[City Travels] St Mark's Place

 

With the ongoing pandemic, many of us can no longer dine like the old days. So many businesses had to shut down during these uncertain times and it's such a shame that the places I wanted to visit no longer operate. It had me reminiscing about fun dinners I had a couple years back. Here is a new installment in the new series of City Travels, where I now recall my old dining retreats. We're start off with the infamous St. Mark's Place.

I hadn't been familiar with St. Mark's Place until my co-workers brought me there for late night dinners and drink sessions. I've grown fond of the place. I recall back in high school when a classmate highly recommended that I pay it a visit for its interesting clientele and guests that occupy the streets at night. Years later I see that her description still fits, the night folks are as colorful as ever.

[City Travels] Chinatown's Must Visits: Hotpot, Bubble Tea, Cantonese Cuisine

It's been a while since I posted some food related entries. Instead of giving individual reviews in separate posts, I decided to compile a lot of them into one large post. Here is the Manhattan Chinatown bonanza post featuring highlights of this small Chinese melting pot.

Yoshiki Classical Special @ Carnegie Hall 1/13/17

It's been nearly a month since attending Yoshiki's performance. I haven't had the chance to write about it and Yoshiki is already on his way prepping for Wembley Arena taking place in March. This concert was an important concert to me because it's the first time I shared this experience with my parents. For the first time, I was sharing with them time to see a music icon I respected so much.

[Documentary Review] We Are X

We are X. The infamous chant that all X Japan fans chant to show undying appreciation for the band. I had the pleasure of attending the screening at the Alamo Drafthouse Theater in New York City in 2016. It's a shame I couldn't make it to the show Yoshiki was going to be be present, but still it was a good night.

[City Travels] The Elmhurst Edition: ICook, Joju, and Target

I've been on more trips to Target and Trader Joe's than any other place. My date of traveling is nearing and it's about time I solidify my packing list. Trying to minimize the items to bring can prove difficult when the things you want to bring with you increases. On my trips to Target, I tagged along with Lils to know Elmhurst a little better. It's another Chinatown there with more stuff for us to explore.

*Edit: I wrote this post roughly two-three months ago.

The GazettE @ Playstation Theater NYC

For starters I am a casual GazettE fan. I listen to their stuff, but I can't remember their lyrics and sometimes I forget song titles. Still I would not give up a chance to see them live since they arrived at my hometown. Most importantly last night was that I had so much fun. You don't have to be a dedicated fan to feel atmosphere.

Wagakki Band 3.14.16 @ Irving Plaza

I was told on short notice that Wagakki Band was coming to New York to perform. Immediately I went to Irving Plaza to purchase a month ago. My friend got his for $20 on StubHub which was relatively unknown for a lot of people. Who would have known that they picked one of the worst days of the week to perform. But bad conditions didn't deter their performance.

[Food Review] [City Travel] New Record Set/Enjoyment at Negative Degrees

The forecast for Valentine's Day was brutal and we all knew it, but people still went on their dates and spent their day like any other day. New Yorkers really don't give a shit about the cold unless it's a blizzard warning. That's when Trader Joe's shelves looks empty as fuck. This Valentine's Day is probably my most memorable and most likely the best one I've ever had.

[Photo Gallery] Bronx Zoo in the Winter

 

In the middle of November my friend and I decided to visit the Bronx Zoo on a whim. The last time we went was last year when it was still warm. Frankly, it wasn't as fun as last time because many animals went into hibernation and some exhibits were closed. But there are other things to look forward to as some animals were more active this time of year namely the snow leopards and surprisingly the lions.

Final Thoughts on Dir en grey @ Gramercy Theater

Two days later I am now recollecting the NYC show and sifting through my memories. The post-concert blues hasn’t hit me (yet perhaps) but I’m still really sore from the pit experience. I’ve read other people’s experiences at the lives and enjoyed their perspectives on it. In my previous post, I wrote about all the pent-up anger I had from getting battered in the pit. Understandably it was my first time and I did take a gamble after all. It was still something to learn from as first hand experience. Now that I’m hearing that the NYC pit wasn’t as violent as other places makes me feel a bit more relieved.

Pits are really not for everyone, but don’t let it discourage you. Standing in the back or taking a seat are great options as well. As these two days past, I’m actually started to forget about the pain, but remembering more about the smiles and the music, because that’s what really counts. Granted I didn’t have my ideal experience, but if you can still get something positive out of it, it was worth it. So yeah, I’m feeling really happy now.

Dir en grey @ Gramercy Theater NYC

I missed these guys twice when they were in New York because I wasn't available on those given days. Now I can finally see them up close. It is a special event to me because their music was what helped me get through school and everything stressful in life. I think the best way to repay them is to go see them. This was my first Dir en grey concert, but I've never left the concert so angry before. It wasn't the performance and band that I didn't like, it was the fans that ruined it for me.

[City Travels] Astor Wines and Spirits, Broadway Panhandler

I went on a trip to the city with my friend with no particular errand to run. If anything, I like to spend my weekends like this. No aim, no purpose, just the sheer joy of walking and finding something new.

A New Writing Sensation

A story has sat with me for about 8 years. The thing has been done for a long time, but I could never make it past editing the first 8 chapters. It was abandoned and picked up again twice through revisions and edits. I resumed the editing in 2014 and then proceeded to have a hiatus for several months. Recently, I started writing again.

Dave and Buster's

What better thing to do than to hang with your friends playing arcade games? For the very first time I stepped into an arcade. You may be thinking what kind of childhood did you have not playing arcade games? I don't know man. Somehow I managed to live without arcade games and allowances. These were two friends that I haven't seen in ages. We attended the same high school together and pretty much never ended up in the same class.

Through the Looking Glass Exhibit and Kobeyaki

Weather was warm and it was still light out. Probably the perfect day to go out and stay late into the night. I had nothing to do at home anyways and it was a good time to see my two friends after 2 months. The Metropolitan Museum of Art had a free event going on from 6-9pm. The museum is free to browse around except for paintings because there was just too many people going there. I really wanted to see 19th century European paintings, but that entire gallery was locked. But the star of the night was the China: Through the Looking Glass exhibit.

Kamijo World Tour @Highline Ballroom 6/6/15

When Kamijo announced his world tour last year, I was eager to hear whether he would tour North America. Indeed he did choose to perform in the States and I was really happy to see that he picked New York City. I live in this sleepless city and I absolutely cannot miss this show. Four months ago I ordered the tickets with fear and anticipation. I was afraid I would lose my interest in Kamijo, but at the same time I wanted to see him in person (not as VIP though). Because of this concert, I ended my trip to China early and I'm glad I made the right choice.

Things I Learned While Drawing Doujinshi

An excerpt from one of my doujinshi.

 It's a few months since started drawing doujinshi and fell in love with it. As much as I liked reading manga, I never felt confident in drawing my own. It was until I developed an idea of creating one with an idea that I didn't see many people have. It started off with an odd sense of humor and some quick sketches ...

2015 Wishes and Resolutions

Last year, I accomplished a couple of my yearly goals like drawing more things and trying new places to eat. To look back at my year in review, please refer to this post. Otherwise, I did things I never done before like start a doujinshi, go to a concert, and get an internship. I met some new people through work, but I'm still not a social person so hopefully I can shed that kind of attitude. Be less afraid and more proactive.

Why Chefs Need Assistants: Holiday Dinner Service

After lugging some heavy groceries after work on Wednesday, my true work had begun. I had already mailed out my holiday cards the week before and created a menu two months earlier. I was going to be in charge of Christmas dinner this year. Last year I shared half my work with my parents, but this year I would be in charge of everything. I thought I was fully prepared only to find out in the last minute that some things couldn't be done. Nonetheless it was a very good Christmas despite there being no snow. A friend walked over to my house to deliver my Christmas gift in person and became my Santa this year.

2014 A Year in Review

One year and 120 posts. It's quite a milestone for me. Getting back to blogging since x years ago has certainly sharpened my writing skills a bit. A lot of stuff has happened and I think my wishes have came true. In January, I had hoped that the new year would strengthen some bonds of friendship, bring progress to my design skills and job finding, and welcome a bit of love in my life. Though these wishes came late in the year, they still happened. A friend that I haven't seen in three years came back and we are hanging out more. Two of my design pieces during the school year were recognized as good design. I got accepted on a very good internship (I'm so grateful for it, believe me). As it turned out, Yoshiki was the "love" I had been searching for. I needed a celebrity to look up to and keep me motivated.