GIP

phew. I just removed quotes. It's like my friends page just lost 20 pounds. Blah. too much spam!

I started to write a really long update this morning, which I'm going to try and create (in reverse) right now. My stupid computer decided that I was having too good of a time online, and pitched a tantrum, and froze. So I couldn't save my post or anything. *pulls out hair*

Anyway - today Laura and I saw Matrix: Reloaded. I'm not going to review it right now, except to say that I wasn't overwhelmingly impressed. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it, either. After the movie, we had burgers at Paul's Palace on 2nd ave & St. Mark's, and dessert at the NY Milkshake company. (get the ice cream waffle sandwich. NOW. it's life-changing.)

Next up on my movie schedule is Down with Love. I plan to see it at the Ziegfield theater on 54th street, which is an old-school style widescreen single-movie house, and perfect for the kind of film that Down with Love promises to be. I refuse to go back to the theater at Sheepshead bay to see any movie I truly care about seeing, especially after what happened with X2. *shudders* I've seen films in downtown brooklyn and in Manhattan and at least audiences there (for the large equation) know how to fucking behave.

anyway, back to my recap:
Saturday night, I went out with my friend Nicole and a group of her high school friends. It was a pretty good time - especially the portion of the evening spent in McSorley's enjoying the two beers for $3.50 special. Honestly, they weren't very big beers, but they were me-sized. The place was packed, and full of very nice sailors, one who looked very much like Sean Astin. Twas amusing. We then went on to the loud, airless and altogether unfun Leopard Lounge. Which I will never go back to. Bleh. Still, it was great to see Nicole and we managed to have a great time. I'm really glad we managed to work through the misunderstanding and get to be friends again. Because I missed her, and how much fun we used to have. :)

Friday was the first day of summer hours - I got to leave work at 12:45. In no way did that suck even the tiniest bit. I met up with Carly and from the list of restaurants near her work that I amassed on Chowhound, we went to the Indian buffet at Dimple for lunch. I was highly unimpressed. Dimple was plenty spicy, but not particularly flavorful. I've been to at least 3 other Indian restaurants that do flavoring better, and 2 are on East 6th. Sure it's spicy - but if burn off the diner's tongue before they get a chance ot experience other flavors, what are you hiding? The curry I had in London was hot, make no mistake. But there were also many flavors to experience. This was not the case here. The sauces were watery, the rice undercooked, the experience unimpressive. I can't say I blame Carly for not wanting to finish her portion.

I know that many people on CH have been having fits about authenticity, but I don't get how making Indian food incredibly spicy is the key towards its authenticity. After all, as zyll said once, when we were discussing this, "I am an authentic Indian. If I went into the kitchen right now and made a grilled american cheese sandwich on white bread, that would be authentic Indian food, since I am an authentic Indian and it is food." She also pointed out that it's sort of silly to pin one style of cooking as more authentic than any other - "after all," she pointed out to me, "your mother is Italian, and the way she makes the sauce for her family is the way that you all like it. Indian food is no different. There is no 'right way' and no 'wrong way.' There's no such thing as 'too spicy' or 'too bland.' To say that there is a 'right way' or a 'wrong way' to make any kind of ethnic cuisine is to suggest that all people of that ethnicity are exactly the same, with the same likes and tastes. And we know that's not true."

sheesh. I know some posters on Chowhound who would have a STROKE if I posted that. *shakes head*. One man's bland is another's just right. Which is probably why you'll never find me taking Carly or Tim to a particular overhyped Jackson Heights Thai restaurant anytime in the near or far flung future.

Fuck. it's late. I should go to bed. But here is a new Jean Grey icon, from a base designed by claritymatters (who also did the base for my Rogue icon.)

GIP

phew. I just removed quotes. It's like my friends page just lost 20 pounds. Blah. too much spam!

I started to write a really long update this morning, which I'm going to try and create (in reverse) right now. My stupid computer decided that I was having too good of a time online, and pitched a tantrum, and froze. So I couldn't save my post or anything. *pulls out hair*

Anyway - today Laura and I saw Matrix: Reloaded. I'm not going to review it right now, except to say that I wasn't overwhelmingly impressed. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it, either. After the movie, we had burgers at Paul's Palace on 2nd ave & St. Mark's, and dessert at the NY Milkshake company. (get the ice cream waffle sandwich. NOW. it's life-changing.)

Next up on my movie schedule is Down with Love. I plan to see it at the Ziegfield theater on 54th street, which is an old-school style widescreen single-movie house, and perfect for the kind of film that Down with Love promises to be. I refuse to go back to the theater at Sheepshead bay to see any movie I truly care about seeing, especially after what happened with X2. *shudders* I've seen films in downtown brooklyn and in Manhattan and at least audiences there (for the large equation) know how to fucking behave.

anyway, back to my recap:
Saturday night, I went out with my friend Nicole and a group of her high school friends. It was a pretty good time - especially the portion of the evening spent in McSorley's enjoying the two beers for $3.50 special. Honestly, they weren't very big beers, but they were me-sized. The place was packed, and full of very nice sailors, one who looked very much like Sean Astin. Twas amusing. We then went on to the loud, airless and altogether unfun Leopard Lounge. Which I will never go back to. Bleh. Still, it was great to see Nicole and we managed to have a great time. I'm really glad we managed to work through the misunderstanding and get to be friends again. Because I missed her, and how much fun we used to have. :)

Friday was the first day of summer hours - I got to leave work at 12:45. In no way did that suck even the tiniest bit. I met up with Carly and from the list of restaurants near her work that I amassed on Chowhound, we went to the Indian buffet at Dimple for lunch. I was highly unimpressed. Dimple was plenty spicy, but not particularly flavorful. I've been to at least 3 other Indian restaurants that do flavoring better, and 2 are on East 6th. Sure it's spicy - but if burn off the diner's tongue before they get a chance ot experience other flavors, what are you hiding? The curry I had in London was hot, make no mistake. But there were also many flavors to experience. This was not the case here. The sauces were watery, the rice undercooked, the experience unimpressive. I can't say I blame Carly for not wanting to finish her portion.

I know that many people on CH have been having fits about authenticity, but I don't get how making Indian food incredibly spicy is the key towards its authenticity. After all, as zyll said once, when we were discussing this, "I am an authentic Indian. If I went into the kitchen right now and made a grilled american cheese sandwich on white bread, that would be authentic Indian food, since I am an authentic Indian and it is food." She also pointed out that it's sort of silly to pin one style of cooking as more authentic than any other - "after all," she pointed out to me, "your mother is Italian, and the way she makes the sauce for her family is the way that you all like it. Indian food is no different. There is no 'right way' and no 'wrong way.' There's no such thing as 'too spicy' or 'too bland.' To say that there is a 'right way' or a 'wrong way' to make any kind of ethnic cuisine is to suggest that all people of that ethnicity are exactly the same, with the same likes and tastes. And we know that's not true."

sheesh. I know some posters on Chowhound who would have a STROKE if I posted that. *shakes head*. One man's bland is another's just right. Which is probably why you'll never find me taking Carly or Tim to a particular overhyped Jackson Heights Thai restaurant anytime in the near or far flung future.

Fuck. it's late. I should go to bed. But here is a new Jean Grey icon, from a base designed by claritymatters (who also did the base for my Rogue icon.)