Asian student groups from Temple, Villanova, Drexel, and Bryn Mawr (the Bryn Mawr Korean Students Association) host a couple parties every school year in Philadelphia. The last time I attended one of their events was my first year at Bryn Mawr. I decided to give these intercollegiate Asian parties another chance last Friday night. 
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Tag Archives: Philadelphia
Girls Night Out in Chinatown
My friends and I spent a much deserved Saturday night out in Philadelphia’s Chinatown for dinner and desserts tonight. We hit up Sakura Mandarin for dinner and Dumpling II for dessert. It was a nice break from dining hall food and a time for us to distract ourselves from school and boy problems, among other things.
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.
LILAC Alumna in Residence: Marissa Patterson, Family Nurse Practitioner
On Friday December 2, LILAC invited Marissa Patterson (’08 Biology & Anthropology Major) back to campus to talk about her path after Bryn Mawr and her job as an FNP at Family Practice and Counseling Network. I attended both the Wyndham lunch and a one-on-one informational interview with Marissa. This opportunity to learn more about the nursing career from an alum’s experience was special to me because I hope to pursue nursing after Bryn Mawr. Marissa had also commented on one of my Banter Blog posts, and I referred her to LILAC head Katie Krimmel to arrange for Marissa to be invited to campus. 
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GOTV Door Knocking with VietLead
With this weekend being the final push before election day on Tuesday November 8, VietLead dispatched a team of volunteers to door knock in Southwest Philadelphia encouraging residents to get out to vote. I joined the team as an independent volunteer, as did two other people, but there were also four first year Swarthmore Asian Organization students, two representatives from the Asian Pacific American Labor Association in D.C., and four VietLead members, including the president of VietLead Nancy Nguyen.
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Phone Banking & Debate Watch Party ft. Constance Wu
On Wednesday October 19, I participated in my first phone banking on behalf of the Democratic National Party. The event was hosted by Pennsylvania AAPI for Hillary (AAPI = Asian American Pacific Islander), and the goal of the night was to get registered Democrats in Philadelphia to volunteer for the campaign. Volunteer efforts include door knocking and phone banking to encourage people to vote. ABC Series Fresh Off the Boat star Constance Wu was also present to cheer us on and to talk about her support for Hillary. The phone banking event was followed by a debate watch party, also with Constance, at the Field House.
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The Ultimate Fall Break Recap
Since starting my break with the Japanese Breakfast concert, I’ve been on blog hiatus enjoying time with friends and family in Philly, Ridgewood, NYC, and Toronto. Looking back at what I’ve done and where I’ve been, it seems like I gravitate toward visiting a lot of arts, culture, and food-centered places. Here are some highlights from my fall break:
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