So last night wasn't bad at all. The RhymeAlong was pretty fun. The RhymeAlong is a monthly event in LA held at different venues where people can do hip-hop karaoke. My cousin started it up with a couple of his friends & it's gotten a lot bigger. They now have over 500 hip hop karaoke videos to choose from. Last night was a special event cause it was my cousin Lionel & his fiancee Kimi's birthdays so it was co-hosted by the Platinum club (which my cousins are also a part of). My cousins are partiers. I must be the odd one out hahah.
Thank you Brenton, Joe, Angie & Janice for coming out too! I hope you guys had fun. Next time I hope Angie gets on the mic lol. My cousins were drunk (some of them)... but nice (for the most part) lol. Brenton had to meet/re-meet a handful of them (Kuya Joseph, Kuya Arman, Kuya Dan & Ate Helen (his wife), Kuya Lionel & Kathleen, Rikki, James, and Frances). Alex went too. So we rolled deep hahah. Major props to Brenton for being so chill about it all hahah. My guy cousins were protective but I think by the end of the night, they were good. My Kuya Dan told my brother, "I got a good read from him. I like him. I approve. I leave it up to you" and my brother was like "Yeah I can vouch for him"... Then my soon to be cousin-in-law tried to set my brother up with her cousin LOL. He was like, "that was pretty awkward". Eventually we all went up on stage bc my cousin signed us up to perform, "Big Poppa" by Biggie. I LOVE THAT SONG, even as a regular karaoke song lol. Our stage name was O-Tang Clan (instead of Wu-Tang) hahah. Family first always...even if they give me a hard time. I also ran into a couple of old friends from high school and grade school like Marjory & Krizel & Jan. This world just gets smaller and smaller. I was also the designated driver cause the cousins bought Alex like 3 shots and a couple of drinks. He wasn't drunk at all though. Good tolerance and I don't mind being the DD.
I am so tired now though but I can't sleep because they are fixing the bathroom floor in my house so I can hear the drilling from my room. Anyway, I'm gonna go now. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. I forgot how much I have to do! I have 40 emails to go through for my internship and 3 projects that I still need to finish. Bye!
posted by anna liza at 12:17 PM
Saturday, November 28, 2009
some of my cousins (like 5 of them) are meeting brenton for the first time today... in a hip hop karaoke event of all places! it's gotta happen sooner or later lol. i know he'll be fine. it's me that i'm worried about :P
i hope they don't make me rap. i'll get shy. i'm nervous.
1.5 hours left.
i hate being one of the youngest in my family sometimes...
hope you all are having a good weekend.
i hope they don't make me rap. i'll get shy. i'm nervous.
1.5 hours left.
i hate being one of the youngest in my family sometimes...
hope you all are having a good weekend.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
new opportunities (at JAMAH's fashion event with my friend from Handbago):
the gift of education:
someone who loves me just the way i am:
for Your beautiful creation / the world:
for my loving & caring family:
for first-time experiences:
for true friends:
for challenges and struggles that make me a stronger person:
for Love (because God is Love):
and last but not least,
the gift of education:
someone who loves me just the way i am:
for Your beautiful creation / the world:
for my loving & caring family:
for first-time experiences:
for true friends:
for challenges and struggles that make me a stronger person:
for Love (because God is Love):
and last but not least,
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for you all!
Monday, November 23, 2009
I got the internship!
I'm excited but at the same time hesitant. GREAT experience. GREAT company.
But it's not paid...again.
I don't know what to do... give up the internship & focus all my efforts on volunteering and looking for a job or give up the volunteering and focus all my efforts on getting job or doing the internship AND volunteer and look for a job... it's possible. i'm just getting worried because i really want to get money.
this decision wouldn't be so difficult if i had at least a part-time job. maybe i should look into tutoring or something... am i taking on too much?
please leave comments. i'm open to suggestions and i know people are reading!
help!
I'm excited but at the same time hesitant. GREAT experience. GREAT company.
But it's not paid...again.
I don't know what to do... give up the internship & focus all my efforts on volunteering and looking for a job or give up the volunteering and focus all my efforts on getting job or doing the internship AND volunteer and look for a job... it's possible. i'm just getting worried because i really want to get money.
this decision wouldn't be so difficult if i had at least a part-time job. maybe i should look into tutoring or something... am i taking on too much?
please leave comments. i'm open to suggestions and i know people are reading!
help!
Labels: internship, life
"So my advice for you today, whoever happens to stumble upon this blog, is to do it. I don’t know what that is for you, or where you are in life. I don’t know what you have on your plate, but don’t let anything, anyone hold you back any longer. Clean up the mess, cut some strings, walk away, quit, do what you have to do to stay true to yourself. If you’re not happy then change something. If you need some adventure, create it.
You have this one, precious life and you alone dictate how colorful your mural is at the end of your journey. You decide the depth, texture, size, the spectacular spectrum of shades and brush strokes. I would never pretend to fathom what life has in store for me. I’d underestimate God if I thought I knew the rollercoaster ride in store for me. But what I do know is that life is not too short, but rather, far too long for me to waste another day not seeking out and stalking every adventure calling my name.
I will be that girl who looks back at the end of a long, fulfilling lifetime and say I left it all on the field. I won some, lost more, but got back each time and begged for another opportunity to be surprised by the altruism in humanity, my own courage, for the uprising of a generation of people who care about things bigger than themselves, by the bravery of those living without and my passion to capture their humbling and heroic stories."
