the anthology

an evening in brooklyn

2012-01-31T11:13:00.000-05:00

suzie- why do you always hide behind my face?!
on saturday, we ventured to brooklyn- prospect heights, if you must know. we went to see our favorite brooklyn ladies: suzie + elliot.

suzie fed us amazing dinner and amazing green juice made from her new vitamix, the machine ben and i envy very much. i love their new little apartment. i get excited when people find better places to live than they did previously because it's always nice to be on the greener grass side of life.

we talked about pot roast, church, people, crazy races and chocolate. all very essential ingredients to a good conversation.

we then made our way to the chocolate room in park slope, brooklyn--- but since it is but a tiny room and the elliot in the stroller fell asleep we may or may not have taken our chocolate yummies to go and eaten them at a different food place- but it's ok because we bought a soda there so that's not tacky right?
we would have just eaten the chocolate outside had it not been january.

waxy fall leaves

2012-01-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

back in november, i gathered many multi-colored leaves at a park in our harlem neighborhood with every intention of waxing them and hanging them on the wall like so.
it's january and i finally got around to it.

and if i knew it would be so easy, maybe i would have done it sooner!

i found a pin on pinterest with a how-to on waxing fall leaves. i knew i wanted to do it- i remember once paying 25 or 50 cents at a vermont farmers' market to wax a fall leaf and loved it. loved the idea of preserving those pretty and colorful leaves.

i followed the directions adapted from [here]:

1. gather leaves
2. buy disposable aluminum roasting pan (like $3)
3. buy paraffin wax (i found mine at a hardware store - like $4-$6)
4. melt the wax, in the pan, on the stove, over low heat
5. lay out newspaper and then wax paper over the counter so the waxed leaves can dry on the wax paper
6. hold the stem of the leaf and dip in the wax
7. do a couple coats if you like (no more than 2)
8. let leaves dry- you may need to gently pry the leaves off the wax paper with a knife
9. tie string/thread to stems of the leaves
10. hang with push pins or something similar

enjoy the pretty leaves all year.

maunday tuezday thurzday wendsday

2012-01-22T22:26:00.000-05:00

this week.

monday: i worked the holiday in prep for annual dinner my office puts on for the peeps we do work with.

tuesday: was the dinner. lovely venue and turned out well. my boss/the president/ceo told a somewhat embarrassing story about me (yes, we already have inside jokes) and i got the biggest laugh of the night. ben joined me at the dinner which made my life much more fun and enjoyable.

wednesday: i schlepped to brooklyn, williamsburg that is. one should be charged to go to williamsburg- the hipsters are everywhere and it's pure entertainment. i met ben and a law school friend for new york city's best bbq. fette sau. it's hilarious too because it's next door to a car garage. oh, hipsters.

thursday: met a friend for dinner i hadn't seen in months. we live in the same city and we haven't seen each other for months! goes to show, nyc is too big for its own good and nyers are too busy for their own good. it was much appreciated, we ate too much and then walked a few 20 blocks and ate some more. that's sort of what you do here. walk. and eat.

friday: ben and i braved the freezing for our first official nyc restaurant week outing. aureole. it's in the theater district. we sort of wandered around times square afterwards because it was nearly empty. on a FRIDAY. we've decided january (after new years) in nyc is the deadest time for tourists. and it's eerie.

saturday: we woke up to our first legit new york snow. it felt so magical and quiet and cozy. i love waking up to snow. especially when it's more than an inch (a few inches). and then we made our storm brunch (lemon ricotta pancakes - we last made them during the "hurricane").

sunday: we spoke in church. i spoke about how we (all) should love everyone (all). no matter who they are. no matter what they look like. ben made people laugh and spoke about charity (not that charity is funny but ben is just funny). love + charity = very important things.
p.s. speaking of church, have you seen this video? kathy is my sister's mother-in-law and well, she is amazing (my sister and her mother-in-law are amazing). watch it. you'll like it.

harlem. cute harlem. (an explanation of its under-appreciation)

2012-01-18T22:11:00.001-05:00

lately i have been noticing a trend in my life:

i kept/keep feeling marginalized because i am feminist and mormon and also because i am mormon and a feminist.

now i am faced with feeling ostracized by my peers/coworkers for living in harlem (that is until they see our incredible apartment) but i also feel like some neighbors don't love for me/us to live here. not that i feel threatened or unhappy really... but can't somebody love me for living in harlem? or being a feministmormon?

what i'm really trying to say is i love harlem.

i love that most all of the storefronts are ugly/contemporary/unsightly and the floors above the storefronts are beautiful.
i love wild olive market, so very close to us. we make so many little trips there that the workers know us and at least one of them is nice and makes conversation. they are finally starting to remember we "don't need a bag." (we try to bring our own bags every time or just carry what we buy.)
i love the street vendors, the random second-hand items, the cocoa butter, the essentials oil and the large-statement earrings.
i love the quiet streets lined with brownstones, some beautifully preserved and others boarded up and sad looking.
i love all the hole-in-the-wall restaurants. and soul food places. and even though i am not brave enough to try half of them, i do intend to try the other half.
i love that church is a short walk away.
i love finding gems likes parks, cafes, museums and historical sites.

what i'm really trying to say is, don't miss harlem when you visit nyc. it's rad. under-appreciated. a unique part of manhattan, nyc.

i realize this post deserves better photos and i plan to get those. promise. promises, promises.

blue monday

2012-01-16T21:37:00.000-05:00

instagram makes me lazy about taking photos with my big camera. i need to be better. i will be better, i promise.

lately...
we had lunch at our cutest harlem cafe and saw my favorite neighbors who always seem to match and their twin babies also match. i heart that family.

celebrated a friend's birthday where she paid for brunch for nine people- and also gave out favors. at what age do we start giving gifts instead of receiving for our birthdays? clearly my friend is much more mature and giving than i :)

i worked today- the holiday. so my coworkers got to see my emo-bangs-grey-henley-lounge look. lucky them.

i am always learning from the 18-month-olds to 3-year-olds at church. like no matter what you look like, who you are, our parents in heaven love us and accept us. i like that.

ben is back in full swing at school. i am learning so much about the law.

it's the beginning of the 3-week restaurant week in nyc. very. excited.

i love who we in the u.s.a. observe today. martin luther king jr. an amazing man. thanks for all you did for civil rights, for our country, for our history---

all the beautiful things

2012-01-11T23:29:00.000-05:00

i didn't really write any goals or resolutions down this year, for 2012... but i have been thinking about what those things mean to me. i thought that instead of writing it all down, i would just mentally motivate myself to be better about certain things that i know i need to work on.
like...

1. manage my time better. i work at the very least 9 hours a day- and so when i get home, i rarely have motivation for much of anything. the problem is, i always have so many things on my list. so i either get a ton done or nothing. i need a balance.
2. build good relationships.
3. learn to appreciate things- for their unique and special beauty.

beauty. and art. that's something i've been thinking of.
and what is related- is how i have finally gotten back into my nerdy routine- i am back to listening to podcasts (this american life, wait wait don't tell me, the moth)--- the moth is new to me (thanks, sister) and it's gotten me thinking a lot.

one of the latest moth podcasts was about a man who was sent by the nytimes to essentially find art in afghanistan. after arriving, many told him art and music did not exist in afghanistan, but he sought people out and found a whole group who performed music, and some who wrote poetry and those who created visual art. these people all gathered and the musicians played all through the night, they all shared food and this incredible experience of ART. art.

art has always been special to my family as well- my mother the painter and sculpture-ist and my father the photographer - from that, my whole family has grasped art in some way or another.

and really i've just been thinking that art surrounds me everywhere i go,

whether it was when we were in utah and ben said, "hey, we're in nature!!" and nature is just God's way of showing off his art, the varying landscapes, the red rock in southern utah and the way the wasatch mountains were formed so perfectly so snow could fall on them, and bens and emilys on wooden snowboards could glide down the mountains and soak in the ART.

or how ART is in everyone- how beautiful people are or can be. i am with so many people everyday and i am constantly fascinated with how people present themselves and how they appear to me. i interpret them just like i would a painting.
like a kaleidoscope, strange and fractured but quite beautiful.

and then there are new york city's buildings and parks that pop up every block or so. the park doesn't necessarily have grass, but always a place to sit and stare or just watch.

one of my favorite dates ever with ben was in the east village the other night, after a movie we got ice cream, sat outside and didn't look at people but their footwear. and just critiqued, interpreted, judged and laughed.

mostly this random string of thoughts is to express i am grateful for art. art in nature. art in people. art in everyday.
it's everywhere.

photo taken at the harlem studio museum.

[fairly] recent restaurant reviews - nyc

2012-01-10T23:29:00.000-05:00

new ashiya (ashiya 2)-
great sushi. and really, really cheap. the funniest part is that the menu lists all of the “original” prices and then the “50% off” prices. the best part is- the prices are always 50% off. hehe. gets me everytime. last time we went was with three people and we got out of there spending $30 for everyone. we all got miso soup and shared 5-6 sushi rolls. amazing.
in the east village :)

tehuitzingo-
los tacos. the taco stand is the in the back of this latino market. it is the ultimate hole-in-the-wall. tacos, tortas (sandwiches), et cetera. all great. clinton/hell’s kitchen- $10-$15 for two.

haveli-
the best Indian food i’ve had outside of india. the price isn’t bad either. butter chicken isn’t on the menu, but try it. and they also have peshwari naan, also not on the menu. do try- it has a great coconutty taste. haveli has a great blend of southern and northern indian food. most u.s. indian restaurants only do northern indian. but south or north, it’s ALL good. be sure to have gulab jamun for dessert.
east village (i heart the east village). - $35-$45 for two.

‘wichcraft-
sandwiches, get it? pole caught tuna sandwich, goat cheese sandwich, ham & cheese (and supposedly their pbj is to die for). they also sell ice cream sandwiches. i am anxious to try it!
many locations in manhattan.- about $7-$9 for a sandwich.

café habana-
cuban food. the corn on the cob! it’s traditionally mexican but it is done perfectly- the cheese, lime, chili powder, mayo. get a cuban or anything with pork since cuba is famous for its pork. i got the tacos al pastor, ben got the roasted pork. so very delicious. (consider getting it from their ‘to go’ since the restaurant is teeny tiny.)
soho/nolita- $25-$40 for two people

lobster place-
lobster rolls, clam chowder, maine root soda. all to die for. lobster rolls are usually a toasted bun with lobster meat in a sort of sauce. mmmm. saves you the trouble of shelling the lobster yourself.
chelsea market- $25 for lunch for two

jacques torres-
chocolate. the wicked hot chocolate: more than enough reason to go there. it has chili powder in it or something crazy. and their tiny overpriced chocolates are also some of my faves.
multiple locations.- hot chocolate about $3

macchiato-
their chocolate chunk cookies are so divine. they are sort of crispy on the outside but gooey on the inside. how do they do it?
near grand central.- $1.50 for a cookie

sweet revenge-
the tiniest, cutest little dessert and tea joint in the west village. great tea. best pumpkin cupcake.
west village. about $8 for tea and a cupcake

pepe verde-
the sister to pepe rosso (reviewed previously). basically the same menu- with great panini and pastas (vodka pancetta) but in the west village.
$15-$20 for two

l'arte del gelato-
impressive gelato.
chelsea market, west village.

union square cafe-
danny meyer's place. he's the guy that started shake shack. a blend of italian/french/new american. a little spendier than usual but a really great place for a fancy celebration dinner. reservations must be made EARLY. pomegranate hibiscus soda, fois gras mushroom ravioli, apple salad, banana tarte.
union square area.

il caffe latte-
this place makes me so happy. it's quiet, quaint and laid back. it feels like the ideal place for a quick tea/beverage or maybe just a salmon burger (pictured above). and it's in harlem! i am very proud of this gem, because it is a gem!
(above photos taken at il caffe latte)

aqua fresca-
cuban. los tacos. and the churros with dulce de leche are good enough by themselves.
free delivery! east harlem.

amor cubano-
cuban sandwich. yucca frita (yucca fries). best. ever.
east harlem.

burger joint at le parker meridien (it's secret)-
supposedly the best burger in the city. i think it's because it's very "authentic" and very "4th of julyish" it's mostly fun to eat at a secret place.
midtown.

alouette french bistro-
truffled chicken. mussels. really attractive wait staff.
upper west side.

places to eat in utah

2012-01-10T23:10:00.000-05:00

saint george, utah

in n out burger
well, this is really a california treat... but because st george is often quite sunny and warm, i'm am finally ok attending in n out in southern utah. #2, no onions, vanilla shake (or ben get's #1, extra pickles).

larsen's frostop
glaciers. got me through high school. (soft serve ice cream with slushie.)

cafe rio
this delicious tex-mex-mexican-now-chain started in saint george, utah. i remember when it opened. those were the days. there is even a cafe rio in rural maryland. pork salad. pork pork pork. get the pork.

