I spent the last week in NYC. My parents are moving out of their house and into an apartment, so I came across some of my old journals the other day during my salvage operation. I steeled myself for the searing pain and dived in. Here's my favorite entry:

"Tuesday, August 26 1997

Much to write. First Day at Swarthmore, but I'm too exhausted to write at this moment. All I expected. Too bad."

Many of my entries from those days could be paraphrased to fit that mold, e.g., "Went to party. All I expected. Too bad." I report with some sadness that I can no longer summon quite the same cynicism.

I also found a quasi-absurdist short story I wrote in 9th grade. The sentences read exactly like my sentences do now, which is perhaps a compliment to my 14-year old self, but doesn't say much for my progress as a writer. A sample:

"My previous embarassment at misjudging the utility of the scissor was nothing compared to my disapointment at not honoring the peculiarly famous parcel of wisdom, 'Don't run with scissors in your hands.'"

I spied another article about torture in The Atlantic at the airport newsstand. I forget the author - the piece last year was by Bruce Hoffman. Both pieces take a rather ambivalent attitude towards the abuse of prisoners. It's a hard issue - but philosophers do have some helpful stuff to say about it and I don't think any philosophers are quoted in either piece. It's rather annoying to see that philosophy is so far removed from mainstream political discourse that relatively thoughtful authors do not think to consult philosophers where their input would be most relevant. I'll pick up a copy of The Atlantic and write some stuff on the piece on Friday.

I also decided to keep a food diary for my trip to NYC (aka New York on 4000 calories a day). Someday I'll write something about my theory of taste. Taste might be one place where relativism is correct (though not subjectivism or some such thing - 'de gustibus non disputandum est' is false, darnit)... anyhow, for the record:


Sunday-
Charlotte Int'l Airport:
(Manchu Wok) Beef w. broccoli, sweet & sour pork, fried rice (I have the strange urge to pummel my tummy with inferior
cuisine in anticipation of good food).
(Krispy Kreme) Chocolate iced donut
NYC: (Parents' restaurant) Whole lobster w/ ginger and scallions, Singapore chow mei fun (when I say "whole lobster" I mean I ate an entire lobster. Same goes for 1/2 Peking Duck below.)

Monday-

Flushing: (East Dim Sum) - beef roll, tripe, mexico buns, fish balls, spare ribs w/ garlic & black bean sauce, black sesame soup, deep fried rice balls with sesame filling, chicken feet

Chinatown: (a Malaysian place) - roti w/ chicken curry, deep fried red snapper with chili sauce, chinese broccoli w/ salted fish, iced coffee

Little Italy: (a stand in Little Italy) six zeppole


Tuesday-

Upper East Side: (Corner Bagels) Sesame seed bagel w/ cream cheese
Upper West Side: (Chirpin' Chicken) 1/4 chicken and ribs w/ potato salad
My sister complains that I rely too much on other people's
advice in picking places to eat. Chirpin' Chicken was the only
place I ate at during my stay in NYC without any previous
information, and it was also the worst.
(Lexington Candy Shop) Egg Cream
Midtown: (Joey Thai) Chicken w/ peppers and basil, fish cakes.
Joey Thai is a Chowhound darling, probably because it is located
inside a Blimpie's. The food's not bad, and it's cheap, but you're
really going for the the truly unique ambience
(24 hr. Korean joint) kim chee pancake, orange sac-sac, chocolate-covered sesame seeds


Wednesday-

Home: (unknown origin) scallion bun, pork & vegetable bun, pork & veg sweet rice dumpling
(Utopia Bagels) everything bagel
(some place in flushing) 1/2 peking duck, fish heads, snow pea shoots. That was a fatty little bird. The scallions and cucumber that
accompanied it did work pretty well to take the greasy edge off,
though.

Thursday:

Home: Italian bread w/ almond butter, corn on the cob, salt-poached chicken, 6 oz beef loin steak

Little Italy: (Feast of San Gennaro Festival) sweet italian sausage sandwich
(Eileen's Cheescake) mini strawberry cheescake
(Rice to Riches) Coconut Rice Pudding

Forest Hills: (Wilson's Dad's Restaurant) pork chow mein.

Friday:

Home: loaf of raisin challah, soy milk soup, salt-poached chicken, macaroni. The forecasted torrential thunderstorms were my excuse to stay home, but they never came.

Saturday:

Home: (from East dim sum) deep fried taro w/ pork filling, sticky rice w/ chinese sausage, coconut pudding

6 oz. rib eye

(Ben's Best) "The Sears" - Pastrami & Corned beef on Rye.
(Aphrodite's Sweets?) Cheescake, Tiramisu, Chocolate cake.

Sunday:

Flushing: (Sweet 'n Tart Cafe) Wonton noodle soup with pork & watercress dumplings, gai lan w/ oyster sauce, roast pork buns, tapioca in taro soup, peanut-covered glutinous rice balls.

Home: mini-bagel and onion roll from Utopia Bagels.


  ¶ 10:18 PM