Brooklyn Barcade: Getting Your Gaming and Drinking On

With my Adventure Time t-shirt and my Gorillaz Chuck Taylors on*, I trekked my way into unknown territory last night.  For the first time ever in all the years that I have been living in NY, I set foot in Williamsburg, NYC.  I figured I needed to dress the part some because to infiltrate and understand the hipsters, you must become one like the hipsters.  I don't think I'd ever fully be able to succeed in that regard and my War on the hipsters continues but the point of the evening was for something far more entertaining than made-up wars in my head.  I went to play some classic, glorious video games on some glorious arcade machines and met up with some like-minded awesome people at the Brooklyn Barcade.

One Week, Two Chinatowns - Part II

Had the N train not decided to run like rubbish on Friday morning, the trip to Brooklyn would have not taken the extra half an hour longer than it did.

The extra half an hour really cut into our dim sum eating time! But, now we know it can easily be done and East Harbor Seafood Palace is within reach for future jaunts without having to drive to Brooklyn in a mini-van with which to both embarrass and kidnap Beetchie.

The entire day was hit with snafu after snafu.  Beetchie unfortunately got food poisoning, and could not partake in the dim sum feast.  We almost did not see her, actually.  We also forgot that Alex was not eating meat on Fridays during lent, and all the pork I ordered did not go to waste, but there could have been more and/or different types of pork on the table.

Also, being super late led us to not having the luxury to relax, take pictures at leisure or do any such thing.  It turned out to be a really long day.

Spare rib tips were excellent here.

Brooklyn, Now With Condensed Milk

I'll have you know that not all my adventures in Brooklyn end up in mayhem.

As demonstrated by my last visit, sometimes my visits end up with $1.00 dumplings, and yesterday? Dim Sum.

If there is one thing beautiful in this world, it is Dim Sum though that is somewhat of a misleading statement on my part.  Not all dim sum are made equal but that's what fun about it - the Adventure to find Great Dim Sum.

I am a firm believer that H1 is up to that challenge and I too, strive to find those joyful little offerings.  Wherever I may go, I must go to that area's Chinatown.  It's a life goal of mine, indeed.  It sounds hard but someone has to push forward!

How else would I have known that rose water flavoured dumpling skin paired with J-curry dumplings was not the best thing that side of Japan?!

I travel a hard road sometimes and sometimes, the road less traveled will lead you to better dim sum houses.

Which takes me back to the story at hand - Brooklyn.

 We went there: East Harbor Seafood Palace!

What do you get when you pile 4 Hos, 1 HP and 1 P in a mini-van and drive them from Suburbia to the Real Streets of Crooklyn?

New Adventures...(really) Without Incident! Part II: Breakfast of Champeens

This is what the plan was supposed to be:

Breakfast: Doughnut Plant
In Between: Toy Tokyo.  Takoyaki?
Lunch: Ippudo
Afternoon: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

This is what happened:

Breakfast: $1 Dumplings
Second Breakfast: Doughnut Plant
In Between: Walk to St. Marks then around and about until...
1 p.m.: Toy Tokyo
In Between: Beetchie stealing a Takoyaki from H1
Late Lunch: Ippudo
Unexpected (but I willed it!): Big Gay Ice-Cream Truck ice-cream
Afternoon: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Thursday morning came with the thought of dumplings still on Beetchie's mind.  There was just something about these dumplings from a particular Dumpling House in Brooklyn that Beetchie insisted I had to try.

After eating them, I know what that reason was.  Or should I say, reasons?

Chinatown on a Rainy Wednesday

The gaggle (H1, Alex, X, M, and Or 2) went down for dim sum today in good ol' Chinatown. Beetchie was sorely missed and this isn't a post to make her sad. That objective was supposed to be fulfilled in the post prior to this one.

It was dreary, the subway was effed as per usual and a trip to the Brooklyn Bridge just ruined my post earlier this morning when I said I can't go there without Beetchie.

Apparently I cursed us.

Dim sum was rushed and the HOchieS left feeling a little bit unhappy about the whole deal (Trudging to work knowing you'll be staying until 7.20 at night is also no fun but alas, it had to be done).

For the first time ever, the HOchieS feasted upon something we've eaten quite regularly as children but never at dim sum because we always feel that the space that item would take up could be filled by other things we don't get on a regular basis.

What is this "thing" you ask?

That's right, it was none other than good time chicken feet. Due to the fact that our gang was not asian looking, we were discriminated against and fed the 'sauced' up version as opposed to the boiled goodness we're used to. I guess they figured they were doing us a kindness or figured we would waste their precious fatty legs and toes.

It was quite good though, regardless.

The usual suspects were inhaled, with some hilarity over noodles that could not not be eaten before leaving Golden Bridge.

After our particularly cheap eats of $33.00, a price that impressed H1 immensely, we hustled (but not really) down the street to buy some baos and pastries and hop on the train.

