APA Day in the Life: Julie Ju-Yeon Kang

We've reached the end of Asian Pacific American Month 2013! To wrap up, I've got A Day in the Life from one of my soul sisters, Julie Ju-Yeon Kang, creator of Geisha School Dropout and an amazing promoter of mental health awareness among Asian Americans. 

As a bonus, she also shares her very own Asian hottie: her Japanese-Missourian
husband :) 

***

Greetings!  I am Julie from Geisha School Dropout and Kimchi Mamas, and Sophia has asked me to document a typical day.  Even though my life is extremely repetitive and tedious, I just can't say no to a pretty face, so here is what a typical Tuesday looked like for me and my family (we collectively call ourselves The Mangs):


6:15 am: Wake up to a wet nose nudging my arm.  The wet nose belongs to Margaret Thatcher Moo (Miss Moo if you're nasty), our family corgi.  Shuffle over to the glass door to let her out, then shuffle towards the living room to see that my husband (Tim) and son (Isaac) are already dressed for the day and working.  Gently wake up my daughter (Emi) and thank the gods, it is a meltdown-free morning.  Blearily make breakfast, pack snacks, perform last-second backpack checks.





7:40: Walk to school.  May means jacaranda season in our neighborhood, and they line our streets, fragrant and defiantly lavender.  It's really quite a sight.


8:00-11:30: Run home and feverishly work for my dayjob.  I am a clinical programmer for a biotech consulting company in the Bay Area, but I work from home.  I've been working remotely for 5 years, and it's pretty sweet not having a commute, but I must confess it has really taken a toll on my grooming habits.


11:40: Pick up Emi from kindergarten.

11:45-1:00: This is our special just-us-girls time.  We eat lunch, draw pictures, read books, have tea parties, sometimes paint each other's nails.  I really look forward to this time, and I probably have more fun than Emi does.

1:00-4:00: My friend Sonya comes over to pick up my son and play with the kids while I again feverishly work for my dayjob for another chunk of time.  Sonya is my HAPA Mary Poppins.  Every working mom needs a Sonya.

4:00-5:00: Dance lessons.  This week was special because the kids got to try on their recital costumes!  Here is Emi's mini hip hop group modeling theirs.








5:00-6:00: Head over to Shoe City to purchase black Converses for aforementioned recital for both Isaac and Emi.  Discover that Isaac has graduated to adult shoe sizes!  Celebrate that fact with a mini photoshoot and promising never to make him order from the kids' menu again.



6:00-8:00: Happy birthday to Harabuji (Korean for grandpa)!  We celebrated my dad's 64th birthday with Korean BBQ and a bottle of Oban 14 year.  The kids made him a plaque to hang on his wall.  I swear, the man never ages.  I hope I inherited that from him.




8:30: Bedtime for Bonzos!  Then, my writing shift starts after I finish up some dayjob loose ends.

12:00: Sleep, perchance to dream.

Bonus hottie HAPA hubs:

***

Julie Kang was born in Seoul and traded her Korean language skills for a Valley Girl accent when her family settled in southern CA. Often described as "too big for the room," Julie brings shame upon her ancestors daily with her unconventional humor and potty mouth. She writes for Geisha School Dropout, her personal blog, and the Kimchi Mamas, a consortium of women raising Korean American children. She is a vocal advocate for work-life balance and lives in Long Beach with her husband and two children.

A Day in the Life: Kelley Nicole from the Yardbirds

It's my fellow mezzo-soprano! Kelley performs in the Yardbirds with me and we actually lived in the same House at Harvard (house like Gryffindor.) She shares a Day Weekend in the Life touring the Bay Area with her show.

