Bringing it Back to School

compared to the olden days (my 1st year), student orgs at BLS haven't been as active in organizing bar events and outtings. it seems to be reflecting the student body, the make-up of which has changed drastically since my 1st year. more and more, BLS students are less interested in socializing as a student body and more and more about study groups, job fairs, and workshops/seminars. while this is all fine and dandy, when did BLS students become so boring? i remember, as a 1st year, there was always something to go to at Floyd's, Magnetic Field, Last Exit, Brazen Head, or Trout, just to tick off a few. yes, the neighborhood's changed (no more Trout or Magnetic Field), but more importantly, it's the characteristics of the students that's changed even more. step it up people. i'm not saying don't study or do work, just learn to balance! it's not that hard.

the only 2 events i really remember being held as bar events in Brooklyn was a Back to School held at Deity and a Bar Review night held at Ceol (which seems to have become the new Floyd's for BLS).

i've only been to Deity this 1 time, and i truly think once is enough. the venue seems completely displaced in it's attempt as a wannabe Manhattan bar. and the prices are similar too. there's a dance floor downstairs and a sort-of lounge upstairs. it wasn't bad, but i wouldn't actually call it good either. if i hadn't been there with people i liked, or if i hadn't run into someone who kept buying me drinks, i would not have stayed there as long as i did. i still eventually left and headed to Brazen Head, but i don't really remember what happened and i didn't stay long because i was in such a state.recently, BLSPI hosted its own event at Ceol, which took place after a wine and cheese event hosted by SBA. i have to admit, while the outdoor bar events have dwindled in number since my 1st year, the free food and drinks events have remained on par. and this 1 was no exception. i hadn't eaten much that day (never good when faced with unlimited wine) and only managed to nab 5 cubes of cheese before it was all depleted. so it's no surprise that i have no recollection as to why it took so long from when the SBA event ended and when i got to Ceol. apparently there was a 2 hr lapse. what was i doing? no idea.

i do remember running into Tongsen on the way to the bar and she bought me fries from Carroll Gardens Diner, which was much needed. then we headed over to Ceol together.

the climax of the night was when we all headed over to Brazen Head together. it was a freezing night and BGA started to run so i started to jog with him. in high heel boots. while very drunk.

not a very good idea.

i kept wanting to stop but BGA kept egging me on. the ends did not justify the means in this case. as soon as i got to Brazen i promptly threw up. suffice it to say, it was another night where i didn't stay long at Brazen before i just went home and passed out.

Saturday Morning cartoons

i've been home for MiniMe's bday. my family's never been that big on birthday parties (honestly, it seems like you only really get them when you get older like it's-a-miracle-you've-made-it-to-60 kind of gatherings). instead, my family gets together for a dinner and the birthday person gets to pick the place. then we all go home and have cake. yea, it's simple, but it's family and somehow...it's heartwarming (yes, that's cheesy).

whenever i'm home, there's endless airings of my favorite cartoon, Avatar. which is ironic, since it's never airing on Nickelodeon when i'm at school. it's always just goddamn Spongebob Squarepants, over and over again. hmm, does that sound like i'm harboring some animosity against the yellow square sponge? anyways, i was flipping around the cartoon channels and i notice a new show, Ni Hao, Kai Lan. this show is hilarious. it's like Blue's Clues, Dora the Explorer, Diego Go! but for chinese kids. the main character's named Kai Lan and they use english in the show with smatterings of chinese phrases. o, and Kai Lan has a sidekick named HoHo! it's a little white monkey but still, best sidekick name ever!

cartoons have been coming up a lot lately. Jackass had a pizza party at his place (paid for by BLS-yes, i'm so glad the school is allocating my funds so well; i'm being sarcastic b/c basically 3 ppl from Jackass's building showed up aside from Cubed, DRC, and me, who don't live in the building so BLS basically paid for Jackass to stock his fridge with beers and boxes of pizza). while we were there, i noticed a Recess marathon on the Disney Channel. does anyone else remember this show? it was bunch of kids and the hijinx they get into during recess? as it turned out, most ppl at the party did remember it, and loved it as much as i did/do! and it's such a better reference than some of the more popular ones. i mean, everyone's seen Saved by the Bell, but it's truly and exciting connection when someone shares your love of Doug, PepperAnn, or Recess because they're more obscure.

