Kiss of K-Sool/Korean Traditional Alcohol Tasting Event

On Thursday I finally got to feel like a girl, wearing a dress and heels. I know it sounds silly but when all you do is work, this kind of breaks are very welcomed. 

I got on the list for Kiss of K-Sool tasting event at Empire State Building (the pretext it was the 2012 London Olympic Games), and I had a pretty good time. 

First, it was this security thing that was surprising for me when I arrived at the Empire State Building. I had to get a visitor's pass from the front office, after they got my personal info from my passport,, and took a photo of me. This is how the pass looks like (and notice that is valid just for a specific period of time!).

Up in the small conference room, waiting for guests, we found a couple of Korean young ladies, along with some bottles of Sool. Slowly more people showed up, and me and my friend got more courage and started to try the wines they were offering for taste, as well as the delicious Korean food they had prepared.

The Sool we got to taste: Chamsali- Mak-deol-li (Unfiltered Rice Wine) with 6% alcohol, Red Mountain- Raspberry Wine with 16% alcohol, and Myung-jak -still a Raspberry Wine but with 13% alcohol.

Red Mountain, my friend's favorite. I found it extremely sweet.

  

Japchae noodles, rice, deep fried meat, Bulgogi, some mini fish pancakes that I don't know how to call them, fried dumplings

 If you're interested in finding out more about K-Sool, you can read about the dozens of types existent right  here. These wines are not currently available on the American market, at the event they were for sale, $10 a bottle. What I can tell you is that both raspberry wines were probably the sweetest kinds I've ever tasted in my life, along with the Shiraz wine produced in USA. The unfiltered rice wine was more bubbly, I found it refreshing if served cold, and the taste, well it was like nothing I've ever tried before. I definitely want to try more rice drinks to be able to make a comparison. 

There was music (K-Pop of course, even though I was expecting some traditional music, or something played with a traditional instrument like the gayageum, not that I wasn't thrilled to almost yell of joy whenever I recognized a Big Bang or 2NE1 song), some people even started to dance, small talk, new people (actually just 1 for me), and a very short presentation about K-Sool, and pictures. 

Overall, even though it started off a bit uncomfortable for me, I am happy for having participated, for the new things I tried, and people I met. Thank you Kiss of K-Sool!

JYP Entertainment- NYC Location Fail

Hello from the rainy NYC! 

Today is a sad day. Don't worry about me, it's just that I have planned to go to JYPE's NYC location today. And I did go, only that no one is there anymore. Or at least that's how it looks like.

Everywhere on the Internet, even on the official website, the New York JYP Entertainment's location appears to be 110 East 31st St. I had my camera with me at work today so I could walk from Madison Square Park to JYP (It's just like a 10 minutes walk), take some pictures, and hoping to see some familiar faces. It was raining, but I was so happy to have discovered the address.

I got there, and BUM! Seems like no one lives there anymore. You couldn't see anything inside, all the windows even the first and second floor ones were covered with paper. The big JYP sign was still out there, but on a smaller door there were 3 eviction notes. It said something about the 2nd and 3rd floor not being built according to the standards I think. I was soooooooo disappointed! 

I guess it was my fault as I forgot I have read it online about the eviction thing on The Korea Herald page, but since this was the address that goes around the Internet...

All I have left now is to check out Park Jin Young's restaurant (Kristalbelli) if I wanna catch a glimpse of him or other Korean VIPs.

NY Philharmonic in the Park

More music? Yes, please!

On Thursday I met Katie and some of her friends to go to the NY Philharmonic concert at Cunningham Park. So, after 1 hour train + bus ride (my first bus ride in NYC, and the driver was nice enough to pull over to get off right next to the park even though there's no stop; but I still think the 2 drivers I rode with that day think they are racing on the driveway :P) I got to the concert which was presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, with Major Corporate Support by Time Warner Inc. The program consisted of Wagner's Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg,Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, and Brahm's Symphony No.1. The conductor was Andrey Boreyko, and James Ehnes the violin solo, which by the way was amazing (and all my group agreed). 

The lawn in font of the stage was full. People of all ages, starting with babies, laying on the grass, sitting on chairs, drinking wine, it felt really nice to see so many interested in classical music. 

  

After the first half, we changed our spot, and I met some of the Korean girls' university colleagues and their family. Oh, and as two of the people I met are managers at a cafe/bakery in Battery Park, I even got to taste my first macaroon ever! (with basil). It was just as great as I thought it would be, yummy! They were all amazing people, kind, and fun to hang out with. We even got to see fireworks. (below you can see my friends looking at the fireworks)

It was a great night. I got to practice my Korean, meet new people, do thing I haven't done before. I thank all those who made my day! You are the best!

Below you can listen to part of what I was listening back then. Relaxing.

4th of July and Random Stuff

Happy 4th! Yeah, that's what I heard at work. People were happy the day before, maybe more because they were off the next day (not everyone though) and they had a reason to party/eat&drink, and not because they really know what there is actually to celebrate...Sorry for every American reading this, but that's what I've noticed with the people I've talked to. Not generalizing though. 

I was off on the 4th, and since I've never seen the 4th of July fireworks I said that I'd head to the Hudson river in the night to see them. So, after 1 hour at Brighton Beach (1 hour only and I'm still red like a lobster!), I headed to Manhattan. The streets were flooded with people. Everyone heading to the fireworks spots (there were a few). 

I was supposed to go with one of my flat-mates but he passed it after all, so here I was alone in Manhattan a few hours before the fireworks (that were supposed to start at 9PM). So, after having a slice of pizza ($1/slice at 2BrosPizza) I found myself walking toward Central Park. I just walked, stared at people, sat on a bench and stared some more at people, and took some pictures. Finally, it was time to go at the Hudson River. 