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thank You God for a beautiful night filled in song & prayer. Liwanag, your voices were so amazing last night. The concert lifted my spirits & I almost forgot what it was like to be in a room full of people just singing to Him and for Him. Great job to everyone involved <3
It was my first Benefit Concert as an alumna and it was different just sitting there watching your brothers & sisters putting their hearts into the words that they were singing. God is so so good. I can't believe I'm part of the group of alumni that I look up to so much. They are all blessings in my life. Even at 22, they continue to look out for me & check up on me. I wish I could get to know the newest addition to LoG, 2013! They seem awesome already. And of course I love my forever 1st yrs (2012), they roll deep! and the all grown-up 3rd yrs (2011) as well as the 2010'ers! handling your senior year & being great role models while you're at it! you all make me proud! I love you all!
of course all this couldn't be possible without JOE! thanks for giving me a ride to & from benefit concert :D
yesterday, my meeting with iamthatgirl turned out to be an actual interview!!!! and I didn't even know it was an interview until I got there lol. Luckily I was able to answer the questions they asked me. it went well. they called me for a second interview tomorrow but i'm not sure if i want it or not. an important thing that i didn't ask yesterday was whether this position was paid or unpaid and whether or not it's an internship. TWO VERY IMPORTANT FACTORS! one of the things that i didn't like about the position was that i would have to do tasks like getting coffee / picking the Dir. up from the airport once in a while... i don't want to say that these tasks are BELOW me but i dislike driving in the first place and i just feel that since i have a Bachelor's Degree now, I can handle tasks other than just grabbing coffee for the office. i kind of feel like i've paid my dues. however what appeals to me about the position is that it has room for growth/advancement, they are very flexible and willing to cater to your needs and what you're interested in, they want you to come up with ideas and be a partner to the creation of this nonprofit org, you get to plan/organize events and represent iamthatgirl at huge events and of course, the company is all about female support & empowerment... this is a tough decision! especially because my current boss recommended me to them so i don't want my decision to affect her relationship with them... or make her look bad. what do you guys think? well i haven't even gotten the position yet so i don't want to jump to any assumptions. i have to get through tomorrow first. i'm gonna be meeting alexis, the founder of the company. prayers please!
It was my first Benefit Concert as an alumna and it was different just sitting there watching your brothers & sisters putting their hearts into the words that they were singing. God is so so good. I can't believe I'm part of the group of alumni that I look up to so much. They are all blessings in my life. Even at 22, they continue to look out for me & check up on me. I wish I could get to know the newest addition to LoG, 2013! They seem awesome already. And of course I love my forever 1st yrs (2012), they roll deep! and the all grown-up 3rd yrs (2011) as well as the 2010'ers! handling your senior year & being great role models while you're at it! you all make me proud! I love you all!
of course all this couldn't be possible without JOE! thanks for giving me a ride to & from benefit concert :D
yesterday, my meeting with iamthatgirl turned out to be an actual interview!!!! and I didn't even know it was an interview until I got there lol. Luckily I was able to answer the questions they asked me. it went well. they called me for a second interview tomorrow but i'm not sure if i want it or not. an important thing that i didn't ask yesterday was whether this position was paid or unpaid and whether or not it's an internship. TWO VERY IMPORTANT FACTORS! one of the things that i didn't like about the position was that i would have to do tasks like getting coffee / picking the Dir. up from the airport once in a while... i don't want to say that these tasks are BELOW me but i dislike driving in the first place and i just feel that since i have a Bachelor's Degree now, I can handle tasks other than just grabbing coffee for the office. i kind of feel like i've paid my dues. however what appeals to me about the position is that it has room for growth/advancement, they are very flexible and willing to cater to your needs and what you're interested in, they want you to come up with ideas and be a partner to the creation of this nonprofit org, you get to plan/organize events and represent iamthatgirl at huge events and of course, the company is all about female support & empowerment... this is a tough decision! especially because my current boss recommended me to them so i don't want my decision to affect her relationship with them... or make her look bad. what do you guys think? well i haven't even gotten the position yet so i don't want to jump to any assumptions. i have to get through tomorrow first. i'm gonna be meeting alexis, the founder of the company. prayers please!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
my mood has suddenly turned sour. who ever said that your parents would treat you like adults the moment you turned 21 is wrong because as soon as you move back into the house, it's like you've reverted back to being 13 all over again. i'm so annoyed. my mom and i are close so of course her opinion matters to me but she keeps telling me the same things over and over again. "have you looked up that company to see if it's legitimate?" YES! "do you know there are companies that scam you?" YES! ahhhhhhhhh omg i feel like i'm never gonna be too old to get lectured. kjghasdklgjhsdgkdsjglsk this is MY life. can't i just experience it on my own for once?!
i apologize for this immature blog entry. i sound like i'm in h.s. but it's just so frustrating. i just want to yell out loud, "I KNOW!"
in the end, i understand that my mom is just concerned about me and ultimately wants the best for me but please, can i just go out there and try it on my own before you knock it off my list?!
also, i do not want to work for the county right now. i wish my aunt would stop forcing me to apply!!!!!!!!!!!! cause now my mom keeps bringing it up. PLEASE GIVE ME SPACE and LET ME FIGURE MYSELF OUT FIRST!
i apologize for this immature blog entry. i sound like i'm in h.s. but it's just so frustrating. i just want to yell out loud, "I KNOW!"
in the end, i understand that my mom is just concerned about me and ultimately wants the best for me but please, can i just go out there and try it on my own before you knock it off my list?!
also, i do not want to work for the county right now. i wish my aunt would stop forcing me to apply!!!!!!!!!!!! cause now my mom keeps bringing it up. PLEASE GIVE ME SPACE and LET ME FIGURE MYSELF OUT FIRST!