It was at this point I saw my favourite friend in the entire world, in all his hammy glory.

It was a rather depressing sight. I did not get the picture that made me a little bit revolted and I regret not getting the shot of the pig being hauled around the streets of Chinatown on a man's shoulder.
Camera Eye got it, but not L.O.

Currently listening to: The theme of Monster playing in my head.

I Am In So Much Trouble

H1, don't kill me, okay?

The Last Shadow Puppets - Live In Brooklyn

Alex Turner & Miles Kane are in New York promoting their forthcoming debut album as The Last Shadow Puppets. A very special acoustic performance has been added to their schedule as a treat for NY area fans!

When: Tomorrow, Tuesday March 4, at approx. 10 PM. Doors @ 9:45, please try not to show up before then. A line will start outside before the doors open.
Where: Soundfix Records, 110 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY (Bedford & N. 11th) - Bedford L-train stop / Williamsburg, Brooklyn
How: Just show up, it's free. All ages, no tickets required.
Please do NOT call Sound Fix for details.

Heh. Heh. I got that notice yesterday but didn't realize until this morning. Apparently only 100 people showed up and Alex and Kane took pics with everyone and hung out for a bit.

...

My 2nd husband avoids me again.

I remain poor. And now, poor with forthcoming bruises.

Currently listening to: "S.T.A.R. Game" by Koji Kondo and Toru Minegishi, from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Soundtrack

Also, on a side note, I fear all the smaller acts that I want to see in concert will take their gigs to Brooklyn. Everyone's all over that place these days. I can't set foot there unless Beetchie's with me, though perhaps I should mull over what I said... I did almost die there the last time when we were together.

Brooklyn Hype (Part One)

There's sure to be some adventure or misadventure when Beetchie and I are together. Whether it involves dumplings flying into small cups of soy sauce, playing 'guitar hero' while surrounded by stupid 10 year olds who want to get their asses kicked or this latest craziness - something always goes down. ALWAYS.

Eyewitness News

(Sunset Park - WABC, June 23, 2006) - A roach bomb is being blamed for an explosion at a bakery in Brooklyn Friday night.

It happened inside the Sunset Park Bakery at 60th Street and Eighth Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Investigators say an employee was spraying bug killer too close to an open flame.
The front of the building was destroyed.

Seven people, including a firefighter, were injured. None of the injuries were serious.

(Copyright 2006 WABC-TV)

It turns out that driving through the scene of an explosion as it is happening is much more dramatic than seeing it in print in the news.


There are some things to remember:

1. When your dog or friend's dog starts a non-stop whining session at you (and this coming from a dog who never whines) when you're putting on your shoes to go out - PAY ATTENTION.
Animals usually know something you don't - like say, when you're going to be driving admist an explosion. In retrospect, I'm now certain that Sabi was telling us "you're going out into danger. I want you to stay home."

2. It's very hard to wrap your mind around something as it is going on because the brain doesn't honestly think the things flying at the car are pieces of blown out glass but rather, buckets of ice that someone's tossing at you.

3. Beetchie remains level-headed in times of emergency.

4. Cellphones are wonderful things that can be used to help others in case of emergency. This is especially important to all the people who were standing around gawking instead of using theirs to call 911. Ass-hats.

And when she reads this, no... I do not hold you responsible for whatever went down in Brooklyn. And yes, it won't make me want to come to Brooklyn any less because it could have happened anywhere. As you know, I never want to come out to Brooklyn anyway. Har Har. Kidding. Please don't beat me and take my stuff making my Brooklyn experience complete... (kidding again! really!)
Also, don't listen to the MSI song after which I've named this blog entry but if you do, when you hear Little Jimmy Urine screaming "Brooklyn, you ain't nothing!" just remember I have no control over what he says!

5. We have decided that we need more Thailand voodoo dolls of the guard series.

Why do my Fridays always end up with my either being in serious pain, unable to eat, overly stressed, depressed and/or now in some sort of explosion? My Fridays have been cursed for a year now. Someone hates me or is working some serious voodoo but AHA! I'm now one step ahead... which reminds me: Beetchie, we also need to invest in more dolls of the punishment & cure series.

Why are my day-offs never real ones? And when do I take an actual vacation?

I am thankful that Beetchie and I were able to do a good deed and that we were unharmed because the fact of the matter is, it could have been incredibly worse. There are so many scenarios that could have taken place but did not and it's best to not think about it.

However, I think something's trying to stop me from getting to Muse on August 3rd. I can't die until after the concert...and after Matt puts his ring on my finger. And I get his guitar from the dumpster.
Note to self and Beetchie - we need dolls of the love series. I already have the first part of the plan: Spider Boy. Heh Heh Heh Heh...

Currently Listening to: "Eternally Missed" - Muse

And somehow that song title seems wrong after writing this blog...