I decided to chill on the Solar

See Previous post: I Am No Longer Teaching Math Full-time

HB Library on a Tuesday...

Coming to grips with my current job dissatisfaction. Classic millennial dilemma.

Started with this thought:
Screw working for the °Solar Industry, I’m going back to teaching, dancing, and teaching dance.

Those are my dharma actions, that’s what I do.
That's what I've been doing as a private tutor, teacher, and dancer.
I do that naturally and that's enough to make a living.

Separate are my creations, that’s what I make:
Thoughts public, Moves, Connections, Lessons, Rhymes, Written compositions, Video Productions
I do that with conscious effort, and that, I hope, will make a legacy after my life.

I still think the Sun is badass. This is Pluto's pretty blue sky.

From my journal:

I think the Solar vision is in line with my philosophy, lifestyle, and world view about living on a space rock, but it’s not in line with my spiritual duty or course of work. I had fun permitting, but it was too easy, I was not being fully utilized, and when I got switched to sales, I basically sucked balls at that. I tried by best, but it was very difficult for me, and ultimately, Solar sales is not where I’m meant to be. I feel better tutoring and felt better teaching. That’s a sign I should align with that. Maybe Solar could be an auxiliary or supplemental component to my main purpose in life, but not at the forefront. I'm more fit to teach, dance, and teach dance.

Meanwhile, through my actions and creations, I aim to inspire, encourage, and ignite passion. Ignitin’ day. If you feel the urge to write, write away, you got the right of way. Ride the wave, its ups and downs. Sure as the world is robust and round, the way we write/ride is very much profound. Abolish the hate and let love surround. I love when everyone I love’s around. Shout to Michael Jackson, James Brown. In SoCal, back in town, not backing down.

 ^That happens every so often in my journal. Spontaneous word connections.



In a nutshell, I've been working in Solar since October, and I learned that although it was aligned with my philosophy, it was not aligned with my talents and skills; I thought I'd be good, but I sucked at it. And I'm excited to get back into teaching.. Whooo~


°I don't mean screw the Solar Industry itself, I like the industry, but working within it is not for me right now.

What a bad-ass.

I am no longer teaching Math full-time.

I got a new job in the Solar industry!!

I'm talkin bout the Sun, baby!

Why stop teaching math, Mr. Nguyen!? I won't stop teaching, and I'll still help ya, kid. I will still provide private tutoring and dance lessons upon request. But it's because my teaching license from Louisiana isn't accepted by the Commission for Teacher Credentialing in California.

Also because I think solar/renewable energy is the way to go at this time, and there's future in it.

Let's back-track a bit though.

I left California in 2013 to pursue a full-time teaching position without racking up more college debt, under the impression that I could transfer my teaching credential in California after 2 years of out-of-state teaching experience. (See CTC website – Route 2)

Sounds like a plan. All I needed was:

•Baccalaureate from an accredited university (UCLA) √
•Basic skills requirement (I pass the CSET Maths I and II and CBEST) √√
•Letter of verification of my 2 years from out-of-state employer √
•2 satisfactory performance evaluations from my employer √
•Comparable teaching credential √.... but wait... from Louisiana, it won't count!

So that's why that didn't work out for me. I'd have to go through a credentialing program, and I'd rather earn money than borrow more money right now, cuz I'm thinking of wedding and babies... ynahmsayin!!!

But it's not a total loss, because I got a lot out of my 2 years in Louisiana! I paid off all my credit card debts, paid down my student loans, bought a gas-efficient hybrid, met a ton of great people, trained/danced frequently, learned how to cook living on my own, and had enough saved to go on the best vacation of my life for 5 weeks, then stay funemployed for 3 weeks while I found a new job!

Riding Oxen in Thailand

So I'm not bugging, I'm super grateful to have left my Honda Civic in Louisiana, and to have come back with a Prius. I'm also grateful that I found a few jobs recently... went to 2 interviews and got offered both! I've been a Math Instructor in Cerritos for the past few weeks, but I will be leaving that position to start full-time at Vivint Solar, which I'm very excited for!

Also just started driving for Lyft, it's fun, but not equal to a job. Extra $$ though. Flexible too.
And I'm still putting together some short thematic books, to get them ready for publish and distribution! Very excited for that!! Get ready!

Til next time... peace outside, peace inside.

