Sick in the City

Okay, so being sick is pretty much my least favorite feeling in the world. The stuffy head, chilling fever, nasal congestion, chest-wrenching cough, throat-on-fire feeling combined with the inability to breath, eat, or sleep, for that matter, is nothing short of a nightmare. But, what makes it all even worse is the reality of city life. In a city where the soles of your shoes replace the tires of your car, it is by no means fun to get your exhausted, lifeless body to take the 10 block hike to the nearest doctor, much less then have to walk 2 miles the opposite direction to the closest pharmacy to fill your prescription. Oh the woes of living in the city of transportation hell. In fact, I'm pretty sure I got the horrid illness from the guy hacking his guts out next to me on the subway just the other day. Guess I need to make a visit to my nearest Bath and Body Works to stock up on more antibacterial gels to ward off the evil germs spread by the careless people who neglect to cover their mouths when coughing up a lung in public!

Fashionista's Unite

In today's economy if you dare pay full price for anything you're crazy! It's as simple as the basic rules of supply and demand. With a lower demand on products due to a widespread lack of income, the supply increases thus lowering prices. So, many retailers are now offering all sorts of coupons and promotional discounts and all you have to do is supply them with your e-mail address. I get numerous e-mails weekly from all of my favorite retailers, such as Bath and Body Works, Victoria's Secret, Express, Macy's, and even Abercrombie and Fitch, to name a few. Their offers vary from free products with purchases to up to 40% off your entire purchase and even free shipping if you order online. So, as my mother has always said, "any fool can pay full price". Also, many grocery stores and even my favorite "everything" store, Target, now offer a variety of easily printable coupons to redeem in stores. I've saved up to over $25 at a time, with coupons alone. And living in a city that is as expensive as this, every little bit helps! I've even discovered an incredible new website called "I love free things" (www.ilovefreethings.com). Basically, you go there and they provide you with all these fantastic offers for free samples and products. You choose the ones you like, give them your mailing address and it's mailed to you like magic within 4-6 weeks. I've gotten free face cream, body wash, socks,  razors, coffee, coupons for free food redeemable at any grocery store, and even a free pantie from American Apparel. And, to top it all off, no junk mail! Pretty sweet deal, if you ask me. And I can never pass up a great deal!!!

The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in the U.S. stretching over 265 acres of land. The zoo first opened its doors on November 8, 1899 featuring 843 animals in 22 exhibits. Today the zoo has grown to house over 4,000 animals and 600 different species, many of which are endangered or threatened. But, perhaps the most well known aspect of the zoo is the fact that it was the inspiration for one of today's most lovable animation film series, Madagascar, produced by DreamWorks Animation, even though the actual film was based in the Central Park Zoo in Manhattan. While walking through the zoo I had an overwhelming urge to break into song and dance: "I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it. You like to MOVE it." That's probably due to the incredibly catchy song featured in the films and the lovable characters who sing and dance to it. Featured in these photographs above are the inspirations to my favorite characters in the movie: Alex, the lion; Marty, the zebra; and my favorite of all, King Julien XIII, the fun-loving ring-tailed lemur. Now, as for all those who are against keeping animals in captivity and consistently fight to free animals from zoos, the Madagascar movies portray quite the dispute. Co-director Tom Mcgrath talked about the intention of the films saying, "the basic irony to the story is that, you think animals belong in the wild, but if they're so accustomed to captivity, they wouldn't even know where food came from." And that the animals were meant to "love the zoo and to love where they are because they've got 5,000 square feet right off Fifth Avenue." Sounds pretty good to me!

Kyochon Chicken

Chairman and founder of Kyochon Chicken, Mr. Won-Kang Kwon, has pleased thousands of American's by bringing Korea's favorite chicken brand to the U.S. and creating a global poultry dynasty. Kyochon Chicken has more than 1,000 restaurants in Korea and China and now 10 in the U.S., just here in NYC and LA. The flagship restaurant is right here in Manhattan, located on 5th Avenue and 32nd Street. And not only is it a treat for your mouth but it's also a technological dream of a restaurant, displaying countless televisions, a big screen with the latest and newest remixes of the best club-pumping music around, and the most unique light fixtures and displays including a red staircase that lights your way up every step. But this is just part of what Kwon has dedicated to his company to make it the most unique and sought after place in the city. He embodies the company with values of integrity, top quality, innovation and 100% dedication to the best customer service. In fact, he spent countless hours inventing the double-frying and hand-brushing techniques that make this chicken the best in town. He also created the signature Soy Garlic and Hot & Sweet sauces that glaze his chicken with flawless perfection. To this day only he and his wife know the exact recipes to these taste-bud dazzling sauces, which they mix themselves in a secret room in the production facility in Seoul, where they reside. And, as for customer satisfaction, I've never met so many nice people in one place in this crazy city before. The staff is beyond friendly and you never have to ask for a thing--they're definitely on top of things from the moment you walk in to the second you leave. But, of all this, my favorite aspect is the food, hands-down! They use only fresh, never frozen chicken and only seasonal fruits and vegetables for exceptional quality. Each piece of chicken is hand cut and individually hand brushed. There are no short-cuts to this chicken perfection and Kwon wouldn't have it any other way. My recommendation: the honey wings with a side of croquettes (they're like mashed potatoes and sour cream wrapped into a bundle of deliciousness and fried) and the green tea Bul-Gogi rice ball (a ball of white rice seasoned with green tea extract and stuffed with finely diced Bul-Gogi Chicken and vegetables and seasoned with their homemade soy sauce). It's a feast you don't want to miss!