Heartbreaker

i try to keep truly personal things out of this blog, but something's really been pressing down on me as of late. but since AmericasMostWanted doesn't want to deal with the situation head on and i don't think (at this point) it's worth it to seek her out to tell her, i'm gonna air it out here. usually i wouldn't do this, but it's really been bugging me and while i could talk it out over and over again with other friends, that just gets tiring for me and those friends. i also don't wanna do that and then lose all the steam in how i feel and then just let the situation go because then i'll feel like more of a jackass than Jackass for continuing the friendship. then i'd truly be a frenemy.

last week BLS threw an inter-law school mixer for valentine's day. i wasn't too stoked to go because funds have been very tight as of late. however, a bunch of ppl i knew were going and then i found out the event was held at Hudson Terrace, which i've never been to and is only used as an event space so i might not have another opportunity to go. the place has an amazing rooftop, which must be so great in the summer or early fall, but in this freezing February was not that fun. but the place has potential (although very expensive) and the night started out great. Coleslaw and i got ready together, AMW brought wine down and we pre-gamed a little before, and then Coleslaw, Cubed and i headed over on the subway together. this part of the night was fun and fine. and then things took a turn for the worse...

this part of the story is a tried and true example of why you should always go with your gut and never let anyone talk you into doing anything you don't want to do. because you'll just live to regret it. AMW was pretty wasted at this point and Coleslaw and the crew were ready to go to the Brazen for cheap drinks and i was so down for that plan. but then AMW stumbled over to me and pleaded that i go out with her in Manhattan instead of going back to brooklyn. the only reason i ended up going wasn't because of the money, but because AMW was drunk and i knew she was going out with Jackass, who she always swears up and down she is over and done with and wants nothing to do with (in a romantic capacity), so i wanted to make sure she didn't do anything stupid while she was drunk.

biggest mistake of my life. ok, that's exaggerating. but definitely up there. i spent the cab ride to Cheap Shots (yes, i ended up there, and the whole place smelled like pee, which was so fun) being "asked out" by Jackass while he and AMW held hands in the cab. when we arrived at Cheap Shots i hopped out of the cab as fast as i could, only to be accosted by Jackass who repeatedly asked me out. i went to the bathroom and came out, and the 1st words out of AMW's mouth is, "just so you know, Jackass has a small penis."

ummmmmm.............did i ask you anything? no, i don't think so. i then i endured another 15 minutes where Jackass spent his time refuting the fact while AMW spent her time reassuring me it was true. um, that's not awkward at all.

here was what i thought would be the ticker for the night. while the guys were in the bathroom, i told AMW what Jackass had been doing all night and how i'd given him a piece of my mind because it was so disrespectful to AMW and to me and to all the other ppl involved. to which she responded, "Jackass told me to ask you if you liked him."

i promptly told her that she could tell him to suck it and repeated all my harsh words. to which she responded, "well, i'm not gonna say anything because i don't want to be in the middle of this." i just lost my shit. i can't believe AMW told me she didn't want to be in the middle of it, when she's the reason i was in the middle of it at all. at that point i told her i just wanted to go home because i was fed up.

we all went back to brooklyn (but not without making another scene, very AMW-style) and met the crew at Brazen Head. i was livid at this point. i didn't talk to Jackass or AMW for the rest of the time we were at Brazen. except for 2 incidents.

