January 11, 2013
It’s Tork’s birthday today. I ship my butt into the city to get some shit done.
I first go to Maison Kayser, which I’ve been planning to go to for a while. I get a dessert and half a baguette. Then off to a speciality food shop and I go over to the cheese monger and deli for some brie and spicy soppressata. It’s a shitty drizzling day and it’s getting dark fast by 5:00. Fuck it, I planned on having a picnic so I sit in Central Park and start my picnic. No one is in the park, except a few people who are walking their dogs and I’m sure they’re confused about what the hell I’m doing. It’s way too cold and wet for this shit, but I don’t care. I stuff all that food down my throat and then onto the museum.
I go to the MET and see the incredible George Bellows exhibit. It was a really large collection and his ability to paint the grimey streets of NYC and winter white snow was incredible. I’m not a huge fan of Matisse and I’ve seen some of his work before, but that was decent.
The Before and After Digital Photography Manipulation exihibit was decent. The audio guide was a good buy, as always.
I then ship to Midtown, and it’s started raining. My feet are a bit wet, but I don’t give. I go to Uniqlo and get as much shopping I can get done in 40 minutes. It’s hard taking apart all these button up shirts with their plastic and collar things and trying them on. As I try them on, I realize that their XS has different fits. I just have to keep trying them on and see how they fit on my shoulders and arms, instead of simply trusting the size on the label. I end up giving up and grabbing 2 shirts I tried on and 2 shirts that I didn’t. I can come back and return stuff. I’m also shopping for my brother, so he can just choose one of the four as his Christmas gift.
I then go to Tork’s birthday at Rattle N’ Hum. I meet some of his school friends. A good gang shows up with Josh, Bolanos, Matt, Emma, Reuben, Jonah, Kerri, and Evan. It’s a fun time just talking shit with everyone and having some darn darn good beer. There’s a cute blonde there that he’s chatting with. I speak with her too and she seems like a nice gal. When we leave, people are floating around and Bolanos is still chatting up with this. We all hope that he gets her number, but it does not end up happening. For shame.
Reuben and Matt seem to be getting along quite well. Emma is my only smoking buddy, so it’s fun chatting about art and relationships while having a break outside. We then go to Foley’s for a quick second before we jump on the train. Matt, Bolanos, and I then got o Bayside Diner as we’re hungry. I immediately take a picture of a plate of cole slaw when we get it.
Story time: Hasan used to loooveee freaking cole slaw. He would pack on pepper and some salt and just eat that shit up. He would have a carton of it in his fridge. However, the real memory was when we had nothing better to do and could only go to a diner at night. People would turn away their free cole slaw and he would gobble up 2-3 portions of that stuff. The man was a real slaw man. Despite it being 2-3:00AM, I take a picture and send it to Erdem.
January 16, 2013
I have a weird sleeping day. I slept crazy long the night before. I try to sleep really well and early today, but I sleep 3-4 hours and wake up at 6-7:00AM. I get some breakfast and then pass out again for a quick nap. I get up and then head to campus to pay tuition, pick up my books, and then print out readings for my first day of class.
Hasan surprisingly has been in touch and I’m supposed to get lunch with him on Sunday. The man is ALIVE!!!
After that, I head into the city for an amazing bite at Gaia Italian Café. Actually, more than a bite. I get absolutely stuffed from some mindblowing food for the price. I’m sitting at a table and listen to two girls who are visiting NYC. They probably Yelped the place like I did, but they’re funny newbies about the city with mistakes like “Hyo-sten” instead of “How-sten.” They’re very girly though and proud of their experience in NYC. I feel a bit “Oh, I should show these girls around because I know better,” but hey, tourists are tourists. Girls are girls.
I then go to this fabric shop in SoHo. I’m seriously the only man there out of all the employees and customers. Something like a 20 to 1 ratio. I’m looking for buttons because Luna actually bought me a black cardigan that fits. However, the buttons it comes with are ugly and shiny silver. Luna recommends that she can change it, but hey, I’m a modern man. I can sew my own buttons on. However, after much searching, I can’t find buttons that fit the cardigan, partially because their regular collection doesn’t fit it and their random collection does not have 4 of the same buttons.
I then go to Uniqlo and grab an Oxford. Motherfuckers are out of XS flannels. I came here for that!
I go to L’Asso to meet up with Reuben. While I’m waiting, there is a Happy Hour. 2 slices of their crazy good pizza and a craft pint for $7. Personally, one of the best deals/Happy Hours in NYC. I was already stuffed from earlier, but I ordered it before Reuben arrived. These two girls are chatting. A waitress and this girl. I start listening when the waitress says, “Big cock!” They’re talking about dudes, the idea of having children later in life in their 40s, their time when they went “crazy” and had sex with many men, etc. Reuben finally comes in, we dinner, we leave.
We then go to Iggy’s and we get a shot and beer. We chat a bit and then go to the DL for Urbana Poetry Slam. I’m extremely impressed that he’d be willing to try it out. It’s a weird venue. It’s very loungey and really nice, but then on the first floor, there are people painting, about 10 people with canvases. How hipster and NYC. It has couches, chandaliers, etc., and we go upstairs to where the show is.
Reuben liked the show and we were there for an hour. It was an really cool scene. About 20-30 people in a smallish room with a stage. There’s this fat guy that wins. He is incredible. I love this guy. He goes through the rounds talking about his mother’s death and his family with the metaphor of being “Superheroes,” despite the beating his mother takes, their problems, a divorce. He then goes on extremely deep personally about his obesity and how strangers treat him. It’s heavy stuff, but what I love about it is his use of words. The other poets are fun and intersting, but the beautiful creation of metaphor, imagery, and simile is what makes this guy mindblowing. I want to come back.
Reuben and I then go to Spitzers for a final drink. I order him a “kolsch” and go on to explain some Europe stories. We then split off and I meet up with Candace who is downtown. It’s a slow night at Second on Second and I leave pretty quickly as the place is closing and she has her own plans. I grab a cab and then take the train. I head home listening to much missed Howard Stern and it’s great to get back so early. It’s fucking only 1:10 by the time I’m home despite this long day.
I have been sleep quite late these days, so getting home that “early” is a treat almost. I need to get on a better sleep schedule though. Fucking break is ending, but hell, I’m happy I get my shit done this day. Screw it. Tomorrow is going to be gross and rainy. I have a few days left and a weekend and I have to make the best of it all.
January 18, 2013
I go to Cat’s bday that Aaron has invited me to. I show up and see Lisa, Marissa, and Cat. It’s nice seeing them, catch up a little bit, etc. I chat with Aaron’s friend from school, Jose. They’re apparently both drunk as fuck from earlier. It’s funny seeing Aaron operate himself drunkinly and attempt to make moves on Marissa. They eventually leave together, but apparently nothing happens.
Tom and Scott show up and the rest of the people leave. We go to Spritzenhaus. I actually find out that Scott got into NYU Law and is waiting to hear back from Harvard and Columbia Law. What a fucking guy. I’m proud, surprised, and a sprinkle of jealous. We have a beer, play some Jenga, and then call it a night.
January 19, 2013
Big plans tonight. One of the last nights before classes start. It’s Jesse’s birthday, but I decide to do something else. Bolanos and I go to Astoria for a sandwich. He does his usual joking/condescending stuff when you make a mistake. He properly says, “I’m on that dick shit.” I think he didn’t think that this comment has much more meaning than he expect.
He then tells this story about how TA calls him about his g/f’s friend who has had her email password changed by her parents. TA asks Bolanos if he knows how to “hack” an email and how it should be “easy.” I literally start dying laughing and my stomach is in so much pain. I joke that Miah should be called. And how Miah got in trouble in high school for avoiding the Internet filter. Funny thing is that Josh was the mastermind, Miah just got in trouble because once he was involved and found out, he played the victim card and clearly authority focused their investigation and punishment on him.
I also suggested that Stefan should be called because he probably knows just as much as TA about “hacking” computers and emails. It would be like having two mirrors reflecting at each other. I would love to hear this conversation.
We then take the train into the city and go to Peculiar Pub. Stefan and Sara are there and we haven’t seen them in forever. They are a wonderful bunch to hang with and I missed those freaking kids. Reuben shows up and then we go to West 3rd Common to meet up with Aaron and wait for some people that Reuben knows from college.
I hang there for a while. Lydia shows up, who I haven’t seen in forever. She’s good people. I eventually split to meet up with Marisa and Sharon from school. It’s Tatenda’s birthday and I meet them at this crowded loungey place. We have some fun dancing and Marisa’s a fun time. One of Tatenda’s friend is larger black girl, she takes a liking to me and I think her compliment, but that’s about it. After some more dancing around, we move out. I’m sobering up at this point and chatting with Marisa about her trip to Japan and getting Japanese food in the city.
On the way, we find out that Sharon went through a breakup with a b/f that we’ve all met. It’s been 2 years with him and she’s all crying and distraught. Tatenda tries to drag her out, but she can’t do it. I understand. There’s those nights where you’ve drank, you’re falling down from it, and then shit just hits you. The next day, you look back realizing how stupid being sad or whatever was, but at that specific time, your mind is just all fucked the fuck up. I hail a cab for the two girls to go back to their place.
I then walk to Tatenda and we go to this club with reggae or whatnot. Expensive cover, so we don’t go and walk around. I end up meeting up with Bolanos on the train and take the 3:19 because I’m sobering up really hard now and just bored.
I then get a text from Lydia that shows what she texted Bolanos. She’s had a crush on him and just asked him to stay and hang out as people had ditched and it was just them. I tell her as a friend that he’s not interested. On the train, all he can do is keep complaining about it occurring. I explain that it’s a compliment. Why would a girl making a move on you be a horrible thing? It’s not the same for women because men generally aren’t hit on, but hey, take it for what it is. Enjoy the ego boost. I don’t think he gives up on it and it still bothers him.
We then decide on 4AM Bagel. The place does not open though. We instead go to Burger King as options are quite limited. It was a fun time. Great seeing so many faces tonight.
January 25, 2013
Earlier in the week, Kenny, Hasan, and I get some dinner. I haven’t seen that guy in forever and it’s good seeing him. Shit hasn’t been going too well with him, but we’ll see if I get to see him more.
This is the first week back in school. The stress and lack of sleep has been adding up. It’s hard to stay after class and read until 6-8:00 when you’re falling asleep trying to read. It’s a stressful week, but by the end of it on Thursday, I’m catching up on reading and it’s a great feeling to have a somewhat unstressful weekeend.
My class ends early today and I have a three day weekend. I stay on campus and get reading done for Monday’s class so I get to enjoy the weekend. I’m supposed to grab dinner with Erdem after work with Kenny. I sit around on campus and boom, obviously Erdem drops out last second. I catch up with Ela after I got my late Christmas gift from her yestersday, a wallet and a leather wristband.
I head home finally and the night is pretty slow. It’s fucking cold and I’m not excited for the weekend. Well, I want to be excited, but heading out in this bullshit is not going to work out. Fucking weather ruining my fun. Screw that shit.
At night, we go to Bolanos’ and watch some TV and have some beers. Bolanos’ car is shot so I go to Wendy’s and get the boys some food. I then go to H-Mart for beer, but it sucks balls. The beer selection there has fallen off the wagon there. No good. Being the snob I am and rejecting Brooklyn Brewery, I go to Walbaums. Yes, I went to another supermarket just so I could buy a different beer. Thankfully, I’m able to find Dogfish Head 60 Minutes. The seleciton is quite poor otherwise, but good thing they had this.
January 30, 2013
It’s a long day of class and I didn’t sleep well so after class, I take a nap in the library. I got no shame. If anything, maybe people expect it coming from an Asian.
It’s Kenny’s birthday tonight. I meet up with Kenny early at Good Beer. I’ve been recently obsessed with things for some reason. One is getting my wardrobe down. I’ve been constantly on Malefashionadvice on Reddit and trying to figure out what I need. Forget about spending money on clothes that don’t fit or stuff I no longer wear. I’m becoming a grown fucking man. I need clothes that I will wear and I will keep. Spend more now and end up spending less.
Another thing is being a beer snob and trying to search out the crème de la crème of the beer out there. The flight at Good Beer is okay. Jonah comes by and tells us about this douchebag that poked his eye accidentally and fucked it up. He had to go to the doctor and all that shit. His vision is now fucked and it’s messing him up. I hope he gets better.
Kenny and I then get a couple bottles of Maine Beer Co. It’s supposed to be the good stuff. We then meet Alon and Stefan at Mighty Quinn’s. Man that is the best barbecue in NYC. Erdem even makes a stop by and hangs with us for our dinner.
We then head to Proliteriat as Stefan becomes himself again. He starts complaining about how they ran out of ribs, despite how brisket and pulled pork are the things “to get” at this place. They explain that it is a day long process and it was unexpected that it ran out. Shit happens. He then says that they should get that shit shipped in from another place if they’re gonna run out. Sort of destroys the whole point of the restaurant.
We hang for some beer while Kenny and Erdem go get Puddin’ next door. After some pretty interesting beers, Erdem wants to leave so we all hop and squeeze into his car. It’s a stacked car and we swap the ridiculous stories of when we went to BK to a concert and people were vomitting outside of Erdem’s window on the BQE. Then that time CNF was feeding Spamps with matzoh because Spamps was too busy playing Smash Bros. He was fucked up from a shot, beer chug, and bong hit thing. Whatever they call that.
Erdem does a weird thing because we’re at the 59th Street Bridge and he talks the highway uptown until the RFK, then pays a toll. Apparently being “on the highway the whole time” means that it’s faster instead of a direct route. Anyway, it’s good to see our man. He’s been coming through and hanging with the old pals. Good times. Good times.
February 7, 2013
Kenny and Bolanos come over. Between Kenny and I, we have 4 Maine Brewery Co. beers. My favorite brewery so far. Every single one was spectacular. All up there in their styles as being some of my favorite.
We chat and have some drinks. It’s an easy fun time. Getting that beer snobbery going.
February 9, 2013
I go looking for my favorite beer of all time, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. They unfortunately don’t have it, but I still end up grabbing some beers. I spend fucking almost $60, but hey, you gotta spend to drink. Maybe next time though I’ll be better about purchases, pickier, and walk in knowing what I want to try.
I go into the city and it’s nice and snowy. The city looks wonderful with snow. I go to Fish Bar and wait for Aaron with a drink. I haven’t been here in a while and it’s taking a while waiting. I wait 30 minutes and then head east to meet Stefan and Sara. Stefan is being stubborn about meeting at Fish Bar. We then go to Idle Hands. Aaron is being too stubborn to come east now. Fuck me, I’m in the middle of two horribly stubborn people. I just want to have fun and drink tonight, why do people have to be so annoying.
We then move onto The Library. After hanging out for a bit, Bolanos says he’s leaving the city and it’s only 12-12:30 or so. I end up deciding to ditch the night. I got my drank on and people want to soon split. It’s freezing and snowy and getting a ride would be nice.
We both agree strongly about El Rey del Taco. I stupidly order spicy pork along with the hot sauce they put in. While sitting in Bola’s car, I’m sweating and heeing and hawing like a little girl.
I run into the bodega to get a drink and then I realize that this place has a crazy good beer selection. It’s just a bodega, but has the selection of the beer store that I went into earlier. So what a good mistake with the spicy food because now I ended up buying a stout that I’ve been looking for.
February 10, 2013
Today is the Super Bowl. I take the train with Evan and Bolanos. It’s windy and cold, yuck. We go to Stefan’s place because that’s where he’s throwing a shindig. I ideally would like to be at a bar with drunk people and all kinds of noise, but this is lovely as well. Hannah and Miah bring some amazing bread that they’ve made. Stefan, Sara, Tork, Evan, Alon, Emma, and Matt are there.
The bread that was made and wings that Stefan got for us were more than enough for dinner. I’m filling myself up on beer (Goose Island Madame Rose, a sour Flemish red ale. No one likes it except Sara. It’s literally passed around the room and everyone pretty hate does not enjoy). It gets pretty gross from the all bread, beer, and chips. I think I might have finished half a container of gooey Tostitos cheese sauce myself.
The game is pretty good and a lot closer than expected. The Beyonce show was pretty decent, although I expected Jay Z to come out instead of the rest of Destiny’s Child.
February 6, 2013
The plan today is going to Uncle Barry’s and meeting Miah and Kenny. They have a rare beer, The Alchemist Heady Topper. It’s #1 on Beer Advocate. After class, I head to Park Slope. It’s good seeing Miah whenever we get a chance.
We’re quite lucky to find this as people elsewhere in America, even Vermont apparently, where the brewery is located, have a very hard time finding this beer. It lives up to its hype. Definitely one of my favorite beers. It’s freaking delicious.
Then onto Victory Storm at the Sea, an incredible coffee vanilla porter. Two amazing beers, back to back, hells yeah. We then get some Latin dinner, which is aight. And then onto a cool dessert time at Chocolate Room. We then split off and Kenny is able to get me onto the LIRR for free.
I actually find out that I don’t have class, so there we go, 4 day weekend. I spend the night just chilling out and enjoying the fact that I’m off. I’ll do work in a day or two when I’m stuck in the blizzard that is in coming.
February 7, 2013
I get up and plan on going into the city. I need to buy some pricier goods, including Allen Edmonds shoes. They’ll be my first pair of “the” shoes that I’ll wear. I need to get sizing down at AE, Clark’s, Gap, and Nordstrom Rack, maybe get some shopping down as well. The earlier I size, the earlier I can start looking for sales to occur online and pounce on them.
I walk outside and hmm and haw. It’s quite cold, 30 degrees, and I don’t know if I want to get the whole trip into the city without much else to do, no other plans, and deal with walking in this weather. I decide to give up and to walk back inside. I can do it in a few weeks when the weather is better.
I then go to Fairway to do some food shopping. I’ve been in the mood to make and eat tacos recently. I go shopping for the materials and then I pick up some great beer as well, Bear Repbulic Red Hop Rye and Stone Self Righteous. I go home and find out that mom and grandma are eating at aunt’s, so I’ll save cooking for tomorrow.
The big blizzard is coming in so I try to grab people to go out. I’ll be stuck indoors all weekend, so this would be nice to get out. However, no one is around, so it’s just Bolanos and I tonight.
February 9, 2013
The blizzard wasn’t as bad as expected, so we get to go out tonight. Bolanos and I go to Black Sheep. I’ve been beer crazy, so it’s awesome that they have cans of Ten Fidy, the best Imperial Stout I have yet to have.
Matt brings a friend and Dimitri. Matt is annoying about how this place is crowded, so we go to this really shit fucking bar. Every single person is older than us. The youngest is maybe late 20s, though most people look like they’re parents already. Granted, the place has a good live rock bad. We sit there for a second.
Matt then gets stubborn again and wants to go to Astoria for tacos. I would rather go to Black Sheep, since we’re still in Mineola, but we drive all the way to Astoria now. It’s alright in the end despite it being winter ice cold. I prefer being out than not. We go to Sweet Afton and have some beers and tacos.
I actually stop by the beer store bodega again and get an Old Rasputin and Founder’s Breakfast Stout.
February 11, 2013
It’s a really bad sleeping weekend and I pass out on campus after class despite it only being Monday. I gather my energy and head into the city for a Yelp event. I first go to the Clark’s and try some shoes on for size. I recently realize my feet are smaller than I had been shopping. Clark’s runs big so I’m apparently a 6.5 I go to Allen Edmonds, swanky ass shoe store and get some fitting going. Some beautiful shoes going on over there. Gotta get some soon. Then to J Crew and find some shirts that fit and need to wait until they go on sale.
I then meet Stefan for some banh mi and then we go to the event in Flatiron. It’s a nice bar/pub kind of place. There’s free gin and beer and we’re rocking those. Stefan gets into a really awkward and innocently douchey conversation with Jane K., one of the people that runs this shit.
She tries to take a picture and Stefan refuses. I agree to one. He then gets into a conversation about how he can’t be on Yelp because he’s a doctor and doesn’t want people giving him bad reviews. Why feedback is a bad thing is beyond me, but whatever. It is what it is. She clearly is not interested in his bitching, but he keeps going on and I try to settle down the tension and play it off as a joke.
The right way to deal with the situation? Smile and kindly turn down the picture. Thank the person for running this event and having your butt there for free liquor and raffles for money at the bar. There’s no need to go on bashing the site that frankly, you use a shit ton. No harm in the end, but sometimes…
We then get into a conversation with this really ugly girl about how she went to NYU Law and clerks for a judge in NJ. We chat a bit. I bounce between the conversation and hanging with my Yelp friend, Richard. He’s drunk and tries to wing for me, introducing me to these 3 cute Asian girls. We aren’t having any of it. Funny thing, Stefan and I were having this conversation earlier. I was trying to say an “Asian dating” site wouldn’t work because Aisan girls aren’t going out of there way looking for Asian men, unlike Christian or Jewish dating sites. He apparently didn’t think that existed. Voila, here’s evidence.
The lawyer lady eventually leaves and the conversation seems to have went well. Stefan talks about how if he wasn’t dating, the girl probably would have been interested for his number. It wasn’t obvious, but they got along well enough. The real question though is why he would. I didn’t bash him enough about it at the event. Maybe I had beer goggles on, but the next day, I just got annoyed and scared thinking about that situation. That girl was fugly as hell. She wasn’t even fat, with enough junk and she’s in the awkward not chubby, but still gross mode. And that face, smacked with an ugly stick. It’s hard to give a girl that isn’t mordibly obese at 1 or 2, but this gal deserved it.
I legit asked Stefan if he would go out on a date with this gal and he said Yes. In all seriousness. I try to shake him off of that and in the end, I just said, “You know what buddy, I’m just glad you’re dating Sara.” Yeesh, I couldn’t imagine what garbage our boy could get round up in. Not bashing, I love the kid. Just seems a bit of standard because he’s a good catch.
We then it a night after the event is over. It was fun hanging out on the weekday and shooting the shit with my pal.
February 12, 2013
It’s a decently long day of class and one of the girls in our class made an event at night to meet up at a nearby bar. Invited over half the class and fucking event says only 5 peoeple are going. What a joke. I know it’s law school, but people need to let loose a bit.
I put my head down for a second and stay on campus getting ahead on reading. I wait for Bolanos and we meet up at 9:30 or so. We plan on getting tacos, but this restaurant is swankish and looking like a date spot. I make fun of Bolanos for awkwardness sometimes, but I agreed with him as he slowly backed away from the door and reconsidered our dinner plans.
We go to the bar immediately instead and get some tacos. We meet up with 4 of my other classmates. I drink some absurdly good beer and I’m snobbing out like crazy. Shit be good. Ballast Point Sculpin, best IPA.
February 14, 2013
It’s been a relatively rough week for me, but I finally get some sleep and today feels great. It’s warm and I only have one class. I get ahead on reading and can’t wait for a 4 day weekend. After my club meeting, I head home. I get some crazy errands done.
In the end, I don’t really get any shopping done as I’ll have to return the stuff as I decided when I got home. It’s a constant shopping and returning process for me.
At night, I chill out and then Bolanos heads over. We were supposed to hang with Kenny and go crazy drinking some sick good beers. Instead, Bolanos and I just split a few sick beers and talk some shit.
February 15, 2013
I wake up in the middle of the night and the back of my mouth is killng me. It hurt a bit during the day, but now it’s really painful. It fucks up with my sleeping and is quite painful.
I get up eventually and eat some food. I have an 8 page paper to write all today. I was reading to do it as I didn’t really drink much the night before. I could get my work done, it’s due at 9PM, and then I can head out for some plans. Sounds great. It’s Presidents Day.
However, I’m just in pain and it fucks up my body. I take a 2-3 hour nap. Possibly from not sleeping and just the pain wanting my body to rest. I finally pull through my work from 4-5:00 to 9:00PM and submit it last minute. I call my mom and tell her to get the dentist and make an appointment tomorrow.
I’m sure this is my wisdom teeth coming out. With my past few dentist appointments, the dentist said my wisdom teeth should be pulled out. I didn’t really know what to do, my mom just ignored it and said that I didn’t need it. Granted, I agree with that to a certain extent. Don’t fuck with shit that isn’t fucked up. However, turns out that my wisdom teeth are coming in in the wrong direction.
I remember the flu and how miserable I was. This day has been too. Swallowing is painful, opening my mouth to try to eat one on side is painful, even touching my jaw and a quarter of my neck/face is painful. Tomorrow is my appointment and I hope everything is okay. That I don’t need to get my wisdom teeth taken out and that it can be fixed quickly.
I’m excited for plans dammit! I made an event for Reuben tomorrow and I wouldn’t be able to go if I was all drugged up, not able to eat, and all in pain
Less importantly I guess, but still extremely important is that I also needed to get some law school work done. I personally have such a hard time doing that when in pain. It’s so distracting all you want to do is just sit back, chill out, and do anything to keep your mind off your misery.
February 21, 2013
Well I had my tooth pulled out last Saturday. It’s Thursday now and it’s finally feeling better. I was scared about getting dry socket and fucking shit up really bad, but I should be fine. Eating all week has sucked. I’ve just been eating steamed chicken and rice from Chinese take out for lunch.
I have a memo due next week and I plan on getting a shit ton done. I thankfully get a lot of reading done, but I’m still not as ahead as I would like. Kenny turns out to be free today, so I go meet him to have some Hill Farmstead Everett. A crazy brewery that is one of the best in the country, but so freaking limited that you can’t get that shit out of Vermont even. Now they have in Alphabet City?! I’m going.
I have one class, at 12:45, I’m off to the city. Fried chicken and biscuit at BobWhite Supper Counter. What an incredible lunch. We then go next door to Alphabet Beer Co. and have this amazing porter. It unfortunately did not blow our minds, but still maybe the best porter I have ever had. Amazing beer is still amazing. We also have this crazy snack that they make for the bar, toasted pretzel bites with sriracha and oil. So good.
We then go downtown to Top Hops, the best beer store in NYC. We scope out some beer and then get a flight. With the food and the couple of beers, the “itis” is hitting us and we head back. We chill out for the night and then meet up again at night. This time with Bolanos over at night place. Drink a beer more, talk some shit, etc. This was by far the one of the best food and drinks days that I have had recently. Good times.
February 22, 2013
It’s finally time to go out. It’s cold, but I can finally go out after having my tooth pulled and not going out for almost 2 weeks now. I coordinate with some people and head into the city with Bolanos. Aaron is complainy so we go to Jake’s Dilemma. Surprisingly, Evan is down to hang so we meet up with him and Aaron. We have a beer there and then go to the worst place, Bourbon Street.
There’s a cheap pitcher there, $7! Sick deal. I ask about the 5-6 girls that are sitting around at a table on their phones and doing nothing. I think us assholes are idiots for being at a table ourselves, but these girls, I somewhat feel bad, but whatever. I can’t put my finger down on what I’m trying to say, but it was an observation. Then we notice 4 guys literally all on their phones at the same time sitting to the table next to ours. What a small world of idiot goon dudes doing nada.
We then take a cab to Pony Bar. I have some incredible amazing Troegs Batch 83. At a table, a girl actually strikes up a conversation with Bolanos. Good for him. He ends up getting her number after we bother him a bit about it. Aaron ends up splitting up and Bolanos and I wait around for the 319. Only live once baby.
We go to a bar that is supposed to have Yelp deal drinks, but then it’s actually closed. At 1:00-2:00?! What a fucking joke. We go across the street to a beer bar and how some killer beers. He gets Dirty Bastard while I’m on Smuttynose Robust Porter.
We then get hungry and run over to White Castle on the way to the train. Jump on the train. It was a sick and good drinking night. Good to see my boys again and be out in the best city in the world. Can’t ask for better stuff than this.
March 2, 2013
I’ve been searching for Stone’s Enjoy By 04.01.13 beer. I finally find it at Fairway. Lovely beer. Got some clothes shopping going on. There’s much work with ordering stuff online and then having to return it.
Finding chinos has taken forever, but I finally found some Lived In Skinny at Gap. Then got a sick anorak. Got two shirts from J Crew, though they’ll need to tailored. Roll up the sleeves, I’ll rock them like that for now.
Still need to work on buying some Clark’s Desert Boots, another pair of sneakers, a casual classy shoe like Allen Edmon Strand, a few more Oxford from J Crew when those shoot up for sale. Then suit and dress shoes will have to occur soon as well.
March 9, 2013
It’s Jeremiah’s bday tonight. I got so angry when I accidentally invited Matt. Miah didn’t want him to come so I texted him not to. He then makes it seem like a joke. He wanted to still come and the more I told him more clearly not to come, he wanted to come even more. I told him eventually to jump off a bridge instead of worrying about what he was doing. I was so fucking angry dealing with his ass for 20-30 minutes.
We go to Spritzenhaus and apparently Kenny and Bolanos were having a date for an hour. They didn’t think to contact Miah, despite going there FOR his birthday. I got to the bar and was so confused because I expected them to be there already. They were already, just on a date, fucking weirdos.
Kenny and I then go to the new bar Torst while the others are at another bar. I then split rom them. I wish I could’ve hung with Miah more. I’ll hopefully see him soon.
I go to Marsha’s bday. It’s a truly a fun time. There’s music, a roof, dancing. Lots of fun. I get to chat with people that I don’t usually speak to. It’s a really fun time. Parties are the best.
March 10, 2013
I go with Jenn to get some Mexican at Taco Coatzingo. It’s pretty decent. We chat about how she’s quite busy with work. I catch her up about the group. It’s great having some dinner before the week of class starts and chatting with Jenn.
March 14, 2013
Bolanos is sick as a dog. Kenny and I grab a bottle of Enjoy By by Stone and Rogue Chocolate Stout. We have the Enjoy By and he finally gets to try Bourbon County Brand Stout. We chat and geek out on beer. I also show him some sick Ali G videos.
March 15, 2013
It’s Friday, but I stay inside because I have midterms during the week. I catch up on some writing and studying, but not too much.
March 16, 2013
I go into the city and hang with Stefan and Sara. I tried to get other people to come out, but people ended up ditching. It’s a fun time seeing two of my favorite people. Stefan is hilarious chatting about how Shauna, despite being pregnant should bartend his birthday. We go to Josie’s and Jen, who tells us about Shauna in more detail, seems almost offended that he would say such a thing.
However, over the weekend, I don’t get much work done. I’m such a bad procrastinator and I wish I was better, but then again, I do get my shit done during the week.
March 19, 2013
I’ve been beer crazy recently.
Here’s a crazy video about how two of the tippy top best beers in the world were blind taste tested against a top tier IPA and they lost:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccfkmhftcNU
I then read about how Maine Beer Co., one of my favorite breweries, actually sells by volume, some of the most expensive beer in the country. Some disappointing news when I realized this. Then again, quality be coming with a price.
Break is soon, I have so much beer to try and drink.
March 21, 2013
I have my last midterm today. I think the midterms went okay in general, but we’ll see. It’s been quite a stressful semester. I then have to redo a paper and stick on campus for 6 hours despite getting out of class at 1:00. I then meet up Bowen, Kenny, Jonah, Alon, Tom, and Aaron at Pies and Thighs. We’re rolling deep.
We go to Torst for some sick delicious beers. We then hang at Spritzenhaus.
It’s such a good time. Good food, good beer, good people around, and my spring break just freaking started dammit.
March 22, 2013
I go to Marissa’s birthday. She’s a law school friend and I go to her apartment first to pregame. It’s a good time drinking and making sure that I don’t get gouged at the bar. I actually noticed that one of her friends is this really cute redhead, but actually, later in the night, one of the guys that is known for being a drunk lush ends up hooking up with her. Regrets.
Anyway, we go to The Park in Meatpacking. My bro, Kevin, is there and being super drunk and obnoxious. It’s quite hilarious and at one point, he gets kicked out. He then sneaks at back in, but the bouncers see him and immediately kick him out. It’s quite funny, and he didn’t really offend anyone, though he did sort of piss in a corner of the lounge. Aaron and Reuben are there.
Reuben and I then go to a bar and have a couple drinks before I head back. It was a funy time with everyone.
March 23, 2013
I go into the city with TA and Bola. I was supposed to get Mighty Quinns with him and Reuben, but then the wait was too long. I instead go to South Brooklyn Pizza and use my Living Social. I then have a beer with the boys and wait for a sec and then go to Lorie’s party. It’s a sick pregame/party. Frank, Marissa, Jared, Arlene, Sammy, Neal. It’s a fun time chatting, dancing, and pregaming with them.
Marissa and I go to Dunkin and we hang out for a bit. We take a cab downtown to the Donnybrook, but then she’s tired so I get out of the cab as she takes it uptown. I go to Double Down for a sec and meet everyone. It’s a fun time dancing and shit and I recap the night with Kevin, who shows up. Jared is nice enough to buy me a beer despite us never chatting before this night.
Arlene’s a cute gal and we dance for a bit. She thankfully dropped the boyfriend bomb earlier when chatting about her spring break back home in Arizona soon. I end up leaving at 2:00 and planning to meet up with Bolanos to catch the train home. I try to get a cab, but it’s stupidly busy in the city tonight for some reason. I then jump down to the subway, but it just left as I can see how many people are waiting on the platform. I can tell that this isn’t going to be enough time, so I leave. I try to catch a cab and then I just give up. I go to Iggy’s for a beer. I also grab a slice of dollar pizza. I think about going back to the bar, but then I find out that Reuben is down to hang out a bit before last call. We go with his friend to Rattle n Hum for a beer and chill out for a bit.
I then go to get some more junk food at White Castle. Shit, beer tonight and vodka tonight. I then get some South BK pizza, $1 pizza, and White Castle. Been gaining weight and too busy/lazy to workout. Whatever, when it gets warmer, I’ll be better about it.
March 28, 2012
Some writing from an argument I had with Tork on Facebook.
I do not see that distinction. I could argue that gay marriage is conduct and prohibiting polygamy prohibits the rights of polygamists. So yes, I would argue that those who are in polygamist or incestuous relationships are intrinsically so, just as people may be born intrinsically homosexual.
When the Supreme Court upheld a bigamy statute in Reynolds v. United States, it allowed for a statute that target a single classification, polygamists. Baker v. Nelson was not such an explicit denial of rights. Historical animus? Look no further.
And see, this is exactly where my issue arises. You say you are not for moral relativism, which is fine, but then you have you go all-in. Everything. And while I personally support allowing for polygamy, I am not willing to say things are right and wrong so clearly. I understand that politically this country will not allow for it, possibly in my life time, and I cannot say that is definitively a constitutional matter. I find the argument that Loving is analogous to gay marriage as simply a "convenient" argument.
I'll specifically bite on polygamy. Lets get real here. The reason it is not legally allowed by States or considered by the Supreme Court is because of morals. There no actual boundaries. This exact kind of bigoted excuse making that would have been said about the idea of gay marriage half a century ago. If you are someone thinks it is truly something else other than the personal perceptions people have about polygamy, fuck you, I don't need to talk you.
Exploitation, abuse? Nonsense. Domestic abuse is one of the most wretched things women, in heterosexual marriages, in this country deal with. And there surely are loving and peaceful polygamous relationships. Their rights are not to be disregarded based upon the unfitting relationships of others. If so, get rid of all marriage.
Custody, inheritance? First , this begins an assumption that people do no deserve rights because, "What would happen to our laws?!?!" Stop it. We are going to be lawyers and happy to see these laws passed and adjusted by legislatures. I feel no pity for legislators having to rewrite laws.
And second, gay marriage has these issues with artificial insemination and adoption. Inheritance, divorce, alimony, wills, changing forms of property in the 21st century, etc., all these issues have constantly changed within States since the common law. With stocks, bonds, child support, divorced parents, remarried parents, and more, family law is quite complicated, but more than apt to deal with a changing conception of marriage.
We go to Black Sheep at night. Matt and Toph come through. I have some sick good beers and it’s really enjoyable. Kenny seems a bit disillusioned by beer as finding there is so little to enjoy, where as Bolanos and I seem to enjoy a decent amount more, especially me with styles and all that. It is what it is. I’m going to keep going enjoying whatever wonderful beers I can find.
March 29, 2013
I go into the city to hang with Jesse and Teddy at 11:00. I have nothing to do and people aren’t down to hang out. I catch up with them at a restaurant and then we go to Blind Tiger. It’s a good time. I have a couple beers and it’s a fun time chilling because I otherwise would have been home myself tonight.
March 30, 2013
I get to catch up with Ela at night. She’s home for Easter and I grab a beer, chat get ready, and try to make plans. Avi and Evan are supposed to meet up with me, they end up ditching. Bolanos is busy with something. I take a train into the city and I go to Hop Devil despite the plan being Gin Palace at 10:00.
Aaron is in Astoria and doesn’t get into the city until about 11:00-11:30. Jesse is supposed to come, it takes her a while. Jonah was supposed to meet up, but goes to Stout to meet up with Candace. Marisa I end up texting and trying to get downtown, but she just woke up and doesn’t feel like coming down.
So basically things have fell through. I text Luna and Bowen as I have a few beers at Hop Devil and Proletariat. After a couple beers and waiting for an hour or so, I end up meeting at Bowery Electric with Aaron. Sam comes through and it’s actually Sydnee’s bday. I haven’t seen them in a while.
It’s good catching with Aaron about shit. It’s our last weekend night out before classes start again. It’s fun because it seems to be a girl’s night out for them. Unlike it usually with the bro’s night out, it’s just Aaron and I with a bunch of gals. Aaron ends up leaving and I’m here myself as I meet up with Jesse and Teddy.
I end up realizing that I’m quite drunk, but still leave. I would have liked to probably stay and hang with the girls, but another time, another place.
April 4, 2013
During the week, I did some beer hunting and able to find Founder’s KBS and Maien Co. Lunch. Happy to find these rare beers.
I get some work done and have nothing to do at night and people don’t want to do anything. I end up running Black Sheep Ale for a Firestone Walker Sucaba. Worth the trip for a quick drink by myself and back to home. Gotta relax.
April 5, 2013
Tonight seems pretty dead and I end up going to the city last second to meet up with Jesse, even though I had plans to have some beers with Kenny. We meet up with Avi and this girl I recognize, Liza. I know her! Even more than just a little. I’ve spoken to her a bunch and in my head I know I have. There’s a sense of familiarity, but I can’t put my finger one.
I look it up on the blog the next day. I find out that it’s Nikki’s friend, Nikki as in Scott’s old roomate. Now this makes sense. I’ve met her only a couple times and it was a year ago before Scott left. The context also confused me because it was not around Nikki. I now realize that the connection makes sense from Avi meeting her because Scott knows Nikki, etc.
The four of us grab a few drinks and then Aaron meets up. Avi and Liza end up leaving. We move out to meet up with Teddy for a burger at Veselka.We then split up. It was a good time just hanging for a bit. Things seemed bleaked and it was good to get some fresh air after spending 5 horus in Panera doing work.
April 6, 2013
I head into Astoria to meet up with Stefan for his friend Hakeem’s bday. We watch the rest of a NCAA game at the bar. We then go to Strand Smokehouse, which is an awesome big beer garden/BBQ spot. It’s a great place to chill for a drink and then we go to a pool place. I meet the peeps there. Stefan and I gamble on foozeball and Big Buck. I lose in foozeball and then I beat him in Big Buck.
Stefan and I then go to El Rey. I ask for everything and start dying from spice. We have to go to Sweet Afton for a bathroom break. Stefan ends up bothering this guy on his phone waiting for the bathroom.When he goes in, despite ignoring Stefan earlier, he starts berating Stefan and calling him all these homophobic things. What a douche.
His friend comes over and tries to defuse the situation. Stefan keeps shouting that the guy is being “racist.” The funny times with Stefan.
The fucking stupid subway is a piece of shit and it takes me almost 2 hours to head home through the subway and then the LIRR because the subway is so darn slow.
April 11, 2013
It’s been a long week and I feel like getting some beer drinking done. Bolanos comes over and I finally have a tasting with Rochefort 10, St. Bernardus 12, and Chimay Reserve Blue. Nice quads, then onto Maine Beer Co. Lunch, then Rogue Hazelnut Nectar Brown, and Founder’s Breakfast Stout. Had lots of beer yum. Not the cheapest night of drinking beer, but “cheap” in the context of buying beer from the store compared to just having beers in a night out.
April 12, 2013
Toph is nice enough to drive Bolanos, Matt, and I to Strand in Astoria. It’s a cool place and we just sit around talking some shit, eating some BBQ, and having some beer. We then go to Sweet Afton as the others get some tacos. It’s a good time just talking some shit and hanging with the guys.
I’ve been trying to be a good friend these days and catch up with people. Corinne might visit in a few weeks. Oceane chatted about breaking up with her b/f. Katie is coming back from Seoul as her thing ends or whatever. Bowen and I text about tv shows and films. I messaged Adam, Enoch’s friend, as I remember he was a beer geek, but apparently stopped drinking for the month as a personal goal or something.
