on 2023
it'll grow on, not because you're blinded
look up to see what's been hiding
cause you're not afraid
all the days you can't mend
convincing you to go on
highlights from this year
1. how to be happy ... for now
work in progress per usual :]
2. 929
iykyk. just kidding no gate keeping here. this my new favourite bar of all time. inspired by canto/mando pop, everything from the decour and ambiance, to the flavors of the food and drinks are simply authentic. as an abc who at times struggled with my own identity, this is true homage to my own heritage. even with those heavy words aside, the drinks are unique but actually taste as intended. there are plenty of bars filled with cocktails that makes the choice of which to choose a russian roulette. every one of 929's drinks are bangers. actually finished the whole menu one time. also the snacks are as authentic as they come.
3. t1 winning worlds
faker
golden road. we will stop it.
if you want to be the best, you'll have to beat me first.
for a long time, i have watched the rise and fall of many teams, but the player who stood at the end was always me.
the third trophy was for myself. the fourth trophy is for my teammates.
4. spontaneous west village food crawl + jackson heights
raos
greenwich tree house
nadas - rainbow
taco mahal
munchiez
me chicken rice
angel
nepali bhanchha ghar
tong_nyc (closest google maps pin: for fuchka from a food truck)
dosa delight
patel brothers
5. shy bois club
we clown at the most odd times during the day. thank you for bringing laughter to so many of my days.
6. cyberpunk 2077 phantom liberty
cdpr fixed the game...mostly. unlike pokemon. this dlc makes me consider a plethora of moral dilemmas and consequences. the story writing's was a lot better. and one of the endings while initially made me feel empty, felt complete the more i thought about it [an essay on this later].
7. gn in nyc and pr
to those who came and couldn't come. thank you for the memories. it's fleeting. i hope y'all enjoyed hoboken pizza. i certainly enjoyed our time in pr considering it may be the last time we have extended time together like that. of course the trip was a few years delayed, thanks covid, but i'm glad we could finally close out that chapter.
8. x100v
you helped me fall in love with photography again. i overpaid for you paying resell, but i do not regret it whatsoever. everything about you makes it fun to take photos again. the ease. the compactness. i'm a true believer in lowering the bar to get started as much as possible (it's why i will overpay for dyson vaccums versus a traditional vaccum - it inevitably leads to more action) 6 months after my initial promise of getting back into my hobby, i have several prints to show for my efforts. i (and i feel like others in general) rarely print out photos. they simply just exist as rgb values on some device. there's something oddly satisfying about holding something i created that cannot be replicated.
9. --- --th 2023
even though i knew it was coming, i'm thankful for the homies that pulled up. a proper tuesday squad indeed. i can't remember when i was truly that happy. i hate the concept of hosting my own birthday party personally. why should the reason we hang out be because of some arbitrary reason i had no decision in? i want to hang out with you because we want to. thank you for everyone that pulled through. i was truly happy and wish everyone can experience what i felt in that moment sometime in his/her lifetime.
10. extended family
essentially my entire extended family visited nyc (and finally my parents!). i feel odd playing host as i am most definitely a transplant. i only just moved to nyc proper this year. questions of "have you been to summit one?" or "which is a better museum met or moma?" are ones i've not considered in years. i can't remember the last time i played tourist in nyc. yet i wouldn't consider myself a local. it's an interesting dynamic.
be good,
simple