The Neeners

Half a Disney Day

2006-04-03T23:01:00.000-04:00

One of the highlights of my trip home was a day at Disneyland. Most people know that big fans of The Magic Kingdom are mostly of children and females; men over the age of 14 seem to be dragged along by said females and children.

Nathan was no exception. From the time I first uttered the line, "So, I thought it'd be nice to go to Disneyland when we're in LA..." his responses (mostly comprised of blank stares and noncommital "hmms") would remind me of how I'd respond to my mom when she'd say to me, "Want to come with me to the Chinese supermarket? And, then the drugstore?"

Six months after hearing the first of several suggestions that we spend a day in a theme park whose ruling mascot is a large mouse with a high-pitched voice, Nathan finally gave me the thumbs-up. Needless to say, tickets were procured before he could change his mind.

So, you can imagine my immense irritation and disappointment when we ended up having less than half a day at the park. Due to a long chain of Murphy's Law events, Nathan and I didn't enter the gates until 3:30 pm. Basically, our visit with Jammie the night before, turned into an extra late chat in my driveway (she got lost getting to my house and her phone had died).

So, we slept in an extra hour the next morning, but my mom was home, so it took me an extra 45 min. to get ready, further delaying our departure. My mom needed me to take the van in for repairs, and the dealership is only 9 miles from Disneyland; I was uninterested in driving down to Anaheim twice in one week, so we took the van in for a "quick" fix-up before heading to the park. The last time I went to get the van door fixed, it took all of 15 minutes. That day, Nathan and I waited over an hour before finally leaving for Disneyland.

But, having never driven to Disneyland from the South, I got lost and had to call my friends within the park for help. I had no idea how much CA freeway memory I'd lost in the last two years! By the time we parked, rode the tram from the parking lot to the park and got through the enormous line to enter, I was undeniably pissed off.

Fortunately, my love of Disneyland soothed my rankled constitution and we ended up having a rather lovely time. The 50th Anniversary fireworks show was especially good!

On the tram

The newly remodeled, very pink Sleeping Beauty's castle

Rae and Shelley on the Matterhorn

The castle at night

Spring Break

2006-04-03T22:44:00.000-04:00

The good people at Diller-Quaile gave us two whole weeks of Spring Break at the end of March. I must say, I was quite ready for the vacation, and no, it wasn't extravagant; it was the perfect amount of time for me to:

1) recover from yet another cold
2) visit my family in California
3) recover from a hectic visit with my family in California!

For those of you who believe that Southern California never gets foul weather, you are mistaken. The relaxed people of Los Angeles received rain for many days before we arrived for vacation, and after we returned to NY. That's right--we brought the sun with us!

Hanging with The Shels

Nate in the Sun

Happy reunions with the elusive Jammie...

and the photo-happy Kathy

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work I go

2006-03-09T20:05:00.000-05:00

It's official: I am a worker bee. All over the island of Manhattan, I buzz to and fro, bringing muscial education (hopefully) to several groups of children.

In September, I was only working for two places, the Diller-Quaile school of music and Children's Aid Society. Mon., Tues., Thurs. and Fri. mornings I work with babies and toddlers at Diller-Quaile in general music and art classes, some of them separation classes (no parents). On Monday and Tuesday afternoons, I teach music, movement and chorus for K-3rd graders at afterschool sites in Yorkville and E. Harlem.

Due to extreme loan payments, I found another job as a piano teacher for kids/teenagers at a music school with an Italian name (Florentine) in Chinatown. My weekday hours did not match with theirs, so I signed away my Sunday mornings to them and I started teaching there in February.

My students are great, they're coming along swimmingly. The main office workers, though nice, are completely incompetent; however, as it is my first year of teaching, and none of my jobs afford me benefits, I decided to stick with this school. A big plus is I can teach there throughout the summer, something that is not possible with D-Q or CAS, as they shut down for the summer months.

My fear of not making rent during the aforementioned summer break drove me to search for one more job. I was so pleased to find a position in an early childhood program in Tribeca. Starting next week, I will be working with downtown babies/toddlers on Wed.-Friday afternoons. The Nest has a Spring/Summer semester that will take me all the way until August, so that will take some of the pressure off of me financially.

Now that I've been able to fill in my open hours (and them some), I'm faintly worried about burning out by next September. With church taking out half (and sometimes more) of Saturday, and spending a third of Sunday at Florentine, I plan to guard my free time even more fiercely than before. Working has surprised me by being immensely fulfilling and more exhausting than school ever was for me. And, I was a good student! Apparently, practicing endless hours of Beethoven and hammering out reams of research papers do not have the same effect on me that teaching does.

It's such an odd feeling I have when I leave my classes. On the one hand, I'm flushed with happiness at musical progress made and the ever-tightening bonds of friendship with my students; on the other hand, I'm so emotionally and physically drained that I crave solitude more than having dinner with friends.

Talking to some of my coworkers, I was quite relieved to find that I'm not alone in my situation. Most of my friends/coworkers work at least two jobs, and gig with their bands/choruses/orchestras on top of that. I have a few friends who do their best not to socialize on schoolnights, choosing simply to recharge by themselves (or with their families) at home. Weekends are much looked forward to, as it is with all people, as are those nifty school breaks/holidays we receive. As for my coworkers who've just had babies, I just do not know how they do it! (Although, it should be noted that none of them are married to or partnered with musicians/artists.)

I am unmarried and have no children, so my time is pretty much my own. I also happen to love my jobs, and most of the people I work with (those Chinatown secretaries need to be flogged, and that's much more than most people can say. I love New York, and I found not one, but four jobs to stay here. I'd say I'm pretty lucky. Tired, but lucky.

