old friends, new friends.

i met my friend Qawi in 5th grade. we did a lot of things together for the rest of our grammar school years. we signed up for after school programs, hung out at the roller rink, chased after boys at the park (and got chased by some weird ones too), we slept over each others houses, joined gymnastics, played basketball, we even did cheerleading. i wouldn't have done any of those things if it wasn't for her. after 8th grade she moved to the suburbs and saw her once during high school. after that we lost touch. it wasn't until the day that i was moving to new jersey that we got reunited. 15 years since we last hung out and her presence still feels as if it were only just the other day since we last saw each other. i love that we can still hang out and still feel comfortable telling each other secrets. and i am even more grateful that she also has a daughter who is the same age as mine! it was such a wonderful thing to see Sofia and Chloe get along so well. they took upon each other like old friends. it was like seeing ourselves in the two of them. childhood buddies. there is nothing like it.

\\at the children's museum of manhattan//









\\at fao schwartz//









\\at central park//









"new friends put a smile on my face, i'm so very happy that you're visiting my place."

- yo gabba gabba

the city guide

k + a

I sort of lost momentum from blogging and I have slowed down on taking pictures for reasons other than the weather. Luckily my friends came over and sort of gotten me out of this rut. It seems like such a long time ago since Karen + Alison were here when it has only been a week. They only stayed for four days, but we did so much not even my thyroids could handle it. Having them here was really nice and I got to finally do things in the city I normally wouldn't get to do. So, it was a vacation for me as well. I miss these gals already.

scene 1
city bakery

lunch at city bakery. i love this place because everything is so fresh.
all their ingredients come from the union square farmer's market.
the chocolate chip cookies are warm and chewy and gets crispy as it cools.
but, this place can be pretty crowded, especially during the weekends.
i didn't realize this as i usually going during the week.

scene 2
ceres gallery

we saw Masayo Nishimura's exhibit
Recollections: From New York to Tokyo
Japanese photographer who photographed NYC subways pre-9/11
and then the Tokyo subway scenes.

they've got a bunch of exhibits going on here as well and it is FREE.


scene 3
then we walked across town toward Les Halles for dinner.
where it was loud and crowded and the food was decent.
we were seated close to the kitchen,
and we caught a glimpse of the new chef, Carlos Llaguno.
i really liked the feel of this restaurant. it feels old world and homey.
and the fact that Anthony Bourdain has graced this place with his presence,
it's kind of holy to me.




scene 4
ACE hotel lobby becomes a bar at night.
the cocktails are overpriced
and their photobooth malfunctions.
but their employees are well dressed.
& the stumptown coffee roasters are some fine looking men.

scene 5
we didn't stay there for long and headed off to Barcade,
where some serious tetris playin,
craft beer drinkin and whiskey shots went down.


(image by k.)

scene 6
i want to say i forgot what happened after this,
but trying to get to the happy ending lounge in the les
got us all sobered up. and we somehow ended up in congee village.

but the night did not end with congee much to my dismay,
instead with some doners.


more to come...

my awesome friend {homegirl for life} karen took some photographs of our home when they spent a weekend here this past august. i was really surprised when she showed them to me because i had no idea she was documenting the place and it was a mess.. (as always).

but this is why i love her: she's amazing. her style is always fresh and she always has a different angle on things, both in life and her art. she can capture beauty and reality all at once. which is difficult since reality isn't always beautiful. but she's got something not many people have. she captures glimpses of time. her photographs draws you in and requires a meditative pause. and she does this all the time, each moment different from the other. she is thoughtful and she can make your heart swell. what can i say, i'm one lucky b. to have her in my life.

visit her journal. she captures the best bits of life.

she can take your portraits too :)

http://www.kveephotography.com/

{thanks homie g. you & i are gonna have some major tea + dessert time next month!}