Young, Driven & Inspired

A poem written by one of my students…a 12 year old girl...

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:18:07 -0500

A poem written by one of my students…a 12 year old girl who has taught me far more than I could ever teach her.

Our future is bright - I believe in the youth!

~ J

Needless to say, I need to step up my tumblr posting game (as...

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:25:00 -0400

Needless to say, I need to step up my tumblr posting game (as I’m sure J and R will agree).

It has been a passion-filled, inspiring, challenging, and emotional year of Kollaboration New York 6. I am still in recuperation of it all and slightly in denial that it’s over. I shall leave you with my director’s welcome note, which I included in this year’s program booklet, along with some videos, that do a good job summing up this beyond-incredible experience.

Supporters, Friends, & Family,

Welcome to the 6^th annual Kollaboration New York!

On behalf of the entire staff, I am incredibly honored to share this evening with you as we celebrate the talents of rising Asian American artists in the Greater New York community.

Frank Sinatra wasn’t kidding when he sang, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” New York is home to some of the most outstanding artists in the business, and in turn, home to the hardest working ones as well. New York demands the best of the best, and I am extremely proud to have the top six competing on this stage tonight.

Whether this is your first Kollaboration show or your fifth, the movement of Kollaboration works to inspire all those involved. Through our efforts, we have and continue to be a premier launching pad for these performers to reach success in the mainstream. Artists like Far East Movement, Dumbfoundead, Kina Grannis, and David Choi have all graced the Kollaboration stage. Kollaboration proves to continuously open doors, both for the community of artists out there, and all those involved in supporting and building the movement.

The Kollaboration New York staff has worked extremely hard over the past year, having volunteered their personal time and effort to bring you this showcase. I have been blessed beyond words with a staff full of passionate individuals who give flesh to our mission, “Empowerment Through Entertainment.”

So first and foremost, THANK YOU to my entire staff; this night is a true testament to your talents, skills, selfless vision and commitment to our cause! I would also like to thank our friends, family, community partners, and sponsors—this show would not have been possible without your continuous love and support! To our special guests this evening, we are so grateful for your involvement, and your infectious energy has brought Kollaboration New York to an even greater caliber this year.

To our audience, you are the fuel that drives the Kollaboration momentum. We hope you will share our vision tonight and continue to support it for the years to come!

Enjoy the show!

Cat Chung
Executive Director
Kollaboration New York

“The people who are crazy enough to think that they can...

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:04:44 -0400

“The people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world…are the ones that do.”

As my family celebrated the 35th anniversary of our studio this...

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:31:00 -0400

As my family celebrated the 35th anniversary of our studio this past weekend, a huge part of my parents’ successes is largely due to my mother. She has been the silent ROCK in our family & studio. There is no other being that is as resilient & selfless as my mother.

Words can’t describe how much she means to me - I am humbled by her every single day and can only hope that I will become half the woman she is…

~ J ~

The phantom third contributor is finally making her debut...

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:09:55 -0400

The phantom third contributor is finally making her debut post.

Unfortunately, the past 30 minutes of writing conveniently disappeared into the black hole of the World Wide Web. And unfortunately, my fingers are tired.

So… here’s the short of the long.

Yesterday my staff and I spent the entire day in Brooklyn shooting my non-profit’s promotional music video. Thanks to the generous sponsors and time and talent of our crew and competitors, we had a very successful day! Above are a couple of sneak peek shots from the shoot. The video is going to be beyond incredible, and we can’t wait to drop it in a few weeks.

WATCH OUT WORLD!

-C

The Unforgettable Ones...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:53:00 -0400

My family’s business has probably seen tens of thousands of kids through its doors throughout its 35 years of existence. I, personally, have taught hundreds of kids….every single one of them are special. But there are just some that are UNFORGETTABLE.

The ones that have probably taught you more than you’ve taught them.

Today, we are saying bye to two boys who are a part of the “unforgettable” group: a set of brothers, S & R, who are two of the most vibrant kids I’ve ever gotten to know. They are relocating to Alabama.

S has some special needs - over the three years he’s been with us, he and his family have seen remarkable changes in their lives. He’s matured and developed in ways that we had never dreamed about before and has subsequently become the absolute light of our studio, especially for the kids that see him every day.

I hope the transition to AL will be a good one and that he’ll get everything and more from the school that he’s moving to. His impact on my family and me has been far more substantial than we could have ever impacted him. Kids like S & R don’t come through the door often, but, when they do, it’s just another thing…

It’s hard to see them go but they will FOREVER be a part of the studio and our hearts.

