Best thing about wandering around the City: street art

Best thing about New York summers: street fairs + the fresh watermelon they sell there

Best lazy moment: even the grocery store 2 blocks down will deliver to you at 4 in the morning

Best surprise: friends are always dropping by to visit… in a tie with getting hot sauce in the mail

Best outdoor activity: boating in Central Park

Best out of Manhattan activity: walking across the Brooklyn Bridge to DUMBO & hanging out for the day

Best view of the City: @Deutsch ad agency near Chelsea Market

Best way to get out of the City: Bolt bus

Best $12 I ever spent: Alexandar McQueen exhibit @the Met

Best way to get to the beach: in a BMW convertible after my intern presentation with one of my best friends from Texas driving.

Best nightly activity: hanging out on a stoop with friends watching trendy people walk their dogs

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The Food Section!!

Best ramen: Ippudo (10th and 4th Ave. Be ready to wait 30 min to an hour)

Best Caribbean: Boca Chica (1st and 1st. The ropa vieja is the shiznit + the caipirinhas= amazing)

Best roast corn: The green something or other in Chelsea Market

Best ice cream: Magnum (Ok, so it’s a Unilever product & I worked there this summer but I spent my own money buying the addiction-inducing double caramel piece of heaven, and I’d honestly do so even if I didn’t work there.)

Best overall bao: Baohaus (Norfolk + Rivington or 14th and 2nd Ave)

Best pork bao: Momofuku Noodle Bar (10th and 1st Ave but don’t order the ramen. Just get the bao & go to Ippudo for the ramen)

Best Lasagna/pasta: Eataly (23rd and 5th Ave)

Best dessert: Chikalicious (10th and 2nd Ave)

Best soup dumpling (tang bao): Joe Shanghai (Pell by Bowery)

Best brunch place: Gemma (3rd and Bowery)

Best homemade ice cream: Sundaes & Cones (10th & 3rd Ave. Try their strawberry cheesecake + taro scoops. Perfect combo.  Also, there’s corn, wasabi, & black sesame. Hmmmm.)

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Out of New York

Best molecular gastronomy place: Marigold BYOB (45th & Larchwood)

Best drive ‘in the country’: Atlantic City Express way

Best random trip: rediscovering Old City Philadelphia with my cousin from Beijing + friend

Not including work.  Not including school.  Not including spam.  What do you get emails about?

I get about 50 emails a day from Groupon, Yipit, PLNDR, Borders Rewards, Ralph Lauren, Barneys New York, Heartsy.me (it’s like Groupon for Etsy), and so many more.  It became a morning ritual to delete all these crazy emails.  Then, an after lunch ritual as well.  It’s too much.

The irony is that I already look up the content that I care about.  Even though I rarely buy anything on Gilt, Ruelala, or Hautelook, I check their mobile app weekly.  I’ve bought more via Groupon mobile than on their website, and never have I seen a Groupon email and jumped at the opportunity.  In short, everything I can get via email, I can get via my smartphone.  So please stop sending me discount/OMG, it’s a SALE!/group buying emails.  And for heaven’s sake, please stop auto-subscribing me.

[I just unsubscribed to Yipit and immediately got another email; apparently, there's another level of unsubscribe I needed to go through to never hear from them again.  Sorry, that makes me less likely to buy from you compared to the other 300 "me too!s" out there.]

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Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely instances for email.  Emails from all my accounts, i.e. credit cards, etc. to ensure I’m still running smoothly and haven’t turned my credit into a single digit number… they’re a great thing.  Emails from certain online groups, i.e. community managers or MeetUps or Ivy+, with updates are fine.  Even Hubspot emails (before they started emailing me multiple times a week- thanks, but if I really wanted your content, I’d subscribe to your blog; stop it already) were marginally interesting and informative.

But daily sales emails… please for the love of all that is un-evil, stop sending them and just make an app.  In fact, please make a universal shopping app, so I don’t have to log into the 20 different apps per day in order to check my deals.  Just one place.  Giving me information when I want.  On my phone.  Allows me to purchase.  Does not bother me with silly emails that are for all practical purposes useless.

