THANK YOU! <3

2013-12-15

Thank you to everyone who supported and encouraged me throughout my MCVP journey for the last 3 months. This has been an unforgettable experience that I will treasure for a lifetime. I am so grateful and honored to be crowned Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant 2013 1st Runner-Up, awarded “Winner of Sparkling New Star Award” for my Chinese dance talent, & awarded the “Winner of Dazzling Flair Award” for my overall performance. 

I truly believe that God has a plan for each and every one of us. Everything happens for a reason and I am so humbled to have placed as the only Vancouver-born finalist who speaks Chinese as a 3rd language. Fairchild TV, thank you for giving me the experience to be part of such a large production. I have never been part of a better example of what excellent teamwork, dedication, and hard work can produce. Thank you to all the FTV crew and our 90+ sponsors for making this event possible. I look forward to representing fellow Vancouver Canadian born Chinese and giving the gift of civil service for the following year. 

I will continue to follow my dream; to live a happy, healthy life by staying true to myself and values; to follow my heart and bliss whilst inspiring others to do the same. Thank you to all my family and friends who attended the show and supported the Canadian Cancer Society; Uncle Larry, I dedicate my awards to you and I hope I made you proud.

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Dec. 10: Yoga on the Yacht!

2013-12-10

Dec. 10 One-Legged Inverted Staff Pose (Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana), on the bow of the Royal Vancouver yacht! This was a challenging pose for me as I've never tried it on my forearms, with my hands touching my feet. I didn't have the chance to warm up much and my body was shivering from the below zero degrees freezing cold weather. Also, the platform I was standing on was very tiny and the yacht was a little rocky! I love the mixture of backbend and leg extension in this posture; it has probably become one of my new favourite postures!

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Rest in Peace, Uncle Larry

2013-12-08

It’s been 60 days since cancer took my uncle Larry away from my family and I. The last few months have been a struggle and challenge for me in so many aspects of my life. Losing a family member is one of the toughest things. I think of him and his amazing Chinese flute skills when I hear Chinese music; I think of his love for orchestra when I have MCVP practices at his old orchestra studio; I think of him when we have family dinners; I think of him when I remind myself why I wanted to join the pageant and what I want to do and raise awareness for in the future. Life is often unfair and cancer is becoming a deadlier disease that hits home for many people.

Today, we had his burial at sea. We rented a two-story, 18 feet long yacht and toured around Granville Island & Stanley Park’s English Bay & Burrard Inlet. It was such a beautiful day to pay tribute to uncle Larry and remember what matters most in life. Everyone has a different definition of what matters most in life, but to me the answer is simple—love. It is such a simple word, yet it embodies so much meaning and value.

Before releasing uncle Larry’s custom biodegradable urn along with fresh rose petals, I provided Auntie Nancy with the last words she wrote for Uncle Larry’s funeral service.

“Dear Larry,
You are free now.
You are free to swim in the ocean.
You are free to climb your favorite mountains.
You are free to play your music anywhere you like.
Have a happy journey.
We love you.”

Life is short. Live the life you love and love the life you live. Do everything with love.

Love, Jennifer 

 

Dec. 8: Reclining Hero

2013-12-08

Dec. 8th- Reclining Hero Pose, Supta Virasana; a grounding pose that calms the nervous system and helps to normalize blood pressure.

 

Our Show is in 5 Days!

2013-12-07

I can't believe how fast time is passing by... 5 days until our big show! I started off my morning with a lovely breakfast with my parents and Auntie Nancy at a Golf & Country Club. I love all the beautiful Christmas decorations around the club. 

Following breakfast, my parents and aunt drove me to Betty's home, where we had fitting from 10AM until 8PM. EIGHT hours of trying on clothes! There is so much to prepare for our show and it would not be possible without the help of our amazing Fairchild crew. Betty, thank you so much for helping us the entire day. I absolutely love her words of advice and how she places such a large emphasis on self-confidence. Kelly Ma, thank you for making us delicious wontons and soup today! I think I had 10 bowls of soup in total today! (If you aren't really familiar with my eating habits and love for soup, now you get an idea!) 

After our long day of fitting, I went for a delicious dinner with Hebe, Cindy, & Elma. I enjoyed the food and company a lot and am already starting to have all sorts of mixed feelings about the pageant experience coming to an end soon. 

Time to get ready for bed, as I have an emotionally difficult day ahead of me tomorrow. Stay tuned for my post tomorrow! 

<3 #8, Jennifer 

 

Dec. 7: King Cobra!

2013-12-07

Dec. 7 Red and white Christmas-themed King Cobra Raja Bhujangasana with my cute little dressed up JetJet. 

This is a great bendy pose to try if you're new to yoga or haven't developed much back flexibility yet. It isn't as scary or dangerous compared to other backbends since most of your body is on the floor and balance isn't a concern. 

Lie on the floor and place your hands beneath your shoulders. Use your back muscles to raise your upper torso and head. Bend your legs and straighten your arms as you arch your backbone. Softly tilt your head back and reach for your feet with the crown of your head. Try your best to keep your thighs on the floor. 

Acroyoga version!

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Dec. 6: Scorpion with my Dog!

2013-12-06

HELLO!!! Dec. 6- Just another casual evening chilling at home in scorpion on my computer with JetJetBaby! So happy and excited to share this photo with you; I've been wanting to take a picture like this for years and am so ecstatic to have finally captured this precious moment in 1 try! Scorpion aka tickling my face with my toes pose is one of my favorite postures due to its complexity and difficulty to perfect. It takes a lot of flexibility, balance, strength, and patience to perfect the pose. I still have lots to improve on, but that's the wonderful thing about yoga- it's about the journey, not the destination. 

My whole body is currently feeling like jello. I woke up very early, had my last MCVP fitness class, devoured a delicious brunch with my girls, worked for the rest of the day, then came home to mommy's delicious homemade dinner. It's been a very fun but tiring day as I spent hours working out and stretching today. I've never been a live model and practiced yoga outside of work for so many hours before! It was so nice to meet new people, make new friends and potential yoga students, & receive support, encouragement, and good luck on my pageant from complete strangers! Thank you to everyone who shared smiles and laughter with me today! So much love for you all!

Ps. Thank you for the early Christmas gift! Loving my new Paris Perfection Power Y tank! Can't get enough of my love for pink and purple together!

 

Dec. 5: Full Wheel & Chair Splits!

2013-12-05

Day 5: Full Wheel, Urdhva Dhanurasana at Prospect Point in Stanley Park! I was hesitant to post this pic, as I'm not completely satisfied with it. I never do full wheels, so am need of a lot of practice. It was a very cold chilly day when this pic was taken and I didn't warm up before attempting this (don't be bad like me!) I was also afraid to slip in my heels on the frosty, icy wooden planks, but couldn't resist trying a full bridge with the beautiful view of Lions Gate Bridge in the back. Full wheel is a great pose to stretch your chest and lungs and strengthen your arms, wrists, legs, buttocks, abdomen, and spine. I will work on deepening my backbend and straightening my legs. Is there a pose you normally don't practice?

Here's my last dance/yoga pic in heels when I was a tour guide for my visiting Montreal friend! We were walking around Granville Island and I came across this cool looking wooden bench. Immediately, the thought of doing something fun on the bench came to mind. It was a lot harder than I thought/looks to get my legs on both sides of the bench. I was also worried that my legs weren't going to be long enough to span across! After spending some time awkwardly getting my legs up into splits, the lady in the store across from the bench runs out and exclaims "Excuse me!!! Please be very very careful with my bench! It is very old, delicate, and has wheels on the bottom so it can move!" My friends and I couldn't stop laughing as we didn't realize people in the store were watching the whole time. I quickly dismounted the bench and felt a little bad. I can't help but want to try out fun poses when I visit places. Life's too short to take plain smiley pictures where you're just standing normally! I like to let go and just be myself! Have you had any funny experiences taking unordinary pictures before?

