Circumnavigation Saturday

Ahhh, finally the weekend and little relaxation was in order, after an overwhelming week at school. I had heard that the Chelsea Market is frequented by chefs from the Food Network, so I decided I would go there to buy some groceries. The market is composed of a very long hallway, with exposed beams and bricks, and little shops and restaurants to the sides.

I made it to my destination, which was the produce section. I picked up my basket and realized although the produce looked spectacular, I was too hungry to focus on shopping. I needed to eat first.

After checking out the prices at the restaurants, I started to realize I was in a tourist trap. And after eating a meal that was much overpriced and barely edible, I became resentful. I was swindled by the Chelsea Market. I was so annoyed that I decided to forgo my grocery shopping and instead, tried to soothe my nerves with a little chocolate therapy. I do like Ruthy's Bakery, cute decor and wonderful looking desserts. I don't completely condemn the Chelsea Market. I will probably go back to the produce section, but next time, I'll go on a full stomach.

Later that evening, I went to meet Jane and company, in the West Village. Jane is a good friend that I met at KU years ago and this weekend, she was in New York for her friend's wedding. Jane was staying with Kurt and Julie, whom I also knew from Lawrence. They are living in Brooklyn, so its nice to have yet another connection in New York. We all went to this vegan restaurant, called Red Bamboo. Jane's boyfriend, Dan, a veteran vegan, suggested that we all try the "buffalo wings" which I'm sure were made from some sort of tofu product. They were actually very tasty and even had a "skin" and texture like chicken. My b.l.t. was not the greatest, so I'll have to try the burger next time.

I parted ways with Jane and company, and headed, on-foot, to the East Village to meet Angel. Angel and I met at the Community Blood Center in April and became fast friends. She recently moved to Detroit and was in New York this weekend visiting friends. We went to a very authentic Japanese hole-in-the-wall and shared a bottle of saki with her friends. She is looking to apply to schools in NY for her PhD, so maybe I'll have ANOTHER friend here.

From the bar, I headed to the train station a few blocks away. Navigating in the city is not a super easy feat, but its doable. I usually map out my path before I leave my house, using google maps if walking, and MTA Trip Planner if I'm taking the subway. And although having an iPhone would solve nearly all of my problems, I have been saved by my little Sprint Instinct, many times. So I hopped on the L and had to do my first transfer all by myself. I intended to transfer to the F train but got a little ahead of myself and got off of the L too early. But it was no problem, I was carrying my subway map in my purse. In order to not look like a complete tourist, I kept the map folded in my purse and tried to decipher my route. I ended up taking the NQRW, for the first time, to 28th street and all was great. Sometimes its better to learn by accident but I usually prefer to be prepared and that is why I intend to buy the Not For Tourists Guide to New York 2010. It doesn't get published until 090909, so I have a few more days to wait. In the meantime, I made my own little mapbook.

Homework time! (Not excited about it...)