Lazy Weekends in NYC

Friday started off lovely, spent the day with an amazing colleague/friend who was visiting from LA. He wanted to introduce me to some of his NY peeps. I got to learn more about my friend who I've learned is an amazing soul, more so than I already knew. One who has been through so much in his life but has overcome all to become this genuine, kind, light-hearted person who I feel fortunate enough to cross paths with. Reminds me so much of another special person in my life due to their optimistic views on spirituality and life and also the way they see beauty in art, music, fashion and design. Being such a cynical person in life, it is important for me to be around such people to keep me challenged and on my toes.

Anyways, we started out with my introduction to Pinkberry (yes, I hadn't had it before), then talking on a stoop, then to his friend's apt, then to a random friend pick up from the street, onto a bench in Tompkins, to another friend's apt, to pizza, then back to 2nd friend's apt., to balcony yelling and spying, to gelato, back to 2nd apt., then to see The Wackness (2 out of 5*s), then finally hometime. It was the most perfect NYC day. Days that are spent really doing everything but doing nothing, where friends meet up, leave to do other things, then meet back up again. That's how my life has become here, just going with the flow with no real plans and never really doing anything. It's amazing and I feel that you can really only do that here b/c there is constantly stuff to do and see and learn no matter how long you've been here. Plus, all of this was done sober, which is a BIG step for me.

Anways, all of these friends are 1-2 years older than me and doing all of these amazing things with their lives, more so than me. It's funny b/c my brother asked me last time I was home if I got intimidated. I said no, b/c almost everyone in NYC is doing something and is someone so you kind of get used to it. He said true since NYC is definitely not a place for the faint of heart, it breeds the best of the best and only the true will survive...ha!!

The ultimate ending to my weekend was going to see Dark Knight last night. After all the hype I'll tell you this, I was definitely NOT disappointed and actually feel like seeing it again which I may on Wednesday. Heath Ledger...INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!! I'm so happy that they were able to finish filming before his unkindly death b/c there is NO WAY someone could've filled those shoes.

So a great, sober, cheap weekend was had and was much enjoyed by myself. I met great new people, saw an amazing film, packed up most of my apartment and discovered some amazing new music thanks to my new friend. I'm a bit too lazy to discover music by myself these days and am usually told what I would like by JW and now by JB. So I am officially obsessed with: The Chromatics, Kyte, The Blow and Air France.

Hope it was as amazing and lazy for everyone else as it was for me.

xoxo

Brought a tear to my eye..

Update

I just checked missed connections on Craigslist to no avail, he has not posted yet. I may have lost the love of my life, sad isn't it?

Love at First Sight

I was doing my normal morning routine - walk up stairs at the stairs at 4th and 9th and jumped on the train. As I slowly looked to my right looking for the impossible seat I see a total me guy. We make eye contact and I quickly look away chuckling to myself. This goes on for a couple of stops until the guy beside me gets up so I go to sit but the guy beside the hot guy moves into that seat so the only seat left is directly beside him. At first I thought good move but no, since it's hard to make eye contact with someone directly beside you. So we go along our merry way, me reading Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and he reading Michael Chabon's Wonder Boys. Me on my iPOD listening to Cat as always and him listening to the drone of the subway.

As we go along, I'm not really paying attention to my book and am randomly wondering:

A - what stop is his and
B - what to do...smile? give business card? say hi? ignore?

So he starts packing up, putting away his umbrella, book, etc. and gets up to leave and gives me a smirk. I get up to go to my next stop and realize it's 1 stop past at 47 Rockefeller Center rather than my stop at 42nd. So I more or less got too flustered that I missed my stop which was in turn his stop. My friend at work told me I should've given him my card b/c that's what people in NY do but I told her that I realized I was dressed like an idiot today.

So I will just continue to take the train at that exact time in that exact spot to get on the exact cart and hopefully will run into him again. Oh well, you snooze you lose.

Random Conversations with the Old Man

J: You working late tonight?

E: I threw out my back.

J: Why because you're old?

E: Painkillers are amazing.

J: Can you save me some? Our next night out, save them.

E: Ahhhhmazing. Muzle relaxers are amazing.

J: Wow, you really are fucked.

E: How old are you?

J: Old, 29, but you're older.  

E: Ok, ok, next year. (I went to sleep so didn't reply)

Next Day

J: Huh? Next Year? Wtf are you talking about? Did you sleep?

E: Yeah 5 hours, you need 8?

J: No 6, when are you back after your travels?

E: 3 weeks.

J: Where you going?

E: LA, London, Dublin

J: Wow you're sooo cool man. You should take me somewhere.

E: Wow, cool yeah, cool man.

???????????????????????????????????

I have no clue!!!! Every time is so damn funny I just have to share. Seriously, I never get anyof our conversations that happen over texting. I have no clue if it's b/c translation gets lost in texting or just b/c neither of us has any clue. I think it maybe the latter.

Awakening Senses

This is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. Sends chills down my spine and awakens every sense in my body. I haven't really ever been a fan of contemporary ballet since I come from a classical background with my opera singer mother, me having played the piano and my bro the violin but now I think I should delve further into this art. As a kid I was ONLY allowed to take classical ballet - no jazz, no tap, nothing contemporary, JUST BALLET and it was my favorite thing in the world.

ChChChChanges....

Went home from Thurs. - Tues. of last week. While being home I got to hang out with my bestest of friends over many, many and I mean MANY drinks. I got to see one of my oldest and bestest guy friend get married at a pure gong/shit show of a wedding and celebrated many birthdays. The weekend was tiring, exhausting actually, expensive and uber fun!!! It also involved many gut-wrenching, hyena-like, hysterical laughs!!!

