Patience 2013

Last year I decided to stop with New Year's Resolutions and to start setting themes. One theme--something to draw all my actions back to. It can be infinitely applied to everything that happens to me and serves as a guide to choices.  Experiences was the theme of 2012--and did I experience!

An extremely brief recap of all the things experienced last year that I can think of if I take 30 seconds:

• Europe for the first time with my roommates + Nhu
• Turkish Baths
• Sailing in Santorini
• Attending an NFL football game
• Designing and building furniture on my own
• Having some of my best friends move to the city
• Learning how to ski correctly
• Hiking with 30lbs on my back
• Sleeping outside in sub-20 degree weather
• Surprising my mom for her 50th birthday
• Showing my dad around NYC for the first time since I moved her and his first time back in 25+ years
• Seeing glaciers in Montana
• Biking around NYC as a main form of commute

After morning practice at the Yoga Agora studio

For 2013 the theme is Patience.

In alignment with that, I have started upping my yoga practices to 2 a week. I love yoga. It's like one big stretching session for me. But sometimes when I think about the fact that class is 1-1.5 hours, I start thinking about all the 'other' things I could be doing instead. So I eventually end up not attending.

When I do end up in class, the 'mindlessness' I experience as I focus on my breathing and asana is so liberating. I'm not thinking about what I'm going to eat, make or do (okay, it does take like 15 mins into practice before my mind is cleared). Living in NYC inherently puts minds into overdrive as the sense are constantly stimulated by the sheer amount of things just happening...all the time.

Reading Time

One of the best things I love about public transit in NYC is that it give me time to read. When I was biking to work regularly, I enjoyed the fresh air and exercise but man, I missed being able to read. I'm not sure if it's because it's cold outside or that my bike tube needs to be replaced (again) or that I just want to read but I've started taking the subway regularly again. This means committing to an unlimited monthly pass.

 I decided to pull out my Kindle the other day (after 9 months of non-use) since I've successfully read all the interesting books on the shelves of the apt. I much prefer the feel of actual books to the Kindle though. And it looks like I'm not the only one who enjoys reading on the subway.

I'm currently reading Auschwitz lent by Shelby. I've only made it through the introduction thus far but it promises to be an interesting read.  

Outside of the subway, the only other time I read is right before bed. I  read that looking at an electronic screen before bed is not conducive to a restful night's sleep. So I capitalize on the free publications from work and read magazines before going to bed. Mostly epicurean titles. Don't ask me why I decide to read about food at a time where I am usually hungry but have already brushed my teeth. That's a whole 'nother issue. 

Return 2.0

I decided to revive my blog. It's been 34328 months since my last post and so many things have happened. But let's just jump into the now. Five things I've found out about myself:

• I should have been a scientist.  
• When I read a really good article, I print it out and keep it in a file at my desk.
• New York is my home now. 
• I have been practical since I was a child rallying my brothers to play 'Runaway' and 'Orphan' just so I could pretend I had to live off of limited provisions. 
• I will only drink orange juice if it's fresh squeezed. 

Surprisingly Sunny Rainy Day

Despite the dismal weather, my own gloomy feelings (because the constant grey skies makes me feel like a sloth) and the dreadful rainy/thunderstorm forecast for the next 4 days (it is currently day 4 of rainy weather) today was a nice surprise.

Let's get started.

This morning at 8pm I didn't have cash for my bi-weekly purchase of 2 apples but a kind sir who was in line in front of me was like "Just apples?" and put down the cash. It all happened so fast in the instant of me saying that he didn't have to and simultaneously scrambling in my mind to remember where exactly did I put my cash I think I forgot to say thank you. Which Lauren, who was standing right there, 'kindly' pointed out to me as we walked away... By the time I came to my senses the guy had walked away but thank you to you for helping out someone who believes in an apple a day. 

Had an amazing opportunity to lunch in the Everyday with Rachael Ray test kitchen today. Every seat has a plastic bottle with a message in it. Guess what mine said "Congrats, you won!" WOOT WOOT. I know, ya'll are dying to hear what I won....a giftcard to Eataly! Perfect because I've been meaning to go there. Now I just have to decide if I want to go alone or with someone. I wanted to use it to take a class but Lauren was like "Are you sure you want to do that...ALONE?" Hmm.... I also got a fantastic lunchbox shaped like an artichoke, hahaha. I switch it out with my current one. But now Jackie has called dibs on my old one. Wow.

Buy yours here! They also have tomato and eggplant versions but I thought the artichoke had the most character.

I got to take a floral arrangement course. It was strangely relaxing and now I have a beautiful bouquet that decorates my desk area. And I realized I love love peonies, even if I don't know how to pronounce the name properly. hahahaha

I got skillz, no? You can see my co-worker's arrangement in the background.

I can't remember the name of this pink flower...it started with an R...

Lesson learned: no matter how crappy the weather can be, you can still have a nice day!

P.S. I apologize for my craptastic iPhone 3G pics. I actually bought a real camera but I find I look really Asian taking pics of everything with flash. At least this post had pics.

Things I'm Good At

As promised, and to juxtapose my last post, here is a list of things I ace:

• Shopping online
• It's really sad when you have your credit card numbers memorized
• Memorizing the most random facts
• Being bossy
• Not being patient
• Aha, you caught me, this should go on the other list
• Yoga
• Talking
• Asking questions
• Baking
• Okay, I don't know if I'm actually good at this but I can bake and I like to do it! Though I've kinda stopped
• Reading recipes
• Media planning
• Keeping a beat
• Driving
• ahahahahahah, I know, I'm female...and an Asian
• Telling you like it is
• Confrontation
• Problem solving
• Picking the cutest yellow things
• Sleeping
• Eating
• DANCING!

In other news, Jackie and I both used our hairdryers at the same time tonight. And we created a power short in our end of the apt. This wouldn't be a big deal except I can't find the power switch board which could be in the basement which I can't get to because our land lady is gone...thanks for coming back form China Jackie...

Things I'm Bad At

This is a post about things/aspects in life with which I am not the brightest crayon in the box.

• Seeing the latest and funniest viral videos in a timely fashion
• Case and point: within the last few weeks I've seen for the first time Double Rainbow, honey badger, Friday by Rebecca Black 
• What I have seen are countless videos about small, cute baby animals sent to me by Lauren...daily...
• Listening! 
• I think I'm good at this but not according to Lauren...and now Jackie...
• Lauren: "What are you writing about?"
• Me: "Things that I'm bad at."
• Lauren: "Listening"
• Jackie: "OH YEAH!"
• Facepalm.
• Making decisions
• Big decisions: NBD
• Small decision like what I should eat for lunch: no.
• Kick-boxing conditioning/ab  classes
• Karaoke/singing the right words in a song
• Case and point: My brothers' coined the term of "pulling a Sandy" in our household. That meant you sang the wrong words to a song. HAH.
• Telling jokes
• I always laugh in anticipation of the jokes
• Rapping/Flowing
• I wish I was Ludacris
• Pretending that I can stand to be around someone
• Texting
• Admitting to being wrong!
• Home decorating
• Case and point: I've lived in my apt for 10 months and still don't have artwork up on the walls in my room.
• Competitions

I'm sure there are a lot more but I won't get into that!
___________

Lauren: "Can you do a post about things you're good at but need to be worse at?"
Me: "....like what?"
Lauren: "Being bossy!"

Maybe next time kids.
___________

As to what's been up in my life, nothing too exciting. My mom came to visit. That was nice. I'm going home soon. YEAH ATX. I'm going to Thailand! I bought a Kindle for the 20hr plane ride. Excited.

I left my current book and detergent at the laundromat yesterday.  I didn't realize until today and when I went back to get it, all my stuff was still there. So either One Hundred Years of Solitude is not a hot commodity or my neighborhood is honest. I can't decide.

Sorry, no pictures in this one. I'm getting lazy. True story.

It's supposed to rain all week and I am NOT excited.

Sensory Overload

I'm going to try to post more. But until I get a decent camera it may all just be word posts. Which is hard since I'm such a visual person (like I say in every post).

Or I'll just look through my phone and see what random things I've captured and write about that. At least that's something right?

I don't know, it's like the older I get, the more I don't remember. I feel like I need to write down every fabulous experience I have because  when I don't I just forget. I've gotten the opportunity to do many amazing things here in the city, partially from being in such a metropolis and partly from working in media (the bomb!). But maybe it's because I'm inundated by a profusion of sights, sounds and smells everyday that my mind has to optimize on what exactly to remember. About a month ago I recently read The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan and there was an explanation in the marijuana chapter devoted to the brain and your neurons are constantly firing. In order to keep things flowing and going, the mind has to selectively choose what to remember and what to forget. They say that childbirth is so traumatizing, that the brain releases a chemical that helps the mother 'forget' what it was like in order to keep on reproducing. Obviously Pollan wrote all this in more accurate and pleasing prose than me.

But you get the idea.

Brunch at DiWine-Banana Bread French Toast (not mine of course!)

Lauren and I baked cupcakes for Jackie's birthday even though we couldn't eat them. Peanut-butter chocolate!

I made pho for this first time ever. Pho ga (chicken) yum!

L, J and I all got microzone treatments at Dermalogica

Drink at The Hurricane Club

I won the in-flight trivia game on my flight back from Vegas. Woot!

Random thoughts:

• I eat healthy 5 days a week. On the weekends, when I'm not on a schedule I eat whatever, whenever
• I want to go on a vacation alone
• I eat an apple a day

This was a lame post. Sorry.