01x05 - Elevate My Life

[bunniefuu]

We're gonna learn how to walk in flats
and how to walk in heels.

This is definitely the first time
anybody has come to my class

wearing work boots.

So, I want to bring out
that elegant side of her.

Good. Now we're gonna put you in heels.

Oh, it's been years
since I've walked in heels.

When we walk in heels,

it should be the heel and the ball
of the foot at the same time.

Shoulders back, my chest out.
'Cause this helps with your balance.

- Um, up... I'm already...
- It's okay.

Yes, smaller step.

Don't put one foot in front of the other.
This is not a catwalk.

Okay.

You're doing this Pink Panther thing.
You're going like this.

I don't know where that's coming from.

You can do it.
Slow and steady wins the race.

It seems more natural,
like I've always been made to do this.

- Exactly.
- Like I should wear heels.

Très élégant.

Can I keep these?

Can you please take
the trash out before you go?

Sure.

He's never that speedy with the trash.
It must be 'cause you guys are here.

My name is Christy Aldred.
I'm 50 years old. I'm from Hawaii.

My immediate family is myself,
my husband, Waine.

Honey, here's your glucosamine.

Yep. Thanks.

And our daughter, Sydney.

Wait. Only three.

Sydney's seven.
She's a spitfire, full of energy,

and a sassy attitude to match.

What chores do you do around the house?

Folding towels.

Folding towels. And is that hard?

Yes.

- Why is it hard?
- Because it's hard.

No. How about we get
some new chores going on?

Like, um, sweeping the kitchen floor?

I want to wash the dishes.

But if you wash the dishes,
you use an entire thing of soap,

and about 500 gallons of water.

How about you clean out
the bathtub after you take a bath?

No.

You can start doing chores
and maybe you could get a Slurpee.

I do all the shopping,
all the cooking, all the cleaning.

Waine just sheds everywhere.

Hair in this bathroom,
it's like I live with Chewbacca.

I must say I run this ship.

I'm making waffles.

And I pride myself on making sure
everybody's got everything they need.

♪ Waffles, waffles, waffles ♪

♪ Waffles, waffles, waffles ♪

It's my life. I'm okay with it.
I'm not complaining about it.

But it just gets
a little bit dreary after a while.

It's fair to say that I take care
of everybody else before myself.

- Sydney doesn't like it when we kiss.
- There's no kissing going on.

Mwah.

A bit yuck.

It's definitely a challenge
being an older parent,

trying to keep up with Sydney.

Sydney, come here!

I made bacon!

And yeah, my energy is seriously depleted.

- What do you say?
- Thanks.

I'm hoping that Sara Jane h*
will get me excited about life again

and help me get my mojo back.

I'm willing to let her take me
outside of my comfort zone

and try something completely new.

And if I improve myself,
I'll feel better about myself.

- Christy!
- Hello!

Aloha!

Welcome to my school. Aloha.

Thanks for having me.

Have a seat.

I like to have tea as a "get to know"
with my students.

Wow, it looks delightful.

We have a bit of chitchat.
I learn their story.

How often do you have afternoon tea?

Never. I kind of don't really get
to go out to eat very much.

This is all new to me.

Firstly, you would be using
a classic Earl Grey tea.

There's an act of kindness
in making a cup of tea for other people.

That's why I wanted
to serve Christy tea today.

It's a kind reminder that she's not alone,
that I'm here for her.

So, what brings you here today?

I need help to elevate my life.

I want to be a happy, successful mother,
wife, business owner.

Mother's a full-time job.

Wife is a full-time job.
Business owner's a full-time job.

It is.

So, what's your dream?

To sell earrings.

- Oh! These are earrings you made?
- Yes. This is just one pair.

- Mm! Very pretty.
- Thank you.

I think I'm a better mother
than I am a wife.

And I'm definitely a better wife
than I am a businesswoman.

But I'd like to elevate myself to a ten
in all three of those categories.

It sounds like you want
to have a life for yourself.

You've hit this age of 50 years old,
which is midlife,

and you try to find your own identity
beyond being a mother to Sydney

- and wife to your husband.
- Yeah. That's hit the nail on the head.

If I had my own business and my own money,

I think that'd be
a game-changer in my life.

It's very clear why Christy's come to me.

She lives for her husband
and for her daughter,

and she makes so many sacrifices
that she's forgotten herself.

I know you feel
like you're stuck in a rut,

but we'll help you get out of it.

I feel very confident
in Sara Jane h*'s hands.