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Counter-argument: I’m assuming that lots of people aged 35-55, who love sending ‘funny’ images via email, playing Farmville, and posting a thousand status updates a day are the same people who will actually click-through on those emails.  And for the 5% or 7% or 9% click-through rates, the entire email campaign becomes worthwhile.  But consider this, will the other 90+% of your audience become sick of your antics and indifferent to your brand?  Just because the other 90% doesn’t report you as spam or doesn’t do anything but delete your email doesn’t mean the users themselves are not secretly resenting the annoyance of your presence.

I’m fat. Sure, technically, I’m the US average.  So many people/friends think that I’m “not that fat” or “beautiful just the way that I am.”  But I’m fat.

It’s every day.  Every person.  Fat is like race or gender or any other physical difference discrimination, except that no one polices discrimination on weight.  No matter what you think.  You, and very much I, judge people based on their appearance. And I get judged for being fat all the time.  It’s harder to find someone who is attracted to me physically.  Certain classmates don’t even make an attempt to introduce themselves, much less care about who I am.  Going out drinking and being hit on is a rarity at most.  Even your guy friends would never put you under the same consideration set.  And no matter how much people tell you fake it and have confidence, it’s all about confidence and how you carry yourself… it’s not so simple. It’s not true.  You will always eliminate a huge subset of people because you’re fat and because they judge you on your fatness.

I feel like I get faced with judgment all the time.  I fear walking to my table at a restaurant because I’m afraid I won’t fit between the chairs.  I don’t even hit on hot guys because they’re way out of my league and would never notice me anyway.  There’s so much make-up and manipulation that has to happen with each outing and each photo app, not to get my “best side” but to get my “not fat side.”  I’m bombarded with others and me judging myself.  I feel disgusting and unpretty and not-worthwhile.

Yes, the reasoning can be made that you can never not be black or not be asian.  You can lose weight.  But it’s not as easy as people make it sound.  Additionally, it makes the whole self-esteem part worse.  I get judged and judge myself not only because I’m fat but also because I could technically lose the weight and not have to deal with the issue.

But why can’t I be okay the way that I am?  How much differently would I perceive the world, if I felt like I actually belong?  Is it just my fat or is it something in my personality that just isn’t cool enough? I don’t know.

I just want to be accepted.  I just want to be able to feel beautiful, truly beautiful.  Inside and out.  And I don’t know if anyone will ever love me being the way that I am.  If I’ll be okay with the fact that they may have “settled” for someone who’s fat because I’ll never know.  If I can love me for the way that I am.

UPDATE: my friend just sent me this link.  It’s not just me talking nonsense.  Fat people get paid less. Linkie

One of the doors in the women’s bathroom on the 2nd floor of the McCombs building screeches in the most hilarious way.

Flies in Austin come in brown as well as the black variety.

I was at Jo’s on South Congress studying last night, when it started pouring rain.  Two little boys were running around getting soaked and playing tag and hide and seek.  I really wished I was 6 again.

After my gigantic Freebird burrito, I dreamed that a bunch of ghetto zombie creatures chased me from a local community center to my car because I wasn’t cool enough.

Dr. Pepper is the only soft drink that still tastes good when it’s flat.

Crazy

I couldn’t go to sleep the night before because I was supremely nervous and excited.  Would my fellow classmates be way smarter than me?  What’s the diversity?  How crazy will the academics be?  What are all the details about classes, clubs, Plus projects, Global Connections program (spring break in India?  Yes please!), case challenges, etc.?  Thankfully, my roommate (found her on the McCombs Class of 2012 forums) was feeling the same way, and we stayed up and chatted until about 4am. It’s not recommended.

Here’s why:

• My fellow classmates are amazing.  20% international.  30% female.*  100% friendly and intelligent and ambitious and partiers (w00t!).  My pre-assigned study team happens to be 50% introverts vs. extroverts, 50% quantitative specialists vs. soft sciences, and from everywhere, lived everywhere.  The ability to get that diverse in a 5 person group: scary.
• Academics?  Sure, it’s challenging, but that’s why we were selected.  That and we start orientation earlier than other schools.  There’s accounting boot camp, pre-term prep (that’s this week), and someone in the class who’s done exactly what you’re having problems with.  Everyone has to take the core, so we’re all the on the same page.
• All the extras:  I can be overly ambitious sometimes, and at McCombs, that’s just fine.  Other than the briefing we all had about each and every topic covered above, I also went to see an adviser.  He was more than happy to discuss details on bidding for classes or concentrations or any other topic.
• Basically, all my fears were washed away.  I’m at a top business school with the brightest and friendliest of people, and I can darn well tackle as much as I want (with a killer MBA staff to make sure I’m not biting off more than I can chew).

