Tag: culture

art · culture · international

Haitian Embassy Tour

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Back in May, I participated in the Around the World Embassy Tour event in Washington, DC. This is part of the annual Passport DC event, which allows visitors to tour various embassies during the month of May. Generally speaking, the first weekend of May features African, South American, Caribbean and a couple of Asian embassies, the second weekend of the month is the European Union Open House weekend, and the following weekend is the Festival of Asia.

I’d never toured the Haitian Embassy before, so I was excited to visit this year. Funny enough, I’ve been to Haiti when I cruised with Royal Caribbean in the past, and I always loved the island. In fact, I’ve stated on multiple occasions that Haiti is my favorite Caribbean island. So it’s a marvel that I’d never gone to the Haitian Embassy until this year. In any case, I was eager to go. And the embassy DID NOT disappoint.

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I think the thing that I found most incredible was the prominence of Black mermaids in Haitian art. As a born-and-bred American, the mermaid image I see most frequently is the Disney version, with porcelain skin, red hair and blue eyes. Seeing the Haitian depictions of Black mermaids was deeply moving. These depictions are far more accurate to the creatures that Christopher Columbus reported seeing in his travels, and they also predate Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. Of course, practically every culture has stories of merpeople, but seeing the image of magical brown-skinned beings was surreal.

The embassy is a stately, breathtaking building, and the art that lines every wall is stunning and memorable. It looked more like an incredible museum than a political office space! It has multiple floors, and, sadly, I only toured one level.

My biggest regret? Not allowing more time to tour. But no worries: I will return next year!

 

beauty

Review: Ginger + Liz Nail Polish

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During my massive beauty haul nearly two months ago, I purchased a bunch of cosmetics and also a few nail polishes. However, I hadn’t had a chance to try out the new polishes until recently. As a result, this review is a bit late, but better late than never, right?

I decided to try Ginger + Liz nail polishes. This indie brand isn’t quite so small anymore: it gained quite a bit of notoriety when Beyonce wore Ginger + Liz’s “Boss Lady” nail polish in her 2013 H&M Summer campaign. The line is known for creating nontoxic, vegan friendly nail polishes in both classic and trendy shades. The polish collection has a little something for everyone.

As pretty as “Boss Lady” is, I know that red shades with orange undertones aren’t flattering on my skin tone. So I opted out of purchasing that shade. But I was still curious enough about the brand to try some of the other shades. I ended up selecting Catch the Bouquet (CTB) and Happy Wife Happy Life (HWHL) (LOL, I see a theme with the names of the shades I chose!)

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(from the left: Catch the Bouquet and Happy Wife Happy Life)

“Catch the Bouquet” is described as, “a pastel pink with pearl undertones. The perfect nail colour for your demure looks, walking down the aisle, or catching the bouquet.” “Happy Wife Happy Life” is, “a textured rose pink foil metallic with contrasting pink tones of holographic glitter and tiny black specs for extra dimension.” I found the descriptions to be accurate for both shades.

The polishes dried in an average amount of time, and the smell was the same as your standard nail polish scent. I did two layers of “Catch the Bouquet” without any base coat or top coat, and I was pleased with the wear (it lasted several days without chipping). Just for the sake of seeing the color and intensity of the polish, I swatched the polishes on white paper and plain (unpainted) press on nails.

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Swatches on white paper: (left to right) “Happy Wife Happy Life” and “Catch the Bouquet”

(l to r: plain nails, one layer of “Catch the Bouquet” and “Happy Wife Happy Life”, two layers of the polishes)

Out of curiousity, I decided to layer “HWHL” over “CTB” and when I tell you I fell in LOVE with the layered look …

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The layered look (HWHL over CTB)

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(l to r) The layered nail look vs. two layers of HWHL

I love the colors and the lasting power. The line continues adding new shades, so I’ll be sure to try more of Ginger + Liz’s products in the future!

 

 

 

 

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art · culture

Return of the Drawing Salon at The National Gallery of Art

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(image courtesy of ClipArtPanda)

Recently, I shared that the National Gallery of Art hosts Writing Salons, to assist all interested in getting in touch with their inner author. However, the Writing Salons have a counterpart that is equally as, if not more, popular: the Drawing Salons. NGA has finally began accepting reservations for the Drawing Salons, and I’m here to tell you all about it, both as an art enthusiast and as a former salon attendee.

Similar to the Writing Salons, the Drawing Salons are hosted monthly and the salon topics vary for each session. The Drawing Salons also run from now into the springtime, though they end one month after the last Writing Salon session. There are also only 5 Drawing Salon themes, as opposed to the 6 Writing Salon themes available this season.