I can tell just by looking at her
how put together she is,

and how much confidence she radiates.

Mm!

I couldn't be more stoked.

I'll just eat all this.

My job as an etiquette teacher

is to help my students
be the best version of themselves.

No one is saying you should have
the perfect etiquette.

It's just about seeing the world
through a different lens.

What I really want to see
is Christy at home.

Seeing her with her husband
and her daughter, how they interact,

how she puts them above herself.

That's what I want to see.

- Hey, Christy.
- Hi, Sara.

- Please come inside.
- Thank you.

This is charming.
It's so homey. I love all the wood.

Thank you. I like wood.

Is this your daughter, Sydney?

Yes, that's her school picture this year.

Come, let me show you my daughter's room.

Actually, she doesn't spend
very much time in here. Just to sleep.

Interesting fish tank.
How long has she had that for?

Um, for just about a year.

I guess about a month ago,

a couple of the fish died.

And Sydney buried them in the backyard.

Oh, no.

In this backyard?

Yeah, in the backyard.
She made a little tombstone on a rock.

Put some little sticks around
to make a fence.

The biggest feng shui mistake
is to bury pets in the backyards.

It makes the whole home
a graveyard, literally.

Oh, no.

Feng shui is about
the balance of yin and yang.

Yang is the sun, the bright, the hard.

Yang is also human energy,
and yin is spirit world, ghost energy.

So, once you bury the ashes
or body within your residence,

you're creating extra yin energy.

What does an excess of yin energy do?

It can cause sickness,
it can cause depression.

Can you dig them out
and flush them down the toilet?

Totally, she'd never know.

Yeah. We don't need to tell her.

Yeah, we won't tell her.

This is my workstation.

I thought
this was your dining table.

We don't really have a dining table.

I've got this little table here

that Sydney will eat at sometimes
or sitting at the counter in the kitchen.

And I sit on the floor and eat
like Japanese style, just like this.

See how close my face is
to the food, though? It's just so easy.

And Waine sits right here on the throne.

When you put yourself on the floor,

you're putting yourself literally

below everybody else in the family,
you're putting yourself last.

I never thought of it like that.

A dining table is a sign
of abundance in the family.

So, the three of you sitting
around a dining table is symbolic.

It's quality time
and it's a sign of prosperity.

I would recommend we move this out.

This becomes your dining table.

Sydney should not have her own table.

She should be sitting
with you, with parents,

and chatting around mealtimes.

Mealtimes are so important.

Okay, so over here's where
I've got some of my favorite creations.

- You want to sell jewelry?
- Yes.

Very pretty.
Where do you source your stuff?

A lot of my materials come
from second-hand shops.

Can I try these on?

Sure. I got those...
I found those on the beach.

Those are the perfect length
for your neck. Fabulous.

- Amazing.
- Ha-ha!

I'll post on Chinese social media for you.

Thank you so much.

I'm already... My business is booming.

How are you selling
your stuff right now?

I'm trying to sell them online
on marketplaces.

I just post a picture and then
I put $15 across the board,

and offer, um, free gift wrap as well.

I found Christy's
earring designs charming,

but her way of selling
was not that charming.

Okay, Christy.

This picture has, like, 30 earrings.

And this picture is really low resolution.

How do you manage to sell anything?

I don't sell anything.

You need to have one picture,
one pair of earrings,

against a clean white backdrop
where you can really see the detail.

Or maybe, you know, a picture
where somebody's wearing it.

That way, people can see the length,
how far down the neck it goes,

how does it hang.

You have to give people
a context for the earrings.

I think you need to think of a brand name.

- Do you have a brand name?
- I have a name in mind.

I really like "Adrift."

Because it's kind of like how I feel.

I'm currently adrift.

Ooh.

I think Adrift is a cool name.

So, if you really feel
it's representative of you,

go with that name.

Nothing has to be 100% perfect
before you launch.

Part of starting a company
and being an entrepreneur

is figuring it out as you go.

Now I've got some insight
on how to market and display my earrings.

I'm really excited about that.

And what are these photos?

These are photos of some
of my best friends and family.

Pictures that make me happy.

And there, Harbour Bridge with Waine.

I think we were dating in that picture.
That was a good time.

There's my parents.

My good friend Birgit.

Mark with the fish over there.

There's only one photo of you?
What about you and Sydney?

Um...

There's none of you and your daughter.

- Nope.
- What's that about?

I just end up deleting
most of the pictures of myself

that have been taken
in the last four, five years, I guess.

Because...

