Delays.

*Sigh*. So I feel like a neglegent mother, and you deserve an explanation. Many have asked what the delay in their regularly scheduled Post Haste programming could possibly be. My apologies. The long and short of it is the internet in my apartment is currently down, and has been for a few weeks now, and that has thoroughly discouraged and interrupted my blogging. The only reason I am posting now is because I am doing so from my (new) cell. But I didnt want you to think you were forgotten. On the contrary: remember that interview series I said I would be doing?? Well, its happening, and I have thus far spoken with some truly amazing talent (a young man by the name of *cough* Chris Lightfoot *clears throat* will be settin off the series in its first edition).

So yeah, yeah, I know. I'm getting my act together. Let it be known that blogging isnt recession-proof, either. But we shall overcome. And you will get your fix again. Promise.

First Stop: Fashion?

Hey kids!

So, since my last post, some new things have started to happen. Already. *Shaking my head* This year, boy, I tell ya. For those of you who haven't already done so, please fasten your seat belts. Cause stuff is moving at break-neck speed. Trust me, I wouldn't lie to ya.

Anyways, so it seems the first stop down the rabbit hole is photography. Fashion photography, which is something I have always been interested in, but never had the oppurtunity (or courage) to really go out and do it. My excuse was always that I lack knowledge in the technical side of photography, and since fashion shots are usually heavily photoshopped, etc, I just counted myself out and stuck to head shots, events, weddings, and artsy fartsy stuff.

Not anymore.

Got a call from my friend: "Omg, Asia, hi, I have this shoot on Saturday, I lost my photographer cause she's dealin' with some personal drama, can you pleeeeease do it for me? There's not alot of money, but I will get you a lil somethin, cool?" Now, mind you, this is from a friend of a friend who I've yet to meet. But hey, I'm not doing anything that day besides cough in my apartment, so whatev. I'll do it.

Show up, and everything is gravy from start to finish. It was a swimsuit shoot poolside on the roof of someone's apartment building. Views of Runyon Canyon and gorgeous blue sky in the background, not to mention fantastic architecture from the neighboring buildings. It was like someone upstairs *ahem Jesus* was tryna set me up. For success, that is.

Shots are gorgeous, everyone's happy. "Great! That was fun" I think to myself, ready to move on. No.

"Asia! Ok so this guy, he's goin' to Fashion Week in New York on Thursday,so we need some shots for his promo cards that he's gonna get printed, it's a two-day shoot, and you'll be paid more for this one". Hm. Ok. Sure, why not. Then at the shoot:

"Asia! Yo, I'm lovin' the shots, thank you so much. After I get back from New York, I need to shoot my lookbook, I have lots of concepts that I wanna go over with you, cool?" Now, wait just a second. Since when did I become the go-to photog? I once doubted my skills in this particular photography department, but apparently no one else seems to think so.

So, I guess I'm doin' fashion photography now? What?! Weird.

No complaints tho. =)






P.S. name of the swimsuit brand is Hydra. It's a spankin' new brand, website link comin' soon...

How deep does the rabbit hole go? All the way to China...

Hi guys.

So I've been sick. Progressively sick. For like 3 weeks now. I sound like I have a smoker's cough. And I do not smoke. *sigh* Had a 101.7 fever 3 days ago. And I almost never get fevers. Thought I had gotten better. Then I got worse. Believe me when I say: This blows.

That said, I'll warn in advance that this post is gonna be a long one. Cause we have some catching up to do. Granted, I'll spare you the boxes of tissue I've gone through (3) and the number of times I took my temperature (37). And I definately won't share with you the amount of time spent in the WC after drinking my weight in water and juice (127 hours. Ha.) No, all that is a bit too personal. Get out my business. What I will share is the lengthy synopsis of what has transpired over the course of said illness and the new stage of life it has relentlessly brought me to.

So I'll start at the beginning.

The day I got back from that delightful holiday trip home to the east coast my boyfriend and I broke up. It was totally mutual, we decided we needed more time for ourselves, more space to grow as individuals, blah blah. We were living together, so I'm thinking ok, I will at least get to process this over the course of his moving out, right? Wrong. He's already moved out. Granted, it was out of a desire to spare me the drama of moving all his stuff back and forth, but it added to the "total life shift"-ness of the thing. Mind you, my suitcases are still in the trunk. This whole conversation between us happens during lunch on the way home from the airport. So when I finally do get home, the house has been cleaned, dishes are done. All his stuff is gone, and only mine remains. It felt so empty. But I'm thinking "Ok, but this wasn't a bad breakup cause we're still friends and such, right?" So, what's the appropriate response in a situation like this??

