au currant

Eric Gets Hitched

                     
                                   click for more wedding pictures

Eric Lai just got married on Saturday.

It's sort of the end of an era. And the beginning of one. Funny how SISers* can get nostalgic about these things... but whenever one of us goes through a life transition, it's a time for us to all get together and self-reflect by the bar. Most of us have known each other for lifetimes - Jeff Yu and I've known each other since we were 6 and Eric since 11. When Perry got married a few years back, it was like - dude, that's really early (23!), but when Eric got married, we were like - wow - is it time for me to start thinking about it? Is it too late already?

It's funny to see your childhood friend with whom you've run around Seoul with, to Lotte World, to middle school dances, etc... all grown up. Become a man and be completely in love with another person, and want to make the promise to be true forever; to be constant, in this unconstant world. It makes you proud, to be his friend.

Congratulations, Eric and Jen - you look beautiful and happy together. We're truly happy for you.

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SIS*  Seoul International School (K-12), located in Seoul, Korea, where a bunch of us neurotic, intelligent, belligerent, loyal, confused, sweet kids went and stayed friends since.

Dressing Windows

Two weeks ago, I started volunteering as a window dresser for Housing Works, a HIV/AIDS advocacy group that provides housing, healthcare and other resources to homeless New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDs. Part of what they do to fund their vital services is by operating Thrift Shops all over New York City, where they sell gently used designer items. Some very special items, such as a new pair of Manolo Blahniks, antique sterling silver tea trays, fin-de-siecle chairs, etc. are displayed in the windows and auctioned off online in an ebay-esque manner.  Last year, Housing Works raised $1,349,512 in their online auctions alone!

I volunteer on Sundays, at their West Village location, designing displays and dressing their show windows. Here are some of the windows I dressed:

                        
                     Valentine's Day theme               V-day Men's window
                                       

                                       
                                                Previous week

Volunteering there is a lot of fun. Rupert, the friendly manager sets a very positive tone and a bevy of volunteers mill about the place, color coordinating the clothing, rearranging the displays. One of the volunteers run out to get all of us drinks or cookies. We talk amongst ourselves on who has their eye on what (the volunteers get a discount at the end of their shift). Probably the most fun is where we sort the donated items and discover what label snobs we are...(Gap! No way! Ahh... Miu Miu, we'll put you on the mannequin.).

The volunteers are high school students, college students and locals from the area.  I'm having fun getting to know them individually - and at the end of my second day volunteering, I even earned a "hey babe" from the other volunteers. Several people complimented me on my displays and windows - but what really flattered me was that I had to continously dress the mannequins because shoppers would try on the ensembles I put together and ultimately buy them.

It's an odd sort of revelation - it's wonderful to volunteer and to have such fun while you're doing it.

I think many of us view volunteering as short, distilled moments of physical displeasure or boredom at the usually menial task, with mental pleasure at the cause... but I'm learning that it can be both physically pleasant and mentally gratifying.

If you'd like to volunteer at Housing Works Thrift Shops, click here.

       
245 W 10th St
(bet. bleeker & hudson)
212.352.1618

Come say hi sometime. I'll be there dressing windows.

Boop Oop a Doop!

                                 

This Halloween I was Betty Boop, boop-oop-a-dooping all over town~ from a Brooklyn loft party with great music (and insanely long bathroom lines) to the Pussycat lounge in Tribeca. I made most of my big round face and shimmied and Charleston-ed. The best part of the night was when "Big Spender" (my 18 bun*) came on and I got to be a campy little thing, Jessica Rabbit-style.

I kinda want to cut my hair short now.

                        Compare Betty Cho with the original:

                               

Click here for more artsy/vain-y photos of Boopy Cho.

*18 bun - in Korean, for some reason or another, 18 bun (bun = number) means your favourite song to sing/karaoke/generally make a fool of yourself.

Big Urban Game Sunday: Area/Code hits Pier 40

                          
                        mappy map                           phone interface

Another kickass Sunday spent competitively running around the West Village, courtesy of the ingenious folks over at Area/Code.

Crossroads is a two player strategy game based on New Orleans Mardi Gras culture. Two players, Sun and Moon, compete to capture 24 or so intersections with GPS enabled cell phones (provided) in the West Village/Tribeca area:

                                    
                                          cell phone screen

while running away from this dude:

                                    
                                             BARON SAMEDI
                                        SPREADER OF CHAOS

The object of the game is to run to an intersection and capture it with your presence (your GPS phone records your location to the server). It plays like Othello - the Sun is yellow, the Moon is blue, you do your thing, the intersection pops up in your colour. The sneaky, chaotic Baron Samedi comes by and flips all your hard work into, guess what? Your opponent's colour. The Baron likes offerings, so you can leave things for him on your opponents corner and he'll go do your dirty work. Avoid the Baron, he'll hunt you down, time you out and eat your offerings. All in a zippy, competitive 30 minutes.

Schnapp and I played against each other. I sprinted around town and felt very important while people looked at me like I was insane. I'd make a mad dash for the intersection and not cross. I'd hide from the invisible menace, the Baron Samedi. I'd stop for 30 seconds, with my phone held high up in the air, 'capturing' the crossroad. All in a miniskirt.

did I mention I won? 10 to 7. 10 crossroads captured to 7.

Granted, Schnapp was wearing flipflops and that don't make much for running gear. Eh, I'm a bad winner. So there. Big fat raspberry to the loser. :P

Crossroads is the perfect way to spend your weekend afternoon. It's right by the water, you finally get to know the West Village better (stop getting lost there, you've lived in New York for how long?), you get to win. For good measure, make some impossible bet to raise the stakes. There's a trapeze school, free kayaking on the pier, as well as a strip joint near by if you need ideas.

Essentials and Tangents:

It's on Pier 40, on the west side highway. It's hard to find. Pier 40's quite big.
It's the southmost pier, after the parking lot, after the kids playing soccer. There's a sign that says 'the good life' (in bloomingdale's font, no less!) - who are the folks sponsoring the game - turn right there and walk all the way down. You'll pass the free kayaking school. Balloons mark the spot. Also, see this map:

       
               
Directions on how to play this game

The Gothamist wrote a thing about Area/Code's Minnesota project.

Cheerios - say hi to Frank and Kevin for me.

marathon birthday ('scuse the cheeseball antics of a grateful heart)

                                     

                             click to see birthday photos

I love my friends. They are beautiful people. My official birthday was last Saturday, July 22nd. People keep on taking me out to more and more birthday dinners. Last week, my friends at work took me out to lunch twice, and threw me a surprise cupcake birthday party. Friday night, I was with Helen and Katy at a cute Italian place in the east village and ended up at the dunkin' donuts on 2nd and 9th until 4am while Schnapp and Pooh waxed poetic (generous). On Sunday it was me and ladybug for dinner - scrumptious soft-shell crabs to start and then to the delectable dessert bar (separate accolades forthcoming). Earlier today, my friend at work took me to lunch. Tonight, it's with Terry.

I'm not bragging about my marathon birthday. I'm just too happy and grateful that there are so many good people around me to help me celebrate. Thank you, friends.