Thankful, Grateful, Blessed

I love Target. Anyone who knows me can testify that the dollar section at Target is my Achilles heel. I tend to pick up random hats for my brother, baby socks, or whatever may be in the bin.When redecorating my house there was a piece of wall decor that said " Thankful, Grateful, Blessed" and that needs to be my mantra for the next year.

I started a new job this year as well as I moved into a new house. This job is fantastic and every day I come happy to be in a place where teachers are respected and students are grateful. I don't have all perfect children in my class but I realize that the ones that are grateful are so much easier to work with. I am trying to remember that I am still a student in life and I need to be appreciative of everyone and everything around me because God has a lot of work to do!

So here I am, about to turn another year old and I have so much to be thankful for. My friends, my fellowship, my art, my family, my health, my car, AND HAVE YOU SEEN MY ADORABLE NIECE AND NEPHEWS??????????

Thank you for being in my life, thank you for reading this, and thank you for Target for being not only practical but insightful.

Blessed by Family and Friends in LA

It's been while blog. I know I haven't written in you in a long time and I need to. So here it goes:


As my third semester comes to an end, I am amazed at how much has changed in one year. In community group we were asked to summarize the year. I said, "Blessed by friends in LA. " When I came to LA I had a handful of people I knew but in the past year the friendships I have made have been overwhelmingly wonderful. When I turned 25 I only had five people to invite over to celebrate. This year I had cupcakes with over 35 people. There are so many people who text me, call me, make sure I haven't pulled out my hair screaming at the kids, and just hang out with me. I have a close group of girls that live all the way in Baltimore, my lifelong friends, and now I have my LA/PCC people to count on. I feel blessed.

Looking back, I should have said, "Blessed by FAMILY and friends in LA." My family has proven to love me more and more this year. As some of you may know, I love my niece very very much. My sister and bro-in-law answer ALL of my calls and texts. When I am with my family, I only talk about Vienna and they never tell me to stop. My brother took care of me when I was sick in Puerto Rico. Instead of going out, he brought me soup to my hotel room. When we drove to Vegas, he drove the entire way- there and back. Whenever I call my bro in Missouri, he has a loving and listening heart. In the midst of all my crazy, he manages to find humor and actually calls me. Like on the phone. Not just a text.

My parents deserve a medal! My mom showed up at my school today to watch our Nutcracker. She sat while I yelled at the students and just smiled at all the students staring at her. In fact, she sometimes drives three hours just to see my students perform. My dad shows love in a wonderful way- bacon. Everytime I come home there is some waiting for me and everyone reading this should be jealous.

Work is tough. Let's just leave it at that. Thank God I have wonderful family and friends that keep me sane!

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a splendid new year!

-C

One year after NYU graduation

Today, NYU had its graduation at Radio City. My facebook blew up in purple of smiling grads and I had major NYC envy as they posed in Times Square. I started reflecting on what has happened since I walked the stage and I can't believe what has happened in a year. Here are some things I came up with:

1. When I walked the stage last May I  the plan was to move to CT with my sister and detox from the city. That never happened as I now live in West LA. I still do not know everything about West LA but I am slowing trying all the yoga studios and figuring out which streets have left turn signals.

2. One year ago I had 8 jobs. I now only have two! Instead of counting every minute and every dollar, I can go to work with ease and be fine taking a day off. Sick days and paid vacations are nice too!

3. At NYU I had a tight knit group of friends from grad school and although we have all separated- I know I can call anyone of them up and it would be like we never skipped a beat. I recently had the pleasure of watching Mary get married! Now my friends are mostly from my community group and it has been a joy getting to know them.

4. I used to dance a lot at the top dance studios in the US with other professional dancers wee into the night. I now dance with elderly or recreational dancers and a 9pm class is out of the question. I have redesigned my dancing life and I am still trying to figure out the balance of teaching and taking class.

5. In Harlem I used to take Zumba pretty religiously and now I teach Zumba religiously! I have a faithful following of teachers that take Zumba with me every Tues/Thurs

Congrats grads of 2014! Surviving NYU is no easy feat and you should celebrate! Your after NYU life may be very different after but I promise you- if you can survive the hustle and bustle of the city, anything is possible.

I head back to NYC from June 22-July 25. Who is still there!!

Spring Break never gets old

One of the best parts of being a teacher is all the breaks we get.  For Spring Break 2014 (!) I went to Tokyo to visit Sarah and Justin!

