Off-Broadway | My Big Gay Italian Wedding

Last night I went to see the Off-Broadway show "My Big Gay Italian Wedding" with my friend Patrick from high school. I had heard about this show because it is produced by one of the Real Housewives of NJ, Dina Manzo, and last week tickets were on sale at Groupon.com for the amazing price of $42 (regularly $70+). I didn't want to pass up such a great deal! 

Although I have been to a handful of Broadway shows in the past, I have never seen one Off-Broadway before. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The theater was rather small, with just chairs set up for the audience. The great thing about that, though, was it made the show more personal. The actors often interacted with the audience. At one point (during the wedding scene), the mother of the groom even yelled at Patrick for wearing jeans to her son's wedding! It was hilarious! 

If you are looking for a show to see that is cheaper than Broadway and in a more intimate setting, I would definitely recommend My Big Gay Italian Wedding. The show was so funny, and it had some really great moments in there. Something that made me laugh a lot was the cast's version of the Italian Ducky Dance that my family does. I couldn't believe it! The wedding reception was definitely my favorite scene, but I don't want to give too much away. 

Of course, I also found it touching that a Catholic, Italian family loved their gay son enough to throw him a wedding (okay, with a little begging involved). Civil rights is an issue that is extremely important to me, and plays like this one help to show people that gay marriage really isn't so bad after all. If two people love each other, that's what matters. While Anthony and Andrew could not get legally married in My Big Gay Italian Wedding, I hope that one day down the road they can rewrite the script because New York has made same-sex marriage legal. 

I also hope that I can go to many more shows, both Broadway and otherwise, while I'm here in New York City. They aren't always the most affordable form of entertainment, but they are worth every penny! 

Exploring the Neighborhood & the Downfalls of Fordham

This past Sunday I went with my next door neighbor in the house, Jason, to sample some of the food that you can find in our neighborhood. For lunch we went to this pizza place called Full Moon Pizza, which is located in the Little Italy of the Bronx just a couple blocks down. I had heard from a bunch of people that I just HAD to go there because they have the best pizza. Well, I'm not sure if it's the best, but it's definitely delicious. The slices are huge, about twice the size of a normal slice, and even though the price tag is a bit high (anywhere from $2-$5 for a slice) it's worth it. I also got garlic knots which were dripping in garlic and butter. Not the healthiest meal in the world, but a good experience.

Here's a picture of the pizza slice that I found on slice.com. It gives you a good idea of how big one piece is:

After stuffing ourselves with Italian food, Jason and I went and got Chinese for dinner. The place is called Nice Food (heh heh) and it's only a block away from the house. For $9 I got this huge container of chicken and broccoli plus white rice. It lasted me three meals! I wouldn't go there often, because the food is pretty bad for you, but it's good once in a while. Plus, there are a bunch more restaurants around that I need to try, including the Italian bakeries in Little Italy. 

On Monday, my day off from work, I decided to study for the midterm I had later that night in my class. I spent my free time on Sunday making this awesome 10-page study guide, but I had one problem-- I don't have a printer this semester! In order to print my study guide and the homework assignment that was also due, I made my way to Fordham's campus. What I thought was going to take about 10 seconds to accomplish took me a half an hour! First, I had to locate a computer lab that actually had working computers (the first room I went into had lots of computers, but they had no programs on them!). Then, when I went to print my document, nothing happened. Why? Because you have to PAY for your printing at Fordham! This means I had to trek downstairs and load up my student ID with some cash, and then enter it into some weird machine to print my documents. Yeah, I only paid 50¢, but the printing wasn't even double-sided, so I felt like I had killed a tree or two. A big difference from the usual "green" culture I'm used to. Not so much a big deal, but just a couple of the areas where Fordham can improve.

P.S. In case you were wondering, my midterm went well!

Back to New England

This weekend I made my first trip back to New England since being in New York City. I went back to school for some College Democrats events, but also to visit my friends who hadn't gone away for the semester. It was a bit weird being back after living "city" life for the past month, but it was really nice to see everyone. Despite the long travel (I left my house in NYC at 7:15am on Friday and made it to school at 3:00pm) it was definitely worth it to go away for the weekend. On Friday night, the College Democrats and I went to a dinner at Tufts University to meet Governor Patrick of MA. We had the honor of attending as we placed in second during a voter registration competition in the fall. The only downfall to the evening was the traffic- it took us two hours to make a 45 minute drive! Nonetheless, it was great to be recognized for all of the hard work that our chapter does throughout the year, and to meet the Governor. Here is a picture of us with him: Saturday it was brutally cold outside (thanks, Massachusetts!!) but my friends and I decided to do some shopping at the Wrentham Outlets. Despite the cold, we each found some great deals.  I got a new Guess peacoat valued at $200 for only $43! My friends each got a pair of boots for great prices as well. To top off our purchases, we stopped by the candy store and got some chocolates. Who could pass up 4 bags of Lindt truffles for a total of $10?! Then, back at school we had one of my favorite meals "pastabilities" and went back to our (or, I suppose, "their") dorm for a girls movie night complete with our favorite dessert- fro-yo. I tried a new flavor, York Mint with chocolate. It was delicious! For movies we chose Valentine's Day (very cute!) and the Italian Job. I unfortunately fell asleep during the middle of the Italian Job, as my sleep schedule is now opposite the average college student's. I'm not used to staying up past 10 or 11 anymore! Today, Sunday, we went to the cafeteria for brunch, and before I knew it again I was hopping on the shuttle so I could catch the bus back to NYC, where I'm actually writing this from! I was lucky enough to catch the 1:30 bus even though I payed for a 2:30 ticket. That way I won't be getting back to the house too late tonight. Tomorrow I have the day off from work, and I don't even have to go to class because it's President's Day (although I have to go on Tuesday night instead). I'm looking forward to relaxing and working on some publicity stuff for one of my internships. I also have to do some grocery shopping as I haven't gone in a while thanks to the large amount of food my parents mailed to me. I also want to thank the lovely ladies of Suite 103 (and Kathleen, of course!) for housing me and letting me use their HillCards, since mine is currently frozen. Hopefully you'll be able to visit me in New York sometime soon!

