Category Archives: Fun

June 13, 2012 · 2:03 pm

Cape May Weekend

cape may

My friend and I went to Cape May over the weekend with the intention of doing the whale/dolphin watching tour together. However, when we got to the Marina, we found out that our vouchers were for 2 different companies. Thank goodness Utsch’s Marina, where I needed to be, was close by- Within walking distance.

I made it to the boat, American Star right on time. I sat on the upper deck towards the back and enjoyed the ride. We heard about Cape May, the surrounding nature, ocean, birds and dolphins. I loved the feeling of the cool breeze on the boat and the excitement of spotting dolphins- One of my favorite animals.

dolphins

Afterwards, we went to eat at Ocean Bar &  Grill in the outdoor section. There was live music by a great singer. I ordered 2 appetizers: Fries with melted cheese, bacon and sour cream and the crab mac & cheese. The portions were huge! And both were delicious.

We then headed back to the hotel room to take advantage of the private beach there. The water was pretty cold- but still enjoyed being in the water and the gentle waves. We also hung out in the pool which was warmer, nice and relaxing.

Later, we went out on the town to Flip Flopz, beach bar and club. Great energizing dance music, a few blue-eyed hotties (mostly taken). We also checked out Keenan’s for a bit.

Sunday was another beautiful day out! We explored the boardwalk and went to the famous Cape May lighthouse (still in operation) and climbed the 199 steps to get to the top. The view of Cape May was well worth it!

lighthouse

Before heading home, we dined at the Lobster House. I ordered the flounder stuffed with crab and scallops, along with shrimp on the top in a white sauce. The entree was mediocre but the extras were great.. A whole loaf of tasty onion bread and butter; salad; roasted potatoes and apple sauce. Mmm!

lobsterhouse       lobsterhouse sign

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June 8, 2012 · 1:19 am

The Fuerza Bruta Experience

fuerzabruta

I got to see Fuerza Bruta with one of my friends tonight… And it was about time. Pretty much all of my friends have already seen and raved about this show, so I was definitely looking forward to it.

Before seeing the show, I took advantage of the food trucks that populate Union Square and tried the Korilla BBQ – Korean BBQ one. I was not disappointed. I chose the bulgogi rice bowl with stir fried kimchi bacon rice and all the vegetables I could want: Beansprouts, carrots, cucumbers, and mushrooms, along with some sweet/hot sauce. The meat was marinated beautifully in a delicious sauce- flavorful and tender. And the veggies were great- fresh and plentiful, and made me feel like I was having a well balanced healthy meal.

korilla

So at Fuerza Bruta, we all stood up the entire time, in this dark room with smoke with bright blue and red lights, eagerly anticipating the beginning of the show. It finally began with a guy in all black then white in bright white light, pacing and then coming closer and closer, being shot with a loud bang that startled me quite a bit. But he revitalized after being shot down and continued to run and walk, with other folks joining in- I immediately fell in love with the Bradley Cooper lookalike.

I loved the dance sequences best, one of them with two talented gals dancing sideways, while facing each other on the shimmery pinkish purple sunset of fabric.

Then there were much celebratory dancing pounding music beats; a guy dressed in all white running in the air with white confetti filling the air; dancing with the crowds and confetti everywhere… After all that intense heart pumping high energy atmosphere, the music slowed to a calmer pace and we witnessed some gorgeous shapes dancing on top of us in water. The clear container holding the dancers would come down toward us slowly until it was directly on top of us and we interacted with the dancers, which was a lot of fun.

freuza

After the water dancing sequence, we witnessed the troupe that had started the show doing more running in the air with white confetti, which was quite cool to watch. Loved the feeling of cool air from motion and from the smoke machines.

freuza

After the show, I had a chance to meet the who caught my eye, and got a picture with him. Gorgeous, is he not?


