feeling a bit nostalgic

wake up. long ass commute to work. work. long ass commute home. pack. gym. pack some more. sleep for a few hours.

repeat.

needless to say i'm a bit exhausted. i'm moving to the city at the end of the year and will be subletting a room for three weeks.

after a hearty 45 minute cardio session at the gym, i decided to treat myself to dinner and stopped to get take-out. as i walked down bedford, passing my laundromat, anna marie's pizza (perfect for a bit after a late night of carousing), the deli where i pick up milk and snapple, i began to feel nostalgic. williamsburg has been a wonderful place to call home for the past year and change and i'm sad to say goodbye to her.

from the first moment i laid eyes on you, i've loved you. you trendy hipstery place you.

mcarren park where i have had many a therapeutic runs. teddy's, my favorite brunch spot and an unbeatable bloody mary. my beautiful apartment. tops grocery store. my favorite boutiques (pema, red pearl) and vintage shops. maxim where i finally whipped myself back into shape. old polish lady sitting outside with her fat daschund. my fabulous landlord who speaks broken english but always repairs things and never got mad when i repeatedly blew the fuse. black betty. the bagel store which has the best bagels in all of new york. the lazy L train that never works on the weekend.

williamsburg, i'll miss you.

Trip Highlights

1. Drive-in: For the first time in my life I went to a real drive in, the kind you see in old movies and television shows. We borrowed the boy’s dad’s truck, loaded up on snacks, blankets, and were geared up for a double screening- Casino Royale and Stranger Than Fiction. It was loads of fun and definitely a novelty. The only downside is that it was so comfortable that I found myself drifting in and out of sleep.

2. Berryessa Flea Market: Claiming to be one of the largest flea markets in the U.S., this place rocks! How could you not love a place with mariachi bands, cheap tasty foods, an awesome produce market, and everything that you could ever want to buy or never thought you’d need but it’s so darn cheap you want to buy it anyways?

3. The Mission: Met up with M, his partner (who looks an awful lot like Will from Will & Grace), and another couple for dinner in the Mission. Went to a fabulous Mexican restaurant which reminded me how far superior Mexican food is in California vs. the East Coast. . no comparison really. After dinner, we wandered in and out of a few stores and made our way to a French café for crepes. The outing was wonderful but the drive home was brutal. As usual, I was asleep almost instantaneously (I have the uncanny ability to fall asleep on any mode of transportation) and the boy struggled with fatigue the whole drive home. This reminded me of how great mass transit is in NYC.

All-in-all a great trip to No-Cal. It would be great to live there for a few years. . in due time, perhaps when VK makes her move, for now, NYC still has a strong hold on mel.

Forgive the lack of photos for my posts of late. . I’m missing the cord for my camera to upload photos! I will update these with photos once I buy a card reader.

Thanksgiving in the city of Mexicans and Vietnamese

The first thing I noticed when the boy was driving me around on a hunt for coffee (turns out neither of his parents are coffee drinkers) are telltale signs of Mexicans and Vietnamese. From taquerias to banh mi and pho, san jose is comfort food heaven for me!! It also amused me that the boy had to go all the way to NYC to find a Vietnamese girl when he grew up in one of the largest communities of Vietnamese in the states.

Breakfast was cooked by the boy’s dad who turns out to be a foodie and great chef . . . hmmm . . . chorizo scrambled eggs served with the best homemade chili sauce and greasy yet crisp home potatoes. We were stuffed but luckily had 7 or 8 hours to recover our appetites before Thanksgiving dinner.

While I chatted with the boy’s dad and step-mom, the boy and his step-brother attempted to fix his mom’s backup car. Apparently, the car gets infrequent use and every time the boy visits his mom he has problems with it. This visit proved no different- from windows that refused to roll up to doors that temperamentally locked up! Having grown up driving used cars, I just took it in stride.

The rest of the day was a haze of introductions and chitchatting with the boy's family, napping, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and overeating. . .

