Blooming

Work hard, and work diligently. Let your work define the volumes of your ability. Should your lips not echo the fruits of your own labor, But the joy of others whom it has touched. Let the people of this world Glow Because of the translucent work you have committed. You are powerful. Not amongst other, But amongst your own doings. Do work. Stay humble. And Live on.

Food For Thought

These are some things I've been thinking about lately and wanted to share!

First to mention: I do not like people to assume that I am smart because I go to school! I still think of myself as a student, not yet a scholar! I'm smart in some ways, amongst others, but academic wise- ahhhhh, not so much! The reason I don't like it when people do this is because they have already put me on a pedestal where I don't belong with only high expectations of what is to come of me. This gives me way too much pressure. I know I may disappoint folks if I do not live up to their intellectual expectations they had for me when they initially met me. I love it when people do not know me as of my background as a student, so when I inquire about knowledge I want to know, there are no presumptions that I should know it already. I am given a clean slate to have an open mind, receive all ideas, and learn diligently. This is my hopes for being an aspiring scholar!

Second: With social media being more of a performance stage for people, I notice that a lot of people (including myself) broadcast what they are doing in their everyday lives. I like to post what I eat, what my daily ventures consist of, or who I miss (usually family or friends). There is that bunch who posts up pictures of their computer (usually with a document up), their notebook, and/or a coffee to display that they are studious and intelligent. I'm not gonna lie, this was me! But I noticed that those who posted these pictures were actually not very studious- that all of this was for show. The smartest people I know never post up pictures of their studies, even though this is what they ate and breathed everyday. Excuse me as this may seem confusing, but as I noticed more about social network media and my associations with people, I noticed that those who were most successful as scholars and intellects, were extremely humble! Humility is so great in displaying wisdom! That showcasing your innovative ideas only speaks through your work, not your instagram or facebook posts. I've witnessed these people walk across graduation stages with honor roll sashes and implement programs that benefits minority communities! This was the way intellect was showcased- through examples. Ever since I noticed this, I stopped posting pictures/statuses about me studying and instead starting showing the fruit of my studies- which I don't really have much of! LOL! But this is a work in progress. I have kept this bottled in so long that writing it out makes so much sense to me :)

Third: Kind of relating to the first mention, just because one attends school does not mean they are smart. Just as one who does not attend school is stupid or incapable of being smart. I cannot stand this assumption or social stigma we have to people who do not attend school. Although my whole family has gone through the process of higher education, I would be the first to declare they are not so bright! (Please don't repeat that to my siblings! :P ahaha) But I want to reiterate this point by providing some examples. The idea of academia is a Western ideal! The power of our Pacific Islander ancestors have been passed down through generations by the practice of oral traditions! Our ancestors did not attend an institution that declared whether they were capable of carrying on these cultural practices and what was needed to live a fulfilling life. People who have created the most monumental structures of history did not go to school or attend a university. The janitor who cleans up bathrooms within a community college is by no means less capable than the students who go there. They work because they know that is the ends they will need to have means of providing. I know people who have dropped out of high school, but have raised a big family of 7 children and have a home to accommodate them.

What does it mean to be smart? Does it mean to go to school? Does it mean you have the capacity of common sense? I don't think it's any. Smart is more of an expectation more than a characteristic. I don't know if that makes sense. We have people who are extremely musically talented, but cannot write a 5 page paper to save their life. There are others who have such innovative ideas, but cannot navigate a blueprint. There are more who can build a home, but are illiterate and cannot read. Are these people really incapable of being "smart"? Or specialize in one area of life more than another. My most famous and recent example is when people cannot speak your native language fluently and they are in your land, they are already given the stupid card. They are treated as social handicaps because they cannot speak the native language. A funny example happened to me in Switzerland. The store clerks automatically thought I was slow because I couldn't communicate that I needed a shopping bag. I was speaking English to a French man and with no common grounds, he left frustrated that I did not understand what he was saying. He even lifted his hand and waved me away! How dare he!? HAHA..all laughs though!

This passage may seem like a bunch of rubbish. Maybe it is! Maybe it's not! ;)

Inequality in Kenya

The driving force behind me applying for this program "The Politics of Global Inequality" was learning about the poverty cycle in Tonga- through politics. But after being accepted, I found out it was not one of the country options available to research in this course. I didn't ask my professor for this option because I know Tonga is only a period on the map compared to other enormous countries who are in severe poverty- even worse than Tonga. So I continued knowing I can study the politics of inequality and draw parallels to my homeland. My plan for now is to finish graduation at UC Riverside, and move to Tonga to learn more about my culture and Tonga's politics. It's a long stretch, but I'm in it for the long run :)

Today, July 21st, 2014, in class we watched a documentary on Kenya. Kenya is the country I am researching inequality in.

