Twist Film Festival 2016

I had an amazing opportunity to be a photographer for a film festival celebrating LGBT independent films in October.  I have always been drawn to the LGBT community and I think it is because many people I met in the past who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender were very lovely people.  America is advanced in many things but the discrimination against minorities, both gender and racial are yet to prevail.  The stereotyping is terrible here and it is to the point the average American is convinced Asians students are geeks and gays are sexually flamboyant in nature. I am offended with what is on TV most of the time as it is helping with the generalization.  No, I was actually terrible at math and no where near being a teacher's pet.  It did help me in college though since my professors always assumed I am a good student, but I hated the fact that a lot of people still treated me like I am a helpless Asian girl.

The attendees at TWIST seem very nice.  There were a lot of smiles and supportive atmosphere throughout the event.  I took photos of a premier of "Retake", which is a bitter sweet story about a man's plight of longing for his lost lover and how a young escort helped him be freed from the painful past.  I met the producer, Sean Mandell, who hosted a Q&A session after the showing.  He was a very handsome man and I stared at his face for a few seconds which made the situation a bit awkward.  It is true the best dressed and most handsome are on the other team!   The movie starred Tuc Watkins from Desperate House Wives and Devon Graye from Dexter.  I had an option of leaving the theater while the film was showing, but I really wanted to stay and watch the film. I enjoy watching independent films.  I can tell that the movie makers poured their hearts and souls into the film.   I was able to capture the happy atmosphere of the premier and I think the organizer liked me photos.

I was also invited to take photos of a dance of workshop of an amazing dancer named Lady B.  She is a transgender female dancer who specializes in soulful burlesque dance but in particular, twerking.  The workshop was titled Twerkshop and I was very excited to take a part in this event.  So excited that I decided to study a bit about Lady B.  I found a TED presentation she did at her university and I was very moved.  You can watch her presentation here.  She is amazing!  You have to watch it! 

The workshop was a lot of fun.  She welcomed me like I have known her for ages and the attendees were having a lot of fun.  I wish I could join in and dance, too.  I could not help but smile the entire time because it was an honest whole-hearted fun everyone was having.  It really doesn't matter if you are straight or gay, we were born to grow and conquer our challenges, find happiness, nurture it, and grow some more until we pass.  All the difference we have amongst people makes this world a big fun and interesting place to live. The word UNITY does not mean to act the same way.  I have a problem with people who want others to think and behave the same way as themselves.  Our civilization has come a long way.  Let's keep learning and lend our ears to people who are from different circumstances as you are.  Sure, it's not an easy thing to do to be out of the comfort zone, but a little effort can lead to a brighter future for all of us. I felt great being able to help the LGBT community.  I was happy to expand my community and gain a very valuable knowledge and experience with a group of wonderful people!

Aly the Soccer Gril

Aly joined a local soccer club this fall and it was one of the best decisions we made this school year. She had taken a skills class at a local soccer gym in early spring, but wasn't into it so much.  Since her friends joined the soccer team, she decided to try it again.  It's a popular soccer club in the area and many children from our school are members.  Their uniform is blue with yellow designs and Aly picked #12 for Seahawk's 12th man. 

The coaches were two Dads from the team and they did a great job motivating and making the practice fun.  Aly looked forward to her twice a week practice and never complained about playing in the rain.  October this year was the wettest October ever recorded, so the girls were wet and cold on many practice nights. 

Almost forgot! The team's name was Tigers.  Pre-tween girls love cats and it's one thing they all agree on.  I wasn't surprised they picked the big cat as their team name.  The Tigers was a  pretty tough team. They only lost three games out of ten.  Each girl played hard and they were eager to get on the field. Aly isn't an aggressive type but she is a fierce defender.  She has a great footwork and kept up with her opponent well.  I was impressed with how much she has grown as a soccer player.  By the end of the season, she was a valuable team member who tried her best on the field.

The Tigers tied the final game against a tough team from Mercer Island.  It's always nice to be in a strong team and win frequently.  It certainly boosted the girls' confidence level and they were driven to keep their good record going.  The most valuable gift they received though was the bond they gained as they played together.  They also became quite strong physically and mentally.  Aly used to get tired quickly when she ran, but she now manages herself to push harder without complaining.  It means she became tough mentally as well.  Sports and physical fitness are important for a person's overall well-being and I am glad Aly is on the right track.   She wants to keep playing soccer in the winter, but I put her and Saya in swimming.   It's starting tomorrow so they are very excited about that as well.

She already misses being with her soccer team, but glad to claim her Monday and Wednesday back for more free time.  I miss hanging out with soccer parents and coaches though.  We are looking forward to being in the team next year!

Noah Positive Changes

Hello everyone!  Not much activity in the blog lately and it may seem like I am going to abandon it, but I will work harder at keeping this blog alive.  I care about this thing like my own baby, my 5th child.  I only realize how far we have come as a family by reading this blog myself.  If not for the blog, I will never be able to remember the funny little things my children used to do or say.  My kids will have a little chronicle of their lives saved and I hope they appreciate it in the future. 

I am happy to report that Noah is doing tremendously well with the start of the ABA therapy.  ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis and it is a repetitive behavioral modification program which works very well with the children on the autism spectrum disorder.  For example, if Noah whines when he can't get a turn, the therapist would have him say "I want my turn please" and when he says it independently, the therapist would let him have a turn.  It's like having him memorize what kind of things he could say or do to get the outcome he wants.  It's a good starting point for someone who is not verbally fluent in a language. 

Vivian, Noah's ABA therapist, has been working with Noah since early October.  Since then, he learned to ask "what's that?" and verbalize things that he never said before.  It's awesome!  The changes happened so fast that we are baffled at his ability to pick up information very quickly.  And... drum rolls please... he is potty trained!  At first, Vivian had taken him to go to the bathroom every 20 minutes and he would go sometimes but not all the time.  When he did go, he received a reward (a small marshmallow for example).  I put 20 minutes timer on and took him to the bathroom when it beeped.  It sure was hectic at first, but gradually he began to hold the urine longer.  All I have to say now is "Noah, please go potty," and he happily runs upstairs to the bathroom and sits, pees, wipes, flashes and washes his hands!  I am so proud of him.  That goes for #2 as well.  He does it all by himself.  Honestly, he was running out of size for training pants and I was wondering what to do if he gets bigger.  I am so thankful for Vivian and the others who were very patient with him. 

He sees his ABA therapists five days a week after school.  That means my busy schedule even got busier! The therapy is at the town next-door, so I have to haul all other children in the car to drop Noah off.   I arranged Sean's swimming during Noah's therapy and I am going to put the girls in the swimming lessons also.  Aly has her soccer (which is ending soon) and Sean ended his basketball lessons a couple of weeks ago.  Saya is still enjoying her gymnastics classes on Saturday mornings and this constant juggling of schedule is keeping me on my toes.  I am pretty tired by the end of the day and that is probably why I have been absent from this blog! 

I am very thankful though that my children are thriving and Mike has a job.  I won't be able to be this agile if I had to work full-time outside.  The work at an big IT company can be very stressful, but he is trying his best everyday.  I am glad I married an honest and hardworking man (who is quite handsome in my opinion).  I really have nothing to complain about!