 

Dec. 4: Firefly Pose

2013-12-04

Day 4: Firefly Pose aka Tittibhasana on rocks at the beach!  Firefly pose is one of my favourite arm balancing postures. It incorporates leg flexibility along with core and upper body strength. When your firefly flies and your lower body is raised from your mat, you develop strength in the shoulders and wrists. 
In order to keep your firefly flying, balance is key! Firefly pose has many benefits- it increases arm strength, tightens and tones the belly region,& stretches the core, inner groins, hamstrings, and back torso. What's your favourite arm balance? 

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Jump Split!

2013-12-04

Jump split in Stanley Park Downtown Vancouver! I'm having a hard time believing that we are already in the month of December! I've been so busy training and practicing everyday for the 2013 Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant for the last 3 months and can't believe the show is in 8 days! This week's been fun and exciting; I had awesome friends from Hong Kong, New York, and Montreal visit. It was fun being a tour guide yesterday, showing my Québécois friend around Stanley Park & Granville Island. I couldn't help but take some fun dance/yoga pics along the way! I learnt that it's pretty difficult to jump in heels. My entire body is aching from all the dancing and stretching these days; it hurts when I'm just standing and I can barely walk down the stairs without pain. I should probably be a little more careful the next few days, especially with the big show day coming up! Reminder to all fellow dancers, yogis, & athletes- don't push yourself over your limit! Love and respect your body! 

 

Dec. 3: Forward Bend

2013-12-03

Day 3: Standing forward bend, uttanasana. This pose will stretch and wake up your hips, hamstrings, and calves. Forward bends strengthen thighs and knees, while keeping the spine strong and flexible. Uttanasana relieves tension in the spine, neck, and back. It is also an awesome posture to improve digestion, as it stimulates the kidneys, liver, spleen. Forward bends feel amazing after back bends! 

Wide-Legged Forward Bend, Prasarita Padottanasana. The photograph below was actually the first photo I took for today's day 3 challenge standing forward bend pose. However, I realized this picture wasn't quite the same as the original standing forward bend challenge pose, so I re-took the picture and was going to delete these pics. But I figured, why not post it? It's a variation to the original pose and is great for people just starting to stretch and do forward bends. Wide-legged forward bend strengthens and stretches the inner back legs and spine. It's a great way to tone abdominal organs, while calming the brain and relieving backache. 

Here's my 3rd picture for my December 3rd December Bendy Challenge day 3 pose! Ps. If you haven't already noticed, pink & purple are my favourite colours! Tweet me @LoveFerba if you have any random questions for me; I'll answer them to the best of my ability! Sending everyone lots of love tonight!  Goodnight & sweet dreams!

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Dec. 2: Shoulder Stand & Acroyoga!

2013-12-02

Day 2 of December Bendy Challenge 2013- Shoulder stand with eagle legs and a hands-free Flexi Ferba variation! I started off the morning with my biweekly MCVP fitness training. I had a lot of fun today, as I got to share my love for yoga and acroyoga with some of the girls. Thank you Michelle, for helping me take my Day 2 Bendy Challenge photo! #4 Hebe and #7 Michelle tried acroyoga with me and I enjoyed challenging myself by lifting their entire body weight! #9 Elma also tried doing some poses with us, but we didn't manage to get a photograph. I really enjoy trying out new acroyoga poses, but finding a partner who is willing to try new poses with me is always a challenge!

After fitness training, I went for a delicious brunch with my birthday girl cousin, Grace. Happy birthday Grace, I hope you love your gift! :) For breakfast, I love eating eggs and a lot of meat! I'm a big fan of bacon, ham, and sausage! :) 

Now I'm off to work for the rest of the day! Ps. I am so grateful for the amazing weather in Vancouver. The last 4 years were spent in Montreal when I was studying at McGill University and I am so happy to have escaped the brutal East Coast winter weather! I definitely miss my friends in Montreal though! How are you spending this lovely warm and sunny Monday? What are you grateful for?

 

Show Rehearsal & Injuries

2013-12-01

Today was a long, tiring day! The first picture on the left was taken before our show rehearsal at SUCCESS in Chinatown; the picture on the right was taken after our rehearsal. Evidently, we practiced for many hours and this is often what our daily training is like- it is bright and we are able to see the sun before practice; once we are done rehearsing, it is very dark out! 

We rehearsed every part of the show- from the opening, to the very end where the 2013 Miss Chinese Vancouver winner is crowned. I had to wear high heels the entire day, so my feet were exhausted. As we are given shoes to wear for the show, I am not used to them and they do not fit my feet very well. As a result, my feet were all beat up- red, bruised, and skinned. 

In addition to having painful feet, I accidentally burnt myself with a curling iron a few days ago. The photo on the left was the first day I burnt myself; the photo on the right is what it currently looks like. As you can tell, my burn has been getting much darker and much more painful. As it is in the process of healing, the skin is very dry and whenever I move my neck to look one way or the other, I can feel the skin tearing. 

I have been applying aloe vera gel to my burn every morning, evening, and throughout the day. I hope it can heal in time before the show and not scar! 

 

2013 December Bendy Challenge

2013-12-01

I’ve decided to start my very first yoga challenge! One of my favorite things about practicing yoga is being able to improve on my strength and flexibility. I’ve lost a lot of flexibility throughout the last few years, as I haven’t been stretching and training in dance as intensely as I used to. Repost my picture, tag your friends, and have fun trying these poses if you would like to join in on this month’s challenge together! If you have any questions regarding any of the poses, feel free to comment below and ask away! I am looking forward to seeing your pictures and improvements! I will try my very best to post one picture a day for this #decbendychallenge2013. Let’s get bendy together! 

Let the challenge begin! The first day's challenging bendy pose is: Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose) . This is a great posture to feel energized, improve your breathing, strengthen your hamstrings, and open your chest, shoulders, & hips. This pose was especially challenging for me in this picture, as I not only worked on my back flexibility, but had to balance on a very jagged hard rock that was surrounded by water! Join me in this Dec. Bendy Challenge, let's get bendy together! 

I'm so excited today is December 1st, the first day of the December Bendy Challenge; I had to post another picture! Mermaid pose is an advanced variation of today's first bendy pose, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose). I love this posture because it is a backbend, hip opener, and a deep stretch for your thighs, groins, shoulders, and chest. Your legs and hips are like the tail of a mermaid, while your heart opens and lifts up to share love with the world. This pose helps improve mobility in the spine and hips, while strengthening abdominal muscles, and stimulating the torso's organs. As this month's challenge features many backbends, remember that yoga is all about the journey, not the destination. Listen to your body and make sure to not push yourself over your limits as injuries take a long time to heal. I hope to inspire all bendy and wannabe-bendy yogis to try out this Dec. challenge with me. If you've never practiced yoga before, this is the perfect chance to do so and watch your flexibility progress throughout the month. If you're already a yogi, keep it up and remember to focus on form before depth.

Follow me on Instagram @LoveFerba to keep up with my daily photo updates! 

 

 

Love

2013-11-26

Attitude of Gratitude.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Words cannot express how much there is truly to be thankful for, but I will try my best.

It is currently 11PM and I just got into bed after a long day. I started off my morning with MCVP stage training, followed by an afternoon of shopping and eating with my mommy in Richmond, completed by an amazing monthly staff meeting.