***

Citing the dynamic performing and songwriting influences of Alicia Keys, India.Arie, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Nikka Costa and Erykah Badu, just to name a few, you’ll find Kelley Nicole at the charming intersection of a spunky funky attitude and an alluring R&B acoustic vulnerability.  New Jersey born and Harvard educated, this singer/songwriter was formerly one of the lead vocalists for the critically-acclaimed Afro-funk band, Soulfège, (nominated for multiple Boston Music Awards, Independent Music Awards, and Boston Urban Music Awards, as well as a featured performer at the NACA National Convention).  She has performed around the world, from Europe to Africa and in venues and colleges across the United States, and has also been blessed to share the stage with such renowned artists as Bobby McFerrin and El Debarge.  In a vein similar to great front women before her, a la Lauryn Hill and Gwen Stefani, Kelley Nicole has come into her own, using her unique musical talent to impart lessons of love, empowerment, and divine transcendence over all circumstance as she learns them, one by one.  A passionate advocate for the arts in education, she is the Executive Director of Harvardwood, a global nonprofit organization of Harvard alumni & students working to strengthen ties among the arts, media, entertainment, and education.  She currently serves as one of the praise and worship leaders at Covenant Blessing Fellowship in Wilmington, CA and is repped by Wally’s World of Entertainment.  Learn more about Kelley Nicole at www.thekelleynicole.com. 

A Day in the Life On The Road

The SHATTERED GLASS trip to Cal State Monterey Bay last week was nothing short of amazing.  I'll do my best to give you guys a taste of how it all went down, it was truly life changing.


Shaunelle and I started off the adventure as all adventures should start off - with a ROAD TRIP!!!  (We were just a little excited as you can probably tell. ; )  I know, I know, two road trips in two months, what a life I lead eh?  The trip to Monterey was quite scenic.  I didn't realize how picturesque it would be until our awesome tax lady, Susan, told me how jealous she was that I was going to Monterey.  I soon found out it's a special place indeed.

We woke up on Thursday morning at the Travelodge, and this was the view from our window.  LOL, we're not fancy on this trip folks.  What's an adventure without the hospitality of your local motel?  But seriously the Travelodge was actually quaint, the people were friendly, and yes, they had free breakfast.  I don't need much more.














The first item on our agenda for the day was our workshop with select students at CSUMB.  Well, first and foremost, Shaunelle and I always get our prayer on.  Nothing is impossible with God, He shows up and shows out if you let Him!  We're but mere vessels for His work, so we must acknowledge Him first.

In the classroom, Shaunelle and I took the students through the SHATTERED GLASS workshop materials, empowering them to take charge of their lives and to let go of a victim mindset.  We gave them a taste of what to expect at the performance that evening, and took them through some really fun exercises where we danced, shouted, cheered, and in general had a jolly time.  The participants really seemed to enjoy it, and Shaunelle and I were in our element.

Pre-Workshop (set-up):

Did I mention there was food, highly important:

During the workshop, engaging with the students:

Post-workshop, smiles for a job well done!

The SHATTERED GLASS workshop and performance series was honored to be a part of CSUMB's "Womyn, Gender, and Justice" month.  We were the last of a month-long series of programs on campus.

Our next stop, back to the motel to rest up for the evening's performance! 

Honestly, I couldn't really rest all that much.  I was a little anxious!  This would be our first time in a black box theatre -- our very dream for SHATTERED GLASS coming true!  We could only get in as early as 5pm.  If it were up to me we would be there promptly after our workshop, making sure all was set up right.  But alas, probably better that we got a little bit of rest anyway and I had to remind myself that God is in control!

We arrived at the theater at 5pm sharp, where the team awaited us.  Our wonderful administrator, Rita (the woman who has been advocating for us since we first spoke to her about SHATTERED GLASS last summer) was there to greet us and to make sure we had all we needed.  We told Rita she was our angel from heaven.  She worked over time to make sure everything ran smoothly.  She introduced us to the team at the theater and we got right to work.  This would be the first time that I had support with the AV aspects of our show, so we had to do a dry run to make sure the team understood all of the cues and everything worked properly.



Here's Rita and one of our great crew members!

Pre-show set-up:

Did you guys see my tweet!?  I was so nervous about not having any mics in this brand new space for SHATTERED GLASS.  TWEET: Black Box Cabaret theatre, here we come!!! Pray for our projection y'all! :) Thanks @csumb team! @Shatteredglassshow








BIG UPS to the students that work at the Black Box Cabaret!!  They were professional, friendly, problem solvers, and best of all, they really got what SHATTERED GLASS was all about.  They were there for us every step of the way, and the performance was executed flawlessly!  Being on that stage was like stepping into an alternate dimension.  I forgot what it was like to lose yourself in the darkness of a theater, to fully step into a world and a character you've created, and to experience the unique yet dynamic contrast of feeling immersed in your world but at the same time knowing that you have the full attention of the audience -- that they have accepted your invitation into this other space.

 Afterwards we were greeted with hugs, smiles, pictures, autograph requests, and more by the wonderful students that were in attendance.  From what the students told us, it seemed that the show really touched people, leaving them with images they'll never forget, and an understanding that if Shairi can rise, they can too, and that's what it's all about.

More of our awesome crew that night!

We went to bed that night feeling alive.  This is where we're meant to be, what we're meant to do.  Life doesn't get much better than that.  Couldn't stop tweeting about it.  TWEET:  Great, GREAT show at @csumb, tonight. We are humbled and honored by their graciousness and professionalism.  

On Friday, April 5th we brought SHATTERED GLASS to a nearby women's shelter, in partnership with A Window Between Worlds, an organization for which we serve as artistic ambassadors.  We did not take pictures or video there, for obvious reasons, but the magic was just as palpable.  One comment that touched a nerve for us was one of the women explaining that these shelters can often feel like prisons because you're surrounded by the acute pain of its inhabitants.  The participants expressed true gratefulness for the air of love, joy, and hope that was swept in by our work that afternoon, and they hoped we would not only return, but were also eager to know if we would be visiting other shelters in the future.  

Both shows truly deepened our understanding of the power of art to heal and change lives -- the core of the mission of SHATTERED GLASS.  TWEET: April 4th & 5th, days to remember. Very humbled and honored to serve today with God's gifts. #shatteredglassshow


 

A Day in the Life: Ghenet Myrthil

You know what I had to do to convince the astonishingly adorable Ghenet Myrthil to give me a Day in the Life? I went all the way to New York City this summer and forced her to eat lunch with me. Trufax.

***

I'm so excited to participate in Sophia's Day in the Life series! I work full-time in book publishing in New York City, and the rest of the time, I write young adult novels. It can sometimes be tough to balance everything, but I always find time throughout the day to squeeze in reading and writing. Here's what a day this past summer looked like:

6:30 am: My first alarm goes off. I turn it off and fall back asleep.

6:45 am: My second alarm goes off. I reluctantly open my eyes and grab my iPhone. Yes, I'm one of those people who checks her email first thing in the morning. And Instagram. And my RSS reader app. And Pinterest. Obsessed, much? I admit it!

7:00 am: I get out of bed, hop in the shower, and get dressed. CBS This Morning plays in the background. I also get my breakfast and lunch together to bring to work.

8:15 am: If I'm lucky, my husband can drive me to the train station. If not, I either take the shuttle bus or walk. Today, I'm lucky! I hop in the car with him and we drive for 5 minutes to the station.

8:25 am: I wait for my train and marvel at the pretty view of the Hudson River. While I wait, I listen to a This American Life podcast episode on my iPhone.

8:30 am: Train's here. Off to the city I go! I usually use this time to read. Today, it's an ARC of Skinny by Donna Cooner.

9:00 am: I arrive at Grand Central and walk a few blocks to work.

9:15 am: Before I go inside, I make a pit stop at Au Bon Pain, where I get my usual coffee - French vanilla, soy milk, two sugars.

9:20 am: I settle in at my desk, have my coffee and breakfast (fruit and a cereal bar), and answer emails. Working in book publishing is awesome, but my workday is pretty typical of any office job. Lots of emails with meetings sprinkled in between. The best part is being surrounded by so. many. books.