Rockefeller Center

Built by the Rockefeller family, this National Historic Landmark is located right in the heart of Midtown Manhattan and features a statue of Prometheus, who in Greek Mythology was a champion of mankind know for his great intelligence. He was punished by Zeus for stealing from him and giving to the mortals. Zeus bound him to a rock and had an eagle eat his liver, only to have it grow back and be eaten again the next day, playing a pivotal role in the early history of mankind. This is also the site where the most famous Christmas tree in the nation is lit every year. People from all over travel to see the incredibly beautiful tree adorned in colored lights lit in the plaza the Wednesday after Thanksgiving each year. The tradition began in 1933 and holds strong today, with the traditional horn-blowing angels leading the path to the tree. Next to the plaza is the Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Rink where many couples get engaged each year amid the magical lights and overwhelming holiday spirit. It is touching to watch the couple skate happily throughout the rink and then, suddenly, the man gets down on one knee and pops that live-changing question, while the woman puts her hands to her face and adamantly shakes her head yes and they skate off to their happily-ever-after. But, of all this, perhaps the most sought after attraction is the Top of the Rock observation deck. Sitting 70 stories above the city, this jewel was envisioned by John D. Rockefeller as a place for both locals and visitors to marvel at the city he loved. Construction started in 1930 and was completed in 1939 and to this day holds the most spectacular view of the city we all love. You feel like you're on top of the world standing among the beauty of this city and I promised you, there's nothing quite like it!

My Mother, My Rock

This one's for you mom: my hero, my inspiration, my rock.
As a child, I  looked up to my mother as if though she were a super hero. She was breathtakingly beautiful, more generous and kind than anyone I've ever known, stylish as a Hollywood starlet, and full of life with a contagiously electric personality. As my dad has always said, when she walks into a room it just automatically lights up! Today, as I watch her constantly struggle with things so simple and basic that we all take so easily for granted, like breathing, I admire her even more. Having COPD, a chronic lung condition, leaving her with only 30% lung function and watching her with her oxygen tank always by her side, I pray to God every day that I never take even a single breath for granted. It is so sad when I turn on the news every day and see people killing each other and raping and stealing each other blindly, when we all should just be down on our hands and knees thanking God for even just being here on earth, which is a blessing in itself. I know this isn't a typical "confession from New York" but this is real and, today, as I await to hear if my mother will be sent back to the hospital for pneumonia for the second time this year, I can't help but get so angry at the world we live in today for it's disrespect of human life. As I watch my mother who's strength has miraculously pulled her through a heart-attack, internal bleeding resulting in a full blood transfusion, COPD flare-ups, and pneumonia several times, I am so proud of her and her persistent struggle and consistent faith. She is and will always be my rock and she and others who suffer with so many physical ailments and conditions out there, such as Cancer and heart disease, to name a few, should be a wake-up call to us. Life here on earth is far too short and it should never to be taken for granted. We must also always remember that family is the most important thing we have here in this lifetime and we should always hold it dear to our hearts. Nothing is more important than those we love and we should thank God every day for blessing us with them in our lives. My mother, who has and will always be my best friend has taught me that courage is the silent fighter in all of us and that with the love and support of family it is intensified. If only we could all love each other like family, this world would be a far greater place to live!

Serendipity

Merriam-Webster defines serendipity as the art of finding the pleasantly unexpected by chance. I personally first discovered this fabulous restaurant extraordinaire, which also happens to be named Serendipity, while watching the classic 2001 romantic comedy Serendipity, starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. It was here that they first shared a frozen hot chocolate together as Beckinsale perfectly described serendipity as a  "fortunate accident". But this trendy place is definitely no accident. From its eclectic style to its long lines and even longer list of celebrity patrons this delicious spot has earned itself a permanent place in history as one of New York City's most sought after restaurants. Their food authentically combines the most mouth-watering unexpected combination of flavors and ingredients, leaving you feeling adventurous and daring. But the desserts are what they are best known for and deliver the most bang for your buck, specifically the famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. It's a take on the traditional childhood favorite of hot chocolate put over ice and blended to perfection. It is topped with the creamiest whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and coco powder. But I dare you to order the Golden Opulence Sundae from the menu. This is the creme de la creme of desserts. It is a hot fudge sundae with countless scoops of vanilla ice cream, covered in all the chocolate gooeyness of a regular sundae but, unlike any other one you've ever heard of, this one takes the icing on the cake for being covered with edible 24 karat gold. And for just a small price of $1,000. Just be sure and order this one ahead of time because in order for them to make this delectable decadence it must be ordered 24 hours in advance.