It would be an understatement to say this show is weird, but it had this great feeling of fun, good energy and craziness, with some surprises mixed in. So, if you want a rocking evening that awakens your senses- visual, audio & touch –  and makes you want to joyfully dance & jump, then go see Fuerza Bruta!

… With one caveat: Try to get discount tickets. I got mine half off through LivingSocial and I’m not sure I would’ve paid full price to see the show.

 

Address: Daryl Roth Theater at 101 East 15 St

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May 29, 2012 · 2:17 am

Fleet Week Festivities

fleetweek2012

I kissed  a sailor and I liked it!

I started off celebrating Fleet Week on Friday at USMC Day at Battery Park. It was great- Full of good looking men in the crisp tan and blue uniform, as well as dress blues. There were US Marine trucks and tanks all around. They let me hold the machine guns, and were sweet about it too. I even got to see live demonstrations of different fighting tactics & techniques. While taking pictures with the Marines, one of the girls commented, “I love it when they flex,” to which they responded with  sexy grins, “We’re not flexing” which made me even more enamored.


The next few days I went out to West Village, Meatpacking, Times Square and met some more US Navy and Marines. I had some great conversations with the them and did my fair bit of flirting.

fleetweekmarines



On Monday, for Memorial Day, some friends and I did the free ship tours at Piers 90 & 92 of the USS Wasp and the USS Roosevelt. The Wasp was massive. We went on the flight deck and saw all different helicopters and pilots/technicians that built and run them.

I even a ran into the Navy cuties I met the previous night at Hotel Gansevoort Rooftop. When I mentioned to them that we went to Social after, they tried to assure me they went to look for the place on 48th and 8th ave and couldn’t find it. Oh well, it was great to see them again and had some time to chat more.  I even gave them the idea to display the special silver uniforms and let people try them. The Navy boys are pictured below:


I went to the lower level of the ship after chatting with the Navy boys. In this area there were tons of machine guns and different tanks on display. I climbed on top 1 of the larger tanks- They are really huge and high up.


Then we had  group guided tour of the USS Roosevelt, which smaller than the Wasp but still pretty awesome. Even though it was super hot outside, there was  lovely view from the ship of the Wasp and the open water. We climbed downwards in order to see special rooms, like the Watch (Navigation) Room and the Combat Room which were both so cool. We also got to see the board room, the Captain’s special state room, and the cafeteria.

uss roosevelt


Thank you boys to another great Fleet Week! Have a safe voyage home, or to where-ever you’re going next as you sail away from NYC early morning tomorrow. Wish you could stay!

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May 21, 2012 · 8:50 pm

A Conversation with Paula Abdul

paula

Last week, I had the privilege of attending an event presented by Hudson Union at the Hilton, on the 45th (top) floor, featuring Paula Abdul. I’ve always been a fan of Paula, and met her briefly during a first season taping of “American Idol” and she was so sweet. So I loved getting the chance to see her in person again for this intimate interview.

Paula was just as sweet, and a bit more whimsical and fun than I remembered. And teeny tiny, both in body structure and height. She wore a tight fitting white dress with a flared skirt and black accents, with a super cute pony tail & bangs.

Paula really poured out her heart to us, telling her amazing life story and all the experiences of being a choreographer, dancer and performer. She would take us through all these tangents and different steps of how she got to work with all these amazing artists, and with all those shows and movies. It was crazy how her life interconnected with incredible synergy.

She even shared the reasons why she stopped recording CD’s and how that led her to be a judge on American Idol, becoming very real and vulnerable. It definitely made me teary-eyed to hear how much she had gone through. Few people know the real story, and I am going to divulge it here…

Paula underwent several health issues during this time that involved spinal injuries and so on, from car accidents and a plane crash. She had 15 spinal surgeries and was still not healing, so she wanted to do something constructive with her pain. And that resulted in American Idol, where she was able to coach and help young singers become successful in the music industry.

It was a real treat to hear Paula Abdul’s story- She is such a light and inspiration.