Here are a few things I loved about Tokyo:
1. It is clean. There are no trash cans around and yet the whole city is spotless. I never saw one piece of litter.
2. The trains run on time. We took a train every day and only once was a train delayed. That is AMAZING!
3. The food......... I love all Asian food and I have never had such great sushi. I could eat udon for days.
4. The children are adorable. I have never seen so many children so well behaved and I am a firm believer that makes kids cuter. They wear these yellow hats if they are in kindergarten and I shrieked of excitement.
5. I did not see one obese person, everyone is thin! Maybe because they work 10 hours a day or because everyone does hot yoga but all the Japanese people I saw were little. I suppose they have to be tiny or they would not fit on all the trains.
6. THERE WERE SO MANY TYPES OF KIT KATS!!!!!!!!!( I found most of them at the airport) I came home with 7 different flavors!

Things that surprised me about Tokyo:
1. It takes forever to get anywhere! We road the train about 3 hours a day!
2. I thought Hello Kitty would greet me at the airport (not really) but I thought there would be way more HK
3. Japanese girls walk in heels EVERYWHERE. No matter what we were doing- those girls were strutting their stuff.  ( I did not exactly love the fashion though......)

A brief overview of the trip:
Day 1- Arrived two hours late and got dinner then bed
Day 2- Went hiking to see a big Buddha then went to the navy base and shopped a bit. That night we ate at a little sushi place that had the freshest sushi! The tuna went straight from the fish, then melted in my mouth.
Day 3- DISNEY SEA!!!  It was like the California Adventure of Tokyo Disneyland. And it was amazing.
Day 4- Tsukiji Market, Shibuya, Harajuku, and a show at night. We basically explored Tokyo and it felt like I was in Times Square. The fish market was amazing! Sarah and I took glamour photo booth shots!
Day 5- Yoga on base, the cup noodle museum, and the Robot Restaurant. The RR was so touristy and I have my thoughts about entertainment for foreigners, but it was so bizarre. Of course we could not leave without a bit of karaoke!

*I met up with a friend from elementary school in Tokyo- it is amazing how Fbook keeps up connected!*

Buddha

Cup Noodle Museum

Robot Restaurant

Shin- our sushi chef

At Indiana Jones at Disney Sea

Sushi at Tsukiji Market

Community

I take ballet at least once a week at a ballet studio close to my apartment. Last week I decided to take the morning class instead of the evening class since I had the day off. The morning class was filled with elderly women, all retired, who probably have been taking class since the studio opened. For those of you in the dance world, you know who these women are!

During the first combination, a young woman came in with a baby in a carseat. No one blinked an eye as we continued with class and the teacher gave the next combinations. The baby woke up during the barre work and started to cry, and the mother immediately shushed and took the baby out. A few funny remarks from the teacher and everyone continued as normal.

What happened next in class made me extremely happy. During the break a few dancers came over to the mother and complimented her. As class progressed, women started holding the baby for the mother so she could dance. Complete strangers were helping this women so she could enjoy the class! For one combination the mother held the baby while learning but another woman took the baby when the mother's group danced. I even offered to hold the little one! When class ended, three women took all of the woman's belongings and helped her to her car. One of the women who helped left saying, "It takes a village!"

 I told her how wonderful it was that she brought her baby- it was a pleasure to see! I love how the community in the room did not even flinch to help this woman who was trying to dance. I can only imagine how hard it is to take class when you have a little one and I give her major points for actually doing it. This is one of the many reasons I love being a dancer. Whether we know each other or not, there is a common bond and love for dance that unites us.

I am still trying to find my dance and non-dance community here in West LA. I have made a big push in the past 2 months and I have made some real progress! My smallgroup at PCC has been a great joy and I have been connecting with people from my past. I had a great community in DC and NYC and I feel a strong community is important for a healthy life.

If you know anyone in West LA-let me know! I would love to meet them!

2014- The year of not touching my face

Although the New Year is well underway, it is never too late to try and improve yourself. I love New Years Resolutions and here are mine this year:

1. Stop touching my face and focus more on other people's faces. I am a face toucher. Specifically,  I am constantly touching my nose, brushing my hair, and rubbing my eyes. I need to stop and I feel 2014 is the right time to end the face touching madness. I don't really feel the need to focus on other people's faces but my grad school professor once told us to give a positive replacement action in order to stop the negative one. That is the only positive one I could think of but I am open to suggestions.