1:00 pm: I take my lunch break. Since it's nice out, I bring my lunch outside. I find a seat on a bench and balance my salad on my lap as I read more of Skinny. This time of day, midtown Manhattan is packed with people eating lunch outside. The pigeons join us.

2:00 pm: I'm back in my office for the next few hours, answering more emails, and taking a break or two to chat with my coworkers. At one point, I stare out my office window at the huge super-weed that's been growing like crazy on the roof outside. A little greenery in this concrete jungle!

5:30 pm: Work day's over! Now it's time for my favorite part of the week - Write Nite! Once a week, a few writer friends and I meet at a nearby Manhattan cafe to write. We don't critique each other's work. We just break out our laptops/notebooks and spend 2+ hours focusing on our WIPs. We are surprisingly productive when we're together. I walk the 10 blocks to the cafe to meet the girls, while listening to another podcast. (Another favorite is This Creative Life by Sara Zarr.) On the way, I pass through Rockefeller Center.

6:00 pm: I arrive at the cafe, grab a beverage and chat with the girls for a few minutes about how our writing is going. 6:10 pm: Enough chit chat. Time to get down to work. I work on revising my manuscript, based on feedback I received from beta readers and an SCBWI conference critique.

8:00 pm: Our writing session is over. While I was writing, my husband texted me to say he could swing by the cafe on his way home from work so I don't have to take the train. Score! On the ride home, I snap pics of the gorgeous NYC sunset. Moments like this make me love this city.

8:45 pm: My husband and I get home and eat dinner. On many nights, I work on my novel or write a blog post, but since I just came from Write Nite, I spend some quality time with my husband instead. We watch some TV (So You Think You Can Dance FTW!) and then around

11:00 pm, I go to bed. Gotta get my 7-8 hours of sleep! Thanks for having me, Sophia!  

Ghenet Myrthil is a young adult writer with an MFA in Writing for Children from The New School. She’s currently seeking representation for her first novel. You can find her blogging at www.ghenetmyrthil.com, tweeting @ghenet, and on Instagram.

A Day in the Life: Nutschell Anne Windsor

As I recover from food poisoning and a cold, busy Nutschell graces my blog with her packed Day in the Life (cat lovers will rejoice at her photos)!

A Day in the Life: Nutschell Anne Windsor

Nutschell (pronounced new-shell and not nut-shell) is a middle grade/ young adult fantasy writer who hails from the Philippines and now lives in sunny Los Angeles. She is an SCBWI-LA Board member, and the founder of CBW-LA (Children’s Book Writers of Los Angeles). A Jane-of-all-Trades, Nutschell’s interests include photography and travel. She enjoys sketching, playing the guitar and drums, playing basketball, badminton, billiards, and singing in the shower. She also practices the Filipino martial art of Escrima, and bakes yummy desserts.

You can find Nutschell at the following sites:

Blog: www.thewritingnut.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/nutschell
Facebook: http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/the_writing_nut
CBW-LA: http://www.meetup.com/CBW-LA/

TUESDAY

6:50 AM

My alarm goes off and I automatically snooze. Muffin, alerted by the sound now knows I’m awake. She hops on my chest and headbutts me, demanding scratches. Still sticky with sleep, I oblige.

Muffin all stretched out

7:00 AM

My alarm goes off for the second time. I have no choice but to get up. Muffin refuses to leave her warm spot.

7:05 AM

I finally get Muffin of my chest. Millie sees me get up and starts demanding food. She knows I’m about to stagger downstairs and tries to hurry me onward.

Millie waiting for food

I switch on the TV and listen to the news while I wait for my brain to function.

The latest news feature gives me a story idea. I jot it down on a post-it I find nearby. Millie, hungry and annoyed, decides to chew on the paper.

7:05 – 7:30 AM

I finally head downstairs, much to Millie's delight. I cram a breakfast bar into my mouth and down it with warm water. I'm making a mental checklist of all the things I have to do for day.

