AARON JAN MERCADO

"You always have a chance

to make your dreams come true.

I don't believe that there's anything you cannot do.

You are given that much time,

that much opportunity.

The secret is, to get yourself ready

so that when the opportunity comes,

the battle is yours to take anytime, anyhow...

to win it in the end."

These are the words lived by my good friend, Aaron Jan Mercado, who is now on his way to train as swing for the upcoming musical, "Here Lies Love" that will grace London theatres in September of this year. Why I know it? I've been a witness to it all. How he worked hard for it, how he got himself trained for it and most of all, I saw how his frustrations had become his stepping stones into becoming the better version of him everyday. And that's what I'm ready to share to you today to inspire the dreamer in you.

AN EXTRAORDINAIRE

AJ on flight during the 2013 Dance Competition
called Hong Kong's Best Dance Crew

Aaron Jan A. Mercado, commonly known to us as AJ, is the kind of person who doesn't want to waste time.  Now that he's 28, he claims to be more focused, serious and determined in prioritising his goals.

Most teenagers in the Philippines would be busy partying, hanging out, meeting up at STARBUCKS that I think in the long term, would be diabetics for that much spent time sitting there with a frap. AJ, as a teenager, did not have that much luxury as per time since he started dancing since he was 12 years old.

As a company dancer for Dagyaw Theatre and Dance Company (1998-2002) and Edwin C. Duero Dance Company (2002-2003), he was able to to go all the way up to being a choreographer and teacher for Faith Javellana Dance and Arts Center (2003-2004) and from then on, he worked his way to further honing his skills in dancing for Ballet Philippines by deciding on moving to his own country's capital, Manila, Philippines. There he remained to be a scholar and a company member who had demanded time and effort from AJ. AJ took the road less traveled by many. He was attending 2-3 dance classes a day but he never felt regretful of it ever.

REAPING THE GOODS

One of them jam nights with AJ

From the humble province of Jaro, Iloilo to Manila, Philippines to Hong Kong, AJ never stopped achieving for something. May it be for personal growth, advancement to his performing skills or just basically, keeping a conversation up, he aims to make use of his time productively.

In addition to his fluid ballet skills, AJ remained fit and flexible and had expanded to a much better version of him as he learned BUNGEE ACROBATICS AND STILT WALKING. He was able to attend vocal lessons when he had time and was able to learn how to play the guitar and piano on his own.

I remember having jam nights with him and knowing how to learn how to play several songs (most especially Alicia Keys ones) in the guitar the easier way because he would literally research on it via youtube. With an aim to be able to sing while playing the guitar, he makes it all handy for me. I have to lay out my friend as: HE DOES NOT TAKE ANY BULLSHIT NOR DOES HE TOLERATE ANYTHING SENSELESS. He finds it difficult tolerating illogical opinion nor is he considerate of people who choose unprofessionalism over hard work. So he helps people who are serious in what they want to achieve and I believe he finds delight in every person's achievement. He's the type that he'll praise good work if it is worthy of it. But he'll help you out if things need improvement or in which angle you should concentrate on to make it perfect. He would want the best out of you. He's a good teacher. And I know many people will agree to that.

PERFORMANCES

That being said, the talented AJ went on gracing audiences of his performances. He started as a parade dancer at the happiest place on Earth upon expanding internationally starting in Hong Kong.  Besides being able to dance on stilts and doing aerial performances, AJ got exposed to a series of projects (High School Musical, CARS, and special events in and out the park), versatile triple threats and wider art form that helped him get more inspired and strive for more learning. He never wanted to have idle time. He continuously went for vocalist and dancers auditions. Eventually he got noticed to be rightful of a spot as a chorus dancer in the Lion King Theatre. In addition, he had choreographed unforgettable pieces for showcases.

"Always be ready so that when an opportunity comes,
you can grab and own it at any given time." - AJ

In 2011, The Next Best Thing (TNBT), in which AJ was adjoined with co-Filipino dancers, was formed and had joined Hong Kong's Best Dance Crew Competition. They have won 1st runner up in the said competition but in 2012, The MOVEMENT, which was composed of almost the same talented people, had finished the competition as Champions under the Jazz/Contemporary Category. In 2013, their piece ala So You Think You Can Dance made them land on the 2nd runner up.

