What a difference a year makes. This time last year, I just arrived in NY, fresh from a month-long break and full of hope and promise about life in NY. This time this year, no month-long break but here I am, back in London, full of hope and promise about life in London.
Not going into details about why I decided to move back, but I think overall London offers a more sustainable pace long-term. And please, I offer no guarantees on where I will be this time next year.
So to follow up on a couple of things...
1) Eligible men in London - Hmmm, this one hasn't quite worked out. Eligible Bachelor 1 turns out to be a commitment-phobe possibly also with a fear of letting people get close. Eligible Bachelor 2 has taken a leave of absence and will only be back in London in August. And Eligible Bachelor 3, we are probably better off as friends. So if you know of any other eligible men in London, I scrub up well, am able to make fairly interesting/funny conversation and can tell my martinis from my whiskeys. Do let me know!
2) I now have a flatmate in London. He's French, Jewish and most definitely a ladies' man. At the time of writing, he was last seen getting ready to go "hunting" and that was about 48 hours ago. He will definitely be an entertaining flatmate...
3) In the past year away, I actually grew closer to a couple of my friends in London than when I was actually in London. Talk about absence makes the heart grow fonder. Anyway, now that I am back, I have managed to catch up with most of my friends. Some of them have moved on, getting married or settling into very long-term relationships. And whilst they remain interesting people and good friends, they're ermm...kinda...less fun to hang out with. So I am on the look-out for new friends in London too. If you know of any interesting and fun singles in London, do let me know!
4) Boy have I missed the English capacity to take the piss! Being back here made me appreciate the English self-deprecating sense of humour more than ever.
5) The restaurant scene around Bayswater has improved like 300-fold! And that is significant given that they already had Gold Mine* when I left for NY. There is now a great little Italian takeaway joint, Arancina, which has fresh pastas and pizzas. There is Bodean's, a great American-styled ribs joint. There's Cafe Anglais, Rowley Leigh's latest venture after Kensington Place. And there is Hereford Road, which has been touted as the St John of the West. Hardly surprising given the chef (Tom Pemberton) used to work there and the menu is strikingly similar. But I have a lot more confidence in the place as it occupies a great space in a very good location; I think it will mature into a very fine restaurant which I will be proud to call 'my local'.
And last one for today, in a NY-LON comparison, London flats seem to be poorly heated or poorly built for heat conduction. I'm freezing!
* In my opinion, the best Chinese restaurant in London.
Showing posts with label New Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Friends. Show all posts
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
February 1st
Last night, I had drinks with some friends who have been in NY for a while and are contemplating their next moves. I also had dinner with a friend who lives in Boston but works in NY for the week. I am not sure if it was because of my earlier conversation at drinks or what, but I just realized that all the comments I subesequently made at dinner about NY and America were pretty negative. How did it get that way?
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I had one of my best nights in NY last Sun. I had a bunch of people over for dinner, as I do every so often. What made it different on Sunday was I somehow assembled a group with the right chemistry. The night ended at 1am with 4 of us (out of 7) still at the table, after seven bottles of wine and an evening of great conversation, with many references to "Judith". (There's a looooong story behind that)
Perhaps the food was a sign of how the night would unfold. The food was, if you don't mind me boasting, beautiful! I definitely outdid myself this time. Loosely based around a Mediterranean theme, the dinner menu consisted of tapenade, parsley salad, white bean puree, roasted carrots and the piece de resistance, slow-roasted harissa-marinated lamb shoulder. (Boy I wish I had taken a picture of the lamb when it was served.) We finished with an incredibly light olive oil and Muscat cake served with Muscat Love.
Or perhaps I should have known when W burst into the room, overhearing a conversation fragment about Moscow, and went "I have a great Moscow story". W's personality dominated the evening. It was inevitable considering that he was the oldest at the table, lived in NY the longest and was not a banker/corporate type. The quieter personalities fell away quietly in W's wake, leaving W, K (W's gf), A (next oldest person at table) and myself at the table, or in W's words, "the interesting people".
It was one of my best nights in NY because not only had I managed to achieve some kind of culinary success, but I had also managed to bring together a bunch of strangers to share in a great evening. I definitely cannot say that my time in NY has been all that bad. I have managed to pursue my interests to a greater extent - practicing my culinary skills much more often, even going as far as to take a class at the French Culinary Institute. And even though I have been here only nine months, I have met such a wide range of people, some more interesting than others, many friendly but flaky. I have learned to cope on my own, away from friends who have tried-and-tested and thrust amongst strangers.
