【40】Walk to places, shop at Goodwill @ Sou side via Oakland

You may know that Pittsburgh is a bicycle friendly city. But don't overlook that it’s also a walk friendly city. With my superficial impression, it seems that most Americans don’t like to walk, they prefer their cars to do the job for them. So international folks like me probably have  a better chance to discover the walking friendly aspect of the city. However, this doesn’t mean that we internationals don’t mind the federal immigration department having made the decision to move current two immigration facilities--downtown bio metric center of Citizen and Immigration Services as well as Southside Homeland Security Department--to east outskirts of Pittsburgh, Wilkins township, in 2015.  That’s too far a walk on highways!

October 20th, 2013, a week after I finished the thought-provoking masterpiece from Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, I was recovering from the mental turmoil and spiritual crusade very much triggered by the book and many life incidences at that particular time. So I decided to take a walk.

Walked on the Blvd of the Allies, turned left onto Bates street, continued left onto Second Avenue, turned right crossing the Hot Metal  Bridge, walked on the Hot metal street, and made a right turn to East Carson street. Within half an hour, I moved from Oakland to a super Goodwill store in South side, on foot.

Picked up several books at a great bargain price and then found some new or semi-new brand apparels in the store. Checked out with great satisfaction. While, thrift store shopping can be very fulfilling when disposable money is limited, because your options wouldn’t be that constrained and as long as you have good eyes, tastes, and don’t lose control of keeping up certain standard, you often would get great deals. Alas, I admit that I am a Chinese hagler who likes such deals that would not harm anyone.  

It’s a great experience walking to places and shop at Goodwill. As I was walking out of the store, I got the email from Nadya Kessler about the Worldquest Trivia Competition, which I later attended and triggered my impulsion to start this blog.

See…..when you walk, you can be so healthy, happy, and lucky sometime. I am grateful for our city that enables this to happen.   

Beer winning trivia @ Hot metal bridge, East Carson street, Goodwill

1. The Hot Metal Bridge is a truss bridge that crosses the Mon River The bridge consists of two parallel spans on a single set of piers: the former Monongahela Connecting Railroad Bridge built in 1887, on the upstream side and the former Hot Metal Bridge, built in 1900, on the downstream side. The upstream span was converted to road use in 2000, connecting 2nd Avenue near South Oakland with Hot Metal Street in the South Side. The downstream span reopened for pedestrian and bicycle use in late 2007 after two years of work. The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation was responsible for managing the decorative lighting project for the bridge on June 12, 2008.

2. 19th century: Kaufmann's Department Store started at 1918 East Carson Street in 1871. It soon moved to 1932 East Carson Street. There is a plaque at 2005 Sarah Street noting the South Side origins of the famous Pittsburgh department store. Kaufmann's relocated in 1875 to Federal Street on the North Side, and finally settled downtown in 1879, at Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street.

20th century: Senator John F. Kennedy came to Carson Street on October 10, 1960 when he was campaigning for president. 2006 East Carson Street is listed on the Historic American Buildings Survey. There’s an anecdote that says one man would come every other week, driving a horse and buggy. He would yell: "Rags and old irons." Children were not fond of him because he smelled and scared everyone.

21st century: During summer weekends in 2005, a Carson Street shuttle transported a total of 7,300 people back and forth between South Side Works, the historic East Carson Street District, and Station Square.  

3.Goodwill Industries International Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for people who have disabilities. In addition, Goodwill Industries may hire Veterans, individuals that lack education or job experience, or face employment challenges. Goodwill is funded by a massive network of retail thrift stores which operate as nonprofits as well.

It’s founded in 1902 by Edgar J. Helms of Morgan Methodist Chapel in Boston, Massachusetts as a mission of his ministry. In 2011, all Goodwills collectively earned more than $4 billion, and used 82 percent of that revenue to provide employment, training and supportive services to more than 4.2 million individuals. Goodwill's logo, a stylized letter “g”, resembles a smiling face. It was designed by Joseph Selame in 1968.