The topics being explored during this season of the Drawing Salon are as follows:

American Impressionism

Cézanne’s Landscapes

Picasso’s Palette

Rodin’s Sculptures

Matisse’s Cut-Outs

I attended one of the Drawing Salons in 2015, and thoroughly enjoyed it. NGA provides supplies and is well equipped for each group of budding artists. I found that the art instruction was solid and appropriate for any skill level. I liked that the groups were small enough that the art instructor could provide each attendee a measure of one-on-one attention. But the most impressive part of the session was the art history lesson provided to attendees: the historical context deeply informs the sketch that attendees create during the session.

So, much like the Writing Salons, if you have a chance, GO! You won’t be disappointed!

life curation

When Eartha Speaks, I Listen

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Happy Hump Day, friends! It’s the middle of the week, and we could all use a little “push”, don’t you agree?

There isn’t much to say on this post, just a few videos of Eartha Kitt sharing her wisdom. If you don’t do anything else today, spend a few minute watching the first video: her reflections on her life and career are nothing short of inspirational.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGYwf7e_cr8

 

food · international

Review: People’s Bao Food Truck

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People’s Bao food truck has been on my “to try” list for a few months now. I’ve craved delicious Chinese style buns since my trip to China last year. I was blown away by the flavor of Momofuku’s mushroom buns (which I reviewed here). But I saw the rave reviews of People’s Bao on Yelp and I was eager to give it a whirl.

The truck finally arrived close to my building, and I seized the opportunity. I ordered the Portabella buns and Portabella rice bowl. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I figured that if the food was half as good as Momofuku, I would fare well.

Here’s the good, bad and otherwise:

The Portabella mushrooms were ample but not particularly flavorful. They would have benefited from marinating in a sauce that would infuse the mushrooms with flavor. Also, since these mushrooms are thicker than the shiitake ones used by Momofuku, they didn’t cook to the bacon-like crispiness of the last buns I tried.

The sauce added to the bun was spicy enough but fairly indescribable. I can’t name anything that it tasted like, other than “spice”. Also, this was another bun creation where the filling  was folded in the bun like a sandwich, instead of being fully encased in the bun bread (like the buns served during dim sum).

As far as the rice bowl? Meh. Lots of delicious, fresh veggies but, again, not a lot of flavor. I tried to like it, but I couldn’t. I eat primarily vegetarian meals but I still love flavor, and this dish came up lacking.

The best part of the meal was the watermelon garnish that I found in the bottom of my bag! I initially thought the ramekins contained a sauce to add to my entrees, and I was excited at the thought of something savory being in the bag. But, as it turns out, the ramekins contained small chunks of sweet, ripe watermelon instead. That was an unexpected treat, and a nice accent to an otherwise forgettable meal.

I’m adding some stock photos for context, but I didn’t photograph this meal, because it simply wasn’t worth it.

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This photo from DCist looks exactly like the bun that I received.

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In a nutshell? I wouldn’t order again. It’s possible that this was just an “off” day, but I’d rather pay a few more dollars and have guaranteed tastiness at Momofuku. Maybe one day I’ll be adventurous enough to give it another go, but for now, I have to decline returning to People’s Bao.

international · travel

Flashback to Cruise 2016, Pt. 1

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I haven’t gone on a true vacation since last October. My current job is demanding (though enjoyable) so I won’t be able to really get away until November. In the meantime, I’m looking back fondly at my last vacation, which was a cruise to Bermuda.

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I cruised with Royal Caribbean; the ship was the Anthem of the Seas. I’ve sailed with both RC and Carnival Cruises, and I almost always prefer RC. I’ve found that the service, dining options, and overall ambiance of RC is more luxurious than Carnival. However, I’m still looking for other cruise lines to try, and I’m positive that I could have an even more luxurious experience with a different line.

The trip wasn’t very long – 5 days – but it was just enough time to recharge me. I sailed from Cape Liberty in New Jersey, USA. Two short days on the water later, and I was stepping foot onto the Royal Naval Dockyard in Kings Wharf, Bermuda. The ship remained docked there for two days before sailing back to Cape Liberty.

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I was focused on relaxation this time around, as opposed to exploring the island, so I didn’t see a lot of the island. I did take the ferry to Hamilton, which was nice. I’m including a few photos from Kings Wharf and Hamilton, Bermuda.

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Have any of you cruised with Royal Caribbean, or have you taken a trip to Bermuda? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below! Stay tuned for the next installments, where I discuss the ship, the dining options offered, and the artwork on board!

culture

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

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I don’t have many words for this post, because this is a solemn landmark not too far from my job.

I toured the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial during one of my lunch breaks. As a habit, I try to go somewhere new and do something different several times a week during the warmer months. Truthfully, I keep up this routine as long as I can, for as many days as I can, each week. But taking walks during the chilly winter months isn’t always my highest joy, so sometimes I’ll skip it.

Anyway, I digress. Here are the photos I took at the memorial. May the officers that have served honorably and lost their lives in the line of duty continue to rest peacefully.