Merry Christmas! Chen Family photos..

You're always doing what you want to do. Always. and no one is making you do anything... life is just a series of choices.
(The Answer Man)

CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE

Merry Christmas!

This was the last sketch drew this semester. I left right after class yesterday to fly out to TX.
I'm glad to be home. and I love my family. I miss booty, so here a lot of videos with her in it.

Stumbled upon some reaallllyy old photos (2004) this morning:
So much changes in 5 years. but not that much.
old photos, and an old journal: http://andrea-onart.xanga.com/

"Sleepers" excerpt by Walt Whitman

The homeward bound and the outward bound,
The beautiful lost swimmer, the ennuye, the onanist,
the female that loves unrequited, the money-maker,
The actor and actress, those through with their parts
and those waiting to commence,
...
The great already known and the great any time after
to-day,

I swear they are averaged now–one is no better than
the other,
The night and sleep have liken’d them and restored
them.

I swear they are all beautiful,
Every one that sleeps is beautiful, every thing in the
dim light is beautiful,
The wildest and bloodiest is over, and all is peace.

This week I filmed featured roles in "On the Minds of People" with Chocolate Lab Productions, and "Unhappy in It's Own Way" starring Kuei Ya-lei and Al Brown.

On the spur of the moment, like most good permanent decisions, I dyed my hair a purple tint this week! Check it out! Thoughts?

This weekend was productive. I feel like when it's colder out, I actually do more, although my first reaction would be to hide indoors with my comforter and cat.
I checked out the Tim Burton exhibit at MOMA with the GaRam, and we also had a very nice italian dinner with some actor friends, at a restaurant near my apartment. I filmed a short film on saturday, and the last scene of my horror film on sunday! I worked on homework as well, designing some books, and thesis, since finals are this and next week, and have work at school tomorrow all day.

Just saw this online- someone called me a "wistful young girl"!

wanna hear me play piano?

For an audition, as a character named Cindy, I was asked to show off some of ole piano skills from my opera singin days...

Just finished watching "The Age of Innocence" and really loved it!

NARRATOR
He had heard her name often enough during the year and a half
since they had lastmet. He was even familiar with the main
incidents of her life. But he heard allthese accounts with
detachment, as if listening to reminiscences of someone longdead.
But the past had come again into the present, as in those newly
discoveredcaverns in Tuscany, where children had lit bunches of
straw and seen old imagesstaring from the wall. 

[Archer walks down the path and sees the pier and house in front
of him. He sees a woman with her back to the shore, leaning
against a rail. He stops, unable to go on. It's Ellen. She looks
out to sea, at the bay furrowed with yachts and sailboats and
fishing craft. He does not move. Ellen does not turn. A sailboat
glides through the channel between Lime Rock lighthouse and the
shore]

NARRATOR
He gave himself a single chance. She must turn before the
sailboat crosses the LimeRock light. Then he would go to her. 

[He looks to the boat. It glides out on the receding tide between
the lighthouse and the shore. He watches as the boat passes the
lighthouse. He looks at Ellen, she has not turned. Archer walks
away]

Happy Thanksgiving!

I couldn't sleep tonight, so I explored some of the stuff on this computer and sang some ole hymns to my cat! you can hear her growl a bit in the background lol
PS the audio's a little low, being an experiment, so turn up the volume!

I get so frustrated sometimes wanting to just understand everything around me. I try so hard to experience everything. I want to be bold and unafraid to fall down and try anything, but I'm afraid that if I keep throwing myself into learning about everything that I'll just be overwhelmed by it all and just combust. So what do I do? Should I just sit back and process the things that happen to me and seek to just understand those events in real time? Or rush into experiences so that I can get in as much of life as I can?

"Penang" the play opens this week! I have a small part as Suong.. here is a look at the first draft of the program!

Stage Buddy: http://stagebuddy.com/listingdetail.php?lid=3374
Off Offline: http://offoffonline.com/listings.php?id=9984
NY Theatre: http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/showpage.php?t=pena9197

Production Stills for the film "The Trinket"!

sketch from this morning...

"The Trinket"

I'm almost done filming the lead an independent horror film called "The Trinket"! Don't my eyes look crazy!!?

"Which is better--to have laws and agree, or to hunt and kill?"
- William Golding, Lord of the Flies, Ch. 11

Updated my website:

http://andreachristineonline.com/

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
these streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
let's hear it for New York, New York

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."
- e. e. cummings

I got my hair cut today! I have some bangs now.
love this picture... from leo's blog
photo from the music video set
"Obsessions make my life worse and my work better" -Stefan Sagmeister

Here are some really quick sketches I did in class last week.

