On The Streets Of Philadelphia (Part 2)

So I awoke to my second day in Philly and the day was overflowing with untold possibilities. I wanted to experience everything but reality set in and I knew that was impossible since I was scheduled to depart the next day.

Needless to say, time was against us and true to the nature of our relationship, we lounged in bed most of the morning. But can you blame a brotha? It's not often you get to chill in Philadelphia with your boyfriend in a fancy loft of a semi-famous musician ...

We lay there telling stories and I discovered that The Voice used to bus tables during his undergrad years. However, that gig didn't last long after he knocked a customer out cold with a busing bucket! A long story I won't digress into but he had me in stitches for a good five minutes!

We eventually made our way out of bed and showered, eager to explore the city. And of course we couldn't have a weekend away from Boston without a small disagreement. I fussed about his slowness in getting ready but he snapped back regarding my lackadaisical attitude. The argument fizzled once we were in the car and in a few minutes, we were cruising towards downtown Philadelphia.

We zipped past Love Park and City Hall and then proceeded down the Avenue of the Arts. I pointed out the statue of William Penn at the apex of the building. We stopped at a Whole Foods on South Street to pick up some stuff. However, I was on the hunt for the one thing I craved and needed to experience before leaving this city: a cheesesteak! The Divo and his boyfriend visited Philly a few months prior and recommended Geno's Steaks, a few blocks shy of South Street. After a few wrong turns (my one significant complaint about Philly is the lab rat maze-like feel of numerous one-way streets! ARGH! There's no such thing as "around the block"!), we found the Geno's and their competition, packed with hungry people and lines wrapping around the building. I parked in a lot a few blocks away and walked back.

The line moved at a measured pace and I gazed over the many celebrity and non-celebrity photos, autographs and multitudes of fire and police patches. There was even a sidewalk dedication to law enforcement, complete with plaques and bronzed memorabilia. The turn was mine and I ordered a steak with swiss cheese and no onions (they don't agree with me) and got a side of fries and a coke. I swear I put on about 10 pounds after that meal but it was well worth it! The Voice stood with me but being a Vegan, he had no interest in joining me.

Shopping was next on the agenda and I steered us northward, back toward City Hall and down Market Street. We hopped on Interstate 76 and cruised past Boathouse Row on the Schuylkill River and down the scenic Lincoln Drive. The road curved and twisted like a boa constrictor and eventually deposited us in the Chestnut Hill area.

Having fell in love with this area from my last visit, I had go back there. The quaint shops, the cobblestone roads, the small town/village relaxed me to no end and once again, true to our relationship, we sought out the nearest bookstore (Border's) and set about buying stuff we probably didn't need. Yeah, I know, we're dorky like that but we're both huge readers and can easily spend HOURS in a bookstore and not be bored!

We then drove up to the Franklin Mills Mall after some more wrong turns and shopped around for a while. I managed to snag Musiq’s latest album and then we decided to get back to Philly so we could feed our rumbling stomachs. We returned to the apartment and snacked on some leftovers from Warmdaddy’s; little did we know, this would be our undoing. We hopped in the car. Destination: the Gayberhood. (Cute name, huh?) However, The Voice became increasingly nauseous from the food and I turned back to the apartment. He lay down leaving me anxiously bored. I flipped on the plasma TV and surfed around awhile. Eventually, I found some old menus and put in an order for a pizza from a shop around the corner.

Not quite how I envisioned my Saturday evening.

Sunday morning, we lazed in bed awhile and then I began packing. We traipsed to a small Mexican bistro a block away and I had the BEST pancakes in my life, coated with powdered sugar and strawberries and blueberries! Wow, I’m salivating just thinking about that memory …

Right before it was time to depart for the airport, the apartment manager stopped by to straighten up and we had a nice conversation. She moved to Philadelphia a few years ago from Arizona to be closer to her daughter and decided to remain. I think I can understand why.

Nevertheless, before I knew it, I was sitting in the terminal at Philadelphia International next to a bunch of bratty kids who couldn’t sit still to save their lives. I snagged a few souvenirs from the airport gift shop and soon was sailing through the air, on my way back to Boston.

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Philly twice and each time has been an amazingly adventure. I’ve seen the best of Philly and the worst (visited North Philly the last time and here I thought our hoods were extremely ghetto). Overall, I find the people to be more open and friendlier (we’re a bit stuffy here in Beantown) and the general layout isn’t to hard to follow. Philadelphia is brimming with culture, music, art, and history and I see it as a kindred city. If given a chance to live there, I would definitely consider it.

However, in the spirit of Dorothy, “There’s [truly] no place like home!”

On The Streets Of Philadelphia (Part 1)

This past weekend, I visited the great city of love and man was it brotherly!

Philadelphia.

I flew out Friday morning on probably the most derelict flight EVER! My flight was delayed (which was a surprise since I've never taken issue with Delta) so The Voice and I made it into a competition to see who would arrive in Philly first. I think he touched down a few minutes before me.