A glance at Kenya: -population is 44.35 million -located in East Africa -major health problems: HIV/AIDS, malaria, and waterborne diseases -president: Uruhu Kenyatta of the National Alliance -natural resources: coffee, pyrethrum (pesticide), corn, sugar came, and many more -gender inequality- ranked 130 out of 148 countries worldwide (2012) -unemployment about 12.5% I have further measures, but don't want to complicate the overall picture.

One thing to know about Africa overall is that it is a natural resource RICH country, but one that suffers the most extreme poverty. People live in slums that do not have the basic sanitation and water resources a human should have. It is known in Kenya that people scrape by with living under ONE dollar A DAY!

Now, where does the international community play a part in this? As I am in Geneva, meeting with different organizations who work with Kenya, there are a lot of international efforts to uplift the living standards in Kenya. The United Nations (UN) for example provides technical assistance, and its counterparts (UNEP/UNDP) even provide financial aid. But why is Kenya STILL suffering from poverty??? It all comes down to domestic institutions within Kenya- who are infamous for high-level corruption.

When aid is provided to Kenya, most of that money does not trickle down the sectors and make it to the hands of those who need it the most. Billions of dollars given to help poverty ends up in the wrong pocket! $2 million has been given to Kenya to help patients with HIV/AIDS, but still, there's not enough vaccinations and adequate health facilities with proper necessities for any patient. HIV/AIDS is still an ever-growing epidemic. But, what's interesting is that administrators have said, "Corruption is a two-way street". Accusing developed countries to be a part of the corruption. The downfall of this is that there is actually no proof. One Kenyan woman who was beaten by police (even left in a coma) for speaking out said that corruption at the high levels leave no footprints for anyone to follow. It has been witnessed, but it is almost impossible to get hard evidence. It's bad enough that even law enforcement (police) are corrupt. Bribes are becoming a daily activity and if it's not taken, some people may be arrested up to 4 times a day.

One case that was shown in the Kenya documentary we watched today followed a kid named Dennis Oyoo. This 12 year old boy took care of his 2 year old sister and his younger brother while his mother was in the hospital for HIV+. His dad passed away because of HIV/AIDS. With him being the sole care taker of the household, his family lived by means of less than $1 a day. He and his siblings lived off of rice. Every morning he'd get his brother and sister up at 5am to bathe and get ready for school. After, he'll take his brother to school, then drop off his sister to a daycare. Then make his way to school, Little Rock elementary. His teacher reported that there were some days he didn't make it to school, but in his circumstances, it was understandable.

One of the UN Millennium Goals is to provide FREE primary education to all children of the world. Money has been donated to help Little Rock elementary, the school that Dennis attends. But the teacher reported that 30% of those funds were kept in officials pockets. Eventually, the school kids seen very little of that money. School is still being paid for.

There is a lot of distrust in Kenya's government. But what I understand it to be- they lack a solid, trustworthy human infrastructure. Kenya has not trusted to invest in their own people and their own skills and abilities to build a future for Kenya. I thought that aid was something Kenya needed, which is true. But with this poverty cycle only being perpetuated by the Kenyans themselves, I see why the United Nations and it's counterparts are so vital in providing technical assistance. The UN, IGOs, NGOs, WHO, WTO, and many other international orgs, are providing the necessary tools that upon Kenya's discretion, they may use to create a better political institution that'll implement a better economic institution. Or even vice versa. This comes with a package of policy recommendations and policy responses, but what I've learned so far is that no matter how perfect a policy may seem for a country, it is up to them whether they want to interpret and execute it.

Daily Life in Geneva

I know Geneva is not a commonly visited place. For its prices, I would see why that is! However, I do want to shed some light on my experiences here so my family and friends can know what's going on and so I can look back at this post...years from now, remembering the good and the bad. :) Maybe even if I'm considering working for the United Nations one day ;)

GENEVA LIFESTYLE

I know I can't capture the whole culture of Geneva, but I will try my best with I've taken note of (Yes, I actually jotted these things down as I came across them). First, Geneva is currently #6 MOST EXPENSIVE CITY in the WORLD! One Swiss Franc (CHF) is 0.86 cents to the US Dollar. I did not know this when I first arrived. I picked up a phone at the airport (SwissPhone company) to call my parents back in California, and the operator tells me it is $29 for the first 5 minutes with $1 for each additional minute. CRAZY, I KNOW! Just to put this in another perspective, to get a decent meal here (pasta and a drink), it'll cost about 30 CHF which is equivalent to almost $40 USD. I live off of bread and sandwiche meat from the local grocery store, but even the price of that may have cost me twice the package if I was shopping in Los Angeles. A sandwich from a local bakery would be about 8 CHF, plus a drink would be around 10 CHF. Almost $13. Anyway, I'll stop ranting about the prices.

Second, efficiency here is off the charts! Geneva has got it going onnnn! Their bus system is very efficient. Buses run every 15 minutes, but usually, it's lesser than that. Although their bus system is very complex, with signs and maps available everywhere, you can get anywhere on the bus! They run their buses based on a trust-system. It's sort of like the Metro Train back in Los Angeles. You can enter without proving a ticket, but every now and then, they have transit police checking for tickets. You don't want to be in that mix. Every door in the bus is opened only if you press a button to let yourself out/in. It's energy-efficient; no need to open all the doors, all the time. Eventhough I'm too scared to stay out at night, the buses run until about 2am every day- I haven't really checked, but my dorm window is right next above the bus stop. Recycling bins are everywhere. They have bins for every thing you can recycle- from clothes and shoes to cans. They also have ashtrays in every public space because almost every other person smokes. I mean, smoking is ultimately ruining the environment, but having disposals for it is one step closer to a less tackier environment.

Also, when dining out, waiters take their sweet time. It's not because of bad service, but it's part of the dining culture here. People sit, relax, and enjoy the food, as well as their company. The first time I ate out was at a pizzeria. They gave us our menus and took about 20 minutes to take our order. It was even longer waiting for our check. I now just request the check when I'm ready to leave.

This is totally random, but when I went grocery shopping, I noticed that they do not refrigerate their eggs and milk. Eggs and milk are kept on a shelf in the store aisles. I found an article on Forbes.com that eggs in the USA are required by USDA to be cleaned before they're ever put out on stock. For Europe, regulators thought it should be the producers job to make sure they have cleaned eggs before it hits the shelves because otherwise, consumers won't buy them. Also, there is a difference between what room temperature can do to the egg. Warm and cold temperatures can cause different things to an egg. But Europe is not too concerned about that because if a producers product is produced right, refrigerating it won't be a problem.

I have so much more I want to say! But I'll stop it here...for now :)

I'll be updating more as the days go by. Thanks for reading!

Random Pix-Geneva

Geneva, Switzerland

WHAT'S HAPPENING!

I'm reporting live from Geneva, SWITZERLAND!! Who would've ever thought I'd be here? Not I! I like to tell my story a hundred times over because it amazes me how I got here!

So I've been thinking about leaving Riverside during the summer because I wanted to escape the heat, but I know my parents would despise it if I'm not doing school work. So I thought this was the perfect opportunity to STUDY ABROAD! I have dreamt of studying abroad in NEW ZEALAND- Pacific Islander studies. This has been my plan since high school! But when I started my research for study abroad programs at the Uni of Auckland, they did not have any specific classes that could pertain to my major. So I looked elsewhere. I thought, "I can always go to Auckland. I have a lot of family there!" So then on, I started my quest for another program and that's when I came across this program, The Politics of Global Inequality. This was back in October 2013 when I started thinking about this program. I started my application in January when it opened up and finished everything by mid-March. Thankfully, I was accepted!....couple months down the line, I came across a financial situation. As the days of my departure to Switzerland got closer, I had no sure answer from UCR Financial Aid office whether I was getting my funds in before my departure. Only a couple days before I was suppose to leave, and after countless efforts to expedite an absolute answer from UCR Financial Aid office, I had no money to purchase my ticket. I had a few friends talk me into fundraising, but I thought the idea was outrageous, and I had a lot of pride in me to ask other people for money. On a Wednesday night, I outlined a donation letter that my good friend, Dboy, wrote out for me. We launched in on Thursday in the afternoon- end goal $2,500. By Saturday night, I received $2,700. MY GOD IS SO GOOD! I remember I could feel the little fire in me just gasping for hope...like "don't give up Sina. 'Oua loto si'i". I had immense support from my loved ones. At the end of each fundraising day, I said a little prayer thanking God for His Grace. That whatever was going to be the outcome, it was in His will. I was content with that. By Sunday night, after purchasing my airfare ticket to Geneva (which was $2,300) I was up to $3,000. As I speak right now, friends and family are still donating. I don't know where I'll be without those who believe in this young girl! The moral of my story: I regained confidence and a humble reminder that this road to education does not only uplift myself, but all of those supporting me. I fasted the Wednesday before I launched my fundraiser asking God to bless those hands at the UCR Financial Aid office to release my funds. And I found it so fascinating that God chose for me to receive my funds in a much more meaningful way. This trip to Geneva wouldn't have meant this much to me if I did not take this route of coming here. I am truly humbled and blessed to have those who have supported and continue to support me in my educational endeavors. May God bless yall and keep yall! THANK YOU! MALO 'AUPITO! 'OFA ATU!

