I know it's been quite a while since I last posted here, but settling into our new apartment on the UWS has occupied most of my time for the last month. I hope to make my return to blogging in the next week or so, but, in the meantime, here are some pictures of the new apartment.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
An official New Yorker
I finally bought a bicycle a few weeks ago, just in time to avoid the wretched stench that develops in the subways as the temperature climbs and summer arrives. When Aparna moves here next month, we're planning to live in Manhattan, so I'll be able to ride to work everyday. In addition to cutting down my daily commute time significantly (from about 50 minutes each way to < 10 minutes), it will also save me $1000/year in transportation expenses.
Since I'm using the bike for commuting, I decided to buy the cheapest thing I could find that's still enjoyable to ride. That way, when/if it gets stolen, I won't feel bad about it. I ended up with a used 80s Schwinn Varsity converted to a single/fixed gear with a flip-flop hub. It's a bit heavy and totally bare bones, but it does the trick, especially for $120. It's a far cry from my Lemond, though.
Since I'm using the bike for commuting, I decided to buy the cheapest thing I could find that's still enjoyable to ride. That way, when/if it gets stolen, I won't feel bad about it. I ended up with a used 80s Schwinn Varsity converted to a single/fixed gear with a flip-flop hub. It's a bit heavy and totally bare bones, but it does the trick, especially for $120. It's a far cry from my Lemond, though.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Eight more weeks
Working for free really sucks. I know it comes with the territory, especially when you're trying to get your foot in the door of renowned kitchens, and maybe it makes sense in Europe where there's a robust public support system (i.e. the government provides everything), but in the U.S. it seems ridiculous to me. That said, it'll be nice to actually start making some money soon. That's as close as I can get to a rant.
A couple weeks ago I had a unique opportunity to see what may be the future of tuna, as we know it. At Kinki University in Japan, scientists have been working on breeding tuna from the egg since 1948 (as opposed to simply herding young fish and raising them in a pen, known as ranching). Given that bluefin tuna is on the verge of extinction and human consumption of it is unlikely to cease, this process holds great promise for the species. Kinki University began breeding northern bluefin tuna in 2004 (branded as “Kindai”), and Per Se is one of a few exclusive restaurants in the U.S. that purchases it. Per Se purchased a whole fish weighing 75-100 pounds this time, and the purveyor personally delivered the fish to the restaurant. It was a truly amazing site to witness. The tuna was featured on the menu as a grilled pavé, and over the following few days I was tasked with cutting tartare from the trim; simply put, the quality of the fish is like nothing I have ever seen before.
A couple weeks ago I had a unique opportunity to see what may be the future of tuna, as we know it. At Kinki University in Japan, scientists have been working on breeding tuna from the egg since 1948 (as opposed to simply herding young fish and raising them in a pen, known as ranching). Given that bluefin tuna is on the verge of extinction and human consumption of it is unlikely to cease, this process holds great promise for the species. Kinki University began breeding northern bluefin tuna in 2004 (branded as “Kindai”), and Per Se is one of a few exclusive restaurants in the U.S. that purchases it. Per Se purchased a whole fish weighing 75-100 pounds this time, and the purveyor personally delivered the fish to the restaurant. It was a truly amazing site to witness. The tuna was featured on the menu as a grilled pavé, and over the following few days I was tasked with cutting tartare from the trim; simply put, the quality of the fish is like nothing I have ever seen before.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Headphones
It seems like everyone in New York wears headphones when they ride the subway or walk from place to place. I've never really seen the appeal of it; the only time I wear headphones is when I'm running or exercising. I decided to see what I've been missing these past couple days.
Listening to music definitely transforms the commuting experience. It's surreal...I kind of feel like I'm in a film or something. Everything takes on heightened meaning when there's a soundtrack. When you can't hear what people are saying, their physical gestures and mannerisms become strangely poetic. It's also incredibly disorienting. I lose all track of time and place, only to be jostled back into reality when I almost miss my stop.
Tomorrow is Monday.
Listening to music definitely transforms the commuting experience. It's surreal...I kind of feel like I'm in a film or something. Everything takes on heightened meaning when there's a soundtrack. When you can't hear what people are saying, their physical gestures and mannerisms become strangely poetic. It's also incredibly disorienting. I lose all track of time and place, only to be jostled back into reality when I almost miss my stop.
Tomorrow is Monday.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Back on track
After taking a four month hiatus from running, today I went running for the first time since the Humboldt Redwoods Half Marathon last October. I'm too much of a wimp to run outside in the middle of winter in Chicago, so I opted to run on a treadmill on the 48th floor of Aparna's apartment building overlooking Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. Not a bad second option.
The verdict: it was surprisingly easy, which is not what I expected at all. Other than the fact running on a treadmill is incredibly boring, the 45 minutes went by pretty painless.
Every time I run on a treadmill I cannot help by think of the running scene from Gattaca, where Vincent (Ethan Hawke) has to take a physical stress test so they can verify his health before sending him up into space. I find myself running in the exact same way: staring straight ahead, fixated on one point, and completely tuning out my surroundings. I think that's why I like running outside so much better--I can actually interact with the environment.
I'm back in New York tomorrow night for work on Wednesday, but hopefully I'll get a chance to see my classmate Poncho before I head out.
Two days is not enough.
The verdict: it was surprisingly easy, which is not what I expected at all. Other than the fact running on a treadmill is incredibly boring, the 45 minutes went by pretty painless.
Every time I run on a treadmill I cannot help by think of the running scene from Gattaca, where Vincent (Ethan Hawke) has to take a physical stress test so they can verify his health before sending him up into space. I find myself running in the exact same way: staring straight ahead, fixated on one point, and completely tuning out my surroundings. I think that's why I like running outside so much better--I can actually interact with the environment.
I'm back in New York tomorrow night for work on Wednesday, but hopefully I'll get a chance to see my classmate Poncho before I head out.
Two days is not enough.
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