It’s always like that with the unforgettable ones…

~ J ~

Words to live by: “You must not idly stand...

Tue, 24 May 2011 11:47:53 -0400

Words to live by:

“You must not idly stand by.”

“I still have faith in humanity.”

~ J ~

THE PASSION TRAP

Wed, 11 May 2011 12:40:12 -0400

http://bit.ly/iPUfgs

Very interesting read. I can say that in my (very) young career, I’ve already seen how passion can really blind you from reality…for these entrepreneurs, it led to complete failure! Always important to have good people around you who will support you but also keep it real!

Note to self: HANDLE PASSION WITH CARE!

~ J ~

This video is extremely touching and really exemplifies the...

Wed, 04 May 2011 11:28:44 -0400

This video is extremely touching and really exemplifies the strength of compassion. As we all try to make our respective marks in this world, these two women remind us of how important it is to be compassionate and try to understand and get to know OTHERS.

As the nation is reacting to the news of Bin Laden’s death, no matter what your opinion is…this video is refreshing and brings light to the good in this world.

~ J ~

I love this quote… ~ J ~

Mon, 02 May 2011 21:34:27 -0400

I love this quote…

~ J ~

¡Bienvenidos al Peru!

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 11:58:36 -0400

I have been in Peru for about 6 days and have hit the following spots: Lima, Pisco/Paracas, Arequipa/Chivay/Colca…we just arrived at Cuzco and will be venturing off to Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, and the Sacred Valley in two days! There is so much to write and I will make this as succinct as possible…

Surviving or Thriving? Since the initial cab ride from the airport into the city of Lima, Peru has radiated a sense of calm & simplicity. So many people in the city of Lima doing a million things - as an outsider looking in, I could still sense a slower rhythm within the craziness. Dont get me wrong, the streets are still bustling and busy but there´s a different feel to the fast pace here. Whether it was in the isolated ghetto neighborhoods that we drove by on our way to Pisco or within the well-travelled Miraflores district in Lima, I sensed that people here prioritize their lives WAY differently than you and I might.

Peruvians’ first priority is survival - once there is security in that sense, they seem to prioritize the people in their lives, rather than the things. At home, many of us are constantly striving to reach the next level of excellence - I know I am definitely guilty of this. Perhaps, we (definitely me) stress too much about thriving when we should be able to take a step back sometimes and appreciate the things that we have already…maybe I can rephrase and say that the people of Peru have inspired me to try and appreciate the daily pace more instead of constantly worrying/thinking about how much I have left to do to attain the BIG goals. I know that I wont be able to just let go of my BIG thinking (and Im not sure that I want to) & we all know that I very much am a goal-oriented person…but this trip has already allowed me to realize that sometimes I need to also appreciate the day-to-day pace and just take a step back and go with the flow…

**These are definitely fragmented thoughts that I´m sure will circle around once I´ve finished the rest of my trip, but just some thoughts that are running in my head for now and, keep in mind, we are traveling fairly economically, so, perhaps, that has exposed us to a specific group of people here - but I still sense the simplicity throughout all of the neighborhoods.**

Food. On to the really good stuff, we have had so many amazing things to eat already - ceviche, pork sandwiches, empanadas, scallop salad, etc. We were warned of so many foods that we shouldnt eat…and I have to say that I´ve been sick the past two days due to the food (along with other things)…but it was so worth it. We have yet to try guinea pig, however, I´m still a little on the fence if that´s going to happen to me…stay tuned.

One thing that I do miss desperately is Korean food, sandwiches, salads and FRUIT. Weve been pretty good about not eating produce unless its peelable or cooked and, as someone who eats about 4 servings of fruit a day, let´s just say I´m a bit malnourished in that sense. In addition, due to the food sickness, my diet for the last two days have basically consisted of Sprite…hoping this will change for the last 5 days of this trip!

Scenery. Can´t do this much justice…not even the pictures can. Every single bus ride has had amazing scenery along the way, and I mean EVERYTHING from sand dunes, desert, vineyards, beaches. Imagine all of that with the Andes Mountains as a backdrop…it´s quite amazing.

This country is so diverse in its natural beauty: weve seen amazing islands with penguins & sea lions, seen the Canon de Colca that is twice the depth of the Grand Canyon, explored the Paracas National Reserve that is just an engulfing desert that crashes right into the ocean…Im ecstatic about Machu Picchu in the next couple of days…from what others have been saying, it will be the highlight!