Under a franchise-like agreement with Goodwill Industries International, Goodwill Southwestern Pennsylvania (SWPA) serves eight counties, namely Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland, and nine counties in north central West Virginia, including Barbour, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor and Upshur.  With over 1,000 employees and annual revenues of nearly $50 million, Goodwill ranks as one of the largest Goodwill organizations in the U.S. As of July 14, 2013, Goodwill SWPA is no longer able to accept donations of TVs.

The first Goodwill workshop in Pittsburgh opened in the Strip District in 1919. Goodwill SWPA moved in 1967 to the South Side. In 2010. Goodwill moved its workforce development center to Lawrenceville. My office today locates in Lawrenceville, a couple of blocks away from the center. Frank serves as a board member in Goodwill SWPA.

Your ID @ Goodwill

Can you still donate TVs to Goodwill SWPA network stores?

【39】The happiest and most colorful 5K in the world @ Pittsburgh

From the very beginning of human life, we run first for worrying about our own life, then we run for caring for other people’s life, and then we run for fun, for healthful living, for raising awareness of some great courses in humankind.  Nevertheless, we have always been running for a purpose.   

Never really a consistent runner, but on the 11th of October, I found myself helping out with the most colorful and happiest 5K running campaign in the World, right here in Pittsburgh. I was so energized by those runners who were getting ready for the event. Some of them were local Pittsburghers, some from elsewhere but have lived in the city for a while, and some drive from outside of Pittsburgh to participate in this event. Regardless of where they come from, they choose to enjoy a day of fun and color in Pittsburgh. That’s something very special. Although I was not present during the actual running day, I felt the spirits and plan to potentially do it next year.

On the day of registration at Marriott, on the Waterfront, I even encountered Hollie Kawecki from Deloitte, whom I had a chance to make an acquaintance during a Deloitte case challenge back in my student life at CMU's Heinz College. As I've mentioned many times already, that you pretty much can bump into anybody during an unexpected occasion as long as you stay here and really live a full life. This is part of Pittsburgh’s charm. And I am certain this topic will pop out again.  

Beer winning trivia @ Color Run, Waterfront

1. The Color Run is an event series and 5 km paint race that takes place in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The untimed event has no winners or prizes, but runners are showered with colored powder at stations along the run. It is owned and operated by The Color Run LLC, a for-profit company.  The color run would partner with a national or local Charitable organization at each event. After the event, the company donates a portion of its revenue, ranging from 2-10% of total proceeds, to the highlighted charity for each event.

The Color Run was founded by Utah native and event producer Travis Snyder, in an effort to encourage professionals and novices to run together for fun. Its first event took place in January 2012 in Phoenix Arizona with 6,000 participants. In 2012, The Color Run held events in over 50 North American cities, with a total of more than 600,000 participants. It has therefore become the largest five-kilometer event series in the United States. In 2013, events will be held in over 130 cities in the United States, South America, Europe and Australia. In February 2013, IMG Worldwide, a global sports and media business headquartered in New York City, announced a multi-year partnership with The Color Run, LLC, with plans to expand the event series into dozens of countries in Europe and Asia.  

2. The Waterfront is a super-regional open air shopping mall spanning the three boroughs of Homestead, West Homestead, & Munhall near Pittsburgh. The shopping mall sits on land once occupied by U.S. Steel’s Homestead Steel Works plant, which closed in 1987. It has a gross leasable area of 700,000 square feet (65,000 m2) in "The Waterfront" and 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2) in "The Town Center." The development officially opened in 1999. As you approach the complex, you would notice 12  open hearth stacks from the old Steel Works left to pay homage to the complex's former use as a steel mill.

Your ID @ 5K Color Run

Is there a walking lane during 5K Color Run? How many people attended 2013 Color Run in Pittsburgh? was it about 6000 or 3000?

【38】Get ear piercing and stop being boring @ Hot Rod Body Piercing Co., Oakland

For every girl, there is a dream for being beautiful and gorgeous. So we often find ourselves in many places such as shopping mall, hair salon, beauty parlors, and etc. Not being eccentric on purpose, but I just don’t like shopping, don’t care much about my hairdo, and don’t have enough disposable money yet for myriad body works. So my life of being a woman seems, at times, to be extremely boring.

Well, that’s technically not true. I work on a meaningful job and always have a few interesting side projects, I socialize with others on substantive issues, I read, write, cook, take walks in Schenley Park, and go to a body piercing store! How does that last one sound?

Yeah, finally after all those 20 some years consciously believing that taking care of my body, hair, and skin is a way of respecting and worshiping my parents, I consulted with them about the idea of having my ears pierced. They said “Go ahead.”, so off I went immediately to the great Hot Rod Body Piercing Co. in Oakland, that was recommended by many people, on the ninth of October 2013, with +Rachel Szewczyk and two other girl friends of hers.

In Math, we learned that if A=B, B=C, then A=C. In reality, it seems to be true as well. Your friends’ friends are your friends too. At least at that day, I felt such a great bond with the three girls, among which two of them I met for the first time. We all, except the Rachel in pink shirt, did some piercing work. The artist was kind enough to allow me to take some pictures documenting that important day of my life of being a woman who is actually not completely boring.  

Beer winning trivia @ Ear Piercing

1. Ear piercing has been practiced all over the world since ancient times. There is considerable written and archaeological evidence of the practice. Mummified bodies with pierced ears have been discovered, including the oldest mummified body discovered to date, the 5,300 year-old Ötzi the Iceman, which was found in a glacier in Austria. This mummy had an ear piercing 7–11 mm (1 to 000 gauge in American wire gauge) diameter. The oldest  earrings found in a grave date to 2500 BCE. These were located in the Sumerian city of Ur. home of the Biblical patriarch Abraham. Earrings are mentioned in the Bible.

According to The Anatomies of Abuses by Philip Stubbs (c. 1555 – c. 1610), an English pamphleteer who was educated at Cambridge and subsequently at Oxford, but did not take a degree and his name is not in university records, that earrings were even more common among men of the 16th century than women, while it was  in 1577 confirms the practice among "lusty courtiers" and "gentlemen of courage.” Evidently originating in Spain, the practice of ear piercing among European men spread to the court of Henry III of France and then to Elizabethan era England, where earrings (typically worn in one ear only) were sported by such notables as Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raleign and Charles I of England.  Common men wore earrings too.

From the European Middle Ages, a superstitious belief that piercing one ear improved long-distance vision led to the practice among sailors and explorers. Sailors also pierced their ears in the belief that their earrings could pay for a Christian burial if their bodies washed up on shore.

Your ID @ Hot Rod Body Piercing Co.

1. Where does Hot Rod Body Piercing Co locate in Oakland?

【37】A shallow glimpse of the rich CBD @ Downtown

Several random pictures that were taken while walking pass downtown wouldn’t be nearly sufficient to tell you my experience at Downtown Pittsburgh. In part, it’s because I haven’t had that many chances to stay in its proximity on a daily and regular base, more importantly It’s because I am just not here long enough to tell anything about downtown that you haven’t heard of that’s significant. It’s the culture, and economic center of the city. People like to be at the center and they often have good eyes too. Dare I not to shallow the rich CBD of Pittsburgh.

Should you have watched the WQED film made by Rick Sebak, you shall have had a taste of all those grand and intriguing stories behind those magnificent buildings from the old time. If you are following Mr. Bill Flanagan on his TV program Our Region’s Business as well as Allegheny Conference on Community Development (ACCD)’s newsletter, you shall also know how vibrantly Pittsburgh has been doing even during the most difficult economic depression that started back in 2007. Whether or not, you are a fan of Great Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership, you just know many nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies in those office buildings are making good decisions for our city everyday. You know, because you believe. You believe, because you want to believe.