1. Jackass came up to me to claim he was "kidding" about the whole date thing. honestly, i really don't care. if he was kidding, it wasn't funny because of my friendship w/AMW and other girls he's done this to. if he wasn't kidding, the same reason still applies. as i've gotten older and with everything that's happened to me, friends and family are most important to me. and it's a big thing that nobody can say shit about either while in front of me. when i say "shit", i don't mean utterances that represent venting or being temporarily annoyed at them. that you can do all you want. but when you start insulting or attacking them, it's on like donkey kong. as long as i'm there, no one's gonna do that or hurt them in anyway. which is why Jackass's actions really enraged me, because he was doing something that was disrespectful not only to me, but hurtful to AMW and others. and that's not allowed and i won't be a part of it.

2. AMW, before the night ended, pulled me into the bathroom with her to discuss the situation. she told me she was "mad" for me. she went on to explain the 2 reasons why. 1st, if he was really hitting on me, she was mad for me because of the situation it put me in or something like that. she didn't really explain this reason because even in her tone, you could tell she didn't actually believe this reason.
so let's move on to reason number 2. AMW was "mad" for me because she knows Jackass was only asking me out as a joke. why? i'm not gonna explain how i know this, or what happened, but about 3 weeks ago, Jackass revealed he's a bit of a bigot. apparently asians are all "chinks" etc. and he has no problem using this kind of language. so AMW knew for sure that Jackass was asking me out only as a joke because, and i quote, "he'd never actually date an asian girl. he said so himself." and so, that's why AMW was "mad" for me. because i am a "pretty girl" and it's just "so rude" of him to hit on me as a joke, etc. what got me tho, was she wasn't really mad at him. she spent the whole night talking to him and cuddling by themselves. to a guy who was a bigot to me. and the capper on this night? AMW and Jackass had been making out in Brazen while they'd been having this conversation. and she still went home with him that night.

and that really breaks my heart.

Waterfalls

THE QUESTION: what is art?
SUBQUESTION: how do you feel about public art?
CONTEXT: in this current economy and the cutting of the budget particularly in the arts, is art necessary? and when it comes to public art, where there are many instances of ppl having negative reactions to art in public spaces, should there be a formula for appropriate public art?

this was the question posed in my Law, Politics, and Personality seminar with Leonard Garment. someone's currently making an argument that there's a difference between "art that provokes with a message" vs. "art that just provokes." i don't agree with this statement. just like "one man's trash is another man's treasure" there can never be a blanket statement that there's only art that "provokes" without a message. i mean, maybe that's just me, but with content as subjective and varied as art (in all forms and media), i think it's hard to make such overly broad statements.

speaking of complex pieces of art (yes, this is a bit of a segue)Coleslaw has grown 1 year older. HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLESLAW! and as with all birthdays, there's gotta be a party. i tend to look at birthdays as actually non-momentous occassions because it's really just another day and pales in comparison to what you've undergone for the year. however, a lot of birthdays have been back-to-back lately and it's made me think about mine coming up. this year's definitely felt like 1 rife with more internal battlings and circumstances and when i look at Coleslaw's last year, i think she's also come across a lot and had a lot of experiences. everything that happens to us changes us in some way, and the more momentous and eventful the year, the more you change, grow, and develop. yes, i know, this sounds like a Hallmark card, but there's definitely a degree of truth to it.

not that any of that was reflected in the actual celebration. Six had made an Earl Grey infused vodka, which, if done properly, tastes delicious with lemonade or sprite and also her infamous sangria. i'd had it before, but never liked to eat the fruit (i swear, i'm gonna die of scurvy), but i ate some this time and the amount of rum steeped into that fruit is reedonkulous! every time i ate a piece my face would scrunch up and pucker but in a good way(?). everyone came over to pre-game a bit with Six's home-made beverages, and a rousing game of Kings ensued.

word of warning: never play Kings with Six if you're playing with waterfalls. that girl does not know when to stop! and as luck would have it, she was commonly the start of the waterfall or else close to the front.

next word of warning: never play Kings with sangria heavily infused with rum. it's quite dangerous, particularly when in conjunction with the above warning. Six got wasted before we even left the apartment. how wasted was she? she managed to break the heel to the boots i lent her before she even left the apartment. that's quite impressive.

