#2: Experience Teppanyaki

When was the last time you went to a nice restaurant? Not bow-tie-and-gown fancy, but... a really nice restaurant?

When was the last time you let your taste buds try something new? And I'm not talking about a new skittles flavor... I'm referring to a full fledged meal.

Ok, so when was the last time you tried Teppanyaki? (Got you there, didn't I?)

Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine using a hibachi grill. For those of you who have never experienced Hibachi cooking, grab some of your closest friends and head on over to the nearest one--immediately! Not only is the food delicious, but the atmosphere (especially if you are from an entirely different culture) is amazing.

Our meal being prepared at Sakura

My first experience was with several friends for a birthday celebration. When I first saw the food being prepared by the chefs on an iron hot plate, right in front of me, I thought it was the most phenomenal thing ever. We all sat in our seats in anticipation as we felt the heat from the tall flames that the chef intentionally created. He performed little tricks like flipping his spatulas around and catching them with ease and then tossing pieces of chicken or shrimp in our direction so that we could attempt to catch them in our mouths.

As much respect as I have for places like Red Lobster, Applebees and T.G.I. Fridays, I must say that it felt really great stepping out of the usual comfort zone and trying a new restaurant for once. Sakura, in Westport, CT, is the Japanese restaurant I went to, for my first Hibachi experience. The latest that this place is open, is 11 p.m., but that's only on Fridays and Saturdays. It may not be open the entire night, but after your delicious meal, you and your buddies can find something else to do if you please.

Have no way of getting to a Hibachi Restaurant? How about preparing your own teppanyaki meal? Portable teppanyaki grills are available for purchase and you can cook a creative meal right in your own kitchen! With Valentine's Day around the corner, this certainly makes for a perfect meal with your significant other! It beats all the other cliche dinners and allows you to be innovative together.

Check out http://www.cook-n-dine-usa.com/ for more info.

WHY experience Teppanyaki?
Because it's an opportunity to take part in a different culture by accepting its cuisine as part of your appetite! This certainly does not exclude those of Japanese backgrounds, because often times we get so attached to our own style of cooking that we don't think about trying out a restaurant (from our own culture) that everyone else is going to! Give your taste buds a party and try teppanyaki!

Spotlight on Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh|| Photo courtesy of entertainment.ezinemark.com

Vincent van Gogh’s work has always been intriguing to me. His use of colors and his technique will remain a unique one, in my opinion. I won’t bother digging into a Designer’s Handbook for the proper terminology for describing artwork, so I’ll just proceed with a profile on this renowned painter AND insomniac.

Yes, the late Vincent van Gogh was said to be an insomniac; but how about we backtrack a little bit? (Waay back… like, 19^th century back). Van Gogh was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland on March 30, 1853 (Hey! That’s my best friend’s birthday; only… over a century earlier! Ok, now back to Van Gogh...)

He decided to become an artist between 1860 and 1880 and studied art in Belgium. He apparently suffered from malnutrition, excessive alcohol consumption and overwork. Overwork. Hmm… sounds familiar. As a college student, and senior at that, it seems as though “burning the midnight oil” and stress are quite common (for a majority of students). Van Gogh produced over 2,000 artworks in just over a decade which reveals quite a lot of dedication—but I wonder how much dedication was given while the moon was in the sky.

“The Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh || Photo courtesy of VanGoghGallery.com

A collection of his letters, titles, “Van Gogh’s Letters,” reveals excerpts from Van Gogh to his brother, Theo van Gogh, and one from his parents to his brother, related to insomnia and being unable to sleep. Vincent Van Gogh had completed a painting very late in the night before and later on in the day was actually amazed at the work he, himself, had done. This is a good example of how creative we can be during the hours many individuals find unusual to be awake.

Unfortunately, Van Gogh’s mental and physical health were nowhere near perfect and on July 27, 1890 he attempted suicide by shooting himself in the chest with a revolver. Luckily, he survived this ordeal, but two days later, he succumbed to his injury and passed away. It is sad that a man of such talent would choose to end his life, but he left behind thousands of his creations for the world to admire many years later and even more years to come.

                                                

Sources:

1.      Vincent van Gogh: Biography. http://www.vangoghgallery.com/

2.      “Van Gogh’s Letters” http://www.webexhibits.org/

#1: Read a book

There’s nothing like curling up with a good book.

Book worm || Courtesy of Sodahead.com

With the stillness of the night, reading a book is a sure way to really focus on the main plot of the story. If you're from New York, like me, "stillness" may not be the best word to describe the night, so the sounds of the city which one has gotten used to, is a suitable background noise and is a clear substitute for the chirping crickets or deathly silence. 

Maybe you’re the type of person who has so many books crowding the bookshelf, but just no time to read them. With busy schedules bombarding our everyday lives, bookmarks have nestled on a specific page in several books and have made a semi-permanent home, awaiting the reader to transfer them to a subsequent page—story of my life.

Next time you’re up late, grab that novel that you haven't cracked open in a while or haven't even touched at all. Devote the night to reading. Forget about beating your latest Angry Birds score or accessing Facebook (technology nowadays..smh) on your Nook, Kindle or other e-reader... use it for what it was originally meant for: reading.

Let’s say you’re not like me and have no interest in the books you have around. What do you do?

READ IT ANYWAY. 

How do you know you don't have an interest in the book? Is it the unappealing cover design? The mundane summary on the back? Or perhaps it was the seemingly dramatic praises for the book by strategically selected (yet pretty legit) sources. Whatever the reason, you never know until you blow the dust off the top and start reading. It might end up being a really good after all.

WHY read a book?

It's the end to a long, stressful day--so diving into a book is a sure way to unwind and shove those bombarding thoughts to the back-burner for a little while. It's exciting and many people don't realize that books are more than capable of moving readers to the edge of their seat like any suspenseful movie can! Plus, you build your vocabulary, gain new ideas and most importantly it puts your mind to work and makes you think.