Not-so-random musings...

2006-03-09T19:37:00.000-05:00

Here is a question that has plagued my mind lately:

Why do people have children if they don't like them?

I'm not talking about the masses of teenagers who still can't bring themselves to use birth control on a regular basis. I'm talking about "responsible" adults who can afford children and think that it'd be a "neat" idea to procreate in the name of further extending their family tree. These same people are then bewildered and surprised when their cute babies don't sleep through the night, and then grow to be mischievous, loud, temperamental, or just plain naughty toddlers.

Some parents are convinced that their two year olds should be able to control their emotional and physical impulses as an adult would, talking to them as they would a teenager. Then there are parents who do not understand that their children are whining/crying because they're tired of taking a backseat to their parent's cellphone.

My advice to those who are thus far childless: if you don't like the idea of little people who are co-dependent, cry frequently and loudly, like to eat random crap off the floor, and require constant love and care that does not come from a dvd boasting large colorful animals, then try NOT to have children. Seriously, as an early childhood teacher, I care much less about whether your kids are taking up your time from watching a basketball game, even if it is the Big East Tourney; no, I care about whether or not you're making time for your kids.

Whether you like it or not, you as a parent are wholly responsible for their happiness and healthy development. Not their nannies, not their school teachers, not their stuffed animals. Children are an absolutely precious gift, and they deserve parents who are willing to make the sacrifices required of them.

Cooking: A Beginning

2006-03-09T18:49:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I am a huge fan of food. I eat more of it than most people I know, I read about it, I try to discover new (or new to me) bakeries, restaurants, etc. every week. But, I have never been one for the kitchen.

Basically, I've spent the majority of my life making rice, baking cookies, boiling hot water for tea and washing fruits to be eaten whole. I don't like having to cut them into slices because the slices rarely look nice, and then I feel disappointed. Besides, the skin is usually where all the nutrients are, so why not just devour the fruit from the outside in, as nature intended? If mango could be eaten from the outside in, I'd do that to. As it is, I'm very happy to slice a mango into halves, then stand over a large sink to suck the flesh off the seed, the way all good Asians do. When the mango is ripe, a bowl just doesn't cut it.

When I lived in Loma Linda, I learned how to make fried rice, basic veggies, salmon. Nothing hard at all. Oh, and good scrambled eggs. I love scrambled eggs. But, since moving to New York, the city of fast and good food, I completely lost what little motivation I had to cook anything for myself. Instead, I learned how to order take-out and delivery over the phone in commanding tones; I'm usually the one who has to do all the ordering for large groups of friends who do not care to deal with unfriendly waiters with heavy accents.

Lately, though, I've been thinking more and more about the utter helplessness I feel when faced with fresh food and a stove. Like most choleric people, I do not enjoy feeling helpless, even more so when it involves the alchemy of creating meals that are pleasing to the eyes and tastebuds. Plus, working with young children everyday, I have an increasing desire to be able to feed my own future children one day, and I don't mean by picking up a phone and dialing the nearest Italian restaurant.

As luck would have it, I am blessed with several friends who do like cooking, and actually participate in the making of food during the weeknights. One such friend is Jeremy. He is the best cook I know in my realm of friends, and fortunately for all of us, regularly invites us to cook with him. Unfortunately, he and his lovely wife will most likely be moving back to San Francisco in a couple of years, so I thought I'd best take advantage of his culinary prowess while I can.

Last Wednesday, a few of us got together before Bible study to create a Mexican feast of cheese enchiladas, roasted sweet potatoes and chayote squash, black beans, our own yellow rice (yes, Jeremy knows how to make white rice turn yellow) and a mixed salad with homemade lime and olive oil vinagrette. It was great fun and turned out to be mighty tasty. Even though I was just one of 4 people cooking, I was so proud of myself!

On Saturday night, a much larger group assembled itself around Jeremy's kitchen island to cook for an even larger group of hungry friends. On the menu: beet risotto, roasted butternut squash, acorn squash puree soup, sauteed broccoli and mushrooms, tossed salads with sundried tomatoes and artichokes, and bruschetta. There were a lot of big knives being flashed around that night, but no serious injuries were incurred. I sliced a part of a fingernail during a basil chopping session, but to the relief of all, no blood was spilled!

Here are some pictures from Saturday night:

Who knows? Maybe by the time Jeremy and Erica leave, I'll be able to manuever around the kitchen with less anxiety and without slicing my poor fingernails.

Vacation

2006-02-24T01:02:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, I have been enjoying my first vacation week of the new school semester, thanks to the presidents of the United States. That's right, we don't just get a weekend--we get a whole week! New York public schools (I'm not sure about other states) give their students a week for President's Day (President's Week), so I didn't have to go in for my Children's Aid sites. Diller-Quaile, probably to go along with the spirit of things, decided to close for the week as well.

At first, I thought I'd fly out to LA to see my family, but decided to visit them next month instead. Given the choice between February and March, my mom pointed out that she'd prefer a lesser gap of time between times she gets to see me. (As a teacher, I'll probably get to visit her again in June.)

And, so, I have spent the week relaxing in the City. I ended up getting sick--again--on Sunday, so I've been trying to recuperate before work starts up again. Here's a list of the things I've done this week:

1.) Slept in every day--till 12 noon!

