Author: Regina Po

Week 1: Visitor Syndrome, Rainy Days, & A Chinese Magician.

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Day 1: I was overcome with emotion before I even got inside Central Park. He was wearing a dark plaid green suit with shiny polished leather oxfords and a glossy wood pipe in his mouth; releasing a steady stream of smoke into the atmosphere. I’d say he was in his mid-60s. He was sitting cross legged on a dark green bench on the sidewalk adjacent to the park. He was reading the New York Times. Not on his iPhone or iPad, but the hold-in-your-hands-stretched-out New York Times. My heart just about exploded. He was magnificent. I could have stood there staring, devising a plot line of his life for hours, but he would surely take note of the strange staring stranger, so I kept walking. Into the park I went – hands comfortably tugged into the straps of my backpack (my pants didn’t have pockets). Walking into the park I immediately took notice of how many people were enjoying their Monday – it seemed to me, all of NYC was there. Lounging on the rocks, having business lunch meetings on benches that line the curvy walkways, napping under the trees, and playing fetch with their four legged friends (I even saw a kitty being walked on a leash).

Apparently, even New Yorkers know how to tame the Monday blues.

Day 2: Today has been, in many ways, less emotionally trying and more emotionally triumphant. I stood in grand central station — looking down into the center and contemplating life — for over a couple of hours. I should have expected to have my shoulder poked over 10 times and asked to snap a picture. There was the cute couple (they looked like miniature dolls) visiting from Tokyo on their honeymoon and the German granny taking a ‘Lone Tour’ of America’s east coast. I didn’t plan to do it; I didn’t even plan to go to grand central today. It just sort of happened. I was on the 5 with plans to get off at Union Square (to make a connection) sitting comfortably smashed against the railing when the world’s most beautiful man walked onto train. Tall with navy blue slim fitting slacks, old-school leather suspenders (the ones that button not clip), white long-sleeve button up with a pair of aviators loosely hanging from the collar, a black leather business ‘bag’, shiny brown leather oxfords, and god-like hair that gently caressed his gorgeous face. My long ride from the Bronx was suddenly looking up. Without thinking, when I saw him getting ready to exit the train doors I got up and headed out. My brain quickly caught up to me and I realized I had gotten off at the wrong stop.

The beautiful man disappeared into the crowd and Grand Central quickly became my favorite thinking spot. 

Day 3: I went grocery shopping today to keep myself fed while I stay at a friend’s place and search for a more permanent home. Carrying the bag of goodies home via the subway and a couple blocks of walking was literally the highlight of my day. Not because I didn’t do other seemingly more awesome things, but because it made me feel a little less like a tourist.

I wonder when I’ll stop feeling like a visitor. 

Day 4:  He called himself The Magician. An older Chinese gentleman with a heavy accent– who wore a navy blue beret with a khaki suit and tie. He lives in Brooklyn and likes to make magic. The entire night he walked around doing magic tricks to anyone who would let him.

I didn’t get his real name.

Day 5:  Williamsburg: the trendiest city in the world. I wasn’t prepared for the awesome adventures of the day, but sure glad I hadn’t made other plans. Spur of the moment adventures are the greatest. Yummy food & wine and even better company.

The rain eventually came; I didn’t care that my umbrella was nowhere to be found. 

Day 6:  I’ve been drifting in and out of sleep all day. A dog had been barking for some 3 hours somewhere within earshot of my window, when a man decided to wage war by yelling obscenities at the pup. Neither dog nor man would surrender, but thankfully the rain has lulled the conflict.

Even in NYC, hangovers are not fun.

Day 7: Is it Sunday already? I took this week to worry little and enjoy a lot. There will be plenty of time for overwhelming worry later… today I am overwhelmed with insane gratitude. Everywhere I go in this city, I am constantly surrounded by people. Sure, being crushed between a group of French tourists and the over-worked suit during rush hour will probably get old, but for now I am head-over-heels in love with the constant human contact. Every day I am forced face to face with people from different backgrounds, different cultures, different lives and as much as New Yorkers like to avoid eye contact, there is no way this city would be quite as brilliantly fantastic without the crowds.

The sun came out today.

For some reason, I couldn’t get myself to take many pictures this week. It doesn’t make much sense, but I felt sort of paralyzed with the surreality of this week. I can’t imagine this paralysis will last long. I’ll be sure to post pictures of Week 2. Until then, here is the view from the place I was staying several days this week.

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The Saga Begins.

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I moved to NYC yesterday. After giving my parents several tight hugs and boarding my 6am flight, I still couldn’t believe I was actually doing it… It has been on my mind for so long that it felt like another one of my elaborate plans to seize the moment — in the future. But it’s here. I graduated college, packed my belongings (thanks to my excellent Tetris skills I was able to fit 90% of my things into one suitcase), and boarded a plane.