Reflections

Think about all the things you've gone through- the good and the bad. Acknowledge the bad, but focus on the good. Does your good outweigh your bad?

Now, ever think about your innocent/better days? Are there days you think it WAS better?

That leads me to what made me write this entry. I think that I was a lot smarter when I was younger. I was focused, quick-witted, and considerate. Excuse me if this doesn't make sense, but I think I'm a lot dumber than I was when I was only a teenager. I used to get my homework done, make sure my little brother was fed, and I did things in order to make me a better person. But now I feel lost. It has come to mind that I may just be distracted- very distracted- with worldly things. And I think it's because I'm out of touch with my spiritual self. It's been a while since my spiritual being has been fed, and I think that's what's hungry. Recently, I've been dwelling on how much better of a person I can be, but I'm not taking any action. There's no motivation. I was sad for some time, but I really can't point out why I was sad. I was just sad. I didn't want to talk to anyone, and I wasn't in the mood for anything, either.

A lot of times I catch myself thinking about where I am in life- how far I've made it thus far- and it's unbelievable. My spirit has gone through a lot of emotional pain, but I've endured it. I've persevered only to come out stronger and wiser. In my times in that dark tunnel, I have never been so focused on that light at the end of it...thinking of better days, and slowly moving towards it. It's harder to believe it's the people I hold dearest to my heart who have caused the most pain. I've had times where I felt I was drowning in my emotions and no one could save me from it. I've never prayed so hard. Prayed to God that my heart is not burdened with hatred and that I live to love another day. Time has definitely healed a lot, but I know I still have some repercussions from these events. God kept my sanity. I never believed what was said about me, because I believed what He made out for me. I made it from a ghetto infamous high school, through a community college, to a university where I can study what I'm passionate about- politics and law to help my loved ones in need.

Now today. I struggle with myself. I struggle with where I want to go, what I want to do, and how I am going to do it. It's like my feet is cuffed to the ground, and I can't move anywhere. I feel so stagnant, and sometimes even powerless. I feel guilty because I'm away from home, missing out on family events, and watching my family grow. These are all necessary thoughts, but I need to keep moving. I gave it a lot of thought...maybe too much. I admit I'm a lot wiser than I was when I was younger, but on the flip side, I know I'm a lot more involved in the world than I ever was.

How can I absorb what I know now, and build upon it to make myself a smarter, dignifying young woman?

Part of me is scared. Scared of how the world will view me if I live my life full force! If I do exactly what I want to! This may even sound ridiculous, but at times I'm scared to show how smart I really am! I hold back on showing the world how deep I feel, how romantic I am, or how hard I love! I even slang my words to disguise my infatuation for intelligence! It's nothing to show off, of course. But it's also something you can't stay too modest about! *sighs*

I may not have a lot to say in person, but my mind is always rambling about how I interact daily. I absorb every life experience and make it a learning experience. Overall, I love the life I live! I thank God for my life, my health, and my family! I don't have answers to what I've written, but this is a part of the process...just laying it all out, and eventually putting the pieces together.

This song got me thinking and evaluating a LOT! But overall, it has reminded me to Thank GOD for my life!

My Dearest Sina

Thank you for all the love you have given me even when I don't receive it from those closest to me-family. I try to love you the way God would want it- in a way that is patient and a way that is kind. I don't only want to call you beautiful because that doesn't amount to the elation I receive when I look at you. Your beauty lies on your lips when you say things to encourage others and brighten up other people's days. Your beauty is reflected in your loyalty as you seek out to help others- even when they have once hurt you. Your power to understand me in all situations- much better than I understand myself- has made me fall in love with you more as the days go by. Your eyes tell me that you've dealt with great deals of pain from people you've invested your time and love in. But I promise you I'm here to stay. I will love you each day so I can mend that sorrow you once felt. I hope to be all you want, especially all you need. You make me feel complete. Along with God and family, I want to love and protect you until my dying days and for eternity. You can take advantage of my love, my body, and my spirit- as long as you are mines- I will be content. No one will ever be perfect for me as you are. I'm always here for you, through the good and the bad.

With love forever and always, Your soul mate

Interesting? Or Nah?

I swear my posts are so longwinded and looks SO BORING! I promise I'll work on that! More color? More pictures? Hmmmmm...

