Piano

I vaguely remember the first time I sat in front of my piano. I was about four and like many other Korean children my age, my parents taught me how to play the piano. I didn't know what this huge black and white instrument represented but I did know that I really liked it.

Eventually I got pretty good to give recitals. I still remember the intense pressure I felt practicing my songs before my concerts, mainly pressure that I brought on myself to play as perfectly as I can. In many ways, piano became my outlet to express happiness, anger, confusion, and all kinds of complicated teenage emotions that I could not express coherently otherwise.

Then I stopped playing. High school was a sprint towards college and my upright piano in Beverly Hills stayed dusty all four years in high school. In college, I refused to play as I was embarrassed to even say I played the piano when there were so many people more talented than me.

But life is a funny beast and has a way of blessing and guiding you back to your childhood passions. End of 2018, I stumbled myself in front of the piano again. Even though my hiatus was long, the immediate visceral pleasure and excitement are undeniable. I am giving a four-hands piano recital in February with my pianist friend Roger who has graciously taken me under his wing. This July, I will be entering an amateur piano competition in St. Petersburg which I am thrilled about.

My program is as follows:

First round:

1. Three preludes from Scriabin Op. 11
2. Schumann Faschingsschwank Wien Op. 26 - Part IV Intermezzo
3. Schubert Impromptu, Op. 142 (d. 935) no. 3 in b flat major

Second round:

1. Chopin Nocturne No. 19 in E minor
2. Debussy Arabasque No. 1
3. Beethoven Sonata "Pathetique" Op.13

Full disclosure - I don't know how to play all of these pieces yet. I need to work towards it. The four-year-old child in me is squealing with joy but also frustration that my fingers are too slow and make too many mistakes. There are days I pound my piano with frustration and anger. Then there are days when I just feel so happy that I can somehow create tunes, melodies, parts of beautiful music even if they are imperfect.

Life is not meant to be perfect, I realize. It's a process of getting there that counts. Right now, I am in the process of refinding my childhood joy and passion and for now that is more than enough for me.

Inch by Inch

Inch by Inch 

When my mind is whirling
Hard to fathom
Where destination invites
Inch by inch, 
I am walking

Butterflies fly
I fly
Not yet you whisper
Inch by inch,
I am leaping

Boulevards under construction
Do not cross says a sign
Cement is not dry yet
Inch by inch, 
I am crossing

The Diva in Me & The Art of Self-Discovery

I am a performer. I was only five when I first performed for a large crowd, dancing in the “The Nutcracker” ballet and a traditional Korean dance piece before hundreds of people. I loved every aspect of the performance; I loved the lights, the festivity, and the chance to do something new. But this moment also marked the beginning of my love-hate relationship with dance that would define the next two decades of my life.

       Dancing in 1996

I’ll start with the “love” aspect of my relationship with dance. I love dancing because human movements fascinate me. This is partly due to my background: I was born in Japan, lived in Korea until I was nine, and then emigrated to the U.S. I often found myself in situations where I did not speak the local language fluently. As a result, I would focus on body language, and it was incredible how much I could comprehend without understanding a word.

On a more spiritual level, dancing makes me feel alive. Steve Jobs once said, "We're here to make a dent in the universe." Well, dancing lets me do that on a literal level. Dance reflects the many aspects of human life. Like life, there is a definite beginning and ending to the choreography. You can do whatever you please, but your moves will ultimately impact your choreography as a whole. Your performance is also influenced by external forces (e.g. music, crowd, lights) that are not fully under your control. Every time I dance, I have the chance to really examine what I am feeling that day, minute, and second. It is a gift.

But dancing is also linked to some of the darkest moments in my life. In middle school, my crush rejected me at a school dance because I was a “horrible” dancer. How did that happen, when I’d been dancing since age three? I had stopped dancing for a while after moving to the U.S., and I guess my body forgot how to respond to beats.

After that rejection, I resolved to start dancing again. I joined the cheerleading squad in high school. I was not the best dancer on the team, but my ballet training made me more flexible than most people. But being a cheerleader also made me extremely conscious of my body. I never felt skinny or pretty enough. I felt inadequate. I would starve for an extended period of time and then binge. Cheerleading sucked all the fun out of dance.

Then I reached another turning point. In college, I studied abroad in China, and I came across belly dance. It was an electric experience for me. I was enraptured by the melodic drumbeats combined with sexy, disciplined belly movements. I had never done Middle Eastern Dance before, but I had to give it a try. The muscle isolation and hip movements that are at the core of belly dance did not come naturally to me, but it came in bits and pieces.

