how you doing?

gus is now an american. 

cue patriotic music.

i want to borrow this kid for the sing a long.

she almost makes me want to have kids.  (mostly so that i can train them to sing a long to my favorite musicals and quote really geeky shows with me)

   So last weekend my parent's came down for a weekend visit.  Generally my stress levels go up when my parents arrive because well... my parents are like stress bombs when they arrive.  I know they mean well but at the same time we fall into familiar roles that we play and we end up arguing the same arguments, fights, and perceptions.  For example, for some reason my parents got it into their head that I can't eat spicy food.  How silly is that?  Or how whenever they come I end up with hilariously fobby items.

Can you read this? it says "true love is so rare and precious.  But a good friendship is even more so.  You are my most valuable treasure!  Real friendship shines in times of trouble.  You've brought the light in to my darkest days!  Thank you for being there."  The thing is that this is my new bathroom trashcan.  Actually I thought the English on this was pretty awesome.

Anyway, picking out places to eat with my parents is one of the more stressful aspects of the parental visit.  Mostly because my father is a terrible, terrible customer at a restaurant.  Mostly because my dad is rarely ever satisfied with restaurant food cuz my mom's cooking is so awesome.  So I tried to search out foods that my mom doesn't make.  Growing up we went to three different restaurants: (1) Chinese-Korean for JjaJjangmyun; (2) Vietnamese Pho (after I introduced it to them); (3) goat and perilla leaf stew.  In fact once a year my parents went to get this goat soup/stew at a restaurant in Sacramento.  I sussed one out in LA, and we ate there for dinner.

After you get all the soup in your tummies they make a fried rice with extra veggies in the pot.  Tasty!
I'd say this got a B reaction.  Appreciative but not like they would ask to return.

Then the next day we sought beef.  We went to a new korean bbq all you can eat place soot bul gui rim 2.  It's okay.  Not as good as Tahoe despite using wood coal on top of gas. 

Hey, do you see that pink on the grill?  Yes, that is gobchang (or small intestine) and my dad really likes it.  Unfortunately, they gave us so much my dad ate almost all gobchang and almost no beef which was what he was craving in the first place.  EPIC FAIL.

I'd say C- was the result. 

However, I managed to clean my room and apartment before they came and open up a couple bottles of wine the first night that my parents enjoyed so all in all a pretty successful weekend.  I never realized how amusing it is to make your parents who are a touch tipsy write in one's wine journal.  I'm taking this sucker with me home for Thanksgiving.

         Things have been quiet at work so I took a few days off and visited New York.  I haven't been back for no reason except to be back and enjoy the city and people in a while.  It was a great, great extra long weekend.

First the BAD:

• HUMIDITY.  I've had a long history of bad timing.  A long tradition of calling people when they're napping, or greeting people to enthusiastically and casually when they're off to a lunch interview, sigh.  Ridiculous.  Apparently this August in New York was perfect jeans weather, not humid at all.  And of course I picked the one weekend where a hurricane somewhere else resulted in crazy humidity the entire time I was there (also gross rain).  So the end result was a sweaty, gross, gus pretty much every time I stepped outside.  I have never in my life wanted a handkerchief more.

• WALKING too much.  Man, I'm out of shape.  Also, walking the length and breadth of Manhattan for several days gave me a blister.  Boo.

• DISEASE.  I caught a cold.  It was a terrible cold, knocked me out and now my nose is drippy. 

Onto the Good:

• THE FOOD.  

I may have a problem.  The very first meal I had was Hummus Place.  It was fantastic.  I actually arrived on Thursday morning early and basically bided my time until the HP opened.  I went down to Greenwich Village at 1030 and basically wandered around in circles until they opened at 11.  Sad? Yes, but also dedicated and resulting in a wonderful brunch of delicious hummus.  Strangely met a woman who had moved to NYU from Manhattan Beach a few weeks ago.  She agreed, this was the best hummus ever.  HUMMUS PLACE 4EVAH. 

   

Fancy yet affordable food (like at Perry St's for their prix fixe lunch, props to dyn328, food guru) I mean look at the above! Frisee salad with crystallized wasabi and almonds with warm nectarines.  Sadly, I was trying to be healthier so I chose salmon rather than a ridiculously delicious sounding smothered steak.  Sigh.   Perry St. was a win, as was Clinton St. Bakery.  Do not underestimate me when I say that Clinton St's Raspberry Jam was the best jam I've ever had.  It was like raspberry heaven.  
Also, the Clinton St. Bakery Pancakes? They're pretty awesome.  I'm pretty much gonna agree that these are the best pancakes in the city (maybe the world?).  Have I done an exhaustive and impartial study? Nope, but these were pretty darn good.  Also, they had maple butter.  Yum.

My only regret?  Going by myself such that I ended up only trying this dish.  The bacon looked (and smelled) good.
Underwhelming, however was Prune (a much hyped restaurant).  At least for lunch.  I've heard that their brunch is prett good though.

• THE COFFEE.  I think I had great coffee twice a day.  Sigh.  (The trend started while I was waiting for Hummus Place to open) and got me some coffee. 

