the bistro culture is brought over from europe.  nyc being closer to europe has a better grasp as to what that is...and how to perfect the food and the ambience for this kind of setting.  la on the other hand, is trying to create this culture, but with the lack of dense inner city circle, weather and demographic differences, the bistro pub falls short of its trans coastal counter part.  it's a good try, the food is good enough, but bottega louie located downtown is this high celinged marble floored rectangular box of loudness.  nothing to absorb the sound and it sounds like a big high school gymnasium with sound bouncing every which way.  the open ovens bleed into the macaroon and dessert stands in the front...and each table is scrunched together to create a warmer atmosphere but thats completely negated by the huge cabin space.  and its la!  there's space everywhere!  why fight it!  so we had pizza and we had ccioppino....we had drinks.  then we went to O hotel and had dessert.  which just tasted like an artificial nutrigrain bar heated on top of ice cream.  that gave me a belly ache.  not impressed with LA cuisine.

HOWEVER,  this theory applies in the inverse when it comes to mexican food on the east coast...new york just doesn't do mexican the right way....like EL TAURINO...its pretty good.  the hot sauce is pretty damn good.  but why would you wait an hour inside when the truck outside has no line?  is there something special served inside?  i dont get it.

2:37 PM

the korean food in LA bewilders me as to how good it is.  its just as good as korea.  obviously, not every single place, but if you find the right establishment.  it rivals korea in terms of quality of protein and there's enough korean people in LA where the food is authentic, homemade and really just as good if not better.  those that think NYC can compare to this level of quality, think again.  im not alone, as it seems many fobs also share this reality.

소반 - 간장게장...

횟집! redondo beach.  so after you're done having the fried and steamed seafood american style.  u can end the meal with 메운탕!  and they server soju and beer.  amazing.

2:10 PM

when you hang out at skp office.  its hard work working hard doing a lot of talking and laughing.  and in the end u come out with free in and out and a discount on sneakers.  i've even come out with socks and headphones before.  macallans on fridays make it eve better.  great times.

1:58 PM

i needed exercise.  i wanted to go for a run.  and so the day before we looked down from the office and figured the run to usc wouldn't be bad.  get there.  check out the talent on campus.  set up the nights activities....and so i went off.  downtown wasn't so bad.  i've run it before....i ran past staples....and crossed the over pass....then it became a terrible run of car dealerships before i finally hit usc....only to find an empty campus...with no college students but rather high school tour groups.  only thing to do was to roam around a bit more and run back.  problem is...i ran out of steam running back!  i walked most of the way back.  8+ miles....i dont know how much of it i actuallly ran.  did i mention it was balls hot out?  GAH.

1:54 PM

i spent 4 days with the artist formerly known as 미남 seemed like a month.  we took pictures like we were on a romantic getaway, we have jokes out of context like...

"i do what i want."
"it's not my first rodeo"
"veteran move"
"when in doubt.  dont do it."

and he made the comment as follows..."ur blog is filled with pictures of your travels, your food, your random girls...your blog reads like a single person." -   it's been a while since i've been tied down.  and bad habits have formed.  i admit it.  gotta change gotta change.

12:30 PM

where's batman when u need him to catch snowden...

5:25 PM

when im back in long island.  i dont need to only pull clothes from out of my suitcase.  i look through my old drawers and put on my standard uniform - white tshirt and jeans.   it was a bit chilly so i threw on a hoodie...and only until i removed my hoody at the salon later in the day did i realize which tshirt i was wearing...

11:15 PM

there's so many ways to make money via the internet these days.  it's absolutely ridiculous for my uncles and any one in china to even fathom the amount of money people make from non tangible "internet stuffs".  they just don't get it.  and as they're slow to change their ways, skeptical to upgrade into what they think i represent, i ergo get mired in a swamp of paralyzing confusion.  gradually becoming outdated with the new and passed over in the land of the old school.  all while drinking too much and getting fat.

and so today at lunch.  i learned all about commission junction.  the option of affiliate marketing strategy, and the amount of revenue it can potentially generate is amazing.

lunch @ mellie's w lana and benny...post kid.

11:09 PM

"its in your pedigree to get married late.  that's what we do.  we leave our dads."

it never ceases to amaze me how well my high school friends know me.  i went to a private quaker school and graduated with a class of 65 whom i had been with since 6th grade.  we were a privileged and sheltered group that remains a family network regardless of how sporadically i see them.

it's much easier for asians to understand each other because of the cultural differences.  my caucasian high school peers will make typical white comments confusing asian cultures with one another.  however their specific bond with me far supercedes anything cultural.  they know me.  they know my family.  they know my persona, my family, my upbringing since the beginning.  they know me so well that it doesn't take much for them to make comments that strike at the heart of what im going through right now.

"u still have ur dad.  when u lose your dad...u can't stay in that house.  it's too weird"

12:27 PM