Life as We Know It

Rio is now really old. He had to wear a boy kimono for his birthday.

I have been eating yogurt relentlessly in the interminable pursuit for youth and good health. I have also been eating ryvita fruit crunch. (www.ryvita.com) It is yum and on sale at Whole Foods. Aaron hopes that my diet will not give me scurvy. Blasted, methinks I am a pirate. ARRRR!
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Since I am again bored of my movies/art/book of the week, I will start writing my thoughts again. Oh the inconstancy! I miss jibber jabber.
But I must say that the respite from writing was good for me. Thanksgiving was big ass pie event. I made pumpkin pie which turned out to be same cost-wise as buying a pie at Whole Foods. If life was a Mastercard commercial:

Pie Crust: $2.39
Canned Pumpkin: $1.50
Alice as wannabe Martha: Priceless
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The respite has extended to other areas of my life. My first time at the gym in a long time. I forgot my headphones so I didn't catch who won on The Biggest Loser. I am really excited about the Bachelor in Paris. Nothing can beat meshing my two loves together: France and reality TV. Oo laa laa. I have no idea who win ANTM or on Trump's Apprentice.
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I also stopped drinkiing coffee. I am big on tea now. I love Earl Grey and Chai. Has anyone ever had Twinings Lady Grey? How is it? Any other suggestions for tea?

Teahee Teahee. :)

Movie of the Week

Rent
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I admit I am a sucker for Broadway remakes. Chicago, The Producers..they both bestill my heart. Rent is just a little too late. While it was fun singing (albeit in my head) to the tunes I grew up with in high school, the story did not ring true to me as it once did. Kudos for Rosario for she clearly stole the show. Angel rocked too. Save yourself the ten bucks and dig up that soundtrack and turn it up full blast. Vive La Boheme!

Book of the Week

Blink
By Malcolm Gladwell
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Aaron's on _The Tipping Point_ written by the same author. Blink started with a *BANG* and kinda poo poo'ed at the end. The book motivated me enough to go to his website (www.gladwell.com) only to find that his articles were pretty much excerpts from the book. The premise goes trust your gut. He provides lots of compelling examples as to why to trust it: Kouros statue, thin-slicing couple, face reading, and then goes to tell us all the times it doesn't work. Bottom line: trust your gut but question the criteria for the snap judgment. So...I was going to give it five stars but after heavy consideration, it gets a good solid two and a half. Zing!

Art of the Week

Dutch Design @ FIT
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Northern Europe is arguably the forefront of product design (Hail, the mighty billion dollar empire of Ikea and the lovely speciaty market of Bodum) and FIT seem to intimate that the Dutch's prowess will soon dominate the fashion frontier. I decreeth not. Though I rather enjoyed learning about the Dutch values of conceptualization and effort, fashion stemming from their intellect and wit just drew lots of question marks. My blank stares slowly turned to saddened side turns of the head. The horrorific sight of the surrealist jacket with many sleeves. Tsk tsk!

"How come their products are so good but fashion so sucks?" I ask.

It has to do with how the Dutch approach the issue. With products, concepts seem to address the question. How can we make this chair comfortable using the lightest material possible? Voila! Concept becomes reality. Since fashion does not a)center around a question b)aim to be practical, the Dutch conceptualizes questions that are weird and comes up with answers that are even weirder. If we can make shoes from cows, what if we made mole rat shoes? Indeed they answer that one too.
The only thing redeeming about the exhibit was the designs of Victor&Rolf, who seems to use a very understandable yet still very Dutch way of approaching fashion. Their structural designs and cut of the fabric is bar none the best. Snip away boys!

Museums of the Week

What goes up must come down. Exhibitions at the Met has been so dead on but Montebello definitely made a faux pas (or two) with Fra Angelico and the Clouet to Seurat.
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Clouet to Seurat

Indeed was just that...Clouet to Seurat drawings. The beginning of the exhibit qualifies that the British Museum (where these works were borrowed from) is second to the collections in France, but having gone to the Musee D'Orsay, where works were exhaustive, this collection left a lot to be desired. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the new renovations within the museum. Walking around in that part of the museum was new to me.

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Annual Christmas Tree at the Met
























Intricate and classical to say the least. Each angel is unique. The clothes on the angels are to look windblown. Though the tree is not real, the foreground surrounding it is. A sight to behold.

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Fra Angelico























Not a fan of fourteenth century religious artwork but must admit Brother Angel was very modern for his time. Colors are exceedingly rich. Walked around the Lehman rotunda only to find my sister fascinated with an Ingres. Wayward.

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FIT:Fashion and Textile




















Amazing collection of clothing that are superbly well preserved. Lots of vintage, classic Chanels, YSL, Balenciaga, Christian Dior, as well as newbies such as Proenza Schouler and Zac Posen (all graduates of FIT). Sure the name is famous but got to understand in-depth as to why they were. Contrasts were also dealt with (ex: Coco vs Karl Lagerfeld, Balenciaga vs Ghesquiere). Educational yet wearable.

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"Real Women Have Curves"

NYTimes reviewed the Giacometti exhibit at the PaceWildenstein this past weekend. Among his subjects, Caroline was Giacometti's last and most beloved woman in his life. She was a prostitute that once snubbed a cigarette onto a portrait he had done of her (shown in the gallery). His plasters really appeal to me and his life is beyond interesting. Great way to end the week.

Movies of the Week

Pride & Prejudice















Must See. Sure it is romantic but very witty. Keira Knightley really held her own even vis a vis Grand Dame Judy Dench. Some complain that this Darcy is no Colin Firth, but he definitely played the role well and really gave good chemistry. Bingleys were a cute side story. Up there with the Producers.

