Winter Break in Pictures!

I didn't get a chance to get onto the blog and write a post during the break, since I was on vacation and sick for most of the time, so I'd like to take a moment here to recount some of what went on my winter break (some of it in pictures).

I went to Florida for two weeks with a friend's family:

Me, poolside (where I wish I still was).

While there, I went thrift shopping (a lot) and found this beautiful dress and flats for a grand total of $7.50. I absolutely LOVE thrift shopping, and Florida has some of the best thrift stores ever. It's almost a competitive sport down there.

I also stocked up on shorts and tops, which I unfortunately can't wear quite yet since it's about 15 degrees outside and we have about 4 feet of snow in New York. My flight back from Florida was nearly cancelled because of the weather and it was such a shock to come from 75 degrees and palm trees to piles of snow and grey skies. At least I escaped for a little bit. January and February can be such dreary months.

I came back home and immediately got sick for a week (as is my ritual during breaks). I came to the dorms for the remainder of the break with my boyfriend and we spent our time cooking and exploring the city a bit. Here's some of the dishes we made:

Farfalle pasta with chicken, tomato sauce, sautéed spinach, and fried zucchini.

Paleo chicken fingers with fried zucchini and homemade sweet potato fries.

Those chicken fingers were so delicious and kind of spicy! 'Paleo' is a reference to the Paleolithic diet. Although I don't follow this diet (or any for that matter, except eating healthy and what I want with appropriate exercise), many of my friends follow various diets that are different from my own. Some are vegetarians, some pescatarians, some vegans. Since I'm not an avid red meat eater (I predominantly eat chicken and fish), alternatives to dishes with meat are always welcome. They've all recommended some great recipes to me. Here's the recipe to this chicken finger dish. I've also found some vegan pasta dishes (also this one) which I'm keen to try. One great thing you should do in college is learn to cook new things and try new foods. It will definitely make your cooking routine so much more fun!

In our exploration of the city, my boyfriend and I decided to visit the Jewish Museum at 92nd and 5th for the Art Spiegelman and Marc Chagall exhibits. Spiegelman is the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning Maus. I'm a huge fan of this tragic work of art. I read it at a very young age and was strongly moved by his depiction of Nazi Germany and the concentration camps; I also find his metaphorical zoomorphism incredibly insightful. I learned a lot about his later work, such as his time at The New Yorker and the post-9/11 comics he wrote. This exhibit runs until March 23rd.

The Marc Chagall exhibit was equally moving. I had studied some of his artwork in high school and admired his surrealist use of color and his evocation of longing for his Russian shtetl (the Yiddish word for town or village). Unfortunately, this exhibit ended on February 2nd. 

Last, we saw an exhibit that we hadn't planned to see. We were drawn off the Chagall gallery by the deep and resonating music of this exhibit. It was into a mysterious and dark room that we walked. In fact, this room was meant to display a fashion collection as well as a temple made entirely of mirrors, tucked away in the corner. This was the MER KA BA exhibit (I absolutely loved this one, and it has stayed with me). This unfortunately is also no longer at the museum, but it was such a moving experience. I encourage you to read the meaning behind the exhibit.

The inside of the glass temple at MER KA BA.

I spent the rest of my winter break relaxing and catching up with all the Oscar-nominated movies. My family is really big into going to movies, so naturally this is a huge event in my family. I saw Her (a somber commentary on technology in our society; more philosophical than I had thought it would be), Twelves Year a Slave, Dallas Buyers Club (incredibly moving; Jared Leto was fabulous), Gravity (pretty, but empty), American Hustle (ultimately flashy, but devoid of any plot), and The Wolf of Wall Street (Leo better win for this, my god; as should Margot Robbie).

That was my break for you!

P.S. I went get soup dumplings 4 times in one week this break (at Joe's and Shanghai Cafe), braving the record low temperatures and freezing winds for my fix. The server has started to recognize my boyfriend and I, which is mildly embarassing.