What It's Really Like to Leave New York

A lot of people have asked me what it's like to move from NYC to the Bay Area. Sometimes their tone leads me to interpret it as, Was it worth it? After six months of living in California, I still find it hard to answer the question. See, it's not that I didn't want to move to California and it's not that I wanted to leave New York--both are true, and it has tormented me to pick a truth. That was until my recent trip back to NYC.

I spent a week in the city last March, my first time back since moving away in September. I stayed in the guest bedroom (I know right?) of my best friend's Fort Greene apartment that was nearly 30 floors up with 180-degree undisrupted views of downtown Brooklyn AND Manhattan (I'm not kidding). Every morning I'd wake up to the city skyline. The beautiful Statue of Liberty on the left, the Empire State Building planted in the center, and the bridges Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg connecting life between the two masses. This is undoubtedly the life.

My first day I had lunch at Mile End Delicatessen in Boerum Hill. Before I could eat my fried brussel sprouts and smoked meat poutine, my eyes started swelling. Sean looked at me, and he knew. He knew that I wanted to move back. Deep inside we both knew this would happen--it was inevitable that I'd pass a dog park, street corner or bodega and a memory would hit me so hard in my footsteps that I'd breakdown in tears. Thankfully that didn't happen (could you imagine me being that girl crying on the street?) and I was able to pull myself together and finish my poutine.

The truth-truth is New York means too much to me to not want it. It's where I spent most of my 20s, it's where I became an adult, it's where I've shared a million experiences with close friends and absolute strangers - it's the mother-effing City That Never Sleeps.

But the question is not whether I want New York or not--it's whether I wanted to leave. And that is where I found my closure. After five years, I did want to leave.

I found it hard to make decisions in New York - you know, life decisions. The ones where you decide, Where do I want my career to go? Where am I going to live in two years? Am I willing to pay the insane rent? What makes me happy? In a city of choice, I strangely felt limited by my options. There was always a trade off; if it wasn't money or time, it was some excuse. I can't blame a city on my decision-making capabilities, but the distractions and exhaustion of work and play muffled my ability to clearly think and make life decisions. So I forced myself to choose an open answer and made the first decision--move west.

During my first weeks in the California 'burbs, I felt like an alien or that I was in an alien-land. New York made me uniquely multi-dimensional (and maybe even slightly demented)--like a sheet of metal that's been sculpted, bent and warped, and if you place me on a perfectly leveled table, of course, I'll wobble and struggle to stay still. Well, I wobbled.

Separation from my friends gave me anxiety and the sleepiness of the suburbs put me in deeper isolation. Perhaps the transition would have been easier if I lived in San Francisco, but I wasn't looking for easy (or the 2-hour commute). I was looking for an ass-kicking, wake up call, detox of sorts. Through it, I'm hoping to gain clarity on what I want or don't want going into my 30s.

Slowly, I'm learning to appreciate the quiet. The weather is beautiful, the people are nice, and my time here is my time. I have time to do things like read, run and hike. In the mornings I take a shuttle to work and stare out of my window at the commercial office buildings, freeways, cloudless blue sky, hypnotized by its banal repetition. But before I can even think about missing the L train--its hipster fashion and crazy characters, I regain focus on an idea I've been working on or a goal I've set for myself. I regain focus on the future.

Now, it's my showtime.

NEW YEAR, NEW NAME, NEW GAME.

2013 was a reflective year--a year where I finally thought, "I'm grown up."

This post is hard for me to write because I wanted the first post of 2014 to set the tone for my blog From A to Zeny as it enters its fifth year in existence.

A lot has changed over the past year:
I lost my grandmother.
I married my soul mate.
And, I blogged a lot less.

I blogged 22 times in 2013 (5x less than 2009 when I started the blog) and it makes me sad because blogging was a creative exercise for me--a way for me to catalog events, ideas, trends, adventures--literally there was nothing I would not blog about like my sister's love for emojis or every drool-worthy meal I had in Asia. But in 2013, I made a decision to internalize a lot of the personal changes happening in my life and focus on my career. In other words, I was growing up.

Although I have a new last name and an evolving outlook on life, I still constantly seek inspiration and stimulation. My goal for 2014 is to talk about that difficult in-between age closely reminiscent to your teenage angsty years, but with better hair, also called your late 20's--to tell stories about pursuing personal passions, leaning in as a lady at work, our rapidly progressing and somewhat scary digital world, marriage (eek!), foodie adventures and occasionally ads or campaigns that get it.