I’ve been wanting to blog for the past few days, but haven’t gotten the chance to sit down and write, as I feel like there is so much to express, yet so little time. As much as I enjoy writing down my thoughts and sharing them through the form of a blog, I often hesitate to do so, as I know there aren’t enough words to fully express what I feel. This is another reason why I have resorted to vlogging and creating a YouTube channel @LoveFerba—I feel like actually talking and being able to show the world myself through video, makes my words and photographs come to life. This whole concept can become another blog post on its own, but since it’s getting late and I need to wake up in a few hours for work (I’m getting cash trained- yay!) I’m going to stay on track and focus on the last 2 hours of my day.

There is so much to be thankful for and I am so thankful for everything and everyone who is a part of my life. I would especially like to take the time to thank my work place—the people, the culture, the lifestyle. Tonight’s staff meeting was absolutely phenomenal, I don’t even know where to begin. I always look forward to our monthly Tuesday evening staff meetings, as I always leave feeling so grateful and empowered to make a difference and live the life I love.

Our staff meetings begin with the un-rolling of yoga mats and placing them into a large circle across our cleared floor. As Christmas is just around the corner, we’ve doubled our team and hired many seasonals. We began our meeting by introducing ourselves- our name, position, and our current 3 months goal. I had a hard time deciding what to share as my goal, but as you probably guessed, it ended up being MCVP related. I am so thankful for always being greeted with big warm smiles and hugs along with a supportive “how’s your MCVP training coming along?” whenever I go into work. Goal setting is a big part of my company's culture and I absolutely love hearing about everyone’s goals. I have SO much to say about setting vision and goals, but I will save that for another blog post, or else I won’t be getting any sleep tonight!

After we went around the circle introducing ourselves, our SM Jess asked if we had anything to “clear.” Clearings are when you share with the entire team something that is currently on your mind that is stopping you from being present. I love this concept, as I am strong believer in “living in the present,” though it is often much easier said than done. Clearings normally start off with a few moments of silence; it is completely up to each individual as to whether or not they want to clear something with the team. Tonight’s clearings were very different from our previous meetings. There were a wide array of clearings with our team doubled in size; little clearings such as getting chocolate all over one’s jacket and having to clean it right away, and having to sit closer to the backroom in order to easily access the bathroom from drinking too much water. There were also much deeper and sensitive tear-jerking clearings; feeling alone and lonely in the city; calling a loved one everyday, yet not hearing back from them for 2 months. I wanted to provide actual examples of the clearings that were shared, so you have a better understanding of what “clearings” are; there is no clearing that’s too big or too small to share with the team. It was quite the emotional staff meeting. I am so proud of everyone who shared their clearing with tears of sadness and fear; it is definitely not easy to open up and be vulnerable in front of so many people. You are all very brave and inspiring and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to work with such courageous, amazing, individuals.

There are so many things I love about my work palce, but I had to share my feelings regarding tonight’s meeting and write this blog post right away. You know what they say—“Do it now. Do it now. Do it NOW!” I love how our staff meeting is such a warm, friendly, safe place to share how we truly feel. I love the values that we all share in common. I love how encouraging and supportive everyone is of each other. I love how everyone values the importance of sweating and living a healthy life. I love the emphasis on work-life balance. Love love love.

I only have a few hours to sleep, but wanted to write all of this out and share it with everyone while my thoughts are fresh. Tweet me @LoveFerba and tell me what you love and are grateful for.

Team, thank you to each and every one of you for being so awesome. What an honour to work together and have each other for support. To those who shared tear-jerking clearings, thank you for being so honest. I am here to give you a hug and talk if you ever feel sad, stressed, alone, afraid, uncertain, or simply because you want to share some love! I’m sorry for not being able to work as much these days due to my crazy MCVP schedule, but know that you are on my mind and I am so grateful for you

Goodnight!
<3 Jennifer xx

 

TheSweatLife

2013-11-24

Overstretched standing splits with my head touching my thigh! It's been really nice to have MCVP training either super early or late at night the last two days; I've finally had time to work again! I worked for 8 hours today (I guess that's what I get for being MCVP #8 =p). I had a great day at work as I got to be a live model and do yoga, dance, and stretch outside on the bench! Performing in front of others and gathering an audience always gives me an amazing adrenaline rush. I love sharing my passion with everyone, especially when they have lots of questions and are eager to learn from me! It felt great to be surrounded by like-minded, goal oriented, and health conscious lemon co-workers again!

After work, I had delicious Taiwanese beef noodle, fried tofu, and spicy pig's ear for dinner. Following my quick dinner, I had to rush to my last modeling class from 8-10PM. I'm so happy to be back home safely and ready for bed. It's been a long and tiring day, goodnight everyone! 

 

AM1470 Radio Interview

2013-11-22

"11月22日 (星期五) 下午1:55 AM1470「視聽新時代」將有 「溫哥華華裔小姐競選2013」8號候選佳麗 Jennifer 李佳美 的介紹及訪問, 敬請留意收聽"
https://www.facebook.com/MCVPCanada/posts/622539851136109

My radio interview was broadcasted today! I was asked 2 questions: 

1) Does her experience at Sunshine Nation help in this competition?

2) She performed in MCVP ten years ago. Had she already decided to join the Pageant then?

I've included the Chinese, pin yin, and funny English google translation of my answers below: 

Answer 1: 
當然有啊！雖然我參加Sunshine Nation 是7年前，我还记得我們的 培训包括演技，走台步，演講和舞蹈训练。得到冠軍後，我增加了很多的信心和經驗。做為Sunshine Girl，我有很多新的机会做一些平面廣告 和视频廣告。因為我是在溫哥華出生四歲讀法語學校，四年級才開始上正式的英語班，國語是我第三個語言。我很開心這兩次比賽有機會挑戰自己的國語讓溫哥華為我驕傲。當然我希望也能鼓勵每一個人挑戰自己和追求自己的夢想。

Dāngrán yǒu a! Suīrán wǒ cānjiā Sunshine Nation shì 7 nián qián, wǒ hái jìde wǒmen de péixùn bāokuò yǎnjì, zǒu táibù, yǎnjiǎng hé wǔdǎo xùnliàn. Dédào guànjūn hòu, wǒ zēngjiāle hěnduō de xìnxīn hé jīngyàn. Zuò wèi Sunshine Girl, wǒ yǒu hěnduō xīn de jīhuì zuò yīxiē píngmiàn guǎnggào hé shìpín guǎnggào. Yīnwèi wǒ shì zài wēngēhuá chūshēng sì suì dú fǎ yǔ xuéxiào, sì niánjí cái kāishǐ shàng zhèngshì de yīngyǔ bān, guóyǔ shì wǒ dì sān gè yǔyán. Wǒ hěn kāixīn zhè liǎng cì bǐsài yǒu jīhuì tiǎozhàn zìjǐ de guóyǔ ràng wēngēhuá wèi wǒ jiāo'ào. Dāngrán wǒ xīwàng yě néng gǔlì měi yīgèrén tiǎozhàn zìjǐ hé zhuīqiú zìjǐ de mèngxiǎng.

Funny google translation: Of course, there is ah! Although I attended Sunshine Nation is seven years ago, I remember our training includes acting, walking the catwalk, lectures and dance training. Won the title, I added a lot of confidence and experience. As Sunshine Girl, I have a lot of new opportunities to do some print ads and video ads. Because I was born in Vancouver-year-old French school in reading, fourth grade began the formal English classes, Mandarin is my third language. I am very happy to have the opportunity to challenge these two matches their Mandarin let Vancouver proud of me. Of course, I hope that we can encourage each individual to challenge yourself and pursue their dreams.