2. I am really setting up myself for failure with this next one- staying put. I moved across the country in 2013 and I took 10 cross country trips. How can I make a group of friends in LA if I am never here?? My zodiac sign claims that I need to travel often but I am not sure my wallet agrees.

3. Be artistic. I never wanted to be a choreographer or have my own company but my current job requires me to choreograph at least 12 more numbers before June. I have been relying on minimum creativity (like doing Nutcracker) for my pieces but I should challenge myself as a choreographer. The electric slide won't cut it!

4. Stop buying things. I love to shop and as Madonna's Material Girl song came on during my shopping binge at the 4 story Forever 21- I realized I have a problem. My closet is full! I do not need to buy clothes because they are on sale or because I might get fat one day and want to be prepared. I should only buy food.

5. Lay easy on the groupons. I adore groupon and I spent 3 months using them when I first moved here. However, now I am stuck with a bunch of classes at mediocre gyms when I could have saved that $$ for a trip (augh, I am already thinking of breaking #2)

I am sure I had more than this but after 8 days of the New Year I seemed to have forgotten them.

6. Don't forget your resolutions

First post of 25

Hi!

I knew I wanted to write a post about my life in LA and it seemed too perfect I am turning 25 today. I am still not sure what I want to write about but here are a few items worth noting.

I was reading my blog post from Septembet 5th and I realized not much as changed. I have the same job, I go to the same dance studio, I miss dancing in NYC, and I am still a terrible driver. I am used to having a totally different life every few months so consistency different for me.

Things are good- and have stayed that way. Living in LA has an ease to it compared to NYC. I just feel more relaxed and things get done. I had to work this past weekend and I am so drained from it, I am not sure how I worked so much in New York.

I enjoy meeting with people and my friend circle is slowly growing. I just got a new small group and I am meeting people in the dance community. I was fortunate enough to dance for a choreographer here in LA too! Very randomly I have been reconnecting with people from my past like my old dance teacher or a junior high classmate. I am pretty happy about it!

I got a crockpot and I am obsessed- SEND ME YOUR CROCKPOT RECIPES!!!!!

Here is the link the group number we did in Hwood! I promise my next post will be more thoughtful~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbQZb_pbmeM

-Chrissie

Life in LA

When I was growing up I always hated LA. My parents would drive me up for various dance related things and I always thought Orange County was much better. Now that I live here, I am learning there is so much I did not know about LA. Here are the things I am learning:
1. Manhattan Beach is possibly the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. Walking along the beautiful houses is a site to be seen!
2. Venice beach has little canals that look like Italy. Today I walked along the Venice Canals and I saw all the canoes and people outside reading.
3. I will have to pay for parking. Always.
4. West LA is not that big. I have seen the same people at the gym, the grocery store, and out on the town. Sometimes this is a good thing. Sometimes this is not a good thing.
5. The Marina Del Rey Costco is the busiest Costco on the mainland. No matter what time of day I go, it is packed.
6. The time difference to the East Coast really does suck. I hate not being able to Facetime with Vienna in the evening and so I have to call at 6am PST in order to see her. Last time I was barely awake but just seeing her face made me happy.

Here are things I miss about NYC:
1. Taking contemporary dance class. I found a great ballet studio but I have yet to find a place to do Contemporary work. I really miss being able to take class at any hour of day.
2. Walking places. The only place I can walk to is Single Ralphs (It is just a regular Ralphs but mainly single people shop there. Maybe I should shop there more?)
3. My friends. I love my friends here but I can't help but miss my crew back in NYC.....

                                                               The Venice Canals!

The Blanket

Some of you may have heard me talk about Sarah Craft. Sarah was my roommate when I lived in Silver Spring, MD and now she lives in  Japan. Well one of my favorite stories we have together is the night we met. I had been in DC for about 0 minutes (really 2 days with my family and one on my own) and after my first day of being an intern I decided to go to small group. But first I needed a blanket to sleep with (after all it was the terrible winter of 2010) and so I picked one up before the group met at the diner. I picked the best one- a full size down comforter-and they only had a queen duvet so that is what I got.

I walked into the diner carrying this big white lump and sat down and made some new friends. I honestly do not know who was sitting next to me or across from me, but sitting diagonally was a girl rocking a turtleneck. She seemed to laugh at my odd jokes and a few weeks later she asked if I was interested in being her roommate.