These three black guys in front of me were busy yakking away and constantly tapping away on their Blackberry's and Sidekicks. But sister-girl attendant wasn't having it. She made the announcement for everyone to shut down their electronic devices but they continued pecking away. So she came back and said,

"You gentlemen need to turn those off now. Thanks!"

But oh no, sister-girl wasn't done. She then went back to the front cabin and stated on the intercom,

"When I make an announcement, it's for the benefit and respect for all on board so when I say to shut off electronic devices, please adhere! Thank you!"

Wow! :: z snap :: "OH NO SHE DIDN'T!"

“Oh yes she did!”

After several more problems with the lavatory, of which she constantly reiterated,

"I don't know what happened but it wasn't me that messed it up! It was like that when I came on!',

we finally departed.

I managed a seat to myself since it wasn't a full flight and then watched the magnificent skyline pf Philadelphia gradually come into focus out the port window. I was extremely enthusiastic to touch down and see my baby!

I deplaned, breathing in the crisp, cold Philadelphia air and then made my way through the crowded terminal to retrieve my bags. By the way, the $40 fee for an extra bag is absolutely outrageous! Never mind the fact I had to spend several hundred for a weekend roundtrip ... and all I got was a half cup of soda and a tiny a** bag of peanuts that wouldn't even stuff an anorexic mouse?! Come on!

Okay, sorry, I that was the Cassandra Fierce personality taking over … where was I? Oh yeah …

The Voice made his way to my terminal via a taxi (yep, you read correctly: a taxi to go from one terminal to the next! "I'mma I'mma a diva, I'mma I'mma a diva") we hopped on the car rental shuttle to pick up our ride. Now why is it that the most OBVIOUSLY SGL guys work in service oriented businesses? And it's quite OBVIOUS that these OBVIOUS guys are hitting on you. Questions like, "Oh do you two work together?" or "Can I just see your license one more time, sir! ... mmmm-kay, thanks!" Yeah, not OBVIOUS at all! And all while my man was in the restroom ... not cute!

"I gotta man!" - Positive K

So we picked out the car and zipped down the highway to the apartment. We cruised past the Philadelphia Eagles stadium and the Citizens Bank Park and then up the east side of the city. After a harrowing ride, we pulled off the highway and I could see Penn's Landing to my right. The apartment was only a few blocks away in a heavily gentrified neighborhood. I walked in to find a two room studio-like loft. High ceilings, old painted brick walls, a modern open kitchen and a flat screen TV were just some of the luxurious features of this quaint place. It was even cooler because it’s owned by a famous musician and his memorabilia adorned the walls. However neither of us paid any attention to that because we had some “things” to take care of!

The Voice and I strolled down the cold, blustery street to a contemporary Mexican restaurant/bar, sampling their veggie chicken wings and burritos. We were starving after a day of anxious travel. We chilled at the loft for a while and then headed out to our 7:30 reservations at Warmdaddy’s, a soul-food entertainment venue that was featuring Carol Riddick, an up-and-coming R&B songstress. I had been to Warmdaddy’s before however, at their old location on Front Street. The new joint was impressive and much more elegant. Black tables with a modern bar and soothing red toned walls made us long for a Boston location. Carol Riddick came on stage with a four piece band and two backup singers and performed sultry jazz numbers under the neon glow of the Warmdaddy’s sign.

The Voice and I sampled finger foods, the drink menu (except me) as well as their salmon entrée and Cajun chicken pasta. We were both still stuffed from the Mexican food but nibbled nonetheless. Carol possessed a bubbly and bright personality, similar to Jill Scott however, was drowned out by her spotlight hogging keyboardist and drummer. The backup singers swayed to the beat but were never really heard. Such a shame since Ms. Riddick had some serious pipes. After the set, The Voice, feeling empowered by several drinks, conversed with her, offering his unique brand of criticism and complement.

So it was 9:30 and we weren’t ready to call it a night so we braved the massive, crushing crowds at the movie theater adjacent to Warmdaddy’s to check out Madea Goes To Jail. After standing in the LONGEST line of my life (I think President Obama’s first year in office passed by!) just to get some drinks and Twizzlers, we scoped out two seats and kicked back. Now, this movie theater was definitely black owned because we initially stood in line for 30 minutes for snacks. Secondly, the movie advertisements didn’t start until almost 11:05 (supposed to be 10:50) and lastly, following the movie (of which most people were talking through), a fight nearly broke out because someone in the back threw an item in the midst of a group of ghetto girls up front. Yeah, you do the math …

(Item Thrown + Crowded Theater) x Ghetto Girls² = I’M A KICK YO A**!!!!

After the movie, we hurried back to our car and made a dash for the apartment. However, we arrived to find someone parked in our assigned space in the lot. So while I was ready to leave the wheels on the street, The Voice decided to hunt down the culprits and draw and quarter them! Nah, he just wanted to get their car towed. So I suggested the Irish bar across the street and lo and behold, he stalked in their to seek and destroy. I half expected the cops to show up a few minutes later but he eventually emerged with the guy who apologized profusely and we obtained our space.

After short make-out session on our way into the apartment, we crashed in bed and I drifted into a peaceful slumber …

… what would my second day in Philly be like?

Long Distance

“There's only so many songs that I can sing to pass the time
And I'm running out of things to do to get you off my mind”

(Long Distance - Brandy: Human)

I'm going through withdrawal.

You see, The Voice travels a lot for business and is scheduled to be away for nearly the entire month of February. While I'm going to visit him at least once, I'm still not 100% on board with this. I know I'm being selfish when I say this but I didn't sign up for a long distance relationship.

Travel is a major factor in any relationship. It's inevitable. For example, my aunt is away from her family a lot due to the nature of her consulting work and I see it with a lot of other couples. Nevertheless, it doesn't make it any easier.

Furthermore, I really freaked out after hearing about the plane crash (January 15th) in New York City. I'm extremely relieved to hear that no one was killed but I did find it exceedingly unnerving when I discovered that it was the same carrier (U.S. Airways) that my boyfriend utilizes.

The Voice and I don't spend much time together. We typically meet up on weekends as he is traveling and/or working Monday through Friday and I'm swamped with school and work likewise. Currently, I'm finding the separation difficult because I have a lot of free time on my hands. I believe that once school begins, I’ll be extremely preoccupied and dwelling less frequently on the situation.

I know that he reads my blog and many of you are going to tell me to grow up and deal with it, but I titled the blog “Beautifully Human” and I admit to my flaws and shortcomings. On that note, I’m going to share that I’m angry with his job, angry with him, angry at myself, angry at the city he’s in, angry at the world – ah hell, I’m just angry! I know that I should be grateful and focus on the positive memories and aspects of our relationship. However, I simply can’t flip a switch and shut off my emotions.

Externally, I remain serene and stoic. I attended a luncheon for Martin Luther King this past Saturday and went to the casino (Foxwoods) with The Divo yet betrayed no trace of emotion. Internally, I’m missing him and deeply upset because he should be by my side. And because I am human, I’m also feeling a bit spiteful. I want to pout sometimes, throw a fit, maybe give him an attitude the likes of which the world has never seen. Nevertheless, I check myself. I’m too mature to go that route ... (continued below video)



Brandy - Long Distance (New) [HQ]
Uploaded by wonderful-life1989


So this week and in subsequent weeks, I’m going to focus on practicing. I’m going to clean up my bedroom. I’m going to catch up on some projects. I’m going back to the gym. I’m going to shop for clothes. I’m going to catch up on all my television shows on DVR. I’m going to plan out my summer internship.

I’m going to find any and everything I need to do because if I sit and concentrate on the separation it’s going to eat me alive. Depression will devour my heart. Anger will consume my mind. I’m going to pray to God to grant me serenity and sanity. Because if I don’t find something to occupy my thoughts, I’m going to throw away the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.

I desired a relationship for so long, and now I’ve got one. It’s not the most ideal relationship but show me one that is! I stated a few posts ago that I was going to work hard cementing this. Nevertheless, emotions simply don’t lie.

I need a little help here:

What ideas can you suggest to help keep my mind off this?
And how do you cope with being away from your significant other for long periods of time?

Exploring China (Pt. 4)

These are some shots from The Divo of the Great Wall in China as well as some of the Ming Dynasty tombs. Enjoy!

Above: The ceiling design in one of the tombs

Exploring China (Pt. 3)

Well, it's been a few days since I updated the whereabouts of The Divo in China so here's the latest. He stopped in Xi'an, the capital city of the Shaanxi province, viewed the Terracotta Army and The Temple of Heaven. Then he proceeded to Beijing where he visited the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Sorry for the excessive use of hyperlinks but I just wanted to make it easy in case anyone didn't know where or what each pic was about ... enjoy!

Above: Chairman Mao's picture at the Tiananmen Square entrance to the Forbidden City

Above: The Throne Room in the Forbidden City

Above: The Imperial Gardens in the Forbidden City

Above: View of Beijing from Summer Palace

Above: Marble boat (really made of wood) inside Summer Palace

Above: Temple of Heaven

Above: Inside the Temple of Heaven

Above: More of the Temple of Heaven

Exploring China (Pt. 2)

These are pics from the town of Zhouzhuang, which is about an hour and a half from Shanghai (in the Jiangsu province) and a major tourist destination. It has been called the "Venice of the East."

Exploring China (Pt. 1)

My friend, The Divo, has made it to China and e-mailed me some nice photos of his trip thus far. Seems the first stop is in Shanghai, which is on the northeast coast of China next to the East China Sea. To learn more about Shanghai, you can click here:

(Above): The Oriental Pearl Tower amidst the Pudong district skyline.

(Above): Nanjing Road, a popular shopping district in Shanghai, has many neon lights and advertisements like Times Square, NYC.

(Above): The Shanghai Museum.

(Above): I'm not quite sure where this is (I'll have to ask him when I e-mail him back); kinda looks like a courtyard in a temple or a museum.

(Above): A countdown to Expo 2010

(Above): Another shot of Nanjing Road at night.