New York City Tasters

Because everyone knows pictures are easier to look at than text. So much has been happening, and it's a lot to digest and contemplate.

Mermaid Parade, from three weeks ago

It's an amenemone, amenome, anenome...

Artistic photo

Me at a Yankee's game! Obviously I didn't get the memo about what you're supposed to wear....

The beloved Bubble Battle, same day as the Mermaid Parade

Nat'l Parking it, "Melmouth" pose

See a resemblance to Caspar David Freidrich's "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog"?

Fireflies in Central Park

No, unfortunately there were no sightings of Nathan Fillion or Gina Torres, but something much more common.

Just as the title says, I saw fireflies in Central Park last night, little glowing lights flashing every now and then, hovering above the grass in the dusk. Sporadic, estival,, organic. Green, simple. Magical.

All's Well That Ends Well: Not an Unrelated Title

I actually did see All's Well That Ends Well on Friday with three friends, and it was a delight. Two of my friends had waited in line for four hours at the Shakespeare in the Park office, and graciously got two extra tickets, one for me and another for a friend of mine.

The show had very, very fine acting. It retained the Shakespearean acting, but some of the inflection and delivery on throwaway/transitional lines (i.e. something flippant a character might say as s/he was exiting) was very modern. Never having seen All's Well before, the delivery made the lines understandable. The ending, too, was ambiguous - did he really fall in love with her, or was he resigned to make the best of the situation? That's one for contemplation and discussion.

The best part was the setting. There was the stage, and just beyond it was a pond with rushes and algae covering  part of the lake. But the set of the play - a double collonnade hung with a few curtains - was beatufil. So simple, yet so elegant, and it was like living alfresco and having a constant view onto the lake.

And the very best part? Getting to see fireflies light up every now and then, either above me or over the water. Truly magical.

Living in NYC 101: Blisters

Living in New York City, there are many options for public transportion: subway, bus, taxi. But the cheapest, and by far the most frequent, way of transportation is walking. Most of the time, wearing comfortable shoes is not a viable option when working at an office, and so I've been wearing simple but appropriate shoes.

Which still thrash my feet. I walk almost a mile to work, and then any activities I do after work is just icing on the cake. Of metaphoric blisters. I didn't know that the skin on my toes could bubble so much, or how many layers of skin could be worn away.

The remedy, the blessed remedy - or at least source of relief - is the Duane Reade, the druggist which dots the street corners. There, I purchased for a grand total of $13 Dr Scholl's arch support insoles and heel cushions and the generic Duane Reade corn and bunion cushions. (I was in Sports Authority the other day and saw foot support for runners; would probably also help, not sure if they'd go inconspicuously with your 5-inch stilettos, and didn't check the price point.)

These things help. Help. Not cure. There is no cure to blisters, other than completely staying off your feet and letting your cells work their regenerative magic. Even then, when you do decide to walk outside again, the problem will just reappear.

I suppose alternating shoes, and thus the areas which are rubbed raw, should ease the concentration of pain on any one area, but that would be spreading the "joy" of blisters to all parts of the foot. Monday and Tuesday might be pain-free, but by the end of the week I don't know if I'd be able to walk...

En fin du compte, blisters constitute a ceaseless struggle with the City. To be continued?

This One Has Pictures IV

Here are photos to catch you up a little on what I've been doing and seeing.

First night in the city, picture taken near the UN.

More sights from my first night in the city.

Grand Central Terminal. It reminds me a little of Big Bridges, and then surpasses it in so many ways.

Tram to Roosevelt Island.

Octagon Garden

...

This is as close as I got to Yo Yo Ma. 

Evening cityscape from the Central Park Reservoir. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art at night.

Me and K in the rain right before the Black Eyed Peas concert was cancelled.

Being incredibly gauche and eating Wafels & Dinges waffles in front of Bergdorf Goodman while it was raining. Across the way is FAO Schwarz and the Apple Cube.

Leaving Central Park on a rainy summer evening.

Other notable things I have seen: a stretch Hummer limo that was pink, a girl with bleach-blonde hair sticking out of two foot-long perpendicular planes in her head (think Rufio from Hook x7) and dyed to look similar to an owl-moth.

Um, I also met a street performer. Well, thanks to the religious connection. He plays the PVC pipes. Isn't that neat?