I tried to sleep the night before, but my mind would not sit still long enough to let me rest. I’ve literally been dreaming about moving to NYC since I was 15, but never actually thought I’d do it. NYC is for those who have their shit together. For those who have a nicely padded bank account. For those who have a job waiting for them. Or at least an apartment. Not for me. Perhaps in my dreams, but certainly not in real life. None of it felt real.

Until we landed.

The minute the wheels skidded to a stop on the massive La Guardia platform the other passengers began fidgeting from their slumber and something clicked. One minute I was sluggish and surprisingly serene and then suddenly I lost it. Face in hands, weeping. I don’t know why or how it happened, perhaps the nerves and lack of sleep finally caught up with me. Whatever the trigger, I didn’t seem to care that a hundred (however many people fit into a plane, idk) or so other people were trapped in an airplane with a 20 something female completely loosing her marbles.

I have no idea what this new adventure will bring. I’m not a psychic. From what I can tell thus far, I have a very hard time figuring out what I really want. I am, however, certain (this is very rare for me) that I am supposed to be in NYC. I will document my 1st year in NYC on here and will hopefully be able to look back and re-learn the lessons that will no doubt come from this year-long process.

Follow me. Or don’t. Whatever.

I’ll go ahead and pretend someone’s reading.

3 Ways to Say Thanks

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I’ve been doing my best to stray away from do-good-ish posts or anything remotely close. I’m no saint myself . BUT I really wanted to have a teeny-tiny-itti-bitti post about showing gratitude. Saying Thanks. I’ve gotten to be this funky thanks to some really awesome folks and they should know that I’m grateful.

I’m talking about the kind of ‘Thanks‘ that requires you take some time out of your day to reach out to someone that has improved your life in one way or another; letting them know you appreciate their efforts. Before I get into a do-good-ish rant, I’ll leave it at that. While you sit there thinking about alllll those people you should have said ‘Thanks’ to… here are a few ways to get on it.

3 Ways to Say ‘Thanks’ 

1. The Telephone.

If your ears perk up at the sound of a ringing phone, you should probably think about doing this option. Pick up the phone, dial the number (you might have to look this up — it’s probably been ages since you’ve spoken to this person), and let the words flow. No need for a long drawn out mega-thank you-you saved my life-what would I do without you- kind of speech. A simple ‘Thanks for being there for me when I needed it’ will probably suffice. Although feel free to revise the wording, it is you talking after all.

2. The Letter.

No, I don’t mean an e-mail. By no means should you type something up on the computer and click send. NO. If you haven’t already gotten the message — receiving a real-life-hold-in-your-hand kind of letter is eons more personal that a typed up all-the-letters-look-the-same–e-mail. If you’re going to do this, do it right. I actually chose to do this method using Regina Po Postcards. Using the same no nonsense approach -as previously mentioned- write something simple and straight to the point. If your handwriting is as bad as mine, you should probably warm your hand up a bit (you probably haven’t written anything for days). Finding the address might be a little tricky, but it is possible – just do a little digging.

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3. The Cookie.

If you don’t want to pick up the phone or put your hand to a pen, make some cookies. Pinterest has got you covered… there is every kind of cookie imaginable on that site. Type in cookie recipes and wait for your head to explode. I’d go with something simple since I’m not a baking fan. [Follow the recipe] When I’m cooking, I go all funky-fied with my ingredients and the portions — I like to pretend I’m mixing a magical potion. With baking, you can’t do that. Again, follow the recipe. Also, don’t just use pre-made cookie dough… that’s as bad as typing up a generic e-mail. Once you’ve made your batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies (or maybe you went with white macadamia) you can drop off the cookies on the recipient’s doorstep or perhaps their office (use your own judgement). If you don’t want to write a note as mentioned above, just include a ‘to/from’ so they know who sent it. Maybe add a ‘Thanks‘ somewhere in that note? Just a thought. Oh and you don’t have to use cookies — I would be happy getting a homemade batch of kimchi, so if that’s your thing, go for it!

 

Whatever you choose to do, do it right. Don’t skimp out by typing at text or an e-mail. If you’re going for a written letter go the extra mile and get a unique card or use pretty paper. And when it comes to cooking, don’t have your mom do it… that’s just lazy.

Good luck!  And if you don’t want to say Thanks? Don’t. But you’ll wish you had.

Personal Wish List

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On my flight back to Orlando from NYC (from my last ‘visit’ before finally making the big move) I had the pleasure –although I didn’t exactly see it that way at the time—of sitting next to a very chatty and jolly man who I diagnosed with advice vomit syndrome or ADV (silently to myself, of course). I’d like to think that I’m always down for a lengthy conversation that delves into life’s most philosophical mysteries – and non-mysteries— with strangers… but really most of the time I prefer to just keep to myself. In an attempt to change one of my non-desirable habits (keeping to myself) I decided to engage the man sitting next to me with a friendly ‘boy oh boy! Are we lucky to not have a middle person’ – we were the only row of seats without all three chairs taken up on the whole plane. I had no idea I was opening up an hour long tsunami of life advice by attempting to engage in friendly – in what I was hoping would only be a five minute – conversation.