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I had one of my best nights in NY last Sun. I had a bunch of people over for dinner, as I do every so often. What made it different on Sunday was I somehow assembled a group with the right chemistry. The night ended at 1am with 4 of us (out of 7) still at the table, after seven bottles of wine and an evening of great conversation, with many references to "Judith". (There's a looooong story behind that)
Perhaps the food was a sign of how the night would unfold. The food was, if you don't mind me boasting, beautiful! I definitely outdid myself this time. Loosely based around a Mediterranean theme, the dinner menu consisted of tapenade, parsley salad, white bean puree, roasted carrots and the piece de resistance, slow-roasted harissa-marinated lamb shoulder. (Boy I wish I had taken a picture of the lamb when it was served.) We finished with an incredibly light olive oil and Muscat cake served with Muscat Love.
Or perhaps I should have known when W burst into the room, overhearing a conversation fragment about Moscow, and went "I have a great Moscow story". W's personality dominated the evening. It was inevitable considering that he was the oldest at the table, lived in NY the longest and was not a banker/corporate type. The quieter personalities fell away quietly in W's wake, leaving W, K (W's gf), A (next oldest person at table) and myself at the table, or in W's words, "the interesting people".
It was one of my best nights in NY because not only had I managed to achieve some kind of culinary success, but I had also managed to bring together a bunch of strangers to share in a great evening. I definitely cannot say that my time in NY has been all that bad. I have managed to pursue my interests to a greater extent - practicing my culinary skills much more often, even going as far as to take a class at the French Culinary Institute. And even though I have been here only nine months, I have met such a wide range of people, some more interesting than others, many friendly but flaky. I have learned to cope on my own, away from friends who have tried-and-tested and thrust amongst strangers.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Tuesday November 20th
So I think I am supposed to be making new friends and making a life for myself in NY. Last weekend was decidedly a London weekend though.
My Greek friend from London, bless him, with pinhead and hair loss and all, tried to put the moves on me again. This was after I had to text L to save me from my last encounter with The Greek. He tried very hard this time, even offering to do the NY-LON commute in order to see me. But...definitely not enough love there for me to get over the pinhead and hair loss. honestly, I am not a superficial person.
I also hung out with a visiting London colleague. I floated the idea of going back to London earlier than planned?
Which may not be such a bad idea. I've been meeting attractive men from London (not the Greek!), outside of London and after I moved away from London. That says something doesn't it?
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As depicted in Lust, caution, sexual intercourse is the most honest form of communication where both parties are in their most raw primal forms. It is weird then when the lights come on, and clothing worn, it is as though you've woken from a dream. That honesty is no longer real, but surreal.
My Greek friend from London, bless him, with pinhead and hair loss and all, tried to put the moves on me again. This was after I had to text L to save me from my last encounter with The Greek. He tried very hard this time, even offering to do the NY-LON commute in order to see me. But...definitely not enough love there for me to get over the pinhead and hair loss. honestly, I am not a superficial person.
I also hung out with a visiting London colleague. I floated the idea of going back to London earlier than planned?
Which may not be such a bad idea. I've been meeting attractive men from London (not the Greek!), outside of London and after I moved away from London. That says something doesn't it?
************************
As depicted in Lust, caution, sexual intercourse is the most honest form of communication where both parties are in their most raw primal forms. It is weird then when the lights come on, and clothing worn, it is as though you've woken from a dream. That honesty is no longer real, but surreal.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Monday 24th September
Dinner party last night went well. Headline - no weirdoes at dinner, hurray!
The guests were half friends and half strangers. Friends included Sidekick, New Gay Best Friend ("NGBF") and my collegemate K who'd just moved to NY. Strangers included K's friend, and 3 ASWers.
Some statistics:
Number of people at dinner: 8
Number of nationalities at the table: 9 (including Eyal who has passports from Turkey, Israel AND Argentina, talk about Global Soul!)
Number of bottles of wine: 3.5
Number of pounds of pork loin roasted: 4.11
Number of apples used in cooking applesauce: 6
Number of people who knew the name of the game Sacha Cohen Baron played in Israel: 1 (it's called gaga btw)
Number of times we looked up Google in the course of dinner: too many, can't remember
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I got really bored last week and signed up for E-Harmony.
Amongst all the onine dating websites out there, E-Harmony is meant to be the most serious one. It is not for the people who just want to find a shag online or for married people seeking an extramarital affair. They have a questionnaire which takes about an hour to fill out, before you can join. This is meant to weed out all the casual types and also for them to assess compatibility.
Since joining, E-Harmony has found me about 20 matches. Of which, I wasn't interested in more than half. Anyone who was under 5'8" got binned. (A girl's gotta be able to wear heels when out with her man!) Anyone whose profile sounded vaguely boring also got binned. And now I am left with a bunch of them who on the one hand survived my culling, but on the other, weren't capitivating. (It's quite difficult to be captivating in an online profile)
Because E-Harmony is above all, a business, I have to decide if I want to become a member. Wthout membership, I cannot communicate with anyone or view anyone's pictures. But membership isn't cheap. (incidentally that is another way they are filtering out people who are not serious about seeking long-term relationships)
So should I??