Answer 2: 
2003年我的舞蹈學院被邀請參加華裔小姐競選晚會表演，在後台我看到十位大姊姊們的優雅以及親切的外表給我的印像很深刻。雖然從小很多人都鼓勵我，問我是否願意參加溫哥華華裔小姐比賽，我的父親跟我說，讀完大學是一個優先事項，教育是非常重要的。我很高興能有機會在蒙特利爾麥吉爾大學讀書。我非常感謝我爸媽能給我這個機會，在大​​學畢業後六個月的時間裡，我去了13個國家，35個城市。中國人說，行萬里路勝於讀萬卷書。現在經過我深刻的考慮我已經準備好迎接這一挑戰，做我喜歡的事，和追逐我的夢想。

2003 Nián wǒ de wǔdǎo xuéyuàn bèi yāoqǐng cānjiā huáyì xiǎojiě jìngxuǎn wǎnhuì biǎoyǎn, zài hòutái wǒ kàn dào shí wèi dà jiě jie men de yōuyǎ yǐjí qīnqiè de wàibiǎo gěi wǒ de yìnxiàng hěn shēnkè. Suīrán cóngxiǎo hěnduō rén dōu gǔlì wǒ, wèn wǒ shìfǒu yuànyì cānjiā wēngēhuá huáyì xiǎojiě bǐsài, wǒ de fùqīn gēn wǒ shuō, dú wán dàxué shì yīgè yōuxiān shìxiàng, jiàoyù shì fēicháng zhòngyào de. Wǒ hěn gāoxìng néng yǒu jīhuì zài méngtèlì'ěr mài jí'ěr dàxué dúshū. Wǒ fēicháng gǎnxiè wǒ bà mā néng gěi wǒ zhège jīhuì, zài dàxué bìyè hòu liù gè yuè de shíjiān li, wǒ qùle 13 gè guójiā,35 gè chéngshì. Zhōngguó rén shuō, xíng wànlǐ lù, shèng yú, dú wàn juàn shū. Xiànzài jīngguò wǒ shēnkè de kǎolǜ wǒ yǐjīng zhǔnbèi hǎo yíngjiē zhè yī tiǎozhàn, zuò wǒ xǐhuan de shì, hé zhuīzhú wǒ de mèngxiǎng.

Funny google translation: In 2003 I was invited to a dance college party performing Miss China, in the background I see ten big sister who looks elegant and gracious to me very impressed. Although many people have encouraged me since childhood, and asked if I would participate in Miss Chinese Vancouver game, my father told me that through college is a priority, education is very important. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to McGill University in Montreal to study. I am very grateful to my parents give me this opportunity, in the six months after graduation, I went to 13 countries and 35 cities. Chinese people say, ten thousand books than reading thousands of books. Now, after my deep consideration I'm ready to meet this challenge, doing what I love to do, and chase my dream.

Thank you Amber for taking the time to record my answers! It was interesting to hear myself on the radio! 

 

FTV & TTV Television Interviews

2013-11-21

Good evening everyone! Hope everyone’s been having a great day so far! Today, I had a full day of stage training, a delicious Korean tofu stew- sundubu lunch with #9 Elma, a sponsored facial treatment, yummy peperoni and Italian sausage pizza for dinner, and am now listening to Justin Bieber Christmas music while writing this blog post!

I’ve had an eventful 2 days since our SUCCESS senior home visit/the day I hit my head with my foot (still can’t help but laugh at myself for doing that!) Yesterday we had our 2 television interviews—the first interview was with Carmen for her “City Chat” show (broadcasting on December 5^th at 10:15PM).

The second interview was with Emily for her “Leisure Talk” segment (broadcasting on December 10^th at 6:15PM). 

Whenever we have formal events such as press conferences or photoshoots, we always have specific sponsors who do our hair and make-up. For yesterday’s television interviews, we did not have any sponsoring provided. Out of the 10 of us girls, I was the only one who decided to do my own hair and make-up. Everyone else paid to get her hair and make-up professionally done, so I was a little worried that I’d look very different from everyone’s professional makeover. Luckily our image and clothing consultant Betty said everything was okay! I am a strong believer in being yourself and being as natural as possible. On a daily basis, I try my best to wear minimal make-up. I am not the type to wear fake eyelashes on a daily basis, or have a full face of make-up. Imperfections make us who we are and I believe natural beauty is the most beautiful form of beauty.

We were each given 3 questions for Emily’s Leisure Talk interview, the day before the interview. I had a very busy that day, so was not able to start forming answers to my questions until midnight. Surprisingly, Emily did not ask the questions that were originally given to me. It was a fun and interesting experience to answer questions on the spot, especially in my 3rd language, Mandarin! 

Whenever I’m given scripts or questions, they are always given in Chinese. Although I grew up attending Saturday morning Chinese school classes, I often still have difficulty reading Chinese. As a result, my mom and Google Translate are my absolute best friends! My mom reads the Chinese aloud to me and I get Google Translate to translate the Chinese characters into Pin Yin and sometimes into English if there are certain words/phrases I don’t understand. The whole process takes a long time and is actually quite funny when I think about how much time it takes me to work on everything. In addition, as helpful Google Translate is, it also has some faults as the Chinese to English and vice versa translations are almost never 100% accurate—it always gives me a good laugh along the way! My final scripts are always very long, as they include the original Chinese, Pin Yin, and English translation. As you can tell, I’m definitely a CBC—Canadian born Chinese!

Below are the questions they told me they would ask, along with the answers I prepared at midnight. I thought I’d include my whole script- Chinese, Pin Yin, and English! PS. I’ve left the original funny English Google translation, so you could see how hilarious the grammar and translations are!

Question 1:

Jennifer的外型給人非常陽光健康的印象, because she was our Sunshine Girl 2006. How did the experience prepare her for the Pageant?
Pin yin: Jennifer de wài xíng jǐ rén fēicháng yángguāng jiànkāng de yìnxiàng, because she was our Sunshine Girl 2006. How did the experience prepare her for the Pageant?
Google translate: Jennifer's appearance gives the impression of a very sunny and healthy, because she was our Sunshine Girl 2006. How did the experience prepare her for the Pageant?

Answer 1:

雖然我參加 Sunshine Nation 是七年前，我還記得我們的培訓。得到冠軍後，我增加了很多的信心和經驗。我很開心這兩次比賽有機會挑戰自己的國語讓溫哥華為我驕傲。
Pin yin: Suīrán wǒ cānjiā Sunshine Nation shì 7 nián qián, wǒ hái jìde wǒmen de péixùn. Dédào guànjūn hòu, wǒ zēngjiāle hěnduō de xìnxīn hé jīngyàn. Wǒ hěn kāixīn zhè liǎng cì bǐsài yǒu jīhuì tiǎozhàn zìjǐ de guóyǔ ràng wēngēhuá wèi wǒ jiāo'ào.
Google translate: Although I attended Sunshine Nation was seven years ago, I still remember our training. Won the title, I added a lot of confidence and experience. I am very happy to have the opportunity to challenge these two matches their Mandarin let Vancouver proud of me.

Question 2:

Jennifer雖然在溫哥華出生長大，但是都生活在一個非常傳統的華人家庭，中西不同文化對你有甚麼樣的影響？
Pin yin: Jennifer suīrán zài wēngēhuá chūshēng zhǎngdà, dànshì dōu shēnghuó zài yīgè fēicháng chuántǒng de huárén jiātíng, zhōngxī bùtóng wénhuà duì nǐ yǒu shénme yàng de yǐngxiǎng?
Google translate: Jennifer Though born and raised in Vancouver, but they are living in a very traditional Chinese family, Chinese and western culture do you have any kind of impact?