Why do I hate driving through you so much? The traffic, the potholes, the bumpy, uneven roads, the angry, impatient drivers, the lack of left-turn signals on traffic lights, the street parking, having to constantly move to the side of the road because of the many ambulances and firetrucks that pass through the streets every day... or at least 2-3 times a day in my area... but still, I must overcome those frustrations and conquer you. Luckily, I'm forced to practice. I think I'm becoming more of an aggressive driver...sort of lol. We'll see.
I have 3 big projects/reports to finish for my internship by Dec. 4th! I didn't see that coming. They're not too bad but they do require me to work and I cannot be lazy.
This week I've fallen in love with The OC, One Tree Hill, & Bev. Hills 90210 (not the new 90210) all over again thanks to SOAPnet. UGH more distractions lol. But I forgot what I had been missing out on. Even if they're reruns, I don't mind watching them again.
I've been updating my LinkedIn profile this week. I'm not sure how helpful it will be but it's nice reconnecting with people in a professional forum.
Yesterday I ended up going to the training session on Hollywood & Vine. I PAID 8 BUCKS TO PARK for a two hour session because all the street parking was gone. The office is located across from the Pantages. Anyway, it was a last minute session put together for me and 2 other women who missed it on Tuesday night. One of them was a middle-aged Persian lady who found it necessary to explain the bruises under her eyes before the session. She said it was her "10 year anniversary" and she decided to celebrate by getting botox (lol). It was her first time getting it done under her eyes and she had an allergic reaction after the procedure which caused it to be swollen. It looked like she got in a fight. The other lady asked her if she got her lips done too (lol) ... to which she casually replied, "yeah but I've done it 3 times already... luckily big lips run in my family"...so why did she have to get it done then? I have no idea. We all had to eventually go around and introduce ourselves. The other lady was much older than all of us. She was probably in her 60's and she was super thin and was pretty trendy for her age. She emphasized the fact that she had 2 Master's and a Ph.D in English Lit and was a teacher... but also said she felt she was way too overqualified to teach. She also runs a tutoring business...she was a little bit on the boastful side. The manager and I were the youngest people in that room. It was an intimate training session and I learned how to be a personal shopper AND a career counselor for clients. It went well up until the older woman decided to ask the manager, "well, what if the client can't read?" and the manager sort of was taken aback but did her best to answer the question and said "well in this day and age, I'm sure most of the women that the agencies refer to us can read and we haven't come across any client that couldn't read" and the older woman immediately responded with, "I don't think you know much about that... how long have you been in the business world anyway?" The lady who got botox and I were silent at that moment and all 4 of us looked around and it was an extremely long 5 seconds of silence. The manager said, "I don't think that's an appropriate question to ask" and the older woman was slightly embarrassed by her outburst and just shut up. Oh the people you come across in the real world. I'm glad that the manager (who happens to be one of the people I met at GIT) stood up for herself. Even if that lady had been teaching for a million yrs and had a dozen degrees, she had no right to make someone who is just as capable as she is, feel inferior just because she hasn't been working as long. The manager's only a yr or 2 older than me.
After that whole awkward session, I went home. I start volunteering the week after Thanksgiving I think and I'm pretty excited.
I'm sad that my internship is almost over but I'm ready for my next adventure whatever that may be. Tomorrow I'm supposed to be meeting with the Dir. of PR for i am that girl, a non-profit org. run by Alexis Jones (former contestant of the survivor). Btw you should definitely check out her blog entries! So inspiring. My boss sent out a bunch of email introductions to companies that I might be interested in and companies that she's connected to, including iamthatgirl, Girls in Tech, Step Up Women's Network, and other places. This is one of the meetings she set up for me. It's supposed to be an informational type interview so I'm pretty excited to meet her! :) No expectations though. We'll see what happens.
I'm glad I was able to go to mass with my mom this week. It's been a while. Sometimes, when you're so caught up with life, you tend to forget what's important. I'm praying for you all, especially LoG. It's Benefit Concert tomorrow & I can already feel my fire being re-lit.
Love always
I have 3 big projects/reports to finish for my internship by Dec. 4th! I didn't see that coming. They're not too bad but they do require me to work and I cannot be lazy.
This week I've fallen in love with The OC, One Tree Hill, & Bev. Hills 90210 (not the new 90210) all over again thanks to SOAPnet. UGH more distractions lol. But I forgot what I had been missing out on. Even if they're reruns, I don't mind watching them again.
I've been updating my LinkedIn profile this week. I'm not sure how helpful it will be but it's nice reconnecting with people in a professional forum.
Yesterday I ended up going to the training session on Hollywood & Vine. I PAID 8 BUCKS TO PARK for a two hour session because all the street parking was gone. The office is located across from the Pantages. Anyway, it was a last minute session put together for me and 2 other women who missed it on Tuesday night. One of them was a middle-aged Persian lady who found it necessary to explain the bruises under her eyes before the session. She said it was her "10 year anniversary" and she decided to celebrate by getting botox (lol). It was her first time getting it done under her eyes and she had an allergic reaction after the procedure which caused it to be swollen. It looked like she got in a fight. The other lady asked her if she got her lips done too (lol) ... to which she casually replied, "yeah but I've done it 3 times already... luckily big lips run in my family"...so why did she have to get it done then? I have no idea. We all had to eventually go around and introduce ourselves. The other lady was much older than all of us. She was probably in her 60's and she was super thin and was pretty trendy for her age. She emphasized the fact that she had 2 Master's and a Ph.D in English Lit and was a teacher... but also said she felt she was way too overqualified to teach. She also runs a tutoring business...she was a little bit on the boastful side. The manager and I were the youngest people in that room. It was an intimate training session and I learned how to be a personal shopper AND a career counselor for clients. It went well up until the older woman decided to ask the manager, "well, what if the client can't read?" and the manager sort of was taken aback but did her best to answer the question and said "well in this day and age, I'm sure most of the women that the agencies refer to us can read and we haven't come across any client that couldn't read" and the older woman immediately responded with, "I don't think you know much about that... how long have you been in the business world anyway?" The lady who got botox and I were silent at that moment and all 4 of us looked around and it was an extremely long 5 seconds of silence. The manager said, "I don't think that's an appropriate question to ask" and the older woman was slightly embarrassed by her outburst and just shut up. Oh the people you come across in the real world. I'm glad that the manager (who happens to be one of the people I met at GIT) stood up for herself. Even if that lady had been teaching for a million yrs and had a dozen degrees, she had no right to make someone who is just as capable as she is, feel inferior just because she hasn't been working as long. The manager's only a yr or 2 older than me.
