Monday, April 22

Subway Creepers

new york subways is a cultural subset of New York that can, at times, be treacherous to navigate. the rules i think people should abide by:

1. take up only 1 seat per person. especially on the 4/5 trains, which uses bench-style seating, i really don't understand people who use their bags or spread their legs so wide that they take up 2 seats. 

2. allow others to exit the train before you attempt to enter it. 

3. give up your seat for the elderly, pregnant, physically challenged or little kids.

these are the basics. there's more nuanced items e.g. moving further into the train when the train's crowded so others can get on, but the above 3 are the basic tenets.

but there's a whole list of bad behavior that is just wrong and disgusting. whether it's engaging in sexual conduct (uh, you are in public. with other people. and that is inappropriate and disrespectful behavior. save it for your bedroom because i'd rather not see it) or groping other passengers (you are a disgusting criminal and should be locked up), there are a litany of activities that you should not do on the subway, let alone in public (and in the case of molestation, never).

this morning i witnessed something really uncomfortable on the way into work. i entered the train in my usual spot, which is near the end of a specific car, close to the conductor's window. near me were the retractable priority seats, each one occupied by one person. in 1 seat sat a larger man. in the other, a smartly dressed blond woman with a large shoulder bag.

as the train took off from my station, i saw the man sharing the center pole with me eyeball the blonde woman. he then proceeded to tap her on the should and ask her to move her bag so he could share the priority seating with her. which is really weird. those seats, appear to be made for 1 person to sit in. while you may occasionally run into the situation where 2 people are sitting, those people are: (a) squished together, with the outer person's butt usually hanging off the seat; and (b)  friends. the situation i saw this morning was neither.

and then, out of the corner of my eye, i saw something even creepier: the guy just kept staring at her. eyeing her up and down, looking at what she was doing on her phone. just blatant staring. and it was so creepy. 

if i'd been her, i would've gotten up right away (well actually, i would never have let him share the seat in the first place). she got off at the next stop, and when she did, the guy actually reached out and tried to touch/grab her as she exited the train. i don't think she felt it, but i was completely repulsed and infuriated. i wanted to step between them when i saw his arm reach out. i wanted to give him the hairy eyeball as he continued to stare after her with his lewd smile. 

but i didn't do either (well no hairy eyeball at least. just side-wise glances of revulsion). if he had actually done something maybe i would've, who knows. but even the almost-somethings he did were so creepy and degrading.

on a more inspiring note:

Thursday, April 18

Me and Bridget Jones

it's a little unsettling, but me and Bridget Jones seem fated whenever i go through a break-up. 


during my last 2 recent break-ups, Bridget Jones's Diary and Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason were airing on television. it's kind of weird. 

this time, as i was going through my post-break up period and wallowing in my bedroom while watching television, i couldn't understand why i was having such a sense of deja vu. was it because i was dealing with a break-up, which is always a sad, familiarly empty feeling? no that wasn't it.

and then it struck me. it was because i was watching Bridget Jones's Diary right after a break-up. which is exactly what happened after my previous break-up. which is a little uncanny, because both times, the movie just happened to be airing on tv. it's not like i intentionally sought out the movie or was watching it on DVD.

i don't know what karma or life is trying to tell me. it is that i'll end up an old spinster like Bridget Jones would be in the real world and not in the make-believe movie/novel world? or that i should hold onto unrealistic idealistic fantasies that there may even be a Mark Darcy out there for me?

because truth be told, post-break up, no one would have the heart to believe the latter.

Thursday, April 11

St. Patty's Day

i've never been a big St. Patty's Day fan. i just don't get what the hallubaloo's all about. as far as i can tell, it's a day to wear green and drink a lot. 

but i can do that any day of the weekend (or the week, to be honest).

so i don't get it.

i didn't even realize it was St. Patty's day until Sully and i went out for dinner. we used a Groupon to go to Masak, which i've been wanting to try based on on good reviews of their burger and oxtail noodles. on our walk over to the restaurant, we were bombarded with NYU-ers wearing a multitude of green. 

Masak is a cute little restaurant that serves Singaporean fusion cuisine. it's got a great casual vibe to it and upon entering, it felt like i had walked into my local neighborhood restaurant, even though i don't live remotely close to it.

it's a small restaurant, so be ready to be within eavesdropping and voyeuristic distance of your neighbor, which isn't a bad thing because they have some very unique dish presentations which makes it fun to see what others ordered.

the Groupon allowed us to each get an appetizer and entree so we started with the Chili Crab Dip and Mantou ($12) and the Black Pepper Manila Clams ($12).  as Yelp will tell you, the crab dip is the way to go. i wasn't a big fan of the dip, it was a little too sweet and the sweetness didn't really mix well with the strong seafood flavor. however, the fried mantou that accompanies the dish are perfect. freshly fried and scalding hot when served to you, the outside is crisp and crunchy while the inside stay soft and fluffy with just a hint of sweetness-the kind that comes from frying bread. the amount of mantous they give you will not even make a dent in the dip, so make sure to get another order for an additional $2.  the clams were essentially clams with black bean sauce and a better version can be found in Chinatown.


for entrees, i opted for the Rendang Burger w/fried egg, bacon, and fries ($19). this is a monster behemoth of a burger. the brioche bun provides a subtle sweetness to the burger which is juicy and full of south asian flavor. i couldn't tell you what spices are in it, but it has a cumin, turmeric kind of flavor that isn't overpowering but is definitely original. if you order this, keep in mind that your hands and mouth will be a sloppy mess. but in a good way.


Sully ordered the Babi Assam (tamarind braised pork belly, fried black rice, sweet potato) ($21). the pork belly was tender and i liked the tamarind flavor which packed a nice punch. the black rice was less a fried texture and more of a risotto consistency, but it was a good counterbalance to the strong flavor of the pork. 

overall, it was a good meal, although i'm not sure i would come back if it weren't for the Groupon.