Party. That same night. And the next 3 to 4 nights after that. And I'm not really a heavy drinker, I can have a few and I'm fine; I am, however, a pretty WIRED dancer when left to my own devices, so please believe Asia jumped onto a few stages and shaked her rumpus (which the white boys in the crowd LOVED) til the night was done.

Then I get hit with what I think is pretty bad sickyness. BAM! Chills, cough, sneezing, that horrible itchy skin feeling. I'm not allergic, but I sure as hell started to suspect it. "Ok, clearly I just partied a lil too hard. And I did just get off a plane. It's coo. I'll lay low. Be back in action in a few days". Silly rabbit.

Now, a sidenote: late last year I started getting acupuncture and studying Chinese traditional medicine, their eating habits and dietary/lifestyle beliefs. Mostly because I am suspicious of the Western medicinal system that isn't rooted in prevention. That's insanity. The Chinese (and Japanese and Koreans...) have been practicing preventative lifestyles since before Jesus. And, let's face it, I'm Asia. I love the Chinese. So this time around I'm trying to recover with a more herbal approach as opposed to drugs that will only numb the issue. Plus I know this stuff is effective.

So I'm startin to feel a lil better. China's doin a body good. I'm takin the dog to the park, I'm lookin on craigslist for jobs, I'm catchin up with some friends. Meet a few guys, they're cute, they're nice. Ok. The cough still won't totally go away, and I'm giving it the side eye. Then...

A week goes by. Two weeks go by. Still struggling. Still coughing. Now I'm upset. Have the Chinese let me down? Am I doing something wrong? What's the deal? I don't have time for this! I need a job! It's a new year! I'm newly single! I gotta stay occupied! My body didn't care. Now there's a fever. A really high one. I'm feeling scared, as I'm not at all used to high fevers, and I'm all alone. No bf to take care of me, and all my friends are at work. Plus, I have no insurance. I call my mom, crying. She wires me some funds so I can go to a doctor (Chinese one, of course). And on the trip there I am literally praying to God:

"Ok, so I don't know why this sickness won't go away. I don't know why I'm forced to deal with it all alone. And I don't know what the hell is goin on with life right now. But I am asking that when I step into this doctor's office, it will change my life. Really. Thanks."

I walk in, and this little five foot nothin', 79 year old Chinese lady by the name of Dr. Esther Ting looks up at me. "Oh, you are so beautiful!" she says in an extremely heavy Chinese accent. I'm thinkin "Why thank you, Chinese lady. How nice of you to say when we both know I'm lookin like I have a 101 plus fever". But she actually really meant it. She takes my paperwork, and thinks my name is amazing. (Asians LOVE my name.) She sits me down, takes two looks at me, and says "You need to learn to love yourself."

Excuse me? I start looking around the room. *Pause* Is she talking to me? I know that in Chinese medicine they will analyze not only your physical state, but also your emotional state (because they believe the two are connected), but what direction are we about to go in right now? I know I look sickly, but do I look like I don't love myself?? Do I need a comb?? What does she mean? However, I don't respond yet. I have it on good authority that 79 year old Chinese acupuncturists know their shit. So I shut up and listen.

"You are too worried about everything. You worry about your career. You worry about your future. You sad about no more boyfriend. You are so worried, and so frustrated because you get sick and you think 'I can't be sick! I need job! I don't like to be alone! Hurry up! Get better!' But you needed to get sick. Because God is calling you to Himself. He's trying to get your attention. He's bringing you through a great shift in your life. You have a very great future. A VERY great future. You will have a very great husband. *pause as I reach for the tissues* You have good family, good mother. You have good God. You have so much sadness and much frustration in your lungs, and that is why you still coughing. God wants you to take this time, do not rush it, love yourself. He will take care of you. And I will take care of you too."

She continued to tell me about myself as she gave me acupuncture and some herbal medicine that evening. By 10am the next morning, my fever was gone.

Blown away. Couldn't even fully process all of what she said to me until today. My prayer had been answered, but in an unexpected way and through unexpected words. I knew that I could expect great things, great change, great experiences, great people in 2011. But for all of this to go down, and only in the month of January? To have someone, who barely knows me, speak such encouragement (and such correction) into my life all at once, and this is just the beginning? What in the world do the other 11 months have in store?

Oh, and in case you were wondering, she was totally right. Though I do love myself as a whole, I'm pretty hard on myself as well. I got mad at myself for getting sick! I completely ignored my sadness over a breakup! Perhaps both events had reminded me of my old nemesis, the feeling of failure. Boy fail. Body fail. Job fail. Epic Life fail. Right? I'm sure none of you ever feel this way. *Side eye* Well, unlike you perfect kids, I hate to fail. I hate feeling like I could've done better, or been further along in life if only xyz had been accomplished.

But, apparently sometimes you gotta just chalk it up to the game. Sometimes, in order for life to shift in the direction it needs to, some shit has to hit the fan. Some hearts gotta get broken. Some ailment has to come in. Some truth has to hit hard. But once the shell shock has worn off and you finish your sob story, real things start to happen. Real good things. And they never would've happened if the bad hadn't hit first.

So here I am, still nursing this cough as I try to let go of past relationships and current frustrations. I feel blessed and grateful for the process of it all, for the tremendous things God is bringing me to. For the way in which He totally hears me.

And I'm still tumbling down the rabbit hole...we'll see where it takes me....

a brief kick in the ass to start off the new year

so i shall soon (ie tomorrow morning) be returning to LA and all of the wonders, worries and bills that await me. whilst sitting here in my mother's living room pondering said bills and how i will pay them, a coined phrase comes to mind. and what is said phrase?

"do your job".

it's a simple concept, really. like when i don't pay my credit card bill on time? i say to myself "hey, self? yeah, you. do your job." or when someone f's up your order at bossa nova? u let them know. "sir? ma'am? do your job. thanks" boy/man-friend forgot to call you back? do. your. j-o-b.

couldn't be easier, right? and yet, day by day, month by month, year by year, the phrase must still be used with persistence and clarity. one of my besties is still writing letters to the supervisors of customer service reps 'round the world due to the horrid neglect of this phrase. i just watched keri hilson do a tragic rendition of beyonce a la dreamgirls on david letterman because someone in her management team wasn't doin their job. and now we all have to suffer.

it's appalling.

so what can we do in these negligent times? how can we ensure that starbucks orders are prepared correctly, that mortgages are paid without having to refinance, and that mexican children are not left wandering the streets in a quincenera dress and cowboy boots?

well, kids, as with most things, the answer lies within. ask yourself "what can i do? how can i help?" and the answer, as usual, is quite simple.

do your job.

so if you have an art project or an aspiration to sing songs (that'll actually improve the music industry), but are too scared to pursue your dreams because you're hiding behind the comforting walls of a cubicle and a 401k? do your job.

if you are overweight and have been makin new years resi's to lose 15 lbs every year for the last 5 years and STILL haven't lost an ounce? invest in a cleansing fast, honey, and do your job.

if you are busy criticizing the government or the military or republicans or your bosses for their ridiculous or corrupt policies, yet aren't watching the news, reading about the issues, forming a valid and cohesive opinion and then doing shit about it? um, yes we can, fool. do your job.

it's revolutionary. if everyone, from baristas to bankers to musicians to mothers who dress their children all started doing their job, the world would be a well-timed, much-improved, stress-free place. world hunger would end. peace would be possible. nerds would get picked in gym class.

so in 2011, let's start thinking about how we can do our jobs all day, everyday, kids. just as a member of this planet. i swear, you'll thank me later.

Resolute!

really want 2011 to be a year of purpose, focus, drive, fun, discovery and major gains. so i guess i'm gonna make one of those listy things. behold:

1. read the bible regularly. mon thru fri at approx. 10am each morning.

2. expand music collection to include more classics, more jazz greats, more rock and roll and more techno/house. and get a new ipod. brother says i need one desperately.

3. go thrifting at least twice a month. make sure to buy a top hat, 80s clothes with tons of sequins and more turquoise jewelry.

4. dye my hair blonde. maybe not all, but some part of it.

5. stop biting my nails. start painting my nails.

6. take my dog Rugby to the dog park (or run him on the treadmill) much more often.

7. call my mother at least once a week. call my brothers and sisters more often as well.

8. go visit my godson and his family in the Bay area at least once.

9. pay off credit card debt.

10. invest in stocks. save at least 5 grand.

11. ignite my new career and start my own business as a business manager.

12. feng shui (and properly decorate) my new apartment.

13. spend more alone time and more time creating (via photography, painting, drawing, poetry, writing, blogging, etc.)

14. drink water everyday.

15. eat fruit and veggies everyday.

16. expel pork, beef, soda and all fast food chains from my diet completely.

17. learn to pop my booty PROPER.

18. dance, dance, dance

19. take at least one yoga class and one dance class.

20. be confident in myself and in my abilities.

21. enjoy my freedom but maintain my balance.

22. volunteer for at least one program or group that's doing something i truly support and believe in

23. continue my studies on myself, other people and how the universe that the Lord set in motion affects us all

24. get more leos, libras, aquarius' and geminis in my life

25. get a tattoo (uh oh)

26. meet (and hug) Prince.

thoughts???

A quick post (and Jesus is in it too!)

sorry I haven't posted anything the last few days. accidentally left my laptop at home, then ended up stranded (not really, just didn't have a ride) in montclair, nj. had a wonderful time though, i love it when i get to see people and places that i haven't seen in years. saw quite a few friends' children that i haven't seen since they were toddlers.

the only fail of the last 2 days is that because i forgot said laptop, it put a damper on doing my first two interviews for the blog. but i'mma do better.

in closing, i'd like to leave you with a poem i wrote in high school that was randomly digged out of a drawer the other day whilst looking for the address of a long lost friend in Africa. The title? Jesus and the Cookie (based on a true story of Asia via 1987). Ahem:

"Mommy, may I have a cookie, please"
"No honey," she said with ease.

I made a face and a frown
Before turning to sit down
I thought and thought in my head
Until my frown turned to a smile instead

"Mommy," I said, "is Jesus everywhere? In my head and in my hair? In Goldilocks' great grizzly bears?"
"Yes he is," she said with care.

"Well," I replied, "if this is true,
Then that means he's in my tummy too
And I don't want to make him blue
Cause Jesus wants a cookie."

check the lyrical profundity!!! hope you feel inspired.

'night kids.

Inspiration for the Jersey Girl #1: Barbra Streisand

lately i've been going through a "musicals" stage; they're all i wanted to watch as soon as i came home to jersey for the holidays. not sure why, perhaps getting out of la for a bit and getting to play in the snow is making me want to sing and dance?? maybe i just want to see happy people doing happy things for 2 1/2 hrs straight?? the reason is still unclear, but i will continue to indulge in the meantime. so you may see quite a few entries on musicals, especially those with fantastic wardrobes.

speaking of which, yesterday i watched "on a clear day you can see forever" starring barbra streisand and yves montand with my very enthusiastic mother (it's one of her faves). i must say, it was crazy, but also marvelous and psychadelic, one of her best. its about a girl in 1970 who doesn't know or have much confidence in herself, even tho she has ESP (and later discovers she has been reincarnated from her past life as a woman in the 1800s. the costumes are AMAZING, you guys. AMAZING. observe.)



this unconventional brooklyn jewish beauty is definately inspiration for jersey girls the world over. so here's to you, barbs.



















<3

My First Series!

"awwww you done it now man..."

i was sitting in the shower this Christmas day thinking on life plans, when i began to contemplate all of those that i know, love and admire, and how inspirational, talented and ambitious the majority of those folks are...

all of them are a smaller part of the overall movement to simply create...to bring the world more of what it needs and less of what it wants: to bring art, artistry, truth, expression, love and the fullness of life back into the lungs of our cities, our parents, our enemies and our friends.

so here's to you, kids...i will be starting in the new year an interview series of artists, singer-songwriters, authors, bakers, actors, models, designers, nerds and entrepreneurs of every age and every shade.

Anticipate.

Christmas has begun...

woke up at about noon (eastern standard time)...


got downstairs and i found A Christmas Story was on the tele (as it should be)...


the tree was lookin' lovely...


and my stepdad bought the family a popcorn maker?? go figure, last time it was a karaoke machine...


Ma Tia doin' her thug thizzle...


paella on the stove, win!


my stepdad in his lair...


spongebob and chef joined us...


and we couldn't get Obama away from the dessert table, negros are so greedy sometimes...


and the bros totally scored...




so far it's been a lovely Christmas day...


Merry Christmas to all!!! And Happy Birthday Jesus!

Remember to love and give during this and every season. God is good, life is rich, and the future is ever so bright.

With much love,
Asia

Touched Down!

Just landed in the Garden State. Had some of Ma Tia's awesome black beans and cornbread with a few homemade walnut cookies for dessert. Decorated the 12 foot fake christmas tree with my two hilarious younger brothers. More to come in the morning.

dreamin' of l o v e...