After that whole awkward session, I went home. I start volunteering the week after Thanksgiving I think and I'm pretty excited.
I'm sad that my internship is almost over but I'm ready for my next adventure whatever that may be. Tomorrow I'm supposed to be meeting with the Dir. of PR for i am that girl, a non-profit org. run by Alexis Jones (former contestant of the survivor). Btw you should definitely check out her blog entries! So inspiring. My boss sent out a bunch of email introductions to companies that I might be interested in and companies that she's connected to, including iamthatgirl, Girls in Tech, Step Up Women's Network, and other places. This is one of the meetings she set up for me. It's supposed to be an informational type interview so I'm pretty excited to meet her! :) No expectations though. We'll see what happens.
I'm glad I was able to go to mass with my mom this week. It's been a while. Sometimes, when you're so caught up with life, you tend to forget what's important. I'm praying for you all, especially LoG. It's Benefit Concert tomorrow & I can already feel my fire being re-lit.
Love always
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Thanks for this quote Angie! I love it.
"To understand the heart and mind of a person,
look not at what [s]he has already achieved, but at what [s]he aspires to."
— Kahlil Gibran
look not at what [s]he has already achieved, but at what [s]he aspires to."
— Kahlil Gibran
I was supposed to go to a training session for Dress for Success tonight but I couldn't because I fell lol. Seriously. I fell. A part of my leg was pretty swollen and I have a few scratches but I'm ok. I haven't fallen in a while. It's funny now that I look back on it. No worries though because I'm gonna go tomorrow!
Lots of internship projects/work to catch up on. My time there is coming to an end. I'll no longer be an intern at Intern Queen as of December! I have 3 projects to finish by then. I thought that work ended in college but I guess not... and procrastination doesn't end there either.
Yesterday was fun! I got to go to the Yardhouse in Irvine for Jamie's 21st (courtesy of Brenton Agahan). I can't believe she's 21. I still remember that one Benefit Concert practice when she was a first year and she had just turned 17 or 18 and we wrote Happy Birthday Jamie on the board and sang happy birthday to her. Time flies and she has grown up quite a bit since then. We all have! I love you roomie! Hope you enjoyed your birthday & aced that midterm (you are cute when you are funny lol).
It was also great catching up with PASS & LOG! I'm so out of the loop these days but you guys definitely caught me up with the happenings hahah.
STEVE! I know that I totally called you out and you definitely stepped up your game. Props for getting on it so quickly & blogging right away... but I dunno man. I'm a pretty frequent blogger and I got YEARS of material to back me up on that hahahah :P We'll see who reigns supreme! LOL JK...it's all love. I just wanted you to blog again :)
Special thanks to Brenton for driving me again despite having not eaten all day and coming straight from work. Thank you for offering to take me just because you know how much I love Jamie! You're awesome! and I love you too!
I'm excited for Benefit Concert on Friday! Happy Heaven Week Liwanag! Praying for you all.
Why does everything cost money?! I need a job.
Lots of internship projects/work to catch up on. My time there is coming to an end. I'll no longer be an intern at Intern Queen as of December! I have 3 projects to finish by then. I thought that work ended in college but I guess not... and procrastination doesn't end there either.
Yesterday was fun! I got to go to the Yardhouse in Irvine for Jamie's 21st (courtesy of Brenton Agahan). I can't believe she's 21. I still remember that one Benefit Concert practice when she was a first year and she had just turned 17 or 18 and we wrote Happy Birthday Jamie on the board and sang happy birthday to her. Time flies and she has grown up quite a bit since then. We all have! I love you roomie! Hope you enjoyed your birthday & aced that midterm (you are cute when you are funny lol).
It was also great catching up with PASS & LOG! I'm so out of the loop these days but you guys definitely caught me up with the happenings hahah.
STEVE! I know that I totally called you out and you definitely stepped up your game. Props for getting on it so quickly & blogging right away... but I dunno man. I'm a pretty frequent blogger and I got YEARS of material to back me up on that hahahah :P We'll see who reigns supreme! LOL JK...it's all love. I just wanted you to blog again :)
Special thanks to Brenton for driving me again despite having not eaten all day and coming straight from work. Thank you for offering to take me just because you know how much I love Jamie! You're awesome! and I love you too!
I'm excited for Benefit Concert on Friday! Happy Heaven Week Liwanag! Praying for you all.
Why does everything cost money?! I need a job.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Bullet point time!
- I watched the fight at my neighbor's house with my parents. It was exciting to watch. I think the things I love most about Manny Pacquiao are his faith in God, his humility, and his positivity. He seems to be a good Filipino role model that all kids can actually follow and be proud of. All the success he's achieved over the years is truly well-deserved.
- I have like at least 3 bug bites right now. so gross. I hate discovering new bug bites.
- I painted my nails all by myself today. I don't need to pay for manicures or pedicures when I can do them on my own. Of course, that doesn't mean they look amazing but I love the colors!
