Desktop, August 17, 2007, 7:56 PM

First Quarter Report

It has been three months to the day since I've arrived back in New York. My first quarter report quantifies some of my daily realities as traveller gone soft. Work, Sex, Religion as well as some other scintillating topics are measured here on a handsome bar graph... though you never know how the numbers will change from one day to the next. I might get lucky and find a whole gospel choir on the the 5 train tomorrow.

My iChat Customized "Away" List

Thai Iced Tea

Another Foodie-doc, this time of Thai Iced Tea. I don't know about you, but I've never gotten a bev sans bottle anywhere except in SE Asia. On this particular day I was wandering the streets of Bangkok trying to get to the Golden Mount at the suggestion of Chris Otchy, man extraordinaire. Luckily, along my path, I found a woman with her iced tea cart. It was all you could want from a Thai Iced Tea - sweet, creamy goodness. By the time I climbed the mount, though, most of the ice had melted and I was left holding a bag of orange water that had the hint of a tea taste to it. Now I'm left wondering where that ice came from... bad thoughts, bad thoughts.

Emoji

What communities like My Space and Friendster are to us in the States, Mixi is to the Japanese. In order to stay in contact with teachers, students, and soba makers that I befriended over there, I have decided to open a Mixi account. Check out this chart of various Emoji, or Emoticons, that you can use on Mixi. Doesn't the extreme cuteness just make you want to take a rice ball and pelt the first salaryman you see?

Frida and Madge

So I learned this weekend that Madonna always travels with an original Frida Kahlo piece of art. Apparently it has some sort of talisman significance for her. I saw this collage in a "museum" recently... Madge with her hair in that "I dream of Jeannie"-esque braid brought me right back to my obsession with her in the early 90's. Tapped onto Kahlo's forehead was genius, I thought.