This cracks me up. I love how the blog This is Indexed makes me think about concepts in terms of Xs and Ys.

Our final days in NYC were a good mix of hip, touristy, and gluttony! Bloodies, cocktails, wine–all the happy fluids I am temporarily abstaining from. 22 more days! Not that anyone is counting.

I picked out chocolates in Grand Central Station. I indulged on a trio of fatty goodness at Artisanal’s cheese bar. We were impressed by the decor at Buddakan. We finally found our way upstairs and through a back door to Angel’s Share. We braved the picture-happy crowds in Times Square for happy hour at R Lounge. And we truly squeezed ourselves into the closet of an East Village restaurant called Graffiti. I am a mini person and I was hyperventilating from the small space. To their credit, the Indian fusion food was outstanding, but please be on the lookout for a larger space!

East Village flower shop

Front of Marc Jacobs store

View of Times Square from R Lounge

Here’s a look at my walk-in closet. Sweaters, dresses, bangles, scarves. Stuffed with color–exactly the way I like it. The two paintings are from Shanghai. It’s too hard to see that the little girl has a knife in her hand ready to have herself some pork belly! And check out the orange pillbox with the Virgin Mary design. That’s where I keep the sleepy pills.

Adding on to my previous post, I encourage diversity and learning about different religions, geographies, and cultures. I think it’s debilitating to limit interactions to people who are similar. We all know people who only congregate in their own ethnic circles. All their friends are Asian. All their friends are Indian. I think that’s why we make fun of the Marina because everyone looks the same, talks the same. It’s not because the people who live in the Marina are snooty or because they act like they’re stumbling out of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. It’s because once you talk to one Marina inhabitor, you’ve talked to them all. Which is why people love the Mission—because you can bump into a musician, a cop, a writer, a massage therapist—all while having a few cocktails at the Elbo Room!

When I went to Cal for college, I saw it as my opportunity to expand my horizons beyond what I’d picked up at my 400-student Catholic high school. Sporadically I went to Filipino events, but I didn’t stake my social calendar around the Pilipino Posse. What were Filipinos at Cal going to teach me about my culture that I didn’t learn in my 18 years growing up in a strict immigrant household? Even now, I’ll encounter Filipinos who are surprised that we went to school at the same time, graduated the same year, yet they do not know me. Personally, I take that as a compliment.

I am very proud of the network I’m surrounded by—that my friends come from all religions, all ethnicities, sexual orientations…you name it. You can call me a diversity whore. But really, let’s assess. How am I enriching my life through my environment and the people I interact with?

Can you believe we’re already one-quarter into the year? Yikes! Soon enough, it will be time to get ready for Burning Man. As the Volunteer Coordinator for Burning Man’s ARTery group, I planned a social event last night at the Albatross, my favorite pub in the East Bay. The drinks are cheap, although cash only. The bar’s got darts, pool, and a whole mess of board games like Trivial Pursuit. We had a blast playing rounds and rounds of Uno. Good game for a big group.

I always leave these socials feeling so warmed by friendships with such a disparate group of people, unified by art and creativity. My connection to the ARTery is through a man who befriended me during a Burning Man open house. He’s Atheist and Communist. I am a practicing Catholic and a Capitalist. He stands for the exact opposite of my religious and political beliefs, yet I adore this man! He is one of the most self-less, grounded, and respectable people I know. I am all smiles when I talk about him. Our beliefs are merely differences of opinion. Moreover, his beliefs are based on a great deal of thought, debate, discussions, and compassion. Yeah, the Bible says some unfortunate things. I don’t take them literally, but many religious zealots do—so I understand the backlash against religion and where he’s coming from.

All of these principles and beliefs are left behind when challenging another to Connect Four. It’s like going back several decades and playing in a sandbox.