Traveling to San Jose

i can count on one hand the number of times i've had the urge to file a letter of complaint. . the first time was with a horrible dentist in beverly hills, the second was during my continental flight from newark to san jose. i was fast asleep on the flight, but woke up during the first beverage service. . the boy had been waiting for the flight attendants to announce that passengers were free to move around the plane so that he could use the restroom.

that never happened. . .so the boy was waited another 40 minutes for the flight attendants to finish the beverage service to get up. his plan was foiled when he realized they were immediately starting the food service!!

nasty flight attendant (NFA): steak and swiss sandwich?

the boy was trying to distract himself from his urge to use the restroom by listening to music on his ipod

the boy: sure (the boy glances at the sandwich and realized there is cheese on it). actually no thank you, i don't like cheese.

NFA: rolling her eyes. i said steak and swiss. as in swiss cheese.

i looked up apalled. was this b**ch serious? i could not believe she was so rude!

after they finished the food service, there was a ten minute window to use the restroom. . the boy was the first in line. . after he got back i got up to go. apparently, a lot of people had been waiting to go because the line was long and people were s-l-o-w! i finally get my chance and while i'm in the stall i overhear the NFA complaining that she couldn't start the second beverage service with people in the rows.

what? they just served a beverage service!

NFA then gets on the loudspeakers and tells everyone to get in their seats so they can start the beverage service. by the time i get out, i realize they had already started. . so essentially i was blocked. i walk up to the two flight attendants and ask if i can get in my seat. mind you, i'm sitting in the row behind first class and they could have easily backed up to let me sit down. . instead, NFA complains loudly to her co-worker about how difficult the passengers are making it for her to serve beverages by standing in the aisle. i stifle my urge to slap her and instead proceed to tell her that they made the announcement while i was still in the restroom and i didn't understand why she was being so rude.

she looked right through me but eventually moved the cart so i could sit down. . . seriously, i don't understand their timing was extremely poor and i was just floored by how a flight attendant could be so unhospitable and nasty. in the end i never got the NFA's name, but i still have the flight number and intend to write a letter to customer service.

we arrived at san jose international airport around 8:45 pm on wed night. the boy’s dad picked us up and insisted on taking us to dinner. being the night before thanksgiving, most restaurants were closed which ultimately left us with the option of denny’s and various fast food restaurants (sadly, not in-n-out). we opted for denny’s, where the boy and i discovered it was a study spot for the both of us during our college years. service was s-l-o-w and during the long wait, jetlag set in. the two of us struggled to stay awake and eat our food. after that the boy’s dad dropped us off at his mom’s and headed back to his house. first impression of the boy’s dad was that he was exactly as he had been described- loud, outgoing, brash, a character if you will, and utterly likeable!

NFA:

the screamer

work has been especially hectic of late, and i imagine will be increasingly so with the holiday season drawing near. during this time, i am developing some useful attributes, namely:

1. the ability to say "no"

2. thicker skin

3. the patience of a saint

regardless, i still witness behavior that simply astounds me. on saturday, it was "the screamer".

this particular customer came in to receive help with an order she placed with another company. my company uses the same shipping center so i offered to help. the woman was distraught and upset that several of her orders had been botched up by the other company. after offering my condolences and apologies for the woman's troubles, i called customer service to find out what was happening to her order. this process took about half an hour during which the customer repeatedly worked herself into a frenzy, calling the associate and manager that had helped her at the other store "stupid" and "idiots", yelling on the phone with the poor customer service rep, all the while proclaiming "poor me poor me". while she talked to her daughter on her cell phone, settling another matter, she began screaming to her "SHUT UP" while she was on our phones yelling at the manager at the other store. this scenario played out for another good half hour as she retold her story to every associate that passed her way.

this is why work leaves me drained. but hey, at least it's good blog material.

so hard it hurts

there are only a handful of comedians that can make me laugh so hard it hurts. among this motley crew (dave chapelle, chris rock, will ferrell, and my brother) is russell peters. known for his amazing ability to perfectly mimic any accent and ethnic jokes, i feel that his humor has broad appeal while not resorting to excessive use of profanity or crudeness.