Answer 2:

我很幸運的在溫哥華長大.溫哥華的華人都非常優秀,中國文化也受到尊重。我的本地朋友都會很有興趣的問我關於中國節日的事情。因為在溫哥華有很多機會他們可以參加不同的活動。所以我對自己的中國文化感到驕傲。
Pin yin: Wǒ hěn xìngyùn de zài wēngēhuá zhǎngdà. Wēngēhuá de huárén dōu fēicháng yōuxiù, zhōngguó wénhuà yě shòu dào zūnzhòng. Wǒ de běndì péngyǒu doūhuì hěn yǒu xìngqù de wèn wǒ guānyú zhōngguó jiérì de shìqíng. Yīnwèi zài wēngēhuá yǒu hěnduō jīhuì tāmen kěyǐ cānjiā bùtóng de huódòng. Suǒyǐ wǒ duì zìjǐ de zhōngguó wénhuà gǎndào jiāo'ào.
Google translate: I was fortunate to grow up in Vancouver. The overseas Chinese in Vancouver are all very outstanding and hold a high status in our society. Chinese culture has also received a lot of respect and recognition. My local friends are always very interested and ask me about Chinese festivals and customs. There are many opportunities in Vancouver that they can participate in different Chinese activities and celebrations. This makes me very proud of my Chinese culture and who I am, a Chinese born Canadian.

Question 3:

Jennifer非常享受參加比賽的過程，還在youtube上面發佈vlog記錄華姊的點點滴滴生活，為甚麼想用video記錄並且放到youtube，視頻都是自己剪輯嗎？至今點閱量如何？
Pin yin: Jennifer fēicháng xiǎngshòu cānjiā bǐsài de guòchéng, hái zài youtube shàngmiàn fābù vlog jìlù huá zǐ de diǎn diǎndī dī shēnghuó, wéishènme xiǎng yòng video jìlù bìngqiě fàng dào youtube, shìpín dōu shì zìjǐ jiǎnjí ma? Zhìjīn diǎn yuè liàng rúhé?
Google translate: Jennifer enjoyed the race course, still post a youtube vlog record Chinese percent dribs and drabs life, why do you want to use video recording and put youtube, video clips are their own do? How far Hit amount?

Answer 3:

我想把我這三個月來生活的點滴和大家分享。除了我的博客和登的照片，我每次花了很多時間做視頻和剪輯，希望大家更瞭解我的生活。在短短的兩個禮拜我已經有三萬三千人看我的youtube视频了。
Pin yin: Wǒ xiǎng bǎ wǒ zhè sān gè yuè lái shēnghuó de diǎndī hé dàjiā fēnxiǎng. Chúle wǒ de bókè hé dēng de zhàopiàn, wǒ měi cì huāle hěnduō shíjiān zuò shìpín hé jiǎnjí, xīwàng dàjiā gèng liǎojiě wǒ de shēnghuó. Zài duǎn duǎn de liǎng gè lǐbài wǒ yǐjīng yǒu sān wàn sān qiān rén kàn wǒ de youtube shìpínle.
Google translate: I want my life in the past three months drip and share. In addition to my blog and Gordon photos, every time I spent a lot of time doing videos and clips, I hope you know more about my life. In just two weeks I've had 33,000 watch my youtube the video.

Well this blog post turned out a lot longer than expected, so I’m going to end it here! I have fitness practice early tomorrow morning and am excited to be working at Lululemon Oakridge for the rest of the day from 3-9PM—come on by to visit me if you like! J Also, my radio interview will be broadcasted tomorrow, November 22^nd at 1:55PM on Fairchild Radio AM1470. Make sure you tune in and listen to me answer some questions in Mandarin! This week’s been super busy, so I haven’t had much time to work on my YouTube videos, but I’ll start editing now!  

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Ouch, I did it again!

2013-11-19

Can you guess what happened to me? 

I performed my Chinese fan dance at SUCCESS senior home yesterday and danced my heart out a little too hard. I didn't have time to eat lunch after fitness in the morning and had to perform on an empty stomach. As a result, I was really low on energy and compensated by giving my dance performance 200% effort and energy. I jump kicked my front leg forward, arched my back and kicked my back leg towards my head, to create a splits jump aka "grande jeté," my back foot heel ended up kicking my forehead. I didn't think much of it until I was in modeling class today and our instructor asked why I had a bump and bruise on my forehead. I was really confused and in disbelief at first, as I didn't realize how hard I kicked myself! I'm currently still laughing at myself for doing this, especially since it isn't the first time I've kicked my own face/head with my feet. I have 2 TV interviews tomorrow, so hopefully my bump and bruise gets better tonight! Have you ever hurt yourself accidentally in a silly way before? Tweet http://twitter.com/LoveFerba or facebook me http://facebook.com/LoveFerba to share your story! I'd love to hear about it! :) 

My little dog JetJet seems slightly confused about my bruised head! Love his expression! =p 

 

SUCCESS Senior Home Visit

2013-11-19

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY! Although it was raining today, I had such an amazing day doing the things I love and being able to make a difference in other people’s lives. This is the exact definition of beauty I love- appreciating things for what they are on the inside, rather than simply from the outside. I woke up bright and early this morning for our weekly fitness workout together. Our fitness sessions are one of my favorite training classes. I’ve always had a love for sports and doing things that are fun and healthy. We did cardio for 30 minutes this morning then worked specifically on our abs and gluteus maximus!

After working out, I rushed back home to begin preparing for our visit to SUCCESS senior home. I was pressed for time as there were several things to be done—I had to edit my dance music and burn it onto a cd, change into my costume and do my own hair and make-up. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to eat, so I was feeling really low on energy.

I arrived at the senior home at 1PM and began stretching and warming up for our 2PM performance. Hebe brought the gift everyone worked together to prepare for the seniors and we all wrote warm greetings on the back of our individual pictures. Thank you to all the girls who made the origami cranes and to Hebe for putting everything together and printing all our pictures out— the final product looked absolutely amazing!

Our SUCCESS performance started off with the 10 of us girls introducing ourselves one by one. We were also told last minute to include a little greeting. I said, “Hello 大家好！我是八號Jennifer 李佳美。我很高興今天有這個機會能跳舞給你們看。希望你們天天過的快快樂樂。祝你們身體健康，萬事如意！” (Hello, my name is Jennifer, Li Jia Mei. I am really happy to be here and have the opportunity to dance for you. I hope you live happily every day. Wishing you good health and good luck!) The moment I stood in front of the cozy group of seniors to introduce myself, my heart melted. The seniors looked like they were in their 80s-100s and were all very well dressed. The two 公公 (grandpas) who sat at the very front were fully dressed in suits and were beyond adorable. I had a very difficult time stopping myself from letting tears of joy and gratitude drip down my eyes. I have a really big soft spot in my heart when it comes to elders and seniors. It makes me so happy and emotional, to the point that I have happy tears of joy, when I see seniors so happy and content from the little things in life.

Following our individual introductions, everyone performed a little talent to the seniors. I performed a Chinese fan dance that was part choreographed within an hour and part freestyled/made-up on the spot. It is not often that you hear people “freestyling Chinese dance,” as Chinese dance is very different from other forms of dance—it is typically a very structured form of dance with specific costumes, props, and music, to match a particular Chinese minority. However, this is actually not my first time performing freestyle Chinese dance. The first time I freestyle Chinese danced was on stage in Montreal for a charity show. There was a singer who sang a popular Jay Chou song and they requested to have me dance to the song. I was given very short notice and only had time to choreograph a minute of the dance. As a result, I made up my dance as I was performing on stage and had a thrill doing so!

I believe in doing one thing a day that scares you, today that was performing freestyle Chinese dance! After our individual performances, we presented our handmade gift to SUCCESS senior home and handed the seniors gloves they could wear over Christmas to keep them warm. Thank you Michelle for getting the gloves!