Wellllll damn, has it been THAT long since I've last updated this blog? I come back to read a few posts and get embarrassed about what I said...LOL! It's been almost half a year since I've last updated this, and I'm back to put my lovely two-cents in here. :) First of all, yo' girl ended up attending University of California, Riverside--the Highlanders! WOOPWOOP! Be excited for me, yall! Because it wasn't easy transitioning there and I'm beyond thankful I made it through my first quarter. Winter quarter starts in 7 days for me! Ahhhh, I'm gonna miss uike lotu :(

Anyways, my experience in Riverside is a HARD one. After 3 months there, I'm STILL trying to get used to it. Riverside already had a stigma before I even thought of going there..I hated Riverside. And it was one hell of a job to talk myself into moving there. LOL! The air is bad for me and my allergies have never been so bad until I got there. The water is rated SECOND most intoxicated water in the nation, about 15 chemicals above the national limit of what is considered healthy. *gags* Gosh, aaaaand then, everything is driving distance away. I can't walk to any store at my convenience. It doesn't help that it is hilly (hence, why we're called HIGH-land-ers :/). But where am I going with this? That no one cares and I have to get used to it in order to love where I'm going to stay for the next TWO YEARS! LOL. I'm slowly pinning out the good things in Riverside that'll help me, wellllll, not complain as much. LOL. I come from LA where EVERYTHING is at your convenience. I've lived my whole life with a 7-11 or liquor store at the end of my block.

Well one good thing about me in Riverside is that I finally got over my fear of cockroaches LOL! Not too significant, but that saved me a whole lot of time from having to call someone to do the dirty work for me ;) As for UCR as an institution, I love it! UC's have soooo much more resources than a community college. Everyone is helpful and are more than willing to help. We are also ranked #2 in the nation for public service-this is my forte :) I've made awesome friends who like to TURN UP but are geeky and like random little facts like I do. LOL..was that hella corny? Oh wells. LOL.

Since school has started, I have nothing else to really update about. My hair has finally reached my lower back. LOL.. Ok, focusssss, lol. Well it's safe to say I will make it a goal to write in here more often. I kind of have to. You see, I'm a political science-law and society- major and we do a SHITLOAD of reading and writing. Why not enhance my writing skills with some leisure writing? I'll just come here and release all my ideas I've had bottled in my head, and eventually see how my writing has progressed. Sound like a plan? YESSUHHH!! I look back at my posts from years ago and I turn red...it's so fob! LOL! But what can improve my writing other than a little more practice? Soooo if you, the reader, have anything to say about my writings or my fobness, don't hesitate to let me know. Comment below...if you down wit da get down! haha.. *kevin harts voice* SAY IT WIT CHO CHEST LIL NIGGA! haha! Ok, I'll be back soon. Until then, take care my loves!

Phone Banking

Today (well, technically yesterday) I was placed at APALC to phone bank! As much as I PREACH about voting, I have never done phone banking. For those of you who don't know what it is, phone banking is calling people from your community (voting jurisdictions) to ask questions regarding any upcoming election. For this specific event, we were calling Asian American and Pacific Islander people in Los Angeles to ask (1) if they're voting for May 21st, 2013 General Municipal Election (2) what are their top 3 policy concerns (3) do they need help with voting (translated materials, polling locations, etc).

As lucky as I am, I was assigned to call the TONGAN people of Los Angeles. Gahleeeee, you know we all know each other! If not, we know someone who knows someone else. I had a list of 65 Tongans to call, which was a speck of powder compared to the thousands of Asians my colleagues had on their call list. But anyways, I worked with what I had. I only had a handful of people who answered their phone and majority of the phones were cut. A good 5 people hung up on me, copped attitude, and straight lied to me (laughing that I'm calling). I just have a few things to say about my first experience. It was FUN! And to my surprise, I was never discouraged and embarrassed to call and talk to my Tongan people in a professional manner...even the fobs! ;) Just a few things had me thinking today:

(1) My TONGAN people! Please pay your phone bills! I forreal memorized the woman operator's voice memo *dial-up tone* THE NUMBER YOU DIALED HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED. ahaha..Nah, just jokes. But this was one repeating factor. Noone's phone was connected!

(2) I took on this assignment because I miss outreaching for voting! But I also did it because Tongans are not only underrepresented, but the very few of us who are representatives, we don't take callers seriously because they're palangi! I thought as a Tongan young woman, I'd be able to reach out to my people, talk a little fob, and connect them to political issues in the way Tongan people appeal to it! I was sad for people (and I remember yall names haha) who rudely refused to talk to me about voting. We (as outreachers) are not selling you anything! We are doing a public service to give our people a better understanding, and more knowledge about voting and how it affects you. If you don't know what I'm saying, but would like to, HOLLA AT ME! I'll get you to phone bank, and see how it goes. I have never appreciated survey people who call until I was calling around doing the same thing and I LEARNED A LOT! And I bet you would too :)