Living with Sarah and Rosa was amazing. Our apartment rocked (gym and a pool) and these girls were legit. I was invited into their tight group of friends and I instantly had 10 best girl friends in Maryland. I would  Sarah or Rosa to wake me up sometimes and they would have to find me under my twin size blanket- (YUP IT WAS REALLY A TWIN! MARSHALLS-YOU LIED TO ME) That year was a lot of change for me. I had a break up, I started working full time, I danced in a company, I learned how to deal with people, I took public transportation, I learned how to dress for the snow, I learned how to gchat with 8 people at once etc. And I came home to a big white blanket every night.

When I moved to NYC I shipped the blanket off and it barely fit in my biggest box. I stuffed it in with my memory foam and saw it a few months later ( I did not need a down comforter in a NYC summer). I had four different apartments in NYC and my blanket was by my side.

This brings me to today. Tomorrow is my last day in NYC as I am moving to LA. (Yup, moving again). More has happened in NYC than I thought could happen to a human and now it is time to go. I started packing a few weeks ago and most things were easy to pack or toss. Cowboy boots- yes. Hangers-no. But then I came to the blanket. It would cost more to ship than it was originally. I probably don't need a down comforter in LA as the weather is always perfect. A twin comforter with a queen duvet doesn't even make sense. I was leaning towards a new blanket.

And then I thought of Sarah. I thought of all the memories with that blanket. I thought of the girl that I was when I moved to DC, and how bright eyed she was. I thought of my friends and how much they have shaped me into the person I am today.

I vacuum sealed the blanket. You will see it in my new apartment not just because I found a big enough box, but because its comforting to me. Kind of like a huge security blanket?

 I have no idea what new adventures LA will bring, but I know I want to come home to that blanket. Good days, bad days, my blanket will be there. Just like the friends I have made and the people that have supported me.

Maybe I will get a new pillow instead?

an overdue update

I apologize. The purpose of this blog is to keep people up to date about my life. As my last post was in March 2012, I can honestly say I have failed. But a new year and new resolutions means I get to try again. Here it goes:

The recap of the past 9 months:

1. I graduated from NYU with my MA in Dance Education and K-12 Certificate. I made amazing friends, learned about dance ed, and hopefully launched a new part of my career..
2. I student taught at two amazing sites- PS 372 and JKO High School. I could not have asked for better cooperating teachers and I had to keep blogs about my experiences there. (those are pretty personal so I can't share those)
3. I moved apartments. Twice.
4. I joined a small group at Redeemer and decided to attend Redeemer.
5. I went back home 4 times (Pollo asada fries....I want some right now......)
6. I worked a bunch of jobs.

Here is what is happening now:
1. I am teaching at the Joffrey Ballet School, 3rd Street Music School Settlement Preschool, Chabad Jewish Preschool.
2. I am an HR intern at Roosevelt Management Company doing temp work for less than 10 hours a week.
3. I moved apartments and I now live with 4 other girls in an amazing apartment on 101st
4. I got a Costco membership
5. I am incredibly blessed to have my small group, the broodles, my CA friends, and family constantly supporting me
6. Vienna Lin Chuang. If you don't know who she is or how I feel about her- then you are not my real friend!

NYC continues to amaze me and I am incredibly lucky to live in my favorite city. However, the tides are turning and I am looking into other cities to move to. Any suggestions?

I AM STILL ALIVE!

Oh Hello WORLD!

Yes, I am still alive. It has been a crazy few months and here is a bit of a recap:

1. I went to UGANDA over Christmas break on an NYU study abroad. In a nutshell, we learned Traditional Ugandan dance for the first week and then taught Ugandan children modern dance the second week.

2. I am working at the Joffrey Ballet School, Jumpstart, and the Children's Aid Society. YIKES! Filling out so many time sheets is so annoying, but I need to work!

3. NYU 2nd semester.......oh lord. We are physically in class more and I wish we were not. We talk a lot this semester and it kind be VERY boring. I really want to get more hands on but at least I am on SPRING BREAK NOW! I have never felt so overwhelmed though and I will be doing homework for spring break.

4. I have an ADORABLE niece named Vienna that I really cannot get enough of. I Facetime all the time and I go to Connecticut to visit once a month.

5. Last week I went to Penn state to represent NYU at the American College Dance. It was a lot of fun and it was very inspiring to see what other colleges are doing.

6. I am thoroughly enjoying the new classroom I am in for Jumpstart. The kids are so cute, they love me, and they are so happy to be there. One of them talks like Elmo and randomly cries but as soon as you distract him he forgets about his tears.

7. I love my roomies.....but we are going to have to move if our landlord does not renew our lease.

8. LINsanity- love it! Pintrest- LOVE IT MORE!

9. I start student teaching in July!

10. I miss dancing. I love taking class and I wish I could enjoy all the classes NYC has to offer.

Despite all my complaining, I really do love living in this city. I enjoy the fast pace, packed days, and the many things to do here. I am making great friends and I have trouble keeping up with everyone. I miss California a LOT especially since it is cold here but it looks like it is heating up soon!

What is going on in your life?

-Chrissie

1st month of Grad School!

WOW! So much has happened since I last wrote! Here is the lowdown:

1. I overall love living in NYC! It really is a dream come true! My mom was here earlier this month and she commented that when I first visited NYC to college visit NYU, I stayed at a hotel that is currently 3 blocks from my now apartment.

2. School is good. Sometimes it feels like undergrad and some days are better than others. Some of my professors are incredibly prepared and engaging, while others could use some work. I really like seeing the same people every day though and exploring dance education.

3. I have made great group of friends in my program! They are from the South and we are getting closer and closer.

4. My apartment is great, I love it! My roomies (ami and jess) are really fun and I love getting to know them.

5. I am working at three jobs again. I work at the Children's Aid Society, Joffrey Ballet School, and Jumpstart! Jumpstart is an Americorps program where we go into preschools and work on reading with the kids. Yes, I am too busy.

6. I still go to the gym 5 times a week!

I feel like I have more to say but I really need to do my reading! Sorry this is so boring. More to come!

-Chrissie

China- Part 2- Shanghai

After Beijing, we flew to Shanghai.

Our itinerary in Shanghai was a bit different since there was less to see and more free time. Our car and guide picked us up and drove us to our hotel. We were far away from downtown but our hotel was amazing. We were put in a suite and it had a gym!

The first night my mom and I decided to explore our hotel area. We ate simple noodles and dumplings which were SO cheap and then headed back to our hotel for rest. The next morning our tour guide picked us up and we went to the Jade Buddha Temple, walked around the French concession, and went to a Silk Factory. The tour also allowed us to go shopping in one of the shopping plazas but it was just as if I was in Irvine. Prices were not any cheaper than America and that really bothered me. There was a huge thunderstorm that night so we just stayed around our hotel area again that night.

The following day was our only "free day" and my mom and I had a blast walking around Shanghai. The city is easy to navigate, subway is easy to use, and we kept finding things to eat, like 85 degrees- my FAVORITE bakery! Boba is super good there too.

We went shopping, a museum, an amazing bookstore, and saw the sights at night. It was really great and chill.

So after Shanghai we went to Hong Kong. Our flight was delayed (of course) so we were not sure what would happen with our tour guide since we knew we would not have a private guide anymore. Eventually we found her and we went to this hotel that seemed to have a MILLION guests. The man who made it was the founder of the Cub Scouts.

Our first night in HK my grand aunt and my auntie met us up and we ate some delicious seafood. We were actually on the Kowloon so we walked across the millions of shops and saw HK at night. I LOVE cities so HK was definitely right up my ally.

The next day we had a group tour and we saw a market and Victoria's Peak. I did not really like the group tour because we spent most of our time in the bus listening to our driver make bad jokes. We drove by a bunch of beaches and I wish I could have gone out to them. That night my mom and I went shopping and bargained for our items. Thanks mom for the fake Toms!

The next morning we went to Macau. Macau has 28 casinos and is a rival to Vegas. Well, I did not see any of that. After the boat from HK to Macau we were shuttled along to a bus where we did random touristy things. We only had 20 min in a hotel so I am sad I did not get to see more of it. Macau had nice fresh air and really good pastries.

That night we met up with an old friend from church and tried to see the Symphony of Lights. We thought the Symphony of Lights would be sort of "disney" because our tour mates raved about it. It was more like a search party but hey, that's cool HK.

Our trip was then over! Thanks Mom for a fabulous taste of the motherland!

China- Part 1

Hey Chrissie, how was China?

Where do I begin!

We will start with the basics. I went to China with my mom and we spent 3 days in Beijing, 3 in Shanghai, and 3 in Hong Kong. In Beijing we climbed the Great Wall, walked through the Forbidden City, saw the Ming Tombs (it's a mound of dirt- I wish I was kidding), grazed through the Summer Palace, strolled through the Temple of Heaven, rickshawed through the Hu Tong, and went to numerous tourist traps. By tourist traps I mean a jade factory, pearl factory, traditional Chinese pharmacy, porcelain factoy, and acrobatic show. We had a private car and tour guide which was wonderful and the only reason we were able to have such productive days.

The Great Wall was way steeper than I expected. Those steps are a beast! I had no traction on my shoes and I was focused on not falling down the Great Wall like humpty dumpty meanwhile I had the voice of my mother counting every step she took. 622 steps, in case you were wondering. What fascinated me about the Great Wall was the attire. I came in an old t-shirt, tattered jeans, and shoes that ended up breaking. The other tourists came in wedges, dresses, suits, while THEY HELD THEIR BABIES. I am not kidding.

My favorite place we visited was the Temple of Heaven. This place was in my guide book as a must-see but was not on our tour. My mom and I woke up at 5am to take the subway and see the Temple of Heaven and its park before we left for Shanghai. When we entered the park we saw a vast amount of trees and even more elderly Chinese people doing various forms of exercise. If you know me, I love being outside and I love exercise even more. The Temple of Heaven was a perfect combination for me!

Beijing was a lot cleaner than I expected. Even though the air quality was horrible (apparently you can rarely see the sun even though we saw a lot if it) the place was CLEAN. I felt like I was in a suburb, traffic included!

The food in Beijing was not what I expected. I thought it would be better! The one exception was the Peking Duck. I don't even like duck that much, but this duck was phenomenal. I gobbled it up and my mother and I could not believe what amazing flavor it had. Out of everything I ate in China, this duck was the most fantastic.

Next post- Shanghai!

Summer 2011

Hi!

I think me getting sick in SF is God telling me to slow down. And also to write in my blog.

I am sorry I have not updated in so long. It has been a crazy summer and here is the recap:

1. I moved out of the SERC (I miss you Sarah and Rosa!) and went to see my sister in Hartford.

2. From there I went to St. Louis to see my brother and cousins where I ate delicious food, drove my aunt's minivan, and took a day trip to Chicago. I had never been to Chi-town before and my brother drove me there just so I could eat the MOST AMAZING PIZZA! I also fell in love with Nancy's dog.

3. I came back to Hartford for one day and then moved to NYC to work for the Joffrey Ballet School summer intensive. After a very stressful 8 weeks as an RA I am happy to say I made new friends and got used to the city.

4. While working as an RA I also worked at the JBS Dance Camp for 3-6 year olds.

5. In addition to that job, I also became a the dance teacher at the Children's Aid Society in Harlem where I taught modern/creative movement classes This was an INCREDIBLE experience and I feel that it really challenged me and my patience as a teacher. The kids were pretty rowdy but I managed to get some great results and Justin Bieber Dance Parties out of them.

6. After I finished at JBS, I came home for one day for a family reunion! My grand-aunt turned 80 and so all of my extended family on my Dad's side came out for a few days of eating. We also threw Tracie a baby shower! My first ever!

7. The next day my mom and I headed out to Beijing! We spent 3 days in Beijing, 3 in Shanghai, and 3 in Hong Kong. I really liked China and I promise I will write more about the trip and post photos.

8. From HK my mom went back home and I spent 2 days in SF celebrating a friend's birthday. It was great seeing old friends but it was so cold there. Which is why I am now sitting in bed with a stuffy nose.

9. I am currently in Garden Grove spending time with my family and friends before school starts. Let me know if you want to hang out!

So that was my summer!

-Chrissie

Reasons Why I love teaching little kids

1. While stretching and making a "rainbow"

Me: Girls, what colors are in your rainbows?

The girls: Blue, green, yellow, red
Me: Well, mine has sparkles
Girl: Well mine has a Unicorn leaping over the rainbow!
Another Girl: Mine is a regular rainbow with a pot of gold at the end

2. While pretending to be fairies:

Girl: Miss Chrissie, I know where fairies come from.
Me: Where?
Girl: A baby's first laugh

3.After my last class:

Girl: Bye Miss Chrissie!
Me: Bye! Have a great summer!
Girl: I love you!
Me: (started to cry)

4. In the beginning of class:

Me: Please say your name and how old you are
Girl: CatRabbit!

5. While getting ready for the Airplane Song:

Me: Girls, what flies in the sky and carries people?
Girl: tomatoes, raspberries, and strawberries

6: While stretching:

Me: Girls, what comes after the rain? (the answer is always a rainbow)
Girl that clings to me like a cat and never smiles: A puddle (then pouts lips)

7: Before class

Me: Hi! Look how big you have gotten!
Mom: Tell Miss Chrissie what you wear now
Boy: UNDERWEAR!

8: Before class
Me: Hi! I am Miss Chrissie
Boy: todayireachedupandtheniputmyhandoutandthesoapcameoutandicouldreachit!!!!!
(I have never seen someone so excited to receive soap)

9: While asking what the kids did this week:
Girl: MY FISH DIED AND WE HAD A FUNERAL AND IT WAS SO SO SAD
Me: ohhh sweetie, I am so sorry

Later I tried to give me condolences to her mom
Mom: What fish? Oh, you mean Pablo? That fish died 3 years ago

The break up letter

Dear DC,

This is really hard for me to say. You know I like you a lot, but I think its time that we break things off. I know things have been going really well, with MYB, NDEO, and Contradiction, but I think something just doesn't sit right with me. I have grown so much with you in the past year and its been fun seeing you grow too. H street has never been so crowded and there are so many new restaurants to go too. I mean, I tried to stay but I don't see how this is going to work. To be honest, I am just not attracted to you anymore.

You will be great without me, you don't even need me! There will be plenty of other young, Asian, professionals coming to the city and you won't even miss me at all. In fact, there will be someone better for you, someone who doesn't work on Saturdays and lives in Maryland.

I know what you might be thinking. Did I find someone else? To be honest, I did. Its New York. I am sure this is not a surprise for you. I am so sorry.

I want us to stay friends though. I can't imagine my life without you. It might be hard at first but it will get better. Take as much time as you need and I will visit. Its only a 4 hour bus ride away. Please take care, I will be thinking of you often and I wish you the best.

I love you.

-Chrissie

Countdown- 2 more months in DC

Hey cool people,

Wow, this past month has been a whirlwind. So here is the breakdown:

MYB- I am incredibly sad to leave this studio. For our last session we are exploring the circus because MYB is putting on Caroline goes to the circus. Every week we will explore a different character of the circus. Some of my kids I love- some I could live without. But for the most part, I love this job!

Contradiction- Mark your calendars! April April 22/23 is our next show " The Disorder of Things" This show is mentally and physically challenging for me but I am very excited for it! I am even MORE excited for Philip, Adam, and my Mom to come out to DC for the show! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, my classes at Contradiction are shaping up as we work towards our May recital.

NDEO- How much paper can one organization need to shred?????????????????

New York- I am moving to New York City on June 6/7 to work for the Joffrey Ballet NYC Summer Intensive. I will be an RA for students who are training at the Joffrey.

NYU- Deposit is in. Grad School, here I come!

Random- Friends are good, small group is great, roomies are in Korea right now, still getting bitten by that spider, and still being fergilicious at the gym.

I can't believe I am leaving DC. I can't believe what a life I have made here. But more sad stuff in my good bye post.

Cali- I will see you in 10 days. Pollo asada fries....yum.......

-Chrissie

a long overdue shoutout

Sorry I have been so behind on doing this:

1 ticket for the New York City Ballet at the Kennedy Center- $22

1 cab from Union to H street- $7.50

1 drink at Urbana on P street- $5

A group of friends from Cali- Priceless

The Cali Crew or the UCLA crew, whatever you choose to call them, are an incredible group of girls that I have gotten to know and love for the past year.

Em, Allie, Sarah, Rachel, and Julie- I love you so much! Thanks for all the happy hours, sleepovers, late nights, giggles, gchats, and everything else in between. Each one of you is incredibly smart, fun, so easy to talk to, and a total knockout. I adore hearing all of your life experiences and watching us all become suave DCers. You have made my DC experience unforgettable and I can't even begin to explain how much you all mean to me. Thanks for all the support and I am so sad to be leaving you. Please visit me in New York!

I AM GOING TO NYU!!!!!!!!

Hey cool people, I AM GOING TO NYU IN THE FALL FOR MY MASTERS IN DANCE EDUCATION AND TEACHING CERTIFICATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am leaving DC on June 1 Just thought you should know. More posts to come -Chrissie