I love New York City. The summers here are incredible -- so much going on and all accessible to the public!! Free concerts, shows, festivals, adventures, etc... Everything's within a short walk or subway ride away.

The waterfront area of the Henry Hudson Park between 23rd and 30th is now finished! Though the section was short, it was beautiful to run though. Just running through it made me incredibly happy.

I'm very happily content with life. Though not everything is perfect (work could be better, relationships could be stronger, life direction could be clearer), I don't have much to complain about. Everytime I dance or run, a euphoric feeling envelops me. I stopped my marathon training last week due to shin splints -- and during that one week, lost direction. I felt "blah" and unmotivated, bloated and unenthused. But tonight, I got off my butt and went dancing and jogging -- which made me feel thousands of times better. Similing, I took in the night view -- Jersey across the Hudson, bar hoppers on the Frying Pan, wedding guests at Chelsea Piers... this is the City. This is New York. This is summer. This is why I <3 NYC

Another recent development in my life is my renewed love of shopping...I couldn't get enough of it this week! (maybe it's a summer thing for me?) I think getting out of work right as stores closed added to the anticipation and prolonging of my shopping anxiety. Sephora's doors would lock right as I approached, the Lord and Taylor guard wouldn't let me in 10minutes before close of shop... Therefore, I would make my way down 5th Ave to Herald Square, where thankfully the stores close on average an hour and half later... You would think that NYC is the late night city, the city that never sleeps, but not quite so. I realize that stores close later in Miami, and the clubs in Miami close at 5am (4am in NYC). But if you really wanted to compared, clubs in Madrid close at 6am...

Lovin' summer

I've had the most fantastic weekends over the past two months. Each weekend has been punctuated with a fun event or friend coming to visit. Though I had a couple hard weeks, I don't mind as my case team is great and we all push together. Overall, I love summer!!

Some highlights of summer...

1. Atlantic Canada trip -- seafood galore

2/3. Friends visiting from SD and from Boston over two weekends -- rekindling of my love for NYC

4. Six Flags Road Trip -- thrilling/breathtaking rides

5. White Water Rafting Trip-- fearless rapid navigation

6. Canada Tour -- Montreal and Ottawa culture and history

7. Miami trip planned for Fourth of July!

I also hope to make a trip to Boston sometime over the summer, so many friends there and not enough time to visit...

Favorite Dumpling place and other notes

After trying over 10 dumplings places in NYC Chinatown, I believe the clear winner of the Dumpling Challenge is the Dumpling House on 27 Essex St.

I stumbled upon this place 3 summers ago when exploring Chinatown with a college friend. Yet since then, nothing has truly compared to this palce. Though this Dumpling House a bit aways from the main Canal and Broadway St. subway stop, it is truly a gem and worth the extra 10minute walk. The store is open 7 days a week, from 8am to 9pm. Yet despite toiling exteremly long hours making the dough, mixing the filling, frying and/or boiling the dumplings, the owner(s) maintained a super friendly demeanor. The place is also extremely clean. The dumplings themselves are the best in the city and cost only $1 for 5. What more can you ask for?

****

NYC subways are great for people watching (though you have to do it discretely so that you're not "staring"). Today, I sat next to a strikingly beautiful girl. With her large eyes and dark chesnut hair, she looked like a Hispanic/Caucasian mix. The one main caveat was that she was also severly overweight. I thought she was beautiful, but mainstream society would not agree. If she lost 50lbs, the world would considered her attactive. If she lost another 20lbs, the world might exault her as a model. But losing weight is easier said than done. Over 70% of Americans are unhappy with their weight. If it were that easy to be thin, then there wouldn't be so many weight loss companies profiting, and the US (as is the developed world) facing an obesity epidemic.

My first wedding

I attended my first wedding today.  No, it wasn't a regular Christian wedding, but rather an Orthodox Jewish wedding.

It was such a joyous time and everyone was so friendly.  Though my friend and I were the only non-Caucasians on the guest list, I felt welcomed by all.  It was an incredibly inclusive group and everyone was open to sharing/explaining parts of the ceremony and tradition.  I held hands in the circle dance and celebrated with everyone.

For moments during the wedding ceremony, I felt incredibly moved.  The realiazation hit me that I'm past my college days.  21st birthday parties now replaced by weddings.  My friends are getting married.  Yes, a sobering fact.  A few months ago, an elementary school friend got engaged.  Yesterday, I learned that one of my close friends is moving in with her boyfriend.  Today, I attended my first wedding.  The trend is there and I understand, but it's always a surprise.  I guess it'll all become less shocking as these things happen more often.

Among the denizens of NYC and my college circle, the bride and groom are a young couple at 23.  But around the world, and in most parts of the US, 23 is the normal age.  Regardless of age, my friend the groom radiated of happiness.  He and his beautiful bride, promised to remain faithfully together for the rest of their lives.  And if the mean age expectancy is taken, for another 60 years.  SIXTY YEARS, a long time!  But most hopefully a very very happy sixty years at that.

