When I was leaving the office today, the snow had already started to really come down.

It was a surprising view of the building's entrance. This was still from the inside where it was warm, but I knew it was time to leave. I took one last look of the street, with its whipping flurries and passersby fighting against the elements of the moment. I'd be leaving the toasty hallway right then to start the rest of my day, and life.

After getting home a little before 3pm, I decided to go back out and get some air. Even though the weather was bad, I still left my place in Harlem and headed downtown. I ended up walking for a bit, and then caught the 9:35pm showing of a movie at Quad Cinema. I watched this Korean movie called Burning, and it had been my first time back to the Quad since they remodeled it. I have a lot of memories at that theatre. I always liked going there because of the smaller theatre sizes, and many years ago, I even took my friend Annie there to watch a gay movie hours after coming out to her.

Queens Boulevard never stops. The street does grow slightly quieter at night, but there's still always a constant stream of cars and people (no matter how intermittent they are). Trucks rattling, emergency sirens blaring, or the occasional drunks howling are just some of the noises that carry over into my new 8th floor place whenever I'm home. And since staring out windows has always been a personal passion of mine, I very much appreciate my bird's eye view of everything. All of it is comforting in a way. I haven't lived near such a lively street since I was by Petchaburi in Bangkok.

I moved out of the Financial District at the end of May, and have been living in Woodside, Queens, since. It was a blast living downtown with my best friend Junho and we have a lifetime of memories to cherish from it. But after two years, we were both also ready for some change. He decided to go uptown to be closer to his hospital, and I chose to come back to my hometown borough of Queens.

I like being in Woodside. I haven't lived in Queens for a good eight years or so, but the adjustment is exactly what I was in need of. I'm happy to report the transition has been smooth with no problems so far. My commute to work is painless, I know my way around the area, and there are tons of good ethnic food spots all within walking distance underneath the 7 Train. Everything just feels natural and like I'm back home in a way. I mean, I'm pretty sure I won't ever live in Flushing again, so Woodside is the closest to home that will do.

Aside from my move, I haven't had much else going on. The summer has been pretty hot so far but I've been enjoying walking around and spending lazy Sundays at Prospect Park with friends. I've been trying to churn out a food story here and there whenever I can, so that's kept me somewhat occupied as well. I also had this idea to write about being chronically single my whole life, and how it feels to still be this way at 33. But then a coworker friend of mine mentioned that it's somewhat cliche to write about being single in New York City. And I realized how right she was.

Well, I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far. Be sure to stay hydrated and do absolutely nothing if possible.

The past few weeks or so.

When your Saturday morning bikram yoga class isn't super packed and only has three other students in it, you know it's an auspicious start to a nice weekend.

Going to the Trader Joe's on 6th and 21st right after work is not something to look forward to, especially on a Thursday. As amazing as Trader Joe's fair prices for good products are, along with their really great employees, dealing with the constant crowds just isn't worth it sometimes. But today is different, and even the sea of baskets and carts everywhere filled to a Thursday night level can't be avoided. People in every aisle shop and weave. Some are trying to hustle and keep it moving along, while others stand directly in front of the hummus to take their sweet ass time. The fact that they're blocking it all and making it hard for people to grab any hummus doesn't cross their minds. They contemplate without concern. Then the snaking end of the line beacons with a large sign held higher than everybody, and it happens to be right by the front entrance. Practically the whole store seems to be passed again from that point until checkout, and the queue winds through sections avoided earlier. There are areas and shelves that seem pretty much ransacked as well, only proving as a reminder of relief and gratitude. Shoppers go through a second cycle of everything like dejavu at the rate of the moving line, except eggs were not on the shopping list the first time. So the bare shelves that once held all the eggs seem off, with two random cartons remaining on the top left corner. The third and final carton is two rows below and impossible to miss. The shells of one dozen eggs, which appear totally fine, just sit there exposed with the top open. Even with people trying all around to grab a free sample or cut through, it's hard not to notice the three lonely cartons of eggs. Will they all find a good home?

But a completely different grocery shopping experience later in the night can still save the day. The most reasonable supermarket around the Financial District is on Fulton street. They close at midnight, so going to the store right before 10pm tonight felt cathartic. There were barely any people, and fully stocked shelves glowed with tranquility. Seeing the wall of greens and vegetables being misted with water helped reveal options while in the background of a jungle, or like a personal garden that's been sowed with love. It made buying bags and bags of it really satisfying, especially when an actual choice was presented at the cash registers. Two side-by-side were both open, and the conveyer belt that stood closer then started moving with a warm greeting from the cashier. The short walk home through quiet street backstreets with a backpack and tote full of produce was the perfect way to end the day.

There's nothing better than that feeling on a Friday evening, when you're finally finished with the workweek and free to start reveling in the weekend.