While I try to prepare today’s lunch, Millie stalks me. After tripping over her for the tenth time, I give in and refill the cats’ bowls. I finish packing lunch and do some quick chores. I head outside to water the plants, or clean the litterbox, or put away dishes. Sometimes I do all three.

7:30– 7:40 AM

I shower, dress and iron my shirt for the day. I go downstairs, pick up my lunch bag, lock the house and get in the car.

As I’m driving out the garage, I begin to doubt whether I’ve unplugged the iron. I inch out the driveway, trying to convince myself that the iron is unplugged.

The overwhelming need to check if I’ve unplugged the iron builds to a crescendo when I'm halfway to the freeway entrance.

image from claybaboons.com

I turn the car around and make a mad dash back to the house. I run upstairs and, for the 3^rd time, check that the iron is standing and unplugged. I run back downstairs, lock all the doors and leave. For real.

7:45 AM – 8:45 AM

I commute to work on the 405. To keep from going insane, I listen to an audiobook.

Traffic on the 405, photo from townhall.mednet

8:45 AM – 9:05 AM

I wait outside the office for one of the managers to arrive and open the shop doors. While waiting, I read a book.

Reading while waiting

9:05 – 9:30 AM

The manager finally arrives ten minutes later. I rush upstairs to my work station and begin my morning ritual.

My work desk

I make myself some tea and munch on a 100 calorie snack bar.

Breakfast/snack

Like any other modern day writer, I defer writing in favor of logging on to my various social networks.

image from unrealstudio.com

I check my email, spend a few minutes on facebook, check my blog for comments and surf the web for some interesting news to share on twitter.

Finding nothing of value, I finally get to work.

9:30 AM – 11:00 AM

I write my blog posts for the next few days and schedule them, or I work on my assigned CBW-LA/ SCBWI tasks. If I’m lucky, I don’t have anything else to do but write.



11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

I file, I calculate, I process, I calculate some more, I photocopy.

I check when the next holiday is.

My trusty calculator

12:30 PM

I eat my lunch while watching Futurama or some other 30 minute sitcom on my smartphone.

1PM – 5PM

I alternate between working and writing.

I usually finish my daily work assignments in two hours, but occasionally the bosses will dump more work on my desk. I set aside my writing of course, as work always comes first.

5PM

I relish the fact that it’s Tuesday and I get to go home an hour early. I hop in my car, plug in my phone, and continue listening to my audiobook on my way home.

Listening to Audible on my phone

6:30PM

I have only enough time to get the mail, grab a quick bite, change into my martial arts uniform, play with the cats and rest before I’m off again.

7:10 PM

I spend five minutes using the lint remover. Getting cat hair off black clothes is always a chore.

More audiobook listening as I drive to my martial arts class. The story is getting so good and giving me tons of ideas, I almost miss my stop.

7:30 – 9:00PM

I have fun training in the Filipino Martial Art of Escrima. While I train, I visualize how my character will use the various moves I'm learning.



8:30 PM

I accidentally whack myself with the stick and suffer a big bruise. I decide one of my characters will experience the same fate.

9:05 – 9:20 PM

I drive home, eager for a shower.

9:20PM

I delay my shower in favor of watching the latest show I’ve recorded on DVR.

My inner critic makes me guilty for watching TV instead of writing or reading. I ignore her and continue to watch anyway.

10:30 – 10:45 PM

I finally shower and get ready for bed.

11:00 PM

Muffin and Millie refuse to let me sleep. I pick up a book and try to chip away at my teetering to be read pile.



Soon I’m reading the same line ten times. It's a sign that my brain has overheated.

11:50 PM

It's quiet now. The cats have worn themselves out and now they're sleeping at the foot of the bed.



I switch off the lights, and turn on my side.

Just when I’m drifting off to lalaland, I hear a loud purring and feel cat feet walking all over me. Millie finds her favorite spot and drapes herself over my thigh.

Millie, the snuggle kitty

I smile, give her soft head a scratch, and finally fall asleep.