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my second straight thanksgiving away from home, but this one felt very familiar. while the numbers weren't there, the night did include my sister and cousin and our usual traditions of good eats, family gossip and competitive board games. we had a healthy party of six and all of us had prepared the entire day by fasting to ensure our stomachs were physically capable to consume the turkey, asparagus, cream corn, mash potatoes, yams, cheese and crackers, bread stuffing, pumpkin pie and ice cream. unfortunately we were poorly represented by the kobayashis of the world and we waved the white flag after 30% was consumed. but fear not, we each packed our doggy bags and took home leftovers for days to follow. after our family dinners we normally play a couple hours of boardgames that include screams, laughs, and some bitter losers but we could only play a shortened version of apples to apples as we were trying to catch harry potter at the theater. i lost the first 12 rounds, but ended up winning the last green card. after declaring myself the ultimate winner (it's not where you start, but how you finish) we put on our coats, scarves and gloves and departed for the evening. all in all it was a great night that was nothing short of excellence. we may have been short on family members, but we worked with what we had and created our own east coast thanksgiving tradition.
unlike most california natives, i didn't suffer through my first winter in ny. wear the right clothes and you can survive hail, snow, and wind. but i have a feeling this winter may be a bit different for me. the ny marathon inspired me to actually train for a race (only 10k...for now) that is tentatively scheduled for late march. running long distances has always been a challenge for me. treadmills are boring and my body was not made to run at slow consistent speeds for long periods of time. but having watched the marathon, a few of us made a commitment to enter and fully dedicate ourselves to a future race. dedication means training outside during the winter running various routes regardless of temperatues being in the 20s, 10s, and even single digits. i had a decent 3 mile run today in 38 degree windchilled weather and i'm not going to lie and say it was easy. i showed up with my sweatpants, fleece and windbreaker and was sweating 2 minutes into the run yet my ears and my hands felt ice cold. these conflicting feelings made the run uncomfortable yet i somehow finished. but i learned that proper gear is essential so i'm going christmas shopping for myself a bit early this year. look for me running in central park wearing black tights, shorts, thin cold gear jacket, headband and gloves...i'll be the one sweating while gasping for air as my jogging resembles more of a cane carrying grandpa's walk. however, knowing that it's only going to get colder over the next couple months, my new outfit will help motivate me to actually not let my money go to waste. it'll be interesting to see if this "new years resolution" actually gets fulfilled as i swear i've been telling myself the past 7 new years that i would workout 3 days a week, read a book every month, and consistently save more money year over year. here's to hoping!
took a much needed break from work and nyc and spent 10 days traveling china with 27 relatives. it's been 20 years since the first and only time i visited china. while my first memories are vague i do remember it being smoky, overcrowded, and extremely dirty. everyone smoked, tens of thousands biked the streets and parents would have children using the street as their restroom. nowadays only older men and teenagers smoke, cars and scooters have replaced bicycles and public toilets allow the streets to be dirtied simply with regular trash. architectural amazements have been erected proving the economic strength of china and symbolizing the peoples' general outlook on life in 21st century china. indeed it seems china is a great place and i enjoyed my short yet action packed trip immensely.
the main purpose of the trip was to visit where my grandparents on my mom's side grew up. their villages are located in the toisan city in the guangdong province. but before that, we put on our tourist hats and visited most of the postcard sites since most of us had never visited china. my favorite, a modern addition, was the shanghai world expo. spanning 5.3 square kms, the expo contains pavilions from almost 200 hundred countries to reflect on each culture and boast about their offerings. each pavilion was uniquely created and showcased marvelous exteriors with high tech lights and architectural genius. my highlights included the grand red china pavilion (see picture), uk's funky needle pavilion, netherland's happy street playground, and the water/light show. over 900,000 people visited that day so we didn't get to visit the insides of too many. but we did stand in line for australia's pavilion and a few memories pop out. 1) chinese people can get very pushy and they don't like lines. i try to be chivalrous, but that went out the window when all the chinese ladies would push to make their way to the front even though there was a formal line. our group did a good job of walking side by side to protect the order, but there was a slight miscommunication and a lady made a sneak pass to my left. as she came out of my blind spot, i made an impulse decision to cut her off. obviously she is not a defensive walker and as i made that small shift our bodies made contact and she was checked into the left wall. we had a small confrontation with her staring into my eyes and "politely" saying something to me in chinese. not the finest moment for me, but my purpose was to restore order. 2) instead of kids peeing on the street, they pee in garbage cans. i could tell there was a traffic jam ahead and people moved to the right lane to pass. as i passed i see a little boy with his pants down while his grandmother holds a garbage can as he attempts not to miss. unfortunately i forgot to pull out my camera, but i think u get the picture. overall, the expo was awesome and thankful that i got to spend at least the majority of one day there. it set the tone for the remainder of the trip since we walked 8-10 miles and made the last day massages all the more enjoyable. the remaining attractions (great wall, forbidden city, tiananmen square, terra cotta soldiers) all proved while they are still major contributions to this country. the food was hit or miss for our tour. i like good food. i really really dislike bad food on a trip. You don't get too many opportunities to eat in china, so when a bad meal is served you lose part of your soul and you feel cheated in life. but when we had really good food we were overjoyed. our dim sum, shanghai dumplings, roast duck, and cantonese dinners were all excellent and left me stuffed with a full stomach and contentment. the last leg of our trips left us with the villages to visit to speak with any families that still live there who may remember by grandparents or aunt. a few did, and as we stood around listening to all the families discuss memories from 70 years ago, it hit each and every relative a different way. for me, it was trying to just imagine my grandparents here as children and young adults and their daily lives. playing with neighbors and help farm the lands. i tried to get a feeling of how they got there and when they decided to immigrate to the u.s. so that we could be in our positions today. Even though my grandparents passed before I was born, this trip helped me understand them more than ever before in my life. it was a humbling experience, and our family got to enjoy it together.
i am glad to be back, but do miss exploring new places and hanging with the family. even though it was 28 of us, my family is so cool that it went smoother than i could have imagined. i didn't buy a lot, but i did try the taro pies at mcdonalds a few times, bargained for some cufflinks, underwear and socks, bought a bag full of panda hats to add more to the collection of panda goodies, and got two massages to end the trip. i feel my ny life helped prepare me for the long days, the amounts of people, the noise and large buidings. the only thing ny can't do is help me learn to speak chinese, but i'm looking for friends to help in that course. my plan is next time i visit, i'll be able to comprehend enough so i can understand what the masseuses are talking about, I can say something to the lady I checked, and be able to tell the masseuse that my cousin has athlete's foot without a dictionary...and laughing.
where has the time gone? seems like only last week i wrote a post saying how winter was just ending and the sun was springing up. now here we are melting in 95 degree weather finding any way to stay cool and dry. here i am with a new job, a new apartment, a new phone/iphone/computer/gps/social connector, and plenty of new clothes.
life in ny has been overwhelmingly busy. gone are the simple days of living in california when all you had to worry about was what kind of bbq marinade to put on the chicken for that weekend poolside bbq. now i have to worry about which bus to take to get to my friend's 3-story atlantic city beach house. or which of the 3 different concerts should i attend. or what type of cold delicious dessert do i want to order from mcdonalds. yes...my simple life is no longer.
without going into too much detail, here are my thoughts from my so called life
1) humidity - it stinks. humidity and subways - they suck. humidity, subways, clothes - bad combination. if you haven't heard that the east coast is sweltering pick up a newspaper
2) living solo - first time i'm roommate-less and it's this strange lonely feeling of amazing independence
3) mcdonalds now serving smoothies and frappuccinos = death to starbucks and jamba juice
4) starbucks offering free wi-fi = life after death for starbucks
5) iphone - don't believe the hype, both bad and good. the so-called reception problem is not so noticeable. the 'iphone is a life changer' is not so...life changes regardless and the iphone is there just for the ride
6) working with mostly guys - gone are days of gilt groupe and gossip, here are days of hot pockets and burping
7) moving apartments - try not to do it in the peak of summer. and just hire three of your good friends to help instead of professional movers
8) $1 express blockbuster machine rentals - makes those lonely days in the apartment go by quicker
9) sasabune sushi - still amazing regardless of which coast
10) traveling to sf for work - very very nice to spend time with friends on the company's dime
life in the concrete jungle is on fire!!!
coachella 2010 has come and gone. i've been looking forward to getting a tan for 7 months now since long sleeve shirts and jackets have ruled my wardrobe. overall it was a successful festival but definitely had its share of failures along the way. one such failure was the lack of preparation for the 80,000 people who were expected to attend the three day festival. being 2 miles away from the festival and taking 2.25 hours to get into the parking lot is not my ideal situation. from there to wait another hour to go through TWO security checkpoints was plain ridiculous. i could not believe how many people went all three days, but the energy of the crowd definitely kept the shows pumping all hours. imagine 50,000 people rocking out to tiesto or crowds as far back as 3 football fields bumping to some phoenix. my highlights included muse, fever ray, la roux, the gossip, and kaskade. shout outs go to local natives, gorillaz, and hot chip. not sure if next year is in the cards, but i think my mission is a music festival each year. sasquatch, lolla, sxsw, bonaroo anyone?
sorry for the short post, but i'm staying in la for another week and can't waste time with the post. but i did catch the cast of mad men filming next door to a restaurant i was eating at for dinner in pasadena. look for a coffee shop in episode 1 of the upcoming season and peggy will be wearing knee high socks. talked to peggy and pete campbell and both were extremely friendly and talkative. still have a few more days so hopefully i'll have some more celeb sightings. anyway, see u next post.
the blog is back. i'm sorry for the absence. i have no excuses, but i was living life. when i wasn't trying to get into fashion week parties, i was winning fresh prince of bel air trivia contests. if i wasn't watching jay-z or tainted love, i was playing volleyball or snowboarding. and if i wasn't doing anything, i was simply too tired to post.
winter has come and gone in ny. the so called "harsh" winter proved nothing more than some goosebumps and slightly red ears. i enjoyed it as fresh snow layered the city and central park became a sledding playground. my favorite piece of clothing became my bubble jacket. although the fashion police would have confiscated it, it was the perfect wear around town. i didn't have to layer a ton which is good because we all know i radiate heat at times and having less is more for me. but unfortunately (and fortunately) i've had to stow that away as the last week has called for lighter jackets with no need for gloves or scarves. i came to ny last year the first weekend when there was amazing weather and reflected at how it exponentially changed the moods of new yorkers. and i can see it happening again at this time. people are smiling and laughing. tourists are once again out and about stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to take pictures of the big binaca advertisement on 42nd street. restaurants are finally opening up their outdoor seating. i'm looking forward to spring and welcome all the changes that come with it.
i will try and frequent my blog more often so expect there to be updates every week. one list i want to try and start is "ny must eats." i'm sure there are plenty out there, but i want to note what friends and i believe every person should order. feel free to comment with specific items to order at various restaurants around town and i'll publish my list once finalized.
since my last post, i've been back to la as well as sf on two separate trips. i always have an amazing time for different reasons visiting each. each trip felt different than other times as being on the east coast has definitely influenced my views and experiences. small things like driving around in a car passing by homes with actual yards makes me reminisce and ponder where i want to end up in the future after ny. will my life take me back to la where i spent 21 great years and end up tanning on the beach, getting closer with best friends, and being closer to my parents? or will i somehow end up back in the bay area where i spent 4+ years making new friends, enjoying the foggy weather, and attending great music concerts? both places have a ton of benefits with few drawbacks and in all honesty one can't go wrong. being back in ny i do miss certain parts of california and wish i could bring some of the west over.
la: ironic as it may be, i wish cheap chinese foot reflexology businesses could survive in ny. if you walk through chinatown, you'll see countless hair salons offering $5 haircuts or the shady chinese hole in the wall offering a full greasy meal for $2.50...but where...WHERE are the cheap foot massage shops offering $15 an hour back and foot massages a la valley blvd? not only would this thrive in terms of popularity, but i know my feet and overall stress would appreciate this service. out of every city in the u.s., ny is the one that probably has their citizens walking the most. why not reward this eco-friendly activity by subsidizing these sometimes ventures? if only bloomberg could realize the advantages he would make a new law: "those who walk more than 5 miles a week for work get 10 minutes free. those who walk and don't ever use cabs get 15 minutes free with complimentary chinese herbal tea." it's too bad i didn't realize this until bloomberg got re-elected or else this blog may not exist and you would instead find my opinions on nytimes.com. but for now, i'll only be able to get my fix on major holidays and the occasional weekend trip back home.
sf: i lived in sf for 4 years and i loved every minute of it. but when trying to pinpoint one piece of sf i would bring to ny it's extremely difficult. do i want the weather that consistently falls between 50-75? or how about the ability to stay in the city and bar hop and live the city life and then head twenty minutes over the bridge to suburbia with weather 10 degrees warmer? or my favorite winter activity snowboarding being a short 3.5 hours away? with all sf has to offer, it was difficult, but i narrowed what i would want to bring over to ny...the odd collection of events sf had to offer. where else can you go that offers valentines day pillow fights where thousands gather and have an all out slumber slugfest sending feathers flying? or how about drag queens performing prince songs at the purple rain sing a long? fake snow along fillmore street where jonny moseley flips and spins? red bull go kart racing in the mission? easter race down lombard? or the granddaddy of all...bay to breakers. by definition, an actual race...but in reality a huge parade of costumes, alcohol, and music. approximately 75,000 take part in this annual tradition that has some neighbors outraged at the public urination and trashing throughout the city. but for those who run/walk/stumble it, it has the making to be one's most memorable sf moment. bay to breakers headlines the list of the all star cast that i wish i could bring to the east coast. ny has some unique traditions of its own, but sf will always have my heart.
finding time to write a new post has been extremely difficult the past couple months. when i'm not busy with work and play, i'm busy catching up on sleep or new tv shows. when i first moved here, i was making an effort to keep an actual log of activites and places in ny. but i realized that whenever i live in a city, i become immersed in the lifestyle and have difficulties remembering specifics. i'm almost six months into my ny stint and people ask me constantly "do you like it?" it's easy for me to say "yes, i'm loving it so far" because i truly am. but if they ask me what i love, i can only answer with general answers like "tons to do, good food, and beautiful people." i struggle to list out what activities i actually love to do, what restaurants are delicious, and what beautiful people i've seen...okay, maybe the beautiful people is a stretch. i can usually name the time and place i saw them and also the outfit. it's a natural gift i'd say. i'd assume my lack of creative suggestions is due to my general reliance on others to make decisions on ny activities. since i'm fairly new, i tend to follow and be open for anything. usually this leads to great experiences, but i don't make it a point to remember the names in order to visit again. this is always a problem when people visit and i'm their guide. i find myself recommending the same two or three things for every visitor...shake shack, broadway musicals, central park, top shop. this only goes so far, however, as the guide can only take so much. so my goal is to try and pick one favorite thing each two weeks that i would want to repeat.
this past weekend i went to my first "hyped up" restaurant and it did not disappoint. last friday was david chang's momofuku ssam. definitely one of ny's most popular chefs, chang's series of momofukus caters towards elites and commoners. ssam is a smaller east village spot that features a tender melt in your mouth pork butt dish. $200 buys you oysters, lettuce, and one of the greatest rear ends you can put in your stomach. when the dish arrived, i was curious why they didn't bring a knife to carve the dish, but soon after received the answer when a simple pull with tongs produced a succulent piece of pork with just the right amount of fat. as soon as i put my first piece in my mouth, a smile wiped across my face and a collective sigh was heard from our entire table. heaven in your mouth. besides the excellence in food quality, the service was attentive (one waitress in particular had my full attention), the prices reasonable, and the decor was stunning. there was even a gossip girl sighting as ed westwick (chuck bass) sat two tables away sans his gossip girl gf. fortunately we were so stuffed that we weren't able to try out momofuku mik bar, chang's popular dessert restaurant next door. it does give me one item to add to the list now.
it's been a great 6 months up until now, but i do miss cali...sooooo next weekend is the first return to la since i left in april. so now i'm the visitor and i'm ready to have the la natives recommend their favorites. can't wait!!!
