Brooklyn's Finest

On a cold, rainy, Saturday night, one of the best things to do is head to the movies. Of course, everyone else is thinking the SAME EXACT THING, so I was slightly overwhelmed by the throngs of people that were milling about the theater. That said, it's always nice to get in some spontaneous BFF time, so I'll suffer a little bit of agoraphobia for that!

After some discussion and debate, we decided to go to see Brooklyn's Finest over Shutter Island. (Apparently M had watched the latter and wanted to get those 2 hours of her life back, so I decided that that wasn't the best review to go in with.) I miss home so badly at this point that I perk up at any mention of New York, so this was definitely the better choice -- despite dramatically dark representations of the projects (where I grew up) that freaked me out a bit.

Brooklyn's Finest falls in line with many many MANY movies that bring together several story lines that collapse into each other within the last 10 minutes. If you're looking for complicated plot structure, this movie isn't for you. Each of the three story lines revolve around a cop (if you haven't figured that out already) -- a burnt out cop about to retire (Richard Gere), an undercover cop looking to get out (Don Cheadle), and a stressed out cop trying to support his family and willing to do so by any means necessary (Ethan Hawke). Come to think of it, those are pretty much the story lines. So I suppose that's that.

In terms of character development, I think more work could've and should've been done for the audience to understand what exactly drives the action -- and inaction -- of the three main characters. Richard Gere certainly did NOT live up to his potential in this movie, doing that *blink blink* he so often does to indicate *intense* thought. (As H would say, are you kidding me??) Don Cheadle didn't fare much better, offering nothing more than a stoic look throughout the entire movie. YES, cops are stoic, but where the heck was the depth?? Out of all three, Ethan Hawke gave the best performance, creating a portrait of a man under serious duress from family obligations. All I can say is that his pain was visceral. Watch for it.

What ultimately drove this movie was the intense action, which started from a shot through the head in the first five minutes and ended with several shots in the style of Gran Torino (BRILLIANT movie). Although I love dramatic action, I tend to be a sensitive and jittery sort, so I was thankful to have H asking me if I was OK every few gasps and jumps in my seat. I was also thankful to have a shoulder to turn my head into after consecutive gunshots were fired and serious blood was splattered across the scene (which happened quite frequently).

Even though this movie lacked any semblance of depth, I must admit that the action was enough to warrant the ticket purchase (though perhaps a matinee ticket would've been preferable). Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), I found the nudity a bit excessive and gratuitous, not adding all that much to the flow of the movie. Then again, what sells? Sex, drugs, and alcohol -- all of which this movie has PLENTY.

If you're looking to indulge, check it out.

http://www.brooklynsfinestthemovie.com/

Valentine's Day

To be honest, it's been a stressful week. One that needed to end with a cheesy chick flick and some quality girl time. Needless to say, I was happy when it did. (Thanks, L&A!)

As one who likes to bankroll New Line (and my friend's fiancé), I pretty much see everything that comes out of this film studio. And I pretty much pay to see them several times over, only to own them several months later. (And yes, I'm a fan of consumerism.) Valentine's Day may not necessarily be the exception, but I'll admit that it wasn't quite as good as Sex and the City and He's Just Not That Into You. (Sorry, Mark!)

Valentine's Day attempts to be an American version of Love Actually -- or at least has been referenced as such, opening on a holiday and being all about love and stuff. By comparison, I'd have to say that Love Actually does a much better job of plot and character development, creating more surprises through its subtle interweaving of story lines. With that said, however, Valentine's Day did offer one major surprise, which left me teary-eyed at the end.

As a whole, Valentine's Day is a perfect movie for Valentine's Day. On a day that celebrates cheese and sap, you WANT the best friends to end up together, you WANT the cute kids to end up together, you WANT the old couple to end up together, and you WANT the random singletons to end up together. To say you don't is pretty much blasphemy.

Ultimately, this movie offers little in the way of depth, but more than enough in terms of red, pink, and good-looking actors. All I have to say is this: McDreamy, McSteamy, and Bradley Cooper? What more could a girl want for Valentine's Day? OK, maybe some roses would be nice. No worries. Ashton has those covered.

http://www.valentinesdaymovie.com/

Up in the Air

For those who watch movies for their visual appeal, Up in the Air offers more than its fair share of lookers. As a man who continues to age like a fine wine, George Clooney has a Cary Grant style about him -- casual, warm, sexy, with just the right amount of self-effacement to make him that much more desirable. Vera Farmiga has a more formal air about her, evoking the glamor of yesteryear yet oozing sex appeal without even trying. As for the rest of the cast, Jason Bateman and Anna Kendrick are both quite adorable, offsetting Clooney and Farmiga's old school movie star qualities with their quirky cuteness. Looks aside, these actors show off some impressive acting chops.

For those who watch movies for plot, Up in the Air presents some nice arcs and some great surprises over the course of two hours, making the time fly by (no pun intended, really). The movie starts off with Clooney and no doubt ends off with Clooney, focusing on his mile high club status (ahem) and his dreams of being the superelite of supereilte travelers. Along the way, his relationship with Farmiga, which develops out of a feisty competition over who has more travel status cache, is totally captivating, in all its sweet, daring, and hilarious glory. Clooney's work life and the potential elimination of 90% of his travel are made that much more dramatic by Bateman's cavalier attitude and Kendrick's naive presence. Finally, his interactions with his sisters, which involves getting a cardboard cutout through customs, adds an endearing bent to a movie with more somber qualities.

Finally, for those who watch movies for those deeper messages, Up in the Air is a humdinger. Based on how you interpret the characters and the outcomes of the story lines, this movie is either depressing or hopeful. The fact that you can take things either way may ultimately be the goal of the movie -- which is really quite ingenious if you think about it. Depending on your mood and personality, this movie can either reach into your inner sense of doom and gloom, or your inner sense of promise and resilience. Either way, what you come away with may be more a reflection of you than the movie itself. When Clooney stands beneath that flight board at the end of the movie, he has a choice. The message, however, isn't in what he chooses, but in the the fact that he has a choice.

http://www.theupintheairmovie.com/

Fantastic Mr. Fox

After a sneak peek from Serious Eats a few months ago, a two thumbs up review from Miss Chau, and a confirmation of George Clooney's involvement, I decided I *had* to see Fantastic Mr. Fox (FMF) this weekend.

Generally-speaking, I've never been that into animation. Thankfully, I've let my guard down with movies like Ratatouille and Up -- and I've been totally impressed. I took another chance with FMF (especially since I haven't liked a Wes Anderson film yet) -- and I wasn't the least bit disappointed!

In terms of animation, this was definitely *not* a Disney/Pixar-type film. It wasn't glossy or refined, or polished to a sheen. However, there was something intensely rustic and endearing about the stop-motion animation -- the way the characters moved and reacted, even the way some characters stayed deadpan the whole time. The level of detail was also quite amazing -- the faces, the costumes, the bristling of hair and whiskers in the wind. If you decide this movie is for you, make sure to look for the zombie possum and the rabid dog. It's all in the eyes.

In comparison to Where the Wild Things Are, which was driven by the characters, FMF was very much driven by the plot, and in a way that could engage both children and adults. Considering that both movies are based on children's books, the plot in FMF moved much quicker and probably did a better job at keeping children's attention. For adults, the plot took enough interesting turns to make you constantly wonder what would happen next. Plus, the characters conveyed wonderfully relatable personalities. Of course, it certainly didn't hurt that George Clooney was the voice of the main character!

As a foodie (and yes, carnivore), my favorite scenes involved lots of hanging meats, as well as chickens being killed and cookies being inhaled cookie-monster-style. If you're at all squeamish about these things, deal with it, because FMF is definitely one to watch.

Fantastic Mr. Fox
www.fantasticmrfoxmovie.com/

where the wild things are

as most of you know (or should know), i'm not a fan of kids. at all. by any means. well, to be totally honest, i'll let christine's daughter veronica hug me -- she's the only one. and i think michelle and will's son danny is about the best-looking child i've ever seen. other that, i'm a fan of no other. not even my own nephew. so i'm a bad aunt. whatever. i don't care.

seeing as this semi-hatred of children is a verity, i'm always tentative about watching any movie directed at, related to, or even involving kids. animation is pretty much out, though i did enjoy "up" and "coraline" most recently. i found "wall-e" stupid (yes, stupid), except for the reference to the world becoming full of fat, lazy people. that was just hilarious in a sick, sad way. and a nice commentary on what the world could become if our relationship with technology were to go completely awry. fascinating. anyways, i digress.

considering that i'm in a reflective period of my life, i thought "where the wild things are" might be appropriate for my mood. i'd never read the book (nor had it read to me) as a child, and i really couldn't tell from the previews what it was actually going to be about. all i'd heard was that spike jonze hadn't wanted to make it more audience-friendly, which, honestly, was enough of a hook. i'm not into gift-wrapped movies unless they're romantic comedies, so i thought this might be perfect. (FYI that karen thought i might like it too, but few really know my movie tastes well enough. yes, i'm complicated.)

judy & i caught the 12:30 show and made it just in time to miss 1/2 the previews and find good seats. there were a ton of kids in there, which, after what little i'd heard about the movie (and what i thought about it afterward), meant that they hadn't really thought about what they were doing. ok, so i don't think much of modern-day parents. so sue me.

considering all my aforementioned confessions, i have to say that (drumroll, please) i thought the movie was actually quite good. before i go into why i thought it was quite good, i'll just say that the shots were a little too indie-grainy for my tastes -- as if there were a layer of dust over them. the colors were fairly muted as well, though i suppose that was appropriate for the mood spike was going for. regardless, the rest of the movie certainly made up for these minor annoyances.

in terms of plot, don't expect one. this isn't a plot-driven movie, folks, which is why i didn't think it was child-appropriate. children generally need things to HAPPEN, so unless your kid is some freak precocious thing that can sit still and appreciate the *tone* of a film, you should pass and move on to something involving a dated wrestle mania retiree. seriously.

for the *rest* of you, i'd say that this is a must-see if you're a fan of great character, cinematography, and mood in your movies.