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Shopgirl

Though few words pass between Mirabelle and Roy Porter, Claire Danes and Steve Martin bring complexity to the characters through emotion and things that went unsaid. I felt a loss at the end and that is not a great feeling to round out the evening. Rental.

Character of the Day

Bīng. This one is always useful. It means soldier, weapon, army, or military strategy. It is comprised of gǒng (廾) on the bottom, representing two hands, and jīn (斤) on the top, meaning axe. Let’s look at some combinations.

卫兵 – wèibīng means guard
红卫兵 – hóngwèibīng means Red Guard
老兵 – lǎobīng means veteran
新兵 – xīnbīng means recruit
炮兵 – pàobīng means artillery
士兵 – shìbīng means soldiers (rank and file)
撤兵 – chèbīng means to withdraw troops
当兵 – dāngbīng means to serve in the military
佣兵 – yōngbīng means mercenary
宪兵 – xiànbīng means military police
征兵 – zhēngbīng means conscription, draft, or to conscript
兵力 – bīnglì means military strength
兵马 – bīngmǎ means military forces
兵马俑 – bīngmǎyǒng means terracotta warriors
兵刃 – bīngrèn means weapons
兵戎 – bīngróng means weapons as well
兵役 – bīngyì means military service
兵变 – bīngbiàn means mutiny
兵法 – bīngfǎ means the art of war or military tactics
兵营 – bīngyíng means military camp or barracks

So, there you have it.

Tea Corner

Hello. Welcome to another edition of Tea Corner. Today, we're going to be discussing blending tea. It's a great way to get new flavors from the teas that you already have, and it's an excellent way to enjoy your rare or expensive teas while making them last a bit longer.

Blending tea is really just combining two different kinds of tea leaves in one pot/cup of tea. For example, I'm currently drinking a pot comprised of half white tea (from some tea house in Eau Claire, WI) and half wulong tea (from Porto Rico in NYC). It's a great combination that adds a smoothness and brightness to the usual properties of wulong.

I also enjoy blending lychee red and pu'er tea with some regular loose green that I get at Trader Joe's . A whole pot of lychee or pu'er can be a bit overwhelming, but blending them with the green allows you to enjoy the flavors of these teas in a bit more subtle configuration. It's also nice because I got them in Lijiang, China, and I'd like to be able to enjoy them often and not run out before I get back there.

So, that's it for today. Don't take my word for it. Experiment with some combinations of teas and see if they float your boat. If you come up with something especially tasty, let me know. Bye.

Color Change

Ok, it's time for a change to the color scheme of this thing. If you read this, leave a comment to suggest a new set of colors (two should be enough to work with) or something else that will indicate how you want this to look. You can do it anonymously, so don't be shy. I'm not the best with the whole color coordinating thing, but I have to do all the setup here, because Alice's computer is from the stone age. So, go for it.

Character of the Day

Fú. Here’s a useful one. It means to serve, to obey, to take (medicine), or clothing. The left part is yuè (月), which means moon, and the right part is fú (don’t have this by itself), which is an ancient character meaning rule. It combines with many other characters to make other words, so let’s check some of them out:

说服 – shuōfú (or shuìfú) means to persuade or to lobby
便服 – biànfú means casual clothes
叹服 – tànfú means to admire
信服 – xìnfú means to believe in
礼服 – lǐfú means ceremonial or formal dress
制服 – zhìfú means uniform
心服 – xīnfú means to admire sincerely
征服 – zhēngfú means to conquer
舒服 – shūfú means comfortable
和服 – héfú means kimono
屈服 – qūfú means to submit, to yield, or to accept defeat
衣服 – yīfú means clothing
克服 – kèfú means to overcome
服从 – fúcóng means to obey
服气 – fúqì means to concede or to be convinced
服侍 – fúshì means to serve or to attend to
服务 – fúwù means service
服役 – fúyì means military service
服用 – fúyòng means to take (medicine)
服装 – fúzhuāng means clothing, dress, garment, or costume
服毒 – fúdú means to take poison
服罪 – fúzuì means to plead guilty
服药 – fúyào means to take medicine
服帖 – fútiē means obedient, submissive, proper, or well handled

So, there they are. Clothing, war, debate, and servitude. All use fú. That’s all for today.

New Shoes

I got these shoes today. They feel really nice. I'm looking forward to taking them out tomorrow morning.

Women of Alberto Giacometti

My inaugural art piece. From now on, instead of blathering, I will write about one topic in the name of constructivism. This blog aims to learn and pass on, so I am keeping up with the theme to this blog.

























Located on Park Ave and 57th street, the Pace Wildenstein gallery has a new exhibition entitled "The Women of Giacometti," housing 48 works of the eponymous artist. His oeuvre spans from the 1920-50s, among the most notable the Venuses of Giacometti, a group of steel figures that have never been shown all together. Fascinated by the woman figure, Giacometti intensively studied the subject which including his mother, Annette, wife and other models. While his most notable medium is steel sculpture, several portraits are also included in this exhibition. My favorite among them was a sculpture acquired by Peggy Guggenheim entitled "Woman with her Throat cut off." I find it to be exceedingly modern, and as the scales and vertabrae align in harmony, poetic and yet immensely tragic. But dont count his skinny, molten figurines out. The medium is hard to play with but yet the fragility of his women are so tenuous that the relief of his figures, creates a depth to them to reveal that female beauty does not merely lie on the surface. Indeed.

Character of the Day

Huā. Who doesn’t like flowers? I know I like them. My favorite is the lilac. Anyway, today’s COTD means flower, something resembling a flower, fireworks, pattern, multicolored, blurred, or to spend. A lot of meanings for one little flower. The top part is cǎo (艹) which means plant, and the bottom part is huà (化) which means change. Clever, eh? It’s a good way to remember it, at least. Anyway, let’s take a look at some of the numerous combinations that include this character:

火花 – huǒhuā means spark
五花八门 – wǔhuābāmén means rich in variety
爆米花 – bàomǐhuā means popcorn
菊花 – júhuā means chrysanthemum
黄花 – huánghuā means chrysanthemum too, apparently
绣花 – xiùhuā means to embroider
荷花 – héhuā means lotus
莲花 – liánhuā means lotus as well
天花板 – tiānhuābǎn means ceiling
梅花 – méihuā means plum flower
浇花 – jiāohuā means to water flowers
棉花 – miánhuā means cotton
兰花 – lánhuā means orchid
开花 – kāihuā means to bloom
葵花 – kuíhuā means sunflower
桃花 – táohuā means peach blossom
花瓣 – huābàn means petal
花茶 – huāchá means herbal tea
花费 – huāfèi means cost
花粉 – huāfěn means pollen
花花公子 – huāhuāgōngzǐ means playboy, fop, or dandy
花篮 – huālán means flower basket
花钱 – huāqián means expenses or to spend money
花生 – huāshēng means peanut
花白 – huābái means graying (hair)
花剑 – huājiàn means foil (the fencing sword)
花子 – huāzi means beggar

There’s even more where that came from as well. So, there you have it. Let me know if there’s any more information I should be including, elaborating on, or leaving out. Later.

French Gestures

Alice sent me this link this evening. It's a French teacher's "Top 10 French Gestures". I found it rather interesting. I remember being in Spanish class back in 8th grade and being really amused by the section on the different gestures used by various kinds of Spanish-speaking people around the world. These French ones are also pretty amusing, especially because she includes one for every situation, especially those occurring during a crazy night on the town.

Someone's had a bit too much Bordeaux? Bust out the "Verre danz le nez" and let the hilarity ensue. Sonned someone with your razor sharp wit? Give them the "J'ai du nez" to show everyone who's willing to drop some crazy knowledge on that ass. Met a special someone and want to take things to the next level? Hit her (or him) with the "Barrons-nous" to initiate some after hours activities. Get rejected in front of everyone? Just bust out the "Bof" (a.k.a. the "Gallic Shrug"). I'm not sure it would actually apply, but it would still be funny.

The rest of them would be useful and amusing to know as well. Study up

Aaron's Music Club

If you haven't heard the new(ish) mixtape by The Clipse, "We Got It 4 Cheap vol. 2", I'd highly recommend it. It contains some of the better mainstream beats of the past couple years, and it seems that they've gotten a lot better at rapping since Lord Willin'. Here's the track over the beat from Ghostface's "Daytona 500".

Character of the Day

Yān. No matter where you go, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. In China, however, where there’s smoke, there are plenty of uses for this character. By itself, it means smoke or cigarette and will be the subject of today’s first original episode of COTD since going on hiatus in mid-October. It’s comprised of huǒ (火) on the left and yīn (因) on the right. Huǒ means fire, and yīn means reason or cause. Clearly, yān isn’t the most logical character, but that’s alright. Not many are, really. It still makes it pretty easy to remember how to write and recognize. Anyway, let’s take a look on how it’s used in combination with other characters.

烟草 – yāncǎo means tobacco
烟囱 – yāncōng means chimney or stovepipe
烟蒂 – yāndì means cigarette butt
烟斗 – yāndǒu means pipe
烟灰 – yānhuī means ashes
烟灰缸 – yānhuīgāng means ashtray
烟火 – yānhuǒ means smoke and fire or fireworks
吸烟 – xīyān means to smoke (cigarettes)
戒烟 – jièyān means to quit smoking (cigarettes)
香烟 – xiāngyān means cigarette
抽烟 – chōuyān means to smoke (cigarettes)

So, there they are. As you can see, this character is often associated with smoking cigarettes. This is useful, as there’s a lot of that going on in China. So, that’s it for today. Oh yeah, if you read this and have any suggestions regarding what I should include here or whatever, let me know. I want to change the setup of this thing, but I’m not sure how I’m going to go about it yet. Ok, that’s it. Bye.

I Desist From Blogging

I hardly read the AM/PM or Metro newspaper anymore because I don't really commute to work. I like Metro newspaper so much more and was glad to be able to read it while on a commute to Teaneck today. Madge was featured in it and I really enjoyed what she said. At times, I feel somewhat conflicted between wanting the best for myself and digging inward to find a completeness in myself, without needing anything. There is no real conflict in that. "But it is about your life, your evolution your growth." Amen to that.
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Two shows that I love on Mondays are "Related" and "How I Met Your Mother." While Aaron watches football, I am laughing (HIMYM) and tearing (Related). Both are very different but I love them for similar reasons. Both are vignettes of living in NYC in your 20s which I find totally relevant but HIMYM is really lighthearted in a "let's get drunk so I can get some ass kind of way" while Related is more of a heavy-hitting emotional. Martha Kauffman, who wrote for "Friends" is now doing "Related" and one of the guys from "Sex & the City" is the consultant for the show. I really enjoy it. It really reminds me of my dysfunctional family. Can't live with them but can't live without them. I can't underscore how all my sisters and I are just incredibly different but there are so many things on that show that remind me of me as well as my sisters. E is really the sarcastic one. I am always the baby. The actors are really great. What both shows have in common is that the characters are really human, endearing and can really sell you on the story. In the movies, you always want a superhuman face like Angelina Jolie that has that unattainable star quality. But after a long day at work, you just want a nice friendly face, good story and feel some old human emotion. Two thumbs up on both counts.
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Pondering why it is that I blog. It is a discipline for me for my mind and in terms of schedule. Let things run forth in my day to my blog so I have some down time for meditation and contemplation. Yoga for the brain I guess. I used to be very voyeur about other people's blogs but there are only a couple of blogs I really read nowadays. I prefer to blog than to be blogged down with other people's. Most of the time it is people who post up drunk pics of themselves. I think I have gotten past that point, thank God.
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I got a hair appointment at John Barrett, who is a stylist for the stars. He does Julia Roberts hair so it will be interesting what he comes up with.
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Because I render my blogs pretty pointless, I think that from now on, if I don't have anything good to write about, I am just going to take an artist and a choice painting from the artist and write about the work and the artist's style. Then I get to learn and teach. Spreading some good to the world. Both Aaron and I are going to work in a soup kitchen on Thankgsgiving day. Gobble gobble!
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(Yesterday's Answer: Smorgasbord).

Once again back is...

After over three weeks of grading thousands of essays, I can sit in front of a computer again without the constant feeling of needing to score something. By my rough estimate, I graded about 5500 essays. There were some interesting ones in every way an essay can potentially be interesting. I couldn't write anything down about them while I was working, though, which is too bad.

My favorite one is hard to choose. I had one about a grandpa who smuggled bibles into Cuba in the 70s. Another about an uncle who got shot in the head in Guatemala by the side of the road, found 8 hours later, pronounced dead, noticed 3 days later still alive, and survives to this day with a bullet in the middle of his brain that is slowly working itself out. I had two about Geddy Lee, which both managed to get "Tom Sawyer" stuck in my head for the rest of the day. I had countless Oprahs, Brett Farves, Lance Armstrongs, and Peyton Mannings, and I probably had over 500 papers on George Bush.

It was an interesting job, though pretty boring and monotonous at times, and my immediate coworkers were pretty nice. I really hated the commute, though.

I went to an audition/interview thing for the Princeton Review a couple weeks back and ended up getting invited to training in Columbus in January. It's three consecutive three day weekends. I haven't spent any time in Columbus, really, so that should be interesting.

The next month is going to be mostly spent doing GRE/grad school stuff and hopefully getting something part time somewhere. IU is looking more attractive each day. It helps that the application date is a month after Berkeley's.

It was an interesting day in the NFL. Colts won without too much worry. The game in Chicago looked pretty damn windy. Dolphins couldn't hold on against New England. Hard hitting game in Pittsburgh.

The Pacers' loss last night was despicable.

Well, that's it for today. Expect COTD, the music club, and, perhaps, the tea corner to be back this week. Later.

Ski Slopes in Sweden

Go through extremes. Yesterday was outside, city-seeking day but today was more of an inside sort of day. I woke up in the morning pretty early with all the intention of going to the gym and getting all my laundry done but I didn't do it. I used my French press bodum Melior (www.bodum.com) I got the 3 cup one which is so cute but when I tried it for the first time, it no work. All I got were friggin grounded coffee all over the place! Frustrated with my coffeemaker, I read in the instructions that I can only use grounded coffee that was coarse and not fine. What is the difference? I look desperately at my Starbucks packages. "Grounded coffee beans," it says. Doesn't say if it is fine or coarse or refined or elegant. Grind is grind. So help me God. So I tried it again, this time at a slower rate, and lo and behold, waalaa! Yippee Skippee. Panic over.
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Some lady called me about market research and let us just say she was very uncomfortable asking me the questions. Only Aaron knows what is up. So I answered them and she would clip me off with "that's fine." I almost busted out, disclosing the sham. But I didn't. So I will go to hell. Thank God G is praying for me. She told me that she prays for me every night hoping that I will go find it in my heart to follow's God's path and go to church. "Why?" I ask her.
"Because I do not want you to go to hell," she deadpanned matter of factly. Geez.
Hope her prayers will get me the golden ticket.
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Speaking of G, she came to visit me. She comes to my place all happy, giving me a perisimmon (which I am eating as I type) as well as an orange. I barter with two Fatwitch brownies (www.fatwitch.com) and two bars of Xocatl Dagoba chocolates (www.dagobachocolate.com). If I were to be typecasted in Niffenegger's _The Three Incestuous Sisters_, I would probably be the evil Ophile. I had been cleaning all day. G was way too chipper, she needed to go away.
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I went to Rite Aid and got me some more Scotch Brite, Palmolive and Celestial Seasonings tea. Gristedes in my hood is ridiculous. Tea costs $4.99 there. Whole Foods costs $2.99 but they didn't have the Herbal sampler, which I wanted. Luckily, Rite Aid is on sale 2/$3. I got the Herbal and Fruit Sampler. Stoked!
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I cleaned a big clean. There is a scientific theory that my studio staunchly adheres to. The theory states that order gives way to randomness. I am in constant clean and even when I clean, it begets more clean. But I love to see the effects of order. Being clean and being organized makes me feel so much better. Ideas stem from ownership. "I" did this. Accomplishment. I "did" this. Control. I did "this."
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I go online for a couple of hours to seek out things for my edification. Though it is nice to randomly roam around the galleries in Chelsea, I would rather see some choice ones that I picked out. For example, yesterday Jo mentioned a photo gallery exhibit I would be interested in. Since I am not literally falling asleep while typing away on the blog, I can actually expound on some of the stuff I saw yesterday:

1)Micah Lexier-- Obsessed with time. David Then and Now, photographs 75 Davids from 1-75. Then he takes a picture of each of them 10 years after.
2)Tim Bavington--Aaron would like this. Twelve colors to represent the twelve tones in music. A system of color to music in barcode.
3)Shrigley-- Funny cartoony things that crack me up.
4)Sergej Jennsen--Fabrics on canvas. If paint is not on canvas, is it still art?
5)Josephine Mecksper--Amalgam of politics, art, media and fashion that translates to style.
6)James Baker--Bright lights, big city mixed in with things from his past. Pretty much shit that goes inside his brain.
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What pissed me off is that among all of these, I thought Baker sucked big ass but among all of these, Baker was the one that got the gold star art review. What the heck. Either I suck at gauging or these art reviews need to uphold a reputation. They have to be avant-garde, zeitgeist. Please. Go to hell. Wait a minute, I am in it.
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I was learning about the exhibits that are going on and it is interesting to know that Fra Angelico is a nickname for the artist Guido. His paintings were so cherub-like that he was coined that name. Barf. I am going to hit some stuff uptown next weekend.
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Aaron you should be proud of your people. I once again watched Swedish cooking with Tina Nordstorm (www.scandcook.com) and I love her as I love how freshly she lives. I love the culture of the city but I love the wholesomeness of country life. I think it is so funny that she always sets up her own kitchen table before she cooks. How Ikea of her. And when she made mulled cider, I was like why vanilla vodka? Absolut sponsors her. Duh! She has inspired me to make some stuff. She is too cute. Jah!
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NYTimes had a very apt section about skiing in the Travel section. Sweden, Jackson Hole, Bulgaria, Boulder. I secretly snip it out every week and put it in my scrapbook. Just in case I become a travel queen. But I really want to visit E in Boulder. I miss her lots. And I also want to snow bunny!!
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Another article I love is the Madonna one. Yep, I totally relate to loving Madonna. Her Gwen Stefani, and Kylie Minogue in the musak genre.
I also like Nicole Ritchie, Penelope Cruz, Sienna Miller, Rachel MacAdams. and Demi Moore. No rhyme nor reason as to why I like these people.
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Trivia question of the day: According to Tina, what cooking tool comes from the Christmas buffets in Sweden?
(Yesterday's Answer: Gladwell)

Eucalyptus & Mint Tea

Oh really. So sleepy. Went to a bunch of galleries in Chelsea. Too many to ennumerate but I vow to make it more of a point to check out the different artists exhibiting there. I did all of 20th street today. Next weekend I will do 22nd street.
Anyway, went to the Bodum store and got my Melior coffee press which I love. I like Riedel glasses better. Went to Little Pie Company and got some Fatwitch brownies. Went to Whole Foods for lunch. Thought about going to the gym but instead walked around some more. Went to Express, Zara and Gap Body. I read the _Three Incestuous Sisters_ by Audrey Niffenerger which I found to be kinda creepy but good. Then I went to the Union Square Market. The groceries are actually a lot cheaper there so perhaps I will start walking there for groceries since I have to pay extra for the organic stuff anyway. I went to a wine tasting and I really enjoyed the Willm Grand Cru Kirchberg de barrclos Gaenbroennel. I got me some eucalyptus which smells so good and really calms me. Then I had some tea at Wild Lily Tea house. I think I am going to go back there.
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Grit. The idea that of perseverence, persistence, talent, hard work, optimism, focus, ambition, and leads to a more successful being. Sounds about right.
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The Chocolate Show is back in town this weekend. I went last year and got a sugar rush choco headache from all those samples. I have all the Dagoba a girl needs and it is even not to warrant a need to pay 20 bucks to get some choco shavings. Ratings:

1) Xocolatl
2) New Moon
3) Mon Cheri
4) Eclipse

Those are the ones above 70% and I like them in that order. Counterintuitively, that means I will purchase Eclipse whenever I have a choco fix, only because since it is my least favorite, I will probably eat less of it. Fatwitch ratings:

1) Breakfast Witch
2) Snow Witch
3) Wicked Witch
4) Walnut Witch
5) Red Witch
6) Fat Witch

I like the Breakfast Witch the most because it is the least sweet. I am not a big fan of the chocolate on chocolate because I feel as if it is gilding the lily. Speaking of crafting, I found a store you can make your own earrings. I think that would be fun. It would be so one of a kind. I hesitate as to state if it will be special in a good or not so good way. Time to go.

Holliday

The Christmas tree is up already! No lights until Dec 1st. G and I are going to see them blow up those floats the day before Thanksgiving Day. She thanks you, Aaron. She shall continue to pray for you.
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Billie & Me at Carnegie Hall was so so. I don't know anything about blues/jazz and watching her tribute made me thankful to be exposed to this genre of music so I won't be so close-minded as to not to try it but it is really not my cup of tea. She is very woe is me! My love so baaad...or something like that. Other times it is just an arpeggio of non-words that I guess I am suppose to discipher but all it does is makes me want to grab more Ricola cough drops that are free everywhere to keep me awake. I think the funniest thing is that Joan Osborne, THE Joan "One of Us" Osborne was wearing a dowdy white shirt and floral skirt with a clip in her dendrils belting it out. All I was thinking was "why is she not wearing a gold lame gown like the others?"
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But this is my third time at Carnegie helping out and it is practically a dysfunctional family that we have going on here. A kooky artsy production girl, a wannabe broadway actor, a couple from Wyoming working at Disney, a nonprofit fundraiser who majored in paper artwork, a Juilliard musician who markets on the side and me...a pharm rep...MOOO. I love the people there, it is so interesting. I like them all. We have a great time together.
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I missed Nicole Richie tonight at Virgin Megastore but I was there earlier this morning and I really want the Alicia Keyes' Unplugged CD. I want to see Light in the Piazza, Putnam County Spelling Bee, Doubt. I have never TCKTS before so I will try that. Bunch of great galleries goings on so I want to see that too. I want to Richard Tuttle but I have to Elizabeth Murray first.
Eek!
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Kanye and Adam Levine have a song out together which is just alright but I find the pairing to be quite odd.
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I finished Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner. I have read all her books except for Good in Bed. I don't know if that is something to be proud of. I think Goodnight Nobody is my first chick mystery which is a subgenre of the regular chick lit. I rather liked it in a fluffernutter sort of way because it lacked substance. I like Weiner because she can laugh at herself and she is quite honest about being a mom/wife which I am sure her fans find really relateable. Also, she is overweight in the Bridget Jones sort of way which makes her rather endearing. The ending was quite out of left field. Aaron and I are going to read a book together and I think that this pick will be swell. Last time we tried to read 100 Years of Solitude which is the slowest book ever! Methinks that the title of the book would intimate that. But I am onto my next book which is another historical novel which i am quite excited about. Details about that a little later.
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Weekends are suppose to be relaxing days but find myself being busier on the weekends. I have to catch up on all the stuff I didn't get to do: be it social, errand or cleaning wise. I can't get no rest. I slept for a long time today because I walked so much yesterday. But now even on the weekends, I have to wake up early which meansI can't really stay out too late. I am such old fogey it is quite ridiculous.
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Even though I had a long walk yesterday and my not wanting to go outside for more than I need to for I do not want to brave the cold, I went to the gym and was surprised that I was not tired but rather the lack of physical exertion left me just poo poo. So I ran a good run and spun some today too. In the NYTimes Style Section there was an article about how people do business in the gym instead of getting a meal or drink. I don't know whatto say to that. On the one hand, I went to a yoga class to build a relationship with one of my customers which I think gave me an edge. But on the other hand, the gym is a place where I can get out all my aggression, push myself harder as I use it to sort out all of physical and mental humps. As a result, I sweat and it's not pretty. So I think I would refrain from saying yes to anyone who wants to have a business meeting with me at the gym. Thanks but no thanks!
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No Silk Nog! I hate FIT kids!!!
I got shoes online. Michael Kors shoes. My first hardcore designer shoes. However, I will get them on 1/10/06. What the heck is going on?
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Trivia of the Day: Who wrote the Tipping Point?
(Many days ago answer: Daria Webowy).

Dairy Queen vs. Shopgirl

Take a look at my fridge. I have yogurt, 3 tubs things of cottage cheese, soy milk, butter. I think I should work on a farm somewhere. Maybe I can work at Dairy Queen and that would up my chances at being ANTM (like Kyle). I don't know who is going to to win ANTM. I wished they kicked someone off but it is a hard decision. I don't really like Jayla. But they are going to London and I am really excited for them and excited to watch! I think that the reason I like watching it so much is that I am like a repoisseur figure, that I can just vicariously live through one of them. In last Sunday's NY Times article "Who is REALLY the next top model?" they scoffed at the tv as being to commercial for the are simply too old and too fat to be a REAL ANTM. NYTimes...What a smart ass.
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I am literally waiting for Dagoba chocolate that Aaron bought for me. It is 50 degrees so I doubt they melted. I am so excited for it. Thanks for getting me egads of choco!!
Heaven!
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It was really surreal today. I walked around midtown and there was a photoshoot happening at Christie's. Then I walked by Times Square and there was one of the newscasters doing makeup (she has tons on). Then I walk back on 49th street, I saw Anne Hathaway shooting "Devil Wears Prada!" That was so awesome. She is so pale in real life but her accessories, brown boots and bag matched the red brown of her hair. I went to Kenneth Cole today to see the the Rivet bag and it was so sold out. Yesterday I was at J Crew and the fur trimmed sweater was almost sold out! Everything that is in magazines are going away fast. The beauty of marketing.
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I went to the American Girl Place because I saw so many people walking around with the bag. I used to read the Samantha, Kirsten, Molly books but the dolls are so scary. They scare me. There was this girl wheeling two dolls in her doll stroller and I just couldn't handle it. If I were a kid, I would build-a-bear. Or maybe go across the street and buy me some snazzy Lacoste shirts!
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I went to H & M and they just had the Stella Mccartney collection out and people were literally tearing down the racks. I can't believe it. A woman even looked at a bikini bottom. What is the use of that? Anyway, I went to macy's and people kept asking me if I needed help. I need help to get away from you guys!! I shouldn't dislike them because I found out that these peeps work pretty much on commission. They get $10 per hour flat but if they don't make a sale this week and do next week, they get deductions from their paycheck. New York, you gotta love the lean mean green machine. As for commission, they get 3%. What if you get stuck selling crappy toe socks? I think I would owe the department store chunks of change.
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I just got my choco! And they even have a letter that says "Alice, Enjoy hugs Aaron"
Aww so cute!! Thank you :)
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Ring in the Yuletide

God bless ye' merry gentlemen. Currently searching for seasonal work. So in debt. Hope that this new goal will galvanize to become something more of myself. Passion, ambition, persistence, patience, drive are components that are key to life. People don't hand it to you. You have to be it yourself. Of late, I have just been pokey-slow, allowing life to pass me by. Be something damn it! I scold myself, I tell myself, my day will come. What a fool I was. Things don't really come to you. You have to go git' it. But what is a girl to do when you don't feel it? Well...I am certainly feeling it now.
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I guess what shocked me into action is a phone call with my sister. We talk all the time but after I came back, the calls have dwindle onto none. Is she mad at me? Did I do something wrong? No...nothing was wrong. Her life is the same old, same old. Except that she had joined the choir because the holidays a cometh. I love that her life is so certain and stable, that for her life, life has no ups and downs and I can always depend on her serenity and contentedness. My mom said that among us, G is the most content and I agree with that assessment. I think that we are so very different. But nothing is up or down with her life, she is just G. Good ol' G.
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She told me that mom is ok. J also emailed me, thanking me for the gifts. My family's concern for me is heartwrenching to say the least. My mom is kinda sick and it is sucks to want the world for her and not be able to provide her with anything for I am struggling to find myself. And worst of all, she worries about me which I am sure doesn't improve her overall well-being. I used to think that I am really independent but the fact is, I am not and can never be. Tied to my family who I cannot choose and tied to my friends, who I have the ability to choose, I live not only for myself alone but also my loved ones. It inspires me to be more and to radiate outward instead of standing still. To soldier for more.
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As I go into an interview, a friend calls somewhat disconcerted for she was let go of work. I feel angry and saddened by the injustice, wishing that I can fight for her plight. I hope to see her on Saturday and maybe I can bring her some good cheer. And it makes me think that on a grander scale, my life is to learn and empower people and to make things better. It is not to just have fun and muck around. Seeing things clearly makes me feel better. I got my focus on.
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I went into the interview and the HR manager told me that I am not cut out for this job. And that I should be applying to Columbia instead of NYU Stern because there marketing program is better. She told me about the corporate internship that they have there and was glad to forward the information on. Wow. I was really floored that a person I didn't know actually had more confidence in me than I had for myself and was willing to pursue things for me that I didn't know existed. Makes me want to get out there more. I certainly didn't get the job but I came out there feeling that I can do more and expect myself to do more from here on forth.
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I see other people on the street, struggling. People selling pretzels, holding trunks of fake Louis Vuitton bags. I see this person holding a garbage bag filled with fake, wannabe bags just purchased from a wholesaler as it starts raining outside. There is a beauty to her struggle. People walk on. People move on. As do I. As do I.

Blatheration

Recent reconnection with a friend has made me contemplate the value of friendship. L is a very dear friend of mine throughout my high school days as we tried to pass Physics class together. We lost touch only due to after college displacement.
But luckily we both are on IM and talk almost daily.
She is on her way to become a high-powered lawyer. She is all grown up!
I am struck by how our conversations are that of ease, like our friendship puzzle fit together so easily.
I say that because not every friendship of mine are like that. But I really appreciate her and I am really glad she is in my life.
Kudos to you. Rock out on your new blog :)
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L recommended quite a few books to me and upon going to Barnes and Noble today, I realized her picks were quite relevant to the bestsellers floating around me. Go L! Modestly proud of my readings, I have read all on the Harry Potter wall and one or two among the best sellers. I rushed back to the library to get my two books and I am committed to read them all. Sometimes I feel that time drags on while at other times, there is not enough time in the day. Bugger!
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Another question answered is that while cottage cheese is a better source of protein, yogurt is better for you. But yogurt tastes so bad! I don't have a blender to make a smoothie. I really think it is an acquired taste so I am trying to get myself to find it in me to like it. It is really good for you and I really need all the protein I can get since I am staving off meat. I love meat but I don't think meat agrees with me. Tofu is so good but it gets boring. I wouldn't mind eating fish everyday but that is not good for the wallet.
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'Tis the season...that time when Silk Nog cometh! I LOVE Silk Nog. It is so yummy. It goes great with my tea. I really need to find a non-caffeinated tea to sip when I go to bed. Any suggestions?
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My next quest is to get standby tickets to see Martha Stewart because she is not taking any requests.
Argh!!

What a Waddle!

As my beloved R is chowing down on the KFC, I looked at the nutritional value of it all which is next to nil. All lard but all he eats is pizza and chinese anyway so I think this is a step up for him.
How apt that Chicken Little is number one in the box offices!
I forgot to mention that I saw Barbara Walters yesterday. She is a lot more wrinkly in real life. And she was very slow going down the stairs.
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I read the NYTimes today which was a surprise to me since I haven't really been able to sit down and focus lately. There was a plethora of good articles. I like Devil Wears Prada's Lauren W a lot. I like Opinionista. She is rather funny. Trenchant. Stay angry and clever, girl.
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I made ten dollars online. I thought it would be faux but it got paypaled to me. These silly things add up to make my day. Right now half of me wants to curl up and read a book. The other half tells me that I should get my heiny to the gym. Gee, the ING NYC marathon was today and it just really inspires me to luxiurate in ass-sitting. Go me.
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Trivia of the day: According to models.com, who is the REAL top model?
(Yesterday's answer: Thirty-one.)

Popcorn New York

Schubert's "Great" was great tonight at Carnegie Hall. I also head Schoenberg's "Variations" but it was not as exciting.
Walking back home is such a bitch. Between CH and my abode is the nasty traffic otherwise known as ...Times Square. Tourists might deem it lively. Sure there is nothing like it. Tons of garbage. People haggling over fake Pradas. City that never sleeps. The only redeeming thing about that area is Popcorn Indiana. (daleandthomas.com). Oh my god!! All these new flavors. I tried the peanut butter and white chocolate which was heavenly. I love kettlecorn of course but I want to try the Ragin' Cajun and the Sweet Georgia Pecan. They have a new thing called drizzle and it bestills my heart.
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Gorillaz's "DARE" is so good. I love Gorillaz.
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Last Trivia of the Day was a joke. Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane are in "The Odd Couple." I really want to see "Woman in White," "Wicked," and "Spamalot." Other than that, I have seen all the others that I wanted to see. My favorite has been "Chicago."
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Popcorn, broadway, music, tea, over 70% dark choco, red wine, books, cinema, travel, magazines yoga, and running. That is me in a nutshell. Maybe not in that order.
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Trivia of the Day: At what age did Schubert die?
(Yesterday's Answer: Apple Strudel).

Body Revelations

How did it get so hot all of a sudden? Maybe tomorrow I will jog along the west side highway because it is quite beautiful there. I hope this nice weather lasts. Weather has been so shady and unpredictable.
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I went to the Japan Society to see Akemi Takeya's Body Revolution which I found to be really weird. However, I guess I did appreciate it. There was a stream of consciousness in her work. Probably takes a lot of discipline to be able to perform the way she does. And she refers to the body as a kinetic specimen. What I found really interesting was that she lives in Austria. Why does she not stay in Japan?
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Mohawks seem to be the "in" haircut now. I have seen quite a few people sporting it in my hood. I find it really funny that perhaps Maddock started the trend. Or perhaps Chicken Little. Regardless it is not one that I will follow.
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Steam rooms better or saunas? Cottage cheese better or yogurt? Please advise.
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Trivia of the day: What famous dessert are the Viennese known for?
(Yesterday's Answer: Woman in White)

Whole Foods & Broadway

Upper West Side has a very warm family-oriented vibe. Was there today to see an advanced screening of The Producers, the movie based on the Mel Brooks' Broadway show starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Uma Thurman. It was so good! Even better than my current favorite movie this year, the Wedding Crashers. Will Ferrell was in this one and totally redeemed himself after the debacle that was WC and Bewitched.
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Ironically, after the Broadway show, I was on Broadway and stopped at the Whole Foods at Columbus Circle. This one is a whole different beast. It is in the basement of the Time Warner building and quite a behemoth. Take the escalator down and you enter into a world of WHOLE FOODS. Workers usher you to the aisles and aisles of 365. Whole Food, Whole Body...it will take your whole damn soul. It is nuts.
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OC was alright. Kinda random they had Ryan go become a sailor. The Apprentice was alright too. Randall shall win. Alla I like too. I wish I got to shop at Michael Kors!

What happened when I got back home? I checked my mail and in it was a brochure a la Whole Foods.

God help me.
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Trivia of the Day: What is the name of the Broadway show that Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are planning to appear in?
(Yesterday's answer: Peter Skarsgaard)

Reading Rainbow

Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high...that song will forever be etched in my head.
Went to the Butterfly exhibit going on at the Museum of Natural History. Pricey but like the Mastercard ad says..."priceless." Somewhat intrigued by the description but also frightened that I would be attacked by flurries of these winged creatures. But it was quite delightful to have lots of beautiful, colorful light as a feather butterflies fly around you, dancing in the air. My favorite was the Blue Morpho, which I found out, lives in Costa Rica. The color was such an exhilarating, sparkling blue. The Blue Morpho was the largest on there and when it flew, it fluttered so elegantly.
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I also saw Prime with Uma Thurman and Meryll Streep. It got such bad reviews but I loved the movie. I love Uma. I think she is one of my favorite actresses. Blondes tend to be similar in a pin-up forgettable kind of way but there is something about Uma that I find rather alluring. She exudes this spirituality, like she has a really great soul that has experienced or at least understands a lot and I think shows in her acting, making her characters more complex. She makes Gwyneth almost school girly.
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ANTM was a major gyp with a midpoint review. Sure, I missed some but I want to see who gets cut out next! Apprentice:Martha killt the two blondes. I really like the Project Manager for Matchstick for this round. She is also blonde. But unlike the two buttercup girls on Primarius who think being young and cute will lead them to the top, this one has a good head on her shoulders. I think she will win.
Side note: Buttercup is opening on the Upper West Side.
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Kate Moss on the cover of Vanity Fair. I don't know what to think about that. I think that she should just be shut out and incubated for a while. But media likes to celebrate celebrities with more coverage when they are down. She will probably just get up, brush her shoulders off, and get another contract. Lesson unlearned.

jolly time

Jolly time's caramel apple popcorn is rather good. Do you know that popcorn is actually better for you than tortilla chips? It is more fibrous. I remember back in college my best bud E and I would only eat Go Lean cereal! We were just two really regular kids ;)
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ANTM is my favorite show right now. I really do not know who shall win. My atavistic viewing does not help matters. All of them are so flawed. I like Lisa but she is kinda Tiggerish to a point of annoyance but Nic is like so pessimistic and self-doubting. Tyra has built an empire on modelling. Britain is coming up with a show too. She seems to think that America will buy into the dream of becoming a model. And you know what?
She is right.
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Ok. So can they Sing is such a rip off of So do you think you can Dance? But omg omg omg! Kim Alexis and Bai Ling make me bust out! So off key but yet so smiley happy. I always thought people tone deaf know they are tone deaf, but I don't think so anymore. When Kim Alexis sang, the expressions on other singers faces were classic. I just died.
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Avian bird flu is crazy. I will stop eating them cluckers. Where am I going to get my protein then? Tofu, boca, edamame. Maybe try an ostrich or two. Is road runner an ostrich? Aww, man.
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Trivia of the Day: Who is Maggie Gyllenhaal dating?
(Yesterday's Answer: Michiko Kakutani)