Thursday, March 27, 2008

Reviews you can use

Thanks to Yelp, a website that allows anyone to write their opinion about anything, anywhere, I have found my new best friend.

Her name is Anna P. I have no idea what she looks like or what she does for a living, but it doesn't matter. What counts is she's FUNNY. If she is, in fact, a she. No matter... S/he makes me laugh, which is more than I can say for a lot of people. So I like her/him.

A review of Old Navy:
the other night, I was home alone on a beautiful fall evening in New York City, ordering of course off Oldnavy.com. You dig? It was gorgeous and I was sitting on my found couch looking at things made of fleece by Pakistani teenagers. Anyhow, I came upon a glitch when I was trying to order so I called their 800 number. This man was super nice and fey and didn't judge me. Anyways, he helped me with my problems and then I was like, "Sir, I am home alone on a perfect fall evening in the city that never sleeps. I am watching a DVD of 24. I am eating a cold bowl of microwave oatmeal. If I died right now, no one would notice for several days because I am fundamentally unimportant to those around me. I am ordering size extra large fleece sweatpants in a variety of colors. I only have one eyebrow. Any chance you can give me another discount?"

AND HE DID. Old Navy understands human pain.


On Forty Carrots:
I was there for lunch yesterday. The bundled lunch is a very good deal (my friend got that). I got the big yogurt, which is a much more honest yogurt than Pinkberry, which leaves a giant hole in their serving. If you ask the server at Pinkberry politely to fill your hole, they ask you leave. What is a woman TO DO?!


And lastly, a brief thought on Luscious Thai:
The thing I like about this place is that, if are going there from the west side you have have to pass Scores. As you pass Scores, inhale deeply the scent of early childhood molestation, broken dreams, silicone and syphilis.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Happy New Year

Spring officially begins on Friday but signs of its arrival are already all around us. Bulbs are coming up in flower beds, trees are sprouting leaves and birds are chirping overheard. The early arrival of daylight savings and the fantastic sunny weather we've been having in New York also help mark the beginning of the best season of the year.

But what really seals the deal is Navroze, or Norooz, the festival of the new year that will officially begin on Thursday at 1:48 AM. Around the world, millions of people will celebrate this festival with food, family and spring cleaning. A traditional ritual in Persian homes is to prepare a 'Haft Sin' table, which includes seven symbolic items beginning with the letter 's'.

* sabzeh - sprouted wheat, barley or lentils - symbolizes rebirth
* samanu - a sweet pudding made from wheat germ - symbolizes affluence
* senjed - the dried fruit of the oleaster tree - symbolizes love
* sîr - garlic - symbolizes medicine
* sîb - apples - symbolize beauty and health
* somaq - sumac berries - symbolize (the color of) sunrise
* serkeh - vinegar - symbolizes age and patience