Passion

There are things in life that you get passionate about. For some people it's one particular thing, but for me the things I am passionate about encompass many things. I love Architecture, Food, bringing awareness and access to clean drinking Water, and of course, God.

Here are just a few pictures that spark my passion. Pictures are worth more than a thousand words.

Such an inspiring firm Leong-Leong for headquarters of Phillip Lim. The firm was just announced as one of the winners for the NPNY2010 which I attended this evening!



Lunch. yummmmmmmmmmmm Can't go wrong with meat and potatoes!


UNICEF's new campaign to raise awareness to inaccessibility of clean drinking water in developing countries and the diseases that are caused by drinking what these places have available.



Love,
Jo

AM thoughts

While eating my breakfast this morning, I let my thoughts wonder. Let's face it, when do they not? I bit into my naan, hummus, and cucumber and first thought:

"It needs avocados. Avocados are like butter. It's awful by itself, but it makes everything else taste better."

Next, I remembered what happened last evening. After leaving Charity:Water headquarters, Emerson and I walked toward Greene Street for a secret viewing of a new designer's line sponsored by Barney's. This area of the city is one of my favourites. When Grand Street opens up into Greene Street, an oasis of shops and restaurants hidden from the main roads, give way to social settings and nightlife that is hard to compete with. Admiring the architecture and fashionistas along Grand, Emerson and I finally approached the entrance of the address and directions that were given to us and realized that the "door" was a hidden entrance via elevator. No signs, no windows. Again, NY.... why must you be so exclusive? Next thought:

"By being exclusive, all you're doing is trying to get noticed."

Exhausted on the train, I couldn't wait to get home. I checked my phone to look at the time. Next thought:

"It's funny how I check the time more often when I'm sitting still versus running to something. I 'd rather not know when I'm late, but eager to know how early."

[Present day] I take a sip of my tea and wonder why people put creme in their tea. It's fine by itself, maybe sugar... Speaking of creme.... next thought:

"My boss (We'll call her C for now) and friend (A) were talking about how creme was delievered in glass bottles like milk back in the day. The creme glass bottles used to be in a funny shape that apparently C and A used as bongs.................."

"........"

"Whatever, I'm going to work."

[cleans dishes, scarfs down what's left, and walks out of her brownstone building]


Love,
Jo

v. to blush

1.to redden, as from embarrassment or shame.
2.to feel shame or embarrassment.
3.to become rosy.
4.to make red; flush.
added by Jo
5.to endeavor to hail down a taxi cab on a street corner for ten minutes while a Starbucks full of people are gazing at you through the window in amusement.
6.to turn the same colour as the dress you now wearing in result of heat, embarrassment, and complete ire.

My co-worker and I talked about beautiful blush colours today. Coral, orange, pomegranate, peach.... Little did I know that conversation would foreshadow my day to come.

After work, I changed into my new Ali Ro dress and hurriedly walked with my co-worker to the InStyle event. I caught the 1 train and waited aimlessly on Chambers Street to realize no trains were going to take me fast enough to midtown (Thank you, once again, MTA). I proceeded to exit the tunnel on Chambers to catch a cab. I jumped from street corner to corner trying to hail down what looked like fully occupied taxis. After 10 minutes, I realized a gentleman had stepped outside from his caffeinated comfort zone in Starbucks to assist me in my quest for an empty cab. I then realized that an entirely full Starbucks on the corner of Chambers and Broadway now stood near the window watching a girl in a bright pomegranate coloured dress turn the same shade of orangey-red....yes, that would be me.

I quickly changed my mind to try the subway, again. This time to my avail, the express train had arrived. I hopped onto the florescently lit subway car that made my dress (and face) pop even more. A gentleman (a different one this time) jumped up to compliment my dress and offered me his seat encouraging me to sit down despite my refusal. Now, I am became the center of the attention in that particular subway car...
"Thank you for inspiring me with your outfit," he remarked.
While the WHOLE train stared, I began to fidget with my fingers and cell phone until the -normally fast,but today unusually slow- "express" train arrived at Times Square.

Finally, fashionably late, I pushed open the doors and gawk at the room full of immaculately dressed women and dapper men. In a sea of neutrals and pastels, there I was in POMEGRANATE. I decided to pull a Coco. If you're different, might as well embrace it.

A few minutes flew by, and there was Prabal Gurung (the CFDA nominee and in my opinion, expected winner)! Followed by Diane von Furstenberg!! They taught me great words of wisdom that night, "No one ever designs a 'signature look'. It's like buying an 'IT bag'. You only know it's 'IT' until it's 'IT'!" -DVF
Though very small and short, I felt like I had a slight 'IT' moment today and I'm thankful. In a very blushing, quick-moving, jo-like way...
The designers did inspire me to view architecture from a brand new angle.

(Yawn)
Love,
Jo

the Up-Down

The "Up-Down". We all know what it is. It is the look one gives another by moving the eyes from up at their face to down to their feet, making a mental note of all of the assets, deficits, or indifferences.

Men do it women, women to men. Sometimes discretely, others blatantly. More often than not, women are more likely to do it to other women. Girls love (especially in New York City) to make sure through out their day that they themselves are the trophy winners amongst a brutal battle field of prized competitors. Do not deny you haven't done it yourself. New York women are in general beautiful. Perhaps the greater percentage of beautiful women are a result of higher population, or being the nation's capital for fashion shows, magazines, and headquarters. Remember that famous Darwinian line, "Survival of the fittest"? I doubt that Charles had in mind vicious Bloomingdales shopping, Gilt.com bidding, and sample sale fighting NY women when coining this phrase, but it sure does fit well. Don't you agree?

The woman who taught me how to keep clothes in immaculate condition because "style always repeats itself" was my Mom. The woman who taught me to always come to studio as if you've had your full-night's beauty rest and ready to win NYT front cover was Monica Tiulescu. The woman who taught me how to wear pencil skirts with style, grace, and charisma was Suzanne Stephens, editor at Architectural Record. For each one of these women, I have learned how to present myself by greeting them with a subtle Up-Down every morning (and endeavoring to imitate their fashion sense).

I have to admit some times the Up-Down leads to discouragement because you know that the girl next to you has it more complete than you do. My friend and I chatted over drinks the other night and she told me about the time she met her boss's wife - Mid 50s, blazer, flowing dress pants that tightened around the ankle, and bright red heels. She became the attention and admiration of the entire office in as little as 0.2 seconds of walking through the door. Her outfit made her an attention grabber to a lengthy applauding essay. What you wear controls how you are perceived. How you are perceived, often is forgotten, is controlled wholly and totally by you.

I am not trying to stick my nose in the air and state that I am one of those who fall into the "best-dressed" category, but I am stating that I look up to those women who sit at the top of the household, magazine headquarter, or non-profit organization that dress to impact the world. So, thank you to those women.

Love,
Jo

Do Not Wash; Tumble Dry

Things I wanted to state, say, question... but never did.... until now.

Sakina sent us an email in the office yesterday and brought up important subjects. In which Rebecca and I had discussed to further detail.

- "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

-More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

-Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

-I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

-Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.
-I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

-Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

-Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

-There is a great need for sarcasm font.

-Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

-How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

-The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

- A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

- Was learning cursive really necessary?

- Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

- Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a SATs is absolutely petrifying.

- Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart."

- How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

-What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

- While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

- MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

- I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

-I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

- Bad decisions make good stories.
-Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem...

-You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

-There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

-I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

-If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

-I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

-I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

-Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

-It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

-I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

-I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

-I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

-I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.


That is all.

Love,
Jo

Waking up

Sometimes, waking up is the hardest thing to do. I don't mean to sound like a Folgers commercial, but it's true. Whether waking up means rolling out of bed, or realizing your life from a third-person perspective, or discovering a new part of yourself that you didn't know before. I often, don't realize I was sleeping until I have woken up. Perhaps other Architecture students can relate to my "falling asleep without knowing and feeling guilty that I have slept" upon awaking feeling.

There are moments where touching movies/documentaries wake you up.
There are moments when a double-shot latte hits the spot.
There are moments when you land your dream job, or lose your dream job that you're in for a rude-awakening.

So I wondered this morning stumbling out bed 45 minutes behind schedule, what it will take to wake me up today. I still haven't figured it out yet, but I'll start with a iced-double-soy-one splenda-latte from Inatesso. Who knows that within my self-identifying and specified cup what I'll find...

Inatesso

Come visit the Skyscraper Museum in Battery Park City, then step on over to Inatesso for an amazing pie! If you have a Vespa, you should bring it, too. The area is infamous for beautifully pastel-coloured Vespas parked along the streets.

Jeff and I ordered the olive, artichoke, pepperoni, and mushroom pie and it was splendid!

Love,
Jo

Where am I from?

I've started a photography project that documents a few of my friends and their cultural journey. The idea of cultural identity and racial classification is something that has always been a sensitive issue for me.

My little sister is a born and raise Arizonian. When she was 7 years old, she was asked by a teacher, "Where are you from?" She answered, "Mesa (Arizona)". Then, the teacher emphasized, "No, where are you FROM?" Puzzled by this question, she came home and asked me what her teacher meant. My sister, at the time, has never been outside of the country and was only familiar with Arizona - particularly East Mesa, Arizona. The teacher was expecting an answer even prior to her actually answering it of something along the lines of "Japan, or China". My parents are Korean. But does that make my sister something that is not American?

I'm often asked, "Where are you from?" as well. But even before I answer, they ask, "China?" I say, "No". They continue, "Japan?" I say, No. Then they are completely baffled and ask, again, "Then, what?!" As if there are no other Asian countries other than those two.

My biggest pet peeve is when strangers answer to my act of kindness by saying, "Arigato" or "Xie xie". I look Asian, yes. But, does that mean I am automatically either Japanese or Chinese? Does that also automatically give me an ability to speak those languages fluently?

So, here are my thoughts and wanted to ask out into the void, "Where are you from?"

Love,
Jo

First Post

I am a chronic thinker, a workaholic, and a social-butterfly.

I needed some place to gather my thoughts, share the wonderful people I meet, and the beautiful things I see along my journey. Hence, this blog.

I invite you to share your thoughts, too, on my blog posts and hope that the things that inspire me can also inspire you.

Love,
Jo