kdphi_sparkle's Xanga

Monday, May 08, 2006

Mon, 08 May 2006 17:23:34 GMT

APRIL UPDATE

la la, yeah it's been another month. i haven't been the best at updating, but i guess that means i'm having fun, right? April was a fun month! Definitely hectic, trying to get back into the ole' routine. Saw some more concerts (the stills, clap your hands and say yeah) celebrated some birthdays (yes even my own) befriended a boston terrier that i've been now routinely try to take to the many parks in ny and visited some old friends.

Now time for the pictures.......

My Dad's surprise 60th bday party we threw for him. I can't believe how fast time flies!

BBQ with Carol & friends in the LES

My bday dinner at SEA in Brooklyn (believe it or not- cute cute place). Thanks to humble group of NY friends that came out =)

Me & the roomies!

Thanks Susan for always coming out; my partner in crime!!

yukky fish that surprisingly was really good

MmmMMm chocolate fudge cake my roomies got me ..MMmmMm Pineapple cake from my snack buddie at work

Yayy korean bbq with the best team EVER!!

...and when it's my bday i choose where we go: nordebong! all the way karaokeeeee ! i totally suck at it, but man it was fun to hear you guys rap & sing to slow jams <3

and of course, back to VA for alumni wkend. i miss you guys!! thanks for a memorable time it was just what i needed to see you all & catch up!

Finally, Pictures from South America

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 18:57:56 GMT

I can't believe it's already been 2 weeks since I've come back from South America. It was an incredible trip that words can do no justice. My brother & I took 1098 pictures, and I narrowed it down to 96 that I posted, but still it's hard to digest. So to sum it up:

South America is so beautiful! It was the end of their summer season and the area where I was staying (Mendoza Argentina, the wine capital of South America) was surrounded by rugged mountains, canyons, rivers, lakes and desert. My first week there was spent with my family and the extended family of my cousin who had the wedding. My siblings and I went white water rafting in el Rio de Mendoza (unfortunately we couldnt bring our cameras to that), horse back ridding in los Andes and parapente (parachuting/gliding) in Cerro de Arco which is near the boarder of Chile. Mendoza had their 70^th Annual Wine Fesitval, Vendemia, the first weekend we arrived and the second weekend we spent celebrating my cousin's wedding. Afterwards my siblings and I hiked around Aconcagua, the tallest peak in South America in the Patagonias and then I spent the rest of my last week in Buenos Aires trying to soak up their city-life, despite the endless rain. We ate TONS of empanadas, asado, helado, dulche de leche that we had a tummy poking contest by the first week. I've been trying to reassimilate back to ny, but it's nearly impossible. Seistas are ingenius. I never thought it was possible, but it is feasible to go out at 1AM and party until 8. And although my tan faded, I'm still so dark that people keep asking me if I'm Malaysian/Polynesian, but until they see the almost stenciled in tan lines I got from running around outdoors, they knew I escaped somewhere this winter.

So here goes:

VENDEMIA, 70th Annual Wine Festival in Mendoza: Our first weekend there, they had a huge parade with elected teenage Queens from each province of Mendoza, representing a different kind of wine. They tossed the sweetest grapes I've ever had in my life off the floats and some floats had asados and tossed Sandwhiches. All over el Centro you'd see shops and bus Ads sponsoring one Queen with their beauty shot and flyers. Maipu won & my siblings & I thought it was awesome because the province sounds like "my poo". That night they had a 5+ hour loooong show with electing of the Queen, dancing, fireworks, translated into Spanish, Portugese, Italian, French & English... I fell asleep in my sister's lap. They had give aways as you walked in and apparently some safe sex awareness group gave out condoms and some people in the crowd blew them up and tossed them around.

HORSE BACK RIDDING IN LOS ANDES: So it's been one of my childhood dreams to ride a horse, so I was beyond thrilled. We took a 4 hour ride through, around, up and down los Andes and had a delicious asado at the mountain top when we returned. The ranch adopted some stray dogs (like everyone in Argentina) and had one that followed us all along the trip. I got perhaps the slowest most stubborn horse possible. Tres- named for his three white feet- wouldn't listen to me at all. You'll notice in all my pictures, my siblings & the guide are so far away because I couldn't get him to go. I kept kicking and talking to him, petting him, talking to him in spanish... I got nothing, but then at times when the guide would come over to me and slap Tres in the butt he would speed up so fast I thought I would fall off. Here's where I got the almost stenciled in tan lines from my tanktop. Abrahm's horse kept farting & pooing; it was unreal and disgusting and hillarious. We rode up some really steep hills in the Mountains and passed a beautiful lake.

