my monay, teeth of my suklay, fingers on my kamay, blood in my atay, bubbles of my laway, sala of my bahay, seeds of my palay, clothes in my ukay-ukay,calcium in my kalansay, calamansi on my siomai, inay of my tatay,knot on my tie, toyo on my kuchay, vitamins in my gulay, airplane of my Cathay, stars of my sky, hammer of my panday, sand of my Boracay, sultan of my Brunei,highlands of my Tagatay, mole of my ate guy, baba of my Ai-Ai, voice of my inday garutay, spinach of my popeye,sizzle when I fry, wind when I pamaypay,tungkod when I’m pilay, feeling when I’m high, shoulder when I cry, wings when I fly, chilli on my siomai, prize when I vie, cure to my "ARAY!", answer to my "WHY?", foundation of my tulay, truth behind the lie, the life after I die....IN SHORT, YOU’RE MY FRIEND HABANG BUHAY!

If you asked me what I wanted to be, in high school I'd quickly answer 'dentist' I was groomed and convinced by my parents that dentistry was the ideal career.  It was easy to accept the path of dentistry, I didn't have a hobby that would eventually turn into some sort of career.  I did play volleyball all throughout high school because I love the sport, but my rough skills in the sport and height would not lead me to a profession in it.  Therefore I had my mind set on sciences and dentistry, I failed to notice that on my application for University of the Pacific (my number one pick school) I didn't claim pre-dentistry as my major, I was a line off and claimed dental hygiene instead.  So when it came down to the interview stage for my college acceptance I took a tour for the predent program and the dental hygiene program.  At this point I realized that dentistry wasn't what I wanted and I didn't see myself going to school for something I wouldn't be happy with at the end.  I honestly thought I would break my parents hearts when I started telling them my concerns but it was the complete opposite.  I learned that my father simply wanted me to graduate, work and have a stable life, but my mother was a little different, she wanted more for me but that is why I compromised with my parents and did dental hygiene.  I'd be in the medical field, the program was advanced and condensed in three years so I'd graduate quicker and start working.  Now most dental hygiene programs offer an A.S. degree, only two schools in California offer a B.S. in dental hygiene, UOP and USC.  With that, I informed my parents I'd graduate with a B.S. degree and if I wasn't satisfied with dental  hygiene I'd still have a B.S. and if I wanted to be a dentist I'd be half way through because I'd just apply to dental school.  So it seemed like a win-win-win decision for all of us, but I didn't expect to honestly enjoy dental hygiene.  

I'm an RDH (registered dental hygienist) in plain simple words I clean teeth but I see myself providing preventative care to patients.  I want to help patients prevent severe gum disease.  Maintain good home care to promote a healthy mouth which in turn promotes overall good health.  I enjoy explaining the different processes that occur in a mouth and the different ways to get a patient to see what I see.  I love to encourage patients to do better in life in general.  Honestly everyone I see makes my day, I love knowing a piece of a patients story, whether it's something significant or not, good or bad I simply enjoy meeting anyone and everyone.  I feel proud when patients understand, see and feel a difference in their mouth. To see the healthy gingiva and the improvement the patient has had because oral care is usually at the bottom of the priority list.  And lastly I love giving injections in the mouth and patients stating they didn't feel it at all, it's like the pat on the back, or simple thank you after the appointment goes a long way because it lets me know they appreciate what I'm doing and not just doing it because they have to. 

On that note, I've been blessed and fortunate enough to have discovered a career that I love, enjoy, embrace at my young age.  I always look forward to growing more, learning more and experiencing more in life.  I forever will be a life long student.