At the beginning of January, I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon featuring Marc Happel, the Costume Director for the New York City Ballet at the New York Junior League.
Marc discussed his process of creating costumes for new ballets and his visually stunning book NEW YORK CITY BALLET: CHOREOGRAPHY & COUTURE.
I had an amazing time, enjoying lunch by Liz King of Kings Carriage House, and meeting new friends at the League.
Here are pictures from the event.
This past Sunday, I got a guided look at the Old Masters and 19th Century European paintings and works of art at Sotheby’s with the New York Junior League’s WOC Affinity Group.
I’ve never been to Sotheby’s before. It has a museum-like feel but with the bonus of being able to touch the art.
Our Sotheby’s specialists went over some beautiful pieces. What I loved the most was that they spoke about the art itself, the framing and significance of the touch-ups, and the caring of the artwork. One of the highlights of the experience was looking at some artwork under black light to make comparisons.
Overall, it was an amazing experience. I look forward to visiting again and checking out a collection before it is auctioned off or experiencing a live auction.
Here are some photos of the day.
I got to play tourist again but in a different capacity.
I volunteer with the New York Junior League, an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.
I’ve been a volunteer for nine years and have had many roles.
This year, I’ve had the pleasure of being part of the Personal Advancement and Leadership Committee (PAL), which focuses on mentoring young women (ages 14-18) on continuing education opportunities, broad career aspirations, and life skills.
One of the workshops was a tour of Radio City Music Hall. We were able to tour the whole venue and got to meet a Radio City Rockette. It was an excellent opportunity for the young women to see the space and hear from various employees on how they got their jobs and what their roles and responsibilities are.
It was an inspiring and fun workshop. Here are some pictures of the tour.
What did you do for Mardi Gras?
As I mentioned in my last post, I was brainstorming ways to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. I came across an Instagram post about “A Place at the Table.” Which is a curated box filled with treats from experienced home bakers and professional chefs honoring their Asian heritage. Of course, I had to support it!
As an additional bonus, a portion of the sales is donated to Heart of Dinner, a nonprofit combating food insecurity and isolation within NYC’s elderly Asian American community.
Check out the beautiful packaging.
Check out the desserts.
Of course my favorite was the Filipino focused one, which was a Mango, Coconut and Sago piece (I may or may not be biased 😉).
Here are the home bakers and chefs who participated (from top to bottom and left to right): Ying Ting Hu, Guadalupe Lucero, Andrew Cheng, Kimberly Camara, Ruth Li, Shirley Yu, Christine Yen, Joy Chu, Ayaka Ando, and Kelly Miao.
Glad I was able to participate in and support this initiative. The box was a bit pricey ($75, $82 with tax), but it was well worth it! I would love to see more collaborations like this in the future.
In March, I took part in the ‘Eat Something New in Queens’ Challenge. The purpose was to step out of your comfort zone, try new restaurants and food, and support local restaurants around Queens. Although I took a little staycation during the challenge, I still tried to participate. All the food I tried was excellent!
Here are the restaurants I tried.
Nneji is a West African spot in Astoria. It’s more a pickup type of place but has fantastic food. Don’t feel shy and ask the owner for recommendations on what to eat.
Coco Malaysian Cuisine in Elmhurst.
I’m half Filipino, so Filipino food is life, but I did find a new dish I had never had before at Kabayan Authentic Filipino Cuisine in Woodside.
My family stayed at the TWA Hotel in JFK, in Jamaica, during the challenge (more on the hotel in another post), but we still tried some great food.
Yardie Bistro was in the food court area of the hotel.
Splurged a little at the Paris Cafe by Jean-Georges. It was well worth it!
I had a blast trying all the food. The challenge has an awesome Facebook group page that offers food ideas and recommendations year round. If you love food and live in Queens, or don’t mind traveling to the borough, join the group!
The Casual Explorer 