Oh my God!!! Too many people! From 57th St to 62nd St there were police officers everywhere directing people towards the places where the fireworks could be seen. It was crazy! For at least half an hour I kept walking to find a good spot to watch the fireworks and still wasn't successful. Why? Well, first because the river banks and piers were closed by police as they were filling up. And then because of the heat. The humidity and the huge crowd of people made me feel dizzy, like fainting. So I quickly left my spot (anyway it was already 9:20 and the fireworks haven't started yet) and found a place to sit on the ground. A few minutes later, the fireworks were up in the sky:

The music, or actually the beat you can hear is from my headphones, it's Rain's Rainism. 

So, yeah, I was actually disappointed in this whole 4th of July thing. I really don't get it, why do people go to the beach or to see fireworks and just take their whole house and fridge with them?! I saw so many families with the grills at the beach, people with so many luggage that they seemed to be going away on vacation for a month, not a few hours at the beach! And waiting for the fireworks on a blanket in the street (yeah, on the sidewalk!!!) with pots and bowls of food, along with pets and kids. Speechless...

Moving on, I must tell you how grateful I am for having thrift shops in USA. I love them! Today after work I went to the neighborhood where I lived last year- Astoria, Queens. Nicer and closer to my workplace than where I live now unfortunately. And I headed straight to the thrift shop that I knew there: Second Best Thrift Shop at 3007 Astoria Boulevard. The same place where I got The DaVinci Code last summer for only $2 (yeah, in Romania is somewhere around $10 and with that money you can actually eat a few days). Now I got Kept by Y.Euny Hong (a Korean American journalist) for $2 and is in great condition. 

I actually read some already on the train back home. Even if the cover made me think twice before reading it in public, I actually had a few good laughs reading it. 

About thrift shops, I highly recommend them for almost anything. From books to clothes, and from kitchen tools to furniture. It's cheap, and much of the stuff has barely been used. 

Let me know if you shop at thrift shops, and what did you do on 4th of July if you did celebrate it. Stay safe!

Shopping at a Korean Market

I'm back with a new Korean "adventure". Today I went to Korean Town after work and finally found a supermarket (HMart) I read about on Yelp and got some Korean goodies.

For the first time ever, I made a video to let you know about today. I thought it would be easier to listen than to read. I'm sorry for the video and sound quality, I didn't edit the video at all as the program I know how to use doesn't accept this video format. But, if you like it better with a video, let me know, and I'll keep the videos coming, and I promise I will learn how to use another editing program, so it would be easier to watch, and not as boring as this one.

These are the three things I bought:

As for the rice cooker, this is it:

It came with a measuring cup, so I put 1 of that cup filled with rice, and 1 and a half of the same cup filled with water. That's how I read it online: for every cup of rice and one and a half cup of water. I washed the rice well, added the water, put the lid on, plugged it in, and pressed the cook button. You can read all the instructions where I found them: http://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Rice-in-a-Rice-Cooker 

If you want me to try something else out, please let me know in a comment. 

Update: I had my dinner and the soybean sprouts was a complete failure. I have to find a way to cook it, as I don't like it raw. But the kimchi was excellent, even one of my flat mates tried it and enjoyed it a lot. Same goes for the Pepero.

Things Never Stay the Same

Many new faces at work, many co-worker that probably I won't get to see again unfortunately, another neighborhood to be my home, so yes, things change, always. And as a person who builds memories around the dullest, smallest routine I feel sad. A lot.

So, what I just noticed, yeah, 1 week after I arrived in NYC: there's a change in the park I work at (Madison Square Park). The huge head is gone! Nooooooo!!! It was fun trying to see new features every day, trying to imagine if it's a man or a woman, Asian or American, and it was BIG! 

Remember?

So, now they had some stupid fantasy animals (as I see them) in a small, pinkish children's playground. I totally hate it!

They call it "Pet Sounds" by acclaimed California-based artist Charles Long (?!). 

Dear Mr.Long, I don't like your art, I want my bald head back!

The park looks too ... normal. I want the huge head back!

 

Free Summer Concerts

Last summer I've been to a few concerts of bands/singers known worldwide, like Lenny Kravitz, Enrique Iglesias, Shaggy, and so on. Some of them were part of the Toyota Concert Series at Today Show, 49th Street and Rockefeller Center.  

Just in case any of you reading this happen to be in NYC in the summer, here's the lineup for the rest of the Summer Concerts on TODAY:

JULY 
6: Flo Rida
13: Zac Brown Band
20: Hot Chelle Rae

AUGUST
17: Shakira
24: Train

31: Jason Mraz with special guest Christina Perri
SEPTEMBER3: Matchbox Twenty

Today, in the morning, at 7 AM, Maroon 5 is going to play but I got home late from work and I need my rest before the shift tomorrow. I know I might be sorry afterwards, but no sleep makes me sad and cranky usually :P

Another place to see free concerts is Central Park's Rumsey Playfield. These are hosted by Good Morning America, and they're free and open to the public and will take place live Fridays from 7 - 9AM.

Concert schedule from July on:

July 6: Demi Lovato (#GMADemi)

July 13: TBA

July 20: TBA

July 27: No Doubt (#GMANoDoubt)

August 3: TBA

August 10: TBA

August 17: Neon Trees (#GMANeonTrees)

August 24: The Wanted (#GMATheWanted)

August 31: Backstreet Boys

Yes they're free, that's the best, but these are not regular concerts as the bands usually play only 3-4 songs. But if you're a morning person, and really want to see some bands for free, have fun! And feel free to message me if you want to go together sometime.