2.) Two HUGE loads of laundry

3.) Tidied up Nathan's apartment (yes, I do do that)

4.) Ate the best pancakes of my life--no joke--at Clinton St. Bakery

5.) Watched a lot of Olympics

6.) Bought 3 hardcover books at Labyrinth Books--all for $11

7.) Found a sweet (in all senses of the word) Soda Shop in Tribeca

8.) Consumed gallons of soup (it's about all I crave when I'm sick)

I have to admit that I have missed some of my students...but only the good ones! haha! So, it's back to work on Monday, and to the things that I haven't missed this week:

1.) Paint and glue all over my clothes

2.) Wrenching small objects from the mouths of babes

3.) Duct-taping the light switches and sink handles to prevent insanely frequent usage from small hands

4.) Chronic lower back pain at the end of the day from communing with 2 ft. tall people

5.) Having to hear 2nd and 3rd graders inform me, "We're so TIRED. We've had a long DAY. We just want to SIT."

But, I'm blessed with work, and I love my kids. Here's to the things I missed very much this week:

1. Being greeted with huge smiles and jubilant hugs every morning when we open the classroom door.

2. Hearing 2 yr olds sing ABC and Old MacDonald with zest every day.

3. Dancing with my kids to The Nutcracker Suite

4. Seeing how much they've all grown in such a short time.

Bubby's and Klatch

2006-02-22T19:54:00.000-05:00

Ah, the joys of eating in downtown Manhattan. As a resident of upper Manhattan, I must say that when it comes to food, I would practically walk downtown for a decent meal.

Having said that, let me just recommend two places I had the pleasure of visiting last week. The first is Bubby's Pie Company, better known as Bubby's. If you like heaping plates of solid American food, served in a bright n' airy dining room filled with an eclectic mix of Blackberry-toting businessmen and baby-toting moms, then head down to Tribeca. The real draw at Bubby's are the desserts; personally, I stand behind their pies. I find it reassuring that the word "Pie" is in their official title, and that their pies are excellent.

Nathan and I listened to our Claudia Schiffer-lookalike waitress and ordered the largest slice of lemon meringue pie I've ever had the good fortune of eating in a restaurant:

It was really delicious...

Now, for those of you who like going to Century 21 and then wonder afterwards, "Where the hell can I go to rest/celebrate after surviving such a stressful shopping experience?" I direct you to the coffeehouse Klatch. Sunny yellow walls, twinkly lights all 'round, catchy tunes and excellent service can all be found in this cozy little shop tucked away in the Financial District.

A big smile for my Mexican Hot Chocolate

Bubby's
120 Hudson St.
www.bubbys.com

Klatch
9 Maiden Lane
btw. Broadway and Nassau

Sweet Valentine

2006-02-17T12:57:00.000-05:00

February 14, 2006 was my FIRST Valentine's Day! Well, it was the first time I had a Valentine to celebrate with. My first time standing in front of a huge wall of Valentine's cards at the store, pouring over the selection to find the perfect one for my darling. First time I got to pour my thoughts into what I would get as the perfect gift (final selection: Pistons vs. Knicks at Madison Square Garden in March). First time to rush home after work to change into something nicer for dinnr (I always get paint and glue on my jeans on art days at school). First time receiving a dozen red roses EVER. I know some of you will think I'm to cheesy, but I don't care! I had a wonderful day, and I hope you did, too.

A cozy, romantic restaurant (Salt on 58 MacDougal St.)

Yummy meal

Handsome date

My red roses

My Kids

2006-02-16T22:03:00.000-05:00

I get to see these beautiful faces twice a week at Diller-Quaile, and I wanted to share them with you. Smart, funny, and amazingly musical, here are five of my seven students in Music and Art for 2's Class #36.

Introducing...

Clare and J.P.

Daniel (and his father)

Hannah (and her nanny)

Nick (and his mom)

And, here's me and Miss Clare, posing and singing out "Cheese!"

Let it Snow

2006-02-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

During the record-setting snowfall, a very sleepy Jannine tried to make her own path through the streets to get to her first day of work. After a ridiculously difficult and long subway ride (2 different transfers!) to the far reaches of Chinatown, our brave piano teacher--who could not reach her school by phone--tunneled 7 more loooong blocks to find a school that was not open. Much internal seething ensued amidst the swirling flurries of snow.

However, on the way back to the subway, Jannine was able to purchase Chinese breakfast items for a grand total of $2.00, and then spent a nice, relaxing day indoors with her friend Erica.

When music videos go awry

2006-02-09T17:19:00.000-05:00

I loved Knight Rider as a child. I love Dodgeball as an adult (c'mon, you KNOW it was hilarious when Lance Armstrong makes his cameo). What do the two have in common? Mr. David Hasselhoff.
Who didn't laugh hysterically when Coach Hasselhoff dresses down his German team en Deustch after they lose to Joe's Gym in the Vegas rounds? And, when he smashed a framed picture of himself, causing the Germans to tear up, I said to myself, "Now THERE'S a man/actor who knows how to laugh at himself!"

And, so my love for the Knight Rider lived on. Unfortunately, while browsing through an acquaintance's blog, I found a disturbing chink in the Knight's armor. She had stumbled upon, and posted a link to, a video clip of David Hasselhoff singing "Hooked On a Feeling." While Mr. Hasselhoff seems to possess a fine singing voice, his agreement to participate in the antics portrayed in this music video raised many a question in my head, the first and foremost being, "What the hell was he thinking?!"

Prepare yourselves for Hasselhoff moves that include flying like a bird and taking a bite out of a large salmon, caught with his bare hands in an eskimo suit.

Trade your books!

2006-02-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

Every morning in Manhattan, commuters are met with an array of free newspapers thrust in their faces as they struggle to rush down the stairs leading to subway platforms. One of said newspapers is AM New York, which happened to be in the hands of the commuter sitting next to me one day. This is how I saw the ad for a new online company called Bookins.