Fellow Travelers. At our various hostels, we´ve obviously been running into other travelers, most who have been Eurpoean. Its quite fascinating because every single one that we´ve met have been traveling throughout the continent for months and are planning to be away from their respective homes for about 6 months (some of them are girls traveling ALONE).

As Americans, we were just stunned by this. Im not sure if I just didnt pay attention to these travelers during my previous travels in Southeast Asia but its quite fascinating to see them feel so calm and at ease everywhere.

After a week, I am already missing the studio, my family, my friends and the kids that I teach every day…I cant imagine 6 months away! There is definitely a certain level of independence in these other travelers that I´m envious of…as much as I love to travel and see the world, I still do love my home and know that I could never take that much time away. It´s most definitely a cultural thing but still shocking to me…

That´s all for now - I hope I didnt overwhelm you all! Hoping to post once the trip is all wrapped up…excited for the next 5 days and also excited to come back home! Sorry about the fragmented thoughts - Ive had this post as a draft and have been trying to add a little after visiting different parts. Hope you enjoyed!

- J -

Dress inspired by NYC architecture. See my thought process...

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 11:30:28 -0400

Dress inspired by NYC architecture.

See my thought process at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.204449356252505.53702.202130003151107

<3 R

Fashion Incubator in Garment District

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 11:28:22 -0400

Fashion Incubator in Garment District:

Bloomberg Administration announces future fashion studio ‘incubator’ space in Garment District targeted towards emerging designers. Up and coming designers will receive educational/industry support and in a collaborative environment.

<3 R

Thanks to R, she whipped this up in a couple mins! Just some...

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:22:14 -0400

Thanks to R, she whipped this up in a couple mins! Just some faces to the account!

Wishing J a great/safe trip! Bon Voyage my lady! You’re...

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:26:38 -0400

Wishing J a great/safe trip! Bon Voyage my lady! You’re going to have the time of your life :)

<3 R

Tomorrow, I will begin a two-week backpacking trip throughout...

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:26:36 -0400

Tomorrow, I will begin a two-week backpacking trip throughout southern Peru…it’s been a little over three years since I last traveled outside the country. With pretty much no set itinerary, I have to say this trip will be probably the longest time span (over the last couple of years) that I’ve had no schedule, no obligations, no e-mails to send….that is so EXCITING but also very, very NERVE-WRACKING to me!

As some of my friends & family may know, this past year has been particularly busy…so many great things have been happening with my family’s TKD program. With that much more work to do, I’ve ALSO become self-aware that I’ve jumped up a couple levels on the OCD scale….slowly reaching CODE RED…

The sole concept of NO SCHEDULE these next 11 days will surely push me out of my comfort zone. I’m trusting that I will come back home with a new sense of calm & collected - along the way, there will be lots of bus trekking, hostel hopping and adventurous food eating!

Stay tuned - will try to post pictures & updates as much as possible…for those of you who are curious, my friends and I will be hitting up the following places: Lima, Pisco/Paracas, Arequipa/Pusco (Lake Titicaca & Canon de Colca), and Cuzco/Sacred Valley/MACHU PICCHU

Now, about that packing…

~ J ~

Welcoming myself to NYC.

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:11:00 -0400

As an aspiring fashion designer, I think the first step in entering the industry is recognizing the fact that my favorite hood, Boston, is in fact NOT a city conducive to fashion but instead simply a slew of major universities with a passion for sports. Accepting the fact that I was seated in the wrong location, I spent the past 2 days moving my stubborn butt to the crazy yet always inspiring world of New York City. Within 24 hours, I have matured and realized that.. yes.. this is definitely the spot for me. And.. yes.. I am 100% completely, totally, entirely excited to be hear.

I am attending my very first Yankees game tonight. Goodness me.. I have officially left my bean-town stomping grounds. I will be wearing a Big Papi beater under my jacket, this I promise you :)

<3 R

I think it’s fitting that my first real non-introductory...

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:05:00 -0400

I think it’s fitting that my first real non-introductory post is a song upload. Ask any and every one who knows me, and they will tell you that I am ALWAYS listening and sharing music.

One of my favorite lines ever:

“Stay far from timid…Only make moves when your heart’s in it…And live the phrase Sky’s the Limit…”

Thanks for listening!

~ J ~

i am inspired by the power of YOUTH

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:00:43 -0400

I hope to empower at-risk youth through a Tae Kwon Do community program, incorporating education, mentoring & HIGH expectations!

~ J

I am inspired by design, color, pattern, and the environment...

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:15:05 -0400

I am inspired by design, color, pattern, and the environment around me and translate it into fashion.