Tyra From Saigon

My Mom Rocks!

tyrafromsaigon — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:52:24 +0000

She told me she was going to make me spaghetti tonight and I asked her for no meat in the sauce please. I’m 100% vegetarian as of late so she said she was going to learn how to make vegetarian food for me. After I come home from my tutoring session, she brings me a hot bowl of Bun Bo Hue vegetarian style with the fake chicken drumsticks and all. For dessert, she made me some silken tofu in ginger syrup. <3 Mama.. I am so lucky!

Butterscotch Beatbox Remix of You Got Me

tyrafromsaigon — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:41:26 +0000

my #1 female musician on the planet

Drake – Doing It Wrong (Tyra From Saigon Remix)

tyrafromsaigon — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:34:36 +0000

Download here : http://femaleswitfunk.com/mixes/doingitwrong.html

Thank you to whoever wrote this article :)

tyrafromsaigon — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:29:48 +0000

Sweet Mama

tyrafromsaigon — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:28:35 +0000

I love the aroma of sweet potatoes boiling from the kitchen when it seeps through the cracks of my doors down the hallways. <3 My mom..

Thanksgiving 2011

tyrafromsaigon — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:46 +0000

I was going to hand write a letter this morning about all the things I am thankful for this year but couldn’t manage to declaw myself out of bed today. This satanic migraine has kept me curled in a ball til 3:03 PM now. I’m going to skip the penmanship and go for blog style this year because thinking back, most of my hand written letters have gotten lost anyways.

Just wanted to remind myself of how grateful I am to be here today. To be honest, I could care less about this holiday. It could be any day of the year but I set this day every year since I’ve been living in the U.S. to acknowledge all the people and moments I’ve embraced over the past 365 days that have touched my heart.

Firstly, I’m most thankful for my parents for supporting me in the ways that they have been to make sure I’m in the best situation that I could be in. I was supposed to move back home this summer since my student visa was going to expire so I was preparing to say my goodbyes. My dad really wanted me back and has been waiting for years now but he sacrificed his longing to reunite with me to have me stay back here and finish my studies. The thought of leaving my mom here by herself really devastates me and I stayed back for her. They’ve done everything they possibly could to take care of me and helped me extend my student visa for a couple more years here. Who knows how long I’ll stay though, just saying. I am especially grateful for the conversations that I am able to have with my dad these days; I’m happy that my mom and I are able to share more words nowadays. She’s opened up to me immensely over the past year and it lights up my heart to receive every meal she makes me.

I would also like to thank my sweetest aunt in Australia J.H. for the generous amounts of love she has sent me all year long. It was really nice to grow so close to her recently. She called me on my birthday and sung to me even though she was severely sick, it really melted my heart. I pray and hope that her health improves very soon. Her presence in my sister and I’s life was a surprise blessing – she is an amazing woman.

The next person would be my other aunt, but not technically related by blood M.T. My mother and I are so lucky to have met a person like her. I just spent a few days with her last week and it was so nice to have her back in our lives again. It made me really miss the old days in Burlington when she would visit us from Ottawa. I’m thankful for every thing she has done for us and all the moments my mom and I have shared together with her.

My boss and I have become closer than ever over the past year. I can’t imagine how hard it will be to have to leave next year when I change schools. Working with him has been more than I could ever expect. He has been the closest to a father figure for me since my dad and I have been apart. Every morning, he makes healthy breakfast and coffee for us (except I quit drinking coffee recently) and we have meaningful conversations on the daily about life and everything else going on in the world. He’s a total inspiration in my life spiritually and mentally. I’m thankful for his understanding and flexibility in letting me take all the time off that I needed to for my studies and for being accommodating to any other needs I had while working there. His generosity and kindness towards me will always be remembered.

Although I wish my sister made more time for us, I’m thankful for all the little gestures she’s done for me. She sends me these cute little trinkets like Unicorno and Malfi and it reminds me of how special I am to her. Her energy and personality is one of a kind.

My dearest R.F. has came through for me all year long. I am perpetually thankful for every thing she’s done for me, small to big. I was really sick earlier during the year and she was the person to take care of me throughout that never-ending period of misery. From the medicines to the meals to everything else – I couldn’t forget the amount of care that she’s given me. I would also like to thank her for all the warmth she’s put into my days. I’ve been closer to her than anyone else here and I am very grateful for every single one of her altruistic intentions.

