Bollywood!!

Even though this happened on Monday night, I have been thinking about it ever since, so I have to blog about it despite lack of recentness (invented word). I went to a Bollywood dance class at a studio on the west side and had the best time! Finally got to live out my fantasy of taking part in a decadent Indian wedding, as we learned the dance to a song that the instructor said is really popular to play at weddings. Well, kind of...considering that I was surrounded by sweaty, middle-aged women in work-out gear, rather than glamorous, good-looking movie stars decked out in vibrant wedding finery. Regardless, I had so much fun, and had to look up the song when I got home so I could practice my moves. Check out this video that shows the song being performed in the movie of the same name: Om Shanti Om.

Things I have Done

The internet is working! Who knows how long it will last- must write quickly! Here is a list of things I have done in the past few days:
- Got new haircut! Really more of a trim, but big improvement. Would like to post pictures, but I haven't even brushed my teeth yet this morning, and feel it would take an inordinate amount of effort to get myself photo-ready. (Lazy.)

- Went to MOMA and finally saw the Matisse exhibit, as well as an exhibit of student work made in a class taught by our friend Gina Llerena, which was awesome!

- Voyaged across the East River to Governor's Island for Free Bike Friday, but was immensely disappointed when they cut off the line right ahead of me and I couldn't get a bike. Walked around dejectedly and glowered at everyone having the time of their lives riding their bikes around in the beautiful sunshine until I could catch the next ferry back.

- Found my new favorite TV show- "La Rosa de Guadalupe" on Univision.

- Went to Boca Juniors Argentine steakhouse in Queens, to watch the Boca Juniors game (appropriately). Ate entirely too much red meat.

- Stopped by a weird magic shop on the way back to the subway. Fer and I feared the proprietors would use their skills of redirection and illusion to relieve us of all our valuables, but we managed to escape only a few dollars lighter and bought a pretty cool trick deck for one of Fers students. I was entertained with card tricks the whole train ride home.

- Made an awesome peach/mango/banana smoothie. (An attempt to balance out my carnivorous luncheon.)

- Sent my mom a fantastic ABBA e-card for her birthday- TODAY August 15th!

Movie Review

Fer and I went to see a late showing of Dinner for Schmucks last night, which I went into with fairly low expectations based on reviews and reactions from friends. My expectations were not exceeded. While I find Steve Carrell and Zach Galifinakis pretty consistently hilarious, I think I would have better satisfied my comedy cravings by watching reruns of the Office and "Between Two Ferns". Which isn't to say the movie was completely charmless- there were some funny one liners, and the "mousterpieces" really cracked me up. Final verdict- a good choice for a late night vacation flick, but not worth the $12 NYC ticket price. Now tell me that isn't more useful than some silly star rating system.

Cannonball!!!

Lemme tell you, I love vacation, and I really love vacation here in Charlotte. I have no complaints about a day like yesterday, when we spent the whole afternoon at the pool with our good friends the Eddes. Although we were defeated in pool volleyball, I was on the victorious team in the salad bowl game!
We've also been eating some good food, which of course is a crucial component of any successful vacation in my book. On Tuesday night we went to New South Kitchen, where I had fried green tomatoes for the first time, followed by low country crab cakes, as well as some fantastic pecan pie. Mmm Southern cuisine- I could get used to this.

Chillin in the Queen City

We're on vacation in Charlotte, North Carolina! Had a bit of a fracas involving missing our flight yesterday, but after a long, pleasant (not so much) conversation with our friendly Delta representative, and a short trip from JFK to LaGuardia airport, we found our way here late last night. Highlight of the day was getting a dinner of 2 sizeable pizzas and two beers for $15. Our NYC-wired brains almost short-circuited when we saw the check.
Had a relaxing day here so far- necessary to recover from the stresses of travel yesterday (life is so hard). Went to the pool, which is lovely lovely and we plan to return every day. Only exception to the relaxation agenda was this morning when I dragged Fer with me on a seemingly endless trek to find a drugstore, oops. Umm, I didn't bring a camera on vacation (gasp!) so sadly I can't provide any fantastic pictures of our fun, unless I somehow figure out how to transfer pictures from the Blackberry to the computer (i.e. don't hold your breath).

MOMA!

I went to the MOMA (which receives my vote for cutest art museum name) today because I get free admission with my school ID and wanted to see the new Matisse exhibit. By the time I got there they didn't have any more timed admission tickets to the exhibit, which is apparently very popular, judging by this lack of tickets and abundance of Frenchies wandering around looking bemused. But it was ok because there are lots of other amazing things to see there- which some other museum patrons seemed to fail to understand as they stormed away from the ticket counter in outrage. I really liked an exhibit of works by female photographers and a "sound sculpture" called Days.

New News!