Facebook De-activation Experiment (pt. 2)

Day 3:
     - Found a profound and moving TEDx video, and felt compelled to share it with people. I didn't have an active facebook, so it went unshared. The video was brought to my attention through an email from my girlfriend. Thanks Mi ;)

Here's that video though:

     - I also want to express outrage for the cop who gunned down the unarmed father of 4 who was running away from him. That's outrageous. I wonder why I feel the urge to express that to others. Ended up doing that in face-to-face interaction eating with a friend. Better than being a computer screen.





Day 5 of detox:
     - Early start to my day. I got the urge to complain yesterday when I got 2 shots in the butt at the doctor. It was very unpleasant, and an annoying pain (literally) in the butt. I guess funny stories are fun to share on social media. The doctor diagnosed me with Bronchitis and ordered my leave from work until Monday.

(I didn't write much that day, went to Doctor's, pharmacy, bank, errands, etc.)


Day 7: The proceeding Sunday (4/12) after Detox

Conclusions:
     - Though I've been doing other activities, I find myself no more productive than normal. If I don't distract myself with facebook, I distract myself with something else, and work is procrastinated and rushed eventually. That needs a fix, and I don't think it's a problem with FB. It's a problem with me, I've been feeling so much in a funk, not depressed, but I feel unmotivated to work, along with sadness and longing... also tired lately. I feel burned out from work. Reflections reflections... I gotta push through.

    -  The main benefits of social media, for me, are:
1) Being updated and connected to events - Knowing event details, FB events is helpful for that. Getting invited and inviting people to events, sessions.
2) Sharing media, engaging in discourse about current events, topics of concern

Essentially, it's a tool for connection with the world around you. Not disconnection. Social media can be both, and causes many to be disconnected. Gotta be aware of the borders.


   - The main benefits of not being on a screen, for me, are:
1) Enjoying the present moment, awareness of surroundings;
2) Alignment of the mental and physical states (mind is in the moment, connected, not distracted by cyberthoughts);
3) Allowing the moment the happen without judgment; taking in the nuances of the immediate environment and finding joy from simple observation. That's pretty much it.

Facebook De-activation Experiment (pt. 1)

Last Sunday (4/5) I deactivated my Facebook! I was out for a week, and it felt great! It was the first time I had done that in the 9 years I've been on Facebook. I found some other things to do. These are the notes I took on Day 2 of 7.

4/7 Blog: Facebook de-activation experiment (pt. 1)

    Why:
    ⁃    Someone introduced the idea of a "social media detox" to me a few months ago. I liked the idea, because it implied that social media, like water, can be a toxin at high enough levels, though useful at moderate levels.
    ⁃    More recently, I've felt my interest in facebook decreasing, yet time spent on it continued. My posts have felt half-assed, and my productivity has stagnated. Facebook thus became less useful and more of a timezap. Detox was in order.


        Results:
    ⁃    Immediately after de-activation, it felt like a weight off my shoulders. No notifications to anticipate or wonder about (is that even normal? or a sign of disorder?). No need to update people with stati (though I enjoy doing that because of my geographical separation from home)
    ⁃    My deactivation began on Sunday, for 7 days. But on the same day, I needed to reactivate it because there was an event I wanted to attend, but didn't know the address! First incident where I needed facebook.
    ⁃    Also, I wanted to invite people to join me for an event, and I found facebook to be the easiest way to invite a bunch of people. Don't gotta pick up the phone or anything.
    ⁃    Also noting a change in my web-use, because one option (facebook) was eliminated, it allowed me to focus on other things. That's why you see a new blog. I should keep off facebook so that I can keep up with other things.
    ⁃    Though I find my motivation to get things done has not changed, still don't enjoy doing unenjoyable work, BUT my ability to get things done HAS changed due to a decrease in time/energy allocation toward facebook.


Findings:
    ⁃    I found the most useful thing about facebook is quick and easy communication with my network. Whether that's inviting, updating, or direct messaging...I only wish this communication was more in MY control (i.e. sending a message to everyone in a 20 miles radius, or to everyone in my SoCal networks), rather than relying on facebook's algorithm for what appears on someone's feed. I don't trust that algorithm, but I do enjoy the communicative infrastructure that facebook allows.
    ⁃    In the instance where I needed to find an address to an event, I found facebook to be necessary. In another instance, I wanted to search for someone, to see if they have a facebook. I could not access the search databases because my account was deactivated.
    ⁃    But damn, I got more shit done, and thankful just 2 days in, so far.
    