*Rough estimates.  Please visit the McCombs site for more accurate stats.

Hectic

There was pretty much no sleep the first week.  From orientation to MBA+ Challenge to alumni dinners to meeting all 261 other MBA students, I was up and out from 7am to 10pm almost everyday.  That doesn’t include the unofficial exploration of Austin’s fantastic night life- optional but strongly recommended.

I also decided to reluctantly get up at 7am on Saturday to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity; I’m so glad I did.  If you’re ever faced with this decision, go.  You may call me a raving lunatic now, but not afterward.

Hot

It was in the 100s all last week and this week (that’s early 40s in Celsius).  It’s hot!  Also known as, I’ve lived 10  years in Houston growing up, and I cannot stop sweating.  But 1) that’s only the summer.  Austin has very comfortable springs and falls with mild winters.  2) It’s about 10 degrees cooler in the shade. 3) Everywhere has air conditioning.

Most factors: this is perfect weather for the pool, and lots of people end up outside during the evenings.  I miss having the urban night culture, where people swarm outside for nice cool evenings, some delicious food and maybe a couple (or more) drinks.  That’s exactly what you get in Austin.  They even close down the streets for ya.

Oh, and stay hydrated!

Fun!

This is really important to me.  Let’s just say, I got a blister from paddling a raft, found my new favorite coffee drink (Turbo- coffee, espresso, hazelnut, chocolate, and yum!), and saw PW’s inner thigh- sorry, inside joke and totally innocent.

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At the beginning of the week, the director of MBA student services challenged us to remember all 261 names by the first week.  I gave it my best try, and I’ve gotten almost 100- pretty darn good for someone who kept called her boss’ wife by the wrong name for a month (sorry!).  I’m getting better at walking up to random strangers and saying “howdy do,” and despite missing the Bay Area and all my friends, this is the best decision for me.

Right now.  Right here.  McCombs.  UT.  Austin.  I love it!

Something I learned this weekend:  there are actually two distinct cultures floating around 6th street.  Both west 6th and east 6th (‘Dirty 6th’) are start a few blocks from Congress and 6th.  Congress is the street that leads right up to the Capitol building.  West 6th has a slightly older crowd, i.e. late 20s and tends to be slightly less crazy (read: doesn’t have as many cops floating around and the streets aren’t blocked off from cars). There’s still a flood of people, but somehow everyone gets in without too much of the pretension of a line, and drinks are about $4 a pop.  No wonder it’s so easy to get so trashed in Austin.  Everyone is so incredibly nice!  If you go, check out Annie West and The Ranch.  For those serious party goers, there’s always the boom boom room (if you can find it ^-*).

Dirty 6th is some much more touristy with a staple younger crowd, mostly in college and some who look like they just graduated from high school.  The smell of weed proliferates the several block area that’s blocked off from traffic and a stream of people wander in and out of bars called “Shakespeare bar” or “Shan-gri La,” although neither has anything to do with its name.  Only the Coyote Ugly is true to its name.  The rest is an amalgamation of bars, big screens, patio space, and people over-pouring from it all.  Even Leslie in his fabulous flower top that highlights his ample breasts and very short shorts makes his appearance.  Food trucks (stands would be a better description) advertise thin slice or “Big Tri Hotdogs,” and a dude dressed as Super Mario offers his services as a bike rickshaw.  As the club scene breaks down at 2am (why don’t more cities pick up the New York tradition of being open pass then?), the noise quiets down slightly and you notice the street art.  Bars cease advertising their location by blasting music from down the block, and you hear the lone drummer playing his pots and pans.  Or the supremely sweet melodies of the alto sax comforts you as you trudge home from a night of too much debauchery.  A hipster artist in a pixie cut is making the most out of her $1.99 box of chalk.  You see that the Copa really does have salsa music and the people standing just outside are silver-haired regulars, who don’t care how hip the place may be.  There’s a halal falafal place right next to the surf n turf, and the decorated cows that dot Houston are replaced by giant guitars.  My favorite (and one that I couldn’t get since the iPhone 3G lacks a flash) is called Twinkle Twinkle, inspired and very loosely based off of Van Gogh.  There’s a waff of geese poop emanating from the Red River, and you realize that Austin is quite cool in the evening.

