This past weekend was jam-packed but one of the best in a while. Most of Thursday and Friday I spent getting ready for Art Club’s Studio Soiree event. We decorated the studio with snowflakes and paper lanterns to give the studio a cozy ambiance. Despite the rainy weather, we had a good turnout. People came together to munch on fancy treats like cream puffs and crackers with brie; and drank spiced hot cider. The mood was set by our amazing violinist and my friend Yue Xiu, who serenaded the studio with her beautiful melodies. It was a great night of craft making. We made holiday cards, pomander balls (oranges with cloves poked in that you put in sock drawers to make things smell nice), and decorated cookies! This was our third annual Studio Soiree and I’m happy my last one went so well. Afterwards, I went with some friends to the Bryn Mawr Concert Series to see Alex Winston. There was a small group of people who came but the people who did had a lot of fun because of Alex WInston’s energy and overall adorableness.
All decorated for the Studio Soiree
The next day, after a morning of volunteering, plans got shifted out of place for my friend Megha’s surprise birthday. She was supposed to study with me as people set up but since she had a lot of work and her books were at home, she just wanted to go home and due work. Her friends and I quickly gathered our wits to come up with an alternative plan to still surprise her. Luckily, our friend Linh was able to get Megha into the city while the rest of us ran around buying supplies, food, and drinks for the occasion. Her housemate let us into the apartment an hour early so we could help finish the cake and do final preparations. When Megha arrived home, she was definitely surprised and thankful. We even had her friend Lisa skype in from abroad! We ate South Indian and Chinese food and indulged in some coffee chocolate cake for dessert. It goes to show how important it is to appreciate and celebrate your friends even when you’re stressed from finals! Afterwards, I met up with some friends to forget the cold weather and enjoy a tropical paradise themed Senior Cocktails. Again, a low turnout because of the weather and people doing work but I had a ton of fun taking pictures and being silly with my friends.
Delicious South Indian food and Chinese food for Megha!
The next day, I went out with two friends for my first dim sum experience! It ended up being quite an adventure because once we arrived in Philly; it started snowing! I had heard that the forecast included snow but I had assumed this would only be a couple of flakes. Turns out we got several inches. I only had Converse on which was pretty uncomfortable but my friend Heidi was only wear Tevas and a sweatshirt in a rush to make the train. We made it to the restaurant but had to wait nearly an hour because our friend was caught in awful traffic due to an accident caused by the snow. Once we finally got to eat, I was so excited and happy as new and tasty food arrived at our table. I felt a little queasy from the greasiness from many of the fried dishes but I left full and contented. The trip back was quite an adventure. I was lucky to be able to make my train but friend Duong who was driving back to Kennett Square, which is normally a one hour drive, took four hours to get home because of the snow. I am just glad she was okay and wasn’t in an accident!
Ocean City Dim Sum
The snow can be dangerous and a hassle but it always makes campus look magical. It was fun to see my first year students get so excited about the snow because many of theme are from places like California and Texas so they had never experienced real snow. Snowmen and snow angels soon popped up everywhere on campus. Being a grouchy senior, I spent most of my time enjoying the snow from my carrel in the library but drinking hot chocolate while watching snow fall outside was a relaxing break from paper-writing.
View from my room
