Last time I was in Philly was last May after my brother’s MBA graduation. I visited a few times the last two years when my brother was there- and time and time again- it never cease to surprise me. I love being able to walk around so easily (the grid style of the city makes it much easier than trying to find locations here in Boston). The weather is a little warmer- certainly less windy than Boston and it’s got some really delicious hidden gems for food.
This past weekend, my brother and I went back to Philly to attend Wharton’s Follies this year “The Book of Wharton”. Having seen it twice with Kevin in the cast, it was a little strange sitting next to me watching it this year. It was really heart warming to see all the alumni of the production come back to Philly just for this show, it really shows how close they’ve become as a family. Their support for each other is admirable, and their energy for the show and to be reunited in nothing short of extraordinary.
Philadelphia City Hall
The atrium in Le Meridien Philadelphia (A fantastic hotel!)
Dinner at Alyan’s restaurant (Lamb and Turkey Shawarma with hummus and salad)
After party at Pulse night club post-follies
Only appropriate to end the post with a beautiful skyline of Philadelphia taken from my friend’s rooftop. The great thing about having a house there is that pretty much no matter what part of the city you live in, you can probably see the skyline from your rooftop- as you can tell from this photo, most of the houses are all around the same height!
I’m not sure when I’ll be back next, but that certainly won’t be my last!
Just a quick warning, what I’m about to write about is not applicable to every individual in the world. It’s merely a few thought-provoking words for you to ponder about. Perhaps it’ll act as a conversation starter, and perhaps comfort you because it’s what you’ve been thinking about.
Fear and Love are two emotions that can make or break any of us if we let it. Because love has the ability to cause us to do extreme acts, it’s bought upon fear of love.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but a lot of people fear kindness, they fear being loved. Although we all want to be loved, when we receive more than we expect or think we deserve, we subconsciously question why we’re being treated the way we are. That’s when the fear comes in, and we back away. Matt Chandler, I believe, says is perfect:
Love is sacrificial. Being sacrificial is not easy, we’re selfish human beings and when it comes to sacrificing parts of our lives for other people, we tend to weigh the pros and cons- and in the end, do the thing that hurts us the least.
What does that say about our culture and community? Have we adapted to the societal norms of broken dreams, disengaged hearts and lack of trust in humanity to show love to one another?
We watch videos upon videos on upworthy & various websites to praise those who perform an act of kindness to one another. I think this encouragement and praise is great, but perhaps some of these acts should be a part of our normal daily lives. Some of these are simple acts of helping one another, showing kindness and love.
For Valentines day this year, my friend and I stood on the streets for 2 hours giving our FREE HUGS. It was one of the most incredible moments of this year so far. Two hours of bliss happiness. The majority of the people we came across were extremely thankful, responsive and happy but there were few that didn’t care as much. Nonetheless, many of them asked us why we were giving out free hugs. Some asked as if they were waiting for us to tell them what we were expecting back from them.
There was no reason, we just wanted to do something nice- especially on valentines day where loneliness is felt the strongest. We should encourage each other to act sacrificially, act in kindness and love without expectations.
For the first time in my time, I was able to spend Chinese New Year with my extended family in Canada this year. After 4 years of college here in Boston without a CNY holiday, what a blessing to be able to take that week off without any stress and be able to fully engage in the celebration.
To make this post short and sweet, here are 10 reasons why it was one of the most special weeks of the year so far.
1. The never-ending food and meals
Sometimes my vacation in Toronto feels like the following, breakfast, food coma, lunch, food coma, dinner, food coma, sleep- and waking up the next day and doing it all over again. I’m most definitely not complaining, it’s pretty impressive to be honest. I surprise myself every time with how much I can eat. I really do believe my stomach expanded after just a day or two.
2. Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls
Believe it or not, that was the hotel room view I was able to enjoy multiple times. Seeing the falls for the first time during the winter season is magical- as you can see- much of the water is still frozen. I watched a magic show, attended the Chinese New Year celebration from the hotel, saw a famous Hong Kong singer/TV star perform, and played really fun slot machines, and even worked out. There’s a lot you can accomplish in a 24 hour getaway.
3. Lion dances
I’ve definitely watched more lion dances the past week than my whole life combined and it’s beautiful. If you let your imagination flow, these lions can become so real it’ll blow your mind. They’re uniquely adorable. Props to the dancers, it’s not an easy job- especially if you’re the back and butt of the lion- bent over the whole time.
4. Hot Tub
We’re sat in a hot tub with a beer in the backyard, surrounded by snow. Enough said.
5. Red, red, red. Red everywhere
Red is one of my favorite colors, and there’s just SO much red every single day during this holiday. Red reminds me of love. Love, Love, Love, Love everywhere.
