What if we walked around and we had theme songs? Well if we did, HouaChee Yang's would have been the Chris De Burgh song "Lady in Red". When we caught up with HouaChee she was looking absolutely stunning in her red dress---couldn't keep my eyes off her.

As we proceeded with the shoot that day, she wasn't only a looker, but she was lots of fun to be around as she playfully posed as we took numerous pictures of her. Her personality really shined through as she tried to reenact the famous Marilyn Monroe pose from years ago (though the wind tried to do it on its own) or trying to figure out the correct pose against the bars of the gate, without looking like she was trying to escape prison. Between her and Kha, they kept the mood really light that day.

Whether the camera was pointed in her direction or we were walking to our next destination, she always had a smile on her face. If anyone has been involved in a shoot before, it's not always that easy to maintain a smile throughout the day.

HouaChee recently graduated from St. Olaf College in 2008. She's got brains to go along with that beauty. She gained a degree in Asian Studies and Biology and is planning to attend the University of Nevada in 2009 in attempts to finally become a pharmacist.

Not only does she want to be a pharmacist, but plans on to someday open a Hmong Community Center where Hmong youth come off the streets and participate in activities that will keep them away from getting in trouble. She told me "As a youth, I really didn't have a place like that to go to, so I'd like to make it available to the future Hmong youth."

HouaChee has got big ideas and even bigger dreams. She's a great girl and I look forward to seeing where this shooting star lands.

Hmoodle:   Okay Houachee, you just finished your first photo shoot. You mentioned that you are tired. Was this more work then you anticipated?

Houachee:   Yes, there was a lot more work than I thought there would be. I love taking pictures and I never got tired of taking pictures; it must have been the heat to make me exhausted.

Hmoodle:   What did you expect coming into the shoot?

Houachee:   I didn't know what to expect because this was my first photo shoot. I suppose I thoght it would have been like me taking pictures of others or family members taking pictures of me – you find a spot, say cheese, click, and we're done.

Hmoodle:   What was the most difficult thing to do?

Houachee:   Doing a real smile to look nice after two hours of continuous shooting.

Hmoodle:   What did you enjoy the most?

Houachee:   Everything, minus the tiredness. This was a great experience because I had to get up like two hours earlier to have my make up artist, Ceng Yang, pampered me, met two strangers (sorry) and started smiling for the camera, posed like there was no tomorrow, and changed into four outfits.

Hmoodle:   So, would you do it again?

Houachee:   Yes, I would do it again. Next time, I'll just have to remind myself to get some "beauty" sleep.

Hmoodle:   Lets shift the subject. You're a recent graduate of St. Olaf College and you gained degrees in Asian Studies and Biology. Did you know these are what you wanted to gain degrees in when first starting college?

Houachee:   I started college with a Nursing major in mind. But changed my mind after one year to be a Biology because I wanted to be a pharmacist. However, I'm considering Nursing maybe some time in the future after my pharmacy degree. As for the Asian Studies major, it was more of a hobby decision. I visited Asia during the first semester of my senior year, which fulfilled like three-quarter of the major. But Asian Studies helped me understand Asians, and I know it will help me in the future with my goals and dreams.

Hmoodle:   You mentioned to me that you are taking the time off until Fall of 2009 to attend college to become a pharmacist. What school do you plan on attending and why?

Houachee:   I'm not quite sure. Right now I'm looking at schools outside of Minnesota. Maybe Nevada, Michigan, or Florida; somewhere away from home for awhile.

Hmoodle:   Why is that you want to be a Pharmacist?

Houachee:   I never thought I would want to be a pharmacist, but after working as a pharmacy technician for almost four years I've realized how important a pharmacist is to the world. Not only does a pharmacist dispense the medicines to his/her patients, but consult them how to take the medicines and answer any other questions the patient may have. Also, there are more than one field you can enter ino after obtaining the degree. You can enter the field of researching for new medicines, be a pharmacist, be a supervisor to a retail headquarters, etc. But personally, I want to be a pharmacist because I love to see smiles on everyone's faces. Eventually, I would like to start a program to educate the Hmong elders about the importance of medicines and how to take the medicines.

Hmoodle:   Lets talk about the Asian Studies degree. What made you want to pursue that and what you like to do with it?

Houachee:   I've always wanted to work with my Hmong community for the longest time ever. I never thought about obtaining a major in Asian Studies but somehow everything just fell into place while I was in college. Traveling Asia also helped me appreciate the Asian Studies major. Asian Studies always seemed like a leeway to a major at St. Olaf, but I've realized that you can do so much more from an Asian Studies major. You can travel the world and start anything that you have envisioned. Or you can pursue any ethnical studies in the U.S. However, I would like to build or help establish a Hmong community center in the near future. From my Asian Studies major, I have learn that there are so much cultural differences in the world and it is impossible to just stick with one ideal culture. Therefore, I hope to define the Hmong culture to the residents of Minnesota, and hopefully many other states.

Hmoodle:   We talked earlier and you talked about wanting to build a Hmong community center. Tell us more about that.

Houachee:   I would like to establish a Hmong community center where the youth and adolescents can educationally hang out. I would like to offer Hmong classes in history, language, culture, and anything else to whoever that wants to learn. I feel that Minnesota one of the top three states to have the biggest Hmong population so I've though expanding or just educating others about the Hmong would be beneficial. Also, I feel that the Hmong culture is slowly fading away and that is something I do not want to see. Also, I would like to offer American cultural classes to the elder ones since it is a difficult process to understand the young ones when they're slowly Americanizing.

Hmoodle:   So, now you've got a year off, what do you plan doing with it?

Houachee:   My main focus is to get a job and start the pharmacy school entrance process.

Hmoodle:   Thanks Houachee for being our "Girl Next Door". Is there anything you'd like to say to our readers?

Houachee:   Strive for your dreams and remember who you are and where you came from. Also, I would like to thank Hmoodle for allowing the girls to experience the other side to life. Thank you.

HouaChee's Hair and Makeup were provided by Ceng Yang.

Ceng Yang is Katie B Cosmetics Sales Representative as well as makeup artist. If you need to order makeup supplies, or in need of a makeup artist you can reach her through the following channels:

Email: kha_x2002@yahoo.com
Cell: 651-786-9472
Katie B Cosmetics: www.katiebcosmetics.com

Thanks Ceng for your services!!!

If you would like to be a Hmoodle "Girl Next Door" then submit some pictures and a short bio to ryanm@hmoodle.com

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