phillilký II: my guide to philadelphia
this is a continuation of my previous guide to philadelphia, phillilký I.
chapter i. university city
I visited university city twice. the first time to the academy of natural sciences of drexel university with my prof family, and the second time to both upenn and drexel with fiona (fiñoña) during spring break. both times are fun in its own ways.
visiting museum with kids helps you see the beauty of learning. my prof's kid reminds me of my vexillologist phase last summer, back when I can remember all the flags of all countries. we saw dinosaur bones and taxidermies. after that, we came into a drawing room, where I just sit patiently as her kid's assisstant. he was on a grand quest of drawing the flag of moldova, so I gathered the color pencils of the colors he needs, and sharpen it sharp enough to kill a man, as it's only until then that he would even pick it up and use it. after spending about half an hour on the flag, I had to lie to bro that the museum is closing, and it's only until then that bro would rush us to quickly visit other exhibits before they close. I am amazed and glad that kids with long attention span still exist these days, as the way most parents these days would leave their kid with an electrical thing to keep them quiet. I had fun looking at him scrutinizing the flag and picking at the littlest details such as the olive branches, the claws and talons of the bird, and the cross. other than that, my average cambrian era lover self also got to see trilobites in real life. having been so well adapted for that period, trilobites are so abundant that you can buy their fossils online for as low as $3.
chapter ii. iykyk
I won't tell you where this is because it is an iykyk thing. my local fwend and calc comrade lily took me here for our little photoshoot (the warmup to the picnic photoshoot y'all). we went to a couple of buildings and check out some cool cafes with the best baklavas ever. we talked about many many things. I filled my MAYHWEIFD bottle with stars and brought it with us during the trip. here are some photos of us having fun after all the trigs and u substitution.
chapter iii. dId yOu knOw that wAwA hAs pIzzA?
this place deserves a section in its own rights. I saw wawa around quite a lot during my first few weeks in the us, and I kept assuming it was some sorts of dairy or beverage brands. I forgot about it for a while, then it made a comeback to my thrive class (a class that we had to take to manifest common sense) in the philly project. a group gave a presentation about wawa. it's then that I realize wawa is a gas station + convenient store complex. even after that, I did not really take wawa seriously. however, during my flight back to the us after winter break, the customs officer at dallas looked at my i20 and talked about his experience working in philadelphia international airport. and guess what bro mentioned afterwards. WAWA. that moment, it struck me that I might as well start my pilgrim to a wawa as a philly disciple at my earliest convenience. so that's what we did when me and lily did as a part of our trip.
chapter iv. 1776
4i. museum of american revolution
consider this a philly trip but patriotic version. me and my fwend molly visited the museum of american revolution, which had a lot of... words. the exhibits were mostly wax figures, guns (I'm not surprised), tents, door knobs and words, most of which I didn't read. my recommendation for you if you're visiting this place is to keep a tally of how many times you see that portrait where washington put his hand on his chest. this pose is supposed to show his cAlm and cOmpOsed leadership (inspired by napoleon), except that both of us found that very gay. we also learn about the us's betrayal to native people and what women could do back in the day. I loved seeing museum staff dressing up as they would back in the day, as that really brought history to life and kids learn in a more engaged way.
4ii. betsy ross house
after spending time in a very "old white men with big ideals and ego" enviroment, betsy ross's house was quite lovely. it has a very homey vibe. the main difference between this and the museum is that we learn about things through means of storytelling more than just read it off some pages (kudos to courtney our tour guide for her fabulous stories!). the atmosphere makes it easier for us to absorb the story. I learned that the first flag of the us no longer exists, as flags back then were made to be used, and by being used I mean in wars. it is not likely that the first flag would be well preserved in a museum, but rather tattered after the winds and blows of the sea, or being shot by bombs and fell to the very bottom of the ocean. as something no longer exists physically, it slowly evolves into an idea, the spectra of things that once were. I like to believe that similar to the flag, most of our ideals in the founding of a country also end up the same way.
