(but not Via Chicago...via direct flight, non-stop JFK to LAX!)
Tomorrow is Day 115, and also the day I leave for L.A. for three weeks. It is only appropriate that I take a moment to reflect, especially as I have been somewhat neglectful on updating this site (have been busy!)
When I bought the plane ticket two months ago, I was feeling terribly homesick and two months seemed really far away. Now I'm amazed that it is already here.
Four and a half months...when I think back to August and September, even now I feel particularly stressed out just thinking about that time period. I had so much cleaning and packing to do in August that I still have bad dreams about cleaning and packing. And then on the day I arrived (see previous post), I saw the barren furniture in my room and it suddenly dawned on me that I just did something really drastic and I nearly broke down in tears. << cue in Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime>>
Needless to say, my room has become more "my room" and though I still miss the old comforter I used for 14+ years, I definitely feel a lot better about it now. (It started to feel better after my junk populated the room.)
NYC...the weather, the crowded spaces, the dirt...I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to. But it's definitely a lesson in learning to adapt and adjust. The weather changes here feel so "sudden" to me, even though it's normal to a lot of people. I feel like I barely got to enjoy the true meaning of autumn before it was all over. 90 degree weather changed quickly to 60 which changed quickly to 30. WTW? That alone makes the perception of time and life seem faster.
One thing I had looked forward to was using public transportation. But I learned quickly that there are pros and cons. One con being shopping and buying basic things. Oddly enough on my to do list back in L.A. is to go shopping. Toiletries at Target, supplies at IKEA, and clothes/misc at Marshall's! Yes they have those here too, and yes sales tax is actually higher in L.A. (was surprised when I found out) but it's just going to be so much easier for me to get in my car and drive from Point A to Point B to Point C. And throw all my stuff in the trunk. (Not to mention spacious aisles, oh glorious space).
In L.A. I was tired of it taking me 45-60 minutes to get anywhere worthwhile. And then I learned it also takes me 45-60 minutes to get anywhere in NYC because I live so far uptown. No difference there except wondering which is the lesser evil - being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic or being stuck bum to bum on the subway?
On another note, I often wonder what I would be doing right now, at this very moment, had I not moved. And I picture myself sitting on my $500 ergonomic office chair in front of my widescreen monitor, occasionally casting glances at the United States map I have tacked on the cork board.
And then I'm glad I did.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
From 90024 to 10027
I don't think about it as much anymore but it still occasionally creeps into my mind, especially during quiet moments when I'm sitting alone in my room.
I sleep until about 9:30 a.m. every weekday, and even later on weekends. My window faces southwest, and by about 10 a.m. the sun is shining directly into my eye through my transparent window shades as I lie in bed. It continues shining brightly at my oversized double-paned glass window, making my room deceptively warm even on cold days when the weather outside is below 40. As I write the temperature on my digital clock reads 78.4 and I am sitting here in a T-shirt and capri workout pants (quickly becoming my loungewear of choice). If I sit at the window and look to the right I catch a small glimmer of the Hudson River. And if I look all the way to the left I can see the tips of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge - I think of it as the bridge to home, simply because it was the bridge I took to get here after landing at LaGuardia Airport. I peer at it wistfully.
We had a 5-day Thanksgiving Weekend, and it was pretty action-packed. (More photos to follow later).
In the last 7 days I've been to Central Park twice, ate at Shake Shack twice, went to the American Museum of Natural History, ate pizza twice, saw Harry Potter, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, walked up 5th Avenue, walked down the grand staircase at the Apple Store, and watched people play on the Big Piano at FAO Schwarz.
It was especially cold yesterday, the coldest yet so far. With wind chill it felt about 30. I had almost all my layers and the only more I can do is wear one more layer, and switch up my accessories to thicker wool or cashmere versions. (After that I won't be able to go outside at all!)
So on the last day of the long weekend I attempt to read in my executive chair near the window, grab an orange highlighter, and I am thus reminded of how I forgot to pack favorite pens and highlighters, which inevitably, always leads to thinking back on those late days in August during my "mad rush" to pack. I like being prepared, and feeling prepared. I'm the type of person who packs for vacation a week before the vacation. I make lists. In the end, I felt wholly unprepared. Maybe it was not such a good idea to leave so much to do in five days: clear out work space I had had for 3.5 years (at a job I had for 8.5 years), clear out an apartment I had lived at for 9 years, pack and organize things for shipping here, for storage at my parents' house, and for bringing here in suitcases. I think the end result was feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. And ultimately feeling disoriented and disjointed. Even though I definitely feel a lot more settled in than say, 88 days ago, a part of me still feels like my "old life" is continuing on a parallel universe somewhere. It is still summer there. And my apartment, and my office are all still intact. As if I had just gotten up for a moment.
But I didn't. And they are gone.
I sleep until about 9:30 a.m. every weekday, and even later on weekends. My window faces southwest, and by about 10 a.m. the sun is shining directly into my eye through my transparent window shades as I lie in bed. It continues shining brightly at my oversized double-paned glass window, making my room deceptively warm even on cold days when the weather outside is below 40. As I write the temperature on my digital clock reads 78.4 and I am sitting here in a T-shirt and capri workout pants (quickly becoming my loungewear of choice). If I sit at the window and look to the right I catch a small glimmer of the Hudson River. And if I look all the way to the left I can see the tips of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge - I think of it as the bridge to home, simply because it was the bridge I took to get here after landing at LaGuardia Airport. I peer at it wistfully.
We had a 5-day Thanksgiving Weekend, and it was pretty action-packed. (More photos to follow later).
In the last 7 days I've been to Central Park twice, ate at Shake Shack twice, went to the American Museum of Natural History, ate pizza twice, saw Harry Potter, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, walked up 5th Avenue, walked down the grand staircase at the Apple Store, and watched people play on the Big Piano at FAO Schwarz.It was especially cold yesterday, the coldest yet so far. With wind chill it felt about 30. I had almost all my layers and the only more I can do is wear one more layer, and switch up my accessories to thicker wool or cashmere versions. (After that I won't be able to go outside at all!)
So on the last day of the long weekend I attempt to read in my executive chair near the window, grab an orange highlighter, and I am thus reminded of how I forgot to pack favorite pens and highlighters, which inevitably, always leads to thinking back on those late days in August during my "mad rush" to pack. I like being prepared, and feeling prepared. I'm the type of person who packs for vacation a week before the vacation. I make lists. In the end, I felt wholly unprepared. Maybe it was not such a good idea to leave so much to do in five days: clear out work space I had had for 3.5 years (at a job I had for 8.5 years), clear out an apartment I had lived at for 9 years, pack and organize things for shipping here, for storage at my parents' house, and for bringing here in suitcases. I think the end result was feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. And ultimately feeling disoriented and disjointed. Even though I definitely feel a lot more settled in than say, 88 days ago, a part of me still feels like my "old life" is continuing on a parallel universe somewhere. It is still summer there. And my apartment, and my office are all still intact. As if I had just gotten up for a moment.
But I didn't. And they are gone.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Day 88
Day 88 in NYC. If I left now I can always look back and say I lived in NYC for 3 months. But I'm gonna make it a year. No, five years.
The weather now is in the 50s and already colder than it ever gets in L.A. To me, this is winter!
I can honestly say that I feel a lot more settled in now. I have my daily routines. For the most part, I've got the eating situation squared away. I think in the beginning I was trying too hard to quickly establish an eating routine and it wasn't working out. First off, it is a pain in the butt to cook in the community kitchen. I have to bring my pots, oil, utensils, and all the ingredients to the kitchen and back and it's a lot of work! Take a simple thing like spaghetti. You need two pots! One to boil the pasta, one to cook the sauce. I use the random pots lying around in the kitchen (some of which may not belong to anyone, but some do). This means after I cook, I wash them immediately while the pots are still hot. Then I have to carry everything back to my room (that means my piping hot food) because there's no kitchen table to eat at. Also, while you are cooking, sometimes you realize you forgot a simple thing, such as salt. If you had your own kitchen, you'd simply open the cupboard and grab the salt. Here I have to go through two heavy doors (and back) to get salt!
Point is, I've resorted to take out, frozen foods, and the school cafeteria. It's just easier. I use the kitchen to toast my bread and maybe fry an egg on weekends. That's about it. I boil water in my room with my Aroma water kettle that I got on Amazon (love it!). I use my microwave, a lot more than I'd like to (I used to be anti-microwave). I buy frozen rice (actually I did that in L.A. too - hey, as a single person, it makes sense). I would buy frozen cooked pasta too except my freezer is too small.
Things have to change - by things I mean habits and routines. I think I used to shop for groceries like I was preparing for a war. I'd stock up, buy in bulk, etc. When I moved out in August I gave my parents a huge box filled with canned foods and dry goods (was amazed how much stuff I had stockpiled!). Now I can't really do that, because of space issues. It forces me to buy only what I will immediately consume, and I manage to clear out the fridge and freezer pretty frequently. It makes me feel slightly nervous and uncomfortable, but I shouldn't feel that way. There's a 24-hour market just down the street. There's no war. There are no earthquakes.
Change is good.
I'm also feeling less sad than I did a month ago, which is good. I remember the reasons why I wanted to move, which I lost sight of when I was feeling homesick. I'm also starting to like NYC a bit more. It helps to hold your breath when you walk and look up at the cool tall buildings rather than down at the dirty gum-ridden sidewalks. (haha). But no seriously, in all sincerity, once in awhile I'll be walking around somewhere and I'll think, "hey, this part looks cool" and then I feel glad I'm here.
I may have mentioned this before, but shopping, buying stuff, and daily life in general, is just different here. I learned the first couple weeks, when it was sweltering hot, that it was a lot of work to buy stuff, especially since I had to buy a lot of basics. I grew up in the suburbs in the 80s, where before Costco we had Fedco and Gemco. I'm used to big box stores and discount prices. I struggle to bring myself to spend $5 on a pack of toilet paper (of 4 rolls!). Yet I complain about how long it takes to get to Target and back.
Thursday night I went to Duane Reade, and gasp, I bought a bottle of Lubriderm lotion and a bottle of Oil of Olay night cream, knowing full well that I spent several dollars more than I would have had at Target. I had to bite the bullet and do it. Because you know what? I needed them. And I didn't have two hours to spend trekking to Target. I spent money, but I saved time. And in general, I probably am saving more money overall, since I'm only buying things I really need, and have the space for. When I go to the grocery stores, I only buy as many things as I can carry with my two hands.
Now that I am feeling more settled in, I am finding that I have a lot of extra time on my hands. I have time to sit around and think quietly. It's mostly because I don't have a roommate (when I used to in L.A.), and I don't have a lot of friends who want to hang out all the time, and I don't visit my parents (which I did so pretty frequently), AND I don't work or have class at all on Fridays, which means every week is a three-day weekend. (Oh how can I ever possibly miss my old life!). My daily grind in L.A. was not a 9-5 but a 7:30 to 5:30 if you're talking door to door. Here my days are mostly 10-5, with one day a 10-7. Four days a week. That's nothing! Not that I'm asking for more work. Just making a point why I'm online on a Saturday night in NYC...
The weather now is in the 50s and already colder than it ever gets in L.A. To me, this is winter!
I can honestly say that I feel a lot more settled in now. I have my daily routines. For the most part, I've got the eating situation squared away. I think in the beginning I was trying too hard to quickly establish an eating routine and it wasn't working out. First off, it is a pain in the butt to cook in the community kitchen. I have to bring my pots, oil, utensils, and all the ingredients to the kitchen and back and it's a lot of work! Take a simple thing like spaghetti. You need two pots! One to boil the pasta, one to cook the sauce. I use the random pots lying around in the kitchen (some of which may not belong to anyone, but some do). This means after I cook, I wash them immediately while the pots are still hot. Then I have to carry everything back to my room (that means my piping hot food) because there's no kitchen table to eat at. Also, while you are cooking, sometimes you realize you forgot a simple thing, such as salt. If you had your own kitchen, you'd simply open the cupboard and grab the salt. Here I have to go through two heavy doors (and back) to get salt!
Point is, I've resorted to take out, frozen foods, and the school cafeteria. It's just easier. I use the kitchen to toast my bread and maybe fry an egg on weekends. That's about it. I boil water in my room with my Aroma water kettle that I got on Amazon (love it!). I use my microwave, a lot more than I'd like to (I used to be anti-microwave). I buy frozen rice (actually I did that in L.A. too - hey, as a single person, it makes sense). I would buy frozen cooked pasta too except my freezer is too small.
Things have to change - by things I mean habits and routines. I think I used to shop for groceries like I was preparing for a war. I'd stock up, buy in bulk, etc. When I moved out in August I gave my parents a huge box filled with canned foods and dry goods (was amazed how much stuff I had stockpiled!). Now I can't really do that, because of space issues. It forces me to buy only what I will immediately consume, and I manage to clear out the fridge and freezer pretty frequently. It makes me feel slightly nervous and uncomfortable, but I shouldn't feel that way. There's a 24-hour market just down the street. There's no war. There are no earthquakes.
Change is good.
I'm also feeling less sad than I did a month ago, which is good. I remember the reasons why I wanted to move, which I lost sight of when I was feeling homesick. I'm also starting to like NYC a bit more. It helps to hold your breath when you walk and look up at the cool tall buildings rather than down at the dirty gum-ridden sidewalks. (haha). But no seriously, in all sincerity, once in awhile I'll be walking around somewhere and I'll think, "hey, this part looks cool" and then I feel glad I'm here.
I may have mentioned this before, but shopping, buying stuff, and daily life in general, is just different here. I learned the first couple weeks, when it was sweltering hot, that it was a lot of work to buy stuff, especially since I had to buy a lot of basics. I grew up in the suburbs in the 80s, where before Costco we had Fedco and Gemco. I'm used to big box stores and discount prices. I struggle to bring myself to spend $5 on a pack of toilet paper (of 4 rolls!). Yet I complain about how long it takes to get to Target and back.
Thursday night I went to Duane Reade, and gasp, I bought a bottle of Lubriderm lotion and a bottle of Oil of Olay night cream, knowing full well that I spent several dollars more than I would have had at Target. I had to bite the bullet and do it. Because you know what? I needed them. And I didn't have two hours to spend trekking to Target. I spent money, but I saved time. And in general, I probably am saving more money overall, since I'm only buying things I really need, and have the space for. When I go to the grocery stores, I only buy as many things as I can carry with my two hands.
Now that I am feeling more settled in, I am finding that I have a lot of extra time on my hands. I have time to sit around and think quietly. It's mostly because I don't have a roommate (when I used to in L.A.), and I don't have a lot of friends who want to hang out all the time, and I don't visit my parents (which I did so pretty frequently), AND I don't work or have class at all on Fridays, which means every week is a three-day weekend. (Oh how can I ever possibly miss my old life!). My daily grind in L.A. was not a 9-5 but a 7:30 to 5:30 if you're talking door to door. Here my days are mostly 10-5, with one day a 10-7. Four days a week. That's nothing! Not that I'm asking for more work. Just making a point why I'm online on a Saturday night in NYC...
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Why Manhattan is like Disneyland
- everywhere you go, there are a ton of people around
- everywhere you go, there are a lot of tourists
- people go there because they are looking for a happy time
- the price of admission is very high (and keeps going up every year!)
- every corner you turn, someone is selling food or beverages
- there are a lot of long lines
- there are parades
- you can find souvenirs very easily
- there are a lot of rides (well, in Manhattan, there are subways...case in point, the platform at 96th St looks like a dirtier version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, complete with "Danger High Voltage" signs...and the underground construction with bright lights looks even more so)
- there are a lot of "Kodak Spots" (everywhere you go, someone is taking a picture)
- it's a giant playground
- there's something for everyone
- there's always something new to see, or something you've never noticed before
- people often want to visit briefly, and not stay for an extended period of time
- there are a lot of artificial looking things, designed to be "fun" (case in point, Central Park can be Tom Sawyer Island:)
- it is very tiring...but you never tire of it...
(Now, if only Manhattan were cleaner, safer, and had more friendly cartoon characters...and if only Disneyland served alcohol...)
Thursday, November 4, 2010
And suddenly...it got cold.
Laugh all you want, but it is already too cold for this native SoCal girl. It's a strange concept (for me) for the weather to drop 40 degrees in two months (it takes 5 months in L.A., if even that, maybe just a 30 degree drop before it picks right back up again!).
On the plus side, now I finally know what autumn means! Pretty soon, I presume, I will know what four seasons means.
Photos from a stroll through Central Park this past Friday. I was really amazed at the colors of the leaves.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Playing tourist with two old friends
(And by old I mean age!)
(just kidding, guys)
The weekend before last, two old friends were in town which gave me an opportunity to play tourist. When you go on vacation or visit some place new, you usually jam pack a lot of activities and cover a lot of ground in a limited time. When you live some place, sometimes you just don't take the time to do stuff, because you assume you'll just do it later, it'll always be there, etc. etc. Before I moved out of L.A. (wow, I just said that, didn't I? I moved OUT of L.A.!) I tried to go to places I had never been before. There are just too many things to do! (On a side note, this reminds me of why I wanted to move. Life is too short to not go and live some place new and challenge yourself to try new things! It's good for your brain!)
Here is a list of our activities (photo documentation on FB if you're a "friend"):
Friday, 10/15, 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
-lunch @ Pao (South Village)
-free Friday evenings at MOMA (midtown)
-happy hour @ Moda (midtown)
-stroll through Times Square
-dinner @ Cafe Fiorello (near Columbus Circle/Upper West Side)
-stroll through Rockefeller Center
-drinks @ Pig N' Whistle (midtown)
Saturday, 10/16, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
-brunch at Zabar's (Upper West Side)
-a stroll through Central Park and photo stops at Bethesda Terrace
-pit photo stops at The Met and the Guggenheim
-lobster rolls for lunch @ Luke's Lobster (Upper East Side)
-Grand Central Terminal
-New York Public Library
-Union Square
-a quick break at their hotel in South Village
-drinks @ SoHo Room
-live music/dancing @ SOB's (South Village)
-late night dinner @ Cafe Habana (Nolita)
(Sunday was off to a much slower start for obvious reasons...even had to take a mid-afternoon nap...mind you, it does take me an hour to travel downtown, i.e., I went to bed at 3 a.m.!)
Sunday, 10/17, 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
(I had to call it an early night since I had class/work the next day and two papers to write....sigh)
-Chinatown - dumplings @ Prosperity Dumplings and a bad beef noodle soup at a place I choose not to remember
-Little Italy
-Iridium jazz club (Theater District) (my friend new someone who got us in for free)
I missed out on late night dinner in East Village. And I missed out on other touristy activities that they did Monday, like exploring the Village and Chelsea.
Tuesday night
-wine & cheese @ Nectar Wine Bar (Harlem)
-dinner @ Vareli (in my 'hood)
-drinks @ Haakon's (also my 'hood)
In the end it was a little sad to say goodbye (for me at least!). They were a small reminder of home. And also it was kind of like an end to a vacation for me as well! I need to stick with my original plan of trying something new at least once a week.
More Kao adventures later.
(just kidding, guys)
The weekend before last, two old friends were in town which gave me an opportunity to play tourist. When you go on vacation or visit some place new, you usually jam pack a lot of activities and cover a lot of ground in a limited time. When you live some place, sometimes you just don't take the time to do stuff, because you assume you'll just do it later, it'll always be there, etc. etc. Before I moved out of L.A. (wow, I just said that, didn't I? I moved OUT of L.A.!) I tried to go to places I had never been before. There are just too many things to do! (On a side note, this reminds me of why I wanted to move. Life is too short to not go and live some place new and challenge yourself to try new things! It's good for your brain!)
Here is a list of our activities (photo documentation on FB if you're a "friend"):
Friday, 10/15, 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
-lunch @ Pao (South Village)
-free Friday evenings at MOMA (midtown)
-happy hour @ Moda (midtown)
-stroll through Times Square
-dinner @ Cafe Fiorello (near Columbus Circle/Upper West Side)
-stroll through Rockefeller Center
-drinks @ Pig N' Whistle (midtown)
Saturday, 10/16, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
-brunch at Zabar's (Upper West Side)
-a stroll through Central Park and photo stops at Bethesda Terrace
-pit photo stops at The Met and the Guggenheim
-lobster rolls for lunch @ Luke's Lobster (Upper East Side)
-Grand Central Terminal
-New York Public Library
-Union Square
-a quick break at their hotel in South Village
-drinks @ SoHo Room
-live music/dancing @ SOB's (South Village)
-late night dinner @ Cafe Habana (Nolita)
(Sunday was off to a much slower start for obvious reasons...even had to take a mid-afternoon nap...mind you, it does take me an hour to travel downtown, i.e., I went to bed at 3 a.m.!)
Sunday, 10/17, 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
(I had to call it an early night since I had class/work the next day and two papers to write....sigh)
-Chinatown - dumplings @ Prosperity Dumplings and a bad beef noodle soup at a place I choose not to remember
-Little Italy
-Iridium jazz club (Theater District) (my friend new someone who got us in for free)
I missed out on late night dinner in East Village. And I missed out on other touristy activities that they did Monday, like exploring the Village and Chelsea.
Tuesday night
-wine & cheese @ Nectar Wine Bar (Harlem)
-dinner @ Vareli (in my 'hood)
-drinks @ Haakon's (also my 'hood)
In the end it was a little sad to say goodbye (for me at least!). They were a small reminder of home. And also it was kind of like an end to a vacation for me as well! I need to stick with my original plan of trying something new at least once a week.
More Kao adventures later.
Monday, October 11, 2010
NYC Wine & Food Festival!
Bacon and the Blues
This past weekend was the Food Network's NYC Wine & Food Festival benefiting the Food Bank for NYC and Share Our Strength. It was Thursday through Friday, with tons of events all over the city. People bought tickets months in advance (I heard the Burger Bash sold out in early January!). Ticket prices varied depending on the event.
Just a few weeks ago my friend told me about the volunteer opportunities. He had gone last year. So we signed up and gave our available times and they assigned us to events. Thursday night we were assigned to an event called Bacon and the Blues Hosted by Todd English. It was at a new hotel called the Andaz at 41st & 5th Ave. The hotel was pretty nice. All the hotel staff ladies carried small laptops and dressed in all black and all had a matching crossbody satchel to carry their things. The laptops were used for checking people in and out because they didn't have a traditional "front desk."
The event seemed to be pretty nice, from what I could see. It was $75 so it was one of the cheaper/smaller events. Only about 5 or 6 restaurants were participating. Each restaurant presented 1 or 2 small items which involved bacon. One room had a live band and an open bar. Another room was a bar just serving Coors Light (I think). The event seemed very well coordinated...but the volunteer staff was not. It was very chaotic and confusing, with our team leaders feeling pretty clueless too. My friend and I got picked to take tickets out front and there was a lot of confusion over where we were to stand, if we could have a table (the answer was no, the hotel doesn't even have a real front desk after all!), and whether we were to cross check people's names with their tickets. Part of the confusion was because we didn't know who was really in charge. Was it Food Network people? Or Food Bank staff? Or Thrillist, a small men's entertainment magazine sponsoring the event? Very confusing and chaotic.
While taking tickets, I ran into someone from UCLA I hadn't seen in over 10 years!!
Later on, we were able to sample some of the foods (but no drinks) and then there wasn't much else to do. There were more volunteers than needed. Some of the other volunteers were posted at different parts of the hallway to direct people to the elevator or the bathroom (which was totally not necessary). No pics because we were told we weren't allowed to take any (a ton of press were there though! I wished I was one of them!).
On a side note, I told my friend that there were a lot of good looking people at the event and he said he didn't agree. Later, I realized, no, it's not that they are good looking, it's more that they are well-groomed and impeccably dressed. Up to that point, I hadn't been anywhere in NYC where I saw so many of one type of people in one concentrated area. (I spend most of my time hanging out in the 'hood or on the subway!)
Blue Moon Burger Bash 2010!
Friday night we were assigned to the Burger Bash (which I guess is a recurring tradition at this festival). It was at the Tobacco Warehouse in Brooklyn. Not actually a warehouse anymore. Not even a real building anymore. Just the old brick remains of walls (no roof). I guess it's a place people can rent out for weddings. This was a huge event. 2,000 tickets were sold (and it was sold out!). There was a huge tent pitched for the main part of the event. There were about 30 volunteers who showed up. Besides this event, I basically did nothing all day because I woke up at 11 a.m. and then I had to head out at 3:00 p.m. because it takes me an hour to get to Brooklyn.
Again, no pictures allowed, but I snuck some with my camera phone. Unfortunately I didn't get any good shots with my "dumb" phone (which used to be smart two years ago but somehow is no longer). This one girl, a college student, took a picture of the ice sculpture by a sweets/cupcakes place (I forgot the name) and I asked her to text it to my email but I never got it. :( She must've typed in the wrong addy.
Coca-cola, as you can see from my little pic, was a major sponsor.
Also NY Times was there with this really cool digital photo booth. Once you took a picture it was instantly printed and also sent to a slideshow being broadcast on two large screens at the booth. The photos were in B&W and had this soft, newspaper-looking effect. Click here to find me in the gallery! (hint, I'm in two different pics)
Like the previous event, there were more volunteers than needed. I guess they wanted to make sure they had enough help and to account for no-shows. There were plenty of staff at the event - people specifically hired to do set up and to wait tables, etc, so it's not like we had to do that. At first I just stood around trying to look useful. I answered three questions (Where's the bathroom? Where's the Coke counter? Where's the Shake Stand booth?). Later I was pulled to put wrist bands on latecomers with tickets. I also handed out some fliers.
This was a pretty good event and if I had $225 to spend, one day, I'd go. A ton of restaurants were there, all serving some type of burger. Most of them also featured some kind of side item. Burgers were either quartered or they were sliders. Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Ted Allen, Gail Simmons, and other food people I didn't recognize or recognized but couldn't name (because I honestly hardly ever watch the Food Network) were there. Mayor Bloomberg was there too.
At the end of the event people were staggering out the door, totally plastered. It's a good thing you don't have to drive in NYC.
We weren't supposed to eat any of the burgers (and definitely not allowed to drink any alcohol, which was a bummer because Blue Moon taps were flowing at every corner), but some of the chefs were pushing them on us. Try it! Have some! Please! Before the guests arrived I had a quarter of a burger from Lure Fishbar (it was good but a bit too rare for me) and a slider from Morton's Steakhouse (yes they make burgers!). It was good. Throughout the event I noticed other volunteers eating (I saw one drinking a beer! gasp!) but I no longer felt like eating. My friend got one from The Dutch (a restaurant that hasn't even opened yet!) and it came with a small cup of maple stout float (which I gladly consumed for him).
At the end of the night there were plenty of leftovers so I snagged two burgers "to go" and ate one on my way out. It was a lobster burger but I forgot from where.
My other one (also forgot from where) became Sunday brunch:
I deconstructed it and reheated it separately and then put it back together. There were greens, caramelized red onions, slices of strawberries, and bacon on a brioche bun. :) With a fried egg, a cupcake from the place with the ice sculpture (a bit mashed getting it home), some fruit, coffee, and juice, and I've got brunch!
This past weekend was the Food Network's NYC Wine & Food Festival benefiting the Food Bank for NYC and Share Our Strength. It was Thursday through Friday, with tons of events all over the city. People bought tickets months in advance (I heard the Burger Bash sold out in early January!). Ticket prices varied depending on the event.
Just a few weeks ago my friend told me about the volunteer opportunities. He had gone last year. So we signed up and gave our available times and they assigned us to events. Thursday night we were assigned to an event called Bacon and the Blues Hosted by Todd English. It was at a new hotel called the Andaz at 41st & 5th Ave. The hotel was pretty nice. All the hotel staff ladies carried small laptops and dressed in all black and all had a matching crossbody satchel to carry their things. The laptops were used for checking people in and out because they didn't have a traditional "front desk."
The event seemed to be pretty nice, from what I could see. It was $75 so it was one of the cheaper/smaller events. Only about 5 or 6 restaurants were participating. Each restaurant presented 1 or 2 small items which involved bacon. One room had a live band and an open bar. Another room was a bar just serving Coors Light (I think). The event seemed very well coordinated...but the volunteer staff was not. It was very chaotic and confusing, with our team leaders feeling pretty clueless too. My friend and I got picked to take tickets out front and there was a lot of confusion over where we were to stand, if we could have a table (the answer was no, the hotel doesn't even have a real front desk after all!), and whether we were to cross check people's names with their tickets. Part of the confusion was because we didn't know who was really in charge. Was it Food Network people? Or Food Bank staff? Or Thrillist, a small men's entertainment magazine sponsoring the event? Very confusing and chaotic.
While taking tickets, I ran into someone from UCLA I hadn't seen in over 10 years!!
Later on, we were able to sample some of the foods (but no drinks) and then there wasn't much else to do. There were more volunteers than needed. Some of the other volunteers were posted at different parts of the hallway to direct people to the elevator or the bathroom (which was totally not necessary). No pics because we were told we weren't allowed to take any (a ton of press were there though! I wished I was one of them!).
On a side note, I told my friend that there were a lot of good looking people at the event and he said he didn't agree. Later, I realized, no, it's not that they are good looking, it's more that they are well-groomed and impeccably dressed. Up to that point, I hadn't been anywhere in NYC where I saw so many of one type of people in one concentrated area. (I spend most of my time hanging out in the 'hood or on the subway!)
Blue Moon Burger Bash 2010!
Friday night we were assigned to the Burger Bash (which I guess is a recurring tradition at this festival). It was at the Tobacco Warehouse in Brooklyn. Not actually a warehouse anymore. Not even a real building anymore. Just the old brick remains of walls (no roof). I guess it's a place people can rent out for weddings. This was a huge event. 2,000 tickets were sold (and it was sold out!). There was a huge tent pitched for the main part of the event. There were about 30 volunteers who showed up. Besides this event, I basically did nothing all day because I woke up at 11 a.m. and then I had to head out at 3:00 p.m. because it takes me an hour to get to Brooklyn.
Again, no pictures allowed, but I snuck some with my camera phone. Unfortunately I didn't get any good shots with my "dumb" phone (which used to be smart two years ago but somehow is no longer). This one girl, a college student, took a picture of the ice sculpture by a sweets/cupcakes place (I forgot the name) and I asked her to text it to my email but I never got it. :( She must've typed in the wrong addy.
Coca-cola, as you can see from my little pic, was a major sponsor.
Also NY Times was there with this really cool digital photo booth. Once you took a picture it was instantly printed and also sent to a slideshow being broadcast on two large screens at the booth. The photos were in B&W and had this soft, newspaper-looking effect. Click here to find me in the gallery! (hint, I'm in two different pics)
Like the previous event, there were more volunteers than needed. I guess they wanted to make sure they had enough help and to account for no-shows. There were plenty of staff at the event - people specifically hired to do set up and to wait tables, etc, so it's not like we had to do that. At first I just stood around trying to look useful. I answered three questions (Where's the bathroom? Where's the Coke counter? Where's the Shake Stand booth?). Later I was pulled to put wrist bands on latecomers with tickets. I also handed out some fliers.
This was a pretty good event and if I had $225 to spend, one day, I'd go. A ton of restaurants were there, all serving some type of burger. Most of them also featured some kind of side item. Burgers were either quartered or they were sliders. Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Ted Allen, Gail Simmons, and other food people I didn't recognize or recognized but couldn't name (because I honestly hardly ever watch the Food Network) were there. Mayor Bloomberg was there too.
At the end of the event people were staggering out the door, totally plastered. It's a good thing you don't have to drive in NYC.
We weren't supposed to eat any of the burgers (and definitely not allowed to drink any alcohol, which was a bummer because Blue Moon taps were flowing at every corner), but some of the chefs were pushing them on us. Try it! Have some! Please! Before the guests arrived I had a quarter of a burger from Lure Fishbar (it was good but a bit too rare for me) and a slider from Morton's Steakhouse (yes they make burgers!). It was good. Throughout the event I noticed other volunteers eating (I saw one drinking a beer! gasp!) but I no longer felt like eating. My friend got one from The Dutch (a restaurant that hasn't even opened yet!) and it came with a small cup of maple stout float (which I gladly consumed for him).
At the end of the night there were plenty of leftovers so I snagged two burgers "to go" and ate one on my way out. It was a lobster burger but I forgot from where.
My other one (also forgot from where) became Sunday brunch:
I deconstructed it and reheated it separately and then put it back together. There were greens, caramelized red onions, slices of strawberries, and bacon on a brioche bun. :) With a fried egg, a cupcake from the place with the ice sculpture (a bit mashed getting it home), some fruit, coffee, and juice, and I've got brunch!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Day 40
It's Day 40. How forty days have already passed is beyond me. I'm not going to lie, I miss L.A. terribly. I miss the sunshine and palm trees. I'm already sick of looking at brick walls and concrete. (Dirty concrete, mind you.)
Things I found myself missing or craving:
- California wine (well, this is more the fact that I have to go to a specialty wine shop to buy it rather than just any grocery store...AND that it often costs more than double what it would have cost at my neighborhood TJ's in L.A.)
-McDonald's chicken McNuggets (fortunately, no shortage of those here. This is otherwise inexplicable).
-view of palm trees (as aforementioned)
-heck, view of anything but ugly old buildings
-my car (and driving)
-my $500 ergonomic OfficeMaster PT-74 "cross-performance" chair (for obvious reasons...my back is killing me!)
-my firm bed (ditto above)
-California fruits (I had no idea! And they say it gets worse in the winter!)
-pho
-personal space (as previously discussed)
-germ-free living
-shopping (it's just too much work here...plus no money).
-weekend brunches (it's just not the same here)
-my friends (of course!)
-a real, non-communal kitchen to call my own
-a couch
-all the clothes, shoes, and bags I left behind
-having a disposable income
-my old crummy comforter that probably cost nothing compared to the expensive down comforter I bought for use here (sometimes old crummy things are more comforting)
-proximity to real nature
-the sounds of birds chirping in the morning
-Step class at the UCLA gym
-cereal that costs less than $5 a box
-big box stores and chain restaurants (gasp! I said it! I'll admit I've been wanting Target, IKEA, Ralph's, Olive Garden, and PF Changs! Maybe even Black Angus! and Red Lobster! I'm a suburban girl after all...wah!)(Yes, I realize they have some of those here!)
-the list goes on...
I mention McDonald's and chain restaurants because for some reason, I kind of miss them or crave them even though I can access them here and even though I hardly went to those places back in L.A. In fact, I usually complained about them. In fact, I'm usually all about the independent stores! I can't figure out why I really wouldn't mind some pasta fagioli soup or endless salad from Olive Garden right now. Maybe because there's some deep-seated familiarity in those tastes and flavors. And having something familiar in an unfamiliar setting is easier to, ahem, digest (pun intended) than constantly being in the unfamiliar. I dunno...but I'll cut the philosophical discussion for now...
Anyhow, despite my long list of things I miss, it's not to say however, that there aren't cool, exciting things here or cool, exciting things that I am looking forward to trying. And it's also not to say that there aren't things that I definitely don't miss in L.A. But I won't mention those. :)
With that, today's theme song:
Things I found myself missing or craving:
- California wine (well, this is more the fact that I have to go to a specialty wine shop to buy it rather than just any grocery store...AND that it often costs more than double what it would have cost at my neighborhood TJ's in L.A.)
-McDonald's chicken McNuggets (fortunately, no shortage of those here. This is otherwise inexplicable).
-view of palm trees (as aforementioned)
-heck, view of anything but ugly old buildings
-my car (and driving)
-my $500 ergonomic OfficeMaster PT-74 "cross-performance" chair (for obvious reasons...my back is killing me!)
-my firm bed (ditto above)
-California fruits (I had no idea! And they say it gets worse in the winter!)
-pho
-personal space (as previously discussed)
-germ-free living
-shopping (it's just too much work here...plus no money).
-weekend brunches (it's just not the same here)
-my friends (of course!)
-a real, non-communal kitchen to call my own
-a couch
-all the clothes, shoes, and bags I left behind
-having a disposable income
-my old crummy comforter that probably cost nothing compared to the expensive down comforter I bought for use here (sometimes old crummy things are more comforting)
-proximity to real nature
-the sounds of birds chirping in the morning
-Step class at the UCLA gym
-cereal that costs less than $5 a box
-big box stores and chain restaurants (gasp! I said it! I'll admit I've been wanting Target, IKEA, Ralph's, Olive Garden, and PF Changs! Maybe even Black Angus! and Red Lobster! I'm a suburban girl after all...wah!)(Yes, I realize they have some of those here!)
-the list goes on...
I mention McDonald's and chain restaurants because for some reason, I kind of miss them or crave them even though I can access them here and even though I hardly went to those places back in L.A. In fact, I usually complained about them. In fact, I'm usually all about the independent stores! I can't figure out why I really wouldn't mind some pasta fagioli soup or endless salad from Olive Garden right now. Maybe because there's some deep-seated familiarity in those tastes and flavors. And having something familiar in an unfamiliar setting is easier to, ahem, digest (pun intended) than constantly being in the unfamiliar. I dunno...but I'll cut the philosophical discussion for now...
Anyhow, despite my long list of things I miss, it's not to say however, that there aren't cool, exciting things here or cool, exciting things that I am looking forward to trying. And it's also not to say that there aren't things that I definitely don't miss in L.A. But I won't mention those. :)
With that, today's theme song:
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Trader Joe's comes to UWS!
Trader Joe's opened on the Upper West Side earlier last week. And it was a big deal. Well there are other Trader Joe's in town, but much farther from me and I heard the lines just to get in were crazy - like it's an exclusive club!
For those of you who don't know, Trader Joe's comes from California! Woohoo! It is headquartered in Monrovia, a hop skip and jump away from my hometown. I've been going to TJ's since as far back as I can remember (in the 1980s!) when my neighborhood Trader Joe's was just basically a liquor store with a couple of aisles of nuts, cheese, and dairy products, and that was about it. It has grown and expanded substantially since then.
In the past few years, I've been eating food and buying groceries almost exclusively from Trader Joe's, to the point where, why, just a couple of months ago I was complaining about the lack of variety. I have heard of people who disliked TJ's. OK one person. I was flabbergasted. I mean, some items, admittedly, are hit or miss. But the "miss" items go away quickly, as they are always coming up with new items. Unfortunately, some good things go away and never come back (oh, guacamango salsa! and coffee-flavored soy milk!). Since TJ's opened in Westwood, I found myself stopping by there several times a week on my way home. One day (why, just a couple of months ago), I stood in front of the prepared foods section, and looked at every single salad and sandwich they had. And it dawned on me, I had had every single item on the shelf!
Now that it's been over a month since I've had TJ's, I excitedly got on the 1 train on a Friday morning just to shop there. It's very strange. So it's on three stories. The first story is just the entry level, and there is nothing there except the escalator to go down. The "main" level has dairy, produce, and the checkout stations (I say stations for a reason). The lower level has the other stuff. Note, there is NO wine or hard liquor. Some kind of weird law in NYC prevents grocery stores from selling any wine or liquor (but they can sell beer). I guess because the lines can get very long, there is actually someone standing at the end of the line with a sign that says, "end of the line." Then, instead of checkout lanes, there is just one lane and they call out the cashier numbers when there is one free. e.g., "29!" and you go to station 29. All of the chocolate/candy that you would normally see at every checkout station is, instead, consolidated to one shelf at the "end of the line" - it's very strange.
Shopping in NYC has a real old world feel to it, where people went to specific stores just to buy specific items (it's a lot of work!). Since I was disappointed that I couldn't buy any wine (not even $3 two buck Chucks, which apparently they have at a TJ's Wine Shop in Gramercy, aka far from me) I have been craving wine. Not that I even drank that much wine back in L.A.! Something about not having something easily available, makes you want it more...
Going to TJ's brought some feelings of comfort. Comfort in seeing familiar products. Even comfort in the decor. And comfort in consuming the familiar products (even though they had only a fraction of the salads and sandwiches they had back in L.A.). I'll talk about "comforts" more in the next post...such as my comforting bowl of ramen from Mitsuwa in New Jersey:
But that's another story.
Updates to my room
Updated photos of my room!
After four weeks of feeling like I was "floating" in the middle of my room, and not able to get a good night's sleep, I finally decided to push my bed back toward the window, dormitory/prison style. I originally moved it away from the wall because I thought it'd look more "grown up" and more like a hotel room. But I believe in the rules of feng shui (loosely) and there's just no good way to arrange this room. First, there's no way I can possibly see the front door when lying down, unless I had my feet pointed toward the door which is also bad. And there's also no way to avoid having my bed caught "in the gust" between the door and the window. The window is just too darn big. Finally, I decided that for most of my life, I have slept with the wall to my right anyway, I might as well push the bed toward the wall. This way I feel anchored to something, and not like I'm falling off the edges of a twin XL bed. This also reduced the light from the crack between the blinds and the edge of the window from shining directly in my eye.
I have been sleeping slightly better ever since. Note I said slightly. Still not perfect. Still need either black out curtains or a better sleeping mask (the room is just too bright! Night and day!). Slowly but surely...slowly but surely.
Also here is the run down on how much I have spent on bedding in the hopes of making my sleeping arrangements better (yes, I am the princess and the pea!)