2 Recordings at 2am from my Car Studio

I just bought a recording mic!!!

Enjoy these free MP3s!!

∞Beginning Blessings.zip (3.1mb)
   § 01_Just Beginning (prod. by DJ Premier)
   § 02_What A Blessing (prod. by DJ Premier)

Download ^that while you read this, it's only 2 song files.

I grab the microphoneme, hold it tight.

I recently got a mic to record higher quality audios for my audience. Though not a typical sound booth, it turns out that a CAR, while in park, has naturally good acoustics. The vibes are contained without dissipation, that's why music sounds great in the car.

Not my car, but the scene set-up looked something like this, but at 2am.

The beats are not mine, they are instrumentals from the 2012 album KOLEXXXION by Bumpy Knuckles and DJ Premier, so I'm not gonna charge money for Premo's production.

The first track is an opening verse, my first real audio release to the world, so it's just the beginning! The verse is legit though (no bias), starting with the first 2-4 bars til the end... PEEP, DON'T SLEEP.

And the 2nd recording... It really inspired this whole thing. After I got home from session on Monday, I had this rhyme come to my head, went like this:

I miss that old feeling of having a first kiss.

Thinking back to moments of bliss, I reminisce

About girls once really cool with... now we're through with.

We vibed together like music and our love was deep-rooted.

I cared for them all...

I wrote the whole thing, then recorded it immediately, along with a few other tracks Monday night. Finished my recording session in the early AM hours.

Disclaimer though, I haven't had that many girlfriends (I count 3 real ones), but that's from the heart! I'm not with them now, but when I was, I really cared a lot for them. They were my world, joy and inspiration at the time. I hope I was a decent bf; if I had yelp reviews, I think they'd be mainly positive. And the last 6-7 bars are for my current gf, Mi Amore. I made her a song about 9 months into our relationship, and she still inspires me to write. Peace love.


Now that you've downloaded the songs, I recommend you listen to it in the car, or on headphones, because this music isn't meant to be played on a laptop/computer or while multi-tasking. At least don't judge it til you give it a good listen.


 This is the journal entry I wrote right after writing "What a Blessing":

2/23/15
I just made one of the best verse I ever made. Brand new from pure inspiration. What a blessing. And it's almost a letter to my exes, but in a positive way, not a usual misogynistic hip hop way, which turns off a lot of people. I make a note to refer to all the women as queens and nothing less. I will share in the mp3 shortly.

Enjoy!

Re-vised material from 2010 and new 2014 @4:00am

I thought it was whatever so I never shared it. It's not bad though, but it's still whatever. I just revised it and made it a little better. Have it for free. Wrote this early 2010, in my 4th year at college.



Spare Me the Hype

Break beats, break stereotypes.
I'm not a passive child,
Developed my rapping style
so i don't get smoked
like a joint or a roach, or a black and mild.
i like boo's, shoes, and acting wild.
it's been a long and lasting while
since an Asian brother like me,
got the chance to get free. I can't mask my smile.
so like the Nile, I flow and give life.
i bring peace/piece like a paper or a pipe.
and, i like melons when they ripe.
but Bite? not quite. stay polite with insights
hide when you within sight.
I'm the son, I been bright.
First came matter, and then light.
Don't get shocked like Dendrites*

 Ooooh thunderous! I like that one now. I remember exactly where I was, and what was going on, the day/moment I wrote the original.

 Also written just earlier that year. I was asked to write a short bio for myself:

Tom T. Nguyen
is not good at writing biographies for himself. He has been a difficult person since the womb. He is not easy to put up with, or understand. He grew up in in the Garden Grove School District when it was bad, and believes that this is what makes him a little bit cool and "Mexican-washed." After moving to the Fountain Valley School District, he became a dork, and has remained that way since. This has allowed him to do well in school and be awkward around girls. In 2003, he thought learning to dance would make him cool, but it didn't. Sometimes he will devilishly advocate, and this causes arguments.  He grew up atheist, but lately he has been feeling spiritual. He is now good friends with God.

Hell yeah! I find that sh!t hilarious, and it's actually very true. It's not a bad sum-up of me, in the style that I would do it, back in 2010. I guess that "style that I would do it" changes constantly. Something I would write in 8th grade would be different from what I would write now, right now. So the message is to write! Just write! Always be writing. I have so much written. "Write anything you don't want forgotten." At least keep a journal, but personal recording sake!