indian-canadian, he has made a name of himself via youtube and his jokes about stereotypes.

http://letsget.bz/fun/Russell%20Peters.wmv

needless to say, when theng, q2, and i went to see him perform live friday night, there was a hugely diverse (i don't recall seeing a single caucasian) audience. haven't been around so many asians since 2005 halloween party!

the show was worth every pennny and i was relieved that much of the material was new. i completely lost myself in laughter for two hours, forgetting all my day to day stresses and troubles. . .

bowl no-mor

as many of you know, i do not have the best hand-eye coordination. . . a fact i attribute, perhaps unfairly, to a childhood in which i was discouraged from playing sports (e.g. scarred knees and legs are not attractive and you should be studying). despite that, there are things that i love to do but that i'm not very adept at. namely, iceskating/roller blading, bowling, tennis, billiards, and etc.

so last night's outing with the boy, his co-worker & his date, + date's friends at bowl-mor near union square was at once fun and nerve wracking. in the beginning, i was relaxed and all about enjoying myself after everyone assured me that they weren't very good. . . plus how bad could it be, we're just a bunch of adults throwing a bowl down lanes and trying to knock some pins down.

in the first round of the first set, i did ok. i got 7 pins and some people got none. then the second round came and everyone started playing better, having warmed up. . .except for me. initially, everyone was super supportive, cheering anyways and giving pointers. . . but at some point, it just became embarassing.

to make matters worse, the boy has great form and was picking up spares left and right. and his form of encouragement?

come on honey, you can do it.

alright, you need to pick it up a little.

if you get a spare, you won't be last.

argggg.

of course i came in dead last. but we all decided to play a second round -me somewhat grudgingly. . bowling isn't fun!

my turn. i found a ball that had larger holes and released more easily than the ones i used in the first set. i slowed down and consciously made sure that my wrist didn't twist as i released the ball. bingo!!! i got down most of the pins and picked up the spare!!!

my game turned around and i managed to bring my score to the middle of the pack. . .yay, bowling is fun! don't be surprised to find me at bowl-mor during "happy hours" styling in my bowling shoes and perfecting my game!

the hot new dance???

http://video.umrg.com/webstar/chickennoodlesoup/

cheers to trinidad

monday afternoon i decided i had to get my hair re-highlighted, the roots had grown in and it was starting to drive me crazy. i try to go only 3-4 times a year, it's not easy on the pocketbook. . . although my salon is reasonably priced for manhattan.

in any case, i was able to schdule an appointment for tuesday afternoon at 3pm. getting my hair done is an event. usually, it takes beau a good 3 hours (minimum, once i spent 4 hours having my hair colored) to work his magic.

i walked in armed with two photos of hair colors that i liked. sat down in my chair and while beau started playing with my hair, i announced, "i want to go back to blonde!" we discussed hair color and cut for a bit, then he started working.

one of the newbies offered me coffee. about 30 minutes into the coloring job, i heard petra, the salon owner talkin to the receptionist.

P: Mix me some grape juice and white wine

R: That's so ghetto

P: It's GOOD! V do you want some?

V: thinkin for a second. . sure, why not?

P: Great!

an hour and a half later, petra's sister and nephew come to visit. he's an adorable little boy. they all fawn over him. i'm tryin not to move while i'm sitting with my hair resting in the sink, hair slathered with toner.

petra walks around with a short glass. rum (from trinidad) and coke.

P: V want to try some? it's unbelievable!

B: it's really great. . . the distillation process is so good that even low grade alcohol is good. i never feel sick after drinking it.

