a history of me

Mom returned to Florida yesterday after a breakfast meeting with Uncle John (her brother), Aunt Shirley, my sister and myself. I hadn't seen Uncle John or Aunt Shirley in well over a year so it was nice to check in with them. Mom might be back in NY later this summer but I don't think I'll be going down to Florida anytime soon since I need to find a job and I don't anticipate any vacation time.
After breakfast I had lunch with Mikhail from the AGA at Albany. We hit a pretty tasty sushi place called Migita on Montague St. in Brooklyn. Mikhail showed me a real nice view of Manhattan on that same street. You can see the Financial District's impressive spires, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. Worth seeing, if you're in the neighborhood.
Today I got some pretty good news from my dermatologist. The "inflammations" are pretty much gone and with a little luck (and a load of moisturizer) they won't come back. I still have questions about my insides but to finally have my outside in order is a tremendous relief. After hearing the news I met up with Kazu and Jung Eun and we hung out for the bulk of the afternoon. Kazu made beef curry for dinner and I had my first taste of kimchi. Kazu is staying with Jung Eun and two other Koreans and he says they've been eating it non-stop for a few days. I dug it because I like spicy foods but the aroma is really strong. I had a full dish of beef curry and rice with a small side of kimchi and the kimchi easily overpowered the rest of my food. I bet it goes great with beer, not that I've been drinking at all.
Damn it, I sure could use one this weekend. We're sending off my friend Jason who's moving to Florida soon and I don't want to be the only sober one at the party. I know they taught us in high school not to cave in to peer pressure but there's no need to be an iconoclast all the time, is there?

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Another day spent with Mom. Today we went to the always fascinating Metropolitan Museum of Art. Their "suggested donation" is now a "recommended donation" and it's a lot higher than I remember it being ($15?). Fortunately it's still optional. As usual, we spent over two hours inside and barely saw a third of the total exhibition space. My favorite scene is still the "Arms and Armor" hall but I was also hoping to see a piece of video art I had seen two years ago called The Quintet of Remembrance; sadly, it left quite some time ago. In its place are some really creepy pieces by Tony Oursler. I strongly warn you not to view them without some serious psychoreactive substances.
After the Met, Mom and I took a stroll in Central Park where an incredible event took place. We ran into Kazu and Jung Eun*, my friends from school! I knew they were coming to NYC but I had no idea they were already in town. Besides, even knowing they were around, what are the odds of running into them at that exact moment? Must be a million to one.
Following that improbable encounter, Mom and I went all the way down to Chinatown. Mom actually wanted to browse some of those little stores that sell, well, everything. We were going to grab a bite to eat at my favorite spot, Lin's Dumpling House on Pell St. To my horror, it has closed! Indeed, it has already been replaced by something else! This came as a real shock because I felt like it was like my own little secret "hot spot" for cheap, tasty treats. Guess it was too secret to maintain business, and that's a shame. The good news I found a new secret spot, Tasty Dumpling. It's on Mulberry near Columbus Park and it's cheap. Really, really cheap. No, cheaper. Imagine four steams pork buns for a dollar! Mom and I ate our fill for $5.75, total. I'm sad that Lin's is gone but it's a real thrill that I found a new joint.
After the meal we tried to locate the modern equivalent of the old Five Points intersection. Of course, those old streets have all been renamed and rearranged, so there are no remnants or even an acknowledgement of that past neighborhood. It seems change is a constant in this city, be it a tasty repast or a entire block.
*still not sure how to properly romanize this, sorry!

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I had another nightmare last night. I'm starting to wonder if my less-than-sunny disposition might be connected to the fact that every dream I remember is a nightmare. This particular dream was freaky because on the surface it seemed like a wonderful fantasy. I had incredible strength and I was able to best any challenger who dared cross me. Unfortunately I was killing people, some of whom were close to me, but I don't remember who or why. I was doing this over and over, like Groundhog Day only it wasn't funny at all. I woke up feeling horrible and that lasted well past lunchtime.

Thankfully I didn't sit at home today. My sister and I met my mom and we went to the Central Park Zoo which I haven't visited in about a decade. It's very nice, the admission is cheap and it's very close. One odd new innovation is that most exhibits now feature poetry, none of which seemed to apply to the corresponding animals. I suppose it's unobtrusive but it's even stranger than the poetry you see in the subway. Speaking of subway poetry, during tonight's ride back from Brooklyn I encountered an excerpt from Macbeth, specifically Act V Scene v:

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

I'm not much of a scholar but that seems like a rather despondent sentiment to put on the R train.

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I didn't do much this weekend other than struggle to enjoy myself. I finally got a haircut and an overdue shave down at the Astor Place Hairstylists. I spent the evening with friends in Brooklyn which was nice. We ate at this delicious middle eastern restaurant on DeKalb, great stuff. They made "pitzas" which are kind of like pizza only they're made with pita bread. Get it? Yeah, you get it.
This afternoon I met my mom who flew in for a few days. She's actually staying with my sister's former roommate in Brooklyn. We ate at this overly-hip Thai restaurant called Song. There was this DJ playing music the whole time which got pretty tiresome. However, the prices were really low and the portions were remarkably big. My dish tasted a little too much like licorice though. My sister thinks that's due to the basil they use.
What's on the agenda this week? Well, I'm going to hang out with my mom as much as possible before she returns to Florida and I'm hoping to meet up with Mikhail from the AGA. He lives here in the city so we'll get up to something. Beyond that, I'll have to start looking for a job soon. Oh yeah, I just found out that Miho Hatori is playing Tonic this Saturday night. Let's Enjoy!

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