Thursday, August 28, 2008

summer and smoke

a few weeks ago, collins, one of my grade school friends invited me to see summer and smoke a production that he had been working on. knowng VK would be game- i forwarded the info to her, got her hooked, and eventually set a date for august 27th.


i'd never been to the cluny theatre before and the setting was perfect- small, intimate, and not a single bad seat. not having read the play or at very least synopsis beforehand, i was apprehensive about being able to fully enjoy and/or understand everything. luckily my nervousness was unfounded as i was instantly and thoroughly engaged by the story and unveiling of the characters' idiosyncracies.

from the acting and the lighting to the effects and music were superb and i found myself forgetting that the actors were actors and that the play was a play. . . a truly wonderful few hours spent.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

the importance of intent

last night i got take-out with mikey, one of my oldest friends, from nargila grill near my apartment. despite our best efforts to take advantage of the fact that we are finally living in the same city again, life always gets in the way and it's always months in between our hangings out. of course- that leaves much to talk about.


fortunately, lots of happy news and updates all around. as usual, after we got through the usual chitchat- life, relationships, jobs, the conversation turned more contemplative and in particular, the subject turned to the matter of intent.


in terms of how i live my life and relate to others- i always try to do and say what i mean rather than be governed by external expectations. somehow, i feel when obligation guides you, the importance or sincerity of your action is muddled or lost. similarly, i try not to impose my expectations on others. i'd rather people act in a way that is true to their own intent and when it does gel with you- then all the better.


in the past, some have questioned me for not always spelling out exactly what i want. it's not that i'm into games, rather, i believe that honesty and directness are an essential foundation for all relationships. however, i feel that there is something to be said, some invaluable lessons to be learned, by giving people the freedom to reveal themselves.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

a long day's journey

some weekends are over in the blink of an eye. . . but this weekend was different- i'm not sure if was all the activity or people or being outside my usual groove- but it felt incredibly long and full.

i flew out of work at 1:30 to meet up with VK at azusa for lunch. . . beef negimaki for her and sashimi for me and plenty of conversation regarding work frustrations all around. lunch was short because VK had to go back to work and i made my way back home to clean to run errands and await my parents' arrival. my parents are notorious for getting lost- in particular- on their car rides to come visit me in NYC. their ETA was 7ish but when i called around 5 and heard they were still in the maryland area- i knew it was gonna be awhile.

luckily, i had plenty of company. around 6ish, theng and hosmillo stopped by for a visit, bearing treats of buffalo flavored pringles and cookies. i broke out the wasabi peas, almonds, chips, salsa, beer and whisky and quickly passed the time gabbing and munching on all the goodies. sometime after 8pm, the boy arrived and joined our impromptu gathering. around 8:30 pm, the efforts begin to help navigate my dad through the nyc area streets. equipped with the boy's most direct and simple directions and hosmillo's guidance on the phone, my parents miraculously did NOT get lost!

after helping to unload the car, theng and hosmillo headed their separate way and the rest of us went to felice for a late dinner. delicious as usual. we shared a couple of bottles of wine and the cheese/meat platter. the boy and dad both ordered the risotto di mare, the special fish dish for my mom, and pollo disossato e ripieno for me. it was the perfect meal- hearty comfort food executed exceedingly well. we dropped my parents off at my apartment then went to larry lawrence for a drink.

saturday morning got off to a slightly skittish start. exhausted and groggy from a restless sleep, the boy and i decided to veer off the usual route via canal and ended up taking an unnecessarily long and indirect path to golden bridge for dim sum with my parents. crankiness was swept away with iced coffee and greasy, carbolicious brunch. after tucking away an impressive amount of food for four people, we went to south street to check out david byrne's exhibit "playing the building". super interesting- essentially an installation with a "piano" centered in an enormous room that was connected to all sorts of metal beams, pipes, etc that would sound with the touch of the key.