As we presented our gifts to the seniors, Christmas music began to play and it reminded me of my beloved grandma who I miss so dearly. 婆婆 Grandma, I miss and love you so much. You were on my mind the whole time I was dancing and performing for the seniors, as I know you always loved to watch me dance. You were at every important event of mine, including 2006 Sunshine Nation and my 2008 York House School graduation. Our Wang family is still strong as ever and it is because of you that we all have such a strong sense and value of family. I appreciate all the support everyone has given me. Mommy, Sandy, Nance, Justy, Timo, Grace, Lauren, Andi, Jeff- special shout out to you guys for your love and encouragement! Chengman, Lawrence, Wendy, Grace, Mary, Sheena, thank you so much for your support and sharing of my pictures and videos!

I had such a great time performing for SUCCESS and would love to do it again. Some caretakers told us many seniors couldn’t fall asleep last night as they were so excited to see us today—so adorable :’) It’s truly the little things in life that put such a big smile on my face. Knowing that our presence and performance has made their day a little happier and less lonely, brings peace and happiness to me. So grateful for this opportunity to volunteer and share my passion with the seniors.

Once again, sorry for not being able to post many pictures or film videos/vlogs from the actual event. We are not allowed to use our own phones/cameras. I will post some pictures once FTV posts them! Also, I’ve been so busy with training and practices lately, that I haven’t had much time to edit my vlogs! I will post another vlog as soon as possible, sorry to keep you waiting!

As requested, I’ve created a facebook page for you to keep up to date with me more easily! “Like” the page to get the most recent commercial, video, photos, and vlog updates! ;) https://www.facebook.com/LoveFerba

 

 

Fan Dance Fun!

2013-11-17

After Canadian Cancer Society's press conference, I went home to change, then was off to my dance studio to practice for our SUCCESS nursing home visit tomorrow. I'm currently still unsure what I will be dancing exactly, as I was very tired yesterday and ended up just stretching and playing around with my fan. I managed to balance the fan on my foot! =P 

After my little practice session, I went to yaletown for my friend’s surprise birthday party. Happy birthday Theo! What a long and fun, yet eventful day!

<3 YouTube, instagram, & tweet me @LoveFerba for more fun updates! 

 

"我的一件事 My One Thing"- Canadian Cancer Society Press Conference

2013-11-16

Today we arrived at our hair & make-up sponsor at 7:45AM. The moment I walked inside, I was very happy to see a nicely decorated Christmas tree! I can’t believe it’s already that time of the year to get into the holiday spirit. Christmas is definitely one of my favorite times of the year, so seeing Christmas decorations always makes me very happy! 

It was a big day for us, as it was the Canadian Cancer Society press conference; the 10 of us girls each presented “my one thing.” My one thing is to live in the present. I believe that the present time is a gift that we should treasure and live to our fullest. Be appreciative and thankful for everything, everyday. Live the life you love, love the life you live. 我的一件事是活在當下。我相信，每一分鐘是一個禮物，我們應該充分享受每天的生活。珍惜和感激所有的一切 。熱愛你的生命，也熱愛你的生活。Click http://myonething.ca/prevention/one-thing/528979c2268dc to see "My One Thing" on Canadian Cancer Society's My One Thing website! Feel free to share my one thing and also post a picture of yourself and your one thing. Once you've uploaded your picture, tweet me @LoveFerba so I can see what your one thing is! It's an easy and fun thing to do, so let's get as many people involved and raise awareness for cancer! 

 

“In collaboration with Fairchild Television, since 2007, the Canadian Cancer Society hosts the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant Gala Dinner. The champion of the pageant becomes the Society's Ambassador of Hope and volunteers at various fundraising events throughout the year. Funds raised will support the Canadian Cancer Society in our mission to eradicate cancer and improve the quality of life of those living with cancer.” – CCS

Here are some behind the scene pictures! 

It felt so great to be on stage again, especially for such a great cause. 

<3 YouTube, instagram, & tweet me @LoveFerba for more fun updates! 

 

Autographs & Rehearsal

2013-11-15

Today we autographed over 30 copies of the 2013 Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant posters. The 10 of us girls each received one copy and the rest were given to our sponsors.

We also had a long afternoon of special costume fitting for the show. There was a lot of time spent waiting, so a few of us decided to make cartoons! Can you guess which 3 girls I created below? 

We had a rehearsal for tomorrow’s Canadian Cancer Society press conference and everything went smoothly. Before leaving Aberdeen, I took a picture of where our stage would be set up the following day and envisioned the event.

Hope everyone does well tomorrow! 

 

Canadian Cancer Society Lodge Visit

2013-11-14

My Uncle Larry passed away from cancer at the Vancouver General Hospital less than a month ago, during the middle of our first official MCVP photo shoot. I was devastated, yet had to continue on with the photo shoot, as our pictures were for our official poster and online contestant profile pictures. It was one of the most difficult days of my journey so far. Uncle Larry was an outstanding Chinese flute player and had a love for music. Every week, we have numerous stage training practices at the BC Chinese Orchestra studio, where my uncle would have his weekly practices. Every time I go there for practice, I think about him and how I wish he could have been cured. Every day, there is something I do that reminds me of him.

I was filled with mixed emotions today; we visited the Canadian Cancer Society Lodge for the very first time. I had been preparing myself since last night to not think too much about my uncle, as I did not want to break down in tears at the lodge. It is my first time losing a family member to cancer and I am still having a difficult time believing what happened in such a short amount of time. 

Our visit to the lodge began with the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) coordinator giving us pins, pamphlets, and information on how we can support them. We started our tour of the lodge in the main lounge; we presented a large card to CCS that was composed of pictures and wishful messages written and decorated by the 10 of us girls. Thank you Hebe for coming up with such a great idea and for connecting our individual messages into one large card; the final result of your work was beautiful! Subsequently, we handed apples and oranges that we purchased for lodge guests to enjoy. Following, we were shown the wig room and were taught how cancer patients often lose hair and the lodge offers wigs for them to wear. We visited the lodge library and donated books and magazines to add to their collection. My favorite part of the visit was seeing their healing touch/yoga room. It was a very tranquil room, with dim lighting and a little waterfall in the corner. There were two massage beds that could easily be moved to make room for yoga classes. I asked the lodge director how often they had yoga classes and she said there is an instructor that comes in every week. 

I received my yoga teacher certification in 2009 and have always had a strong interest in teaching seniors and people who suffer from various sorts or illnesses. After visiting the lodge and hearing that there are on average 6-10 people who attend classes, it motivated me to want to increase that number and share my passion for a happy and healthy lifestyle with cancer patients. I would love to lead meditation classes followed by yoga to people who would strongly benefit from the practice of relaxation and living in the present.

The last part of our visit was seeing a vacant room where cancer patients would live. The resident rooms accommodate two people and seem very cozy. I asked how long patients stay at the lodge for normally; our CCS coordinator said some patients stay for a day and some stay for as long 6 months straight. We also learnt that CCS has a Freemason Volunteer Driver Program, where patients can receive complimentary rides to and from treatment centers. I was very surprised to hear about this program and am very grateful for people who volunteer their time to drive patients.

If you would also like to support the Canadian Cancer Society, you could attend our gala dinner on December 12^th or purchase charity cookies. The image below indicates the price per box of cookie. You can message me on twitter @LoveFerba https://twitter.com/LoveFerba if you would like to purchase charity cookies. Hope to hear from you soon! Let’s work together to make cancer history. 

Uncle Larry, I will continue to try my best to raise awareness about cancer and help the Canadian Cancer Society as much as I can. Everyone misses you dearly. 

Love, #8 Jennifer <3

 

1st YouTube Vlog!

2013-11-11

 

Thank you Team Ferba!

