Ice Cream Arts

Yesterday was my Ice Cream Arts event at the Children's Museum of the Arts (CMA). I did a demo on how to make homemade ice cream and did a reading of my book Saturdays in Chinatown. The event was a huge success and everyone was amazed at the turnout.

We made ice cream together in Ziploc bags. You need milk, sugar, and vanilla in one bag sealed.  Then you put that bag into another larger bag filled with ice and salt.  Then we shake everything together.  The ice freezes the product while the shaking is incorporating air which is the largest ingredient in ice cream.  In a nutshell...its a whole bunch of fun for kids because they like shaking things and making a mess.  In the end they also come out with a finished product that they can eat. Whew...after all that work the kids deserved a good story to listen to while eating the fruits of their labor. Good times. =) Although it was lots of fun; I am glad it's over. Over 130 children came to the event and that can be overwhelming!


For those of you that don't know about the CMA, it's a great museum that lies just on the border of Chinatown and Soho.  It's a great place for kids to do a variety of art projects.  I secretly wanted to stay later so I could paint and make my own princess hat...  Unfortunately when you're an adult it's unacceptable to wear things like that in public unless its Halloween. =X

Oh well... Halloween is next month!
For more information, you can visit www.cmany.org

Gemworks

So I was wondering around Chinatown with my buddy Athena trying to find things for AWIB's silent auction....

Then we came across this super cute place on Lafayette street called Gemworks. This shop specializes in crystals and stones. Chinese are big lovers of gems like these which are believed to bring certain good things like luck, love, energy, and tranquility into your life. (I think I need to buy some of these crystals! =) )


Their speciality item are these beautiful crystal trees that sit on an amethyst geode. They are absolutely breathtaking!

What's great about this place is that they have something for everyone's budget. You can get some beautiful for just a few dollars. On the other hand, if you wanted something very expensive and ornate for your home, could spend a small fortune.

I definitely have to go back and find out her recommendation for what kind of crystals I need in my life. Check it out!

GEMWORKS
138 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10013
(212) 219-8391

A Week In Review

Looking back in the past week, there was a lot going on in Chinatown!

Last Thursday, The Chinese Planning Council (CPC) on Division Street had their Chinese Cultural Performance to mark the end of summer. The kids were so talented and so adorable! The performances ranged from lion dancing to hip hop. For a summer camp performance, they reallly knew how to entertain an audience!


Then after running back from the CPC performance, I had a radio interview with BBC's Peter Franklin. His radio show is based in NYC but is broadcasted internationally. Peter interviews cool people that he's met during his time in NYC. People that he's interviewed besides me, include Sarah Molton and Scott Stringer. I'm flattered that he took the time out to talk to me about CICF and the Chinatown community. Peter's a real riot and he cracks a lot of jokes. He's very fun and entertaining. You can listen to interviews at http://www.gabbyattic.com/bbc . Keep an hear open for my interview coming up in the next month.

I also went around Chinatown, soliciting items for Asian Women in Business' silent auction. Their gala is coming up and I'm part of their benefit committee. It was a good experience because I got to meet and talk to a lot of the people in our community that I might not have ordinarily have met. I was touched by the generosity of many members in our community. Also had haphazardly stumbled upon a lot of very cool stores!

And to end this blog entry...this week we also have DURIAN ice cream in the house! I know a lot of people were waiting for it to return!




Mei Lai Wah Reopens!

I believe that yesterday was the first day of the reopening of the long standing bakery, Mei Lai Wah. For a couple of months now they have been closed. They left many of us wondering if they would ever come back.

Yesterday a woman came into my store and only asked for half a scoop of ice cream. I told her that the smallest size that we offered was one scoop. She said that she would pay for the whole thing but she just couldn't eat anymore. Before coming in for ice cream cone, she had just scarfed down 4 bows from Mei Lai Wah! She was a skinny chick and that is way too many bows for her own good. I guess she was really excited about it reopening!

I haven't yet been inside myself. I'm wondering if it's the same owners. If it's not...it's really just not the same business. The old men who ran the business for many years were really the heart and soul of the business. I always get the langlui (pretty girl) discount. It's something like 15 cents off of my 60 cents pork buns or coffee. Hahaa...those old men are always a riot!