If you go to www.bookins.com, you will find a free (for membership) book-trading service that encourages readers everywhere to share the books they love (or don't love) and no longer read with others. I am one such reader. I have shelves lined with books in California and New York, and they keep growing. But, there are the few books that I thought I'd love when I bought them, and was mistaken. And the odd book here and there that I did love, but find too painful or haunting to ever read again.

As a member of Bookins, I create a "trade list" and a "wish list." I submit the ISBN codes of all the books I'd like to trade out, and I search for books available to put on my wish list. Each book that is submitted for trading on Bookins is awarded a certain number of "points" depending on its popularity, age, and whether it's a hard or soft cover edition. The more books you trade out, the more points you're awarded, and thus, the more books you they can send you off of your wish list. For those of you wondering about money right about now, every member does pay for the shipping fee + delivery confirmation ($3.99) of each book shipped to them. The sender does not pay for anything.

The really nice thing about Bookins is that they handle all the go-between. You never have to communicate or deal with another member. All you have to do is print out the ready-to-print shipping label from the website, wrap up the book requested from you, and drop it in the mailbox. Now, obviously, there is always the chance of nobody wanting the books you've offered up for trade, in which case you may not garner that many bookins points.

So far, I've sent out two of my books, and received three from my wish list. I'm hoping that more people will want to adopt more of my listed books, but I suppose it's just a matter of time. And, if that still doesn't work, then there's always the option of donating the books to a library, or trying to sell them to a used book dealer.

If you love books, and you'd like your books to find a nice home (instead of being shelved in a dusty bookstore), give Bookins a try. There's no harm in trying, and they let you pick out 3 free books when you sign up. Happy reading!

Kitty Kat Withdrawals

2006-02-05T02:56:00.000-05:00

Smiling through the Seasons

Kathy and Good Sweets

Kathy's Last Day at Church

Karaoke with Kathy

Come back SOON, Kathy! We love you!!

Resurfacing

2006-02-05T02:22:00.000-05:00

I'm a little shocked as I type, and I realize that it's been over 2 weeks since I last posted on my blog. Hmm...3 weeks? Anyhow, it's been a long time since I've had the urge to hammer out something about anything going on in my life. Ironically, I blame that mostly on the fact that I've had too much going on.

My dear friend Kathy left the City on January 19, and in the weeks leading up to that dreaded date of departure, Nathan, Susan and I (and plenty others) spent just about all our spare moments with her. We tried to hit all our favorite restaurants, we watched movies, and we pretty much tried to help her squeeze in as much Big Apple fun as possible.

After Kat left, I was exhausted. Specifically, I was tired of hanging out with lots of people. There are those who believe that I am an extrovert, through and through; the more observant of my friends should know differently. Even the best extroverts need some good alone time to recharge. How else can we exist comfortably and convincingly as outgoing, engaging people? Hence, I think I spent the days following Kathy's move hunkered down with Nathan. I was perfectly cheery at work, and then I would head straight to the quiet comfort of Nathan's company.

I should also mention that I was working quite a bit. With co-workers dropping like flies (begone, foul germs!) I was able to pick up a few extra hours of subbing. I was also busy with my students' big Winter Concert. Definitely more on that later. Successful though it was, my body succumbed to the germs all around, and I was out sick Saturday-Monday.

Anyways, to wrap this oddly confession-like sounding post up, I found that I'd managed to forget several friends' January birthdays (the least forgivable being that of my roommate Grace). To make up for these lapses in friendship, I made dates to take both Grace and my friend Sarah out this past week. I wanted to go out with my friend Jason for his b-day, but I was so tired after dinner with Sarah that I simply turned in for the night. (It's so irritating that, even if I'm just a little sick, small things like dinner take a huge toll on me.)

Oh, I almost forgot: I completed an 8-hr infant, child, and adult CPR course on Wednesday. Yup, more on that later. And, Nathan and I hung out with Jen J. on Tues. night; we watched the first half of The Fellowship of the Rings and had a great time just talking.

It's occuring to me right now that this is by far the most incoherent post I've ever written (worsened, I'm sure, by the late hour), but I like that. It's exactly how my life has felt since I last posted, and that's what I want to convey to you.

Dear Met, I hardly knew thee

2006-01-12T16:51:00.000-05:00

You know how it is when you head into something with a pre-determined purpose, only to discover other potentially exciting things?

My move to New York is a big example of that happening. Besides wanting a change of scenery, I "knew" I wanted to further pursue a career in teaching piano performance and literature in a university/college setting. Two and a half dizzying years later I find myself gleefully teaching babies and toddlers, kindergartners and 2nd graders in early childhood programs. And, it is more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined.

I find that life in New York is generally a melange of the unexpected and the delightful. There are so many people to meet, so many book shops to peruse, so many restaurants to frequent and so much beauty in the different neighborhoods. When the weather is just right, a day out in the City is a definite guilty pleasure.

Today was a particularly sunny, and unnaturally warm day in January. I decided to take a stroll down 5th Ave. after I finished work. After stopping in at Yura & Co., my favorite picnic lunch and cupcake place, I found a bench at the Central Park Reservoir to enjoy my sandwich. I planned to walk around the Upper East Side until I was tired, but when the Met Museum came into sight, I saw that most of the scaffolding had finally been taken down. It was so beautiful, like a brand new building.

I quickly scanned the placards mounted on the front of the building, searching to see if any of their current exhibits would tickle my fancy. When I read the title "Clouet to Seurat," I quickly crossed the street to climb up the famous steps. Now, I have no idea who Clouet is, but I rather like the impressions Seurat's paintings make on a person.

I impatiently waited for my "M" visitor button, and then rushed upstairs to the 2nd floor where I was sure Seurat would be waiting for me. However, instead of finding a visitor sign pointing me towards the "Clouet to Seurat" exhibit, I found arrows pointing to several other shows. Having walked to the wrong location, I decided to just take a gander at what new things were in the wing I'd chosen.

The current exhibit I found is entitled "David Milne Watercolors: Painting Toward the Light." Milne was a Canadian who spent a great deal of his career in New York City and Upstate New York before returning to his native country. He, like too many artists, died without fame our fortune. Fifty years later, I took in his bright depictions of life in the Big Apple, and the country north of it.

5th Ave. in 1912

You can still ride Hansom cabs today!

Storm Over the Islands III, 1951

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Milne exhibit, and I also spent some time in the Degas rooms, as well as the contemporary wings that house a few beautiful pre-Cubist Picassos. I never did find the Seurat drawings, but as most Met visitors will tell you, your feet get very sore after about an hour there. So, I will go back another day to find Seurat and probably other enchanting offerings as well.

A Michigan Holiday

2006-01-10T19:16:00.000-05:00

My week in Charlotte, MI was straight out of a winter-tale storybook. We opened presents under the Christmas tree, sang carols, and ate a few Christmas goodies that Nathan's mom and sister had baked themselves.

Nathan's family has lived in Michigan all their lives, and they live smack dab in the middle of the hand-shaped state. Contrary to popular assumption, they are not working farmers. They do, however, own lots of beautiful land (12 acres!), and most of their neighbors are farmers. From their house, you can see lots of different crops going every which way (now covered with snow). There's even a farm with a few tall dairy silos down the lane. I say lane, not street, because the road to their house is not paved.

I was very excited to experience my first white christmas, complete with a beautiful homegrown blue spruce christmas tree (when Nathan was very young, his parents planted a bunch of spruces to sell during the X-mas seasons). Here are a few shots of Nathan's family and their tree:

From l to r: Rachel, Joe, Melissa, Jason, me and Nathan

The Whitakers have a couple of ponds on their land, and when they're frozen over, you can ice skate on them. When they were younger, Nathan and his siblings would skate on their ponds, as well as on their grandma's (she lived 5 miles away). While charmed by the idea of skating on a private pond not owned by Donald Trump, my non-Midwestern senses were alarmed by the possibility of me drowning in icy waters.

Hence, Jason, Nathan and I headed over to the Michigan State University hockey rink. During certain hours, the enormous rink is open for public skating, and its spacious icy surface is perfect for beginning skaters like me. Plenty of room to wobble and fall down without getting in other people's way. The last time I skated was almost 2 years ago in Central Park, so I think I did pretty well, especially since it was only my 2nd time ever.

The great Zamboni

Holdin' the wall (just in the beginning!)

Skating, happy people

All in all, I had a good, low-key vacation, and it was nice getting to know Nathan's family and their friends a little better.

The New Year

2006-01-10T13:45:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it is January 10 already! I know this for sure, because one of my many student loan payments is due tomorrow, January 11, 2006. That's right, I keep track of time with the bills that I have due every month.

Anyhow, I just finished my classes at Diller-Quaile for today, and am languishing in some down time before my next class at the E. Harlem center. And it occurred to me just how long it has been since I last posted on my blog. Let's see, Christmas came and went in California, I spent almost a week in the wintery plains of Michigan, and I rang in the New Year with the lovely Nathan, watching the glittering ball drop on TV.

I came back to a gradually de-Christmas-izing New York City on New Year's Day. No more aromatic tree stands to pass by on the streets, no more tourists standing in great clumps, shooting cameras at every corner...it's kind of sad, actually. I mean, I hate the slow, crowded holiday subway/bus commutes as much as the next New Yorker, but I really do revel in the cheery lights and pine-tree smells of the season. Just about the only reminder that Christmas was just here are the dead trees piled unceremoniously on the curbs of every street!

But, now it is indeed a new year, and I suppose this post should be more about the hopefulness of a fresh start than about trying to hold on to the past. Now there are many things to look forward to--weddings, baptisms, holidays off work, recitals (many, many recitals in the Spring) and the warm, balmy weather of early Summer. Specifically for me, there are a few key things that will be quite exciting to come upon: my dad being eligible for MediCare in March, Nathan's and my anniversary in April, Nathan graduating in May, Jennie T. getting married in June, and in September, the first anniversary of my teaching career. And, then, dear goodness, I'll be turning 28 in October.

For now, I'll just take things one day at a time. I don't believe in New Year's resolutions--or, rather, I don't believe people actually keep them--but I do believe in calling up old friends, making new ones, and taking time to have a good cup of coffee with them. Here's to another New Year!

Busy Vacation

2005-12-23T02:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally succumbed to the cold that'd been threatening to overtake my ever lame immune system. It is Thursday, my 5th day of vacation in California, and I'm sick. It's not too bad, but I did cancel on a couple of good friends tonight. I was supposed to have dinner with my old friend my college, but I'll probably see her tomorrow.

The other thing I cancelled on was slightly more exciting, if only because it involved a free concert ticket, and I LOVE free concert tickets! My dear friend Jammie, whom I have not seen since August, works for a newspaper in downtown Long Beach, and they had all these free tickets to Peter Cincotti's show tonight at The Vault 350. Having never heard of this so-called musical vault, I was very curious to see what type of venue it was--and if it was at all the type of place that Mr. Cincotti, jazz pianist and crooner, can usually be found in.