My blog is only as good as the people I meet, so I invite people to share with me their stories or connect with me on Instagram and Twitter.

Cheers to the future,
Zeny

My Rant on the Electric Zoo Cancellation, 2 Deaths and the Use of MDMA

I woke up this morning in bed to discover through my Facebook newsfeed that the third day of Electric Zoo Music Festival has been cancelled due to two drug-related deaths, the dead were ages 20 and 24. Sadly, for the two the last part of "eat sleep rave repeat" won't be happening again.

Exactly a year ago after Electric Zoo 2012, I asked myself: Is there a way to save America's EDM culture? I got my answer today, and that is "no."

I tried really hard this year to embrace what positive vibes I could get from my fellow Animals--the stranger on the bus that offered me purple glitter, the old couple getting down to Dog Blood, the influx of Canadians that looked like maple leaf presents, the boy in a wifebeater and bandana randomly picking up bottles and cups telling the crowd to "keep it clean", the Long Island college kid in head-to-toe day glow telling us how he wanted to sneak in a slip n slide on the subway--these were the moments I desperately tried to remember to remind myself the festival wasn't all lost.

But my vibe has been officially been killed. For the first time in the three years I have attended Electric Zoo, drug use has consumed the experience. I was approached several times by strangers asking "Do you have M?" or "Do you have Molly?". I'd answer no and these individuals would stumble to the next person asking the same question. I witnessed a security guard pounce on a suspected dealer who looked like every other bro in a jersey tank with kandi bracelets and pinned the boy to the ground while he waited for backup. MADE Event officials interrupted two sets around 3pm yesterday, while I was at Dyro and Oliver, warning the crowd that if people do not drink water or take care of themselves and each other, the event would be cancelled. This is the bullshit I want nothing of. I don't do drugs. I don't need drugs, and I'm starting to think people like me who get excited over the music and revel in the dancing don't have a place at festivals.

Death in any circumstance is death. It is unfortunate that such sad news has to be made an example of, and I'm disappointed to see dance music grow and evolve in such a negative direction in the US.

This will be the first time I'm uncertain if I will return to EZOO next year.

Surprise, It's a Boy! My First Gender Reveal Party

I LOVE BABIES. And my good friend Greg (the first of my friends to get married) and his wife Erin are expecting! Now typically you find out the baby's gender through a phone call or text but nowadays the trend is to reveal the baby's gender in a form of dessert whether its cake or cupcake. We were asked to attend the 'gender reveal party' in the color of the baby's gender we think it is. I showed up in pink but the blue representation was really strong, outnumbering pink 2-to-1--and to everyone's delight, after biting into the cupcake we all found out it was a BOY! Congrats Greg & Erin on your baby boy!

Proof That Kids Do Love Emojis

My 8 year-old sister sent me this email today:

She's awesome.

What Is Wrong With This Picture? [UPDATE] THE L TRAIN IS BACK!

I'm not complaining because it's miraculous the city was able to get all the lines running except one in such a short amount of time. I just find it kind of funny the "L" had to be the last...

[UPDATE] 11/8 4:04PM
Look!

Are You Bothered By How Insensitive Brands Are In Social Media? I Am.

Something has been bothering me all day. The constant Facebook posts and tweets in my news feeds from brands and media outlets unrelated to Hurricane Sandy just doesn't sit right with me. Yes, I know there's a world outside of New York and the east coast area and life goes on, but selling me coffee or telling me how to use a shampoo in 3 different ways just doesn't feel right.

We live in a hyper-connected world, so brands need to be extra sensitive to what's going on in the world and how it affects their audience. This is what geo-targeting capabilities in Facebook are for, so brands can segment their messaging and post only what's most relevant to their audiences.

Don't ask your audience who might have lost their home what they are doing for Halloween. Don't tell your audience that just stayed up all night without power or water that they should be partying it up with your brand of beer. It's a fast way to lose brand credibility. Brands should think about whether what they are posting makes sense to someone like me who is living in a bizarre bubble of constant tragic news and unusual circumstances. If what they are saying doesn't make sense, then don't tweet it. Your business won't suffer from one less tweet, but you could lose a handful a followers with tweets like the above from @adage. Gap and American Apparel are guilty of the same.

I am not just talking about social sensitivity during natural disasters but also shootings, riots and large-scale accidents. Social media can be a very powerful tool to connect with your audience but it can also hurt your brand and business tremendously if you don't use common sense. Rule of thumb: if a friend dear to you would punch you in the face about what you are going to post, then don't post it.