Also, my sister K and I were getting off the Times Square shuttle when the woman who had been sitting directly across from us asked if we were non-identical twins. Point to Lizzle for thinking that K and I look alike, and 10 points to Dumbledore and all additional parties that neither of us look our age.

Rice to Riches - Experiencing Rice Pudding

I have a confession. I want to be like Lindsey Galloway, who writes about staying in a beagle-shaped motel that was made by a guy who carves things with a chainsaw. In order to practice my writing skillz, I'm trying my hand at reviewing the things I see, try/taste, and do. Most of it is for fun, which is why I go off on many random tangents. Thanks for indulging me.

Because I live under a rock, I hadn't heard about Rice to Riches before going down to the SoHo-Nolito-East Village area of New York and actually walking past it on the street. Someone in our party of seven commented that it had been in a movie or two, like Hitch, and also that it was noted for its pudding. Note to self, I need to try Serendipity from Serendipity - almost went there with a friend to try their frozen hot chocolate.

Some spacebar-esque features.

Rice to Riches, if anything, is an experience. It was like eating at a spacebar, or at least what people from the 70s imagined a spacebar would be, complete with white, black, and "That 70s Show orange" plastic seating; the only thing it lacked was more chrome. There were four or five tables to sit at, and a standing bar that looked like two surfboards had been brought into the world as siamese twins. Four television screens made a column in the wall, and I felt like Derek Zoolander at the daiye spa when a bison frise' dog spun around on the screens. Certainly, the most memorable part of Rice to Riches is the atmosphere.

The rice pudding was pretty good, too. Like any good dessert shop, Rice to Riches lets you have endless taster spoons of their flavors. I tasted the Hazelnut Chocolate Bear Hug, and thought it good but heavy on the chocolate and hazelnut for a rice pudding. This could just be me, but the French toast was lighter, less bitter, and sweeter. My taste buds felt less like I was hit over the head with a brick.

Vicki and me eating our French toast rice pudding.

I got the French toast flavor to split with my friend Vicki, as did two of my other friends, and yet two of my friends got Mascarpone with cherries. However, there were four cups of rice pudding bought and shared among seven people; we got two Mascarpone with cherries and two French toast flavors. We may simply have similar tastes, or that could say something about the rice pudding and the quality and variety of their flavors.

My experience at Rice to Riches was pretty delightful overeall, but alas, it is not the best rice pudding I have ever had - unfortunately, there are no Pudd'n on the Rice joints or blueberry-white chocolate rice pudding to be had on this Coast.

I was, however, outrightly impressed with their sizes. A small cup worth $4 got me a palm-sized cup, and by splitting both the cost and the cup with Vicki, I ended up getting what I wanted for the price I was willing to pay. Also, the cups and spoons were made of edgy, spacebar like plastic; certainly modernity coming to your cutlery, because it was like a fashionized tongue-depresser. I also liked the fact that you could ask for tops and make your pudding boat-bowl into a little space capsule for safe transportation home.

The one major drawback to Rice to Riches was some of their decor. Most of it was clever and witty enough, but some of their signage did not sit well with me. They had a sign saying something on the order of "Man invented agriculture and rice pudding. Woman invented diet." They also had on their doors "No skinny bitches." I disagree with the message of these signs because they encourage an aesthetic based on image, rather than cultivating a healthy ideal, and placing blame on women instead of citing it as a broader societal ill which males and females both suffer from. They took the idea of having some rice pudding too far; a place like Rice to Riches sells a luxury commodity and should highlight the fact that it is a luxury, an indulgence, to come to a place like this, instead of encouraging an attitude which was borderline gluttonous. It is meant to be funny and lighthearted, but I was not very amused. And to top it all off, the message their decor is sending is exclusionary. Those "skinny bitches" need to have rice pudding, too - perhaps they need it most of all to put some meat on their bones.

Overall, out of five stars, Rice to Riches gets 3.8 stars for their food, 3.2 stars for their decoration, and 4.2 stars for their service. Were I in the area, I would certainly go for rice pudding again; if I had the especial hankering after rice pudding, I'd make a trip down to Nolito just to buy it from Rice to Riches.

Disclaimer: I might just be unsatisfied with everything because this is New York City, and I expect it to be absolutely delicious and am disappointed if it is not the best food I have ever eaten. My expectations are waaay too high. For a more balanced and evenhanded review, and frankly some better pictures, check out the Eatconomist's review.

I Love Food Trucks

I fess up about food trucks. Here in the City, they dot virtually every street corner. Most of them are fairly generic halal-type trucks or stands, but every now and then something special comes up. For example, the other day I saw the Mexicue truck, which was exciting to me as a NYC newbie because it was different from all the other carts: it was larger, red, and had a line 15 people deep. I've tasted the delights of a Mr Softee truck, and earlier today I had my first waffle from Wafel and Dinges. I've already set my sights on finding the Dumpling Rickshaw truck, regardless of their quality of food. It's safe to say I'm addicted to food trucks.

The food is usually pretty good from these trucks, but the real fun of it lies in their effervescent nature. They're on wheels, they're mobile. One day the Mexicue truck could be there, the next, it could be gone for a week, popping up on the other side of town where you didn't expect it.

The food truck concept is genius because it is essentially a massive game of hide-and-go-seek, only with food as the reward. (I suppose that's what hunting is...) Like my friend TropeGirl's Youtube video states, it adds the extra incentive of prestige - finding the food truck and attached bragging rights - to the reward of eating reasonably tasty food for a low(er) price. Genius.

We have food trucks in Los Angeles, and they're good when you hap upon them, but Los Angeles is such a sprawling city. There's not one on every street corner, to my limited knowledge. I know finding them is as easy as merely punching in the food truck's location, driving to it, and finding parking, but I'm in an LA suburb and getting into downtown is a bit of a trek. For here and now, I prefer the food trucks here in NYC.

I am aware these food trucks have Twitter accounts which tell you where they're going to be. To be a hardcore food-truck-hide-and-go-seeker, you find the food trucks without Twitter.

Another Concert in the Park

Or an attempted one, anyway.

Whilst at work, my sister emailed me about an extra ticket to a Black-Eyed Peas concert happening in Central Park later in the evening. No one else in her acquaintance had jumped on it yet, so I did. Whoo, I had something to do in the evening! I was getting nervous that I wouldn't have something to write home about tonight.

After I ate my dumplings, I met my sister at her office, and we made our way to Central Park together. We came out of the subway station and were awash in people, all trying to get into the Park. My knee-jerk reaction was to turn tail and head home; it wouldn't be worth fighting all the crowds. However, I steeled myself and figured this was New York City. There are crowds. Deal with it, self. Tickets to this concert were done by free raffle, so there were bound to be loads of people. And besides, you're a student in a very expensive city - standing in lines for free things is the experience. Ooh, memo to self: write editorial post on these kinds of experiences and feeling happy that I'm having these experiences because I ought to have them instead of enjoying them for their own intrinsic value.

As we were standing in line to get into the Park, the heavy, humid clouds gave off a flash of lightning. The crowd said "aah" in its usual mindset of "entertain me" and "everything is a spectacle." It was at this point that it started to rain. Umbrellas up (my sister had advised me to bring two), and we started to mosey forward like a bunch of cattle wielding pokers. It's a mild feat to walk forward while keeping of track of someone as you hold an umbrella and avoid poking multiple people's eyes out, mind you.

In our cumbrous fashion, we moved forward until it really started to rain. At this time, it was about 8 p.m.; the concert had been scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., but it had been delayed for rain. One member of our party had cancelled on us, and the other member was AWOL. Well, the cry went through the crowd that the event was cancelled; a woman standing near us confirmed the fact by looking at the concert's Facebook page.

We were, in a sense, quite washed up.

To avoid the crowds coming home, we started heading home. Walking in a summer rain, even in New York City, is enjoyable, and we walked all the way home. We stopped about every ten minutes for a photo opportunity, to talk to someone (on phone, and actually my sister ran into someone she knew outside of FAO Schwartz), to eat waffles with spekuloos from the Waffles & Dinges food truck, or to take grungy photos of ourselves eating food outside of posh stores. It continued to rain sporadically, the heat was still oppressive, but the pavement was awash in bejeweled light, spilling from every building side and lamp onto the pavement.

Like Edinburgh, New York City has its own type of starlight.

Rickshaw Dumplings Obtained!

I was coming home from my internship, and due to this evening's plans, I needed to get dinner to go. Lo and behold, I had something ready and lined up: Rickshaw Dumpling! I eagerly made my way across the streets, a clear destination guiding me from Grand Central Station across Lexington like a beacon of red-and-white striped goodness, the promise of dumplings sweet and heavy in the oppressively humid air.

I arrived, and to my delight, no one was in front of me, and there were five people ready to take my order. I am a fan and budding connoisseur of duck, so I ordered the duck dumplings and some spicy noodles on the side. Five minutes later, I was out the door again with my brown bag filled with my spoils, and another few minutes brought me to the apartment. A few more moments brought the dumplings to my mouth.

I stuffed the first dumpling into my mouth and munched away. Then kept on munching more slowly. The meat wasn't very tender, nor was it very flavorful. Everywhere I read about stars (like Ira Glass) saying how much they love New York's food and how they eat like kings; though I have paid a pretty penny, I was not eating like a king. Disappointed was I in my Rickshaw dumplings. Maybe I shouldn't have the ordered the duck but stuck with a solid classic like their pork. And their spicy noodles were a bit too spicy, but I shouldn't complain about that because I knew what I was getting into.

Despite this disappointment, I'll still go with my co-intern to find the Rickshaw Dumpling truck tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is National Iced Tea Day, and the Dumpling truck (if not all trucks and restaurants) is giving away free Snapple.

Vicarious Living, Part I

I have received my first request for something to do in the City! Cousinling Kristen has requested that I go to Lombardi's for pizza on Spring Street (just a hop-skip-jump from the Line 6 subway!). It has been touted as the "absolute best pizza in NYC" by a friend of my cousinling. I'll give it a go! If it's not mind-bogglingly expensive, anyway. I am still a student, and since the address does not appear to be a numerical street, it's probably in a very fashion-conscious, flavor-conscious part of town.

It should be noted that I my sampling of pizza is and will be limited, as New York is home to over 9 million people, and there are countless pizza places to serve all of them.

Not that it has anything to do with pizza in New York, but the best pizza I've ever tasted came from this little Italian place in Madrid just off Sol. My Italian co-worker invited a few of us to come along with her, and she approved it as one of the few places to get a real Italian pizza in the city. Being Italian, she spoke to the chef/owner in Italian and became one of his bosom buddies because of their shared nationality. She ordered me a specialty pizza, topped with American sausage, extra tomato sauce, and some really good cheese I can't recall the name of. It's been nearly a year since I had that pizza; it made an impression on me.

P.S. I have a new goal in life: ingratiate myself into a (real, not a 5th generation pseudo Italian-American) Italian family.

The Search for Rickshaw Dumplings and Yo Yo Ma

Oof, it has been a busy day.

My second day of work was very good, and I'm starting to get into the swing of things. If I haven't mentioned it before, I'm working with another intern, and we pal around a bit. We got lunch together yesterday and today; both days we have looked for the mysterious food truck, the Dumpling Rickshaw. It is a most elusive food truck, with supposedly magical properties in the taste of their dumplings. No luck yet.

The other big interesting thing was that New York's Summer Stage series kicked off this evening with a concert in the Park by Yo Yo Ma. This was something I had been looking forward to for several weeks, ever since finding out that I was going to be in New York City for the summer. The concert started ridiculously early (6:30 p.m.), which meant that, if I were to get out of work on time (which I have yet to do), that I had half an hour before the concert started. I am perpetually late, and I don't know my way around public transportation yet; it is a bad combination to have when time is of the essence. And when I'm pressed for time, I don't make necessary preparations, like finding out which subway stop I want. There will be a map around, right? Or some pamphlets I can take and peruse on my journey?

No. The station where I got on my train had neither map nor pamphlets; however, the next stop did, and I saw a guy standing in front of a nice map in a glass case in the middle of the platform. Oh, his bearings were being gotten, while my bearings were still all befuddled-like. I noticed this as the train pulled away from the stop.

I'll skip over the embarrassing details of getting on an express train and missing my stop, taking a local train back, and then mistakenly getting off one stop too early. I did, however, make a subway buddy who was also going to the concert, which is something one normally does not do, I feel.

Subway buddy and I had a brisk jaunt through Central Park, and when we got to the Summer Stage at about 7 p.m., the amphitheater was closed because they had reached capacity. We were turned away and stood behind the amphitheater, catching some of the sound waves.

What I heard painted pictures on the inside of my head. Mr. Ma was playing with the Silk Road Ensemble, and it was like being transported to the Yellow River, with the Chinese watercolor paintings at the beginning of Mulan in the background. I would wax more eloquent right now if I had the time and mental energy.

Overall, my experience of the concert was patchwork; I arrived late, could see nothing of the ensemble, wandered away from the concert and back again in fruitless attempts to get closer to the music, and ended up leaving a few minutes early. In contemplating my experience, I would not have it any other way. I got to hear it, at least, which is enough. The concert showcased a lot of children from various schools around the city, weaving narratives and songs together which were well-suited to an audience with children (though I could have done without the song to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star") - I probably would not have wanted to stay for the entire thing anyway. I could only catch some of it, but you could tell when Mr. Ma was playing - he made you sit up and listen to his music, compelled you to follow him as he took your consciousness through the notes and made musical connections appear in your very visual cortex.

By this time, subway buddy had a large incentive to see Mr. Ma in person, and so left me to try and finagle her way in. I was happy to sit outside the amphitheater, just listening. Sitting and listening was enough for me; it was like sitting outside heaven's door (yes, as described by the song by Lifehouse, may I live in eternal infamy) just to be in the presence of a master musician of a master instrument.

Again, all in all, another good day in New York City. Except this humidity might kill me.

First Day at the Office! And a Taste of Times Square!

I had my first day of work! My sister got out bright and early this morning, or at least by New York standards, and I was left up to myself to figure out what I wanted to wear and freak out. The time rolled around for me to leave the apartment, and once I did so, things were so much better. As long as I am occupied or directing my energy towards something, my nerves don't work so hard on me.

I get to the building, which I was already familiar with because I had walked to it last night. (NB It looks like a tiered wedding cake, complete with three layers.) I followed the directions on how to enter, whom to call, which floor to take, etc, and found myself in a gigantic, open office, filled with loads of natural light, nary a cubicle in sight, and decorated in a very chic, modern manner: the reception area was a polished cement floor like one you might find in Urban Outfitters, and space in it was covered with a limish green shag rug. The light fixtures are white, the desks are white, the cupboards are white, but where there is color, they don't tread with trepidation: splashes of muted lime green, pink, yellow. A place to foster creativity, imagination, and teamwork, indeed. My desk is out in the boonies, but I don't mind; it's a little quieter than in the center of the office.

I won't spend too long on my first day, but it started off on the right foot. (The optimistic cynic in me thinks it can only go downhill because it was that good of a first day. If I'm wrong, I'll be pleasantly surprised - one of my favorite feelings.) I think I'll get along well enough with my fellow intern - who coincidentally grew up in the same Home I did - and my supervisor and her co-worker are really nice. Things are looking good, indeed, and the work interests me. It's not something I would want to do forever, but I'm content doing it as an intern for a summer.

After work, I took some time and made a call, and then I went with a group from my Church (part of FHE, whoo!) to "A Taste of Times Square." Essentially, restaurants with locations on Times Square set up tables in the  street and sell you food for a few tickets. Amongst the delicacies available, I tasted some real beer-battered fish and chips from St. Andrew's Pub, some pizza (can't remember the vendor), and some sirloin tip possibly from Shuler. And some cheesecake at the very end. But best of all, I got to wander around and get to know some people better.

All in all, a successful day.

First Weekend in the Big Apple

I have arrived! And it's been quite the weekend so far, with a bit more yet to come. Right now I have a moment to myself in order to collect my thoughts and chronicle/share a few of them with all 24 (whoohoo, count 'em!) of you followers.

After an uneventful flight, I arrived at JFK International Airport  Friday evening to start my big summer in the big city. I shuffled off, hit with a wave of humid air, feeling like this was my time and my city. I tried not to get too far ahead of myself, as I still had baggage to collect. I've been to New York before, and each time I've been in JFK, but it didn't feel familiar, and my stomach was still filled with butterflies as to what I was going to be doing this summer, where I was living, whom I would meet. I was at the tip of the iceberg of the unknown, and I was here, no turning back. I grabbed my bags, got a taxi, and told the driver the coordinates for where I'll be staying: Manhattan.

Driving onto the island, I couldn't help but thinking of Madrid. Touching down, I thought of my first few minutes in that fine Spanish city: how sparse and desert-like the surrounding area was (think the interior of California). I was struck by how all the buildings seemed to be of the same red-and-tan brick design. Indeed, I saw some apartment buildings which looked like those in Spain, but they were several among dozens and dozens of buildings. And of course, touching down, we flew over the bay and some beach and green trees. Nothing like Madrid whatsoever.

The traffic into the city reminded me a bit of Los Angeles, and a specific trip to L.A. I took with my volleyball team when I was 15 - a lot of slow traffic traveling beneath what I assumed to be an Air-link train. I was suddenly homesick for the familiarity of Los Angeles, and the tree-lined streets of my suburban College Town (really, the rest of L.A. isn't that great...), and the people and places I knew back there. As quickly as it had come, the homesickness settled down, to be replaced by excitement as I saw the buildings of Manhattan rising up.

I got to my living arrangements and was greeted by my wonderful sister (I'll be staying with her the rest of the summer) as I ungainfully tried to open the apartment door. I threw down my stuff, we made a lovely little dinner together and dined on her balcony, surrounded by several of her little shrubs. There is no better antidote to fear and trepidation than food and family, I thought as I nestled back into the patio chair I was sitting in. I had all the opportunities of the city open before my feet. Needless to say, I was suddenly very happy and all my cares were wiped away, safe and sound as I was with my sister.

Me in Grand Central Terminal! I feel like I'm part of a greater history of New York and America every time I go inside that hall. Which has only been once so far, but that will change.

After dinner and a little unpacking, we took a little walk around so I could get my bearings. Walking near the UN and into Grand Central Station were included! (Note: still have not gotten my bearings yet. Figured out that the bigger the numbers on your cross streets are, the more north and west you are. Mostly I walk around an area until I figure out which way I want to go - took a lot of time getting out of Grand Central today because I ended up on the opposite side of where I wanted to go. Still like mountains to tell me my cardinal directions.)

In the morning, I met my sister at the Lexington and 51st subway stop in order to meet up with some of her friends and take the tram over to see Roosevelt Island. If you've never heard of this island, do not worry: there is a reason you haven't. It's mostly residential, and (according to the people I was with) oddly suburban for Manhattan. There were plenty of parks where small children were playing a rousing game of baseball late on a Saturday morning, people gathering for picnics, and people gardening. Indeed, gardening. We stumbled upon the Octagon Garden of Roosevelt Island, and it was quite magical because it not only contained a Rose Garden, but members of the Garden Club tended their own plots. That took me by surprise in such an urban city like New York.

Octagon's Rose Garden 

Lighthouse on Roosevelt Island

A little more walking took us to the lighthouse in memory of Vicki Holland (who apparently had polio, moved to Roosevelt Island, and helped make apartments more user-friendly to people who had disabilities due in particular to polio, according to this writeup). By this time, we reached the northern tip of the island, and so decided to head back, stopping for some ice cream on the way back.

I went back to the apartment and did some grocery shopping, took a nap, and made myself dinner before receiving a text from my sister to go see the new Woody Allen movie, Midnight in Paris. I met up with her and several of her friends, saw the movie, and at about 1 a.m. decided to go karaoke-ing with one of the friends who had seen the movie. Karaoke at 1 a.m.? Good choice, especially since it was a block and a half from the apartment.

In the morning, I baked a cake for a dinner party I was attending later that evening. I went to church, where again I met up with my sister, met more people, and in general had a nice, fulfilling time. We went to our dinner group, where I got to meet more people in-depth, have good food, and see a bit more of the city.

Sigh, now I'm going to go and see where my office is so that I don't freak out and miss it and be late tomorrow - eep. My status right now is nervous restlessness, and I am hopeful that being somewhat nervous and wishing to do well will lead to good results; but I've been trying not to think about it too much or too long, because then I will start freaking out, and freaking out is not conducive to producing good work. Wish me luck!

I'm looking forward to Monday and Tuesday, to say the least - aside from actually getting started in my internship, I'm planning on going to "A Taste of Times Square" (cheap food in the big tourist attraction!) and Yo-Yo Ma in Central Park (free world-class classical music? Yes, please!).

Seriously, I feel very blessed by the people and opportunities in my life right now :)