next was shopping in soho before heading back uptown to check my parents into the hotel and so that everyone could rest. nap for the boy and gym for me. big bro and his wifey arrived around 8:30 and so we all met up at hearth for dinner. i'm glad to say that this long anticipated visit did not disappoint and the food was every bit as amazing as i had remembered. pictures and reviews to follow.

the kids decided to stay out for a few drinks- decibel was the venue of choice. we ordered a bottle of otokoyama but sadly, the majority of us were too worn out to really drink much. when weariness turned into nausea, i decided i was done for the night and the boy saw me home then drove back to CT. after a solid's nights rest i felt 100X better but rather than lazying the day away as i might on my own, i was up and about again with the family. we had a nice family breakfast at the barking dog luncheonette before my parents started their drive back to VA. then big bro, nissen, blondie, and i headed downtown for some sneaker shopping. alife rivington was the highlight of the trip. then, nissen and i decided to take a break from all the trekking and headed to gama for some refreshments. bro scored a pair of sneakers and happily settled down for some blue moon and korean grub. a few more stores and we were all worn out.

by 6, everyone had left and i had my apartment to myself once again. gym, shower, dinner. a little time to blog and unwind.

i. am. beat.

time to sleep.

Monday, August 18, 2008

enjoying the best of summer

the summer days are rapidly dwindling down. perhaps it's the fact that we had a late start to the warm season or the countless thunderstorms that rained out my plans, but til this past weekend i feel that i have not taken advantage of the plethora of activity (often free offerings) the city unveils during this season.

this weekend, i managed to make up for some lost time!

i found myself attending not one, but two, concerts in central park, taking in the buckminster fuller exhibit at the whitney, and enjoying a sausage from gray's papaya on the steps of the park. the concerts were fun- though it was somewhat disappointing watching sharon jones and the dapp kings from the rock pile south of summerstage. the exhibit was fascinating and i left with the distinct impression that bucky was quite revolutionary in his thinking and not unlike most crazy smart/brilliant people- he was more than just a little "off". . .

and somehow, the work week is already in full swing and i can't help but feel a little wistful- evidently the saying is true- time flies when you're having fun.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

whirlwind

work has been especially busy of late and i'm hoping my immune system holds up (i fear i caught my sister's cold which was caught from my niece) and looking forward to a fun and relaxing weekend.

i suppose it's partly my own fault- i decided to take friday and monday off to enjoy a four day weekend. while i put in longer hours on thursday in preparation- it hasn't seemed to help. tuesday was full steam ahead and this week has had me clocking 10-12 hour days opposed to the usual 9-10.

on wednesday, i managed to sneak in dinner at kura sushi with celestial where aided by sake for me and plum wine for her- we vented about work issues, shared stories from the past week, and made plans for the coming weeks. a much needed outlet and entirely enjoyable.

it's funny- the boy observed that i almost never mention kura sushi. to me, it holds a special place in my life in new york. the sushi is cheap and good and the service is friendly. but more than that- it has become my regular once a week or every other week spot with my girlfriends. it's my go-to neighborhood spot where i can expect to have a yummy dinner, never wait for a table, and where it's unsurprising to run into one girlfriend when i'm out with another.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

to each their own

by no means do i claim to be an eau natural girl- i love to dress up, wear makeup, play with different hairstyles and looks. . . and i think it's important to feel good about how you look and that comes from maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle with plenty of exercise, laughter, good food, and sleep.

however, i have a hard time coming to terms with an age and society where cosmetic surgery is the norm. i suppose because i believe it's absolutely fine to get wrinkles and look one's age. . . too often in the pursuit of eternal youth- people get overworked start resembling an alien race with strangely taut skin and frozen expressions.

so when i start hearing suggestions that i should consider preventative botox, i can't help but get a little riled up. sure, i suppose in moderation and with the right physician, it could be perfectly fine.

and while i would never tell someone not to do what makes them happy and impose my personal viewpoints on others (hey it's your body- do what you want), i just know that i could never make that choice for myself. i find the idea of injecting botulinum toxin into my face so that my facial muscles are unable to contract normally for 3-4 months so that i don't develop wrinkles just plain WEIRD.