The guests were half friends and half strangers. Friends included Sidekick, New Gay Best Friend ("NGBF") and my collegemate K who'd just moved to NY. Strangers included K's friend, and 3 ASWers.
Some statistics:
Number of people at dinner: 8
Number of nationalities at the table: 9 (including Eyal who has passports from Turkey, Israel AND Argentina, talk about Global Soul!)
Number of bottles of wine: 3.5
Number of pounds of pork loin roasted: 4.11
Number of apples used in cooking applesauce: 6
Number of people who knew the name of the game Sacha Cohen Baron played in Israel: 1 (it's called gaga btw)
Number of times we looked up Google in the course of dinner: too many, can't remember
*****************************
I got really bored last week and signed up for E-Harmony.
Amongst all the onine dating websites out there, E-Harmony is meant to be the most serious one. It is not for the people who just want to find a shag online or for married people seeking an extramarital affair. They have a questionnaire which takes about an hour to fill out, before you can join. This is meant to weed out all the casual types and also for them to assess compatibility.
Since joining, E-Harmony has found me about 20 matches. Of which, I wasn't interested in more than half. Anyone who was under 5'8" got binned. (A girl's gotta be able to wear heels when out with her man!) Anyone whose profile sounded vaguely boring also got binned. And now I am left with a bunch of them who on the one hand survived my culling, but on the other, weren't capitivating. (It's quite difficult to be captivating in an online profile)
Because E-Harmony is above all, a business, I have to decide if I want to become a member. Wthout membership, I cannot communicate with anyone or view anyone's pictures. But membership isn't cheap. (incidentally that is another way they are filtering out people who are not serious about seeking long-term relationships)
So should I??
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Sunday September 23rd
I am thinking of putting together a Sunday morning playlist. Lazy cheery music. I'm thinking Jack Johnson...any other suggestions?
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ASmallWorld - it is an invitation-only social networking site and also how I have managed to construct some semblance of a social life in NY.
I have been for random drinks because an ASWer wanted to have a West Village gathering. I have been for another random Curry Night because a transplanted Englishman missed curry. I went to a workshop on holistic wellness (?!) because an ASWer was conducting the workshop.
All rather random.
And yesterday, my sidekick and I went on a sailing boat on the Hudson for the afternoon coz some ASWer has a boat and like to up the beauty quotient by inviting some pretty girls along. We were skeptical at first because of the rain but the weather cleared up and it turned out to be a beautiful day. And the guys with the boat didn't turn out as dodgy as one would have expected. It definitely wasn't St Tropez sleaze.
Tonight, I have three ASWers whom I have never met before, coming for dinner at my place along with some friends. I am only going by their online profiles. They seem nice, but fingers crossed that they don't turn out to be weirdoes.
ASW is great in that it's invitation-only so there is some element of selection. There are obviously some weirdoes every now and then, but hey, I wll have to run into at least one of those in my efforts to makew new friends, right?
********************************
ASmallWorld - it is an invitation-only social networking site and also how I have managed to construct some semblance of a social life in NY.
I have been for random drinks because an ASWer wanted to have a West Village gathering. I have been for another random Curry Night because a transplanted Englishman missed curry. I went to a workshop on holistic wellness (?!) because an ASWer was conducting the workshop.
All rather random.
And yesterday, my sidekick and I went on a sailing boat on the Hudson for the afternoon coz some ASWer has a boat and like to up the beauty quotient by inviting some pretty girls along. We were skeptical at first because of the rain but the weather cleared up and it turned out to be a beautiful day. And the guys with the boat didn't turn out as dodgy as one would have expected. It definitely wasn't St Tropez sleaze.
Tonight, I have three ASWers whom I have never met before, coming for dinner at my place along with some friends. I am only going by their online profiles. They seem nice, but fingers crossed that they don't turn out to be weirdoes.
ASW is great in that it's invitation-only so there is some element of selection. There are obviously some weirdoes every now and then, but hey, I wll have to run into at least one of those in my efforts to makew new friends, right?
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Wednesday August 22nd
I was interviewing for jobs during the last downturn in 2002. That and my state of depression for not having found a job made it very difficult to find a job. During that period, I considered alternative non-banking, non-consulting careers including becoming a Singapore Girl ("Coffee, tea or me?") and becoming a bartender (they just looked too cool). Fortunately or unfortunately, I eventually found a job in i-wanking.
But there's always been a part of me which wondered how it would have been like if I'd pursued alternative careers. Which is why I particularly enjoyed reading "Cosmopolitan" by Toby Cecchini. He is a a bloody good bartender who also writes bloody well.
And last night, I met the guy! :) I felt like a teenage groupie when I walked up to the bar and asked, "You don't happen to be the guy who wrote the book right?" Anythin that came out of my mouth to him the rest of them night just sounded so juvenile and lame. I was in the presence of one of my heroes. *gush*
FYI, he bartends at his Chelsea bar, Passerby, on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
**************************************
I was at Passerby to attend networking drinks for the Slow Food Convivum of NYC. I met some pretty interesting people there, including the guy who heads it and his wife. This blog did start as a documentary of my efforts to make new friends in NYC, after all. Anyway, I will be trying to get involved with the Slow Food movement in future. It's a cause I can actually identify with and potentially feel passionate about.
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So shall we grab that drink tomorrow?
Grabbing drinks with Porsche Guy tonight. I'm nervous, more nervous than I have been for other recent dates. There was just something during the conversation we had on the ride back to London, something that makes me want to find out more about him. Fingers crossed.
But there's always been a part of me which wondered how it would have been like if I'd pursued alternative careers. Which is why I particularly enjoyed reading "Cosmopolitan" by Toby Cecchini. He is a a bloody good bartender who also writes bloody well.
And last night, I met the guy! :) I felt like a teenage groupie when I walked up to the bar and asked, "You don't happen to be the guy who wrote the book right?" Anythin that came out of my mouth to him the rest of them night just sounded so juvenile and lame. I was in the presence of one of my heroes. *gush*
FYI, he bartends at his Chelsea bar, Passerby, on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
**************************************
I was at Passerby to attend networking drinks for the Slow Food Convivum of NYC. I met some pretty interesting people there, including the guy who heads it and his wife. This blog did start as a documentary of my efforts to make new friends in NYC, after all. Anyway, I will be trying to get involved with the Slow Food movement in future. It's a cause I can actually identify with and potentially feel passionate about.
**************************************
So shall we grab that drink tomorrow?
Grabbing drinks with Porsche Guy tonight. I'm nervous, more nervous than I have been for other recent dates. There was just something during the conversation we had on the ride back to London, something that makes me want to find out more about him. Fingers crossed.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Monday 6th August
It's the weekend round-up.
I met up with a bunch of Singaporean friends on Friday night, including a guy I went to primary school with. Whom I used to bully. Yes, once upon a time, I was bigger than most of the guys and was feisty already from a young age. Fast forward 15 years and we're sitting in a Persian restaurant in NY laughing and having a great time. I am glad we all grew up.
Saturday was spent in Central Park. Tres lazy!
And on Sunday, did you know they have a Law and Order: SVU marathon on one of the channels? So bad for you. Just when you think the episode is over and you can finally move on to doing something more useful with your life, the next episode has started and you're obliged to stay and watch another episode. And before you know it, it's 4pm and you've watched about 6 episodes of Law and Order.
New Friend tally: random lawyer I met in a cafe (we'd met previously over a conversation about sleep studies in the same cafe), ex-roommate's ex-gf, (rediscovered) primary school classmate, other singaporean, another gay singaporean. Not too bad after all!
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I recently came across this quote from Hilary Clinton on Huma Abedin, her travelling chief of staff for her presidential campaign.
"Huma Abedin has the energy of a woman in her 20s, the confidence of a woman in her 30s, the experience of a woman in her 40s, and the grace of a woman in her 50s. She is timeless, her combination of poise, kindness, and intelligence are matchless..."
This quote took my breath away. It encapsulates exactly how I would like to be described/remembered.
I met up with a bunch of Singaporean friends on Friday night, including a guy I went to primary school with. Whom I used to bully. Yes, once upon a time, I was bigger than most of the guys and was feisty already from a young age. Fast forward 15 years and we're sitting in a Persian restaurant in NY laughing and having a great time. I am glad we all grew up.
Saturday was spent in Central Park. Tres lazy!
And on Sunday, did you know they have a Law and Order: SVU marathon on one of the channels? So bad for you. Just when you think the episode is over and you can finally move on to doing something more useful with your life, the next episode has started and you're obliged to stay and watch another episode. And before you know it, it's 4pm and you've watched about 6 episodes of Law and Order.
New Friend tally: random lawyer I met in a cafe (we'd met previously over a conversation about sleep studies in the same cafe), ex-roommate's ex-gf, (rediscovered) primary school classmate, other singaporean, another gay singaporean. Not too bad after all!
************************************
I recently came across this quote from Hilary Clinton on Huma Abedin, her travelling chief of staff for her presidential campaign.
"Huma Abedin has the energy of a woman in her 20s, the confidence of a woman in her 30s, the experience of a woman in her 40s, and the grace of a woman in her 50s. She is timeless, her combination of poise, kindness, and intelligence are matchless..."
This quote took my breath away. It encapsulates exactly how I would like to be described/remembered.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Thursday 2nd August
OK, I confess. I may not be entirely sober when typing this entry. I am also negotiating a piece of greasy pepperoni and jalapeno pizza, which is excellent BTW.
But if there is one thing I am good at, if I am good at anything at all, it is taking myself home before I get into trouble.
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This week has been a fairly active one in terms of the social calendar.
Monday was the designated stay-at-home-and-stay-sober night.
Tuesday was Curry Night with 29 strangers from ASmallWorld. The food was pretty good and the company was sufficiently entertaining. Guy next to me was decent eye candy. But I didn't really make any real new friends from that evening.
The more significant thing about Tuesday night was the couple who'd organised Curry Night. They'd met on a forum on ASmallWorld last August, and started exchanging emails. He was based in Manchester and she in NY at the time. She flew out to see him twice in Manchester and then London. The he flew out to NY for Christmas and proposed then, only the third time they met up. And he moved to NY in May this year.
On hearing that story, there is a part of me which is goin 'awwww...so schweeet' and then there is the other part which is skeptical that you can decide to get married on only the third time you've met in person.
Anyway, Wednesday night, I went to watch a play with a friend of a friend from London. The play, The Year of Magical Thinking, was superb. It was a one-woman show about a woman who lost both her husband and daughter within a year. Vanessa Redgrave was outstanding even if her faux American accent was disturbingly bad at the beginning. We went on to have dinner. We had great conversation tc, but ohmigod, my friend's friend was UGLY. He had awful sideburns and a big nose, not to mention the fact that he was shorter than me. As a measure of how superficial I am, I think I will definitely see him again, but as friends and no more.
Thursday night, and here I am. I've finished my slice of pizza so it's time to go to bed. Goodnight people.
But if there is one thing I am good at, if I am good at anything at all, it is taking myself home before I get into trouble.
****************************
This week has been a fairly active one in terms of the social calendar.
Monday was the designated stay-at-home-and-stay-sober night.
Tuesday was Curry Night with 29 strangers from ASmallWorld. The food was pretty good and the company was sufficiently entertaining. Guy next to me was decent eye candy. But I didn't really make any real new friends from that evening.
The more significant thing about Tuesday night was the couple who'd organised Curry Night. They'd met on a forum on ASmallWorld last August, and started exchanging emails. He was based in Manchester and she in NY at the time. She flew out to see him twice in Manchester and then London. The he flew out to NY for Christmas and proposed then, only the third time they met up. And he moved to NY in May this year.
On hearing that story, there is a part of me which is goin 'awwww...so schweeet' and then there is the other part which is skeptical that you can decide to get married on only the third time you've met in person.
Anyway, Wednesday night, I went to watch a play with a friend of a friend from London. The play, The Year of Magical Thinking, was superb. It was a one-woman show about a woman who lost both her husband and daughter within a year. Vanessa Redgrave was outstanding even if her faux American accent was disturbingly bad at the beginning. We went on to have dinner. We had great conversation tc, but ohmigod, my friend's friend was UGLY. He had awful sideburns and a big nose, not to mention the fact that he was shorter than me. As a measure of how superficial I am, I think I will definitely see him again, but as friends and no more.
Thursday night, and here I am. I've finished my slice of pizza so it's time to go to bed. Goodnight people.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Tuesday July 10th
I am in shock. My college sorta roommate just got engaged!!!!
If you ever met Barbara in college, you'd be just as shocked. She's the Belarussian version of chilli padi, small and full of energy. Almost everyone at university knew her, even people from other colleges. From Day One, she was the one who would march straight up to strangers and introduced herself whether or not they were expecting an introduction. And all throughout college, Barbara was louder and more colourful than anyone else.
But she also had a sensible side to her as well. Whenever I was upset or confused, I'd pop next door to her room and she'd make me a cup of tea (I know, how very English!), listen to my woes and dish out her surprisingly mature advice.
And now, she's engaged.
WOW. I am so happy for her.
But still, WOW. It's one thing when friends in Singapore announce their engagement coz that's what everybody does once they can afford the downpayment for their HDB flat. It's another thing when my non-Singaporean friends, especially Barbara, announce their engagements.
I shan't go into this in detail coz it's too Ally MacBeal-ish, but there's a part of me that is scared that I will be the old maid left on the shelf soon. Which brings me to my next point...
