the poofies are gonna eat yous

It felt wobbly at first. But then...it was easy.

Getting back on a bike after years (I couldn't tell you how long) of not riding one was something I've wanted to do for a while. Hell, I bought a used bike at the end of May and only took it out last night. I didn't want to use it without the proper guidance. So, with Tristan as my guide, we rode around Brooklyn for about one and a half hours. And after those one and a half hours, I really appreciate bike lanes.

Bushwick to Crown Heights to Prospect Park, all around Prospect Park (this was the most fun; the park is pretty empty at night), then back home to Bed Stuy. I didn't feel like dying at any point, which I'll take as a good sign—surprising considering that I get almost no exercise. (Not intentional, at least.) I imagine it would be much easier if I weren't carrying a heavy messenger bag.

I hope to make this a semi-regular thing so I can become...HEALTHIER? Perhaps. Healthy boppy. That hasn't happened in a while.

Avenue Q is ending in September and I've never seen it. ooppps

Anyone wanna see it with me this summer? Can buy discount tickets online.

I was on hold waiting for an Optimum Online rep to cancel my cable service. The only reason I had ordered it in the first place was because cable + internet was the same as internet alone. But that promotion ran out (which means I've officially been living here for 6 months), and I was met with an ~$80 charge when I logged into my account. Faaail! It should've been $50.

So I wait. A long time. For a rep. The waiting game goes past the 10 pm mark when the cancelation department is technically closed. But I keep waiting and someone takes me on as his last call.

"Where is Herkimer Street?"

And then it turns out that he used to live a few blocks from where I am now. But in the 80s and 90s. "You don't sound like you're from Brooklyn; where are you originally from?"

"...New Jersey." Har.

I asked him for food recs and he said there's a roti place a few blocks away from me that I should check out. It might still be there. It is rather messed up that I haven't eaten around my own neighborhood. I felt embarrassed telling him that I've lived here for 6 months already.

As we talked more about the area, he said at some point, while laughing, "You're in the hood!" Along with, "It wasn't very safe back then. I know things are different now and I don't mean to sound like a parent, but...be careful!"

He said I sounded very sweet. I wonder what most customers sound like. Meep. Good to know my phone voice is not unpleasant.

And now I know who to call if I ever have an Optimum Online problem.

And now..I need to make dinner.

Not at all accurate of course, except maybe the sleep part.

update later: GAH, forgot a big one, sitting in Rittenhouse Square with Lisa, Mel, and Alex while eating gelato. It was in my first version, but first version failed when my internet died and I couldn't save it. That was the first thing I did. A.d it made for a most glorious Friday night that I wish I could repeat in NYC. (I know there's like, Washington Square Park near L'Arte del Gelato, but it's not the same. Philly has a different feel from NYC that...well, doesn't necessarily make me want to live there, but makes it an enjoyable place to visit when I don't feel like being in NYC. Ye know what I mean.)

"You should ride your bike around the neighborhood," Thu Tran said after I told her I lived in Bed-Stuy. "It's so much fun. And people would shout at me, 'Hey, Chinese girl,' and I'd be like, 'Hahaa, I'm not Chinese!'" (Thu is Vietnamese.) "...Are you Chinese?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, then they'll actually be right! Everyone thinks you're Chinese if you look Asian."

It was really funny and random at the time, although perhaps one of those things where you just had to be there. There's something about Thu that just always seems laughter-inducing. I assume she can't make teh funnies 100% of the time, but I'm sure she was pretty happy on the night of her TV show's premiere.

YAY LAFFS. I needed them since I was a tired lump of human. Yes. And considering it's now 2:15 a.m. and I'm doing work and my bladder is gonna explode soon, I could use those..laffy...memories.

She drew me a manatee.

Started with Enya, ended with the Seinfeld theme song. And everything in between = DAN DEACON.

- When I searched around Dan's apartment for a convenience store on a hot night while carrying a few bags (of what, I can't remember). I walked along the street behind his apartment; nuttin there. I went over the overpass to the other side of the main road; nothing there. Apparently, when you want a c-store, it's not there. But I found one in an alleyway, ready to find a few rolls of toilet paper, only to find Costco-sized 24-ROLL PACKS. Well. It will last Dan a long time. I picked up a Pocari Sweat while I was at it to replenish the human juice I lost.