2013-11-11

Wow! It’s been 3 days since I uploaded my 1^st video onto my new LoveFerba YouTube channel and I am overwhelmed with all the love and support you’ve all given me! Thank you to the 3,500 people who have subscribed to me and to the 13,000+ people who have watched my video! I really appreciate all the loving and supportive comments people have written, encouraging me to make more videos and wishing me the best of luck. I love you all, thank you so much! Ever since our press conference, I’ve been staying up really late everyday. I have been spending hours on the computer, learning how to use Final Cut Pro 7 and testing out different styles of editing, filters, and effects. Huge thank you and shout out to Chengman for helping me get started and showing me how things are done. It’s currently 1:30AM and I finally finished editing my first vlog and am waiting for the video to export. I have a full day of work tomorrow, so will schedule my video to be uploaded by 8PM.  Remember to subscribe to LoveFerba on YouTube, Twitter, & Instagram to keep up to date with me!

Love, Ferba <3  

 

The Big Reveal- 2013 MCVP Press Conference

2013-11-07

After over a month of training, it was finally time for us to be revealed to the public! It was our biggest day yet, the official Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant press conference! I had a hard time sleeping the night before and didn't get to sleep until close to 2AM. I woke up bright and early at 7AM and had to begin getting ready for our day. We started doing hair and make-up at 7:45AM, had a final rehearsal back at Fairchild TV, then were off to the location to get ready. 

 

 

Love, Ferba

2013-11-07

Hey everyone! My 1st video on my new http://youtube.com/LoveFerba channel is now public! Subscribe and give the video a thumbs up if you want to see more videos from me in the future! :) 



Love,
#8 Jennifer aka Ferba <3 

 

Excited, Nervous, Anxious, Grateful!

2013-11-06

It's 10:45PM, the night before our press conference and I'm having so many mixed feelings right now! I just posted about my new YouTube channel on my social media outlets and am so thankful for all the comments, private message, love, and support I've gotten from so many of you. I'm especially grateful for friends who messaged, whom I haven't spoken to in a long time, but are so encouraging and supportive. All your positive words mean so much to me and I hope I don't let you guys down! I've been working on my blog all day making last minute adjustments and changes, as it finally goes public tomorrow! I also schedule uploaded my first video on my http://youtube.com/LoveFerba account, so that it will be posted at 8PM tomorrow! Tomorrow's our big day, as it's the first time all our online profiles, pictures, and videos will be shown online. There's quite a few things to remember for the press conference, so I hope I remember everything I need to know for tomorrow! Time to get some rest and prepare for the big day tomorrow! Gotta wake up at 6AM! See you all tomorrow! 

 

Last Video Shoot!

2013-11-06

Today we had our last long day of video shooting! We arrived at our hair sponsor at 2:45PM, started filming a little past 6PM, took 20 takes for Scene 1 and 20 takes for Scene 2, then finally finished a little past 1AM. It was my first time working so late; we were all exhausted and starving after the shoot! We weren't allowed to eat or drink water during throughout the evening, as they didn't want our hair and make-up to be ruined. Wish I could tell you more about what we filmed, but you'll have to wait till our show day to see what it's all about! 

 

Hiya!

2013-11-02

Sometimes you just need to let it all out with a high kick! Don't be upset by what people do or don't do. Stay true to your values and beliefs and don't change how you treat others based on how they treat you. If someone does something that you don't like, still treat them with respect and don't do what bothers you to other people. Life is too short to be bothered by others. Don't worry about how other people will look at you or judge you. Know what you need and love; just be yourself, there is no one better.

 

3rd Video Shoot!

2013-11-01

 

 

Happy Halloween!

2013-10-31

 

Afternoon Tea with Dance Friends!

2013-10-28

Amazing afternoon tea with dance friends! Always such a fun time together :) Emily, wishing you the best of luck on your newborn baby boy! Can't wait to meet him! Rozzy, congratulations on your engagement, super happy for you!!! 

 

5:30AM Yoga!

2013-10-26

Goooood morning everyone! ☀️Feeling AMAZING, regenerated, and absolutely refreshed after waking up at 5:30AM to do Bikram yoga with my beloved mommy! I only had a few hours of sleep and it's been a few months since I've last attended a Bikram class; it was a slightly wobbly morning, yet also an exciting time to re-explore my body. Firstly, it was a little sad and disheartening to look down and notice that my past semi-defined abs were no longer there! Noooooo! Where'd you go? I miss you so! On a brighter note, I surprisingly improved on several poses as I gained strength and endurance somehow over the last few months! Gotta keep stretching and living "#thesweatlife" to get my flexibility and defined muscles back! Hope everyone has an amazing day and takes the time to spread some love- whether that be by loving yourself and making the time to eat well, exercise, and love your body, or by spending some time to help others who are in need of help. Let's elevate our world from mediocrity to greatness! 

 

Evening Wear Fitting!

2013-10-22

We had our evening wear fitting at Oakridge today and had lots of time to spare- meaning lots of time for pictures! 

 

Early Lunch!!

2013-10-21

Every Fridays we have fitness practice from 9:30-10:30AM. I have a love for soup & noodles, so after practice I asked the girls if they wanted to join me for an early lunch! Can you guess whose hands are in the picture? =P 

 

Titibhasana- Firefly!

2013-10-20

Titibhasana, firefly pose! I love practicing this pose as it takes the entire body's strength and concentration. Balancing my legs and body weight on my triceps feels amazing. Firefly is definitely one of my favorite arm balances!

 

Dance Training

2013-10-20

So happy to have made time to attend Sunday morning dance practice again! Girls, I missed you! It was so nice to be together and train again! :) 

 

Happy Birthday Felix, Sunshine Reunion!

2013-10-19

Lots of October babies, happy birthday Felix! It was nice to see my sunshine boys/bros Jacky and Sam again! 

 

Happy Birthday Timo!

2013-10-17

Happy birthday Timo! Had a great evening together with family at Bridges in Granville Island! :) 

 

 

2nd Hair Treatment!

2013-10-16

Ahhh what's going on?! Yet another crazy hair sesh! 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

2013-10-14

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!!! I am thankful for my life. I'm thankful for being happy, healthy, and able to do the things I love. It is easy to take life for granted when you're healthy, but try to take a moment every day to think about how grateful and lucky you are. It's not about how much money you have or the number of designer clothes and bags you own- true happiness must come from within. As the yoga yama, Asteya states- everything we need in life is already within us. Look at the life you currently live and be thankful for it, everything happens for a reason. What are you thankful for this thanksgiving?

Having a great thanksgiving day so far! Woke up nice and early to start my day off with a cardio, weights, and full body workout, followed by lunch with family. Now I'm pumped and ready for an afternoon and evening work! Hope everyone's enjoying their Thanksgiving Day! Can you spot me in our fitness class? 

 

2nd Full Day of Promo Shooting!

2013-10-13

 

 

1st Official Promo Video Shoot!

2013-10-12

 

Happy Birthday Kelly媽！

2013-10-12

 

Struggling Makes You Stronger

2013-10-11

Remember your purpose in life and don't lose track of your goals.

 

Rest in Peace, Uncle Larry

2013-10-10

Sometimes life can be so unfair. Cancer, you are one ugly, deadly disease. My heart goes out to everyone who is currently going through any type of pain or suffering. It's often hard to understand the difficulties others are going through until it hits home, but I hope we can all do our part and educate ourselves and each other regarding various types of cancers and diseases anyone can be diagnosed with. I have promised myself to raise awareness for the Canadian Cancer Society for the upcoming months. What are you going to do? Rest in peace Uncle Larry, I will forever remember the first flute you got me, how you told me to quit one of my unrighteous jobs, and your love for sharing your passion of playing the Chinese flute for everyone. You were such a kind and loving uncle and I feel at peace knowing that you no longer have to suffer. I will be thinking of you as I do my best to raise money and awareness for the Canadian Cancer Society this year. ❤️

 

Official Photo Shoot

2013-10-10

Today was truly a challenge- found out my uncle passed away partway through my photoshoot. It was difficult to stay strong and smile, but I did it while dedicating the rest of my shoot to him and the Canadian Cancer Society.