I am a believer of Pittsburgh. I know I will write more posts on this rich topic as I accumulate new experiences in those splendid downtown facilities. So, “Meet me under the Kaufmann’s Clock” and let’s begin the forthcoming downtown experience!

Beer winning trivia @ Kaufmann's Clock, Downtown

1. Kaufmann's was founded in Pittsburgh in 1871 by Jacob and Isaac Kaufmann as a small  South Side men's store.  In 1877, the brothers moved downtown to a location that became known as The Big Store.  In the first half of the 20th century, the store was owned by Edgar J. Kaufmann. Kaufmann's flagship "The Big Store" has had a large landmark outdoor clock on the corner of Fifth Avenue at Smithfield Street since the buildings construction. The original clock which was installed in 1887 was a large free standing four faced clock. It immediately became a popular downtown meeting place, with the often-used phrase "Meet me under Kaufmann's clock."

With the expansion of the store in 1913, the current clock was installed. The clock is a Pittsburgh icon, and is often featured in visual materials representing and marketing the city. Both the Kaufmann's flagship building and the clock are designated as Pittsburgh Historical Landmarks.  Upon announcing the 2006 retirement of the Kaufmann's name and the downtown store being rebranded as Macy's, the store gave out tote bags printed with the Clock's image and its phrase "Meet me under the Kaufmann's clock" to honor the store's 135-year history. Also in 2006, USA Today ran an article about the regional chains being merged into Macy's, and the piece featured memories from Pittsburghers about the store and the clock.

In 2013 the Kaufmann's Clock celebrated its 100th Anniversary, to celebrate Macy's redecorated the store's windows along Smithfield Street with photos of the iconic clock from over the years, one held the results of a contest held by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in which readers submitted their best memories of "Meeting Under Kaufmann's Clock". Macy's also held a weekend of festivities including a block party on Smithfield Street in front of the store.


My current mentor and colleague Mr. Michael Matesic actually had two anecdotes about the clock as well. His parents' second date was started from Meeting each other Under the Kaufmann's Clock. His wife's story about feeling the babe due while she was under the clock and giving birth to their daughter in the proximity of the Clock was captured in an article titled "Their Last Christmas"by Wall Street Journal in 2005 during the memorial event held that Christmas for the Kaufmman's was purchased by Macy's. Mike was kinda "resentful" about the fact that he hasn't been reported by Wall Street Journal as a seasoned businessman, yet his beloved wife, who is not a businesswoman, got her name and interesting story printed on Wall Street Journal and was circulated all over the global. Interesting, isn't it? Life has its own way of plotting an intriguing episode at each step we take. For this, I am hopeful and motivated to see more about our City, and to explore more about my life here in this wonderful place and well beyond. :)

Your ID @ Downtown

1. What are those notable architectures you can ID in those pictures above ?

【36】Strut your tattoo proudly @David L. Lawrence Convention Center

10 days after starting my service year position as an Americorps VISTA working in HandsOn Tech program, I found myself seeking advice in Frank’s office on 500 Grant street. I have always been an enthusiastic student to take on many ideas and responsibilities, I want to do the same in my career. However, this is the first time I actually work full-time, let alone in an environment that I only had two years of experience and understanding. So just to be sure that I am doing the “right” thing to blend in my work environment while becoming a better professional, Frank naturally becomes my advisor as I mentioned already in a previous post Internship and beyond that he is a guardian.

So I popped in his office and had a constructive conversation with him. Towards the end of the meeting, he shared some information about a Tattoo convention that was taking place in David Lawrence, Convention Center, couple blocks away. I was very much intrigued and asked whether I could go or not. He was too nice to reject my proposal. So off we went together to the convention.

They are artists! All those tattoo works, along with the way they were presented, are just different forms of art. Not more and not less. Just like music, some people may like classic, while others like country or rock. Although I am not a big fan of "Ink art" and remain conservative about tattoos due to my traditional Chinese upbringing, I found myself admire the artists’ intricate tattoo designs, passionate nature about what they do, and the amiable characters that may be camouflaged under their flamboyant tattoos that might be sometime perceived as scary.

