The Chinese Lady

Weekends call for adventures! Sometimes it includes theatre and catching up with old friends.

Last Saturday, I spent the night with an old friend of mine who I haven't hanged out with since freshman year. Time really does fly by. Now we're both in our senior year in college. It was good to finally hang out again and pig out as foodies together.

First stop was dinner. We stopped at Savoy and got Hainan Chicken rice (not photographed). Then we got drinks popcorn chicken at Bopomofo. It was my first time trying the popcorn chicken here and it was good! It's not the typical crispy type, more meatier and just enough flavor. The sauce with it was perfect. The matcha latte was really good too. Very light and it wasn't the powder type matcha.

Then we went to see the play, The Chinese Lady, by Lloyd Suh. This play was one of the plays I worked on as a producing intern this past summer. To see it in person, the official production, from reading the actual play during the internship to experiencing the live version was amazing. There were parts of the play that I didn't even know were funny until seeing it in person, being performed before me. I definitely felt more emotions across the spectrum during the performance than reading it. I teared up and cried too. This play embodies so many messages. How others view the Chinese. What it takes to be American. What defines the American culture. The way people treat others. Inequality. Acceptance. The struggle in a different environment. Conformity. The list goes on. The Chinese Lady is about the alleged first Chinese woman to set foot on U.S. soil, Afong Moy, who is bought and showcased as a display to the American public that follows her story over a half a century. The story transcends over generations and time as it is relatable to many today and all ethnicities. I am so grateful to have been a part of this play is some way, during its pre-production stage. It was also great to see some of the people I worked with during the summer on this play. Seeing more stories that need to be told being chosen to be showcased and shared with the public is what really matters at the end of the day.

To top off a heart-wrenching story, we went to Oakobing to lighten the air with mango melon shaved ice. So good and so filling!

Definitely a night full of raw emotions, contemplating, gratitude, and lots of food I won't forget.