Wang Chung Tonight

My new friend Lila invited me to see Xiayin Wang, a prize winning pianist, last night at the Phil.

. “The refinement and understated beauty of Wang’s playing is of a loveliness to draw tears from a sensitive listener,” noted the American Record Guide.  

 While I wasn’t exactly tearing up – it was an interesting event to be at. Basically it’s just Wang and a piano for 2 hours. There is nothing really interesting to look at or do. I kept scanning the crowd wondering what everyone else in the audience was thinking while listening to the music. The couple in front of us kept looking at each other nodding. I wondered if they were nodding in approval, nodding to stay awake, or nodding to a secret conversation I couldn’t hear.

The concert wasn’t exactly my scene (or Lila’s- I’m guessing) so we quickly returned to our roots and had a beer and nachos at the Ale House after the performance.

Some like it hot

Who would have thought that someone could take something I love so much and completely ruin it? Last week my friend asked me if I would take a class with her- and since I am now a “yes man” I accepted her invitation. For those who do not know- Bikram Yoga, also called hot yoga, is a type of yoga that is 90 minutes long and is preformed in a studio with a temperature of 105 degrees.


I‘ve been doing hatha yoga for about two years now - I walked into the studio ready to impress. Within the first 15 minutes I was ready to bolt. 20 minutes in and I was ready to pass out, throw up or both. The first thing they tell you is “no matter how you feel- never leave the studio” so instead of flying out the door ripping off my clothes, I obeyed and just laid there for the second half of the class. It wasn’t until the last 10 minutes of class that I even attempted to try the poses again. Finally the 90 minutes were over. I had survived. I think the heat must have gotten to head because for a brief second I thought “I should really try this again so that I am challenging myself with my workouts.” I immediately came to my senses and vowed to never take a Bikram class again. I’ll stick to my yoga classes- inside- with the AC on.

(notice the ruby red face and my enthusiasm for water)

Quest for Kids

Going along with my New Year’s resolution of becoming a “yes (wo)Man” , I got my ass up at 8:00am to volunteer on Saturday. While getting ready, I did what I always do when I am about to do something I don’t want to- I listed reasons in my head why I couldn’t go:

I’m running late, I have nothing to wear, I have (fill in the blank) to do instead ...

Realizing that just saying “yes” doesn’t fulfill my goal- that follow-through is also necessary - I resisted the excuses and volunteered.

I worked with an organization called Quest for Kids- they help students prepare for college. My job as one of the volunteers was to work with a group on a business plan and teach them about what is involved with owning/starting a business.

I was beyond impressed with my group- how quickly they caught on, their ideas, and their presentation. What was even more impressive was their commitment to having a bright future. Their group meets once a month always on Saturdays and always at 8:00am with most of their sessions consisting of vocabulary lessons and other SAT prep work. I felt bad for having so many excuses not to go when all of them were so very driven.

I honestly had a great time teaching them about business and I resisted the urge to spout off any and all advice I had about high school and college (ie- date as many people as possible, take out loans, join a sorority, yadda, yadda, yadda)

So… my first YES experience was really good. I’m glad I did it. I hope all of my future yes’s prove to be as positive.