The Izz-ter at 10 months. Tell me you don't just want to eat her! She has grown up so much since I last saw her two months ago. Since then she is crawling, reaching for the bag of oreos, pointing and eats with her bare hands. Don't you wish you could do that too ? (preferably in front of your boss!)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Boston - Part I
The Izz-ter at 10 months. Tell me you don't just want to eat her! She has grown up so much since I last saw her two months ago. Since then she is crawling, reaching for the bag of oreos, pointing and eats with her bare hands. Don't you wish you could do that too ? (preferably in front of your boss!)
Chris Hansen sighting!
As soon as I got off the Amtrak at Penn Station yesterday I saw Chris Hansen of Dateline NBC! I was so stoked since DL is my favorite show. I walked up to him, said Hi, are you Chris Hansen? lol. (He was!) Chris is much taller in person than you can tell on tv, 6'4 maybe? He was super friendly and said he was on his way to DC for work. I should have asked for a pic but chickened out!
Since I had to grab some lunch before class I went to Woorijip in k-town for some Korean fast food. Lots of affordable and tasty options here. I ordered the Kimchi Fried Rice and Egg for $3.50. I'm usually not a fan of spicy foods but this was very mild. Delicious!
When I got out of class I really needed a treat. Growing up Sour Patch Kids were my favorite candy, so it wasn't a surprise that I gravitated towards the Skittles Sours. I ate half of it and gave the other half to a homeless man on the subway that was just released from Rikers Island. He was asking for anything we could give. I figured he hasn't had candy in a few years so why not. 
Since I had to grab some lunch before class I went to Woorijip in k-town for some Korean fast food. Lots of affordable and tasty options here. I ordered the Kimchi Fried Rice and Egg for $3.50. I'm usually not a fan of spicy foods but this was very mild. Delicious!
When I got out of class I really needed a treat. Growing up Sour Patch Kids were my favorite candy, so it wasn't a surprise that I gravitated towards the Skittles Sours. I ate half of it and gave the other half to a homeless man on the subway that was just released from Rikers Island. He was asking for anything we could give. I figured he hasn't had candy in a few years so why not. 
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Thailand Cafe
As promised, I went back to the Thailand Cafe for some food this time. We ordered from a happy hour menu. The menu explains that the items represent typical Thai street food.
Larb Duck Salad. Say what? According to wiki "Larb is the unofficial national dish of Laos and it is also popular in Northeastern Thailand, where the cuisine is heavily influenced by Laos." This came with a tangy sauce and
was so good! Plus it had some liver in it mmmm.
I ordered the roasted duck noodles which I didn't expect to come as a soup but it was delicious. I love all noodles, but in particular flat noodles. It just has more substance and soaks up the broth. 
Next time I want to try the chicken mas-sa-munn :-)
Larb Duck Salad. Say what? According to wiki "Larb is the unofficial national dish of Laos and it is also popular in Northeastern Thailand, where the cuisine is heavily influenced by Laos." This came with a tangy sauce and
was so good! Plus it had some liver in it mmmm.
I ordered the roasted duck noodles which I didn't expect to come as a soup but it was delicious. I love all noodles, but in particular flat noodles. It just has more substance and soaks up the broth. 
Next time I want to try the chicken mas-sa-munn :-)
Friday, June 26, 2009
Chicago Marathon training: Week 3
Countdown to the start: 106 days
I just ran 10 miles, my first double digit run this year. It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be! In the last two weeks I missed some short runs due to the rain so I'm not as prepared. I went out at 2:30 and I thought the sun would not be as intense since 11-2 is high sun. Wrong. After 3 the sun starts coming down and it feels so much closer and hotter! I crossed over on West Houston on my route to get back to the east side. Thank goodness there were lots of traffic stops for pauses.
This song was keeping me on the move. Everytime I heard Woooo! followed by the howl I totally bolted!
The Eels - Fresh Blood
I am an Asics girl through and through but I'm having some problems with my Kayanos. It is a bit too narrow for me and I feel blisters building up on the inner side of my foot.
I should have stuck to the Cumulus 10, below. It has been my favorite sneaker but out of my budget at this time.
Heading to Boston this weekend, have a good one!
I just ran 10 miles, my first double digit run this year. It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be! In the last two weeks I missed some short runs due to the rain so I'm not as prepared. I went out at 2:30 and I thought the sun would not be as intense since 11-2 is high sun. Wrong. After 3 the sun starts coming down and it feels so much closer and hotter! I crossed over on West Houston on my route to get back to the east side. Thank goodness there were lots of traffic stops for pauses.
This song was keeping me on the move. Everytime I heard Woooo! followed by the howl I totally bolted!
The Eels - Fresh Blood
I am an Asics girl through and through but I'm having some problems with my Kayanos. It is a bit too narrow for me and I feel blisters building up on the inner side of my foot.
I should have stuck to the Cumulus 10, below. It has been my favorite sneaker but out of my budget at this time.
Heading to Boston this weekend, have a good one!
M-power: Mercadito Cantina, Maccabees and Miike Snow
Summer is finally here you guys :) This has been a busy week - just wrapped up 45 hours of fieldwork at the Mercadito Cantina for my Institutional Food Service Management class. It was a pretty rad experience and I got to do a little bit of everything, including trying the food. Its the type of place for repeat visits- everything is top notch and so fresh! I am also working on writing a business plan (for class), logging in clinical hours at the NYU Hospital, putting up a bunch of items to sell online, applying for part-time jobs, and checking out some great music.
Jules invited me to watch The Maccabees/Miike Snow at the Mercury Lounge on Monday. It was a high flow of energy and lots of fun. The Maccabees are pretty irresistible live. They are so young and just maniacally energetic and enjoying every moment. The guitarist was making eye contact with everyone in the audience as if saying: Am I actually here? Am I really, really here? Can you see me?? Omg you see me!!
Miike Snow was the opposite, oozing with so much coolness that a smile or eye contact was not necessary. I have been completed hooked to their dancey and catchy beats. Perfect for the summer. Check out their myspace, especially Animal!
Jules invited me to watch The Maccabees/Miike Snow at the Mercury Lounge on Monday. It was a high flow of energy and lots of fun. The Maccabees are pretty irresistible live. They are so young and just maniacally energetic and enjoying every moment. The guitarist was making eye contact with everyone in the audience as if saying: Am I actually here? Am I really, really here? Can you see me?? Omg you see me!!
Miike Snow was the opposite, oozing with so much coolness that a smile or eye contact was not necessary. I have been completed hooked to their dancey and catchy beats. Perfect for the summer. Check out their myspace, especially Animal!
Miike Snow
Alicia, Jules, Ginger and I at the show
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
All pho you
Traveling from the north to south of Vietnam is an amazing contrast. It is much more traditional in the north with mountains, highlands and a lack of traffic rules while the south is more westernized and hip. By the same token the Pho is as different everywhere.
Hanoi -our first bowl of pho in Vietnam! We had this in a market stall. After a 23 hour flight the comfort feel from a bowl of savory noodle soup is just transcendent. I can still remember the sensations on my palate.
In Sapa this bowl of pho came in chunky beef pieces instead of the traditional thinly sliced. The meat was so fresh. I was not able to speak the entire time I ate it because I wanted to focus all my brainpower on enjoying the experience. This was actually my breakfast and I needed the carb loading before starting our half-day trek.
Pho 2000's claim to fame is that President Clinton came here. Need proof? Look how young Chelsea is.
This was quite the opposite of Pho 24, the flavors were more intense and popping. It was my kind of pho and the closest to what it tastes like in NY.
Overall, the noodles used in Vietnam are more delicate and the broth really fresh. I still like the pho here too though.
Hanoi -our first bowl of pho in Vietnam! We had this in a market stall. After a 23 hour flight the comfort feel from a bowl of savory noodle soup is just transcendent. I can still remember the sensations on my palate.
In Sapa this bowl of pho came in chunky beef pieces instead of the traditional thinly sliced. The meat was so fresh. I was not able to speak the entire time I ate it because I wanted to focus all my brainpower on enjoying the experience. This was actually my breakfast and I needed the carb loading before starting our half-day trek.
Pho 24 is a popular chain around Ho Chi Minh. This was Helena's favorite. You could tell there weren't any artificial ingredients here but it didn't do it for me. I thought it was a little too bland and I wanted to add salt and hoisin sauce to it.
Pho special "dac biet"
Pho special "dac biet"
Pho 2000's claim to fame is that President Clinton came here. Need proof? Look how young Chelsea is.
This was quite the opposite of Pho 24, the flavors were more intense and popping. It was my kind of pho and the closest to what it tastes like in NY.
Overall, the noodles used in Vietnam are more delicate and the broth really fresh. I still like the pho here too though.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Yoga to the People, Thailand Cafe
I have so many friends that go to the wildly popular Yoga to the People that I finally got on the bandwagon, and even bought this mat for the occasion. I've never done well at yoga because I don't have the flexibility, or that calmness inside me. I always need to be on the move which is why running is so suitable, and I am hoping yoga can help me become a better runner.
So the classes get so packed you can really whack several people if you're not careful. I was the last spot at the door (and this was a weekday afternoon). It was so hot it felt like Bikram yoga. I kept losing the grip on my mat because I was dripping with that much sweat. It seriously kicked my ass and I couldn't do a lot of the moves. The next day I felt like I was in an Ultimate Fighting match!
After the class Simon, Nancy, Mimi and I went to Thailand Cafe to get a well-deserved cocktail. I met Simon in elementary school (and we promised we would get married via a pinky swear in the second grade lol) and met Mimi and Nancy in junior high. It was really good to catch up with everyone because I haven't seen them in years.
We each ordered a different drink. The drinks here are really fresh especially the pineapple mojito and lychee lemonade (ask them to add some vodka!) Nancy and Mimi ordered the lunch specials and said it was really tasty. They just announced a $15 all you can drink happy hour so I'll definitely be back soon!
So the classes get so packed you can really whack several people if you're not careful. I was the last spot at the door (and this was a weekday afternoon). It was so hot it felt like Bikram yoga. I kept losing the grip on my mat because I was dripping with that much sweat. It seriously kicked my ass and I couldn't do a lot of the moves. The next day I felt like I was in an Ultimate Fighting match!
After the class Simon, Nancy, Mimi and I went to Thailand Cafe to get a well-deserved cocktail. I met Simon in elementary school (and we promised we would get married via a pinky swear in the second grade lol) and met Mimi and Nancy in junior high. It was really good to catch up with everyone because I haven't seen them in years.We each ordered a different drink. The drinks here are really fresh especially the pineapple mojito and lychee lemonade (ask them to add some vodka!) Nancy and Mimi ordered the lunch specials and said it was really tasty. They just announced a $15 all you can drink happy hour so I'll definitely be back soon!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Everything is Illuminated
Since the beginning of the year I have been juggling three books that I can't seem to finish:
There are too many other things I need to read to be able to focus my attention: textbooks, news, blogs, subscriptions to Runners World, Marie Claire, Diet & Nutrition, Nutrition Action and the ADA magazine.
Its also a new thing for me to read more than one book at a time. I used to think of it as cheating until an ex-coworker encouraged me to rotate and I haven't looked back since!
Lately I have been leaning towards Everything Is Illuminated. The title alone contains my favorite word in the entire English language, illuminate and I see reflections of myself in the main character who is quirky, thinks too much and is in his own world quite a bit. Like Middlesex, the storytelling weaves in and out of different generations which is confusing at first until you start adjusting to the characters. The dark humor reminds me of Zadie Smith's White Teeth, another novel that took some time to grow on me and became one of my favorite reads.
I have a 2 hour roundtrip commute for my summer class so I've been able to catch up on some reading. Hopefully I will finish all three by the end of summer!
- Everything is Illuminated
- The Other Boleyn Girl
- Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas
There are too many other things I need to read to be able to focus my attention: textbooks, news, blogs, subscriptions to Runners World, Marie Claire, Diet & Nutrition, Nutrition Action and the ADA magazine.Its also a new thing for me to read more than one book at a time. I used to think of it as cheating until an ex-coworker encouraged me to rotate and I haven't looked back since!
Lately I have been leaning towards Everything Is Illuminated. The title alone contains my favorite word in the entire English language, illuminate and I see reflections of myself in the main character who is quirky, thinks too much and is in his own world quite a bit. Like Middlesex, the storytelling weaves in and out of different generations which is confusing at first until you start adjusting to the characters. The dark humor reminds me of Zadie Smith's White Teeth, another novel that took some time to grow on me and became one of my favorite reads.
I have a 2 hour roundtrip commute for my summer class so I've been able to catch up on some reading. Hopefully I will finish all three by the end of summer!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
LES - San Marzano and Sunita's
On Saturday night I caught up with Joce and Purvi at San Marzano in the lower east side. I loved the atmosphere - beautifully designed, perfectly lit and just plain cool. We had a waitress that was very attentive, but once we finished our meal, another waitress kept inviting us to finish our drinks at the bar to free up the table. This is completely fine and understandable, except we never saw anyone waiting for a table every time she came over to remind us.
We ordered the margherita and the 4 cheese pizzas. The cheese one was great, I didn't mind the intensity but the margherita was a bust. The tomatoes were not that flavorful (or maybe it was just not enough of it). The crust was on the heavy side and I was hoping for some crunch. It was rather flat overall and just not bursting with freshness. Ughs. hisss
The restaurant is BYOB so Joce brought an awesome bottle of white wine for us and also a bottle of Malbec. Nice picks!
After din we had a night cap at Sunita Bar. Its pretty impressive that this bar is a one man woman show run by the lovely Sunita. Her signature drink, the jalapeno passion martini was unique, delicious and tasted like fresh juice (until you have 3 and start toppling over). The combination of wine and martinis gave me a major hangover but it was all worth it. 
We ordered the margherita and the 4 cheese pizzas. The cheese one was great, I didn't mind the intensity but the margherita was a bust. The tomatoes were not that flavorful (or maybe it was just not enough of it). The crust was on the heavy side and I was hoping for some crunch. It was rather flat overall and just not bursting with freshness. Ughs. hisss
The restaurant is BYOB so Joce brought an awesome bottle of white wine for us and also a bottle of Malbec. Nice picks!
After din we had a night cap at Sunita Bar. Its pretty impressive that this bar is a one 
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