Hong Kong's Best Dance Crew is one of the major competitions held here in Hong Kong and prestigious and known dancers of the whole country come together to battle it out for the title. Celebrity judges are also invited to figure out the most worthy of the title "Champions". Here is their 2013 performance, you be the judge:

THE BIG BREAK

When I asked my featured performing artist of what it takes to be where he is now, he answered, "Never stop dreaming and never stop learning. If you want something to happen, be sure to move "to" it. As for me, I never stopped researching, training and whenever I want to achieve something, I work on it and I won't stop until I get it perfectly. Of course, there's nobody who's perfect but I believe practice helps a lot in having the needed discipline to attain my goals."

Hong Kong had helped AJ become the better version of him. By the time, "Here Lies Love" had its audition dates set in the Philippines, he was more than ready.

He had known of the necessary information thru the net and then after arranging a vacation leave, selecting flights and researching about the musical, he said, "Here goes nothing." But as his close friend, I knew he was more than confident in going for it. Expectations aside, he flowed thru the dancing part and studied the materials given to them overnight then went for it in a breeze. He didn't hesitate in letting himself go and that gave him the advancement above the rest of the applicants. He didn't allow himself to panic because he just wanted to enjoy in being himself throughout the process. Alongside known celebrities residing in the Philippines, AJ couldn't help but feel he's an underdog in comparison that he was so shocked when they emailed him that he got the part and that he had to leave in 2 months time to rehearse as swing. He had to be ready in the next 2 months for the musical to be shown in London. He was literally swept off his feet when he heard of the good news. I felt privileged in being considered as one of the few people he had consulted as he was torn at first if he'd go for it since he loves Hong Kong and his job there. In the end, he knew that this was his long time dream and now that it's happening, there's no way he'd let it go.

10 FUN FACTS ABOUT THE REAL AJ:

He's yet to be another huge persona that is representing Philippines in the limelight, but there's always that part of yourself that should remain real and true. I would surely miss AJ so, for old time's sake, we decided to have fun a little bit in going thru the following:

1. Are you naughty or nice? BOTH! But add a "super" to naughty and "super" to that word nice!

2. What do you do when you're under stress? I eat and sleep to distress.

3. If we are all waged equally, what job would you do? I would still choose to do the same thing since for me, performing is my way to spread love because I love performing. I love being on stage, being able to give something to the audience and there are no other words to describe how exalted I am when I get something back from the audience like an applause, their genuine delight and that love that is being channelled because of performing is just incomparable and priceless.

4. What do you consider your best asset? My Smile. LOL!

5. What attracts you most in a person? Personality. Like I said, I have low tolerance to people who cannot arouse me mentally.

6. How many times have you been in love? Next question please. Hahahaha!

7. What gets into your nerves? When I'm hungry, I easily snap and when the weather is too hot, I get grumpy.

8. Type of music: Contemporary and Pop.

9. Favorite color: Blue and red

10. What kind of a person do you admire the most? An honest one.

Related posts:

1. ARIEL REONAL - Another Filipino extraordinaire gracing the cast of Miss Saigon 2014, now showing in West End, London sharing how he didn't give up his dream of wanting to be in Broadway.

2. WHERE PASSION TAKES YOU - A small talk of what "Here Lies Love" the musical is about.

3. NO TEARS, GET INSPIRED INSTEAD - a rundown of passionate Filipinos who have been achievers in their own right.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Since we are made from the image and likeness of God:
"The desire to create is one of the
deepest yearnings of the human soul."
- DIETER UCHTDORF

Being influenced into widening my horizons in pursuit of financial freedom, I've come to a realisation that the road to being rich is not easy. Time is of the essence, that's consideration number one. It's easy to say that everything follows after that. Taking advantage of the power of habit, compounding and your biggest emotional WHY are key factors. But I encounter bumps in the road every now and then such as slacking, procrastinating and doubting. According to the books I hold very substantial with my aims and goals, they always remind their readers to find a way to sustain such drive. This is due to the reason that at one point, it will be hard to keep up with your goals because of certain reasons, dilemmas and personal challenges. In short, we may find ourselves going back to our own bad habits when we don't feel some sort of gratification or reward with our chosen investment tools. And this is not just 1% of the people who tried to keep a budget (for example) to give justice to their goals. Most of the time, 99% fail because they didn't establish ways to continuously inspire themselves to keep the fire burning.

The books mentioned about choosing the people you hang out with and having mentors. Better yet, finding people that you may look up to who are experts in the field that you'd like to achieve. The most important thing is, establish your deepest WHY then find the people who'd respect and support it.

With that being said, I continuously observe myself as to how I'm usually moved, how do I get driven... Blessed be, the presence of an old colleague who now directs shows in the Philippines, taking a photo of me while performing had made me figure out that people, who become successful with their pursuit inspire me (like her) more than ever. That night, I thought of how far some of the people I knew from before had gone and I decided to feature them in terms of the small businesses they now own.

At first, I just wanted these people to be in my vision board to serve as an inspiration to me but I thought of sharing their story to all of you as well. Besides the recognition they deserve, it maybe one of the small business ideas that you were eyeing from the beginning but never had the courage to go for because of huge amounts of doubts in your head.

1. METRICA ENTERPRISES, DEL MUNDO ARCHITECTS

Townhouses built by Architect Alvin Gloda Del Mundo

a sample of what an accordion gate
looks like

OK people, I've got to start with the very familiar to me. I basically grew up seeing my mom and her siblings reign in Sampaloc, Manila (Philippines) with their real estate businesses. My parents had owned a Realty Corporation and a second-hand lumber before. They resell antique furnitures, sturdy accordion gates, high quality G.I. sheets (to name a few) in line with demolishing, building and selling town houses all over the district. Eventually, none of us had continued the business since, I ended up being a licensed nurse turned performing artist, our eldest became a dentist and our youngest graduated Information Technology turned nurse. (That almost sounded like a cycle I know!)

Any legacy ready to be built starts with a calling. And my cousin, ALVIN GLODA DEL MUNDO was called upon to design and build the modern town houses of today when he became a full-pledged architect.

"Never be afraid of CHANGE.
It will always be constant in our lives."
- Architect Alvin Gloda Del Mundo

I grew up with my cousins and Alvin was the youngest of us all. Because of that, he gets bullied most of the time and the way he reacts was actually funny. He would always mumble, "You will see, I will be somebody someday." And from then on, I know that he was a man of his word and failing was never in his vocabulary.

He graduated from Mapua Institute of Technology and had earned his license after several projects involving his mom.

My auntie, as I remember (and I hope she won't hate me saying this), was very strict on my cousin, Alvin. Being the only son, he was the only heir to manage the business that his mom had put up in great efforts. Eventually, it had paid off. No bias, but before Alvin reached 30, he had established a good reputation as a reliable manager of the family business involving her wife who's an architect as well and had been helping out in each of his project's design and utilisation.

Name of Company: METRICA ENTERPRISES, DEL MUNDO ARCHITECTS

Nature of Business: Design, build and sell, demolition of houses

Ownership: Family owned

Location: Manila, Philippines

Number of years before it was established: since he was college, 12-15 years

Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): They proudly design it from ground up. Their passion and profession are their edge over the other realtors.

Invested money on the business: Php 0.00 - since family owned

Price range of the product: Php 5-7 million/unit

Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream? "Definitely an ULTIMATE DREAM!"

Training: MAPUA Institute of Technology for the engineering degree. Own enterprise for practice.

Is this your first business? Yes.

Further plans (expansion)? Bigger design office to cater more clients.

Little trivia about the business? I treat this business as my playground. It's the type of business that has no redundancy... every project/design is like a new toy to be played in the mind.

When Alvin was young, I would always see a lot of model vinyl collector's item sort of toys for his collection. The ones that you have tinker with to build its form. He was a fan of lego too and we loved playing in the second hand lumber back then. I am more than proud of how he had become that I look up to his achievements. You can contact him at his email if you're interested to avail of his services: hellspawn_alvin@yahoo.co.uk

2. EDGE 'N POINTE DANCE CENTRE

As a performing artist, I hail dance schools. Moreover, I know how hard it is to get kids into liking dance most especially when their parents are not even fond of this form of art to begin with.

Since I have handled a class for two whole summers in Jill Ngo's Peak Dance Studio 8 years ago, I can totally relate to short attention spans, bratty attitude and clueless faces as to why they have to dance. I feel that it is such an achievement every time I am able to make a kid move somehow back then. That's why I look up to a dance teacher's dedication.

Personally, dancing had been a way for me to balance myself. Besides writing, it is an utmost way to express myself. I love it very much that I don't mind doing it everyday. Now, that I get to do it, it gets a little harder to accept each day that there will come a time that I would get old and would not be as flexible or active as I am today. To that, I always see to it that I dance like my last each time.

"Put your passion as a front liner.
Nothing will work if you're not passionate
and if you don't love what you're doing."
- Verna Fajila-Brazil

As I get to work in the happiest place on earth, I was able to come across a pool of the most talented people.

Verna, one of the prima ballerinas of her time is both a blessing and an angel for me. Trained in Ballet Philippines, I had known Verna to be part of the chorus dancers (as a gazelle) of Hong Kong Disneyland's Lion King Theatre Show.

At a volleyball match, she was one of the people who had saw a spark between my husband (now) and I upon our first meet-up 8 years ago. Little did I know then that he kept on asking her who I was.

Verna's aspiration was to become a professional ballerina since she was little. In fulfilling this dream, she worked hard and looked up to all the people that helped her reach her dreams. She realised that she was being called to teach as her passion for dance had grown enormously thru the years. She believed that she could inspire younger generations thru performing arts.

One thing I know about Verna is that, she is a very selfless person, very thoughtful and kind. This shines thru her wide range of scholarships thru the dance workshops she offers at Edge 'N Pointe. She offers a long list amounting from HK$0 to HK$500/month. She got encouraged to put up Edge 'N Pointe in Hong Kong since she had seen the difference she believes she could make. And that is to cultivate it more to those who are interested.

Name of Company: EDGE 'N POINTE DANCE CENTRE

Nature of Business: Dance and performing arts school.

Edge 'n Pointe Dance Centre caters to kids from 2 to adults that and is teaching a wide array of dance classes including:

BALLET, ZUMBA, JAZZ, CONTEMPORARY, LATIN DANCE, TAP, KINDERMUSIC.

Ownership: Verna Fajilan-Brazil

Location: Hong Kong

Number of years before it was established: She had dedicated all her life for this to be established. Business wise, it was never her intention to come up with a business but it was her ultimate dream to have a school.

Verna as part of Ballet Philippines takes a flight
in its production of Cinderella, 2002

Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): The main edge is the quality of learning they provide. As a lover of arts, Verna's aim is to cultivate the art of dancing in our society much further. For that objective to be given justice, it is important for her that the team she's working with are not half-baked. This way, the passion and the art of dance would be instilled to the students at its finest.

Invested money on the business: Money or earning is just a plus for Verna. TIME is of the essential investment since she had dedicated all her life to making this happen. She had invested in herself and the learning she got from her teachers are priceless. With that being said, she is willing to share what she had learned for the sake of learning and exploration on her students' behalf.

Price range of the product: HK$0 (for scholars) up to HK$500/class

Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream?"Definitely an ULTIMATE DREAM!", says Verna.

Training: Ballet Philippines

The Nutcracker, 2003

Is this your first business? Yes.

Further plans (expansion)? A number of centres have asked their help with their programmes and they're more than glad to do so. They have one with Baumhaus (Hong Kong), Wan Chai, Admiralty.

They've also won the Group Of the Year in participating in the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland.

Now they are in Portland, sharing further their talents and widening their horizons more and more in the name of arts.

Little trivia about the business?

"We just came back from the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland. It is one of the best and biggest youth arts festivals in the world. Without government or corporate sponsorship, we depended on individual donors. Although we were only able to raise 1/3 of the costs, and I personally loaned the rest, I decided to take this risk just to foster the arts in the youth. The dancers did very well there and although the festival is not a competition but a gathering of young artists worldwide, we were surprised when we were presented the Group of the Year Award at the end of the festival. Truly heartwarming."

- Verna

Here's a glimpse of how their rehearsal went. This is truly inspiring. What more you would watch the real performance!

Contact Details: 
Email: admin@edgenpointe.com
Phone Number: 66882167

3. PARALLAX DANCE COMPANY

"If you are passionate about your dreams,
and you are willing to work hard for it,
GO FOR IT!
Don't let anyone or anything stop you.
Go straight to the path,
don't even contemplate on having a fall back!
Because once you do,
you're just allowing failure to seep in!
Jordan Punsalang, Art Director,
Parallax Dance Company

There is yet another colleague of mine that had put up his own dance company in Australia.

I have been under Jordan Punsalang for a scholarship grant from FEDEX Philippines. Cheerleaders were to perform every halftime for every game FEDEX team would play in the annual Philippine Basketball Association League. He was our choreographer. During the course of the season, there were dance classes in between for us cheerleaders to be aided in adapting to jazz style. Specifically, Jordan's style.

This had sharpened my skills, pushed me to my limit and had helped me love dancing even more because its orgasmic high that takes place every after show keeps me energetic enough to keep up with my studies. I had benefited on the endorphin release that takes place because I took dancing as my form of exercise back then.

Jordan was strict on all of us in general back then but it moulded me into getting more aware of my physique. What it can do and how it can perform better. Jordan emphasised the cliche, "Dancers are the athletes of God." and he continuously aims to serve his purpose by using his talents at its maximum. He teaches, conducts recitals, makes projects happen all to hail the craft of dancing, a talent that is a gift from God. I remember him saying, "I would never have a shy attitude because God had blessed me with enough armour to make me confident enough. I would never choose to take this gift for granted because I know that everyday is an opportunity to make myself better at it." as a form of encouraging shy girls that I was team mates with back then.

Of course, every now and then he has gigs so I also danced under his group, Dancecap. With that being said, windows of opportunities had opened up (choreographing for commercials, corporate events and shows).

Jordan is one of the few teachers I had that truly inspired me into digging deeper as far as passion is concerned. He influenced me greatly not only in terms of dance but also in life. Being talented is just one of his great qualities but on top of that, he's smart, confident and fearless. These are the major attributes he exemplified on me. And yet again, I am in awe when I learned that upon his migration to Australia, he had established a dance company of his own in approximately 6 months.

Parallax Dance Company is one of Geelong's finest dance companies,
composed of highly skilled dancers all over the region.

Name of Company: PARALLAX DANCE COMPANY

Nature of Business: Dance Company and Dance School

Ownership: Own Company

Location: MAAD Studios, Geelong, Victoria, Australia

Number of years before it was established: 6 months upon moving to Australia

Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): Before Parallax Dance Company had been established, Jordan Punsalang had taught in countless studios in the Philippines. With that much knowledge from his collegiate years to teaching commercially, now he's in Australia to share this extensive amount of knowledge and infusing it with what Australia had grown used to.

Price range of the product: Php AUS$12-15/class/person

Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream? Primarily, Jordan did it in the name of passion. As planned, it is both an investment and a dream.

Training: He admits that he's not trained in business. But he has experience in handling dance companies and had facilitated dance schools.

What encouraged you to take the first step? Knowing how confident Jordan is, he follows his gut most of the time in making decisions. What he feels right inside is usually his decision maker.

Contact Details:

Get in touch or be abreast with the latest shows, workshops and events by liking their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/parallaxdancecompany.
Contact Number: +61 434 036 933

Is this your first business? It is his first in Australia.

Further plans (expansion): "Hopefully, in the next couple of years, I can put up another studio.", wishes Jordan

Little trivia about the business: Jordan had emphasised the number of dance schools in their cities which is around 40. And his dance company is the only one run by a male.

4. MAUI O.M.W. (ONE MORE WAVE)

"A positive attitude is very important.
So you need to be a people person."
- Shane K Dudoit

One thing I quite remember so well as I feed my brain with the do's and don't's of acquiring riches is that, you should always be open to opportunities. Everything starts with an idea. And if we are going to truly listen and focus, ideas are everywhere. We may even attract them. Even with the simplest things we do and the most usual events occurring every time, every day, what you usually are obsessed with, could be a good idea. Most often than not, to turn into a business. What you love doing is what you do best. A fun fact to consider is that, when you see yourself procrastinating to give way to this thing that you do best, or time stops when you actually do it, that's what usually gives you loads and loads of money. You deny to yourself that you're working nor you feel the load because you LOVE what you're doing. Hence, there's no labor to consider. It's amazing if you'll be aware of this power that you have early on. But for some people, it's never too late.

That's why the last, but not the least, person that I would be including is the one that made a business out of what he loves to do. SURFING.

Now, to be honest, I don't really know much about it but it's something worth trying. I have never surfed before. But I am more than willing to learn provided, affordable surf lessons are available.

To cater to that need of many a number of tourists  like me who don't know how to surf, yet are interested, Shane K Dudoit had put up MAUI O.M.W. in Maui, Hawaii but he had made it available to Asians by making the booking doable here in Hong Kong as well. Marketing wise, he is a Hong Kong resident so, he makes MAUI O.M.W. accessible to both the east and west. But before I go further, let me tell you something about Shane.

I've known Shane to be one of my husband's co-workers at the happiest place on earth. A true performing artist as he loves and enjoys dancing. I remember a cha cha number we did altogether and he opened it with a breathtaking choreography that was sizzling hot to put an intro to it. But going back to where he had been born and where he grew up in (Makawao, Hawaii), he was a traditional dance performer owning the authentic Polynesian grace and style entertaining hundreds of tourists that visit.

Fire Knife Dancer, Festival of the Lion King,
Hong Kong Disneyland, 2005-2014

His calling to perform to different kinds of people didn't stop there as he came to Asia to be part of  the Hong Kong Disneyland's Lion King Theatre Show. He had performed in stilts, danced in chorus and was a fire knife dancer. There's not many of them here in Asia so he shares that when he sees one, they instantly know they are connected somehow.

Hoku, as he is known to us, is fond of sports (he's a rower, shoots some ball and is very good in any water sports, most especially surfing) and he loves going to the gym. He loves doing Capoeira. Furthermore, he is attached to the ocean and he owns a shark tattoo that signifies his love for it hidden in the traditional Polynesian tattoo.

Since he was 7, he had sworn love to the ocean. He was actually a certified life guard before coming over to Hong Kong. As he becomes inspired by an acquaintance in Hong Kong to think about his life, what he wants to do and how that person believed in him lit a fire in his heart to go for it.


Name of Company: MAUI O.M.W. (ONE MORE WAVE)

Nature of Business: Surfing Schools, Private Surfing Lessons and Sales

Description of Product: My products are 9-11 ft. Soft Top Long Boards, and Stand Up Paddle Boards, and a couple of Epoxy Stand Up Boards

Ownership: Own Company

Location: Maui, Hawaii

Number of years before it was established: 7 years

Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): The approach I'm taking is not just to teach them how to surf but to educate the guests regarding the culture of Hawaii as well as this is very important to me. That way, tourists and guests wouldn't miss out on what they should see and experience in visiting the beautiful island.

Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream? It had been an ultimate dream for over 7 years.

Training: Not everybody can surf. I have studied in a good surfing school in Hawaii and joined several Surfing Competitions after that. Overall, I did 30 years of training and competing.

What encouraged you to take the first step? "First step was to put God in the lead of my business. And I gotta keep telling myself to JUST DO IT. Thank God for a video in youtube. I don't know his name but it was the lead star of the first transformers and he just kept on shouting in this video, 'JUST DO IT!' Now I try to put off negative vibes that the DEVIL tries to put before me.", says Hoku

Contact Details:

For booking a session,

Email:
Maui.OneMoreWave@gmail.com
hokugosurf2003@yahoo.com

or call him at,

Maui Tel: 808-205-4286
Hong Kong Tel: 852-9840-3069

Is this your first business? Yes

Further plans (expansion): Right now, the business is yet to be officially up. Contact Hoku to book surfing lessons in 2 or 3 months. "I am waiting for my boards to be made which usually takes 15-30 days to make and 20-30 days on the boat for shipping.", he adds.

He is also interested in putting up a school here in Hong Kong because he loves this city.

Little trivia about the business: As the business is situated in Maui, here are some of the fun facts that Hoku may share about the place for you to further be in love:

1. HAWAII became the 50th US state declared on August 21, 1959.
2. The highest peak on Maui is Haleakala Volcano 10,023 feet, 21 miles across and 4,000 feet deep. Large enough to hold the island of Manhattan.
3. Maui has 81 accessible beaches, 16 golf courses, 10 state parks and 1 national park.

These are who I have gathered so far. It's interesting how they have turned their obsession, passion, hobby and talent into a commodity available for others to learn from, adapt and share. As a reminder, selling is not wrong. Moreover, selling personal service defy nothing. FEAR is the only thing that can defy everything that you have worked for. And SELF-DOUBT feeds it.

Related posts:

1. SIGNED, A 32 YEAR OLD - A message for 20 year olds onwards.
2. CASHFLOW - A game that may take you out of the rat race of real life.
3. HOW FINANCIALLY WEALTHY ARE YOU? - Assess yourself and know your financial status with the help of these six simple questions.

TAI O, HONG KONG'S LITTLE VENICE

Nine years here in Hong Kong before I had seen the fisherman village of Tai O. The richness of its culture and the old traditional ways that they still practice were enticing for me but along with the depths of its rivers separating the village to two forks, are the many controversial events it went thru.

Here are 10 Interesting Things
You Should Know about Tai O:

1. Tai O is called Hong Kong's own Venice since the whole village is built on a body of water. Most of the time, you need to ride the boat to get from one pang uk to another. Civilisation here started 3 centuries ago and up until now, it remains standing and still gives the tourists some scenic view.

A line of pang uk that I saw while riding the boat to go back to the village proper.

2. Fishing was the Tai O villager's number one means of living during the earlier times Back then there were still 30,000 of them. Currently, it's dying out which brought the population to only 5,000. Livelihood of the locals depend on the traditional shrimp paste and salted fish at storefronts, sought after by tourists. May it be for sale, used in a restaurant or they supply outside town, Tai O offers the most authentic products. For them, this is a gift from the sea.

The salted fish and shrimp paste are making a name amongst expats here in Tai O.
These dried goods contain sea cucumber, squid, and scallops and other rare seafood
that may only be available in Tai O that's why they may be costly at one point.

3. In reaching places, boat trip services are offered by the residents. The Tai O town is big enough to be traveled by boat. From the Tai O Ferry Pier to where the public transportation to the city awaits, it can be covered within 15mins each way. Between the boat ride and walking, I prefer the first one most especially during Summer.

leaving the Tai O Ferry Pier after seeing Tai O Heritage Hotel

It's good to book your boats in advance most especially
if you are traveling in a group.

3. Many tourists come to Tai O to see white dolphins for a price of HK$25-HK$35/head. This is because the river opens up to the South China Sea and Macau. If you stand by the lookout area of Tai O Heritage Hotel, you would see one of the bridges of Macau from this viewpoint. This may require you to leave early in the morning though as they come out mostly during this time of the day.

It wouldn't hurt to give a tip on top of the HK$25 worth of the boat trip.

4. During the Stone Age, the inlets of the rivers surrounding Tai O was believed to have been the best hiding place. It also provided the best protection from Hong Kong's unpredictable weather for smuggling and piracy operations to be done smoothly. Though it's hard to prove these claims, this may have been true since in the end, they had to put up a prison for all the illegal activities that had been going on.

The mountains surround the river that holds
perfect location for trading and exchange of merchandise.

5. To keep things in order in Tai Po, a stealth prison and a watch tower was built at the coast near the Tai O pier. This is to guard the village from pirates and people that escape from China crossing the border to Hong Kong illegally. 

The former prison is surrounded by mock up bomb launchers.
Hong Kong Heritage Foundation Limited revitalised the police station in 2009 preserving
the cell for tourists to see and adding a restaurant for guests to have a bed and breakfast experience.

A guide may be booked
for a short tour of the former
police station.

6. This prison is now transformed into a boutique hotel that has 9 rooms and a restaurant. Once, there was an Indian police that wanted to escape from duty and gunfire was exchanged inside the prison. The prison can be closed concealing access to the 2nd floor from the 1st floor so that rebels would be prevented from escaping. So, when the escapee struggled for his freedom, some shots left a mark on one of the bullet proof gates. It remained to be historical that way including the preserved cell and the watchtower. The prison now is called the Tai O Heritage Hotel.

The hotel is still in the government's actual hold. If there would come a time that a holding station may be needed for anything that may arise (war, strict red alert and suspected piracy), the hotel will submit on its demand with no contest. The restaurant may be put down and everything will go back to its original state.

As of now, it takes pride on being accredited by Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific with a Sustainable Hotel Award 2015; for being the winner of Trip Advisor's Traveler's Choice Award 2015 and many more.


7. The boutique hotel was added of a scenic overlooking restaurant where breakfast will be served to the guests as booked. It's called Tai O Lookout. It was named so because during the ancient times that it was still a serving prison, 3 people take shifts within the day to look out for any suspicious and threatening activity surrounding the open coast. According to the tour guide that described this lookout tower, it was almost entirely covered with a small opening for the guards to get in that it didn't offer good ventilation. The guards taking shifts here felt like they were bait for the mosquitoes to feast on each time. Many of whom died not because of any pirate or smuggler attack but of Dengue and Malaria.

The lookout area had been covered almost entirely to protect the guards from getting discovered and shot by the pirates.

This combo was the most famous snack.
It's Crispy Bun and Sparkling Juice.
Estimated price of this meal: HK$85

8. The Tai O lookout offers a refreshing feeling with its ceiling made of clear windows. It opens up to the natural sunlight to accentuate the wooden carved furniture that formerly belonged to China Tee Club.

When we visited the restaurant, they offered us their specialty which is the Crispy Bun that came with a burger marinated with shrimp paste. This signature dish along with the Sparkling juice that is a combination of strawberry, passion fruit, blueberry and lime are their famous snacks in the menu.


9. The boutique hotel rooms are well equipped with toiletries. Outside, it still has that serene vibe like a prison's but its sleekness and class exceeded my expectation. You would see a prison looking atmosphere outside but inside is a very warm and inviting hideout alright.

