Local Fav #7: Going to the Cinema

Edmonds Theater way back when (undated). From Google.

My favorite movie theater in Washington is the Edmonds Theater in... Edmonds, duh.  Edmonds Theater only shows 1 movie at a time... but it always picks an AWESOME movie, so if it's featured here, it's likely worth going.  The place is top-notch and it's located in the cutest neighborhood you can dream of.  On top of that, the tickets are very affordable ($6 matinee, $8 reg).  

A great movie can distract you from just about everything you have going on in your life...  it's like a mini vacation.  Is a mini vacation worth $13?  Definitely!  Naturally, the first thing I did when I got to NY was... (1) find a "home" church, (2) find a new "home" gym, and (3) find a new favorite theater.  6 months later, I'm still searching for that new favorite theater.  New York is supposedly home to some of the coolest movie theaters.  I'm talking about the classic movie palaces with a balcony and really small, velvety-cushiony chairs that throw you back to the 80s.  Uhm... okay, maybe earlier than that, but I really can't picture life pre-1980's.  If the bathroom is sketchy or the place looks haunted... that's even better.  I can count on one hand the number of times I went to the bathroom in Edmonds Theater.  Both times I tried not to look in the mirror, because in my nightmares, that's always how I spotted the ghostly creature standing behind me.

First stop was the Angelika Film Center.  Lovely cafe/waiting area. It makes you want to linger and just read a book... or chat up a stranger.  FYI: I don't read or make small talks with strangers.  That's how warm and inviting the cafe looks!  They also feature indie movies, which I'm not a huge fan of.  I find those a little too close to real life.  Back to the theater...  Small, oddly laid out theaters.  They're always packed.  Which means two things: (1) there's always a line at the (ladies) bathroom and (2) always come at least 30 minutes early, there are more bad seats than there are good ones.   Not to mention there are some seriously weird and sometimes entertaining-but-cheesy pre-show ads.

Also on my list:

Ziegfeld - from Yelp

• Clearview Cinemas Ziegfeld 
• Beekman Theatre and its sister theater, the Paris Theatre.  Both are geared more toward indie movies. I've been wanting to go but they only feature 1 movie at a time, and so far, nothing I want to see. 
• ... hmmm, this is a short list.  Any other contenders, New York?

Touristy Thing #44: Day in Chinatown

Mott St

I have a love-hate relationship with NY's Chinatown.  Coming from Seattle, where our humble Chinatown spans over a 3-block radius, it was a shock to see how HUGE Chinatown is here in NY.  If you're in the downtown area for other touristy activities (City Hall, Wall Street, Bowling Green, etc), you're only about a mile away from Chinatown so you really have no excuse not to visit!  I love walking around Chinatown in the winter time.  The cold somewhat suppresses the smell of the fish/meat market and garbage.  Plus, the cold is a great excuse to stop by the stores and look at the cute gloves, hats, and ear muffs.  Oh, great place for cheap souvenirs too!

When one of my friends came to visit earlier this month, we ended up spending almost the entire day in Chinatown.  

Part I: Dimsum 

The Golden Unicorn is a really popular dimsum place in Chinatown.  Apparently the really great, yet affordable dimsum places are in Flushing, but that is a long, long way from downtown NY.  Golden Unicorn spans over 3 floors.  I'm not exactly sure how they coordinate among the different floors and the host in the lobby, but they sure seat people quickly. This place gets PACKED on the weekends.  Unlike other smaller dimsum places, where you'll spend most of your time tracking the lone dimsum cart and waiting for it to make its way to your table, each floor has numerous dimsum carts floating around.  

Nom Wah Tea Parlor is another neat dimsum place in Chinatown.  It's much smaller than Golden Unicorn, but more memorable.  It gets packed too (see a pattern?).  While waiting for a table at Nom Wah, I read an article about the restaurant and the history of Doyer Street.  The current owner is a young business grad who decided to take over the family business instead of getting a job on Wall Street.  How can you not love a restaurant with this much passion and history?  Another thing that I learned about Chinatown in NYC is that the people here speak even LESS English than those in other Chinatown.  One thing I noticed in the restaurants is that if you're Asian, they will speak to you in whatever language they please, supplementing it with gestures and English words as necessary.   