Coleslaw's party was at Brazen (of course) and she headed over first with Cubed while DRC and i finished our drinks. we couldn't have been more then 45 mins later than Coleslaw to the party, and when we showed up, Coleslaw seemed fine. by the time i got my beer and turned back to her, which was probably 15 mins, Coleslaw was sloshed. i mean completely. it was really surprising.
********i have to make a break in this entry to comment that someone in my class just used the word chutzpah*****************

the whole night i kept getting calls and texts from Oppa because he was attending the party of a guy he'd wanted to introduce me to. around 2 AM i raced over to the Park to go meet him, only to find out 2 crucial facts he had left out of the scenario: 1. Oppa was wasted; 2. the party was the birthday party of the guy he was introducing me to. so suffice it to say, the guy was pretty drunk. not the best 1st impression and not the best way to meet a guy. i love Oppa to death, but when he's drunk, he really will stop at nothing to get you to come out but then when you do, it's usually never really worth it.

i cut my losses and said "bye" after hanging with them for about an hour and half. what did perk up my night was what happened on my way out. outside of the Park i ran into Joebo. i've met him before, and we've hung out (sort of) but he's not usually that social or talkative (to me anyways). but perhaps he was a little drunk, but we ended having a pretty deep and philosophical conversation about the state of the economy and politics. altho Joebo's a Republican and conservative, luckily i don't get into a frenzy the way Egg does so the convo went pleasantly.

i did learn something interesting tho, that raised Joebo's status in my eyes. he had just recently dumped the girl he was seeing because she didn't know who Palin was. gotta give him props for that.

Another One Bites the Dust

goodbye to Bubby.

and NYC loses another resident. Bubby has officially moved to South Carolina. why you ask me? why?!?! honestly, there's no real reason. i refuse to believe it. and i'm positive she'll be back. i'd bank on it (but the lawyer in me also wants to add a caveat just in case).

the weather's been amazing lately and it seems to have brought all the dogs out. on the walk to school this morning, i almost stepped in dog poop twice. and keep in mind that i live only 3 blocks from school. and i had class at 9 AM. i mean, really?! come on people!

Graceful as a Ballerina

i hate losing contact w/friends, but it's inevitable when they don't live in the same city. and if they're in Cali, then the time difference also plays a part in whether or not significant phone conversations are made. which is why when AmericanJoe called me to let me know he was gonna be in NYC, i was beyond ecstatic.

AmericanJoe is a friend i met when i studied abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland for my junior year of college. i'm not sure why, but we really hit it off and i truly love this boy (altho not in that way, tho i'm not sure why because he's adorable and very funny). regardless, he was arriving from Cali and staying with his brother before they headed home together for their Christmas family reunion so of course we had to meet up.

i thought we were meeting for drinks or coffee in the afternoon, but that ended up changing to dinner at Schiller's Liquor Bar on the LES. that wouldn't have been so bad except for the fact that by the time i showed up i really, truly couldn't eat a bite. however, i didn't want to be that girl who orders nothing while everyone is eating, so i ordered to Mac & Cheese which is served w/bacon bits. however, i only could eat 2 bites. AmericanJoe's brother had been raving about the dish and how he could eat 3 servings by himself, so i offered it to him but he said "no". and since we were going somewhere after dinner, it wasn't practical to have it packed up, especially since i was carrying a clutch person as opposed to a bag i could put it in.

it was probably one of my saddest moments to see them throw away an almost full portion of food.

the party we went to was around the corner and while AmericanJoe and i hung back the others went into the party. just as we were negotiating with the bouncer to get in (there was a cover-i hate covers. honestly, you're not that cool), our party came back out. turns out the party was very whack and not fun so we just bounced to a nearby bar for a drink or 2 before we split and headed home.

did i mention that it had started snowing while we were out? and the ground had turned very icy? o yea, it had and it did. so i was walking down the subway in my high-heel boots and i slid down the stairs. yes, it's embarassing as it sounds. and i broke my heel.

what was the best was when the couple that'd been walking next to me and saw me fall came over to check on me. i was fine except for my bruised and embarassed ego. and then the girl said, "well, that was really graceful. the way you fell."

late anniversary dinner

how cool is that? i really, really like this group. apparently Prepix was the inspiration for the Jabbawockeez (but that's unconfirmed, so don't quote me). this is also the choreography they created for my currently favorite korean song altho their dance and execution is a lot better than 2PM's.

Restaurant Week is rolling around the corner again: January 18th-23rd and 26th-31st. yeah! it's one of the few times this year i'm allowing my fat ass to eat that much (and spend that much). Coleslaw and i already have reservations for Park Avenue Winter.

as a blast from the past, i recommend going to Brandy Library if you're into whiskeys, cognacs, and brandy (i don't know what the differences are but they're all nice). this place is super classy and quiet, perfect for a date. and if you're the girl, you'll def impress the guy by knowing about this place. there's an overwhelming amount of drinks on the menu, and it's perfect for the guy who likes whiskeys etc. because you can get a tasting of everything. i kind of want to go back there right now...

after the Brandy Library, i went to the Harrison for dinner. in case you didn't know, the Harrison is the restaurant that the 1st winner of Top Chef came from (Harold, who has subsequently opened Perilla after winning Top Chef). it's been over 2 yrs since i was there and it looks like the menu has changed, but i remember the dining experience as extremely pleasant. since it was a date, the atmosphere was good for a date, nice and intimate, but in other sections of the restaurant there were definitely ppl having dinner parties. and when i went downstairs to the bathroom, there was a beautiful private room where, if you can afford it, it'd be great to have a dinner party of 10 ppl or so.

now that i'm reminiscing about this date, i'm getting a little sad. that was prob my last real nice date...

My Pheromones are On the Fritz

last night, while making kimbap with Egg, somehow the conversation came up where he mentioned that Japan had created a national law against obesity. and it's true! who would've guessed? it looks like the way it works is that company and govs have to do an annual checkup of their employees and included in that is a mandatory measuring of waistlines. if the waistline is over the national standard, the company has 3 months to "re-educate" the individual and see if they lose weight. if they don't, the company or gov gets fined. here's the newspaper article.

i wonder if a law like this would be effective against me, even if i was the person who had to pay the fines. there'd definitely be some inner turmoil about whether it'd be worth it to pay the fine just so i could eat my favorite foods. money vs food; hmm, that's a toughie. speaking of eating, i went out for a last hurrah dinner w/Debs, who's moving to Cali tomorrow ::sniffle, sniffle:: we ended up eating at Yakitori Taisho since we are both pretty strapped for cash. love that place for hot food and it's pretty good when you're just 2 ppl b/c it still feels intimate.

now there's something i have to say about Debs. i'm sure i've mentioned it before, but Debs has this unexplainable effect on boys. i mean, of course, she's cute, she's very intelligent, classy, and dresses elegant and far from trashy, so yes, she's got all that going for her. but that's not the Debs effect. without fail, whenever i go out with her, and to tranquil things like quiet dinners or coffee, someone always hits on her. this is a tried and true theory i've come to realize.

as we were leaving dinner, the guys at the table sitting behind her totally made a mild, giggly pass at her. and then, after dinner, we went to St. Alps for tea and some dessert toast, and the guys at the table next to us stopped to ask her what she was eating and have a whole convo. now, this wouldn't be considered much, except the guys had already finished and had no intention of ordering anything else. so see? we went to only 2 places, and neither were typical pick-up spots, yet Debs managed to have male attention at both places. and this is the norm.

Debs must have the most powerful pheromones on the plane. and mine must be broken.