(3) Thank you to my home girl AMELIA SILI for taking time out of her day to answer my phone (she was on my calling list) call and willingly answering my questions. You rock! And I'm so happy to have you as a committed voter and CARING about issues that you are concerned about- education, healthcare, and immigration! Right on sister! And one inspiring man made my day. 65 year old Tongan elder from the valley. [cannot disclose his name] But I call him and tell him the whole getdown of who I am and what organization I'm calling on behalf of and to my surprise, he tells me he's got his sample ballot, knows where his polling place is, and is going to vote on TUESDAY! *tears of joy* Then our conversation goes on as I asked him more questions and he answered with what his policy concerns are and why he votes. He's not even a vote-by-mail! He said he likes going to polls. Now see, this was all I needed to hear to make me feel like my time phone banking was well worth it. Even though he is an elder, I respect him for being ENGAGED in his duties as an American citizen! I hope I get to meet this man one day so I can get to know more about him...we need more Tongan men proactive like him!

(4) I noticed something different in me today. I have no idea where it came from, or if this is just my first time noticing it, but I was very open to interacting with other people. I'm so Polynesian-oriented that I tend to isolate myself from mingling with other races. Atleast until today. I was talking with everyone in the room, made some new friends, and landed some new opportunities to further work with immigration reform projects! SCORE! I'm so proud of myself (not to toot my own horn) but honestly, my heart has opened up to new experiences and helping out my community.

I know this was a long ass blog. But I promise I only did this to vent because I don't have much friends...haha. JK! I'm super excited for what else YOUR VOTE MATTERS campaign has coming up. Shoutout to APALC for the great hospitality and new learning experience! If you ever get a call from a phone banker, please don't ignore them...it just might be me ;) lol

2013

Heyyyy! I know I've strayed away from blogging for a while, but for a good reason! Because I've stopped my "FOFREE" ways and am only doing it when necessary...like right now. Life has been a bit....busy. But I'm grateful for breathing and living another day! I'm still going to school, El Camino to be exact, and I'm finishing up before I transfer to a 4-year university. Ahhh, yes, the butterflies have yet to come. Right now I'm feeling a bit cautious. I feel stuck at where I'm at. I was accepted to one university so far, but I have yet to hear from that ONE school where my heart is really set at. And I hope and pray I make it there. God knows how much I need to go to school there. Of course, it's away from home. I need to BREATHE! But I say I feel stuck because if I don't make it there, I don't know how I will do if I do end up going to another school (closer to home). I have very bad habits I need to break and I feel I can break that once I break away from home. Anyways, that's my philosophy of self-improvement ever since my trip to Washington, DC last summer. I'm cautious because ANYTHING can happen. I may get denied, or not be able to afford school. But with the grace of God, I am gaining patience and understanding for anything that COULD happen. Anyways, other than my sob stories, I'm currently employed at a ghetto fabulous hotel. I would say the name but I don't want any of yall poppin' up over there asking for discounts and/or a free room. I'm getting my ish together, tryna make that PAYPAH. Nahhh, I'm just tryna keep myself busy while paying for my own fofree stuff. Soooooooo, what yall think about the Obama Administration pushing another 4-years? I know I'm late with the election last November, but I see Obama being a lot more proactive in his legislation and presidency. Or atleast since I've been paying attention. I hope you're reading this and saying you voted, team Obama or team Romney, as long as you voted. :) Other than that, I have yet to put up the juicy news in the upcoming weeks. PRAY FOR ME, YALL! Much Love and Respect!!

Marathon-Relay

I'm running a 13-miler next year, March 2013! I KNOWWWWW....GAAAAHHHLEEEE! Well for me, it's hard as heck because I can barely do a mile! But I'm training now...got 4 months to go! Usually I don't take myself seriously unless I have someone holding me accountable....so that's why I ask for yall support! If you have the time, please come out and show us some love! Next year, March! If you got the money, pull out ya wallets! HAHA! If you can donate a $1, it'll make all the difference! If not, say a little prayer for us! :) Thank you for your support. My sister, my family, and TCSC/APIOPA appreciates it! 'Ofa atu!