I’d just like to point out; I think the whole point in engaging others is to partake in meaningful conversation – duh. Only in this instance I was simply trying to overcome my illogical fear of engaging strangers in conversation. Of course there was no way for me to know just how much I’d benefit from this interaction.

Although he told me his name, I don’t remember it anymore and shall refer to him as ‘The Man’ from here on out. (I’m totally working on the whole remembering people’s names thing too!) The Man had an incredibly deep voice, the kind you imagine a bass opera singer might have; only his was deep and annoyingly soft. The combination of the air pressure pumps and chatter from the other passengers made it difficult to make out everything The Man was trying to tell me. After the first five ‘what was that?’ I got tired of asking him to repeat ‘that’ and just nodded politely with a ‘yes I totally understand where you’re coming from’ expression glued on my face.

This (The)Man, among other wonderful advice I probably let fizzle out through the rumbling air, described his ongoing personal project to better himself – something that caught my attention immediately; an idea so simple that I had to emulate it for my own betterment project (something I’ll ramble on about later). The Man showed me a list that helped him grow daily to become a better version of himself. A compilation of all the traits he saw in others he admired; the traits that he hoped to acquire for himself.

I love lists! The Man inspired me to make my own list [Qualities I Hope to Have List or QIHHL]. At first, I thought about the people closest to me in my life – my family and friends, co-workers, and employers—and then those whom I’ll never meet, but still inspire me – celebrities and what little I know of them. The QIHHL is in no way exhaustive, there are many other qualities that I could add that would make me a better person, but this list – I feel – is most important to me.

the list

I’ve started carrying the QIHHL with me everywhere I go – sitting cozy in my wallet. I like to add to it every time I feel inspired, keeping track of when I add certain qualities; this way I can see what was most important to me at certain points in my life.

This is not a self-help blog. I am a flawed individual with a likely flawed approach to bettering myself. But I am trying. So should you. If you want; that is. Do let me know if you decide to try this out… what qualities do you wish to see in yourself that are most important to you?

Lady Portraits.

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I hope you enjoyed the previous SWEET & Hairy series as much as I did! I’ve done a lot of other lady portraits lately so I thought I would share a few of my favorites!

I’m working on some dude inspired projects so my blog won’t be filled with lady-only content, but until then… here are some of my most recent  lady portraits. Enjoy!

*Quick note: you can always click on the images and it will take you to a slideshow*

The lovely ladies posing in these images are: Kasey (on bike), Mercedes (pink background), & Tempest (on stilts). They’re wonderful.

Funky Photography: SWEET & Hairy

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I want to start this blog off with my current inspiration: the ladies who helped me make my newest funky photography series: SWEET & HAIRY a reality for my other project Regina Po Postcards.

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What’s this you ask?

Regina Po Postcards brings genuine long-distance communication back into our lives. That’s what. You may have seen the snail-mail vs. e-mail meme floating out and about on social media.

Exhibit A

The era of handwritten communication is all, but extinct. Friends and relatives who are long distances apart no longer connect on a genuine level. [E-mail/facebook/text etc. is not genuine.] Typing up an e-mail requires little (if any) effort. There is no -real- thought placed into the e-mail/text message/etc. With a handwritten postcard you must take some time (not all day, lets be real) to really think about what you’d like to say to the recipient… the words you handwrite mean so much more than the text you send instantly via internet.

I LOVE receiving personal mail. Perhaps this is my way of telling all of those who know me to immediately write me a letter, but I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. A hand written postcard tells someone you care and totally brightens their day (in my case more like a week). 

Want to send something Happy? Check out my fun & colorful collection of postcards on Etsy: Regina Po Postcards 

Some of the postcards you’ll see at the  Regina Po Postcards store features some lovely ladies dazzled with sprinkles and various sweets.

I’ll spare you all the boring details and skip to the part where these ladies decided they’d totally be down with me putting sticky syrupy honey on their face (and in their eye – Sorry Jenny!), sprinkling their faces like they were the top tier of a wedding cake, and teasing their hair so much I ran out of my giant can of Aqua Net. Not everyone can look as lovely as these beautiful ladies do with sprinkles and honey smeared on their faces.

This is the second part of the photo series (the first being the images used on the postcards).

Mercedes4 Mercedes2 Jenny4 Jenny3 Jenny Heather8 Heather Heather Danielle Danielle Callye Callye Callye Bonnie Bonnie Mercedes3_blog

If you haven’t already, check out my shop on Etsy (HERE)! I hope you will find something that catches your fancy in the shop and you’ll join the dying art of written communication before its too late! [cue apocalypse music]

Caio!

Regina