first of all, there *is* only one real character -- max. now i must say that i found him tramping around in the same outfit the entire movie a bit gross. but then again, i'm like emma from glee -- i hate dirt. that being said, i think there was something so basic about his character that anyone could connect to it.

and all those monsters? a manifestation of all his inner selves. anxiety, fear, disappointment, anticipation, earnestness, joy. a collection of selves that don't know reality, that know reality, that want to escape it, that want to embrace it. all these big monsters, these big emotions, trapped in one little body, one little mind.

and carol? that's the self that lives in the past, that lives in memories, that won't let those memories go. that turns violent when someone tries to take those memories away. the one that resists moving forward, at the risk of destroying all the other selves.

not only does this single character give you something to think deeply about, but he draws you in, because sometimes, all you want is to be in a perfect pile of your inner selves, in a mystical happy place where they all exist and co-mingle without any thoughts or worries about a world outside. or the need to live in it.

in addition to a singular resonating character, this movie offers some spectacular cinematography. the scenes of max in the ocean are amazing. reminiscent of harry potter and dumbledore standing on a rock as the waves crash all around them. the dark hues are ominous during the rainstorm and the light hues are hopeful with the sunrise. all basic techniques i'm sure, though they coalesce brilliantly here.

the music didn't move me in the same way, though it certainly didn't detract from the film. if anything, it kept the movie going, so that you had no idea that time was passing. things happened, but you were thinking about them more than you were watching them. in fact, you have no idea how long max is gone, except for the tired look on his mother's face. the look that says, you have no idea what you've put me through, but i'm just glad you're home.

a picture of childhood.

http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com/

p.s. the cameo of mark ruffalo was a nice perk! ;)

a new life in SD

yet again, yet again, it's been months and months since my last posting. it'd be a surprise if anyone were still reading this! :( if you are, i applaud you! (and virtually hug you!) :)

i only have about 20 minutes before i have to get to work, but life in SD has been good to me. VERY good. needless to say, it's been a blessing and a curse that i can't drive in the suburbs. while i don't have easy access to, well, just about anything, it's amazing how much work i've been able to get done w/o the distractions of LA life. i miss my friends though, so thank goodness for facebook and gchat and the modern miracles of technology.

since i've linked my blog accounts, i'll direct any interested (and worthy) individuals to my other blog (http://lilmissdissertation.blogspot.com/) for dissertation-related commentary. (and yes, folks, i know it's empty. i can only do so much! or else risk getting comments that i'm not directing enough time to my dissertation -- which i hate, btw, so if you've done it or you've thought about doing it, don't.)

for now, i'll just jot down a few notes of worth re: movies & munches in SD....

1. the time traveler's wife - overrated. i love rachel mcadams and i'll watch anything she's in. but i don't think eric bana is cute AT ALL. there was a reason i couldn't get through the book. and it's possibly the same reason that i'm thinking my movie ticket was a waste of non-existent funds. (FYI that i have no income for this academic year! though i'll try to minimize regular comments re: my super tight purse strings.) there was just no real PLOT. i know, i know, some movies/stories are more about character development. but honestly, i need PLOT. and yes, i did tear up during some parts of the movie. but as most of you know, i cry at EVERYTHING. so this isn't really a reflection of movie quality. sorry, new line, for the first time in a long time, you disappointed. (sorry, dani! i really thought that i thought the movie was ok. until i didn't.) :(

2. royal india restaurant (http://www.royalindia.com/index.html) - pretty decent. i'm a sucker for a good indian buffet -- and now so are my students! :) i must admit that the lunch buffet selection was small compared to our last group excursion to jaipur (http://www.jaipurcuisineofindia.com/). that being said, what the restaurant did offer was pretty darn scrumptious. the naan (both garlic and regular) had a pleasant chewiness, the meats were nice and moist, and the sauces were flavorful (as melissa knows gail simmons likes to say) w/o being overwhelmingly weighted down by butter (which apparently many indian sauces tend to be).

3. la jolla beach (http://www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/beaches/cove.shtml) - too crowded. enough said. but FYI that i hate beaches. sand = dirt.

4. the first wives club at the old globe (http://www.theoldglobe.org/tickets/production.aspx?performanceNumber=6950) - AMAZING. thanks to a work connection, jerry & teresa have been able to usher shows at the old globe -- a lovely and intimate venue situated w/in the confines of balboa park. i got the chance to sub one week and watch a performance of the broadway-bound musical, the first wives club. not only did we get great seats (only a few rows back!), but the show was absolutely AMAZING. it's been a while since i've seen a musical, but the voices were wonderful. some movies don't work out when turned into musicals (ahem, dirty dancing, ahem), but i had no complaints about this one. in fact, i think i might've liked it even more than the movie! bravo, bravo.

5. rancho family YMCA (http://www.rancho.ymca.org/english/) - RP's saving grace. this is one of the few places w/in walking distance of the fortress that is known as my brother's house. FYI that this area is WAY hilly and that this house has close-to-zero sprint reception. thank goodness for: a) internet, b) cable, and c) the local Y. i have to admit that i had reservations when teresa told me this was the local gym. jerry & i grew up in the projects, and i have absolutely heinous memories of the uber crowded flushing Y & the super annoying swim classes in the heated pool (despite a hot, red-headed swim instructor). that being said, i can't be w/o a gym, so i was thrilled when my reduced-fee membership (given my current financial status) finally got approved. even though this process required documentation of every penny to my name (what little there is! ok, ok, i'll stop.), it's worth it to pay only $15 a month for a pretty decent gym. i'll admit that Y's always seem to have way too many kids little running around them (FYI that i hate kids -- yes, yes, it's true). but the cardio/strength room has never been too crowded during my workout times, and i can easily get an hour (plus, even!) on the treadmill w/o interruption. while some of the instructors leave a lot to be desired (one of them took calls DURING class! another one was 10 minutes late, didn't have her sneakers on, & didn't think the participant who set up her step for her!) and the music is usually too fast (as an instructor myself, i must be critical!), i've had success w/one step instructor, a kickboxing class, a bootcamp class, and a zumba class. the last one is a recent addition to the repertoire, but the instructor is just so peppy that you can't resist wanting to get your hips moving. i can't wait to start volunteer teaching (first aid certification -- check!), but it looks like the schedule may not change till early october. bummer. well, fingers crossed that i can sub soon! also, i signed up for a potential Y running group. so hopefully that'll get me motivated for half-marathon training. woohoo!

6. point loma seafoods (http://www.pointlomaseafoods.com/) - super affordable and fresh seafood. part seafood purveyor, part seafood restaurant, this place offers delicious and fresh seafood at great prices. thanks to my brother's (continuing) generosity, i got to try a super simple yet yummy crab sandwich. literally, it was nothing more than chunks of fresh crabmeat & a bit of tartar sauce slapped in b/w two slices of sourdough bread. BUT BOY WAS IT GOOD. my SIL had the same thing, and we were both quite pleased. i thought it could've used slightly more salt, but she thought it was missing something else. my brother got a cod plate w/fries, but needed an extra order of sushi to get full. i think the fam was a bit underwhelmed (they're pretty picky), but i was perfectly happy w/my sammy. i do have to say that there were a bit too many pigeons (and babies) hanging around the indoor space for my tastes. sitting outside under the umbrellas would've been much preferred.

7. cupcakes squared (http://www.cupcakessquared.com/) - totally worth the trek. after staring longingly at their cupcake calendar, i was super excited when the fam suggested that we go out for a seafood and cupcake adventure. after a light seafood meal, a decadent cupcake is surely the best ending. while neither my brother nor SIL were planning to have any (pfft!), neither of them could resist after we walked into the shop. not only does this place have regular-sized cupcakes, but mini-sized cupcakes as well. and all in unique square shapes! (even now i'm annoyed at myself for not "getting it" sooner -- cupcakes squared, as in, cupcakes SQUARED. right? RIIIIIIIGHT. eeeeeeeeee-diot!!! *sigh*) while it was a bit annoying that they didn't have all their sunday flavors in mini version, they had a nice enough selection for us to choose from. and samples of the peanut butter berry (which totally tasted like a PB&J sandwich) and the not so red velvet (which was totally light brown and not red at all). we went w/the regular-sized lillikoi (jerry's pick), the regular-sized mocha squared (my pick), and a mini vanilla chai (which just happened to be available). flavor-wise, my brother & i really enjoyed the lillikoi frosting over the vanilla cupcake. teresa's not a fan (your loss, lady), but the ngai's really dig the passionfruit -- nice sweetness w/just enough tang. jerry doesn't like chocolate (which is ridiculous, if you ask me), so i pretty much inhaled the mocha squared on my own. a great coffee/chocolate blend. the mini cupcake totally tasted like a vanilla chai latte. overall, the fam enjoyed CS much more than sprinkles, particularly the cake to frosting ratio. (this kinda makes me sad, only b/c i really REALLY love sprinkles.) they find sprinkles frosting way too rich -- and think there's too much of it. i have to agree w/the latter point, but i definitely prefer the decadence of sprinkles frosting. i found CS frosting to be a bit too fluffy, a bit too whipped. i prefer buttercream to taste like BUTTERcream, not WHIPPED cream. cake-wise, it's a tie. both are nice and moist, w/CS cake being slightly lighter. that being said, i must admit that i do prefer the size & price of CS cupcakes. i'll inhale sprinkles cupcakes, but i'll inevitably feel gross after b/c they're just so big. plus, cupcakes aren't really meant to be stored, so it's no use trying to make the experience last over a few days. w/CS cupcakes, i can have just one and be satiated but not feel fat. always a plus.

