my weekend round up

honestly, i just had one of the best weekends that i've had in a while.

oysters and sangria at fig & olive

new haircut and gossip at maria mok

mango chutney with pomme frites,

level 9, pho32,

aripa benedictos and bloody marys at yucca bar,

brooklyn bowl, live bands, salsa dancing, fette seu..

good company + fun settings always equal good times.

i spent a lot of money this weekend though.

i probably spent more than i should've but it was well worth it.

but money spent on good times is the same money that could be spent towards harder times too.

so i've decided to donate money to the red cross for the victims in japan.

here's the link in case you'd like to donate too:

https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=0&5052.donation=form1&df_id=5052

something to be grateful for

i found out about japan early this morning as it came on the news, showing videos of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the country.

you hear every day on the news about crimes in the city -- murders, assault, robberies -- but it's the horrible worldly news that's so much more...removed from us.

have you seen some of these videos of the tsunami? cars, houses, buildings, airports, nuclear plants, all destroyed with the swish of a massive wave. PEOPLE in boats swallowed up by the sea within seconds.. can you imagine your entire world being washed away like that? nothing remaining... i just can't..

i was really sad this morning, realizing how helpless i felt, how pathetic my trivial problems from the day before are compared to anything that the people affected by this tragedy are going through right now.

i had no motivation whatsoever to do any work -- everything felt so.. insignificant.

a friend made me realize how lucky we really are:

HyeMi: i know...i've barely done any work today

but it's okay..it's friday

we have the luxury of reevaluating our lives on a day like today

it just makes me feel eternally grateful once again for ANYTHING and everything that i have in this lifetime. it reminds me how much i love my loved ones.

my prayers go out to the families and their loved ones in Japan

the sense that i need to GIVE more has struck a chord with me more than ever.

i want to DO something. i want to be a part of something bigger than myself and my selfish ways, because i have the luxury.

it's sad that it took something so horrible to make me feel so strongly about it. we should know better.