Also wrote this this morning:

10/17, Friday morning, 4:00-4:30am

I think I'm gonna be Wolverine for Halloween.
It's my second year in New Orleans.
Gettin that green, got myself into the scene.
I know my royal lineage so I found myself a queen.
It's easy to be lazy, and nothing's what it seems.
What you need to do is find a winning team.
And then work hard and never give up on your dream.
That's how you rise about the average, if you know what I mean.

I'm backed by statistics, play with linguistics
When I'm feeling uplifted, Young, Fresh and Gifted.
Wicked slickness, get wit this and bear witness.
Love the bare wetness. Don't compare weakness,
Just peep this. Make the main point, my thesis.
If we ALL work TOGETHER, it's harder to defeat us.

So let's not be cheaters, let's be high achievers.
I expand like the Uni-verse, stay balanced like Libras.

That is all for now. Have a great day!

Blood Moon Eclipse

Written Wednesday night 10/8:

Lucky I caught this.

So stepping out my door at 6:19am this morning, I saw the moon. I said "Oh shit! The eclipse!" And I hurried my backpack and bookbag and all my workstuff into my car, then tried to take a picture of the moon on my phone. The picture turned out looking like straight bullpoo, cuz you can't take pictures of celestial bodies with a phone. I was running kinda late too, so I RAN back into my house, pulled out the Nikon, ran back out, put it on zoom and higher exposure, and snapped a few shots!

This first shot came out right!

I had not expected to catch this so-called "impossible lunar eclipse," because I read it was only visible from the East Coast, at 6:25am EST, and only for 9 minutes. So not fitting the viewing criteria in both space and time, I had settled into thinking I was not going to see this eclipse. Apparently it's the 2nd, in a series of 4 consecutive, and an impossible occurrence of the Sun rising and Moon setting at the same time in a less than 180° view of the sky, only possible because the atmosphere refracts light and yada yada.. But I saw it anyway, and it lasted for a while too. Throughout my entire commute to work, the moon was eclipsed, made for distracted driving on the overpass, and even when I got to the school, I was still able to snap some pictures of it.

The 2nd picture:

2nd shot came out tricky.

3rd shot, using the powerlines as reference, shows how fast the moon was setting/moving/
relative to Earth rotating (compared to 1st shot)

They say these celestial events coincide with shifts on earth. I don't think causation is provable, but with many new advances in technology and progressive changes in society, human civilization is at a pivotal and extreme point. We are also shifting from an industrial-based political-economy to an information-based political-economy (that's a topic for another day). Also there are at least 2-3 major wars/political conflicts going on right now... Turning my awareness toward celestial bodies in the heavens brings about calmness in the present, excitement for the future, as well as connectedness to the ancients, in a world that's really crazy these days.

Worst come to worst, look up.

Seeing Saturn in a Telescope O_O

Something trippy. I don't look through nice telescopes often, so when I went to the Gretna Observatory last night, which is open for public viewing on Monday/Wednesday nights after dark, I was BAHLOWN away by the real image of Saturn!

It's crazy! You can just look out there in the darkness, point the telescope at the right spot, and there it is. A bright, ringed planet. Real image in real time. Not some video playback.

This image was the closest I could find, to compare to what I actually saw.

And another crazy thing is that it appears to be MOVING. And rather QUICKLY! After you fix the telescope to get it in view, it moves across the scope in less than a minute, looks like it's flying.

At first glace, the planet looks like a "flying star," so I asked the 2 astronomers I was with: "is it really moving that fast? Why is it moving so fast?" Instead of answering my question, they told me to think about it. Then I understood it was because Earth was also rotating. It's a higher level of thought, to grasp that, every perspective is a relative perspective; it's understandable how past astronomers could have gotten it wrong, thinking geocentrically. But from Earth, the planet Saturn is still beautiful.

You can see Saturn in the sky with your naked eyes, but you'd need a slightly attuned eye to distinguish it from a star. Planets are actually visible in the sky often throughout the year, especially Venus, Jupiter, and Mars, but most people just think they're stars. This thing is also in the sky throughout the year, but often obscured from view, by light pollution and atmosphere.

We live in this shit, and it's in the sky every night.

I also saw Mars in real time, which was cool to see, thinking we have some SUV-sized rovers up there, taking pictures and collecting samples. One day might have people out there. Pretty far out. A mission to Mars is pretty crazy.... exciting to think about. New frontiers.