8. SD farmers markets (http://www.sdfarmbureau.org/BuyLocal/Farmers-Markets.php) - YAY! thank goodness for family members who love food -- and shopping for food! if you're ever looking for us, we can be regularly spotted at Vons, Henry's, or one of many local farmers markets. the fam prefers poway, and i love seeing everyone & their dogs winding their way around the stalls. upon request, jerry picked me up a scottish egg and i devoured it quickly upon completion of my regular 2-hour saturday workout. not the most healthy thing i suppose (an egg wrapped in sausage meat and covered in breadcrumbs), but unique and filling nevertheless. we'll be getting started with a bi-weekly CSA box soon, so i'm excited to cook up some yummy veggies. i've been really into *themed* meals recently (linked to the never-ending stream of season premieres), and my brother & i did a really nice job w/gossip girl -- new york strip w/blue cheese butter, roasted beets w/olive oil & sea salt, and sauteed beet greens. DEE-LISH. i baked up a pear upside down cake, though the two hot tamales recipe may need a bit of tweaking. next up is grey's anatomy, which may require a bit more thought. we'll be attempting a chicken with figs in ras-el-hanout and couscous recipe (c/o epicurious.com) this week, and possibly some glazed/roasted figs for dessert. fingers crossed!

9. seeing as this blog entry has already taken away two hours of my precious sunday, i'll end w/a quick list of final thoughts. royal pains - oh how i can't believe i need to wait till next summer to see you again. GLEE - great first episode, great second episode, mediocre third episode (meaning: get your act together before you lose your audience). eragon - great story that i'm sad i don't have time for every single night. wired - so engaging, so interesting, i'm so glad you only come monthly or else i'd never get any work done. FB/gchat - thanks for keeping me sane. friends of all sorts - i miss you and i'm happy that you're always willing to call me back on my home phone b/c of really bad sprint reception in the boonies.

for now, i bid you all adieu! btw, we have stairs in the house and i *totally* started singing the "so long, farewell" song from the sound of music. (eri, i know you hate it, but i was good -- totally karaoke-worthy.)

april activities catch-up

alas, readers, it's been quite a while since our last rendez-vous. ok, that's a total lie. it really hasn't been all that long. i've just been out and about a ton these past few weeks. but what can i say? life's too short to not be regularly indulging yourself. the worst part about being out so much is simply that i'm too lazy to blog about every single experience in as much detail as i'd like. that being said, i think it's better to share my faves (and not-so-faves) than not! so here are some highlights (and lowlights)....

1. HIGH: profeta's white chocolate baguette. OMG. i wasn't quite sure what to expect when the barista recommended this bakery item, especially since i'm not the biggest fan of bread. plus, baguettes tend to be crunchy on the outside, which wasn't what i was looking for. thankfully, the exterior was soft and there was just enough white chocolate to add a lovely sweetness to the nooks and crannies inside. i pretty much ate the whole thing on my walk home. which, as those of you who know the area know, isn't all that far. (FYI that the baguette gets to profeta through bread bar @century city i believe. miss d & i tried out their dark chocolate baguette, which she loved, but i found a bit too chocolate-y for my tastes.)

http://www.espressoprofeta.com/

http://www.breadbar.net/

2. HIGH: trader joe's mango sorbet. first of all, i love the reusable container. at first, i wondered how many phd candidates it'd take to open the damn thing. but after figuring it out, i realized that the effort was totally worth the prize. the taste was light and refreshing, and definitely very mango-ey. i realize more and more how much i appreciate sorbet over ice cream. i mean, i still love the density of ice cream, but the lightness of sorbet really does make me feel good. especially given my old age and my declining metabolism.

http://www.traderjoes.com/

3. HIGH: m cafe's gado gado salad & madras tempeh wrap. eri & i finally got to have dinner w/marie, and it was awesome to see her so much more fit & happy. we celebrated this occasion by schlepping out to marie's side of town and checking out m cafe's melrose location. the space was a lot smaller w/o a lot of parking. 2 big no-no's. however, all of the dishes i saw at the culver city location were there, plus other ones that dani had mentioned! so i decided on the gado gado salad, which was delicious w/tempeh triangles & peanut dressing. and i picked up the madras tempeh wrap to have for dinner the following night. SO good. i love tempeh b/c of the semi-crunchy outside and the semi-mushy inside, and the way it soaks up flavors. much like tofu, but w/more substance.

http://www.mcafedechaya.com/

4. LOW: observe and report. CRAP. total CRAP. and not just b/c i'm a priss. the premise was stupid. the story line was stupid. the dialogue was stupid. enough said.

http://observe-and-report.warnerbros.com/

5. HIGH: mama's hot tamales. i schlepped out on the heinous metro for these tamales (c/o tina park's rec) so i was PRAYING they were good. happily, i wasn't disappointed. while the chicken verde tamale turned out to be quite dry, the beef adobo tamale and the spinach & mushroom tamale were both moist and tasty. (dry masa is absolutely disgusting.) even though there were several sweet tamales to try, i was set on trying the flan. while mama's version was less creamy than what i'd generally prefer, i actually enjoyed the chunkier consistency. plus the flavor was quite good. i also really liked the tamarind agua fresca that i had to wash everything down with. i was jealous when i overheard the adjacent table asking more thoroughly about the other agua frescas, so i'll definitely be back to try the other ones. though i'm not sure when, especially since macarthur park was absolutely dismal-looking! talk about needing to clean up bird poop. i mean, isn't that toxic or something?

http://www.iurd.org/mamasHotTamales/

6. LOW: la brea tart pits. what a bust. fake animals in a pool of oil & methane. gross.

http://www.tarpits.org/

7. HIGH: LACMA's BCMA. a solid number of paintings in a great space. the serras were amazing -- you can totally get lost in them. the rest of the pieces were a great representation of modern art w/o being too overwhelming. my favorite pieces were the serras, the gigantic blue balloon animal, and the gigantic red cracked egg. i forget the artist, but they were fabulous. i kept wanting to touch them, but felt like i'd set off an alarm or something. the current post-war/post-wall exhibit (which i deliberately went to see) was quite extensive & engaging as well. there was one particular piece that was composed of shoes from the concentration camps. it was really sad, except that i couldn't help laughing when the guard barked at anyone who came w/in 6 inches of the edge. eek! visitors -- beware!

http://www.lacma.org/

8. HIGH: i love you, man. OMG. PAUL RUDD - I LOVE YOU!! the other guy was pretty hilarious too. everything about this movie was either sweet, funny, or sweet & funny. definitely worth seeing more than once. YAY NEW LINE!! and thanks to dani for a fun girls night out!

http://www.iloveyouman.com/

9. HIGH: the bowery's falafel & sweet potato fries. so i have to admit that i was totally NOT hungry on this evening. i was so NOT hungry that i still remember being NOT hungry. this was probably due to the fact that i'd stuffed my face with 3 tamales, a flan, and a ton of agua fresca. yes, i know, my bad. at any rate, i felt guilty not ordering a meal (especially after dani commented on how great the food was), so i decided to check out the falafel and to splurge on sweet potato fries (to happily share w/the ladies). i was shocked when the rest of the group didn't order all that much, but i wasn't disappointed in the least w/my food. the falafel was a wee bit cold, but a nice size, and the texture was great. and the sweet potato fries were fabulously crispy, w/a nice blend of salty & sweet. now that i've opened up myself to sweet potatoes (as opposed to yucky other potatoes that i still don't like), i've decided that sweet potato fries are, wait for it, DA BOMB.

http://www.theboweryhollywood.com/

10. HIGH: the UCLA planetarium. as part of a GSRC-organized event, i ended up at the UCLA planetarium atop the math sciences building. FYI that i've wanted to check out this place for the past several years, but i suppose i've been too lazy to get on it. after all this time, it was just as fun as i thought it'd be! i dragged jeannine along w/me and we sat in a dark room w/15 other grad student nerds who wanted to hear about the night sky. it was awesome! we had a wacky astronomy student talk to us about galaxies for about an hour -- complete with quirky sidebar comments. i've always loved the planetarium, but it's always been hard to stay awake during the light show, especially when they turn off all the lights and you feel like you're lying out in the middle of a field somewhere staring at the stars. thankfully, our lecturer was funny enough to keep me awake. and i was so impressed when he could just point out random constellations! i can certainly find the big dipper & the little dipper on a clear night, but the rest are seriously beyond me.

http://www.astro.ucla.edu/planetarium/

11. EH: orris. i haven't been here in AGES, but i've always loved the idea of japanese/french fusion tapas. and seeing that jeannine is continuing to check off her 99 list, we decided to find our way here after our planetarium excursion. we skipped out on the shrimp dishes b/c of jeannine's food allergy, but i simply can't seem to remember anything we ate that night, except for the mushrooms and the apple dessert. i think we ordered 2 of the specials, and i'm positive we had some beef & fish, but i can't remember the details for the life of me. that being said, i'm giving this experience an 'EH' rating -- at least for the night. if i can barely remember what i ate, that's not a good sign.

http://www.orrisrestaurant.com/

12. HIGH: cafe elysee's desserts. kelly & i finally got catch-up time w/o being interrupted by a thousand people we both know! YAY! and even though i should've ordered a real dinner in honor of this momentous occasion, i decided my tummy was more in the mood for lots and lots of DESSERTS. i started with a piece of chocolate cake (yummy yummy), moved on to a triple chocolate mousse (which i couldn't finish -- surprise surprise), and kept myself from ordering a chocolate-covered cannoli. i wish i could've blamed it on PMS, but alas, it would've been a lie.

http://www.elyseebakery.com/

13. HIGH: BFF's in town!! derek schlepped out from atlanta last weekend, and we had the absolute bestest time eating our way through west LA. we started off with a grilled cheese special, a mushroom scallion quiche, a blueberry cream cheese coffee cake, and a mushroom broccoli salad at clementine -- everything was absolutely delicious. no complaints whatsoever. we made our way through the santa monica farmers market for some super fresh fruit. and before we schlepped down to venice, we made a stop at vanilla bake shop to taste several of their adorable mini-cupcakes -- the best ones being the filled ones!

http://www.clementineonline.com/

http://www01.smgov.net/farmers_market/

http://www.vanillabakeshop.com/

to work off the morning's calories, we strolled all the way down the boardwalk from santa monica to venice. our moderate cardio activity was quickly counteracted by a stop at jin's patisserie for some flavored chocolates (and a bathroom run). to be quite frank, we didn't partake of these sweet treats until we'd waited about 30-45 minutes for the bus in culver city a few hours later, only to decide that we probably missed the last bus of the night. w/derek's feet starting to blister, we decided to make a run for it -- from culver & washington to culver & inglewood. UM YEAH, folks, that's FAR.

