Thursday, August 7, 2008

Men Require Patience!

sidebar:
Sorry for the lack of posts! I know you all turn to me for shallow, mindless entertainment to help you get through the day at your unfulfilling jobs. Oh wait, that's just those of you who work in finance...ha ha ha

Anyway, I haven't been bothered to write anything lately as I've been busy with a lot of things - getting back on track with a few personal and professional goals, but balancing it with some amazing times with friends. Cue Toca's Miracle =)

The past three weeks have been an insane mash-up of mid-Saturday afternoon parties at Bagatelle, sweating it out at PS1 Warm Up, late night backgammon games at the lounge above downtown Cipriani (closed until Sept 2, tear), goodbye dinners, renting a ridiculous Zipcar to go Philly just for the Coldplay concert (and a cheesesteak!), happy/hookah hours, great reunions with old friends, breaking lampshades at Bijoux (it's too dark, I couldn't even take a picture with my BB!), rooftop cocktails, underground mixers, noodles (Momofuku, Ippudo, Soba-ya, Matsugen have been covered thus far!) picnics and naps in Central Park, surprises, disappointments, dalliances, run-ins...and much, much more! Now, I'm just craving some time at the beach with a book and one of those coolers with the cup holders on top!!


My dream is to fly...




Coldplay concert in Philly
Chris Martin is not just another punk from UCL!




The promotional (and cheap) Prius zipcar we rented.
You can't see me, but I'm behind the monkey...we got a few looks.





Perfect night
Perfect skyline from The Frying Pan





Isabelle, my friend who came to visit from DC
She's still recovering from that weekend b/c I'm an excellent hostess! =)





PS1 in Queens
(little known fact: AMAZING street meat truck by the entrance)




The crowd at PS1 for Au Revoir Simone 
(or was this from LCD Soundsystem?)





I love Central Park Sundays










Laughing at "Bowery Lounge"





Rooftop
(You'd be that happy too if you were ON VACATION in NY 
and LIVED in the Bahamas!)





Snow & sparklers!!

-----------------------------

A few weeks ago, I was digging through an old box of junk and came across a photo of my parents and me - I'm an only child, as if it weren't obvious - taken in Montreal in 1989. I was four at the time, my dad had just finished his Ph.D. and started teaching, my mom was still doing her residency in neurology. They were new to the city, and probably had no money and few friends - just a lot of hope for the future and especially for me. Since I pretty much look the same as I did at that age, and this blog is anonymous, I'll just have to describe the photo to you. It's a candid shot of them in a park, probably near McGill University.  It was probably at some time in the fall since the foliage in the background is a wash of yellow, orange, and red. I had just broken my left arm, which is in a sling and pitiful pink cast. He and my mom are totally ignoring me (typical!!) and laughing about something - and not just laughing, but laughing-from-the-gut-until-you-cry-laughing.

I stole the photo from a family album because it's my favorite picture of my parents. Theirs is the most enviable relationship I know, not just because it's withstood difficult times, including a near-divorce when I was in fourth grade, but because they're never boring and always have fun together. They wake up everyday with a different attitude than most people I know - everyday, even bad days, are fun with them and they never go to bed upset at each other.  They are each other's best friend; whenever I swear one of them to secrecy about something, the other finds out within an hour.  The photo struck a cord with me because lately I have been so frustrated with dating in this city! I really just want to be single, but of course, my life is situational irony at its best (or worst?). When it rains, it pours.  Everytime I meet a nice guy (yes, they exist in NYC!), I lose interest in about two seconds because I find him...boring.  And there is nothing worse to me than being boring.  Guess I just like the crazy/cocky/workaholic/alcoholic/model-aholic/player guys, and they sure do like me! Sigh...

But earlier this week,  I got an email from I couple I met at Bagatelle that dispelled any cynicism my hopelessly romantic self may have developed recently.  Bagatelle is a restaurant in Meatpacking, managed by the same people behind Kiss & Fly, the club next door.  It is the only restaurant I've been to repeatedly where I have no interest in the menu. The chef is last in command there - after the DJ, the bartenders, the (mostly) cute waiters, and the energy on Saturday afternoons.  Where else are people dancing on tables and chairs, banquettes and the bar, at 3pm?! Rain or shine! Where else are bottles of champagne delivered by a waiter in a Superman cape carried by six guys with sparklers?!

This Saturday, I was at Bagatelle, in the restroom line, when I met a really sweet woman, Viviana. She was probably in her late 50s/early 60s, not exactly the general demographic at these parties. Screaming over the music, she told me that she and her husband were in town for the weekend visiting their four kids who all lived in the city.  When I got back to my table, I noticed she and her family were next to us - their kids had convinced them to stay  after their actual (civilized) brunch, but they felt slightly out of place.  It's akin to dragging parents to a club, except replace the strobe with broad daylight, and the vodka with magnum bottles of rose!


Bagatelle "brunch"
(a speaker caught had on fire, and no one stopped dancing or noticed it was removed)



Bagatelle champagne delivery!

Of course, I'm all about everyone having a good time, and somehow convinced Viviana and Andres, her husband, to dance on chairs while I took videos of their family.  Turns out, they have been married for over 30 years, and were the liveliest, funniest, most interesting, successful, and chic-est couple over 60 I've ever met.  (When I grow up...)

I got this email from them on Monday:

Dear CM:

We had a great time at Bagatelle on Saturday and were very glad to meet you.  You are a very lively and lovely woman.  You will find love when and where it is least expected.  Men require patience my dear! I will upload the pictures from Bagatelle and send them to you soon.

I hope we can do it again sometime soon.

Stay in touch,

Andres & Viviana 


To get to the point, uhhh...I'm not sure if this story had a point.  If it does, I guess it would be that I just like hearing stories about great, fun relationships like my parents or Andres & Viviana have, even if it's far removed from my life! Also, men require patience!

One last pic for Bruce, who suggested more male-friendly content: Enlighten me as to whether or not these are the same...and why anyone would want two of the same?!



2 comments:

-S said...

Left *89 Ferrari 348
Right *95 Ferrari F355
Why- Because whomever can.

modelbehavior said...

And I thought Felix was crazy?

I need to make a daytime visit to Bagatelle, although I really don't want to do anything that would benefit the Kiss and Fly establishment which has, since it's opening, subsequently taken over my life.