When I left my office today, I didn't really have anything to do or anyone to meet. My go-to solution for situations like these is usually to walk around alone and clear my head. That's when I decided to skip taking the subway and just walk home from work instead while listening to a podcast. I figured I could pop into any supermarkets along the way as well to peruse the aisles and check for things on sale. I ended up stopping by five different stores between the Flatiron District and the Financial District. I guess since it's Friday night, most New Yorkers are out getting drunk or leaving town for the weekend because each place was pretty empty. I liked it though. And luckily, I found at least one good deal at each that I just couldn't pass up.

Reasonably priced groceries, getting a little exercise and soaking in a podcast---it doesn't get better than that on a Friday night.

When it began, last night's snowfall was the first real one of the winter for New York. It was pretty at first, and stepping out into it after leaving a bar with friends felt nice.

However, the snow had really accumulated by this morning. I left my friends' place in Brooklyn after crashing on their couch and headed to the subway. There was barely anyone out, and the quiet tranquility and blanket of softness on the streets had me sentimental. It's nice to be back in the comforts of home though. It was really getting windy and ugly by the time I got off the subway back in the city.

I'm sure the snow will eventually turn into messy slush, but below is how it was a few hours ago on this wonderful Saturday morning. The view from Fulton Streets in two boroughs wasn't that different, especially with the Freedom Tower in the second photo totally washed out.

The past few weeks or so.

The Chicken Leg Over Rice at the Taiwan Pork Chop House in Chinatown is the absolute bomb. It's quite a meal for $5.25. I used to just order it to go and eat it at home since it isn't too far, but I recently tried having it at the restaurant by myself to dine-in. I was fortunate to be given table 12 of the restaurant, which is a tiny two-seater in the corner. Sitting there was especially great because one of the chairs faced the back wall, leaving me with no distractions except for sauces, plastic cutlery, the menu taped onto the wall, and my food. It was there that I realized how crispier and tastier the chicken leg tasted compared to eating it as take-out.

Scaffolding on a quiet street of New York can become really beautiful on a rainy night.

With the temperature here in New York City starting to become warmer, it was nice to actually be out of my apartment today and walking around. 

It probably wasn't just due to the winter weather, but I feel like I've been in hibernation mode for the past 10 months or so. I've gone out every so often during this time period, but for the most part if I wasn't with my two best friends or at an obligation I had to attend, I spent a lot of the time plopped on my couch, eating in stretchy pants. Going out just got really tiresome, and vegetating at home far away from crowds and strangers felt so nice. I started working service jobs in the restaurant industry a long time ago, but a lengthy stretch of last year was especially exhausting because I was doing it 7 days a week, with a lot of that time being on my feet. Any opportunity to relax at home became such a luxury and I milked it for all that I could. The last thing I ever wanted to do was be at some crowded bar or restaurant, and so my apartment transformed into a safe space for me to decompress away from the world. 

I mean yes, essentially any true home should provide that, but moderation is key. After I eventually stopped working 7 days a week, constantly staying in slowly mutated into hiding away from the world. But it was only from walking around for hours today that helped me finally realize that. Not being in my twenties also has had a large part of my evolution of becoming a homebody, but that doesn't mean I should shut myself away from society at such an extreme. In my lifetime, I've spent way too many years at home just eating and watching tv, and then eating some more and watching tv again.

I met my friend Judy today around noon at Fort Greene Park. It felt really nice to be there because I've become used to this stale routine of always being in the same neighborhoods at the same times of day. I'm usually either at my place in the Financial District, around the Flatiron District for work, or if I'm at all out with friends, it's most likely in the East Village or somewhere else nearby downtown. Being in Brooklyn during the daytime today with so many people out and about helped me recall what I've been missing out on during my months of always doing the same exact shit.

We spent a good chunk of time at the park, catching up on stuff while people watching. Afterwards we stopped by the Brooklyn Flea before getting some food close by on Fulton Street. By this point I was feeling good from all the fresh air and change in scenery, so when I ran into an old friend I hadn't seen for years in the restaurant we were eating at, it all just felt so right. The fact that this friend lives in Los Angeles and was only in town for a short while made it feel all the more auspicious. Judy and I parted ways after we ate and I decided to take advantage of the remainder of the day by walking to DUMBO, and then finally heading home by foot from there over the Brooklyn Bridge.

Right now in my life, one thing I have to keep reminding myself of is that going out should not always have to equate to eating at a restaurant or getting plastered at a bar. Working in so many busy service industry jobs that had me busting my ass during shifts sometimes makes it hard to remember that going out can consist of a million other things, especially in this city. Because for a while it seemed like being out meant being at work in a restaurant, and being out at a restaurant seemed like being at work.

In a way it feels great that I've outgrown going out to only eat or get drunk all the time, since that was basically my all of my twenties. But at 32 now, I've got to discover new ways of being outside the house while feeling somewhat productive in whatever way possible and not like I'm getting sucked into the same behavior. It's time to at least try to break out of my comfort zone in a smart and sensible way, because now that I'm in my thirties, it just seems like the natural route to go down.

Below are some pics from my gorgeous Saturday today.