Talked to several artists. Except for a few local artists, the majority were from all over the country. Without compensations, they used their own money and invested their own time to travel hundreds of miles to Pittsburgh so that they could be present at this event and show visitors what they have to offer and to meet other like-minded people. When they were asked about their experience in Pittsburgh, they seemed to be satisfied about our city and what it offers, and promised would visit some sights after finishing their exhibit at the convention before they headed back.

Beer winning trivia @ Tattoo, David L. Lawrence Convention Center

1. The modern revival in tattooing stems from the voyage of British explorer Captain James Cook in the late 1700s. However, tattooing has been practiced for centuries in many cultures and spread throughout the world. The Ainu, an indigenous people of  Japan, traditionally had facial tattoos, as did the Australians. Today, one can find Atayal, Seediq, Truku, and Saisiyat of Taiwan, Berbers of Tamazgha (North Africa), Yoruba, Fulani and Hausa people of Nigeria, and Māori of New Zealand with facial tattoos. Tattooing was popular among certain ethnic groups in southern China, Polynesia, Africa, Borneo, Cambodia, Europe, Japan, the Mentawai Island, MesoAmerica,  New Zealand, North America and South America, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

Today, tattoos had negative connotations in historical China, where criminals oftentimes had been marked by tattooing and tattoos have remained a taboo in Chinese society. The Government of Meiji Japan had outlawed tattoos in the 19th century, a prohibition that stood for 70 years before being repealed in 1948. As of June 6, 2012 all new tattoos are forbidden for employees of the city of Osaka. Existing tattoos are required to be covered with proper clothing. The regulations were added to Osaka's ethical codes, and employees with tattoos were encouraged to have them removed. This was done because the strong connection of tattoos with the Yakuza, or Japanese organized crime, after an Osaka official in February 2012 threatened a schoolchild by showing his tattoo.  

Current cultural understandings of tattoos in Europe and North America have been greatly influenced by long-standing stereotypes based on deviant social groups in the 19th and 20th centuries. Particularly in North America tattoos have been associated with stereotypes, folklore, and racism. Not until the 1960s and 1970s did people associate tattoos with such societal outcasts as bikers and prisoners.

2.  The initial David L. Lawrence Convention Center was completed on the site on February 7, 1981, but as part of a renewal plan the new, completely redesigned center was opened in 2003 and funded in conjunction with nearby Heinz Field and PNC Park. It sits on the southern shoreline of the Allegheny River. It is the first LEED-certified convention center in North America and one of the first in the world. It is owned by the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

The convention center was named after  David Leo Lawrence (June 18, 1889 – November 21, 1966). He is also to date the only mayor of Pittsburgh to be elected the 37th Governor of Pennsylvania (1959-1963). He was Pennsylvania's first  Catholic Governor. During his four-year term as governor, he passed anti-discrimination legislation, environmental protection laws, expanded Pennsylvania's library system, passed Pennsylvania's fair housing law, and advocated historic preservation. He also passed vigorous highway safety legislation, a move some attribute to the fact that two of his sons were killed in an automobile accident. His expansion of state bureaucracies came at the price of budget deficits and tax increases, a move that angered many fiscal conservatives.  

Previously, he had been the longest tenured mayor of  Pittsburgh from 1946 through 1959, who was the primary force behind Pittsburgh's urban renewal projects including the Mellon Arena, Gateway Center, Fort Pitt Tunnel and Point State Park. Lawrence fell ill and collapsed at a campaign rally held at Pittsburgh's Syria Mosque for gubernatorial candidate Milton Shapp on November 4, 1966. He died 17 days later having never regained consciousness, at the age of 77. He is buried in Pittsburgh's Calvary Cemetery at 718 Hazelwood Avenue in the Greenfield and Hazelwoods.

Your ID @ Tattoo Convention

1. What’s the name of the Tattoo Convention that was held on September 13th-14th 2013 in Pittsburgh?