Part II:  Sketchy tui-na/foot massage!

Next on our stop was Foot Heaven.  If you like dive bars, where you drink beer out of styrofoam cups, you will appreciate this place.  This place looks somewhat sketchy, like the other tui-na/reflexology places in Chinatown and all around NY.  I can't quite describe why.  Maybe it's the dim lighting.  Or the "no hanky panky" sign posted at the entrance.  Or the neon signs.  We've been here twice and the ladies are super nice (I think they also have guy masseuses).  For $45, you can get 30 minutes back massage and 30 minutes foot massage.  If you can get past the neon signs, the thin walls/separators, and the semi-clean sheets, the massage is FANTASTIC.  Bonus: they're open late.

Part III:  Hong Kong Tea

From Yelp

To cap off our little trip through Chinatown, we grabbed a cup of tea at Cha Chan Tang. I LOVE the special ice milk tea.  Ok, maybe there's not really anything special about the tea, except that it's just sooo good and it comes in a cute bottle and bucket 'o ice.

Touristy Thing #43: Staten Island (and the Ferry, of course!)

Part I: The Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is free and provides a nice 25-minute panoramic view of New York and the Statue of Liberty.  Our Staten Island Ferry was 100% hassle-free.  Unlike the IKEA Water Taxi, which runs every 20-30 minutes but is always packed, so you really have to wait about 40 minutes, the Staten Island Ferry is HUUUUUGE so you almost never have to wait for more than 30 minutes.  A lot of people (if not most people) who take the SI Ferry on the weekends appear to be tourists and the majority of them take the free ride only for the view, not to actually get to Staten Island.  I'm not a huge fan of water transportation, but I was pretty impressed with the SI Ferry.  Go outside for better picture opportunity!  Don't forget the can beer they sell onboard! 

We're here! Snug Harbor CC & BG

Part II: The Island
Since it was 65 degrees and sunny this so-called winter day (suck it, Seattle!!!), we decided to take a little field trip to Staten Island.  We figure we would have to walk around once we get to Staten Island, so we wanted it to be sunny and warm.  Once on the other side, we hopped on the MTA S40 bus to the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (also free!).

The beer menu

Part III: Lunch at Adobe Blues!
I can imagine this place being a lot more gorgeous in the spring or summertime (uhm... I guess we should've thought about it before going to a botanical garden in the wintertime).  We were especially intent on finding Connie Gretz' Secret Garden...  but first, we stopped by to refuel at Adobe Blues.  This restaurant looks like an old saloon on the inside and features an impressive beer menu (185 beers!!  I think that's the most I've seen in any bar!).  And apparently there's live jazz on the weekends, although we weren't there to see it.   OK, OK... back to Snug Harbor.  Snug Harbor was almost too overwhelming to us with all the different gardens, cottages and buildings - we really didn't think it was gonna be as large of an area... needless to say, we ended up wandering around (i.e. getting lost).

Part IV:  Snug Harbor

We passed by this corridor that I assume would be blooming with some sort of pretty flowers or greenery (is that a word?) in spring.  Is it just me or do corridors make you pause and think about where you want to go in life?

Upon finding the Secret Garden, we were pleasantly surprised to find a mini fort next to it.  As we watched several kids squealing happily as they run around the garden, I secretly thought about how the garden would have terrified the 7-year-old me.  I hated puzzles and mazes... I even hated McDonald's Playland.  I have a faint memory of getting lost and not being able to find my way out of one of those.  Literally cried because I had to pee so bad.  Someone had to come 'rescue' me; my mom laughed so hard.  I digressed...  

