I'm back yall! Did you guys miss me? Did you, did you? New York was great this time around. I got to meet up with old friends, the weather was beautiful, and I got to see more places than I did last time I was there.
Usually I don't post too many pictures on this blog site, but I would be remiss (to myself that is) if I didn't show the pictures I took in New York. So against tradition, I have decided to integrate pictures with the recap of my trip.
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Our sexy airport driver picked me and Z up at my house and we headed out to LAX to catch our La Guardia bound 9:40 flight.
We arrived a little late, with about 30 minutes left before our flight. I got my e-ticket out and shoved my credit card in the slot, only to be asked for my confirmation number which I couldn't find at the time. Z swiped his card in a different machine thirty seconds later only to be told he missed the required 30 minute prior check-in time. Like two fools, we went to talk to a Northwest representative and were told we could not board the flight.
Down on our luck, but far from discouraged, we got placed on stand-by for a 12:35 flight. With nothing else to do, we perused shops around the airport and I picked up a copy of Greg Iles's
The Footprints of God which I will review later this week. 12:00 passed. The long hand on the clock sunk toward the 10 when I finally heard my name being called out by the northwest agent, quickly followed by Z's name. We made it!
Arriving at JFK at 10:45 p.m instead of La Guardia, Z and I took a taxi to Yumi's abode in Brooklyn where we got into an accident. By that I mean we crashed until 1:00 the next day. Wanting to try the famous
Junior's cheesecake for lunch, we got directions from Yumi which turned out to be a little off. Somehow, Z and I ended up here:
But after a quick phone call to Yumi, she told us of another Junior's nearby. It was in the basement of Grand Central Station, a place we wanted to go to anyway. Here's a shot of the walkway leading towards the lower level of the station.
After eating the cheesecake, which was rich but not ostentatiously so, we passed by the New York City Library,
and got a nice street level view of the city.
I didn't see too many pretty chicks while I was roaming the streets on Friday... By not too many I mean I only saw one. That's why when we got back to Yumi's place, I slipped Z a roofie and had my way with him. Forgetting a condom, I strapped on a clean sock on my ----. (Here's your turn to be a poet everyone) Yumi was the voyeuristic camerawoman snapping away shots of me having fun with the knocked out Z. See Z, I told you I'd make that picture look "tasteful." hahaha
The next day, we met with a couple of Yumi's friends and ate good Italian food and drank even better wine at Max. Then, Yumi headed off to a birthday party and Z and I met up with Aaron at a MK event at Club Metronome. The post-snackattack was at some Korean restaurant Aaron took us to. I'm not sure if Aaron was saying peace or pretending to be muggin me. He DOES live in New York now and people DO assimilate to their new environment.
The next day, Yumi, Z, and I tried to wake up early but Time wasn't going to have it so we ended up beginning our day around 2:30. I wanted to go see St. Johns Law School because I applied there and we headed out to West Side Manhattan.
When we got to the school, we discovered that the law school was in Queens. Jamaica, Queens to be exact. I wasn't in the mood to see 50 cent's hometown so we stayed in Manhattan and ate some pizza at Two Boots before heading over to Aerie's apartment. The picture below is not a picture of the view from a high rise ...
It's a view from Aerie's room. Lucky bastard.
After kicking it with Aerie and watching half of a Hong Kong flick called
Infernal Affairs, Yumi, Z, and I headed out to a French Restaurant for Jean's birthday. We met one of Jean's highschool friend's boyfriend, Sam, who happened to be from Palo Alto, CaliforNighAye. He was a cool cat.
The food at the French restaurant was off the chain. Well, at least my dish was. I had Steak Frites with bernaise sauce and fries. Let me tell you something. My stomach came over and over again. Not only was the steak really good, the fries were the best I've ever had... Coming from a junk food addict, that's saying a lot. I'm going to hit this place up again for sure when I go back to New York. After finishing off a bottle of Merlot and raping our dinners thoroughly, it was getting time for Jean to get her dessert. Jean is the one on the far right if you haven't made that deduction yet. I look like I just jumped in the scene at the last minute. Sabotage dat picture!
After dinner, everyone at the restaurant plus more went over to LuAhn's, a club mentioned in one of Jay Z's songs. This club had really good hip hop music. Most clubs in New York play their beats slower than the clubs in California. I don't know why that's so. But LuAhn's music tempo was perfect. Too bad this club was too narrow and too crowded to get anything more than a head bob in. Coincidentally, I bumped into my crackhead friend, Aaron, at this club. That was funny. You would think going to Columbia University Dental School would completely occupy your life, but tell that to Aaron and his classmates.
After LuAhn's, Yumi, Z, and I decided to meet up with Aerie quickly before we headed back to Brooklyn. Feeling that our wallets had yacked enough for one night, we decided to forego a cab and took the subway instead. While waiting, I took some pictures.
It was chill when we finally met up with Aerie at the second club.
We found out that Aerie had this potential sugar momma who co-owned the very club we were at. I won't divulge the name of the club, but we went there afterwards to let Aerie do a little PR. (Not Public Relations mind you, but Punani Reeling)
After the club, the four of us went to Brick Oven Pizza where we bought food. I paid $4.50 for a stromboli the size of half a Hot Pocket. What da? Talk about getting violated by the restaurant. Although the food was good, the service reminded me of the Soup Nazi in Seinfeld.
After filling our stomachs and finishing the rest of
Infernal Affairs, Yumi, Z, and I left around 4 in the morning to go back to Brooklyn... by subway. Yeah I know- we're ballers like that.
The next day, we were supposed to meet up with Aerie around 1:45 but the train transfer took forever. Sorry for making you wait that long Aerie. With nothing better to do, Yumi decided to pounce and Z and dry-hump him like she was a dog and he was the last fire hydrant on earth.
Finally, forty minutes later and forty minutes late, we met up with Aerie, Aaron, and Michelle (Aaron's girlfriend) in Chinatown for some good shao long bao. I don't know how to spell that dish yet alone pronounce it correctly, but I know all my Chinese-food lovers out there understand what I'm trying to say. We went to NuGreenBo (I think that's how it's spelled) and devoured a good amount of steamed dumplings. Six people had mad food with leftovers and the total came out to be just $40. Dayang that was sooo cheap! That's what we were spending individually on one meal before! From now on, we're going to Chinatown for food.
After lunch, we headed out to Benjamin Cardozo, another law school I applied to. The locale of this school was nice and it was in a posh neighborhood. After seeing the school, we decided to head out to the MET, but one of Yumi's heel broke. Instead of limping around like Miss Gimpalot, we went shoe shopping and I helped her pick out a pair of 'kangaroo' sneakers.
Unfortunately, we weren't able to make it to the Met because they closed at 5 on Sundays. Instead, the four of us went to Cafe Lalu, the place where Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan had online sex in the movie "You've Got Mail." I've never seen this movie but I assume they did this. How else could the plot have developed?
Instead of using more green for greens, Z and I decided to eat in for our last night in New York. Getting a few things at the market, I was able to whip up some decent food with what I had to work with. And no, that is not someone's puke in a wok.
Jean, whose birthday was officially on Sunday, came over to Yumi's that night to see me and Z before we left. Jean, if you're reading this, thanks for coming out to see us on your b-day. That meant a lot to me. Oh yeah, and sorry I couldn't stay with you the night before and be the one patting your back while you were yacking. =I hahaha. Naw, but for reals, thanks for hanging out with us before we left.
After Jean left, Yumi hopped into the shower and I decided to defile Yumi's bed... It's becoming a tradition.
Z and I went to bed around 2:30 and woke up three and a half hours later to catch our morning flight. Talk about being tired. Now I know how squirrels feel when they get run over... Get it? Tired? Okay, this entry is making me delirious because it's so long so I think I'll end it. The first picture is of me looking goofy at 6:45 in the morn, and second shot is of Z and Yumi looking like they need some tender loving... err I mean more sleep.
Well, that's it for New York... Of course there are more pictures, but I need SOME kind of privacy right? hahaha. A big thanks to Yumi, Jean, Aerie, and Aaron for showing us around and hanging out with us. I had a blast and I owe it all to you guys.
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Today's eye candy is Sasha Singleton, my favorite import model. Well, I only like two import models. Her and Sharon Sotto. Maybe I like Sasha more because is a certified mutt just like me. In anycase, let your pupils savor the taste of Ms. Singleton.