- My old research professor emailed me today to show me pictures and a video of her newborn baby! I got so excited. The baby is so cute. I emailed her back right away. I was so honored that she even thought of me.
- I love when my brother is home for the weekend. But he'd hate me if he knew I wrote that.
- Watch my boss on That Morning Show on E! on Monday morning from 6-9am...unless you have Direct TV then it'll be on from 3-6am... and in that case, I'd understand if you can't.
- I forgot to mention yesterday that I met Rebecca Minkoff, the handbag designer. She's gonna be on That Morning Show on E! tomorrow too. She's only 28!
- I think I just have this affinity for young and successful people. They're so inspirational to me.
- I tried Kyochon for the first time today. Not bad at all but I can't handle spicy food.
- I miss Irvine or just being close enough to go to all the fun events that happen.
- I wish I could go to the Girls in Tech event next Tuesday!
- The end!
Friday, November 13, 2009
It's been one of those weeks where I can't complain about anything. I am so blessed to have received the opportunities that have been presented to me lately and I know I say this all the time but I feel like I'm getting closer & closer to where I need to be. I also realized that one of the ways that I've changed since I've left UCI has been my decreasing desire to dwell on the past. I know that I can't change what's happened but I'm comforted knowing that I have power over what's happening to me right now.
I feel so young, so free, so empowered... I feel as though I've gotten a second wind at life. Am I too young to even feel that? I have no idea but I'm just so at peace with the way things are going and I've never felt so relaxed about my life. I'm a type-A kind of person that always finds something to worry about but I feel like God just said, "Anna, stop worrying so much and just take this time out to enjoy the blessings in your life." And that's exactly what I've been doing and contrary to popular belief, I actually DO know how to take it easy. Go figure! When I imagined my life after college, I pictured myself being this huge pitiful wreck because I didn't know what to do with my life (well maybe not entirely pitiful) but I'm so relieved that the opposite has happened. Thank You Lord!
Today was so much fun. I got to go on the set of That Morning Show on E! (airing from 6am-9am) with my boss who was interviewed today. I was able to go through the whole process of waiting in the green room, going into hair & makeup, getting mic'ed up, seeing the studio set, and watching everything that goes into filming a show firsthand. I've been to tapings of shows as part of the audience (Tyra Show, Hollywood Squares) but this is the first time I've been to a talk show to watch someone I know get interviewed. 'Twas quite the experience. I also got to talk to one of the segment producers and I asked her how she got started in the industry. To my surprise, everyone there was pretty nice. I met the talk show hosts including Mark Long from "Real World: Who knows what city" because he's super old. Everyone seemed to love their job which is probably why they were nice. Crappy jobs tend to make for unhappy workers. Anyway I also met this guy named Kiante the Sneakermann who's been on a ton of TV shows as a fashion shoe stylist. He seemed so chill and quiet in the green room but when he was on camera, he was a whole different person. I also met Rainbeau, this yoga guru who was accompanied by her publicist. She was sitting upside down on a chair meditating lol. She was nice too. My boss is so outgoing and such a people-person. It's like you can put her in a room and she will automatically start talking to the person next to her. I had great conversations with her on the way to the studio (which was in Irvine) and on the way home. We talked about what I wanna do in the future and everything. She's been a great mentor to me throughout this whole process. Sure there are things about this internship that weren't quite what I pictured them to be but the pros greatly outweighed the cons. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've been able to network with people who I would never have met otherwise at conferences, help out at a fancy fashion show, and accompany her to TV tapings...I even got my new volunteer opportunity through this gig. It's been amazing. Oh life, just when I thought it couldn't get any better. Praise God for new beginnings that turn out to be even better than what you expect.
I feel so young, so free, so empowered... I feel as though I've gotten a second wind at life. Am I too young to even feel that? I have no idea but I'm just so at peace with the way things are going and I've never felt so relaxed about my life. I'm a type-A kind of person that always finds something to worry about but I feel like God just said, "Anna, stop worrying so much and just take this time out to enjoy the blessings in your life." And that's exactly what I've been doing and contrary to popular belief, I actually DO know how to take it easy. Go figure! When I imagined my life after college, I pictured myself being this huge pitiful wreck because I didn't know what to do with my life (well maybe not entirely pitiful) but I'm so relieved that the opposite has happened. Thank You Lord!
Today was so much fun. I got to go on the set of That Morning Show on E! (airing from 6am-9am) with my boss who was interviewed today. I was able to go through the whole process of waiting in the green room, going into hair & makeup, getting mic'ed up, seeing the studio set, and watching everything that goes into filming a show firsthand. I've been to tapings of shows as part of the audience (Tyra Show, Hollywood Squares) but this is the first time I've been to a talk show to watch someone I know get interviewed. 'Twas quite the experience. I also got to talk to one of the segment producers and I asked her how she got started in the industry. To my surprise, everyone there was pretty nice. I met the talk show hosts including Mark Long from "Real World: Who knows what city" because he's super old. Everyone seemed to love their job which is probably why they were nice. Crappy jobs tend to make for unhappy workers. Anyway I also met this guy named Kiante the Sneakermann who's been on a ton of TV shows as a fashion shoe stylist. He seemed so chill and quiet in the green room but when he was on camera, he was a whole different person. I also met Rainbeau, this yoga guru who was accompanied by her publicist. She was sitting upside down on a chair meditating lol. She was nice too. My boss is so outgoing and such a people-person. It's like you can put her in a room and she will automatically start talking to the person next to her. I had great conversations with her on the way to the studio (which was in Irvine) and on the way home. We talked about what I wanna do in the future and everything. She's been a great mentor to me throughout this whole process. Sure there are things about this internship that weren't quite what I pictured them to be but the pros greatly outweighed the cons. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've been able to network with people who I would never have met otherwise at conferences, help out at a fancy fashion show, and accompany her to TV tapings...I even got my new volunteer opportunity through this gig. It's been amazing. Oh life, just when I thought it couldn't get any better. Praise God for new beginnings that turn out to be even better than what you expect.
