Small Reviews

Freecycle Comparative Review: Brooklyn vs. New Hampshire Sea Coast

2011-12-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

Brooklyn Freecyle
+ TONS of activity
+ Fun to travel to different neighborhoods
+ People post lots of interesting/weird items
+ Not a lot of "Wanted" emails
- TONS of emails
- No pets
- Carrying 5 grocery bags full of glass dishes on the subway and bus

NH Seacoast Freecycle
+ Fewer emails
+ Pets
+ You get to know certain people who post a lot
+ Lots of farms use it
+ Nice people donating things like turkey dinners at Thanksgiving
- TONS of wanted ads for things like xboxes and bigger tvs
- Some places in NH are unexpectedly far away (New Durham is FAR from Durham)
- Driving 45 min with a huge dresser on top of car is SCARY

http://freecycle.org

Peppermint Oil for Mice Problems

2011-12-21T09:03:00.000-05:00

If you have left a vehicle parked in a wooded area for a few days you may have had this problem. For the past year and a half, I have had 4 or 5 separate incidents of mice taking up residence in the car. This problem is obviously so gross and also scary because mice can wreck your car by chewing on the wiring. I also have the eternal fear of one scampering across my foot while driving.

There are lots of ideas for dealing with mice in the car, from playing loud music to placing a scary garden gnome with big eyes near where you park. Obviously you could use traps, but some people (like me) are too squeamish to deal with the aftermath of that. Peppermint oil is a good option because while it is nontoxic to humans, mice are very sensitive to it. Apparently, they won't go near it. I put some drops of peppermint essential oil (extract doesn't work) on cotton balls and put them around the car. I suspect this would work in say, kitchen drawers, if you have a mice populations in your house. It does not stop them from nesting, but it will keep them away!

In addition to the peppermint oil, I have driven the car more frequently and I don't live in the woods anymore - and I have had no more mouse problems since July.

New England NPR Stations

2011-12-19T09:11:00.005-05:00

MPBN - Maine Public Radio for southern Maine transmits south, far into New Hampshire and even the north shore of Massachusetts. Primary station characteristics include opera almost all day on the weekends and classical music during the week days. I used to always catch the funny, strange show The Vinyl Cafe that seems to play Gordon Lightfoot music while the host narrates weird stories sent in my listeners in some version of poetry voice. I also like the show Snap Judgement hosted by Glynn Washington which I've only ever heard on this station.

NHPR - New Hampshire Public Radio does not have the strongest signal where I live now, but has some funny quirks that I appreciate. I love the guy who reads the NH news and station underwriting throughout the day. (A quick search has revealed that this is Dan Colgan and he is the "Voice of New Hampshire.") I also love the segment Something Wild that tells me about things like squirrel survival strategies and moose license plates. One annoying/hilarious thing about this station is that, since it transmits to every single town in the state, the list of stations takes about 5 minutes to read off.
UPDATE: I like NHPR even more because of the transition music they play between segments and under local news/weather updates. This morning at 8:30am it was Nelly's "It's Getting Hot in Here."

WBUR - When the NHPR disappears while driving east (which it quickly does), and MPBN is playing opera again, you can tune into WBUR out of Boston, MA. This station is frankly like another planet to me. They air many local show that I am not familiar with, such as, Only A Game, and others that don't even sound like NPR shows! This can be disconcerting. However, there have been many times while diving south on 95 that I have been able to hear This American Life on WBUR, in its entirety.

In conclusion, I still love the NPR station from my hometown most of all (WUNC).

Comparison: GRE Prep Books

2011-11-20T10:25:00.001-05:00

Figuring out how to prepare for the GRE is so overwhelming. There are tutors, courses, online courses, online practice tests, official ETS practice tests, and a huge range of preparation books. When I realized I would have to take the test this summer, I knew I wasn't willing to pay the high price for an actual prep course. I ended up relying on two books and the official ETS practice test online.

My first book was Kaplan. This book contains 2 full practice tests with an additional test online. I found the math sections to lack much actual review of math concepts. I hadn't studied math since high school, and using this book made me feel like I should know much more than I did which made me feel very nervous.

The verbal practice is very challenging in this book. At first, the difficulty really harmed my morale. But all the other verbal practice I did seemed easier in comparison.

The essay strategies in this book are much better than the Baron's book.

I got this book with about a month left before my test because I realized in a moment of panic that I needed more practice! Immediately, I appreciated the encouraging tone of the Baron's book. It explained things in a way that made me feel capable of not failing the test! It includes a pre-test and two full practice tests. There is a quite thorough review of all the types of math on the test.
The essay review is kind of lacking. The verbal was easy throughout the book, and then the practice tests were pretty hard. Ultimately, I thought the practice tests were super hard, and lowered my morale.

I also used the practice test provided on the GRE website. The best resource, I've heard, is the Powerprep program which simulates the real testing software, BUT IT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH MACS. Therefore, I had to take the practice written test, which was still helpful. It was easier than the practice tests in the two books I used and made me feel much better. Most of my GRE practice was about psychological morale.

Interestingly, both Baron's and Kaplan had more than one mistake in either problems or answers that made me generally suspicious as I was checking answers. I think these books will improve as people get used to the Revised test.

Other free websites I found helpful: Endless Reading Comprehension Practice, Free Practice sets, Magoosh GRE Prep (I found some of the free lessons helpful like for example, the one on exponent rules.)

Patisserie des Ambassades

2011-08-25T07:28:00.004-04:00

In March, one of my friends invited me to use Yelp for the first time. I didn't then, but since moving back to New York City, I've decided to get back on the review bandwagon and start using it. I'll be posting those reviews over here, too. Who knows? Maybe soon I'll be reviewing Yelp!

Patisserie des Ambassades - 2200 8th Avenue

http://harlembespoke.blogspot.com/2010/03/eat-marcus-samuelsson-at-les-ambassades.html

We stopped in here for a quick dessert after hearing rave reviews about their bread and crème brûlée. We ordered the crème brûlée and an eclair au café. I'd thought the eclair would have only cream filling, but it seemed to have lemon curds, so a personal bias against citrus kept me from really loving that. However, the crème brûlée was absolutely out of this world - some of the best I've ever had. We had it for take-away, and at $3.50, I would get more again in a heartbeat.

While we didn't sit down, the seating seemed fine, especially the outdoor seating, and the counter service was fast and friendly. Since it has Senegalese dishes also, I'm looking forward to going again and trying some of their more substantial food.

Bad Horse Pizza

2011-08-24T07:15:00.004-04:00

http://dofoodstuff.blogspot.com/2011/04/bad-horse-pizza.html

I really loved the pizza we ordered, the Pig & Goat, which had goat cheese, prosciutto, and roasted red peppers. The combination was delicious, and the crust here was delightfully thin and crispy. It is, however, a bit expensive for pizza (for two beers and this pizza, the bill came to $42 with tip, though we did have two slices leftover for lunch the next day).

The service was very attentive, and they left a nice, if bizarre note on the back of the receipt thanking us, which I always like. The decor is simple, but nice for a pizza-place, and I really loved the big wooden shutters around the back windows.

I'd be back, but I think it would be for the happy hour special - plain large pie and two beers for $20.

Make My Cake

2011-08-23T09:06:00.001-04:00

I split the double-chocolate cupcake; it was delicious and the perfect size for two. Very moist cake, and the frosting was absolutely amazing (and this from someone who doesn't like frosting very much). The frosting had a familiar taste, a little bit like the out-of-the-box kind we had when I was growing up, but so much fresher and clearly homemade, so it was perfect. The price was a little steep at $4 for one, but as I said, the size was big. I also really loved the pink decor everywhere, and the woman behind the counter was excellent - told us about her favorite cakes, and was so friendly. I'll definitely be back to try a slice of cake!

iGoogle Moon Phase by Aaron Hopkins

2011-07-20T17:25:00.001-04:00

I love the iGoogle Moon Phase "gadget" by Aaron Hopkins. Every time I go to iGoogle which is my default website, I can easily catch up on the moon's current phase. It displays a realistic yet charming illustration of what the moon looks like, with a numerical percentage and description. Right now it is Waning Gibbous at 82% lit. This enables you to comment on the current moon phase and people are always impressed/shocked at your knowledge of natural systems.

Are there better rated moon phase "gadgets" out there for iGoogle? Probably. But this was the first one on the list to install, and I recommend it to you.

George F. Cram 10 1/2 inch Plasti-Lite Illuminated Globe

2011-07-19T21:06:00.003-04:00

The globe lamp does not emit much light. It is kind of a reddish glow, with the continents glowing slightly more brightly. The whole operation is a little janky -- at first I couldn't tell if it was homemade or not. The cardboard globe is attached to the frame by a screw that goes directly into a fraying cardboard hole. (it is used from goodwill)

We used the globe lamp in the evenings during our middle school nature program. It looked great lit up next to a ceramic lighthouse candle lantern during our evening quiet singing. The globe lamp (which has countries like Southern Arabia) easily takes on a mystical symbol. I recommend this globe to anyone!

music, online

2011-03-23T11:10:00.002-04:00

here are some small reviews about ways to listen to music online:

Pandora: Remember when this one came out? It was crazy. I haven't been that into pandora for a few years, and especially now with the ads they put on. The music selection was too repetitious and I often didn't like the things they chose for me to listen to.

lastfm: I don't really get lastfm, except that I know I have an account there and I've listened to stuff. Pretty similar to pandora but I like the selection better. More independent artists, and you can listen to friends' "stations" of stuff they like. You can compile artists you like and they play a selection -- I think. Also, I think there is a way to hook up your itunes to it but I don't know about that.

8tracks: My housemate told me about 8tracks. On this site, you can listen to tons of playlists made by other users. I liked it pretty good for about a day, but then couldn't seem to find any playlists that I found consistently to my liking. There aren't ads, and theoretically this would be a good way to discover new music.

Grooveshark: My other housemate told me about grooveshark, and so far it's my favorite of these sites. You put in an artist or song name, and you can add tracks to your play queue. I don't know how this is legal, but so far I've been able to hear lots of music I've been curious about, but didn't want to purchase. So far I think every artist I've searched has come up in their database. Somehow it searches all music uploads and makes them available. No ads!

Bonus Options:

NPR Tiny Desk Concert: I love getting these via the "All Songs Considered Podcast." Very famous musicians like Bela Fleck, or lesser known, but talented musicians perform a few songs at the NPR music office. I've liked or really liked everything I've heard here. It has been a good way to discover new music.

Snore and Guzzle Radio Hour: Eclectic hours of music put together by an individual and downloadable to your computer. Thematic descriptions such as: " I’d say this radio hour would be a good soundtrack to accompany the study of the anatomy of flight and bird migration patterns."

FLUFFY: Keste Pizza

2011-03-22T22:50:00.003-04:00

Guys, Leah pointed out to me today that, despite only being updated once a month or so for the past year and a half, Small Reviews gets more hits everyday than the blog I painstakingly update everyday. And also that our most popular entry, Behr Paint Color 710c-3: Gobi Desert, gets as many hits in a week as my most popular entry ever has gotten in three months. Clearly, folks, you have been ignored too long, and we're sorry. Today, the pause ends. Maybe.

This afternoon, my boss took us to a very nice lunch at Keste Pizzeria (warning: that website plays music) in the West Village. It was amazing. I went in with no expectations (this was part of the key, I think, to why I didn't love Grimaldi's so much), and I was just delighted with the pizza. I ordered a prosciutto e arugola, which is my signature favorite pizza of all time. It's hard to mess up, so they had that going for them already, but Keste took it to a whole new level of delicious. The crust was perfect: light and fluffy, with a crisp black exterior layer from the giant wood-burning oven in the back. The mozzarella was fresh, the prosciutto perfectly salted, and the arugula just bitter enough to settle the whole into a perfect melding of wonderful pizza. The other pizzas in our group (one with sausage and one very similar to mine, but with shaved pecorino and tomato sauce) looked equally good.

Our waiter was very nice and even seemed passionate about the specials, but wasn't overbearing the way waiters can sometimes be. The restaurant is small, and I've heard it can get quite crowded and noisy, but we went early, so that wasn't a problem for us at all. We were seated right away, and it was more than quiet enough for us to chat. The prices were a little high (between $9-$18 for a pizza, but most are $15-18), so it certainly couldn't be my first go-to pizzeria, but for a business lunch or special evening, I would say the food is more than worth it. Everything felt extremely high-quality, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone searching for some filling, delicious pizza on Bleeker.

postcrossing.com

2011-02-13T11:44:00.003-05:00

One day, I woke up with the wish to have an international penpal. Years ago, I tried some mail exchange sites, but have seemed either too public or fizzled out since I last saw them.

I found http://postcrossing.com as an alternative and decided to try it out. It is an active site with lots of users. Here is how postcrossing works: you sign up and request an address. The site emails you the address of some person in the world (you can indicate if you want only international addresses or if you're ok with domestic too) and a little description that the person writes about his or herself. You also write a numerical code somewhere on the postcard. Once the person receives the card, they enter it into the website, and you get "credit" for having sent it. For every postcard you send, your address will be provided to another user so that you can get one.

So far, I have sent a postcard to someone in the Netherlands, and someone in Taiwan. By accident, I received 4 postcards in return, from Buffalo, NY; China; Finland; and Japan.

I like that the website doesn't publicly display your address but I also preferred being able to browse through people's profiles myself in order to find an address. I have found it kind of unsatisfying and limiting to just send postcards here and there to random people.

I might try to find another mail project, but I don think I'll request another address from postcrossing for now.

Best SuperBowl Commercials

2011-02-08T10:00:00.005-05:00

Hello, all. These are my favorite Super Bowl 45 commercials:

Edit for Clarity: The first is my favorite because OH MY GOD IT'S ADORABLE. Who doesn't want to make their small child feel like they magical? Even if they are using that magic for the dark side... The second is my second favorite because, come on. Doritos bring people back to life? Haha!

Midflight Movies

2011-01-31T00:05:00.002-05:00

Hello, friends! It's been a while, hasn't it? Hope you're all enjoying 2011. As some of you may know, I rang in the New Year in France, and since I saw three movies on the plane back, I thought I'd give a quick review of each, in the order that I saw them.

Inception:
The story, roughly, of a group of people who can enter into someone's subconscious to steal their ideas and go in to plant one, I really enjoyed Inception. The cinematography was really interesting, I liked all the actors in it, and the storyline was complicated but never felt confusing. I know it's a little too sci-fi for some people, but I thought it had enough in the way of drama and personality not to make that an issue. Also, who isn't interested in meta-meta-meta-meta stories?

Up:
I'm not, in general, a hyperemotional person at the movies. In real life, maybe a little bit, but at the movies, unless it's really late at night and I'm alone and feeling sorry for myself, I can usually keep it together. So, imagine my surprise when I found myself repeatedly choked up at Up, an animated Disney-Pixar film. The story of an elderly man who sets out to live his and his wife's lifelong dream of moving to a faraway land, this movie is an emotional rollercoaster. I was laughing, I was crying, I was constantly up and down and up and down. It was absolutely beautiful, completely heartbreaking at points, and just the best movie I've seen in a long, long time. Possibly the best movie I've seen since Wall-E. Yes, I really like Pixar films.

Killers:
A sort-of bizarre, kind of cute romantic comedy, Killers stars Ashton Kutcher as an ex-hitman, and Katherine Heigl as his too-perfect wife. I liked both of them in it, and Tom Selleck as Kutcher's father-in-law was hilarious, but I'm not in love with car chases and violence, and that makes up a fair amount of the film (probably in an attempt to make guys watch it), and I'm also not in love with hyper-contrived love&marriage&baby stories, which makes up the rest of the film (probably in an attempt to make girls watch it).

The moral: If you're stuck on a plane for 8 hours and can't sleep, Killers will do in a pinch, and Inception is good, but really, Up is where it's at.

Kelvin Slush

2010-10-01T13:02:00.005-04:00

(Image via: http://penelopetoop.blogspot.com/)

I recently started a class at the New School, and on my walk down there from midtown, I've discovered several delightful food trucks which I'd like to share with you. The first one I stopped at was the Kelvin Natural Slush Co.

Basically, you take any ideas you have about slushies from your childhood 7-11 and throw them out the window. Then, you choose a slush base from three flavors (ginger, citrus, or tea) and add a mix-in. These vary seasonally, but always look pretty fabulous and include things like blood oranges, lychee, and pink guava. You also have the option of adding a scoop of ice cream, or additional mix-ins. I think the ice cream would be really wonderful, but I didn't try it when I went.

I did try a ginger base with basil, and it was amazing. If you don't already know that you like ginger drinks, I might not start with it, since it's a strong flavor, but if you do, it's wonderful, particularly on a hot August day. I can't seem to find the price online, but I remember thinking it wasn't abnormally high for NYC, and that the slush was completely worth it. If you'd like to check it out, and I certainly recommend that you do, you can find their current location on their twitter.

Air Conditioning in and around 10011

2010-09-01T23:46:00.004-04:00

Leah and I experienced a range of A/C temps today. The Sunoco gas station near the BQE entrance by the Gowanus Canal reported a temp of 90; Batty (my car) logged 97-107.

550 7th st., brooklyn, 4th floor: Bearable. In Julia's room, cold.

g train, church ave bound: Fine.

batty: No A/C. We nearly died while looking for parking (futile). Thighs seared upon contact with leather interior.

gristides grocery store: TUNDRIC. We actively bought less because we couldn't stand it. Cut our shopping short!

360 w. 22nd st. laundry room: not memorable.

360 w. 22nd st. 5th floor: Cold. One can comfortably wear Carhartt's and long sleeves.

General outside: Too hot for long sleeves, but while wearing long sleeves in preparation for entrance to frigid grocery store, had to remove one sleeve of the garment.

Darjeeling, India from 9-29 April, 2010

2010-06-10T13:41:00.003-04:00

Darjeeling is one of several hill stations in the West Bengal state of Eastern India, bordering Nepal. Any Indian who can afford to escape the parasitic heat of the plains, Delhi, Mumbaiharu* during the spring before the monsoon does so by coming up here. You can’t even get a seat on a reserve AC train nowadays, and the jeeps up from Siliguri are packed full; young guys even hang off the ladder in the back. I spent three weeks in Darjeeling during April, and I would like to tell you about my experience there, because maybe you want to travel to India, and also some interesting things happened.

* haru is a very useful Nepali suffix meaning “and others;” so “Fulbrightharu” means my friend Emma and her fellow Fulbrighters. “Mumbaiharu” means hot places like Mumbai.

1. Weather

While Siliguriharu are 38º-45ºC, Darjeeling hovers around 20º, a bit warmer in the sun. It rains fantastic many nights, there’s lightning and thunder and terrific winds and it’s just like being in a movie, with sheets of peanut m&m droplets pouring down. It’s like the shower. My house, like all of Darjeeling, was built into the side of a steep hill looking across a valley. On the other side are other villages and in the center a dry riverbed. You can see a dry waterfall, which rushes full during and after the monsoon. Fog comes in the wrinkles of the hill like the wisps of a long beard, unfurled Q-tip, some kind of cloud comma. Low clouds look like a hand clawing over the peaks to take out all the dry. One time there was a big anvil across the valley, over the village opposite my room. I could see black sky with stars on three sides and Zeusian bolts of lightning hitting the ground below. The hills were close enough to see the individual bolts, like a doodle. But on all other sides, black and starry. Rare.

2. Water Carrying Vehicle Accident

One day, maybe Monday the 19^th, I was walking up my road to Chowrasta, the center of town. Maybe I was going to internet or to buy biscuits. Every road is like a bobby pin and very steep. In Darjeeling people are fit from so much walking uphill and down. And when I reached the guest house with the pretty fence, there was a massive crashed water carrying vehicle. It had skidded down the very vertical dirt slope from Chowrasta, probably 40’ above. Where the truck had skidded was clearly visible; fresh and damp dirt smelled summertime and planting, even down to the road, where the pavement was broken away and the pretty fence crushed into the guest house. Glass and rocks and dirt strewed the road. The whole truck was upside down, and inside the cab was shattered glass and the bent steering wheel and decals of Hindu gods and pompoms and maybe that dark stain was blood but maybe not. The very verticle slope continued down the other side of the road and it was beyond remarkable that the truck didn’t just keep on skidding down.

JQA Dollar Coin

2010-03-27T13:55:00.003-04:00

The John Quincy Adams dollar coin was released May 16th, 2008. Do you know where you were on that day? Kristin and I were in our last few days of college. I can safely say that it was raining in the northern suburbs of New York City. We remained unaware of this dollar coin's release until March 27, 2010. When did you first discover JQA?

What we like about this coin is mainly just the muttonchops. Neither Kristin and I really count JQA as one of our favorite presidents, but his style is a welcome addition to the US currency.

durham to chapel hill: comparative review of roadways

2010-03-16T10:26:00.009-04:00

Rarely have I regularly commuted by a car. For the past weeks, I have been driving daily about an hour round trip from Durham to Chapel Hill.

15 501: this is the main highway that is very convenient to get to from my house. All is well with this one until you get to the part where there is eternal construction, and what I have known for years as The Longest Light Ever at the Garret Road intersection. You might think that is the worst that it gets, but wait until the section known as Fordham Blvd. The woman who owns the farm I'm working at describes this bit of road as Torturous. There's no way to avoid Fordham Blvd., but I find it somewhat more bearable if I avoid getting on 15 501 for as long as possible....

+ Fast in theory....though only if there isn't traffic which is basically never
+ Easier access to other roads like I40, the Freeway etc...
+ You don't really have to worry about deer
+ It's easier to just stay on this road rather than turn off, especially at rush hour on the way back from CH to Durham.
+ there is a conveniently located bojangles
- People are aggressive
- People drive really fast and try to run you off the road
- It's crowded and there are lights and there's always construction
- I'm pretty sure they took down the best billboards which said Walk to Duke/Bike to UNC
- I feel worse about humanity when I am on this road

Erwin Road:
This is a "secret" rural road that goes basically from my house to the start of horrible Fordham Blvd. essentially cutting the amount of time spent on 15 501 in half. I've always known it as Old Erwin, but apparently the street signs just say Erwin. This road is the best because it's scenic, but get this: the speed limit is the same as the majority of the bad part of 15 501. Also, this road has a lot of landmarks on it for me: my middle school, a lot of childhood friends lived off it, and the pool we used to go to in the summer. It is dark and wind-y...one house actually mounted a mirror on a tree across the road from their driveway which I have always thought suggested that tricky and/or dangerous situations have occurred there in the past.

+ so lovely in the sun dappled light of afternoon
+ lots of flowering trees this time of year
+ sights include: my middle school, a church with active wayside pulpit, a horse farm
- lots of deer a night, I'm always terrified of hitting them
- people blind you with their brights nonstop on this road
- I always get stuck behind slow people
- the round-about at the durham end of the road is always nonstop confusing
- it isn't really a secret so sometimes it can be busy

Verdict: why would anyone not take old erwin? my quality of life is so much better after taking that road.

this is as pretty as it gets on 15 501...

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

2010-03-16T08:47:00.003-04:00

My friend Carlea has been watching all of AFI's top 100 films, and while I was searching for something vaguely productive to do while it was raining yesterday evening, I took a bit of inspiration from her, and decided that I'd try to watch at least a few of the most famous ones on the list. Particularly the ones that are available instantly on NetFlix.

So, we come to Guess Whos Coming to Dinner (#99), a film about an interracial couple who announce their wedding plans to their parents, none of whom are too terribly pleased to hear it. I'm not sure I can do a really complete review of this film, but I'd like to bulletpoint a few of my thoughts on it, and I hope you'll leave some comments with your thoughts on the film, also, so we can get something a little more cohesive together.

Katharine Hepburn is pretty much the most amazing woman on the planet. She's just so great. Her costumes in this are fantastic, and she has such a command over the film. Spencer Tracy is also charming.
Working for a newspaper and an art gallery used to be way more glamorous than it is now.
If these were my kids, I'd be much more concerned about their decision to get married after knowing each other for two weeks than the color of their skin. I definitely get the sense that they don't really know each other, and I think knowing someone is a pretty big qualification for getting married. Although, things seem to have been different in the late 60s and early 70s. My parents moved in together after only knowing each other for a week, and 30 years later, they're still together.
Sidney Poitier is almost as beautiful as Katharine Hepburn, and better at conveying emotion. He withholds something very powerful in this film and you can see it nearly brimming from him.
I was fascinated by the way racism is portrayed in this film as so completely obvious and so completely latent. However, I wonder if it doesn't perpetuate racism somehow by silencing two of the black characters who disapprove of the marriage, instead of allowing them a change-of-heart in the way that Joey's parents are allowed one. I'm not sure how far I can go with that, but I found it noteworthy.
I believe the film would have been vastly improved by cutting Joey's father's speech at the end by about 10 minutes. If he'd analyzed his own personal racism, and then given his approval, I think it would have been much more effective than giving a plot summary and then his approval.

Holi

2010-03-01T01:43:00.003-05:00

Sunday 28 Feb was the biggest day of celebrating the holiday Holi in the Kathmandu Valley. Even though the story of Holi is pretty disturbing, it seems to be a holiday about fun and color and impish mischief. The story of Holi is this: One king of demons, Hiranyakashipu, tried to kill his son Prahlada, but he could not be killed because of his intense devotion to Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu’s daughter Holika had a special shawl that kept her safe from fire; Hiranyakashipu thought that if he wrapped Holika in the shawl, put Prahlada on Holika’s lap and put both children on a pyre, Prahlada would die and Holika would live. Actually, Prahlada’s devotion to Vishnu caused the shawl to fly from Holika to him, and ultimately Holika died and Prahlada lived. Later Vishnu came and killed Hiranayakashipu. (For this information, thank you to the guy on the Pharping bus and Wikipedia.) Maybe the link between Holika dying and women getting water thrown at them is because Holika's faith in Vishnu wasn't strong enough to keep her protected from the fire, and Vishnu is associated with water, or maybe it's because water extinguishes fire. I am not sure. In any case, people of many religions celebrate Holi. This article from the Himalayan Times tells about members of Nepal's Constituent Assembly celebrating Holi.

The whole valley, from Bouddha to my village of Pharping, was full of people throwing water at each other for the past three days. Groups of kids stood around and waited for passersby they could attack with lolas, or water ammo, like balloons and squirt guns or just buckets of water. Some of the water is very dirty or colored with powder or dyes. The colors are actually quite toxic, yet all around town people were covered with powder residue and painted their faces with toxic metallic paints to celebrate. On Friday ago I rode 20km to KTM on a motorbike with my co-worker Phurba and we were pelted with three water balloons. Then Sunday morning in Bouddha, I had litres and litres of water dumped on me, many water balloons thrown, lots of water squirted at me from makeshift plastic water bottle guns, and was freezing and miserable on the 90-minute ride back to Pharping. It was like I had taken a shower. I had wet hair, was soaked through to the skin, wet underneath long underwear and my chuba and my sweater.

I guess Holi is fun--I'd feel like a spoilsport saying it wasn't fun--but actually I was uncomfortable and dirty and then anxious and irritated. Plus, mainly girls are targeted with lolas. In Holi-focused newspaper interviews, people said extreme things, like The government should regulate the selling of water guns or Boys throwing lolas should go to jail. But this type of communal neighborhood raucous activity is endemic to Nepal, and I can't imagine it will change any time soon.

Pressure Cookers

2010-03-01T00:38:00.002-05:00

Pressure cookers: the thing of the future! Or the past. According to my mom: “It was the Big Technology of the 50’s & came to represent a Betty Crocker life, so was despised in the 60’s.” Well, they’re easy to use and efficient with resources like gas or an outdoor fire and cook really quickly and I love them.

In Nepal, a 5-ltr. pressure cooker will cook enough dal for eight people for two-three days, in under thirty minutes. First fry tomatoes and onions with masala, then add rinsed dal and fill it up with water halfway. Let it ffffssssst three times and then open it and taste—may need some more time or water or salt.

Some tips: if you’re cooking outside over a fire, smear the pot with mud—a very good insulator. Sealing the lid is tricky; realize that it’s elliptical and must be inserted with the lid handle at 90º to the pot handle. Make sure all the steam is out before you remove the lid, and if the lid still sticks, hold the steamhole open (with a piece of cloth or cardboard because it’s kind of hot) until all the steam is released and then bang the lid in.

In addition to dal, pressure cookers boil potatoes and cassava/yam-type roots so fast, bake cakes supposedly, and cook especially delicious rice (even better if you have Bhutanese or Sikkim red rice). Plus they make this fantastic loud ffffssssst sound when the steam comes out.

waking up at 5am

2010-02-04T10:58:00.004-05:00

Recovering from having spent the past few weeks in a time zone that is 7 hours earlier, I can't stop waking up at 5am every morning. Prior to this, I had never woken up so early on purpose. Generally 5am signifies going to the airport (which is a bad feeling--I don't like airplane travel) or possibly having stayed up all night.

Waking up on my own at this time is actually not too bad. I would actually like it if didn't also mean that at 8pm I basically fall asleep wherever I happen to be. It's nice to be able to dawdle around and then find that it's only 9am. It's nice to be up early and not to have all the anxiety of having to be somewhere before it gets light out.

In conclusion, I am torn between wanting my normal sleep schedule back and wanting to embrace this opportunity for a strange sleep schedule (one of my goals in life).

Public Enemies

2010-02-01T10:55:00.002-05:00

On the plane back from Iceland, I saw Public Enemies. I’d heard about it last year, when my book club considered reading a book about John Dillinger because it was coming out, and I remember really enjoying the posters for it, but overall, I’d more or less forgotten about it.

I’m glad it was showing on the plane, though, because while I don’t think it was a masterpiece, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The film follows John Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp) during his time after his first nine-year imprisonment. It begins with his plan to break his friends out of that jail, and continues to his death a year later. In between, we see him fall in love with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), rob several banks, and travel around the Midwest pursued by Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) in fantastic clothes and cars.

The acting, despite some very cheesy lines, was pretty good, and I sort of enjoyed even those cheesy lines. Obviously no movie can cover all issues, and this one does really brush over women’s rights, and the media circus that seems to have been forming in a big way in this era, but I was able to forgive this while watching.

Overall, though, there was something really lovely and American about the film. The landscapes are both lush and barren, with enormous, empty apartments, gilded banks with real safes, and the omnipresent road that permeates both this movie and, I think, American culture. The costumes, also, are gorgeous, and even the simplest dresses and suits carry an air of glamour that just doesn’t seem to exist anymore.

The whole movie had the overall feel of a 1930s gangster flick, and given my love for all things 1919-1950, I enjoyed it quite a bit more than any other movie in recent memory. If you’re in the mood for a bit of a distraction, I’d say go ahead and rent Public Enemies. I can’t attest to whether it’s at all historically accurate or not, but it has some really beautiful scenes and feels appropriate for us right now.

Avatar

2010-01-18T08:48:00.002-05:00

On Saturday evening, I went to see Avatar with my boyfriend and some friends. We saw it at the Geneva Movieplex in "Real-D." The Geneva Movieplex was fantastic, because with student IDs, we were able to get two tickets for the 3-D movie and two medium popcorns (we were buying for friends, also) for $26. Considering that in White Plains a 3-D movie is $15 for one ticket, I was immediately fond of the Geneva Multiplex.

Now, for the movie itself. Roger had read some reviews that called the movie racist, and I didn't find this, although maybe I'm attuned to that sort of thing differently than some people. Yes, the Na'vi take characteristics from many oppressed races. However, I don't think this necessarily becomes racism, because the characteristics are taken from so many different peoples. Additionally, the nice part of making this science-fiction is that the oppressed can rise up against the oppressors and actually win. In many other movies like this, there's a sense of being lied to, where perhaps we see a win, but we know that in reality, this win is only momentary. With this movie, we can imagine that it is permanent, and I love that.

However, not being racist didn't make this movie well-written or amazingly original. The story is pretty much exactly what we've seen in Fern Gulley, Pocahontas, and Dances with Wolves. Boy-oppressor comes to wreak havoc on natives, falls in love with native-girl, switches sides and helps save native-girl's people. The dialogue is outright bad at points. And, Cameron ends his film with a song with lyrics that did not appear in the movie. I know the same practice got him that coveted 14th Oscar nomination in Titanic, but it's bad form and I don't like it one bit.

However, the special effects are amazing, and make the entire movie worth seeing. Generally, 3-D films give me pretty bad headaches because my eyes are flickering back and forth so quickly trying to take everything in. However, Cameron seems to have pre-empted this, and although the cinematography is detailed and beautiful, there's never too much going on in a given shot. The coloring of the film is gorgeous, as are all the animals created for the movie. And, while other films shot in similar ways look completely animated, miraculously, Avatar is seamless. It combines animation with live-action and if we didn't know that Pandora isn't a real place, it would be difficult to tell the two apart.

Overall, my reaction is to tell other people to go see it. I want to hear other people's thoughts on it (most of the people I saw it with didn't like it, most other people I've talked to did), and I think it's worth seeing, especially if you can make it to the Geneva Multiplex for ultra-cheap tickets.

Soundcheck's Critic's Week: The Decade in Rock

2009-12-22T10:02:00.004-05:00

Now that I drive into work, I find myself listening to a lot of NPR, a station which used to be reserved for special road trips upstate. When I was able to leave work a little early last week, I managed to catch Soundcheck, while they were having a week where they reviewed the best music of the decade. I caught Critic's Week: The Decade in Rock, which was really interesting, and made me think much harder about a decade when I felt like music really wasn't at it's peak. I guess there was so much Britney Spears and Good Charlotte that it sort of blocked out The Arcade Fire and The Strokes and Regina Spektor and Muse and all the other great artists from the 2000s in my mind.

Ryan Schreiber, the featured critic, also noted the way that music became more and more individualized in the 2000s, citing the fact that you could look on anyone's iPod and find music that almost no one but them would know. I didn't finish the program, but I hope he expounded on the fact that having an iPod at all helps to create a sort of cult of music as personality. The collectivity of music (starting out at the basics, as most of music being created by a band, and moving toward collective music experiences like massive concerts which are then aired on television to an even more massive group of people) is starting to disintegrate just a little in the face of such individualizing technology.

Anyway, the small review is this: it was a very interesting program, and you should go listen to it. I'm planning to listen to the whole thing, and then hopefully check out the rest of the week's episodes.

Outlet Shopping

2009-12-15T22:22:00.004-05:00

Since starting a new, higher-paying job a few months ago, I have (hesitantly, perhaps even unwillingly) started shopping again. The most immediate and pressing thing that I noticed is that prices are higher now than they were when I more or less stopped shopping five years ago. The next thing that I noticed is that it is pretty addictive. I'm vowing to slow down after the holidays and a trip to Iceland in late January. This may well coincide with the end of my higher-paying job, so it's probably good that I plan ahead.

Regardless, I've recently been shopping primarily at outlets and online, and have yet to make one stop at a proper indoor mall. Outlets, for the most part, are different than they were when I was younger, and from what I think they were intended to be. I remember going to Woodbury Commons (our closest outlet mall, and the primary one for New York City dwellers) and finding lots of clothes missing buttons or with the wrong tags or slight damage. It was a place for cast-off items at pretty low prices. You could sew on a new button or try to remove a stain or what have you, and you were making sure that well-made clothes didn't go to waste.

It seems to be a little different now, and while we did find some stores that had last year's styles (The North Face, Kate Spade, Williams-Sonoma) or slightly damaged goods (Fossil, Crate & Barrel [and LL Bean, apparently]), many simply had cheaper versions of the clothes currently in stores (Gap, J. Crew were both big on that, although I did see some of last year's clothes at Gap). Although I'm always a fan of affordable things, the point of most high-end retail stores is to have well-made clothes that will last a long time, and a cheaper version of those clothes isn't any better than the clothes that start out cheaper. Additionally, outlets are usually outdoor malls, which can get cold, or, if you were at Woodbury Commons on Sunday, icy. Very, very icy and actually a little dangerous. Although most of the stores were very calm, there were long lines outside Coach and Ugg.

One benefit to shopping at an outlet mall is that they are really meant to be for smart shoppers, so there are plenty of coupons online, as well as a large book of them that can be found at the information booth (with a coupon online). Also, being outside allowed for more movement space, and also meant that they weren't blasting Christmas carols, so it never felt overwhelming, the way being inside a normal mall or on Fifth Avenue or in SoHo can. Overall, I would say that the experience was more enjoyable than it would have been at an indoor mall, and I'd like to check out an LL Bean and an Under Armour outlet sometime in the future, after the holidays but before going to Iceland.

Allan Tannenbaum's Portraits of John & Yoko

2009-12-14T23:18:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure if I really like Allan Tannenbaum as a photographer. Photos of celebrities and 1970s-era New York tend to feel a little cliched to me, and his website looks more like an ad for a bad nightclub than a photographer's portfolio. He has a LinkedIn account, which I find cool, but I don't know if that can make up for poor web layout.

Having said, that, however, he took some really lovely images of John Lennon and Yoko Ono a few weeks before Lennon was murdered, and compiled a book of them about two years ago. I haven't seen the book, John and Yoko: A New York Love Story, but I did see some images from it, and they were quite lovely, so I figured I'd share them with you. My two favorites are below, and you can see the rest in Vanity Fair.

I'm not sure why, but I really love images of John and Yoko, and these are no exception. Although I think it's impossible to tell the truth about anyone or any relationship from a picture, almost all photographs of the couple are beautiful or interesting in some way. I like the two I've included here because the first is lovely and composed, and the second feels spontaneous and, to me, very happy.

Amazon.com Wishlists

2009-12-03T12:03:00.005-05:00

I really love Amazon's wishlist feature, particularly now that it has the "universal wishlist button" that lets you put items from other stores (including local shops and etsy, yay for taking down big business while using big business!) onto your list. Essentially, the wishlist is a registry that you can start without having a reason to have a registry (I know registries are becoming more popular for housewarmings, but most people still only use them for weddings and babyshowers, and damn it, everyone deserves a present now and again, big life event or not).

I'm a big fan of gifts, both giving and receiving them, and having a list of things a person wants comes in handy around the holidays and at birthdays. Particularly if you live far away from someone, the fact that you can ship directly to their house can be helpful. I've also found that I'm a particularly difficult person to buy for, and so having a wishlist is an easy way to let people know exactly what I want without looking like a jerk.

It's particularly easy to set up and use, and I'd definitely recommend starting one of your own. I've been searching for a lot of my friends, and so far, have only found two who have them, and one who actually uses it, so do yourself and your loved ones a favor and start one today!

Carhartt.com

2009-11-13T00:24:00.002-05:00

Simply put, this website is poorly designed and difficult to use. There are five options for women's pants, each with at least three sub-options, and one cannot navigate between the pages easily. Obviously it's difficult to remember whether you've just looked at Traditional Fit Boot-Cut Canvas Jean or Modern Fit Straight-Leg Canvas Workpant or Curvy Canvas Jean because the names are similar in their banal un-description and also because the photographs all look exactly the same. Duck canvas workpants, whether Traditional or Modern or Curvy or Boot-Cut, all look exactly the same in a low-resolution photograph. The written description doesn't help much, either; the pants are generally either 8.5 or 12 or 12.5 weight canvas with or without hammer/ruler/scythe accoutrements. They need to have some Lands' End bathing suit full-body 3D CGI SFX TMI ASAP KTM viewer.

Johnnie Walker Keep Walking Commercial

2009-10-21T21:47:00.003-04:00

As we all know, I really like commercials that use history to sell me something. (See here. I also really love this one very much.) If it has a good song, even better. Here's a commercial I just saw that I found very effective because of its combination of powerful music and use of historic images.

However, I wonder, did it go too far by bringing up the Civil Rights Movement and the Unification of Berlin? Any opinions would be most appreciated.

Where the Wild Things Aren't

2009-10-18T18:35:00.003-04:00

I don't know how else to say this, so I am just going to come out and say it. I did not like Where the Wild Things Are. Whew. That feels like a confession. Now I can get on this this review without pussyfooting around the idea.

WTWTA opens up on a lonely boy named Max whose sister has out grown him, his mother is too busy for him, and his father is MIA. He has no friends, an overactive imagination, and is frustrated with everything in his life. In fact we continue to see how frustrated he is for about 20 minutes. So, he runs of to where the wild things are. For those of you who have read the book, you know what comes next. He becomes king of the wild things, runs around a lot, appreciates his old life, then decides to go home. Right? Wrong. This is a feature length movie, people. We have to have character development and a way to stretch out those CGI skills. So instead of a pack of monters to rule, Max instead gains a pack of insecurities to rule. In fact, the moneters' insecurities and fears seem to match pretty closely to Max's own. Max spends most of his time trying to placate the pack instead of having just a good old-fashioned rumpus before giving up and heading home.

Ok, so maybe he doesn't just give up. But when he realizes that he's messed things up worse than he's made them better, he abandons the pack without trying to rectify it all. We as an audience are left to believe that life for the monsters either goes on as it has before or that they figure things out on their own. If this movie is about growing up, I don't see much of a lesson there.

Plot points aside, the movie was boring. As I mentioned, the sequences when Max was at home ran too long and pretty much all of the character insteractions were damn right depressing. I was never properly pulled into the movie and kept waiting for it to end. This child next to me became fidgity half-way through the movie, and I can't say that I blamed him. I too wish I could have played in the aisles. If you're going to make a movie based on a children's book, make it appeal to children. For every action/fun scene, there were 5 argument/discussion scenes. The book is such a simple story and Jonze and Eggers had to ruin it by complicating it. The "touching" ending even failed to make me cry, and I cry at everything.

Two good things I will say about this movie is that it's beautifully shot and the costumes/CGI were fantastic. Other than that, save yourself the time and money and go rent to book from the library. It will be far more entertaining.

Little Birds by Anaïs Nin

2009-10-13T21:40:00.004-04:00

Since we've been a bit slow with posts recently, so I'm going to cross-post a very short review I just wrote on GoodReads of Anaïs Nin's Little Birds.

An interesting collection of very short erotic stories. I don't read very much erotica, so I can't compare this to anything, really, but it did certainly remind me of Memoirs of a Beatnik in many ways. Some of the writing is lovely, some is awful. The characters are mostly caricatures, but overall I liked it alright and was able to read the whole thing in just two hours. I suspect that if the stories individually and the book as a whole weren't so short, I might have grown bored. I'd really like to read Nin's journals now, because I suspect those will be a bit more substantive.

My recommendation to IttyBittyReaders: If you're in the mood for some very quick erotica, this might be a good place to start. If you're in the mood for a brilliant work of epic fiction, don't bother.

Ceres' Secrets of the Valley juice

2009-10-05T11:33:00.004-04:00

Kathmandu has been hot and humid lately, more so than usual for October. Two hundred rupees in hand, I venture to Bhat Bhateni in search of a thirst-quencher. I pass by Mirage Fashion Tailors on the way, and I envision a maenad or satyr in some misty Bacchanalian lair imparting to me the Secrets of Kathmandu Valley via an intoxicating libation. What do I find upon entrance to BB but a whole aisle of fruit juices crafted by Ceres herself!

I am not surprised to be confronted with goddess-produced juice, because in Kathmandu one sees gods among mortals, according to a guide book in the tourist district.

I chose Secrets of the Valley juice over Youngberry or Medley of Fruits, say, and I am pleased with how the goddess of agriculture conjoined apple, berry, and cherry to produce a unified beverage. Not one particular fruit flavor can be distinguished from any other. The juice’s sweetness—not understated at all—means that if you don’t rinse the glass before you go to bed, in the morning it will be covered in ants. This ambrosia is irresistible, especially on a hot day.

Peppermint

2009-09-25T10:55:00.002-04:00

Peppermint is just wonderful. Although I've heard sometimes that peppermint can be bad for you, it's also apparently one of the oldest medicinal herbs in the world. I don't care much about this either way, but I think it's just perfect in tea or candy (although I don't love the hard peppermint candies, for those I prefer spearmint), a little sweetened. Today, I had some lovely peppermint saltwater taffy, which is lovely and reminds me of the beach. It's nice to have a flavor that can simultaneously remind you of both the beach and the holidays, and peppermint manages to strike just the right balance.

One of my all-time favorite peppermint dishes is peppermint ice cream. A recipe for you to make it at home can be found here: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/peppermint_ice_cream/. My friends and I made it one Christmas, and I remember a lot of laughing and whacking of the candies. Overall, it's a fun group recipe, with a delicious product. It makes for the perfect holiday dessert.

Beverages in Italy

2009-09-13T04:51:00.005-04:00

All around Rome there are water fountains for drinking. The water pours from the sides of buildings, pillars, lions’ mouths, and falls into stone drains in the ancient cobblestones. The two in Piazza San Pietro (the Vatican) were busier, maybe because the sun was shining so hotly, but the water wasn’t as tasty there as the one we first encountered on Via della Conciliazione. At that one, a small boy protested in fear as his mother picked him up to drink directly from the lion’s mouth. According to Manuela, she told him, Come on! It’s just a puppet. The water was cool, fresh-tasting, and flowed smoothly. It might have also been my favorite because it was the first one I saw.

These water fountains are interesting because at no establishment can one be served simply water from the tap. Manu said she was always afraid to ask for tap water because to ask for tap water sends a strong message, having to do with authority and government and culture and environmentalism. One time on Via San Rocco in Bologna she did ask for tap water, and the bartender said it was against Italian law to serve it to customers. But he gave us two glasses of mineral water for free.

The signature drink of Venice is Spritz, a cocktail made with wine, Aperol (a bitter Italian liquer; you can substitute Campari), seltzer sometimes, and a slice of orange and an olive. The color of the drink is a deep neon orange. The salty green olive on the wooden skewer was the best part for me. We had two Spritzes in Venice, one in Gheto Vechio (a Jewish quarter) and the other in a piazza right across the Grand Canal from the train station, take a right and a left and a right, keep walking until you are in a big open piazza with a few trees near a sandwich shop whose owner is named Renato.

Espresso! Drunk from a tiny ceramic teacup and saucer while standing up. Manu puts sugar in hers so I did too, and it comes with tiny spoon for stirring. An expensive espresso will run you about 1,40 euro. I mostly had espresso—at various caffés, on the train to Venice, with brioche, at Manu’s house—but had a cappuccino at the airport. Only whole milk produces such good foam. It really is a perfect mix of strong bitter dark sweet linger enveloping your mouth.

Stroopwafels

2009-09-12T16:27:00.002-04:00

Today, for the first time in more than two years, I had a stroopwafel, a cookie-like creation that I love. Of Dutch origin, each one consists of two thin waffles with a layer of a sweet (but not maple) syrup in the middle, and is usually sold at open-air markets. I wish I was better at describing these, because I'm not doing them justice. The texture, a little grainy, but soft, is perfect, and while they are very sweet, they aren't too sweet. I'd definitely recommend getting some, and if you can get them fresh, all the better.

Although I'm sure you can find them here (a friend says they sell them at the Park Slope co-op, and I bought mine at the New Amsterdam Village they have set up in Bowling Green Park until tomorrow), for me, they are entirely European. I had my first one in Oxford, and my first fresh one (oh my lord, my first fresh one) in Prague. They're tiny, perfect circles, and biting into one today made me feel like I was backpacking all over again. Quite the lovely feeling.

Pursuit of Dreams: The Historic Public Schools of Charles B. J. Snyder

2009-09-10T13:22:00.003-04:00

Last night, I went to a lecture on Charles B.J. Snyder at the MidManhattan Library. The lecture itself was interesting, and the speaker, Jean Arrington, was well-versed in his architecture and seemed like a genuinely nice person (at one point, she put up a picture of her high school, the design of which was inspired by one of Snyder's buildings). Snyder was the Superintendent of School Buildings in New York City from 1891 to 1923, and he built more than 400 public schools in this time.

His designs were the first to focus on the comfort of children and work around new pedagogies, and they let in more light and air than typical schools of the time, as well as giving outside spaces like courtyards and rooftop playgrounds. His buildings were also the first schools to be completely fireproofed. There were some lovely pictures of the buildings, including one particularly charming 8-room schoolhouse on Statan Island that has been demolished. Of his buildings still extant, a large number are still being used as schools, and the buildings brought in a new era of school design.

One thing I would have liked Arrington to have focused on a little more in depth was the effect of the buildings on pedagogy, and vice versa. I don't often think of space as it relates to theory, but really, what has more of an effect on us than our environment? The lecture did inspire me to check out Jacob Riis's books, which I read an awful lot about in high school, but have never truly inspected. I'll be heading back to the MidManhattan Library after work to do so.

A brief note on that: It's not my favorite library, because the building looks like it's stuck in the 1970s and the lectures there are always filled with crazies who use the Q&A time to discuss their own "political agendas" or do annoying things like smack their lips over and over through the hour-long presentation (seriously, I almost killed that guy last night) and the lines are enormous. I much prefer the main library, because the architecture is gorgeous and reading room is quiet and they have interesting exhibits that somehow don't attract the same crazies that frequent the MidManhattan. However, they do have circulating books that cover the topics I enjoy, and much more frequent evening lectures, so I seem to end up there time and time again.

Mostly about Michael from The Office

2009-09-10T00:54:00.001-04:00

The Office is charming for so many reasons. From the first bars of the theme song (doo-weeeeeeee, doo-wee doo-wee doo, wee, do do doo-wee doo-wee…), I am hooked into a loop of feelings ranging from empathy to disgust for Michael, Pam, Dwight, Angela, and all the other Dunder Mifflin employees at the Scranton branch. Though I’ve only seen about a dozen episodes, I’ve gathered that Pam has passive and sweet and ambitious sides of her; Michael is relentlessly hopeful even as he digs his own grave; Jim can be a jerky bro but has rivers of feelings within him; and Dwight is just trying to find a place where he is honored for the particular things he contributes to the world. This is also why I find Dwight’s friendship with Rolf so sweet. They understand and affirm each other in a way that other people can’t for them.

Here aboard Delta flight 70 I just watched the episode about the company picnic, when Michael and his ex Holly put on a skit about the origin of Dunder Mifflin. (This is the most recent episode I’ve seen.) At the end of the day, Michael tells the camera that he and Holly are just one of those couples with a long story: someday they’ll end up together, but the path to that destiny will include times when each person is dating someone else. But Michael is willing to wait, he tells us, and he glows happy, he glows content, probably feeling the deepest connection to another person that he’s ever felt. And in the background, we see Holly walking away holding hands with her new boyfriend. They have plans to build a house together. One can’t help but feel for Michael, especially because the “SlumDunder Mifflinaire” skit he and Holly put on was such a DISASTER.