Because I look really crappy.

I look terrible.

I've got, like, a double chin,
and big pores.

And I guess, being next to Sydney,
she's so young and I just look like, ugh,

maybe I could be her grandmother
instead of her mother.

Sounds like you don't feel
beautiful anymore.

No. Beautiful is not a word
I would use to describe myself.

There's not enough pictures
of me and Sydney, I know.

And if I improve myself,
I'll feel better about myself

and take more selfies
with Sydney and not delete them.

Who's got the tissues?

In Asia, give and receive
business cards with two hands.

When you give a business card,

make sure the text is facing
the receiver so they can read it.

To help Christy
feel more beautiful,

first, I want to get her energy up.

She needs some motivation.

Christy, this next class
is our tai chi class,

and it's to replenish the chi
in your body, your life force.

This is Master He.

Master He. Hello.

- Nice to meet you.
- Pleased to meet you.

Christy has low energy,
she often gets very tired,

so please give her some tips.

Sure.

I've always been interested in tai chi.

As if you are pushing a wheel.

I've seen it plenty of times n the park.

Usually, it's older people,
but they're in such unison.

This is a dance move.
I think it's called "the bird."

It's all about slow, controlled movements.

I'm hoping that tai chi
will help me with my breathing

and give me more energy.

Inhale.

Exhale.

This guides your energy
and blood circulation.

Tai chi is originally
a martial arts practice,

but it can also be seen as
meditation or spiritual practice,

no matter what religion you subscribe to.

Lift.

Spread out your hands.

Christy suffers
from chi deficiencies.

It's usually caused by overexertion
or poor dietary habits

or emotional imbalances, which
Christy has a little bit of everything.

Slow movements.

So, she needs to increase the chi,

and that's exactly what tai chi
is gonna do for her.

That got my blood pumping.

- Right?
- Yeah.

It seems very slow,
but you use a lot of energy.

- That's right.
- I'm feeling pumped.

I feel better about myself
that I'm taking steps to focus on me.

Exhale.

I'm really down with learning these moves.

Getting my serotonin levels back up

and having more energy
and more zest for life.

Thanks, Master He.

Thank you, Master He.

Thank you, Christy.

This lesson's an introduction
to French cuisine.

Let's start with this dish.

Okay, who likes oysters? Raise your hands.

- You've raised both hands.
- Duh-duh-duh.

No matter in the East or West
or what your culture is,

etiquette is the glue
that holds society together.

I love holding class for my Chinese ladies
because they're curious about the world.

When we order oysters,
it's not just for yourself.

It's placed in the center for sharing.

Now, use your hands and pick up
the oyster closest to you.

Yes.

If there are moving things
swimming in the liquid,

that means it's very fresh.

Huh? Oh.

You should eat it.

Huh?

If nothing is moving inside,
that means it's not fresh.

Don't eat it.

Okay?

Are you joking?

No. It's fine.

When you go for a swim in the sea,

one gulp of seawater
and you will consume lots of these things.

Let's dig in.

Mm-hmm.

Say we find a piece of shell
in our mouth, what should we do?

Petrell, how would you remove the shell?

Did you remove it?

- Do I have to?
- Of course. Will you swallow it?

- I've done it.
- Okay, was that elegant?

Not elegant.

Etiquette is more
than just about using the correct fork.

It's really about making other people
feel comfortable around you,

putting other people around you at ease.

Let me show you
how to do it like an expert.

First, your hand should be like this.

Then cover your mouth
and remove the piece of shell.

Not like this.

Ah! Hmm.

Hmm!

No. Okay?

When you first meet someone,
make eye contact, smile, and shake hands.

How do you shake hands? Let me show you.

Web of hand to web of hand,

and pump about twice
with a firm grip around.

All right, Christy. Come on in.

This is our beauty and grooming lesson.

- All right.
- The point of this lesson is to make you

a more beautiful
and confident version of yourself.

Let's take a long,
hard look in the mirror.

I see just sun damage galore,
wrinkles, acne.

We moved to Hawaii when I was growing up.

First thing I notice
when I look in the mirror

are these wrinkles on my forehead.

And now it's like there are
fighting crevices on my forehead

from years of squinting at the sun.

It kind of feels like my face
is sliding off down my neck,

is what it feels like.

- That cannot be a good feeling.
- No.

Sun damage is very hard to reverse.

Skin is the biggest organ in your body,
and you have to take care of it.

So, let's look at what you currently use
in terms of your skincare.

Sure. That won't take very long.
There's not much to share.

