There is Light

Hello, friends. I hope you are all doing okay. As I write this pre-election, thinking about what tomorrow holds, all I can think to say is that I sincerely hope you are okay. There’s a weird energy on campus today; and we’re right at that peak of time when the sensory overload is exhausting and everything feels surreal. There is light, though, I promise. And I’m here to talk to you about it. The first order of business being “MOONLIGHT.” Did you know that there is a indie movie theater in the Old City called Ritz East? I’m planning to go back to see Nocturnal Animals, which you should look up the trailer for — it’s coming out soon and it’s directed by Tom Ford! Moonlight is absolutely stunning in every aspect. Treat yourself. This isn’t a movie review, but I’m just here to tell you that, if you think it might be something you are interested in, it is worth it a hundred times. It was breathtaking and heartbreaking, yet it didn’t leave you feeling empty as some movies tend to do. I don’t remember the last time a movie left me with this kind of excited awe.
I also had the opportunity to go to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see its current exhibit, which is open through Jan. 8th— Paint The Revolution: Mexican Modernism, 1910-1950. It was my first time seeing Frida Kahlo paintings in person, and it was wonderful (also, if you haven’t watched “Frida” (2002) yet, it’s on Netflix). I could’ve lost myself all day amongst so many striking works of art embedded in the social fabric of change. I was yelled at by a security guard for getting too close to a painting because I was fascinated by the detail that went into the colour gradient on a woman in a painting. There is an entire colourful gift store specifically for this exhibit, which I grudgingly left with plans to return before actually leaving the museum (which didn’t happen because, even though the people in the store said they were still open after the galleries closed, we got kicked out when I went downstairs to get my wallet. I’m still salty).
After leaving the Mexican Modernism exhibit, we made our way upstairs to the New South Asian Galleries — through rooms within rooms, with walls draped in Persian carpets and decorated with Persian tiles. I never realized how huge this museum is, and the curation in the New South Asian Galleries is truly impressive. When they kick you out of the museum at 5 o’clock, you should go out the back entrance where there is a little walkway and two gazebo-type structures that overlook the water. The light will be golden. Perfect for impromptu photoshoots. Go sit on the benches and revel as the sunlight turns you to gold. Look at the sky. Take pictures. Talk about everything or nothing. Figure out the spaces where you find your clarity, and seek those spaces out again and again. They will keep your soul happy and your mind at ease, and that’s so, so important. Especially now.