The local astronomer guy also pointed the telescope at some globular clusters. He called some "deep space objects." Not like the planets nearby, further out, but still a part of the Milky Way. In fact, I learned that there are a lot of globular clusters (big clumps of stars, gravitationally attached) going around our galactic center, what many believe to be a SMBH (Super Massive Black Hole).

M11, or Messier 11

Pretty crazy that you can just look out and see this shit. I am fascinated by space.

Photo Journal: Home-made Fish Tacos!

I'll probably never publish a cookbook in my lifetime. But if I were to, it might look like this:

I cooked up some fish (which is normal) then turned them into fish tacos (which is new, for me). I'll show you how. It's Eeasy!

Ingredients:
-Cooking oil (I used olive)
-Pre-chopped onions
-Pre-minced garlic
-Spinach leaves
-Red/Black pepper
-Garlic Salt
-Any other seasonings you want (I used Tony Chachare's and cayenne pepper)
-Any fish you want (I used tilapia)

-1 egg (optional)
-Tortillas
-Leftover rice

Mostly basic stuff. I don't have tomato, but that could work too.
So let's get started!!


Step 1. Pour oil radially in a golden ratio shape to ensure best distribution on the frying pan.

2. Throw some pre-chopped onions on there.
Tip: I chop up 1-2 onions at some time in the past I don't even remember,
then keep them ziplocked in my fridge for easy access.

3. Add pre-minced garlic and some salt and pepper.

4. Lay some spinach leaves on top.

5. Then put the fish on top of the bed of spinach, and season the fish!
I put cayenne and Tony Chachare's, and the garlic salt and red/black pepper.
Let the fish cook for however long feels right.

6. Flip the fish when it's ready. This was 2/3rds the way through my flips.
I regret not taking the picture of all the fish post-seasoned but pre-flipped. It was a delicious sight.

7. Once the fish are flipped, let the other side cook.

 Starting to look good!

8. Meanwhile, season the white side.
I also split each of the 3 fish into 6 half-fishes. Better sized for tacos.

9. Flip them again and now it's beautifully seared.

Fish cooked! That's it. Move them elsewhere.

Then....

Split an egg up.

Throw some leftover rice on it.

I noticed the rice was starting to dry, so I added water. 
I season the rice with Tony Chachare's too.

Heat up the tortillas!

Find some leftover sauces.

Fish.

Served!

Don't forget to have a drink. Stay hydrated.

haha what's it look like?

Fire sauce.

My last and most delicious taco.

Enough for future eats!

So all's well that ends well.

I've been saving some money cooking and eating in this past month (August 2014). I learned a thing or two about cooking too. And I used to be terrible at cooking. It goes to show that anything can be learned for those who are willing to learn and practice. Then it can be transformed and personalized into your own.

My Experience of Mardi Gras, New Orleans

Happy Ash Wednesday! 

It's my first year in New Orleans! Because of that, I'm less experienced than most people around here. A Mardi Gras virgin. I learned a bit from asking natives and locals about their experiences of Mardi Gras. Talked to teachers, friends, friends' parents, students... mostly because I thought it would be fun to listen to them, and also because they probably enjoyed talking and being listened to.

I. First Things First
So first, I'd clear up the misconception that Mardi Gras is a 24/7 "Girls Gone Wild" party. It's not really like that. But you can find that if you want, on the same street you always find it. Bourbon. HAHAH. A lot of the festivities take place all over the city, and are family-oriented, appropriate for all ages.

Zulu Parade Float

II. What I Saw
There are a lot of parades! The weeks-long schedule of parades was probably the main thing the sets New Orleans apart (from other cities who celebrate the same day). Elaborately decorated floats, occupied by drunk people in costume, throwing beads and other goodies at screaming audiences. Catching stuff is fun. It's hard to go wrong. The floats were accompanied by marching bands, music, confetti, and cops. Sometimes horses.

I only went to one Saturday parade. Endymion. It was pretty awesome. Didn't take any pictures though, only Snapchats. Made off with a heavy neck full of beads. Had to get there early to avoid traffic. Partook in some libations, but not much. It was a lot of fun though!

The audience is pretty diverse, pretty much everyone is outside on the streets. People camped out in the middle and sides of the street. Some barbecued. Some broiled crawfish. It was a familiar and lovely smell.

It's soooo delicious. Crispy, soft, cream-filled.

I got introduced to King Cake, which is delicious from Hi-Do Bakery! Got it stuffed with the cream cheese. Toooo good. Need another.