"Pursuit of Happiness"

That pic is of me with Kid Cudi himself!! I worked on this cool music video on Tuesday and Wednesday! I got to swing, on an actual swing, and wear a delicious looking sweater.. met some really nice people as well.
Spent last night catching up on homework, and had class all day today.. my homework turned out really well though, and I came home and slept really well when I got home just now...

I'm on the pursuit of happiness, and I know,
everything that shines aint always gonna be gold...
I'll be fine once I get it.. I'll be good

Elle Time Commercial stills

I took a video on my iPod today, of the new subway card- it says optimism on the back!

so uhh... i have an IMDB page?

My heart's your heart
My love is your love
and I'm not okay unless you're okay

If it's worth having it's worth fighting for

"I won't live forever and when I die I don't want people to forget I existed" -Madonna
(Made this cool lamp to remind people to turn off their lights, in my experimental typography class)

Thinly Veiled / Miracle Music Video

Just got home from the 'Thinly Veiled' premiere tonight! It was so nice seeing everyone, love that the film is finally done, and gonna be seen.
www.thinlyveiledmovie.com

I was checking my email just now, and apparently the music video I did this summer is all over the web!! Check it out: ('Miracle' by Sally Shapiro)
http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/13378-miracle/

http://stereogum.com/archives/video/new-sally-shapiro-video-miracle-stereogum-premiere_089791.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGhy7gzJgDo

http://blog.newsok.com/staticblog/2009/09/15/video-of-the-day-sally-shapiro-miracle/

http://starkmagazine.blogspot.com/2009/09/sally-shapiro-miracle-video.html

http://www.switchbladecomb.com/video/sally-shapiro-miracle/

http://themusicslut.com/2009/09/sally-shapiro-debuts-new-video/



Lastly, I got a blip account!
http://blip.fm/andreachen3d :) Love the music on there.

more pics here
courtesy of my friend John Nolan

i love my dad

Paul It depends. But don't get disppointed. Just like you don't sell a stock just because it has a down day.

6:50pmAndrea kk

6:50pmPaul what does "kk" mean?

6:50pmAndrea it just gets discouraging

it means ok ok

like- if u say the letter k, it sounds like kay

Saint and a sinner

Martin Luther once said "I'm a saint and a sinner".
I hadn't gone to church in a while, but school starts tomorrow, and now that I'm single, I just felt drawn to the therapeutic, familiar. On the way there though, this one guy kept bible-thumping in my subway car, talking about how 9/11 was the first sign of the end of the world, and wearing a shirt with fire and flames on it with Jesus written. Interestingly enough, he was on my subway car again on my way home, and it was funny to see even some of the people who'd been in the church with me, recoil away from him.
Sometimes I feel guilty for not being the perfect girlfriend, or the best friend, or daughter. But maybe it's feeling flawed now and then, that makes us appreciate the hope for something better?
I want to be better so much.
Tolstoy wrote a letter to a critic who said- how could Tolstoy be christian since he drank like a sailor and was a jerk. Tolstoy wrote that isn't it better to stumble down a path, swerving from side to side, than to not have a path set at all? And he questioned- is there a better alternate route?

From here on out, I'm going to stop thinking about relationships. Being friends is fine, but there's so much more to focus on... I feel like no one can be perfect, but I try so hard to do the right thing and still screw up. I need to not hurt people anymore and do something with my life that I can be really proud of.

It all comes out in the wash

I've been keeping busy workin as Student Orientation Coordinator again, for my last year at school. It's helped keep my mind off of stuff for the past week, and I'm really happy with how everything turned out this Welcome Weekend. All the OL's were so chill... and some freshmen too lol.

Ugh so I just need to sort this out on paper or on this computer so it makes more sense in my head. there's so much I want. The people I want to be around the most, can't or won't be around me like I want. and everything seems to far away. School's about to start, and I don't want time to keep turning so fast. It's too much. I want to do a lot, and be happy, and love and be loved.

Or just be independent and make myself bigger and better than I have been, and just be happy on my own. Maybe if I really get lonely I'll open myself up more to my friends and who knows... given time... everything works out in the end right?

GaRam and i broke up. He decided that it wasn't worth sacrificing his grades and stuff over stupid fights, and broke it off. please just pray for me if you can. I'm going to just focus on me, and work hard this coming year. Classes start next week!

