Polynesian Dance
I have been dancing for as long as I can remember. On my Mom's side of the family, it is engraved into our very well being. Filipinos in the Bay Area often have family in Hawaii or even are from Hawaii themselves, and we appreciate the culture by doing our part in keeping it alive. In fact, my aunt is a Kumu (Hawaiian hula instructor) and leads our halau (dance group) Ha'a Hula/Te Reva O Te Manu. We perform a variety of Polynesian dances from Samoa, Tonga, and even New Zealand. Although, the main forms are hula, originating from the Hawaiian Islands, and ori tahiti, originating from Tahiti.
I don't practice Polynesian dance as often as I wish to be due to my attendance at USC, but it is likely my favorite hobby. I am most confident when I am on the stage. My hips sway to the beat and I fail to think about any other problems It allows me to stay in the present, and even though there are often group dances, Polynesian dance allows me to focus on me. I am often put in the front of group dances, due to my expertise, and enjoy smiling and spreading the culture of the Polynesian Islands until my face starts to twitch.
Golf
Golf is a more recent hobby I began curating in high school. My dad is an avid golfer, and often plays as a result of his career in sales. In my elementary and middle school summers, my parents often put me in golf camp for a couple weeks. I enjoyed it decently so, and when high school began I was encouraged to play for the team.
I played Girl's Varsity Golf at Moreau Catholic throughout all four years. During both junior and senior year, I was given the role of team captain by my coach, who my family and I are still very close with to this day. Leadership is something I prosper in, and it allowed me to focus more on my capabilities as a player. After convincing my parents, I was able to hone my golf skills through the private instruction of my team's assistant coach. I especially hope to become a great golf player due to the lack of POC, and even more POC women, within the sport.
Now, I rarely play golf. Although I managed to bring my clubs down when moving to Southern California for college, it has been difficult finding both time and people to play with. With recent changes in both my mindset and lifestyle, my goal is to become more consistent as a golf player, which means more practice. In fact, I went to the driving rage about 1.5 weeks ago, and hope to continue to incorporate the golf range on a 1-2 week basis. If you ever want to play a round of golf, you know who to find!