    Yale Belly Dance Society

For the past five years, I have been belly dancing. Since my novice stage in China, I have progressed to an intermediate level. At Yale, I was part of Yale Belly Dance Society, where I learned that belly dancing actually comes in many different types: American Cabaret, Egyptian, Turkish, Tribal Fusion, Arabic, etc. After graduation I was part of the Los Angeles Belly Dance Academy, where our troupe performed at the opening of Beverly Hills’ Centennial Anniversary on Rodeo Drive.

     Beverly Hills Centennial Anniversary

At Columbia Law, my dancing journey continues. Art brings out the rawest parts of the human psyche. When I dance, I choose to forget who I am, which actually allows another part of me to emerge. I am a blank slate that can morph into anything I want to be.

You don’t have to be Eminem to be a Rap God. The Diva can emerge only if you let her come alive.

My version of bag, shoe, and apple inspired by Lucky's Editor-in-Chief Eva Chen

Lucky's Editor-in-Chief Eva Chen has the coolest Instagram. One of her recurring themes is a picture of her shoes, bag, and a piece of fruit. I wonder how many pairs of shoes this woman owns! 

So I decided to give this a try while procrastinating in the library. The bag is Michael Kors and the shoes are a pair of leather boots that I purchased somewhere but don't remember where. lol 

Below is one of her latest Instagram shoe-bag combo. Loving those heels Eva! 

Three Finger Weds \!/ Smile, Change, and Unplug. Change occurs with small steps

I am writing today to talk about a very special man, who has dedicated his entire life to create the world into a more sustainable and positive place. The first time I met Philip was in Beijing, China, at an art museum, where he was spreading his vision of the 3 Finger Movement, which I have been involved in for some years now. He immediately struck me as a visionary who tirelessly works to better the lives of others.

Philip is the type of person who will make anything happen wherever he goes. He has the amazing ability to draw people in, make people listen, and impassion them to make a difference in the world. He left his native Canada to come to China to devote all his energy to promote a Lifestyle of Health, Happiness And Sustainability (LOHHAS), against some of the most rampant consumerism, materialism, and social transition that is occurring there & around the world.

So when I heard that he was in the hospital for a spinal injury that he sustained while saving a young man injured in a car accident, my heart jumped out. Unfortunately for Philip, who has forgone his comfortable life as a university professor, to dedicate himself to a mission that is greater than all of us, he finds himself impossible to afford the surgery and all the medical expenses. The campaign to bring the Philip back on his feet and his inspiring life story can be found here.

Philip has taught me that change occurs with small steps. My thoughts and prayers are with him that he will soon get back on his feet again.

You live to break yourself and find your new limits

It's been a while. Now that I have been out of Asia for more than 2 years now, I thought it would be fitting if I changed the name of the blog. 

Live to be Inspired. That's my life's motto in many ways. I live to break myself and find my new limits in every way that I can. If I find success, great. If I don't, I gather myself and figure out what I did wrong, and try again. If one day, I can be an inspiration to someone, help others achieve their goals, I don't think I can ask for more.

So today, I get up again even when I hit a brick wall. Because I know the next time around, I can find a way through or around the brick wall. 

Why I love Beijing

My German friend Marcus surrounded by five Asian ladies

Beijing is a curious place.
It's a magnet for all kinds of people around the world. I love Beijing because it gives me the freedom to explore all different types of people trying out a new culture, new language, and new environment.

Just this weekend, my friend Gala, who I met while traveling Europe last year, came over from Mongolia. Then, I introduced her to some of my international friends in Beijing who I happened to be hanging around with that night.

We ordered some Calzones and pizza, rocked some Chinese hiphop beats in the house, and were dancing salsa and tango in the living room. At one point during the night, I looked up and I realized that I was surrounded by three beautiful Mongolian girls, one German who wants to start a Chinese pillow business, one Australian studying Chinese Medicine in Beijing and his Taiwanese girlfriend, two racecar racers from Holland of Chinese descent, and a Chinese girl who is ethnically Korean.

I can't think of a single other city where this is possible.

Then there's the fashion world. People in Beijing, I admit are not the most fashionable people that you can find out there. But the market here is flowering, and I am so excited to be part of this growth and change. My new job as the brand marketing representative at Lee Coopers in Sanlitun is giving me a lot of playroom to engage Chinese customers and also learn how to position and establish a brand in the Chinese market. Just the other day, I went into the store and talked with who bunch of Chinese customers, giving them advice on styling and fashion.

Many of them were very receptive to my recommendations, and I realized that often times people only needs a little push to find a new style. Their desire and will to become more fashionable are already there, but they are apprehensive to try something new.

As Brand Ambassador @ Lee Coopers

Lee Coopers, the oldest denim brand in Europe that started in 1908

My Mongolian friend Gala and me at the store

I love Beijing because it allows me to be who I want to be while having access to influence people all around the world.

I love Beijing because it connects people of all different interests and capabilities.

I love Beijing because I have established some of the most special relationships with people that I am fortunate to have in my life right now.