Thanks to all who made it out to see many at least once!!! Thanks again Michelle for playing a lovely host!! Being home reaffirmed that no matter how much this city gets me down, no matter how broke, lonely and desolate I feel, that I made the right and best decision. I love TO, I will end up and live forever in TO but right now NY is my home.

On that note...

I am moving YET again. Roommate situation - he broke up with his girlfriend, wanted to move back in but didn't, realized the place was too small for 2 people, realized he may hate NY, etc., etc. has more or less caused me to start looking for a new apartment. I decided to grasp this opportunity and maybe live in a place I've always wanted to, the East Village - Alphabet City to be exact, which I like better than LES, better than Williamsburg, better SOHO, better than anywhere actually. After looking at some shitty apartments, a VERY SMALL 350 sq. ft. studio in the BK I've decided to accept an offer to live in a 3 bedroom with MY VERY OWN BATHROOM at Ave. C and E7th. I will have one male and one female roommate and an abundance of restaurants, bars, parks, etc. I also have 3 subways I can take - what sucks is that each one is about a 10 minute walk, I definitely will miss my 2 minutes in BK.

Even though I have 2 roommates now, I live further from the subway, I figured that I have to live in Manhattan for at least 1 year while I do live here and I live closer to the very few friends I do have!!! Everyone can still come visit, I'll have an air mattress waiting ;)

Hometime Tomorrow Time

In ONE MORE SLEEP I get to go back to the ones I love and adore. I haven't seen my mama and dada and bro in 6 WHOLE MONTHS!!! Yesterday was my 6 month anniversary of moving to the Big Apple so I feel it's a great way to celebrate this big accomplishment. Even though I've had many loved ones visit me here, many more haven't so I'm uber excited.

I have: birthdays to celebrate, memories to be rehashed, new gossip to be heard and told, a wedding to attend, drinks to be drunk, sun to soak in and just plain old catching up and glowing in the love that will surround me in the next couple of days.

This comes at a perfect time since I may have to move, again, due to my roommate breaking up with his GF and now wanting to possibly have the apartment to himself and I know it may not sound like a big deal but moving in this goddamn city is a BIATCH!!!! Ahhhh, to remember the remember the times when my life was so simple back in T.Dot.

FYI - I have a new crush developing and we chatted on the phone for about 30 minutes last night...something I haven't done since I was about 19 ... about 10 years ago. He is lovely and I just can't figure out yet if he's just genuinely nice or interested??? Guess we'll find out. I feel like a school girl rather than the jaded, cynical, commitment-phobic, whatever woman that I usually am.

Yeah to T.Dot...to all you lovelies that live there, see you soon!!! My fun-filled, drunken, tiring week/end will be starting at my fav bar/black hole .... Beaconsfield!!! Stop by!

P.S. - I am a karaoke machine!!! Have you ever seen so much passion???!!! This to one of the karaoke greats...Journey. I may just quit all extracurricular activities and do karaoke 24/7. I am Asian you know, it's in my blood, there's no stopping it!!

And We're Back

My office is prank capital, everybody's been hit but me so it was finally my turn. My coworkers were bitter that they were at work while I was lounging away on the beach so they decided to initiate the Canadian while commemorating Independence Day.

Around, Around the Circle We Go

So I'm back from my 10 day jaunt to the holy land, well not mine since I'm an atheist but you get what I mean. After surviving the craziest security ever on the airplane I finally made it there and back. I stayed at a beachy, resorty, retirementy city called Netanya about 30 minutes outside Tel Aviv. I only went to Tel Aviv two times which upsets me because I wanted to see the nightlife and shopping. I also took jaunts into Jerusalem and the Dead Sea area.

Being in Israel made me more adamant on my political views and even though I have many, many, many issues with the state itself, it's politics, it's actions, etc. I understand why they are so patriotic and you can see and feel the passion and love they have for their nation and religion. I learned a lot about the history around Israel and about all the pain and suffering that still continues to this day. The day after we were in Jerusalem, there was another terrorist attack. An Arab stole a tractor and tried to drive it into the open market but a bus got in the way, flipped the tractor and it rolled on top of numerous cars killing about 5 and injuring many, many more. I don't know how to solve it nor do I think I will see any peace during my lifetime but obviously, in my opinion, what they're doing is not working. Attacking, retaliating, persecuting, continuing hate is not solving any matters. Who knows, this war has been raging for thousands and thousands of years so maybe it's just the way of the land.

Anyways, enough about history, let's focus on fun stuff. Netanya was beautiful, chilled and relaxing. Went to the town square a lot, ate amazing Morrocan food and falafels, had more hummus than anyone should ever eat and beached and pooled it many a hours.

Jerusalem is so amazingly cosmopolitan it's nuts. The Old City is incredible and I went to the Western/Wailing Wall and saw the tunnels under it that are 6 stories high. I didn't touch the wall just because I thought it would be sacreligious but it was interesting to see all of the different religions so closely intertwined. Dead Sea was incredibly hot, like 40 degrees in the shade hot ... well it is the desert. I got to ride a camel and obviously floated which everyone really should do, it's so weird.

Anyways, there is much, much more to say about the trip so I will revisit with little snippets here and there. I promise to post pics later, I'm jetlagged, can't sleep in and force myself to go to bed at a normal time so I am extremely dazed.

Happy Canada Day and Happy 4th of July!!! Hope everyone had a great couple of weeks.

Peace in the Middle East - xo