On My G.R.I.N.D.

You know I still got you.

Damn, I’m so happy right now. Today was a day full of dance.

First, Bboys Anonymous had a freestyle performance at Passionfest II hosted by Rotaracts UCI, a benefit concert filled with many different kinds of talents, all in which to help promote awareness and raise money in hopes of eradicating polio. So many members of my BBA fam bam came out to perform and support. Being on stage with them was so thrilling. I don’t know if it was just the Americano kicking in, or the fact that I wanted to rep BBA so hard tonight, or even the fact that I was dancing for a great cause hosted by some good friends of mine, but I was super hungry and eager to get on that stage. After one set, I just wanted to go in again, and then after that set I just wanted to go in again. Being on stage was so amazing with BBA, and I couldn’t have asked for better experiences like this when we perform. We be reppin’ it all day, every day.

Following the Passionfest freestyle performance, I had practice with my dance ministry, Doxology. This week was really big for me because it was the day I was teaching my piece of our performance set. I have never, ever in my life choreographed hip-hop choreo, let alone teach it. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone, but in a good way. It pushed my limits as a dancer and forced me to think outside of the bboy mind that I’m used to. I was even brushing it up at work during my shift, hiding behind the security camera at the ARC so that I wouldn’t get caught dancing on the job. It made me so happy and so inspired watching everyone learn my piece. I felt so blessed that God gave me the passion for dance, and it made me especially happy knowing that I could use it to inspire and help spread the word of His kingdom. I’m seriously humbled by His amazing grace.

Thank you Father for blessing me with BBA and DDM. I seriously am so happy to be part of both dance organizations. I only hope that I can keep improving so that I can keep inspiring through a huge passion in my life.

PTL :]

On the way out to Irvine to study with BBA, my mom asked me to do something I haven’t done for her in a long time. I was on my way to the door when she asked me:

“Can I hear a song?”

She looked at my baby grand piano eagerly and smiled. Its been a long time since I’ve gotten a chance to really sit down and play for my mom. Usually I’d be too uncomfortable to play because I don’t usually get to practice as much as I did growing up at OCHSA, so the majority of the time I felt like I should practice more before I played for anyone. But I couldn’t help but play for her.

I sat on the cold bench and started playing one of her favorite pieces, “Marriage D’amour”, which means “Marriage of Love”. My mom is practically half French because she was first a French teacher in Vietnam before coming to the States and she was fluent in the language. She loves anything that’s French.

I’m primarily a jazz and classical pianist, but I decided to play her this piece because of the memories that were linked to it. When I was about nine or ten, I used to play in an orchestra called BCM at a local Christian church in Garden Grove. I played piano, saxophone, and violin for the orchestra, but there were times when I got the chance to play a piano piece solo. One night, before a huge concert at the church, my mom and I were deciding on what piece I should play. We spent hours together looking for a piece when finally, she found her old French pieces and picked this one out. I stayed up until about three in the morning learning this new piece with my mom by my side and performed it the next day.

I played this piece for her because it brought back a time where my mom and I got to bond over something we both have a passion for: music. No matter how late it was, my mom stayed up with me, and gave me the push I needed to learn a piece so fast that I was able to play it the next day in a concert. For just a few minutes, I wanted to go back in time to when I actually had the time to touch the piano keys and play for my mom.

After I finished playing for her, she said she was quite surprised that I was still able to remember the piece. I got a chance to have a quick heart-to-heart with my mom before leaving to study, promising her that I will never lose music in my life. Its because of her that I grew up with music and have been playing for the past sixteen years, and that it was the one thing that brought her and I so close. Not only that, it connects with the other passion in my life so well: dance. I was really glad that I got to reassure her that I’ll never lose music, even when my life is so hectic and busy the way it is now.

When I get more time, I’ll practice again as much as I used to. And mom, for you I’ll play as much as you like. I love you <3