The two twin bed rooms.

How it actually looks like inside one of the hotel rooms.

10. Tai O has rich soil and promising sea.

The Sea is considered golden with the treasures it gives to the people of the 200 year old fisherman village. Besides the seafood that literally and vastly reproduced no matter how often they fished, opportunities didn't stop there for the fishermen. Drying and preserving had developed into original customs which made the village well known. It had given a local brand 80 years in the business as it attributes rich fields, clear salt and plentiful sunlight in Tai O.

Drying a bunch of mackerels under the sun.

On the other hand, the land gives out fortune thru its crops. The remarkable elixir  that is extracted from Begonia Fimbristipula is one of the most renowned companion of every family in Tai O across all generations, thru good times and bad. This remedial and protective tea is called the Phoenix Tea for it comes from the Phoenix Mountain of Lantau.

The Phoenix is known for aging, dying then regenerating to gain power. Named after it, this miraculous tea tree rejuvenates, detoxifies and fights off the years. It invigorates the digestive system that's why besides its medicinal effect, the people use this slightly acidic flavour as an essential ingredient in appetisers, soups and sautéed dishes.

Some places consider wine as healthy for the heart.
The people in Tai O considers drinking Begonia Fimbristipula
or the Phoenix Tea for the holistic effect it has for the entire body.

This is one of the tea houses where you may order the Phoenix Tea from.
We passed by this pang uk as we rode the boat back to the bus station.

The temporary prison cell
that held more than 15 prisoners at
a time without bathroom privileges.

It is such a momentous experience hearing Tai O's history and ancient culture and then seeing how it ended up looking preserved somehow. Tasting their food and seeing the prison turn into a hotel were the most remarkable for me. On the way home, I've purchased a mini bottle of shrimp paste. I'm calling out chefs who are looking for tasty shrimp paste and dried seafood to come down and check it out. I'm calling those who may want to try the elixir of life called the Phoenix Tea for its destressing benefits and most of all, check out the Tai O lookout for a breathtaking view of the South China Sea. Have a taste of a one-of-a-kind shrimp paste marinated burger and see how small the prison was that fitted 15 prisoners altogether before.

Related posts:

1. 10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT HONG KONG - have a share of what I treasure most about this harbour city!

2. HONG KONG HOTELS YOU NEVER KNEW WERE THERE - featuring Tai O Heritage Hotel (along with other special hotels) if you would like to know more of it.

3. 2015 BEST PHOTOS - I love taking photos and here is a line up of what I treasured dearly last 2015.

In writing this post, I would like to acknowledge, the following links:

1. www.taioheritagehotel.com

2. www.google.com

HALLOWEEN COUTURE MAKE UP IDEAS

One of the most fun things about being human is to play dress up.

And there's no fonder time to do it than on Hallow's eve.

It's a time to be silly, be the one whom you've always dreamed of becoming

and it's the best time to achieve a creative masterpiece.

Hong Kong holds the best Halloween parties but

Lan Kwai Fong surely gets unbearably crowded, not to mention,

strutting the streets was never an easy task.

Now, these make up ideas won't require you to wear

huge props but it wasn't made to disappoint either.

So think about it and maybe you could get inspired to belong

yet you don't have to sacrifice your comfort during the entire night.

Enjoy!

the Black Swan and rag doll combined

Maleficent inspired

The make up speaks for itself: the magnificence of a peacock
is not to be underestimated at any time!

Fill in the blanks with who you want to be:
Goddess of _________?

A Modern Chinese theatre make up for me.
What do you think?

Rawr!

Just wear a white unitard designed with black stripes and you're good to go.

Disco look to a higher couture level!

There's also room for those who dig abstract design.

Unique yet elegant!

Medusa in modern couture!

This truly would require time and effort but this plus a simple black
leather unitard, you'd be an instant tourist magnet and
would probably be featured in a magazine or blog in a snap!

If you have different interpretations for the presented make up ideas,

let me know by leaving a comment below.

Don't forget to enhance the talent you've got

and the creativity in you by inducing personal touches here and there.
Credits to Pinterest about these fabulous creations.

Related posts:

1. 10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT HONG KONG - Here's why I consider this country Home-Kong

2. CHALLENGE TO THE ANGELS - You think Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows are fun to watch, then you've got to see who challenges them down the ramp.

3. AFFORDABLE FOOD IN HONG KONG THAT WILL SURELY MAKE YOU COME BACK FOR MORE - For tourists who travel on a budget, check this out!