http://www.jinpatisserie.com/

thank goodness we had tacomiendo waiting for us! i got this rec from my foodie friend saunders, and the place is a total dive, but derek was in heaven w/a carnitas burrito that was twice the diameter of his forearms combined. i mistook a torta for a tostada on the menu, so i ended up getting a beef tongue sandwich rather than a beef tongue salad. either way, the beef tongue itself was scrumptious, though it could've used a bit more color & salt. i thought the meats in general could've used more color, but i suppose taste overrides appearance at these sorts of places. the menudo, however, was AMAZING. (way better than shanghai red's!) and i'm so glad i decided to take it home b/c i had it for dinner several days later, and it was even more flavorful. all in all, we left stuffed, so we were thrilled when eri agreed to come pick us up. (thanks, eri!)

http://www.ta-comiendo.com/

after a night of some serious sleep, derek & i decided to trek out to beverly hills. nothing's open on sunday, but the boy just HAD to see rodeo drive, so we grabbed some yummy breakfast at jack n' jill's (one of my faves) and walked around until sprinkles opened its doors. derek ordered the croissant french toast which was OK in terms of flavor, but i swear it tasted like rubber. as derek suggested, by soaking up all the egg batter, the croissant totally lost the airiness that made it a croissant in the first place. w/a total lack of appetite, i got the granola parfait, which was delicious, and i thought, at least healthy. to manage our appetites, we picked up 4 sprinkles cupcakes and took them home to eat, rather than attempting to stuff our faces on a hot sidewalk. out of the 4 we picked up, we were both decidedly biased towards the peanut butter chocolate chip. i'm almost positive they used chunky peanut butter b/c i swear i've never tasted such serious peanut butter flavor in cake before. derek went so far as to say that sprinkles trumped his fave nyc cupcake shops -- which is MAJOR. i wish we'd had a cupcake container (what a totally indulgent creation btw) to bring some home to melissa!

http://www.eatatjacknjills.com/

http://www.sprinkles.com/

14. HIGH: 17 again. there are some SERIOUSLY awkward moments in this movie, where they SERIOUSLY pushed the limits of propriety. that being said, matthew perry & zac effron are both ADORABLE. a must-see. and of course, yet another new line film!

http://17againmovie.com/

15. HIGH: the counter. i've been DYING to go here for years now. and b/c eri hates crowds & lines, the b**** is never willing to take me. GRRR!!! and of course, everyone else has either gone already or isn't willing to go. (damn you all! ok, not really.) so i was thrilled when gina (who was out here on her west coast tour) was totally agreeable to my dining suggestion! after staring at the online menu for hours, i decided on the 1/3 lb. veggie burger in a bowl w/gruyere, mushrooms, bacon, and caramelized onion dressing. the combo was delicious, though i found the dressing a bit too thick for my tastes. it all seemed to go a bit too quickly, so perhaps i may have to try a heavier burger next time. the beef burger looked gorgeous from a distance, though i'm generally trying to avoid red meat, since it seems to sit heavy in my tummy. i also decided to try the sweet potato fries & the onion strings. the fries were perfectly done, though i may avoid the slighty-too-greasy strings in the future. post-burger fest, we stopped by ben & jerry's for free cone day, which was a great way to top off the evening.

http://www.thecounterburger.com/

16. EH: the bazaar. while i would've loved to end this blog entry w/a rave review of the bazaar, i was unfortunately underwhelmed by my experience. dani had already forewarned me, but marina & maria loved it so much that i was hoping for the best (especially since i'd loved moto so much). i suppose i should never ask for too many recs (or pay too much attention to yelp) b/c we ended up ordering all of the recs and none of the other stuff i would've loved to try (like the mushroom soup, for instance, which i ALWAYS get whenever i see it). in addition, i bit my tongue by accident at the start of the meal, which i'm sure didn't impact my experience positively.

while the presentation was definitely creative & playful, i was disappointed by the lack of flavor in some of the dishes, as well as the lack of substance across the board. granted, it's hard to enter into a place like this expecting to be full at the end (which made me feel for miss d), but i certainly expected more than we received. we were also the first guests (from what i could tell), so i can't comprehend how the food wasn't perfect. for example, the eel in the japanese taco was WAY overdone & dried out. i mean, seriously? even ralph's has better eel! also, the 'not your typical' caprese didn't delight me in the way that it seemed to delight everyone else. though i suppose it didn't help that i popped my mozarella sphere w/my fork by accident. (this was obviously not my night.) the salads & the brussel sprouts (that our waiter raved about) were all fairly mediocre. the flavors were bright, but they weren't anything special. that being said, i thought the jamon platter (w/the crusty bread covered in diced tomato) and the lamb loin were scrumptious. perhaps i simply needed meat last night.

another thing that bothered me was the service. the dishes came out one after the other after the other. granted, we ordered them all at once, but we didn't expect to be done in less than an hour. we barely had time for conversation! apparently, we weren't told (until we were completely DONE, that is) that groups usually order a few things at once, and then wait to see how their appetites are before ordering more. i mean, wouldn't that be something you'd mention in the beginning? or if you knew that ahead of time, wouldn't you have spaced out our dishes for us? or at least asked if we were in a rush? in terms of appetite, i'm sure miss d & i could've eaten more, though it wouldn't have necessarily been worth everyone's $$ to sit there for another round. furthermore, we got switched from our waiter to another waitress totally randomly! i have a feeling it's b/c he failed to structure our meal accordingly, but we just didn't quite understand what was going on.

while our transfer to the patisserie was a bit rough as well (our new waitress totally forgot to mention our move to the patiesserie staff -- another strike), i must admit that i was more impressed by the desserts than the tapas (though they faltered here as well unfortunately). the clementine & lemon sorbets were AMAZING -- so light, refreshing, and tangy. great palate cleansers as marsha suggested. the flan was also AMAZING -- definitely way creamier than the one at mama's hot tamales, but definitely the way i prefer it. the chocolate cake & the coconut sphere were both quite pretty, but they didn't especially thrill me. we all picked out small items for ourselves from the patisserie display, but i think lisa & marsha were much more delighted by their picks than miss d & i. i liked my coffee cookie (that tasted like coffee grinds in cookie form -- a nice & intense flavor) and my lemon & ginger bon bon (which had liquid ooze out from the middle), but my saffron gum drop tasted just, well, gummy. miss d was not so pleased w/her choc chip cookie, though nothing can really top a good, normal, ccc.

as miss d is wont to say in her matter-of-fact way, "i just don't get it." even though i'm all for putting down serious $$ for cool molecular gastronomy, the bazaar really didn't live up. i should probably give this place a second chance, by going in w/a blank slate and ordering what i want to order. and i'm hoping that'll do the trick, but ultimately, i think this place is simply overrated. the rooms were WAY overdone (to the point of gaudy) and the slickness of the environment was just too much. i saw a huge group of gaggly sorority girls and i felt a little sick in the tummy. plus a woman that was wearing a dress that barely covered her a**. it was quite disturbing. i mean, what are you THINKING? we did manage to see an actress (that we still can't name), but the overall experience was disappointing. (sorry, lisa & marsha!) the one highlight was hanging out w/some cool new friends -- and thank god they weren't as crabby as i was about the meal!

http://www.thebazaar.com/

Q1 adventures

forgive me, readers, for i have sinned. it's been 2 months since my last blog.

so i swear i've WANTED to keep this thing up-to-date, but it's always so heinously challenging for me to start writing. this is always my excuse though, so i'm going to stop now before i start repeating myself. (which is a total pet peeve, so please avoid doing it around me.)

let's see, let's see.... so i'm trying to think back on all the things i've done in the past 2 months worth mentioning. there's definitely been a bunch so forgive me for not having everything in chronological order.

1. i quite literally spazzed out in january about my purpose in life and my potential lack of financial stability. this happens once every year or two. i don't think i'm ever seriously worried. but the anxiety seems so real at the time. i swear i was losing serious appetite and sleep over it all. i even convinced myself that i might want to do consulting. i even made it to round 2 of mckinsey's APD recruiting! i even got slapped in the face by 3 back-to-back case interviews. thank you, caroline, for telling me that consulting requires serious BS capabilities. i'm glad i failed. i'm just too honest. thankfully, i got some serious frequent flyer miles and yummy restaurant meals out of it. and i made a friend -- who has serious chefs in her family. WOOHOO!

important links:
http://www.apd.mckinsey.com/ - definitely not for the faint of heart!
http://www.printerscafe.com/ - AMAZING sandwiches and sweets

2. i realized that i can't stop working out for 30-60 days in a row. during my spaz fest, i pretty much stopped working out during the months of january and february. and i felt like crap. i lost all cardio capacity and muscle tone. gross, i know. so now that i'm back on track, i've signed up for monthly 10K's in santa monica as well as the santa monica classic. i'm still committed to doing a half-marathon this year, though i have no idea how long it's going to take for me to get into good enough shape. plus i definitely don't want to run 13 miles in the summer. that being said, fall seems like the best bet. any suggestions? (nothing too hilly, please.)

important links:
http://www.active.com/ - great for fitness freaks!
http://smboardwalk.movfitness.com/ - lightest carbon footprint
http://www.santamonicaclassic.com/ - GREAT t-shirts!

