Inspiration

Yes, it has been too long since I have updated my blog. No real excuses, just laziness. However- I do want to be better- so please forgive me and give me the chance to impress you with more frequent blog entrees!

Among all of the auditions, potential jobs that fall through, set-backs, and few triumphs, it is easy for someone in my position to lose motivation. To lose site of what they set out to do. Recently, I have been going through a major slump in my career. I get called to some really great auditions, but it seems like I am either too tall, too short, too big, too small, Japanese is too good, Japanese is not good enough, or any number of reasons why I would not be selected. After being around the industry this long- I am somewhat used to it- however my motivation was still losing steam.

I have the honor of working with some of the most talented people I have ever met in the musical I am currently doing. One of which played the lead in HAIR back in the day. Last week on one of my favorite TV shows, a couple danced to a song from that show. I brought my computer to the dressing room and showed him. We got to talking and on a whim- he said "you should see the show. it will rock your world... you'd be good in that cast." That night I started searching youtube for any clips that would give me some additional insight to the show. This is what I found.

Something struck me. Hard. Wow. I was in awe at the power of the songs, the creativity, the message. I think I have watched this clip more than 100 times. I never tire of seeing it. Danny was right. My world has been rocked. I called my voice coach and scheduled a long-overdue lesson. I started looking at my calendar to see when I could fit dance lessons, and cattle-call auditions into my schedule. Again- motivated- ready.

Not since my RENT audition a few years ago have I been THIS excited to pound the pavement and get the door of rejection slammed in my face.

Good things are in store. I know it. Big things are to come. I know it.

guess who had a BIRTHDAY!!

a hugely belated birthday shout to my homeboy Z!! one of the coolest cats in town, and one of my bestest buddies- is a dy-no-mite daddy, handsome husband, and silly sybling.

let me give you a few insights into our unique relationship.

being the bratty big brother that i am, told him that he was adopted... numerous times! looking back i am surprized he didnt have to go therapy for all of the trauma i caused!!

he had an autographed george brett baseball--- to which i added my own autograph... he wasnt happy.

not too long ago- i was riding in his jeep and saw a container labled "tattoo goo" and had to ask. he casually informed me that it was to keep the color of his newly acquired, well, body art (?!!) looking fresh. WHAT?!! he said to not tell dad. trying to make-up for the years of guilt of telling him he was adopted (etc) i decided it was the least i could do. for the moment... a few days later i was shopping with dad and was trying on a sweater. while taking it off, my own shirt came up and kev saw my belly-button ring and right there in younkers declares "you got your belly-button pierced??!!"

deer in the headlights.
cotton mouth.
mind racing 100 miles per hour- mouth paralyzed.
panic stricken.

the first thing that came out of my mouth was "zac got a tattoo!!" which was repeated in the form of a question by big kev. no joke- not 2 minutes later kev's cell rings- it is zac- dad picks up with- not 'hello'-- not 'hi zac'-- not 'nice to hear from you...' but with "you got a tattoo??!!" the phone was then handed to me... hehehe....

happy birthday bro!! i must have got to pick first in heaven when i chose my syblings!!

check out the pics. one is of me and little z, the other is of big Z with his own 'mini me'... seriously- dont you think they look like they could have been twins!!??!!

who is THAT gorgeous creature???

IT'S MY MOM!!

just wanted to give a shout out to one of my favorite homegirls on mother's day. thanks for all you have done and continue to do for me!!

one of my biggest fans, once flew all the way from vegas to tokyo to see me in a tap musical. she sat on the front row and while she understood not a word of the story- didnt hesitate to gasp OUT LOUD as i walked onto the stage in a speedo. the woman next to her (who speaks no english- the mother of my roommate) begins clapping and hooting like she was at a yankees game. i love that despite cultural and liguistic barriers- my mom was able to bond with folks here.

somehow she managed to raise four crazy kids, with lots of silly times- how she kept her sanity remains a mystery! from chef, to maid, to referee, to chofuer, to counselor- this lady does it all!!

LOVE YOU GIRL!!
(p.s. - the little guy in the picture is me!)

10 hints to HAPPINESS

i recently read a really great article with 10 hints to making your daily life more happy. so i thought i would pass the highlights on to all of you- here goes- enjoy!!

1- PLAY YOUR STRENGTHS "as you are seeking contentment, it's better to focus on your assets rather than try to compensate your weaknesses"

2- GET A HOBBY "creativity helps people adapt to life by making them more flexible and open to experiences, this then in turn fosters satisfaction and self-esteem"

3- SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE "people who say making a lot of money is important to them are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and headaches- and less likely to report being satisfied with their lives. those pleasures only bring the kind of happiness that disappears quickly. to achieve lasting contentment, you need to focus on experiences, not things"

4- DECIDE THEN MOVE ON "people who continually seek out the best of everything- be it a job, a mate, or a lap-top, are more stressed and less-fulfilled. to reduce anxiety, don't revisit a decision already made. tell yourself that good enough is good enough"

5- WIDEN YOUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS "relationships with close friends are one of the best vehicles to hapiness. these bonds give us a sense of purpose. research shows that friends keep us healthy, reduce anxiety, and even foster longevity.

6- ACCEPT THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE WON'T LIKE YOU "if you take everyone's judgment to heart, you surrender your own ability to view yourself clearly"

7- ACCENTUATE THE GOOD "gratitude is the cornerstone of happiness. it's all about noticing what's right in our lives instead of what's wrong"

8- SILENCE TOXIC SELF-TALK "research shows that thinking about your mistakes obsessively drags you down and gives you an increasingly negative disposition"

9- MATCH YOUR INTENTIONS TO YOUR ACTIONS "we find happiness when we derive pleasure as well as meaning to what we do"

10- MOVE IT "to or three short bursts of exercise each day can help to improve our outlook and attitude"

PS- eating home-made curry on brown rice will make you happy too.

NIKE audition

same story- new chapter...

i got the call for nike baseball underwear (the long-sleeve turtleneck things that go under uniforms). i made it through the picture selection and my scheduled audition was today. after a very short session at the gym i went to the studio. they had a bunch of the shirts on the rack and after changing into a grey one got my polaroid taken and waited in line.

finally, my number, "38" was called. they asked about my baseball experience. i acted like i was a pro! (little did they know... i played right field... in third grade... the ball NEVER came to me... i picked dandelions... chased bugs... coach yelled at me a lot... coach was my dad... sorry kev- maybe i would have made you proud today- hahaha) they had me to pretend to pitch a ball. im an actor... right?

(i swear- as i type this- i can hear my bro ((who- as a sidenote was actually a semi-pro baseball player)) screaming in laughter and wonderng how much he would have to pay to get the video of today's audition)

then they handed me a bat- i took a couple of swings. (secretly was praying not to let go of the bat accidentally). whatever i did- they liked it and they asked to stay around for the next round. i had to pose like i was playing baseball... im a model, right?!

(again- i can hear zac)

i was told that they would call me and let me know. hence, the waiting game begins again.

on the way back to the train station, my manager tells me of my next audition on saturday. here we go again...

no pants...

well friends- if you haven't read the next blog entry (moriyama naotaro), please read that first- then come back and read this one.

welcome back! so- to cut to the chase, as you can see by the picture, no new pants... no pants...

i was looking forward to hearing back from my agency about the tour. that night- my manager called with bad news. at the second round of auditions (the one that we were told was to find my understudy) they found someone who could do all of the tour dates. i was so disappointed. i was really looking forward to doing this job- but now that it has been almost a week since the bad news, i am finally able to see the positives about not being selected. the biggest one is how free my schedule will be to do other jobs.

i am sure that something worthwhile will come along.

i will keep the blog-sters posted as to fun updates. thank you for all of your support!! hope to hear from you all soon!

Moriyama Naotaro...

My sister said I should be blogging more often, so I decided to accommodate and blog again. (and it has been less than 2 months since my last entry!! baby steps, baby steps...) So- I got a call from my agency on Valentine's Day asking if they could submit my profile and pictures at the possibility of being a performer in the 2009 concert tour of Moriyama Naotaro, a famous musician whom I am genuinely a fan of.

They said that I matched the description of what they were looking for and that I had a good chance of being cast. A week later, I got word that I was one of the finalists. Yeah!! I try not to get excited... Sitting on pins and needles (not my favorite situation) I try to relax and go about my daily life. After training at the gym, walking to the subway I get a text from my manager saying CONGRATULATIONS! I was selected to perform in the tour!! I was so excited!!

The schedule conflicts with the musical tour I have already scheduled, but they said that they were going to double-cast the show and use me as the main, and use one of the other guys to perform the dates that I can't. So exciting!! The tour goes from Hokkaido to Okinawa- so I could a part of a cool national tour and and see the country- while enjoying this great music!

The scheduling kinks got ironed out just before I left for Hawaii, everything looks great. It will be a busy year, but hooray for cool jobs. When I got back from Hawaii, my manager tells me that they were having a meeting with the casting agent and with Naotaro san. Wow- I get to meet one of my favorite singers.

I arrive at the station to meet her, she informs me that we were waiting for another 'candidate'.... WHAT??!! That day, they were seeing four finalists... I was SHOCKED... I was told that I had been chosen.... I am somewhat confused. Roll with the punches, right?!

I thought that I did well in the audition, and had made a good impression. Compared to the other three, my look was different, and depending on what they are looking for- hopefully they would stick with the original decision. We were told that within a week, the final decision would be made.

I received a call from another stage company offering a part in a show. Showing in one of the coolest theaters in Tokyo. However- the dates are right on top of the Naotaro show... I can't do both. I call my manager and tell her the situation- she calls the tour staff manager and informs them of the predicament.

We then find out that they didn't find exactly what they were looking for in the original 'audition'. She was told that they liked me, but since I couldn't do the whole schedule they had to find an equal 'understudy' for my part. So- they were holding another round of auditions. In this audition, they would find-
A- an equal understudy that could do the dates that I cant
B- someone that could do the part, AND all of the tour dates
C- two people who have similar looks and could split the tour

...

Needless to say, I am on pins and needles AGAIN. aaaaaaaaghhhhh!!!

The second audition was on Tuesday. Today is Thursday. Seriously- the results of this due ANY MINUTE!! The rehearsals for the show start in two weeks. We should be told the results, umm, yesterday.

Anyways- please pray for a good result on this audition!! It has been more than six weeks since the original call... I am feeling positive about things, and will be sure to keep you posted!

I decided to reward myself with a pair of Diesel jeans if I get this job. Hopefully in the near future you see a picture of me in a new pair of jeans on this page. The pictures are of the singer that I hope to he on tour with.

ALOHA----

OK everyone, don't freak out. I recently had miraculously 5 days off. I did the math and found that with my time I could have had quite the trip and seen everyone... but my schedule would have been something like this-

Leave Tokyo Narita- evening
Arrive SFO, wait 5 hours to transfer to Vegas.
After 12 hours in Vegas, fly to SLC.
Next morning, take red-eye flight to Omaha.
That evening take the late-flight back to SLC.
Next morning head back to Vegas.
That evening leave for SFO,
Head back to Narita the next morning.

Needless to say, I would have spent more time in an airplane than with any of you... sorry guys...

A good friend calls and tells of a great deal on tickets to Hawaii. Round-trip airfare, hotel, airport and fuel charge, ALL included for $600. As my electric blanket and I were seeing WAY too much of eachother, and it was snowing the day the offer came- I took the trip! I hope you all understand. I will see you all soon! I promise!

In the meantime- here are some highlights from the Hawaiian adventure.

I recovered from my jet-lag while frying myself on the beach. I was hoping to nap for 30 minutes before a brief dip in the ocean, but 2 hours later woke up. Ummm- I was asleep from 12:30 to 2:30 covered in Hawaiian Tropics... not sunscreen. hahahaha. I ate way too much local food, but felt like I deserved the break from my normal diet of too much healthfood and protien shakes. I was able to go to my alma-mater of BYUH and see my favorite Kajiyama Sensei!! He still remembered me and introduced me to his 301 class as his 'prize student that became a famous actress in Japan.' (he may be the only one in the room that didn't catch that. i love that guy!!)

