This past weekend I saw paintings by the painters who - during the late 1800s - were considered "painters of mere impressions;"  the impressionists. The Philadelphia Museum of Art's special exhibition is Discovering the Impressionists. Philadelphia is the only US venue for the exhibition. I went with my mom and Holly - yay Holly for being awesome and having an art membership. The exhibition features the art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel who saw promise in the impressionist style and supported artists including Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cassatt, and Pissaro. It was fascinating to learn of the criticisms that the impressionists and Durand-Ruel encountered and how the impressionists gaining international fame. 

Following our visit to the Impressionist Exhibit at the Museum of Art, we returned to my dorm -  the Philly IHouse -  to take part in the IHouse Celebration of Eid. IHouse hosts a Feast of Eid which is open to residents, guests, and the public. At the feast, I learned about Eid and listened to stories from some of the Muslim IHouse residents. Eid marks the end of Ramadan which is the Islamic holy month of fasting. 

Following Eid, I met up with Christina and other PennApps fellows and we took a nice stroll down Locust Walk. It was pretty to see my lab lit up. 

On Sunday, I returned to the Philadelphia Museum of Art with Christina, Shalini, and Alice. The passes mom, Holly, and I had used on Saturday were good for next day general admission to the museum - wohooo. 

I am very excited to research in the lab this week. A miracle occurred and the WS2 flakes finally came! They are so beautiful (wipes tear of joy).