III. My Mardi Gras
On Mardi Gras day itself, the weather was pretty cold, rainy. I didn't do anything crazy. Went to the supermarket. A parade rolled by in front of my neighborhood. But I stayed away from the parades/parties in the city, just to rest, avoid the mess, and take care of things at home. Cooked. My life is pretty mild these days, don't feel the urge to party or have alcohol my system. In a time when I see a lot of "turning up," I suppose I turn at my own pace.

Post-Mardi Gras clean-up on Bourbon Street

I saw enough to get a sense of what it was, and I loved it, but I guess I didn't see much at all yet. Will wait until 2015 to experience more.

I'm grateful to have had this "Mardi Gras break." It gave me an opportunity to de-stress (started it off with a massage), and to spend quality time with myself, away from the pressures of work. I made time to meditate, reflect, stretch, and clean up the neglect (cleaned my car, room, dishes, etc.). And of course, like on Valentine's Day, I danced to my heart's content. Much-needed. I love Mardi Gras.

IV. In Conclusion,
My curiosity about the tradition led to some internet digging, and I learned some new things...

Mardi Gras is not a strictly New Orleans thing. Cities around the Gulf celebrate it, and it's also a part of something much bigger, and worldwide. Here's a really good article about all the Mardi Gras celebrations around the world, from Brazil to Italy.
http://www.10news.com/news/how-mardi-gras-is-celebrated-around-the-world-03032014

In the end, it's not a party thing, it's a spiritual thing. And the real journey starts on Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days, 40 nights. I'm giving up some vices. Can't discuss it publicly though.

Have a blessed Lent season, eat lots of lentils!

Took a walk, blew my mind.

Definition of mindfulness: 1. a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. [Google]

2. a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience [Psychology Today]


I. Went for a walk...

In a mindfulness practice, I left my phone at home and went for a walk around my block yesterday (Sunday). It was a beautiful afternoon, cloudy, kinda wet with the morning rain.

I would normally post a picture here, but I didn't take any pictures during this walk.

I wanted to get away from any texts, snapchats, or phone notifications. I felt the warmth of the sun, smelled the (swampy) air, and enjoyed the variety of houses and cars on my block. Colorful. Overall, it cost me a few minutes, which I did not mind investing.

Even though I feel busy all the time with my teaching work, I figure a few minutes of walking wouldn't hurt. And besides, most people FEEL more busy than they actually are. See: Students who play all the time and complain about being busy. HAHAHAHA.

After the walk, I felt a lift in my mood, energy, and mental clarity. I did my laundry, cleaned my room, and made a cherry-mango smoothie. I was getting it all done with deliberate attention on the moment and experience. That mindful type of attention made even the most menial of tasks more enjoyable.

I don't remember who put me on the tip of mindfulness and being extra present, in the moment, but I OWE them! Awesome people... probably Helene or Mi.

II. Then did some research...

So I'm thinking a lot of us could use mindfulness exercises. It would probably benefit our lives. After getting some things done, I started reading about all these benefits to having mindfulness (well-being, lowered blood pressure, savor more pleasure, etc.), and thinking my STUDENTS would benefit from this. They need it more than I do. These are some articles I found on the subject...

PsychologyToday: The Art of Now: 6 Steps to Living in the Moment
HelpGuide.com/Harvard: Benefits of Mindfulness
Reader's Digest: 10 Steps to Mindfulness

And, Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now is a seminal work on the topic.

III. In Conclusion, ...

As a teacher, (not trynna hate, but) I see an appalling LACK of mindfulness in today's students, the majority having to constantly check their phones for texts and instagram updates, resulting in a distracted mental state, not suited for robust learning to take place. So it's apparent to me that I can't just teach math lessons; I have to show these students how to be attentive, conscious, and adopt the habits of more productive students. To FOCUS!

I'm trynna teach these kids math, but they don't even know how to harness their energy or concentrate!
BUT if you learn to focus, harness, and concentrate your energy, it's one of the most powerful things you can do for your life.

Potential unbounded!