I Would Read Lena Dunham's Book Because Her Self-Awareness is Incredible

My fiancé who works at Random House told me about Lena Dunham's book right before the press pounced upon the $3.5 million dollar book deal. Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether she deserves the high price tag and whether she's worth the hype (acclaimed movie, HBO show, Emmy nomination, now, book deal!)--my simple opinion: I think she deserves her success. Because she, I'm sure, worked very hard for it.

I re-watched a couple episodes of GIRLS, the one where Marnie breaks up with her boyfriend and the finale, and it occurs to me as I'm watching that no other show about 20-somethings is able to feel as raw, authentic and complex and at the same time look easy than Dunham's portrayal of four girls surviving the city. Lena sees the humor and subtle meaning in the everyday. She understands the universal feeling of having to (and being scared to) grow-up, prioritizing relationships and finding fulfillment in a job. She's not afraid to admit that girls can be a "tease", "users" and stereotypically insecure. She's not afraid to be naked. She literally gives it her all in her work.

Some people may not understand her humor or look past her background or look past her use of an all-white cast (has anyone seen a Tyler Perry movie?), but what I see is a talented, brave girl that is working hard and deserves to have her cake and eat it too.

*UPDATED* So You Think You Can Dance Season 9 Bracket is Up!

I revised last year's SYTYCD bracket in time for tomorrow night's Top 20 2-hour live performance premiere on FOX at 8/7c. Click here or the link at the bottom to download the bracket. For best results print in full-color on tabloid (11x17) paper.

You must fill out the Final Winner and Week 2 bracket after tomorrow's premiere and before the July 18th results show to play in in the #SYTYCDBracket pool. If you're wondering there's no final prize involved (yet), but if you're a true SYTYCD fan, an awesome NappyTabs or Sonia Tayeh routine is all you need.

Happy So You Think You Can Dancing!

**Due to some changes in the format this season, announced in the premiere episode on 7/11, I've revised the bracket to include two winners and 4 dancers eliminated in the first week

Click the image or download the SYTYCD Season 9 Bracket here

Everything You Wanted to Know About My Engagement

I usually don't blog about my personal life but a recent turn of events has convinced me that this is a moment where blogging would be appropriate. Meaning all your questions about my engagement to Sean will be answered in honest detail and true NY Mag Absolute Moron-style.

You're engaged?!

Yep! Crazy, I know.

To who? I didn't even know you had a boyfriend.

I do, I mean, I did (he's my biancé now = boyfriend + fiance). His name is Sean. He works for Random House. 6'2'', used to skateboard and loves milk and cookies. We've been together for over 8 years.

No shit, that's cray.

Yeah, here's some pictures to prove it:

This is literally the first time we met at Punahou Carnival on February 6, 2004

And here we are on the night of our engagement on June 17, 2012

You're so young. What are you like 21?

Age is just a number, not a measure of character. And, no I'm not 21... but I'll take it as a complement.

Who knew you'd get married a 100 months later.

Sean did. Even after being with Sean for so long, this was very unexpected for me. I really had no idea he was going to propose on Sunday. But since day one, he's been sure of "us" and I love him for always knowing. His stubborn dedication reminds me of Adam from Girls or Ryan Gosling from The Notebook, you can't help but find that commitment attractive and endearing. He's been a huge part of my adult life and I wouldn't change any part of it. Plus, he cooks a mean lasagna.

So, back to the engagement. After it happened, did you update your Facebook relationship status?

Ha. I thought about it but realized I don't even have my relationship status filled out on Facebook. I didn't want to be that girl who changes her relationship status from 'In a Relationship' to 'Engaged' and have the entire world respond to it. So instead I thought it'd be more subtle if I tweeted about it...

Wow 184 likes and 74 comments. Real subtle.

I KNOW! I was totally shocked. I might as well have changed my relationship status. I was overwhelmed by all the love I received on facebook, text message and phone calls--it made me realize how awesome my friends are and all the wonderful people I have met over the years. Really, thanks guys. 

Whoa, wait. You didn't know how to ride a bike?

Nope. I can't drive either. Learning how to ride a bike was one of my New Year's resolutions, and since it was so nice out this weekend, Sean decided to teach me.

Pics or it didn't happen.

So how'd he do it?