25 main
i just think this a really cute local place for st george. cupcakes. food for lunch. and $1 cupcakes after 7pm. fab. fab.

cedar city, utah

all american diner
if you're looking for a cultural experience and just a rad rad diner... go here. cheap breakfast (like $5). and everyone wears wranglers two sizes too small.

provo, utah

spark
spark is sort of known for their non-alcoholic drinks. i guess that is to cater to the many mormons in provo, utah (many mormons abstain from alcohol). mango mojito. simply citrus. and their southwest burger is also very delicious.
(above photos taken at spark)

communal
the zagat dining guide speaks highly of communal. there are many "new american" sort of dishes to choose from- which can be shared or consumed by one. see my little review here.

bombay house
really impressive indian food. it always amazes me. garlic naan. peshwari naan. chicken tikka masala. chicken makhani. lamb mushroom. lamb coconut korma. all so good.

j dawgs
a new take on hot dogs. for me, it's mostly fun for the memories. memories like these.

provo bakery
orange rolls. it's the orange rolls!

the cloisters in upper uptown manhattan

2012-01-08T22:27:00.000-05:00

the cloisters is located in the far northwest corner of the island of manhattan. when you get off the subway (a train) at 190th- you walk through fort tyron park, stop at the lookout point that is fort washington and then keep on walking up the hill to the cloisters museum.

the cloisters is part of the metropolitan museum of art- so lucky us, it calls for a suggested donation for admission. some days we are feeling more generous than others- when we went to the cloisters we splurged and donated $10 total to attend the museum.

the actually building that is the cloisters is pieced together from many old european buildings (all thanks to john d. rockefeller). i mean, not all the pieces are from old buildings, but some parts are. and the medieval euro art is great.
mostly i loved the old windows- since i am a stained glass and old glass lover (i used to building windows in college).

like the guggenheim museum, i like the cloisters for the actual building- the building is better than the art for me. that and the location. being way uptown like that was like being in a whole other place - not so much the countryside, but this sort of urban sanctuary.

i recommend it.
more on the cloisters here.

p.s. i acquired some bangs. ben calls me bangszy now.

friends glorious friends

2012-01-04T22:23:00.000-05:00

me, ben, graham, kate
garret, ben, randy - the bearded men
donovan - cutest toddler (randy + linny's)
lindsay (linny), bybes (emily), me (emily)
touching the belly
we love psychedelic artwork. (ben, me, randy, donovan, lindsay, emilybybes, garret)

while in st george, utah - ben and i hit up 25 main, the cupcake parlor to meet kate and graham, our bloggy friends. now we are real life friends! it was all very exciting, and really i'm just glad kate and graham are awesome and in no way awkward! i love it when online dating other couples works out.
let's plan a trip guys. that or we'll come visit you in portland sometime soon.

linny, randy and donovan have family in st george as well- so we got to see them a couple times, both in st george and the salt lake city. i like that. i look up to this little family. their love of the outdoors really inspires me.

we got to see the new home of bybes and garret (all three of my college best friends own homes. holy smokes.), scared away a perched bird and got dinner all together (with l,r,d too). bybes and garret are just the coolest cats. they do cool things like find sloths and enormous spiders in costa rica.

hey all. we love you. thanks for hangin'.

giordano's chi-cah-go layover

2012-01-03T12:46:00.000-05:00

on our way home from utah to nyc - we had a three hour layover in chicago (the midway airport that is actually in chicago proper).
so of course, of course we checked our bags in utah (which we almost never do), i carried the frame around everywhere (the one my parents gave us for the painting my mom created) and we walked the 30 minutes round-trip to the famous giordano's.

i'd never been to chicago before (still not sure if my two hour stint really counts) and i had never had chicago style deep dish pizza. mmm. pizza.

it was good to get out of the airport and have an experience-type-meal because if i am stuck in an airport too long i get a.s.s. - airport.stress.syndrome. (ha)

thanks for the new years eve date, ben.

snowboarding and how it explains our relationship. (and a video)

2012-01-02T13:42:00.000-05:00

examples of how snowboarding explains our relationship:
the year we got engaged (2007), we both got season passes to snowbird so we could enjoy the slopes as often as possible- and snowboard together.
ben was much more advanced than me at this point- so there were a lot of pep talks from ben to emily and a lot of frustrated emily. this illustrates how ben is the optimistic one.

we got engaged while snowboarding on dec 15, 2007. this forever set the precedent that snowboarding is romantic and so important to us- and will be even when we have tiny people around, we will teach them to snowboard as well.

nowadays, snowboarding examples of our relationship:
getting off the chairlift, i always have major anxiety and ben tells me it will be ok (much like regular day to day things).
we save up for activities and travel - aka - expensive lift tickets, even when the snow is bad--- it's worth it to us.
going down the mountain, ben is ahead of me, encouraging me. making me feel better. as always.
and finally, i usually am the one to bring food/water/treats and taking all the photos- just like any other outing we go on.

needless to say, snowboarding is our thang.

festive family photos

2011-12-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

my family doesn't have the opportunity to be together often- since we are spread out --- three families in northern california, two families in utah and one [us] in new york city.

i'm super glad we got these photos- even though everyone's face is tiny- and getting tinier with the ever expansion of the family.

and well. i just love my family.

all my families.

my side.

ben's side.

my friend family.

my work family.

ain't family grand?!

the kids made christmas

2011-12-28T14:14:00.001-05:00

cuties
we were in saint george, utah for christmas this year. with my side of the fam. we have nine nieces and nephews on my side. yep, nine! ranging in age from 2 months to 7.5 years. i can say without hesitation i love all the kids so much- i look forward each time to getting to know their personalities better (all their personalities are all so distinctive). and there is a certain amount of learning that comes from having little kids around- i know much more so when the kids are yours, but for now i am grateful to learn important lessons with the little ones around.

lessons like:
share, eat your dinner before dessert, get sleep to be in a good mood, say sorry when you have wronged someone, hug and kiss your loved ones, get outside and enjoy the outdoors, say thank you often, when you gotta go you gotta go, play as often as you can, read books,
et cetera.

and i hope
to carry
these lessons with me
throughout
this next year.
2012.

year in review.

2011-12-21T22:41:00.001-05:00

2011::
what a year. maybe the "biggest" yet?

i am too lazy to do a whole bona fide - blogified year in review. ...is it laziness or just ironic creativity? i guess you'll never know!!

what have i learned this year?

grad school is hard. but rewarding and emotional.

presenting a paper at a conference is nerve wracking.
but then traveling in portugal, the canary islands and spain afterwards is worth it.

travel is my favorite thing- that is if it's with ben.

asia. i learned that i don't blend in in asia! and that it's laborious to travel to places that my body is not acclimatized too. but, to spend that time with ben and to experience all that in five weeks. wow. just wow.
india, bali malaysia cambodia, thailand, hong kong china skorea japan.

law school is hard. but rewarding and emotional. and craziness.

living in new york city is out of control, incredible, humbling and just all around spaztastic.

dc is a totally undervalued city. and i love it. just love it. and miss it. mucho.

our nyc harlem apartment ROCKS.

birthdays in our family are all about food.

fewer flowers make me happier than magnolia blossoms in dc.

cape cod is beautiful. even in november.

peanut butter cup pie. best. dessert. ever.

i lovevermont.

the most amazing food experience: the inn at little washington (virginia).

crying in public can be beautiful.

finding our first manhattan christmas tree could have been much easier than we made it out to be.

more hershey weekend

2011-12-20T19:50:00.000-05:00

more from our weekend in hershey, pa.

not only was it nice to just hang out together (finally, because ben finished finals last week)- we just sort of took it easy which we rarely do on vacation. and we got to learn about hershey's milk chocolate and how it's made. it's all sort of funny. especially when the world of chocolate tour says, "the milk in the chocolate makes it extra healthy for you!" ha.
well actually... it's the natural dark chocolate that is good for you but who cares! it's all delicious!

the peanut butter cup pie deserved its own photo because it was a peanut butter cup pie- with tiny peanut butter chips in the yummy pie. i'll go back to hershey for that. and the j.crew outlet.

what would you do for a j.crew outlet store? walk 3 miles, 1.5 of that uphill in the cold cold with cars zooming past (no sidewalks in hershey).

then there were the parts when we got to dress up a little for dinners with my coworkers.

and the part when we dressed festively and sort of matching (not on purpose) and posed in front of the menorah and the christmas tree.

weekend in cute town, pa (hershey, pennsylvania)

2011-12-18T22:40:00.000-05:00

(that last shot is nyc... our home)

over the weekend, my cute company hung out in hershey, pa. i am always up for discovering a new place, especially a place that is chocolate themed.

mini hershey's kisses pancakes
cocoa oil massage
cocoa bean soap
hot cocoa
chocolate crème brûlée
chocolate fountains
chocolate cannoli
the world of chocolate
the chocolate story museum
and my favorite - peanut butter cup pie (did you know hershey's owns reese's? best. ever.)

needless to say there was a lot of chocolate involved.

and i even got to take a nap. a nap! now that was nice.

eternal life is super fun [aka the book of mormon musical]

2011-12-16T00:28:00.002-05:00

{{the hottest ticket in town is the book of mormon musical. after entering the lottery (for tickets to the show) many many times (emily:15 times, ben:10 times) we had sort of given up and gotten to the point where we wanted to save all our money so we could spent it all on a couple seats. sounds crazy right?
but lucky us… my two cousins came to town for 48 hours for the sole purpose of seeing book of mormon. which meant they waited in the “standing room” line – all day. literally. because of their kindness and diligence they picked up tickets for us too— and they were less than $30 each (a complete STEAL). and we only stood for the first half of the show. (even though it’s always sold out, people just don’t show up sometimes. thanks for that!)}}

i knew ahead of time that the musical is crass, offensive and completely amazing. celebs like jon stewart, olivia wilde and zooey deschanel all had said they LOVED it. not to mention the many tonys and the extensive amount of press the show received.

...although it was all those things -crass, offensive and amazing- it was definitely NOT anti-mormon.

and i went in expecting the worst, so i came out of it not so offended.

blah blah blah the reasons i loved the show:
there are so many hilarious things in it that you only understand if you are mormon (and some things you would only understand if you served a mormon mission). and for that, there were multiple times ben and i were the only people laughing in the audience.
the story is genius and clever and very powerful. without giving too much away, the story begins with mormon missionaries at the missionary training center in utah (where many missionaries go before they are sent into “the field” for missionary teaching and work). the two main characters are called to serve in uganda. needless to say this is an adjustment for the white, 19-year-old, bright-eyed and naive young missionaries.

the show addresses serious and real issues like
aids, female circumcision, fatal illnesses, the myth that sex with a virgin will cure your aids, extreme poverty, warlords, et cetera. (i was laughing to myself because earlier that day my coworker and i were complaining about our catered lunch and how it didn’t taste very good. “white person problems,” i said.)
i was impressed and glad the show addressed these things (and i think that’s part of the reason people find it offensive) because i feel like a lot of westerners don’t know about many of those issues or choose to ignore them.
they are real.
and this is a big reason i loved it. because most musicals are about finding your red slippers, making it in business or falling in love with an opera phantom.

i especially loved the theme that as a mormon or a member of any religion or as a human being, you must ask why? why are we asked to live a certain way? dress a certain way? eat a certain way?
without getting too opinionated- take the health code for mormons- (such a hot topic for me). it makes sense to have a health code, it’s good to be healthy but such a code can be interpreted SO differently by everyone.
so for example: our friend was talking about when he was out with work friends who were all drinking and smoking (against the mormon health code) but he pointed out he himself was eating a cheeseburger and drinking a milkshake and some soda- which is probably just as bad for you...
just something to think about.

the show also made me think a lot about how the church and its gospel is great but the church’s people are flawed. and that is the biggest struggle i see. we can’t base our faith on how many friends we do or don’t have at church or how often we do something “right” or “wrong”.
one of the songs sung by one of the missionaries says, “i believe, because mormons just believe.” and in reality, i think that is true. a lot of mormons believe just to believe. but we should do more than to just believe - so ask why? why do i believe? what is it that i believe? is it because my mom believed it? my dad? it has to be for me.

during the show when i felt uncomfortable that i am mormon:
that same song, “i believe” says, “i believe that in 1978, God changed his mind about black people.” this is when african or african american men were given the opportunity to hold the priesthood in the church. i cringed because it’s true.

everything that was said about mormons and the church was true. and a lot of it was painfully true.

we have a friend in our ward (our church congregation) that said, "i have a strong enough testimony to see the book of mormon musical." and it made us laugh- because it's kind of like you have to have a wide enough perspective to laugh at yourself and realize there are peculiarities about any culture- any religion.

and with that i mean, the book of mormon musical is not for everyone.

i could obviously go on forever. but i wanted to share my thoughts – even to this blogger void – because it’s something that is important to me.

the mormon church is very important to me- just like any family member- i love it with all my heart, but it has flaws and issues and it makes me mad sometimes- but most of the time we get along great and i love it. and we are best friends forever.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
lottery: $32 (must have photo ID with you).
standing room: $27 – depending on the day of week, show up early (even earlier on weekends), i mean like 9am. you can enter the lottery if you are in the standing room line.
more info here.

photo from ny times review.

see my other (short) broadway reviews here.

season's greetings from harlem!

2011-12-12T21:03:00.000-05:00

matchy matchy cute cute.

sometimes we can't resist matching because it's just so darn cute. and cozy.

p.s. i love this man.

christmastime in the city.

2011-12-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

occupy north pole (gingerbread)
gingerbread typewriter = best. ever.
trump and bergdorf
henri bendel (the jelly bean dress)
uniqlo
fun projection show on a building near rockefeller center
it was totally raining the night we went to see the shop windows and the gingerbread houses (at le parker meridien hotel).

but we had made the effort to get down there and so it was worth it just to look at the fun windows and the rockefeller tree.
i haven't been in new york in december before so it was magical.

even though it was raining and i got sort of mad at the end but that's only because the bus took forever to arrive.

and i like to be with ben. especially in crazy finals time. because it feels like i am stealing him away from his second love: law school. and i am.
muhahahaha!

a secret restaurant :: hudson clearwater

2011-12-07T07:55:00.001-05:00

hudson clearwater is a secret little restaurant in the west village. i love the west village. and i now i love hudson clearwater. even once you find the second green door, there is a small back garden that leads to the tiniest of restaurants -you can see we sat at the bar where the kitchen was. the kitchen!- and it is crowded as all get out because that word of mouth is spreading fast. make a reservation. (thanks jo for the recommendation.)
we sat in the only secluded corner in the restaurant, thankfully. so we just chatted, shared our food and stared as the chefs made the food like it was no big deal (it is).

the food is fancy (like butter clams and gnocchi or crispy duck or apple tarte tatin) but is not so expensive you gasp. in fact, it's very impressively priced (our entrees we around $20).

i loved everything about the place, even the tiny bathrooms (where you have to hold your breath to get through the door).

new york is made of tiny restaurants but a tiny, hidden restaurant in the west village?
on our walk back to the subway after dinner we dreamed of someday moving to the west village (where all the celebs and fancy people live)--- we'd probably have to live in a shoe box but we'd be near some of the best restaurants in the city. we'd be happy.
what could be better?

caroline visits.

2011-12-06T08:03:00.001-05:00

the majority of our walk route

friday 12/2
11pm caroline arrives
we get to the apartment and talk until 12:30am

saturday 12/3
wake up. take subway to theater district.
9:15-10am stand in line for bonnie and clyde broadway rush tickets.
walk from 45th and 8th ave to highline. through chelsea market. through chelsea to union square. (ate our lunch) to soho. (some shopping) through chinatown to lower east side. (doughnut... tenement museum) subway to theater district. dinner with ben. bonnie and clyde on broadway (oh the talent!). sleeeeep.

sunday 12/4
brunch with caroline, ben, fissin (caroline's cousin).
a bus ride in harlem.
a walk through harlem- including walking to the top of mt morris/marcus garvey park. the views were lovely!

thanks so much for coming caroline! i loved that we walked about 7 miles (literally) and talked and talked. about the important stuff.
caroline came up from dc- where we met and fell in love (friend love, dur :)) we had one of the best professors ever together so we (or i) like to say, "what would todd do?" todd was a hero and always will be.

so glad we rode the same metro train home after women's studies classes so we could become close forever.

i'm loving this constant flow of visitors :)

the -more than- adventure finding a christmas tree in new york city

2011-12-04T22:12:00.000-05:00

it's all started when we were on the lower east side for a thing.
and then the east village for a slice.
and then we saw a cute tree for $35 and ben said, we can do better.
turns out we couldn't. another place in the east village was charging $60 for the same tree.
then on the upper east side at 3 or 4 different places the prices went from $50-$65.

and then... well on our wearied walk home from the subway, i said "let's stop at the park to see if they have trees."

and of course they did. just a mere block from our apartment. a tree. for sale. for $30. (an amazing price, for a tree in manhattan--- now we know that.)

christmas trees bring a lot of holiday cheer. it is especially needed when one of us is in finals (ben). ben is a super smart guy. he has a lot in the brain of his. and... this is just my way of saying i am proud of him. and i think he'll do amazingly well on his first semester law school finals. fingers crossed. (ben's mom, who also attended law school said her mantra was, "this too shall pass and so will i." 'tis true, 'tis true.)

happy holidays. happy trees. happy holiday cheer. happy finals...

p.s. do you know how to get sap off your hands? rub some olive oil on the sappy parts- then wash well with soap and warm water. totally works.
p.p.s. gothamist newsblog does a tree vendor map every year. it's helpful --- although it doesn't include the blessed harlem location where we found our tree (mt morris/marcus garvey park at 124th and madison avenue). and keep in mind, sometimes vendors will bargain tree price with you.

the house that was built in 1693

2011-11-30T22:46:00.000-05:00

for thanksgiving, we stayed in a house in sandwich, cape cod that was built in 1693. and it was pretty amazing. there was something like seven bedrooms and six bathrooms. and then a bunch of other rooms so it was like we kept discovering new rooms.

i think i will fondly remember that house for our thanksgiving feast and the times i rocked at nerts and phase 10. i also did well at uno, meaning i got uno a lot.

it was a unique time together with the family since usual distractions (like being in utah) were not present.

i loved it. miss you guys.

plymouth and provincetown

2011-11-30T07:18:00.001-05:00

during our time in massachusetts, we visited plymouth to see the plantation/museum that gives a recreation of the time when british people first settled in the u.s. and how native americans took to it. let's just say it wasn't a particularly happy time.

BUT i am happy that i have been able to grow up in this rad, diverse and interesting country because my ancestors made their way here from europe. (although, i do want to get back to europe at some point.)

we also saw the mayflower 2, a replica of the original boat, since it has gone missing. it was really neat to see but made me sort of really sick thinking of all those people in a confined space coming across the pond. our ancestors were not weak sauce!

((side note: did you know some native americans observe thanksgiving as a day of mourning?))

and one of my very favorite things was driving to the edge of the cape to provincetown. the quaintest of quaint towns. if i summered somewhere, i would summer there. i would open up a little gelato shop with ben and make friends with all the yuppy locals.
yep, it could happen.

p.s. in plymouth we had out first straight-from-shell lobster: an experience i recommend. unless you aren't into eating lobster.

sandwich, massachusetts [the cape]

2011-11-28T22:38:00.000-05:00

"we love you ben"

ben has some ancestors who were on the mayflower- you know that boat that sailed from england to the now united states a while back? so thanksgiving in cape cod, very near to plymouth, seemed appropriate.
ben's parents did an amazing job planning and preparing so we could all have an enjoyable experience and learn all about our family that has come before.

sandwich, cape cod (where we stayed) is such a quaint town, it felt very foreign coming from new york city.

one of my favorite things was walking to the beach from the house we were staying in. even though it was cold- the sun was shining and i got to get out and move my legs. that's another thing- i have a deep love for walking now that i walk 5 times as much as i used to. it makes my body happy (walking that is).

there is this long board walk before you get to the beach in sandwich, that's what the marshy lands are.

i really want to go back in the summer when i don't have to bring my faux furry hat.

you can tell we all have our "cold smiles" on.

thanksgiving in cape cod (instagram style)

2011-11-27T22:22:00.000-05:00

i was a faithful instagram user during our trip to cape cod over the thanksgiving holiday. we stayed with all of ben's family in an amazing house, built in 1693.

the cape, plymouth and boston are all really beautiful places that i recommend to all. even in november (but we did get lucky with nice weather).

more updates and non-iphone photos to come. hold me to it.

the one when katie visited ::

2011-11-21T23:29:00.000-05:00

ben's sister, katie came to stay over the weekend.

so what did we do? ate several glutinous meals, shopped in soho and attended a broadway show. that's what you do in new york! at least that's what usually happens when people come to visit us.

and i like it. because people visit us, like, a lot. katie was our 11th visitor (we've only lived here since august...)

thanks so much for stopping by to see us. we appreciate the good times- and can't wait for some more, katie!

p.s. can't you just tell ben and katie are siblings? i always tell people i think they look so much alike.

pumpkin cheesecake.

2011-11-20T22:02:00.000-05:00

if you are looking for a break from the normal (sometimes boring) pumpkin pie this holiday season--- consider this pumpkin cheesecake.
i admit it is laborious but the most worth it laborious treat EVER.

amazing. i promise.

and it's like, so new york (wink).

asia in film

2011-11-17T21:47:00.000-05:00

more film shots from asia. dear, dear asia.

japan, south korea, china.

the end of day wind down

2011-11-15T21:44:00.001-05:00

lately, when i get home from work, ben meets me at the door, we sit on our bed and we talk. about our day. about law school. about work. about us. about family.
and it's like somehow i am able to leave behind the things that bring me down a little or ail me.
because we cook dinner together and ben puts music on my iphone/ipod for me and plays that new coldplay song.

and it seems like...
it doesn't matter that i don't ---- ---- - --.
it doesn't matter that my disposable chinese slippers are totally falling apart and are way passed their prime (i can't seem to let go).
it doesn't matter i feel like i get NOTHING done during the week.
it doesn't matter i am tired all. the. time.
it doesn't matter that i am never sure if our landlady hates us or loves us.
it doesn't matter that there are things in life we just can't control.

and that's because i have my best friend to comfort me. assure me that things will be ok. understand me when i am sad and can't explain myself.
i could go on forever.

it's cheesy and borderline cliché... but ben really keeps me going. and motivates me. and helps me to be more positive and to be more proactive and involved in my own life. and in his life of course.
and in our lives.

i sort of love this photo of ben and i. just a typical night at the emilyben home.

more [diana mini] nyc

2011-11-14T19:19:00.000-05:00

more film from the little toy camera, diana. sometimes she's my best friend. especially when a roll of film comes out so well.

photos are
on the high line
in harlem
central park north
convent avenue house (as made famous by the film the royal tenenbaums)

some of new york on film (35 mm)

2011-11-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

the first six are taken in the east village (my current favorite nyc neighborhood).
and the last two are harlem. my dear, sweet, rough-around-the-edges harlem.

film is funny. and the technology of film will forever baffle me much more than digital photos. isn't that interesting? i just think the act of an image appearing on film and through a chemical process, you get that photo developed...
whereas digital is like, dur--- it's just an image through an electronic process (that i am totally used to and understand much more easily).

those are my harebrained thoughts on film.

more to come.

autumn in new york.

2011-11-11T16:19:00.000-05:00

if i hadn't decided to gather leaves in mt morris park today- just down the street from us in our lovely harlem neighborhood,

i may have missed out on autumn in new york.

i miss a lot that happens during weekday light hours because i work through all of them--- now that it is dark at 4pm and feels like midnight at 6pm.

so i am proud to announce it's autumn in new york. crisp air. puffy coats on rolly-polly children. multicolored leaves, ideal for gathering. pumpkin and apple recipes going through my head. cold noses.
but not too cold.

we are friends of the high line

2011-11-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

bird house art installation.
the high line is an elevated park-walkway in manhattan. the high line was turned into a park from what once were elevated train tracks... and instead of the train tracks being torn down and turned into nothing- a few people got together and made it a park.

it's one of my favorite places in the city. a little haven.
many of nyc's parks are havens--- but an elevated haven? even better.

one of the co-founders, or "friends" of the high line once said, "people hold hands on the high line. you never see people holding hands in new york. but on the high line, you do."
i love that.

but i also love that ben and i hold hands not only on the high line
but everywhere else
in the city.

2 cute 2 be 4 gotten

2011-11-09T20:28:00.000-05:00

why yes, i am wearing football pads under my coat.

bybes decided to share her photos with me from the other weekend when she was visiting. thanks pretty lady.
i just knew i had to post these because they are
2 cute
2 be
4 gotten

looooove ya

p.s. see those cotton balls in the corner of the last photo? them are snowflakes.

chelsea market.

2011-11-07T20:38:00.000-05:00

chelsea market is in a building that was an old factory turned office buildings/indoor market at street level. there are several great food places like lobster place, jacques torres chocolates, l'arte del gelato, buonitalia, sarahbeth's, et cetera... as well as many places to shop like bowery kitchen supply and posman books and anthropologie.

the market is on W 15th and 9th Ave... so a little "out of the way" for most- but totally worth it. it feels a little magical and a lot welcoming with all the people and the tempting smells coming from the bakeries and eateries. get a little shopping done and then go eat! save for anthro, i'm pretty sure all the vendors are local. i love that.

i've been wanting to take ben for a while. and he loved it.
and i said,

"there are few things that make me happier than when i want us to go try something and you love it."

front row seat to nyc marathon

2011-11-06T20:45:00.000-05:00

lucky us the new york city marathon 2011 (today) came right down our street.

so we watched all morning (ben bolted out of bed this morning to watch as i staggered into the living room).
and ate pumpkin pancakes while the running heros strode on by.
and then we watched up close on our walk to church.

it was all very exciting.
and now i don't mind so much we live on a busy street!

double emilys

2011-11-04T00:55:00.001-04:00

friday:

moma free friday night
world trade center memorial at night
haveli indian food
big gay ice cream
chatting
bedtime

saturday:
early morning
line for rush tickets to memphis
starbucks to warm up
rain
staten island ferry (to see statue of liberty for freeeee)
snow/rain/slush/crazy storm

pomodoro for lunch (a new york sliiice)
shopping in soho (uniqlo, madewell, topshop, uniqlo, muji)
dinner at shake shack (theater district)
memphis on broadway (box seats) - amazing

sunday:
slept in
levain bakery
sat and chatted in central park - post storm
zara... uniqlo... (did you ever decide on a coat, bybes?)
east village for a little consignment and flea shopping
westville east for late late lunch
back home to pack...
took bybes to E train to get to the airport (sad face)

...

need i say more?

sunny sunday in the park

2011-11-01T21:35:00.000-04:00

while my bybes* friend was visiting last weekend, we visited central park on the sunny sunday morning. the sunny sunday, just following the crazy rain/snow/slush/crazy weather saturday. we sat on a bench, watched people as they strolled, jogged, biked or sauntered on by and chatted about our loves, our roots and true friendship.

as much as i’ve loved living on the east coast for 3.5 years now--- one of the hardest things for me has been to make good, solid friendships.

and lucky for me, i have.

but like i said, it’s hard…. takes lots of time and effort. i like to refer to it as “dating for friends.”

(now that i am married, i no longer date men romantically -except ben of course- i date friends.)

so we talked about how we are so grateful we are friends. still friends. also still friends with our other favorite women from college. so when we are together there is no need for a back-story or no need for an apology when you accidentally toot or no need for justification when you overindulge in delicious food and treats.

and let it be known,

the best part was not the cookie or the setting…

it was the friend.

*both our names are emily so we call each other renditions of our last names.

village halloween parade

2011-10-31T23:18:00.000-04:00

we did our best to hit up the village halloween parade but it turned out to be madness and impossible to get to. but we should have known. it's hard to determine when millions of new yorkers will flock to a certain area on a certain night.
tonight was that night.

but we got to see a lot of the remnants of the parade. like the mario brothers and super heros eating at a sidewalk cafe. just as an example.

and then we went grocery shopping. so really,
our halloween
was
RAD.

hallowooooeeeeeen

2011-10-30T22:52:00.000-04:00

i'm the little mouse/rodent/cat? ...
shayna is the wannabe (and possibly politically incorrect) asian lady

happy halloween.

the beauty of crying in public

2011-10-25T20:30:00.000-04:00

after i read this article about crying in public in new york, i felt really moved by it---

not only do i love the way it is written, but the subject matter is something that has been on my mind for the past few weeks.
being alone. privacy. how to handle it all in new york city.

melissa febos starts by saying "I’ve done it on the subway and at the Museum of Modern Art, in Prospect Park, Tompkins Square Park and leaning against the locked gate of Gramercy Park."

she then says, "If you live in New York, you’re bound to end up crying in public eventually; there just aren’t enough private places."

and i thought this was a little funny... ha, i'd never cry in public. but i kept seeing people crying everywhere on the street, in the subway, et cetera ---
and thought it was strange.

and the thought of crying in public was still funny until the other day--- and then again the other other day i found myself, crying in public.

first was at the abc home store near union square when my friend was late to meet me (like 45 minutes late) and when she finally arrived, she came over to hug me and started crying. so of course, i started to cry. she had had the worst day which greatly contributed to her tardiness--- and there we were: hugging and crying in the middle of the hippest homestore on the planet (while her toddler wandered off).

second was in the subway station at 42nd street/times square, late on a friday night with ben -when my tears caught me by surprise- as they sometimes do when i talk about feeling undervalued by the world (that silly, cruel world).

before we even moved here i observed that the BEST and WORST thing about new york is you are so surrounded and enveloped by people all the time, but on the other hand you are so very alone and isolated.

BUT you grow accustomed to this.

those two times i was crying in public? it was if i was alone with my friend, or alone with ben - and not at a homestore surrounded by fancy people or in a crowded, noisy subway station.

it's as if you are always at home in the city- and so you are always at liberty to show your true emotions.
the article says, "public criers ask nothing; they don't need anyone to take care of them."
just like sometimes when you cry at home or in private.

i loved the article. read it. it's not just about crying :)

p.s. photo is of the "hopes and dreams" wall at the times square visitors center.
p.p.s. my mom said the first time she visited the museum of modern art (moma)--- she cried because it was so beautiful. ... i love that.

i took my boo to boo at the zoo

2011-10-24T07:45:00.001-04:00

every weekend in october, the bronx zoo hosts boo at the zoo.

so people can come dressed up in their halloween costumes to the zoo. and there are a bunch of halloween activities and fun going on.

we took the quick trek to the zoo. and saw the pretty animals. and the cute costumes (like the green lantern with a captain america shield? confusing).

i like zoos. even though we are like adults we still enjoy "kids' stuff" --- we're not ashamed.

i mean, who doesn't appreciate a gorgeous peacock, up close and personal?

p.s. and it was also nice to see so many kids in one place. you can go weeks without seeing small kids in manhattan. no joke.

christmas card giveaway by amanda jane

2011-10-22T18:18:00.001-04:00

hi. i really want to win this. so much so that i am posting it on the blog. big deal y'all.

red rooster

2011-10-20T23:10:00.002-04:00

red rooster is one of the hottest restaurants in manhattan right now and it's in our neighborhood! it's super close to us so that's rad. rad rad rad.

it's soul food. which is appropriate for harlem- but it's like soul food fancy/swanky style.

we knew we had to get a table there--- because everything after 5:30 is booked until the end of the year (and i'm not kidding).
so as soon as there was something available for after 6:30 (i checked open table diligently)... we took it. even though it's been a busy week for both of us, we decided we just had to go.

and i'm glad we did. not only because ben's ny strip steak and my mac 'n' greens (macncheese with collard greens) were incredible and i'd totally go back right now to have seconds- but it was great because it was a date on tuesday night...
probably when we both needed it the most.

we talked about my work and ben's school and it was like we were on another shiny new date when everything is fresh and comfortable and all we care about is being together with a side of incredible dinner.

we had the apple caramel sundae for dessert--- apple sorbet, caramel and cinnamon cream. holy canoli--- it was amazing. i kind of want to get that dessert to go... every night? it was amazing. did i mention it was amazing?
and free (but that was because it took forever to come out and our server was nice and wise enough to comp it).

get the corn bread for an appetizer, mac 'n' greens or ny strip steak for entree and the apple caramel sundae for dessert.
it's a little more spendy that a lot of the whole-in-the-wall places we usually go to
BUT
we thought
we'd celebrate my job, ben's smarts
and celebrate
US.

i love us. and harlem. and food. and new york city.

really though, i love it here.

p.s. read this article in the nytimes about how "fancy" red rooster is.

working girl

2011-10-18T22:50:00.000-04:00

i officially a working girl (and have been for a bit).

minus the blister on my big toe, i am totally used to wearing heels and wearing fancy clothes everyday. i am used to nine hour work days and catered lunches. i am used to overly crowded rush hour subway trains... but not happy about it. at least my place of work is only three subway stops away (gotta love that express).

i am not used to waking up early, however...

overheards in new york city

2011-10-17T22:15:00.000-04:00

you hear a lot of funny things on the street here in new york city.

some are not to be repeated, but some are funny to most audiences and should be repeated...

a lady to her young son, near rockefeller plaza:
"you don't walk against traffic! it's new york city!!"

lady on her cell at the metropolitan museum of art (the met), clearly flustered:
"the moma IS the metropolitan museum of art!!"
ben and i under our breath:
"no, it isn't."
(the moma is the museum of modern art)

at the book of mormon musical lottery -this one is for the mormons out there:
"if we win we have to shout out, 'moroni!' because he's like the angel that brought the golden plates to joseph smith or something."
"i watched every episode of big love and i never heard about moroni!"

in line at a broadway theater box office:
a girl behind us was explaining to her friend that each broadway show has its own theater. and somehow her friend was surprised.

the bully project

2011-10-13T21:48:00.000-04:00

disclaimer:
subject matter is not happy or positive, but very real. and needs changing.

i'm not sure if the city of saint george, utah is still running this ridiculous program... but when i was in sixth grade, st george had schools only for sixth graders. somehow, whoever "they" were decided this sixth grade center would help sixth graders transition better into middle school. but for me, the sixth grade center was hell.

not only was it a time for a lot of change, where my body was doing strange things due to puberty, but i somehow chose a group of friends who bullied me on a frequent basis.

i was told i was annoying and my friends hated me. comments like these were made everyday.
being as the school was so small, there was little room for making other friends or resorting to other groups of people.

i would call my mom many days out of the week to come get me from school because i felt "sick."

i think my mom caught on (ha, of course she did) and my parents and i decided i should change schools.

so i switched to a new sixth grade center. and let's be honest. the friends i made were not "good" friends. meaning they were not a good influence on me. but... they were FRIENDS.
such a paradox.

all and all we know i turned out ok, but

recently i was talking to a friend about a documentary (coming to theaters early next year) called the bully project.
bullying is a huge problem. yes, ok- we know that.
but raising awareness about it may help to lessen the problem. at least i hope so.
please check out the website and watch the documentary trailer.

i believe bullying starts small, in the home for example. bullying not only happens in schools (for me, in sixth grade, and now at twenty-five years old, i still remember), it happens at home (like i said), happens in the workplace, happens everywhere.

want to know the best part of my story? a year later when i was faced with the same people in middle school, the main culprit approached me laughingly and said, "we were so mean to you last year! haha. i'm so sorry! hehehe hahaha."
can you believe that?

let's stop bullying altogether, ok?

photo is of me when i was about 4 or 5.

the central perk

2011-10-13T07:54:00.000-04:00

i love central park north. what i mean is, central park above 105th street to 110th street where the park ends.
not only is it beautiful -beyond beautiful- (with the harlem meer [lake] and discovery center building) but not many tourists venture up to the north end of the park.
not that there is anything wrong with tourists, but central park north is a little more... untouched.

and it feels like a little secret (not a secret anymore).

i like secrets in the city.

and i love how the water looks so solid green. it feels like i could skate across it.
but not really. that would be gross water to fall into.

more of parental visit.

2011-10-12T07:54:00.000-04:00

more photos from my parents' visit.

p.s. i look so serious when i tell stories?

my cute parents

2011-10-10T23:32:00.001-04:00

as soon as ben and i planted our feet in new york, my parents said they were going to come visit. and so they did this last weekend.
it sure was a grand adventure tour-guiding my cute parents around the big city.

we've had a lot of great fun...
attending pay as you like museums
free friday night at the moma (thank you, target)

and my parents saw not 1 but 4 musicals. pretty sure my parents live for musicals.
---i'm glad ben and i got to see 2 of the 4 broadway shows with them. i must admit i sort of live for musicals, too.
(we got to see anything goes and spiderman. anything goes is so incredible for story and talent -sutton foster, the lead, is phenomenal-. and spiderman... well it's a comic book plot, obviously, but the set... the set?! amazing. uh-maze-ing. i also thought most of the actors were super talented and loved the bono and the edge -from u2- music.) i heart seeing shows.

autumn teaser trailer

2011-10-09T23:39:00.001-04:00

autumn in new york has been a little tease lately. it was rainy and autumny, then warm and sunny... and i am hoping this week autumn will be here to stay.

i've been gathering up pumpkin cookie recipes, anticipating more pumpkin cheesecake (for thanksgiving?) and looking forward to all kinds of squash dinners.
ben is pretty luke-warm about squash most of the time, but i'm sure i'm going to get him to LOVE it this year. i just know it.

there is also something to be said about cardigans, blazers and lightweight scarfs. oh fall.

is it autumn where you are?

p.s. without fail, there is a huge snowstorm in northern utah in october every year. it makes me laugh every time. (sorry utahans)
p.p.s. polaroid taken in october of 2009 in vermont... at the most picturesque and ideal farmers' market on the planet (no foolin').

world trade center memorial

2011-10-06T09:06:00.000-04:00

reflecting absence.

the world trade center memorial just now opened on september 11th, 2011. ben's parents, our great visitors, dave and linda went early the morning of to get tickets- so all of us could go.

the memorial is really beautiful. the two waterfall-pools are in the exact spots where the twin towers were and to scale of the original buildings' bases. i noticed how the pools gave me such an empty and hollow feeling even before i knew, the name of the memorial is: reflecting absence.

how to get tickets:
[all are free]
you can reserve tickets online. keep in mind you must do this far in advance.
OR you can wait in line, the morning you would like to attend the memorial. i would recommend arriving at least an hour before the box office opens (hours here).

more food and more faces [reviews]

2011-10-05T11:10:00.000-04:00

on our stoop best self-portrait ever? taken at alexander hamilton's home (newly reopened).

grimaldi's
under the brooklyn bridge, in nyc's borough of brooklyn. it's perfect for the times you'd like to eat and then walk across the bridge or walk across the bridge and then eat. BUT the line is almost always an hour to two hours long (even in the winter months) so I recommend getting the pizza to go. you can sometimes call ahead or you can wait in the regular line and you will be called up for to-go.
what to get:
a large pizza is about $20. everyone must try just the regular margherita (mozz, tomato, basil).

lombardi's
lombardi's is on the soho/nolita/little italy border. it's one of my favorite areas of the city, mostly because i see a lot of vespas and celebrities (the vespas and celebs are not always found together). lombardi's is the oldest pizzeria in the u.s.a. (or at least claim to be).
what to get:
a large pizza is about $20.
and to be honest, i like lombardi's more than grimaldi's. and the wait isn't nearly as long.

katz's deli
for me, getting to the lower east side is a bit of a hassle. because from where ben and i live, you must transfer twice on the subway to get there. i am just spoiled like that--- so i'll get over it.
BUT we were planning to visit one my favorite museums, the tenement museum and the doughnut plant, both on the lower east side. and they are all within walking distance of each other. not to mention, essex street market with produce and food stands.
katz's has been around for quite sometime, is the famous deli from when harry met sally and is much better than the famous carnegie deli.
what we got:
the rueben. it is $16.55 but enough for two people- which comes with sauerkraut and cheese... i like cheese. you also get pickles with it. mmm, pickles. and i recommend getting some dr. brown's soda (black cherry or cream soda).

roni-sue's
at essex street market on the lower east side (mentioned above).
what to get:
milk chocolate covered bacon "pig candy" for a few dollars. everyone has to try it once.

william greenberg desserts
wgd is an ideal place to visit when you are wandering on the uppereastside--- which usually means you are wandering through the metropolitan museum of art or the guggenheim or any of the other many many museums on museum mile (5th ave). wgd's location on madison avenue between 82nd and 83rd is essential for a museum break. there isn't any seating (except for a chair or two outside), but there are plenty of treats to choose from.
what to get:
i've only gotten the big black and white cookie and haven't felt the need to stray from that $3 cookie of wonder. it's more like eating the top of a moist cupcake (the best part) with the glaze-like black and white icing.

chez lucienne
i had to check and make sure we weren't in france (a couple times) while we were eating here. not only is the french food authentic and delicious, but there were at least two tables full of french-speaking people. and really, i was surprised we were in harlem, let alone new york city.
what we got:
french onion soup. and we went on monday and ordered off the promotional menu. we got steaks with the bearnaise sauce and pomme frites. not to mention, sauteed mushrooms that were to die for.
bonus: it's right here in harlem.
second bonus: monday night steak night (steaks are $12.95 each). thursday night seafood night.

we went to lombardi's, katz's and chez lucienne with ben's parents while they were visiting. all of which, ben and i had never tried! and they were all home-runs. that's what i love about nyc... a lot of home-run food. and great people to share it with.

the view from the top [the top of 30 rock]

2011-10-04T09:03:00.000-04:00

rockefeller.

the views from the top of rockefeller are definitely my favorite. i like being on top of the rock more than the top of the empire state building. perhaps because of the rock's close proximity to central park. we were even able to "spot" our apartment from way up high... or at least the clinton foundation building that is near (and dear?) to us.

i love a city from up high. especially this city. this cute little city i like to call my own. i'm going on two whole months living here, so i like so own this town.
(j/k, j/k)

p.s. we may have sneaked some of magnolia bakery's incredible banana pudding up to the top to enjoy it while we took in the view. i recommend it.

the brooklyn bridge

2011-10-02T19:48:00.000-04:00

on friday, we (me, ben, linda, dave) took the subway to brooklyn and then walked back to manhattan across the brooklyn bridge.

the brooklyn bridge is always magical. and especially fun with loved ones (ben's parents) who experience walking it for the first time.

i loved what joanna at a cup of jo said: "The iconic Brooklyn Bridge takes my breath away every time I step onto it. You'll adore the skyline views of Brooklyn and Manhattan, as well as sparkling water, sailboats and the sunset."

and it's true. i get excited to walk across the brooklyn bridge. every time.

i also try to ignore the throngs of people who also seem to walk the bridge whenever i do. hehe.

thailand in 5 minutes and 2 seconds

2011-09-29T12:44:00.000-04:00

music is joseph arthur's "honey and the moon"

wow, wow, wow. i loved thailand so much. and the videos i've made from the trip (others here and here) have really brought it all together for me.

every once in a while, i ask ben, "remember that time we were traveling in asia?" and we both either cringe a little or get nostalgic. or both.

---now that it's september and we are settled into our new home and we don't have travel plans until november (gasp!)...
our five week asia trip seems like it was years ago.

and although we would never do the same exact trip over again (lesson learned), we would do something similar.
'cause we're crazy like that.

but for now... it will just be that trip we took that one summer.

a trip back to india, without leaving manhattan

2011-09-28T11:01:00.001-04:00

i am like always nagging ben to do stuff. hehe just kidding. we equally love getting out and adventuring. it's just harder for him to pull away since he has nagging law school on the brain.
if you've ever been in grad school- you know, there is NEVER a mental break. boo.

BUT
when one has a hankering for thums up (indian cola... tastes like a cola but with anise and incense and other goodness) and gulab jamun (an indian dessert, a little round honey cake)...
one must go to "curry hill" (aka murray hill) in manhattan.

even from a block away, we could smell curry. loud and clear.

on lexington ave between e 29th and e 28th, there are about eight indian markets.
yippee!

i feel like i need to become an expert indian food chef. i will have to go back to curry hill and stock up on my curries and cardamom. mmm cardamom.
and thums up (pronounced tums oop)

the blue building on the corner reminded me of some of the colorful buildings in india. or rather the deep blue indian train cars.

the cookie that changed my life.

2011-09-27T08:17:00.001-04:00

i'm not sure when i first had the dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookie from levain bakery... but it changed my life.

it is always baked to perfection.
it is always so fresh and gooey.
it is always the unhealthy indulgence that i want it to be.
it is always a temptation to go get one, even when i'm nowhere near 74th and amsterdam or 117th and frederick douglass blvd.
it is always worth $4.

i wrote a short review on levain here.
levain is pronounced lev-on.

339 convent avenue [royal tenenbaum house]

2011-09-26T07:50:00.001-04:00

when i discovered that the famous house in the film, the royal tenenbaums, was in west harlem (here in manhattan)---
i knew i had to see it [the house that is].

so naturally i've been nagging ben for a while now to go up there and see it with me. it's up there--- at convent avenue and w 144th street. technically the area is hamilton heights, but it's still considered west harlem. and it's a lovely lovely area.

when we strolled up to the house, a man in his car [lenny] asked if we were interested in buying the house. well of course we are. he knows the owner so he could hook us up.
ha.
of course we could never afford it- but wow. it's so beautiful. and most houses in that area are. but this house at 339 convent, is exceptionally amazing.

and it's rad that the film was filmed in the house. the house really made the film and created massive amounts of charm- for the betterment of the film.

it was awwwesome and totally worth the very crowded bus ride up there.
if our wallets were as big as our dreams, i would seriously consider purchasing it.

(my serious expressions in the photos are my homage to the film, much like the family portrait from the film.)
read about the film here.
read about how the director, wes anderson found the house here.

our first date (six years later)

2011-09-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

let's be honest: i sort of instantly fell for ben.

my friends/roommates wanted me to go this silly little mormon singles gathering [ward prayer] and i was super anti. but i went --- and then i met ben.
he was so confident, funny, tan, tall, attractive, intelligent, interesting--- and very much wanted by all the other women there. which very much detered me...

but lucky me, about three weeks later, after running into each other a few times, ben leaned over next to me while sitting on a couch at our friends' house and whispered,
"will you go on a date with me?!"

of course i said, yes.

that friday we went on a quadruple date to the pie (a pizza joint) in salt lake city, utah, about an hour from where we all lived and went to school.

we hit it off right away, really though, we did. we even held hands under the table at dinner so no one else would know.

we then went to the gateway shopping center to see a lazer light show (set to pink floyd music or something) at the planetarium. but somehow we missed it.

i think we kept trying to ditch our group--- so we went to starbucks and got caramel apple ciders (now called caramel apple spice)... and got lost in barnes and noble's poetry section.

and then we finally got back to our group.

it was my favorite first date ever--- where everything felt natural and the only nervousness and tummy twist i felt was because i was excited and so happy to be with big and beautiful ben. (that's what we called him--- big and beautiful, because he was. and is.)

and well, i love to celebrate our first date every year because i think it's important to relive those incredible first moments of our relationship--- to remember how it all began.

i asked ben if he had commentary on our first date:
"i had never felt that way about someone before- that strongly, so soon. umm i love you and you're very attractive.
you were amazing. and everything.
the more i learned about you, the more i was impressed."
(this is what i got out of him while he was studying.)

photo 1: on our first date `september 23, 2005` (in an elevator at the gateway shopping center in salt lake city, utah)
photo 2: on the 2nd anniversary of our first date, dating for the second time around (at the gateway again)

what it's been like, so far (to live in the city)

2011-09-21T22:28:00.001-04:00

it didn't feel like we actually lived here until we moved into our apartment.

but even then, our friends came to visit right after--- and so then i was in tourist mode. but somehow that helped me transition from tourist to resident.
i know the adjustment was very different for ben because the day after we arrived here to live, he started law school orientation (which really meant he started school because orientation was intensive and a little out of control, but hey. that's law school).

so far:
1/ it seems like a dream still. wait, i live here? it's strange. the yellow taxis and the nyc ambulance/fire truck siren sountrack remind me--- i live here.

2/ shopping and clothes are on my mind, all the time. it's a good thing i don't have a [real] job or else it would be a problem, shopping that is. i keep trying to convince myself that it would be ok if i just get this one little thing because i really need something else to wear to job interviews (because i've been wearing the same two outfits). but i know that once i start... it would be hard to stop.
instead, i've been trying to be creative and create some self control.

3/ i keep forgetting that when i grocery shop (at my beloved trader joe's on the upperwestside at 72 and broadway), i still have to subway home a few stops and carry those groceries. just about lost my arms today as a result of buying too many groceries.

4/ glee was not that awesome last night (but i do look forward to seeing idina menzel on the show again). new girl was funny and i'm willing to see what's next but i wasn't head over heels just yet. modern family was also funny but, meh.

5/ ben studies a lot and i make extravagant meals (and he does dishes or grabs things from up high for me while i'm cooking).

6/ when i go out for job interviews i wear heels to get myself used to wearing them for extensive periods. so far i've regretted it just once (that was today, with the truck loads of groceries. raarrr).

7/ i love the city, i do. i get excited about little things like walking around midtown and pretending like i'm not a newcomer to the city. i walk fast and glare at tourists just because i'm so cool like that.

p.s. it was my half birthday today.

an asia video

2011-09-21T07:06:00.000-04:00

music is by thom yorke "atoms for peace"

a little video for all--- on this, the international day of peace.

i love peace.
and homemade videos. enjoy.

(this is bali, malaysia, cambodia, hong kong, china, s. korea and japan.)
thailand coming soon.

an apartment tour in photos

2011-09-19T11:39:00.001-04:00

i knew it was love when the posting said, "washer and dryer" and "dishwasher"---
the photos of the posting were AWFUL so i'm glad i was motivated by the magic washer and dryer words and not the photos.

and then it was a brownstone. and then it was the penthouse (we like to lovingly call our apartment the penthouse because it's the top floor). and then it had a washer and dryer! and a kitchen with more than six inches of counter space! and a dishwasher (the mini kind that we love)! and an exposed brick wall! and hard wood floors! and great views! and lots of natural light! and closets! one really big closet (like lion, the witch and the wardrobe size closet).
i could go on. forever.
but believe me, there are trade-offs. there are always trade offs.

it's so embarrassingly cliché, but i feel so blessed we found this place.
the last thing you want when you are in a new place and one of you is selling your soul to law school is an apartment you don't want to come home to.
and we have a great place. one that is a sanctuary and a happy place for us. we hope to stay for a while.

the magnet for the knives is my favorite addition to our kitchen repertoire. i've been dreaming about it for a while.
the photo wall now has a photo from all the countries we've visited together (and a couple extras). i love it.
the rainbow string of lights we got in thailand in july. the lights were our house warming gift to ourselves (that and the muji nyc skyline). it made me laugh and shake my head a little when that famous blogger blogged about similar lights the other day. of course she would, i thought to myself.

and as i said, i am really hoping for a bar stool or two and nice armchair. but that's the fun part- the hunt for those treasure items.

i/ben/we love our manhattan apartment. it defies manhattan apartment stereotypes. and you know how i love to defy stereotypes! success!

fashion swap meet (in honor of fashion week)

2011-09-16T09:02:00.001-04:00

one of my favorite newsblog sites, jezebel, hosted a fashion swap meet at their office in soho last night. (they share their office with gawker, their parent newsblog site.)

i am lucky enough to know maria, who knows a writer at jezebel. so i was lucky enough to go.

what you do is bring at least one item of clothing you are over and don't want to wear anymore. i brought three. and then you get to rummage through all the other clothes and take whatever you want.
and there's booze and cheese! but i was really tempted by the HUGE jar of nutella in the office kitchen.

we hung around for a while because as more people showed up, more stuff came in. i did pretty well for myself, some button ups, a skirt and some jeans.

so that's pretty cool.

and whatever wasn't taken last night was donated to charity. that's cool too.

i like this swap meet idea. it's like thrift shopping but free? and kind of exciting because you feel like you're a part of something... exciting? (ha, i'm so eloquent.)

the pink vespa i spotted on my way to the swap meet. couldn't resist.
last photo is of me with my ladies: maria and mala. sadly, suzie is not photoed who did stop by for a bit.

harlem :: a few scenes of our neighborhood

2011-09-15T13:06:00.000-04:00

only in harlem can you get "soul food" and a "salad bar" all in one place. it makes me laugh every time.
and some manolo blahniks at the salvation army.

so far i have really loved living in harlem. harlem is rough around the edges but also a gem in so many ways.

i really love our apartment, so that helps a ton. it's our happy place. our sanctuary.

and very rarely have i gotten yelled at for being white... so that's been refreshing. mostly people are just trying to sell stuff on the streets.

the sidewalks are lined with people selling things like jewelery, cds (blaring loud music), ice cream, fruit and also selling musky-musk scents.
there are tons of buses that go by our apartment. lots of honking taxis and ambulances. there are about 3 hospitals in a 5-block radius from here.

and mount morris park is so close. it's great to see people out playing and sitting enjoying the soon-to-be autumn weather.

i like that harlem is a very unique spot in manhattan because it helps me appreciate it along with all various neighborhoods and nooks manhattan and nyc have.

treasure & bond (nordstrom's nyc charity store)

2011-09-14T13:40:00.002-04:00

i got to visit treasure & bond on tuesday.

i heard a while back nordstrom was opening a store in manhattan (there is a nordstrom rack but not an actual nordstrom store)... but under a sort of alias name. and i got excited. so when i arrived here about a month ago, i googled, nordstrom store in manhattan and treasure & bond came up.

treasure & bond is a fun, quaint little store in the soho/canal (west side- at west broadway between broome and grand) area of manhattan. it's a wide open-warehouse type space that is super simple, selling:
housewares, accessories, trinkets and clothing. the clothing section is small and simple but i have a lot of respect for the people who are selling their things there (like liberty of london and james perse) because,

it's all for charity. all of treasure & bond's profits go to charity. and not just charity, but new york city charities for children. r-a-d. rad.

so basically, i just wanted to buy stuff. because it's for charity, right?

a little more about treasure & bond (if you're interested):
t&b is nordstrom's way to introduce themselves to manhattan. "they want to open a store in manhattan someday and to learn as much as possible about serving new yorkers. ...they decided to give 100% of the profits to new yorkers as a way to do good and give back long before they ever open a store here."

also something neat-o:
"one thing you may notice in our store is how simple we have kept the space. nearly all our fixtures are recycled, reclaimed or repurposed from our parent company [nordstrom]. our packaging materials for gifts and shipped items will be made from shredded nordstrom catalogs."

(from the t&b factoid pamphlet)

big, gay, ice, cream. [and other food reviews]

2011-09-13T22:44:00.000-04:00

our facial expressions are of no consequence and have nothing to do with the name of the ice cream shop. except we did feel happily gay after consuming our ice cream. so this was the result.

there is a big gay ice cream truck... and now there is a shop. it's in the east village and it's lovely lovely. we went on saturday, just a week after the shop opened so there was a cute little line outside the shop. new york city and its lines. usually that means the food or treat is totally worth it.

and now i kind of love the east village. we people watched and laughed in tompkins square park. we browsed vintage and consignment shops afterwards and i almost fell for a pair of jimmy choos but just knew it wasn't meant to be. someday. someday jimmy will be on my feet.

big gay ice cream shop:
the shop isn't all that big per se, but the ice cream treats are and so are the prices :) we kept seeing people walking out of the store with what looked to be a boring old chocolate dipped-cone, but it wasn't boring at all.

what we got:
ben got the chocolate dipped-cone looking thing, it's called, salty pimp. it's vanilla ice cream in a cone, ice cream injected with caramel (dulce de leche), then salted with sea salt and dipped in chocolate. we recommend getting the salty pimp with a cup because it's really messy to eat. so so delicious.
i got the mermaid ice cream. it's vanilla ice cream with key lime curd, crushed graham crackers and whipped cream. it's like eating a key lime pie but in ice cream form. amazing.
i really want to try the monday sundae which is twist ice cream, in a nutella lined waffle cone, with dulce de leche, sea salt and whipped cream. next time.

it was $11 for the two ice creams (ouch) but we'll share next time as the ice creams are really big.

westville:
i have a special place in my heart for westville. the most authentic experience is braving the wait in the west village at the original tiny, tiny westville. westville has a lot of "vegetables." i think they like to brag about this. but i for one favor the mac 'n' cheese. and i love the quaint and homey feel of westville. it just feels familiar. (locations are in the west village, chelsea and the east village).

what i get:
the mac 'n' cheese appetizer with bacon. it's baked mac 'n' cheese and amazing. ($8)
it's all about the sides. you can get 4 sides for $14. and the sides are big. so you can get brussel sprouts with dijon (i usually don't like brussel sprouts but these are rad). garlic mashed potatoes. grilled zucchini, tomatoes and basil with mozzarella, sweet potato fries, corn on the cob, bok choy, mushrooms, beats with goat cheese.
all kinds of things.
i've only ever gotten the mac 'n' cheese and then the 4 sides to share. it's plenty. and delicious.

magnolia bakery:
here's all i'll say.
1/ do your best to visit the original west village location of magnolia. it's a super cute, tucked away, fun area. you'll love it. and it's right across the street from book marc (marc jacobs' book store).
2/ the cupcakes are really not that good. they just aren't.
3/ get the banana pudding. that's it. that's all. it will be amazing. (about $5)

eataly:
first of all, i love that it's called eataly. clever name or cleverest name?
eataly is a huge italian market/restaurant/amazingness in the flat iron district. when ben and i first went, we bought some bread thinger, then a panino and also a pizza. and then some gelato. we had to try it all. get a pizza to go (around the corner from the main entrance). get gelato to go. buy some italian goodies. buy $500 prosciutto ham. do whatever.
the prices are reasonable (except for maybe the ham?).

i'm beginning to think i just moved here for the food. oh wait. i did. (hehe)

it's fairly certain...

2011-09-13T09:34:00.000-04:00

it's fairly certain...

`sunday lunch will consist of black beans and quesadillas.

`we will visit trader joe's twice a week and wild olive market once a week (for those little things).

`i will invite people over to have an excuse to make gelato or something sugary.

`ben will want to take study breaks to new parts of the city we don't know that well, yet.

`food will be on my mind 87% of the time.

`we will hear sirens every 20-30 minutes.

`the bus that stops outside our apartment sounds like: a. someone has gas. b. my phone is vibrating. (gets me every time)

`the subway will take longer than i think (gets me every time, again).

` that no matter what, ben and i will love each other. this is certain (not just fairly certain). and cheesy but so true. truer each day.

it's september eleventh. ten years later.

2011-09-11T07:06:00.000-04:00

security has been crazy around here in the new york city--- as it should be.
it's kind of amazing to me it's been 10 years since 9/11... because i am old enough to vividly remember where i was and what i was doing that day.

i was in 10th grade human biology. and the teacher turned on the news. and because of my lack on knowledge of nyc, i was panicked because my oldest sister, kristen was attending columbia university at the time (little did i know the wtc was downtown and columbia is uptown).
my sister kristen actually saw the second tower fall all the way from columbia.

where were you when it happened? when you heard?

i am grateful to be new york on this day, although ben and i will probably stick around uptown. go to church. and that's about it.
i am praying for those with lost love ones, for new yorkers, for all of us, for the united states.

*photo taken in manhattan's east village

we sold our car.

2011-09-09T09:03:00.000-04:00

hi, it's awkward to hug a car.

we (i) sold our car yesterday. which is very exciting because in the month we've lived here in new york, we've used the car once and that was to move things from our sublet to our new place. and since then, it's been used to move it... every couple days. for street cleaning.
one side of the street is monday/thursday street cleaning and the other side of the street is tuesday/friday. so you can see how moving the car and reparking it that often could become a real drag.

BUT. we loved that car. the car was originally ben's. and then we got married, sold my car and took ben's nicer, newer car to dc with us.
and now in nyc, there isn't need for a car. it's more hassle and expense than it is worth it to keep it lying around.

the moral of the story is:
yesterday i felt like i was giving away (or selling, rather) a member of our family. that car took us lots of amazing places, including on our first date.

yes, i still get sentimental over inanimate things, but that's just who i am.

goodbye, car.

*photos taken in dc.

a video of india

2011-09-07T21:25:00.000-04:00

a video of india from emily blythe on Vimeo.

music:
the kinks "this time tomrrow" and alexis weissenberg "claire de lune"

truth be told, once i finished compiling this video last week --- and watched it for the first time...
i burst into tears (surprised?)

india was so many things... so many emotions. i really believe there are many different indias and i think we saw at least two of them.

now that ben and i have been to india--- and we hear someone say they went to india and "loooooooved it"
we have to laugh a little because yes, you can loooove india, but it's a very complicated love and i think more people should be honest about it.

i, myself, loooove india, but i also hate it, like it (it's ok), am intrigued by it, am confused by it, am disgusted by it, et cetera

basically what i am saying is, wes andersen painted a lovely picture of india in the film the darjeeling limited but a lot of the real stuff was left out.
and that's just what a lot of people do. leave out the real stuff.

here's some of the real stuff.

recent restaurant reviews

2011-09-07T07:48:00.006-04:00

dinosaur bbq
i am not a huge american bbq fan, but ben is. i'm mostly just a fan of really good food. so we braved the long wait at dinosaur (two hours on a weekend night). we learned later we could have made a reservation online (open table). next time.
instead we hovered over people near the bar/high tables area, which are first come, first served. we waited more like 30 minutes. worth it.
dinosaur bbq is also situated right near the hudson river, riverside park and columbia university so it's ideal for a pre and/or post-dinner walk.
what we got (shared everything and it was plenty):
3 honey bbq wings
pork and brisket plate (comes with 2 sides), with mac and cheese and spiced sweet potatoes. all dishes come with cornbread (mmm).

i thought every single thing was delicious (and like i said, i'm not a huge bbq girl). i especially loved the mac and cheese and the honey bbq wings.

we got out of there paying $25 total for the two of us. including tip.

sylvia's
sylvia's is famous for soul food; sylvia is apparently the queen of soul food. we got excited to try it because it's in our neighborhood and it's where we ate to celebrate our lease signing for our first manhattan apartment. yippee!
what we got (we shared a plate because they are HUGE):
bar-b-que ribs and fried chicken combo (with two sides), mac and cheese and candied yams.
i don't like fried chicken. but this fried chicken is amazing! i especially loved the sides. it's a must-try to experience harlem and soul food in general.
since then we've tried these sides: collard greens and black eyed peas. both very good!
it was definitely plenty for the two of us. our server (nicest server ever) even said, there was no way we could have eaten two of those plates anyway. hehehe.

we paid $26 total (for two, including tip).

fun fact: harlem mormons used to meet on sundays for church at sylvia's (because sylvia's let them use one of their back rooms). luckily for ben and i, we now meet just a couple blocks away from sylvia's at a nice, new church building at 128th and lenox ave.

other short reviews from when our friends were visiting:
shake shack
shake shack has many locations. in new york city and now miami, dc, dubai, etc. ha. my favorite nyc locations are 8th ave and 44th and the original, in madison square park (in between 5th ave and madison ave on 23rd). the shack in madison square park almost always has a long line. the 8th ave location doesn't have a super long line, but it's smart to split up your party and have one person hover for a table.
what we get:
ben- the shack stack (a burger with a fried portabello mushroom on it) $8.50
me- cheeseburger, single patty (really good) $4
french fries to share $2.65
concretes: at 8th ave, great white way(!!!) or jelly's last donut. at madison square park, hopscotch or concrete jungle (all $6)

one nice thing about shake shack is if you're just going for a concrete or ice cream, there is a separate, much shorter, line for that.

pomodoro pizza
pomodoro in soho is one of the very best slices in town. all over nyc you can get a slice of pizza for $4 or less. it's best to do it right. so if you've been shopping all day in soho and need to rest your feet and refuel--- stop at pomodoro.
what we get:
the vodka slice, white slice (cheese) and bbq chicken slice are all exceptional. and all $3.50 and under. note that nyc pizza slices are really big. so they fill you up.

pepe rosso
an amazing, tiny italian joint just barely in soho. must have the penne vodka with pancetta (italian bacon). the restaurant itself is teeny tiny and popular, so you may consider getting your food to-go.
what we get:
ben and i get the penne ($8.95) and then a salad or panino and share.
the mixed organic greens with fresh tomato is great, $4.95. and pretty much any panino is to die for ($6.96-$8.95).

ny komtang (korean bbq):
for me, korean bbq is a koreatown, nyc must. ny komtang has proven to be our favorite (32 w 32nd street). you get a facial while the meat cooks because it cooks right in front of you. it's all part of the experience.
what we get:
for two, only get the bulgogi (korean beef). then you get a bunch of side dishes, like little salads and kimchi and unidentifiable foods. and it's only about $25-$30 for two.

levain bakery:
the best cookies in the world. the original is on the upper west side at 74th and amsterdam. there is also a location in harlem (among others). the cookies are HUGE.
what we get:
all the cookies are amazing, really (four options, all about $4). but i really only get the dark chocolate peanut butter chip. also, in the morning, there are baguettes with butter and jam sold. so delicious, do try one.

the doughnut plant:
the doughnut plant has two locations (lower east side and chelsea). if you want the most authentic experience, take the trek to the lower east side. or for the fancypants experience, try chelsea. same doughnuts are sold at both.
what we get:
carrot cake (with creme cheese filling), coconut glaze (with coconut cream filling), pistachio--- all about $3 each.

note: we almost always order tap water to drink when we eat out. it saves a lot of money.

brooklyn flea [market]

2011-09-05T21:38:00.000-04:00

we visited brooklyn flea on saturday.

i've been wanting to visit for years (it seems) but our nyc visits pre-nyc-habitation didn't really permit much time for jaunts to brooklyn flea.

so we went and perused.
and bought apple ginger soda from brooklyn soda works. (so very tasty)

i wanted to buy everything and nothing all at the same time.
it was also hotter than i wanted it to be and so the long train ride and long walk from the subway to the flea made me tired, fast.

we were very tempted by some vintage maps... but not tempted by the price.

what we were really hoping for was an incredibly comfortable lounge chair, bar stool(s), a great vintage new york city map and maybe a clock (we really need one in our bedroom)?

...but we're still on the hunt.

and
it's fun
to be
on the hunt.

current broadway shows [reviews]

2011-09-04T09:00:00.005-04:00

phantom of the opera
i pretty much attribute my love of musicals to phantom of the opera. i had all the songs memorized by the time i was six and my dream came true to see it when it was twelve years old on london's west end. incredible. i recently saw it again, this time on broadway. it's just so exciting but also really creepy--- this guy that essentially stalks and obsesses over a young female performer. oh well, the story is powerful and much deeper than that--- and phantom of the opera is like the musical of all musicals. it's just a must see.
mon-thurs performances sell seats for $26.50 for mezzanine seats (which means you are like on the top top row but it's worth it!)

wicked
there are few broadway shows that i can say have changed my life. wicked is most definitely one of them. i would see it over and over again. i really would. wicked is the sort of back story to glinda and the wicked witch of the west, elfaba. they
were roommates in school, liked the same dude, et cetera. but to me the story is a
lot about how many people struggle with accepting those who are “different” and
allowing them to be who they are.
oh great. now i really want to see it again.
lottery: $26.50 cash only

mamma mia!
have you seen the movie? hehe. well don’t compare the two. a live performance versus and movie are just so very different. i love the realness and energy of everyone on stage. it’s a very “different story”--- a girl is getting married and doesn’t know between 3 men who her real father is. but i think the neatest part is the musical is set to songs all by the swedish band, abba. and yes, people dance in the aisles at the end.
rush: $31.50 student rush.
standing room: $21.25

anything goes
sutton foster who is the lead, totally made the show. she was absolutely perfect for the role. the musical is set to songs all by cole porter. i think my favorite number was “you’re the top.” the story is about people leaving from new york on a boat traveling to england. it’s a love story, multiple love stories, and also has some scandal and fun.
rush: $30 general rush.

spiderman
what i keep telling people is i would see this again if only for the set. the set is AMAZING. completely fascinated me and blew my mind. again: the set was amazing.
the story line was… well… a comic book plot so be expecting that. i thought spiderman/peter parker was really talented as well as the green goblin. i enjoyed the music, there were tons of songs- but a heads up, i think it helps to like bono and the edge (u2) to like the music. and it turns out there are 10 spidermans. one guy does all the singing and a lot of the stunts, but there are 10 spidermans. this made me laugh.
p.s. bring your binoculars. the theater is the biggest on broadway (HUGE) and so unless you are front row, you most likely will want your binocs.
rush: $39 general rush, cash only.

how to succeed in business without really trying
daniel radcliffe is the lead role until January 1, 2012. daniel radcliffe did an incredible job! he can really sing and dance!
the story is about a young man who is climbing the corporate ladder in the 50s/60s. he does whatever he can to impress the management to make his way up the ladder. there is a love story or two. and john laroquette is the best comic relief i’ve seen in awhile. he plays the ceo and does a great job portraying the ultimate of stereotypes.
rush: $30 general rush.

memphis
well it won the tony for best musical! i was impressed with every performer in the show. it takes place in memphis (dur) in the 60s. the cute white boy (the lead) stirs things up by attending a night club that is frequented by black people, only. basically the lead boy gets on the radio and wants to help some of the locals get on the radio and get famous. there is a love story, hardship, racism. a really beautiful show.
rush: $26.50 student rush.

hugh jackman (until january 1, 2012)
i really just wanted an excuse to see hugh jackman in the flesh. when hugh first came out on stage, ben said, “he is an attractive man.” hugh (yes, we’re on a first name basis) just flirts with the audience, sings and dances his favorite songs and tells stories. it’s kind of like being on a date with him except it’s a one sided conversation.
standing room: $26.50.

chicago
well it's about women in jail. but the songs are incredible. the set is meh but maybe that is sort of the point. i love me a good scandal so i definitely enjoyed this one!
rush: $36.50 general rush.
standing room: $26.50

bonnie and clyde
it's violent, because it's about a couple of criminals (literally) but the leads in the show are so unbelievably talented. they both have a strong stage presence and incredible voices. we know a guy who has seen it (at least) six times and it just officially opened december 1st! it's really entertaining and fun.
rush: $31.50 general rush, cash only.

more info on rush and lottery here.

international diana minis.

2011-09-02T07:13:00.000-04:00

india india bali cambodia
me with my cambodian elephant
bangkok thailand thailand hong kong
china

every time i get a new roll of film developed... i think... i really need to shoot more film.
i imagine i will once i have a little more cash flow. i look forward to that.

i look at these and the 5 week asia trip seems even more like a dream than it ever has. it's funny how hazy-grainy film photos make me feel that way.

recent scenes of nyc

2011-09-01T06:22:00.000-04:00

baby on my back
friends and ben in times square at night
backhoe in times square?
just some balloons on the subway.
walking the high line

baby on my back: during the visit of linnyrandydonovan, i wore baby donovan on my back two different times in the city. it was exciting, nerve-racking and good practice for when we have a baby in approximately 45 years.

times square at night: it was randy and donovan's first time to nyc. so we visited times square at night on their first night. it was at night. on their first night.

backhoe in times square? ?? ???

balloons on the subway: impressive.

walking the high line: in chelsea. an elevated walkway for lovely walks and peace of mind. so pretty. i look forward to cool-crisp-air-autumn walks on the high line before or after visits to chelsea market.

how to blog on an ipad

2011-08-31T08:07:00.001-04:00

the ipad and blogging on the ipad saved me while traveling in asia this summer. blah blah i traveled in asia this summer... but this about blogging. on an ipad.

first - buy an ipad (starting at $499). ben and i have the white, 16g, wi-fi ipad with an apple polyurethane magnetic case, in green. i recommend it :)

second - buy the sd memory card/camera cord adapter from apple for $29.99 (ipad camera connection kit). this makes it super easy to upload photos from your camera to the ipad.

third - buy the blog press app for $4.99.

fourth - blog. compose online or offline- this is my favorite thing. you can compose offline and save for later. i blogged on our trip when we were on planes, trains and buses. it worked really well for me.

and then schedule posts for whenever you like. i love this about blogger. schedule posts in the future. genius.

buy photo wall for $2.99, for photo collages
get adobe photoshop express for $? (it might be free) for cropping, rotating, adjusting exposure, et cetera.

and finally for the nit-picky blogger - i save my posts in the blogpress app as an online draft and then open the post in the internet browser to fix the spacing between the photos in html. because for some reason, the app has a weird spacing issue.
one cannot blog successfully in the internet browser, so that's why i don't use only that.

while i prefer to blog on a computer, blogging on an ipad is pretty great and convenient while you're on the go.

happy blogging!

visiting lady liberty

2011-08-30T07:40:00.004-04:00

downtown manhattan
view of the verrazano bridge
ladies with lady liberty
happy/sad face, sad/happy face

while linny, randy and donovan were here, i was able to go visit liberty island with them.
i went to liberty island when i first visited nyc, in 2004 when i was almost 18 years old (you do the math). BUT because of 9/11, i was unable to go inside the statue.
but this time i got to go inside. and it was fun and lovely and very touristy and patriotic.

---such a nice bluishgreen statue that lady is.

i loved having linrandyvan here so i could play tourist and also eat such great food.

linny, you guys are coming back to visit in about a month right? we'll be ready for you.

how mr ben and i spent the hurricane weekend

2011-08-29T07:13:00.000-04:00

adding pins to our map (asia)
eating lemon-ricotta pancakes (amazing. incredible. will repeat.)
studying (my cute law student so diligent in his reading)

the prep for the hurricane was really exciting for me--- like going to get ben's haircut (and maybe a quick stop at the doughnut plant) and then standing in line at the trader joe's in chelsea--- just to get into the store.
we got a few more things from tj's to hold us over and ingredients for the above lemon-ricotta pancakes. so worth it. i highly recommend them- considering i don't usually love pancakes because they can be dry and hard to swallow... but these. so. good. i will make them again and again (i hope).

the prep was also exciting for me because it reminded me of dc snowpocalypse... staying in all weekend with ben. my favorite.
but the hurricane was a little weak-sauce... at least here in nyc. well uptown manhattan. downtown got hit a bit harder. (sorry folks!)

the rest of the weekend was spent organizing our new apartment more, having friends over for dinner, adding pins to our map and ben studying for law school, while i applied for jobs (and blogged).

i'd say we're pretty legit now having survived a hurricane and earthquake in our first few weeks of nyc living.

we flew around the world

2011-08-26T23:47:00.002-04:00

india
bali
malaysia
cambodia
thailand
hong kong china
south korea japan

we flew from dc to paris to mumbai
then delhi then bagdogra (en route to darjeeling) then kolkata then kuala lumpur then bali then kuala lumpur then cambodia (siem reap) then taxi to thai border then bus to bangkok then bus to krabi then boat to phi phi island then boat and van to phuket airport then flew to hong kong then beijing then seoul then tokyo
and then at the end of our trip we flew from tokyo to dc. so yes, around the world. check.

it's still surreal to me that we traveled asia for five weeks. five weeks.

my five outfits got old really fast.
and also my chacos but i kind of hate my chacos anyway. ha. (they are comfortable and sensible but i hate the way they look on me, among other things.)

trip prep - takes months to plan. in our case, we had been planning for over a year. there are so many small details. all the hotels, transit, where to go once you arrive somewhere, where to eat.... luckily almost every hotel (all but one, i think) had internets so we were able to plan as we went on some of the details.
being in dc was really nice at the time because i was able to drop off and pick up our passports to get the needed visas. we only had to get cambodia, china and india beforehand (some other visas were on arrival). china and india visas are way expensive (china $140 per person, india $72 per person).
immunizations. between the two of us, we got the polio, tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis a shots. better safe than sorry.
do a trial run with packing. we had extra room in our backpacks so we could bring things home. my bag was pretty much bursting once the five weeks was over.

what we brought - a manageable, carry-on size backpack for each of us. a small day pack just big enough to carry our dslr camera, diana mini film camera, snacks and hand sanitizer.
about 5 outfits each and sheet sleeping bags in space to-go bags that compress the air out of the bag. chacos and flip flops. swimsuits. rei quick dry towels: they are super thin and dry fast. medicine (like pepto bismol, tums, malaria meds, diarrhea antibiotic, anti-itch cream, etc). a tiny sewing kit (really came in handy). all travel size toiletries we could bring (deodorant isn't common in asia and sunscreen is WAY expensive). mosquito net, which we didn't use because the hotels we stayed in all had a/c which keeps mosquitos away. headlamps (which we didn't need much either but some places turn the electricity off at night).
note: the clothes we brought we either got at goodwill for the trip or we knew we wanted to take them to goodwill eventually. i left two of my clothing items behind because i was so done with them. and the rest i am taking to goodwill soon. or burning them.

