Spin Me Around

So Valentine's Day didn't turn out exactly as planned. Although tons of outfits were tried on, recipes were researched, and chocolate strawberries were made Prince Charming didn't come through.

Looking out the window, I can see the ice skating ring across from my apartment. There's a couple skating, spinning around with hands interlocked. As they come in for the kiss she almost falls, but he's there to hold her up.Watching this happen, I can't help but think that I am living in the most amazing place in the world.

So no matter how many Prince Charmings let me down, or how many chocolate strawberries go to waste, I know that where I am, right now, is where I want to be.

Happy Valentine's Day!
x,
Chace

Burnt falafels? No thank you!

When I first moved to New York I would want to be in the Village all the time. It's the mecca of liberal-minded, hipster college students. On one of my first weekend here my friends and I went out out to Horus Cafe, a hookah bar located in Alphabet City (There is a sister restaurant, Horus Lounge, in between the Village and NoHo). We all thought it was the coolest thing even though they burnt the falafels and charged too much. They had belly dancing and were very accommodating to freshmen who didn't know much about the city's nightlife.

Now that we are a little older and a tiny bit wiser, my friends and I prefer the Luxor Cafe (NOT THE LOUNGE, it's the tiny one with the ATM out front on MacDougal) in the Village. While this place is a hole in the wall, they have great hookah and delicious Moroccan tea. Every three people have to split a hookah and on busy nights (I believe Fridays and Saturdays) they have a one drink minimum [Someone told me they may have changed this]. Good flavors: Mango, Jasmine, Cherry.

Going for shisha always proves to be a good time because it leads to interesting conversations. A group of us went with some French students who are studying in NY. We got away with being as loud as we wanted because there weren't that many people because everyone was home watching the Super Bowl. They have the best music; mostly lots of older rock. Overall, a great, relaxing thing to do on a Sunday night.

x,
Chace

Living the Dream

I went to a fantastic, low key celebration of my friend's 21st birthday last night....and ended up being introduced to one of the best prices Korean Barbecue restaurants in midtown.

Bann, located on 50th St. in between 8th and 9th Ave., is one of the more hospitable restaurants I've been to. We had 18 rowdy college-age people and we stayed there for 4 hours. The waiters were very accommodating and the food was delicious. A group of 5 of us split a large tasting plate of 6 different types of meet and fish for only $105. The desserts were also to die for, consisting of light options like cranberry mousse and fresh strawberries layered between filo dough and heavier options like a chocolate volcano variation.

After our gargantuan appetites were satisfied, we headed over to Fat Cat for some billiards, chess, foosball, jazz music and such. It's one of my favorite places to go, filled with NYU college students and west village inhabitants. The place is set up like the most awesome basement ever, equipped with a bar, mismatched couches, and tons of games to keep you occupied. It's located on Christophers Street in between West 4th and Bleeker St. (Right next to the stop for the 1 train). Fat Cat gets pretty crowded on Fridays and Saturdays so you might want to get there early to grab a couch. I like to go in the afternoons to play a game of pool to pass the time.

I wonder what's on the agenda for tonight?

x,
Chace

NY Boy of my Dreams

If you live in Manhattan this has happened to you:

You're on the subway rushing from point A to point B. All of a sudden someone of interest sits across from you. Maybe you try to catch their attention with a smile. Just when you get up the courage to talk to them they get off the train.

This happened to Patrick Moberg of Brooklyn. Well what did he do about it? He drew a picture of the chick and posted it on the web. Fortunately, he found her. Unfortunately, they broke up a few months later.

Well this was a few years ago; now there's a new trend.

With the advent and circulation of the Ipod and other Mp3 players the vast majority of people on the subway have their ears plugged with head phones blasting all kinds of music. I confess, I am part of this group.

How are all us hopeless romantics supposed to run into the person of our dreams when they can't even hear us.

The other day I was on the subway going to fencing practice. My headphones were on and I was listening to Paolo Nutini (amazing!!!!). This little french girl came onto the subway, she must have been about 3 or 4, and sat down next to me. She started talking to me and I was forced to take my headphones off. We talked about fencing, I showed her my mask, and she drew me a pony. It was probably the best subway ride I've had this year.

So word of advice, take your headphones out once in a while. You might meet some really interesting people.

x,
Chace

Tweeting Away

I'm now on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/Fauxhattanite

I'm not the biggest fan of twitter, but working in media is evolving as such to make it a requirement.

x,
Chace

Fend For Yourself

Whole Foods, not the place to scout out nutrition-minded gentleman. They are all couple-y.

Like my roommate says, "It's the place for single women, couples and gays."
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I live next to a Whole Foods, but I try to avoid going in as much as possible. Don't get me wrong, I love the store, but every time I go there I feel like it's the end of the world. The store is ALWAYS swarming with people fending off other shoppers in the pursuit of the perfect, organic, cruelty-free, fair trade tomato.

I had to go in to grab ingredients for a basic Israeli salad I was making for a party. It was absolutely delicious. Just a bunch of chopped up ingredients (cucumber, tomato, yellow and orange pepper, and red onion) tossed with parsley, lemon juice and salt. (Nosh and Tell) A fantastic recipe for a poor, nutrition-minded college student!

The fad that Whole Foods has become makes me a bit self-conscious whenever I go into Whole Foods. Not the kind of self-conscious where I dread going into the store, but the kind that makes me more aware of the people around me. The beanie wearing guys in their late 20's/early 30's with their scarf-wearing girlfriends and 50 reusable bags in tow. The nutrition Nazi mothers (kind of like the one in the movie Motherhood) looking for interesting things to put in their kids' bento boxes. And those who are lost in it all.

I secretly love these people because they provide me with hours of amusement while doing a menial task such as shopping. I think Stuff White People Like (SWPL) puts our obsession with Whole Foods best:

"Many white people consider shopping at Whole Foods to be a religious experience, allowing them feel good about their consumption. The use of paper bags, biodegradable packaging, and the numerous pamphlets outlining the company’s police on hormones, genetically modified food and energy savings. This is in spite of the fact that Whole Foods is a profit driven-publicly traded corporation that has wisely discovered that making white people feel good about buying stuff is outrageously profitable."

 Ah, such a great blog. Although SWPL is a parody on our lives, it hit upon a few good points. If we care so much about those nutritious buzz words like locally grown, fair trade, and organic, shouldn't we be buying from a local grower? The producers who sell their wares at the Union Square Market on 14th street are my favorite.

Well people will buy what they buy where the want and I guess it's good that people are on a health kick, even if it doesn't last forever.

...Now where am I supposed to find these nutrition-minded gentleman?

x,
Chace