It was at the East River Park in Williamsburg, my absolute favorite view of NYC. Every time I come to this park, I fall in love with the city all over again because it feels like home, like the place I belong. I can name many instances where I've come to this park with Sean post-Smorgasburg, my family and friends for photo-ops and often by myself to think. 

We just finished my second bicycling session at Brooklyn Bridge Park (Sean said that I can't say I know how to ride a bike until I've done it twice) and took the East River Ferry back to Williamsburg. It was about 7pm when we got off and he suggested we stop at the park to watch the sunset. 

The park was more crowded than usual, probably because it was a Sunday and so nice out. Sean was being picky about where we sat (this is when I started to get a feeling something was up) and he finally settled for a log on the sand near the water. Not gonna lie, I was super tired at this point and kind of wanted to just go home (but then, I thought to myself, if something was up... I couldn't ruin it by being a whiny turd). Then, Sean started to say things. Really sweet things. Things I already knew, like how I make him the happiest person in the world, how we've had our ups and downs--it was at this point, I knew he was going to propose and instantly froze. THIS IS HAPPENING. 

He got down on one knee and pulled out a velvet blue box. STILL IN SHOCK. He may have asked me a question, something about having a future together--I don't remember because the moment was a blur and I sat there speechless. When I realized it was my turn to give an answer, I told him he knew my answer. Yes, of course. I then proceeded to ball like a baby, because 1) this was unexpected, 2) the ring was beautiful and 3) I am finally growing up.

The view from where Sean proposed

Did people see you? Did they clap?

No, we were on the secluded side surrounded by high bushes so no one saw. I prefer it that way. But we did ask a stranger to take a picture with our cell phone:

OooOOoo, can I see the ring?

It's a vintage ring. To be honest, I didn't have a specific ring in mind. I think all I've hinted at was "vintage", "square", "art deco" and "moon rock". No joke, I told Sean I wanted a moon rock. But I guess a diamond will do. Just kidding. When I saw the ring, I realized how well Sean knew me, often times better than I knew myself. I love the little details like the two triangle diamonds on each side that remind me of the rays on top of the Chrysler building and the elevated square setting which accentuates the rock e.g. makes it look bigger!

You should really get a manicure before you show people your ring.

...

WHEN'S THE WEDDING?!

... 

I'm giving myself time for the engagement to soak in before I think about wedding planning.

Are you getting married in Hawaii?

Yes, both of our families are from there so it would make the most sense.

Am I invited?!

Reference two questions back. 

How does it feel to be engaged?

Weird. But good weird. The type of weird that makes me think I'm finally comfortable being in my late 20s. The good weird where you know things are going to be great because you're beginning a new adventure with someone who makes you really happy. The good weird where you accept all the mistakes you've made as a teenager and in your early 20s and move on from them knowing you're wiser because of it.

The good weird knowing someone is crazy enough to love you this much. 

Time to Bust Out the NYC Summer Guides

Lydia and I warming up our summer dance moves at EDC NYC

Heyyy there summer. It's time to study up on the top NYC summer guides and start planning the best staycations, starting with these (warning: the last two are a bit bouji):

• Immaculate Infatuation: http://cdn.immaculateinfatuation.com/downloads/Immaculate-Infatuation-Summer-Guide.pdf
• NY Mag: http://nymag.com/guides/summer/
• Vanity Fair: http://promotions.vf.com/summerguide/content/Summer-Guide-2012.pdf
• Book Report: https://s3.amazonaws.com/BookReportNewYork/SUMMERGUIDE2012.pdf

Don't forget the millions of free outdoor concerts:

• Summer Stage: http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage/
• Celebrate Brooklyn!: http://www.bricartsmedia.org/performing-arts/celebrate-brooklyn/celebrate-brooklyn-2012-season-at-the-bandshell 
• Williamsburg Park: http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/listings/h2oshows
• River Rocks NYC: http://riverrocksnyc.com/index.html

My bucket list includes visiting the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, movies at Bryant Park, general activities involving beer gardens and checking out the new McCarren Park Pool!

If you don't live in NYC, you should check out Discover America's Summer Guide for all of US.

Ted is Real, His Name is Oscar

Funny, after watching the "Ted" trailer with Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane as Ted the teddy bear, I couldn't help laughing about how similar Ted is to my boyfriend's childhood teddy bear Oscar (he's a bear, NOT a monkey). I know crazy right? If you thought the movie was weird, think again, because a living teddy bear is not that weird. Oscar sleeps next to me every night in the corner with his pudgy foot often times kicking me in my face. Like Ted, Oscar has a giant head larger then mine, finds joy in the occasional drink and is a staple at house parties. Oh, did I tell you he likes to watch Mad Men too? I can't wait for the movie to come out in the summer, it looks like a riot. Oscar said he's excited too.

