Happy 2022!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🎉

I am excited for 2022 and what the new year will bring! I hope everyone has an amazing 2022!

Fun Fact: These are the actual numbers displayed with the NYE ball in Times Square!

My New Year Resolutions this year are:

  • Reconnect & keep in better touch with friends and acquaintances

  • Take risks - keep an open mind when it comes to trying new things

  • No Regrets - don’t hold back!

  • Be true to myself

What are your resolutions for 2022?

As Macklemore said in his new song, which is also going to be my anthem for 2022,

“Next year’s gonna be better than last year!”

2021 was a tough year, but rather than viewing all the tragedy & hardships as problems, let’s look for the silver linings & turn them into opportunities! ✨ Where there are endings there are new beginnings!

Cheers to 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣! 🥂

Taste of Times Square 2019

The Times Square Alliance hosted their annual Taste of Times Square featuring many restaurants in the area. Check out some of my favorites!

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Toloache

  • Tacos al Pastor

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Blue Fin

  • Sushi Donut - Salmon Sushi

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Fashion Bar & Restaurant

  • Spanish Omelette

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Bond 45

  • Nonna's Short Rib Meatballs

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Planet Hollywood

  • Banana Foster Cheesecake

Wafels & Dinges

  • Mini Wafelini

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Junior’s

  • Blueberry Cheesecake

La Rivage

  • Bread Pudding with Vanilla and Raspberry Sauce

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New York International Auto Show 2019

The 2019 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) has made it’s way to New York City at the Jacob Javits Center April 19 to April 28.

This year’s NYIAS will not let you down, featuring ton of new models and tons to see and do! Check out some of the upcoming models!

Some new models at the 2019 NYIAS include:

  • Jeep Gladiator

  • Toyota Supra

  • Jaguar XE

  • Audi Q8

  • Porsche 911

  • Mercedes-Benz GLD

  • Kia Telluride

My favorite new car of the show as the Karlmann King! This GINORMOUS SUV, looks like a high tech military vehicle on the outside, but a party bus on the inside!

With the Karlmann King

With the Karlmann King

Inside of the Karlmann King

Inside of the Karlmann King

I was able test drive the Jeep Rubicon (as a passenger) around a very rigorous course. Check out my video here: https://youtu.be/tj8uQizP09M

For more information about the NY International Auto Show, please visit: https://www.autoshowny.com/

What Goes Into A Photo Shoot?

I had the pleasure of shooting with photographer Nephi Lim, hair stylist Jon Chao & makeup artist Alani Rasheed in Bushwick (Brooklyn, NYC).  Nephi had the brilliant idea of creating dual persona for me, starting with an innocent, sweet girl persona turning into a dark, goth persona.  The team did a fantastic job making this happen!  

Photo Shoot Team (L-R): Elizabeth Tam, Alani Rasheed, Nephi Lim, Jon Chao

Photo shoots serve many purposes, one of which is a way to be creative and express yourself.  Photo shoots may seem glamorous, with the wind blowing in the model's hair and the flashes shooting; however there is a lot of work that goes into getting the perfect shot.  From the preparation (styling your hair, getting your makeup done and finding the right outfit) to the actual shoot (working on those poses/expressions and snapping the right angles) you are looking at a few hours of work, not to mention the photo editing afterwards.

This shoot was by no means a quick shoot, we had started around 7 PM and shot until 1 AM, but definitely worth it - check out the final product below.

For the first look we went with a sweet, innocent look.  We kept the makeup and hair minimal, not to seem too glamorous.

For the second look we went with a dark, goth look.  We used dark, heavy makeup and gave the hair more volume and scruff. 

Nephi & Lani used their creativity to take this look to the next level - check it out!

Let me know your thoughts on the photos, concept or photo shoots and modelling in the comments section!

 

Photo Credits:
Photographer: Nephi Lim
Makeup: Alani Rasheed
Hair: Jon Chao

Accidental Blind Date

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Never thought the words "accidental blind date" would come across my mouth, but at the same time, this would only happen to me... thank you online dating.  

Here's the rather amusing story:

I was meeting with my friend for dinner to catch up at Bea in Hell's Kitchen.  My friend had already arrived by the time I got there, so I told the hostess that I was meeting my friend Jayme, who had made a reservation.  She seems confused, but then points me in the direction of a random man, clearly not my female friend...

The man walks over and says "Patricia?"   I tell him, I am not her.  He continues, "You do not look like the woman in the pictures..."  Despite this, it definitely crossed his mind that I could have been his date for the night - LOL!

We turn to the hostess, clearly not who we both had intended to meet with, and let her know.  After a few more minutes of awkwardly waiting, the hostess finally brought me to meet my friend.

As my friend and I are exiting the restaurant, I see the man with his date, who happens to be Asian, like myself :P  I will say it looked like they had hit it off, despite the mix up.  Congrats to him - lets hope he can spot her out in a crowd for their next date!

Thank you to the hostess for trying to to set me up on an accidental blind date!  

The Art of the Chinese New Year Lion Dance

This past weekend, Chinese New Year was celebrated in Chinatown. One of my favorite parts of the parade is all of the lion dances! 

Lion dances are fun to watch, but what do they symbolize?

What is the lion dance?

The lion dance is a traditional Chinese dance, in which performers wear a lion costume and perform a dance to mimic a lion's movements.  The dance is accompanied by soudns of Chinese cymbals and drums. The lion dance is typically performed around the Lunar New Year to chase away evil spirits away and bring good luck and fortune. 

You can typically find lions performing the lion dance for businesses days following New Years.  The lions will go down the street and stop to perform at any store that will have them.  As part of the traditional dance, the lions will reach for a head of lettuce place upon a pole and tied to a red envelope. The lion will then grab the head of lettuce and spit out the lettuce, the red envelope will be a reward for the performers as they are bringing luck with their dances. 

The lion is a symbol of power, courage, wisdom and good fortune.  The lion costume consists of two performers, one for the head and one behind.  This may seem easy to maneuver, however it is quite the opposite as it requires a lot of coordination. The dances have a lot of movement, dancing, jumping on stools and even on type ropes and pure acrobatics sometimes. 

This Chinese New Year, I was fortunate enough to see a full performance and even get to pet and take a photo with a lion!

Chinese New Year Lion