show your love

The way I was educated in Taiwan was hide my emotion of love. We don't say I love you to our families. When I met Shirley, we talked about our family relationship. She said her father asked her to say I love you to him and her mother everyday at least one time.

It may not something special to Americans, but in Taiwan or China, it is something unusual. The society I use to live was teaching us to suppress the emotions. After I have lived in the US for four years, I have started to show my emotion, especially to my family. Shirley's father is so close to Shirley.  

"When he came to visit me one time, we talked about the relationship. I was crying on his shoulder for two hours," she said.

I was kind of jealousy that why I couldn't do it to my family members. But I found out, it is not about my family members. It is about myself. I should make a change instead of expecting this conventional society. 

Vampire bats

We love to share.

Share the good news, share our experience or share our sadness.

And share on Facebook.

But human being is not the only one that knows the sharing.

Vampire bats share their blood meal to their related. We always think this specie is a cold blood creepy animal. But vampire bats are believed to be the only species of bats in the world to "adopt" another young bat if something happens to the bat's mother. Vampire bats also share a strong family bond with members of the colony, which is believed to be why they are the only bats to take up this adoption characteristic.

I was surprised that this cold blood specie has a heard warming part to their own related. Maybe this is just like us. We kill and eat other species but we care our own specie. 

SP O2%

"You are doing great! You see, the number is increasing to 90," the nurse said while she was checking the machine, which hooked up to the grandpa's mouth and nose.

He lay on the bed and tried to breath very hard. The number was going up and down. Sometimes it went up to 90 and you can see everyone ,who were taking care of the grandpa, showed a little smile on their faces. But when the number went down to 79, no one was sitting down. They tried to call the nurses and told the grandpa

"breath with your mouth, not your mouth. Come on, you can do it."

The machine had two numbers and one data on the screen. The most common is the electrocardiogram. Even though I have never used it before, it is commonly used in the movies. One of the numbers is the heartbeat. Usually you see this number when you use the treadmill.  These  two numbers are important but not what I was concerned.  The last number that we  decided if we want to call the emergency is the SP O2, which is  is a term referring to the concentration of oxygen in the blood. This is the main number influence the other two. For regular people the number is 95. When the number is lower than 85, we have to prepare that something is going to happen.

This was the first time that "the number"  was so important to me. Everyday I wake up and check the time, which shows me the number. I check Facebook and see the number of Likes. I read some research data (the number of the percentage), but nothing really makes me feel the threat of the life.  This SP O2 number hooked up to my grandpa health status and also hooked up to my heart. 

The world of the law- euthanasia

The world of the law- euthanasia

“He already did his job. He has raised his three kids and is a respectful grandfather. It’s ok to let him go,” the grandma said while she was signing the euthanasia documents.

After that, she told the grandpa “ We are going home. I know you want to go home.”

The grandma asked the nurses to remove the machine, which hook in grandpa’s head.

The grandpa couldn’t move, but he knew euthanasia was what he wanted. No more pain. No more suffer. All of his children and grandchildren were around him.

Nevertheless euthanasia was debated from 1870. Some of people claimed that this system was against the God. They think there is the reason that God want us to suffer. However, for most of the countries, this is a legal law already.

“I would rather my grandpa die in the pace than suffer the pain. He was in the pain; we were also in the pain from watching him suffer”, his grandkid said.

But from the doctor’s point of view, their job is to save lives, even though the chance is only 1%.  

Nevertheless, the euthanasia is legal in many countries, but sometimes our decisions are still based on our emotions.

Kimi Yeh

I am Kimi Yeh. I am a creative strategist and specialty is storytelling. I love football especially the New England Patriots. This was the first team I learned about American football in Boston. I still remember that my friends told me,
"Kimi Yeh, you are in the US now. Sport is the best way to learn American culture. This is our souls."

After one year in Boston. I started getting my Master degree in Academy of Art in San Francisco.
I just passed my final review yesterday. It has been two and a half years. Really thanks to my Director Cameron. He said he still remembered the first time I turned in my video and introduce myself. He said it was full of energy, "Hey I am KIMI YEH!!!!" 

Kimi Yeh, an energetic and passionate football fan.

storytelling is powerful

what is story telling?

Just look around your life. There are stories everywhere.

Sometimes the ordinary stories can be the big surprise to other people.

check it out this video

The Big Reveal to Grandpa | Adorable and Touching Reaction

The coffee artist- Kazuki Yamamoto

An art is not only hanging on the wall. 

It is something close to our lives.

 

I am a coffee fan. The first thing I do when I wake up everyday is to make me a cup of coffee, and get another one when I go to class. I wish I could have this coffee in my daily life.  Kazuki Yamamoto makes the coffee as not only a beverage,but it's an art, which can make your day. 

An artist doesn't need to come from an art school or have a masterpiece in the museum. It is an impulse of creativity. Everyone has it. It just shows up in different ways. It can be a cupcake, a special basketball dunk or a cup of coffee like Kazuki Yamamoto created.
Sometimes it might happen during a conversation. The quote or advice that you give at a particular time can be artistic. That, to me, is what you call art and you are the artist, who created it.

The happy birthday dance

People ,who know me, definitely know I DO NOT DANCE. You might wonder, then, how I got inspired by dancing if I don't dance. My dancing is not from showing off in the clubs; my dancing is for saying happy birthday to my Father, who is in Taiwan and couldn't celebrate with his daughter.

(Watch my happy birthday dance before continuing. Please do not laugh too loud.)
 PS. this is just a rough cut, not for an Oscars film editing prize.

When I watch some dancing shows, America's Got Talent or Dance With the Stars I always feel very entertained. I feel like I want to dance. However I always know I would never be like those dancers. Who says we have to be like them? No one.We can dance for ourselves; we can dance for our lovers.

Before my father's birthday, I was thinking so hard of how to give him a surprise if I couldn't be with him. Send a card? Send a bottle of wine? Make a call? These ideas are so cliche'. I have done these so many times. I can dance. This dance is only for my father, not for the public. He has never seen my funny dancing, but I bet you, this would be a better dance than the pro dancer for him. I had so much fun shooting this video, because it was special dance, for someone who knew this is a special performance for them.This was for love not for publicity or winning. 

Across the cultures

 

Before you read what I wrote, please watch this little genius comedian.

I was shocked by this comedy and not because he was a kid comedian.  I'm shocked because I could understand his jokes. I try so hard to watch comedy but sometimes there are too many inside jokes. I see my partner laughing out loud but, I just didn't feel anything at all. This comedian joked about kids and adults are the same. These are things that happen in every culture. I laughed because it recalled on some of my memories, not because I understand American culture or the language. The experiences are truly the same across cultures. I also will become someone's parent in a few years. His jokes connected my childhood and my future. Of course, he also was super funny. 

The experiences, body languages and music ease the lines between cultures.  

I remember one of my classmates asked me 

"Why do international students like to talk about traveling and food?"

Now I realize because these are the experiences that everyone has some kind of experience in. We don't need to know the history of countries, the politicians or the story of Ice Cube. There isn't any pressure to talk or listen to the experience stories.

Next time you talk to someone, who is not from your culture or country, think of something you can use to connect with that person. 

A deaf football player

Deafness, hearing-impaired, 3-year-old, African-American, hearing aids, obstacle, effort, endure.
What is the image coming to your mind after reading these words? Charity? Pity?
The descriptions are of a person who is a professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks.


















What? Can a deaf person play American football?  No way! That was what I thought until I heard about Derrick Coleman, who is a running back for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. There were so many questions that enter my mind. How difficult is it for the other players to have faith that he knows what going on? Can he hear the play from the QB when the crowds are extremely loud?  Do his teammates look at him as just another one of the guys? Being deaf isn't an obstacle or an excuse in life for him. It is a motivation. “Even though we wear hearing aids, we can still accomplish our goals and dreams,” wrote Coleman.

No one is perfect. Everyone has something about them that's not perfect. We can accept it or blame God. When we accept who we are and we will empower what we have. I believe that it's been a long journey for Derrick and stressful to be in his position. However, he believes in himself and makes people around him (parents, teammates, coaches and fans) believe in him. Evaluating your imperfections is what help you to grow. I have to accept I can't have a native-American English accent. Having a different accent,  I will stand out when I speak in a crowd. I accept I am not good at Math or logic, but I empower my creativity. 
How do you accept your imperfections?