Chronicles of Home: On The Big Apple

Every time I go to New York City, it feels a little less intimidating, a little bit more like a place it would be possible to live in (even though I instinctively walk in the wrong direction every time I step off the subway). This has become even more true now that Kay and Mitch both live there, and I can spread the contents of my suitcase out all over their apartments (this time - Kaylan's).

While in the city, I did what you're supposed to do while in the city - shop, eat, pretend you just moved there so you can get a free week-long trial gym pass, and go out with the girls*.

New Year's Eve was spent at Heida's apartment with Aliya and a bunch of their New York ladies, before hitting the town for 2009 glasses action. The Cornell girls (and boyfriend) that either live in the city or could make it to the city met up for dinner and drinks.

Kay, Matt, Mitch, Mike and I also had a memorable dinner at Horus Cafe, where the kebabs were large, the belly dancer banglie, and the atmosphere one that made you want to stick around all night.

I got into the final day of the Van Gough exhibition at MoMA, thanks to Mitch's membership. Almost as interesting as Vinnie's command over the art of using color to paint darkness was the uplifting exhibition by Marlene Dumas, "Measuring Your Own Grave." The I-kid-you-not title of this one with the bullet in the woman's neck?

"Jen."

*Not just the girls, mind you. Here's a shout-out to Veltre, who spent more time driving into the city that he and I actually spent having sushi together. And to ckbarks, whose delay in arrival, gigantic suitcase, and makings of a mohawk got us kicked out of a restaurant, forcing us to relocate to a coffee shop with no other patrons.