- $100 down comforter from Costco.com
- $50 duvet + sham from Amazon
- $85 sheets from Costco.com
- $10 on the first pillow from Target
- $3 on the first pillow protector from Target
- $40 on the second pillow from IKEA (Gosa Raps!)
- $4 on the second pillow protector from IKEA
- $45 microfleece blanket from Costco.com
- $65 memory foam mattress topper from Amazon
- $7 mattress pad from Target
- $25 mattress pad from Amazon
Also here's a pic of my mini-fridge, with both doors open. It's like playing Tetris to make my food fit:
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Redefining your concept of personal space
In L.A., personal space is defined by being able to see the headlights of the car behind you through your rear window. In NYC, there is no such thing as personal space. You can wish for it, but you aren't going to get it, unless you want to live like a hermit and stay holed up in your 200 sq ft apartment. Space is expensive. And having it is a luxury.
I've come to learn that it is completely unavoidable to be wedged in between two large, heavy set men when sitting on the bus or even a subway. First off, oftentimes seats are curved and pre-determined. It's actually better when they are, because otherwise someone might hog up 2 seats and they won't scootch to make space for you. With the pre-determined seats, you get the occasional a-hole who sits in between two seats (which doesn't make sense to me because there is a bump and can't be comfortable), but most times there is a little space showing where you can squeeze in. So unless you want to stand (sometimes you are just too tired to, and other times you'll find standing is just as crowded), you are going to squeeze your butt in between two large men. I've done it many times. This means shoulders, elbows, and unfortunately, hips, are touching. If I cross my arms and legs and lean forward I can oftentimes avoid any contact - and I do it, because I'm just not ready to touch a stranger!
It also seems like everywhere you go it's crowded or cramped. I don't know how restaurants meet fire codes. I don't know how people in wheelchairs use the restroom. Or even dine at a restaurant. I guess they just don't live here. Come to think of it, I hardly see people in wheelchairs. I never see obese people. Maybe slightly overweight, maybe heavyset (at least on the subway or bus when I'm trying to sit!) but not obese. This is certainly not an accessible city.
I actually feel relieved whenever I reach my little world of Morningside Heights, where the sidewalks are wide and you can actually walk in a straight line without bumping into someone.
On the plus side, it's kind of interesting that on any given day you can see hundreds of different strangers by simply going outside (in contrast, in L.A., you can see hundreds of cars of similar make, model, and color). It takes people watching to a whole new level (except you are often too close to people to watch them, must avert gaze and stare at the ground). Back home, if I was stuck in traffic on a weekend I wondered where everyone was going. You look inside cars and you see people yapping on cell phones, munching on food, or singing along with their radios. Today, I got on a packed downtown-bound A-train at 125th and wondered where everyone was going. Where are you all going!?!
It will take me a little time to redefine my concept of personal space. But, it will take me much longer to let go of my fear of dirt. (That's another topic).
I've come to learn that it is completely unavoidable to be wedged in between two large, heavy set men when sitting on the bus or even a subway. First off, oftentimes seats are curved and pre-determined. It's actually better when they are, because otherwise someone might hog up 2 seats and they won't scootch to make space for you. With the pre-determined seats, you get the occasional a-hole who sits in between two seats (which doesn't make sense to me because there is a bump and can't be comfortable), but most times there is a little space showing where you can squeeze in. So unless you want to stand (sometimes you are just too tired to, and other times you'll find standing is just as crowded), you are going to squeeze your butt in between two large men. I've done it many times. This means shoulders, elbows, and unfortunately, hips, are touching. If I cross my arms and legs and lean forward I can oftentimes avoid any contact - and I do it, because I'm just not ready to touch a stranger!
It also seems like everywhere you go it's crowded or cramped. I don't know how restaurants meet fire codes. I don't know how people in wheelchairs use the restroom. Or even dine at a restaurant. I guess they just don't live here. Come to think of it, I hardly see people in wheelchairs. I never see obese people. Maybe slightly overweight, maybe heavyset (at least on the subway or bus when I'm trying to sit!) but not obese. This is certainly not an accessible city.
I actually feel relieved whenever I reach my little world of Morningside Heights, where the sidewalks are wide and you can actually walk in a straight line without bumping into someone.
On the plus side, it's kind of interesting that on any given day you can see hundreds of different strangers by simply going outside (in contrast, in L.A., you can see hundreds of cars of similar make, model, and color). It takes people watching to a whole new level (except you are often too close to people to watch them, must avert gaze and stare at the ground). Back home, if I was stuck in traffic on a weekend I wondered where everyone was going. You look inside cars and you see people yapping on cell phones, munching on food, or singing along with their radios. Today, I got on a packed downtown-bound A-train at 125th and wondered where everyone was going. Where are you all going!?!
It will take me a little time to redefine my concept of personal space. But, it will take me much longer to let go of my fear of dirt. (That's another topic).
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Coney Island, Baby
A little behind on posting about my weekend excursions. So on Saturday, September 11, my crew and I headed out to Coney Island. Not because it was 9/11. But because it was a lovely Saturday. The weather was still pretty warm. I'd always heard about Coney Island but had never been, so here was my chance!
We took the D train, which is supposed to be Express (something I learned...Express means it doesn't make every stop, Local means it does. Not sure why they would use the word Local which doesn't make any sense to me just hearing the word, but hey, now I get it. But more on that some other time). Anyway so we took the D train and it took an hour to get there. We arrived around noon and it was pretty dead. Some places hadn't even opened yet.
None of us felt like riding the roller coasters, which seemed slightly fancier than your average traveling carnival or county fair, but still not as fancy as an actual amusement park. Not sure though, since I didn't ride anything.
First stop was world famous Nathan's hot dogs. Now I can check that off my list. It was decent, but certainly not as good as Pink's in L.A. (or even a Dodger Dog, for that matter). I did like the bagged potato chips a lot though (see picture). It was the perfect amount of salt for me.
Then because there didn't seem to be much else to do, we went to New York City's only aquarium, the New York Aquarium (also the nation's oldest aquarium). We had to "wait on line" to buy tickets (see picture...for those of you not following me on FB, more on that later) and got suckered in to buying a "Total Experience" package. For an extra three bucks (or four?) we saw a special 4-D presentation of Planet Earth. 4-D means they blow air and spray water on you. It was only 10 minutes long. Oh and they blew bubbles too.
The aquarium was ridiculously small, by California standards (hello Monterey Bay! and Long Beach!). You could tell it was the oldest aquarium in the nation. We watched a rather anticlimactic show of...you guessed it, California seals. And then navigated crowded halls of screaming children to look at equally crowded fish tanks. (Here is also where I heard the most number of people speaking with thick Brooklyn accents. e.g., mom: "'ey, kids, come 'ere, take a pictcha wit the wahl-rus")
Then we headed to the beach and did some jumping shots (not posted!) and headed back to the boardwalk. I had some good fried shrimp (a bit pricey though - $8 for 5 shrimp!). And we were pretty much on our way. Thus concluded our 7-hour Coney Island excursion.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Embarrassing Bus Moment #2
The first was when I didn't know I had to push the yellow bars on the back door to open the back door and was frantically yelling "back door! back door!" to no avail. The second was when I was feverishly pushing and pushing the back door - someone behind me even yelled "push!" before someone else gently pointed out that the bus hadn't reached the proper stop yet. Sigh.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Defining Home
The other day I was sitting around and thinking about how much I missed home and how I wanted to go home. And then I started thinking, well, what is "home"?
When I say the word out loud I think in general I am referring to L.A. but if I got on a plane right now and showed up in L.A., there's not really a specific, physical marker that I could go to and call it home.
Sure, there is my parents' house. But a house is not a home! It's my parents' house, not mine. They would be flabbergasted if I referred to it as THEIR house rather than OUR house, which I'm sure many of you understand. It's cultural. And yes, sure, I can say it's my house, but is it my HOME? It's not. It's simply the place I lived in from age 4 to 18, and since age 18, it's simply been a place I go to once in awhile, and a place where I store my stuff. I have spent more years living outside of that house that I did living in it. (How strange to think about!)
Sometimes, I think perhaps my old apartment is "home" - at least my old room. In my mind it is still intact, with all the furniture, bedding, and stuff still there, as I had it for many years. The memory of my old room intact extends for years while the memory of it deconstructed was only for 1-2 days, so I can't visualize it as empty as well as I can with it intact. It's strange to think that it's just not there anymore. I keep thinking that I am on some extended business travel where I am part-working and part-relaxing, and at any day now I will get back on the plane and land at LAX, and hop on the 405 to Wilshire and arrive HOME.
It's really strange how some simple, otherwise meaningless routines can become so permanently ingrained, that to take it away can feel so jarring.
My old apartment is not even one of the best places I've ever lived in (the best is yet to come?), in fact, toe to toe I got a sweeter deal right now.
On a side note, I somehow miss driving! And I miss my car! I think I have forgotten how to drive! The last time I drove was on a hot Monday afternoon sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on the 10 freeway and I thought to myself, "Sure not gonna miss this!" and you know what? I kinda do!
This afternoon I took a little stroll down Riverside Park and enjoyed views of the Hudson River, and actually found it comforting to see the rush hour traffic along the river. Reminded me of PCH. Except fewer lanes. And no marine layer. And warmer.
I didn't end up selling my car. It's parked outside my parents' house gathering dirt and dust. Felt like it was too much trouble when I couldn't possibly get that much money for it (it's a 1999 Camry). I'm kind of glad I kept it because it's just another piece of me that would feel missing. And now I have something to drive when I'm back in L.A.
Clearly, I don't do well with drastic changes. Yet I somehow have a knack of letting routines pile up well past their due dates and then make drastic changes all at once. It's good for you, right? It's good for your brain. And after all, didn't I say that I was "done" with L.A. when I was there?
I know it's only a matter of time before I find my HOME. It's all the time waiting in between that's driving me crazy.
When I say the word out loud I think in general I am referring to L.A. but if I got on a plane right now and showed up in L.A., there's not really a specific, physical marker that I could go to and call it home.
Sure, there is my parents' house. But a house is not a home! It's my parents' house, not mine. They would be flabbergasted if I referred to it as THEIR house rather than OUR house, which I'm sure many of you understand. It's cultural. And yes, sure, I can say it's my house, but is it my HOME? It's not. It's simply the place I lived in from age 4 to 18, and since age 18, it's simply been a place I go to once in awhile, and a place where I store my stuff. I have spent more years living outside of that house that I did living in it. (How strange to think about!)
Sometimes, I think perhaps my old apartment is "home" - at least my old room. In my mind it is still intact, with all the furniture, bedding, and stuff still there, as I had it for many years. The memory of my old room intact extends for years while the memory of it deconstructed was only for 1-2 days, so I can't visualize it as empty as well as I can with it intact. It's strange to think that it's just not there anymore. I keep thinking that I am on some extended business travel where I am part-working and part-relaxing, and at any day now I will get back on the plane and land at LAX, and hop on the 405 to Wilshire and arrive HOME.
It's really strange how some simple, otherwise meaningless routines can become so permanently ingrained, that to take it away can feel so jarring.
My old apartment is not even one of the best places I've ever lived in (the best is yet to come?), in fact, toe to toe I got a sweeter deal right now.
On a side note, I somehow miss driving! And I miss my car! I think I have forgotten how to drive! The last time I drove was on a hot Monday afternoon sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on the 10 freeway and I thought to myself, "Sure not gonna miss this!" and you know what? I kinda do!
This afternoon I took a little stroll down Riverside Park and enjoyed views of the Hudson River, and actually found it comforting to see the rush hour traffic along the river. Reminded me of PCH. Except fewer lanes. And no marine layer. And warmer.
I didn't end up selling my car. It's parked outside my parents' house gathering dirt and dust. Felt like it was too much trouble when I couldn't possibly get that much money for it (it's a 1999 Camry). I'm kind of glad I kept it because it's just another piece of me that would feel missing. And now I have something to drive when I'm back in L.A.
Clearly, I don't do well with drastic changes. Yet I somehow have a knack of letting routines pile up well past their due dates and then make drastic changes all at once. It's good for you, right? It's good for your brain. And after all, didn't I say that I was "done" with L.A. when I was there?
I know it's only a matter of time before I find my HOME. It's all the time waiting in between that's driving me crazy.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Kao is stuck in Morningside Heights
Graffito on the platform. (Someone posted a note underneath that said, "I do. Been with her ten years." The next day someone else wrote, "Love gave me AIDS." And the next day, it was cleaned up.)The Kao is stuck in Morningside Heights!
Such is the life of a graduate student. I realized earlier this week that perhaps having an unlimited Metro Card is useless, and that I ought to switch to pay-per-ride. Sigh. Decisions decisions. Odd that I am willing to pay for unlimited rides but struggled in deciding whether to upgrade my texting package (in the end, I caved in and upgraded. Texting is a necessity here...cell phones don't work on all subways and you don't want to have obnoxious phone calls in public anyway). Will keep the unlimited card for now.
Columbia University, main campus.
Teachers College, main entrance
The front of my building! Hurrah!
My next posting will be titled, "Learning to readjust your definitions of 'personal space' and letting go of your fear of dirt."
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Kao roams to Midtown, Flushing, Governors Island, AND Brooklyn all in one long weekend
In case you were worried that I was merely sitting in my 216 sq ft room twiddling my thumbs and pining for the stuff I left behind in Los Angeles, I actually left the room and covered a lot of ground in the past four days!
Friday's uptown bus tour allowed me to see a lot of negative signage (there is a lot of don't do this don't do that around here):
And a lot of rooftop water towers:
The cleanest public spot in all of New York City I've ever seen:
And, a small reminder of UCLA...Duke Ellington statue:
Rigatoni bolognese and limoncello mousse at Basso56 in midtown
On Saturday, I made it all the way out to Flushing!
Some amazing hot pot at Udu Cafe
And walked into a Hong Kong Supermarket like it could be anywhere in the world (which was somewhat comforting). They all look and smell exactly the same!
Sunday was an 8-hour excursion to Governors Island for a food truck event (because yes, they are trendy here too!). Not because it's that far. But because it took THAT long to get on the island, get food, eat it, and get off the island. And stop by Mickey D's along the way back.
There is a free, short ride to Governors Island which used to be a military base. Now it's just used to hold events and people walk or bike around the island. Walking around the island may have been a better use of my time than to stand in line for an hour and 40 minutes for quite possibly the worst Indian food I've ever eaten. Kept wanting to give up waiting but felt like I already committed time...didn't even get to try the "locally crafted beer" they kept boasting about. There was a line for that too.
At least there was a nice view of the Manhattan skyline.
Lots of people. Lots of people waiting to ferry out.
Monday, Labor Day, sure was laborious (har har). A simple trip to IKEA - granted, even back home a trip to IKEA couldn't be simple (they suck you in!) - took 6 hours round trip! I feel like I can really only do one thing per day here. Have not yet learned to multi-task. Well, first off IKEA is kind of far from where I am. We had to ride the subway (with one transfer) for about 40 minutes. Then we took the water taxi (yes, water taxi!) to Brooklyn. You have to buy a ticket for $5 but when you buy $10 worth of stuff at IKEA the cashier credits 5 bucks back to you. Then you get back to the water taxi and show your receipt and they let you on for free.
And so of course we had to have IKEA FOOD. The restaurant has a nice view of the Statue of Liberty, so I got prime window dining! (Can sort of see it in the distance in my photo). Then I had to lug my bags of IKEA wares and a rolled up rug all the way back uptown. I feel like I accomplished a major physical feat. The rug is not great but it was only 20 bucks and now my feet won't get cold when I step out of bed, and at least you guys will have a rug to sleep on when you come to visit (haha!).
It was also somewhat comforting to be inside IKEA (the warehouse/checkout area looks exactly like the one in Burbank) and eating Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce (with a better view!)
And thus, concludes my whirlwind long weekend in NYC.
Photos of my newly IKEA-fied room to come.
Friday's uptown bus tour allowed me to see a lot of negative signage (there is a lot of don't do this don't do that around here):
And a lot of rooftop water towers:
The cleanest public spot in all of New York City I've ever seen:
And, a small reminder of UCLA...Duke Ellington statue:
Rigatoni bolognese and limoncello mousse at Basso56 in midtown
On Saturday, I made it all the way out to Flushing!
Some amazing hot pot at Udu Cafe
And walked into a Hong Kong Supermarket like it could be anywhere in the world (which was somewhat comforting). They all look and smell exactly the same!
Sunday was an 8-hour excursion to Governors Island for a food truck event (because yes, they are trendy here too!). Not because it's that far. But because it took THAT long to get on the island, get food, eat it, and get off the island. And stop by Mickey D's along the way back.
There is a free, short ride to Governors Island which used to be a military base. Now it's just used to hold events and people walk or bike around the island. Walking around the island may have been a better use of my time than to stand in line for an hour and 40 minutes for quite possibly the worst Indian food I've ever eaten. Kept wanting to give up waiting but felt like I already committed time...didn't even get to try the "locally crafted beer" they kept boasting about. There was a line for that too.
At least there was a nice view of the Manhattan skyline.
Lots of people. Lots of people waiting to ferry out.
Monday, Labor Day, sure was laborious (har har). A simple trip to IKEA - granted, even back home a trip to IKEA couldn't be simple (they suck you in!) - took 6 hours round trip! I feel like I can really only do one thing per day here. Have not yet learned to multi-task. Well, first off IKEA is kind of far from where I am. We had to ride the subway (with one transfer) for about 40 minutes. Then we took the water taxi (yes, water taxi!) to Brooklyn. You have to buy a ticket for $5 but when you buy $10 worth of stuff at IKEA the cashier credits 5 bucks back to you. Then you get back to the water taxi and show your receipt and they let you on for free.
And so of course we had to have IKEA FOOD. The restaurant has a nice view of the Statue of Liberty, so I got prime window dining! (Can sort of see it in the distance in my photo). Then I had to lug my bags of IKEA wares and a rolled up rug all the way back uptown. I feel like I accomplished a major physical feat. The rug is not great but it was only 20 bucks and now my feet won't get cold when I step out of bed, and at least you guys will have a rug to sleep on when you come to visit (haha!).
It was also somewhat comforting to be inside IKEA (the warehouse/checkout area looks exactly like the one in Burbank) and eating Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce (with a better view!)
And thus, concludes my whirlwind long weekend in NYC.
Photos of my newly IKEA-fied room to come.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
What's in my suitcase?
In my ongoing obsession with "stuff" I thought I'd talk about what I packed in my suitcase, kind of along the same vein of the I'm Just Walkin' guy (who, incidentally, recently finished walking across America! Not too many days after I flew across America on a plane!). He brought three pairs of pants. I did better. I brought four. The plane ride helps.
In my 27" suitcase, which had a maximum weight limit of 50.0 lbs according to United's checked baggage requirements (I got it to exactly 50.0 but the bag weighs 12 lbs empty!), and my 19" carry-on, which had no weight limit but was definitely over 30 lbs, I packed:
When it gets cold, I will probably be wearing the same outfit week after week. How boring, I think. Why did I not pack more pants? Because they didn't fit in the suitcase! Of course, looking back at the list, I could have foregone one sweater and one scarf in lieu of another pair of pants, but oh well, too late now. I think I got it 95% right.
OK, and then as I mentioned before, I shipped 6 boxes of stuff to myself:
In my 27" suitcase, which had a maximum weight limit of 50.0 lbs according to United's checked baggage requirements (I got it to exactly 50.0 but the bag weighs 12 lbs empty!), and my 19" carry-on, which had no weight limit but was definitely over 30 lbs, I packed:
- 4 pairs of pants (2 jeans, 1 casual, 1 dressy)
- 2 pairs of shorts (both casual, 1 short, 1 longish)
- 5 skirts (3 dressy, 1 casual, 1 that can go either way)
- 4 dresses
- 15 blouses (only 2 long-sleeved)
- 9 casual baby T's
- 4 sweaters
- 1 short jacket
- 1 thin trench coat
- 1 rain coat
- 1 wool coat
- assorted t-shirts, gym clothes, pajamas, etc that can otherwise be used as loungewear (because I do like to lounge)
- a month's worth of underwear (TMI? so I don't have to do laundry very often!)
- unmentionables (definitely TMI)
- 1 swimsuit
- 3 pairs of gloves
- 2 hats
- 8 scarves (ranging from lightweight silk to heavyweight cashmere)
- 7 pairs of shoes (my Keens, ballet flats, flip flops, running shoes, walking shoes, tall black leather boots, and black kitten heel pumps)
- 2 handbags
When it gets cold, I will probably be wearing the same outfit week after week. How boring, I think. Why did I not pack more pants? Because they didn't fit in the suitcase! Of course, looking back at the list, I could have foregone one sweater and one scarf in lieu of another pair of pants, but oh well, too late now. I think I got it 95% right.
OK, and then as I mentioned before, I shipped 6 boxes of stuff to myself:
- 2 Media Mail boxes of books, mostly academic
- 2 Flat-Rate Priority Mail boxes
- 2 large Parcel Post boxes
- various toiletries, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, makeup, nail care (stuff I already had and figured would be a waste to toss)
- 2 handbags (yes, if you're keeping count, now I have 4!)
- 1 pair of rain boots
- my tush cush (for my chronic tailbone problem)
- officey supplies, like notebooks, folders, pens, stapler, etc.
- my alarm clock that I've had since undergrad (somehow very comforting to look over and see)
- 2 surge protectors (turns out I only need one) and other various power supplies (e.g., battery chargers and cables for my cameras)
- plastic organizational trays (thank gods I shipped those, so handy!)
- small kitchen supplies (e.g., utensils, chopsticks, can opener, peeler)
- vitamins
- small tools
- and probably some other small junk I don't remember
- bed sheets, blanket, and comforter, all ordered from Costco.com and waiting for me when I arrived
- a quick, 2-hour journey to Target on the first day of arrival got me a pillow, a mattress pad, a Brita, a mug, bath towels and bath mats, kitchen towels, and some basic cleaning supplies
- darted around town to Marshall's (non-stick pan, shower caddy), Office Depot (desk pad because my desk is scratched up and nasty), and Goodwill (plates and a bowl, the prices weren't very cheap but I was already there)
- in the last week, I've purchased online: a bath robe (hey, I had an LL Bean gift card from my credit card anyway!), a hot water kettle (those of you who know me well know my tea and hot water habit), a Swiffer kit, an all-in-one printer, textbooks, and a ream of paper. Thank you Amazon for offering free Prime membership to anyone with a dot edu email address! Hooray!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
This socalfoodie in NYC
What's a blog by me without some discussion of food?
Especially since, officially, as of today, my former food blog, socalfoodies dot com was officially shut down. :(
After experiencing some rather exorbitant grocery store prices (who pays over 5 bucks for a box of cereal!?!), I've come to realize that it may actually be more economical to eat out, depending on where you go and what early bird specials you hit up.
Maoz Vegetarian - for about 8 bucks you get a falafel sandwich, fries, and a drink, and all you can stuff salad toppings! Sure, the falafel is just average and a bit dry, but the salad "toppings" are pretty good, and we snuck some extra salad toppings in the little sauce containers (beets, chick peas, and olives shown here).
Also managed to find an early bird prix fixe meal that included salad, pasta, and ice cream for only $11.95 at a diner, and aside from the ice cream, it was pretty good! Better than I expected.
I somehow expected all restaurants to be priced outrageously, but so far, at least in Morningside Heights, I've been able to have $3 pints of beer, $10 specialty cocktails, and pasta dishes for under $20. Not too shabby. Seems to be more efficient to eat out anyway... whether to get food "to go" OR "to stay" (as they say).
Boat Basin Cafe. Food, not so great. View? Pretty good.
Trader Joe's oh how I miss thee!!
Crumbs. We have these in L.A. too.
To be continued...
Especially since, officially, as of today, my former food blog, socalfoodies dot com was officially shut down. :(
After experiencing some rather exorbitant grocery store prices (who pays over 5 bucks for a box of cereal!?!), I've come to realize that it may actually be more economical to eat out, depending on where you go and what early bird specials you hit up.
Maoz Vegetarian - for about 8 bucks you get a falafel sandwich, fries, and a drink, and all you can stuff salad toppings! Sure, the falafel is just average and a bit dry, but the salad "toppings" are pretty good, and we snuck some extra salad toppings in the little sauce containers (beets, chick peas, and olives shown here).Also managed to find an early bird prix fixe meal that included salad, pasta, and ice cream for only $11.95 at a diner, and aside from the ice cream, it was pretty good! Better than I expected.
I somehow expected all restaurants to be priced outrageously, but so far, at least in Morningside Heights, I've been able to have $3 pints of beer, $10 specialty cocktails, and pasta dishes for under $20. Not too shabby. Seems to be more efficient to eat out anyway... whether to get food "to go" OR "to stay" (as they say).
Boat Basin Cafe. Food, not so great. View? Pretty good.
Trader Joe's oh how I miss thee!!
Crumbs. We have these in L.A. too.
To be continued...
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