3. while i was spazzing, i did manage to make it out to phoenix to check out amy and tom's new house (AND guest casita). i swear i was staying in a mansion -- i could hear my voice echo! i mean, there were different heating systems for different parts of the house! the visit was short (friday to sunday), but definitely sweet. we got to go work out at amy's AMAZING fitness facility -- i swear this place occupies an entire city block! it's like a fitness buffet -- all-you-can-eat AND THEN SOME. i was pretty much hyperventilating after the step class on saturday (which amy thought was way too easy) but i managed to get some serious time on the rock wall w/tom. it'd been ages since i'd gone climbing -- and i LOVED it. especially the auto belay mechanisms. it's totally freeing. amy & i went back for another workout on sunday, and then hiking, and then massages. (btw, is there a reason i can't live like this all the time?) and we even managed to fit in an amazing meal at mosaic on saturday night. the food was QUITE creative -- case in point: a dish entitled "what the FOIE*!?#" -- and DELICIOUS. my mixed grill plate of duck & elk was equally fabulous. and my lemon dessert was quite memorable too. (though i much preferred amy's caramel fondue -- mmm....) besides not sleeping well enough (i've decided i don't like beds that aren't mine), it was the perfect getaway weekend!

important links:
http://www.lifetimefitness.com/
http://www.phoenix.gov/parks/hikemain.html
http://www.massageenvy.com/
http://www.mosaic-restaurant.com/

4. considering that i owe $3700 in taxes (damn fellowship!), i'm glad i booked my boston trip back in december. so for my BFF's 30th birthday, his fiancee arranged a surprise trip to boston AND got his entire groom's party out to surprise him! (melissa, you're the best secret keeper EVER.) it was AMAZING. he was totally and completely SHOCKED. after a long and rainy drive up from new york, soon & michelle were lovely enough to pick me up from logan. we drove out to stay at michelle's parents' house in lexington, and we even got to see a bit of snow and a deer in her backyard! (oh, how i miss the east coast. *sigh*) the next day, we totally surprised derek at brunch at aquitaine. this place was SO cute, and even though i didn't have much of an appetite (due to a minor cold, a long flight [where everyone else also seemed to be sick], and not enough sleep), i thought the prix fixe brunch options were super yummy and affordable.

having saved our pennies that morning, we all splurged on derek's birthday dinner at EVOO that night. again, i wish i'd had more of an appetite b/c the "duck, duck, goose" dish sounded like the perfect dish for me. however, i went w/the striped bass fillet instead and i was definitely left wanting. the fish was cooked well, but the bitter chocolate tortilla didn't do anything for the dish. thankfully, my country pate was nice and smooth, and my star anise creme brulee was apparently the best one ordered. based on my hazy recollection, i believe the specials derek ordered (all meat dishes) were all pretty fabulous, as were the warm chocolate truffle cake and the chocolate-banana bread pudding that got passed around. every other person ordered scallops, which i simply find disgusting and gross. ughhh....

while the food was definitely a highlight (as was derek's look of shock), the BEST part of the trip was the trapeze lesson that steve organized for all of us! first of all, the lesson took place in this crazy indoor complex, which was a bizarre cross b/w a furniture store (yes, a furniture store) and a las vegas mall (complete w/the bellagio water show). secondly, one of the staffers who gave us our lesson was TOTALLY cute and adorable -- and really supportive too. (YAY, don!) the other two guys were OK, but how unprofessional is it to be eating an apple while clipping me in? i mean, come ON. at any rate, the experience was AWESOME. i love heights, especially when i'm strapped in. and i love flying through the air. this isn't to say it wasn't HARD. (i got some SERIOUS bruises.) but we were definitely all smiles at the end!!

i spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with my mutually sick friend glenn in his brookline apt. (we missed you, mel!) it was really the perfect ending to my boston trip b/c snow was falling when i woke up in the morning. and it KEPT snowing ALL day. (and for those who are wondering, snow really is best when being viewed from inside a warm and cozy apartment.) glenn & i trekked through the winter wonderland for a vietnamese lunch, but we took it easy the rest of the afternoon and shot down zombies on the wii. that was SO therapeutic. i left in my new pink reefs and felt snow on my toes. *sigh*

important links:
http://www.aquitaineboston.com/index.php
http://www.evoorestaurant.com/
http://boston.trapezeschool.com/
http://www.jordans.com/
http://pholemongrass.com/
http://www.wiisworld.com/wii-games/Shooting/

5. before i left boston, i signed myself up for a 5-class package of trapeze classes in santa monica. i know. i'm crazy. i really should've checked out the place before signing up, but i was just SO excited to do it again. i couldn't help myself. at any rate, i discovered that the set-up on the santa monica pier is WAY rickety compared to boston. i mean, i had to climb up a LADDER for pete's sake! talk about a sure-fire way to bruise your knees before you even start. on top of that, the main instructor guy was so NOT professional. he didn't even KNOW me yet and he made fun of my lululemon bag. i mean, seriously?! the other instructor guy was nice, but i felt like he was rushing me. i hadn't even gotten my knee-hang down before he was pushing me to get to the next trick. too bad i don't CARE about the next trick, buddy. i'm all about taking things one step at a time and i'm all about getting my form right. otherwise, i'm just going to hurt myself. speaking of which, i must've strained a muscle b/c i can't shrug w/o a mild ache in my left shoulder. thank god for naproxen. no flying for a few weeks. doctor's orders.

important links:
http://losangeles.trapezeschool.com/

6. to see if i could work out all my muscle soreness, i checked out the student massage place that dana recommended. even though the place was cheap ($35), i must say that it definitely wasn't the best massage i've ever gotten. i think there's something about me being small & petite that keeps masseurs and masseuses from giving me the seriously deep tissue massage that i need. it's like i keep saying "MORE PRESSURE" to no avail. the girl at massage envy (in phoenix) gave me some good pressure, but she failed to flip me around. the guy at this place (in LA) gave me the full body treatment, but he failed to exert enough pressure. how long is it going to take me to find something "just right"?? *sigh*

important links:
http://www.chac.edu/

7. ever since talking to brian about his past adventures in LA (and hopefully his future adventures in NY), i've been feeling inspired to wander around LA. (it's weird how one conversation can inspire you, isn't it?) that and the fact that it's the end of the quarter and all i have to do is putz around. (whatever. don't be hatin'!) two weeks ago, i wandered into the hammer museum and saw some interesting pieces by LA artists. i have to admit that i disliked half of the exhibition, but victoria reynolds and llyn foulkes had some fascinating works to show off. last week, i trekked out to bergamot station and checked out some really cool galleries. some of my favorites: james gray, lois lambert, mark moore, ruth bachofner. i didn't have time for a sit-down meal at the cafe, but if my lemon bar and mint iced tea were any indication of the food quality, i'll definitely be back soon! for my last bit of culture in recent times, i got a last-minute invitation from chiara to check out a zocalo talk on the authenticity of food at the skirball. it was a treat to be in the presence of some GREAT chefs, but FYI that jonathan gold is THE worst moderator ever. i mean, the man just kept TALKING. plus he kept smacking his lips!! at any rate, i managed to find out about the kogi truck and the power of twitter. totally worth the excursion! that and i got to hang out w/chiara. YAY!

important links:
http://hammer.ucla.edu/
http://www.bergamotstation.com/
http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/
http://www.skirball.org/
http://kogibbq.com/
http://twitter.com/

8. speaking of food, i know everyone's probably wondering where the heck i've been eating lately. so let me share some of the highlights....

dani & i splurged on AOC a while back, but despite the fact that she & jeannine are both big fans, i didn't fall head over heels for it. i must admit that the pork rillettes and the sweetbreads definitely left a positive impression. as did the warm ham hock salad and the kabocha squash gratin. the food was definitely creative and well-done, but i'm wondering whether i had the appetite to fully savor all the flavors. hmmm.... i suppose this means another trip!

de'sha & i went back to asia de cuba in west hollywood for some delish eats during restaurant week. after viv & i had our fabulous meal there last year, i had to go back. the duck spring rolls were still AMAZING, the braised short rib was to die for, the stir-fried green beans were DELISH, and the donut dessert was simply magical. no complaints whatsoever.

atalie & i checked out flame in westwood for some persian cuisine. i believe i ordered the tahchin, which was (surprisingly for me) a rice dish that came out with the loveliest yellow color (probably b/c of the saffron), a fabulously crusty exterior, and superb flavor throughout. i must admit that it was quite dense, so make sure you're hungry when you order it.

de'sha, keith, & i went for brunch at shanghai red's in marina del rey when he was in town a month ago. as i've been typing up this blog, i've realized how much appetite really impacts eating experience. b/c once again, i was exhasuted and i wasn't really in the mood for food this particular day, so i really didn't have the best impression of this place. i mean, the spread was pretty extensive, but i didn't feel like anything was particularly good. i did have some yummy menudo (gotta love tripe), but other than that, everything else was kind of mediocre. well, except for the company!

most recently, sejal & i caught up over yummy eats at father's office in santa monica. i must admit to NOT liking the set-up. i have zero patience (generally-speaking) for waiting, so i was a bit annoyed at the prospect of having to stand around w/food while waiting for a table to open up. thankfully, a really sweet couple was nice enough to give us their table after we'd only been waiting about 10 minutes! i ordered the french sea bass and the roasted brussel sprouts, and both dishes had great flavor. i couldn't believe they didn't have arnold palmers (talk about drinks-ism), but other than that, i was quite pleased w/my meal. on the other hand, sejal didn't think her burger was worth all the hype. the saving grace was the order of sweet potato fries, which i (again surprisingly) couldn't help popping into my mouth.

for those that are following closely, i'm headed out to m cafe de chaya in culver city tonight, trying cafe elysee on sunday, headed back to craft on monday, hopefully checking out bazaar on wednesday, and headed out to seattle for some yummy northwest eats for a few days. hopefully, there will be lots to report shortly!!

important links:
http://www.aocwinebar.com/
http://www.mondrianhotel.com/default.aspx#/explore/?id=asiadecuba
http://www.flamepersiancuisine.com/
http://www.shanghairedsrestaurant.com/
http://www.fathersoffice.com/

9. on the movie front, i've been enamored with kate winslet films. i thought "the reader" was amazing. she totally deserved all those awards. her desire to hide her illiteracy was so visceral. and ralph fiennes was so committed to her. oh to have a love so deep! in a completely different role, kate conveyed serious angst in "revolutionary road." you could totally feel the vise-like grip of her suburban life. and her spirit totally being dragged out of her body. the final scenes were so intense. and the slow drip of the blood. drip drip drip. (i know, i'm horrible.) i thought "the boy in the striped pajamas" was quite the cautionary tale. the plot was simplistic, but the message was loud and clear: evil bites you in the ass. the final scene was dramatic and sad, and you could feel her maternal pain. on a totally different note, "slumdog millionaire" was quite uplifting, with a really creative plot, a super catchy soundtrack, an endearing love story, and great cinematography. some have called it *the best movie ever* which i would seriously debate, but i thought it was well worth the money. (FYI that i still can't believe eri's bf fell asleep during the movie -- talk about knowing nothing about film. sorry, mike, but it's true.) as was the case with "rachel getting married" which showed off anne hathaway's acting chops. i still thought she looked too perfect to be a druggie, but the whole cast was pretty amazing overall. the fuzzy cinematography isn't something i usually like, but it really worked in this instance. and finally, in a completely genre, was "he's just not that into you," which i literally paid FIVE times to see. yes, FIVE times. some would consider that CRAZY. but i honestly love love love romantic comedies. and i managed to cry during each and every viewing of this cheesy chick flick. wait for this line: "you're my exception." goddammit, justin long, you're not even CUTE!!