The Wedding, Family stuff & Misc. in el Centro, Mendoza: We spent alot of time eating and eating and eating. Argentinean Asados (BBQ) are world reknown. I miss the food so much! My cousin had a few events while we were there including a ceremony by her husband's free mason's group- similar to a fraternity, family dinner parties, and Asados. The helado was to die for! We would have it sometimes twice a day. You could get a huge serving for close to 80 cents. I got acustomed to the lifestyle very fast. I took siestas on the roof patio of the apartment my cousin rented for us in el centro Mendoza, ate snacks all day, and stayed up late, watched the stars, and wake up early. Their constellation system is completely different than what we have and the moon fascinated me the most- they see a different face, completely unrecognizable. And they see el Cruz del Sur, Orion's Belt and Taurus. I wanted to take pictures of the stars & moon, but when I tried the contrast of the dark sky & bright lights made it impossible. We ran into 20-30 stray dogs each day, many were adorable but mangey looking. It was surprising that they had high breed dogs that people sell for hundreds here in the states just roaming the streets. The wedding was so sweet, part Filipino-Argentinean traditions, I had a small part in the wedding as the veil sponsor and the reception was tons of fun. It was held at a house they rented under a tent with good food, good music and of course good company.

PARAPENTE EN CERRO DE ARCO, (Parachutting/Gliding): This was surprisingly one of the most relaxing things I've ever done in my life! The scarriest part was the drive up to the top of Cerro de Arco in a beat-up 1990 Jeep on this make-shift path just inches off the edge of the mountain. I felt my stomach turning the moment the guide told me to start running off the mountain, but when the parachute picked up it was unreal! (Yeah I know I look like a tool with the gear on, but it was AWESOME)

HIKING ACONCAGUA, tallest peak in South America, Patagonias: We took a 4 hour bus ride from Mendoza to Puente de Linca, the tallest peak in South America Boarding Argentina & Chile. Here I met my favorite doggy- some rasta-like samoid with a rusty bark whose fur got nappy from all the dust. (we all found caked layers of desert dust on our ankles when we got back too). I also found St. Bernard puppies in a phone booth in the locotorio in the convenience store- one of 6 buildings in the area. We saw wild horses and ruins of natural hot springs. The park had a lagoon and there were many mountain streams on the mountains surronding Aconcagua. We hiked the entire day and had to take many water breaks. Actually climbing to the top of Aconcagua is advised to take 3 weeks, to adjust to the altitude. We merely hiked around the natural park but it was definitely a hike. The ironic thing is the most incredible pictures were taking from the drive there/back because we passed so many desert, canyons, rivers and redrock. The terrian is so pure & rugged, it makes our Southwest look like Disney World! There were times where I thought we were on Mars. I think the journey was much more fun than the destination. Aconcagua is so breathtaking it doesn't even look real. I'm in love with redrocks.

<-- see the wild horses in the middle of the right edge?

probably not, so here's a zoom in:

BUENOS AIRES: Unfortunately there wasn't too much to say about our time in BA. It rained most of the time and Abrahm doesn't speak any Spanish so was reliant on my poor skills. It was really sad that we were only there for 4 days! There's sooo many historical places to see and places to go out. Our hotel was awesome- hotel Maipu- who would've thought that name would carry over to us again?! It was incredibly old world, with high high ceilings, shared bathrooms where you shower in the same vacinity of the toliet & sink- the shower head is literally out of one wall & the water falls into a drain the floor and the toliet is old school where you flush it from a chain that hangs from the ceiling. It was only 50 pesos a night (like $16) and was in el Centro. The shopping was sooo good! Argentina has so great leather goods. We went out, great restaurants, crazy nightlife which I believe makes NY seem like it's sleeping! Unfortunarely I didn't take too many pictures because of the rain.