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May 15, 2012 · 11:41 pm

Beautiful Sunday

centralpark

Sunday dawned bright and beautiful, a perfect day for a midday picnic in Central Park.

But first I headed to the UES to visit my friend who works for Mary Kay, as she promised me some complimentary samples. What I didn’t expect was how much she was giving away – a whole bag filled with Mary Kay cosmetics  of different colors of eye makeup/blush and lip sets; perfumes; Timewise moisturizer, eye cream and microdermabrasion, Velocity facial cleanser; large eyeshadow colors set; lip liners, mascara, lipstick/gloss holder.

mary kay

I also bought  Mary Kay Nourishine lip gloss set (shimmery bold colors) & Timewise 3 in 1 cleanser for under $30.

After that I made my way to Sheep’s Meadow Central Park for some fun, sun, relaxing and food! We had a lovely spread of artisan sandwiches; refreshing salads: peach & tomato, etc;  strawberries (with Nutella!); more fruit; chips; veggie dumplings; cookies; chicken…

centralpark picnic

I left the picnic to head to Pier 25 for mini golf, which I have never played before. I also hadn’t really been down to Pier 25 but it’s a really nice area, truly beautiful.

Mini golf was pretty fun.  I think I did pretty well. I got one hole in one and didn’t get the ball stuck in the water trap. My favorite hole was one housed inside a cave with water fountain flowing from the other side.  I liked the natural, half mountainous and half maritime theme of the mini golf range.

 

Mini golf at Pier 25: 225 West St. in Tribeca

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May 10, 2012 · 11:57 am

A Whirlwind of a Week

This has been a busy, somewhat tiring week.

Saturday I enjoyed a spa day, complete with a lovely and tasty buffet, massages, yoga class, and a whole program built around the word: Revive. We were also given a handmade Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub as a keepsake.

Afterwards, a bunch of us headed to Max Brenner’s which has amazing decadent & delectable chocolate desserts. Since I had tried many of the desserts before, I chose the steak panini with peppers, asaigo cheese crisps and waffle fries. Definitely delicious.

maxb

I convinced some friends to go see The Cabin in the Woods, which by the trailer looked campy and stupid but it was actually about something larger than it appears. It was really quite good, crazy, intense, scary! It actually gave me nightmares later that night…

Sunday I had an outdoor photo shoot in Weehawken, NJ which is just across the Hudson. Before heading there I had my makeup done by the MUA at Terre d’OC. She was really sweet and used a teal-brown blend on my eyes, along with black liquid liner on the top lid & a brown liner on the bottom. The shoot started at the Harbor Marina with lots of blue and white, then we moved to the park area at the waterfront and the Manhattan Skyline across the way. It was beautiful views on one of the few sunny days we’ve had.


Monday night I had another photo shoot- This time indoors and more of a glamour style. Glitter, lacy high heels, masks and fabrics. We used different fabrics and strategically wrapped them around my body so that they looked like gowns. One in red, the other in black and a pretty midnight blue kimono with cool gold designs.

Tuesday was Asian Persuasion speed dating for Asian women and the men who love them. It was actually a pretty good mix of men with decent jobs in business, finance, law and the conversations were not as awkward as I expected.

Wednesday I had a photo shoot with Done at Riverside Park. I picked up 2 new shirts for total of only $25: One was pretty pink with a bow on top and cut out designs on the bottom, while the other was a flowery dark blue/purple tiered tank. I wore the pink one and the photographer picked a lovely, idyllic spot overlooking a lake, trees and flowers.

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Afterwards, I met up with a friend to see The Avengers. Even though I’m not that big on action super-hero type movies, I was looking forward to this. I really enjoyed it- The storyline, characters, dialogue, fighting scenes were all pretty good. And it helped that some of the characters were very good looking, my favorites being Captain America (Chris Evans), of course with his blue, blue eyes  & deep intellect, and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) with that charm & sparkling wit.

Finally, tonight I had free tickets to the play, Brontë: A Portrait of Charlotte. As a Lit major, this was right up my alley and I rate Jane Eyre as one of my favorite books. I have yet to read the other books by the Brontë sisters, but they are on my list. Brontë was a one-woman play without a lot of frills, but was still quite well done. The actress (Maxine Linehan) really held her own. She truly commanded the stage, as well as our attention. The set was simple but created a mood- Dark, gloomy, lonely home and grounds of Haworth.

bronte

The play gave us a view into the Brontë sisters lives, from their childhood, to literary endeavors, and really transports us back to that time. Brontë is dressed in a wonderful well-fitted garnet colored gown, gathered at the waist and full skirted. And the writing is poetic, emotional and beautiful.

In her rambling discourse, Charlotte picks up toys and other items from the Brontë childhood and recalls their significance, fusses over furnishings, writes to her friend Nell, calls loudly to the deaf and silent maid, and waits seemingly in vain for her one last gentleman caller, her father’s curate, whom she may have to marry out of desperation.

Overall, it was an evocative, powerful and haunting story, filled with meaning and peppered with moments of lightness.

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May 4, 2012 · 1:40 am

2012 Visionaries Conference

Visionaries_Conference

I heard about the 2012 Visionaries Conference today, the day of, and found out RSVPs were closed, I did everything in my power to get in. I knew that this was an event close to my heart and not to be missed. So, I emailed them, wrote to them on the site, Tweeted them, called the venue to try to speak to someone at the conference. All to no avail. Then I decided to actually go to the conference, held at Webster Hall and see if I could talk my way in. Which I did.

Visionaries Conference, an event to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, featuring a panel of Visionary Asian Americans in Fashion, Sports & Entertainment- Industries I love, and want to be in myself.

We were in the main level for complimentary refreshments & hors’doeuvres, which were displayed beautifully. There were pulled pork and regular burgers with all the fixings (such as bacon, onion, tomato, cheese, etc); cucumber tomato feta cheese salad; imitation crab salad; raw tuna on fried wonton skin and assorted fruits.

After the initial networking period, we all moved to the Grand Ballroom where we got to meet the host and guest speaker. XiXi Yang, entertainment TV personality was charming, energetic and polished. There were 3 guest speakers: Joe Zee, creative director of ELLE magazine; Jamie Chung, Actress (was in Hangover 2) and Mark Munoz, UFC Fighter.

visionaries

XiXi asked some really great questions about how the guest speakers got to where they are now, what being Asian American means to them, how their families reacted to them being in nontraditional roles, how they differentiate themselves in their fields, some embarrassing stories, and what advice they can give us.

I really liked Joe and Mark. Hearing them speak was truly inspirational. They really knew what they were talking about and their great personalities shined through. I was not impressed by Jamie; she didn’t have a lot to add to the conversation.

joezee

Joe started by telling us years ago someone told him he will never make it in the Fashion industry because 1) He’s not white; 2) He’s not blond. Yet, 20 years later look where he is- Creative director of ELLE, a major fashion magazine and host of TV show, “All on the Line.” And along the way he has worked for Allure, Details, W and Vitals. His ‘slogan’ if you will: “Don’t tell me no” because that’s what gives him the push and inspiration to get to where he is. The way that he tries to stay ahead of the game is to always tell something new.

Joe also shared with us an inside story about when he was first on the job market and didn’t get the position at WWD. He wisely said, “Every role you don’t get, you can’t wallow in it,” and that down the road there is a bigger plan. He also urged us that it doesn’t have to be a traditional route to get there (whether it be fashion, entertainment, etc), and if it’s not handed to you, create it.

markm

And then there was Mark, who is an amazing person, beautiful inside and out. Mark told us, “Your experiences shape who you are. Whatever struggle that strikes you, whatever adversity, trial, mistake you make — You can rise above it.” He also urged us to go out and accomplish what we’re passionate about, then mentioned the 5 D’s that he tries to live with everyday:

Desire
Direction – You need short term goals that lead to long term goals.
Diligence – Hard work.
Discipline – In the choices you make everyday… Your character will show through when in front or behind the camera.
Dedication – Need to be devoted to your desire.

Mark also told us that he fights for everything he loves, and that can be summed up in 3 F’s:

Family
Faith
Friends

Mark also talked about failure. Here’s his take: “Who cares if you fail? TRY, do it. Don’t be afraid of failure because that will make you into the champ you are.” His final message was to be walking testimonies of doing what we love, and to leave that legacy. Truly a man after my own heart.

What a wonderful Visionary Conference, and I am so glad to have been in attendance.

visionaries_con

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April 30, 2012 · 12:05 am

Chris Daughtry In Concert

chris_daughtry

When I found out that Chris Daughtry, “American Idol” favorite who most definitely should have won over Taylor Hicks, was going to performing for free at MLB Fan Cave, I made sure I would be there. It was a really nice space and not that large, so it was a sort of intimate setting with some 100 fans. My friend and I were able to see Chris Daughtry and his  band pretty well, only a couple rows from the first.

Chris was lovely and perfectly charming, singing about 5 songs and I fully enjoyed hearing each one. His voice was so sweet, and emotion-filled love stories. I especially liked “4AM,” which he is gorgeously crooning below.

chris daughtry

Alas, the concert ended too quickly and I wasnt one of the lucky few to win a “Meet & Greet” with the performer Chris Daughtry but I still loved the experience of seeing him live!

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April 16, 2012 · 3:57 am

Beautiful Event-Packed Weekend

I enjoyed a full weekend, starting Friday night with a 3-course meal at lovely 21 Club and getting to see The Fantasticks starring Aaron Carter. I was actually kind of excited to see Carter in it because I have listened to and liked his music. He was a nice addition to the show, and still looks super young and fresh faced with spiky hair and dark eyes. The part of the Luisa was also well cast- Pretty, sweet, and innocent with a beautiful voice.

fantastiks

The plot of The Fantasticks is inspired by the “The Romancers” where the the starry-eyed boy and girl next door fall in love but face challenges when their parent separate them with a wall between the two. This was an fun and interesting play with great music, leaping and effortless choreography, charismatic as well as silly characters.

Saturday turned out to be gorgeous sunny spring weather so it was perfect for an outdoor photo shoot at an idyllic lake and underneath a cool bridge with black/white checker markings and arches.

I headed to the Pamela Kay Cook 1st Annual Scholarship Fundraiser event that night. Normally, I don’t often go to fundraisers, but this one was worth it. All the proceeds go directly to the cause, which is the help the uninsured and the reason for it is a sad story: Pamela Cook passed away because she was unable to get treatment because she was not insured.

We celebrated the life and legacy of Pamela Kay Cook at a wonderful location, the New York Public Library and enjoyed an evening of fun featuring a delicious food, dessert bar, live band, DJ, and raffles with amazing prizes.

When we first came in, we got to glam it up and have our photos taken on the Red Carpet. Then I found one of my friends sitting at where all the desserts were placed, so I happily joined her there. We sampled marshmallow rice cripsy treats, red velvet cupcakes and vanilla cupcakes with lavender frosting; cheesecake in a jar. My favorite were the red velvet cupcakes- Delicious and rich frosting paired with moist red velvet cake. (All desserts from JackBill Baked Goods).

cupcakes2

Some stand out hors d’ouevreswere waffles with fried chicken (*my absolute favorite!), lime shrimp on skewers, homemade grilled cheese with warm tomato soup- fresh basil and onion, fried pot stickers and hamburger meat dipped in melted cheese. Food was provided by Beth Morgan Catering.

There was also a live DJ playing club hits and later on, live performance by Boss Culture which was fully enjoyable- Great songs, lovely lead singer backed up with keyboard and guitar. We also got full access to the Royal Photo Booth which was a ton of fun- It took 4 poses each and the images turned out beautifully!


