barbados

Remember that weekend it was super freezing in New York and everyone wanted to die/I didn't leave my apartment for 3 days straight?  Yeah, so that weekend I was so cold I spontaneously booked a trip to the warmest destination with the cheapest flight, which ended up being Barbados.  I've actually wanted to visit there for awhile now--ever since I read a Lonely Planet article on the Caribbean on a budget, where it recommended Barbados for beautiful beaches + good public transit.

And those things did deliver!  The flight down there was easy, thank you Jet Blue for old school leg room.  We arrived at 3am, which while not ideal for the aforementioned public transit, it was lovely to wake up (disoriented, at least me) to sunshine, warm weather, and the beachy white exposed beams of our Airbnb apartment.  The turquoise water didn't hurt either.  We spent the first day a little lost and confused but deliriously happy and stuffed with fresh fish + rum punch.  More thoughts on Barbados (my first trip to the Caribbean!) to come soon, but for now here's some beach porn to tide ya over.

today's reading

Goree Island, Senegal, 2013

For a More Creative Brain, Travel via The Atlantic 

In recent years, psychologists and neuroscientists have begun examining more closely what many people have already learned anecdotally: that spending time abroad may have the potential to affect mental change. In general, creativity is related to neuroplasticity, or how the brain is wired. Neural pathways are influenced by environment and habit, meaning they’re also sensitive to change: New sounds, smells, language, tastes, sensations, and sights spark different synapses in the brain and may have the potential to revitalize the mind.

One of many reasons I love to travel, and how it has shaped my personal development at such an integral part of my adult life.   Openness to new ideas and adaptability are even skills I put on my job applications!

red hook

Since Zack moved here I've been trying to make a better effort to see more of New York.  Not just my neighborhood, or my borough, but the less explored neighborhoods that have plenty of cool spots that I'm missing out on simply because of laziness.

So one day in December we made the trek out to Red Hook.  Mostly famous for two things: 1. Ikea 2. Devastation from Hurricane Sandy.  While the siren call of cheap Scandinavian furniture has indeed made me visit Red Hook previously, this trip focused on wandering around & getting snacks along the way.  Some of the area is abandoned warehouses, making for a slightly creepy vibe... made much more cool with the amazing street murals decorating the walls.  We saw scenes from The Shining, Frida's recognizable peeking eyes, and a tribute to Mr. Hokusai (among others).  The final destination was the pier, which we made in time for a windy and freezing sunset over Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

Next time I'm coming for Steve's Key Lime pies along the waterfront... in the summer that is :)

chinese new year, part 2

more photos from the year of the goat celebrations!

chinese new year, part 1

I live downtown, in an area that is slowly becoming Chinatown, a fight between the historic and online declared borders of neighborhoods (and the new immigrants: people my age) and the actual shop, restaurant, and citizen inhabitants.  Walk down one street on my block--some amazing dumplings stoops, places to get your hair cut for $5 (where your stylist might not speak English), open air markets that sell some unsightly food like fish and durian.

A lot of people complain about Chinatown's slowly creeping expansion (mostly those who don't like the aforementioned fish smells, particularly in the heat of summer), but I love Chinatown's defiant refusal to acclimate to the universal culture of the rest of Manhattan.  You won't find any Starbucks, or Duane Reades, or Equinox gyms in that area, and that's kind of the beauty of it.  Walking past the durian fruit sellers every morning on my way to the subway makes me a little homesick for Southeast Asia, in a good way.

Anyways, I was excited to check out the Chinese New Year parade this year.  I still haven't made it out to Flushing, but figured I should take advantage of my current apartment location and walk a mere 2 blocks to see the Manhattan parade.  It was one of the first warm days of the winter, warm enough to declare "no coats!" but cold enough to regret that later in the afternoon.  We rounded out the evening with bao, soup, and more Chinese food: a delicious ending to our Year of the Goat festivities!

Grandma's Congo Squares

See, what to do when it's 5 degrees outside.  If you're too lazy to click through... the answer is bake!  A Grandma recipe, preferably.

Grandma's Congo Squares

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup shortening (Grandmas have such an affinity for shortening don't they)

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips (or a combo of choco chips & nuts if you so desire)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8x10 metal or glass pan

Combine the brown sugar, shorterning, eggs, and vanilla extract

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet bowl

Add in the chocolate chips (or nuts) last

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt

Enjoy!  (weirdly these taste much better after a few hours out of the oven.  Not sure why, you'd have to ask Grandma)

what to do when it's 5 degrees outside

What to do when it's 5 degrees outside and you're from California and are freaking out about the weather and can't handle a second more of winter:

1.  Spend some time on the couch reading and wishing you were in Thailand with Andy Ricker

2.  After deciding you need to go outside for provisions, eat a snack to add a layer of blubber and then put on every item of clothing you own

3.  Stock up on sandwiches and beer at the corner bodega

4.  Also ingredients to bake Grandma's Congo Squares

5.  Bake delicious cookie bars (aka Congo Squares as your strange bf calls them) and then watch a movie to work off the calories from sugar & fat

6.  Look at the frozen tundra outside and laugh at everyone out there

7.  Spontaneously book a flight to the Caribbean for 2 weeks from now (sup Barbados!!!!)