Labels: career, fun, intern queen, internship, life
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
—From “Phenomenal Woman,” by Maya Angelou
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
My memory has been failing me lately. I need to start reading or doing something to exercise my mind. It's terrible. I'm too young to forget all the things I've been forgetting. Luckily, I can still find the time to blog about them.
Yesterday was the volunteer orientation for Dress for Success. I didn't know what to expect upon arriving at the office which is INconveniently located on Hollywood & Vine (where can you actually park over there without having to pay or get a ticket?!) Anyway, I was one of the first people to get there and I was immediately greeted by the lady I met at Girls in Tech. The office was on the 9th floor (I think one of the few & only things that I don't like about this place is the location & the fact that you have to go all the way up to the 9th floor to get there). This volunteer experience is much different than the ones that I've done in the past because for one thing, this Dress for Success branch is relatively new and they are still in the process of painting the walls, arranging the furniture and fixing up the rooms. It's certainly a grassroots, start-from-scratch type project but I think that's what makes it even more exciting. So far, the main location is in NY and now they're setting up the LA office which is going to be called "Worldwide West."
Anyway, there's one more training session that I have to go to next Tuesday. Once I'm trained, I'll be able to assist homeless women by editing their resumes, conducting mock interviews, prepping them for future interviews... and maybe even helping them shop for appropriate business attire, which is provided for them by Dress for Success. They're guaranteed a business suit, shoes & a purse! Isn't that cool?
This is very much a hands-on experience and I'm excited for it but at the same time, I'm a little nervous because aside from homeless outreaches, I've never really worked with this population of people. I really don't know what to expect and I don't exactly know what I'm getting myself into but I feel called to do it so we'll see. My mom says I'm brave for just jumping in and doing it but what do I have to lose? I also feel a bit empty inside ever since I left Irvine. I've felt this innate longing to serve and this is an opportunity that would allow me to do so.
Yesterday I was in a room full of women... all the volunteers were female and they came from all walks of life. I thought I'd be the youngest but there was one girl who was still a senior in college. They made us go around and introduce ourselves. I guess the icebreakers don't stop after college but I felt pretty comfortable. It was amazing to see so many people who are so willing to volunteer their time and efforts for a common good and for an issue that they are passionate about. I guess it's something I'm not used to seeing outside of Liwanag but it's comforting to know that people like that exist even outside the walls of interfaith.
Today I hung out with Darlene & Gia at the Hello Kitty Exhibit. It was way too cute. I loved it. I felt like a little girl again. It was a much needed escape from reality. But now it's back to work. I've got over 30 emails from my boss that I must attend to.
Btw, can I just say that I love Glee?!
Yesterday was the volunteer orientation for Dress for Success. I didn't know what to expect upon arriving at the office which is INconveniently located on Hollywood & Vine (where can you actually park over there without having to pay or get a ticket?!) Anyway, I was one of the first people to get there and I was immediately greeted by the lady I met at Girls in Tech. The office was on the 9th floor (I think one of the few & only things that I don't like about this place is the location & the fact that you have to go all the way up to the 9th floor to get there). This volunteer experience is much different than the ones that I've done in the past because for one thing, this Dress for Success branch is relatively new and they are still in the process of painting the walls, arranging the furniture and fixing up the rooms. It's certainly a grassroots, start-from-scratch type project but I think that's what makes it even more exciting. So far, the main location is in NY and now they're setting up the LA office which is going to be called "Worldwide West."
Anyway, there's one more training session that I have to go to next Tuesday. Once I'm trained, I'll be able to assist homeless women by editing their resumes, conducting mock interviews, prepping them for future interviews... and maybe even helping them shop for appropriate business attire, which is provided for them by Dress for Success. They're guaranteed a business suit, shoes & a purse! Isn't that cool?
This is very much a hands-on experience and I'm excited for it but at the same time, I'm a little nervous because aside from homeless outreaches, I've never really worked with this population of people. I really don't know what to expect and I don't exactly know what I'm getting myself into but I feel called to do it so we'll see. My mom says I'm brave for just jumping in and doing it but what do I have to lose? I also feel a bit empty inside ever since I left Irvine. I've felt this innate longing to serve and this is an opportunity that would allow me to do so.
Yesterday I was in a room full of women... all the volunteers were female and they came from all walks of life. I thought I'd be the youngest but there was one girl who was still a senior in college. They made us go around and introduce ourselves. I guess the icebreakers don't stop after college but I felt pretty comfortable. It was amazing to see so many people who are so willing to volunteer their time and efforts for a common good and for an issue that they are passionate about. I guess it's something I'm not used to seeing outside of Liwanag but it's comforting to know that people like that exist even outside the walls of interfaith.
Today I hung out with Darlene & Gia at the Hello Kitty Exhibit. It was way too cute. I loved it. I felt like a little girl again. It was a much needed escape from reality. But now it's back to work. I've got over 30 emails from my boss that I must attend to.
Btw, can I just say that I love Glee?!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
you'll make me work so we can work to work it out.