I also entered to win a couple of the raffles. The ones that caught my eye were Night Out on the Town with free night in W Hotel, dinner & comedy show; makeup collection complete with makeover and haircut; and a day at the spa with lunch at Red Rooster. I ended up winning the Day at the Spa, which was very exciting. I can’t wait to be pampered and relaxed.

On the way out, there were wrapped homemade chocolate chip cookies with the recipe and hand written note attached. A really sweet and personal touch and a nice way to end the evening.

Sunday also dawned sunny and warm and was a great day for the Central Park Spring History Tour with Random Events that I help host, guided by David Cervini. This was unique journey back in time where we got to see see the grandeur of the original design, seeing the updates, improvements and actual pictures taken from the 1800’s through today. We started at the old Tavern on the Green (sad that I never got to dine there), going through The mall, Navy Terrace, The Ramble, Belvedere Castle, ending at the Great Lawn.

My favorite areas were the graceful flowing Betheseda fountain, tunnel with gospel singers and gorgeous tiling, cherry blossom trees (though more will be blooming in about 2 weeks), the most photographed bridge in Manhattan, the Belvedre Castle (but of course) and at the very end of the tour where we got to see a great view of Central Park.

fountain

We had brunch at nearby Noona afterwards, and I ordered the cheeseburger with french fries. Burger was okay, but the fries were delicious- crispy and flavorful.

Then I headed to Dex Beauty for a Baubles and Garden Party- Stella & Dot jewelry trunk show; strawberries and grapes; and amazing red velvet cupcakes. I also enjoyed makeup application by John Henry (National Makeup Artist) with Dex’s gorgeous line of eye shadows with names of Manhattan/Queens locales. He used Riverside and Harlem Nights on me (purple hues). John Henry was such an expert at what he does and so fun-lovable.

I ended the night working at a cocktail party (in charge of the drinks!) at a great space, General Assembly. I got to meet some very cool people and enjoyed the conversation.

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April 13, 2012 · 12:10 am

Lockout & The Lucky One

lockout
I had the privilege of previewing two movies (at free screenings) this week. The first was Lockout with Guy Pearce  where he plays a sexy bad guy who is given the mission to rescue the president’s daughter from a maximum-security prison in space that has been overtaken by hundreds of inmates, who are murdering and taking crew hostage.

It’s an interesting plot, but the execution of it wasn’t so great. It was cliche, predictable and the dialogue was lacking. Though I did like some of the banter between Snow (Guy Pearce) and Emily (the president’s daughter). The characters were not very developed and many were inconsistent. I also found most of them to be pretty dumb. The smartest person in the movie was Snow.

Snow (Guy Pearce) was probably the most redeeming quality of the movie- Good acting, and oh so sexy and smoldering with swagger and a sweet physique of bulging muscles.

But I did enjoy watching Lockout. It was entertaining and action-packed.

luckyone

The other movie I got to see was The Lucky One which I was expecting to like a lot more than I did, especially since I’m a big fan of Zac Efron. He was decent in it and looked great with those beautiful blue eyes of his but the plot, character development, and dialogue were mediocre, at best.

I mean, I liked that Zac played a Marine and that he lived through all those crazy life threatening situations because of one thing in particular, but to base a whole movie off that- it was a little much. I would’ve liked to see more twists. I wanted the movie to go deeper, to explore more themes and show motivation behind actions.

I also wanted to like the Beth (Taylor Schilling) more than I did. I found her to be whiny and ridiculous at times, and it didn’t help that I kept thinking she looked like she was in her 30’s when Zac is clearly much younger. Their relationship was not fully developed either.

I did really like Ellie (Blythe Danner) who was Beth’s grandmother. Ellie was understanding, funny, sweet and wise. And of course Logan (Zac Efron) was a beautiful character- Mysterious, but fiercely protective and loving.

I’m definitely glad I got to see these particular movies for free!

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