~:[CH15 - Day 285]:~ Iconic

 
~:[CH15 - Day 285]:~ Iconic

It was a cool thing for JO1 to do. They schedule an event where they performed in a random dance challenge at UCLA in front of Royce. Hosting an open event where they fans and others can gather is pretty cool! It was nice to see them jump into the random dances alongside the other dancers who were probably in awe. While the crowd was a bit crazy, it was a cool experience to be there for and capture through the lens. It was a little difficult getting the shot with the crowds, but I was happy to capture some great moments. It was nice to chill near Royce after the event before eating in Westwood. This area feels so familiar to me since I'm always here for MUN and other events and now, another memory has been created. .This truly was an iconic moment as I felt like they took a step beyond the stage and went to great lengths to connect with their fans in this fashion in an iconic spot. 

~:[CH15 - Day 284]:~ Forget About the Rain

 

~:[CH15 - Day 284]:~ Forget About the Rain

The rain didn't have much impact on me, as I was inside most of the time when it was falling. I was able to get the rest of my grading in during the morning before heading out the event at night. It was a bit chaotic as the JO1 fans were being a little difficult and not listening to the concert staff. I understand their concerns, but they weren't going about it in a good way. Regardless, despite the struggles, the event itself went well. I had to deal with a few obstacles here and there, but by night's end, I was happy with moments I was able to capture. This group bring such great energy to stage and has such wonderful transitions that they grew on me. Last summer, I was lucky to have an encounter with them in the airport lounge when we were both flying to KCON. I guess fate brought us all together and since then, I've been enjoying capturing all these incredible moments. I will be glad to go home and rest a bit, but I'll also enjoy looking through all these clips and assembling the recap from a night to remember. 

~:[CH15 - Day 283]:~ Let's Jump for Joy

 
~:[CH15 - Day 283]:~ Let's Jump for Joy

It's the weekend, but there was a lot of running around to do. I thought my photoshoot was on Monday, but then there was some confusion and so we rescheduled for today. The problem was that my nephew had a basketball tournament. Luckily, the games were in Santa Ana and the studio was in Orange. What luck! I headed to the game and it was a bit nerve-wracking as they went down seven. They stayed calm and collected as they adjusted their defense and ended up coming back to win. I left right away and headed to the studio and get the shoot done. We were in a crunch for time, so it felt a bit rushed, but overall, it went well. I actually had some time after the shoot, so I uploaded the photos to my phone, grabbed lunch and headed back to the gym. The next game started out terribly for us as we went down double digits early, but they slowly clawed back and ended up winning, advancing to the championship game. It's been fun watching this team grow over time and it was nice to see them do well. There is definitely room for growth, but for now, we can celebrate these two wins. I headed home to get back to work, as I sorted through photos and also got some grading done, but I survived the day and it was a good reason to celebrate. The timing somehow worked out for everything and I am grateful when things like this fall into place. 

~:[CH15 - Day 282]:~ FriYAY

 
~:[CH15 - Day 282]:~ FriYAY

Originally I was supposed to drive down to LA to run an errand, but with traffic picking up and with it not being urgent, I passed on those plans and stayed home. I focused on getting some work done and then prepared for my visit from the family. I was exhausted, but it's always fun to spend a little time with the family. It's been exhausting with so many events and this and that going on that it was nice to lay out and just relax even when two little ones were running around the house. I'm not always home when they come over so it's always nice to see them, even if it takes some poking and prodding by them to get me up. With tomorrow being a busy day, I headed in after they left and focused back on the work I had to do. I took a short break to break a pack of 30th anniversary Pokemon cards and ended up pulling a Mewtwo which truly added the yay in Friday. Happy weekend to all!

~:[CH15 - Day 281]:~ Let's Be the Light

 
~:[CH15 - Day 281]:~ Let's Be the Light

We finished our workout just as it got dark. It's been difficult this season as we've had to move a few practices to 6pm and late in the season, we are battling sunlight. The struggles of dealing with the heat is tough enough, but add the light into it and we've got another obstacles. Regardless, the team finished up a great workout and they seem to have been locked in as of late. I am proud of them. Despite the changes and challenges, they stay focused and go above and beyond to get the workout done. Sure, we were missing some athletes, but for the most part, we had a good chunk of the team at a postponed practice. Life will throw darkness our way with the many obstacles it has, but we can find a way to be the light that helps everyone keep moving forward. There are many moments that are challenging in life and I hope that we can work together to maneuver our way through these challenges and finish up despite all that gets in our way. We can only do this if we help each other find our way and this year, this team has been doing just that. We'll see how it all pays off in the end, but as of now, I am proud of what they've been able to do.