There seems to be a push toward teaching mindfulness in schools.
See: http://mindfulnessinschools.org/ -
Their tagline: Mindfulness in Schools: For the flourishing of young minds

And here's a recent article, dated January 17th, 2014: Low-Income Schools See Big Benefits in Teaching Mindfulness


Such recent interest in the topic tells me I'm not the only on this tip at the moment. I bet it's trending. #Post2012

Hahaha... "Breaking teachers are everywhere"

So this little video I made got shared a few times, a few people told me I was viral.
breaking teachers are everywhere

I was like: "Viral? What viral?" Cuz I was SICK at the time too so yeah, I definitely WAS viral or bacterial or had something unbalanced in my system. The video was shared, mostly by strangers,  and liked up to about 570ish, by about 400 people that I don't even know.

Only about 130 of those 570 "likes" were my network of wonderful friends, truly amazing people, most of them. Haha. And I love the hell out of them. I'm blessed for the people I know in my life. They're probably amongst the ones reading this. Thank you for being in my life!

For the other 440, I guess a dancing professional is amusing to people. Refreshing to see. Engaging to students (I hope).

When I made the video, I didn't think much of it. Just responding to my friends tagging me in the Strife.tv video. It only took like 5 minutes, I figure I'd put the quote in at the end, to make it be about Knowledge ultimately. Knowledge reigns supreme.

Anyways, that was a pretty funny experience,

and that's not even my best dancing! Most bboys wouldn't like it, cuz it's not new or dope, it's just better than that older guys', but he deserves props too for getting down in the classroom and nurturing minds daily!!

Original video: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151989988466655

In fact, truth be told, it's not even a great representation of real bboying, just a simple power combo.

To a non-breaking person, it looks hard. But to be honest, even to a 2-3yr bboy, that's a basic combo.

But the idea is POWER.

You thought it was hard?
What if I told you it's actually easy?

You can harness it, and it becomes easier once you have the Knowledge.
Everything is easier once you Know how to do it.
Knowledge makes things easier.
Knowledge is Power.
And having knowledge of your power makes doing powermoves easier.

Anyone can learn it.

So I had to wrap up at the end of the video: It's easy once you have the Knowledge, so the key is the Knowledge. That unlocks your abilities to do amazing things.

New Life in New Orleans

It's been just over 4 months since I made the drive to New Orleans. Teaching Geometry/Algebra II in NOLA has been one of the major shifts in my life, both professionally and personally. I am learning new skills, gaining new experiences, and finding myself more.

Only took 2 nights. Great road trip.

My old life was... not bad. Still love my life and my people back in Cali, but a change was due. Can't be too complacent, had to step it up.

I actually felt like I wasn't growing enough in Cali, felt bubbled-in between OC and LA, and I wasn't contributing my full potential. Felt under-utilized at the school I was working at, and I felt unfulfilled at the sales job I had consulting businesses. I still don't feel like I'm at my fullest potential, but I've made significant changes in my life since last year.

Camping during our road trip (Kartchner Caverns, Arizona)

Anyone who knew me before would say that I stay up late, I wake up late, I can't cook, and I burn leaves. Although some of that is still true, my habits have improved considerably; I wake up way earlier, I'm less lazy, and am more confident in the kitchen now. My first consistently-paying full-time job really helps too. Along with the lower cost of living here. I feel like a more effective person overall. 

She motivates me to be a better person too (Riverwalk, San Antonio)

Just a year ago, in 2012, I was hardly employed. I did go on a neat vacation to SF with my GF, but it was all on a budget. I was not doing too well professionally, or financially. At least for my standards. The two years before that, I was working part-time at a middle school in Santa Ana (Mendez). Throughout that time, I was networking, looking for classes, seminars, professional/personal development. Bubbling ideas for an LLC. I spent a few months doing Sales and MLM...I may have bugged some friends. Good thing I'm not doing THAT anymore, riiight? Overall, great learning experiences in my post-college life, but I didn't find my niche yet. Still haven't, but much progress has been made.

Gotta enjoy the journey (live from somewhere... New Mexico?)

Been one heck of a ride! (San Antonio)

I view life in seasons and segments. Chapters. This has been a pivotal chapter for me.

I came to NOLA in June knowing one person (from high school), having no place to stay, and no car.
Got trained for 5 weeks, landed a job, met the dance scene here, lived in the French Quarter (which was a blast), and then flew back to Cali in July. 3 weeks went by fast. By the end of July, I was back in Louisiana, with my gf, who joined me for the road trip. Having her here made it so much different, so much better. Having a car helped too. With Mi's assistance, I found this great house to live in, love my house mates, love the location.

Seems like a good growing season. Been sowing seeds, watering daily, snacking on some fruits, and watching roots grow. Looking forward to what 2014 has in store.