I'm sure any normal kids would have an absolutely delightful time at the Garden though!   Pssst, there's a story behind it (as the dedication plaque below would tell you).  Read the story as covered by the New York Times here.  Since they did such a wonderful job describing the garden, I'll just borrow their words: 

"Mr. Gretz constructed the Connie Gretz Secret Garden, a brick-walled center with a fort, a puppet theater and a hedge maze that leads to an enclosed garden similar to the one described in the [children's book: Secret Garden].
The tower in the children's garden, made of cinder block, is modeled after one that Mr. Gretz's father, who designed toys for Fisher-Price, made for his sons. It is two stories high, with turrets, a metal spiral staircase and an open roof where parents can watch small children make their way through the maze below, with two circuitous pathways leading to the garden doors. Inside the walls are wide beds of roses and orchids."

We found the Secret Garden!

New Year's Eve in New York

Happy New Year!!! Yes, yes, we're lame and decided to not go to Times Square... Had fun at the TriBeCa Rooftop though!  Apparently NYE in NY is a madhouse!  All the bars, restaurants, lounges and clubs in the city are hosting some sort of event... even the movie theaters!  For the most part, you pay anywhere between $50-200 for general admission, unlimited drinks and some food.  Of course, depending on the places and what the price includes, you can easily pay upward of $200.

The problem is... there are SO MANY options, which makes making decisions or group plans virtually impossible.  Choosing where to go on NYE in NY is like choosing a lawyer to represent you on a speeding ticket case - there's no such thing as a bad option.  Regardless of who you pick, you will have your speeding ticket reduced or dropped if you at least fight for it.  In this case, you will have fun regardless of where you go... it is NY after all!  

Touristy Thing #42: Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

It's true that everything in  New York is more expensive with the exception of a few things like designer clothes, vintage designer handbags, heels and such.  There are plenty of free things to do in NY though and there's one that I've always wanted to do: walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.  It took about 30-40 minutes for us to walk across the bridge (or at least it felt like it).  It was a sunny day and the view was spectacular!  Initially, we also thought about biking across the bridge since bike rental is pretty cheap.  So glad we didn't do that - it would've been hell trying to navigate around the sea of tourists who stop intermittently to pose for pictures.

And... we're finally in Brooklyn!  The first thing we did was we walked over to DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass).  DUMBO is a quiet neighborhood in Brooklyn with a great view of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge.  It's also home to some of the most successful NYC startups: Etsy, Carrot Creative and Huge to name a few.  DUMBO is nicknamed the Silicon Beach because of its location (wait, where's the beach?) and the fact that there are at least 65 digital companies within a 5-block radius in this little neighborhood! (See the CNNMoney article)  But... we had a mission!  We were here to find Jane's Carousel (visit the official website).   According to the site, the carousel was created in 1922 and installed in Youngstown, Ohio, "then a prosperous steel-making city."  A local artist, Jane Walentas, restored the carousel and installed it in Brooklyn Bridge Park, right by the water (in a glass enclosure, of course!).  For $2, you can ride this carousel and enjoy some of the most glorious views of Manhattan - best $2 I've spent in a while.

One view from the carousel

We also stopped by Jacques Torres chocolate on our way back to the bridge.  Mr. Chocolate makes a seriously decadent wicked hot chocolate.  I have yet to try Max Brenner's, so I can't really compare but the spices (is it hot pepper?) add a really fun flavor to it.  Also, apparently hot chocolate on the East Coast generally means melted chocolate - ultra, ultra rich!  Compare to the West Coast rendition of it that is more liquid-y.  Wait, I don't remember ever drinking hot chocolate on the West Coast!  Must've been too busy drinking coffee.

Bubbly, Anyone?

One of the things I love about New York is that people dress up for no reason.  I saw some really cute outfits at the free champagne tasting that our neighborhood wine store, Maslow 6, held yesterday.  The 1-hour champagne tasting showcased 14 different champagnes, including 3 pink champagnes.  The only thing I knew about champagne, walking into the tasting, was that it's carbonated and that it's exclusively produced in the Champagne region of France.  Thankfully, Maslow 6 is terrific about educating their customers (of course, an educated customer is one that's likely to come back for more products!).  Last night's Maslow 6's champagne tasting featured only grower champagnes.