~:[CH15 - Day 280]:~ Tolerance & Understanding

 
~:[CH15 - Day 280]:~ Tolerance & Understanding

I thing one of the best things about being in Cerritos is the diversity. There are people from so many different backgrounds with different beliefs and they all seem to mesh together. When teaching, we encounter many difficult topics, but I always try to get them to see all aspects of these topics and then ultimately decide what they believe or the approach they want to take. The main point I want them to see is to be understanding and tolerant of each other. As we teach the religion unit of the book, I always like them to see the similarities across all beliefs. Whatever they want to believe at the end of the day is up to them, but I hope that they can see that all these beliefs want people to be good, to help others, and understand it's about love, compassion, and faith. It's a difficult topic to cover, but at the end of the day, it can be the most rewarding when students can learn and understand others around them that they may see as different from them. The reality is, we're really not all that different at all. 

~:[CH15 - Day 279]:~ Trust & Focus

 
~:[CH15 - Day 279]:~ Trust & Focus

The day was hot. We were all trying to survive. Of course, with so many canceled practices, we need to get a workout in, so we planned practice at 6pm. With winter approaching, the darkness set  in as we were still running. While we could still see, it took a little more trust and focus for the athletes to ensure that they were all good. They did just that. Despite the conditions, there were no complaints, they did their workout and headed home. I love the process where athletes figure it out and learn how to get things done. This is a younger team, but they're growing quickly and to see the do it together is wonderful. Often times, people can be impatient and expect results right away, but often, it takes time. It takes overcoming challenges together, working hard and figuring it out. This group has been grinding through that process and I only hope that at the end of the day, they're rewarded. 

~:[CH15 - Day 278]:~ The Tougher Part

 
~:[CH15 - Day 278]:~ The Tougher Part

It's difficult to plan for an event with the busy schedule and anxiety that come with hoping all goes well. However, to me, the tougher part is cleaning up. There often isn't a deadline attached like planning the event and it's quite tasking to clean versus setting up. We took on the task of putting everything away the Monday after the conference. Being a Monday was hard enough, but we handled the disassemble quite well. As tasking as the takedown is compared to the assembly, the feeling of finally being done is amazing. I hate that lingering feeling that something still needs to be done, so to me, it's much easier to get it out of the way as soon as possible. That's just what we did. It was incredible to watch everyone do their part and make everything go so smoothly and while at times we could have been more efficient, I was proud of everyone who make this tougher part of the process, easy. Now, I can breathe a sigh of relief and relax (for now).

~:[CH15 - Day 277]:~ Are You Crazy?

~:[CH15 - Day 277]:~ Are You Crazy?

I tried to stay indoors as much as possible today, but I knew that I would be headed out at the hottest point in the day. When I told people I was photographing an event, I kept getting, "are you crazy?" I probably am. Rain or shine, freezing or burning hot, I'll definitely be willing to do a shoot if I committed to it. If the event was going on, I'd be there. I was especially excited to go as one of the performers I work with in Japan came over. We worked on a gallery exhibit in the summer after meeting last spring. It was cool to connect again and capture her amazing performance. It was nice to catch up briefly. I loved watching everyone enjoy themselves despite the hot weather. We all dealt with the weather to have this wonderful experience and it truly was worth it. Some may have stayed home, which is their choice, but sometimes when you face the challenges, you are rewarded. Maybe I was a little crazy for not bailing on the event, but I focused on preparing myself for the weather, and ultimately left without any issue at all. Don't be afraid of challenging situations. Do what you can to prepare and then use your best judgement as your proceed. 

~:[CH15 - Day 276]:~ Survival Mode

 
~:[CH15 - Day 276]:~ Survival Mode

It's that time of year where I am just trying to survive. Right out of the gate, I am slammed with a schedule that is quite demanding, but I wouldn't change it for the world. As much work and stress as there is to start out, there are so many good things that come out of these moments. From Cow Run to our cross country travel meet to the conference, these events provide something that these students will remember for a lifetime, so it's worth all the white hairs that come along with it. Still yet, it's not easy and I am just trying to survive at some points. This is one of them. Being at school a bit before 6am is not ideal for a Saturday (or any day for that matter), but I'm used to it. I rolled out of bed, packed the car and headed to school. Everything felt routine as I was able to do everything as needed and it felt like I was on auto mode. Have I become a robot? I love that I'm used to this annual routine as I become less anxious, even though I always worry about this and that before it actually happens. So many things can go wrong when planning an event, but today, everything happened as planned. Our SGs did an amazing job and they coordinated well with our staff. My freshman also looked to have enjoyed the day. The end of the day arrive as I let out my sigh knowing that I made it. Survival mode was activate and I survived. I'll love looking back on the photos and videos from the day, but for now, I'll enjoy stretching out on the couch and just lying there for a moment, before I get back to work of course. Thank you to all those who made today possible!