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waiming
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Name: Wai Ming
Birthday: 11/20/1982
Gender: Female
Interests: music (playin' piano, improv-ing, and singing), reading, journaling, chilling with friends and family, sleeping, watching movies, eating (esp. desserts), cafes, and all things spanish,...but my first love is God and y'all should know that :)
Expertise: Finding myself in very peculiar situations. Constantly.
Message: message meEmail: email me
Member Since:
5/16/2003
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| beauty in playboy:
i've only been out of school for just over a week and already i have gigs nearly every day for the next couple of weeks. i've even booked others months from now. it's been a great experience thus far and i am really enjoying it 
it's always amusing to watch people's reactions when i tell them i'm a make-up artist. i guess it's difficult to gauge what that is like unless you are in a similar industry. if i'm not working, i most likely am on my computer searching for more jobs or running around replenishing my supplies.
however, the thing i enjoy most about this job is not actually the make-up but the people you meet in the process of it all. it's always refreshing when my world expands and i fall into another space i didn't know existed before. each day is different and i never know what quite to expect from week to week. and that's where my love for the unpredictable comes in. every single day, i'm given a fresh, clean slate to draw upon. and i love that!
this past sunday, i was working with a playboy model and found her to be one of the most inspiring people i've come across in a long while. ironic, right? she was sharing about how she'd been raped 3 times in the past and while it was obviously highly traumatic, it made her a stronger person. and her heart is now broken for young girls whose innocence is lost in this corrupt world we live in. now she is determined to help and impact them in a way that they never lose their sense of self-worth. to me, this woman is so damn beautiful, inside and out
it was an extremely moving story to hear (all the while, i was putting make-up on her). she doesn't care about being a supermodel but she does want to use her time and talent to benefit others. i shared about my trip to cambodia and now we've formed this special, though peculiar, little connection hopefully in the future, we can partner up with other like-minded artists and send a message that raises awareness for the issues that we care about--like social justice.
her words to me were, "never give up or in!"
while i am extremely open-minded, i will have to say that i never expected to hear all that from a playboy model. (like, really?) my last instructor told us that stereotypes will be broken as we continue on in this industry. lesson learned? don't be so quick to judge. you just never know what lies beneath the surface.
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| if i'd known then:
i randomly picked up this book in the clearance section of anthropologie called 'if i'd known then'. it is basically a collection of letters written by women in their 20s and 30s to their younger selves. it showcases letters from several famous people, including jessica alba and natasha bedingfield, as well as less famous (or "more normal") people. i've found them to be inspiring and challenging.
i've found that i constantly come across people, both men and women, who always wish they had done something when they had the chance to. it could be something as simple as traveling. i remember when i was thinking about spain and cambodia, there were a good handful of people who would listen wistfully as i told them about my tentative plans [at the time]. it always pains me when i see people who are full of regrets. life is too short to dwell on regrets of all things.
even so, there are some things i wish i'd known when i was younger. but i guess you gain knowledge as you grow and mature. hopefully these are all things i will pass on successfully to my future children :)
as for the book that i mentioned earlier, it motivated me to do the same. i figure it's a useful exercise and it'd be nice to look back on. and so here goes nothing...
dear waiming,
i've been told that you are still discovering yourself while you are in your 20s. it's a journey full of turbulence, milestones, and growth. i'm only 26 right now and each year in my 20s has benchmarked something significant in my life. i can only wonder what the remaining years of my 20s will bring.
as for you being a teenager, don't be so consumed by what others may think of you. you are not alone in how you think and feel. truth be told, everyone struggles with insecurities. and the ironic thing is...the ones that appear to be cocky and arrogant tend to be the most insecure of them all. it's often a mask so don't let it fool you.
learn to be content with all things, big and small. be comfortable with your body and looks. society teaches us that being thin is valued but they are wrong. beauty is everywhere, both in the curves and crevices. embrace the unique. don't play the comparison game. don't try to emulate others in this way. who knows, they may be trying to emulate others (besides, carbon copies aren't so interesting anyway). you will one day realize the magical powers of photoshop and feel better about yourself.
shyness, like fear, is debilitating. your shyness will lead you to turn down many opportunities. you fear failure and rejection...but how can you experience success and reward then? you don't want to be vulnerable to anybody because then you open the door to hurt and pain. but again, how then can you experience love and acceptance? life is much richer when you allow yourself to be open to things, both the good and the bad. you learn with experience. the journey is just as important as the destination.
vulnerability isn't such a cursed thing either. it's a remarkable thing to be transparent to your best friends. there's no shame in crying on their shoulders rather than muffling it into your pillow late at night...alone. sharing your most distressing moments with a good friend can be medicinal. don't carry the burden alone all the time. appearing strong doesn't make you strong. eventually, it will weigh you down. lift your burdens to God too. that bottle of Aleve will do more harm than good. same goes for the caffeine pills. also, your struggles in life will often be redeemed as they turn to blessings for others. when you share with them what you've gone through, they will find comfort and so the experience in its entirety was worth it.
DON'T BE. don't be so reluctant to meet new people. don't be afraid to get involved with things that interest you. don't be so afraid to speak up. don't be so afraid to perform music in front of others. and don't be afraid to say 'no' to certain people, and 'yes' to the rest.
you will notice that the many of the people you come across in life will be 'mainstream'. the vast majority of them want the exact same things in life. acknowledge that there's nothing wrong with that. however, you already know deep down that you aren't like them in many ways. surround yourself with people who understand and encourage you to be who you are. avoid the dream-killers in life because they probably are bitter from not fulfilling their own. they will only drag you down; swimming against the current is already difficult enough on its own.
as for your outlook on life, drop the pessimism. you think that if you expect the worst, then you'll never be disappointed. and while that seems to make sense in theory, it never quite works out in application. look for the good in people and be quick to forgive when they do fail you. be honest with them. don't allow things to build up slowly and taint your perception of them. YOU are far from perfect too.
as for romance, you will find love and then lose it. you'll find it again though...eventually. let it all happen in its own time and enjoy the advantages of singleness while you can. there's a certain freedom that comes with only singleness and with that freedom, you can do SO much. take it and run!!
(oh, and don't forget to put on some SPF while you're at it.)
love,
your older [and slightly wiser] self
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| new-age christianity?
being in school has opened up my world to many other faiths, beliefs, and lifestyles. having always been a really curious person, i am absolutely fascinated by it all. draq queen nightlife? interesting. catholic confessionals? interesting. buddhist and new age thinking? interesting. all very interesting.
my protestant faith has always been the basis of my life. but there are certain elements in other belief systems that resonate with me. (of course if it lies in direct contrast with the Bible, then that's a different story). i wonder if that makes me an open-minded, liberal Christian...or just straight up blasphemous.
my current instructor is "very spiritual." he incorporates a LOT of it into his teaching and i'm intrigued by it. when i learn about another faith, my ears and mind automatically become cautious. i used to think all that new-age and positive self-help thinking was hokey. USED TO. but what i've found is there's a small kernel of truth in it too.
we received a homework assignment where we had to share our life goals with our class. it could be about anything: career, family, personal, spiritual, etc. we were encouraged to write it out and place a visual picture next to each goal. my instructor is adamant that if we do that and think positively, then we will achieve each and every goal listed.
kind of a peculiar assignment for a blossoming make-up artist, no? i really had to sit down and think about it. have you ever tried doing that? i think in our minds, we have a floating image of what we want in life but rarely do we ever actually articulate and visualize it in a tangible way.
so this is what i came up with and shared with my classmates and instructor:
travel the world...that i may acquaint myself with other cultures firsthand and gain a better understanding of those living outside of my own bubble.
adopt...that i may give even one child the chance to claim a home, family, and sense of identity that they otherwise may not experience.
social justice...that i may offer assistance (whether it be physically, financially, emotionally, and/or spiritually) to women and children trapped in a web of corruption and perversion.
write...as an outlet for self-expression; as a way to reach out to others; to have something on which to look back and reflect.
music...to participate in an artistic, soulful collaboration—to set poetry in motion.
story-telling...that i will live a life in which i never run out of tales to tell and reminisce upon. when asked how life is, never do I want to utter the words “work is work” or “the same old” in response to anyone.
i think i'm doing pretty well on the last goal life sure is interesting and i won't ever complain about that!
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| God, make-up & bisexuality:
"plants and animals have souls." i found myself having a very interesting discussion on religion with a classmate of mine a few days ago. she has this distaste for Christians. i can't really blame her either. she's bisexual and recently had a stranger on the train screaming at her about how homosexuals all go to hell. her missionary cousin, whom she used to be very close to, basically shuns her for her lifestyle and they suffer from a falling-out. when she told me this, my heart sank for 2 reasons. the first reason being that she equates Christianity with judgment now; the second being that those types of "Christians" give the rest of us a bad rep. my only response to her story was to apologize.
i'm privy to all types of gossip and private info that people are happy to share with me. when it comes to gossip, i've been doing my best to stay neutral. i listen intently but rarely respond. it's not always easy though. there are days where certain people irk or frustrate me and i want to vent. let it go, let it go. this random man in the elevator made this one comment that i hope to always remember. he said, "don't dwell on the small, inconsequential things. focus on the big picture." he was talking about career but i'd say it applies to life, no?
