Day 78: The Hot Pot

Photo of the Day: An Asian Thanksgiving

It's not really an Asian Thanksgiving, but it sure looks like it with everyone gathered around the table. Tonight was one of the best Saturdays I've had since arriving in New York. Clarence invited a bunch of his friends over for a hot pot at his house, which quickly evolved into a lavish feast when everyone's contributions were tallied. We had our choice of lamb, beef, shrimp, and assorted meat balls, plus a whole assortment of vegetables, noodles, and savory sauces to customize our bowls. It was delicious and filling, perfect for the freezing autumn evening. One of the girls, Eunice, had her birthday that day too, so we also added surprise cupcakes from Crumbs to the menu! As we entered food coma, we continued the night with games and random, funny online videos. Even though I had only met some of the guests a couple of times (or some for the first time), it felt very familiar and welcoming having that sort of camaraderie in the simplicity of good company and silly fun.

Earlier this afternoon, I attended an graduate school information session for the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University held at the Lubin House in Manhattan. It was very helpful and made the idea of graduate school a bit more real for me. However, the program doesn't specifically meet the niche I am interested in exploring, and I actually have yet to find one that does. I'm looking for a combination of communications and nonprofit management, but I haven't hit upon any school that offers such a curriculum. I may end up cobbling together my own study, which means finding a college flexible and diverse enough to meet my needs.

Graduate information session with the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University's Lubin House in New York City.

Assorted prints from art dealer Sylvan Cole's collection at the Palitz Gallery in Syracuse University's Lubin House.

A gorgeous lithograph of "Manhattan Backdrop" by American artist Mark Freeman at the Palitz Gallery in Syracuse University's Lubin House.

I cut through Central Park to get to the subway and could not resist taking a few pictures.

The Sherry-Netherland Hotel from Central Park.

A midget Michael Jackson performs in the subway terminal. Keep New York Weird.

He was not a very good dancer, but the novelty of the spectacle was enough to draw a crowd.

Dwarf MJ busts some moves at the subway station.

The meat for hot pot night.

The veggies for hot pot night.

The pots are boiling and ready for action.

The hot pots loaded up and ready to go.

Waiting around for the remaining guests to arrive so we can dig in!

Everyone made an attempt to look extra happy for this picture. Hence, Clarence's goofy smile and Jayson's hands in the air.

Glennis loads up the hot pot with more fish balls.

Three stages of hot pot demonstrated in this photo. The perusal (foreground), the selection (photo left), and the consumption (photo right).

Jessica enjoys vegetables from the hot pot.

Slowly and steadily working our way through massive amounts of food.

Happy birthday to Eunice! And yay for Crumbs cupcakes to celebrate!

We spent the night gathered around the laptop watching hilariously awful YouTube videos.