Someone that I’m really looking forward to seeing this holiday season is my bestie M.C., he’s been really busy this year but I appreciate everything he’s gone out of his way to do for me. I can’t forget how he approached wiLL.I.Am and got his autograph then express mailed it to me just to see a smile on my face. I’m thankful that he’s always been available every time I needed to talk to him, and ofcourse for all the music and other wonderfuls he shares with me on an frequent basis.

I would like to thank B.P. for coming through every time I needed a hand. For all the lifts he’s given me when I had car problems especially on they first day of school when my car battery died. He’s absolutely one of the most dependable and cherished friend I have out here.

Another person that I’ve had the privilege of getting to know is T.T. I met him through my mother and he turned out to be one of the coolest, most talented cat I’ve met in a while. He hired me to tutor his girls now and working with them inspired me in many ways.

One of the best things that have happened to me this year was building the relationship that I did with my math professor L.D. I had her twice and the second time we somehow became really close through exchanging e-mails. I look forward to our future collaborations and all the words she has to share with me. I cannot thank her enough for encouraging and pushing me to reach my fullest potential over the past two years. She has helped me get back on track and gain control over a subject that I really lost myself in for the longest time.

I wish I could sit here all day and express all the gratitude I’ve felt for everyone that has positively impacted my days throughout the year but this letter is already getting outta control, however, there are a few special people that I would like to mention : C.B. for being simply just a great human being, nothing about your heart has changed and I hope it stays the same. D.V. for hearing me out all the times I needed to vent, and for always trying to make people happy everywhere you go. S.V. for all the lovely reminders of how special I am with your texts, emojis and B.B. packets. L.K. for everything beautiful thing that you’ve told me and for still being in my life even though we barely talk anymore. N.L. for always getting me no matter what. A.R. for inspiring me to be calmer and poised in my approach/reactions to things. V.P. for being the one out of my many family members that still keeps in touch with me and for all your witty messages and childhood stories that remind me how special I’m still as your oldest niece. T.S. for teaching me all the musical things that you have and believing in me at all times. D.A. for all the doors you’ve opened in my musical life and everything you’ve done to help me since day 1.

I would also like to thank the companies that I have been able to work with this year and all the awesome equipment I received. You guys helped me expand my musical horizons and become more creatively innovative. I’m forever thankful for my fans, all the Youtube/Facebook/Website love I’ve recieved. Without you guys I would have no purpose to do the things that I love. I am thankful for the smiles from strangers, the stories that people tell me, the e-mails, the text messages, all of the teachers I’ve met and have gotten to know, all of the doctors and nurses that have helped me this year, the 4 witnesses that got out of their cars to make sure I was okay on the day of my hit and run, the list goes on. I’m grateful for all the nicety that exists out there, especially all of the relationships that have blossomed from the most unexpected encounters. This world is really a beautiful place. Thank-yous will never be enough..

Love & Peace YO!

There are somedays

tyrafromsaigon — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:08:40 +0000

That I just want to quit what I am doing and go back to the real reason of my existence… to write music. Something I never really got to pursue full throttle; I am only able to meddle with music given the little time that I have left after all the bullshit that I waste my energy on – yes waste. I believe that day will come one day, the day where I get to be me, truly me.

I am envious of the ones who took the risk. Safer is not always happier.

Most of the time, we devote our lives working towards an ingenuine goal and usually when we get there, we ask ourselves, what now? What is the meaning when there is no love?

The best thing that I did so far was take a year off of school and work in 2005. That was the year I accomplished the most, that was the year my soul felt the most content.