Lesson 3: Keep Calm and Carry On

Let's be honest, things are going to happen that we're not all so happy about. If you're me, you are used to freaking out and getting pissed off at a lot of little things. When living in the fast-paced city of New York, there is no time for freaking out no matter what happens. I've noticed during my morning commute that a lot of things tend to go the opposite of how I would like them to. It begins with the small annoyances, like the computerized "Ladies and Gentleman, we are delayed because of train traffic ahead of us. Please be patient." I hear these words almost every morning (sometimes multiple times!) but there's nothing I can do about it. I have to sit (if I'm lucky enough to get a seat) there and wait for the train to keep moving. 

Then there are those things which for me at least are a pretty big deal. The first occurred a few weeks ago. The guy standing next to me on the subway started throwing up on the people sitting down in front of him. For any of you that know me, I do NOT deal with vomit! I don't even want to know when other people have a stomach ache! But what was I to do? The train was moving, we were underground, all I could do was put as much distance between him and me as possible- and believe me I did! I pushed my way through everyone to the other end of the car, took some deep breaths, and tried not to freak out. For the next few days, I was so afraid that someone was going to puke on me on the train. Of course, it can happen at any time, but there's no use worrying about it.

And then today, a bird decided to poop in my hair just as I was getting on the train. The funny thing is, I had just taken a shower and thought to myself "Hey, my hair looks good today." Not for long! When I felt that "plop" I just knew what happened. It was too late to go back home to wash my hair again, so I took the tissues out of my purse and wiped it the best I could. After the hour ride on the subway to work, I went straight to the bathroom and used a combination of paper towels, soap, and water to wash my hair the best I could. The smell was still there a little (and oh GOD did it reek), but I moved on with my day until I could get home and take another shower. Fun, fun. 

Lesson 3: Things that you don't like are going to happen to you. There's nothing you can do about it, so do your best to hold your composure and move on with your life. 

Korean Food: The Experience

Tonight I was lucky enough to meet up with one of my good friends from high school, Fay. She and her friend Lilly had interviews in the city, and we got dinner together. They brought me to K-town (Korean Town) and we went to an amazing restaurant. I ordered chicken with fried rice off of the menu (safe choice for this first time eating Korean), and imagine my surprise to all of the appetizers we got! In Korean restaurants, they bring out little bowls of a bunch of different appetizers for you. There were vegetables, potatoes, even some egg soup type of thing. It was really cool! I was proud of myself and tried everything but this one dish that was really spicy. 

Then it came time for my actual meal (that also came with miso soup!). It was huge, and so delicious. When I thought fried rice, I was expecting something you can get at the mall. Not here! It was more of flavored rice, with vegetables, egg, and the chicken. I was glad it was a lot healthier than I thought it was going to be. I was even so full that I took half of it home. Another day of not cooking for me!

The best part of the meal was the drink they bring you at the end. It is a cinnamon iced tea kind of deal. Sounds weird, but it was so amazing. I wanted to buy a whole gallon of it (which you can't, of course). I guess the drink is supposed to help cleanse your palette after the meal. For me, it was a wonderful dessert treat believe it or not! Another great thing? I only spent $17 total including tax and tip. What a bargain for all of the food we got! 

Of course, it was also nice to spend time with Fay and to meet Lilly. I'm glad they took me somewhere I had never been, and introduced me to another culture. Good food, good company, wonderful evening! 

Book Signing | The Rules According to JWOWW by Jenni 'JWOWW' Farley

Today after work I headed over to the Borders at Columbus Circle to attend JWoww's book signing. It was a great experience! I got there at about 4:30 and the event was to start at 7:00. I'm so glad I got there when I did... I was near the front of the line, but some other people were NOT so lucky. While waiting, what else was I to do but begin reading the new book I just purchased. I'm actually impressed with it, too. So far The Rules According to JWoww is quite entertaining, and it's not leaving me totally brain dead. 

Of course the real reason I waited in line for 2.5 hours was to meet Jenni! She showed up only fifteen minutes late (rather good for a big name), and the frenzy began. The media was allowed to take photographs first. Then the line started moving quickly as Jenni started signing books. The guidelines were as follows: no personal messages in the book (only her signature), you could only meet her if you purchased a book, and no photos at the podium. When it was my turn to get my book signed, I was so excited. JWoww is absolutely gorgeous, and she was so nice. Definitely worth the wait! 

I tried to take some pictures, but with the fast-paced setting, most of them came out blurry. Here are a few of the good ones:

When she first came out and everyone went crazy:

She's signing away:

And, of course, the autograph signed in pink:

This post contains an affiliate link. All opinions are my own.

Law and Order

This week I got sent on my first mission to the court house. I had to file an order (a multiple step process), deliver it to a judge in a different court house, and pick it up the next day. I was pretty intimidated at first, since first you have to go through security like you do at the airport, and then find the right room, stand in the right line, hand in the right papers, etc. Most of the people were really nice, and explained things to me as I went along. There were just a couple of people that got annoyed when I asked a simple question. Oh, the bureaucracy. 

Nonetheless, it was pretty cool to be doing these errands. The court houses are all old inside and out. In one of them the elevators are even run by operators! Here are some of the pictures I took with my phone:

This is the first court house I went into. They film Law and Order on those steps all the time:

This is the statue in the center of Foley Square, where the court houses are:

Here is another court house. I didn't have to go in here: