Today is the first day...

"Today is the first day of the rest of my life," is what someone said during our introductions. This was the only quote that stood out to me out of the sea of individual blurbs consisting of names, bachelor degrees, graduation dates, content areas, quirky facts, etc. I began the first day of the teacher credential program orientation this morning. We watched a short video about twelve employees at a fish market employing good attitudes towards each other and customers. This same attitude could be applied to teaching – making jobs like play time filled with fun and laughs. Perhaps it is true that your attitude determines your altitude in life. Surely enough, Dr. Ambrosetti managed to scare most of us, or that is the assumption I'm making from the expression on other people’s faces. I was pretty scared of what's to come. Apparently, in October, we're all going to want to quit. It’s nice to anticipate that feeling just to know what to expect, to be as prepared as possible and strong in the midst of obstacles.

It has been a journey to get here, and it really does feel like the first day of my professional life. I know now I truly do want to be a teacher. I want to make a positive difference in people's lives. I want to help them want to learn, and to find what they're passionate about in my classroom - even if it’s something simple like jazz music from the 1920's in U.S. history, or economics because of the stock market crash in 1929. I hope they enjoy learning in my classroom and keep an open mind to multiple perspectives. I will get the privilege to watch them grow, make mistakes, and learn from them for the long run. I'm curious to get to know my future students, their talents, passions, and evolving interests. I have always wanted to do something of service with my life, and I can't think of doing anything better than making a living on being a nerd. lol. In the summer, I’ll still get to pursue things I’m also passionate about like art, curatorial work, and writing. I’m learning that you can love many things, but the difficult part is finding a profession that fuses all of your passions. I think this is it, but who knows. Maybe in October I’ll be saying something different. Wish me luck!

Coming of Age

I can't seem to stop watching the film, (500) Days of Summer. I blame it on my shameless addiction to Joseph Gordon-Levitt, which was catalyzed by my viewing of the movie, Inception, twice. Inception is excellent, and I'd see for a third time.

I really do love this movie about 500 days in man's failed relationship. Its not the typical, formulaic romance/comedy, but a coming of age tale.

"We arrive at a different conclusion, for one thing. Plus, most romantic comedies are more loyal to a formula than to emotional truth. It's about happiness, and learning that you'll find it within yourself, rather than in the big blue eyes of the girl in the cubicle down the hall. I wanted to make an unsentimental movie and an uncynical movie." - director, Marc Webb

I'm single, in a sea of friends and relatives who are already married, or who have already seemed to have picked out their future husbands and wives. I could be cynical about that, but there really is no reason to be. Its easy to assume that finding "the one" could fill that void we feel in ourselves at times, when we don't have those last calls of the day, or texts in between breaks. Its cliche to say "you have to be happy with yourself before you make someone else happy," but its so true, and easier said than done. As much as I know I want to be married and have children someday, I'd rather work on a life I'd want to live for myself, than settle for anything less than the best in terms of companionship. I want that inner happiness before building anything great with someone else. Perhaps I may seem selfish to some extent, but its true. I only hope I can live up to these mottos.

Reflection

Despite all of the malevolent or semi-traumatic things that may occur, I remain the eternal optimist –thankful for so much love in my life, appreciative for all of the support of what I want to do, who I want to be, and devoted to always seeing life experiences in a positive light.

It’s the grand and enriching adventure that I constantly seek out. Its living life, knowing that I have amazing people that surround me who have been there for me through it all –bad, good, ugly, and joyous times. It’s the idea of constantly growing through life experiences and maturing into someone I’ve always wanted to be.

What I have is a rare and keeps me from being jaded and cynical about the world. I really hope that when I’m in my 30s, I can still enjoy life and constantly appreciate the people in it. I know the world can be a fucked up place, but I’d be miserable if I just constantly focused on the negative rather than the positive blessings that come my way.

Perhaps I am someone who is easily amused because I do like everything at first. I appreciate everything and am annoyingly positive sometimes. It’s my thing.

Bottom line is, I love PRIND. There are so many memories we’ve shared, and so many great times to come. We keep it young and fun. We don’t have to do anything big to have a good time because it is indeed the great company that you keep that makes for wonderful memories.

Dream Job

After I graduated college in 2008, I just wanted to work at an art museum. Preferably the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. That was the dream. I traded it in for more realistic and stable pursuits, but I don't think I'll ever let this particular dream go.

In dreams begin responsibilities, and I'm still searching for where I belong. I only hope it involves art in some way, some form. The Norton Simon Museum recently had a job opening in their curatorial department of their Southeast Asian and Indian Collections. (!) I applied. Maybe someday I'll be qualified for it. I don't think I have much experience as far as classes, seminars, and research in Southeast Asian art, but its nice to day dream about what could be.

Curatorial - Southeast Asian and Indian collections, Full Time

We seek an experienced and qualified person to oversee and curate the superb Norton Simon Asian collection, one which spans two millennia and which is primarily comprised of sculpture, but also textiles, metalwork, paintings on paper, and decorative arts from the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas, China, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Responsibilities will include general oversight of this collection's permanent installation, as well as contributing to the temporary exhibition schedule. Duties also involve researching, updating and approving bibliographic and content information for the collection in all media, including audio guide text, web entries, labels, brochures, newsletters, press releases, exhibition catalogues and all other museum publications pertaining to the Asian collection. In consultation with Chief Curator and Conservator, this position will also regularly survey the collection and provide input and recommendations on general status of the condition and display of the objects.

Salary and level within the curatorial structure will be commensurate with academic credentials and prior museum and/or teaching experience. This is a full time position, with full benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance and a pension plan.

Please submit resume or questions by email or post to:

Chief Curator
Norton Simon Museum
411 West Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91105-1825
or email to artresume@nortonsimon.org

No telephone inquiries please.

Lost - The End is Near

Before I embark on some major catalog writing for the current curatorial project, "Fractions," I had to do one blog about the television show, Lost. I have followed the television creator, J.J. Abrams, from the shows Felicity to Alias and I have loved them all - Lost being my absolute favorite, hands down. J.J. decided to end Lost at season 6, since the latter shows did kind of drag on. Lost seems to be created by a larger design, as if they already knew what the ending would be when they first began writing the pilot episode.

The final episodes (4 to be exact) are upon us, and I wonder if everything will come together like pieces of a puzzle -six years in the making. Will all of our questions be answered? I'm pretty sad about the end since I only began watching the show during season 4, in 2007-2008 where episodes like "The Constant" defined the heart of the show - fate vs. free will, and of course time travel. I did some major catching up during the summer of 2008, but it would have been great if I discovered it earlier. The end is coming too soon and it still does not feel like enough time to tie all the stories together with a pretty little bow that will satisfy every fan - which is fine since I don't really like bows. If its left open ended, I'd be content with that too.

In the first season, Locke described the game of backgammon holding up a black and white piece to represent the whole premise of the show where dualities would be reflected in people and situations. Earlier episodes have shown that a con man (Sawyer) and a fugitive (Kate) could still have a heart, by acting compassionately toward their fellow survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. A spinal surgeon, (Jack) as talented and resourceful as he is suffers from a controlling god complex, thinking everyone he 'saves' owes him their life. Perhaps the island was a new chance for many of them, to disregard their past life and embrace their fresh, new start.

The best episode of this season (6) was "Ab Aeterno," which is Latin for "from eternity." The phrase is used to mean "since the beginning" or "for long ages." Questions about the mysterious Richard Alpert are answered about his inability to age, and his history. It also showed a second scene between Jacob and the man in black - probably my favorite because as much as they hate each other, they still can be polite and greet each other with "good morning" or "hello." They are respectively and appropriately dressed in black and in white. Its seems to be a civil opposition since they can't seem to kill each other on the spot. Like the game of chess, they can only defeat each other through strategic movements. As much as I wish season 6 episodes were like "Ab Aeterno," each episode showed through flash sideways (since we've already had flashbacks and flashforwards), characters were destined to meet regardless if Ocean flight 815 crashed or not. It was destiny for Claire and Kate to meet, just like it was destiny for Sawyer to meet Kate a second time stating that "it looks like someone is trying to be bring us together," in the last episode, "The Last Recruit."

I've read several theories (not spoilers!) on how the show will end, pointing to Jack, as the Candidate, the one to take Jacob's place as the protector of the island. The last episode made me think that Jack would possibly join the darkside, but then I realized, there could be a rumble, a true showdown between good and evil, the former man of god and the man of science. "Flocke" (Fake Locke) as they have been referring to the "Man in Black"/smoke monster in the blogsphere, may have the power to manipulate Jack just by speaking to him, as he had done with Claire and Sayid, but his powers have yet to work on Sawyer, Kate, or Miles. Perhaps potential candidates are immune to his powers.

This is my theory. If Lost is this huge, eternal chess game, then two individuals would be left to represent the light side and the dark side - the light constantly working to keep the dark from leaving the island. The game would 'reset' and old players and new players will be brought in for another round. As Eloise Hawkins has said in "The Constant," the universe has a way of 'course correcting' itself, so whoever the players are cannot escape their fate. It certainly feels like the Lost candidates never really had free will in the first place if everything they did was contigent upon a chance meeting and touch by Jacob. I hope they explain the implications of Jacob's touch, besides the explanation that it makes them candidates.


The cliffside cave earlier this season revealed potential candidates to take Jacob's place and protect the island:
8 - Reyes
15 - Ford
16 - Jarrah
23 - Shephard
42 - Kwon

I have this strange feeling that they might all end up staying on the island, because what kind of life will they really return to if so much of their fate was devoted to this mystical and magical place? Jack couldn't seem to leave in the last episode showing how the former "man of science," has evolved into someone that believes in fate and destiny. Perhaps some of them will feel the desire to protect this place as Jacob had.

Do you have any thoughts or theories? No spoilers please, since I'm anti-spoilage. Just your personal thoughts and theories. Post them here. :)

Curatorial Project: Salynrho - Initiated.

Salynrho -- Salvador Dominguez, Lyn Watanabe, & Rhoda Dizon.

Curatorial project "Salynrho" was formed by three artists/curators enrolled in art gallery management class (Art34 ab) at El Camino College. Lyn and I intended to curate a solo art show by Salvador Dominguez, a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After rejection, after rejection by L.A. galleries, we finally found a venue for the exhibition! It almost seemed fated that Lyn found a space that fit the dimensions of Sal's work perfectly.

It's official. Before I enter the teacher credential program in the fall, I'll get to chase my dream and curate a great, contemporary and complex solo art exhibition. I am mostly excited about the catalog where I can actually put my literary journalism degree to use:) I will post more updates as our project progresses on.

Look out for a solo art exhibition called, "Fractions," by Salvador Dominguez.

Tentative Dates: June 5-19th, 2010.

Location: Urban: Sanctuary. Los Angeles, CA.

5 Year Plan/Bucket List Revised

"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later." -Mitch Hedberg

I must admit, I've been feeling like this lately --especially in my curatoral pursuits. Rejection after rejection, I have new found respect for what independent curators must endure without the attachments of institutions that give them the connections and funding to curate.

The success of our dreams wouldn't feel as worth it without putting in a good fight or two in. Or, I'd like to think so. I promised myself a long time ago that I'd chase my dreams for as long as can. Now I understand that if I'm consistently passionate about it, I won't give up.

Welcome to my bucket list. It may exceed my time frame of a 5 year plan, but its my list, and I'll do what I want! lol

1. Have a solo exhibition before I'm 30 years old -- although this is subject to change depending on how long it takes for my work to evolve, for me to be satisfied with my original style, theme, mission statement, premise, cause, etc.

2. Become a teacher in art, art history, or social sciences in high school. --> A current work in progress.

3. Get an M.F.A. or M.A. in art history.

4. Work at a newspaper or magazine.

5. Work at a gallery or museum.

6. Work at a school. --> Done. Yay for librarians!

7. Work as an ARTIST. This is a farfetched goal in my family, but it would be cool to have a commission or two involving a mural to advocate for a cause I am passionate about. :)

8. Get my Ph.D. in art history or cultural studies and become a professor. --> It will probably remain on my list forever. lol

9. Take a tour to Europe to actually see all the paintings and architecture I studied while at UCI. Until I'm an established teacher or whatever it is I'm meant to do, traveling will have to take a backseat to my priorities.

10. Buy a time share in Las Vegas or Hawai'i for my parents. I want them to retire in luxury and style!

That is all. I'm sure I have more but they're on my other notebook to-do lists. :)