i have found another item to add to my list of "things that are better in ny than california." it was a tough call, but i have to admit that walking the brooklyn bridge takes the cake over the legendary golden gate bridge in foggy san francisco. the golden gate bridge has a special symbolism to the entire city and it's understandable why thousands flock to walk the bridge daily. but there was something special the evening i walked the brooklyn bridge to manhattan. gorgeous weather, architectual background, lady liberty in the distance...walking above the car traffic, able to see 360 degrees clearly...it's almost like a boardwalk...a pier to be more precise. physically you are in nyc, but a peace settles over your body and you feel like you're walking on a cloud. commuters take to it daily to avoid the congested subways, athletes sweat running on it, couples stroll basking in the evening romance. for the entire time it took to cross (~20 mins casually walking) i found myself envious of the brooklyn->manhattan commuters that are able to take advantage of the bridge daily. it's a wonderful way to spiritually calm yourself from the rigors that come from a city lifestyle.

the past couple weeks have been entertaining. regina spektor concert at the beacon theater was amazing. the theater has a lot of character and regina puts on a great live show. went to a work dinner at shang in the lower east side. probably my favorite extravagant meal so far. each dish was unique and flavorful. we had a group of 8 and i can honestly say every single person enjoyed all the dishes they tried. family style is the way to do it here and large families are always better. recommended dishes: singapore slaw (THE best asian salad i've had), black cod, skirt steak, lamb chop, and lobster rolls...pretty much every dish was amazing and our waitress had a major hand in choosing what we should order. it's got a great outdoor patio overlooking allen st. where you can sip on drinks and order bar food as well. my stomach is still full thinking about it. next week i'm moving into my new apartment so get ready for the housewarming party!!!

p.s. want to send out a shout out to the king of pop. his music will always be a favorite with all generations. he will never be forgotten

crazy for cupcakes?

i will tell you upfront that i am not a fan of cupcakes. out of all the sweets, i am more inclined to the ice cream cones, ice cream shakes, ice cream sundaes, a la modes and...well you get the picture. but you would be very oblivious if you did not notice that the past couple years cupcakes have been popping up everywhere. housewives have started creating delectable treats made of flavors such as red velvet, carrot cream cheese, and the ever so popular monkey love. since i'm not personally a fan of cupcakes, i always thought that it was just a fad and it would be quick to pass just like i thought reality tv, facebook, and the jonas brothers would. but here we are in 2009 and i feel like i'm surrounded by the cupcake mecca of the world. not only do ny'ers love cupcakes, but it seems like all bakeries have to make them overly extravagant in order to be the best of the best. today we got cupcakes at work from crumbs bakery during a meeting. as i listened to the sales rep talk about why we should buy their inventory i couldn't help but sit and stare at these round balls of colorful lard. they were all the size of my fist with another fistful of frosting on top. but that's not it...here in ny, there's an extra layer of whatever goodies you want. for example, picture one is with M&Ms sprinkled all over the top. picture 2...in case you forget to eat that nutritious snack of oreos you could get one with oreos on top. no cupcake in ny is too small for extra few layers of sweetness. but this is where the irony of the cupcake lies. cupcakes are supposed to be a miniature version of a 'normal sized' cake. but here in the big apple cupcakes are no longer miniature cakes. they have taken their own identity and are no longer associated with bite sized treats. here in the big apple you must ask for a knife and fork to indulge in the chocolate peanut butter oreo cookie on top of the red velvet caramel cake topped with raspberry vanilla frosting. and before long...the cycle will be complete and cupcakes will only be known as cakes...bon apetit!

june is the new april

i woke up today knowing that rain was in the forecast. the weatherman told me so. but unlike those previous times i listened to him, this time he was actually right. and boy was he right. today poured cats and dogs. remember that part in forrest gump where they're fighting in the vietnam war and it rains for weeks straight? it's raining from above, from the side, and from below. forget about using an umbrella as it'll just get blown straight from your wet grip. as i walked around i noticed everyone else looking miserable and complaining about weather, but i got a kick out of it. it's not everyday, at least in california, where you have to predict the wind patterns for your umbrella position, hop around random puddles or swing around the elderly lady with the fat umbrella. i was literally smiling while walking back from work. now as i sit and type this, i wonder how long it will be until that smile fades away. at least i'll have another couple days to ponder that as the weatherman calls for sunshine over the weekend.
and hopefully he's right this time as i'm scheduled to go furniture browsing around the city. furniture for my new apartment!!! after several apartment viewings, we finally applied, got approved, and signed the lease for a july move in. it's located in a high rise luxury building just west of times square and the building comes with a modern gym, putting green, roof deck, entertainment lounge, and free breakfast every weekday. i'm lucky that the process wasn't painstaking. and now i can concentrate on furnishing the apartment as my next goal is to be part of apartment therapy's 2010 small cool apartment contest. check out that site. it's great for guys who lack any creative talent but still want their apartment to be sophisticated. it's time for me to start collecting those ikea and bed bath and beyond gift cards. ebay here i come!!!