I realize that I'm older now...  I know, it's happening everyday, big whoop...  but the wedding just puts it all in perspective again.

Notes on the ceremony

*Attire is for women is very conservative -- knee length or lower skirt, neckline or above collar, elbow length or longer sleves

*For the procession, each member of the groom's family proceedes to the chuppah (altar), followed by the groom; then each member of the bride's family proceedes to the chuppah, followed by the bride and her mother and father; the bride circles the groom seven times; the ketubah is read; seven rabbis say blessings; the glass is broken and the ceremony ends and the celebration begins

Notes on the celebration part:

*The dance floor is separated by a divider and men and women dance separately on each side

*Everyone holds hands and dances in a circle around the bride or groom (depending on gender)

*The dancing is to "entertain" the bride and give her a good time

*There is no special "Bride and Groom" solo dance

*Everyone dances, regardless of age.  There were some 65+ folks really rocking the dance floor

Seafood

On my great adventure in Atlantic Canada this weekend, I learned a boatload about seafood -- oysters, lobsters, scallops, etc. 

Sampled many types of Atlantic oysters including Malpeque, Raspberry Point, Blue Point, and more.  So complicated to understand and tell the differences...

"Raw oysters are regarded like wines in that they have complex flavors that vary greatly among varieties and regions: some taste sweet, others salty or with a mineral flavor, or even like melon. The texture is soft and fleshy, but crisp to the tooth. This is often influenced by the water that they are grown in with variations in salinity, minerals, and nutrients."-- wikipedia

So I'm sitting here in my Crowne Plaza hotel wondering my life away.  Crowne Plaza because there are no Starwoods.  Wondering rather than working because we just finalized the deck for tomorrow's Board meeting. 

 

For a small town, Moncton has character.  It's not one of those American towns centered around a Wal-mart and overrun by McDonalds.  Instead, it has a brick paved Main Street and unique local wateringholes.

 

The "folks" here are super friendly.  People stop for J walkers in the middle of the street--which consequentially makes you conscious and less likely to J walk.  They are also incredibly willing to speak to you--which is great unless its 1:30am and you just got off a flight that was 4 hours delayed.  That happened the other when I got an extremely loquacious cabbie.  "Oh, do you have N1H1?  Haha, we had a case of those here.   She came back from a Mexico trip...blah..blah..blah...Do you want to know where she lives?  No, you don't want to know?  Well, I'll tell you anyways.  She lives on the hill...blah...blah...blah..."  Yes, it's great to talk, but at 1:30am, I just wanted some peace and quiet.

 

The restaurants here are also extremely thematic.  All four places that I've tried here would be hits in NYC.  There is a very fancy restaurant in the Delta Hotel called WindJammer that is decorated like the inside of a ship, replete with port holes and all.  The St. James Gate is a nice upper scale pub with ribbed ceilings and old leather bound books as decoration -- it reminded me a bit of Grafton Street, but even more thematic.  Graffiti is a cute Mediterranean restaurant with an intimate feeling and very artfully decorated walls.  Today, went to the Pump House, a fun microbrewery bar with booths constructed from brew barrels and personalized with colorful guest messages.  Tried their blueberry ale and a sizable "range raised" (not free range, but range raised) Buffalo burger which was great.

Sharing stories

In Toronto, I had the chance to meet up with a good friend who I haven't seen in almost two years.  We had great time -- our conversation flowed freely as if no time had lapsed since we had last spoken. 

 

During one part of our conversation, we touched upon the theme of blogs.  For many people, blog writing is sporadic --spurts of writing inspiration interspersed between periods of blog inactivity.   Many friends register blogs, some even as part of New Year resolutions.  They start strong with deep ambitious posts, but as the weeks past, posting frequency decreases, until something "big" happens and they have some free time to write about it.

 

In general, I see blogging a communication outlet.  Like Twitter and Facebook updates, it gives people the opportunity to share their thoughts with a greater audience.  Good news is not exciting if you can't share it; bad news is less terrible after you confide in someone.  Think about it, when something great happens (e.g. meeting a celebrity, receiving a fellowship, finding a new love interest, etc.), the first thing we tend to do is call our closest family and friends to share the great news with them.  These life events lose thrill if there's no one tell.  Equally, when a horrible event occurs, we pickup our cell phones to dial our close ones for comfort.

 

Also interesting to note is that stories and revelations lose excitement after they are shared too much.  For example, it's boring writing about a trip that you've already recounted numerous times in conversation.   Therefore, writing is an outlet, just as conversations, etc.  Though they aren't mutually exclusive, they are "interactive" variables influencing each other.