Colorado College new President’s visit in NYC
Earlier in the month, the new president of CC came to see alumni and parents in NYC area. It was a pretty nice event at University Club on Fifth Ave. The event was catered with nice hors d'oeuvres and fine wines. I always love going to CC alumni events as it is always great to get connected with all those people who went through the similar experience as CC students. I met a lot of interesting people with interesting careers like entrepreneurs, journalists and all. It was really inspiring. The new president was really energetic and seemed very academic focused for CC to become a better institution. As always, I was the only very foreign looking alumna among all those mostly white Americans who come from middle and upper middle class families. They were all surprised how I ended up in CC. That’s why I pointed out to the president that CC should be more diverse as a liberal arts college. I was usually the only one international student/second language speaker in most of my classes in CC.
CC alumni holiday party
This year they did it again in Brooklyn Bowl. I love that place as they have live bands playing later in the night and it’s a pretty big facility compared to those bowling places in the city. It was also quite fun to socialize with fellow alumni in more casual and fun environment. I just wish I bowled better. I really want to learn how to bowl well. It’s a fun activity! After that, a few of us went to visit another alumnus, who is a friend of mine and lives in the neighborhood. He got a great view on top of his apt. We were all just hanging out chilling and enjoying a great view of Manhattan.
My Bday Party
I was reluctant to do my bday party as my finals were getting really close. But I still thought it’d be a great chance to get all my friends together. I have different groups of friends and they don’t know each other- Burmese, my schoolmates, co-workers and other group of mix. I grew up playing with my brother like a boy in my childhood. I was actually more of a wild child than my brother. He was always concerned with his safety and getting hurt. I, on the other hand, just wanted to do so many things without caring about getting hurt. I thought it’d be really fun to revive my childhood memory with my awesome friends. We didn’t play laser tag but we played with toy guns a lot. “Laser tag” idea came from “How I met your mother” as Berny has so much fun playing laser tag J
A lot of my friends came to the laser tag arena in Queens. It was really fun! We divided the groups as boys and girls. There were 7 guys and 7 girls! Yeah amazing how it was even! But I just wish that the facility was bigger and I knew physically when I get killed not just some words saying ‘….is killed by….” on your guy’s screen.
After laser tag, we went to a Polish restaurant and most of us had this polish traditional plates. Very delicious and meaty! Then we went to a bar ‘Von’ in Noho. Some more friends who didn’t come to laser tag came by. I had more drinks from my friends. I had a great time.
More birthday celebrations
My real bday fell on the day when I had my final exam for Advanced Accounting. I was just studying but nothing the whole weekend and was so exhausted from it. The exam was really tough as usual. But it was so nice that I got so many bday wishes from all my friends all over the different parts of the world- Europe, Asia, South America. Some were from friends I never expected to hear and they sent me messages with their updates and stuff. Especially those are guy friends and normally I never expect to hear from my guy friends because they don’t get in touch once they are out somewhere. I was really moved…
Then right after the last final exam, the professor took us all to a nearby bar- he’s a young professor and believes that networking is important for our career. I was exhausted so I didn’t have much energy to socialize as usual. I don’t really like networking – I just don’t like talking to people with some ‘purpose’ and agenda in mind. I just think it destroys the whole fun of meeting new people and getting to know them and their interesting stories.
The next day, my girlfriends including MM and YK wanted to celebrate more for my bday and get together to go dancing at this Taiwanese professional event. Normally, those events are held in one of those meatpacking lounges. I usually don’t like it because it’s mostly packed and people just dance with loud music and don’t socialize much at all. But that day a lot of my friends were going. We first met up at this place “City Crab” near union square. I like it because they have happy hour every day that includes half off for their delicious seafood appetizers! So I had a few drinks there.
I was quite in a pretty social mood and talked to everyone who talked to me J even some random guy on the bus who was pretty good looking and nice. Then when I went on a line to get into the event, one guy asked me if he could go along because it’s easier for him to get in with a girl. So I said why not. Yeah he kept talking to me but got the sense that he was feeling insecured around me. Anyways, I left him once I got in to the club.
I had lots of fun dancing with my girl friends. MM was really drunk and even tried to kiss me at one point. It was hilarious! Then we left there and joined this group of Asian guys and headed out to Beer Garden in Standard Hotel. So finally just MM and me were the only girls with three/four of those guys. One of them was really really hilarious and funny. He and I kept joking and flirting around like crazy. One point, he asked my name and I said “I’ll do anything if you can guess my name’’. I didn’t even give my name at all even when I left the group. It was such a FUN night!
The next night, I decided to join my friend AB, her brother and her mother in town. We had a really nice dinner at Apiary in East Village. She treated me saying because it was my bday. Three of us, she, her brother and I went to another gathering in an Irish bar. We hanged out there and chatted with some other ppl there. Then I took them to Drop Off Service, the bar I like a lot in EV which is right around the corner from my place. But that day, most places were dead and that bar had some NYU college kids which didn’t behave well when they were drunk…I had a good time hanging out with them though.
The next day, MM and I got together for dinner and she wanted to treat me again for my bday! We had really good SE Asian food at this place “Laut” AB recommended which I’ve been to also. Then another friend joined and we went to a movie at LES and saw this ‘Shame”. We didn’t like it. Then we did more lounge hopping in the neighborhood. But NYC was DEAD – every taxi was available and every bar/ lounge were almost empty. We first went to Beauty and Essex, very beautiful restaurant I love. We had a few delicious cocktails there. Then we went to the next lounge which was also empty. We just called off the night but it was still very nice to spend the evening with my wonderful friends.
Next day was the Xmas day. MM and her family doesn’t celebrate Xmas. So she and I decided to get together again in the evening at Bryant Park. It was so nice and festive there. Everyone looked so happy. All those nice Xmas songs were playing around the iceskating rink. We had yummy crepes and kettle popcorns, best I have ever had! Then we had normal girl chitchat about people and relationships….I love MM a lot! She’s also very energetic, happy and outgoing.
NYE
A friend from college was coming to NY to stay and go out with me for NYE. I started feeling pressure because all my friends were asking what I was going to do. I didn’t have a solid plan. Personally, I didn’t really care like where to go and what to do for NYE. I always ended up having fun either way so I didn’t want to make an EFFORT. It’s really more fun when you have no expectations anyways! But I did want my friends who wanted to come along with me to have fun. Anyways, when LL got in, we, AB, me and LL, got together at Westville and had a nice brunch there. Then we went to a small boutique shop near AB place. I bought two dresses! We then went to one of the house parties across the street from AB for the first stop. Those people were nice and we had some nice food and drinks there.
Then we headed out to Brooklyn, another friend’s friend house party. I didn’t have any agenda. I just wanted to enjoy and have fun. It turned out once I got in there- someone started talking to me. I met him briefly once at another friend’s bday party. Thought he was boring and didn’t talk to anyone back then. But that day, he was really friendly and talking to me almost the whole time. I was very tipsy and don’t remember everything we talked about. But his friends were talking up to me how great he is etc. My friends were telling me that his friends said he is pretty shy so I should make a move. It was all funny how they were all trying to match-make. But anyways, he eventually did make a move….it turned out such a FUN NYE that I didn’t expect J
I’m just so thankful for all wonderful friends that I have in New York for all the great times we all have together…..
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