My Defense of the "Anti-Foodie" Foodie Scene

I recently read NY Mag's feature on foodie-ism as youth culture which profiled Diane Chang who I guess is supposed to be a big NYC food blogger (never heard of her before the article), but I found the article interesting--and the comments even more--because to a large degree my life in NYC is also consumed by good eating and drinking. Really, food has been a huge part of my life as a kid growing up in a Chinese household with a dad who's a professional chef and mom and grandma who kicks ass at cooking amazing dinners night after night. Now, I just pay other people to feed me.

Before you label me as a "foodie", here are somethings I'd like to clarify:

I don't shop.

In my 2.5 years in NYC, I've never stepped in a sample sale or bought anything from Gilt. I have forgone the common 'shopping' addiction to afford the ability to enjoy a nice meal here and there. Basically, I've replaced purses with pretzels (the one at Radegast is so good!).

I do not check-in or write reviews.

My shitty smartphone never seems to know where I am, and so I do not check-in on foursquare or facebook. Even if I did have an iPhone, I probably wouldn't. I've also never written a review on Yelp.

I like drinking too.

So much emphasis is put on "food", what about drinks? I like bar-exploring as much as I like eating and get excited when a bar has 8+ beers on tap, none of which are light domestics; however, my amateur wine knowledge makes me an instant foodie fail.

Often times, I eat like a poor intern.

$5 pulled pork sliders from Fetta Sau's after hours menu, $7 chicken and rice combination plate, $3 Oasis falafel sandwich, $3 cheese corn from Union Pool, $8 chicken liver bacon sandwich from Post Office, $7 chicken chop from Saint's Alps... I'm not ashamed to order from the McDonald's dollar menu and have yet to step foot in a Jean-Georges establishment. I have an appreciation for high-brow food but for the most part consume mid-to-low. My advertising job really doesn't support a $300 Per Se tasting menu habit. 

I sometimes take pictures. 

Especially when I slave away in my kitchen. I like to remember my culinary accomplishments.

I'm lucky my friends have the same appreciation I do for good food. I'm even luckier that we're not the "foodie" snobs people seem to stereotype that all they do is restaurant name drop, take pictures of everything we eat and can only talk about food. My friends and I don't talk about food when we're at restaurants... we're too busy eating.

Who is Jeremy Lin? Tell Me Facebook.

On my way home on the 4 express train to Union Square today, I was cornered against the door by two 30-something tie-wearing men talking loudly about Jeremy Lin. The man closest to me complained about Linsanity and how all the fanfare around Jeremy Lin was unwarranted because the games that Lin scored 20+ points was against bad NBA teams (I have no clue since I don't watch basketball, let alone care about the Knicks) and how he's skeptical about Lin's ability. The other man told an interesting story of how large-size Lin jerseys were sold out at a Modell's and stores are rushing to produce more. During this time that I was eavesdropping, I first thought to myself, "this man's a racist", then I thought about how the only reason why I know who Jeremy Lin is because my Facebook news feed has been flooded with pro-Jeremy Lin video clips the past week. Who is Jeremy Lin? He's a basketball player on the Knicks who went to Harvard and is Asian American. I found that out through Facebook.

While I don't think that man next to me on the train is truly racist, I do think Linsanity has a lot to do with Lin's race. The fact that Jeremy Lin kicks ass makes me pretty proud to be an Asian and now I sort of very minimally care about the Knicks or at least in Lin's story. Any NBA team that had a small window to gain greater press coverage and buzz would take it, explaining the rush in printing Lin jerseys and madness that is the Jeremy Lin internet memes: http://www.quickmeme.com/Jeremy-Lin/?upcoming 

I've always said this (many times sarcastically): Asians don't know how to fail. I used to yell this at BU hockey games when #18 Brandon Yip was on the ice and he always delivered. Whether or not social media and the internet blew the significance of Jeremy Lin's recent success out of proportion doesn't really matter. What matters is a week ago no one knew who Jeremy Lin was, and now, he's become all New York and Asians across America can talk about.