RANDOM

Hey yall.... I'm actually on here to look up some old events that have sparked my interest in community work. As I look through these pages I see how really long winded I am! And I LOVE IT! haha Anyways, it's interesting to see how much I've grown and how much I've learned from these past events. I'm humbled by it. But ummm...I have always been a fan of writing...free writing to be specific. I don't enjoy essays--too structured for me. I remember when I was in the hospital one time in high school, my mom brought me a journal and said, "Here, I brought this for you to write in." Little did she know, I had a school notebook at home that I already used as my journal. Later down the line I got another journal in Ta'ahine 'O Moana...just to encourage more writing. But my point is, writing is good! Writing is good for your mind, your heart, and (I feel) your soul. You let a lot out and you write things that you may not even say. To my surprise, I write totally different than how I talk--that is if I'm not textin' you. But it's something I enjoy...and when I'm too lazy to write in my journal I type. LOL. Such a lazy thing to do but hey! It's another form of letting things out. Anyways, this was such a random post and I just wanted to share it. Have a great day yall! :)

Pacific Islander Vote 2012

ELEVATE YOUR VOICE

I'm DONE with my internship in Washington, DC but started a whole 'nother chapter in Southern California with electoral activity. APIAVote, APALC, & EPIC started up a Pacific Islander (non-partisan) Voter Campaign, ELEVATE YOUR VOICE! Our efforts are going full blast with 5 different Pacific Islander Organizations trying to GET OUT THE VOTE with 1,000 new Pacific Islander voters! Check us out on facebook, instagram and twitter! Make a shoutout, post a picture of your voter efforts, or tell us WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO VOTE & ELEVATE YOUR VOICE! I'm looking forward for yall posts ;) Tau toki sio!

----I have an online voter registration widget on the side of this page---->>>

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pacific-Islander-Vote-2012/105462832939485

Instagram: @PacificIslanderVote2012

Twitter: @PIVote2012

My new adventures....

So I've been warming up to the east coast (no, not the weather) and it's not as bad as I thought! The heat wave is gone so now the weather stays in the 80s! YAY! Since the weather is good, our mood is good and we're more willing to go out and explore hehe.

Anyways, my organization APIAVote has been prepping for our Presidential Town Hall taking place next week, Saturday, July 21! We have some representatives of both campaigns coming out to speak on issues that they will address towards the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. What I've been doing was trying to get connections of Pacific Islanders AROUND THE COUNTRY who would be willing to host viewing parties of the town hall. The more numbers we show in supporting this event, the more likely the candidates would pay attention to us! Numbers SAY BIG THINGS! So tune in next week! I'll probably be popping my head in somewhere in the camera view so I can make a shoutout..hehe! Here's our link http://www.apiavote.org/presidential-town-hall. Check it out and spread the word!

Welp, when I'm off the clock I continue to do the random things that come to mind. So we heard there was a reception with free food so we went to that at the Capitol building. Then we got to see our big sister, Ursula Siataga! Thanks for coming out! It felt good to see our Cali people and kick it like Californians do-- sit outside the cafe and talk even after the shop closes :) Also told us successful (and funny) stories of UNITED PLAYAZ based in San Francisco! Would love to visit some day soon!

We attended the White House Initiative's API Youth Summit at the WHITE HOUSE! It was a cool event, but I'm not gon' lie, I wish more of the P.I. part of API showed up! A lot of our P.I.s don't know about these type of things...or they just don't care. We met a cool young activist from Utah named Lavinia Taumoepeau. She's an ambassador of the HYPE movement and a full time student at University of Utah--all while being a mother! :) Made connects and we've got a National PISA page to connect Pacific Islanders all across the nation. If you're not added already, add yourself to it: http://www.facebook.com/groups/npisa/ YOU WON'T REGRET IT! There's tons of resources on there that you won't get anywhere else! Join and share! :) That's it for now...will update you with my adventures soon enough! :) Tau toki sio!!

Awesome weekend...

This past Sunday (June/24) was King Kamehameha's Lei Draping Ceremony at the U.S. Capital Building's Visiting Ceremony. Native Hawaiians and many supporters from across the country came with their love and respect for the commemoration of King Kamehameha. This was my first time hearing about this event so I dressed up in my puletaha and kiekie (Tongan traditional wear). Faaputu and I met up with our elders from California like Aunty Sharon, Aunt Jane, Uncle Victor and more. It felt good in our hearts that we met up with our people from home. Anyways, Putu and I had close seats to view the lei'ing of King Kamehameha's statue. There were great speeches done by great representatives of Hawai'i. I met Congressman Faleomavaega of America Samoa and the first thing he seen was my kiekie. After identifying me as a Tongan, he asked me to present his tapa cloth (ngatu in Tongan) on behalf of him for the Tongan community. As he went up to deliver his speech on our Hawaiian cousins and Senator Akaka, I had the honors of holding up the ngatu and presenting it to Senator Akaka! All in respect with my kiekie. After attending the banquet, Congressman took Putu and I out to dinner(after we already ate at the banquet). In between all the jokes and laughter, I grew mad respect for a man so humble as he was. I felt honored to spend time with the Congressman and have him personally invite us to his luncheon on Wednesday with other Pacific Islander interns in DC. For the first time in DC, I felt comfortable to be myself off the clock! Congressman is very down-to-earth and reminds me so much of family because of the way he holds great hospitality for us islanders. He told me alot about his family and friends from Tonga and Vava'u. He reps HA'APAI! Overall, I'm thankful to have met Congressman Eni and learn how a great leader is a person who can serve others. As of now, I'm starting my week fresh with work! Still expanding my network of Pacific Islander organizational contacts and people who can hook me up with Pacific Islander contacts...other than that, I'm attending luncheons and networking events to enjoy others company :) I'm excited for everything coming up :)