Monday, November 09, 2009
I'm sorry I've been lagging on the updates. It's been an eventful couple of days, which is almost always a good thing. Let's go back...back to the beginning. On Thursday I drove to Irvine and picked up my diploma :) It gave me a sense of accomplishment. Now it's definitely official. I also got to catch up with the Reg people! I love them & I've missed them so much! I chatted with them for about an hour. Afterwards, I went to Target with Kathy to buy the Glee CD. Then we headed to Shawshank. I had Sushi Imari (FINALLY RIGHT?!) for dinner with Kim & Bmay... laughter galore. We ran into Chris Balster there too. What a coincidence. I haven't felt that full in a while. After that we went back to Shawshank and Abby was there! Reunited and it felt so good! However, not being able to fall asleep that night did not feel too good at all. I totaled about 4 hours of sleep, which hasn't happened in a while but I got to stay up and talk to KD & Jamie (thanks for letting me crash on your futon, it was way more comfortable than my old mattress). That morning we woke up, not feeling too well-rested, but all 6 of us got to have brunch at Mimi's Cafe. It's been a while since we've all had a meal together. Good times! I left right after lunch thinking that I was gonna pick Alex up but when I got home, my mom had already done it so I just stayed home and hung out with my brother until Brenton picked me up and we hung out in Pasadena/Alhambra. We had dinner at Phoenix Cafe. It was pretty good and pretty cheap.
On Saturday, I didn't do anything at all until Sat. night when I had dinner with Janice, Joe & Adrian at Yardhouse in Pasadena. I love my ahi tuna sandwich from there. It's always so delicious. Sunday morning I went to mass with my parents. Then my mom and I ate at CPK for lunch. Then later that night Brenton took me to my first Laker game at the Staples Center and they won and we got free tacos! We also ate at the historic Pantry for dinner and Brenton had a street dog after the game.
Today I did internship work all day. Then I tried to go to Arclight for a free advanced screening of Glee's episode this week. However, much to my dismay, it was an invite only event. LAME. I gave up and went home. That concludes my summary of the past couple of days. This week should be a fun one though.
Tomorrow I'm going to an orientation for the non-profit, Dress for Success, on Wednesday, I'm hanging out with Gia, Darlene & Hello Kitty at Three Apples :D, on Friday, I might be accompanying my boss to a taping of "That Morning Show" on E!
Gotta fit the job search somewhere in there. Hope you're all doing well! Praying for you always.
On Saturday, I didn't do anything at all until Sat. night when I had dinner with Janice, Joe & Adrian at Yardhouse in Pasadena. I love my ahi tuna sandwich from there. It's always so delicious. Sunday morning I went to mass with my parents. Then my mom and I ate at CPK for lunch. Then later that night Brenton took me to my first Laker game at the Staples Center and they won and we got free tacos! We also ate at the historic Pantry for dinner and Brenton had a street dog after the game.
Today I did internship work all day. Then I tried to go to Arclight for a free advanced screening of Glee's episode this week. However, much to my dismay, it was an invite only event. LAME. I gave up and went home. That concludes my summary of the past couple of days. This week should be a fun one though.
Tomorrow I'm going to an orientation for the non-profit, Dress for Success, on Wednesday, I'm hanging out with Gia, Darlene & Hello Kitty at Three Apples :D, on Friday, I might be accompanying my boss to a taping of "That Morning Show" on E!
Gotta fit the job search somewhere in there. Hope you're all doing well! Praying for you always.
Labels: diploma, glee, hello kitty, lakers, shawshank, three apples
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
ok this is superficial of me... don't judge me please but i need to vent lol.
yesterday i had the opportunity to go to the grove & line up to buy a glee cd and get a wristband to meet them on saturday. but i didn't. since when have i, anna liza, ever passed up the opportunity to meet a celebrity, especially ones that i love?! i know it's crazy. i'm kinda regretting it a bit now... but at the time, so much was going through my mind... first of all, i wasn't able to line up early because i had to drop my mom off at the hospital and by the time i got out of the hospital it was 9:30...i contemplated going straight to the grove but i thought about the parking situation, mostly about paying for parking, seeing the huge crowd of crazed GLEEKS outside of barnes&noble lined up, finding myself discouraged at the sight of the line and unwillingly lining up behind these fanatics to buy an overpriced $20 cd at barnes&noble that would only cost around $12 bucks at target that would get me a wristband to wait in another super long line under the sun on Saturday only to meet the cast in PASSING and take pictures OF them and not with them because that's how these events work! yeah that's what was going on in my head. i know it because i've been to enough of them to know. and now that i think of it again, i don't regret not going because i am getting way too old to be waiting in a 5 hour long line in the heat to meet & only take pictures of a cast of people who act nice at fan events but are mean in real life... it hurts me to say that... but that's totally possible. anyway, being the person that i am...we know i'm not one to let this go without a fight lol. around 11:30 am, i had begun to have doubts about not going and called barnes&noble to ask about the status of the line... the crowd that i anticipated to be there died down at 11 and they told me that they had 4-5 wristbands left... i looked at the time... realized i was meeting my cousin at 12 and picking up my mom at 1:30 and thought maybe i can actually make it... it'll only take me 20 minutes... but i scratched that idea out because some things in life will just always be more important.
by the way, what i said about me getting way too old to wait in a 5 hour line? i take that back just in case. i will always be a teenybopper at heart.
sorry Glee, i'll see you next time. i promise.