but to be honest, staying neutral in class isn't really me trying to be a "good Christian"; if anything, i'm just trying not to burn any bridges for the sake of my future career.
while i do love make-up artistry and all the things i've been learning, i sometimes ask myself what God is doing these days. i question...how does the beauty industry relate to God? or how does a former missionary turned make-up artist explain this change in lifestyle? things of that sort. still not really sure what the answers are but that's alright. i'm sure it'll reveal itself eventually.
anyway, my friend suddenly turned to me one day and asked if her bisexuality bothered me (she knows that i'm a Christian). i said i could care less. really, what could i do about that anyway? you are who you are. then she asked me if i believe all homosexuals go to hell and to that, i responded with a 'no'.
it's strange how doors to these types of conversations open when you least expect it. i didn't even try, which was the coolest part. i very bluntly told her that while i'm not the perfect Christian, i know what i believe. i am adamantly opposed to anyone who imposes their beliefs on others (there's a fine line in discussing religion and trying to prove you're right). you may win the argument but you definitely don't win any souls in the process. and what bothers me about Christians is that sometimes their tone may not always match their intentions. Christians' desire to convert others to Christ often--and ironically--brings out their own hypocritical/judgmental ways, thereby driving others even further away.
i think i like living outside of the Christian bubble. i don't ever doubt my faith. i do tire of the superficiality i find in some church settings though. my classmates tell me i don't fit into their stereotype of a missionary, which i actually found flattering  acceptance, not judgment, is what they seek. it's so easy. embrace them for who they are...because are they not also made in the image of God?
anyway, i was explaining to her that many people misconstrue the Bible. even she thinks the Bible is a beautiful book. i told her that the Bible instructs us not to judge others (hence, the 'plank in the eye' analogy). she was actually floored by it and asked why Christians still judge even though the Bible tells them otherwise, to which i replied, "we're not perfect, dude. we make mistakes too." :) it's true--a given really. but she was shocked that for once in her life, a Christian didn't pretend to be perfect and holy (errr, i was just being myself--imperfect and not particularly holy). and then she made this comment that made me laugh. "if Christians were more like you, people like me would be more willing to convert!" hahahaa, bless her.
she still tried to give me a logical explanation as to why plants have souls, ahaha...but we agreed to disagree. and that's fine with me 
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| mind sponge and confidence-boosters:
i'm a very extreme person. i am an "all or nothing" type of gal. when i focus on something, i throw all of my energy into it. i kinda knew that about myself in the past but when my childhood best friend commented on it the other day, it dawned on me about how true it really was.
these days, i find myself searching for more and more knowledge about the beauty industry. i'm a full-time student. i have subscribed to a number of magazines and purchased loads of books by famous authors. i attend weekly (though optional) seminars at my school. every day, i think about make-up and observe it everywhere. i even go to bed thinking about crazy things like......eye shadow 
in essence, i'm a sponge.
i've always enjoyed learning. i think it comes with being a good listener. i've learned a lot about life, people, faith, and amusing though inconsequential things through being a good listener. i like picking apart, what i deem, interesting minds and hearing perspectives...even when i know ahead of time that we may disagree. and that's fine with me.
today i attended a super interesting and thoroughly helpful seminar given by 5-time Emmy award winning make-up artist, eve pearl. i was really excited to listen to every single word that she had to say and consequently wrote it all down in my notebook. i'm a meticulous note-taker. in the past, i'd paid such close attention to my english professors in college that i managed to jam out 5-7 page essays on books i had never even read.
so this woman was amazing. though she was a single mother, she wielded one single talent and really paved a way for herself. she was down-to-earth. she was knowledgable. i was completely mesmerized by her. heck, this lady just recently did the make-up for president obama and his wife. crazy! it's been really cool meeting with people that have such unique lives. i think i am drawn to these types, mainly because i thrive where there is creative energy. i think these people have the most stories to tell...
nonetheless, one thing that she said that really hit home was, "don't allow people to look down on you for being a make-up artist. own it. be proud of it." i think prior to enrolling, i was struggling with the thought that people would judge me to be vain and superficial. but the make-up artists that i'm meeting have brains and a knack for business. they are not bimbos and did not choose this career as a last resort. in fact, they are doing quite well for themselves and actually loving what they do. what more could you ask for regarding a career, right? of course, they put in some really hard work but it definitely pays off in the end.
but anyway, i had a great day two confidence boosters--i did the make-up for a classmate today. she liked it so much that she pushed up a job interview to tonight instead of for tomorrow. what a sweetie~ and THEN that emmy award-winning make-up artist complimented me on my work!  i talked with her a bit and left with even more determination to learn my craft and hone it to death. DEATH!
so if anyone wants to be my guinea pig, please step forward :)
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