confab | current reads

books

“poor boy. with a name like atticus, every word he utters ought to be inspired and wise, spoken with a voice that compels all within earshot to sit up and listen. i wonder how disappointed atticus’s parents must be. such a noble and lofty name full of great expectations, and they end up with a heavyset boy with a prominent brow and underdeveloped frontal lobe who says “um” a lot and scratches himself in the cafeteria.”
-steve brezenoff, guy in real life

“i may not be old but i’m too old to have this much nothing.”
-jonathan topper, this is where i leave you

“it is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good. i don’t like Chinese food, but i don’t write articles trying to prove it doesn’t exist.”
-tiny fey, bossypants

“he sighed. it was a long sigh, weary and worldly-wise. the kind of sigh you could picture god heaving after six days of hard work and looking forward to some serious cosmic r&r, only to be handed a report by an angel concerning a problem with someone eating an apple.”
-neil gaiman & michael reaves, interworld

“​knowing what i know now, it is difficult to describe what it was like, loving Ray. years ago a recovering crystal meth addict spoke at my son’s school. she said that even after ten years clean, she still missed the way it felt to have that deadly substance in her veins. still, life without the drug felt, sometimes, like a lesser thing. a sad though necessary comedown. listening to her speak in that auditorium filled with my fellow concerned parents, sitting next to my good husband with whom i’d lived at that point for close to twenty years, the image of Ray’s face was all i could see, and a wave of grief and longing overtook me, so strong i had to cover my eyes. even after all that time.”
-joyce maynard, the good daugthers

notable online reads:
15 career tips from smart women
childless women
introverts unite!
anthony bourdain travel tips
how cooking for others is selfish
homecooking
Visiting Médoc, France: Where Vines Outnumber Visitors

what have you been reading?

elephant march pumpkin

Elephant March Pumpkin Carving

super super super quick post.
because i’m on vacation.
and i’m shoving a bunch of halloween candy in my face.
one of my favoritest canucks
brought back one of her contests,
that i like to lose at,
and you better believe
i made dw do all the work
and i’m gonna claim all the glory.

like i said,
this is a contest,
head over to movita beaucoup
and vote for the best pumpkin carving.

Elephant - pumpkin carvin

happy halloween friends!
BAM!

travel | boston, massachusetts

Boston!

hihi!
i wanted to sneak a
very quick post
about our jaunt to
boston last month.
it was our first time
travelling to this area of
the country together.
southwest had a sale
early in the year
so we booked
our anniversary trip
while planning our honeymoon.

tips:
public transportation – boston is a great city for walking and hopping on the bus or metro. i only threw up ONCE due to my motion sickness; as a result, we walked 2.5 miles home after our anniversary dinner. no worries, it was a lovely time spent in the city with dw.

if you’d like, more pix below, as well as some links to the places we visited. stars are the ones that i highly recommend.

Boston!

Boston!

Boston!

Boston!

the elephant walk
eastern standard*
cafe beirut
the salty pig*
FoMu*****
harvard museum of Natural History*
Neptune Oyster
The Blue Nile*
Fiore Italian Bakery
dumpling cafe
b&g oysters*
airbnb apartment (the neighborhood, Jamaica Plains, is wonderful. not exactly central, but super easy to get around on the bus and metro lines)

travel | chiang mai, thailand & elephant nature park 2014

Chiang Mai, Thailand 2014Chiang Mai, Thailand 2014Chiang Mai, Thailand 2014

we traveled north for a few days
to get out of the city
to see a dear, dear friend
and to walk with elephants

i looked up at the night sky,
the same night sky
that is usually invisible
to our eyes —
what with the urban lights
and smog
and lack of time to pause,
i looked up at the unending expanse,
with its innumerable exploding stars
and gigantic galaxies,
i felt the earth spinning
and i felt dizzy
and small

Chiang Mai, Thailand 2014Chiang Mai, Thailand 2014

walking with these elephants,
these intelligent beasts
with their faultless presence
i also felt dizzy
and small

and i will tell you:
it was exhilarating

Chiang Mai, Thailand 2014

additional information for Chiang Mai, Thailand and Elephant Park
accomodations: private townhouse
dining: the Riverside, we dined here twice
day trip: sukantara, an eco-boutique resort
shopping: night bazaar
elephant nature park: 2 day, overnight visit

*note: pic of me with my hand in the elephant’s mouth courtesy of dw. he really does capture me at my most random….

Chiang Mai, Thailand 2014

we’ll go back to regular food + dream stuff soon …

travel | bangkok, thailand 2014

Bangkok, Thailand 2014

i’ve been trying to write this
for awhile
from many places
— while walking sidewalks brimming with food vendors
— crossing a busy street, clutching dw’s hand tight
— from cramped airplane seats, recycled air pressed down on me
— early morning thoughts while combating jetlag
— dreary late night musings, preparing for reality

Bangkok, Thailand 2014Bangkok, Thailand 2014Bangkok, Thailand 2014Bangkok, Thailand 2014

there is a heat in bangkok
that seizes you
it gets caught mid-breath
and you’re left gasping
for some it’s oppressive
for me,
it’s joyous
i don’t mind the heat,
or the slick tendrils of hair at my temple
or the pit stains
i’m 16 again
wearing slippers, dusty toed
and ignoring hawkers as they
implore & vie for my attention

i’m caught up in the magic
of travelling
of wandering a foreign city with my love
never mind the blisters on
both feet
and
the stink i’m sure i’m emitting

Bangkok, Thailand 2014Bangkok, Thailand 2014

all i know is
i am in love with everything:
dw
being lost
the dirt
the heavy air
dw
even the lack of soy milk for my coffee

and i am dreaming of our next adventure

bangkok information and resources:
i’m sorry, i won’t be able to highlight every place we went to, i don’t remember & most places were on a whim

accommodations: 1 bedroom condo we found on airbnb. we kept the place even when we went to chiang mai for a long weekend.
dining: no lie, i think we had khao man gai 7-8 times. i asked the landlord for recommendations and then i asked shesimmers, and if i saw a joint that had it, we’d stop for it. i’ll list just the two leela endorsed cus they were gooooood. Khao Man Gai Monkhon Wattana (ข้าวมันไก่มงคลวัฒนา) and Khao Man Gai Heng Heng (ข้าวมันไก่เฮงเฮง). if you really want to know more about those places, email me & i’ll send you the info.
urban kitchen: we met up with dw’s cousin and he took us to this great cafe. i’m now obsessed with bruised cucumber salad and drunken chicken. i will eventually recreate that meal
Methavalai Sorndaeng: dw’s parents visited thailand after their stint in india with the peace corps. they dined at this restaurant, so we did too!
shopping: we hit up most of the shopping malls, whole sale and retail, and bazaars. i could not tell you where i bought the cutest tea cup set, cus i don’t know, and cus it was by luck. i did hit up all these and the weekend market
sights: the grand palace, adhere to the dress code

Bangkok, Thailand 2014Bangkok, Thailand 2014Bangkok, Thailand 2014Bangkok, Thailand 2014Bangkok, Thailand 2014

next: our chiang mai leg, specifically, walking with the elephants!

other wanderings:
vietnam 2012
barçelona2010
rochester
pittsburgh