My family on my mom’s side makes an effort to get together every year for Chinese New Year. This year was no exception. As the cousins in my generation aged into college, it was harder to get everyone together. But this year, I made the journey into NYC for the special family reunion. Even my cousins from Penn State who live in Harrisburg made the long drive to New York. My family is Cantonese Chinese American, but the traditional food is still an essential part to our family gatherings.
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Category Archives: Adventures Outside the Tri-Co
Weekend in NYC, Part 1: My 22nd Birthday
The main reason for going to New York City this past weekend was for my extended maternal family’s Chinese New Year get together (which I blogged about here). Coincidentally, Saturday February 4th was also my birthday. As I age deeper into my 20s (well, I’m still pretty young), I realize the realities of adulthood and postgraduate life are looming closer than ever. But, there’s always a way to find time to celebrate and live in the moment.
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Exploring the Reading Viaduct
One of the things I’ve wanted to do before I graduate was to explore the Reading Viaduct, an abandoned elevated railroad site near the Callowhill and Chinatown North neighborhoods in Philadelphia. I crossed this off my bucket list on Saturday January 28 when two of my friends and I climbed under a fence onto the railroad to take some promotional photos for my fellow senior friend Joy Chan’s dance thesis piece. 
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Ringing in Lunar New Year in Chinatown
Saturday January 28 also happened to be the Lunar New Year. Of course, this is a big deal to me because I am Chinese American. Right after Wintry Mix ended, I bolted back to my room to change and literally ran to the R100 train station with two Mawrter friends. Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation was hosting a lion dance parade around Chinatown. Chinese tradition calls for firecrackers to scare away bad spirits and lion dances in front of business store fronts to welcome good fortune. The streets were quite crowded, but my friends and I were down for some late night adventures. 
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Getting to know SEAMAAC
The Philadelphia Asian American community is quite tight knit and welcoming. Knowing one person or attending an event often leads to acquaintances and friendships with others who care about the same things you believe in. You soon find that you run into the same people at town halls or community events. That is how I got to know Andy Toy, who is the Development and Communications Director at SEAMAAC (Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition). I first ran into him at an Asian Masculinity discussion at Asian Arts Initiative two summers ago, then ran into him again at an Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) get together. Coincidentally, he also happens to be my cousin’s uncle! Inspired by his deep involvement in Philly and with Asian Americans, I contacted him to set up an informational interview on his career path and his work at SEAMAAC.
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The Start of Spring Semester 2017
I survived my last first day of classes at Bryn Mawr College! Work is already piling up, but I am looking forward to many academic and personal pursuits I have lined up for Spring 2017. This quick blog post is an abridged run-down of my winter break, my first day of classes, and some things I plan on keeping busy with this semester.
SLAC Recruitment Day, Part 2: NYC
SLAC Interviews continued on Monday, January 9th in New York City at Baruch College’s Conference Center. I had two interviews scheduled and planned on picking up more interviews, but the other employers did not interest me or I was not selected as an alternate. Attending an event like this the second time around with my D.C. experience still fresh in my head made me less nervous and ready to put myself out there.
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SLAC Recruitment Day, Part 1: D.C.
With a little luck submitting job applications and generous funding from LILAC/CPD, I had the opportunity to go to Washington D.C. for job interviews at the Selective Liberal Arts Consortium (SLAC) Job Recruitment Day on Friday, January 6th. These were my first in-person formal job interviews, and I enjoyed the excitement of making good first impressions, envisioning my post-grad life, and exploring a small section of my nation’s capital.
A Taste of the Yuppie Life
I have recently been spending a lot of time with a group of young Asian American professionals. The friendship originally grew out of volunteer efforts in the Philadelphia community to get more Asian Americans out to vote. Since then, the group has transformed into a social group planning get togethers at events around Philly or at people’s homes. I enjoy these retreats away from Bryn Mawr and the perspectives of those who are at all different stages of their careers and life.
image source: oliverfluck.com
Finals Week Fall 2016
Writing in retrospective always puts things in a more positive light, but I’d like to believe that I could not have asked for a more perfect end to my fall semester of senior year. With finals done and winter break in full swing, I am taking the time to reflect on the academic and social journey that Finals Week: Fall 2016 edition has taken me on so far.
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