Random Day in DC

Summer in Washington DC

MY GIRLS AND BOYS FROM MY YOUTH MADE THESE AWESOME POSTERS :)

For the people who are slow like me, Washington DC (District of Columbia) is in the East Coast...NO, it's not Washington state, Seattle. LOL! That was me when I first thought of DC.

Anyways, I was accepted this summer as an intern for APIAVote (Asian Pacific Islander American Vote) in DC! I am representing EPIC (Empowering Pacific Islander Communities) based in Southern California. I was blessed with the opportunity and additional funding for my airfare and housing in DC from EPIC :) Now this city girl is residing in DC for this summer!! I live in Rockville, Maryland and I take a 30-40 minute train ride to the city (our Poly term for DC). Other than that, my main transportation is my footmobile! HOLLA! (I'm definitely losing weight before I go back home.)

The work that APIAVote does revolves around trying to increase our numbers of Asian and Pacific Islander voters. Their mission is to mobilize Asian and Pacific Islander communities in voter activity and civic engagement. I work with other Asians but I am the only Pacific Islander. My mission for this internship is to learn the whole get-down on Pacific Islander votes- number of registered voters, who actively votes and what will make people implement voting. My mission for my community is to take something away from this internship and utilize it back at home. Last but not least, my own mission is to realize if this is a path I would want to take when I grow older. So far, it has been a passion for me to help my Pacific Islander people in any way, shape, or form.

The first couple of days were real kick back. I helped with recruiting student organizers and P.I. people to the Voter Registration Training in Carson on Saturday, June 23. So far, so good.

This past weekend I attended the National Election Strategy Session with General Alliance. At this conference, there were Executive directors, student organization directors, and more that represented different communities around the country. After I came out of my shell (yesss I'm very shy with new people) I came to talk to people who were down to partner with the Pacific Islander community and work with us. A lot of their work was BIG TIME organizations like National Students Bill of Rights and Hip Hop Congress which were people who promotes the importance of voter activity through the push of the bill of student rights or hip hop music. Did you know they have free campaign websites? I learned how to organize phone banking and voter registrants through NOI (New Organizing Institute). It's wayyy easier than excel.

Everything I've learned here so far is GREAT! And comes in handy with what I want to push for in my community back at home. I'm meeting very inspirational and hardworking people. It checks me to work just as hard and get my work done too. One thing that's motivated me is knowing that Pacific Islanders are not (or hardly) represented out here. A lot of organizations claim API (Asian Pacific Islander) but they were not able to deliver when I asked them what were they working on within Pacific Islander communities. To a lot of them, we're the UNKNOWN. It's unfair! But at the same time, I can't blame them...it's hard to get all our Pacific Islanders to realize the importance of civic engagement. Soooo...this is where I came in...if they have no information on Pacific Islanders, what can I do to bring forth my community? What do they need me to do to push their efforts to the Pacific Islander community? This brought up a lot of discussion but people were really looking into it. My plan now is to just bug them until they can't take it anymore and finally do something about it. :)

I haven't had time to go out but hopefully this weekend I'm able to go out and do some sight-seeing. Going to work everyday has already been quite the adventure but I want to go to the main headquarters, the White House!!!! :) Excited for what's in store for me! Just praying it all goes well and I take more out of this experience than I can amount to think of! Stay tuned!! :)

P.S. I'll be posting more (pix and all) about my roomates, Faaputu Vaafuti and Norah LeDoux! And my wonderful family host, the Fa'amuli's! :)

PRESSING TOWARD THE GOAL (note to self)

SO WHAT'S YOUR GOALS FOR THIS YEAR? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT IS YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTION?

How are you going to reach those goals? Plan it? Work harder? Study more? Eat less? (that's me) lol

To kick off the new year, we wanted to have bible study with "setting goals" for 2012!
So if you have the chance to read...read Phillippians 3:12-21.

Whatever is in the past, is in the past. Look forward to the future & SET YOURSELF SOME GOALS...God has intended it! And in ALL YOUR WAYS, do not fail to acknowledge Him.

Phillippians 3: 13
"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,"

Keep a clear conscious of what you want to achieve...if at anytime you feel a change of heart, let the Lord show you... :)

STAY BLESSED