Angela Tung Oversharing on the internet since 2005.

When my friend Aki comes into the city, it means lots of fun activities and lots of eating.

Los Tacos No. 1

The first thing was lunch at this popular place which I somehow have never been to. There was a line but it moved quickly, and while the place was packed, we managed to get some stand-up bar space.

We each got two tacos, one pork and one chicken. They were GOOD and much spicier than I was expecting. Afterward I felt the need for a palate cleanser and got soft serve black sesame ice cream from Cafe Zaiya near Grand Central. That really hit the spot.

The Cloisters

Almost every year I check out the costume exhibit at the Met. This time it’s Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, and it’s a little different than previous ones. Instead of being contained in one area, it’s spread out through the Met —

— as well as the Cloisters, which is where Aki and I went last weekend.

It’s not easy to get up there, which is why I rarely go. Since it was the weekend, we waited forever for that particular subway, and then the ride itself was very slow. However, we made it.

The museum was crowded. It focuses on medieval art and is usually pretty empty, but because of the costume exhibit, which closes tomorrow, it was packed with a line out the door. We both thought there must be a separate one for members, and walked past the long line. Some snotty girl was like, “There’s a line guys,” and we were both like, “Uh we’re members.” Just to be sure, I asked the guard, “I’m a member but should I wait in that line first?” and he told me just to go to the register. In your face snotty girl!

Seeing the costumes amid the medieval and religious art and artifacts was very cool —

— but the hordes of people made it not so enjoyable. Luckily my membership got us in for free (well, free for Aki) so we could leave quickly without feeling like it was a waste.

An unexpected walk through the park

We decided to take the bus instead of the subway to my apartment since it was a direct shot — or at least I thought it was. Usually it stops right near me, but for some reason that day it ended pretty far northwest. So we took a subway partway down and walked across Central Park. Unfortunately again I miscalculated and we had to walk around the Reservoir. D’oh! At least it was a nice day.

By the time we got to my apartment we were extra pooped as well as hungry. We hung out drinking old-fashioneds and eating random food (cheese, crackers, cucumbers, sardines).

For dinner we decided to make something at home rather than go to a restaurant. Aki got the idea of getting sausages at Schaller’s Stube Sausage Bar. While they’ll cook sausage for you, you can also buy them uncooked from the butcher/market area, which is what we did. In addition to a few different kinds of sausages, we picked up some good rye bread and (randomly) a cucumber for a vegetable on the side. We grilled up the sausages, slapped some butter on the bread, sliced the cucumber, and had another old-fashioned each. It was pretty satisfying.

Sometimes a day in New York means a bunch of random things.

Japan Week at Grand Central

My friend Yiannis wanted to check out Japan Week in Grand Central, so my other bud, Aki, who happened to be in town, and I met up with him. I was picturing a lot of Hello Kitty and other “kawaii” shit, but to be honest, it wasn’t that exciting. Although the “3D Trick Art” was kind of fun:

Another highlight was a can of sweetened matcha tea for a $1.

LIC Market + The Museum of the Moving Image

While Yiannis went off to his own devices, Aki and I schlepped out to Queens. We had been talking for ages about seeing the Jim Henson exhibit at the Museum of Moving Image, and we finally managed to get our butts out there.

However first was lunch. We went to LIC Market and it was excellent. They give baskets of not just bread but delicious pastries. My favorites were the zucchini bread and (hello!) chocolate croissant. My meal was the duck hash, which was delectable.

Next finally was the museum. While the exhibit was very kid-oriented, it was still enjoyable. There was one part that you could get filmed doing a puppet show. I found that surprisingly fun, like I wanted to keep doing it, and I thought, Am I secretly a puppeteer?

Hanging out + The Wrinkle in Time

After the museum, I was suddenly exhausted so we went to my apartment to hang out. On the way we stopped in my favorite liquor store and picked up a bottle of rose. Then we sat around chatting, drinking, and eating random snacks (cheese and crackers, sardines, a cucumber, a Kashi bar, and an apple) for two and a half hours.

I had movie plans with Yiannis while Aki went to meet her fiance and his coworkers at some bar. Did I mention it was St. Patrick’s Day? Unfortunate timing in an unfortunate part of town. The area was full of drunk revelers (mostly NYU students, I’m guessing).

I only semi-enjoyed Wrinkle in Time. The beginning, before they leave Earth to go find Meg’s father, was hokey. There was a lot of telling rather than showing. And I sort of hated that Mrs. Whatsit was immediately fabulous looking. In the book she shows up disheveled with a million scarves. That would have a lot more interesting: at first thinking she’s some crazy homeless lady, then building up to the fact that she’s a fantastic creature. Overall, I wanted something darker, like Harry Potter.

If I had been a drunk St. Patrick’s Day reveler, I might have felt differently.

When I was a kid in New Jersey, I loved going to bat mitzvahs. I went to three (which is kind of a lot for a non-Jewish person) and enjoyed every one. The dressing up, the food, the music, and the goodie bag. Last weekend was no different —

— except that I’m an adult and there was an open bar. Score!

Today was an active day with a Spider-Man photshoot, lots of food, and even more walking.

Spider-Man meets Spider Kid at Alexander and Bonin

I may have mentioned my friend Yiannis enjoys dressing up in his rabbit and Spider-Man costumes and getting me to take his picture in public places such as in front of the Eiffel Tower and, well, in front of the Eiffel Tower.

I’m always hella embarrassed to be walking in public with Yiannis-in-costume, and yet I still felt the need to tell him about an exhibit at Alexander and Bonin that included a Spider Kid.

Cider tasting, pickles, and Cuban Chinese

After the photoshoot, I met up with my friend Aki. We schlepped over to the Lower East Side to check out a cider tasting (unfortunately I don’t remember the place). It was incredibly crowded, to the point that we had to wait outside. However, the crowd turned out to be one group of about 10 girls. Once they left, it was much better. The cider was yummy.

Next we checked out The Pickle Guys —

— and then headed uptown and got some drinks and appetizers at a Cuban-Chinese place called Calle Dao.

The place was super-cute. Since it was happy hour, ther drinks were just $8 (I got a sangria while Aki got a strong Brazilian rum drink) and bites for the same price. She chose the wings while I had the dumplings. While the wings were a good choice for $8 (there were seven), the dumplings were a rip-off. There were three, count ’em, THREE dumplings for almost $10. They were tasty, as were the wings, but still.

And yet I would probably go back.