Chinae

Body Confident | Entrepreneurial Influencer | Aspiring Millennial Oprah

Photographed by Paula Andrea / @soft_when_ripe

“I wanted to move to New York since I was eight years old. I saw Home Alone 2, and it turns out that the only thing that was truly accurate was the pigeon lady. She exists. Moving here, I was real scrappy. I lived with a 65-year-old man for two and a half years. I look back at that now, and I’m like, what the hell was I doing? I would eat a six-inch Subway sandwich every night in my bed, and still think, New York’s great!”

@chinaealexander

“ If you ask me how do I live in New York, I create structures and routines, and find places to go, so that I become a local. You need these touch points in your day that feel familiar and consistent. I remember when I forgot my wallet at the deli years back, and the deli guy said, ‘Oh, pay me tomorrow.’ I was so excited! Like, I’m finally a New Yorker, I have a deli guy now! I got goosebumps. Silly, but true.”

“One of the most comforting things about New York is that it is a city where you can be alone, and it’s not a mark of shame. For many years, I wanted to be single, I wanted to be on my own, I wanted to work on my own, I wanted to do all these things for myself, and it’s the only city that doesn’t tell you that there’s something wrong with that. So thank you, New York, for making my aloneness not feel like shame.”

“I never set out to build an Instagram following. I just started sharing what I believed in about bodies, fitness, body confidence, and what that means to me. We have such high expectations of ourselves, especially in New York. We want to outperform others. We want to outperform ourselves. That influences how you feel about your body. I think it’s an unrealistic expectation to get up and feel positively about the body every day. You can still have flaws that you recognize, and things that you like or dislike. That’s human. But ultimately, it’s about acceptance of all those things. Now, I have an amazing community of people who deeply engage with me. There are people who tell me their most personal secrets, problems, and joys. And that’s such a gift to me.”

“It’s funny, sometimes I see people recognize me here in New York, like they’ve seen a friend, and then they realize, oh wait, no, I don’t know you! People see me as a friend, like someone they know. If they say, ‘Oh, my God, I wish I was like you,’ or, ‘I wish I had your life,’ I’m like, no, I want you to be more of you! I think the best compliment I’ve gotten recently is a simple message from a dad. He said, ‘I’m a dad of daughters. Thank you.’”

“When I turned 30, I had this moment where I decided that things needed to change. I call it ‘reverse hustle’. I had gotten so caught up in the cult of being busy, and then I realized, I don’t want to be one of those people who always responds to ‘How are you?’ with ‘Oh, it’s so crazy. I’m so busy.’ When did that become cool? I don’t like it.”

“I want to be millennial Oprah essentially. I mean, dare I even compare myself even a little bit to Oprah, because she is an absolute queen. But if I could model myself on anyone who has impacted the world in a unique, cool way that doesn’t feel preachy or prescriptive, it would be her.”

“ New York has this undercurrent of sameness with people. That’s what I like about New York. We’re all walking the same streets, we’re all taking the same subway. The investment banker is sitting next to the guy pooping his pants. There is this beauty in how New York treats you like shit and loves you, equally.”

Q&A

What neighborhood do you live in? Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

Best thing about living there? I love that this neighborhood still feels like old New York. I love walking around on Sunday afternoons, and folks are walking home from church, BBQing in the street, and hanging out on stoops. People gather here.

Favorite neighborhood? I love Ditmas Park to visit. I love seeing the huge historic mansions, and ducking in to small shops, bars, and restaurants there.

Favorite street to stroll? The Barrow/Commerce block near Hudson. It’s this magical little block that feels like a storybook. It’s idyllic New York.

Favorite restaurant? Raoul’s for steaks. Momofuku for the chilled spicy noodles.

Favorite bar? Angel’s Share.

Hidden gem? I love 32nd street, because I’m Korean, and it’s this one block full of my culture. Not only are the restaurants great, but I love dropping in to the Korean grocery to pick up some staples.

How to be(come) a New Yorker? Learn to feel comfortable in the specific loneliness that you experience in a sea of strangers, whilst also finding vitality within a community.

Your New York soundtrack? So Into You by Tamia.

Visit Chinae at home in a 3-minute video: quotedmagazine.com/chinae