Philadelphia, Je t'aime

I love Philadelphia for many reasons. Some of them being (in no particular order):

a) It's highly accessible on foot and has allowed me to continue my procrastination to learn driving.
b) Murals.
c) Wilma Theatre.
d) Opportunity. This city taught me independence like no other.
e) Diversity. And I mean it. There are literally all kinds of people here.
f) Philly Diner.
g) Pretzel Run.
h) Kelly Drive.
j) Ten Thousand Villages.
k) The Rebecca Davis Dance Company.
l) Rittenhouse Square.
m) The Electric Factory.
n) Restaurant Week.
o) First Fridays.

And the last is not the least. For those of you who don't know, First Friday is a cultural event of Philadelphia where on the first Friday of every month, many galleries and museums in Old City are free to the public from about 5 p.m. onwards until 9 p.m. Many many students (since, well, only either students or very rich, or very poor really live in Philadelphia) crowd Old city on such Friday evenings. Talking, exploring, eating, drinking and bumping into old friends and enemies etc. My favorite part about First Fridays are the random artists you meet on the street and the tremendous opportunity to rediscover art that lies within that. In the past, I've met many painters displaying their amateur yet fresh ideas on the pavement, and persevering musicians serenading the pedestrians with their compositions. It's kind of like the culture of street performers in New York City, only more shy and laid-back.

Once, I met a jazz artist selling CDs of his music. He gave me a free copy when I told him I had no cash, but that I'd make up for it by giving the CD to the shelves of Drexel's radio station. I don't really know how often he was able to tune-in to listen to his music being broadcasted, but the fact that he sent me off with the satisfaction and good will of knowing that I would do just what I had promised...It truly made my day.

Recently, I met a photographer who chose to build a House of Cards on canvas and wood. Kevin and I just went up to ask him what that House of Cards was made of and he immediately asked me what part of India I was from. I was Awestruck. Not because he could tell that I was India right away, but because he could tell by the way I talked and not from the color of my skin. The conversation continued to what I did, to his travels in India, his 6-week stint in Pune as a sanyasi, to his work. "Scientists are like artists too. Scientists put facts together. Artists put different kinds of facts together," he told me. It was unforgettable because when we walked away from that man, we had left with one the most profound things we'd heard in our lives.

"Don't go looking for the meaning of life. Give it meaning."

Whenever you walk the streets of Philadelphia, don't just go looking for adventure. Look for stories.