the trip was laborious like - always drinking bottled water (including brushing our teeth with bottled water), always wearing bug spray (most days sunscreen too), using hand sanitizer lots, making sure we were hydrated (hard to do), being very careful about what we ate, wearing flip flops in the shower, sleeping in homemade sheet sleeping bags (we only did this in india), mosquito net (ok, we actually didn't use ours once), taking malaria medication... et cetera.

budget - we did a good job of keeping our daily budget. the trick is, don't use credit cards, just cash and only take your daily budget with you each day :)

diet - the diet was really hard on me. ...because eating non-cooked fruits and vegetables and/or vegis and fruits without peels is not really a safe option. because of the water the produce is washed with isn't always good and the knives used to cut the produce... you get the idea.
my digestion was all messed up and we both got sick but not horribly.
my biggest fear of the trip was that one or both of us would get deathly ill. hence the reason we were super cautious.

share meals! portions are huge - really though. about three days into the trip we started sharing meals. most every meal in every country was huge. no joke.

bargaining/bartering (barter low) - do it. everywhere for basically everything. start low. but decide on your ceiling price before you start to bargain. i don't think we have any buyer's remorse.
be nice - and people will be nice back.
cabs are almost always cheaper with a meter. much cheaper.

don't always believe people - a good example is bangkok... when we were on our way to wat pho (with the reclining buddha), someone told us it was closed until the afternoon, that we needed to wear pants to go in and that he could be our guide. all lies. don't believe it for a second. we got swindled a lot in india too.

do what you can handle (rest appropriately) - when we had a really taxing day, the next day we tried to sleep in and take it slow. we still ended up being exhausted all the time, but that helped us sleep at night.

bali, malaysia
cambodia, thailand
hong kong, beijing
seoul, tokyo
muji in tokyo, times square in nyc

while we were on our trip in asia... i did screen shots on my phone of each country we visited (except india, sorry india).

i kind of love that little blue dot, telling me where i am.
now i can look back and remember when and where i was when i took the screen shot... and think, i was really there!

sounds totally cheesy, but i like it.

friendly faces and food

2011-08-24T22:28:00.000-04:00

with baby donovan
scoping out the menu
wicked lottery (we didn't win, twice)
walking the brooklyn bridge at night (and after torrential rain)
brooklyn ice cream factory (divine), grimaldi's pizza
subway
we love four seats in a row
funny faces
suzie, linny, me (probably all hopped up on sugar)
waiting for taco truck tacos

during korean bbq (at ny komtang in koreatown) on lindsay, randy and donovan's last night, we asked them---
when people ask what the highlight of their nyc trip was, what would they say?

the food.

in addition to korean bbq, we had:
shake shack
grimaldi's
brooklyn ice cream factory
pomodoro (in soho)
pepe rosso
levain bakery
brother jimmy's bbq
doughnut plant
chop't
the taco truck
jacques torres chocolates
eleni's bakery

not to mention, homemade gelato (raspberry and peachlime)

some of those places... we may have eaten at more than once. but i am not at liberty to disclose which places and how many times. wink.

now it's back to eating-in for like ever. spinach and fruit smoothies for every meal. mmm.

but if you're interested in a food tour of nyc, i am a really good tour guide.

saturday in central park

2011-08-23T21:52:00.000-04:00

harlem meer
jackie k. o. reservoir
i'm slowly realizing that central park (and all the hundreds of quaint parks in new york city) are what keep the city and its people sane.

green space, or just a place to sit on a bench near a tree is sort of essential for survival, in my opinion.

central park was especially nice on saturday. when all the people were out--- walking, biking, talking, skateboarding, telling jokes, playing songs on guitars, having unusually long picnics.

we (me, ben, linny, randy, donovan) walked from the harlem meer at about 106th street down to 72nd where some friends were having an extended picnic with some other friends. along the way we were distracted by hot dog and ice cream stands, the metropolitan museum of art, protesters and lots and lots of people.

the nearly-end-of-summer in this city is turning out to be pretty darn great.

settling in

2011-08-22T07:52:00.000-04:00

we are still settling into our new apartment.

i love it. ben loves it. we love it. the more we discover in the neighborhood and even right here in our apartment, we are in love love love.
(things like watching the birds fly in formation across the street, our new a/c unit and wild olive market have been highlights so far.)
so that helps a lot.

we were dreading that we'd find an "ok" place and then sort of hate it and hope we lived somewhere else.
nope. not this place.
and every time i make it to the top of the 5 flights o' stairs... i think, my legs are going to look awesome in a few months.
---right? right?

the day after we moved in, our great great friends, lindsay, randy and donovan arrived to visit us.
it was really great motivation to get a lot of things unpacked and set up.
and we are so glad they are here. they are here only a few more days and i feel sad at the thought that they will actually leave.
it's good having visitors that you want to have stick around. it's a good sign that you actually like each other :)

so yes. we are in a new apartment. and we love it.
and we are in a new city. and we love it.

lately...

2011-08-17T07:50:00.004-04:00

tim gunn
union square market
max brenner's chocolate bar
moving...

we saw tim gunn at a store in soho, speaking on behalf of love is not abuse coalition. such a nice man.

we visited union square market where we bought some red jacket juice (from geneva, ny) and looked at all the lovely produce and things for sale. i will say i was disappointed in the sparse amount of organic stands. and there were no organic peaches. do i sound snobby?
peaches are the worst for pesticides and gunk. you want to buy peaches organic whenever you can.

we had dessert for dinner at max brenner's chocolate bar. we got the s'mores concoction. super awesome. and it may look small to share--- but it's not. you definitely want to share!

we also stopped by strand books and brooklyn industries. did you know my oldest niece is named after the nyc borough of brooklyn? i really feel like i should buy her wardrobe at brooklyn industries.

we were subletting for a few days, then moving. i am so ready to live out of a closet and dresser and my own kitchen--- instead of a hotel, a backpack, a sublet.

other celeb sightings: al pacino in the theater district. he was leaving a broadway show with a young lady on his arm. he also looked a little homeless and gaunt, sporting a ponytail.

we live in new york city.

2011-08-15T08:27:00.000-04:00

jet lag is like really hard to get over. at 3pm everyday, my eyes are slamming shut. and we can't sleep in passed 5am. bad news.

we booked our flight home from tokyo to the u.s. about a year ago, so we booked it back to dc (since we weren't sure where we'd be living). so... after flying for 12.5 hours + other travel time, we landed in dc, then drove straight to nyc.

we are subletting a place. trying to find a permanent place.

we may have found a great apartment... but finding an apartment is such a gamble and a game.
first you have to find the place, online or through word of mouth.
second you have to schedule a showing and go.
third you have to actually like the place. your husband has to like it too.
fourth you have to fill out an application. complete with pay stubs, bank statements, tax returns, first born child.
and then hope for the best. (not to mention, there is a credit check fee every time.)
fifth you have to pester the owner/broker/landlady/landlord to be sure they are processing the application.
sixth wait.
seventh move in. most likely we are living in a walk up. meaning no elevator. meaning, you have to walk up four/five floors when moving into an apartment.
eighth hope your decision was a good one.

our first day here, we went to muji and bought this new york city in a bag. i've been wanting to get it for so long... but it didn't seem right until now. love it.

domo, tokyo [our last stop in asia]

2011-08-12T07:00:00.001-04:00

tokyo, japan, august 8
sensoji temple
woah. that's a big lantern (and japanese dr pepper)
tokyo tower and more sensoji temple
i love japanese gardens
so peaceful
hello! i ordered the large shaved ice (i didn't actually order that).
legit dinner (no shoes and sitting on the floor and all)
tempura. sushi. amazing.
lanterns.
muji tokyo
shibuya
shibuya. see ben?
posing like the locals
domo, tokyo! (thanks, tokyo!)

tokyo is a city's city. so happening, so crowded, so east it's west. and the things the kids are wearing these days- so stylin'!

sensoji temple was really beautiful, the shops, the huge lanterns, the temple itself (tokyo's oldest) and of course the gardens. someday when i have my millions and an actual garden... i want it to be japanese style complete with waterfall, koi and bridge.
near the temple, ben got really excited about japanese dr pepper and i got excited to see the "japanese haved ice" being made.

and since our time was so short in tokyo, we only got to spend the rest of our time in the shibuya area where all the young hipsters hang out and eat. it also has the busiest intersection in the world. supposedly.
sushi. sushi is what we wanted. but for some reason it was difficult to find. so maybe it's just not as popular as america japanese food is made out to be.
but we finally found some. and it was great. and the tempura probably greater.

and we got to visit a muji store in tokyo. muji is a japanese home store... that ben and i discovered and fell in love with in milano on our honeymoon. and lucky for me, the only usa muji stores are in nyc. i would buy everything in the store if i could afford it, but for now i may need a few house warming gifts for ben and i.
what i am saying is, i have a thing for muji.

i would definitely go back to tokyo.

things to remember:
it takes a really long time to get from both tokyo and seoul airports to said cities. boo.
the minimum you can take out at the atm is 10,000 yen...which is like $125 usd. kind of frustrating.
i want to turn japanese? or korean? i think the people are especially beautiful in japan and korea. just my opinion.
people were so helpful and polite.
late at night we had the pleasure of watching a japanese book-review type show. between that and the commercials we were laughing our heads off because we're culturally insensitive like that.
we ate our weight in hi-chews. hi-chews are my favorite candy in the whole wide world (they are originally from japan).

seoul's got soul.

2011-08-11T07:00:00.002-04:00

seoul, south korea, august 7
a nice city view
at bongeusna buddhist temple
bongeusna
loved the lanterns...
pretty city
my cute man on the seoul subwaymetro
kimchi museum
koreans do frozen yogurt right (at iceberry)
korean bbq and the most amazing watermelon smoothie
n seoul tower
seoul tower (so tall)
seoul tower
nyc and dc so far away...
seoul city at night
locks of loooove

seoul seoul seoul seoul. leading up to seoul felt so huge because we have close close people in our lives who are very connected to korea (and some who are korean-american). hi you people. we love you. and we feel like we learned a lot even though we were only in seoul a day.

the beginning and end of day went really well. for example, it started with a melona ice cream bar for breakfast. and riding the subwaymetro, one of my favorite things. and seeing cute koreans out shopping at the coex mall. the bongeusna temple. experiencing the kimchi museum.
i didn't love kimchi before... but now i really like it. maybe it's just way better in korea, or maybe i'm more immune to spicy foods now.

but then, somehow in the middle of the day, things didn't seem to be panning out for us. we visited a couple markets recommended by family, friends and wikipedia... and maybe we were lost or something, but we were disappointed with the dongdaemun market and the namdaemun market. boo.
maybe it was the day of the week. or maybe just not what we were expecting. oh well.

iceberry was a definite highlight where you get frozen yogurt, fruit and shaved ice all together. you mix it up if you like and it's quite the summer treat (thanks for rec, scotty).
and huge. huge treats are the only way to go.

then we couldn't find where a nytimes recommended korean bbq place was. our cab driver -luckily- found it, but it was closed that day. strike two, nytimes travel (we went to a nyt rec restaurant in mumbai that had completely closed).
but, instead we found another bbq place that had watermelon smoothies = made up for it.

n seoul tower was really great as well (thanks eun). it was exciting to go to the top at night. especially because it was a rainy/very windy night so we could literally feel the tower sway while we were at the observation level. i tried to not think about it too much...
then the locks of love. at the base of n seoul tower, there is a huge fence, where couples have brought padlocks and locked them to the fence. doing this actually made me teary (i am a bag of emotion)... because i love my man-friend-husband a whole lot. i love him exponentially more than five weeks ago. isn't it amazing how love grows like that?
especially after the experiences like we've had this summer...

things to remember:
the praying at the buddhist temple.
koreans are like really nice.
yellow bus 2 to seoul tower. steep hill. so rainy and windy.
fun music that plays on the seoul subwaymetro when a train is approaching or a transfer station is coming up. sounds like you're at disneyland.

the wall that is great (china)

2011-08-10T07:00:00.002-04:00

the great wall of china, august 5
ming tomb
ming tomb
the great wall
the great wall
the great wall
en route up the great wall
the great wall
wish you were here!
we were there.
another adventure in photo making

climbing the section of the great wall we climbed (juyongguan pass) was steep and difficult. confuscius say, the slope is steep and the road is slippery.
and at the first 2/5 of the wall we climbed, the steps were packed with people (more people who don't wear deodorant).

and see that romantic fog like haze? it's air pollution and not romantic.

regardless, the wall was great and the experience greater. i'm just trying to use "great" as many times as possible.
it was definitely a highlight of the trip, especially once we climbed higher and were out of the majority of the crowd.

things to remember:
we were cheerleaders at the 4/5 mark of the wall. it made people happy.
lots of people asked to take a photo with us (more asked ben).
i liked our tour guide lady who took us to the wall, ming tombs, a couple museums and a foot massage place, all included in our full day price. it was a deal.
we were like really sweaty, so we were glad we got up early to hike in the morning.
it was worth it. it just was.