V: sure, i'll try it. take a sip . . it's really smooth!

by then, beau had finished cutting my hair. . it was time to blowdry and i walked out with my hair looking great and a little buzzed. . . i love my salon!

the idealistic architect

met up with Q2 at our old standby verlaine last night. . . it's nice to have a go-to place where you start to see the same people and know the bartenders. in any case, this ladies night was all about catching up and dishing about relationships rather than having a crazy night out.

by the middle of the night, we ended up making conversation and befriending Harc, an architect born in taiwan, raised partially in texas, and now living in nyc. Harc had quit his job that same day and was at verlaine, a day early to see a photo exhibit- photography being a hobby of his. we ended up discussing past failed relationships, taking risks in life and love, aspirations, finding balance in life, and etc with a degree of earnest that only strangers or close friends could.

while we may never see Harc again, it's somehow comforting to know that living in a big city of strangers, you can connect and meet interesting, friendly people when you least expect it.

p.s. i love you

so, warner brothers is filming p.s. i love you on my street. . in theory this is cool, the celebrity stalker in me is kinda excited i may spot some stars. . .the downside is no street parking on my block and near vicinity. major inconvenience especially given the cold and already limited parking spaces. not only that, but my favorite brunch spot, teddy's is closed for a couple weeks!!! that being said, i'll still watch the movie so that i can try to spot my apartment and favorite willie-b haunts!

anyways, a synopsis of the movie provided by http://thecia.com.au/reviews/p/p-s-i-love-you.shtml:

Everyone needs a guardian angel...

Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates. But not Holly (Hilary Swank) and Gerry (Gerard Butler). Childhood sweethearts, they could finish each other's sentences and even when they fought, they laughed. No one could imagine Holly and Gerry without each other. Until the unthinkable happens. Gerry's death devastates Holly. But as her 30th birthday looms, Gerry comes back to her. He's left her a bundle of notes, one for each of the months after his death, gently guiding Holly into her new life without him, each note signed "PS, I love you".

As the notes are gradually opened, and as the year unfolds, Holly is both cheered up and challenged. The man who knows her better than anyone sets out to teach her that life goes on.

With some help from her friends, and her noisy and loving family, Holly finds herself laughing, crying, singing, dancing - and being braver than ever before.
Life is for living, she realises - but it always helps if there's an angel watching over you.

an asian girl walks into an oyster bar. . .

last night VK treated me to dinner at the oyster bar at grand central terminal (VK rocks!). i took the train into the city and realized how much i miss the subway and the hustle and bustle of manhattan. . . more motivation for me to work hard and towards a transfer into the city. in any case, i arrived at the oyster bar early.

V (speaking to the maitre d'): i have reservations for two at 7pm

maitre d': last name?

V: K

matire d': would you like to be seated or have a drink at the bar?

i glance over to the bar. i have not gotten over my dislike for sitting by myself at restaurants.

V: i'll have a drink at the bar

matire d': great. it's our anniversary and also the bartender's birthday. you can spoil your dinner with some cake!

V: what's the bartender's name?

maitre d': marcello

V: great, thanks!

i walk over to the bar and wait while the bartender, an older gentleman, busily makes drinks, insists everyone try cake. he looks happy. finally, the bartender looks in my direction.

Marcello: how can i help you, young lady?

V: Marcello? (he nods) I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday!

Marcello smiles warmly and extends his hand forward. Assuming he wants my credit card, I put it in his hand.

Marcello: Thank you! I just wanted to say thank you. What would like to drink?

V: dirty martini with Belvedere please.

Marcello: We have Grey Goose, is that okay?

V: sure, that's fine.

I end up making conversation with a couple from Long Island. They lived in the Hamptons for 10 years, now she commutes into the city for work and he, an aspiring musician, wants to move to Manhattan. After chatting for 15 minutes and exchanging names, I notice VK waiting outside the restaurant doors. I step forward and she notices me. I go back to the bar and try to settle my tab.

Marcello: It's on me. I'll see you again?

V: Definately.

Great start to a wonderful evening with my girl. The food was excellent- we enjoyed wine, oysters, MD crabcakes, and boullibase. The waiter was knowledgeable and efficient. . .but the draw will be the friendly company at the bar, the good drinks, and Marcello.

because i don't know how to relax

i decided to help plan my high school's 10 year reunion. . yea yea. . i'm not afraid to date myself!

just b/c a new job and moving in a month aren't enough to keep me busy every single second of the day- i decided to pick up another project. . . have got to keep my event planning skills up, y'know? also need to keep myself busy until another wedding gig comes along.