Ithaca - a place you either hate or love as a student.
I moved back two days ago and it's nice to see all the familiar faces. However, since it's such a small place, it's also easy to spot the changes as well.
The first thing I noticed were the new fences. They took down the old gray chain-linked ones and replaced them with black rubber-coated fences. From what I gathered, these are just interim fixtures that will be taken down when a permanent solution is found.
When driving up here, I also felt that the cobble road at the bottom of Stewart Ave. was smoother than usual. I think the city replaced some of the cracking stones and pressure-washed it as well. The car-made grooves and the weird asphalt patches are still there, so rest-assured that it's historical appearance is still there.
On a different note, the construction on Clark Hall looks almost finished and you can see the new glass-panel building from East Ave. The big patch of lawn between Clark and the Arts Quad looks like a very inviting picnic spot.
The construction around MVR is mostly finished as well. I believe they were done last year but now the temporary trailers are gone as well.
Lastly, the new architecture building behind Sibley has made some major headway. You can see the big beige steal beams sticking out behind Rand. However, it doesn't seem like they are quite finished and I'd have to report back after my architecture friends get back. They told me they will be moving there this semester.
In any case, I will try and get some pictures ASAP. Welcome back everyone!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
No Reservations at the Grenadines
Tonight is the seventh season premier of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, a food show on the Travel Channel that highlights the local culinary scene of various vacation destinations. By now, Tony's unadorned commentaries about worldly cultures are growing on me - he removes the tourist facades and gives viewers a real taste of foreign culture.
This week, Bourdain's travels bring us to St. Vincent and the Grenadines - a small island nation that lies in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean. Food there is as unique as the population - a blend of Western gourmet and Carib freshness. One moment, he's on a yacht enjoying Barracuda prepared by five-star European chefs, the next, he's sitting on a park bench tasting breadfruit salad from an aluminum tray.
Undoubtedly, the most intriguing meal is manicou, or Trinidadian possum - a delicacy that could only caught in treetops at night. The rodent is skinned, smoked, and cooked in stew. This midnight Caribbean snack is definitely not for the faint of heart.
In any case, if you have a chance to travel this summer, be like Tony and do what the locals do. So far, working in SoHo has certainly satisfied my adventurous taste buds; I've had some great Israeli, Dominican, Mexican, Italian... food, that the real New York is beginning to reveal to me.
Bon Appétit.
Undoubtedly, the most intriguing meal is manicou, or Trinidadian possum - a delicacy that could only caught in treetops at night. The rodent is skinned, smoked, and cooked in stew. This midnight Caribbean snack is definitely not for the faint of heart.
In any case, if you have a chance to travel this summer, be like Tony and do what the locals do. So far, working in SoHo has certainly satisfied my adventurous taste buds; I've had some great Israeli, Dominican, Mexican, Italian... food, that the real New York is beginning to reveal to me. Bon Appétit.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Free Wifi at Starbucks!
For those of you not in the know, Starbucks is offering free wifi in all of their US and Canadian stores starting today. That means, if you used your Starbucks Card more than five times and registered online, you can spend 3 dollars on a drink and loiter in their store all day with free refills and free Hulu!
Of course, that doesn't mean people are going to instantly flee from Libe Cafe down to College Ave., but it does put on the pressure on other "hang out spots" to offer similar services.
Speaking of hanging out, summer is half way through and the movies have proven to be quite boring this year. With the exception of "Toy Story 3", I haven't seen anything worth watching. On Thursday, I caught a preview of "Twilight: Eclipse" - very emo, audience filled with teenage girls. If I'm willing to pay 22 bucks to see Taylor Lautner shirtless, it just goes to show how boring the cinema has been.
Of course, that doesn't mean people are going to instantly flee from Libe Cafe down to College Ave., but it does put on the pressure on other "hang out spots" to offer similar services.
Speaking of hanging out, summer is half way through and the movies have proven to be quite boring this year. With the exception of "Toy Story 3", I haven't seen anything worth watching. On Thursday, I caught a preview of "Twilight: Eclipse" - very emo, audience filled with teenage girls. If I'm willing to pay 22 bucks to see Taylor Lautner shirtless, it just goes to show how boring the cinema has been.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Fitting End to a Childhood Trilogy
Besides the fact that I grew up watching "Toy Story" and went to Disney World for winter break during the past two years (and probably this December as well), I strongly recommend those of you who saw the first two installments to go and see "Toy Story 3" as soon as possible. Not only does this film maintain a 9.4 rating on IMDB after almost 10,000 votes, it also made Pixar's biggest gross for an opening weekend... ever! (although the film has not opened for over 75% of the international market)
One of the reviewers compared the first two films to "Shrek the Third," which speaks volumes for this movie considering the previous films won an Oscar and were nominated for other categories as well. Of course, critics are complaining that it is not witty enough and the first half did not exceed expectations. However, considering that it's a children's film and has the burden of "serenading" toddlers with cute animations and preschool dialogue, I think Pixar did a fantastic job from beginning to finish. Not only did they flawlessly integrate new characters into the story without being "cheesy," the film also contains some social commentary that you might, or might not pick up.
Also, just a heads up for those of you who saw "Up" and know how emotional the first few scenes were - expect more tears towards the end of the movie. If you Google "Toy Story 3 Cry," you'll see what I'm talking about.
One of the reviewers compared the first two films to "Shrek the Third," which speaks volumes for this movie considering the previous films won an Oscar and were nominated for other categories as well. Of course, critics are complaining that it is not witty enough and the first half did not exceed expectations. However, considering that it's a children's film and has the burden of "serenading" toddlers with cute animations and preschool dialogue, I think Pixar did a fantastic job from beginning to finish. Not only did they flawlessly integrate new characters into the story without being "cheesy," the film also contains some social commentary that you might, or might not pick up.Also, just a heads up for those of you who saw "Up" and know how emotional the first few scenes were - expect more tears towards the end of the movie. If you Google "Toy Story 3 Cry," you'll see what I'm talking about.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Two Watches
I'm not sure how many of you follow soccer, but the intermittent waves of screams that filled the streets of Manhattan when teams scored was a pretty memorable soundtrack.
In any case, Diego Maradona, the all-time greatest player for Argentina and its current head coach, was wearing two watches during the game. I noticed it on TV, but didn't know why until this article appeared on Yahoo! Sports this morning.
Maradona always wears two watches when he travels - one set to local time and one set to the time back in Argentina."
Although he's been doing this for years and it didn't catch on in the past, I think it's a pretty cool fashion statement if you are wearing a jacket/vest like he is in this photo.
A suggestion for fashion week maybe?
In any case, Diego Maradona, the all-time greatest player for Argentina and its current head coach, was wearing two watches during the game. I noticed it on TV, but didn't know why until this article appeared on Yahoo! Sports this morning.
Maradona always wears two watches when he travels - one set to local time and one set to the time back in Argentina."Although he's been doing this for years and it didn't catch on in the past, I think it's a pretty cool fashion statement if you are wearing a jacket/vest like he is in this photo.
A suggestion for fashion week maybe?
Saturday, June 12, 2010
ACE Hotel Lobby
I've been telling my friends about the company I work for and how we are associated with ACE hotels. None of them heard about ACE (and neither did I before I applied for this job) but once they saw the lobby, they were blown away as I was.
In the words of New York Metromix, it's as if "an Ivy League library had a three-way love child with a 1940s-style bank lobby and a Jasper Johns Americana art exhibit."
A few weeks back, the Observer did an article about how the lobby is like a free place for people to loiter and that it eventually drives in revenues because people come back for dinners and events. Not only does the architecture attracts patrons, the liberal atmosphere and the peculiar mood makes it a very interesting place to hang out.
Also, did you know that ACE has a blog of its own, affectionately named "Everything Will Be OK" and have people updating it constantly? Everyone likes a company that has a bit more soul.
Anyways, if you are an artsy guy or gal and are around Manhattan this summer, go check it out on 28th and Broadway. It's definitely worth your trip.
In the words of New York Metromix, it's as if "an Ivy League library had a three-way love child with a 1940s-style bank lobby and a Jasper Johns Americana art exhibit."A few weeks back, the Observer did an article about how the lobby is like a free place for people to loiter and that it eventually drives in revenues because people come back for dinners and events. Not only does the architecture attracts patrons, the liberal atmosphere and the peculiar mood makes it a very interesting place to hang out.
Also, did you know that ACE has a blog of its own, affectionately named "Everything Will Be OK" and have people updating it constantly? Everyone likes a company that has a bit more soul.
Anyways, if you are an artsy guy or gal and are around Manhattan this summer, go check it out on 28th and Broadway. It's definitely worth your trip.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Thoughts While Working in NYC
I consider myself rather lucky getting an internship this summer because a lot of fellow college sophomores could not. They had to either work a regular paying job (which is not bad at all) or volunteer like we use to in high school. Obviously, an internship is not something that everyone is looking for and many of us couldn't take the positions we've been offered because they are either unpaid or some other logistic didn't work out.
What caught my attention is that although employment rates have been decreasing slightly among the general public, teenage unemployment has been on the rise. Checkout this article in the NYTimes where a graph plots out the population and unemployment data for 16-19 year-olds.
According to the article, "The unemployment rate for the 16-to-24 age group reached a record 19.6 percent in April, double the national average."
Obviously, it's not just the adults who get the shit end of the stick - companies are also decreasing their investment in future talent as well. As an IRLie, I cannot help but point out that this economic behavior is contradictory to what modern HR practices recommend because right now is actually a great time to lock up future talent. In layman's terms, buy low so you can sell high.
I understand that many businesses and corporations are running low on operating cash but it really doesn't take that much to hire an intern. You can probably get most of them for free or at a margin much lower than years before. Why are you passing up the opportunity?
What caught my attention is that although employment rates have been decreasing slightly among the general public, teenage unemployment has been on the rise. Checkout this article in the NYTimes where a graph plots out the population and unemployment data for 16-19 year-olds.
According to the article, "The unemployment rate for the 16-to-24 age group reached a record 19.6 percent in April, double the national average."
Obviously, it's not just the adults who get the shit end of the stick - companies are also decreasing their investment in future talent as well. As an IRLie, I cannot help but point out that this economic behavior is contradictory to what modern HR practices recommend because right now is actually a great time to lock up future talent. In layman's terms, buy low so you can sell high.
I understand that many businesses and corporations are running low on operating cash but it really doesn't take that much to hire an intern. You can probably get most of them for free or at a margin much lower than years before. Why are you passing up the opportunity?
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