Sugarplum fairies

frolicked in my dreams last night, after the amazing opportunity to behold the NYC Ballet in their annual production of The Nutcracker.


After spending the entire day from 5am to 7pm in airplanes and airports, I frantically dropped my luggage off at the apartment, hailed a cab, and journeyed to Lincoln Center to meet Ana and Jimmy for the show!

Very blessed

was this Thanksgiving week spent in California with the people I love most. Lucky enough was I to enjoy meal after meal after meal with family and friends,




bear witness to Kevin's field show competition,


(congrats on placing 3rd in state!!)


feast upon a savory and delicious all-American Thanksgiving meal prepared lovingly by my momma & Auntie Suzan,


catch up with the soCal-dwelling bunch of Matty's family,


and sip Framboise with my favorite gals.


Praise God for spontaneous opportunities to go home and spend time with all these lovely characters, and for continuously keeping them enveloped in good health and happiness!

Soup dumplings?

Mystery: solved!

Ever since I moved to New York, whenever I ask people about Chinese food, they rave on and on about the "soup dumplings" in Chinatown. Soup dumplings? I ask. Never heard of them.

NY folk: Really? Aren't you Chinese?
Me: Yeah, but I've never heard of them. Soup dumplings... is it wonton soup?
NY folk: No, not really... it's not in soup...
Me: What do they look like? Are they regular dumplings?
NY folk: Kind of. They're more like a bao, but doughier, and there's soup inside.

Utterly befuddled, I concluded that this was just one Chinese delicacy we didn't have in California. I even went as far as speculating that New Yorkers invented these dumplings themselves!

Today was the moment of truth, as Julian and I headed to Chinatown's acclaimed Nice Green Bo for lunch. We settled into our seats, and one look at the menu's bilingual English/Chinese menu solved the Mystery of the Soup Dumpling once and for all. They're what we call Xiao Long Bao (小籠包)!



And whaddya know... their description was pretty darn accurate: a doughy, soupy, bao-like dumpling.

P.S. They were indeed delicious!

Pardon my absence

It's been a most hectic October & November, with midterms and semester projects deluging our schedules nonstop, but my hiatus from Blogger must be a good sign if it means I'm studying, right? :)


Here's what we've missed:
- Matt's first visit
- Farwa's birthday dinner
- Halloween
- Christine & Dennis visit
- Weekend in Jersey
- Cirque Du Soleil's Wintuk

On my mind:
I really miss Kevin and Raymond. Playing Rockband 'til 1 AM, watching them fight over popcorn during a movie, studying while they sit awkwardly in my room -- I'm so glad that I was given at least that one year at home to get to know them, 'cause they definitely changed a lot while I was away for college.

Graduate school is definitely different from undergrad. It's fun, but I miss having a group of friends to go out with. During the week, there are at least the four of us, but on the weekends, it's just me and Ana. On the bright side, at least we have each other, otherwise I think grad school would be a very lonely time! I relish our strange adventures and endless movie nights.

I wish Matt were closer. I love that Farwa gets to go home and be with her husband every night after class. I love that Aisha gets dressed up on Thursdays 'cause that's when she goes to Jersey to see her fiance. I love that Irene and Brian finally get to eat dinner together, after a year of long distance. I'm also insanely jealous of them all.

This is definitely a growing time for me, and it's just the beginning. God, stay here with me a little while.

Wintuk Wonderland

Ever since Lisa and I beheld aerial acrobatics performed from suspended chandeliers and witnessed skilled gymnasts leaping weightlessly from bed to bed during a memorable performance of Corteo in San Francisco, I've been simply itching to catch another exhibition of Cirque Du Soleil. The opportunity arose, and we scrambled for tickets to the opening night of Wintuk!


We scurried after class to Penn Station at 34th Street and grabbed a slice of greasy pizza


then headed to the renowned venue



and settled into our seats


for the show!


A mesmerizing razzle-dazzle of circus talentry showcased a la the storyline of a young boy waiting for winter's first snow, we were captivated by balancing acts, aerial straps artistry, contortionists, and cyr wheels.


Personally, I found the dark ominous tone of Corteo to have been a more fascinating exhibition, but Wintuk was definitely worth seeing!


Toodles!

Garden State Getaway

This weekend was spent away from the city lights


in the quiet suburbs of New Jersey with Amy, Nancy, and Jenny.


'Twas a breath of fresh air to be in a home, enjoy a Vietnamese meal, and head down to the alleys to bowl a few games.

Saturday was designated shopping day. On my agenda? Taking a gander at Old Navy's outerwear sale, and to buy a few pairs of good boots! Flats just won't hold up in this climate for much longer, as we're entering a season of constant rainfall and eventual snow. How exciting!

Exhausted from shopping, we got comfortable at one of their local favorites, the Zeppelin Hall Biergarten. After sampling beer after beer, I've reaffirmed a fact that I discovered soon after I turned 21: I don't like alcohol... least of all beer. I settled down with my ginger ale, and had a grand ole time anyhow! Thanks, friends, for a great weekend!

Lions & tigers & bears

... oh my!


After a savory burger at Shake Shack,



Christine, Dennis, and I headed to the Museum of Natural History for an inaugural visit. We perused the hall of Asian Peoples, acquainting ourselves with the most interesting facts, and did a double-take when we stumbled across this diorama of an Arabian town,


complete with a man on a magic carpet!

What in the world?? I guess the artists were allowed to have a sense of humor when putting the scenes together! Made me smile a bit.

We wandered into the majestic hall of aquatic mammals,



and meandered amongst the reptilian creatures of 65 million years prior,


... all in time to make it to the five o'clock service at Redeemer, followed by a bowl of noodle soup on K-town (or shall I say K-street) afterward! Thanks for visiting, friends!

All Hallows Eve

has fallen upon us again, and this year, a particular ladybug-and-bumblebee duo experienced Halloween in the City for the first time!


The first night was quite an adventure, as our subway took us beyond our stop. Thus ensued my first experience in a taxicab since becoming a resident of the City!


We arrived, albeit a bit late and the ladybug missing an antenna, at the club and danced the night away until the early hours of morn' and the sound of city street cleaning vehicles heralded in the new day.


The NYC Annual Halloween Parade was the most anticipated event of the autumn season, and though, due to commute delays once again, Ana and I arrived just as it concluded, we could infer from the elbow-to-elbow aftermath that this was definitely a highlight in New York City culture.

We ducked into this cozy lounge to escape the rain


before heading to another club, for another night of dancing.


Best costume of the night?

The house from "Up"!