4iii. national constitution center
top reasons to go to the national constitution center (1) state flags!, (2) more gay statues in the signers' hall, and (3) a very pretty view of philly and the independance hall. here, state flags are organized chronologically with the day plated on the floor. we found pennsylvania flag pretty close to the beginning. in fact, it was the second flag after delaware. after having fun with the flags and learning about the five freedoms, you can visit the signers' hall, which has the bronze statues of all the delegates that were present at the signing of the constitution (hint: not a single woman or person of color). some statues look like they are engaged in a deep conversation, but for me and my dude it look more like a complicated love triangle with a sad ending.
after you're tired from all the walking, you can also just sit and look at the park in front of the center. every place is designed to have a function, school to study, office to work, museum to learn, but in a park, I saw humans in their freest forms. I saw kids running around, walking. talking. it is every changing and impermanent, but so is the nature of life. we sat and wondered how we could run and just be happy back in the day. but I would say part of looking at the kids having fun helped us uncover the part of ourselves that we lost.
chapter v. edgar allan poe's home
poe's home and betsy's home are polar opposites. although I haven't really read any poem by edgar allan poe except for annabel lee, which nabokov recited in his book lolita that I wrote my ib extended essay on, I know that poe write depressing poems. however, it's only after that I set foot to his home that I realize how depressing it is. the house feels hollowed out from its very inside. me and molly visited poe's house the same day as we did our 1776 thing, which was a sunny day. however, as soon as we get to poe's house, it starts raining, which really sets the tone for our visit. we were greeted by bleached plants and brick walls. the home itself reminds me of chernobyl and radioactive site taken over by nature. the emptiness of the room further amplifies the way the light soaks and permeates into every space. it is eerie, yet calming at the same time (that is, until you visit the basement, which was pitch black as we opened it). funny enough, the class I want to take next semester have a lot of poe, kafka, camus, and calvino in it. I hope to revisit this place after reading many of his renowned works soon.
I get that we've been through a lot of existential crises reading my past trips, so let's continue with something more joyful. I'm proudly keeping a healthy dose of one concert per semester to make my life meaningful. last semester, I saw the 1975 in wells fargo center. this semester, I saw girl in red at the met philadelphia. compared to last time, my concert experience was better as I dressed up a bit for it (cheers to lily h for the fabulous make up), and I was going with my favorite people. halfway through the concert, a couple got engaged, and they were invited on stage by marie herself, who served as the pastor to their quick wedding on stage. it was really wholesome and definitely worth the wait.
the best thing about concerts is how my brain on concert mode blocks out every negative thoughts I have about myself and my life (that is, including the incoming calculus exam and my fears of coming out to my parents). I feel belonged and protected in this little bubble. I feel proud and confident under my own skin. it's true that I know what I like, and I get to choose who I love.
chapter vii. philly food tour
although I am no food blogger like my friend hà, here are some places that I had great memories with my friend and mentor on various occassions.
swallow that sweet touch of baklava in istanbul cafe if life is being tough to you. recount the passing of time in time and peace café. have fun reading banners in reading terminal market (by love longer they mean last longer *wink wink*). have a sip of yamitsuki ramen before running back to catch that septa departing in 3 minutes in jefferson. celebrate your friend's birthday in terekawa ramen and mango mango. rant about college and adulting over sang kee peking duck, but then let go of all that bs with a real good smoothie from good karma. that's pretty much how I did it.
chapter viii. epilogue
the second part of my guide to philadelphia gladly marks my transition from a visitor to more of a local here, in this city. all this fun wouldn't have been possible without all the people that were a part of my journey. whether you have been living here most of your lives, for a few years, or are also in the same process of "figuring it out," I learned a lot from you, and I am eternally grateful to have you as my companion. as we get to the end of our journey, let us sit in the friends of louis I. kahn park or signer's garden and enjoy the beauty of a fine spring day, for
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