Recently a colleague and I were in Chicago for a conference. The plan was to spend a night out on the town after a long work day. Then we found out that there was a Friends marathon on TV that would run into the wee hours of the morning. So instead, we ordered room service, cracked open the mini bar and spent the evening with Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and Joey. I adore the Windy City, but that was an awesome night in. It’s been almost a decade since the popular American sitcom ended, but it still holds a dear place in my heart.
Apparently, the folks in Beijing understand my sentiments. The city, whose majestic natural scenery makes it a popular tourist destination, now has yet one more draw. On the sixth floor of a Beijing apartment building stands a recently constructed replica of the infamous Central Perk, the cafe where many of the scenes unfold on the hit TV show. The Beijing cafe even includes the same orange sofa where customers can sit and, of course, watch reruns of Friends.
While many American TV shows have taken on a new life abroad, Friends, in particular, is popular in Beijing because it portrays a sharp contrast to the often stressful and competitive lifestyle that the young Chinese are accustomed.
“That’s why we like Friends,” says Du Xin who owns the cafe and likens his obsession with the show to a religion. “We’re looking for this kind of life.”
Qiu Yu, a Friends fan who traveled more than 300 miles to visit the Central Perk replica, says what draws him to Friends is the fact that the characters have lives that are their own.
“I think their lives are very free, very happy. They can do whatever they like. For Chinese people, the influence of our families is quite big,” Qiu says. “So we yearn for that lifestyle.”
I totally get where he’s coming from, but the irony is that many Americans lead lives that are very much independent of their families, but that wistful freedom is still non-existent. What Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and especially Joey, bless his heart, are actually free from is the notion of any real responsibility. And that, my friend, is a happiness that we all long for—if only for 30 minutes at a time. Twenty-two without commercial breaks.
Do (did) you watch Friends? Were they truly free? What is your favorite epi? [source]
Holy coconut oil! It’s as if someone read my mind–this is my kind of shopping list.
As you know, I’ve been positively 
Sorry for the long title, but that is the conclusion that I came to after reading this New York Times article, 
From the kiss at midnight to hoping (or arranging) for a tall, dark-haired male to be the first to enter the house, there are many traditions and customs done to step into the new year on the right foot. We Southerners get out our pots and pans and cook up black-eye peas representing health, collard greens for prosperity, and cornbread representing gold or wealth. I usually just simmer a small pot of black-eyes and force my family to have at least at spoonful. This year I remixed things a bit with this recipe for black-eye pea fritters. While I’m not an advocate for fried foods, this is just too good not to share. Enjoy today, hit the gym tomorrow:
Southerners never met a stranger. Case in point—the Marty’s, a nice couple from a small suburb north of Atlanta, came by to check out my old roll-top desk I was selling online. Two hours later the Mister and I were walking them to the front door, finally making plans for them to pick up the desk, and bidding them a good night. During this unexpectedly prolonged but pleasant visit, we learned all about their kids (two boys), their grand kids (two boy and two girls), and their good friend who was left paralyzed after recently being hit head-on by a driver distracted by his cell phone. The Marty’s were very generous in sharing details about their lives, and even more so with their advice:
It is supremely important to one’s health to have a proper 