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Currently, I’m at my local coffee shop listening to some sweet, ‘I don’t know how to classify it’ other than jazzy, dixie-ey with bits of Michael Jackson the early days.   There’s no doubt that I’ve made the right decision to move here.

Just put down the book yesterday, and I’m already obsessed with the awesomeness.  It’s history, sports, fashion, and case study.  And as the World Cup is happening now, it’s very appropriate that I just finished.

I’ve noticed that of the 32 World Cup teams, 13 are sponsored by Adidas, 9 by Nike, 6 by Puma, 1 by Umbro, and 2 didn’t have very visible insignias (at least not ones I recognized off-hand).  Adidas still has a lot of cache and got most of the European teams along with some of the strongest Latin and African teams.  But it’s evident that Nike is making huge headway with the US team, Brazil, and a few other heavy hitters.  Puma, other than the Italian team, seems to be hitting smaller third-world countries.

I never thought to look at the brand of football uniforms.  It tells a lot about the sportswear market and maybe a bit about where each company is placing its bets?

We’ll have to check back depending on team standings.  I’d love to see another upset like the Italy-France match of four years ago.  Puma’s team won against the French Adidas team.

That is all.

Now before you stop reading and completely write me off as some spoiled “rich bitch” (yes, I’ve been called that, and yes, quite frankly, I am), just spare me a moment.

I am spoiled.  I’m blessed to be spoiled.  I’m an only-child and honestly, don’t know any different.

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But I’ve learned.  It’s hard to trust someone when you’re the center of the world… at least that’s my parents’ perspective.

A really close friend of mine blabbed on me.  I got rotten drunk and cried over the poor children around the world and how undeserving I am to be exactly where I am. It seems to silly.  But every single one of us who has a warm place to stay and food in our bellies are absolutely lucky and absolutely blessed… by god or otherwise.

… And I’m beyond that.  I don’t have to share any of myself or life with anyone.

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So why am I writing this?  To rub it in your face?

Actually, no.  Because I’ve learned (several years past college and past due) how to share.  How to be kind and be patient.  It’s really, heart-achingly hard for me. To trust someone not to hurt me.  Or to share something that supposed to be mine and no expect anything in return.

An obviously, almost stupid concept.  Yet, it’s so hard for so many of us to grasp.

I’m not quite there yet.  I still hold dear some objects in my life (like my car) that I would trust just 2 people to drive (that doesn’t even include my mother… sorry mom).  But I am learning.

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Point?  I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished in the last three years.  You can’t necessarily see it on my resume or my Facebook.  But I’m holistically different. I’m willing to share a bit of myself and open up to my friends and to trust them.  To learn patience.

Perception has made a huge difference in my life.  I’m… dare I say… at the moment… remarkably happy.

The link you posted is right: humans aren’t carnivores.  We’re omnivores, and therefore exhibit characteristics that aren’t well defined by a basic comparison btwn “eating meat” and “not eating meat.”  I think it’s fair to say we’re not only evolved to eat meat.

Judgment is good, when it helps you make decisions, but it can also be used as a weapon of the elite and intellectual as a way to look down on the ignorant.  I think it really depends on the context.

Let’s get on the same page in terms of the criteria.  We haven’t actually established the level of veganism that should be appropriate.  Let’s talk about environmental impact, does this mean no bread b/c it has whey?  No beer or alcohol b/c it has yeast?  How far are we going here?  What artificial fertilizers and pesticides in plants?  What are the impact of those?  Are we defining veganism as no animal life of any kind and only organic, local, and seasonal crops?  What about eating corn?  If we’re talking about happiness, ethics, and impact on the earth, how do eating meat, eating rare/exotic meat, vegetarianism, and veganism all compare?