Chandeliers

When your long day is over

And you can barely drag your feet

When the weight of the world is on your shoulders,

I know what you need, bring it on home to me

http://www.flickr.com/photos/willjoines/sets/72157620856381831/

My last week as an intern at HBO.. a group of us had to work together, and I made this pamphlet for our presentation!

After speaking english, korean, and french in films, I get to finally speak a little chinese in this new project!
Some of my family is coming to stay with me on Tuesday, for a week! So excited :)

houston weekend

My parents are so adorable, right??
The weekend was so nice once I finally arrived! I got to hang out with my family, meet my cousins for the first time, and eat my grandparents good food. Leaving tomorrow morning, to head back to HBO and NY.
Wish I could've hung out more with my friends, but it was such a short visit.. I really wish I could've seen Vivian especially, but she came back the day I left.. Next time! For I always return :)

grace.

For the past two days, I've been trying to get on a plane and come to TX. I was supposed to be in Houston this weekend to spend time with my immediate family, grandparents, and cousins (who I'm meeting for the first time).

Yesterday, I woke up 4 AM to try and get a standby flight, and was left waiting, for 11 hours, not being able to get on any of four flights. All day, I waited in the airport. My bag had broken on the way and so all the contents of my carry-on were stuffed in a trash bag. I'd taken the more expensive train to get there, but lost the ticket getting into the airport, and had to pay extra to get through (you're supposed to give someone that train ticket to get in). From 4 AM, I missed the 6 AM, the 11 AM, the 12:20, and the 3 pm flight. I went home, dejected, exhausted, stressed, and demoralized. My parents and brother still begged me to try and come the next morning, but I felt sick just thinking about having to spend another entire day at the airport to try and fly home.
The next day, today,, my dad surprised me by telling me he bought me a confirmed ticket so I wouldnt have to wait for standby again. So I came back, but to the wrong airport. Feeling like an idiot, I waited for a shuttle bus that was two hours late, the ATM and Taxi machine was broken so I couldn't hail a cab, or pay for it...
So I stood there. around 2 hours ago this was. I stood on the curb of Newark Airport, my once favorite place to fly from, that I had had always been able to get my first choice flight from before.
I felt so helpless. The flight my dad had booked me came and went. Nothing had been working out these two days, and no matter how responsible I tried to be, or capable, I couldn't do this on my own. Every circumstance had worked against me, I felt.
Suddenly, the man behind me, with his wife and kids behind him, asked me "Do you need anything?"
He ended up paying $100 to a cab driver, to take me to LaGuardia airport, where I am boarding right now, on a later flight.
Calling my dad to let him know, he told me, "you know, mommy and I were just praying for you."
I think sometimes we need to know and be reminded of how much is out of our hands. And I hope I can be more like Mr. Bowers someday (the wifes name was on my taxi receipt, donna bowers), to be so freely generous.

"There now, steady love, so few come and don't go

Will you won't you, be the one I always know
When I'm losing my control, the city spins around
You're the only one who knows, you slow it down"

new york with my brother

My brother is in the city! I love hanging out with him and GaRam. I've just been spending time with my two favorite boys, and friends... working at HBO at school, keeping busy. Can't wait to see the rest of my family soon!
http://www.willjoines.com/
currently listening too:
"True Affection" the blow
"She Doesn't Live Here Anymore" jay jay johanson
"Marching Bands of Manhattan" by death cab for cutie... ("sorrow drips into your heart like a pinhole, just like a faucet that leaks, and there is comfort in the sound")

note to self: read more

I've been reading a lot lately. I'd forgotten how therapeutic it is, and how happy it makes me.
My new favorite book is "True Love" by Ivan Turgenev, it's such a beautiful little book, and I love stories about when this character first discovers love, and I think it makes me feel empowered when I read about women who don't love the main character back but flirt around. The first character like that who I really liked was Estella Havisham, when she's told to "break his heart" by one of the most frightening characters in literature, at least to me, her guardian Ms. Havisham. But this character in "True Love" was made so much more well-rounded because she does end up falling in love, just not with the right person. At one point, she says this "I am a flirt: I have no heart: I have an actor's nature."
"Give me your hand and I will stick a pin into it, and you will feel ashamed in front of this young man. And it will hurt you, and still you will be kind enough to laugh"
And still, of course, the man loves her forever. Even after he's old and she's dead (oops, spoiler).

Also I've been rereading "Ways of Seeing" by John Berger. This book is also on my top ten list now!

music video stills

Here are some pics from the music video! I really enjoyed working on this, and I think it's going to be amazing!!
more can be seen here at the directors website: http://willjoines.com/miraclestills.html

some photos