Want to Work in Advertising? Here's 5 Traits You Need

Before I get into this post, I want to clarify that I'm not writing this because I think I know it all or claim to--I'm writing this because I want those who are passionate about working in the ad industry to succeed, and here are some tips I've gathered from my experience in the agency world:  

1. Question Wisely
At first I wanted to phrase this as "question everything". If you're on a call and someone is talking about implementing a "pixel" to a website for tracking purposes and you don't know what the hell they're talking about... speak up and ask. What's a "QSR"? Don't know? Then ask (QSR are quick service restaurants like Quiznos). No question is a bad question BUT the point is knowing the best person and time to ask. If you're in a 10-person meeting, it's probably not the best idea to ask every question. List them in a notebook and only ask the ones you can't ask someone after the meeting or google. You can't learn, if you don't ask.

2. Learn to Simplify
It's amazing how stupidly tedious certain processes can be because no one was smart enough to fix them or everyone was just too lazy. If a process is frustrating and unnecessarily time consuming, fix it. Find a way to make it easier for yourself and others. Also, we're in the business of getting a point across quickly, so we (myself included) should exercise some restraint and editing of powerpoint slides.

3. Keep Busy
Seriously if you're online shopping or catching up on last week's episode of The Bachelor on hulu, you probably should ask around for work. If your manager doesn't have anything and your team doesn't have anything--venture to a different department, consider submitting ideas to an open brief, research new business opportunities or "simplify" something. Boredom is a terrible thing.

4. Be Positive
Sounds simple but you'd be surprise how easy negativity flows through agencies. It's tough being the person to challenge creatives to see the opportunity in a low-fi microsite or work with a miniscule budget--but you just have to keep pushing for amazing work. And amazing work rarely happens unless everyone believes in it.

5. Be Fearless
Of all 5 traits, this one is most important. Dive head first into projects. Believe in something? Then just do it.

It's no surprise that most students out of college aspire to work for the Wiedens, Drogas, BBDOs and Crispins. I know I did and still do; however, it's not the agency that makes good people, it's good people that makes an agency. And good people are everywhere, therefore strong advertising can come from any agency. I'm grateful to wake up each morning hungry and happy about what I do and hope the people I work with are just as hungry and happy too.

Another Post Dedicated To Marisa Lynn Star

I've been a very lucky girl recently because all my favorite people who live far away have made a stop in NYC. Last week was sushi, sake and dancing with Sindoni and this week my dearest Californian Marisa Lynn Star is here! Like the times she visited before, a weekend with Marisa is nothing short of "celicious" (you'll have to ask her what that means). Due to freezing point temperatures, we've opted to stay in Brooklyn--dumplings at M Shanghai, dancing at The Woods and brunch at Rye. Dumplings, dancing and brunch--how could that go wrong?

Photo recap:

Updated the scrabble message board just for Marisa

Awesome Beef (this really is what the dish is called) at M Shanghai

 Pregame at Sophie's

 Brunch at Rye! I was super disappointed they no longer have the pork belly sandwich on their menu :(

But they do have the Rye Benedict, which has pork belly

I demolished the House Smoked Sturgeon

 Ted photobombing

If you can't tell by our frigid expressions, it was pretty cold out.

From Indian to Beach, the 2011 Weddings That Rocked

I remember being a summer intern and my manager who was in his mid-20s told me how he was attending multiple weddings a year. There was something about his tone that made me think I shouldn't be looking forward to these "multiple weddings" when I hit my mid-20s; however, from my very first wedding in 2010 (Greg & Erin's) to the two I attended in the last two months--it is safe to say that WEDDINGS ARE AWESOME.

On November 5th, I attended my friend Jalpa's wedding in Virginia and experienced my first Indian wedding. I attempted to wrap my first saree (which I rented from Borrow It Bindaas), binge ate Indian food and danced my feet off. Everything about the wedding--the ceremony, family, music--was so lively and joyous... I can't wait until my other Indian friends get married!

Last Friday, my friend Peter graciously invited me to his sister Shelly's wedding reception in Hawaii. His invite said, "there will be a sand castle building contest" and "there's gonna be an adult pinata with adult stuff"--this was more than enough to convince me to go. Located on Kalama Beach in Kailua, the event was beautiful and low-key. I wore a tank top, shorts and slippers. Best part of the wedding was the bride and groom designed custom shirts that said "I Lava You", which everyone put on.

These two weddings are so different and unique to the two couples, but both were filled with so much happiness and celebration. I had an amazing time and very grateful to have been able to share the special moment with both couples. Congrats!

Jalpa and Amish's wedding in Chantilly, Virginia: 

David and Shelly's wedding reception in Kailua, Hawaii: