Hanging out earlier tonight with my sister was so much fun. I really love her so much, and cherish our nights out together.

We started with dinner at The Redhead, and then moved to Nowhere afterwards for a few rounds. Then for a blast from the past, we ended up at Decibel for old times sake and a lot of sake. 

It's nice because with the holiday weekend, the city seems a bit emptier. Man, it sure is nice to be back home for holidays.

Dear kids,

The word of the week is "CRAZY."

As always, NYC tap water is really refreshing as hell.

People-watching.

Happy Labor Day!

I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.

Every day is a new learning experience.

Walking around NYC is the best!

It was so nice hanging out with Susy back in Astoria. 

Catching up over lunch on a beautiful day was great.

Aspire.

Last night, I had a large amount of pasta and carbs for dinner. And while I'm not certain it was from eating so much of it in a long time, damn, I sure had such a nice, deep sleep.

"One lonely star,
You don't know who you are."

From the song Take A Bow by Madonna.

"I try,
I try,
I try, 
You know I try."

From the song I Try by Talib Kweli ft Mary J. Blige.

"You'll always be my sisters---always."

Said by the character Dorothy in the sitcom, The Golden Girls. Season 7, Series Finale.

Walking in NYC makes me feel sane.

Ponder.

I just want to live a quiet and simple life.

Focus.

...

Optimistic but realistic.

Hot yoga by Union Sqare and then a cup of cold apple cider at the park's green market.

It's a beautiful Friday afternoon.

I believe.

"African hunting dogs---they're one of the world's most efficient predators....their secret, is teamwork."

From the television program Planet Earth: Extreme Predators on BBC America.

Welcome.

Mmm, cheese...

NYC is truly the best.

나 몰아 ㅎㅎㅎ.

It's such a beautiful Tuesday here in NYC.

Enjoy your day.

I decided to stay in today at my friend Judy's place in Brooklyn.

It's funny because she actually also lives on Biggie's old block, and Lil' Kim was just on the street to film something.

Ahhh, Lil' (mother effin') Kim!!!

:)

"Triumph is nothing if it doesn't come from tragedy."

From the song Supreme by Angel Haze.

Discretion.

I'm proud to be from Flushing, Queens. 

Going back today after a while was nice, and I was able to see some of the changes that have happened since my last visit, and even my childhood. 

But one good thing that hasn't changed since the last time I had been there are the prices of the Peking duck buns at this one place. Can you believe these delicious miracles are still only $1 each?

I'm really happy for you.

A quality moment can be made at any time.

Even at 30 years old, I've never owned a suit in my life.

The weather today was so perfect. There was a cool breeze in the shade and it felt good to be in the sun. 

At one point I had to get from the Upper East Side to the Upper West Side, so I decided to walk through Central Park. From there, I helped my friend Grace bring her new statue purchases back to her apartment in Fort Greene. 

It was nice to finally meet her and Adrian's new dog Izzy as well---welcome to the family! 

Having access to NY1 is every New Yorker's God-given right!

Sometimes, panicking about life at 2 in the morning is okay...

Picking up the pieces to everything once again feels daunting, but really exciting at the same time.

I will never give up.

Courage.

"Do you always fold a New York slice in all its oily glory? Is a whole lobster best relished in this order: legs, claw then succulent tail? Do you eat Oreos middle first? Or dunked in milk?

Far from being mere quirks of personality, rituals like these may actually enhance how much people savor what they eat or drink, new research shows. Flavor is intensified. The meal is enjoyed more. It may be one reason why birthday cake is savored more than the stumbled-upon 4 p.m. brownie, because of the singing and candle blowing that precedes it.

The researchers found that even simple rituals, which they defined as 'a series of behaviors that are seemingly irrelevant to the act that follows,' like scraping wooden chopsticks together or tapping a soda can before pulling the tab, raised participants' interest in what they subsequently ate or drank. And rituals appeared capable of enhancing the enjoyment not just of treats like chocolate or lemonade bit even baby carrots."

From the August 9, 2012 New York Times article, Rituals Make Our Food More Flavorful, by Catherine Saint Louis.

Intelligence is sexy.

Virtue.

Sometimes, greasy NYC Chinese takeout just really hits the spot.

My sister and brother-in-law have returned from their business trip, so I'm finally back in the city for good.

It was another great weekend here, and spending the entire day of Sunday with a picnic at Prospect Park again was such a nice way to end it. 

Tears represent life.

Racism = Ignorance.

Homophobia = Ignorance.

Xenophobia = Ignorance.

For anyone still living with these mindsets in 2013, I pity your miserable life.

Was the Internet created for insomniacs?

Dream big, because it pushes you to work harder.

Nothing is impossible.

Hey.

Sometimes, I really miss Bangkok's food scene and just grabbing a refreshing Singha on a hot day.

Here are some photos from Thailand that I never posted.

Ahhh, Thailand.