Grower champagne, as the name suggests, is one that the farmers produce.  That is, the farmers grow the grapes and make the champagne themselves.  In order to qualify as a grower champagne, 95% of the grapes must come from their own vineyard.  Compare that to most big wine houses that grow only about 10% of their own grapes.

To spot a grower champagne, look for the code "RM" on the label before the number.

What I learned from the tasting (in addition to grower champagne in general):

• There is a BIG difference between a bottle of freshly opened champagne and one that's been sitting around for an hour or two.  Like Coke and other carbonated drinks, the one that's been opened for a while tastes "flat."  
• I still don't know what makes a Vintage and a Non-Vintage (NV).  Apparently it has to do with the year of the harvest - some years, the harvest is just exceptional so wines that are made with the year's harvest are declared a vintage.  Still not sure how you can declare a vintage - it seems to be up to each vineyard?  Or maybe there's a regulating body that decides based on the weather and other conditions of each year, whether or not the harvest is going to be superior.

Some of my favorite champagnes: 

• R. Dumont & Fils NV - I ended up buying this one for New Year's Eve.  At $34, this is one of the cheapest champagnes that you can find.  I was told that champagnes are generally priced upward of $35.  
• Guy de Chassey NV - 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay.  This is my favorite champagne of the night, but at $55 a bottle, I couldn't justify spending that since I already spent so much for the holidays. 
• Chartogne-Taillet 'le Rose' 2007 - this is my favorite pink champagne out of the 3 I tasted.  

Hot Yoga

Experiment #2 in exploring passion and interests:  Hot yoga.

I enjoy hot yoga as much as I enjoy running.  Translation:  I really don't enjoy doing hot yoga; I don't know why I keep doing it.  The first time I tried hot yoga, I almost barfed (my fault for wolving down a bag of gummy bears an hour before the class).  The second time (which I thought would be better), I almost passed out.  But recently, as I walked home from work, I saw a hot yoga studio and the masochist in me secretly jumped for joy.

The analysis: 


What is hot yoga?  Hot/bikram yoga is a type of yoga that Bikram Choudhury founded from traditional/hatha yoga (I only know this from the posters they put up at the yoga studio.  I'm not even gonna pretend to know what hatha yoga is).  During the 90-minute session, you'll do a set of 26 postures and some breathing exercises.  Regardless of where you do hot/bikram yoga, you'll always be doing these 26 postures.  Some of the studios I've been to are very quiet, where the yogis speak really softly, muttering some sort of poems at times.  Some are more modern and mix top 40 music into the routine, making it more of a "power" yoga session.

How hot is HOT?  The times that I've peeked at the thermostat in the room, I saw that it was around 104 degrees.  In the 3 different yoga studios that I've been to, the yogis have always been very careful about checking and making sure that the temperature doesn't exceed 105.  The idea is the room should be just hot enough to help you relax your muscles, allowing you to stretch longer and deeper with lesser chance of injury.  A lot of people find hot yoga to be a great stress reliever, which is odd... I always feel the need to punch, kick or throw something in order to relieve stress.  I do, however, find hot yoga to be very cleansing.  I don't know if there's any truth to it at all.

Hot Yoga Must-Bring: 

• A big bottle of water 
• Yoga mat
• 2 towels: 1 big (to cover your mat) and 1 small (to wipe away sweat off your face).  Of course, if you're planning on taking a shower at the studio afterward, you will need yet another towel.  
• What to wear: shorts, tank top or t-shirt.  Generally, it's acceptable for guys to not wear a shirt and acceptable for girls to wear just sports bra/crop top. 

Hot Yoga Must-Not Bring: 

• A stomach full of gummy bears or a huge burrito.

The verdict:  Hot yoga is a 7 in my book.  0 being I would rather be digging through trash and 10 being I'm quitting my job tomorrow to solely focus on this. We'll see how it goes in a few months.