yesterday i had the opportunity to go to the grove & line up to buy a glee cd and get a wristband to meet them on saturday. but i didn't. since when have i, anna liza, ever passed up the opportunity to meet a celebrity, especially ones that i love?! i know it's crazy. i'm kinda regretting it a bit now... but at the time, so much was going through my mind... first of all, i wasn't able to line up early because i had to drop my mom off at the hospital and by the time i got out of the hospital it was 9:30...i contemplated going straight to the grove but i thought about the parking situation, mostly about paying for parking, seeing the huge crowd of crazed GLEEKS outside of barnes&noble lined up, finding myself discouraged at the sight of the line and unwillingly lining up behind these fanatics to buy an overpriced $20 cd at barnes&noble that would only cost around $12 bucks at target that would get me a wristband to wait in another super long line under the sun on Saturday only to meet the cast in PASSING and take pictures OF them and not with them because that's how these events work! yeah that's what was going on in my head. i know it because i've been to enough of them to know. and now that i think of it again, i don't regret not going because i am getting way too old to be waiting in a 5 hour long line in the heat to meet & only take pictures of a cast of people who act nice at fan events but are mean in real life... it hurts me to say that... but that's totally possible. anyway, being the person that i am...we know i'm not one to let this go without a fight lol. around 11:30 am, i had begun to have doubts about not going and called barnes&noble to ask about the status of the line... the crowd that i anticipated to be there died down at 11 and they told me that they had 4-5 wristbands left... i looked at the time... realized i was meeting my cousin at 12 and picking up my mom at 1:30 and thought maybe i can actually make it... it'll only take me 20 minutes... but i scratched that idea out because some things in life will just always be more important.
by the way, what i said about me getting way too old to wait in a 5 hour line? i take that back just in case. i will always be a teenybopper at heart.
sorry Glee, i'll see you next time. i promise.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Thanks for the prayers! My mom's surgery went well with no complications. She has a scar on her bottom lip from where they removed the blood vessel/cyst but she hasn't felt pain since we left the hospital. She only needed to take medicine once. I felt like we switched roles and I was the parent today. Luckily my boss let me have the day off to take care of my mom. I dropped her off and waited with her in the waiting room for a little while. Then I had Scoops with my cousin Frances again. I swear I've been eating there every week. The nurse then called me and told me to pick up my mom's pain medicine and pick her up at 1:30. When I entered the recovery room, my heart dropped just seeing all the patients there. I'm definitely not fit to be in the medical field but this whole experience gave me an even greater appreciation for the things they do and being at the hospital all day made me think of all my friends who are on the road to becoming doctors, P.A's, nurses, pharmacists, etc. What a fulfilling, blessed and necessary vocation. These people were so helpful and accommodating and made my mom's short stay at the hospital a comfortable and enjoyable one. All she could talk about was how nice her nurses and doctor were. Praise God for people who serve in this way. It's not something that everyone can do, especially those of us who are a little weak in the stomach & can't stand the sight of blood and I'm one of them. Seeing my mom in a hospital bed, even though it was for a minor surgery, broke my heart a little. I guess reality hit me. She's taken care of me for 22 years and it's slowly becoming my turn to take care of her. I'm so glad that I got to be with her today and that I can be there for her this week as she recovers. Maybe that's one of the blessings in disguise about not having a job right now. Anyway, thank you sooooo much for the prayers & well wishes. It means a lot to me and to my mom. She's asleep right now but your prayers provided us with a lot of strength & courage today. Praying for all of you too!
Monday, November 02, 2009
i've got way too many emails to go through for work. time to get started.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
I remember in my social relationships class and cultural close relationships class, both of my professors mentioned that people who have good, stable friendships or relationships are more likely to live a longer, happier life. In other words, social support leads to longer life. I think it's because when you have people who need you, you're more motivated to live not only for yourself but for them as well. This weekend has been crazy because it's the first weekend that my brother's been home in 2-3 weeks...which doesn't seem like a long time but feels like forever. I've missed having someone close in age around... not that I don't enjoy the company of my parents but the house is just livelier when we're all here at the same time. Anyway, my mom was telling me last week how she missed her friends in the Philippines... in America, many of her friends are just acquaintances. The people she considers her best friends don't live near her because she literally just picked up and left everything behind in the Philippines (her parents, her siblings, her friends) to be with my dad in America. My mom's always understood the importance of family but recently, she's begun to understand the true importance of friends. This past weekend, one of her old friends whom she hasn't talked to in 20 years found her on Facebook and it was the start of my mom's desire to reconnect with everyone from her past. She spent a good amount of the weekend adding & chatting with her old friends and she couldn't be happier...especially now that she's taken advantage of what technology has to offer. Although she still asks me for help with every single thing (Facebook apparently does not come easy to that generation), I love seeing the look on her face everytime she comes across an old friend.
Friends are important. I've learned to appreciate friends even more ever since I've moved home because I live away from so many of them. I love days when I reunite with a friend and we can pick up where we left off. Friends are definitely gifts from God. I think that's why I value friendships so much.
I have a couple of old friends who I don't talk to anymore or who don't talk to me anymore and it hurts. It feels like I'm missing a part of myself that I can never get back. As much as I want to fix the situation, I know that I can't. All I can do is offer those friendships up to Him and if it's meant to be in the future, maybe we'll cross paths again and maybe I'll finally figure out what went wrong. Until then, there's no use to dwell on what could be. I'd much rather focus my energy on friends that love me and accept my love in return. If you're reading this and I haven't talked to you in a while, I hope you know that your friendship means so much to me, I miss you, and I'm thankful for having you in my life.
Friends are important. I've learned to appreciate friends even more ever since I've moved home because I live away from so many of them. I love days when I reunite with a friend and we can pick up where we left off. Friends are definitely gifts from God. I think that's why I value friendships so much.
I have a couple of old friends who I don't talk to anymore or who don't talk to me anymore and it hurts. It feels like I'm missing a part of myself that I can never get back. As much as I want to fix the situation, I know that I can't. All I can do is offer those friendships up to Him and if it's meant to be in the future, maybe we'll cross paths again and maybe I'll finally figure out what went wrong. Until then, there's no use to dwell on what could be. I'd much rather focus my energy on friends that love me and accept my love in return. If you're reading this and I haven't talked to you in a while, I hope you know that your friendship means so much to me, I miss you, and I'm thankful for having you in my life.