- When I was getting on the subway with Rachel to go to Myeong-Dong and, as everyone, including Rachel, squished into the front car with me on the wrong side, the doors closed...the kind of doors that do not reopen because of human interference. I took my arm out of those doors, then realize i was still in the way of another set of doors (nicknamed the Suicide Barrier or something, between the track and platform) and hopped out of that one as Rachel looked at me from behind two layers of glass, hand over her mouth. Those two sets of seemingly life-crushing doors are a bit freaky.

- When Dan's dog Hubble ate my chapstick. That's what happens when you forget to close the door when you go to the bathroom!

- The many times Dan said, "Rob, I wanna punch you in the face," during the Drunken Night with Canadians.

- Whenever Dan called me the Terminator. I'm not sure what I was terminating.

- When two random girls came up to my group (not because of me, but because we had two white guys, huhuh) in Insadong to do an English assignment related to the 4-H Club. An assignment none of us really understood.

- When Soo said, "I want to be your big sister!" and hugged me tightly.

- When Cecilia gave me a handwritten note to say she was happy to meet me. Frighteningly adorable.

- When Dr. Yoon said I looked tired and that she had plenty of energy (she's pretty old, btw..I should figure out just how old). Later when we were gathering for a group photo, she grabbed my hand and held it as the photos were being taken. Something about that felt oddly touching, or maybe she would've grabbed any other random person's hand. Or not.

- When I tried to carefully not get burning hot hotteok filling on my chin and, while eating around the sugary goo, bit into it just so so that ALL THE FILLING SHOT OUT ONTO MY SHIRT. At least it didn't burn my face off, I guess. We went into a nearby Starbucks so I could get a cup of water to wash my shirt off with.

- First smell of bundaegi (silkworm larvae). After that, I thought I could smell that noxious odor everywhere. That night Dan made popcorn seasoned with nutritional yeast and I sweared that it smelled like bundaegi.

- When Rob said I probably wouldn't like McCol (carbonated barley drink) and wanted to capture my reaction on video...and...it didn't actually taste that bad. But I didn't finish my can.

- When we ran into Sue (DJ) at the TBS radio station and she unexpectedly said she read Serious Eats and my blog.

- etc, etc.

SOME RANDOM IMPRESSIONS OF KOREA (as written during my trip)

Fashion: lots of high heels, short skirts and shorts, shapeless dresses, frilly dresses, leggings. Exposed legs are rampant, but tops are conservative.

Transportation: this subway is awesome. I know NYC is at a disadvantage cos the system is so old, but maannnfufuhhrrui I love nice subways and CELL PHONES WORK DOWN THERE, it's the future. And I like the transportation card. And I like that each ride is 900 won (less than a dollar). I see a lot more old people in this subway system than..probably any other I've seen. The elderly might be more active here, or more numerous, or the subway is accessible enough for them (lots of escalators)? I dunno, I'm just saying.

There are cabinets with gas masks in the stations in case there's a fire.

I took taxis more in my first two days here than in all my time in NYC. They're cheap, but I prefer subways.

Other stuff: THERE ARE SO MANY COUPLES HERE, either..there are more than in other cities or they're more noticeable here. It might just be the latter.

I should've brought 50 more business cards with me. BRING LOTS OF BUSINESS CARDS, you'll give them to every person you meet.

At night, loads of drunk people. There's no open container law. Drugs are seemingly nonexistent, but alcohol is cheap and plentiful.

It's super safe here. And quite clean.

WTF is up with the 24/7 department stores? They blow my mind.

Native Icelandic penguin...highschoolers...with beer. And a boppeh.

I'm really behind on blogging. Oh well.



I just like it. Do I need a reason? "PRIVATE ROOMS"



Momofuku Milk Bar. I'm not a fan of the cursive "milk," but I do like huge neon signs.



Making chili fish sauce at Kathy's apartment.

( Moar. )

Admittedly, that didn't work for the last show I went to, but anyway..

Dan Deacon at Bowery Ballroom, Sat May 16
$12!!@@!#

I haven't been to the Bowery in ages. Let's goo.

UDPATE: Mmk Erin said she'd come so I got two tickets. Come join us!

How do I record audio onto my computer (mac) from another program playing audio? That is, lsdj. I used to know how to do this on my PC but never had to do it with a mac I guess...hm.

I figure there's an easy answer, but it's like 2:30 am so like hell i can think straight.

Fri, May 29th at Town Hall
$33.80 for all seats (this is after the extra fees and crap)

It has assigned seating so if anyone else wants to go we should buy tickets together. ...Surely someone else..wants to go...um.

..

Not that going alone is a bad thing, but it's usually nicer with someone else.

And yeah, I know May 29th is a ways away. Um. I hope I won't have anything else to do that night?