a tale of 2 dinners

I started having a craving for deep-fried plantain back in May.

It was partly because of this craving for plantain that we naively chose to have our anniversary dinner at Asia de Cuba. That, and the fact that I'm still a sucker for occasionally going to places featured in my favorite movies and TV shows. Lame, but true.

That night we had their calamari salad (enh), lobster mai tai (enh), plantain fried rice (REALLY ENH) and their "Shanghai noodles" (SO ENH I'm embarrassed to say that we ordered it).

It was a moment of severe disenchantment with the NYC culinary scene. The crowds, the pretentiousness, the over-priced, third-rate, awful and abundant Asian fusion.

During that dinner, I finally came to appreciate my immigrant Chinese parents' unswerving focus on value and quality when eating out. Oh, for a simply prepared lobster at any number of fine establishments in the true North, strong and free.

But wait...there's always hope!

Last week, because I still craved fried plantain, we went to Flor de Mayo on the Upper West Side. We had fried plantain (finally!), a seafood paella, and their Peruvian roasted chicken. A humble meal, at a humble restaurant (as you can see below, I couldn't even find a decent picture of the place!)--and it was fantastic.

NYC Waterfalls

The front page photo of today's NY Times was breathtaking. I wish you could see it in it's full glory; this photo does not do it justice.

Olafur Eliasson's "New York City Waterfalls" opens tomorrow! The project consists of four waterfalls of varying heights at different points along the waterfront.

Summer in the city--finally!

beggars throughout eternity?

I don't know if there's any solid Biblical basis to the last sentence of this quote. But since I first read it a few months ago, it keeps coming back to haunt me.

“I fear there are some Christians among you to whom Christ cannot say well done good and faithful servant. Your haughty dwelling arises amidst thousands that have scarce a fire to warm themselves and have but little clothing to keep out the biting frost. You heave a sigh perhaps at a distance, but you do not visit them.

Ah, my dear friends, I am not concerned for the poor but more for you, I don’t know what Christ will say to you on the great day. You seem to be Christians yet you don’t care for his poor. What a change will pass upon you as you enter the gates of heaven. You will be saved but that will be all. There will be no abundance entrance for you. He who soweth sparingly reaps sparingly and I fear there may be many hearing me that now know they are not Christians because they do not love to give.

To give largely and liberally not grudging at all requires a new heart. An old heart would rather depart with its life blood than its money. So friends, enjoy your money, make the most of it, give none away, for I can tell you, you will be beggars throughout eternity.”

~Robert Murry McShane, 1838

In a way, the words here feel like a bludgeon--a guilt-inducing bludgeon. I don't believe that guilting people into caring about the poor is a sustainable motivator of giving, though we absolutely need frequent reminders lest we settle nicely into a contented haze of self-centred consumerism.

But perhaps it'd be helpful to balance Rev. McShane's severe statement with a reminder that when we understand God's free-flowing, never-ending generosity to us--we will gladly give.

2nd year

Today is our second wedding anniversary.

We kinda have this obsessive tendency to 'take stock' on special occasions--and wedding anniversaries are no exception. For the record, he's way more into it than me. It's probably because as a child, his father always asked each family member to set new year's resolutions and would have everyone report back a year later.

My husband is now very into the--'So how has marriage CHANGED us this year?' 'What did we LEARN about marriage and each other?' 'What kind of GOALS should we set this year?' types of questions. That is just the kind of guy he is.

How has marriage changed us?

I'm worried he's turning me into more of an introvert than I ever wanted to be, (or maybe driving my extraversion to the extreme!) since his default preference is always to spend time with 'just us'.

As for how I've changed him, HA! I think he has finally been convinced that there is such thing as seasonally appropriate dressing (once he EVEN pointed out that a guy's tie was all wrong for the fall) and has mastered the art of an outraged response when I come storming home, upset that a favorite product of mine has been discontinued (why, I ask you, why??!!!).

All that aside--it has been another blessed year of life together. And I'm very thankful.

1/2 marathon Part Deux

I entered the lottery to run the Nike Half Marathon with work buddy Scott.
July 27th, 7 AM Central Park to Battery Park.

We both got the "Sorry You Didn't Win the Lottery" email on Monday.

Then, he somehow worked some magic connections to New York Road Runners and CRAP, now I have 7 weeks left to train!

I suck at hills, and look at this course map.

There's some system where they pick you up at mile 7.5 if you're not done after 3 hrs. I just want to finish!!

sex and the city

I saw it for the second time tonight in a PACKED Upper East Side theater (still!) of ooohing and ahhing, mostly female viewers accompanied by the occasional awkward looking man.

There's no need for me to add to the cacophony of reviews and blogs and debates out there tearing every minute detail of the movie to shreds. But I'd like to say this (minor, minor spoiler ahead):

I'd argue that it is for moments like the moment where Samantha spoons yogurt into Carrie's mouth that the series and this movie will live on and on and on.

I hear the scoffers: Psshhhh! It's the clothes, the bags, the shoes, the glorification of an upper-class Manhattan lifestyle and excessive drinking and sex...and, it's true, there is that. And there are definitely lines that make me cringe ("I love you, but I love me more.").

But I'd argue the core of why millions of women will go to see this, (even if it is problematic--hello, I hate what they did to Smith!), and why millions will continue to watch the DVDs and cleaned-up TV versions is because (even in it's fallen, worldly way) it shows that what we all want is unconditional love and friendship.