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 12:40:53 GMT

i leave for argentina in 4 days. it hasn't hit me yet. i'll be there for just over 2 weeks & i'm beyond thrilled to find myself in another hemisphere looking up at a different constellation my cousin is having a filipino-argentinian-catholic wedding in mendoza, i believe i'm holding the cord among other traditions. my entire family will be there for about a week, & then i'll spend the rest of my trip exploring as most of south america possible in 10 days or so with my sister who already has a head start on me doing her med rotation in chile, undeliberately fooling people that she's a tanned meat-eating rock-climbing horse back ridding nearly fluently spanish speaking native.

and so i've been researching where i hope our excursion will take us & i'll probably be some places in bariloche*~ patagonia heaven =) mostly because i'm hoping to see some of these guys

can you believe the BROWS on this guy? apparently macaroni penguins are just one of at least 3 different kinds of penguins in argentina they've got these guys too

but Magellanic Penguins got nothing on those Macaroni brows. anyways, i know i shouldn't get too caught up because we're going to go where our trip takes us, but i'm *hoping* to go to Chubut (one of the many places where the penguins, seals, whales hang out & Rio Negro (has the most developed towns in the valleys of bariloche) & Neuquen (home of various lakes, peaks of the andes & thermal springs). My sister's spanglish emails & photos make me feel like it's the neverendingstory over there with all the pumas, llamas, cows, goats, sheep, animals that are like llamas but different, and other characters she runs into in the patagonias.

so i've been so spontaneous that i've been surprising myself lately. i really love the moutains & desert! i hope my sister gets her residency in either new mexico or utah so i can visit her. the sky & clouds & moutains & sun even is so different out there!! i might be a mountain girl just as much as a city one.

redrock is amazing.

they have a scenic route around the canyons/rock that we hiked

i'm becoming pretty good with the camera, no?! besides a little hiking i got to climb just a little but it was pretty chilly. it was just my luck it was in the 70s before i came & again once i left, but when i was there they decided to be in the low 50s.

the cacti one is my favorite! i'm so impressed with my little camera!

i would've explored more but it got so windy & cooolld! i could barely take pictures without being blown over & it even snow-capped some of the mountains. the west is incredible! i want to see death valley & the red woods & yosemite &...

now i'm off to the national history museum off of 79st street off of central park to see the florescent blue footed ducks/dodos/stupid looking cool birds at the darwin exhibit (you can see them in the flashmedia on the site).

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 00:04:55 GMT

hello friends. yes i know it's been a while, but been great reasons for it . yay~ i've been hittin the new year hard trying to get out & about as much as i can and still have more to come!

january was an awesome month for concerts. i saw some good local new york artists along with Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, abrahm came up to see *Broken Social Scene* and also Deerhoof for his birthday.:

and it was also restaurant week so i took him to a french-vietnamese fusion restaurant in astor place (though i still think the hole-in-the walls in chinatown are better)

and then to the meatpacking at hero where i mysteriously find myself a regular from time to time.

thanks to susan, carol & felino for coming out!

i swear the reason i come here is for the djs & the kill-bill- crazy-88 fighting scene-esk design, not the ribbon dancers on the ceiling!

******

and happy birthday becca!! ah it was sooo nice to be with my pledge sisters though it was short & sweet.

at bangkok bistro:

and then blue gin

ah, so that's why we call you pucca! aww poor bday grandma! she left her own bday party to pass out at home.

cheers!!

i can't believe it's been 3 years! it was so good to catch up with everyone!

and then of course modern, running into nice old faces

i'm in my 6th month in the city (out of the rest of my life i plan to live here-haha), read over 5 books & met new people & places, and new york is still love of my life, but i know i'll never find girl friends in new york like my pledge sisters

Monday, January 02, 2006

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 17:10:45 GMT

!!happy holidays!! i was so happy to be back at home that i didn't have second to sit back & relax over christmas. it was kind of a backwards thing, i had a hectic christmas and a relaxing new year.

new years was perfect. i got just what i wanted, an awesome house party. i cooked some of the small repetoire i have of iranian food: jujeh kabob, kubideh and mustokhiar and my friend's roommate's girl friend cooked some amazing japanese food!

interesting fusion of good food & fun characters & good music

and it snowed/rained on new years eve, probably good luck for the year of the dog. new years day my orchid bloomed! how symbolic!? (see it here as a bud & there as a bloomed flower?)

i've had it for 4 years now & it usually blossoms about 18-20 flowers twice a year. its amazing how it's keeping up in a ny apt.

*************

i'm so glad i got to see everyone back in va that i was able to in that short short time. thanks becca for hosting a fun-filled secret santa potluck!!

damn marrrii!! just looking back at this one i realized how deceiving your goody goody smile was

ahh & the food! funny how youmi was like "what's going on??!!" with julie baking a cake & me bringing popeyes.

i'm so glad we got sometime to catch up kimmy!! it's unbelievable think how fast this year went & so much that's happened!

awww we're so cute! i miss you guyss!!!

yay, i knew i was going to have a great gift once you said you were my secret santa! you have such good taste: pomegranate scrub & mint hot chocolate... ah you're the best!

haha that couch got alota love that night

congrats #1!!!!! yay no more school!! live it up

hahaha i like this picture for some reason, its kinda blurry though

ahh more group pictures...

annnddd... it's time to embarass myself. i am obessed with my sister's kittens. these are only a small few of the 47 pictures i took of them over christmas. and i'm not ashamed!! ahhhh. i love 'em!!

fuzzy

and smokey

here the two of them are looking for the laser pointer, confused as to where it went... i took the most hillarious video of them chasing it... yeah i know i'm a loser but it's soo great. ask me if you want me to send it to you.

this is my absolute favorite picture!! abrahm how did you make smokey soo cute?! he looks like a little rabbit with his feet sticking out & he has the BEST look on his face looking up at you!! ahhh

aaaahhhhhh!!

<-->

so what fuzzy looks like the granite counter in my kitchen? puuhahhaha- i know i'm crazy... she's soo sweet. my last night at home she wouldn't stop jumping on me at 5 in the morning, biting & licking me. i tried petting & hugging her, but she wouldn't stop jumping. i couldn't figure out what she wanted & finally gave up saying "leave me alooonne!!" throwing the sheets over my head.

so my sister bought them these scratch pads for christmas. smokey went nuts sniffing & trying to chew & scratch it all up that it got into his furr. these cats have the best personality. it's incredible. they're like little people. fuzzy is so affectionate, skinny & speedy & smokey is a foodaholic, purring machine. fuzzy will fall asleep in your arms and smokey purrs if you just come near him & even purrs when he eats. they get so hyper at night & pounce on eachother, chase eachother sliding on the tiles and running into the walls when rounding corners. they also are skilled soccer players with an aluminum foil ball. fuzzy juggles really well & chubby smokey is kinda slow & gets frustrated & just picks it up with his mouth & runs away with it.

oh and here's christmas at my parents: before

and after (well i guess during the opening): here's a picture of all of my family at christmas (my brother is in the mirror taking the photo-kinda cool).

well i hope everyone enjoyed their holidays! next year i'm definitely taking a longer break!!!

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Thu, 22 Dec 2005 14:48:46 GMT

this is what i thought ny was going to be like before i moved here: clostrophic-inducing crowds, hours to get door-to-door, traffic lights that make you think of christmas & never let you sleep. and i still was excited to move here the great news is that this mta transit strike isn't going to last forever & it was an experience. it definitely made me appreciate how convenient and not so bad things were before. it was somewhat made my heart confused that i was relieved to leave ny last night- it was like we were refugees fleeing from the chaotic distress as if it was an economic or political crisis.

i guess i found one benefit of working for my client in the dirty state of nj: i was able to take the nj path to the nj transit connecting at newark & still made it in the same time. but to come into manhattan going into nj & then back out?! that was madness. i got to see all these people i didn't know lived in ny because we all had to accumiliate waiting for the new path they built to 33rd street. i dont know how we made it, but jeni & i squished through like waddling penguins through the crowd with our luggage to penn station. i really start to second guess that $1.50 train vs. the convenience of a cab $10 per person + $5 per zone, but it was too late.

so believe it or not, i'm happy to be in va working from the BE office accross the street until my sister takes me to our parents' in md. this month has been insane at work, i feel like an idiot all the time though i'm not really learning anything i'd consider scholasitc, it's good life lessons, but the work is almost condescending that i lost motivation & drive. but its time to pick back up, start trying again & make the best out of everything because it has my name on it. i know this is normal & i love it here, so i just need to suck it up. somehow the new year will bring a good sense of closure & a new beginning! i can't wait for things to start moving smoothly! i'm going to start today

Friday, December 16, 2005

Fri, 16 Dec 2005 12:45:02 GMT

i'm proud to say (& hope my pledge sister pimp mentors are proud to hear) that i had the time of my life & perhaps the best week i've experienced thus far in the big apple. {unfortunately that was last week. this week i tried telling myself that i would pick up where i left off, but had to make a very tough decision leaving me in a heavy-hearted mopey rut. luckily it's the weekend again, the holidays are coming which is perfect because i miss my family like no other, and i'm more than lucky to have the best friends that have been there for me.}

so to keep the motivation going, here's my reminiscence of a *wonderful, most ideal week i had last week*:

sunday spent time with a good friend i haven't seen in months that came to the city for the weekend.