- Is this a sandwich bag?
- Yeah.

This is what I use to wash my face with.

- This is the night cream I put on.
- Mm-hmm.

And here's a zit medicine.

That's it.

- That's it?
- That's it.

I am shocked at how basic
Christy's skin routine is.

This shows how little time
she spends on herself.

Where is your daytime moisturizer?

I don't use a daytime moisturizer.

- You don't use a daytime mois...?
- No.

That's the most important thing
a woman can have.

Moisturize day and night.

The two most giveaway factors
for your age are your neck and your hands.

Show me your hands.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

A little leathery, sunspots.

So, definitely, you want
a good hand cream.

If I were you,
I'd get a neck cream as well.

Noted. I'm doing it.

Sara exudes confidence.

I was worried she might be a little judgy
and make me feel uncomfortable.

But not at all. She just laughs
and puts me right at ease.

We need you to look less
like Sydney's grandmother

and more like a yummy mommy.

- Yummy mommy. I like that.
- A yummy mommy.

Okay.

Can you guess where I'm taking you next?

I'm hoping it has something
to do with my skin.

Well, it's definitely about self-care.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Welcome. If you'd like
to follow me to the VIP suite.

The VIP suite?

- You're a VIP.
- All right.

Christy used to never put on SPF.

Her skin is in terrible shape.

So, the point of taking Christy
to a facial today

is to let her learn
the importance of self-care.

Let's start a journey where
we can repair some of this sun damage

and remove some of these signs of aging.

- Awesome.
- Does that sound good?

- Yeah, thank you.
- Wonderful. Shall we start?

- Yeah, I'm ready.
- Okay.

Besides getting a mask
at the department store

and putting it on my face,
I've never had a facial before.

I've never just relaxed and laid down

and let somebody else
take the wheel of my face.

I felt very pampered.

It's important to wear a 50-plus
broad spectrum sunscreen every day.

Studies even say we should be wearing
sunscreen over nighttime

to protect our skin
from the blue light from our phones.

No kidding.

I'll do a little peel on you today.

It's gonna be more about
giving you a nice exfoliation.

It's gonna be really hydrating,
really brightening.

It may feel a little tingly.
That's normal.

Wow.

That totally feels different.
I feel like I look better already.

It looks great.

It feels great.

I felt like the old
was being stripped off.

That was so wonderful.

It was almost orgasmic.

There's a saying in Chinese.

Laughter makes you look ten years younger.

That means,
"Laugh a little, smile a little,

and you look ten years younger."

That's what Christy looked like
after her skincare day.

I just wanna stay here. Is that okay?

Today's lesson is about dress codes.

What are some of the dress codes
that you've heard of?

Smart dress?

Okay, you mean smart casual,
which is "fashionably casual."

- Casual?
- Okay, casual.

What else?

Pajamas.

Formal.

Formal, very good.

Have you heard of white tie?

Oh, yeah.

Have you heard of black tie?

Isn't that for men?

The difference
is the color of the bow tie.

White and black ties
isn't just a color code for men.

Everyone must follow
the specific dress code.

White tie is the most formal.

Ladies can wear any color,
but the dress must have a train.

Oh, it needs to be long.

What about traditional dress,
for example, in China?

Like changshan for men
and qipao for women?

Good question, Petrell.

As Chinese people,
we can wear our traditional dress.

The First Lady of China wore
an elegant qipao

when she met Queen Elizabeth.

It's so pretty, but I'll have
to grow taller to wear that.

Okay.

- Can you wear this to a black tie?
- You can.

- Can you wear this to a white tie?
- Yes.

If she is that tall, then no,
because it wouldn't drag on the floor.

This is still acceptable,

but it's best if you can cover
both front and back.

Ta-da!

What dress code is this?

Christmas.

This can be counted
as smart casual.

You can wear this to a c*ck event
because it has a collar.

Chinese New Year. It's red, right?

It has elasticity.

It gives you the shape of a waist
and it is very comfortable.

You can eat more because it is elastic.

So now we are ready
for our dressing and styling lesson.

My wardrobe, there's no style.

It's very drab.

Yeah, I would like to update my style
to come across as a professional.

Some quality clothing would be nice.

Come right by the mirror.

How do you feel about your body?

Right now, I feel like
I look like a lumberjack.

Very top-heavy.

Not very feminine.

I noticed you like
to wear head-to-toe black.

I've always just gravitated
towards black, gray.

Maybe just because it's not complicated.

I don't have to worry about it
going with anything else.

She needs a bit of color in her life.

Something that will attract good energy,
good vibes, and life and joy.

There are a couple looks
I think you can wear day-to-day.

We have this dress.

And with this belt, it clips you in
and gives you the illusion of a waist.

- See?
- Yeah. I like this belt.

Belts are key.

- I have so many belts.
- Yeah?

They're a critical accessory.

And I think, for you,
have a number of wide belts.

Right now, I have zero belts.

Not even one.

- Okay, so first on your shopping list.
- Yes.

Nobody has the perfect body,
just like nobody has the perfect face.

But through dressing,
you can play with illusions and ratios

using accessories,
color or different fits,

which will make you feel more confident.

- I like this.
- Oh, good. Okay.

Sara has motivated me
to put on some better clothes

and make myself look better.

Now I feel like I can be classy.
I can elevate myself

and morph into something
with more confidence.

Sara gave me this address.

And judging by where I am,
I think I'm about to get my hair cut.

I'm pretty confident
that if I had nice hair,

I would have more confidence.

Oh, your fingers are like magic.

I've been sporting this haircut
that my daughter gave me

for about four months now.

So I'm really excited
to get it fixed from a professional.

Put some softening layers around
your face to give it a bit of oomph.

- How does that feel?
- It feels great.

I can't believe you did that
with ten hairbrushes.

This haircut is just one
of many steps I'm gonna take

to help me with my confidence.

I'm very happy with this cut.

Oh my goodness, your hair!

What I love about Christy is that
you could really see her change.

You could see her stand with confidence
and carry herself with elegance.

She really learned pretty quickly.

We're just missing one thing now,
which is a final outfit.

And I was thinking of this.

It is a jumpsuit.

Have you worn anything like this?

No, I haven't.

You can't be
head-to-toe black all the time.

You need to, along with
your beautiful new hair

and beautiful new skin and makeup,

try on something with a tad bit of pink.

Wow! Look in the mirror.

And? How do you feel?

I feel excited.

Like I'm going to prom.

You go, girl.

Woo-hoo!

I kinda felt like somebody else
when I put on that outfit.

I looked taller and slimmer.

It's nice to know that
I can pull that kind of clothes off.

You look beautiful.

Thanks, Sara. I feel beautiful.

When you're confident,
you look better in your clothes.

It actually makes a world of difference,
and she did look beautiful.

What do you think Sydney would say
if she saw you now?

She probably would say like,
"Woo, you look fancy."

- And look who we have!
- Hi, Sydney!

- Hi.
- Hi!

Aww.

This journey that I've been on
has been pretty enlightening.

This is Sara Jane h*.
She's remade your mama.

This is the first time
I saw my mom wear a dress.

Do you think I look good?

I feel like a new,
improved version of myself.

She looks kind of fancy.

I can be classy.
I can be feminine.

I've got hope and I'm happy.

Aww. That's adorable.

It's been quite a time with you
and I wanted to give you this.

How the heck did you do that?

Look at her face!

Classic.

Seeing this picture displayed
makes me happy.

I think it will make Sydney proud.

Thank you so much.

I feel so proud to call you my student.

Seeing the change in Christy
makes my work more meaningful.

What she's really learned
and what I hope she continues doing

is little acts of self-care
that will help her self-esteem,

increase her self-worth,

and let her be kinder
and more sympathetic to herself.

But actually, the biggest lesson
I could give Christy

is that age is just a number.

How you look and feel
is what really matters.

Okay, I'll get it like...

All right, relax.

Here you go, honey.

I need to sit at this seat
on the table because

it's the taking-care-of-everybody seat.

We're used to sitting in our own areas.

Having a table makes us come together.
I think it's better for the family.

I didn't realize that
meeting Sara was gonna have

more than just an impact on me,
but my whole family.

This is my kind of workout.

You really end up using
every single muscle.

Yesterday when I was doing it,

Waine joined in and he really enjoyed it.

I've taken all of the tips
Sara Jane gave me to heart.

This is my new routine.

I've noticed a difference in my skin
just by the way it feels.

I think I have a glow now
that I didn't have before.

- How are you?
- Good, thank you.

Sara gave me awesome tips
on how to showcase my jewelry.

I made this display here
with a white background,

so that the colors really pop.

These are very classy.

Ten dollars a pair, or two for 15.

I look better and feel better.

That makes me happier.

I'm engaging the customers.

- I love the bag so much.
- Thank you.

I have my website ready to go.

It feels like
it's the beginning of my empire.