April 13, 2013
I had a really weird time sleeping. I’m bored at night and need to make moves. Aaron tells me to meet up at Loreley at 10:00. I jump in the shower, shave, get dressed, and throw everything into my pockets, take a quick whiskey shot. All in 13 minutes. I text Marisa and she’s down to meet up. She’s apparently on campus and doing work all day. I convinced her to come out. We all need that sometimes. You sit around, busy, time rolls around to get out because you’ve accomplished, but then, you need that nudge or a plan to get you off your ass and have some fun.
Aaron and I chat about some random stuff. Marisa eventaully comes through and gets to meet Aaron. Jenny that I’ve met and a few guys and a few girls come through. We play some card games. I hang with Marisa and we just tlak some random stuff. This guy there has a really cool experience about living in Portugal and learning Portuguese in 3 months. I get super jealous of these cool people.
I order in German and I thank in German. I guess my pronuncation is good so the waiter responds in German when I ask about the tab/bill, etc.
Aaron eventually splits when he apparently things don’t seem to be working with the girl he wanted to work on tonight. We hang for a bit, then girls split, I lead the gang to Spitzer’s. They have Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti. When I order it, the bartender says that’s her favorite. Cute lady likes this shit? I tell her that there’s Espresso Oak Aged and she’s surprised there is. Hey, giving good tips to fellow beer lovers.
I was willing to stay super late, but people are splitting, so I just leave and get home on the 3:04 train. I make sure this time to leave myself a shit ton of time for taking the subway.
A fun time in general. Busting balls with Atron, meeting new people, great German beers, what else is better.
Monday, 15 April 2013
Thursday, 10 January 2013
End of the Semester and a New Year
November 20, 2012
I have a late class tomorrow. Scott and Jon are around so I need to hang out. Bolanos drives us to Brooklyn. Scott on the way tells us about this girl he’s hanging out with that cooks for him. We go to Levee and catch up on some cheap drinks. Scott is working so hard in med school. Jon is now in San Fran and works for LiveNation. We move onto Spritzenhaus for some really good beers and Jenga. Onto El Rey del Taco and then we head back.
November 21, 2012
I bought groceries throughout the week for Thanksgiving. Turkey is brined. Ham is soaked in water. Pumpkin and apple pies are made in advance. Jon and Scott are back. We all go to BHT to chill out. Evan and I Buck Hunt a bunch for some reason and I destroy that boy. Bolanos and I beer pong. I hold up the team, but we end up losing.
November 22, 2012
I wake up and start cooking at 12:00. It’s a whole day of cooking with help from my grandmother and some from my aunt. The family is over and my mom invited some people, so we have 16 or so.
There’s a turkey, a cherry coke ham, green bean casserole with creamy mushroom sauce, bacon brussels sprouts, sweet potato mash with marshmallows, an incredible sage, sausage, apple, cranberry, bread stuffing, and a wonderful gravy. I locked down how to make gravy.
I eat my face off and we decide to hang out. We go to Avi’s grandparent’s place. Surprisingly, Josh, Kristin, and Alysa are there. We talk some shit, hang out for a bit, and then we head out.
November 23, 2012
Brooklyn tonight. I drive Scott and Jon to Barcade to meet Aaron. There are three girls there that Scott knows. One is pretty cute that Scott knows. One is chubby, but nice to talk to. She’s from Minnesota and we talk about visiting NYC. This one girl is drunk and starts groping Aaron. I thought she was hitting on him, but he hilariously gets extremely angry about it. This girl is just a drunk mess.
We then move onto the next place and the girls are complaining. They take a cab. Good riddance. It’s NYC, you need to walk 5-10 minutes sometimes. We got them lost for 2 minutes, but I take the blame. That’s what happens when you take the responsibility for leading people to places. I’m the hero that the group needed, not the one it deserved.
We end up going to Huckleberry, which is a sick sick cool cocktail place. We then go next door to Bushwick Country Club, which is exactly my kind of dive bar. We’re chilling, talking some shit about Europe and stuff and then head back.
November 24, 2012
Jon and I try to get people to get people to go out. They aren’t down, so only Jon and I take the train in. We try to coordinate something, but the final plan is to wait for Reuben at Penn. He’s waiting for people, including his ex, who we’re gonna be hanging with along with other people. He’s talking about how he’s a bit stuck on her and why he’s hanging with her around. We give him some brotherly support.
We then head off to one of the worst places in the world, McFaddens. It’s $20 for an open bar. It’s stupidly crowded. I’ve been there and it’s one douchey place. Too many dudes, especially with the USC and Trojans games going on. It’s loud as fuck, but I run down as many drinks as I can to get rid of the noise and doucheyness around.
Elyse and her friend Tara then come. It’s surprising that she would even show up to that this place. She’s down to hang though and we have a fun time sharing stories and chatting. Alon comes along too, but without the new g/f. We’d like to meet her, but we haven’t yet.
CNF and the bunch eventually get bored of the place. We say Bye to people. CNF, Alon, and I go downtown to the E Vill. We go to Lovers of Today. After a drink there and then Sophie’s, we plan on going back for the 1:19 because CNF has a 7:00AM flight. However, I’m down to go crazy and I find out from Reuben that he’s in Murray Hill. Of all the places they have to be, it’s Joshua Tree. That places blows. It’s crowded as fuck and $7 pints of Bud Light?! In a plastic pint glass?! Are you kidding me?
Reuben thankfully is not with the ex talking, but instead got some drinks in him and chatting up this really cute mix. She looks half black and half something else. I catch up with his bros and then decide to head out. Reuben is awkwardly waiting outside the bathroom because his “girl” is in there with her friend, who is trying to cock block Reuben. I give him my condolences.
I then go meet up with Candace, who is in K Town. It’s her friend’s engagement party. How cool to be invited to such and I’ve met her before, she’s very nice. Funny thing, her fiance was drunk as hell and everyone was surrounding him, trying to take care of him. Better is a couple people give him water and just give him some time.
I sit down with the gang and have a couple drinks. It’s a swanky cool lounge. Then, I get a ride back from Candace, which is really nice of her. What a crazy night, I was all over.
November 30, 2012
Yesterday, I hung out with a few people from school. Had a few drinks and then met up with Kenny and Bolanos at BHT. Today, people don’t really seem like they want to do anything. I go to the Brooklyn Night Bazaar which is a sick place. Little stalls of food, they sell shirts, handmade jewlery. I didn’t buy anything as it’s relatively expensive. I grab a beer and walk around. It’s really huge and loads of people. There’s a concert going on. They are rocking some heavy hip hop jams and it’s a fun scene. There’s even soccer and ping pong in doors. I then meet up with Jesse and Teddy.
We go to Meat Ball Shop, really good stuff. Teddy is tired so Jesse and I go bar hopping. We go to Soft Spot Bar and Union Pool. It’s fun chatting and people watching the weird characters at Union Pool.
December 1, 2012
There’s a party with CUNY people, but I don’t go to that without knowing really who’s going to show up. I instead go into the city with Bolanos and we meet up with Sara, Marina, Stefan, and Alon. Alon is feeling sick at has to split. I’m having some Luna drama, so I go crazy with some drinks. Stefan gives me a man to man. He says that if she’s not giving me the time of the day, then fuck it, it’s not worth it. This fucks me up and I’m down for a binge.
We go to this classier Mexican themed bar. I give up on this and want some cheaper shit so we go to Iggy’s. We then bring Sara and Stefan about it. I’m over it now. I send some passive aggressive texts to Luna and then chat and have some fun with the pals. We laugh about Stefan and Sara’s “anniversay.” Bolanos is offended about the idea that it may not have been on his birthday, when the two of them met at Sophie’s a year ago. The other time would be New Year’s, when they hung out after our NYE party. Whatever the decision is, it’s cool. I’m glad those lovebirds are coming to a year and it feels even longer than that because they’re attached to the hip by now. Good for them kids.
December 13, 2012
I was watching the VS Fashion Show, like I’ve been for a couple years now. Posted some attractive women and Matt had some questions about why they were so “important.” My reply:
Because they are "super" models. There obviously is no metric to set on attractiveness and somehow they have emerged as a representation of what sexiness and beauty is. It may not be what you, I, or a majority of people think, but there is still agenda setting when it comes to the media's representation of a woman to the populace as a whole.
So I'm not saying that these women are curing cancer anytime soon, however, they still mean something. While we're men, it actually impacts the other sex when a little girl in Bloomington, Indian looks at a magazine cover while shopping with her mom at Kroger, or even women our age or older seeing an ad at the mall and being pulled into buying something special for themselves or their man. Essence of being human exists within something as superficial as the idea of these "angels."
December 23, 2012
Finals was a pretty stressful time, but I got through it alright. I wasn’t the best with time management. I wish I started outlining earlier and studying earlier, but in the end, I left myself about 2 day buffer at worst for each final. And really, 2 hard days of cramming was more than enough. It’s crazy to first see all the material and think it’s overwhelming. Then there’s a point where you’ve studied everything and you realize how little there was to be learned from the semester. I think I did alright with them in the end. Earlier on, I did not expect myself to keep up with my 3.5 GPA, but I think I might be able to do so this semester. We just must wait and see.
It’s been into winter break now. We had Bolanos’ bday, which was a good time. Many people came through. I even saw Rachel, from high school and from work, on the train. It’s been a decent
December 24, 2012
I invited people over for Christmas dinner. I cook the night before and the day of. A total of 5-7 hours.
The menu was a crackling skin pork shoulder. Home barbecue sauce. Red wine pork sauce. Chicken gravy. Roasted cauliflower. Roasted potatoes. Roasted chicken. Sauteed greenbeans. Fried polenta with goat cheese and honey.
Jenn, Bolanos, Reuben, Aaron, and family came over. We had some Makers and had a fun time eating. People then end up splitting and we go to BHT. We have a few drinks there and head back home.
December 31, 2012
Well, that seriously was one of the worst weeks of my life and the worst sick week of life. After getting back from BHT, I could feel something in my chest that was serious, more than a cold. I slept for the next 16 hours and did not even leave bed. When I did, everything was bad. My chest hurt, my head was killing. I was woozy. I had chills and hot flashes. I had a nasty cough. I lost my appetitite though my grandmother was able to be helpful and cook me noodles for the next 3-4 days and keep me alive.
I had a hard time sleeping from the constant coughing and unable to keep warm, despite it being actually warm. I was hallucinating some weird stuff when trying to sleep. It has seriously been the sickest I’ve been in my life. This continues on for 3 days straight with barely any chances. I’m able to hang on my computer at some points, but other than that, I’m bed ridden and do literally nothing.
One day, I finally feel better, but then at night, I get the serious nastiest cough ever. I can’t sleep as all I do is keep hacking up stuff from my lungs. I think I got the one two punch with pneumonia or something. I was getting better and I didn’t think I needed a doctor. Then I got worse and thought I did really need a doctor. This started on Monday night. So yes, I woke up on Christmas day to this BS. It continued all the way through Friday. Saturday wasn’t much better. Sunday was the first night feeling so-so and actually better. So seriously, this entire week has been taken away by a fucking flu. What a blow.
I’m watching Great Continential Railways, which uses an old travel guide book to travel current day Europe. I’m watching the one from Hungary to Austria. The first stop is Budapest and they go to the Great Market Hall. The guy goes to get the specialty, langosh, which is basically deep fried pizza. And dammit, I was at the exact stand and ordered from the exact lady that he orders from. Fuck, I loved this summer.
My brother and I this year decide to throw a party for New Years. The day before, we go shopping for supplies, beers, cups, liquor, etc. I end up spending about $70 on shit. We prep the house and I even make a punch with fresh lime juice, ginger ale, cranapple, rum, a bottle of bubbly, sugar, honey, and a huge block of fruit decorated ice that I froze.
People come over and it’s a pretty big gang. The Kantro/Gingold are doing city shit, so they’re over there, but everyone else is pretty much over. It’s a fun time finally drinking after being sick for so long.
At one point, after the ball drops, Dave brought a joint and we have that outside. I guess I should’ve pregame napped because it knocks me the fuck out. I stay in my room for an hour and then hang out for the rest of it. I’m feeling high and my eyes are killing me, but it’s alright. I die down by the end of the night while my bro drank a bit too much. People start clearing out. It was a pretty fun time in general.
January 1, 2012
Scott, Bolanos, and I go to Williamsburg to meet up with Aaron. We get some Crif Dogs. We then go to Levee and have some drinks. It’s a good time hanging out and having some drinks. It’s nice finally being out after over a week. Having some drinks, talking some shit, it’s just a good time in general.
January 3, 2012
At night, I make dinner plans. Aaron bitches out because he doesn’t know how to take a nap and gather his shit like a real man. Reuben, Tom, and I get some tapas. We then go to Keybar, where I finally get to use some of my drink tickets. We then go to Beauty Bar and meet up with Bolanos, Kerri, and Jonah. We then go to 12th Street Ale House, which is an extremely well light dive. The beer selection is actually pretty exceptional.
Bolanos then gets some late night eats, which I would’ve loved to partake in, but dinner was fucking huge and I unfortunately can’t fit anymore food in. It’s a good night in general. I definitely need to get out. I’m still on wanting to get out after I lost a week to the flu.
January 9, 2012
I would say it’s been a relatively unproductive last few days of sleeping in and not doing too much. However, I have caught up on a lot of Yelp reviews. I have been planning to write some reviews from even the summer when I was in Europe and just never got a chance to do so.
In addition to that, I’ve actually been listening to a shit ton of music. I try to be pretty picky, so I actually a decent portion of it after giving it a quite run by. For example, I’m currently on the Deftones album as I’m writing this. It’s actually not bad, but it’s not something I absolutely love or would go out of my way to listen to, so out of there. Same goes for Grizzly Bear, though I would say that is on a different level better though.
Today, I find out that Miah is back in town to walk the dog so we go get dinner at Fette Sau. We can’t gather anyone, but it’s sweet just hanging with the bro. We then go to Levee, but then he has to go home. I end up waiting at the bar for my brother. He shows up with two of his friends. It’s a cool time chatting and then we move onto Spritzenhaus. In the end, it was alright hanging with my brother. I was trying to be inviting, but I guess the two gals weren’t as comfortable hanging with me around. I try to be outgoing and everything, which works out okay, but I would not say the most comfortable social situation ever.
It’s still a cool time to chill with an old pal that I never get to see or chat with anymore. And then it’s great to finally get a night to hang with my brother that is only here for a short time and we usually don’t chat while he’s away.
I have a late class tomorrow. Scott and Jon are around so I need to hang out. Bolanos drives us to Brooklyn. Scott on the way tells us about this girl he’s hanging out with that cooks for him. We go to Levee and catch up on some cheap drinks. Scott is working so hard in med school. Jon is now in San Fran and works for LiveNation. We move onto Spritzenhaus for some really good beers and Jenga. Onto El Rey del Taco and then we head back.
November 21, 2012
I bought groceries throughout the week for Thanksgiving. Turkey is brined. Ham is soaked in water. Pumpkin and apple pies are made in advance. Jon and Scott are back. We all go to BHT to chill out. Evan and I Buck Hunt a bunch for some reason and I destroy that boy. Bolanos and I beer pong. I hold up the team, but we end up losing.
November 22, 2012
I wake up and start cooking at 12:00. It’s a whole day of cooking with help from my grandmother and some from my aunt. The family is over and my mom invited some people, so we have 16 or so.
There’s a turkey, a cherry coke ham, green bean casserole with creamy mushroom sauce, bacon brussels sprouts, sweet potato mash with marshmallows, an incredible sage, sausage, apple, cranberry, bread stuffing, and a wonderful gravy. I locked down how to make gravy.
I eat my face off and we decide to hang out. We go to Avi’s grandparent’s place. Surprisingly, Josh, Kristin, and Alysa are there. We talk some shit, hang out for a bit, and then we head out.
November 23, 2012
Brooklyn tonight. I drive Scott and Jon to Barcade to meet Aaron. There are three girls there that Scott knows. One is pretty cute that Scott knows. One is chubby, but nice to talk to. She’s from Minnesota and we talk about visiting NYC. This one girl is drunk and starts groping Aaron. I thought she was hitting on him, but he hilariously gets extremely angry about it. This girl is just a drunk mess.
We then move onto the next place and the girls are complaining. They take a cab. Good riddance. It’s NYC, you need to walk 5-10 minutes sometimes. We got them lost for 2 minutes, but I take the blame. That’s what happens when you take the responsibility for leading people to places. I’m the hero that the group needed, not the one it deserved.
We end up going to Huckleberry, which is a sick sick cool cocktail place. We then go next door to Bushwick Country Club, which is exactly my kind of dive bar. We’re chilling, talking some shit about Europe and stuff and then head back.
November 24, 2012
Jon and I try to get people to get people to go out. They aren’t down, so only Jon and I take the train in. We try to coordinate something, but the final plan is to wait for Reuben at Penn. He’s waiting for people, including his ex, who we’re gonna be hanging with along with other people. He’s talking about how he’s a bit stuck on her and why he’s hanging with her around. We give him some brotherly support.
We then head off to one of the worst places in the world, McFaddens. It’s $20 for an open bar. It’s stupidly crowded. I’ve been there and it’s one douchey place. Too many dudes, especially with the USC and Trojans games going on. It’s loud as fuck, but I run down as many drinks as I can to get rid of the noise and doucheyness around.
Elyse and her friend Tara then come. It’s surprising that she would even show up to that this place. She’s down to hang though and we have a fun time sharing stories and chatting. Alon comes along too, but without the new g/f. We’d like to meet her, but we haven’t yet.
CNF and the bunch eventually get bored of the place. We say Bye to people. CNF, Alon, and I go downtown to the E Vill. We go to Lovers of Today. After a drink there and then Sophie’s, we plan on going back for the 1:19 because CNF has a 7:00AM flight. However, I’m down to go crazy and I find out from Reuben that he’s in Murray Hill. Of all the places they have to be, it’s Joshua Tree. That places blows. It’s crowded as fuck and $7 pints of Bud Light?! In a plastic pint glass?! Are you kidding me?
Reuben thankfully is not with the ex talking, but instead got some drinks in him and chatting up this really cute mix. She looks half black and half something else. I catch up with his bros and then decide to head out. Reuben is awkwardly waiting outside the bathroom because his “girl” is in there with her friend, who is trying to cock block Reuben. I give him my condolences.
I then go meet up with Candace, who is in K Town. It’s her friend’s engagement party. How cool to be invited to such and I’ve met her before, she’s very nice. Funny thing, her fiance was drunk as hell and everyone was surrounding him, trying to take care of him. Better is a couple people give him water and just give him some time.
I sit down with the gang and have a couple drinks. It’s a swanky cool lounge. Then, I get a ride back from Candace, which is really nice of her. What a crazy night, I was all over.
November 30, 2012
Yesterday, I hung out with a few people from school. Had a few drinks and then met up with Kenny and Bolanos at BHT. Today, people don’t really seem like they want to do anything. I go to the Brooklyn Night Bazaar which is a sick place. Little stalls of food, they sell shirts, handmade jewlery. I didn’t buy anything as it’s relatively expensive. I grab a beer and walk around. It’s really huge and loads of people. There’s a concert going on. They are rocking some heavy hip hop jams and it’s a fun scene. There’s even soccer and ping pong in doors. I then meet up with Jesse and Teddy.
We go to Meat Ball Shop, really good stuff. Teddy is tired so Jesse and I go bar hopping. We go to Soft Spot Bar and Union Pool. It’s fun chatting and people watching the weird characters at Union Pool.
December 1, 2012
There’s a party with CUNY people, but I don’t go to that without knowing really who’s going to show up. I instead go into the city with Bolanos and we meet up with Sara, Marina, Stefan, and Alon. Alon is feeling sick at has to split. I’m having some Luna drama, so I go crazy with some drinks. Stefan gives me a man to man. He says that if she’s not giving me the time of the day, then fuck it, it’s not worth it. This fucks me up and I’m down for a binge.
We go to this classier Mexican themed bar. I give up on this and want some cheaper shit so we go to Iggy’s. We then bring Sara and Stefan about it. I’m over it now. I send some passive aggressive texts to Luna and then chat and have some fun with the pals. We laugh about Stefan and Sara’s “anniversay.” Bolanos is offended about the idea that it may not have been on his birthday, when the two of them met at Sophie’s a year ago. The other time would be New Year’s, when they hung out after our NYE party. Whatever the decision is, it’s cool. I’m glad those lovebirds are coming to a year and it feels even longer than that because they’re attached to the hip by now. Good for them kids.
December 13, 2012
I was watching the VS Fashion Show, like I’ve been for a couple years now. Posted some attractive women and Matt had some questions about why they were so “important.” My reply:
Because they are "super" models. There obviously is no metric to set on attractiveness and somehow they have emerged as a representation of what sexiness and beauty is. It may not be what you, I, or a majority of people think, but there is still agenda setting when it comes to the media's representation of a woman to the populace as a whole.
So I'm not saying that these women are curing cancer anytime soon, however, they still mean something. While we're men, it actually impacts the other sex when a little girl in Bloomington, Indian looks at a magazine cover while shopping with her mom at Kroger, or even women our age or older seeing an ad at the mall and being pulled into buying something special for themselves or their man. Essence of being human exists within something as superficial as the idea of these "angels."
December 23, 2012
Finals was a pretty stressful time, but I got through it alright. I wasn’t the best with time management. I wish I started outlining earlier and studying earlier, but in the end, I left myself about 2 day buffer at worst for each final. And really, 2 hard days of cramming was more than enough. It’s crazy to first see all the material and think it’s overwhelming. Then there’s a point where you’ve studied everything and you realize how little there was to be learned from the semester. I think I did alright with them in the end. Earlier on, I did not expect myself to keep up with my 3.5 GPA, but I think I might be able to do so this semester. We just must wait and see.
It’s been into winter break now. We had Bolanos’ bday, which was a good time. Many people came through. I even saw Rachel, from high school and from work, on the train. It’s been a decent
December 24, 2012
I invited people over for Christmas dinner. I cook the night before and the day of. A total of 5-7 hours.
The menu was a crackling skin pork shoulder. Home barbecue sauce. Red wine pork sauce. Chicken gravy. Roasted cauliflower. Roasted potatoes. Roasted chicken. Sauteed greenbeans. Fried polenta with goat cheese and honey.
Jenn, Bolanos, Reuben, Aaron, and family came over. We had some Makers and had a fun time eating. People then end up splitting and we go to BHT. We have a few drinks there and head back home.
December 31, 2012
Well, that seriously was one of the worst weeks of my life and the worst sick week of life. After getting back from BHT, I could feel something in my chest that was serious, more than a cold. I slept for the next 16 hours and did not even leave bed. When I did, everything was bad. My chest hurt, my head was killing. I was woozy. I had chills and hot flashes. I had a nasty cough. I lost my appetitite though my grandmother was able to be helpful and cook me noodles for the next 3-4 days and keep me alive.
I had a hard time sleeping from the constant coughing and unable to keep warm, despite it being actually warm. I was hallucinating some weird stuff when trying to sleep. It has seriously been the sickest I’ve been in my life. This continues on for 3 days straight with barely any chances. I’m able to hang on my computer at some points, but other than that, I’m bed ridden and do literally nothing.
One day, I finally feel better, but then at night, I get the serious nastiest cough ever. I can’t sleep as all I do is keep hacking up stuff from my lungs. I think I got the one two punch with pneumonia or something. I was getting better and I didn’t think I needed a doctor. Then I got worse and thought I did really need a doctor. This started on Monday night. So yes, I woke up on Christmas day to this BS. It continued all the way through Friday. Saturday wasn’t much better. Sunday was the first night feeling so-so and actually better. So seriously, this entire week has been taken away by a fucking flu. What a blow.
I’m watching Great Continential Railways, which uses an old travel guide book to travel current day Europe. I’m watching the one from Hungary to Austria. The first stop is Budapest and they go to the Great Market Hall. The guy goes to get the specialty, langosh, which is basically deep fried pizza. And dammit, I was at the exact stand and ordered from the exact lady that he orders from. Fuck, I loved this summer.
My brother and I this year decide to throw a party for New Years. The day before, we go shopping for supplies, beers, cups, liquor, etc. I end up spending about $70 on shit. We prep the house and I even make a punch with fresh lime juice, ginger ale, cranapple, rum, a bottle of bubbly, sugar, honey, and a huge block of fruit decorated ice that I froze.
People come over and it’s a pretty big gang. The Kantro/Gingold are doing city shit, so they’re over there, but everyone else is pretty much over. It’s a fun time finally drinking after being sick for so long.
At one point, after the ball drops, Dave brought a joint and we have that outside. I guess I should’ve pregame napped because it knocks me the fuck out. I stay in my room for an hour and then hang out for the rest of it. I’m feeling high and my eyes are killing me, but it’s alright. I die down by the end of the night while my bro drank a bit too much. People start clearing out. It was a pretty fun time in general.
January 1, 2012
Scott, Bolanos, and I go to Williamsburg to meet up with Aaron. We get some Crif Dogs. We then go to Levee and have some drinks. It’s a good time hanging out and having some drinks. It’s nice finally being out after over a week. Having some drinks, talking some shit, it’s just a good time in general.
January 3, 2012
At night, I make dinner plans. Aaron bitches out because he doesn’t know how to take a nap and gather his shit like a real man. Reuben, Tom, and I get some tapas. We then go to Keybar, where I finally get to use some of my drink tickets. We then go to Beauty Bar and meet up with Bolanos, Kerri, and Jonah. We then go to 12th Street Ale House, which is an extremely well light dive. The beer selection is actually pretty exceptional.
Bolanos then gets some late night eats, which I would’ve loved to partake in, but dinner was fucking huge and I unfortunately can’t fit anymore food in. It’s a good night in general. I definitely need to get out. I’m still on wanting to get out after I lost a week to the flu.
January 9, 2012
I would say it’s been a relatively unproductive last few days of sleeping in and not doing too much. However, I have caught up on a lot of Yelp reviews. I have been planning to write some reviews from even the summer when I was in Europe and just never got a chance to do so.
In addition to that, I’ve actually been listening to a shit ton of music. I try to be pretty picky, so I actually a decent portion of it after giving it a quite run by. For example, I’m currently on the Deftones album as I’m writing this. It’s actually not bad, but it’s not something I absolutely love or would go out of my way to listen to, so out of there. Same goes for Grizzly Bear, though I would say that is on a different level better though.
Today, I find out that Miah is back in town to walk the dog so we go get dinner at Fette Sau. We can’t gather anyone, but it’s sweet just hanging with the bro. We then go to Levee, but then he has to go home. I end up waiting at the bar for my brother. He shows up with two of his friends. It’s a cool time chatting and then we move onto Spritzenhaus. In the end, it was alright hanging with my brother. I was trying to be inviting, but I guess the two gals weren’t as comfortable hanging with me around. I try to be outgoing and everything, which works out okay, but I would not say the most comfortable social situation ever.
It’s still a cool time to chill with an old pal that I never get to see or chat with anymore. And then it’s great to finally get a night to hang with my brother that is only here for a short time and we usually don’t chat while he’s away.
Monday, 19 November 2012
October/November
October 9, 2012
In all seriousness, I love loving women. This is nothing against anyone homosexual, but completely based on my attraction for women. Is there seriously anything more beautiful and mesmerizing in this world than the perfect curves of a body, the hourglass shape with a thin stomach, the freckles on a nose, the richness and deepness within eyes, the gentle swirls of color in hair?
Sorry, I’m just blown away by my existence sometimes. Nothing drives me wild like realizing such is reality.
October 11, 2012
At night, I meet up with Aaron at Pony Bar after I go home from class and drive in. There’s this skeevy 36 year old that is bothering us and talking to us. He ends up wanting us to buy him a drink. He’s a grown ass man! Seriously? He walk away awkwardly. Screw him.
Luna ends up meeting up along with Bolanos after a few drinks, it’s late and 2:00AM and we head out
October 23, 2012
Corinne is back from Japan. Her job didn’t work out. I meet up with her and it’s a great day. We walk the city and catch up on things until we go to Westville for dinner. We then head to Johnny’s Bar, where Nikki used to work. It’s fun catching up about Japan, my travels, life, relationships, all that kind of fun stuff. She gives me a “bro” talk and tries to watch out for my back. It’s great seeing her again and hopefully she’ll be around more as she plans on working here.
October 25, 2012
Corinne’s supposed to be down for some beers tonight, but that doesn’t work out. I meet up with Stefan, Sara, Michael, Beth, and Michael’s friends. They’re suprisingly really fun and friendly. We laugh about the idea of a choli outfit and we make Stefan do that with his shirt.
I go with Tom to Café Habana, a place that I’ve been planning to go to for a while. The corn is amazing, but the food is only okay. The other split from Puck Fair and we plan to meet Stefan and Sara at Hop Devil. It’s nice walking from Nolita to East Villge. I love seeing New York change and missing the area that I used to live in.
At Hop Devil, it’s a good ol’ time. Stefan is being his super ridiculous self tonight with a really gross line of “Wet pussy dripping” and that kind of stuff, but with a slider in his mouth. It’s a sloppy gross way of saying it and I’m disgusted, but need to have a laugh about it.
Bolanos joins us and Stefan and Sara leave. We go to Proliteriat as I’ve been in the mood for some good beer. The beer was disappointing. As we walk back to Bolanos’ car, I notice all the pretty girls and dammit, why were at that place?! I think back and I need to think better about the places I go to.
October 26, 2012
I try to get Corinne out, but she needs to wake up early and her mom is not a huge fan of her going out at night on the subway. Jenn randomly texts me that there’s a b-day party at Happy Endings. I tell Aaron to come through. I drive Bolanos and I downtown. Luna meets us down there.
However, Jenn forgets her ID, so she goes home herself. We hang with James and Roslyn, who are incredibly nice. Jose and Aaron show up and Aaron laughs about how I think it’s a place that’s going to have women. I don’t think my estimate was wrong as it’s a really popular place, even on the weekeday. I was there with Aaron a while ago after hanging with Richard from a Yelp event. However, places like Fontana’s around the corner having Halloween parties and really busy tonight.
We then walk around downtown. Aaron and Jose leave. The three rest of us get some tacos and then head back.
October 27, 2012
Today is the event for Ben and Michelle’s b-day. The place is pretty nice, except the fact drinks were $20 and beers were $11. With tickets being $20-30 (the cheapest and bought 2-3 weeks before the event), fuck these people. They also don’t let you go out so I couldn’t go back out to the car to get my Psy sunglasses. My suit is decorated with a glittery skirt that Luna bought and fabric taped onto my lapel. She’s Honey Boo Boo, a dress she hand made.
It’s good and different to see Samara on Bolanos’ arm. It’s great to see people enjoying themselves. It’s a decent scene. Michelle is really happy at her party. Ben’s a good guy too and I wish both a Happy Birthday. We stay there for a few hours before going to the village to meet Stefan and Sara.
We meet them at a rooftop party. It’s decent with 10 or so people, but it’s 2:00AM already so I’m sure it was crazier earlier. We grab a beer and stand around as people are really nice to appreciate our costumes and take pictures with us. Sara is a Girl Scout and Stefan isn’t really dressed up.
We then go meet Teddy and Jesse at this bar on Bowery. It’s great being where I used to live. I’ve actually never been to the place. Great beer selection and a decent amount of people. Jesse is in a cat costume and a bit drunk. Their friends are nice and all and we hang for an hour or so before heading out.
October 29, 2012
Bolanos heads over because he’s out of power. He hangs out here for a few hours and then Internet goes out. There’s no real damage for this thing other than the Internet and this huge, huge tree that gets uprooted on my backyard. The cars were out of the driveway and it completely misses the garage and the house, so no harm really. The thing just needs to now get chopped down and moved.
At night, we make cacio e pepe for mom and grandma as well. At night, there’s Night of the Living Dead, which I’ve never seen. It’s not bad. Low budget, but it does it’s job pretty well and shot pretty well. The movie that I really appreciate that we saw was Say Anything. Jason Biggs from American Pie with Woody Allen. I wouldn’t call it “incredible,” but it’s a fun film to watch. It’s exactly what I want from Woody, especially with it shot in New York.
November 1, 2012
Day 4 of no classes. I drop Luna off in Elmhurst where she can get a ride back to New Jersey. Otherwise, getting into the city is near impossible and getting out of Manhattan is actually impossible. Buses are a no-go.
I get home, take a nap, and then go to Starbucks as the Internet has been out as long as I’ve been away from class. Having company keeps me somewhat busy and I’m able to check things here and there on my phone. However, now, it’s super boring. I change there for a few hours and I try to get people to do stuff, but nothing works out.
Creeper Story:
I go home at 8:00 and I’m walking towards my car in the parking lot when this innocent-looking man in his 40-50s walks up to me. A very regular non-descript white male with round glasses. He gives me a quick, “Do I know you from somewhere?” I’m confused and I answer in the negative. He then asks if I wrestle. Now I understand, he must have a son in high school and he must be confusing me with some other Asians. An honest mistake by a father, whatever. I again answer in the negative.
Now I’m at my car and I unlock the door and open it. As I walk by him, he raises another question, this time an unexpected one, “Do you date men by any chance?” I give him an apologetic, “No, I’m sorry,” as I feel shivers down my spine and just feel so creeped out. As I’m getting in my car, he has to continue with a, “Oh, because you’re very handsome.” I give a “Thank you” as I jump in my car, pull out, and start shouting in my car. I really could go home now and take a shower based on how creeped out I am.
The thing is that this has little to do with him being gay, but the creepiness of picking up young dudes at a parking lot. His non-descript “whiteness” also makes him such a candidate for such. Now I think about it, I’m sure he’s into weird creepy stuff like “wrestling” dudes and such. Not that this guy is a pedophile, but I’m seen this kind of creepiness before on “To Catch a Predator.” He’s just a regular looking white dude, but deep under, he’s a weird guy. So really, it’s not the idea that he’s picking up a guy. As that, I really could care less about it. It’s about how and where it’s done. Firstly, the questions were so creepy and strong like, “Do you wrestle?” Seriously!? What kind of code is that? Do people really fall for that and sleep with him after hearing just that?
Secondly, it’s a freaking strip mall. There are kids and families walking down these storefronts. They’re having dinner, going to Starbucks, and doing regular things. They really don’t need to overhear this conversation of you trying to pick up random men in public. Hell, there was a woman near him that I thought he was with, like his mother. She surely heard most of his conversation. She doesn’t need to hear this!
Anyway, the night ends up dying. No one wants to really do anything and I don’t feel like driving 40 minutes out to downtown Brooklyn by myself to just meet up with Stefan.
November 2, 2012
Today I really need to get out and I make plans for such. I’m planning to meet Aaron at Pony Bar. I catch Kenny on the same train as he’s going to grab some dinner. The walk to the station sucks as it’s fucking cold as holy hell. It’s winter already.
The train is free because of Sandy and running every hour. I get the Pony and it’s crowded as hell. Aaron shares that he was downtown without light. The bars were giving away free drinks and everything was lit by candles and flash lights. It’s a shame that I didn’t go down there. It’s a once in a life time thing and I never got to see it. I should’ve.
Matt, Chris, and Matt’s new friend meet us there. She’s a cool gal, a painter. We hang there for a few drinks. The Wet Hop Amber is crazy good. We then go to Aaron’s apartment. The roof is freezing and we only stay there for a drink. We go inside for a couple beers and then call it a night. It’s a fun chill night and I really freaking needed it as I was stuck in the house for a whole week.
November 3, 2012
I felt a cold coming on yesterday and it hits me today. I hang at Starbucks for a bit and then go back home to rest. It was much neeeded. I could be a bitch and stay home, but I’m a champ so I get out.
Lorie is from law school and she has her birthday tonight. Her friend Sammy messages me that they’re throwing a surprise for her. I get into the city and instead of paying a ridiculous cab to 100th St on the east side, I just take it easy, grab a bite on the way, and take the subway. I then have to text that I might not make the surprise. This means I have to wait around for a few minutes as it would ruin everything if I ran into her.
I make it right after the surprise and its great seeing people from class out. They don’t hang out too often and it’s been a while. Bolanos ends up coming. It’s a good time chatting with people about Sandy and such.
We then go to a nearby bar. It’s alright and there’s some dancing. Russ gets there and is a cool guy. Rami is drunk as fuck. People are having a good time. I keep selling people on “extra hour night” as a holiday. Day light savings really gives us an extra hour to party. People start leaving and I’m still down to party. The cold is being fought off and I’m drunk enough to not know what is up anyway.
I text Candace, which is at a gay bar across the street from Fat Cat. I take a cab down there. The place is pretty dead, but Candace and I have a good time catching up. Damien actually is coming in when I leave. I catch up with him for a second before taking a 4:14 train back. I definitely needed this weekend.
November 7, 2012
After Hurricane Sandy, there’s now a damn snow storm. Getting to class was a bit messy and windy, but it wasn’t too bad. I get out of class and then do an hour of reading. When I walk outside, it’s a snowy mess. I wait for the 7 train and it takes freaking over half an hour. They’re barely running and I’m freezing my ass off on the platform even though it’s covered by one wall.
Thankfully, one comes after I’m freezing my ass off. It’s full. A few people squeeze on, like in Tokyo, but I give up after walking through a few doors with my backpack one. Another goes by, same story. Finally, I get onto one. This takes forever.
On this train, it’s running local. I’ve over an hour deep into the trip and I’m still not to Flushing. I get there and I’m waiting for the bus. The line is long as fuck. My feet are freezing as I’ve stepped into slush and the wind is blowing into my feet. I’ve never felt what frost bite is like, but I literally think my feet are about to fall off.
I go to the Flushing Mall basement for a bite because I’m starving. I expected to get food at home, but now I’ve waited so long and I’m freezing. I get a bite of a bun and warm up my feet inside. I then call my mom. She for some reason went to get a haircut in Flushing after work and also got stranded. I had enough of waiting for fourty minutes to an hour. My aunt is also stuck waiting for the bus. We walk over to a restaurant after we find out that my aunt’s friend can give us a ride.
On the walk, we see hundreds of people freezing their asses off. The snow has screwed up the roads. There are surely no buses. These people are screwed.
At dinner, I eat like a mad man, as fast as I can with metal chopsticks. Those are the worst things ever possible. It’s so slow to eat with those things. The worst. I get my eating in.
We then get a ride, which is really nice of my aunt’s friend. Driving back is a dangerous mess. We eventually get back home and it’s past 10:00. I freaking left campus at 6:00. We walk into the house and it’s pitch black. Fuck me!! We throw the snow off my mom’s car and we over to my uncle/aunt’s place in the north side of Great Neck. I have my last midterm tomorrow, now fuck it. I’ll study for 2 hours, barely sleep.
November 8, 2012
The midterm goes better than I expected. It’s not bad. After that, I’m exhuasted and I pass out for 2 hours in the library. During the afternoon, I’m really depressed. I wanted a great weekend and I was supposed to throw a party on Friday since the fam is to Cali. I wanted to get my last midterm over with and relax. Now, I probably would be stuck in my uncle’s place as my place has no power.
After class, Bolanos texts me that my block has power! Shit dammit, I’m so freaking excited. I can’t wait! I just want to go out and drink right now dammit! I meet up with people from class and we go to a happy hour. Six Point Cans for $4?! Fuck yeah, gimme two of those!
We then go to another bar because happy hour ends at 7:00. It’s fun chatting with people. We get some free shots. It’s a fun time all around being with some people that I know better this year and some people that I never even talk to. It’s fun as hell.
I then go back home after people split up. I get home by 11:30. I run into the house and I’m super happy. I run around, I jump, I shout. I’m excited and I text Luna. I think of this stupid idea of walking over to Tavern, a shit bar on Northern that has a bunch of townies. Luna gives me the smarter idea of not going to such a run for no reason, and by myself.
I just watch some TV, grab a beer, chill out in my powered up house, and I love it. Hells yeah.
November 9, 2012
Today is party. I gather up some sleep and I get out of the house. Not before I clean up for 2 hours. I organize shit, vacuum, clean, etc. I then go to the store to pick up stuff after I look up what I want to make. Fam is gone for the weekend, so I have some left over avocados that are ripe for the making of guac. I head off to the store.
I start off with the guacomole and Courtney arrives. I should have started things earlier and be a good host, but I’m still cooking so I chat with her for the time being. She helps me slice up some bread. The guac turns out great.
I also make some beer cheese though I think I added too much beer and a bit too much salt. The cheese is salty enough and there’s a bit too strong of a beer flavor. I don’t have a food processor and had to use a blender, so getting it all going was a bit rough, thus the excess beer.
I then make a tea punch. Lipton, Christmas tea, cinnamon, lemon, lime, mint, Scotch, honey, sugar and a large piece of ice that I froze ahead of time. Keeps the drink cold without melting too much.
People start pouring in. Bolanos, Rebecca. Stefan and Sara take the trip in from the city. Matt, Chris, Enoch, and Adam. It’s not a huge party, but it’s nice having a decent amount of people and it’s easier to manage things.
I ordered a bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru from a free shipment deal from the Internet. The Brooklyn girl in my school that brews beer said it was her favorite beer. Now I’m excited and the shit is so freaking good. I love me some sours and this is a nice one.
I’m rocking my FBI shirt, Bolanos has his “God Bless America,” Chris has his “Beta” shirt, Rebecca has a “Don’t Fuck with Me, I’m Amish,” Courtney has a Johnny Cash with his middle finger up shirt, Enoch has a “Nature’s Best” with a hamburger on it.
There’s music, we drink, we chat, it’s good to let loose. People leave pretty early and I clean up pretty fast so I don’t have to do anything the next time.
November 10, 2012
Luna comes over after she stayed at her friend’s place and had a Big Bang concert yesterday. We get some early dinner and crazy thing, Alon, Bolanos, and Kenny are by chance at Juliebelle’s as well.
At night, we’re trying to figure out plans. I was supposed to get this girl out from school to go dancing and Luna was looking forward to that too. I find out that Jesse and Teddy are at Whiskey Brooklyn for the night for a party. It’s a crowded place, decent time. It’s a very Manhattan place. Decent amount of girls, a DJ, and a dancing bar. It’s crowded as hell.
We actually leave there pretty late, grab some Crif Dogs at the Williamsburg one, which I’ve never been too and call it a night.
November 11, 2012
It’s the best weather we’ve had in weeks. It’s warm and I want to get out. Aaron says he’s down. I figure out that there’s a vintage sale of the shops in Williamsburg. I meet up with Aaron and we grab a drink at Greenpoint Tavern. Big foam cup of beer for $4, it’s a good time. We talk some shit, bust some chops.
We go to this warehouse/mall thing. We check out some expensive clothing shops. Some expensive vintage/antique stores. We then get dinner at Meatball Shop, which is great because the LES one is so busy and I never have been. After some “Fool Aid,” we get some tipsy going. We then walk around and then go to my new favorite place, The Levee.
Dude, love this place. Beer cozies. Outdoor area. Infinite cheeseballs. Great beer selection. Really cheap beer and shot deals. Great liquor selection. Board games. Big bar. The best place. Aaron and I agree that we should go to this place more and talk more shit as I finish an entire bowl of cheeseballs. Dude, coming back to this place.
November 13, 2012
Story time: It was Scott's attic. We all sat around a pool table as Aaron had bet Hasan he couldn't drink three cans of Asahi in a minute. Through gorging his mouth open and sucking those fuckers down, our hero with a few drops of slipping down his chin accomplishes the task. We cheer with laughter and wonderment.
The sad part of the bet is Hasan's prize, the rest of the case of beer Aaron had purchased. After painfully slurping down mediocre Japanese beer, our brazen brother walked (or likely slumped) away empty handed as we had preyed upon his winnings like the vultures we are.
November 15, 2012
Time for that sick nap in the library that I’ve been taking every Thursday as I need to catch up on sleep and I have 4 hours between classes in the middle of the day.
After class, I hang around and see people waiting around outside. I eventually tag along to go to Greenpoint, Mark Bar. It’s a great place. The Happy Hour is until 8:00 and the place is cheap as fuck. All kinds of beers and shots are $3. I grab some drinks and just hang with people.
I chat with this guy Jeff that I’ve never spoken to about food, Thanksgiving, etc. I meet his wife. I chat with others I spend a decent amoutn of time chatting with this guy that’s a super Stern fan. Dude, we’re just laughing our asses off so bad.
I then sneak off to grab a cheeseburger from a “Mexican” dinner. With all this drinking, I’m going to fall on my ass if I don’t eat something. I chat with Allison about her beer brewing and all kinds of random stuff. There’s this classmate’s girlfriend that I’ve chatted with before. We do some drunken gossip about how drunk Allison has gotten, which is pretty awkward. She’s going out with someone in our year and he’s a great guy for putting up with her bizz. I don’t know enough to judge nor should I be judging anyway.
As usual, I hang around and drink people under the table and I’m one of the last people to leave. I actually see Tatenda, who invited me to a party last week, but I had my shitty shirt party. He talks about how he knows Chinese, despite being black. It’s pretty cool he knows so. I mention how I would love to speak Spanish eventually and my history with it. I’m too drunk to deal with languages and I make a bit of a joke of myself as I keep my mouth shut. However, hearing this, people on the 7 train start easing on speaking Spanish with each other as it’s assumed that I know some Spanish.
November 16, 2012
Tim and his fiance are in NYC visiting. I go to the city to meet them at Taqueria LES. Jess and Griff join us along with a few others. It’s a good meal, we catch up and everything. One of Tim’s friends, Max I think, is really drunk at dinner somehow. He apparently drank a bunch beforehand. He’s quite slurry and I later find out that he was tapping the waitress over and over her and bothering her.
Jess is such an awesome troll as she whispers to me about how daper our hero is. He’s wearing a gray Giants hoodie that has a picture of the Giants standing around like a high school photo. Guy’s a wreck.
We then go to Sophie’s and have some shots and drinks. We continue to bash him as he drunkingly thinks that he gave a $20 bill instead of a $10. The bartender assures that he’s wrong and he slumps away. Classic drunk move. The guy really is entertaining for our night. When he leaves, I shake his hand and give him the most serious, dead pan, “I hope you have a good night.” I die when he leaves.
I then go to say Hi to Lydia for her birthday. I catch up with her friends, but then after a quick beer, I need to run to catch up with the rest as we’re taking the train.
November 17, 2012
In the morning, a tired and slightly hungover has to give a ride to Tim and Mary to a wedding in Rockville Center. I get home and go back to sleep as I’m slightly sick. At night, it’s Teddy’s birthday. I head out to Spritzenhaus, which is one of my new favorite places in BK.
I meet some of Jesse and Teddy’s friend. We laugh about music, one of the bartenders looking like Bon Iver, and how people on Twitter were confused when he won a Grammy. It’s a fun time and I have some really sick beers.
Afterwards, I’m somewhat hungry and they’re always down to eat. It’s 3:00 and places are closing so we go to Wo Hop. We have some great/fast Chinese food and get to witness all the club people who are drunk and funnel in for some late night bites. When we pay, we split it up and I mess up the math. I stupid give a 30% as I paid part of the bill and all of the tip. Whatever, the Chinese food was still relatively cheap anyway, so whatever.
In all seriousness, I love loving women. This is nothing against anyone homosexual, but completely based on my attraction for women. Is there seriously anything more beautiful and mesmerizing in this world than the perfect curves of a body, the hourglass shape with a thin stomach, the freckles on a nose, the richness and deepness within eyes, the gentle swirls of color in hair?
Sorry, I’m just blown away by my existence sometimes. Nothing drives me wild like realizing such is reality.
October 11, 2012
At night, I meet up with Aaron at Pony Bar after I go home from class and drive in. There’s this skeevy 36 year old that is bothering us and talking to us. He ends up wanting us to buy him a drink. He’s a grown ass man! Seriously? He walk away awkwardly. Screw him.
Luna ends up meeting up along with Bolanos after a few drinks, it’s late and 2:00AM and we head out
October 23, 2012
Corinne is back from Japan. Her job didn’t work out. I meet up with her and it’s a great day. We walk the city and catch up on things until we go to Westville for dinner. We then head to Johnny’s Bar, where Nikki used to work. It’s fun catching up about Japan, my travels, life, relationships, all that kind of fun stuff. She gives me a “bro” talk and tries to watch out for my back. It’s great seeing her again and hopefully she’ll be around more as she plans on working here.
October 25, 2012
Corinne’s supposed to be down for some beers tonight, but that doesn’t work out. I meet up with Stefan, Sara, Michael, Beth, and Michael’s friends. They’re suprisingly really fun and friendly. We laugh about the idea of a choli outfit and we make Stefan do that with his shirt.
I go with Tom to Café Habana, a place that I’ve been planning to go to for a while. The corn is amazing, but the food is only okay. The other split from Puck Fair and we plan to meet Stefan and Sara at Hop Devil. It’s nice walking from Nolita to East Villge. I love seeing New York change and missing the area that I used to live in.
At Hop Devil, it’s a good ol’ time. Stefan is being his super ridiculous self tonight with a really gross line of “Wet pussy dripping” and that kind of stuff, but with a slider in his mouth. It’s a sloppy gross way of saying it and I’m disgusted, but need to have a laugh about it.
Bolanos joins us and Stefan and Sara leave. We go to Proliteriat as I’ve been in the mood for some good beer. The beer was disappointing. As we walk back to Bolanos’ car, I notice all the pretty girls and dammit, why were at that place?! I think back and I need to think better about the places I go to.
October 26, 2012
I try to get Corinne out, but she needs to wake up early and her mom is not a huge fan of her going out at night on the subway. Jenn randomly texts me that there’s a b-day party at Happy Endings. I tell Aaron to come through. I drive Bolanos and I downtown. Luna meets us down there.
However, Jenn forgets her ID, so she goes home herself. We hang with James and Roslyn, who are incredibly nice. Jose and Aaron show up and Aaron laughs about how I think it’s a place that’s going to have women. I don’t think my estimate was wrong as it’s a really popular place, even on the weekeday. I was there with Aaron a while ago after hanging with Richard from a Yelp event. However, places like Fontana’s around the corner having Halloween parties and really busy tonight.
We then walk around downtown. Aaron and Jose leave. The three rest of us get some tacos and then head back.
October 27, 2012
Today is the event for Ben and Michelle’s b-day. The place is pretty nice, except the fact drinks were $20 and beers were $11. With tickets being $20-30 (the cheapest and bought 2-3 weeks before the event), fuck these people. They also don’t let you go out so I couldn’t go back out to the car to get my Psy sunglasses. My suit is decorated with a glittery skirt that Luna bought and fabric taped onto my lapel. She’s Honey Boo Boo, a dress she hand made.
It’s good and different to see Samara on Bolanos’ arm. It’s great to see people enjoying themselves. It’s a decent scene. Michelle is really happy at her party. Ben’s a good guy too and I wish both a Happy Birthday. We stay there for a few hours before going to the village to meet Stefan and Sara.
We meet them at a rooftop party. It’s decent with 10 or so people, but it’s 2:00AM already so I’m sure it was crazier earlier. We grab a beer and stand around as people are really nice to appreciate our costumes and take pictures with us. Sara is a Girl Scout and Stefan isn’t really dressed up.
We then go meet Teddy and Jesse at this bar on Bowery. It’s great being where I used to live. I’ve actually never been to the place. Great beer selection and a decent amount of people. Jesse is in a cat costume and a bit drunk. Their friends are nice and all and we hang for an hour or so before heading out.
October 29, 2012
Bolanos heads over because he’s out of power. He hangs out here for a few hours and then Internet goes out. There’s no real damage for this thing other than the Internet and this huge, huge tree that gets uprooted on my backyard. The cars were out of the driveway and it completely misses the garage and the house, so no harm really. The thing just needs to now get chopped down and moved.
At night, we make cacio e pepe for mom and grandma as well. At night, there’s Night of the Living Dead, which I’ve never seen. It’s not bad. Low budget, but it does it’s job pretty well and shot pretty well. The movie that I really appreciate that we saw was Say Anything. Jason Biggs from American Pie with Woody Allen. I wouldn’t call it “incredible,” but it’s a fun film to watch. It’s exactly what I want from Woody, especially with it shot in New York.
November 1, 2012
Day 4 of no classes. I drop Luna off in Elmhurst where she can get a ride back to New Jersey. Otherwise, getting into the city is near impossible and getting out of Manhattan is actually impossible. Buses are a no-go.
I get home, take a nap, and then go to Starbucks as the Internet has been out as long as I’ve been away from class. Having company keeps me somewhat busy and I’m able to check things here and there on my phone. However, now, it’s super boring. I change there for a few hours and I try to get people to do stuff, but nothing works out.
Creeper Story:
I go home at 8:00 and I’m walking towards my car in the parking lot when this innocent-looking man in his 40-50s walks up to me. A very regular non-descript white male with round glasses. He gives me a quick, “Do I know you from somewhere?” I’m confused and I answer in the negative. He then asks if I wrestle. Now I understand, he must have a son in high school and he must be confusing me with some other Asians. An honest mistake by a father, whatever. I again answer in the negative.
Now I’m at my car and I unlock the door and open it. As I walk by him, he raises another question, this time an unexpected one, “Do you date men by any chance?” I give him an apologetic, “No, I’m sorry,” as I feel shivers down my spine and just feel so creeped out. As I’m getting in my car, he has to continue with a, “Oh, because you’re very handsome.” I give a “Thank you” as I jump in my car, pull out, and start shouting in my car. I really could go home now and take a shower based on how creeped out I am.
The thing is that this has little to do with him being gay, but the creepiness of picking up young dudes at a parking lot. His non-descript “whiteness” also makes him such a candidate for such. Now I think about it, I’m sure he’s into weird creepy stuff like “wrestling” dudes and such. Not that this guy is a pedophile, but I’m seen this kind of creepiness before on “To Catch a Predator.” He’s just a regular looking white dude, but deep under, he’s a weird guy. So really, it’s not the idea that he’s picking up a guy. As that, I really could care less about it. It’s about how and where it’s done. Firstly, the questions were so creepy and strong like, “Do you wrestle?” Seriously!? What kind of code is that? Do people really fall for that and sleep with him after hearing just that?
Secondly, it’s a freaking strip mall. There are kids and families walking down these storefronts. They’re having dinner, going to Starbucks, and doing regular things. They really don’t need to overhear this conversation of you trying to pick up random men in public. Hell, there was a woman near him that I thought he was with, like his mother. She surely heard most of his conversation. She doesn’t need to hear this!
Anyway, the night ends up dying. No one wants to really do anything and I don’t feel like driving 40 minutes out to downtown Brooklyn by myself to just meet up with Stefan.
November 2, 2012
Today I really need to get out and I make plans for such. I’m planning to meet Aaron at Pony Bar. I catch Kenny on the same train as he’s going to grab some dinner. The walk to the station sucks as it’s fucking cold as holy hell. It’s winter already.
The train is free because of Sandy and running every hour. I get the Pony and it’s crowded as hell. Aaron shares that he was downtown without light. The bars were giving away free drinks and everything was lit by candles and flash lights. It’s a shame that I didn’t go down there. It’s a once in a life time thing and I never got to see it. I should’ve.
Matt, Chris, and Matt’s new friend meet us there. She’s a cool gal, a painter. We hang there for a few drinks. The Wet Hop Amber is crazy good. We then go to Aaron’s apartment. The roof is freezing and we only stay there for a drink. We go inside for a couple beers and then call it a night. It’s a fun chill night and I really freaking needed it as I was stuck in the house for a whole week.
November 3, 2012
I felt a cold coming on yesterday and it hits me today. I hang at Starbucks for a bit and then go back home to rest. It was much neeeded. I could be a bitch and stay home, but I’m a champ so I get out.
Lorie is from law school and she has her birthday tonight. Her friend Sammy messages me that they’re throwing a surprise for her. I get into the city and instead of paying a ridiculous cab to 100th St on the east side, I just take it easy, grab a bite on the way, and take the subway. I then have to text that I might not make the surprise. This means I have to wait around for a few minutes as it would ruin everything if I ran into her.
I make it right after the surprise and its great seeing people from class out. They don’t hang out too often and it’s been a while. Bolanos ends up coming. It’s a good time chatting with people about Sandy and such.
We then go to a nearby bar. It’s alright and there’s some dancing. Russ gets there and is a cool guy. Rami is drunk as fuck. People are having a good time. I keep selling people on “extra hour night” as a holiday. Day light savings really gives us an extra hour to party. People start leaving and I’m still down to party. The cold is being fought off and I’m drunk enough to not know what is up anyway.
I text Candace, which is at a gay bar across the street from Fat Cat. I take a cab down there. The place is pretty dead, but Candace and I have a good time catching up. Damien actually is coming in when I leave. I catch up with him for a second before taking a 4:14 train back. I definitely needed this weekend.
November 7, 2012
After Hurricane Sandy, there’s now a damn snow storm. Getting to class was a bit messy and windy, but it wasn’t too bad. I get out of class and then do an hour of reading. When I walk outside, it’s a snowy mess. I wait for the 7 train and it takes freaking over half an hour. They’re barely running and I’m freezing my ass off on the platform even though it’s covered by one wall.
Thankfully, one comes after I’m freezing my ass off. It’s full. A few people squeeze on, like in Tokyo, but I give up after walking through a few doors with my backpack one. Another goes by, same story. Finally, I get onto one. This takes forever.
On this train, it’s running local. I’ve over an hour deep into the trip and I’m still not to Flushing. I get there and I’m waiting for the bus. The line is long as fuck. My feet are freezing as I’ve stepped into slush and the wind is blowing into my feet. I’ve never felt what frost bite is like, but I literally think my feet are about to fall off.
I go to the Flushing Mall basement for a bite because I’m starving. I expected to get food at home, but now I’ve waited so long and I’m freezing. I get a bite of a bun and warm up my feet inside. I then call my mom. She for some reason went to get a haircut in Flushing after work and also got stranded. I had enough of waiting for fourty minutes to an hour. My aunt is also stuck waiting for the bus. We walk over to a restaurant after we find out that my aunt’s friend can give us a ride.
On the walk, we see hundreds of people freezing their asses off. The snow has screwed up the roads. There are surely no buses. These people are screwed.
At dinner, I eat like a mad man, as fast as I can with metal chopsticks. Those are the worst things ever possible. It’s so slow to eat with those things. The worst. I get my eating in.
We then get a ride, which is really nice of my aunt’s friend. Driving back is a dangerous mess. We eventually get back home and it’s past 10:00. I freaking left campus at 6:00. We walk into the house and it’s pitch black. Fuck me!! We throw the snow off my mom’s car and we over to my uncle/aunt’s place in the north side of Great Neck. I have my last midterm tomorrow, now fuck it. I’ll study for 2 hours, barely sleep.
November 8, 2012
The midterm goes better than I expected. It’s not bad. After that, I’m exhuasted and I pass out for 2 hours in the library. During the afternoon, I’m really depressed. I wanted a great weekend and I was supposed to throw a party on Friday since the fam is to Cali. I wanted to get my last midterm over with and relax. Now, I probably would be stuck in my uncle’s place as my place has no power.
After class, Bolanos texts me that my block has power! Shit dammit, I’m so freaking excited. I can’t wait! I just want to go out and drink right now dammit! I meet up with people from class and we go to a happy hour. Six Point Cans for $4?! Fuck yeah, gimme two of those!
We then go to another bar because happy hour ends at 7:00. It’s fun chatting with people. We get some free shots. It’s a fun time all around being with some people that I know better this year and some people that I never even talk to. It’s fun as hell.
I then go back home after people split up. I get home by 11:30. I run into the house and I’m super happy. I run around, I jump, I shout. I’m excited and I text Luna. I think of this stupid idea of walking over to Tavern, a shit bar on Northern that has a bunch of townies. Luna gives me the smarter idea of not going to such a run for no reason, and by myself.
I just watch some TV, grab a beer, chill out in my powered up house, and I love it. Hells yeah.
November 9, 2012
Today is party. I gather up some sleep and I get out of the house. Not before I clean up for 2 hours. I organize shit, vacuum, clean, etc. I then go to the store to pick up stuff after I look up what I want to make. Fam is gone for the weekend, so I have some left over avocados that are ripe for the making of guac. I head off to the store.
I start off with the guacomole and Courtney arrives. I should have started things earlier and be a good host, but I’m still cooking so I chat with her for the time being. She helps me slice up some bread. The guac turns out great.
I also make some beer cheese though I think I added too much beer and a bit too much salt. The cheese is salty enough and there’s a bit too strong of a beer flavor. I don’t have a food processor and had to use a blender, so getting it all going was a bit rough, thus the excess beer.
I then make a tea punch. Lipton, Christmas tea, cinnamon, lemon, lime, mint, Scotch, honey, sugar and a large piece of ice that I froze ahead of time. Keeps the drink cold without melting too much.
People start pouring in. Bolanos, Rebecca. Stefan and Sara take the trip in from the city. Matt, Chris, Enoch, and Adam. It’s not a huge party, but it’s nice having a decent amount of people and it’s easier to manage things.
I ordered a bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru from a free shipment deal from the Internet. The Brooklyn girl in my school that brews beer said it was her favorite beer. Now I’m excited and the shit is so freaking good. I love me some sours and this is a nice one.
I’m rocking my FBI shirt, Bolanos has his “God Bless America,” Chris has his “Beta” shirt, Rebecca has a “Don’t Fuck with Me, I’m Amish,” Courtney has a Johnny Cash with his middle finger up shirt, Enoch has a “Nature’s Best” with a hamburger on it.
There’s music, we drink, we chat, it’s good to let loose. People leave pretty early and I clean up pretty fast so I don’t have to do anything the next time.
November 10, 2012
Luna comes over after she stayed at her friend’s place and had a Big Bang concert yesterday. We get some early dinner and crazy thing, Alon, Bolanos, and Kenny are by chance at Juliebelle’s as well.
At night, we’re trying to figure out plans. I was supposed to get this girl out from school to go dancing and Luna was looking forward to that too. I find out that Jesse and Teddy are at Whiskey Brooklyn for the night for a party. It’s a crowded place, decent time. It’s a very Manhattan place. Decent amount of girls, a DJ, and a dancing bar. It’s crowded as hell.
We actually leave there pretty late, grab some Crif Dogs at the Williamsburg one, which I’ve never been too and call it a night.
November 11, 2012
It’s the best weather we’ve had in weeks. It’s warm and I want to get out. Aaron says he’s down. I figure out that there’s a vintage sale of the shops in Williamsburg. I meet up with Aaron and we grab a drink at Greenpoint Tavern. Big foam cup of beer for $4, it’s a good time. We talk some shit, bust some chops.
We go to this warehouse/mall thing. We check out some expensive clothing shops. Some expensive vintage/antique stores. We then get dinner at Meatball Shop, which is great because the LES one is so busy and I never have been. After some “Fool Aid,” we get some tipsy going. We then walk around and then go to my new favorite place, The Levee.
Dude, love this place. Beer cozies. Outdoor area. Infinite cheeseballs. Great beer selection. Really cheap beer and shot deals. Great liquor selection. Board games. Big bar. The best place. Aaron and I agree that we should go to this place more and talk more shit as I finish an entire bowl of cheeseballs. Dude, coming back to this place.
November 13, 2012
Story time: It was Scott's attic. We all sat around a pool table as Aaron had bet Hasan he couldn't drink three cans of Asahi in a minute. Through gorging his mouth open and sucking those fuckers down, our hero with a few drops of slipping down his chin accomplishes the task. We cheer with laughter and wonderment.
The sad part of the bet is Hasan's prize, the rest of the case of beer Aaron had purchased. After painfully slurping down mediocre Japanese beer, our brazen brother walked (or likely slumped) away empty handed as we had preyed upon his winnings like the vultures we are.
November 15, 2012
Time for that sick nap in the library that I’ve been taking every Thursday as I need to catch up on sleep and I have 4 hours between classes in the middle of the day.
After class, I hang around and see people waiting around outside. I eventually tag along to go to Greenpoint, Mark Bar. It’s a great place. The Happy Hour is until 8:00 and the place is cheap as fuck. All kinds of beers and shots are $3. I grab some drinks and just hang with people.
I chat with this guy Jeff that I’ve never spoken to about food, Thanksgiving, etc. I meet his wife. I chat with others I spend a decent amoutn of time chatting with this guy that’s a super Stern fan. Dude, we’re just laughing our asses off so bad.
I then sneak off to grab a cheeseburger from a “Mexican” dinner. With all this drinking, I’m going to fall on my ass if I don’t eat something. I chat with Allison about her beer brewing and all kinds of random stuff. There’s this classmate’s girlfriend that I’ve chatted with before. We do some drunken gossip about how drunk Allison has gotten, which is pretty awkward. She’s going out with someone in our year and he’s a great guy for putting up with her bizz. I don’t know enough to judge nor should I be judging anyway.
As usual, I hang around and drink people under the table and I’m one of the last people to leave. I actually see Tatenda, who invited me to a party last week, but I had my shitty shirt party. He talks about how he knows Chinese, despite being black. It’s pretty cool he knows so. I mention how I would love to speak Spanish eventually and my history with it. I’m too drunk to deal with languages and I make a bit of a joke of myself as I keep my mouth shut. However, hearing this, people on the 7 train start easing on speaking Spanish with each other as it’s assumed that I know some Spanish.
November 16, 2012
Tim and his fiance are in NYC visiting. I go to the city to meet them at Taqueria LES. Jess and Griff join us along with a few others. It’s a good meal, we catch up and everything. One of Tim’s friends, Max I think, is really drunk at dinner somehow. He apparently drank a bunch beforehand. He’s quite slurry and I later find out that he was tapping the waitress over and over her and bothering her.
Jess is such an awesome troll as she whispers to me about how daper our hero is. He’s wearing a gray Giants hoodie that has a picture of the Giants standing around like a high school photo. Guy’s a wreck.
We then go to Sophie’s and have some shots and drinks. We continue to bash him as he drunkingly thinks that he gave a $20 bill instead of a $10. The bartender assures that he’s wrong and he slumps away. Classic drunk move. The guy really is entertaining for our night. When he leaves, I shake his hand and give him the most serious, dead pan, “I hope you have a good night.” I die when he leaves.
I then go to say Hi to Lydia for her birthday. I catch up with her friends, but then after a quick beer, I need to run to catch up with the rest as we’re taking the train.
November 17, 2012
In the morning, a tired and slightly hungover has to give a ride to Tim and Mary to a wedding in Rockville Center. I get home and go back to sleep as I’m slightly sick. At night, it’s Teddy’s birthday. I head out to Spritzenhaus, which is one of my new favorite places in BK.
I meet some of Jesse and Teddy’s friend. We laugh about music, one of the bartenders looking like Bon Iver, and how people on Twitter were confused when he won a Grammy. It’s a fun time and I have some really sick beers.
Afterwards, I’m somewhat hungry and they’re always down to eat. It’s 3:00 and places are closing so we go to Wo Hop. We have some great/fast Chinese food and get to witness all the club people who are drunk and funnel in for some late night bites. When we pay, we split it up and I mess up the math. I stupid give a 30% as I paid part of the bill and all of the tip. Whatever, the Chinese food was still relatively cheap anyway, so whatever.
Monday, 8 October 2012
Half way through the semester
September 1, 2012
I’m trying to get people to hang out, but things mostly just fall apart. I need to get out though so I drive with Bolanos into Williamsburg. We meet up with Teddy and Jeese. We do some metal bar that is bit hard to enjoy, loud ass metal there. We then go to a very Manhattan like place called Whiskey Brooklyn.
We then go to Spriztenhaus, which has a great beer selection. It’s a chill night just hanging out at a cool beer garden. We then get some falafel/shwarma and call it a night.
September 2, 2012
I commute to Astoria in the early night to a party that a classmate is throwing. I grab a six pack on the way. There’s almost 20 people. It’s fun seeing people outside of school, chatting about my time in Europe, talking shit with people, etc. etc. We then move onto Bohemia Beer Garden, which is really close to the apartment. I’m having some beers and people start splitting up slowly. I walk away for a second and get a crazy text from Kenny about why I’m standing by myself with a cigarette.
It acutally turns out Doug, Alon, Evan, Bola, Kenny, and Aaron were all at the same beer garden by coincidence. They didn’t know I had plans to come here, but somehow, they decided to do so and didn’t even coordinate the planning so that we would hang. They just randomly spotted me. Small world.
I bring them over to meet some people, thogh people eventually leave pretty quickly. Then again, people had been drinking early and it’s past 12:00 by now. We then get some tacos.
September 4, 2012
I’m moving onto White in the History of Art in Three Colors series. Whistler’s White’s interested me. Le Corbusier’s wish for cities to be turned into white building was unfortunate as it would end up destroying how beautiful old Europe is.
More of Sicily documentary, so now we’re dealing with the Spanish influence of Sicily. Good Friday in the city of Enna and its Marsala wine, a specialty. Then onto the fantastic gelato of Modica, or Italy in general is known for it.
September 6, 2012
There’s a “CUNITY” event after class. It would seem like it’s run by the school to some extent, but it’s not. There’s no faculty there or anything, just the students. It feels like mostly our class, the 2Ls. Then again, the 1Ls have class tomorrow and the 3Ls I don’t think are connected like us.
It’s a Thursday, so our weekend starts after the last class at 6:15. Jeremy and I are excited for it and joke about it throughout the day. We gather some people and walk over to the bar, 10 minutes away. At first, there’s only one bartender and it’s too crowded. It’s loaded by way too many CUNY people.
First, this has been a lovely feeling. Our class is now down to about 170 people and there’s a tight community feeling going around. I was happy to go to a gathering out in the city last week and then go to meet even more people at someone’s house warming apartment party.
Jeremy and I end up hanging with Katy. She also lives out on Long Island, out towards Farmingdale or something. Anyway, she tells all these funny stories about how she’s buying drinks for people all the time, sometimes, racking up over $300. She used to go into the city, girly places like Tonic East. Jeremy and I are laughing along. I’m getting buzzed really quickly as I had a light lunch and it’s towards 7-8:00 and I’ve been drinking a shot and a beer. The alcohol hits fast.
Either way, the buzz is killer after realizing that I’m surrounded by law school people and not a single law school joke has been made. I’m talking to people. These are cool life stories. We’re actually humans outside of being law students. I don’t hear any legal jargon or poor legal jokes. No one is complaining about this professor or gossiping about something that the school is going to do.
Somehow, Jeremy buys me a shot. Katy then randomly starts supporting me with beer after I’ve only bought myself 1 drink. She then gets excited that they have Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey. Jeremy and I try to get her to close her tab so she doesn’t do what she’s doing in her stories, but she gets pulled into that and buying 6 shots for people.
At one point, I go out to a nearby Chinese place to get some pork lo mein. For $5, I shovel that food into my jaws like Kobayashi. I then walk back as if nothing had occurred.
I then start walking around and catching up with people. I eventually get into a conversation with Alison. She’s a beer lover and even brews her own beer. We chat about that, Rauchbier from Spritzenhaus, the German brews, etc. Then, there are people that just start pulling people to this back room, past the outdoor beer garden area to play trivia. I plan on doing it with law school friends, but there are only 5 per table. I end up sitting with 3 other Asians. We do a shitty job, partially because I don’t know current events well. We get 2-3rd to last place out of 6-7 teams.
I chat with Alison’s law school boyfriend that she met during our 1L year. We get political for a second and then people start splitting out. I try to get Erdem to come out because he’s in Manhattan and it would be easy for him to come through. He gets lost somehow and ditches.
I then find around 4 people who are left. Dude, I’ve been drinking since almost 7:00 and it’s getting towards 2:00AM now. I hang with Sarah and Sharon. Sarah buys me a shot despite the fact I’m trying to turn down drinks because I’m so fucking drunk.
We then take a cab back to campus because I left my backpack and laptop in my locker. On the way there, Sarah and I start flirting and grabbing each other’s hands. I’m a huge fucking lush, so thinking now, I don’t know where I was thinking I was going with this, but I didn’t care.
I grab my bag inside with Sharon and drunkingly can barely sign in that the front test because it’s so late. I then go back to the cab and say Bye to Sarah, walk to the subway, drunkingly wait for the bus, try not to pass out on the bus, and get back home before 4:00AM. Usually I would drink some water, chill out on Facebook, but screw that. I slept 2-3 hours the night before and my body is not set. I’m really drunk and I just pass THE FUCK out.
September 7, 2012
I’m watching Art of Spain. The first segment goes through the history of the Moors and the strong Muslim influence that this culture has had on the Iberian peninsula. What beautiful architecture like Medina Azahara and the Mosque of Cordoba. I must go into the south next time I’m in Spain to see these sights.
The palace, Alcazar of Seville, is another fine example of Islamic architecture. While other mosques were built upon or simply destroyed, this beautiful has lasted as it was not religious and people just couldn’t get to destroying such a thing.
He then goes to Granada, one of the Moorish capitals and sees Alhambra. As much as there is touristy “Moorish” stuff to do, this is the epitome of how the Muslims left a (beauty) mark on Spain.
On the second part, they move onto a Catholic Spain, ruled by Philip II. El Greco starts off as the focus as he is one of the greatest in his era. The abstraction and emotion that he puts in his paintings would, 300(!) years later, influence future artists towards expressionism.
Francisco de Zurbarán and his religious work with some of the best use of chiaroscuro. He then moves onto the western city of Salamanca, which is huge for it’s important university. What I would do to live there and learn Spanish properly and get immersed in the culture.
They then go onto the Spanish Inquisition, where the church censored, had bullshit trials, and publicly excuted those they thought were not Christian enough. In Plaza Major of Salamanca, this is where people were burned at the stake as a spectacle.
Then onto Diego Velázquez and his work for Philip IV. Las Meninas is a fantastic masterpeice of artistic perspective. Velázquez was daring enough to turn on religion and paint every day life. This would create a setting from El Greco to him onto the Impressionists and modern painters.
Onto the day, I really need a recharge and wake up in the afternoon. I’m trying to make night plans, but nothing goes through except Erdem. I haven’t seem him since I’ve been back, so it’s good for us to catch up about stuff. He’s been to Europe and enjoys art, so there’s much to discuss.
I realize how much I really don’t know BHT. The crowd always never cool, always a bunch of racists, assholes, or homophobes. Otherwise, it’s some Persian kids that look way to young. Bolanos is back from the city so we pick him up and go to Bayside. TA and whatever gang went home, I guess they drank too much, and we go to Safari Club. It really has nothing to do with a Safari, but it’s a very meh crowd. Lots of dudes, a decent amount of chicks though, so it’s refreshing that this is close at least. The four of us hang there for a bit and then end the night.
September 8, 2012
I wanted to get out today to get some “adventuring” done. I actually was invited by Lori on FB to this “picnic” thing at Central Park. However, I don’t really feel like showing up myself. Either way, it’s cancelled because of the shitty weather.
I end up just watching some TV shows and chilling out. At night, things don’t seem to be working out well either. I could go into the city to meet up with Stefan and Sara, but not in the mood to drive in myself. Dunno why. Bolanos and I just end up going to BHT for a couple beers. A really freaking slow weekend. I wanted to hang with my brother, who has been home for a week, but he had party plans in Brooklyn.
September 9, 2012
I was thinking about going to the Frick Collection because it’s free from 11-2PM on Sundays, but I find out that pictures aren’t allowed. Without memory, we’re nothing and really, I don’t know enough about the artists and pieces to appreciate them fully and I won’t be able to remember them, most importantly.
I end up going to DUMBO. Smorgasburg as moved there for Sundays. I get to see the Promenade, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the bridges, the downtown skyscrapers, and just the cute little neighborghood there. It’s a quick day trip as there isn’t much to do and I don’t really feel like standing on line for an hour at Grimaldi’s.
I then go home before my brother has to leave. I give him a ride to the airport and we chat a bit. I’ll hopefully be keeping more in touch with him this semester.
I get back home and still don’t feel like eating. I had this huge, huge ice cream sandwich from Jacques Torres that is holding me down. I actually stopped enjoying it one point and it was a pain to eat.
I finally work out, but this time a few more sets and a bit harder than I’m used to. I’m working with a new strategy of bulking. I’m giving up on what I eat, as long as I get some protein in me. I’m trying to get fat, but just worrying less so I get more calories in me. Hopefully this means that I start gaining some muscle. We’ll see how this all goes.
Something a guy said on Reddit to a dude complaining about not getting dates. Not that it’s the best advice, but I thought it was funny:
You don't just "find" a date, like it's something buried deep in the sand. You foster a relationship, plant a seed of trust and you grow and water that seed by being interesting and fun; someone anyone wants to have around. You grow that plant, and then you fuck that plant!
I’m also watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi. A really cool film. A few takeaways are how much prep is involved in sushi. The apprentices do all the work and he just makes it in front of the customer.
Then Jiro’s rough childhood. He has this idea that parents should kick their children out at one point to suceed at life and never return. If you leave the door open for them to return, then they WILL be failures.
Finally, it’s about his personality. He’s a stubborn motherfucker. He’s old and doesn’t want to quit. This affects his 50+ year old son that has been apprenticing and is still waiting to take over the restaurant. Jiro is 85 and still won’t give this stuff up. But really, he’s passionate about his food and he’s strict about how things so he done. A perfectionist and that’s what you get in his sushi because he’s like that.
September 15, 2012
I end up chilling out and watching The Good, The Bad, and The Weird, a Korean film that Tork recently posted. I’m trying to watch more stuff and catch up on things. It’s a cool spin on the original Western with really cool Korean history behind it. Cool style, great acting, really cool characters. I liked it.
During this, I pull out my guitar for a second and I put it on my bed like usual after I’m down. However, I had my phone on my bed as I wake up from an alarm, check Facebook for a second to collect my brain, and then get out of bed leaving it there. It couldn’t be face down, like usual. I didn’t place my guitar flat, I put it down with an edge down first. It PERFECTLY taps the face of my phone. Stupid iPhone class, crack boom. My case is pretty good that even if I placed it anywhere else or a different angle, it’s fine. Just that exact set of events.
Thankfully, it’s only really 1/12th of the screen. Just by the face camera and phone speake on the top. It doesn’t affect anything, I’ve seen worse, it’s just a cosmetic complaint. Stupid me, but I’ll live.
At night, things don’t really seem to occur. I chat with CNF for a bit. I guess I could’ve texted some people from school, but whatever. I end up staying in and just chilling out.
September 16, 2012
I get into the city in the afternoon. It’s beautiful driving the Williamsburg and seeing the city. I go check out the Lowline, which sort of sucks, along with the $2 I donated, it’s a $10 suggested donation. It’s dark inside and shows a bit of history in the area. It’s a gorgeous old building so I wish I could see it all of it. Instead, they have it extremely dark and you can’t see anything. The space isn’t used really well and there’s this art installation. It has a smelly “nature” thing in the middle of some plants, but it just smells like poop. I wish the style was more organic or old-fashioned to fit the setting, but it’s a bit too modern for me.
I leave that after no time, as there isn’t really anything to see. I get some a sandwich, some Doughnut plant, and then I drive up to the East Village to walk around. I check out some thrift shops, but there really isn’t anything my size as usual so I give up.
The final part of Art of Spain goes through the 20th century until now. It runs through Gaudi’s huge influence on an emerging Barcelona. Then onto Picasso, the most important artist of the century, Dali, Bunuel, and then back to architecture. With Bilbao’s Guggenheim, although it’s Gehry’s work, Spain has emerged with such great buildings. With Gehry, the golden fish in Barcelona was him, along with his set of three buildings in Dusseldorf, and then the twisty skyscarper on the NYC skyline at 8 Spruce Street. Calatrava is leading the way with this and I actually found out that the iconic Montjuic Communication Tower was created by him, so it’s nice to know that I’ve seen his work in person.
Along with this, I’m subscribed to some cool channels on Facebook. A few are for workout tips, but most of them are music. Some of them are just people with a camera and a guitar. The best ones are indie radio stations or channels that record live artists. It’s a really great way to find new music. Granted, I’m so behind on music and I could use listening to some of the music that I’ve gathered. I’m such a hoarder.
I’m also onto “On the Table with Eric Ripert,” it’s a show on Reserve Channel. The first episode is really cool with him and Bourdain just chilling out and cooking. They actually don’t go through the recipe, but it’s more about two best friends just chilling out and talking. It’s a fun time.
Batali going on is sick. I actually like him more than Bourdain. Bourdain has a brooding thing about him. He’s pissed off and trying to be a badass. Batali is just jolly, honest, fast talking, and overly enthusiastic. His personality reflects mine pretty well so maybe that’s why.
At night, I would like to do something. I texted Jenn yesterday and she got back to me tonight. We seemed to have made plans, but then she ignores my texts when I get back home. Same goes for Erdem, who I called earlier if he was interested in hanging in the city.
I end up working out, a bit more intense than before. I’m trying to up the workouts and calories, so I’ve sort of given up on what I eat other than not being a slob eating pizza every day and paying some attention to my protein intake.
September 19, 2012
I’m onto Robert Hughes’ documentary on post-Impressionist work during the 21st Century. It’s old and a bit dated, but it’s pretty decent. It gives a bit too much of a history lesson, but that does help with the creating a context around the art during the time. It does feel disjointed at times how he’s moving through the movements. It’s a long 8 part feature, a really long one, I’ll see if I want to see it all.
September 20, 2012
We had a cool APALSA (Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association) event. To raise some money, one of us bought an ice shaving machine for themselves. We then brought in toppings to make Asian shaved ice to raise money for a scholarship and our funds.
We made about $260, which is low, but it still was a cool fun time. Cool having green tea, fruit, condensed milk, black bean, etc. In the afternoon, Marisa asks if I’m going to the bar afterwards because it’s Thursday and it’s the “thing” to do these days. However, I’m going to visit Luna. I promised a few weeks ago that I would visit. She always does. Driving to CUNY was an absolute bitch in the morning. Took me two hours, rush hour traffic to the nuts, and stupid entrance to the 59th street bridge so I crossed the bridge into the city, turned around. I made it to class 45 min late.
Getting down to Ocean City from Long Island City took a while. Took over 3 hours with my stop.
September 28, 2012
I wake up exhausted on a couch and get some breakfast at Wawa. We go apple picking in Media, PA. It’s a nostalgic experience as I used to go peach and apple picking as a kid. After some apples, we go to Philly. I’m a bit annoyed as it’s a hell lot of driving. It’s an hour and a half to Philly, but then Media is 30 minutes away from that.
I was hesitant about doing this weekend anyway. I always try to find things to do. Firstly, this semester has been great with the connection and school friends I’ve made. Thursday nights after class are perfect. People are being more close with each other, going out after class, I’m actually meeting and getting to know people in my class, it’s awesome. Missing out on that sucks.
Then, I find out that Corinne is coming back from Japan next month. She’ll be stopping by here so I get to catch up with her then. However, I have not spoken to her in forever. We planned on catching up on Skype recently, but still haven’t done that. Being away this weekend means I won’t be doing that.
Then Ela asks if I’m free while I’m away. I’ve texted with her since awkwardly departing Europe, but I haven’t been on Skype with her, despite chatting with her a few a week before. However, I’ll probably catch up with her soon though. I guess she’s gotten over being a huge awkward weirdo.
Then Jenn randomly texts me to hang out and drink. Motherfucker, I was around last week and we made plans and she flakes. Now she’s down to hang. I haven’t caught up with her all summer and I would love to hear what’s up with her shits. And now I’m gone for that.
Then there’s always city events that I want to hit up. It’s just feels like so much that I’m missing out on when I’m gone for something that I… don’t really care too much about?
Good thing I didn’t miss Stefan’s bday. He’s away in Philly with Sara. Funny thing, I’m in Philly the day before him. We’re doing our bday together next week.
We get to Philly and see the Magic Gardens. It’s one of the best sights in America. It’s different and so “Gaudi.” It’s not the same style at all, but there’s something about it being different, eccentric, and “natural.”
We walk around for a bit in Washington Square West. It’s hipster a bit, but also expensive and nice. It has many of the nice restaurants in town. It’s a cool area. We step in a comic store to play this old X-Men game that I used to love at the arcade. Such good memories and it’s only .25 cents! I wish I had a few dollars to shove in there and just play forever. Good times.
We then move to Chinatown and walk around that area. It’s a decent size and has a huge Chinese arch thing that NYC one doesn’t have. We get some Malaysian food and then head back.
September 22, 2012
We go to the goodwill. After seeing the cool song by Macklemore, “Thrift Shop,” I would love to get something cool and cheap. Unfortunately, most of it is ugly or too big. The kid’s clothes suck. There are some random vintage cool stuff, but it’s all too big, which is a shame. I would love to get the army jackets they had.
I then start driving back in the afternoon, almost night. It’s a long drive with the traffic. It takes me almost 4 hours with a stop. It’s great listening to WNYC 93.9. There’s world music. There’s a great story about the PI Moms and this guy that has to avoid getting caught up with a dirty cop and a PI guy into selling drugs. It feels like the plot of the movie and then tell the story in a cool way. With interviews, music in the middle, an interviewer, etc.
In the end, I got to do a lot of cool stuff, see new things, do a lot of old things again, and hanging with Luna was cool, so it wasn’t the huge regret that I was looking forward to coming.
September 24, 2012
Louie was good. The Letterman thing turned a bitch of a man into something real. It’s cool that it was driven by ambition to beat a lie from Seinfeld. Fuck that dude.
Next, I’ve been listening to Freakonomics. Shit was good. The college one was good. Basically, for a vast majority of people, college is great. It’s a huge investment, but that’s what it is. It’s an investment into an individual so that they will make more money in the job market throughout the rest of their life.
As for tuition, it’s been apparently pretty steady adjusted for inflation, despite it being expensive, and financial aid as gone up a bunch. It’s not a great picture for lower income people, but many do scrape by and it’s to their benefit. I wouldn’t paint the rosiest picture about our education system, but despite the policy arguments, they do a cool job on it.
I thought I didn’t love Anis Mojgani’s Shake the Dust, but I appreicate it more and more. I’ve listened to it 2-3 times by now. I really should find myself at Bowery Poetry Club for some slam in the future. What a shame that I miss out of this stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qDtHdloK44
September 24, 2012
I have tomorrow, Yom Kippur, off. I would like to do something as I haven’t seen people in a while. However, things just don’t work out. Erdem is actually around when I call him after reading for a 5 hours on campus and going how at 7PM. I eventually call him at night and the fucking flake doesn’t pick up.
Instead, I’m watching Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design, based on the book, into a Discovery documentary with really good quality production. However, physics has never been my thing. I never cared much about this kind of stuff, but it’s really well done to make it interesting. They apply the principles and make analogies to things a layman could understand. I give up eventually though. I have way too many travel and art documentaries to work on. Then, forget about the music that I need to listen to.
As for Treme, I like seeing that show again. The spice of New Orleans is invigorating. I want to experience that at some point. Then there are the race and police issues that I also deal with in criminal procedure. Seeing David Chang, Ripert, and Waxman is also refreshing. Chefs showing their face on TV and becoming more and more mainstream is a great thing.
September 26, 2012
I have today off. I can do an adventure in the city, but I decide to get lazy and take it easy. I go to Panera to catch up on my TV shows. Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course is sick. He simply goes through recipes and a few basic kitchen tips. It’s quite, edited well, and easy to watch. I fast forward through it looking for recipes that interest me.
Robert Hughes has also done a three part series on architecture called “Visions of Space.” I’ve tried to collect as much as I can on Gaudi, but this so far as been the best. He goes through all his major works, including ones that I didn’t get to see or were outside of Barcelona.
There’s also another chapter with modernist architect, Mies van der Rohe. Not exactly my style, but there’s something to appreciate about his influence on the 20th century architecture. He set the playing field and skyline for Chicago. He even has a building in New York, the Seagram building. I’ll have to check that out sometime.
September 27, 2012
It’s been a long day and I even fall asleep in the library. I’ve been putting my head down during my 3-4 hour break, but this time I’m tired that I can’t do anything. I get an hour in. This is after texting Tasha and giving her a Bon Voyage for her week long trip in Italy. I helped her yesterday plan it out as she’s never been to Europe, so it’ll be a fun experience for her and it’s useful knowing the ins and outs of traveling there.
After class at 6:15, people don’t really seem to congregate around at the front to grab a drink. I eventually just walk home awkwardly myself, disappointed with nothing to do. Since I was in NJ over the weekend, it feels like I’ve missed out on a lot. However, when I get home, I find out that Bolanos and Kenny are going to BHT. I don’t really like the place, but it feels really good getting out and hanging out. We watch the game and have a few drinks, the usual.
September 29, 2012
At night, I get into the city to meet up with people for dinner. I get myself a 22 oz. of Sapporo for the train ride because it’s birthday tonight dammit!
People end up backing out and it’s just Tom and I. While, I’m waiting, I actually see Derrick. He visited by roommate Gianfranco in Prague. I haven’t seen him in so many years. I catch up with him for a second and grab his number in case he wants go get together sometime. What a small world, well NYC at least.
Tom and I have a sick meal at Westville. With sick portions, we go next door from Destination. We grab some liquor instead of beer because we can’t find anything down.
We then go to Destination as Miah and Hannah are there. Then Stefan and Sara come. Eventually, people start funneling in: Sam, Sydnee, Aaron, Bolanos, Michael, Beth, Lauren, her b/f Brendan, Matt, Chris “Toph,” and Evan. Stefan and I somehow find these Nathan’s Hats and rock those. Hannah and Sara are sweet enough of to buy me a drinks. We then split and head to Sophie’s.
I see Amos, he gives me a Happy Birthday. I see Shawna, who I haven’t seen in a while. Stefan makes moves to get me and him a shot. Thanks Shawna for being awesome. Chris also buys a round of shots for us! Great guy. We hang there for a little bit and then we head back. Bolanos drives us back and we stop by at Wendy’s for a bite. Gotta get some food in after drinking that much.
September 30, 2012
I thank loads of people for their FB birthday posts. Mom gets me a LivingSocial deal at a nice restaurant and a comedy show for two. I’ll maybe be bringing Luna along with me sometime for that. The card is actually a James Brown singing card. Obviously mom would get me a silly thing like that. Grandma gets me loads of money for bday. Aunt gets me money too. Brother got me a sick Timex watch. I’m not a watch guy, as in I probably wouldn’t get one for myself, but I’m excited to be rocking it. It’s simple and sweet.
For dinner, family comes over. It’s Chinese Mooncake festival. Decent food and family around and stuff. Cody, my little cousin, is growing up and stuff. Crazy how fast he’s growing, he’s 4 years old now. Freaking adorable little guy.
October 4, 2012
After class, Jeremy and I go to LIC Bar for some drinks. We expect people to show up, but only Charles does. It’s a few people for a 3L’s bday show up, but I don’t really know her. It’s surprising that none of the other 2Ls are there. I guess people are getting more lame. It turns out that a 2L, Ada, is having her birthday at Brooklyn bowl. We take a subway down there, which is pretty close as we’re simply north in LIC.
We pay a $12 for a band, but aren’t there for that. We get to say Hi and see some cool people. Us three guys haven’t had dinner and decide to go to Mable’s BBQ around the corner. After another quick drink, we head back to LIC bar by cab. I had forgotten by credit card at the bar. I actually see freaking Kenneth the Page from 30 Rock at the bar. Spotted a celebrity in NYC!! The night had ended by 11:00ish.
October 5, 2012
I get to Panera to get some studying done and then it’s time to start heading out for night plans. I had made plans for Oktoberfest because I haven’t done anything for it yet and didn’t do anything for it last year. Matt, Chris, Stefan, and Aaron show up. The other people end up bitching out.
They bitch about the place and we go downtown to Spitzer’s. It’s a nice place with a great beer selection and the kind of place that actually has girls show up instead of many of the shitty bars we go to.
Stefan and Aaron end up splitting. I texted to invite Nikki, Scott’s roommate to my bday last week. However, she’s around tonight for Liza’s bday. I remember her. She just stopped by to say Hi and it was great seeing her. Hopefully get to catch her again sometime.
After another quick drink, Matt, Chris, and I catch a cab and able to take the 1:19. Not a crazy night, but a cool bros night out. It’s cool chatting with Chris because he’s a smart guy that knows his issues. In general though, a chill guy that is good to have around. On the other hand, Matt is great to have around for other reasons. We have a conversation on the train and I feel he’s being a bit loud talking about women and sex, but it’s all in good fun. It’s fun getting stories from him about his escapades with women and whatnot. Freaking guy with the 27 year old that was at my party. Dagnammit.
Soaking in the LES tonight, I still get that slight amount of jealousy in me. Not of anyone specific, just looking around the city, seeing the so many fine ladies out there. I’m missing out. Whatever, just one of those nights of thinking.
October 6, 2012
I watching Midnight in Paris. I felt like I missed out not having watched that before I went to Paris. As a film, I didn’t like it too much. However, it name drops Dali, Degas, Lautrec, Man Ray, Buneul, and the more important characters like Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, and the Fitzgeralds.
At night, I go with Kenny and Bolanos for dinner in Astoria at Butcher Bar. We then go back, I change, and then drive out to Bed Stuy for my friend’s house opening. She had followed by life along with NYU, Prague, and Budapest. It was a chill situation and Aaron and Bolanos are there as well.
We just hang out and chat, have a few beers, and eventually move downstairs because it’s freezing. It got cold really fast. I shimmy this bottle open as the cork is fucked with throwing that cork in with a good stab.
Aaron is really into this one girl for some reason and we head out to a bar for a beer. Just hanging out for a bit and Bolanos and I split. Aaron asks me if he should try to get this girl’s number. I tell him, “No consequences.” He ends up staying for a bit, so I’m not sure what ended up happening.
October 7, 2012
Art of America is another great documentary series by Andrew Graham-Dixon. In the first part, he goes through colonial to Westward expanasion. I do love the landscape pantings. They always caught my eye at the MET. American truly has some of the most gorgeous landscapes nature has to offer. I would love to do Yellowstone again sometime that I can appreciate it more as I went when I was a bit younger.
In the second part, we have New York and immigration. The Ashcan School depicts this has American heads into the 21st century. Dixon even goes to McSoreley’s as an example of old New York that barely still exists.
It moves onto my favorite American art with Norman Rockwell and Edward Hopper. It’s fun seeing Nighthawks on the screen as my poster of it stands right over my table. I can’t wait until The Whitney gets its permanent collection up at the end of this year.
Gorky is the next transition from the shift in American art from figurative painters like Rockwell towards abstraction. This is the embrace of abstract European movements.
I wake up a bit sick and get into a hacking attack. My throat is killing me. I wake up as I can’t sleep. I stay up for a few hours and then go back to sleep until 4:30. Good job Darwin. I then hang out for a bit and then find out that family will be coming back from Virginia. I’m hungry and would like to cook so I pick up stuff for a seafood paella. Sausage, spicy, cuttlefish, shrimp, aboro rice.
I’m trying to get people to hang out, but things mostly just fall apart. I need to get out though so I drive with Bolanos into Williamsburg. We meet up with Teddy and Jeese. We do some metal bar that is bit hard to enjoy, loud ass metal there. We then go to a very Manhattan like place called Whiskey Brooklyn.
We then go to Spriztenhaus, which has a great beer selection. It’s a chill night just hanging out at a cool beer garden. We then get some falafel/shwarma and call it a night.
September 2, 2012
I commute to Astoria in the early night to a party that a classmate is throwing. I grab a six pack on the way. There’s almost 20 people. It’s fun seeing people outside of school, chatting about my time in Europe, talking shit with people, etc. etc. We then move onto Bohemia Beer Garden, which is really close to the apartment. I’m having some beers and people start splitting up slowly. I walk away for a second and get a crazy text from Kenny about why I’m standing by myself with a cigarette.
It acutally turns out Doug, Alon, Evan, Bola, Kenny, and Aaron were all at the same beer garden by coincidence. They didn’t know I had plans to come here, but somehow, they decided to do so and didn’t even coordinate the planning so that we would hang. They just randomly spotted me. Small world.
I bring them over to meet some people, thogh people eventually leave pretty quickly. Then again, people had been drinking early and it’s past 12:00 by now. We then get some tacos.
September 4, 2012
I’m moving onto White in the History of Art in Three Colors series. Whistler’s White’s interested me. Le Corbusier’s wish for cities to be turned into white building was unfortunate as it would end up destroying how beautiful old Europe is.
More of Sicily documentary, so now we’re dealing with the Spanish influence of Sicily. Good Friday in the city of Enna and its Marsala wine, a specialty. Then onto the fantastic gelato of Modica, or Italy in general is known for it.
September 6, 2012
There’s a “CUNITY” event after class. It would seem like it’s run by the school to some extent, but it’s not. There’s no faculty there or anything, just the students. It feels like mostly our class, the 2Ls. Then again, the 1Ls have class tomorrow and the 3Ls I don’t think are connected like us.
It’s a Thursday, so our weekend starts after the last class at 6:15. Jeremy and I are excited for it and joke about it throughout the day. We gather some people and walk over to the bar, 10 minutes away. At first, there’s only one bartender and it’s too crowded. It’s loaded by way too many CUNY people.
First, this has been a lovely feeling. Our class is now down to about 170 people and there’s a tight community feeling going around. I was happy to go to a gathering out in the city last week and then go to meet even more people at someone’s house warming apartment party.
Jeremy and I end up hanging with Katy. She also lives out on Long Island, out towards Farmingdale or something. Anyway, she tells all these funny stories about how she’s buying drinks for people all the time, sometimes, racking up over $300. She used to go into the city, girly places like Tonic East. Jeremy and I are laughing along. I’m getting buzzed really quickly as I had a light lunch and it’s towards 7-8:00 and I’ve been drinking a shot and a beer. The alcohol hits fast.
Either way, the buzz is killer after realizing that I’m surrounded by law school people and not a single law school joke has been made. I’m talking to people. These are cool life stories. We’re actually humans outside of being law students. I don’t hear any legal jargon or poor legal jokes. No one is complaining about this professor or gossiping about something that the school is going to do.
Somehow, Jeremy buys me a shot. Katy then randomly starts supporting me with beer after I’ve only bought myself 1 drink. She then gets excited that they have Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey. Jeremy and I try to get her to close her tab so she doesn’t do what she’s doing in her stories, but she gets pulled into that and buying 6 shots for people.
At one point, I go out to a nearby Chinese place to get some pork lo mein. For $5, I shovel that food into my jaws like Kobayashi. I then walk back as if nothing had occurred.
I then start walking around and catching up with people. I eventually get into a conversation with Alison. She’s a beer lover and even brews her own beer. We chat about that, Rauchbier from Spritzenhaus, the German brews, etc. Then, there are people that just start pulling people to this back room, past the outdoor beer garden area to play trivia. I plan on doing it with law school friends, but there are only 5 per table. I end up sitting with 3 other Asians. We do a shitty job, partially because I don’t know current events well. We get 2-3rd to last place out of 6-7 teams.
I chat with Alison’s law school boyfriend that she met during our 1L year. We get political for a second and then people start splitting out. I try to get Erdem to come out because he’s in Manhattan and it would be easy for him to come through. He gets lost somehow and ditches.
I then find around 4 people who are left. Dude, I’ve been drinking since almost 7:00 and it’s getting towards 2:00AM now. I hang with Sarah and Sharon. Sarah buys me a shot despite the fact I’m trying to turn down drinks because I’m so fucking drunk.
We then take a cab back to campus because I left my backpack and laptop in my locker. On the way there, Sarah and I start flirting and grabbing each other’s hands. I’m a huge fucking lush, so thinking now, I don’t know where I was thinking I was going with this, but I didn’t care.
I grab my bag inside with Sharon and drunkingly can barely sign in that the front test because it’s so late. I then go back to the cab and say Bye to Sarah, walk to the subway, drunkingly wait for the bus, try not to pass out on the bus, and get back home before 4:00AM. Usually I would drink some water, chill out on Facebook, but screw that. I slept 2-3 hours the night before and my body is not set. I’m really drunk and I just pass THE FUCK out.
September 7, 2012
I’m watching Art of Spain. The first segment goes through the history of the Moors and the strong Muslim influence that this culture has had on the Iberian peninsula. What beautiful architecture like Medina Azahara and the Mosque of Cordoba. I must go into the south next time I’m in Spain to see these sights.
The palace, Alcazar of Seville, is another fine example of Islamic architecture. While other mosques were built upon or simply destroyed, this beautiful has lasted as it was not religious and people just couldn’t get to destroying such a thing.
He then goes to Granada, one of the Moorish capitals and sees Alhambra. As much as there is touristy “Moorish” stuff to do, this is the epitome of how the Muslims left a (beauty) mark on Spain.
On the second part, they move onto a Catholic Spain, ruled by Philip II. El Greco starts off as the focus as he is one of the greatest in his era. The abstraction and emotion that he puts in his paintings would, 300(!) years later, influence future artists towards expressionism.
Francisco de Zurbarán and his religious work with some of the best use of chiaroscuro. He then moves onto the western city of Salamanca, which is huge for it’s important university. What I would do to live there and learn Spanish properly and get immersed in the culture.
They then go onto the Spanish Inquisition, where the church censored, had bullshit trials, and publicly excuted those they thought were not Christian enough. In Plaza Major of Salamanca, this is where people were burned at the stake as a spectacle.
Then onto Diego Velázquez and his work for Philip IV. Las Meninas is a fantastic masterpeice of artistic perspective. Velázquez was daring enough to turn on religion and paint every day life. This would create a setting from El Greco to him onto the Impressionists and modern painters.
Onto the day, I really need a recharge and wake up in the afternoon. I’m trying to make night plans, but nothing goes through except Erdem. I haven’t seem him since I’ve been back, so it’s good for us to catch up about stuff. He’s been to Europe and enjoys art, so there’s much to discuss.
I realize how much I really don’t know BHT. The crowd always never cool, always a bunch of racists, assholes, or homophobes. Otherwise, it’s some Persian kids that look way to young. Bolanos is back from the city so we pick him up and go to Bayside. TA and whatever gang went home, I guess they drank too much, and we go to Safari Club. It really has nothing to do with a Safari, but it’s a very meh crowd. Lots of dudes, a decent amount of chicks though, so it’s refreshing that this is close at least. The four of us hang there for a bit and then end the night.
September 8, 2012
I wanted to get out today to get some “adventuring” done. I actually was invited by Lori on FB to this “picnic” thing at Central Park. However, I don’t really feel like showing up myself. Either way, it’s cancelled because of the shitty weather.
I end up just watching some TV shows and chilling out. At night, things don’t seem to be working out well either. I could go into the city to meet up with Stefan and Sara, but not in the mood to drive in myself. Dunno why. Bolanos and I just end up going to BHT for a couple beers. A really freaking slow weekend. I wanted to hang with my brother, who has been home for a week, but he had party plans in Brooklyn.
September 9, 2012
I was thinking about going to the Frick Collection because it’s free from 11-2PM on Sundays, but I find out that pictures aren’t allowed. Without memory, we’re nothing and really, I don’t know enough about the artists and pieces to appreciate them fully and I won’t be able to remember them, most importantly.
I end up going to DUMBO. Smorgasburg as moved there for Sundays. I get to see the Promenade, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the bridges, the downtown skyscrapers, and just the cute little neighborghood there. It’s a quick day trip as there isn’t much to do and I don’t really feel like standing on line for an hour at Grimaldi’s.
I then go home before my brother has to leave. I give him a ride to the airport and we chat a bit. I’ll hopefully be keeping more in touch with him this semester.
I get back home and still don’t feel like eating. I had this huge, huge ice cream sandwich from Jacques Torres that is holding me down. I actually stopped enjoying it one point and it was a pain to eat.
I finally work out, but this time a few more sets and a bit harder than I’m used to. I’m working with a new strategy of bulking. I’m giving up on what I eat, as long as I get some protein in me. I’m trying to get fat, but just worrying less so I get more calories in me. Hopefully this means that I start gaining some muscle. We’ll see how this all goes.
Something a guy said on Reddit to a dude complaining about not getting dates. Not that it’s the best advice, but I thought it was funny:
You don't just "find" a date, like it's something buried deep in the sand. You foster a relationship, plant a seed of trust and you grow and water that seed by being interesting and fun; someone anyone wants to have around. You grow that plant, and then you fuck that plant!
I’m also watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi. A really cool film. A few takeaways are how much prep is involved in sushi. The apprentices do all the work and he just makes it in front of the customer.
Then Jiro’s rough childhood. He has this idea that parents should kick their children out at one point to suceed at life and never return. If you leave the door open for them to return, then they WILL be failures.
Finally, it’s about his personality. He’s a stubborn motherfucker. He’s old and doesn’t want to quit. This affects his 50+ year old son that has been apprenticing and is still waiting to take over the restaurant. Jiro is 85 and still won’t give this stuff up. But really, he’s passionate about his food and he’s strict about how things so he done. A perfectionist and that’s what you get in his sushi because he’s like that.
September 15, 2012
I end up chilling out and watching The Good, The Bad, and The Weird, a Korean film that Tork recently posted. I’m trying to watch more stuff and catch up on things. It’s a cool spin on the original Western with really cool Korean history behind it. Cool style, great acting, really cool characters. I liked it.
During this, I pull out my guitar for a second and I put it on my bed like usual after I’m down. However, I had my phone on my bed as I wake up from an alarm, check Facebook for a second to collect my brain, and then get out of bed leaving it there. It couldn’t be face down, like usual. I didn’t place my guitar flat, I put it down with an edge down first. It PERFECTLY taps the face of my phone. Stupid iPhone class, crack boom. My case is pretty good that even if I placed it anywhere else or a different angle, it’s fine. Just that exact set of events.
Thankfully, it’s only really 1/12th of the screen. Just by the face camera and phone speake on the top. It doesn’t affect anything, I’ve seen worse, it’s just a cosmetic complaint. Stupid me, but I’ll live.
At night, things don’t really seem to occur. I chat with CNF for a bit. I guess I could’ve texted some people from school, but whatever. I end up staying in and just chilling out.
September 16, 2012
I get into the city in the afternoon. It’s beautiful driving the Williamsburg and seeing the city. I go check out the Lowline, which sort of sucks, along with the $2 I donated, it’s a $10 suggested donation. It’s dark inside and shows a bit of history in the area. It’s a gorgeous old building so I wish I could see it all of it. Instead, they have it extremely dark and you can’t see anything. The space isn’t used really well and there’s this art installation. It has a smelly “nature” thing in the middle of some plants, but it just smells like poop. I wish the style was more organic or old-fashioned to fit the setting, but it’s a bit too modern for me.
I leave that after no time, as there isn’t really anything to see. I get some a sandwich, some Doughnut plant, and then I drive up to the East Village to walk around. I check out some thrift shops, but there really isn’t anything my size as usual so I give up.
The final part of Art of Spain goes through the 20th century until now. It runs through Gaudi’s huge influence on an emerging Barcelona. Then onto Picasso, the most important artist of the century, Dali, Bunuel, and then back to architecture. With Bilbao’s Guggenheim, although it’s Gehry’s work, Spain has emerged with such great buildings. With Gehry, the golden fish in Barcelona was him, along with his set of three buildings in Dusseldorf, and then the twisty skyscarper on the NYC skyline at 8 Spruce Street. Calatrava is leading the way with this and I actually found out that the iconic Montjuic Communication Tower was created by him, so it’s nice to know that I’ve seen his work in person.
Along with this, I’m subscribed to some cool channels on Facebook. A few are for workout tips, but most of them are music. Some of them are just people with a camera and a guitar. The best ones are indie radio stations or channels that record live artists. It’s a really great way to find new music. Granted, I’m so behind on music and I could use listening to some of the music that I’ve gathered. I’m such a hoarder.
I’m also onto “On the Table with Eric Ripert,” it’s a show on Reserve Channel. The first episode is really cool with him and Bourdain just chilling out and cooking. They actually don’t go through the recipe, but it’s more about two best friends just chilling out and talking. It’s a fun time.
Batali going on is sick. I actually like him more than Bourdain. Bourdain has a brooding thing about him. He’s pissed off and trying to be a badass. Batali is just jolly, honest, fast talking, and overly enthusiastic. His personality reflects mine pretty well so maybe that’s why.
At night, I would like to do something. I texted Jenn yesterday and she got back to me tonight. We seemed to have made plans, but then she ignores my texts when I get back home. Same goes for Erdem, who I called earlier if he was interested in hanging in the city.
I end up working out, a bit more intense than before. I’m trying to up the workouts and calories, so I’ve sort of given up on what I eat other than not being a slob eating pizza every day and paying some attention to my protein intake.
September 19, 2012
I’m onto Robert Hughes’ documentary on post-Impressionist work during the 21st Century. It’s old and a bit dated, but it’s pretty decent. It gives a bit too much of a history lesson, but that does help with the creating a context around the art during the time. It does feel disjointed at times how he’s moving through the movements. It’s a long 8 part feature, a really long one, I’ll see if I want to see it all.
September 20, 2012
We had a cool APALSA (Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association) event. To raise some money, one of us bought an ice shaving machine for themselves. We then brought in toppings to make Asian shaved ice to raise money for a scholarship and our funds.
We made about $260, which is low, but it still was a cool fun time. Cool having green tea, fruit, condensed milk, black bean, etc. In the afternoon, Marisa asks if I’m going to the bar afterwards because it’s Thursday and it’s the “thing” to do these days. However, I’m going to visit Luna. I promised a few weeks ago that I would visit. She always does. Driving to CUNY was an absolute bitch in the morning. Took me two hours, rush hour traffic to the nuts, and stupid entrance to the 59th street bridge so I crossed the bridge into the city, turned around. I made it to class 45 min late.
Getting down to Ocean City from Long Island City took a while. Took over 3 hours with my stop.
September 28, 2012
I wake up exhausted on a couch and get some breakfast at Wawa. We go apple picking in Media, PA. It’s a nostalgic experience as I used to go peach and apple picking as a kid. After some apples, we go to Philly. I’m a bit annoyed as it’s a hell lot of driving. It’s an hour and a half to Philly, but then Media is 30 minutes away from that.
I was hesitant about doing this weekend anyway. I always try to find things to do. Firstly, this semester has been great with the connection and school friends I’ve made. Thursday nights after class are perfect. People are being more close with each other, going out after class, I’m actually meeting and getting to know people in my class, it’s awesome. Missing out on that sucks.
Then, I find out that Corinne is coming back from Japan next month. She’ll be stopping by here so I get to catch up with her then. However, I have not spoken to her in forever. We planned on catching up on Skype recently, but still haven’t done that. Being away this weekend means I won’t be doing that.
Then Ela asks if I’m free while I’m away. I’ve texted with her since awkwardly departing Europe, but I haven’t been on Skype with her, despite chatting with her a few a week before. However, I’ll probably catch up with her soon though. I guess she’s gotten over being a huge awkward weirdo.
Then Jenn randomly texts me to hang out and drink. Motherfucker, I was around last week and we made plans and she flakes. Now she’s down to hang. I haven’t caught up with her all summer and I would love to hear what’s up with her shits. And now I’m gone for that.
Then there’s always city events that I want to hit up. It’s just feels like so much that I’m missing out on when I’m gone for something that I… don’t really care too much about?
Good thing I didn’t miss Stefan’s bday. He’s away in Philly with Sara. Funny thing, I’m in Philly the day before him. We’re doing our bday together next week.
We get to Philly and see the Magic Gardens. It’s one of the best sights in America. It’s different and so “Gaudi.” It’s not the same style at all, but there’s something about it being different, eccentric, and “natural.”
We walk around for a bit in Washington Square West. It’s hipster a bit, but also expensive and nice. It has many of the nice restaurants in town. It’s a cool area. We step in a comic store to play this old X-Men game that I used to love at the arcade. Such good memories and it’s only .25 cents! I wish I had a few dollars to shove in there and just play forever. Good times.
We then move to Chinatown and walk around that area. It’s a decent size and has a huge Chinese arch thing that NYC one doesn’t have. We get some Malaysian food and then head back.
September 22, 2012
We go to the goodwill. After seeing the cool song by Macklemore, “Thrift Shop,” I would love to get something cool and cheap. Unfortunately, most of it is ugly or too big. The kid’s clothes suck. There are some random vintage cool stuff, but it’s all too big, which is a shame. I would love to get the army jackets they had.
I then start driving back in the afternoon, almost night. It’s a long drive with the traffic. It takes me almost 4 hours with a stop. It’s great listening to WNYC 93.9. There’s world music. There’s a great story about the PI Moms and this guy that has to avoid getting caught up with a dirty cop and a PI guy into selling drugs. It feels like the plot of the movie and then tell the story in a cool way. With interviews, music in the middle, an interviewer, etc.
In the end, I got to do a lot of cool stuff, see new things, do a lot of old things again, and hanging with Luna was cool, so it wasn’t the huge regret that I was looking forward to coming.
September 24, 2012
Louie was good. The Letterman thing turned a bitch of a man into something real. It’s cool that it was driven by ambition to beat a lie from Seinfeld. Fuck that dude.
Next, I’ve been listening to Freakonomics. Shit was good. The college one was good. Basically, for a vast majority of people, college is great. It’s a huge investment, but that’s what it is. It’s an investment into an individual so that they will make more money in the job market throughout the rest of their life.
As for tuition, it’s been apparently pretty steady adjusted for inflation, despite it being expensive, and financial aid as gone up a bunch. It’s not a great picture for lower income people, but many do scrape by and it’s to their benefit. I wouldn’t paint the rosiest picture about our education system, but despite the policy arguments, they do a cool job on it.
I thought I didn’t love Anis Mojgani’s Shake the Dust, but I appreicate it more and more. I’ve listened to it 2-3 times by now. I really should find myself at Bowery Poetry Club for some slam in the future. What a shame that I miss out of this stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qDtHdloK44
September 24, 2012
I have tomorrow, Yom Kippur, off. I would like to do something as I haven’t seen people in a while. However, things just don’t work out. Erdem is actually around when I call him after reading for a 5 hours on campus and going how at 7PM. I eventually call him at night and the fucking flake doesn’t pick up.
Instead, I’m watching Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design, based on the book, into a Discovery documentary with really good quality production. However, physics has never been my thing. I never cared much about this kind of stuff, but it’s really well done to make it interesting. They apply the principles and make analogies to things a layman could understand. I give up eventually though. I have way too many travel and art documentaries to work on. Then, forget about the music that I need to listen to.
As for Treme, I like seeing that show again. The spice of New Orleans is invigorating. I want to experience that at some point. Then there are the race and police issues that I also deal with in criminal procedure. Seeing David Chang, Ripert, and Waxman is also refreshing. Chefs showing their face on TV and becoming more and more mainstream is a great thing.
September 26, 2012
I have today off. I can do an adventure in the city, but I decide to get lazy and take it easy. I go to Panera to catch up on my TV shows. Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course is sick. He simply goes through recipes and a few basic kitchen tips. It’s quite, edited well, and easy to watch. I fast forward through it looking for recipes that interest me.
Robert Hughes has also done a three part series on architecture called “Visions of Space.” I’ve tried to collect as much as I can on Gaudi, but this so far as been the best. He goes through all his major works, including ones that I didn’t get to see or were outside of Barcelona.
There’s also another chapter with modernist architect, Mies van der Rohe. Not exactly my style, but there’s something to appreciate about his influence on the 20th century architecture. He set the playing field and skyline for Chicago. He even has a building in New York, the Seagram building. I’ll have to check that out sometime.
September 27, 2012
It’s been a long day and I even fall asleep in the library. I’ve been putting my head down during my 3-4 hour break, but this time I’m tired that I can’t do anything. I get an hour in. This is after texting Tasha and giving her a Bon Voyage for her week long trip in Italy. I helped her yesterday plan it out as she’s never been to Europe, so it’ll be a fun experience for her and it’s useful knowing the ins and outs of traveling there.
After class at 6:15, people don’t really seem to congregate around at the front to grab a drink. I eventually just walk home awkwardly myself, disappointed with nothing to do. Since I was in NJ over the weekend, it feels like I’ve missed out on a lot. However, when I get home, I find out that Bolanos and Kenny are going to BHT. I don’t really like the place, but it feels really good getting out and hanging out. We watch the game and have a few drinks, the usual.
September 29, 2012
At night, I get into the city to meet up with people for dinner. I get myself a 22 oz. of Sapporo for the train ride because it’s birthday tonight dammit!
People end up backing out and it’s just Tom and I. While, I’m waiting, I actually see Derrick. He visited by roommate Gianfranco in Prague. I haven’t seen him in so many years. I catch up with him for a second and grab his number in case he wants go get together sometime. What a small world, well NYC at least.
Tom and I have a sick meal at Westville. With sick portions, we go next door from Destination. We grab some liquor instead of beer because we can’t find anything down.
We then go to Destination as Miah and Hannah are there. Then Stefan and Sara come. Eventually, people start funneling in: Sam, Sydnee, Aaron, Bolanos, Michael, Beth, Lauren, her b/f Brendan, Matt, Chris “Toph,” and Evan. Stefan and I somehow find these Nathan’s Hats and rock those. Hannah and Sara are sweet enough of to buy me a drinks. We then split and head to Sophie’s.
I see Amos, he gives me a Happy Birthday. I see Shawna, who I haven’t seen in a while. Stefan makes moves to get me and him a shot. Thanks Shawna for being awesome. Chris also buys a round of shots for us! Great guy. We hang there for a little bit and then we head back. Bolanos drives us back and we stop by at Wendy’s for a bite. Gotta get some food in after drinking that much.
September 30, 2012
I thank loads of people for their FB birthday posts. Mom gets me a LivingSocial deal at a nice restaurant and a comedy show for two. I’ll maybe be bringing Luna along with me sometime for that. The card is actually a James Brown singing card. Obviously mom would get me a silly thing like that. Grandma gets me loads of money for bday. Aunt gets me money too. Brother got me a sick Timex watch. I’m not a watch guy, as in I probably wouldn’t get one for myself, but I’m excited to be rocking it. It’s simple and sweet.
For dinner, family comes over. It’s Chinese Mooncake festival. Decent food and family around and stuff. Cody, my little cousin, is growing up and stuff. Crazy how fast he’s growing, he’s 4 years old now. Freaking adorable little guy.
October 4, 2012
After class, Jeremy and I go to LIC Bar for some drinks. We expect people to show up, but only Charles does. It’s a few people for a 3L’s bday show up, but I don’t really know her. It’s surprising that none of the other 2Ls are there. I guess people are getting more lame. It turns out that a 2L, Ada, is having her birthday at Brooklyn bowl. We take a subway down there, which is pretty close as we’re simply north in LIC.
We pay a $12 for a band, but aren’t there for that. We get to say Hi and see some cool people. Us three guys haven’t had dinner and decide to go to Mable’s BBQ around the corner. After another quick drink, we head back to LIC bar by cab. I had forgotten by credit card at the bar. I actually see freaking Kenneth the Page from 30 Rock at the bar. Spotted a celebrity in NYC!! The night had ended by 11:00ish.
October 5, 2012
I get to Panera to get some studying done and then it’s time to start heading out for night plans. I had made plans for Oktoberfest because I haven’t done anything for it yet and didn’t do anything for it last year. Matt, Chris, Stefan, and Aaron show up. The other people end up bitching out.
They bitch about the place and we go downtown to Spitzer’s. It’s a nice place with a great beer selection and the kind of place that actually has girls show up instead of many of the shitty bars we go to.
Stefan and Aaron end up splitting. I texted to invite Nikki, Scott’s roommate to my bday last week. However, she’s around tonight for Liza’s bday. I remember her. She just stopped by to say Hi and it was great seeing her. Hopefully get to catch her again sometime.
After another quick drink, Matt, Chris, and I catch a cab and able to take the 1:19. Not a crazy night, but a cool bros night out. It’s cool chatting with Chris because he’s a smart guy that knows his issues. In general though, a chill guy that is good to have around. On the other hand, Matt is great to have around for other reasons. We have a conversation on the train and I feel he’s being a bit loud talking about women and sex, but it’s all in good fun. It’s fun getting stories from him about his escapades with women and whatnot. Freaking guy with the 27 year old that was at my party. Dagnammit.
Soaking in the LES tonight, I still get that slight amount of jealousy in me. Not of anyone specific, just looking around the city, seeing the so many fine ladies out there. I’m missing out. Whatever, just one of those nights of thinking.
October 6, 2012
I watching Midnight in Paris. I felt like I missed out not having watched that before I went to Paris. As a film, I didn’t like it too much. However, it name drops Dali, Degas, Lautrec, Man Ray, Buneul, and the more important characters like Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, and the Fitzgeralds.
At night, I go with Kenny and Bolanos for dinner in Astoria at Butcher Bar. We then go back, I change, and then drive out to Bed Stuy for my friend’s house opening. She had followed by life along with NYU, Prague, and Budapest. It was a chill situation and Aaron and Bolanos are there as well.
We just hang out and chat, have a few beers, and eventually move downstairs because it’s freezing. It got cold really fast. I shimmy this bottle open as the cork is fucked with throwing that cork in with a good stab.
Aaron is really into this one girl for some reason and we head out to a bar for a beer. Just hanging out for a bit and Bolanos and I split. Aaron asks me if he should try to get this girl’s number. I tell him, “No consequences.” He ends up staying for a bit, so I’m not sure what ended up happening.
October 7, 2012
Art of America is another great documentary series by Andrew Graham-Dixon. In the first part, he goes through colonial to Westward expanasion. I do love the landscape pantings. They always caught my eye at the MET. American truly has some of the most gorgeous landscapes nature has to offer. I would love to do Yellowstone again sometime that I can appreciate it more as I went when I was a bit younger.
In the second part, we have New York and immigration. The Ashcan School depicts this has American heads into the 21st century. Dixon even goes to McSoreley’s as an example of old New York that barely still exists.
It moves onto my favorite American art with Norman Rockwell and Edward Hopper. It’s fun seeing Nighthawks on the screen as my poster of it stands right over my table. I can’t wait until The Whitney gets its permanent collection up at the end of this year.
Gorky is the next transition from the shift in American art from figurative painters like Rockwell towards abstraction. This is the embrace of abstract European movements.
I wake up a bit sick and get into a hacking attack. My throat is killing me. I wake up as I can’t sleep. I stay up for a few hours and then go back to sleep until 4:30. Good job Darwin. I then hang out for a bit and then find out that family will be coming back from Virginia. I’m hungry and would like to cook so I pick up stuff for a seafood paella. Sausage, spicy, cuttlefish, shrimp, aboro rice.
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