Monday Mourning

I've never been the type to get emotional about anything.  Even when I was little, I was a pretty serious little girl who didn't really get visibly excited about many things. The most obvious thing I liked was fried chicken... and playing an imaginary restaurateur (I had a fried chicken joint called Packing Slip... don't ask why, but it actually doesn't sound that bad).  Actually, when I was little, I knew what I liked and what I didn't. I liked the Internet, making little banners for my room, taking math lessons, and biking around in dressy, princessy dresses.  I didn't like piano lessons, falling down (which I did a lot because I was a clumsy little kid), and PE class.

When you're little, you don't have to explain why you like something or what you're going to do about it.  Nobody asks a little kid, "What do you like about baseball?  What do you imagine you will do as a baseball player?  What will you do to achieve that?"  Nobody asks a kid that, because that's a sure way to kill the dream.  And probably because a kid exudes so much confidence and passion when he tells you about how cool baseball is that you don't need any more convincing.  That's exactly what I want in a job. I want a job that needs no explanation.  I want a job that makes the birds chirp and the sun shine when I wake up on Monday morning - it just makes me happy and doesn't need any explaining.

Holiday Lights at Dyker Heights

With so many things to do, New York is a terrific place to be for the holiday. There is a holiday market in every corner of the city, elaborate window displays at all the major stores, and of course... the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and Central Park ice skating rink.  One of the local favorites that I recently found out is the Holiday Lights at Dyker Heights. This Brooklyn neighborhood is so adorable - it's almost as if someone dropped a bunch of 19th century houses in Southeast Brooklyn, along with European villas.  I'm sure the neighborhood itself, without all the Christmas display, is quite a sight. 

Dyker Heights Christmas Lights remind me of the Candy Cane Lane in Seattle, but about 4x the size and 100x the crazy, tacky and... AWESOME!  Not only did the residents go all out on the lights and inflatable decorations, they're also out there dressing up as Santa, Frosty and other characters.  You can actually go into some of the houses and see the living room all decked out in the most extravagant Christmas display you can imagine...  Christmas tree, cookies, more decoration, and gifts literally stacked up to the ceiling.  

We'll be back with our sweaters, snow boots and hot chocolate next year to walk around the neighborhood for this epic Christmas tradition!  P.S.  The pictures really don't do it justice... I should really invest in a better camera. 

Jewelry Making 101

The theory:  This year, I decided that I really need to know more about I love to do and what I'm passionate about.  The most obvious way to do this is by going out there and trying out different things.  This week, I decided to go to a jewelry making class.  

The reasoning:  It just sounds like a very fun and girly thing to do.... 

The analysis: Oh that's right, I suck at art and crafts.  Within the first 10 minutes of the class:  deja-vu! This reminds me of a not-so-fond childhood memory.  Growing up in an odd Southeast Asian country, I had the joy of going through 6 years of formal art and crafts class as part of my very diverse grade school coursework.  

I'll stick to buying unique pieces from the talented vendors on etsy.com.  Jewelry making requires a lot of patience, a quality that I've already exhausted at work.  It also requires some planning - you need to pick out the stones and other pieces to put together.  One thing that I thought to be super useful was a color wheel, which allows the artistically challenged like me to pick complementary colors (i.e. it tells you what colors don't go together).  

If I were to try jewelry making again... 

1. Get the right tools:  You'll need something to cut the wire with and something to hold it still while you're tying the little loops.  Something like this would be a good start:  http://amzn.com/B000SNBCB0  
2. Also helpful: bead design board and color wheel (pictured). 
3. Pick out some BIG, BRIGHT stones/beads.  The stones/beads are what really make the pieces.  Also, I learned that making a necklace is about 100x easier than making a pair of earrings.  Some of the coolest necklaces out there are supposedly really easy to make.  I stumbled across some bird nest necklace tutorials that look pretty straightforward.   Oh and obviously, don't forget the wire, string, bead stoppers and earring/necklace hooks.  Like a good recipe, a good tutorial should tell you all the ingredients you need. 

Design Board

Color Wheel

The verdict:  I guess I'm not going to be wearing my own handmade jewelry anytime soon.  FAIL.  Moving on to the next possible hobby... Here's the little dinky earrings I made.  I hope you have better luck than I did!  (Clearly, the bar has not been set high)