I'm not even gonna bother with the whole explanations bit this time...I'm just a bad blogger. But the internet is working this morning and inspiration struck, so here's some jess butler updates for y'all. I got a new job! Which most of you probably know, since thankfully I am (marginally) better at keeping in touch with my family and friends than keeping up with this blog. For the next year I will be the speech-language pathologist at a system of 3 charter schools in the South Bronx. I've already started observing, planning, and meeting everyone at the middle and high schools over the past 3 weeks. Now I have 2 weeks vacation before I start with the middle school- yippee!!
In other news- an eventful day in Central Park for me yesterday. I arrived at 7 in the morning to sit on line for free tickets to Shakespeare in the Park ("free" as in they only cost you six hours of your day). Was gleeful to obtain said tickets at 1 pm, even though they were for the show without Al Pacino (less famous people - boo hiss!). While wandering out of the park I was drawn to the sounds of jazz coming from the bandshell and suddenly found myself standing in a long line of people waiting for....something. While I was initially unsure of what this something was, I figured if this many people were waiting it was probably something a) good and b) free. And indeed it was! I had happened onto the celebration of Korea Day in the park where they were giving out plentiful samples of Korean food as well as demonstrating other aspects of Korean culture (which were interesting, but less delicious). I ended up consuming a Korean food feast, before continuing on my way out of the park. I returned later that evening with Fer for the show (A Winter's Tale) and we enjoyed a lovely evening of beautiful warm weather and open-air theater.

Busy Bee

Backdated: June 5, 2010 **

It's been a busy week! But at the end of it all- this little bee is now a MASTER of SCIENCE! I graduated! Beyond earning my degree, I would like to think that this title now grants me the power to answer any scientific question with absolute authority. I've been told that's not how it works however. The graduation ceremony for my program was held on Wednesday evening, and it was both a best day ever/you posted this event. Let me break it down for you, and have you decide.

Best Day Ever!

• Fer and my dad both came to support me and clap when I walked across the stage- it meant a lot to have both of them there celebrating with me.
• I received an award! With a cash prize!
• We all received congratulatory gifts in honor of our two years of hard work
• Brooke and I managed to get our pictures in the slide show even though we were never invited to all the A-list events organized by our classmates

You Posted This?

• Before the ceremony, graduates and families were invited to a reception dubbed a "mocktail" hour- an array of fruit, vegetable and cheese platters were laid out in the lobby of our ancient academic building, accompanied by a table full of bottles of soda. Similar to what you might attend for your child's preschool graduation. Seriously, we finished graduate school- they couldn't spring for a couple bottles of wine?
• Exact amount of aforementioned cash prize is TBD. Based on past financial dealings with Hunter, I'm prepared for the worst.
• The congratulatory gift was a crappy purple coffee cup
• One of the pictures of Brooke and me showed us in Rite Aid, bundled up in heavy winter coats and hats, holding pints of ice cream and grinning like mad women in anticipation of eating it

**Disclaimer: Various technological/internet connectivity issues have prevented me from posting this when I originally wrote, as I was on the Megabus headed to PY to visit my family. Lots has happened since then and I will attempt to address all the new news soon!

A few things...

1) I have come to the realization that participating in a boot camp class is a commitment to what some would call "extreme" pain for the next 3 days. I am still wincing when walking up and down stairs today.
2) I am not meant to live alone. When left to my own devices I allow myself to be swallowed up by an overwhelming wave of inertia, causing me to spend most of my time indoors staring at some type of glowing screen. Fer has been away for only two days, and in that time I have managed to watch 3 full-length movies, innumerable YouTube clips, 2 episodes of House, and half of a Mexican soap opera. Thankfully I was rescued from solitude today by Brooke, who kindly invited me to lunch at Caracas Arepas Bar. It was delicioso, and saved me from eating another meal consisting entirely of spoonfuls of peanut butter out of the jar. She also deserves a shout-out for giving me her free sample of freeze-dried bananas that we got while walking through a street fair.
3) While free events are really awesome, sometimes the crowd that attends them is not. Tonight I went to a cool and free arts festival at Theater for the New City, which is really close to the apartment. It was a fun way to spend the night and I got to see a few performances that I really enjoyed. The company left a bit to be desired however- apparently a majority of the audience members were under the impression that the zero dollars they spent for their seats gave them the right to boss everyone around and demand complete silence at all times. One lady actually shushed me and gestured for me to stop turning the pages of my program. Oh of course, I can see how the gentle swish of paper would be an assault on your ears, distracting you from the terrible poem being read aloud on stage as a filler between acts. Sheesh.

Yes Drill Sargeant!

So yesterday I was invited to dinner at the home of one of Fer's students (along with Fer of course). I hopped on a train over to Jersey City and spent a fantastic evening full of sushi, wine, dance performances, and......karaoke. I know, dream come true right?
But then today I was feeling guilty about skipping running group and instead eating 4 tons of sushi and custard and cheesecake. So I decided to finally go to this boot camp exercise class that I've been planning on attending for about a month now. And, sadly, I discovered that I am not the same spry young thing I was 5 or 6 years ago. The days when I delighted in being bullied into infinite sets of crunches and squats and lunges seem to be gone. Everything hurts.

The Wonder of the Internet!

With my newfound free time, I seem to have developed an unhealthy propensity to watch YouTube videos whenever I have 5 minutes that are not occupied by other activities. Downside: a lot of hours lost watching completely inane videos such as makeup tutorials (I wear makeup maybe once a month). Upside: finding some cool new music- like this! Check it out.

Los Ronaldos: No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti

I Am The Law

Yea...it's not as great as it sounds. After returning from a lovely trip to lovely Charlotte this weekend, I reported for jury duty on Monday morning as a dutiful citizen should. And I got picked for 4 weeks of grand jury service! I didn't even know what a grand jury was, having not been in a courtroom since my mock trial in AP History. (Boy, we defended the dickens out of FDR). Anyways, after now hearing several explanations in verbal, written and video form of the history, purpose and particulars of grand jury service I now feel confident that I understand my task. Sooo...I guess it's all up to me to keep the streets of Manhattan safe for all. Never fear denizens of this fine metropolis, Jessica Butler is on the case. And I'll be filling all my readers in on all the exciting details of the criminals that face the wrath of my justice. Just kidding- I don't relish the thought of being charged with a felony for revealing the secret proceedings that take place within the grand jury room. You'll all have to remain content with the mundane details of my daily life that I typically dole out to you. Please don't stop reading.

Big Day!

So yesterday was a Big Day!! Here's why:

First real job interviews with the KIPP schools. I think it went well despite the fact that I may have been squinting with one eye for most of the time....stupid contacts.

Last class of graduate school! It was strangely anticlimactic, but then I went out for some drinks with Brooke and Mariam and we toasted to the end of grad school several times...so obviously that made it seem more real.

My mom won Fingerlakes Home and Careers Teacher of the Year!! Send flowers, words of congratulations and blank checks!

I'm leaving for a short weekend trip to Charlotte today, so may not post again until Monday- have a happy weekend!

Spring Showers and Springer Ladies

Went for lunch on this rainy rainy afternoon at 88 Orchard with my friend Brooke and her mom Ilene. My bistro salad with dates, walnuts, goat cheese and red onion was delectable, but the real treat was the company I got to enjoy. Brooke's mom is visiting from Malta where she now lives. Last time she was here I met her and Brooke at a Starbucks, where Ilene had her first taste of that strong Seattle brew. Since then I've been keeping track of her through her fantastic blog: an-american-in-malta. On this current trip I begged her to write about some of the positive things about the Big Apple after reading a few posts chronicling some of her NYC misadventures. She kindly complied, and even dedicated the post to me! It made my day! So go check out her blog and learn more about ex-pat life in Malta!

Go Veg!....or not

Yesterday, while running some errands around Union Square, I stopped by the Veggie Pride Parade gathering where I stopped by some information tables, listened to vegan "testimonials" and observed a bizarre vegetable/animal themed costume contest. Best part: Free vegan empanadas. Strangest part: two toddlers dressed as little piggies with H1N1 printed on their pink little footie pajama outfits. This in itself I found a bit confusing, but then the announcer started discussing how great it was that they were reminding us of the dangerous avian flu, aka the "bird flu" spread by chickens and turkeys, which would not exist in a vegetarian world. Um, lady, you see the children dressed as pigs right?....as in swine.....swine flu. In general, I felt that most of the people present actually weren't the best ambassadors of a meat-free lifestyle. I encountered more cranky, crazy, and pushy people in the half hour I was there than I usually do in the Times Sq subway station (which is saying something).
And I must report that their proselytizing was relatively ineffective, considering that that evening we went to get tacos at the amazing La Superior, where I consumed carne asada, beef tongue, and chipotle shrimp tacos. Sorry vegans...but they were delicious.

Saturday Night Futbol Fever

Fer and I were invited to go with some friends to the NY Red Bulls game last night, and had so much fun! We got to check out the new stadium (pretty impressive), and see a battle royale between the Red Bulls and Seattle Sounders. (Battle royale might be overstating it a bit- the final score was 1-0). I ate roasted peanuts and cheered raucously along with lots of fans, so I had a fantastic time. Soccer is one sport that I have seen enough of to feel like I usually understand what's going on in the game and even occasionally offer an appropriate comment/critique of the play. Big moment for me, as a girl who has had a sports inferiority complex for most of her life.
On the way home, we stopped and had some surprisingly tasty guacamole and sangria at a little mexican place in the East Village, and sat outside enjoying the warm night air. Hope everyone else had a Saturday night as great as ours!

Obsessed!!

So, ever since posting the video about soda pop yesterday, I've become obsessed with the show Obsessives. (I'm not sure if this is ironic or not- everyone is so picky about the definition of irony these days). So I've been watching one episode after another on Youtube (a fantastic waste of time), and then I stumbled across this great one about Una Pizza Napoletana here in NYC. And I'm watching this pizza-making maniac, thinking, oh yea I've heard of this place, getting all excitable and planning when I can experience this pizza nirvana. (Seriously, watch the video, the pizza looks amazing.) And then I found this NY Times article: Una Pizza Napoletana Has Closed. Big Debbie Downer moment. I can take small solace in the fact that I have had pizza from Motorino, which is the pizza joint that replaced it, and it was in fact excellent. But I really wanted to experience Anthony Mangieri's pizza- I feel like he channeled all his rage and misanthropy into making the perfect pizza, and with all that behind it, you know it had to be good.

Additionally- you should watch all of the Betty White SNL skits, after getting started with Debbie Downer. You'll laugh, or my name's not Blaaarrfangar Blaarrrrfangar.

POP!

My cousin Tim in LA is always posting the coolest videos and articles on his facebook page, and today I remembered this one about a guy who owns this soda megastore in LA. I stopped drinking soda a long time ago, and normally don't even think about wanting to, but hearing this guy talk made me want to guzzle down bottles and bottles of the fizzy stuff. (The rosewater soda especially!). Check out this video- he's a character!

Obsessives: Soda

The Return of Xunta

I cannot describe to you the deep despair I experienced when I found out that our favorite neighborhood tapas place, Xunta, was closing last year. No more cheap sangria, tasty tortilla and live flamenco at a convenient 10 block distance. I still feel a pang of sadness every time I pass their shuttered facade. But I was mildly cheered when I found out they were reopening in Brooklyn. We finally tried out the new locale tonight and the reaction was over all positive. Some changes, both good and bad, but it's still essentially the same basic Spanish tapas that I love- and the same waiters, who remembered us from our frequent visits to the East Village location. Although we can't make it over to Williamsburg with the same frequency we did when they were over here, I think we'll stop by every once in a while when the old Xunta craving hits.

** The picture here is of the old, beloved, defunct Xunta. *tear*

Pancake Paradise

Hey! So not very much exciting happened in my life today. But maybe you had a day like that too- and in that case, you may be just browsing the internet, looking for something that sparks your interest. Well, if you're anything like me, I've got just the thing.

The Pancake Project

The blog doesn't get updated really often, but when it does, ooooh boy. It's fun. It's pancakes! It's art! It's pancart! (that's not so clever)

Mixin it up

So last week, in honor of my impending graduation, I attended the annual student/faculty mixer of the Hunter College speech pathology graduate program. In the end I had a great time because I got to hang out with these lovely ladies (see photo)- my two favorite people in the whole program. However, I did have some reservations about joining the festivities due to my experience at last year's mixer.
At the time, despite having spent almost an entire year with my classmates, I didn't feel like I knew anyone very well, and was a mite uncomfortable socializing. But with an optimistic spirit, I decided to attend the event anyways and give it the old college try to make some friends. At some point during the awkward mingling, some trays of gross, fried bar food arrived to appease the hunger of the crowd. As I was perusing the comestibles, my favorite professor Dr C. amiably asked if I would be willing to distribute the snacks by carrying one of the trays to the other side of the crowded one. I willingly obliged...much to my detriment. As I struggled to transport this large tray through the fray, I was thronged by ravenous young woman, jostling to grab at the food, all asking me questions about what was being served. "Ummmm, what do you have? Ewwww what is that?" I suddenly became plagued with insecurity, thinking "Do they know that I'm another student? Have they mistaken me for a waitress?" After several awkward exchanges and terse responses on my part, I finally tossed the tray onto the nearest flat surface and abandoned my duty.
This year I managed to escape food service responsibilities. Unfortunately this means I also don't have any interesting stories to tell about this year.

High-brow/Low-brow

I like to consider myself a person of eclectic taste, meaning that I enjoy both the finer and simpler pleasures of life. It is in that spirit that I offer you the following highlights of my weekend. On Saturday night, I got to fulfill one of my New York dreams, by going to my first opera at the Met. We saw Tosca, and miraculously got amazing orchestra seats for the student ticket price. In the mail that day, I also received this free sample of Kashi GoLean Crisp...which also made me incredibly happy. Because if there's one thing I love as much as world-class opera, it's free trial-size cereal boxes.

Oh also, we went to a delicious Sunday BBQ at our friend Chip's garden, which is neither high-brow, nor low-brow, but somewhere in the lovely in-between. He made awesome food as always, and we were serenaded by Belarusian folk songs.

My Mom

She's traveled all over the world to visit me, even enduring more than 8 hours on a rickety old schoolbus to come share my experience living in tiny San Mateo. But whether she's near or far, she's always given me all the love and support I needed to live my life fully and happily. I love you Mom!

New Sneakers!

And household clutter in the background. Sorry about my miserable photography skills. Anyways, I was super excited about finding these new kicks (for a bargain price at DSW!), since my old running shoes were in pretty sad shape. Somehow having new sneakers seems to motivate me just a little more to go running. That combined with this crazy nice weather we're been having, and suddenly I'm Maniac Magee. Despite the claims that this book "addresses issues of racism and homelessness", the only thing I ever recall is that the main character runs around constantly.

Marxist Yoga

So now that my indentured servitude (internship) is over, I've found a lot more time to do some stuff I've been wanting to do for a while. Yesterday, I checked out a yoga class at Yoga to the People studio on St. Mark's. It's this great studio, with a really cool, laid-back, welcoming philosophy that makes yoga accessible and non-intimidating to everyone. Plus, it's pay what you wish/what you can afford, which is just awesome for me. On top of all that- the class was great, and I loved every sweaty, stretchy minute of it. Woke up today with some pain in muscles that I had forgotten existed, but it was just further proof that I need to do this more often.

It's May!!

Yes, May is here, and while this means many wonderful things, including the arrival of more flowers, and less April showers, it also means that I have to recognize that I have neglected this blog now, for almost an entire month! And not because there wasn't anything to write about- on the contrary, so much fun and exciting stuff was going on, that the blog just kind of fell by the wayside. Sooooo, let me hit you with the highlights:
April 17 Fer's birthday, and his dad came to visit us in New York for the weekend. Birthday dinner at Peter Luger's- steak overload ensued, and it was amazing.
April 19 My birthday! My parents came to visit Wednesday-Friday of this week and we went to see Jersey Boys with them, and had delicious bistro dinner at Le Bonne Soupe.
April 24 Springtime birthday BBQ, on the rooftop deck at a friend's apartment. Tons of delicious Argentine steak and sausages, sangria, sunshine and lots of friends came to hang out- best birthday party ever!
April 30 Last day of my last internship at Gouverneur Hospital- free at last! No more unpaid internships! Going to try to take this extra time to invest more in my job search, and have some fun too!

So, anyone who's still out there reading, please keep doing so, and as your present to me in honor of my birthday, please forgive my lapse. May is here!

Penn Yan? Is that in China?

I'm here in Penn Yan for the weekend at my parents house, enjoying the lovely Fingerlakes and the Easter holiday with family. (Side note: Someone started laughing uncontrollably when I told them I was from the Fingerlakes the other day. Apparently people have heard of it now thanks to the Lawrence Welk sketch on SNL.) I arrived yesterday and did some wine tasting with my parents around the lake- the new Anthony Road Riesling is awesome! Manhattanites should check out the Anthony Road booth at Union Square Greenmarket. Then we went to Seneca Farms for ice cream in the evening. (Haha, I tried to link to their web page, and it seems they don't have one. It's pretty apparent from the crowds there last night that they're not lacking for publicity.) Anyways, if you've been there, you know- and while it might not be the best homemade ice cream in new york...it might be.

Today my grandma will be here and we'll have Easter dinner together. Missing Mary Beth of course, and probably crying over our Easter eggs, wishing she was here :-)

It Might as Well Be Spring

The weather finally decided to get with the program today and show some beautiful spring weather. I celebrated by participating in my favorite of spring activities- taxes. Seriously, I did do my taxes today. But theeeennnnnn, I went to the Bronx Zoo with Fer and we ran around looking at all the animals in nice warm weather and it was the best spring day ever! Oh, and I bought these sweet daffodils for the apartment this morning, and brought the springiness inside too. What a day!

Tuesday's Gone

And I'm happy about that! After a looooong day at work, the day is done and I can look forward to my Wednesday off. Fer and I have big plans to enjoy the improved weather tomorrow (more on that...tomorrow). For now, I'm going to celebrate Tuesday night in my favorite way- dinner at Petite Abeille! Get the moules ready you magnificent Belgian chefs! And crack open one of those half-price bottles of wine if you please.

Staycation, All I Ever Wanted!

Staycation, time to....stay at home. So sorry that I haven't updated in recent days, but I was away on a staycation. Ha, lame term I know- I hated it too, until I appropriated it for our awesome NYC "getaway" this weekend. We had planned to go away to Philly for a weekend trip in lieu of an actual spring break trip (since I have to stay and work at my internship- boo, hiss!). But we had problems with the bus scheduling, so instead, we made the best of things and decided to enjoy the fantastic destination that we are lucky enough to live in! Sometimes it takes something different to make you really appreciate the place you are- which was definitely the case this weekend. So we did a lot of fun stuff, but I think the best was Saturday night when we went to see God of Carnage on Broadway. It was hilarious and the house was pretty empty so we got to move up to great seats in the first row of the balcony! Afterward we went to a cute French bistro, La Bonne Soupe, where they have an amazing fondue. We drowned ourselves in cheese and wine and toasted to our fantastic staycation!

Tooth Talk

Ack, sorry, it's been too long since I posted- blame Hunter College and the schoolwork they have seen fit to assign me in recent days. (Done in May!! Can't wait!!!) Anyways, big news of the day- I went to the dentist for a checkup and cleaning today (for the first time in two years, ahem). I went to a fancypants "dental studio" in Tribeca, because I got a great deal on this site Lifebooker (check it out for discounts on health and beauty shtuff). Anyways, let me break it down for you:

Pros of the experience:
No cavities! I'm an oral care champion! Bravo!
A massaging chair which gently soothed my back throughout the whole examination
Giant TV that showed my X-rays so I got to see them
Pretty swanky set-up in general, looked very spa-like
They took impressions of my teeth to make whitening trays- soon my pearly whites will be blinding in their pristine glory

Cons:
Dental hygienist said I'm grinding my teeth too much at night and need a night-guard (boo, expensive, and not cute!)
Dentist said I have gum recession from brushing my teeth too hard and may need a gum graft at some point (what?? does that really exist?)
No free toothbrush/toothpaste at the end- is it so provincial of me to expect such niceties?

Anyways, overall, a good experience and I left with my teeth feeling sparkling clean, which I love. Enough about my chompers now. I'm sure you're thinking the same thing.

Holy Macaron!

Merci beaucoup to Papa Butler who alerted me to Jour du Macaron which was going on here in New York City yesterday. Several cafes and bakeries were giving away free macarons in honor of the day, including one of our favorite local places, Madeleine Patisserie. We discovered this place on a search for almond croissants and have been back several times for coffees and pastries in their cute little parlor-like store. I had often stared at their cases full of lovely little macarons in a rainbow of colors and flavors, but was always lured away by the delectable croissants. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure what a macaron was. But yesterday seemed like the perfect opportunity to try one. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, they had run out of their supply of free macarons, which I thought was a little out of touch with the spirit of the day. Shouldn't there be macarons raining from the sky for the pleasure of the populace?? But after all the anticipation, I couldn't walk away without at least trying one. So after some consideration, I selected the lemon-pistachio variety from the list of 20 or more choices. Wow- thank you France, thank you macaron-makers of New York City, and thank you Dad for all conspiring to introduce me to this delicious treat. I will be back for more!

Señorita Jessica, Famous Cucaracha Dancer!

I didn't have to go in to my internship yesterday, so I decided I should spend my free day teaching a folkloric dance to elementary school students in Jersey City. It's not as random as it sounds! I went with Fer to the school he teaches at and joined his Spanish classes to teach them a very simple dance that goes along to the song La Cucaracha. I was introduced as Senorita Jessica, a world famous cucaracha dance instructor, and at least one student was quite disappointed to find out that in reality I was just Senor Fernando's girlfriend. I think they all enjoyed it despite any minor disappointments however, and I had a wonderful day dancing and singing and meeting loads of adorable kids! Check out a video of us dancing below!
Jess and Fer Bailando La Cucaracha

Blimey!

In my haste to consume the delicious corned beef goodness that I cooked up for our St Patrick's Day dinner, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product for the blog! Unforgiveable, I know. It really did look quite nice- I braised the cabbage in a little chicken broth rather than cooking it with the meat and potatoes so it wouldn't "contaminate" the rest of the food, making it inedible. (Fer is not a big fan of the cabbage component of the meal). Anyways, the braised cabbage kept a really nice green color and looked so beautiful on the plate. I was very happy to spend the holiday having dinner at home, especially after fighting my way through hordes of green-clad zombies every time I passed an Irish pub today. Seriously, do these people start drinking at 9 am? They wake up, slap on their blinking shamrock head-boppers and pour some Guinness over their breakfast cereal? Maybe I'm an old fogey, but it seems like this might not be the best way to celebrate your pride in the Emerald Isle.

My Irish Eyes are Smiling!

Every year growing up, I looked forward to St. Patrick's day when me bonny mum would whip up an Irish feast of corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and my very favorite, Irish Soda Bread. She usually made extra for me, because I could eat the whole pan of it myself. Last year I cooked the meal for the first time myself, and plan to do so again on Wednesday. So I was so happy to get a package from Mom today, with an Irish Soda Bread baking mix and the raisins to go along with it! Can't wait to celebrate with a hearty Irish supper at home this year. You should try it too! Or at least the bread, if you're unsure about the corned beef and cabbage (c'mon it's just once a year!) My mom's recipe is really easy and delicious:

2 cups baking mix
6 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup milk

Mix baking mix and sugar. Cut in the margarine. Add raisins and milk and stir until blended. Put in greased 9" cake pan or pie plate. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm!

La Vie en rose

Thanks to our friend Chef Angelo, Fer and I were again able to enjoy the fine cuisine of the Landmarc restaurant last night. He invited us to their Fete de Campagne and we had an amazing time feasting on beaucoup French food while listening to the music of Edith Piaf, and meeting some cool new people. Check out the incredible menu we got to enjoy. The mussels were the best!

"Savor the rustic flavors and classic tradition of the Fête de Campagne, a French country feast, transporting guests to rural France through a sampling of assorted house made sausages and charcuterie, goose fat fries with aioli, a variety of French cheeses, mussels in white wine, smoky bacon tarte flambée, a selection of sweet crêpes, French desserts and much more. Be ready to toast to the fête with ample amounts of wine and beer and make sure to sample the French Pearl, a special cocktail honoring this lively and festive occasion."

Indie Film Fun

Hey all! My friend from school, Olga, sent me this video that her boyfriend just finished making. I don't know much about the background of it, or the music group that's featured, but it's pretty funny and I liked watching it, so I thought you would too! Also, Elijah Wood is in it! Frodo, don't wear the ring!
Click here to watch > Exploring the Universe

Banana Phone!

Actually it was just a regular cell phone...but check this out anyways.
So the best part of yesterday was that on my lunch hour, I actually left the hospital and went outside for a walk to destress and enjoy the beautiful weather and sunshine! And it so happened that at that same time, my sister was on lunch break on a field trip to Mama's Pizza. So we got to have a nice midday chat. During the course of this conversation, she brought it to my attention, that the rating options for the posts may be slightly confusing. I admit they're pretty bad- unfortunately this is due to the limits of the site, but I am considering other possibilities. As it stands, "Best Day Ever!" is pretty self-explanatory, and "You posted this?" is to indicate, that the post was so boring/bad/depressing/lame/other negative descriptor, that is was not worth putting up. Hope that clears things up until I can get something better figured out. Happy Wednesday!

Mundane Monday

I knew it would come to this one of these days- my life just isn't exciting enough to provide fodder for fascinating updates on a daily basis. So while the following may seem pretty great to me, I don't blame you for wanting to hit the "You posted this?" button.
I came home from class and got sandwiches from my FAVORITE sandwich place across the street, Gracefully. While Fer likes to go the old reliable route and always gets the same sandwich (turkey and brie on baguette), I like to mix it up and choose a variety from their vast menu of options. Went with a fairly basic turkey wrap with tomato cucumber and watercress tonight. That's it. I like sandwiches.
Wait, I forgot the best part! We got one sandwich free because we had ten punches in our frequent sandwich buyer card. That was awesome.

Aaaaaannnd!

Oh, I forgot to mention the biggest excitement of today. It was warm and sunny and beautiful this morning when I went on my usual Saturday morning run. I've joined this group that goes running in Central Park on Wednesdays and Saturdays and it's been so great for me. It really motivates me to get out and run regularly and I've met such nice people as well. Last week one of the group leaders let me borrow her copy of "Half the Sky" which is an amazing book about womens' right issues around the world. You should all read it! And go out there and enjoy the weather again tomorrow if it's nice!

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42

Biggest excitement of yesterday- I finished Season 1 of Lost. Yes, I know I'm behind the rest of the modern world. Everyone else is currently enjoying the mysteries being revealed in Season 6. But I got a late start. Anyways, it's been a looooong week, and a night at home on the couch watching a group of strangers struggle for survival on an island was exactly what I needed. Not exactly a Friday night that lives up to the NYC nightlife standards, but I sure enjoyed it.

Manhattan's New Hot Spot

So, not much happened today, but I wanted to let everyone know that despite the tortilla fracaso, yesterday was not ALL bad. Actually, it ended up being pretty good. A friend of Fer's is opening a new restaurant here in Manhattan on Friday, and last night we got to go and try out the food in their new space. The restaurant is Hecho en Dumbo, which used to be located in Brooklyn (Dumbo actually!) and I had been there a few times before and always liked it. But they've moved to a really cool new location in the Bowery, their menu is bigger now, and the food is still awesome! They specialize in Mexican antojitos, and if you ask me they do it pretty well. So go check it out, if you think my opinion is worth anything :-)

This is the end of "Fiesta Days"

This is a tortilla española that I made for my K-1 Spanish class this afternoon since they had earned a "Fiesta day!" with good behavior. You'll notice that a large portion is still on the plate because many of them did not want to try it. I had also planned for us to make guacamole together but had to abandon that effort halfway through, as I discovered that the avocado I had brought was extremely unripe. Several of my students voiced their disappointment in today's fiesta, stating that they "thought it would be funner." I predict that we will not be having another fiesta day in the near future.

Look what came in the mail!

My mom and dad sent me this adorable new chapeau that they picked up on their recent travels. The only thing I love more than getting packages in the mail, is when cute hats come in packages in the mail. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Weekend Update

Don't get too excited- this post probably won't contain any Seth Meyeresque ready for SNL humor. It's late and I'm not functioning at full capacity, so I'm going to try to stick to just the facts and catch everybody up on all the fun of the past weekend. Fer's dad braved the weather and came to visit New York, and we tried to show him the best the Big Apple has to offer despite the slush and snow. On Saturday we went for a wintery promenade on the Highline park, which I've been wanting to visit since it opened this summer. It was lovely even in the winter, so I can't wait to go back in warm sunny weather. Lots of people were out there making snowmen and one couple was sculpting a snow "sunbathing beauty" lounging on one of the wooden chaises.
Our walk brought us to Chelsea Piers where we engaged in a serious pairs bowling competition- Fer and I vs. Hector and Patricia. First match we demonstrated our bowling prowess and won by a large match, but our opponents really stepped it up in the rematch and we pulled an exact draw! I blew our chance to pull ahead in the final frame, when I bowled a strike...followed by two gutters.
And of course such an excellent weekend had to include some feasting! On Saturday night we went to Landmarc, where our friend Angelo is a chef (he once made soup for the Pope!). He was so nice and sent out all sorts of fancy appetizers and an awesome dessert- a huge bowl of ice with a sampler of 12 small cups of their different ice creams.
Ok, this is getting long, but I have to mention brunch at Paprika in the East Village on Sunday. I had green eggs over grilled polenta with tomato salsa that was brunch nirvana. New favorite!

Bright Lights of Broadway

No, unfortunately I haven't been "discovered yet"- my phenomenal talent continues to go inexplicably unnoticed despite loud singing along to my iPod in the streets. So while I'm waiting for my big shot, I have to go bask in the glory of others who have already made it. Due to cancellation of travel plans, a pair of tickets to see Billy Elliot on Broadway were made available to Fer and I last night. We got to go see the show with Fer's dad who is visiting New York for the weekend. It was so much fun!! I spent the majority of the three hours with a huge smile on my face as I watched those precocious little kids hoofin it across the stage. I didn't expect to like it so much, but it was really irresistable- tons of good energy + great dancing + cute kids + funny coal miner British language= a winning combination. It earned my recommendation. If you don't like it, you're probably just a terrible shrew like Margaret Thatcher. (Disclaimer: I actually know little to nothing about good ole maggie thatcher, but all those miners sure hated her in this show).

Bon Appetit!

Forgot to post this yesterday night- guess I got caught up in the splendor of this delectable presentation. Made dinner for Fer and I last night- pork tenderloin, and brown rice, delicately garnished with fresh thyme and blood oranges. I would argue that it was the best looking meal I've ever put on a plate. Feel free to offer your congratulations.

Hello from Hunter

Because I am SO dedicated to this blog, I am currently writing while in my Tuesday night class... and simultaneously giving my full attention to the lecture of course. All to keep my daily reports up to date. Good thing I'm an excellent multi-tasker.
Not a lot to tell today unfortunately, so I'm going to do some carryover from this weekend when so many more exciting things happened. One of my dedicated readers reminded me today that I omitted a critical component from my retelling of the Friday night happenings. And that critical component is...the button!
When leaving the restaurant, I noticed a strange cool feeling on my wrist, and reached into my sleeve to find a large, beautiful button. After determining that the button had not come from the clothing of either of my companions, I came to the logical conclusion that my sleeve had gained the mysterious magical property of producing fantastic buttons every time I put on my coat. This theory has not been proven by subsequent experiences, but I still have hope. In the mean time I plan to sew the original button on my hat.
Haha, in retrospect, I'm not sure this story is any less mundane than the boring events of my Tuesday. Seriously, a button?

¡Hola Don Pepito!

First day of spring semester preschool Spanish classes at Brooklyn Friends. We practiced hello (hola!) and goodbye (adios!) with this fantastic song, which will now be stuck in my head for probably another week or two. Please view and share this experience with me.
Hola Don Pepito video on Youtube
Also, imagine 3 and 4 year olds acting this out with little finger puppets while singing along. Awwwww.

Year of the Tiger

Visited Chinatown for a fun-filled celebration of Chinese New Year with friends today. Started out with a morning sugar high courtesy of baked goods from Fay Da bakery (I LOVE red bean buns!), and then waited...and waited...and waited to see the parade. It was all worth it though when these colorful dragons pranced by, winking their eyelashes at us. Afterwards, I went to the Golden Unicorn for dim sum delight. I had never been to a real dim sum restaurant, so I had a great time, despite the sad realization that I am even more inept at using chopsticks than I previously thought. Finished things off with a lychee ice cream cone Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, and enjoyed eating it amidst the swirling clouds of confetti that were still floating through the streets.

Have a tasty-fun-healthy New Year everyone!

Saturday Evening with Sayda

Fer and I were invited by our good friend Alicia, to a performance in Brooklyn tonight. We had no idea what the show was about, but I am so glad we trusted the good judgement of Alicia and went. It was an amazing piece about a woman's experience emigrating to the US from Guatemala when she was a young girl. It made me smile to listen to her talk about volcanos, chickens and black beans as she moved across the stage in a corte woven from strips of plastic. Check out her website, and try to catch her show on its last night here in NY if you can (Sunday 2/21)! For all you Californians, she will be performing in San Diego and LA next week! Just be warned, you may leave the show craving black beans and tamales...I know I did.

Sayda Trujillo website: I Was Raised Mexican

Springer Sisters Friday!

Had a really great evening yesterday with the lovely Mademoiselles Springer, Brooke and Remy. We went out for dinner, at a cute BYOB Thai restaurant on the Lower East Side, called Sticky Rice. We shared a large bottle of red wine, and several hilarious stories, including one about me kicking over all the potted plants in my parents' driveway after I got in trouble in highschool once. Then we took a spin through Rite Aid where we had to make a difficult decision between discounted Valentines' Day candy and new, premium Easter candy. (Surprise- we bought both!) We took our sugary treats back to their apartment for a Lost (Season One) viewing party, and now I'm completely addicted to that show. While there, we also decided that Mary Beth should move to NYC, and all 4 of us will live together in their small studio apartment- with bunk beds!

Side note: Check out Brooke and Remy's mom's blog, which is really fun and partially inspired me to get back to blogging! www.an-american-in-malta.com

Kufi Hats

Visited a center for adults with disabilities in Queens today with my class and got to spend the morning making kufi hats in honor of Black History Month! Ours were made out of construction paper and slightly more mishapen than the one pictured here, but still excellent. Gave me a little taste of what Mary Beth's daily work is like!