Monday, August 04, 2008

broken english

sunday was a beautiful day and i spent the entire afternoon and evening vegging out and watching project runway season 5 and netflix on demand on my laptop. i should feel guilty about wasting the entire day being inside- but i didn't- it felt luxurious and decadent to do exactly what i wanted and watching sappy movies of my picking.

the first movie was bella which was just barely entertaining and the second was broken english which caught my attention- perhaps because it was particularly apropos to the increasingly frequent/common conversations i've had with my female colleagues, peers, and friends. essentially, the difficulty of finding a quality person to settle down with in a city that is a virtual playground for men and women alike. in broken english, the heroine is a pretty although slightly neurotic woman in her early 30s who lives in new york and is feverently looking for a man to love her.

what i liked about the movie was that the character was so believable that i found it easy to relate to her frustrations and motivations. afterall, i think at some point in time, all young women have felt the pressure to "settle down" from their parents or relatives or felt left behind when they see their friends, siblings, and peers pairing up and getting married or felt envious over some fabulous weddings. so often, we the purpose of marriage- to share your life and develop a partnership in every aspect of the word.

the cliche's. love yourself because no one can love you until you love yourself. you won't find "it" when you are looking.

but i think it really comes down to this. the first step is being the best you that you can be. the best you does not rely on another person to complete you or make you happy. the best you, knows your own value, knows what you are looking for and will accept nothing less. and the rest will follow.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

unexpected delights

the festivities started friday and continued into the major part of the weekend- the reason is celestial's pre-birthday celebration as i am out of town next weekend and missing her actual party. since we both were fortunate to get out of work early friday, we met up at 5pm and headed to pata negra for an early dinner. over a delicious pitcher of sangria (well balanced and just sweet enough, that is, not very), we chatted about life, relationships, shared friends, work, and whatever else was on our mind. the chorizo and fava beans and degustation of patitas was simply perfection. the owner matteo was extremely personable and gave us excellent recommendations. pata negra has effectively been added to my roster of go-to tapas restaurants.

the rest of the night was almost a blur. we grabbed a couple after dinner drinks at b flat. the drinks were as expertly made as always and i had a nice time catching up with kenny. then more drinks upstairs at tokyo bar with some of celestial's friends. and finally a long, well needed, sobering walk to pegu club where we had calamari and escargot pancakes. unfortunately, i'd had my fill of drink and could only drink a few sips of my earl grey martini. we took off shortly after.

saturday we both slept off the boozy night and met up at 3pm to do a little window shopping and errand running. at 6pm, we met up with the nose for dinner at bon chon, home of the best fried chicken ever. we got a large order of chicken drumsticks, half garlic, soy sauce based half spicy, a seafood pancake, and a pitcher of lychee soju. the chicken was succulent and the skin was crunchy, chewy, and oh-so flavorful. . . the soju was refreshing and a perfect accompaniment to the chicken. next time i won't waste stomach room on pancakes or any sides, just the chicken. after dinner, the nose headed back to willie-b to get some things and celestial and i headed to pinkberry for dessert then to the angelika for a screening of brideshead revisited.

this weekend was a lot of fun. . . but, i'd have to say the best part of this weekend, was discovering how much celestial and i had in common. . . it is at once surprising and wonderful that without noticing, i have come to feel undeniably closer to her. we were introduced through q2 a couple years ago and ended up hanging out on more than one occasion when our meimei passed out early in the night and we kept on going. initially, i'd say q2 was our common link, in addition to a love for good food, dancing, and having fun. gradually, we began to hang out on our own and as we began to confide our aspirations, fears and share many ups and downs, i came to know celestial better. . . and what i've discovered is a kindred spirit.

so. . happy birthday celestial. you deserve happiness and all the best that life has to offer.