 

Let Go & Be Free

2013-10-09

 

Full Day of Stage Training, Modeling, & Fitting- Bruised Knees & Ramen!

2013-10-08

Today was a jam-packed day! We had stage training from 10:30-1:30, then modeling from 2-4, then a second round of clothing fitting from 5-6! Stage training practice was really rough and brutal today. Although I was wearing knee pads already, my knees were all bruised from the intense dance training!

After our stage training and modeling practice, Brenda and I went for lunch together! We originally wanted to dine at one of our favorite restaurants, but they weren't open yet. We ended up getting ramen and boy was it delicious! 

 

Mermaid

2013-10-07

Head to foot mermaid on rocks by the bay. Such a challenging yet rewarding photoshoot experience to balance on that uneven rock or hours!

 

First Fitting, MCVP Angels & Dentist Seminar!

2013-10-03

We had our 1st fitting on Robson with our sponsor today! It was lots of fun trying on different outfits :) After our fitting, a few of us decided to visit the newly opened store! Our matching pink pageant jackets fit in with all the pink decorations inside! 

After our little adventure in downtown, it was time for lunch! Korean tofu stew, sundubu, is one of my favorite things to eat! I recommended it to the girls and we had a delicious afternoon lunch! 

After lunch, we were off to visit the dentist for our teeth seminar! We learnt about how to take care of our teeth and different methods of whitening. The doctor was very nice and also gave us little loot bags with dental treats!

We were at the dentist for hours, as we had to wait for each other to individually get teeth consulting. We were all really tired by the end of the evening!

 

Dancer's Pose

2013-09-29

Natarajasana- Dancer’s Pose. This has always been one of my favorite dance and yoga poses to both practice and perform. I’m obviously automatically drawn to the pose simply because it’s named dancer’s pose, but I also love all aspects of the pose itself. Natarajasana is a balance asana that requires the perfect combination of strength, balance, and flexibility. I love how there are many variations to the posture, making it easily accessible to yogis of all ages and levels. Focus on depth before for and on taking deep even breaths. It doesn’t matter how far you get into the posture, but rather how correct tour body’s alignment is. I love this posture because it is full of grace and elegance. What is your favorite dance/yoga posture and why? 

 

 

1st Hair Appointment!

2013-09-26

 

Website Tutorial & Skincare and Makeup Seminar

2013-09-25

Super excited! We had our website tutorial today and Amber taught us how to use our blog and told us we could also upload videos on YouTube. I've decided that I am going to start my own YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/LoveFerba and make vlogs (video logs) of our everyday training and practice. I am really excited to start my channel, as many of you have been asking me to do so for a long time, but I haven't put much thought into it! I originally wanted to upload a new video everyday for you, but it seems like it'll be a little tough with our extremely busy jam-packed schedule. Also, as much as I'd like to film every little bit of everything we do, so you are fully up to do, we are often restricted as to what we are allowed to take pictures of, film, or disclose; Fairchild TV wants everything to be a big surprise for you. There are many occasions where we are not allowed to use our phones and camera, but I'll try my best to keep you updated on everything! 

After our website tutorial, we were given some time to snack before heading to our first beauty seminar. I had a little bite to eat with #2 & #7. Can you guess which snack is mine in the photo? 

(Haha obviously the most filling and fatty snack is mine- the pork fluff bun!) We were told to cut back on noodles, rice, and bread, and to eat healthy snacks such as fruit and veggies, but that’s often not enough for me! I need my carbs and delicious snacks! =P 

At our beauty seminar, we learnt about different products to take care of our skin, how to do a light everyday make-up, and transform that into evening make-up. We were also given our appointment dates and times for our sponsored facials! 

 

Grateful for Love & Support

2013-09-23

Gratitude Monday! Today I am grateful for my loving and supportive family & friends. I am grateful for having a family that is so selfless, kind, caring, generous and forgiving I look up to my family and relatives as role models and inspiration. I am grateful for having close friends all around the world who are a simple phone call/text away and always there for me. I am so lucky to have family and friends who want the best for me and support my vision and goals. Thank you for all the love, I love you all so dearly. What are you grateful for today?

 

大家好！ Hello everyone!

2013-09-23

大家好！Helloooo everyone! 

Welcome to my very 1st MCVP blog post! My name is Jennifer and many of you may know me by my nickname, Ferba. I was born and raised in Vancouver, Beautiful British Columbia by my lovely mother who was born in Taiwan and father who was born in Hong Kong. I was in French Immersion since pre-school, attended my first English class when I entered York House School in fourth grade, and speak mandarin at home. I also took Japanese and Spanish lessons and occassionaly speak Cantonese. I graduated from McGill University last year, June 2012 and currently work for Lululemon Athletica. My hobbies include traveling, dance, yoga, volleyball, snowboarding, cheerleading, sailing, golf, stand-up paddle board, computer games, and boardgames. My talents are Chinese dance and playing my alto saxophone. I started learning Chinese dance since I was 3 years old and absolutely love it. After moving to Montreal for university, I began teaching Chinese dance at the Montreal Centre for Chinese Culture and Arts. Yoga is another activity I am extremely passionate about. I love how it is accessible to everyone and anyone- it doesn't matter how old you are or how flexible you are, it's never too late to start. I received my Yoga teacher certification in 2009 and hope to do something related to yoga in the future. My dream is to live a happy, healthy life by staying true to myself and values; to follow my heart and bliss whilst inspiring others to do the same. 

I can't believe I am announcing that I am one of the top ten finalists for this year's 2013 Miss Chinese Vancouver pageant! The deadline to submit our application was on September 20th; I submitted my application along with my requested half-body shot and full-body shot photos the day before, on September 19th. 

It took me years to decide whether or not I would join the pageant; there are so many things to consider and a lot of barriers and stereotypes to be broken. 

After our audition, they told us that if we are chosen as a finalist, we would get a call back the same night, at around 10PM. I was glued to my phone and absolutely worried to not get a call back. When clock struck 10PM and my phone didn't ring, I was already having thoughts that I didn't make it as a finalist. After receiving the phone call and being told I was a finalist, I felt like it was all a dream, and still couldn't believe that I was really joining a pageant.

Monday, September 23^rd was our official first briefing day. I met the other 9 contestants and felt extremely nervous, as all the girls were extremely pretty. We were asked to stand in order from shortest to tallest and were then assigned our contestant number- I’m #8! We were then given the exciting, yet petrifying jam-packed schedule for the next 3 months of training. We have something pageant related almost every single day and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to follow-through with everything.

Prior to joining the pageant, my thought was to simply audition. I wasn’t completely sure if I would make the audition, and if I did, I wasn’t 100% sure that I would accept the offer and be a contestant. I simply joined for the thrill and experience and so that I wouldn’t regret not auditioning in the future.

We were given a long list of things to buy and prepare for our next meeting- Tracy, Michelle, Brenda, and I decided to go to Daiso together to pick up a few things. 

We got matching notebooks to take notes in- can you guess which one is mine?
 

It’s much easier said than done to not judge or compare yourself with others when you’re placed in a room with beautiful girls who are all in the same contest as you, but there is one quote that I love and follow, “Someone will always be prettier. Someone will always be smarter. Someone will always be younger. But they’ll never be you.” It’s important to believe in yourself, be yourself and love yourself for who you are.

I’m excited for my pageant journey to begin and am looking forward to the following months of experience and memories that will last a life time. 

Love, 
#8 Jennifer aka Ferba ❤️