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I had the conversation with Frenchie last night. It wan't an easy one to have because I knew how much he felt for me. And even then I hadn't realised until after we had our conversation, exactly how much he felt for me. I felt awful because I just didn't feel so much for him. And whilst I would have liked to continue seeing him, I didn't want to give him hope that may not manifest itself into anything real.
*****************************
So yes, I've got to go out and start making new friends again, which is the whole point of this blog anyway. If you know of anyone in NY who is cool to hang out with, please send them my way. Male or female, straight or gay, any ethnicity, equal opportunities.
If you ever met Barbara in college, you'd be just as shocked. She's the Belarussian version of chilli padi, small and full of energy. Almost everyone at university knew her, even people from other colleges. From Day One, she was the one who would march straight up to strangers and introduced herself whether or not they were expecting an introduction. And all throughout college, Barbara was louder and more colourful than anyone else.
But she also had a sensible side to her as well. Whenever I was upset or confused, I'd pop next door to her room and she'd make me a cup of tea (I know, how very English!), listen to my woes and dish out her surprisingly mature advice.
And now, she's engaged.
WOW. I am so happy for her.
But still, WOW. It's one thing when friends in Singapore announce their engagement coz that's what everybody does once they can afford the downpayment for their HDB flat. It's another thing when my non-Singaporean friends, especially Barbara, announce their engagements.
I shan't go into this in detail coz it's too Ally MacBeal-ish, but there's a part of me that is scared that I will be the old maid left on the shelf soon. Which brings me to my next point...
*****************************
I had the conversation with Frenchie last night. It wan't an easy one to have because I knew how much he felt for me. And even then I hadn't realised until after we had our conversation, exactly how much he felt for me. I felt awful because I just didn't feel so much for him. And whilst I would have liked to continue seeing him, I didn't want to give him hope that may not manifest itself into anything real.
*****************************
So yes, I've got to go out and start making new friends again, which is the whole point of this blog anyway. If you know of anyone in NY who is cool to hang out with, please send them my way. Male or female, straight or gay, any ethnicity, equal opportunities.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Tuesday June 26th
As I was shelling peas in the cool of my kitchen yesterday evening, I reflected upon my post yesterday. I realised that I haven't felt the need to make deep meaningful connections with people since moving to this city. I'm happy to have one-night-stand (not literally, I'm too old for that now!), hit-and-run type of interaction with the inhabitants of this city, like the dinner on Saturday night. I had a great time, enjoying sparkling conversation and wit. And it didn't matter to me that I probably was never going to see my dinner companions again. Whereas in London, I would have made a real effort to stay in touch. Anyway, I think this is because I have some truly wonderful friends in London who are just a phone call or email away. How blessed...I'm never really alone. :)
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I need advice. I think one of my co-workers is trying to ask me out. When I first started, I went out with him a couple of times for drinks/dinner because I was new and had no friends. But I'd always assumed that he was just being friendly. Then I kinda got a vibe so I started inviting friends along whenever we hung out. And now he's pestering me to tell him when we can hang out again, just the two of us. How should I make it clear that he's not my type without pissing him off? I need all the friends I can get in the workplace.
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I mentioned pea-shelling earlier in this post. This was inspired by Smitten Kitchen who not also cooks and bakes well, writes beautifully and then takes amazing photos of her culinary masterpieces for the rest of us to drool at. Click here for pea-shelling-inspiring blog entry.
So here are the peas I shelled...
And here they are again in a salad with sliced red spring onions and fried scallions.
********************************
I need advice. I think one of my co-workers is trying to ask me out. When I first started, I went out with him a couple of times for drinks/dinner because I was new and had no friends. But I'd always assumed that he was just being friendly. Then I kinda got a vibe so I started inviting friends along whenever we hung out. And now he's pestering me to tell him when we can hang out again, just the two of us. How should I make it clear that he's not my type without pissing him off? I need all the friends I can get in the workplace.
********************************
I mentioned pea-shelling earlier in this post. This was inspired by Smitten Kitchen who not also cooks and bakes well, writes beautifully and then takes amazing photos of her culinary masterpieces for the rest of us to drool at. Click here for pea-shelling-inspiring blog entry.
So here are the peas I shelled...
And here they are again in a salad with sliced red spring onions and fried scallions.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Monday 25th June
I had dinner at a colleague's place on Friday night. Given what a WASP-y firm we work at, I thought it was hilarious that the dinner company consisted of:
Him - white gay slightly camp guy
His boyfriend - Japanese gay who happily professed his love of cooking and cleaning and housewifely ambitions (at which said colleague rolled his eyes)
Other colleague - Italian/Irish-American super-PC, "too nice to be a banker" guy
His girlfriend - a Jewish rabbi
Me - Singaporean irreverent, un-PC, non-religious girl
I'm definitely all for diversity. :)
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I mentioned I was going to this private dinner party on Saturday night. Basically, these 2 girls, Becky and Hayden, throw a dinner party in someone's apartment once a month. The cooking is Southern and pretty good (very good homecooked food rather than restaurant standard). Random people show for these parties along with a bunch of Becky and Hayden's friends.
I had lots of fun as did my 2 acquaintances. I've always believed that food and wine are the best social lubricants. I love food not just for the taste and experience, but more importantly, for its ability to bring people together. It is the lowest common denominator - very little prior knowledge or experience is required for its appreciation. And that was why it was so fun on Sat night. I met some interesting people. Naz - corporate tax lawyer who was born and raised in NY and probably never ever leaving NY. She reminded me a little of Marianne from Cybil. Joe - distressed debt hedge fund guy who had more personality in his pinky than most finance dudes in this city combined. Not sure if I will see them again, but for those few hours, we talked, we laughed and truly enjoyed each other's company.
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It's been three long weeks since I first met Frenchie. This is the longest continuous period I have been seeing someone on such a regular basis since the 1990s. (OK, I exaggerate but you get the picture) Frenchie is mature and considerate, not physically unattractive (not that I am superficial, but did I mention 8-pack abs?) and gives amazing massages. Yet I think there is a part of me that suffers from the Sex and The City syndrome. That is, I keep thinking that there is someone better out there for me and that I could be giving up a forest for a tree. Yes, I believe some also call this a commitment phobia. Indeed, Frenchie is not the overachieving, high-flying, jet-setting type I normally fall for. But then again, he is not a schmuck and I don't need to mount a major logistical exercise (air travel, diary coordination etc) to see him. So I think, for now, I shall try to get used to this. But if anyone's asking, he's not my boyfriend (yet).
Him - white gay slightly camp guy
His boyfriend - Japanese gay who happily professed his love of cooking and cleaning and housewifely ambitions (at which said colleague rolled his eyes)
Other colleague - Italian/Irish-American super-PC, "too nice to be a banker" guy
His girlfriend - a Jewish rabbi
Me - Singaporean irreverent, un-PC, non-religious girl
I'm definitely all for diversity. :)
***************************************
I mentioned I was going to this private dinner party on Saturday night. Basically, these 2 girls, Becky and Hayden, throw a dinner party in someone's apartment once a month. The cooking is Southern and pretty good (very good homecooked food rather than restaurant standard). Random people show for these parties along with a bunch of Becky and Hayden's friends.
I had lots of fun as did my 2 acquaintances. I've always believed that food and wine are the best social lubricants. I love food not just for the taste and experience, but more importantly, for its ability to bring people together. It is the lowest common denominator - very little prior knowledge or experience is required for its appreciation. And that was why it was so fun on Sat night. I met some interesting people. Naz - corporate tax lawyer who was born and raised in NY and probably never ever leaving NY. She reminded me a little of Marianne from Cybil. Joe - distressed debt hedge fund guy who had more personality in his pinky than most finance dudes in this city combined. Not sure if I will see them again, but for those few hours, we talked, we laughed and truly enjoyed each other's company.
***************************************
It's been three long weeks since I first met Frenchie. This is the longest continuous period I have been seeing someone on such a regular basis since the 1990s. (OK, I exaggerate but you get the picture) Frenchie is mature and considerate, not physically unattractive (not that I am superficial, but did I mention 8-pack abs?) and gives amazing massages. Yet I think there is a part of me that suffers from the Sex and The City syndrome. That is, I keep thinking that there is someone better out there for me and that I could be giving up a forest for a tree. Yes, I believe some also call this a commitment phobia. Indeed, Frenchie is not the overachieving, high-flying, jet-setting type I normally fall for. But then again, he is not a schmuck and I don't need to mount a major logistical exercise (air travel, diary coordination etc) to see him. So I think, for now, I shall try to get used to this. But if anyone's asking, he's not my boyfriend (yet).
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Thursday 21st June
The pace of my posting has slowed dramatically. I need a Readership. I write for a Readership. I need people to comment and tell me that I am being silly/crazy/happy/loved/disliked/hated. So please read me! Comment! Please?
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New York City has been different the past few days. One of my best friends from London has taken over my living room and turned half of it into the newest Hugo Boss store in NYC. The other half is his office where he creates apparently meaningless Powerpoint slides and yells into his Blackberry stuff about diabetics diagnostics. The Germans are such a strange race.
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I'm getting lazy about making new friends again. Between having old friends in town, seeing Frenchie and trying to consolidate the new friendships I've made so far, it feels as though I hardly have enough time for myself. And all I want is some time to clean my house, assemble my new TV bench, try out my new Kitchenaid mixer, watch Food Network and sleep.
To be fair, I'm going to an underground supper club on Saturday night. I'm not only going there with 2 potential new friends, but it will also afford me the opportunity to meet some new people. So fingers crossed!
****************************
New York City has been different the past few days. One of my best friends from London has taken over my living room and turned half of it into the newest Hugo Boss store in NYC. The other half is his office where he creates apparently meaningless Powerpoint slides and yells into his Blackberry stuff about diabetics diagnostics. The Germans are such a strange race.
****************************
I'm getting lazy about making new friends again. Between having old friends in town, seeing Frenchie and trying to consolidate the new friendships I've made so far, it feels as though I hardly have enough time for myself. And all I want is some time to clean my house, assemble my new TV bench, try out my new Kitchenaid mixer, watch Food Network and sleep.
To be fair, I'm going to an underground supper club on Saturday night. I'm not only going there with 2 potential new friends, but it will also afford me the opportunity to meet some new people. So fingers crossed!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Wednesday 13th June
I went for an alumni-organised Garden Party on Tuesday evening. Notwithstanding the fact that the weather was crap yesterday and that they ran out of Pimm's everytime I got to the bar, I had a great time. First of all, the party was held on the rooftop of the New York Athletic Club which had an amazing view over Central Park. With the post-rain mist hanging low around the treetops, it made for a soft and dreamy effect. (Pictures to be posted when I can bully my friend for them.) I didn't get a chance to speak with too many people, but it was heartening to see that the alumni is pretty strong/active. New Friend tally from last night - probably zero. But I'll keep trying! :)
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I met another neighbour from my floor yesterday morning. He's Australian. His wife is not only also Singaporean but shares the same surname as me! I definitely need to bring them more cake! Although, as a neighbour, it is easy to tread further into their personal space than they would like. At least with an acquaintance, you can drop out of touch if you didn't like someone. But with neighbours, you're bound to meet them in the hallway and stuff like that so they can't even avoid you if they decide they don't like you. So, how does one get friendly with one's neighbours without coming across as too keen?
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I went for opera in Central Park yesterday evening. I have always loved the ideas of chilling out in parks, be it picnics in Hyde Park or outdoor movie screenings on Lake Geneva. I think yesterday's show was La Boheme, although we were too far away from the stage to warrant serious concentration on the music. Unfortunately, the weather conditions weren't exactly made for being outdoors and it was COLD!!! But still we made the best of it with our mishmash of chocolate TimTams, bananas and raspberries. Fortunately, it looks as though there will be quite a few outdoor movie screenings in Bryant Park and Hudson River Park over the whole summer. I'm looking forward to those already!
To make a point about how small the world is, I was hanging out yesterday with L. We went to university together, knew of each other but probably never spoke more than 5 sentences to each other during the whole time. Out of the blue, I was out getting lunch a couple of weeks ago, I bumped into her. We exchanged numbers and promised to hang out. At university, I'd always had the impression that she was rather unfriendly, but actually she's a really cool chick. Definitely has the characteristics of my best girl friends. New Friend tally - 1. Yeay!
*****************************************
I'm off to the OC this weekend to see Emma and her folks. Yeay!
*****************************************
I met another neighbour from my floor yesterday morning. He's Australian. His wife is not only also Singaporean but shares the same surname as me! I definitely need to bring them more cake! Although, as a neighbour, it is easy to tread further into their personal space than they would like. At least with an acquaintance, you can drop out of touch if you didn't like someone. But with neighbours, you're bound to meet them in the hallway and stuff like that so they can't even avoid you if they decide they don't like you. So, how does one get friendly with one's neighbours without coming across as too keen?
*****************************************
I went for opera in Central Park yesterday evening. I have always loved the ideas of chilling out in parks, be it picnics in Hyde Park or outdoor movie screenings on Lake Geneva. I think yesterday's show was La Boheme, although we were too far away from the stage to warrant serious concentration on the music. Unfortunately, the weather conditions weren't exactly made for being outdoors and it was COLD!!! But still we made the best of it with our mishmash of chocolate TimTams, bananas and raspberries. Fortunately, it looks as though there will be quite a few outdoor movie screenings in Bryant Park and Hudson River Park over the whole summer. I'm looking forward to those already!
To make a point about how small the world is, I was hanging out yesterday with L. We went to university together, knew of each other but probably never spoke more than 5 sentences to each other during the whole time. Out of the blue, I was out getting lunch a couple of weeks ago, I bumped into her. We exchanged numbers and promised to hang out. At university, I'd always had the impression that she was rather unfriendly, but actually she's a really cool chick. Definitely has the characteristics of my best girl friends. New Friend tally - 1. Yeay!
*****************************************
I'm off to the OC this weekend to see Emma and her folks. Yeay!
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