So I just looked on match.com, and I figured out another reason why on-line dating will be my last resort (even though I know at least one person who met their current husband on-line and several others ..)… because the profiles you have to write about yourself… argh!  So cheesey.

And also reading what someone else wants?  Double cheesey.

Also, isn’t it a bit scary that a 33 year old guy is looking for someone between the ages of 18 and 35???

And I didn’t find any Asian Christian guys who speak Arabic.

…was con-ver-sat-ing with a girl like me – Korean-American, Christian woman in her 30s who wants to get married in-the-not-so-distant-future - tonight at a partee and she said that when she used match.com, she ended up getting matched with TWO younger brothers of her friends!!! TWO!

Horrifying!

I think that if you are a Korean-American, Christian woman in her 30′s looking for another Korean-American Christian and you don’t want to marry your friend’s 25-year old brother, I think the best strategy is:

1. first make a list of ALL the single guys you know.  Seriously.    Exhuast those possibilities first.  Seriously.  EVERY SINGLE GUY.  Even the ones that are like “NOOOO WAY”.  write it down anyway.   they get eliminated somehow “by themselves” if he’s not the one for you. 
2. ask your friends to set you up. realize that you will never get 10 out of 10 in your list.  be discriminating, but really does it really matter THAT much that he has long nose hair; or that he wears white socks with black shoes?  every married woman will vehemently say NO.

I’ve already done #1.  And the girl that I was talking with – I think she and I are going to try to set each other up with guys that we know…   any single men reading this Xanga who wanna get set up?  Let me know.

I mean, go ahead and use the internet dating sites if you actually DO want to marry your friend’s 25 year old brother… but as for me, I think it’ll be the last resort.

Tonight, after receiving a long-awaited Fresh Direct order, I made pesto from scratch for the first time. 
It’s not very difficult, especially when you have this:

This is the first significant kitchen gadget I have purchased in a long time… I love this thing already!

And also this:

(that’s a basil plant that I potted and am keeping on my fire escape…)

Ckimchi thought the dish I made – whole wheat penne with pesto sauce and grilled chicken – was a 7 out of 10; azngirl723 thought it was less than spectacular at 4 out of 10. It did have a strange aftertaste, which I attribute to the cheese - I used both Parmesan AND Romano, and one of them had a bitter aftertaste.

I am aiming to cook a lot and eat out less… it’s not always cheaper in NYC, but it’s healthier!   Meanwhile, my “no-sugar” diet has been happily abandoned.    I mean, who am I kidding?

Do you like my new background… or not?

Edit: using the “theme” thingie is too complicated for a un-tech-savvy person like me.. so I’m back to just black-n-white…

…you see this former MTV VJ buying ice cream at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory…

… you’re not allowed to go into the entrance of the Fairway cafe because the police have arrested someone and he is handcuffed and pressed against the wall…

… you’re sitting in a park near Koreatown and the couple next to you is having a serious relationship discussion… in Russian!

… you have to stop your phone conversation with someone because there a fire engine stopped right behind you and you can’t hear a word the other person is saying…

… every other person *looks* like they could be someone famous ’cause they’re wearing BIG sunglasses and a fashionable outfit…

…. you’re walking down the street near your apartment in Washington Heights and a van on the street  is blaring salsa music.  a police car flashes his lights briefly and the owner of the van runs like … uh.. (excuse the expression)… Speedy Gonzalez.. (I KNOW – Gonzalez is Mexican and the guy was more likely Puerto Rican or Dominican)… to turn the music down…

I love it.

1st hour: Woke up this morning at around 4:15am to catch my 7am flight to NYC.
2nd hour: At the airport, the Jetblue computers were down, so they had to hand register us.  That took awhile, but the plus side was that both my suitcases were above the weight limit, but I didn’t get charged!  Yeah!  Then I tried to find our gate – gate 30 – but the signs read “Gate 1 – 28″ and then “Gate 40 – 51″?  After a little bit of investigating, I was told to follow the “Gate 1- 28 sign”
3rd hour: We board the plane, but we wait for about 15 more people who are still in security (because of the hand registering thing) + others who also got confused with the whole gate thing.
4th – 7th hour: A somewhat bumpy 3 hour 30 minute flight.. but the captain gives us free “pay” movies in order to compensate for the delay.  The movies were stupid, so it didn’t matter to me.  Last time, when we were delayed because of the whole “takeoff abort” thing, we got a $25 voucher!
8th hour: Waiting what seems like a LONG time for our luggage.
9th – 10th – 11th – 12th hour: In an attempt to save some $, I take super shuttle, which is half as  much as a taxi… but takes twice as long.  The van was packed.  We were also delayed for an hour or so because a bus was on fire on the freeway…  After a nice tour of Manhattan (through Times Square; 5th Avenue…)… I finally arrive at my new apartment at 3:30pm.

Whew!

Here is a pic of my new home for the next few months:

And the view!

In the last few weeks, not having much to do and no friends to do it with, I’ve been watching way too much TV.  Here are some of my fav shows:

Workout – the reality show about SkySport, that crazy expensive, super exclusive LA gym.  But watching that show makes me feel very fat and lazy.
Intervention  – the reality show where people with serious addictions get confronted.  I cry every single time I see that show.
DOG: The Bounty Hunter – another reality show, this one about a bounty hunter. The guy looks so scary, but he’s so compassionate and loving in a tough way.
CSI: Miami – David Caruso is a freak (and why did they name him “Horatio?”) but the show is pretty interesting — all the science stuff!

Can’t wait to get back to the Big Apple in a few days…

52% minority!  Cool!

Today, the lady helping me buy shoes was named “Oxana”, so of course I asked her if she was Russian.  She said yes, and I told her I had lived in Uzland for 3.5 years.  Her best friends live in Tashkent!   I paid for my shoes and we exchanged “spasibo’s”.  Cool!

I am proud of being a Texan.  Whenever someone asks me where I’m from originally, everyone always has a comment to make:
“so you must love George Bush” (uh, not really, though here’s an interesting story about him: http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/house.asp)
“cow-girl, eh? (uh, not really)
“so, do you live on a ranch?” (uh, not really)

Houston, in particular, is full of good, cheap restaurants.. some unique to Texas, others not.   My favs: Goode Co, Luby’s, Pappasito’s, Cafe Express, La Madeleine, Sinh Sinh, North China, House of Pies (strawberry pie!  yum!), Hobbit Hole (delish egg salad sandwich), Antone’s, Chick-fil-a…(did I forget any?0

By the way, once I’m in NYC, I’m going to try the Jackie Warner, of WORKOUT (Bravotv.com) diet – NO SUGAR during the week. It’s gonna be HARD, but I wants to lose my lower stomach bulge… and admit it boyz – aint’ none of you likin’ the stomach bulge on a lady…

Downstairs, my dear parents – Sonia and Paul – are singing karaoke.

The songs are in Korean, they are old and tacky (the songs, not my parents),and Sonia and Paul are definitely out of practice.

But this reminds me of the old days when they would get together with their friends to sing and laugh and have fun.  They don’t do it as often anymore as they get older. 

So, although it’s RIDONK, it’s strangely comforting.

Makes me want to belt some tunes out, too!

Some songs I want to try the next time I karaoke:

Family Affair, Mary J. Blige (“we don’t need no hater-ation”)
Save a Life, The Fray (is that right?)
Wise up, Aimee Mann

EDIT: I just joined them for a few tunes, one Japanese one and some classics: How Deep is Your Love, You are the Sunshine of My Life, and Addicted to Love.  The last one has the MOST ridiculous video in the WORLD.