I got to take a tour of the Polynesian Cultural Center. It was fun being on the receiving side of things. Even though I have been through the center litterally hundereds of times, it was amazing. I got to see one of my favorite people in the world, Jimmy, who did so much for me while I was at BYU, and again when I was there this time. Heart as big as a whale!! He and my homegirl Ardis embody the love of Polynesia.

Spent not one, not two, but THREE hours in Wal-Mart!! Hehehehehehe- LOVE that place. I got lots of vitamins and things that are sooo expensive in Japan. Picked up some macadamia nuts, chocolate, lots of treasures, CDs, DVDs, books, etc etc etc. I got so much, in fact, that I had to buy another suitcase to get all of my stuff home. hahahaha-

After four days of beach, food, sun, food, shopping, food, friends, food, and siteseeing, I was fast asleep on the plane back to Japan and my busy life in Tokyo.

This Week's Shoot

So I had to get my headshots done again this week, and here are a few of the highlights. Part of the reason I had to have them redone is because, well, as of January- I am legally- BLOND!! I think I can rock it. What do you think??

week in review

What a crazy week this has been. I think most of you who read my blog know what I do, but may not know what a typical day or week in my life is like. So, I thought I would give you a simple re-cap of this week.

It all starts with a phone call from my agency on Monday. I guess there was a Coca-Cola commercial being cast, and they wanted to know if they could send my pictures in to be considered- as they wanted someone who could speak Japanese and had acting skills. Tuesday, they call back and said that I had made it through the picture selection and the client wanted me to come in and audition on Thursday. Hmmm... maybe not the easiest thing to do... Thursday morning I work at the University until 12:30, then I have to be at cheer practice by 2:30, after finishing at 6, I take the bus to teach a dance class that finishes at 8:30. Needless to say, Thursdays are busy. My agency responded with, 'no problem, there will be more auditions for other commercials, let's try next time.' I wasn't too disappointed- after six years in Tokyo in this 'scene' we get quite used to rejection. However, $1,000 a day for a three day shoot is a hard one to say good-bye to. Ouch.

Wednesday, I get another call- agency says that the client especially wanted me to come in. I guess they knew who I was and wanted to see me. I told them that the only time I could come in was from 1 to 2, or after 8:30. He said he would see what he could do. Being that this week was also the national cheer competition that I host, I couldn't leave practice to someone else- nor leave early. I was told, 'we will play it by ear- they really want to see you-'

Going through my busy Thursday schedule, I get a call saying that the audtions started at 4, and if I hurried from the dance lesson MAYBE they would wait for me as I would get there by 9. As I a was walking into the building of the lesson, my agency calls and says that they will wait to see me, but HURRY because they were scheduled to be finished at 8:30. I hang up my phone, tell the dancers we will finish 10 minutes early. As I am changing my clothes- not five minutes later- they call back... 'sorry jase, they can't wait. if they don't find what they are looking for out of the auditioners from today, they will call us...' Easy come- easy go??

Friday- I had a short work-out, followed by my weekly massage, then off to teach dance, sing for a couple of hours, then to the hotel by the school. Checking messages, agency says there is a possible reporter audition- can they send my pictures in for photo selection? (here we go AGAIN) I give them the OK, and wait for results.

As I have to be at the school by 6:30am, ASIJ lets me get a hotel room the night before competition. Over-zealous heater- no hot water... bad combo! hahaha~!

The Fifth Annual ASIJ Invitational Cheer Competition went smoothly. My staff was late, one of the schools skipped check-in (very stressfull... where are they???) but everything was relavtively smooth. I had a dream that the hair and make-up team that I hired for my squad made them all look like drag-queens, but was relieved when I saw them after they were finished. They looked great! I coach the JV squad, and they won thier division!! YAY!! Go Mustangs!!

After being on my feet and litterally running around all day (and all week) my tired bones went home and laid down for a well-deserved 30 minute nap... two hours later I woke up. Haha. New messages- passed the picture selection for the TV job, audition on Monday. Here we go again.