10. before i forget, i must mention my upcoming weekend adventure -- the great urban race! i seriously had the hardest time finding someone who: 1) is adventurous, 2) i'd want to spend that much time with (3-4 hours), 3) could stand me for that much time (3-4 hours), and 4) was available. plus, i realized how my independence could totally be an impediment when trying to find someone for partner activities. grrr!!! at any rate, i was super suprised that i hadn't thought of judy before she posted on FB that she wanted to do it! so i'm thrilled to see what excitement awaits us this weekend. YAY!! let's see if i love it enough to do it in new york!!

important links:
http://greaturbanrace.com/

11. before i disappear again into the ether, i wanted to send a quick shout-out to ryan & jess for some delicious eats over the past few months! i've had some delicious homecooking c/o the roberts and i'm forever indebted. top chef and st. patty's day will never be the same w/o you two!! and yes, i promise that you'll get yummilicious chocolate souffles as thanks!!

update on hnn's m&m adventures - paris, LA, NY

so it seems like i'm always a billion years delayed getting anything up on this blog. but i blame the fact that i hate writing, or rather that i hate getting anxious about writing. (damn asian genes! damn math/science high school! damn pre-med!) HOWEVER, as i've heard that i've developed a readership (of sorts), AND as i've made a resolution to blog more regularly, this is my first attempt at catching up. it won't be pretty (as it's been MONTHS), but i'll do my best to capture my finest (and not so finest) moments of yummy eating & movie watching.

paris wanderings

so i spent my 30th birthday in paris. it was an independence trip to celebrate my free spirit and my sagitarrian sensibilities. yes, there are places where it's not safe, but where it is, i love travelling on my own. i can wake up whenever i want. i can do whatever i want. i can go wherever i want. and i can change my mind a bazillion times (haha, eri, haha) -- over and over and over. it's a beautiful thing.

i suppose it's too late to comment on every detail of this trip (though i could certainly go on ad nauseum to whoever would like to hear about it), but let's just say that i had the best time. i was a little out of it at first in my little room at les trois poussins (a cute little hotel on a side street in montmartre -- http://www.les3poussins.com/). then again, i was on a plane for hours and hours, so who wouldn't be a little off? (still, i'm forever grateful and thankful for direct flights.)

after a day and a half of getting somewhat un-jetlagged, i stopped wondering what the heck i was doing in paris and i started to really enjoy it. i walked around for hours and hours a day, and i saw all the sights that i'd never gotten to see on previous visits -- the louvre, the musee d'orsay, the musee rodin. i checked out some lesser known sights -- the catacombs, the chateau de vincennes, the musee dali. and i went back to some of my favorite places in the city -- sacre coeur, the jardin des tuileries, the jardin du luxembourg. i also checked out some new sights that have sprung up in recent years -- the ferris wheel at the place de la concorde and the holiday market down the champs elysee.

i could go on and on about the loveliness of all the sights, but the best part was being able to get to them on foot. roaming around paris, strolling along the seine, and walking all the way "home" to montmartre at the end of the day was absolute heaven for me. and doing it all in the light drizzle wasn't even too horrible. there's just something so romantic about rain in paris. even when you're all by yourself.

one of the best parts of paris is the ubiquity of crepes. i swear i had at least a crepe a day while i was there, and the best one BY FAR contained cheese and merguez sausage. it was absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS. and i'm so glad i couldn't finish it b/c i seriously could've died from the grease. but OMG was it delicious! i picked it up from this guy on the rue montmartre who kept trying to speak to me in french, and i swear i told him i thought it was hot outside when i was literally freezing to death waiting for this unforgettable crepe. thank god i survived the wait!

in addition to regular crepe eating, i allowed myself a pastry a day, and i sampled from cute little bakeries and pastry shops within a small radius of my hotel. and b/c i ate heavier at lunch, i usually just picked up small eats for dinner from the local eateries -- the cheese & meat shops, the rotisserie/butcher shops, the sushi place, and even the supermarket. i loved coming home at the end of the day and just walking around my little neighborhood. i somehow felt like i belonged there, like i'd be back soon.

last but not least, we must go into my amazing foodie experiences while i was abroad! and i must say that i had QUITE the gastronomic adventures. in my first foray into parisian fine dining, i decided to check out l'atelier du joel robuchon (http://www.joel-robuchon.com/). to be honest, i think i would've fared MUCH better at la table du joel robuchon b/c i'm simply not a fan of wraparound bar eating. even though guides say that bar eating works great for solo diners, i think it really depends on what kind of solo diner you are. i prefer a TABLE. to MYSELF. so i don't have to TALK -- at least not to anyone but the waitstaff. what i got at l'atelier was a seat by two americans (good grief) -- one who was quite lovely and the other who was quite, well, loud. needless to say, i ended up conversing w/them and it wasn't too painful. (i even got my dessert paid for! in honor of my birthday -- very sweet indeed.) but i would've preferred not feeling rushed to order and not feeling rushed to eat. in the end, i was entirely displeased with the pigeon, which came out unceremoniously wrapped in cabbage, and which tasted, well, gross. i can't even remember whether i finished it all, but it was neither pleasing to the eye nor the palate. on the flip side, the lamb was delicious. even though there was very little meat on each of the chops, what was on there was amazingly flavorful. (at 45 euros for 5 chops, it better have been good!) and the grapefruit dessert had really great acid. on top of everything, the service was excellent. all of the servers spoke just enough english to make the atmosphere pleasant and inviting. i'd love to go back -- were it not for the wraparound bar and the high chairs (where my feet couldn't touch the ground).

the next day, i decided to check out brasserie lipp (http://www.groupe-bertrand.com/lipp.php), a quintessential parisian brasserie. totally old school w/an older clientele to match. the most important thing to know about this place is that you can't be in any sort of the rush. the service is, shall we say, slow. and even though everyone was quite pleasant (including the maitre d', who looked like a cross b/w tim gunn & the shoe fetish guy on SATC), they're not looking to turn tables. here i decided to order quintessential parisian dishes -- the escargots, the duck confit, and the millefeuille. all were quite good, though nothing jawdropping.

of all the restaurants i visited while i was in paris, my ABSOLUTE favorite was spoon (food & wine) (http://www.spoon.tm.fr/public_fr/actualite/index.htm). this place is one of several spoon adventures around the world, all of which are situated in exotic locales -- paris, hong kong, mauritius, and saint tropez. and rightly so b/c the food is absolutely AMAZING. i don't remember the last time i had food THIS good. moreover, each dish was a spectacular piece of art. to the point where i simply wanted to cry when i had to sink my utensil into the dish and break it up. i wish i'd remembered that my blackberry has a camera (oh don't even say it) b/c i don't think i even came close to imprinting the beauty of those dishes in my memory. at the start of the meal, i received a lovely amuse bouche -- a mix of tofu, mushrooms, and spinach. i know it doesn't SOUND appetizing, but it was quite pretty in its tall shot glass and quite yummy in my mouth. my ceviche appetizer was gorgeous w/the sauce a perfect blend of oil & acid. my ribs entree was the tallest dish i've received to date. what gave it height was the super thin potato chips and the fluffy lettuce leaves. all went well w/the scrumptious meat. i ended the meal w/the mac 'along -- a citrus dessert that was nice & light. coffee came w/more cookies. and i realized how much i love getting unexpected things for free.

for my last restaurant meal, i had dinner at le potager du marais (http://www.restaurantsomh.com/p19.htm) -- a vegetarian spot in the marais. considering how meat-loving paris is in general, it can be tough to find good veggies NOT cooked in lard. (not that i have anything against lard of course.) thankfully, this place does a pretty good job. i had a great vegan zucchini soup to start, and i've decided that cream is so unnecessary in veggie soups. my eggplant was great with spinach, though the almond rice was really bland. however, the meal ended with a delicious pear tarte tatin. i have to admit that the crust tasted like semi-cooked dough, but the perfectly caramelized pears pretty much made up for that.

back to LA - 1

after i got back to LA in early december, i only had a few weeks before jetting to new york for the holidays. but during that time, i ran a 10K and enjoyed some lovely post-run eats w/dani. considering that i hadn't worked out since before thanksgiving, i totally surprised myself by completing the santa monica-venice christmas run in a record 1:01:28.4! that's less than a 10-minute mile, folks! (i was so excited that i ended up buying a picture of myself. which required scouring through a bazillion pics on the website. of course, this is what i get for wearing my number on the back instead of the front.) with this accomplishment, i'm now ready to attempt a halfsie. (see resolutions post.) WOOHOO!

as for our lovely post-run eats, dani & i made it over to axe (http://www.axerestaurant.com/) -- a chic spot in venice that i discovered w/the HEOC ladies way back in the day. the restaurant just opened before we got there, so we were thrilled. we decided on the ginormous 9-grain pancake, the basic rice bowl (which the waitress suggested), the apple smoked bacon, and the chicken apple sausage. the sides were completely throwaway (sadness), but the pancake was delicious and filling, and the rice bowl was quite scrumptious too. last time, the star sighting was rosario dawson. this time, hilary swank. uh huh. AW YEAH.