I pick up on messages about propriety from The Office. Holly’s utmost responsibility to Michael is respect and awareness of his feelings for her. Lying on her side provocatively maybe signifies meanings for Michael that she doesn’t want to imply. Michael’s optimism about a future with Holly is either thoroughly out of touch or the producers have something up their sleeves.

Another lesson from The Office is that each person lives in their own world. One time when I was talking with a friend about peoples’ varying realities, we came to a site of dissonance (which nicely illustrated this larger point of the discussion): I saw it as each person having their own truth or multiple truths while she saw it as each person telling lies. Jim’s almost backstabbyness appeals to the watcher of the documentary because he and the viewer are on the same side; they laugh at the people who work in the office, the people for whom the office is their entire life and meaning. But one man’s office parody is another’s daily hell, just as one man’s dream of a relationship is another’s nightmare.

Behr Paint Color 710C-3: Gobi Desert

2009-09-09T12:02:00.004-04:00

When I moved into my apartment in Brooklyn, I was terribly excited to be able to fully decorate a room just as I wanted it. And, in October 2008, I wanted ultra-traditional. To go with my cherry wood bedroom set and my olive-green bookshelf (handmade by my father, hand-repainted by me), I decided I wanted a rich color that wouldn't be too obtrusive. I have a tendency to go for colors like Behr 410D-4 ("Asparagus"), either very deep or very bright colors. But, with my very high ceilings (and a mother who hates color and helped pick out the paint), these seemed like they'd be overwhelming, so I decided on 710C-3, "Gobi Desert." I soon discovered that this is both the best and the worst color in the world.

710C-3 is a rich, deep color, without being too dark. It makes a room warm without looking too much like a country home, and it looks pretty sophisticated with white crown molding. I even like the color shade just below it ("Raffia Cream), although it's a little too close to the white version of colors that my mother likes so much. The name, Gobi Desert, isn't the one I would have chosen (I like my paint names to be a little closer to home, like raffia and asparagus), but the color is lovely and matches everything. It worked so well in my bedroom that I decided to paint my new living room the same color. With much lower ceilings and much less light, it still looks nice, although decidedly warmer. I think I'm more fond of it there, because I'll have cherry floors and green couches (sensing a pattern here?), and I have an extremely bright kitchen and nook (dining nook? book nook? craft nook? I don't know yet...), so it won't be so hyper-traditional. Ah, I love Gobi Desert. Alas, I also hate it.

It is beige, after all.

The Living Sea of Memory

2009-09-08T13:15:00.005-04:00

I went to see a puppet show by Paperhand Puppet Intervention this weekend at the Forest Theater in Chapel Hill. It was incredibly crowded! Definitely a big change from when I performed some selections from Shakespeare plays on that stage one summer at drama camp.

The theme of the show was collective storytelling, specifically looking at how storytelling has been used to oppress, and trying to broaden and explain some of the things we have grown up with. For example, the whole thing begins with a piece that aims to explain how patriarchy got to be such a dominating structure in most of the world's cultures. The show also includes a section compiled from the experiences of members of the company that includes memories of their grandparents, giving pause to how the wisdom and experience older folks is not honored in our society these days.

The thing is, the themes were pulled off through the story and through the spectacular puppets made the thing a joy to watch. There was live music (including 3 drummers) and these huge, colorful puppets that the audience clapped and whooped for every time they entered the stage.

Here is a scene from the very beginning:

Graziella's

2009-08-30T17:22:00.003-04:00

I had a great meal from Graziella's last weekend. We had it delivered, so I can't say much about the restaurant, except that I pass it many mornings, and it has an open roof, which is always great. I can, however, say a bit about the food, which was fantastic, and definitely some of the best food I've had in a while.

We ordered potato gnocchi with gorgonzola, and an arugula and parmesan pizza. The gnocchi was very similar to a normal gnocchi alfredo, but with the extra tang of gorgonzola cheese, and was really a nice twist on a typical dish. The pizza followed this same pattern, and I absolutely loved these toppings I'd never tried before. The Italian style pizza is a great base for the spicy leaf and the fresh parmesan, and while I don't think it would work well on a New York style pizza, it would be really easy for someone to get or make a pizza and throw on some really fresh arugula and parmesan. I think the freshness was what mattered most here, and the meal could definitely be replicated pretty easily. I'm definitely going to try to make it at some point.

The combination on both dishes was just amazing, and it was nice to have some surprising takes on classic dishes. Also, their sodas (coke in a glass bottle and pellegrino limonada) are a cute little touch. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a nice, different pizza in Clinton Hill, or anywhere, if you're making it yourself.

Julie & Julia & Me

2009-08-30T16:48:00.008-04:00

Classes started last week and already I feel like it is Semester: Impossible. I have three math classes. That’s right, three. Well, three classes where I have to use math. Which to a math-phobic person like myself, is pretty much a nightmare. Also, I am not allowed to use a calculator for algebra.

On Saturday, I was trying to do metric conversions for my biology lab when I had a slight meltdown. How am I going to do all of this? I wondered. I was stuck in a downward spiral of negative thinking.

So, I decided to take my mind off of things, and I went to see Julie & Julia. I love food, and I love watching shows about food, so I figured it would be a win. Which in my opinion, it was. I really liked Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as Julie Powell, a woman who decides to write a blog about cooking her way through Julia Child’s cookbook. Both Julie and Julia were very likable characters. Overall, it was a cute movie. It probably won’t win any awards, but it’s something fun to go see on a Saturday afternoon. I left the theater feeling uplifted, because, as Julie’s husband reassures her: “Julia Child wasn’t always Julia Child”. Meaning, we all have to start somewhere. It turns out that Julia Child could not even chop an onion when she first entered culinary school, but that didn’t stop her from becoming one of the most influential chefs of our time. If Julia Child went from not being able to chop an onion, to “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”, then I can certainly learn to do math without a calculator.

Meredith's Bread

2009-08-29T17:26:00.003-04:00

Meredith's Bread is a New York farmer's market staple, and I took it for granted as our bread supplier. They've been around since 1987, and use only New York State ingredients whenever possible. Overall, their products are great, and they've just recently started allowing orders online, so if you can't get to one of their booths (they're all over the city and the counties between NYC and Albany), you can still have fresh bread shipped.

I usually get their andama, which is a cornmeal-based bread, because it tastes so fantastic as toast. Unfortunately, it can be a little crumbly, so while it's amazing on sandwiches that you eat right after you make them, it doesn't take well to being packed in a lunch. For that, we've used their whole wheat, spelt, and multi-grain, all with good results.

However, today, while searching for that andama, I popped a sample of chocolate biscotti into my mouth absentmindedly. It set off about a million happiness receptors in my brain, and I had to buy a pack. I'm not a huge cookie fan, but these have a perfect, light and spongy texture, and a flavoring that is sweet without being overpowering. I had one this afternoon with some Ronnybrook milk and it was the perfect snack.

An A+ Blog for a Mixed Up World

2009-08-27T22:53:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since I posted a review, and since I have been busy studying lately, I give you a review I posted on my LJ back in April with some small changes:

So I've (fairly) recently discovered the blog Sociological Images.

I really enjoy it, for several reasons. On an intellectual level, it presents a lot of interesting ideas that tend to be on my mind often. I often find myself checking the blog to find an video or an article relating to something I had just been speaking to my friend Drew about. Also, a lot of the time the posters just post the video/image/article and either leave it at that or write a sentence or two to give you some background. Their opinions usually aren't plastered all over the place (unless you count the subject matter of the media, in which case the opinions are kind of clear). You can just view the item and think about it. I like it a lot.

The subject matter of the blog varies from post to post. Some posts are devoted to the depiction of gender in the media while others focus on society's misconceptions about race. One recent post put up pictures of billboards with contradicting ads juxtaposed next to each other (e.g. an underage drinking PSA next to a Bud Lite ad). While on any other blog, posts like this would be funny, Sociological Images makes one reassess the use of mixed messages in American society.

On a more shallow level, I really like the layout of the blog. I have a weird phobia of opening up new pages. I think it's a leftover from the many years my parents continued to have dial-up internet long after DSL made its appearance. I don't like having to navigate away from the page I'm on. I usually have 5 or so tabs open at the top of my Firefox window so that I don't have to constantly be pressing the back button. That being said, a lot of the videos are right there on the page, and even when there are links, they usually lead to another part of the same website, making it very easy for a freak like me to navigate their way back to the original page. I make this point because Feministing, which I'm a very big fan of, is usually riddled with links to other pages and the whole thing makes me anxious.

So if you have some time on your hands and you need something to think on, visit the blog. I like what they're trying to do and it will spark some interesting conversations with your coworkers. Unless you're coworker is Tim the Pharmacist, whom I beginning to suspect is actually a Republican. But that's another story for another time.

88.1, non-corporate radio

2009-08-26T13:59:00.005-04:00

There is such a thrill on hearing a song you like on the radio. It's totally different then playing it yourself. And that is what I like about the radio -- the element of synchronicity. If you hear something good, or something familiar, it feels important, like you are part of something larger than yourself.

That's why I got such a big kick out of listening to the radio as I entered adolescence, but I think we all know the limitations of corporate-run radio with constant advertising and limited music selection. I discovered 88.1 WKNC in high school when we used to (illegally) eat lunch in the parking lot with the radio on, and often heard the most ridiculous songs like one about T-rexes and their T-friends, and that one Streets song that has an alcoholic and pothead arguing about who is tougher.

I discovered other charms of this station, which is actually the college station of NC State University out of Raleigh. (They apparently have an unusually strong radio transmitting power for a college station so I can hear it almost everywhere in Durham, except for [infuriatingly] my childhood bedroom where it is a little fuzzy.) Late at night, driving in the car in summer, the station plays strange ambient techno that made midnight excursions around deserted downtown Durham extra weird.

Another charming thing are the PSAs that replace ads. You can hear a rap about not drinking and driving, an invitation to host international students in your home, and energy saving tips. You can look up their playlists, archived by time, on their website and so most people I know have these scraps of paper in the car with all these different times scralled in while-driving handwriting to look up when they get home.

Burgers in Los Angeles

2009-08-26T11:45:00.006-04:00

Over the past week in the Golden State, I sampled several beef products.

At the In-N-Out Burger on Sepulveda Westway by the airport: This legendary "joint" only operates on the near West Coast and never serves food that was frozen. I got a cheeseburger "animal style" and a chocolate shake. BEST BURGER HANDS DOWN. The meat was juicy, the bun was not soggy, the cheese was not overpowering, and the sauce and onions (the "animal style" additions that are not on the main menu) really set this meal over the top. There was also fresh lettuce and tomato. It came in a little paper package and was very tidy. The shake was good, but not as good as I had remembered, and incredibly difficult to drink through a straw. It produced real Puckery Fish Face. I thought I'd be getting vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, but it appeared to just be chocolate ice cream. The intense thickness meant that we had to wait for it to melt before we could really drink it, and by that time it was kind of like tepid soup. We also shared fries, which were crispy and hot (and delicious when dipped in the milkshake!). Overall: 9.5

At the Getty Villa Center in Malibu: Laura and Mom ordered the Turkey Burger (ok, this one's not beef). This item was cooked rare and came with sauce (similar to In-N-Out's sauce, which is kind of like ketchup and mayo mixed together), lettuce & tomato, and some superb fries that were covered in parsely and garlic. Really garlicky, yum. The rareness of the turkey burger itself was a tad off-putting--it was bright pink in the middle and not very hot--but the soft ciabatta bun and the saucy goodness accompanying it were tasty. Plus, those fries! Overall: 9

At the Fatburger on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica: Normally I would not be caught dead in a place with a name like "Fatburger," but Dad told Laura it was really good. (He also recommended Carl's Jr. but we did not go there.) I got a Small Baby Fat burger, which weighs in at 2.5 ounces. (They get as big as XXXL Triple King, which is almost ten times as large: 24 ounces. You get your photo on the wall and a t-shirt if you finish it.) Like In-N-Out burger, the Baby Fat comes in a paper package. This endears me to the burger. It came with the standard accoutrements of mayo, mustard, relish, lettuce, and tomato. The relish was too sweet. The fries were absolutely cold. The burger itself was rare, which is nice. They did not have cherry coke on tap. Overall: 6.5

At Billingsley's on Pico by the 405: This old steakhouse (est. 1946) has been a Dechter/Schaffer family favorite for years. They have daily specials (Monday is prime rib and Tuesday is BBQ ribs) that come with soup or salad, potato, and dish of ice cream. On the walls are old or fake-old bizarre signs, with sayings like "This is a good place; act respectable" or "Hookers and drunks enter through the back. Front door's broken" or other mock-classy warnings. One must get the green goddess dressing with the salad. It was herby mayonnaisey and a little sour and absolutely delicious. (Here's a recipe from Molly Wizenberg, of Leah's beloved Orangette blog, from Bon Appetit.) I ordered my prime rib rare, and it was evenly pink and hardly fatty at all and sweet. Went down like butter. It could have been hotter, though. Laura's BBQ ribs were absolutely falling off the bone and came drenched in cloying BBQ sauce. All of it was yummy. And the spumoni ice cream at the end was quaint. Overall: 8

LUSH Cosmetics Massage Bars

2009-08-18T10:17:00.004-04:00

I really enjoy LUSH Cosmetics. Their products are all handmade in Canada from natural products, and they have a wide selection of vegan products also. It was LUSH that introduced me to my favorite travel buddy items: solid shampoo and conditioner. I use the Godiva Solid Shampoo and the Jungle Conditioner every time I go on vacation because it doesn't leak and you can carry it on planes. Plus, whenever I smell it, I remember all the fantastic places I've used it. For home, I really enjoy Big Shampoo, which you can only use once or twice a week, because a big ingredient in it is salt, but which lathers incredibly well and creates real volume.

By far, though, my favorite items at LUSH are their massage bars. These bars are absolutely perfect for any massage you may want. They come in a huge variety of scents and textures, and are less messy than any other massage oil. You just rub them on your hands and the oil melts away. My favorite is the Fever Massage Bar, which must be pretty popular, since it's gone up in price since I bought mine, and is now more expensive than any other one, at $11.25. It's scented with sandalwood and rose, and it has lips.

They also have a variety of other bars that I'd like to try, including the Cosmic Dreamcatcher Bar, which is scented with sage and frankincense, and the Wiccy Magic Muscles, which has peppermint for a little tingle.

If you're planning on buying one of these, though, I'd recommend you store it in a cool place. They melt when left in, say, a suitcase in West Africa or your nightstand in the sun. Plus, when it's sweltering like it has been in New York, who wouldn't want to take it out of the fridge for a cool treat?

Seal of Approval

2009-08-15T19:31:00.012-04:00

The following items have my approval:

Grey Gardens for HBO: I'm a big fan of Grey Gardens and I was skeptical about the HBO film however, I was very impressed. Everything about it was so perfectly executed.

The Stuff You Should Know and Stuff You Missed in History Class Podcasts: If you like Mythbusters but can't stand that woman with red hair, you'll love these podcasts. Miraculously they provide you with everything you would ever want to know about topics you've always wondered about such as spontaneous human combustion, the unsavory combination of orange juice and toothpaste, Rasputin's mysterious death and the Pied Piper (all of these episodes are especially good) in a mere 15 minutes.

William Finnegan's profile of Joe Arpaio, an Arizona sheriff, entitled "Sheriff Joe" from July 20th's New Yorker:
Once you read this you will be shocked and want to talk about it with everyone. I read it about 3 weeks ago and I still can't stop thinking about it.

d

Some Thoughts on Moving, and Madison

2009-08-12T23:13:00.007-04:00

Moving sucks. I hate moving. Shit! Right now I am moving from Madison to Nepal (via New York) and my mom is moving from New York to LA. What this means is a hassle. Like, Where will I put the stuff I don't need in Nepal but I want to keep? And, What about if I'm coming back to Madison--should I keep some things here? Like, my speakers or my bike? Also, moving makes you reprioritize and get frustrated and so my Sensibility Meter is all out of whack.

My small room is full of stuff I can't keep. These fall into the following categories: things I brought with me from New York and didn't use (after not having used them in New York), like a harmonica and three pairs of flats; things I accumulated in Madison and didn't use, like a purple lurex top and some nice tins for holding tea; things I had in New York and Madison

and seem too useful to get rid of, like a harmonica & flats & India ink & a humidifier & an old dish shift sign-up sheet & a biography of Grace Paley & two corkboards & several short coats. One solution is to sell things to local people. I sold the iPod Touch I got by rebate with my new computer to Syrym (room 27), who took it to Kazakhstan today and will bring me $$$ after he sells it there. I sold my speakers to Jacquie and my bike to Kate (room 5). I gave a photo of Obama to Katie (room 32) and shells to Julia T (room 2). I gave coop-related drawings and emotional ephemera to Elise (room 28).