According to the website, it's a rock club--not exactly the type of place he usually plays in, I'm betting. The last time I heard his jazz trio was at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall (and surrounded by numerous middle-aged and elderly couples), so I was very surprised. Even more interesting is the fact that an underground rock band named Agent Orange opened for them. As Nathan said, "Maybe Peter Cincotti likes to rock out, too." You rock on, Peter! ROCK!

Though I did not accompany my hip friend Jammie to a Vault to hear jazz piano for free, I must say that I've had quite the busy vacation up until today. Let's see...when I arrived on Sunday, I had a late lunch with my family, took a nap, and, later that night, saw The Chronicles of Narnia with Shels, Andy and Eudora. Monday I went to dim sum with my parents, followed by the longest trip to the mall that I've had in recent memory. First we watched King Kong, during which I squealed, squirmed and cried with a lot of pre-teenagers. Then my mom & dad wanted a coffee break, so I bought a gift card from Nordstrom's for my mom while they had coffee by a large and glittering Christmas tree, complete with a Santa's Village affixed to the front side of the massive trunk.

We then had dinner at the food court (my parent's have an undying affinity and loyalty to food courts of any type) and waited while my mom stood in an impressive line at Border's to buy more gift cards. I was all set to bring the van around when my mom announced that she'd forgotten she needed two more gift cards from Nordstrom's, so she ran back to that end of the mall while my dad and I headed to the parking structure. I was very tired when I got home.

Tuesday was Orange County day. We got our van fixed up at the dealership down in Anaheim, and then headed down to South Coast Plaza for a quick bite and a little walking. Ah, Christmastime in malls...so much glitter and fake reindeer leaping about...it's all very heartwarming to a native Southern Californian such as myself. The bright spot of Tuesday night was going to see The Boyfriend, an old musical directed by none other than Julie Andrews, whose debut was the starring role in the original Broadway production when she was 19.

I love Julie Andrews, as does my mom, so we were all excited about seeing the musical. My dad, never a big theatre buff, was just game enough to come along for the ride. Overall, it was a cute, colorful production with plenty of good Charleston dancing (it's set in the '20s), but I found the story to be lacking in depth; I also found the supporting company more interesting than than the lead actors, but at least I didn't fall asleep like my mom did.

Wednesday I drove out to Loma Linda to see a couple of friends. I feel like I still have a ton of friends/acquaintances out in the Inland Empire, but most of them weren't around yesterday. Nonetheless, I had a great time catching up with my friends Jeff (super-talented violinist masquerading as a dental student) and the ever-lovable Rae (has new boyfriend, so I peppered her with questions). I made a valiant attempt to see my old friend Helen (out X-mas shopping) and roommate Grace (didn't get any of my calls/messages until tonight, apparently). Still, I was pretty eager to get on the road, as traffic is a killer nowadays. I ended up dropping by Blockbuster on the way home, which I think was a brilliant idea given that I stayed at home all day today.

So, there you have it. If you've made it this far into the post, you have my hearty congratulations, and you know what I've been doing on My Vacation. I'll hopefully be feeling much better tomorrow, and that way I can go out and see Irene and do some very last-minute shopping. I also have a dessert/coffee party in the evening with church friends--yay for catching up with old friends!

Have your flowers and drink it, too!

2005-12-15T23:57:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of hot drinks: coffee, espresso drinks, hot chocolate and tea. As a teenager, I found that I could not bear the taste of Asian teas, as they are much subtler--yet strangely, more bitter--than English teas. Plus, I like the "girliness" of English teas; I like mixing copious amounts of cream and sugar into a tea named after an Earl or Lady, whilst sitting in an intensely floral room that contains overstuffed loveseats and heart-shaped throwpillows.

In more recent years, I've become very fond of your basic Jasmine and Oolong teas, especially when I'm eating salty, greasy food in Chinese restaurants. Talk about cleansing the palate...the more tea I drink, the more food I can consume...which, arguably, is a good thing.

For those of you who enjoy the aromatic and gentle taste of jasmine tea, AND have an appreciation for floral aesthetics, I am proud to recommend a new dimension in tea leaves: the Blooming Tea. That's right--it's tea, and it blooms! Jasmine-infused tea leaves are wrapped into small buds around different types of flowers--roses, marigolds, mums--and are ready to be dropped into cups/pots of water. Within a few seconds the leaves begin to open, and a few minutes later you are drinking tea from a cup that boasts a floating flower inside.

Before:

After:

So far, I've been able to try out two different brands of blooming teas: Ito En and My Cup of Tea. The first, a gift from one of my students at Diller-Quaile, is from an upscale tea shop on the Upper East Side on Madison Ave.; the second, a generous hand-out from my aunt, is from a very cute online Japanese tea company. Interestingly, the Ito En flower was not nearly as beautifully fully-bloomed as the one from My Cup, but its flavor and aroma were far superior to that of the prettier flower-tea.

For more information (or holiday gifts?) visit:
www.itoen.com
www.my-cup-of-tea.com

A Christmas Tale

2005-12-15T23:07:00.000-05:00

'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through Manhattan, the City was stirring with glitter and flair.
At Bergdorf's and Bloomie's, pure fantasies awoke...

...while Snowflakes had fallen, and a Star hung with care.

Now Good Friends have gathered, to sing and to play...

...and Kids of all ages admire a Tree from a ways...

Let's enjoy one another for all of our days!