XOXO,

Hit + Run on Columbus Day..

tyrafromsaigon — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 01:34:26 +0000

So I was on my way to go tutor and a silver/grey/steel metallic BMW 325i convertible hits me and booked it. It was kind of spitting out, the weather sucked, not rainy but just a bit overcasty. I was waiting for the light to turn green so I could make a left and as my car is midway through the intersection waiting for the cars across me to go straight she smashes into my car, dents it up and breaks my lights which still havent been cleared off the roads yet . From the jolt of the impact, my cup holder went flying out of the hinges along with a few other items on my dashboard. I didn’t know whether or not to follow her or just make the left because the streets were pretty congested and I didn’t wanna block traffic even more. I see her car and shes pretty far away and continues to drive off.. so I’m like thinking there’s no way I could catch her even if I wanted to. Then I turn left and go all the way down the next street so I could make a u-turn and drive home. I call up my mom and notice my car is making this really terrible sound and she hands the phone to Michael who was outside working on the landscape when he heard that loud boom. As I drove back to my house there were about 4 witnesses that got out of their cars to talk to my mom’s husband about what they saw. There were two ladies who happened to be walking around the neighborhood and be at the location of the accident, another lady who was either in front or behind me that also had a description of the driver and a man who was actually an off-duty cop. Lucky me, he used my phone to call this number and had the cops and firetrucks come by within minutes. They took my blood pressure and asked me if I wanted to have an ambulance come down and take me to the hospital but I said no. I didn’t experience anything fatal, just got whiplashed and my neck still hurts. Cops get there and took down all my information and write the report then searched around the neighborhood for the car with no success. The three ladies describe the girls as young blondes, probably high school kids; they were also acting a little wild in the car with arms flailing everywhere before they hit me. I just think they got really nervous and maybe fled the scene because they were so scared. But my car’s fucked now and insurance ain’t gunna do shit because we don’t got their license plate. Well, I guess it could have been way worse. I’m just thankful I’m alive and everyone’s okay. The witnesses were so nice and helpful, they all gave me their numbers incase I needed them for any kind of witnesses in the future and hugged me afterwards. Hopefully they find the drivers soon so I don’t gotta pay for these whack ass repairs.

Midnight Cuts – Drum & Bass Turntablism

tyrafromsaigon — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:10:37 +0000

Here’s some fresh D&B cuts I recorded earlier.. my fave genre to scratch over.. I haven’t been on top of my game but thought I’d post something new!

P+L

Tyra

Sending sympathy to Lam’s family

tyrafromsaigon — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 03:00:38 +0000

Friday night, I was out with Ro who had just spent last weekend with Lam and a few friends camping. I should have gone on that trip but opted out. We just finished eating and she got a text from a friend saying Lam’s mom was missing. I seriously thought they were just over reacting and that her mom would safely return home by the night. Ro gets paranoid about everything and I always tell her to snap out of it but this time she kept obsessing over it and couldn’t get it out of her mind. About an hour before Lam’s mom went missing, there was a dangerous man on the loose who had just shot a man at a gas station after robbing him and Ro kept worrying that Lam’s mom might have been one of his victims. The night Lam’s mom went missing also happened to be Lam’s birthday but she spent her special day posting status updates via Facebook informing everyone that her mom was no where to be found. How devastating.

I woke up to the saddening news that her mom was found murdered in a home downtown San Jose that was affiliated with the carjacker who kidnapped her at The Plant shopping mall close to the gym I used to work out at. I’ve only met Lam once and she seemed like such a good person. I was able to reach out to her and I was amazed at how strong she was in coping with the loss. It was also very disappointing how SJPD failed to capture the killer when they had their chance and to top off the night, they also Michelle Le’s body remains. San Jose is supposed to be the nation’s 3rd safest city and it’s homicide statistics have risen so high recently that we’re almost close to Oakland’s.

It is too unfair that people lose their loved ones in such brutal and horrifying ways like this. Sometimes bad things happen to good people, God sure does work in mysterious ways and I hope that her spirits are in good hands now. My mom was also a host of a television show, like Lam’s mother who hosted a local radio station in San Jose.. it could have been my mom or somebody else’s. I just couldn’t imagine anyone losing their own mother that way. My mother and her friends in the Vietnamese community will be meeting this week to discuss about ways to prevent these kinds of mishaps. My sympathy and compassion goes out to Lam and her family. No matter how much justice is served, they’ll never be able to bring her back, all the rest can do is give infinite love and compassion. May her family grow closer and stronger through this terrible tragedy.

Be careful everybody, and trust nobody out there.

Take care,

Tyra