Moving also fucking sucks because it means you have to say goodbye to people. In this case, I also have to say goodbye to a community that I've helped build and maintain. I'm frequently involved with some contained community that has clearly articulated roles and responsibilities--probably less clearly defined boundaries--so I have a lot of experience with being part of something and having to leave it. Each time it's heartbreaking. In response to saying goodbye to each other, people have different reactions. Some get mushy, some get angry, some get distant, some put it all behind us, some bring it to the fore. Some plan to stay in touch and some say they will but don't mean it. The easiest goodbyes are when you know the relationship is mostly done but still remember each other fondly. Relationships that allow this kind of warm but easy separation are few for me, because I am needy. So right now I'm dealing with being realistic: the current incarnation of my most meaningful relationships is about to be over, but this doesn't mean something different and equally sustaining can't emerge. That Sensibility Meter has been telling me to pull away for the past two weeks, but house meetings and writing policy and making video tours and doing dishes and loving this place are unavoidable. Leaving this place is unavoidable. I am a part of this. I am apart of this.

Boston

2009-08-11T22:34:00.003-04:00

This will likely be the most succinct post I will ever write (because I already have biochemistry reading to do).

On August 1st, I moved to Boston, MA for medical school (more on that at a later date). Here are some things I have noticed about the city so far, especially my neighborhood, the South End:

-Friendly traffic enforcement agents...!

-Lots of one-way streets, many of which inexplicably switch direction midway.

-Lots of BAKERIES of all sorts

-Many rats (thankfully, not spotted inside any building)

-Luckily, the city is very walkable, because in comparison to good 'ole NYC, the public transportation sucks.

-Street names in New England are very literal (ie there's a playground on "playground street," a school on "school street"...you get the idea)

-Cape Cod is CLOSE.

-Everyone went to Harvard.

Just kidding.

To be continued...

College Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

2009-08-11T18:25:00.005-04:00

There are two main libraries here at this 40,000 person university: Memorial Library and College Library. I've spent more time at College because I've had to make some movies (about a Yeti and about the International Coop), and that's where the computer lab and technology check-out is. They are always quite friendly! This morning I had to return an external hard drive and take out a video camera. Jake helped me get a camera off reserve and then told me, Good luck with your shoot! He helped me before too, when I was editing some Yeti footage and then scanning images of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

The people behind the desk are always approachable and willing to help. They will drop whatever they're doing to teach you how to edit or explain what you need to know about the DV Station or help you scan large pieces of paper and then teach you about your online storage cache. When the library was closing today they let us stay until our data finished uploading. Also, other people in the computer lab will watch your stuff if you need to make copies or get some food from downstairs.

The downstairs is undergoing some massive renovation, like frikkin everything else in this city these days, so this may contribute to the relative lack of air conditioning. (By the way, no buildings at the UW are cooled to below about 70, it seems.) But the circulation people are still cheery and abiding! I had several overdue books and it turns out there's no charge at all! You can just return them whenever you want!

One weird thing is that there was a copy of the Onion in the computer lab desk of the people who were helping me this morning, and when I came back this afternoon someone had written my full name on the front page. There was also a 608 phone number--not mine, obviously. There are no "Julia Gruberg"s at the UW. Strange.

Being a Pedestrian in Durham

2009-08-11T15:22:00.003-04:00

The other day, carless, and baffled by the DATA bus schedule, I decided to walk from my house to 9th Street (a little cultural center near Duke's East campus.) I have walked comparable distances and farther in other places in the world like New York -- three miles. But Durham is different!

For one thing, there are hardly any sidewalks. If you live downtown, then all is well. Things are walking distance and you only really have to deal with the heat. My walk, though, required walking on some pretty car-centric roads, not even that accommodating of things like bicycles. Try crossing two lanes of cars turning onto the entrance ramp of the highway!

In some places, once you are safely across the street, there are little footpaths worn into the grassy shoulder. Here you can see evidence of the foot traffic, but the thing is that you don't really see many people walking. It's just you, and the cars. And it definitely feels different to be the lone walker during rush hour! If you do pass someone walking in the other direction, someone is going to have to move to the side so that the other can pass, but it's okay because you understand each other, both being part of the fellowship of Durham pedestrians.

Actually the main thing that walking around in Durham makes clear are the strict class levels of transportation. Not having a car to get around, definitely sets you in a certain economic and societal level for the most part. You can see it in the way people act about the bus system here, and the fact that the majority of people you do see riding buses or walking around are non-white, and unlike me, routinely get around Durham carless. For me, as someone who can borrow a car pretty much whenever I need to (with some advanced notice), it is illuminating to remember that the city is way more than my daily experience and routine.

Margaret's Cantina in Chapel Hill

2009-08-11T15:12:00.004-04:00

Okay the tag line for this place is "local, seasonal, genuine": love it! This place may be located in a strip mall which may seem bad, but it is actually conveniently right next to the Chelsea movie theater which may be less comfortable then other independent movie theaters in the area, but I still like it.

Anyway, I am not sure why anyone would go to Blue Corn Cafe which has a similar menu (Mexican/Latin American fushion whatever) -- IN THEORY ONLY. I don't get why everyone raves about BCC, because Margaret's is so much better, has actual good vegetarian options (tempeh tacos and tofu that is not sick!), is very busy and vibrant, and also is cheaper. Also, you can tell stuff was made that day and hasn't been sitting around for awhile, which is nice. I also like how the clientel here all kinds of people -- families, students, young professionals, soccer teams etc.

My Libation: Cherry Coke

2009-08-04T17:46:00.005-04:00

Leah said, I wish you'd write a review of Cherry Coke. So ok. First let me go to the personal fridge and grab a can (thanks to Lindsay room 7) to inform my reviewing.

Ok, (diet canned) Cherry Coke in hand:

It's bubbly. Fruity, but dark. The cherry flavor itself is pretty good, especially because it's subtle. I just like it.

Something about Cherry Coke harkens* back to the 50s. I don't know why I was recently siezed with the desire to drink this particular drink, but there it was. What to do but submit? Leah and I searched up and down State St but Cherry Coke "from the tap" wasn't to be found. Eventually we settled on Coke + grenadine (see Leah's review) from Nick's (closest thing to a diner in 53703).

A few days later, with Chelsea & Julia (room 2), I had my first experience at Jimmy John's. That place is ok. I really like shredded lettuce, but there was too much mayo. Anyway, it was a surprise relief from the usual pain that comes from drinking Cherry Coke from the can. The crux of my Cherry Coke experience lies in the chest-tightening that inevitably comes--with increasing intensity--with every swallow. This is a special treat that only comes when I have Cherry Coke from a can, hence the search for Cherry Coke from a fountain.

Because of the chest-tightening, I can't drink a whole can in one go. So I find a suitable jar in the kitchen and pour the remaining 3/4 of the can into that jar. Then ensues the search for a matching lid. Though most glass jars look exactly like other glass jars, they are not threaded the same, so they require different lids. At this point in my co-opping experience I can tell which kind of lid a certain jar requires: Ball/Kerr mason jars take that two-pieced doo-hickey, with the flat lid part and the collar. These are the kinds of jars I like to store my Cherry Coke in. The contrast between the ornate Cornucopia molded onto the glass and that dark liquid may inspire deep thinking in some: what other things can be stored in a glass jar? McDonald's food, granola to take to class for eating during the breaks (as Emma room 28, Elise room 29, and I room 4 do), jam, small religious artifacts. But I digress. The point is that my mason jar holds the Cherry Coke until my heart palpitations subside, at which point I can resume drinking it, and by which time it has mostly gone flat.

*child's name alert

Infinite Jest

2009-08-04T13:53:00.004-04:00

Okay so I finished IJ, and I don’t really want to get into it, but I am really glad I read it and am really into trying to get other people to read it. You can borrow my copy which originally came from Sarah. In fact, Sarah, I think you would like it, so do you want it back?

Since my original review, I moved away from the NY area and the activity of reading on public transit. This was the right condition to continue reading IJ! I made a lot of progress after I stopped lugging it around all the time. Though I did lug it through some airports and during my many mile (seemed like) walk that day in Madison round trip from W. Gilman to the end of Willy St., ending with many blisters and that familiar old sore shoulder.

There are so many little things I could mention about reading this book! Just doing a brief google search makes me want to re-read the whole thing. I think that’s an important point though – that you can read it as a Hamlet expert or a grammar/syntax expert, or maybe someone who has gone through AA or whatever, or you can just read it as someone whose friend gave them a copy one day without any prior knowledge about what is about to happen.

here are some interesting tips to prepare for reading -- not sure if this will encourage or discourage. The forward by Dave Eggers is also quite motivating -- it will make you feel like you are a part of something bigger than yourself by taking on this book.

"The older Mario gets, the more confused he gets about the fact that everyone at E.T.A. over the age of about Kent Blott finds stuff that's really real uncomfortable and they get embarrassed. It's like there's some rule that real stuff can only get mentioned if everybody rolls their eyes or laughs in a way that isn't happy." -- 529

cherry coke

2009-08-04T13:51:00.001-04:00

While in Madison, Julia and I got really into cherry coke. But not just regular cherry coke – from the fountain! So the first part of this review is that we discovered that it’s not common to find it “on tap.” Misleading, since we had access to it every second of our college experience in the soda fountain in Bates. Who knew Bates had such a rare offering!

So we compromised and found that regular coke from the fountain with grenadine was a suitable replacement. Though apparently Jimmy John’s has the real thing, and the new-McDonald’s Drugstore (Ox and Rabbit) in Durham has an old-fashioned soda shop set up where you can make up any flavor you want. Plus they have crushed ice which I love and compostable cups.

144 hours in Madison, WI

2009-08-04T13:41:00.004-04:00

I knew very little about Madison before I visited, other than what I’d heard from the three friends who live there, and from other people who always say “I’ve heard it is very nice.”

I agree that it is very nice, especially during the last week of July, especially when coming from southern East Coast humidity.

Lots of things pleasantly surprised me. Julia (who I went to visit) had told me about the Capitol building in the center of town, but I didn’t really understand how central it is in the downtown area where she lives. Hopefully Julia or someone will read this and correct me if I am wrong, but to me it seemed the Capitol building and four main streets radiating from it orient the whole downtown area. You can look down State Street (a bike/bus/pedestrian only mall) and see the dome looming, reminding me of cathedrals of small European cities like Seville. Julia and I enjoyed going to the Capitol most days, for the air conditioning, the superb water fountain selection, and to see all the architectural treasures.

Other things of note include the farmers market every Saturday which takes place on the sidewalk around the square block of the Capitol. They sell cheese curds there and cheesy bread and everyone walks around it in one direction very slowly like cattle. Also everyone loves it. All of Julia’s housemates we saw that day had to reference having just been to the FM or asking if we had been to the FM or saying “we are going to go to the FM” with such excitement!

The general water fountain quality and quantity of the whole city is really quite superb. I really appreciated the water quality of city water.

Also, Madison is on the isthmus between two lakes. Who knew? I enjoyed James Madison Park, a grassy knoll on the water, and the Union Terrace at the university where you can sit and watch the sailboats.

I also enjoyed my walk down Willy St. including the food co-op and the lovely flowers growing and in everyone’s yard, and cherry coke at Nick’s, Julia’s new favorite place. Also, I think if you were to look into the city’s history of co-operative housing (and co-operative other things), like the International Co-op where Julia lives and I stayed, you would be intrigued.

Shopsins

2009-07-29T16:14:00.004-04:00

About a month ago, Leah and I went to Shopsin's, a delicious tiny restaurant in the Essex Street Market. Although there are only about 10 seats in the whole place, the menu is enormous, and everything on it looks fantastic.

When you walk in, you are welcomed by the dirty (and sometimes unwelcoming) mouth of Kenny Shopsin (restaurant owner and author of Eat Me). While we were there, he used several sexual slurs, a ton of curses, and explained that he recently cut seating in Shopsin's in half so that he didn't "have to go home and snort a half of coke every night." He also seemed to know most of the patrons by name, and had no problem telling some others there was no room for them. Though he was definitely entertaining, he was really rude and Leah and I basically couldn't hold a conversation because he was so loud and we just had to keep listening (he sat directly behind Leah). The atmosphere, then, was an experience in and of itself.

But then there was the food. I paid $14 for my sandwich, and it was worth every penny. I had a Luke's Lunch I (pulled pork and chili-cheese fries on a ciabatta), and it was huge and greasy and those fries made me feel like I was going to heaven. If I went back, I would probably order just the chili-cheese fries on their own ($12). Leah had the Indian Girl (fried potato, cabbage, onion curry, and lentil slaw on naan, $14), and that was also really good. Although the prices are steep, I'd say that the food was worth it, and the staff was entertaining in a certain kind of way, so I'd recommend at least trying it, if you like sandwiches. Just be warned: it can be really hard to get a table. We went on a Friday at 2pm, and it seemed to be pretty calm, but Leah had gone once for brunch (before they got rid of half the seating), and it was still very crowded.

Barbara Kingsolver

2009-07-26T09:57:00.003-04:00

I don't know how I ended up in love with Barbara Kingsolver. I distinctly remember telling someone that I wouldn't read The Poisonwood Bible because it was too commercial (it might have been the Oprah sticker, before I realized that Oprah's Book Club can be damn good). I really thought she was someone like Lauren Weisberger. Yet, somewhere along the line, I did read it, and I loved it. Loved it in a way that I could never have expected, and in a way I haven't loved very many books. It is one of those rare books that was both deeply moving and informational, and every moment of it was beautiful. If you haven't read it yet, please do. It's lovely.

So, finally realizing that Kingsolver wasn't quite as painfully commercial as I'd originally thought, I put her aside and didn't do much about it. Until I saw Animal, Vegetable, Miracle had come out. As you have probably guessed by reading this blog, I love food. In particular, I love ethical food. Though I was leaning more and more this way, reading this book just pushed me over the edge. Although I'm sure if I read Coming Home to Eat or In Defense of Food now, I'd love them and be inspired and moved, when I first read them, they didn't quite hit home. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle did, and I think I'd have to credit Kingsolver with most of my trips to the farmers' market and my whole garden experiment this year. It's a lovingly written, funny, and again, informational book. It also has some really good recipes, all of which you can check out on the website.

Several months later, bored and not sure what to read, I scanned my roommate's bookshelf and discovered The Bean Trees. Though I wouldn't say that Kingsolver's first novel is as good as The Poisonwood Bible, it was a very fast, moving read. It tells the story of a woman escaping her rural roots by moving out west. Along the way, she picks up a baby and meets some fascinating people. Again, it was less sophisticated than The Poisonwood Bible, both in style and content, but it was a good read, especially for the summer.

Then, two weeks ago, I passed a box of free books while walking down my block and, of course, grabbed a ton. Prodigal Summer was one of them, nestled among six Toni Morrisons and a Dave Eggers. I started reading it late last night, so I'm only a few pages in, but I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I hope you grab one and let me know how you like it!

Bobby Flay Chicken Parm

2009-07-21T22:01:00.007-04:00

I had a real hankering for some chicken parm last night, so I googled for a recipe. What a luck-game to be presented with one from Bobby Flay! Knowing him to have great accountability from a show that I have been willfully dragged into watching every Sunday, I decided to give it a try.

This recipe was easy to make, though the larger chicken breasts that I bought called for closer to thirty minutes in the oven, and I opted for store bought sauce in the interest of time. Like most of the comments posted, my chicken came out very soft and tender, and was probably the first time I remember strips of chicken to actually flake off onto the fork. I had never heard of panko bread crumbs before, but they created a more interesting, layered texture. They would probably make a great chicken cutlet dinner.

Next time I think I will try a combination of panko and traditional bread crumbs, and also look to use less ingredients. The egg and flour could have been cut in half to be less wasteful.

The chicken parm was served on a bed of pasta with a salad. I would have liked to try Flay's garlic bread recipe.

A Book Review and an Apology

2009-07-19T22:56:00.008-04:00

I want to take back my earlier invectives against the short story and recommend to you the book I finished most recently, Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino. It’s a pretty compact (approximately 150 pages) collection of short stories--12 in all. These are stories about the extinction of the dinosaur, the movement of the earth around the moon, the mollusk's shell, stories about atoms, matter, and the expansion of the universe. They are also stories about love, desire, embarrassment, longing. Each one is fiction, fiction grown out of a scientific fact or, perhaps, it is the other way around--perhaps it is the fiction-- the characters, the art--which give birth to the science and to the fact. Or maybe it is just that the two mingle and coil (so beautifully! so fantastically!) until it is impossible to distinguish one from the other. But, should they be distinguishable? Is it important to separate fact from fiction, science from art? Is it even possible?

This is something I think about a lot and I really don't know. I DO know, however, that this book is a real treat but if you’re looking to collect a lot of literary capital you might want to try Leah’s current friend: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.

P.S. I just remembered another collection of short stories I love: Invisible Cities, also by Calvino.

Getting Inked

2009-07-18T20:12:00.009-04:00

On Friday, Roger and I got matching tattoos in celebration of our fifth anniversary. We both got smallish ampersands on our wrists. Mine is white, in Baskerville Old Style, and on my right wrist. His is black, in Times New Roman, and on his left wrist. We both had very different experiences, so I'm going to review my own here for you.

We decided to go to Iron Butterfly, a tattoo parlor in our hometown. The website makes it look really creepy, but J.J. had recommended his artist, Chuk Hognell, and since Chuk had done an amazing job on J.J.'s, we decided we trusted him and came home. I'm glad we did, because he was very friendly, although he really, really didn't want to do my tattoo in white, and also hated that we were putting them on "upside down" on the wrists. I did really appreciate that he told me not to get it on my foot, because apparently it wears away in the spot I wanted it. To illustrate this, he showed me a picture of a worn away tattoo on a foot. He spelled everything out for me, was really easily accessible via email beforehand, and was generally a really great guy who obviously cares about what he's doing. If you're planning on having anything done, I'd definitely recommend him, although I believe he specializes in black, white, and grey tattoos.

Overall, the process was fairly painless, although some parts did sting a lot, and it lasted precisely six minutes. The feeling was definitely one of hot scratching, which I've heard a lot, and which was very true for me. Today, it's still a little swollen, and there's still some purple from the transfer on it, but it seems to be in pretty good shape. I told Chuk I'd go back to him if it fades completely and I decide to go over in a darker color, but I really wanted something very faint and personal, so we'll see how it goes.

I can't really attest to having anything large done, and we'd been talking about getting this tattoo for three years, so I'm pretty comfortable with having it be so permanent, but I'd say, if you're considering a tattoo, and are sure it's something that you want, go for it. The pain isn't so bad that I wouldn't do it again, and I'm actually really into having this permanent design on my skin. One day, I'm considering going back to get the outline of a flying pig, which is a symbol of hope in the face of impossibility to me, so obviously the experience was good enough to be thinking about repeating it sometime. The ampersand is, of course, a symbol of unity, and a reminder that we're all part of something larger than ourselves.

Yinka Shonibare Retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum

2009-07-16T02:29:00.021-04:00

I was fortunate enough to attend the member preview of the Brooklyn Museum's Yinka Shonibare retrospective back at the end of June. I was not sure what I thought then, and I left with questions and fortunate feelings that I was able to escape with only five or so mentionings of the ever so mythic and malleable word "identity." After seeing the show for a second time this past weekend, I think I am more settled on my thoughts. maybe. It may be pretentious. Sorry. Maybe.

I think the New York Times review is cogent in mentioning the fashioning of the mannequins with “African” textiles overdone in his œuvre. It is obvious or, as the Times says, literal, in pieces like “Gallantry and Criminal Conversation” where the mannequins are bent over in small groups in sexual positions. Additionally, if there is an idea beyond the overwrought trope of “questioning identity and authenticity,” it was certainly not present in the catalog and write-ups. In fact, they only served to reiterate a conversation of “luxurious white 18^th century vs. postcolonial black 21^st century.” Most frustrating were the implications of Shonibare himself in the exhibition’s concluding documentary, where in speaking on the Fragonard re-appropriation, he (rather problematically) refers to the piece as a contrast between the luxury of the west/poverty of Africa. How deeply he feels this to be true can’t be for certain, but statements such as that are unfortunately the kinds of golden nuggets that the curators of the show seemed to latch onto.

I think there are strong undercurrents that were missed. Shonibare’s work presents interactions before inequalities. Rather than “African authenticity” (whatever that really means anyway), I think the fabrics dressed on headless mannequins are symbols for the past and the implications for history's future generations. Of course interactions must include ones that are racial and economic, but there is an unmentioned labor-intensive application that needs to be performed in this installation work.

The Fragonard piece is that application, I thought, for the viewer is forced to reconsider, among other things, the idea of voyeurism inherent in the original. The priest and husband figures are absent from the composition, with perhaps the viewer of Shonibare’s installation left to take their place. The piece is three dimensional, here, and a spectator is offered the unique opportunity to move from all angles. There is irony in some way, for we, like the male participants, are given a peeping gaze up the headless mannequin’s skirt. The entire original absorption of the piece is altered, and if anything, the interaction around “leisure” is assigned onto the person who is gazing upon it. It is in this way that we are able to place ourselves in history, understand ways to see the past, construct the otherwise class-less, race-less, headless.

The curators and writers of the exhibition catalog needed to press further into what lies behind the appearance of these brightly colored fabrics. Hierarchies may or may not be revealed through the fabric, and yes, cultural barriers may be stretched, but art criticism on Shonibare in general needs to ask for more, because in this show we were force fed a bit of the same sentiments over and over.

The piece (“Mother and Father Worked Hard So I Can Play”) installed in the museum’s period rooms was sure nifty, though.

Typical Tuesday

2009-07-14T16:39:00.003-04:00

At Roger and Kristin’s suggestion, I’ve decided to review a typical Tuesday at my office except today really isn’t a Typical Tuesday, any ol’ run-of-the-mill Tuesday. You might be wondering how this Tuesday differs from all the Tuesdays that came before it—from the coffee, the gchat, the bbm, the furtive online-article reading. I will tell you.

This morning started out a little different from most. I felt a cognizance at breakfast this morning—which fair, fair! was brought on by Kristin and Roger—of that fact that it’s my last Tuesday EVER here, at my very first job, at this office I’ve been coming to for five days a week since October first. (I understand that for some of you full-timers this probably doesn’t mean much but for me, it does.) Then there was lunch which was uncommonly good—a vegetable quesadilla and a cup of exquisite fresh-squeezed watermelonade from Butterfield Market (Lex. Between E. 77th and 78th.) And, perhaps, the most extraordinary thing to happen today was the secret email my boss sent to my coworkers, encouraging them to buy me some going-away gifts, which I will receive at my very own going-away party, this Thursday, July 14. As if all this wasn’t out-of-the-ordinary enough, at this precise moment, a meeting of our Board of Directors is beginning, which means a lot of Italian men (+ one woman) in suits are coming to the office. This also means that they are drinking Pellegrino and staring at some fresh-cut flowers.

So now I think you must be wondering how I feel on this not-so-typical Tuesday. Maybe you are expecting me to tell you that I feel a sense of excitement and possibility as I am almost three days away from never coming back to this box-with-not-enough-natural light, this box which I have felt entrapped by for 10 months. But, today, on this not-so-typical Tuesday I can’t say I feel those things. I am mostly just serene.

Abistro

2009-07-13T13:11:00.003-04:00

From the outside, Abistro doesn't look like much. But inside the inauspicious 154 Carlton Avenue entrance is a tiny, hip restaurant. We went on Saturday, and at a friend's suggestion, ordered Senegalese Fried Chicken.

This little dish had about a million flavors, and was perfectly cooked and spiced. The chicken comes layered on top of a pineapple-jasmine rice and kale, and is topped with "Senegalese salsa," which is, I think, a deconstruction of yassa, because it's a cold, limey onion sauce. The chicken isn't exactly what you'd expect fried chicken to be, but it is lightly breaded and fried, and while it was a tiny bit dry, the sauce (a creamy dijon) and "side dishes" more than made up for that. The salsa was a little spicey, which played perfectly off the very sweet rice and the perfectly cooked, perfectly flavored, perfectly perfect kale.

It is pricey ($23 for the fried chicken), but it is BYOB, so you can save some money there. I've heard that the (nonalcoholic) mixed drinks are fantastic, but we were trying to save a little money, so we didn't get any. The service was very good and everyone was very friendly, and the decor was stark. They played good, if loud, music and the whole thing made for a nice date.

The complexity of flavors was amazing, and I might list this as one of my Top Ten Meals, if I didn't have such a hard time with that sort of thing. I honestly believe that when I die, I will be greeted with a bowl of that kale in heaven.

A little nota bene: this isn't traditional Senegalese food in the least, and if you're searching for that, your best bets are Joloff or Africa Kine, both of which are fantastic if you like Senegalese cooking. Le Grand Dakar is also good, but slightly more fusion-y than Joloff or Africa Kine.

Grimaldi's Pizzeria

2009-07-10T10:00:00.004-04:00

I've been waiting to try Grimaldi's pizza for about three years, so yesterday, when Roger and I happened to find ourselves in Dumbo for a gallery opening, we decided to finally try it. After waiting on line outside for about 40 minutes, we finally entered the building, which is decorated with a lot of Frank Sinatra pictures and red-checkered tablecloths. It was crowded and we sat between two other couples, which was fine. We ordered two cokes and a pizza.

Let me preface the rest of the review by saying that I firmly believe that New York's Best Pizza should be New York-style pizza.

The pizza, coal-cooked, arrived very hot, and legitimately tasted pretty good. However (and perhaps this is my fault, for not fully understanding what I was getting myself into), it is very much Italian-style pizza. In case you've never been to Italy, this means a very thin crust, a somewhat chunkier tomato sauce, and slices of mozzarella strewn about, with some basil leaves. It's good. This pizza is also good (although, not as good as it is in Italy; the burnt bit on the bottom was a little too charcoal-y for me). It's also healthier than New York style pizza. But honestly? Is it the best pizza in the city? No, of course not. To say that it is the best is to deny all that pizza in New York stands for.

Pizza in New York is a horse of another color, and damn it, I like it better than Italian-style. For example, see the two images below. They both have their charms, but the pizza on the right is better. Why? Because it is New York style. Notice that the sauce and cheese is mixed together in a fusion of happiness. This is true pizza, and it is a pizza of this sort that should be rated New York's best. I will continue my search for this elusive morsel, for the unicorn of food, The Best New York pizza, and I will report back.

For now, visit Grimaldi's, but only with the right expectations: a long line for okay Italian style pizza. And then head over to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, where they will help to make it all better with their sweet, creamy cones.

DELICIOUS: Bubble Tea

2009-07-06T13:02:00.003-04:00

I really enjoy bubble tea, which apparently has its origins in 1980s Taiwan. It tastes pretty much like cold, sweet, milky tea (at least the milk teas do), and has delicious balls of tapioca (called pearls) at the bottom. The consistency of the pearls is a little chewy, but not as chewy as gummies are. Overall, it's a lovely little drink.

Right now, for lunch, I'm having a big glass of it from Koryod@ng, a bakery in Koreatown that sells it for $4.25 (a nice little side for it is the red-bean bun, which goes for $1.35). However, you can get a slightly smaller glass of it at Vanessa's Dumpling House (probably one of my top ten restaurants in NYC) for only $3.00, and I'm sure that there are places in Chinatown where it is even cheaper.

If you'd like to try to make this yourself, I quickly googled "bubble tea recipe" and came across this. Apparently Epicurious doesn't have a recipe for it.

2009-07-04T16:41:00.023-04:00

1. Francis Ford Coppola's Tetro is an intoxicating cinematic confection that will most certainly be on my "Top 3 movies of 2009 List" (9.5 out of 10).

2. I have been looking forward to the release of the DVDs of the first season of Eastbound and Down for quite a while because I so enjoyed Danny McBride's performance in Pineapple Express. I watched it, it was funny and I will rent the second season once it's available but I don't plan on watching the first season again (6.8 out of 10).

3. I'm a sucker for anything that has the flavor "fruits of the forest" because aside from being tasty it makes me feel Romantic and lady-like in a Bronte kind of way. I recently purchased 365 Brand Fruits of the Forest Fruit Spread from Whole Foods and found it to be too reminiscent of Welch's grape jelly, lunch ladies and crustless white bread. (4.1 out of 10).

4. Charles Ray's Ink Line at Matthew Marks Gallery (523 W. 24th St., closes July 10th) is spectacular, moving, thoughtful, and funny (9.3 out of 10).

5. Williamsburger (342 Wythe at S. 2nd) has nice waitresses, passable hamburgers, and embarrassingly flaccid french fries (3.1 out of 10).

Rats

2009-07-02T12:05:00.003-04:00

For some reason, I really like looking at rats in the wild. The first time I ever saw one was at the Bronx Zoo, in some bushes, and I think the idea of seeing a new animal that wasn't meant to be there was just too cool for school. So, I don't mind them quite as much as most people do. I even think they're kind of cute, although I don't think I'll ever get over that gross tail.

Given my interest in them, I decided to go to a lecture by Dr. Robert Corrigan, who is an expert in rodentology and a very funny, interesting person. I learned that rats really aren't so bad, and that they're very adaptable to many situations, and that Norway Rats are the only kind found in New York City. Apparently they almost never bite (Dr. Corrigan has handled them for over 20 years and was only bitten once) and are very resourceful, and never try to eat babies (like in Lady & the Tramp). Also, they eat cockroaches. Cool.

After I left this lecture, I decided that it was okay to think that rats are cool and to try to get a closer look at them when possible. I've seen them on the surface or on train platforms a few times, and I'll be honest, I prefer them in the subway on the rails, because there's less of a chance that they will attack me (apparently there's very little chance of them attacking, but still). However, this morning at exactly 12:13am, I went to have a closer look at a rat near the top of the stairs of the subway at Clinton-Washington station. I falsely believed in two things: 1. that the rat would run down the stairs if startled and 2. that I would be protected by the nonexistant wall that was the bars separating me and the rat by about 20 feet. However, when we startled the rat into running, it did not go down the stairs. It went straight under the bars and at my ankle, where I flailed, screamed, and nearly stepped on it as it brushed my foot.

I've basically decided never to wear sandals again.

The American Girls Cookbook

2009-07-01T12:03:00.002-04:00

I love cooking. Unfortunately, I'm not so great at doing it myself (particularly when I come home from work), but I adore the concept. The whole process of it, from gardening to serving, enthralls me, and I want to participate in every part of it. I like to eat homemade meals and I love reading about other people cooking.

My parents weren't particularly big about cooking, and so I think my love of it came directly from one place, Pleasant Company. I have to say, they've sold out a lot recently, but back in the early 90s, they were just about the greatest thing ever, and I loved just about everything that came out of it. In particular, The American Girls Cookbook.

This book taught me a love for place settings (Samantha), deviled eggs (Molly) and saffron (a pretty enormous mistake with Kirsten). It also taught me the joys of reading about food, and is one of the few cookbooks that I've ever been able to follow perfectly. Perhaps now that I'm able to read books by Julia Child, Irma S. Rombauer and Alice Waters, I should move beyond this book, but it will always be the one that started a life-long love affair.

COOL: Here Is Where

2009-06-30T12:15:00.002-04:00

I just saw an article on an interesting new project, Here Is Where. Amateur historian Andrew Carroll is traveling across the country to help identify places where small, interesting events occurred, to bring notoriety to the events and the locations. Some examples: a train station where Lincoln's son was rescued from death by John Wilkes Booth's older brother, and the hotel where Langston Hughes was discovered. These are some small events, of course, but not unimportant. Having someone devote his time to finding out about these just warms my heart, which also aches for itty bitty interesting things. In fact, this project seems to be just ideal for Small Reviews, which is all about taking little things and displaying them for you.

COMFORTABLE: Minnetonka Moccasins

2009-06-29T15:22:00.003-04:00

I've wanted a pair of moccasins for a while now, and while shopping for running shoes at DSW, I found the perfect pair of Minnetonkas, which I proceeded to purchase even though I'd promised myself I would never shop again. Turns out that I made the right choice in buying them.

At only $36, these are already one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I own, and they honestly match everything, so I pretty much can't think of a pair of shoes I own that I like more, except maybe my Birkenstocks. Right now, I'm enjoying wearing them with plaid shorts and polos, so I can look extremely preppy in an ironic way, but I think these will outlast that phase and become my new shoes of choice no matter what the outfit.

I'm so glad to have finally found a Birkenstock equivalent for the winter!

Some Short Films, A Review

2009-06-25T15:30:00.007-04:00

Last night I went to go see NEWFILMMAKERS SCREENS NEW YORK CITY FILMMAKERS at Film Anthology Archives (32 2nd Ave.). I remained—throughout—basically unmoved. As the films were short (ranging from 8-20 minutes in length), so will be my reviews.

Arnold Brooks KING UNCONSCIOUS (2006, 8 minutes, video): arcane.
Lisa Martin GARE D’AUSTERLITZ (2008, 10 minutes, video) is about a backpacker who becomes pregnant accidentally and loses her baby in the Gare D’Austerlitz. 15 years later she finds herself in the same train station, overwhelmed by memories—she is reminded of how entrapped she felt by the brief pregnancy and how liberated, calmed she felt once she loses the baby. I am pretty sure she is meant to be a feminist figure (the film is produced by Bitchgoddess films) but is this woman a feminist simply because she feels freed by a miscarriage? Is she a bitchgoddess?
Ann Husaini THE END OF MAGIC (2007, 16 minutes, 16mm) is about a mother (there is something disconcerting about the woman’s vivacity, religiosity from the beginning of the film) and her two young daughters who are on their way to an amusement park when their car breaks down. It becomes clear, as the mother is unable to deal with the increasingly stressful situation, that she is mentally ill, schizophrenic. I was feeling saddened by the oldest daughter’s nascent awareness of her mother’s sickness until the daughter says something like this: Daddy says if you took your pills you wouldn’t hear voices.
Nhieu Do CRY RIVER (2007, 20 minutes, video): problematic.

Reading Infinite Jest

2009-06-24T09:49:00.005-04:00

I have been reading David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest for about two weeks now. I am on page 156 out of 1079, including footnotes. The main thing that is tricky about reading is the book's size. I am used to carrying a book around to read while waiting for the G train and stuff, which is where I get most of my reading done. But even if my bag is empty except for this one book, the weight begins to feel like a burden after walking about two blocks with the thing hanging on my shoulder. At this point, my shoulder is actually sore, so the carrying of this books is becoming a bit of an ordeal.

Then there is actually trying to read the book. It is manageble to read while standing up, as if waiting for a train, for example, but I think there is nothing nerdier than holding your place on page 60 to flip the 1000+ pages to read a footnote about Monoamine-oxidase inhibitors (pg 994) (and struggling) in public. You begin to ask yourself, is it worth hefting this huge book out of my bag and finding my place to read only a few paragraphs (and probably getting a little confused...I find it hard to figure out what's going on if I start in the middle of section)? Also, you definitely need two hands to read the book, so if you are standing up on the subway, forget it.

Even if you are just sitting in a chair or reading before bed, the thing gets heavy, and its hard to keep up interest and/or morale.

Some pros of reading are: occasionally people recognize the cover and act impressed. I try not to show that I am really not that far along, so I can act smug and collecting my Literary Capital. Also, the more I get what is going on in the book, the easier it is to face the fact of spending the next several months reading only this book.

I will keep you posted on this project...

Yoga Studios: A Comparative Study

2009-06-23T11:10:00.007-04:00

I have been to two yoga studios since I moved to New York: Laughing Lotus (59 W. 19th) and Om Yoga (826 Broadway nr. Union Square). Laughing Lotus was the first studio I went to but once I found Om, I never went back to LL.

Om really is a jewel. It’s very accessible, conveniently located [for me] two blocks from Union Sq., right off the 4,5, 6, N, R, W and L trains and quite near Whole Foods, which is ideal for an after-yoga treat. It’s also really spacious for a New York City yoga studio—there are five classrooms, a sizable, very clean changing room, and numerous nooks to sit in while you wait for class to start—and the aesthetic is pleasing (lots of subdued, calming hues and no fluorescent lighting to be found!). Another really great thing about Om is the teachers. I haven't had one I really didn't like. I am particularly fond of Edward, Maja, and Sarah. A lot of people seem to like Brian and I understand why—he's friendly and he makes a concerted effort to learn each student's name but I sometimes feel like he really wants to be teaching aerobics and not yoga. And, I can’t forget to mention the class schedule, which is most ideal! There are a wide variety of classes, for all different levels/desires and at some really perfect times. The only negative thing about Om is the elevator—it’s really creepy and it feels like a miracle every time I make it to the sixth floor.

Laughing Lotus simply doesn’t measure up—it’s less accessible, very cramped with the teeniest dressing room, and there are only two classrooms which means less classes and a lesser chance you’ll find one to fit your schedule. They do leave out cookies though, so that’s nice and I did run into a friend from Sarah Lawrence there once, which was also nice. The aesthetic is okay—it’s a little too vibrant for my taste.

Away We Go

2009-06-22T12:48:00.003-04:00

I really wanted to see Away We Go. I like just about everyone involved in this film, from Dave Eggers (screenwriter) to Sam Mendes (director) to John Krasinski (lead actor). Additionally, the film focuses on two of my favorite things: a couple in a long-term relationship and traveling around America. Combined with music from Alexi Murdoch and a cute indie aesthetic, how could this movie not be my favorite film of all time?

Well, I guess it was a little too me for me to enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. It was good, but it was also really predictable, and at times felt a little fake. Some moments were great, including turns by Melanie Lynskey and Chris Messina as parents with difficulty conceiving, and Krasinski at his most charming during a Casey Kasem impression, but the film fell flat an awful lot, and I came away a little disappointed. Roger said, "It was like a sequel to Garden State," and while I really hated Garden State and more or less enjoyed this, I can see his point. They both focus on finding home in a world where you've been lost for some time, and they both have really good soundtracks. Maybe at this point in my life, I'm more about embracing being lost than about trying to find a way out of it.

In any event, I'd recommend checking it out, but maybe not at a really expensive theatre. The theatre we saw it at, Cobble Hill Cinemas, was amazing. At only $6.50 for matinees or Tuesday/Thursday showings, the price can't be beat, and you get to see an amazing opening before the film starts, which reminded me of the drive-in theatre we used to go to when I was a little kid.

ice cream in greenpoint

2009-06-21T14:03:00.007-04:00

I hope there is more ice cream in Greenpoint then this, but this is all I have been able to find! Mr. Softee used to come by a lot (judging from the frequency of hearing the music) but since I have been fixated on eating ice cream all the time, I have not once heard the Mr. Softee tune.

View ice cream in greenpoint in a larger map

1. Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, 97 Commercial St., at the very end of Manhattan Ave.
I love Blue Marble more than this place but convenience and oddness of location do have some appeal. Comparing to the DUMBO location, this one is downright odd, in this somewhat deserted tip of Greenpoint, right near the Newtown Creek park where you can sit and see the sunset behind the Manhattan skyline. There is also a feral cat colony in a nearby vacant lot, and a movie set that is being built -- seems to be some kind of minature carnival or something. The huge drawback here is that it is only open Thursday - Sunday, and the main times I want ice cream are Monday night, Tuesday night, and Wednesday night.

2. Corner Frenzy a.k.a M & W Laundromat, 995 Manhattan Ave, at Huron St.
This take-out window has a sign out front that boats something like 24 flavors of softserve plus 1.50 for chocolate and vanilla plus free chocolate or strawberry dip coating. Now, it isn't exactly appetizing to watch them mix the regular white softserve with flavor syrup and squish it back through the machine onto the cone, and it kind of made my stomach hurt later, but at least it is open every night of the week. Plus I think you can actually buy other types of food and it is actually a laundromat.

View across Newtown Creek while eating your ice cream

Kashi GOLEAN CRUNCH! vs. Fruit Loops: A Comparative Study

2009-06-19T11:22:00.004-04:00

Last week Sarah bought us Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! cereal (The Original). I think her choice was a sort of redemption, meant as a kind of penance for the previous week’s cereal: Fruit Loops (which I love, by the way). She claims to like it, but I think it’s SICK and even downright dangerous. I tried it for the first time at breakfast the other day and one of the fibrous clusters scraped my throat. Roger aptly described the experience of eating Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! like this: “It’s like eating a mashed up granola bar.”

To be fair, the cereal does have: 9g protein, 8g fiber, 16g of whole grains and, according to Kashi, is “the latest in dieting: healthy eating.” So, if you’re looking for something healthy and don’t mind the taste of a mashed up granola bar, then Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! is where it’s at.

coffee in greenpoint, a geographical study

2009-06-18T15:42:00.010-04:00

Recently, I have been doing some research for you. This is important. Who knows the next time you are going to need the information I am about to share with you. You could suddenly have to hold an emergency meeting with your associate in North Brooklyn. The G train could shut down, and you might need a place of refuge from the rain.

View coffee in greenpoint in a larger map

1. Greenpoint Coffee House -- 195 Franklin St. at Green St.
This place is across the street from my house so it gets big points automatically. There is out door seating, and a pleasant interior, although my roommate and I are never sure if we are supposed to order at the counter or sit down or what. Coffee prices are pretty cheap too, for example, a latte is 2.50 which is much less than comparable Manhattan places, or even other places in the neighborhood. They have food here, too, and a nice loose tea selection. I would say proximity and price are winning qualities here.

2. Champion Coffee -- 1108 Manhattan Ave between Dupont and Clay
I just found out about this place recently but I really like it! It is tucked away in the northern area of the neighborhood, and actually located under some apartments. They have a backyard that is surrounded by other people's homes, including fire escapes above the shop where you can see the neighbors' dogs. They are really friendly here, and I like the tucked-away location. Coffeewise, they have only Americano, no regular, so prices start a little higher, but I have always enjoyed coming here a lot, and would like to try the food options they serve. Bonus: if you go in the next few days, you are going to be able to check out the 4th of July Parade they have constructed on that part of Manhattan as part of a Jennifer Aniston movie they are filming.

3. Brooklyn Label -- 180 Franklin St. at Java
I went to this place for the sake of thorough research. It is always busy with diners, and though I think you could sit around at a table without ordering a whole meal, I never have wanted to just because it is so busy. They do have coffee to go, which isn't the cheapest (2.25 for small iced coffee I think?) But they were actually pretty friendly.

4. Cafe Grumpy -- 193 Meserole Ave. at Diamond
I read great reviews of this place before going, so expectations were high. I don't know enough about coffee to really care about all that, but what I like the most about this place is the space. There is a lot of room! I have come here to do job applications when I got sick of my apartment. It is also close to McGolrick Park which is my favorite park around here, and sort of close to the library.

5. Brooklyn Standard -- 188 Nassau Ave. between Humbolt and Jewel
I came here today after getting soaked in the rain and liked it! It is modeled after a bodega but with local and ethical products including Stumptown coffee -- which actually isn't local. But it is fair trade. Prices are good for logo-free, fair trade coffee, and they just give you a cup and you can serve yourself which helps you to participate more in the whole experience. Far from my house, and not really a place you can come to sit around, but right next to McGolrick park. Also very friendly here!

6. Sweetleaf Coffee & Tea -- 10-93 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, right over the Pulaski Bridge

Going to this place from Greenpoint requires a walk across the Pulaski Bridge (you could also take the 61 bus or the G to 21st -- probably the only reason anyone would ever use that pointless stop.) but I think the walk across the bridge adds to the reason I like this place. The second time I went, I didn't like it as much, but I think that actually had to do with the fact that I got on the 7 shortly after (it is right next to the Hunters Point stop) and there were some problems and the entire platform was bumper to bumber and it was raining and horrible and everyone was late to work. Also it was burning hot down there. Anyway, I do like this place. They serve Stumptown and had very nice staff (too nice, really) though there isn't much seating. The scone I had there was very good too -- which I think is rare for scones you didn't make yourself.

On the map, I also included Gregory's Coffee which is an expensive, unfriendly, mediocre place in Manhattan that was close to one of my internships. I put it on there for comparison. I don't think you would want to go there at all. I prefer any of these places compared to places in Manhattan because they are less crowded, you can actually get a seat, and much cheaper for good quality!

Updates

2009-06-18T14:48:00.007-04:00

Two updates on some essential things that I have reviewed before.

1. Today while walking around in the rain, I had to take refuge in the Nassau Ave. G station for a second, and also to find out how much money is on my metrocard. Who knew? I have to correct my early review of this station, and say it is more interesting than I thought. I had only ever gone in the Norman Ave. entrance, but the Nassau Ave one is larger has a lot of stairs everywhere, and even some old mosaics reading "To Brooklyn" "To LI City and Jamaica." The station was opened in 1933. Apparently you can also see where the old wooden token booth was from back in the day. Here's a picture from this subway website of the maze-like quality of this station:

2. I think I have some evidence that some Greenpoint readers really took me up on my Earplug advice! Yesterday I went two 3 drugstores looking for the Mack's ear plug brand I previously reviewed, and they were out at both Rite Aids on Manhattan Ave! I had to go to the more expensive Duane Reade, and found a good selection, including a smaller size (Mack's Jr.) which I think will eliminate the problem I reported on earlier. Also, they are purple.

Elizabethtown: Worth a Second Glance

2009-06-16T22:55:00.002-04:00

Tonight I decided to pop Elizabethtown into my DVD player. The first time I saw it, almost 4 years ago, I wasn't satisfied. I remember leaving the theater with all of these unanswered questions and while the movie runs for 123 minutes, I wanted more. A second viewing, with more life experience under my belt has changed my mind.

I won't describe the plot, because that would do an injustice to the film and in some ways, the plot doesn't matter. What Cameron Crowe does with this film is to expose his audience to an array of themes that is reminiscent of his film Almost Famous. We have the lost son, trying to cement his position within his family as well as within the world. A free spirit who holds the proverbial mirror to our face to help point out the flaws as well as the beauty. The loss of a loved one and the gaining of a friendship.

The movie ends with an epic road trip where our main character reconciles the pains of his recent situation while he navigates the roads of America, all with the ashes of his dead father strapped in next to him. In some ways these last scenes fully capture what Crowe's movie is trying to tell us. We might all get wrapped up in our personal dramas and hardships, but we can lessen these burdens by returning to our roots and family. A bit idealistic? Maybe. But it sure does make me want to take a road trip of my own, navigated by Kirsten Dunst.

BIZARRE: Strange Invaders

2009-06-16T15:11:00.005-04:00

I don't see many movies anymore, and this weekend when we accidentally bought and then returned tickets to see Up 3D and then couldn't see just plain Up, I assumed I wouldn't see one any time soon. How wrong I was.

Sunday, my friend picked up Strange Invaders, a gem of a sci-fi film, for only $1 at a sidewalk sale. The film seems like it might be a spoof, but after listening to the commentary for about five minutes, I think that maybe they were taking themselves seriously. The story is a little difficult to follow, but generally it's about aliens, who dress like they are from the fifties. There's some subplot about a man searching for his ex-wife and daughter, and in the meantime goes through two girlfriends.

Two things I think might have been in homage to Plan 9: the outdoor lighting changes constantly within one scene, so you never know if it's night or day or some weird combination of the two; and the plots holes are so big and so frequent that the move plays like swiss cheese. The best thing about the movie was definitely Wallace Shawn, who may be my favorite person ever.

Overall: Fun but not as fun as Destroy All Humans or Mars Attacks!, though it did sort of rekindle my love for Wallace Shawn, Siskel & Ebert, and watching movies with friends.

Stops on the G Train

2009-06-15T13:36:00.012-04:00

"You gotta love the G train. If you love it, it’ll love you back.”

Court House Sq. -- I don't like the race from the E, V trains to try to make the G train. You get tricked into thinking that there is no wait, since there are always G trains waiting in the station. The only difference is that you can wait while sitting in the train, waiting for the bell to ding and the doors to close.

21st St./Van Alst -- I do not get the point of this station. Have never been here, and don't need to since it is about half a block from Court Sq.

Greenpoint Ave. -- The station I know best. Sometimes the card swipes don't work, and sometimes there are men passed out by the turnstiles. I like thinking about how much cumulative time I have spent waiting here. How many of my ideas can I credit to reflection time, waiting on the G?

Nassau -- Meticulous G train riders will have realized that I forgot about Nassau in the first version of this review. I think that's accurate. Notable things near this stop are the Greenpoint Library, McCarren Park, and Peter Pan Doughnuts. Other than that, it is nondescript.

Metropolitan/Lorimer -- I swear they have timed the L train to just miss the arriving G trains. Whenever I take the L train here, I have just missed the latest G and it is 15-20 minutes wait or sometimes more! In winter, this G train platform has a cold breeze even though it is underground. What?? I do like the musicians who sometimes play down there on the Smith-9 bound platform.

Broadway -- Have never stopped here, but always seems creepy from all the stains on the walls.

Flushing -- no opinion.

Myrtle/Willoughby -- Never been but always a ton of people get out here.

Bedford Nostrand -- The only times I have waited here are with the G goes unexpectedly "express" or they do that weird late night shuttle thing, or that time the whole g train shut down below this stop.

Classon -- no opinion

Clinton Washington -- there were stretches this winter when I waited here late at night for what seemed like hours and hours. These exits might be the most scenic exits on the G line, especially the SE Washington and Lafayette exit in spring when the roses are in bloom. Climbing the stairs, I swear you can actually smell all the greenery growing around here.

Fulton -- This is the worst stop to wait at. It always takes forever, and there are so many misleading traffic noises that make you think the train is coming and it isn't.

Hoyt Schermerhorn -- Once I waited here for about 45 minutes with a crowd of people before they annouced that the G wasn't coming. Negative points for the A/C trains often not running here on the weekends and it never being clear what's going on.

Bergen St. -- Never had to wait here too long except one time for the F train when I had to pee really bad.

Caroll St. -- Again, never had to wait long here. Something about this area of Brooklyn?

Smith - 9 -- Always seems like a long wait here. Once I went through here on the F train and since I had left my house it had started snowing. When we emerged above ground, the skyline of Brooklyn was full of huge snowflakes -- the first of the year.

Great article about the G train

If you are a G train rider, I encourage you to comment with your own reviews of the different stops.

AWESOME: Average Girl at Hank's Saloon

2009-06-12T12:19:00.009-04:00

Saw an incredible show by Average Girl last night at Hank's Saloon. This makes 3 concerts that I've seen since last Friday (sort of a record for someone who goes to maybe 3 concerts a year). We also saw Youssou N'Dour on Friday (great, but too long) and David Byrne on Monday (sounded great, but we were so far away that we couldn't really hear, let alone see, so we left after a few songs).

It's pretty rare that I enjoy a concert, particularly one by a friend-of-a-friend's band, but this was really great, and I'm thrilled that I went. The music was awesome, the venue was cool (and right near Blue Marble!), and the crowd was really unassuming and friendly. There really isn't much more you can ask for.

Definitely check out Average Girl (either online or live) if you get a chance. They put on a fun show and the music is really very good.

Loved It: Blue Marble Ice Cream

2009-06-11T08:40:00.006-04:00

Kristin, Roger, and I have been fixated on soft serve ice cream for the past few days, but we cannot find it. Not even a Mr. Softee truck. Kristin googled soft serve from her phone last night in Park Slope and found the listing for Blue Marble at 420 Atlantic Ave. We had just heard how good this place was, so we walked over.

To be clear, Blue Marble isn't soft serve. But Kristin and I didn't care (Roger did). We loved it!!!! Some of the flavors they had were: blackberry, ginger, cinnamon, chocolate chip, frozen ronny brook yogurt, mocha chip...and more I forgot. I had thought I had pretty much had all the good ice cream there was to have in the world, but I think Blue Marble surprised me!!!!

At this place, they use all organic and ethical ingredients which includes the dairy and the coffee. It is in Boerum Hill -- a nice walk from the Atlantic Terminal/Fulton St. area on warm evenings.

FLAVORLESS: Red Curry NYC

2009-06-10T16:01:00.004-04:00

We had a business luncheon at Red Curry yesterday. We all had the lunch special, at a very reasonable $7.95. I had the pad see ew, spring rolls and a Thai iced tea. The pad see ew was fine, but nothing spectacular, and ditto the spring rolls. The iced tea was bright orange and not particularly tasty. From my colleagues, I heard that the fried rice was flavorless (it was also bright pink), the pad thai was extremely sweet, and the curry was flavorless. I don't think I'd go back, and I wouldn't recommend it to you either, unless you were very hungry and happened to be standing in front of 339 Lexington Ave with a craving for a Thai lunch special in your heart.

good for something: cafe miro

2009-06-10T14:18:00.004-04:00

Update on Cafe Miro. I would never go there again, but I had to pee really bad while walking up broadway today so I took a chance. Luckily, Cafe Miro is the perfect environment to use the restroom without feeling like you have to buy something. There was not even a line, it was pretty clean, and there was a hook for your stuff, which is more than I can say about Starbucks.

AMATEUR: Perspectives: Women, Art & Islam at MoCADA

2009-06-09T10:36:00.003-04:00

I was thrilled to find out that the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (80 Hansen Place) is located right in my neighborhood, and this weekend, I saw the Artist Talk surrounding their latest exhibit, "Perspectives: Women, Art and Islam." The exhibit is open until September 13, and I would encourage you to go and see it, although it felt a bit amateur to me. The show features work by Fariba Alam, Zoulikha Bouabdellah, Mahwish Chishty, Safaa Erruas and Nsenga Knight. Some of the work was intriguing and lovely, and the artists were all clearly thoughtful and interesting, but in the end, I felt as though MoCADA had slapped things together a little too quickly, and though of course there were common threads in everything, it was difficult to see the show as cohesive.

I suppose I always find it difficult to strike a balance between identity and art, and so shows that focus entirely on the identity of the artist tend to grate of me a bit, but the talk, and the exhibit, bring up many interesting questions about religion's place in art and art's place in religion. Although I don't think anyone piece focused as much on gender as I would have liked, I can easily consider that a good thing, because there is something problematic to me about saying, "Okay, you're a woman. You're a Muslim. What you create is inherently touched by that and should focus on that." Of course in an exhibit picked particularly for these things, one expects to see it, and so I was glad to see some of the more abstract pieces and how they approached the topic. I do think the museum is doing some important, interesting things, and that this exhibit is worth seeing. I just wonder if there was a more cohesive or thoughtful way to run this show.

If you're interested, tonight there's a lecture and that might be a good excuse to check it out: Dr. Halima Taha, one of the leading authorities on collecting African-American art and an active follower of Islam, will discuss the history of Islam in the United States and misconceptions about the roles of women within the religion. Admission: $5. Free for MoCADA and MfAA members.

ENJOYABLE: Chip Shop

2009-06-09T09:56:00.004-04:00

We had a mini Oxford reunion on Sunday at ChipShop (383 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope). Our party ordered three vegetarian English breakfasts, bangers and mash, and Welsh rarebit. And, of course, chips.

It was easily as good as any pub food I'd had in England, and the waiter was very friendly. The mash, rarebit and chips were all delicious and well-salted. Prices were reasonable but not cheap, and the atmosphere was okay (lots of fun British things on the wall, but really bad pop music on).

Overall, probably not the best place for brunch in Park Slope, but a good place for a reunion of folks who loved (or hated) England, and a fun place to get some pub grub and English lemonade.

OVERPRICED: Back Forty

2009-06-08T13:10:00.004-04:00

I've been looking forward to having a hamburger at Back Forty (190 Avenue B at 12th Street) for some time now, and I was a bit disappointed.

I try to eat ethically, and so being able to have a hamburger and not feel guilty about factory farming was definitely a huge plus, and I wouldn't feel bad at all about paying $11 (plus $2 for cheese, plus $2 for french fries) for being able to make a political statement with my food. However, it was too salty and there wasn't enough cheese. The fries were incredible, seasoned with rosemary and sea salt, but the burger itself was just okay.

The rest of the food was too expensive for what you got ($18 for roasted vegetables and eggplant puree? Seriously?), but it is nice to know that everything is sustainable, and like I said, the french fries were incredible. Also really good were the pork jowl nuggets, which tasted like delicious fried pig. The beers were pretty good (and their happy hour is half priced at the bar, which is nice), so I think maybe chilling at the bar and having some nuggets and fries is the best plan, rather than a full dinner.

SICK: Trader Joe's Cranberry Green Tea

2009-06-05T18:54:00.003-04:00

The people who actually bought this tea love it and so Kristin and I were kind of disappointed to find that we think it tastes sick. Kind of sour. Don't like it much.

UNREAL: Bergen Bagels

2009-06-05T17:55:00.006-04:00

It is cold and rainy and Kristin and I (Leah) had to walk around in it with wet shoes and also I was hungry. We only had 2 dollars each to spend! How were we ever going to find a good solution to our problems? Kristin, why don't you take a shot at the answer?

Kristin:
By going to Bergen Bagels, an amazing bagel shop with two convenient locations in Brooklyn! This is the bagel shop we tend to go to on weekends, and it's always been delicious, but this afternoon, it was particularly glorious. The highlight was certainly when the man behind the counter sliced into Leah's bagel and held it up for her to see the steam coming out of this fresh-baked piece of Everything-With-Vegetable-Cream-Cheese heaven. I had a good black-and-white cookie, also, that I described as unreal.

One of the best things about Bergen Bagels, aside from the incredible, fresh bagels, is the huge selection of spreads they have, in addition to the normal plain, vegetable, scallion and sundried tomato cream cheeses. Their tofu cream cheese is phenomenal, and they have it in a variety of flavors for all our vegan readers, as well as hummus. For our less vegetarian readers, Bergen bagels offers salmon spread, white fish salad, tuna salad, chicken salad and egg salad. They also offer sandwiches, panini, and salads, but if it's your first visit, go for the classic bagel and cream cheese of your choice.

Leah:
While you are eating, why not catch up on the headlines on BB's special flatscreen that also reminds you of some of the great deals at the grill? The door was open so it was a little drafty, but no big deal.

Twisted River's Gewürztraminer

2009-05-26T18:49:00.002-04:00

About 7 months ago, a friend of mine gave me a bottle of wine as a house warming present. My experience with wine has been limited, but I have been making it a point to expand my horizons, so to speak. The wine is a Gewürztraminer made by Twisted River and bottled in 2005. As any eager new wine adventurer, I opened the bottle right away, excited about a new taste. This was an awful idea. The wine, to be polite, was shit.

Now, I've already admitted that I don't know much about wine. What I do know is limited to the movie Sideways and an afternoon spent at the London museum Vinopolis. That being said, however, I could find nothing redeeming about this wine. The bottle boasts "intense pear, apricot, and litchi flavors". None of these flavors made themselves apparent in the three swallows I forced down my throat. So I did what I am famous for; I put it in my fridge and left it there for 7 months.

Last week a good friend of mine showed up and all I had to offer him was this wine. For as little as I know about wine, he knows even less. I apologized for what I was about to do and I poured him, and myself, a glass. One sip and he began to rave about how great this wine was. I initially thought he was being polite. Then I realized that he has never stood on ceremony around me. So I took a sip and was amazed to find that what had once been unpalatable had been transformed into a fantastic beverage. The apricot flavor was magnified tenfold, making it light and fruity. Needless to say we polished off the bottle.

I would definitely recommend this wine...if you don't mind waiting 7 months for it to reach perfection. If you do decide to go out and pruchase Twisted River's 2005 Gewürztraminer, twist open the top, put it in the back of your refrigerator, and plan a party for 7 months down the road.

Crisp

2009-05-21T15:25:00.004-04:00

I went to Crisp today for lunch at the urging of a coworker. I love falafel, so I was really looking forward to it, and I wasn't entirely disappointed as I expected to be. The restaurant was ultra yuppie-like, and reminded me a lot of Zen Burger but in a bad way(Zen Burger's looking like that is okay because it's like a yuppie version of McDonald's), and dear lord is it ever overpriced.

But, the falafel itself was very soft and not at all greasy, which was nice, and the pita was pretty good. I had just a plain Israeli-style sandwich, but they have lots of interesting ones, including one with "North African ground peanut sauce" and sweet potatoes, which could possibly be good and would certainly be interesting. I also appreciated the effort with biodegradable packaging (although don't get me started on making plastic from corn, because I recognize the huge issues with that, as well).

Overall, I probably won't go back, just because I love eating falafel from carts (where it tastes better than this) or from a chain that also sells French fries, and because I really can't afford to blow $9.75 on a falafel sandwich and lemonade all that often, but I wouldn't tell anyone else not to go. If you want to stop by, there's one at 684 Third Avenue and another at 110 West 40th Street.

Bacardi Mojito Commercial

2009-05-20T13:35:00.003-04:00

I won't lie. I don't want much TV, so I don't see many commercials. However, watching three episodes of House in a row, yesterday, I saw two particularly good ones, and decided to do up a quick review. One was for Lenscrafters, and you can see watch it here. I just thought it was really cute.

The second is beyond cute. It is effective. Before the commercial was even over, I knew I needed whatever it was they were selling. I would not hesitate to say that this is the best commercial I have ever seen. I knew instantly that whatever they were selling would not only make me hipper, thinner, and happier. It would also give me the ability to travel back in time, to parties from the present day to the 19th century, rocking out to Matt & Kim's "Daylight" (a fantastic song) with my diverse, hip, thin friends through the ages. Just seeing this commercial made me feel better about the direction of my life. It was better than the shows I saw it during (Mythbusters and House, in case you were wondering)

When I discovered that the commercial was for one of my all-time favorite drinks, the mojito, I knew that I shared a deep bond with this piece of cinematic genius. Watch it. Love it. Then go out and buy yourself some liquid happiness.

UnitedHealthcare's Office Workout

2009-05-19T11:34:00.005-04:00

Today at the office, we got a little memo talking about doing a five minute exercise each day to "take some time for yourself." As a joke, my colleague read it out loud to me, and I did all the exercises at once.

Somehow, this miraculously reminded me that I deeply love stretching, and stretching at work makes you feel better about being there. I'm sure you can find the actual "Workday workout" pdf online (and if you can't, and want it, let me know and I'll email you a copy), so I'll just give you my new stretch, which I'm planning on doing at least once an hour from now until someone tells me to stop.

Sit up straight in your chair. Shrug your shoulders up to your ears. Raise your arms above your head, interlocking your fingers so that your nails face the top of your head. Place your right ankle onto your left knee. Keeping your back straight, bend forward as deeply as possible, until your stomach and face are flat on your lap. Rise. Repeat, switching legs.

I hope this new stretch improves your workday as much as it improved mine!

Fifth Avenue Street Fair

2009-05-18T13:30:00.004-04:00

After much deliberation (I hurt my knee, I worried about rain, I like to make excuses), I decided to go ahead with my original plan and check out the Fifth Avenue Street Fair in Park Slope yesterday. This was my second time in the neighborhood this weekend. Though I sometimes jokingly think of Park Slope as the city equivalent of Bronxville, I don't really mind it nearly so much as much as I pretend to, particularly because I have several wonderful friends who live there, and I really enjoy the iced maple lattes at Gorilla Coffee.

So, I walked down to the fair and met Leah at around 1pm yesterday, and we proceeded to get some coffee before walking the span between Sterling and 12th streets. The fair was nice, although it tended to be filled with the same sorts of stands that are at the Brooklyn Flea every week and every other festival I've been to in New York. (I love Karen's Monsters, but I do get tired of Elma Blint all the time.) We had some empanadas from the V Spot, which are some of my favorite empanadas, and enjoyed a live presentation of the Sham Wow, as well as a Beatles cover band in front of ChipShop.

One thing that might have improved it (and which certainly improved TulipFest a week earlier), would be to have some more open spaces like Byrne Park, where we could have sat and relaxed and chatted. I suppose this is a structural problem with New York, though, and not with the festival itself. Overall, it was a nice little afternoon, and I thoroughly enjoyed the nice five and a half mile walk that came included.

Hope Lounge

2009-05-16T09:13:00.003-04:00

I had drinks last night at Hope Lounge (10 Hope Street in Williamsburg) from around 10pm to 12:30am. The bar was pretty dead most of the time we were there, which is actually pretty nice, since we were trying to catch up with some old friends, but not so great if you're looking for a party. We sat outside in the enormous outdoor space, which was nice and had very comfortable seating, and they started barbecuing. We didn't try the food, but it was nice to have the option. It was reasonably priced but not cheap, and worked out quite nicely for me, as they were having a special 2-for-1 on Blue Moon pints, which were $5. Sarah's gin and ginger ale cost $6. Overall, Hope Lounge was a little bizarre in its emptiness, and I don't really think I'd recommend it, but the outdoor space is great, particularly if you're with a big group.

Small Movie Review

2009-05-13T22:09:00.003-04:00

Hi all. My name is Shelby and I have been invited to share my thoughts with you. I had originally planned for my first small review to be a review of the Small Reviews blog (as some one who doesn't live in NYC, it can get a little tiresome reading about how great it is). However, I decided to stick with something I am more confident in, and that is a movie review. So without further ado, I give you my review:

Tonight I decided to pop one of the movies I had received from Netflix into my DVD player. Usually the little red envelopes sit the for weeks, or even months, without being touched, but I tonight I decided that watching a movie was a far superior idea to revising my resumé. As it was, the choices were between Amélie and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. As I am an admirer of Amy Adams, Miss Pettigrew it was.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day opens up on our dowdy title character, played by Francis McDormand, losing the latest in a string of unsuccessful and colorful nanny jobs. Poor, homeless, desperate, and slightly frazzled (or should I say frizzled), Miss Pettigrew fortuitously finds herself posing as a "social secretary" to an American actress living in London. Delysia (Amy Adams) seems to have everything Miss Pettigrew does not; youth, talent, and three men chasing after her. As the day wares on, Delysia must decide whether to follow her heart or her pocketbook and Miss Pettigrew must decide whether to cater to her own morality or to the happiness of her new employer.

I had my doubts about how the movie would play out toward the beginning. The meeting between Delysia and Pettigrew seems vaguely familiar, with Delysia pleading Pettigrew for help to remove her young lover from her bedroom before her older benefactor returns. It reminds one of something that would play out in Jeeves and Wooster. However as the plot glides on and the two women slip more firmly into their roles, I realized that this movie wouldn't all be fast talking, near misses, and British propriety all around.

Set in the backdrop of a London on the verge of entering WWII, the costumes and music really are what bring this movie together, rather than Adams' bubbliness an McDormand's fierce looks. Each setting, be it Delysia's apartment or a lingerie show in a London hotel, transports the viewer to a time when their grandparents were swinging around the dance floor and air raids were a reality. The movie acknowledges London's position at the time and brings an element of believability to the otherwise fantastic storyline.

Overall, I did enjoy this movie. It's cute and light and makes you somewhat long for a time when women's hair was larger than their heels. Whether you relate more to Delysia or Miss Pettigrew, you'll walk away from this movie feeling like you too can bag the man or woman of your dreams. Or maybe that's just the Merlot talking.