6. Personal photobooth – LOL Photobooth
My funny, loving, talented, and beautiful cousins just started their own photobooth business. They will work for any occasion, templates are customizable, and they’ve got enough props to start their own halloween store too. If you live in Toronto and want to throw an awesome party, don’t forget to hit up LOL PhotoBooth.
7. My boyfriend
After being forced to eat Chinese food meal after meal, and trying all kinds of food including but not limited to chicken feet, goose feet, duck feet, and pigs’ hand- the least I can do is put him on my top 10 list of why I enjoyed my vacation in Toronto. No but seriously, he’s a trooper and I can’t be more happy to have shared the celebration with him. Plus, he looks real good in red.
8. Red pockets
Aside from the symbolization of good luck, getting red pockets, to me, is an act of love from the giver. I got a lot this year, that means I must be really loved. Either that, or they know I need a lot of luck this year.
9. People, people and people
What’s a celebration when you don’t have people to share it with? Both my parents have six siblings, and majority of them have families. So if you can imagine, we’ve got a lot of people. If you can’t, just look at the photos again. We’re like a herd of sheep, we stick together, through sticks and stones.
10. Did I mention FOOD?
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I’m drooling just thinking about it. When it comes to food, pictures are worth more than a thousand words.
Year of the Horse is off to a good start, let’s keep it up eh?
[Charlie Todd: The Shared Experience of Absurdity]
This is by far one of the best things I’ve seen all day. The annual No-Pants on the subway day just passed recently and I’ve always wondered who and why it started. My favorite from this TED talk is the one where he had people stand by the windows in the mall by Union Square dancing, holding up signs, and doing jump and jacks. Especially the part where they held up signs that said “LOOK UP MORE.”
If I had been there, I’d have been mind blown, deliriously happy and confused at the same time but I can imagine exchanging looks between other strangers with the same curiosity and happiness.
We are not meant to go through life alone, we need friends, we need to feel that connection and we crave the love and compassion from one another. How do we build that connection? When we meet someone new, we tend to look for similarities in personality, hobbies, and dreams. That in itself is finding that shared experience.
It’s easy to have shared experiences with friends, each time you go out to a new restaurant or simply have a cup of coffee- you’re building the friendship a step at a time. But it’s not quite as easy with strangers. Within our busy schedules and our individualistic culture, we don’t have “time” for new people. We subconsciously go through each day filling up our time with everything we need to get done without stopping for observation.
Improve Everywhere has bought happiness to everyone who has witnessed these fun acts, not just being happy about your own life, but noticing the smiles and joy on strangers as well. They also serve as a reminder for us to take the time to stop and notice our surroundings.
When we take public transportations now-a-days, our eyes are glued to our smart phones and tablets. How can we possibly have any type of impromptu shared experience with others when we’re only focused on our own lives inside the technological world.
Next time you’re out taking public transportation, or simply walking down the street, try and make eye contact with someone. Break out a smile or let your eyes speak for itself. You’d be surprised how far non-verbal communication can go. You may be making someone’s day by smiling and acknowledging their presence.
New Years Resolutions, every 12 months we give ourselves goals to achieve but how often do we forget about them after the first two weeks? These resolutions for many of us include exercising regularly, going on a smoking, internet or phone hiatus to “find” ourselves. It’d be very interesting to read studies in regards to how many smokers try to quit smoking as a new year resolution and how many actually succeed. I’d like to think more succeed than fail, but part of me is doubtful.
Change is a funny thing. We, as humans, demand change from others but when we are affected personally, we get frustrated and subconsciously deny the need to change. I am most definitely guilty of it. I know I’ve talked about post graduate life the last few months over and over again- I apologize if it’s getting old- but while I’m still in the process of it- I’ll keep writing about it.
These few months as I ponder and consult others about plans for the future, I’ve been asked to change my mind set, I’ve been asked to have a plan, a career goal, I’ve been asked to face the very thing I’ve try so hard to avoid and it’s not easy. I get frustrated time and time again with whoever I’m talking to but in the end, I know they only mean well and want the best for me. I am so thankful for all my family and friends who stick with me through my anger and frustration.
I watched Her yesterday and really enjoyed it. Such a simple and relevant story line, director Spike Jonze does a phenomenal job in depicting society today. With the amount of technology we are surrounded by, we sometimes find it easier to face a computer we can control than to face those real emotions that scare us.
This particular quote stuck out to me, and reminded myself of my inability to change:
“The past is just a story we tell ourselves.” – Samantha (Her)
It’s about realizing that the past is something we should never forget, but in some ways, we should also allow ourselves to change. The way I’ve been looking at post-grad, avoiding the important questions of what’s next, is something I’ve held on to- making me frustrated when others try to teach me a different outlook of it all.
From today onwards, I’m going to let that be a story of the past, I’m going to start planning, living and facing those fears head on despite the anxiety and uncertainty it brings me. I’m going to start creating a new story, and dreaming of a story of the future I can tell others.
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Joanne Lam 