There were so many coffee places I went to.  All the coffee places I went to (Cupcake Mama(?-also with homemade donuts), Think, Mud, Porto Rico, homemade friends' coffee, Irving Place, various others) had fantastic coffee.  They even had cold brewed coffee at a lot of places which is something I still can't find out here in LA.  I miss you cold brewed coffee.  I miss you lots.

• THE FRIENDS (+FOOD).  In addition to solo meal adventures, I was able to spend some good times and good eats with really good friends.  Also, they put me up while I was in NY.  Thems quality people.

Was able to spend some quality time rebecca who I just don't get to spend enough time with. 

    Brunch!!!!
   
Got to get in some group hang out time with the Hyuns (including Tina and Jenny and little in utero Hyun, Grace Cho,  and a random Cal person).  What's weird is that as I was sitting at the table surrounded by Cal people (and those who love Cal people) I realized that many of Cali friends that I met in New York were Cal people.  Strange.  I only have a few close friends in NY that graduated from UCLA.  Weird.  Even though they all are in Washington Heights or Queens or Midtown, I made them all come out to the Lower East Side to eat Turkish kebobs at Bereket and Dessert Truck (high end desserts from a truck. yeah, probably didn't need to explain that) but only $5 per item. They were pretty tasty (yum, chocolate bread pudding and other delicious treats).   I also made them carry my heavy backpack from Bereket to the Dessert Truck.  I feel bad.  I hope the food (and company) was worth it!  (eeep, thanks y'all for making the trek out!).  Oh, I think I also had no cash and had to borrow from them too.  Wow. I'm like the worst friend ever.  Especially when you consider the next day Tina came out to the city and we ate delicious Shake Shack burgers and fries.  So much for the "healthy eating."  Also, my friends are awesome. 

Also got to spend some quality time with my fellow Shins.  Unfortunately, when I was hanging out with them I was really hot and sweaty and unwilling to carry anything.  Not even a camera.  We were trying to get to a tasty Thai joint, but it was closed for a week.   We thought about briefly trying to walk another 10 minutes to get Indian food but across the street we were distracted by a (Dominican?) restaurant that had the key ingredient of air conditioning.  So lovely.  So key.  Also, the food was FANTASTIC.

I totally miss everyone, sniff.  sniff.  (wow, I used "totally" the 80s really ARE back)

NOW ONTO THE squeeest MOMENT:
HELO.

I have to say I had the best moment on my way out of New York.  I was tired and sweaty and gross.  My phone had died.  My pocket camera was dead.  And my blackberry was dying.  But as I was chilling in the airport waiting area when I saw a tall, very familiar looking man come by and sit down a row or two away from me.  And I realized, that this dude was Helo from Battlestar Gallactica (my current obsession) and Helo is my favorite character from the show.  It would be difficult to underestimate my current level of love for him and the show right now.  And while on the outside I was fairly nonchalant, inside I was squeeing like a little girl.

Sigh.  I had so many chances to try to get a picture, but I held off.  Strange, because it's not like he'd ever see me again.  But I didn't want to start something before the plane, I mean, who wants to sit in an enclosed space thousands of feet in the air with a crazy stalker fan? Then, I didn't want to flag him down in LA cuz how paparazzi is it to pull out a dSLR in LAX?  But ultimately, I didn't want to leave a bad impression of his fans.  Sci Fi fans can be a little weird.  And I didn't want him to go home thinking, "dude, i really can't do this kind of genre stuff anymore cuz this weird crazy asian girl totally stalked me from JFK to LAX blubbering about the character Helo."
Oh, but regret she is a close friend now.  Sigh.

I did have one picture that I took with my mac (i'm so sly) with other programs hiding the i photo.  and just turning the computer quickly in his general direction.  Too much?  Don't be scared.

Wow. Both my parents go to bed early and  whoa do they snore loud.  I mean both are snoring up a storm right now.  I pity my future hypothetical husband.

things this blog will be featuring soon but have been delayed due to illness, dead camera batteries, and desperately needing to clean the apartment before mother arrives this weekend and lambasts me for living in a pigsty (roomie, i promise it's not that bad):

stories about the past:

- battlestar gallactica and (almost) close encounters with celebricrushes, gus' intense tweenishness and crushing on fictional characters
- the deliciousness of new york
- adventures in seeking citizenship
- new apartment, new location, and new roommate
- joining facebook (boo!!!!! hiss!!!!!!)
- buying a house
- furniture shopping with the parents

upcoming stories of the future:

- parents coming down to visit
- becoming a citizen (hopefully)
- concerts (jason mraz! ingrid michaelson! cold war kids! largo?)
- dr. horrible!!!!!!!
- registering to vote for the first time and voting for the first time in probably one of the most historic elections ever
- travel!

wow, i better finish cleaning and get started writing. i have lots to do!

man i have major sniffles. i hate colds.  i went to new york and all i brought back was a blister and a cold.  ugh.

Poetry is awesome.  Batman is awesome. Batman+Poetry=awesome squared?  (ETA: Wow what bad math. )

 (Batman)*(Poetry) = awesome squared!

There's an awesome blog that is doing a love poem project where the replace the word love with various terms.  Sometimes google, sometimes MTV, but this one... oh this one I just had to share.

"The Love Poem Project, in which the word Love is swapped out with some other word; Love = Batman

my new favorite: the middleman

"i was so distracted by his charm and competence."

hahahahha.
it's funnier in context.