while i was back, i also went to see the reader and slumdog millionaire. i must operate on a totally different movie rating system than critics (with my site of choice being metacritic.com) b/c i loved the reader and found slumdog millionaire a bit overrated. i'll admit i'm a total kate winslet fan, and i've been dying to see revolutionary road as well. but i thought the reader was quite moving and i disagree w/critics who think the point was overly made. i mean, is there really just one point? and can you really overly make it? well, perhaps there is and perhaps you can, but the reader did not. for me, one of the main points was this: sometimes you make choices on impulse, sometimes you make them with thought, but ultimately you often make choices that no one can possibly understand but you.

as for slumdog millionaire, i wish that people hadn't hyped up the movie so much. i hate when people say 'that was the best movie ever!' i mean, are you kidding? how many movies have you SEEN? and do you know anything about movies? ok ok, i know i sound like a movie snob when i'm the one that pays to see HSM 3 (which was fabulous btw). but shut up already! i'm just SAYING that 'the best movie EVER' is just a bit MUCH. at any rate, i did think the movie came close to meeting the hype (unlike benjamin button -- scroll down below). i think i would've been a bigger fan had i even watched a single episode of who wants to be a millionaire, but i found the storyline quite engaging. flashbacks don't work for every movie, but the past-present switching worked really well in this film. the cinematography also had a lovely indie quality about it, including a memorable shot of latika looking up at jamal from below. the bollywood dance at the end clinched the movie perfectly. it totally made you want to get up and shake your groove thang.

i love new york

yes, it's my hometown. yes, i know it really well. and yes, i'm falling in love with it all over again. after being in LA for almost 6 years, i'm tired of southern california -- weather and all. i miss walking and i miss being in a city that's up all night -- even when i'm not.

after catching up w/my mom for a night, i moved out to jeff's apt in murray hill (thanks, jeff! hugs & kisses!). i must admit that i didn't even get to indulge in his amazing flat-screen TV b/c i literally came home every night after hours and hours of walking and promptly passed out. it was such luscious sleep. and i realized then and there that i'll only get a full 8 hours if i wear myself out earlier in the day. mmm....

on my first full day in the city, i kicked off the morning w/neena & matt in c-town for dim sum! we went to a small place down on mott street. i think it's evergreen or emerald something, but it's a place that jeff took me to back in the day. there seemed to be fewer carts, probably b/c we went on a weekday morning rather than a weekend morning. at any rate, the food was quite good, and we ordered plenty to fill us up -- spare ribs, beef balls, spring rolls, shumai, dumplings, sticky rice, roast pork buns, beef noodles, shrimp noodles, sesame balls, etc. i wish we'd had more room, but we could barely make it out of there as it was! after brunch, we drove up to rockefeller center and got a glimpse of the tree. it was more ginormous than i remembered it, and the crowds were more intense that i remembered them. thank goodness none of us needed to stick around for very long!

after that, i trekked downtown to meet up w/derek, who really wanted to see waltz w/bashir. granted, i'd never heard of it AND it was animation, but i so rarely get to indulge my BFF, so i thought i might as well. i show up and the first thing he tells me is that he's had stomach flu. GROSS. which means i spend our whole time together making sure he doesn't breathe on me -- huge germophobe that i am. so we go in and sit down. 10 minutes in, he nudges me and says "i'm bored." and i'm thinking "THANK GOD B/C I'M DYING HERE." a few minutes later, we get up and walk out. we've done this before (c/o spider -- the worst movie ever made) and i have NO qualms about doing it again. i swear i was already passing out w/in the first 5 minutes!

we decided to trek over to soho to explore 2 chocolate cafes he was looking to check out. we stopped by vosges, which i've been to, and which is way more shop than cafe. so we decided on the cacao bar at the mariebelle (http://www.mariebelle.com/s.nl/it.I/id.3/.f) instead. this place has a lovely shop in the front and a cute little cafe in the back. and derek & i both decided to indulge in some hot chocolate before dinner. derek went for the spicy, which he thought was good but not very spicy. and i went for the unsweetened, which had a nice bitterness to it. both were quite decadent, though we weren't sure whether they gave us our drinks American-style (w/water) or European-style (w/milk). (or is that vice versa?)

at this point, we were both starving for dinner, so we trekked up to nick & stef's (http://www.patinagroup.com/east/nickStef/), where i'd made a reservation several weeks ago. i was surprised that so many folks were already at dinner, especially since our reservation was for 6PM and there was already a pretty full house. (we found out from our waitress that there was a game at MSG. of course, neither of us had a clue who -- or what -- was playing!) since derek's tummy was still off, and i didn't want to gorge myself, we decided to split the porterhouse for 2 and tack on some brussel sprouts (for good measure -- and fiber). the food was AMAZING. the meat came out quickly, perfectly done (medium rare), and with several sauces for us to try. i gave derek about 2/3 of the meat (since i'm trying to watch my figure), and my 1/3 was the perfect amount. i found the bearnaise a bit too decadent, and the jus a bit too plain, but the peppercorn was a good flavor. i mean, honestly, the meat was so good that it didn't even need anything else, though the sauce did add a bit more interest. the brussel sprouts were also quite good. we decided to skip dessert since i was off to meet irene in k-town, but we were both really pleased w/the food AND the service. we even got our napkins folded whenever we stepped away! if anything, that should give this place FDE status. ha!

after dinner, i made my way to koryodong (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2872.html) -- a yummy dessert place in the middle of k-town. this is a great place to munch on sweets alone or w/friends. and i have to admit that i was here 2 nights in a row sitting at the exact same table. i guess there aren't that many dessert places in the city that are easily accessible to everyone. so i must send kudos to irene AND karen, who both trekked out to meet up w/me on consecutive nights! the first night, i went w/a ginger iced tea and a mango bomb. the tea was amazing, but i was disappointed that the bomb wasn't really your typical bomb. it was a mini-cake bomb and not an ice cream bomb. my rec: order something else. irene's creme brulee wasn't too shabby, but definitely not my favorite. the second night, i went w/a citrus iced tea (the same one that irene had gotten hot) and i thought that was delicious. (i must admit to loving acid these days.) for dessert, i chose the shaved ice w/the green tea ice cream. OMG. i ate the whole thing myself, i was super bloated, and yet i wanted another. this thing was SO good. in addition to the ice and the ice cream, there was also fresh fruit and red bean -- i was in heaven. must...go...back....

the next morning, i made my way uptown to meet up w/soon the elder. while waiting for the bus, i made the acquaintance of an older woman who works for UNICEF. at first, i was a little wary when she asked if i wanted to split a cab uptown if the bus didn't show up. i suppose i haven't lost my new york edge b/c i thought she might ditch me in the cab w/the fare. thankfully, the bus arrived and i got over my attitude. it was great hearing about the woman, her job, and her travels around the world -- all of this in a 15-minute timespan! she even gave me a l'occitane towelette and a big hug when we both got off the bus at 80th street. now isn't that a lovely way to start the weekend?

i picked up soon at his fancy schmancy digs and we trekked over to oren's (http://www.orensdailyroast.com/) for a bit of coffee before trekking through central park. my pumpkin latte was yummy, and i'm glad we got a bit of caffeine, b/c i really made soon work. we rambled along many dirt paths and covered a fair bit of the park going from east to west. we even made it over to belvedere castle, where i spotted wild turkeys! (they're on my camera phone -- i think i got a bit of their backsides.) after some huffing and puffing (dang we're old), we made it out of the park alive.

at this point, i was starving. and since we both needed to head downtown, soon suggested the jazz brunch at garage (http://www.garagerest.com/). now, i've been wanting to try this place FOREVER, so he pretty much read my mind. as we walked in, we were greeted by the hostess and the lovely sounds of live jazz. we got seated at a fabulous table on the balcony overlooking the 3-piece band and the entire restaurant. the decorations were beautiful, including an upside down christmas tree hanging over the bar! the jazz brunch is a great value, since $15.95 can buy you a full and hearty meal. i went w/OJ and the farmer's market omelet. despite not getting my egg whites, i was very pleased.

after a bit of jazz, we jetted down to soho -- soon in search of michelle's xmas present and me to catch up w/brig. soon has zero sense of time (sorry, soon!), so i had to cab it over to the movie theater where brig & i were going to watch benjamin button. of course, i was THRILLED to see brig, who's been stuck in the boonies of bloomington for months now. unfortunately, i was NOT thrilled to see benjamin button, which has been entirely overrated. not only was the storyline bland, but the chemistry b/w brad and cate was totally lacking, and the whole aging and reverse aging w/the make-up was just bizarre and un-authentic. while some of the scenes were quite beautiful, they couldn't quite make up for the movie's shortfalls. (i'm sorry, mike, but you know nothing about good movies. nothing AT ALL.)

seeing that i couldn't stick around for revolutionary road (BUMMER!), brig & i decided to trek around union square until her second movie. we made our way over to TJ's, which she doesn't have in bloomington, and we spent a good amount of time checking out all the cute guys that exist in new york, but not in bloomington OR LA. *sigh* oh, till we're back in the city again....

the next morning, i met up w/ivana & ashley for sunday brunch at david burke & donatella (http://www.dbdrestaurant.com/). well, at least that's what it was called until the end of 2008! (apparently, the partnership went splitsville in august, and the name change to david burke townhouse wasn't going to happen until the new year. shows how much i'm up on foodie news -- *sigh*) at any rate, the experience was DIVINE. at first, i was a little nervous, since i walked in (the last to show up) and the room was in a complete hush. (the last time i had to deal w/this was at town, and that was NOT a pleasant experience.) however, after a few more parties showed up, talking at normal volume wasn't a problem. in addition to lovely waitstaff, db&d had fabulous decor. it was all quite chic & festive, decked out in red & white. while some critics have grumbled that it's too feminine, i think they're idiots. i think the decor is totally cool & trendy, and i loved it.

as for the food, it was AMAZING. and seeing that is my NEW FAVORITE in the city, i'm devoting a whole paragraph to it. (that and the fact that we shared everything, so i must comment on ALL the food.) for my prix-fixe brunch (a great price for so much food), i chose the lobster-lemongrass bisque (w/yummy bits of apple), the asparagus casserole (w/perfect mini-cubes of potato), and the chocolate-gingerbread mousse. ivana went with the pretzel crusted crabcake (that came in a lovely rectangle), the reuben bendict (though she got the nova scotia benedict by mistake -- eek!), and the coconut layer cake. ashley chose the granola parfait w/the mango donuts (that sadly turned out to be singular rather than plural), a main dish that i can't remember, and the butterscotch panna cotta. out of everyone's dishes, i have to say that i loved my selections the best! the bisque was great, probably b/c it wasn't too lobster-ey. (FYI that i don't generally enjoy lobster or shrimp.) and even though i picked out most of the potatoes, the veggies in my main dish were delicious. the mousse was equally amazing and totally decadent. i thought ivana's crab cake was really yummy, and we both enjoyed the cream on her coconut cake, though we both found the cake itself on the dry side. we also enjoyed splitting ashley's single mango donut, though we missed the mango filling that was supposedly in the middle but was nowhere to be found. ashley's panna cotta was nice and creamy as well. along with our chosen items, we also got a lovely soup as our amuse bouche and delicious rosemary popovers. this was definitely my BEST meal in new york this time around.

after rolling out of the restaurant on a full belly, i trekked uptown to meet up w/nicole for another outing in the park. we both love walking, so the park was the perfect adventure. especially when we got lost and couldn't figure out what direction we were going in! i didn't mind too much, though nicole seemed somewhat concerned. thankfully, our combined powers of bad direction led us to the boathouse cafe (http://www.thecentralparkboathouse.com/sections/home.htm) for some yummy snacking. as i was still on a fully belly, i decided to hydrate instead, though i did snag a few bites of nicole's oatmeal raisin cookie. the atmosphere was really nice, though we had to sit outside since the place was so packed. the view is quite lovely, and nicole vowed to go back for a full meal sometime soon.

seeing as how it was getting dark (and both of us were directionally challenged), we decided to trek over to the guggenheim (http://www.guggenheim.org/) to check out the exhibits. the museum was closing surprisingly early (for me at least), so we managed to get discount tickets. (thanks, nicole!) while the photo exhibit left a lot to be desired, the design & space of the museum is really enough to fascinate me. the spiral walkway and the immense height are absolutely amazing. while nicole found the random phrases printed on the walls to be quite depressing, i suppose i was too enraptured by the interior design to be pulled downward. i even found the drowned body of pinocchio in the pool of the lobby to be quite amusing. (is that so wrong? ok, maybe it is.)

after lots of uptown time, i made my way downtown to meet evelyn for a stroll over to the seaport. she was w/o kikyo this time, so it was a good opportunity to catch up on the latest dish. it's always good to see her b/c she always has so much to say! i wish i could be so fluid w/my words. then again, she IS a writer. : ) so given that i'd asked for a street vendor hot dog, evelyn didn't force me to eat at nathan's, but instead purchased me a seaport dog outside pier 17. (i love you, evelyn!) then we wandered over to her favorite cafe nearby for some veggies, some coffee, and some dessert. she chose the berry tart and i went for the lemon tart. and they were just what we needed to sweeten up the night.

rather than seeing yet another film that might disappoint me, i decided to see something i knew i'd love -- let the right one in. it was playing at the angelika (to which i haven't been in YEARS), and i was in the mood to be alone that night w/a vampire love story. b/c this was probably my favorite movie of the year, i'd suggest that everyone see it rather than asking me what it's about. all i can say is that the storyline, the dialogue, and the cinematography were all equally amazing. and more than that, it won a major award at the tribeca film festival. i'm just sorry i missed it the first time and had to wait until it played at UCLA!

before i left for the airport, i was actually able to see mikisha at josie's (http://www.josiesnyc.com/) a block from jeff's apt, and debra at tisserie (http://www.tisserie.com/) at union square. it was all a bit of a whirlwind, but a great way to end the trip. i even got a chance to walk through the union square market really quick before booking it to penn station! oh, how i miss it already....

back to LA - 2

a few days after i got back, i met up w/john tam who was visiting from out of town. i'd been wanting to check out rock sugar (http://www.rocksugarpanasiankitchen.com/) for the longest time, so i made a reservation for 2 and we caught up over some yummy pan asian cuisine. i'd mentioned this place to the foodie gang way back when, but i got politely shot down by jenny who thought it might be overdone. to be honest, it was totally over the top in terms of decor, but yet everything totally worked. it's like tao having a giant buddha. i mean, is it necesary? no. then again, is it awesome? uhhh... YES. and i was totally impressed by the high ceilings and the heated patio. john commented on all the lights, which he was sure looked amazing at night.

in addition to great decor, we were met w/a great menu & a great server. considering that i don't drink alcohol, i was excited that there was finally a dedicated list of non-alcoholic options. w/some help from the server, i decided on the yuzu lemon crush, which was a wonderful blend of acidic sweetness. john went w/a thai iced tea, and we decided to dive into the menu. thank goodness for sharing b/c there were so many yummy things to try. we decided on the green mango & papaya salad and the calamari to start. i didn't really understand the salad selection, but john said that was his favorite, so i thought i'd oblige. both were good, but nothing too memorable. for the main dishes, we went w/the pork vindaloo that came w/the festive rice, and the singapore omelette. i thought the omelette was good, but the pork vindaloo was FABULOUS. it tasted so incredibly good -- great flavor, just the right amount of chew, oh so succulent. it was nice to have the rice to balance it out, though i'm dying now to try the ginger fried rice w/chinese sausage. (who's interested??) for dessert, i wanted the warm ginger cake and john chose the thai basil ice cream. both were quite scrumptious, but i really want to try the vietnamese coffee ice cream now. augh! how can i be hungry at 1 in the morning? oh how easily i get myself in a tizzy!

i celebrated new year's eve w/dr. griffin, judy, and judy's friend at beacon (http://www.beacon-la.com/index.php) in culver city. i thought i'd give this place another shot after dining there w/the foodie gang a while back, but i was once again underwhelmed. after being told that changing the size of my reservation wouldn't be a big deal, we ended up being seated at a 2-person table! i mean, seriously? i know it was partly my fault, but don't lie to me. i'm not stupid, y'know? at any rate, three of us ended up ordering salads, b/c they were out of kim's fish. i mean, how are you out of stuff on new year's eve? don't you prepare ahead of time? it was all very tiring after a while. thankfully, the night ended w/desserts. the chocolate dessert was totally melt in your mouth. unfortunately, the green tea cake was noticeably dry. bleh. no more. no more! it's time for a fresh start.

thinking for the sake of thinking

so i hosted a little post-modern thanksgiving shindig tonight in honor of my upcoming 30th birthday. and it was so lovely to see so many friendly faces in my little apt. (ok, it's not that little, but 'my little apt' sounds better than 'my ginormous pad.') of course, it would've been nicer to see even more people, but i suppose i would've felt claustrophobic that much sooner.

at any rate, i was excited to have a reason to cook up a storm. this included the following yummy eats (commence salivating!): pecan/sage/cornbread stuffing, honey glazed carrots, brown sugar/cayenne/lime sweet potatoes, cheese/spinach/stuffing stuffed mushrooms (yeah, try saying THAT five times fast!), and cheese/spinach/artichoke dip. of course, these aren't the given names for these dishes, but i thought i'd give you a sense of the ingredients.

the stuffing was crispy on top and moist in the middle, w/a bit of a crunch from the pecans and a great herbiness (is that a word?) from the sage. the cornbread alone made the dish i think -- go marie callender's mix! the carrots were nice and sweet, despite my accidental overdosing of kosher salt. the sweet potatoes -- the most yummilicious after kick from the cayenne. (love it.) to be honest, i was *quite* impressed w/how my stuffed mushrooms turned out. cleaning off the mushrooms and cutting up the stems was a serious pain, but i think the end result was totally worth it. last but not least, the dip. a total last-minute addition, but the flavor was great, and i think (almost) any spinach/cheese combo is killer. (yeah, saag paneer -- wooh!)

the rest of the dinner party brought fabulous additions, w/highlights including: a zucchini casserole, apples & yams, nutty rice, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and cranberry white chocolate chip cookies. i missed out on getting some serious turkey chili (which would've been *very* post-modern), so that'll have to wait for the next party. (folks, you know who you are!) w/wine, water, soda, iced tea, and beer flowing, i was in pretty good spirits all night. : )

after the post-party clean-up, i decided to book it to the last showing of HSM 3. and even though folks may rag on me for liking cheesy HS films, i can't help but really enjoy the sentiments offered by these kinds of movies. this notion that love can overcome all things, and that if you want something enough, you'll get it. i mean, in this day and age of cynicism, you really have to have these notions thrust at you constantly to really be able to believe.

after the movie, i decided to take a long walk to and from campus. i really do love walking across wilson plaza and up janss steps, especially when there aren't too many people around. as i looked up at the sky and stared at the stars, i swear, for just a split second, i felt like i was back in hanover again. i guess i'm still surprised i can see stars out here. though they do seem so much brighter in new hampshire.

i decided to lie down alongside the reflecting pool at the top of the steps and stare up at the sky for a while. i thought, by some miracle, i'd get some answer from the stars. from the centuries of people who've lived and breathed and thought about what they wanted to get out of their lives. but...nothing. i got nothing. and i guess i teared up a little, knowing that they wouldn't tell me -- or maybe couldn't tell me.

i know i'm waxing philosophical (and cheesy) at this point. perhaps it's b/c i'm turning 30 and it's such a turning point. or it's *supposed to be* such a turning point? oh, how those lines b/w expectation and reality are starting to blur. i'm still not sure what life is supposed to be/mean, but i guess all we can do is truck on, hoping that those all-important answers come to us by some chance or miracle -- or both.