monday ben cooked an impressive iranian dinner & we caught up. i came into brooklyn for the first time! still can't believe it takes over an hour from the financial to his place (i'm at the very bottom of the island! come on- how much closer could i be?)

annndd tuesday i played tag along with nelson again, this time to an mtv chi primere party that wasn't so, but still fun, then to a hidden steamster bar/club in chinatown of all places. sick name, can't even write it down.

wednesday refueled, caught up with roomies, the usual taking mental notes while watching sex & the city.

thursday went as jeni's date to the deloitte christmas party. that was impressive! a HUGE studio/warehouse/venue in chelsea, 2-3k people, djed open bar, good food.

i still can't believe bearingpoint had to cut ours out of our budget! , ah but its still cool. i'm making up for it by crashing other friend's company holiday parties- haha nelson's was fun last night too, but i was too down & sleepy to enjoy it all, but in an awesome veitnamese gallery in tribeca with a live bossa nova jazz band, great hourderves that we chowed down for the sake of being bored, but met the cool co-workers spends his days with.

i'm realllly mad i didn't bring my camera because randomly there was this incredible shar-pei hidding downstairs by the coat check.

(can't you hear him mock me saying: "come & get me! i'm your buddy, i know you want to smush me!")

and of course the doggie freak i am, once someone told me i ran over there and like a 5 year old started begging the dog to come out & let me pet him. he slowly got over his shyness, but continued to tease not letting me pet him, and came up stairs to the floor where the cocktail was. Ah! i was soo intranced how cute he was, his nose was sooo big & soft & the folds covered his eyes that all you could see were these little black sunken droopey spots on his head! so after being teased for long enough & made to look like a fool trying to get some attention from the dog in the middle of the party i gave up and low & behold another one came up & they started looking up at the crowd with their big manatee-like snouts just waiting for food to drop. and then another one came!! there were three of them just casually hanging out, quietly making no noise making other people excited wanting to pet them, but they shyed away. when i finally got to pet one it turned out that their fur was about as rough as what i thought a squirrel to feel like.... who knew?! and then the smallest one laid on the ground with its feet back like a rabbit & arms out soo incredibly adorable... ahh i want one!!!

don't you just want to grab his cheeks?!

ahh.. so back to last week...

friday & saturday, jeni had some deloitte people over

annnd happy happy birthday felino!!! you are by far the coooleseseset ever. i learned where the hidden hot spots were: the meat packing district, where it's the bouncer's job & delight to turn people down at the door.

ah but i can even describe how much fun i had with felino & his friends , or how silly he is when drunk diving and crashing into things! i began getting used to running on no sleep at that point & even gladly stayed up for bar/club hopping, my beloved k-town eats until past 5:30 AM and staying up 'til sunrise, going to bed at 10 .... i did not know it was in me all along!! thank you thank you for the most memorable weekend

Monday, December 05, 2005

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 00:51:37 GMT

wOw, i definitely let time fly =) I had many many guests, helped me love the city even more & appreciate that i'm here. but its almost been too many to the point where i'm becoming selfish and needed some alone time: just me & manhattan.

it snowed saturday nite and it was gorgeous! the city was frosted just on the tree & roof tops with the air so crisp and deceivingly clean! i am infatuated with manhattan. i've decided there couldn't be a more precious love affair.

(the sight of the church & cemetary on fulton street saturday afternoon was incredible compared to this.. i need to bring my camera with me everywhere i go...)

i remember just moving in in september thinking the sound of the cars driving outside my window sounded like waves crashing on the beach. and how breathless i was a night last month when my co-worker drove us into the city for dinner with the team.i was so happy to be going "home" and leaving awful awful NJ. Manhattan's tall dark buildings looked like the sky and its illuminated lights were the stars all under one of the largest yellow paper moon that i barely see in summers.

(or maybe everything was just blurry to me having my eye sight turn from -1.00 to almost blind since starting work!!) i wish i had some pictures of my own, but will soon. ahh i want to move to midtown & have a view of the chrysler building!!! (but would throw even more of my humble salary to rent)

oh & this wkend was soo good & too short!!! my cousin amy & her fiance came up again to see conan again. it was almost embarrassing that it was the second show we saw within a 30 day span. not only did conan's security staff recognized us but my cousin & i had memorized the indie/seamster playlist before the show and the jokes/intro speech by 'preparation H earl' actor as well as conan's & how max weinberg gives out his drumsticks.

nonetheless, i really didn't think i'd get to make it but was beyond lucky to work from home yet again GISELE was on, along with Dane Cook & THE WHITE STRIPES.... and we caught a sighting of a shy MIKE MYERS hanging out on the back of the set. Conan came up to joke with him at the end of the show & did a funny robot dance in the middle of their conversation... my two favorite entertainers hanging out within 5 feet of me. it was something i dream about.

(only Mike was hidding in the back rather than on the show)

the white stripes were phenomenal. no doubt. completely eccentric. Jack is almost scary and my eyes must have glossed over watching how cool meg was hitting the drums with her curls bouncing each beat... she's become my hero.

oh & gisele was surprisingly impressive. i didn't expect i'd change my opinion of her being overrated, but she was so sweet in her interview. very modest and respectful & i can't get over her adorable brazilian accent.

i wish we could've taken pictures! we tried sneaking one but only got a blurred image of conan's empty desk before the show. ooOo and also at the end of the show one of the production crew gave me a copy of the script for the tv face interview skits!! i've had conan's theme song stuck in my head all weekend since

the rest of the weekend was near perfect too i was probably thought to be a crackhead from being so hyper & happy but it was definitely heartwarming to see new friends that felt like old friends because i haven't seen in weeks due to me attempting to be a tour guide for all of november.

though all things about the city aren't beautiful, i've definitely been learning alot. it really does pay off to be nice at the right times as it does to be assertive at other times. ah! i'm just so happy & so lucky to be here!! i never ever ever want to leave!!!

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 14:44:25 GMT

cheers to more fall foliage! yes, i did go to central park once again this weekend, but that was because i was playing tour guide for my first visitors~ my cousin & her fiance. too bad we didn't get to take pictures at conan ... but oh, does he make me giddy !! i didn't care that i was that deranged fan that was obessed with getting him to wave to me. it meant the world in that small moment. and i dont feel the least bit cheated by nyc knowing that his studio is about the same size of my apartment. those robotic cameras are amazzing!

ok well here's some favorites of my second trip to the park on friday. there was this cute terrance near the bethesda fountain...

and another wedding photos shooting that makes me think of house of flying daggers

and thanks to felino for another great sunday adventure!this time we were off my map at 190th street at the cloisters museum & tyron park- (pronounced ti-run, not "call tyroonnee".. ahaha, felino i mean, fobs can't read). so this is the upper most tip of the island on the westside with a view of what we were guessing was the hudson & part of the bronx??

it was so blustery the leaves were falling like snow

i got pretty distracted by the views that i totally forgot to take pictures of the cloisters castle! the most i got was this ledge

but it was worth it. i can imagine this getting a lil' boring.. hahaha, so here's just one more from tyron park

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Thu, 03 Nov 2005 16:52:34 GMT

although a little late, here's some pictures from my first adventure in central park . thanks felino for letting me drag you all over the park & through the entire ny subway system. it was retarded that we had to go all the way up to 125th street to go back downtown... ahhaa i know you loved it! i swear he was with me. i look like a loser because he's camera shy. i didn't just go by myself & take pictures alone! promise!

turtle pond is so cute! can you see the mini sail boats?

halloween in ny apparently lasts the entire week.

people have told me that central park is a freaky place, but i definitely didn't expect the weirdos balancing waterbottles on their heads in tight oufitts in the roller skate parade going to 90s house music...

or this guy. and his poor dog...

ah but i do love halloween! and the fall foliage is so beautiful in ny. this isn't even the best picture. i now know why billie holiday's autnum in new york is so true...

a quintet by the bethesda fountain... and the row boats!! ahh they're so pretty. too bad they suck to row. ahha. canoes.

and among many odd things i've seen in the city, such as the surprising amount of women in full gestation roaming the streets, are these french bulldogs! i couldn't figure out why i loved them so much until felino pointed out that they look like stitch! ahh i want one. but not really.

oh and another favorite view: though we couldn't figure out which pond it was, maybe the pool?

i looooove it here!! i never want to leaveee!!