The Truth About Me

2005-12-08T20:17:00.000-05:00

*TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey*
Name:	Jannine Fae Tan
Birthday:	October 6, 1978
Birthplace:	Glendale, California
Current Location:	New York, New York Baby!
Eye Color:	Dark Brown
Hair Color:	Currently reddish brown with blond streaks
Height:	5'6''
Right Handed or Left Handed:	I'm a Righty
Your Heritage:	Chinese-American
The Shoes You Wore Today:	brown n' pink Diesels
Your Weakness:	cupcakes of the rich and chocolate-y kind
Your Fears:	Not being able to pay rent
Your Perfect Pizza:	Fresh out of the oven Grimaldi's
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:	Eat less processed sugar
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:	I don't "IM"
Thoughts First Waking Up:	Must hit the snooze...
Your Best Physical Feature:	My smile? My legs? I'm happy with both.
Your Bedtime:	1 am
Your Most Missed Memory:	Disneyland with old friends
Pepsi or Coke:	Vanilla Coke
MacDonalds or Burger King:	In-n-Out
Single or Group Dates:	Single
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:	Honest Tea
Chocolate or Vanilla:	Always chocolate
Cappuccino or Coffee:	Mochaccino
Do you Smoke:	nope
Do you Swear:	when I miss the train
Do you Sing:	Everyday
Do you Shower Daily:	Of course
Have you Been in Love:	Only twice
Do you want to go to College:	I did, and I went
Do you want to get Married:	yes
Do you belive in yourself:	most of the time
Do you get Motion Sickness:	no
Do you think you are Attractive:	yes
Are you a Health Freak:	no
Do you get along with your Parents:	yes
Do you like Thunderstorms:	no
Do you play an Instrument:	yes
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:	no
In the past month have you Smoked:	no
In the past month have you been on Drugs:	no
In the past month have you gone on a Date:	yes
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:	no
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:	not a box, but I did consume two of the cookies within the box
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:	yes
In the past month have you been on Stage:	yes
In the past month have you been Dumped:	no
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:	no
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:	no
Ever been Drunk:	no
Ever been called a Tease:	yes
Ever been Beaten up:	no
Ever Shoplifted:	no
How do you want to Die:	In my sleep, after playing with my grandkids
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:	A good mom
What country would you most like to Visit:	France
*In a Boy/Girl..*
Favourite Eye Color:	Blue/green
Favourite Hair Color:	dark
Short or Long Hair:	short
Height:	taller than me
Weight:	heavier than me
Best Clothing Style:	Dark jeans, dress shirt, good shoes
Number of Drugs I have taken:	zilch
Number of CDs I own:	More than 25, less than 50
Number of Piercings:	zero
Number of Tattoos:	nada
Number of things in my Past I Regret:	I don't count regrets
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

A Question of Compatibility

2005-12-06T23:42:00.000-05:00

In keeping with Kimi and Nathan's recent posts, I went ahead and took the compatibility quiz Kimi found online. If you click on the link below, you can see how you rate with me in our friendship. Here are the results they calculated for my friendship/relationship with Nathan:

SimilarMinds.com Compatibility Test

Your match with Nathan
you are 71% similar
you are 60% complementary

How Compatible are You with me?
Unsurprisingly, I disagree with the percentages they came up with. I think we are much more complementary than a mere 60% of the time, but I am, of course, highly biased. I would agree with their assessment of us being 71% similar; however, I was just told on Monday that (in the opinion of this dear friend) Nathan and I appear to be converging in personality with each passing month. Now, this sounds scary and unflattering (no one likes couples who have only one personality!) but I think she meant it as a humorous observation.

How I became Darth Vader today

2005-12-05T19:13:00.000-05:00

Today started out like any other Monday--hard to wake up, perked up when the kids arrived for class, looked forward to some coffee. Nothing out of the ordinary, except I was very much looking forward to having lunch with my lovely roommates, Brenda and Grace.

After an almost 2 hour food and talk fest, I left the restaurant feeling refreshed and pumped for my next two classes with my kids at Rhinelander. The semester is almost done, so I have been running Christmas and Hannukah songs with the kids for our "caroling class" next Monday. The holiday season is widely regarded as a saving grace to music teachers everywhere, with its fun and plentiful repertoire that comes along just when you're needing something new to present in class. Plus, I get to give the kids jingle bells/bracelets/sticks to play while we sing. It's all very merry and loud and mad fun.

Unfortunately, I had a hellish road to travel to get to Rhinelander this afternoon. After waiting 10 minutes for the 1 train at 110 St., I took out my iPod mini to pass the time. I was determined to get to work by public transportation as I'd just purchased a new metrocard that morning, and I am running low on cash this month. When I took my iPod out of my pocket to search for the appropriate song to start me off, I felt something flutter out of my pocket. Looking down, I saw with absolute horror my metrocard come to rest at the bottom of the train tracks. That's when I wished, for the first time in my life, that I had super stretchy arms. Or, at the very least, freakishly long ones. Either would have allowed me the ability to reach straight down to retrieve my precious unlimited 7-day card. For a few brief moments, I considered pulling a crazy-transit move by jumping down to get my card. Of course, I had to admit to myself that I was not at all strong enough to hoist myself back up onto the platform. Plus, what if I met a rat(s) while I was down there?

Still staring sorrowfully at the card, I heard the welcome rumble of the 1 train, and gratefully, I stepped back from the yellow line. I lined up faithfully with a myriad of other eager New Yorkers, and we watched as the train zoomed right on by us, and out of sight. Slightly panicked, but not too surprised, at least 50 different heads stuck themselves out to search for a glimpse of an oncoming train. Sure enough, about 3 minutes later, we saw the welcome lights of another 1 train...and then we watched, aghast, as it too denied us the pleasure of its functional company.

Stifling a few curse words, I spun on my heel, and flew out of the station with several other people. I ran to the bank (luckily just across the street), pulled out more cash, and flagged down the first free cab I saw. It slowed down for me, and immediately, an elderly German woman cut me off on my path to the cab. Before I could protest, I saw her beckon urgently to her son, and his three young children; I simply couldn't bitch out an old woman in front of her grandchildren. Besides, I was running out of time to get to work. Running back to the curb, I saw another cab that would come straight towards me once the light turned green.

This time, unthwarted, I hurtled into the cab and gave my destination to my knight in shining armour. And, what did my cabbie say to me? It was not,"How are you, Miss?" or "It sure is cold outside, hmm?" He didn't even try my all-time favorite, "You have such beautiful eyes." No, this man turned his dark, serious eyes to me and proceeded to reprimand me for standing at the "wrong" corner of the street. "The next time you hail a cab, you must stand on the corner of the street that makes sense for getting to where you want to go. See how we're having to drive around the block just to get going in the right direction? You're not only wasting the driver's time, but now you're wasting your money. The meter is running, and we're driving to nowhere when we go in circles. Do you understand me? Do you, Miss?! ["Miss" was interjecting that she was merely pressed for time, and her sole goal was to get IN a cab no matter what the direction it was pointed in] It was startingly clear to me that this man would not shut up if I didn't "agree" with him soon. So, once more, I got out my iPod, ripped off my scarf and gloves, glared at him balefully and pronounced to him in what I can only describe as a hostile tone, "YES." He actually started to renew his lecture, but seeing my eyes, he fell silent.

I made a couple of calls to inform people at work that I might be late for the first class, and settled down in the back to simmer in silence. When we reached 88th St. and 3rd Ave., I started putting on my scarf and pulling out money to throw through the glass window. The school is on 88th and 1st Ave., but he pulled over on the far corner of 88th & 3rd, and announced to me that I should get out and walk the remaining 2 blocks because the traffic had become bad, and it would be faster for me. He probably wanted to add that it'd be slightly more economical for me than having him drive around another block to get to the building. Wanting nothing more to do with this Man of Condescension, I tossed some money at him and burst out of the cab.

Incidentally, I did get to work just 5 minutes ahead of schedule, and was able to set up the instruments, etc. I have to admit that I was pretty short-tempered with the 2nd & 3rd graders today, but compared to how I was feeling, they don't know how lucky they were already...Perhaps an adequate analogy of how my evident temper paled in comparison to the temper that raged inside me would be Darth Vader's excellent line in The Return of the Jedi, in regards to his men needing to finish the new Death Star on time, "The Emperor is not as forgiving as I."

Fluff to go

2005-12-02T17:33:00.000-05:00

It's been almost 2 weeks since I last posted...I think. Anyhoo, I still haven't uploaded pictures from Thanksgiving, so I'm posting several blog-friendly quiz results. I found these tiny, harmless tests from my friend, Maggie's blog; they're actually called "Blogthings--things to put on your blog."

World's Shortest Personality Test:

Your Personality Profile

You are sexy, powerful, and bold.
You're full of passion and energy...
Sometimes this passion has a dark side.

You feel most alive when you're seducing someone. You never fail to get someone's attention. Quick minded, you're also quick to lose your temper!

What Color Should Your Eyes Be?

Your Eyes Should Be Green

Your eyes reflect: Striking attractiveness and danger. A vivid inner world is hidden behind your eyes.

What Type of Pie are You?

You Are Apple Pie

You're the perfect combo of comforting and traditional. Those who like you crave security.

I disagree, but only because I don't like apple pie.

What is your Brain Pattern?

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is a multi dimensional wonderland, with many layers. You're the type that always has multiple streams of though going. And you can keep these thoughts going at any time. You're very likely to be engaged in deep thought - and deep conversation.

I must say that I enjoy taking these little ditties. Takes no time, but provides a little amusement.

Falling into books

2005-11-20T21:33:00.000-05:00

I love books. I borrow and I buy, and I read some more! Libraries are often my home away from home, especially when money is tight. My wallet may not always be full of cash, but by joves, it contains five different library cards. Four of them are for libraries in Southern California; the last one gets me into the many branches of the New York Public Library. When they mailed my card to me, they even included a mini-card to hang on my keyring!

Since moving to New York, I've re-discovered another joyful source of all things literary--book fairs! Just the name of the event--book fair--conjures up inside me a heady nostalgia. I used to wait giddily for the elementary school book fairs that my school held every year. Everyday for two weeks, I'd beg my parents for more money to splurge on books and bookmarks; when the bookcases were wheeled away, a palpable gloom would descend upon me for the next several days.

New York City holds a few incredible book fairs every year, usually for just Saturday and Sunday. Today I attended the Goddard Riverside Community Center Book Fair. All proceeds go to their 22 programs, ranging from child and youth advocacy centers and tenant/housing assistance, to community arts and events. The event was held at the Center, complete with large white tent to afford more room for all the books. Everything was at least 50% off, with additional reductions in price depending on the table.

I was most pleased with my purchases today, and I didn't spend as much as I'd expected! $22 and 8 books later, I'm happily looking forward to next year's book fair! Here are a few of my acquisitions:

A bittersweet tale with a charming name:

The plot surrounding an olfactory-blessed protagonist intrigued me:

A lovely poem set to even lovelier illustrations:

A creative pop-up book from the illustrator of Olive the Other Reindeer: