After The MBA

My Second Industry Conference

 

 

On January 25^th (yes, I realize this post is long overdue) I attended the Inside Social Apps summit, which was the second industry conference that I've attended during my nascent career in gaming.  

So what did the $399 registration fee net you at lunch you ask? 

 

 

Oh my! So many boxes to choose from!

Ultimately I chose the North Beach Italian Combo (sounds fancy doesn’t it?)

The Italian Combo consisted of a sandwich, bag of chips, a cookie, some pasta salad in condiment containers and an apple. Personally, I felt the lunch at the Virtual Goods Summit was better.

How To Put A Stapler In Jello

My office manager had her birthday last week so what not a better way to celebrate the occasion than to put her stapler in jello? (Yes, I was inspired by Jim from the office in case you were wondering.) So here is my homemade recipe for putting a stapler in jello:

 

Ingredients: 

• One stapler
• One birthday card (optional)
  
• One permanent market (for writing in the card)
  
• 4 boxes of Jello Mix (good for 16 cups of jello)
• One large serving dish or platter (for the finished jello)
  
• One large bowl or container that can hold the stapler and 12-16 cups of liquid (this will be your jello mold).

Step 1:

Apply a non-stick coating like Pam to the walls of the container/jello mold.

Step 2:

Mix the jello powder with hot water (follow the instructions on the box)

Step 3:

Pour half of the jello liquid into the container/jello mold and let it sit for 4 hours in the fridge until it hardens.

Step 4:

Take the half-full container of jello out of the fridge and place the stapler and signed birthday card (if applicable) in the container on top of the bed of jello. The card should be signed with a permanent marker so that the ink does not run.

Step 5:

Reheat the remaining half of the jello liquid and pour it into the container, submerging the stapler and birthday card.

Step 6:

Wait 4 more hours until the other half of the jello liquid hardens.

 
Step 7:

Take the container out of the fridge. The entire container of jello should now be solid and firm.

Step 8:

Flip the container onto the serving platter. The jello might not come out easily. If it does not slide out, place the upside down container under running warm water for 10-30 seconds. This should soften/melt the outside walls of the jello and it should slide out easily.

Step 9:

Congratulations! You have created a stapler in jello!

    

*** Warning: This birthday prank might not be appropriate in all work environments (ex: investment banks or law firms) or with certain co-workers (ex: the office psycho). User discretion is advised! ***

So how did my office manager react? Well, she got a kick out of the gesture and it was also good that she couldn’t figure out who was responsible, although she undoubtedly will find out the truth now that I have written a blog post about it. Yes I know I am taking a great risk by revealing this information but this knowledge must be shared with the public for the good of society! (just like WikiLeaks)

Food Adventures – Balut

           

So the other weekend, I went to the Pistahan Festival, a celebration of Bay Area Filipino culture and cuisine. At this festival I had the chance to try Balut, which supposedly is a common snack in the Philippines.

According to Wikipedia, Balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. Sounds delicious yes? Well, I don’t get the chance to try balut very often so I jumped at the chance.

After I peeled away the shell, l was greeted by what resembled a duck fetus. It was quickly apparent that this was no ordinary hardboiled egg. Surprisingly, balut did not taste like fetus. I’m not sure what fetus should taste like but I imagine it would taste very pungent like spoiled milk mixed with lemon juice. Instead, it tasted just like any other hardboiled egg, albeit one with identifiable parts shaped like a wing and head. I guess it is safe to say that balut is what some people would consider a texture food.

One Last Weekend In NYC – Where To Eat?

After spending 9 memorable years in Manhattan (before going to B-School), I spent the past week saying goodbye to friends, and visiting my old haunts. I definitely will NOT miss New York drivers who honk at you 0.1 seconds after the light turns green and rude people who try to push their way onto the subway train as passengers are trying to exit. But I digress. The one thing that I will miss MOST about NYC is the food. With my final weekend in NYC, I had to narrow down my list of favorite places and make some tough decisions about where to eat.

In no particular order, if I had one last weekend in NYC, this is where I would (and did) eat:

2^ND AVENUE DELI – 162 E 33rd St, New York, NY 10016

 

Sure it isn’t the original location anymore but it is still yummy. Love the matzah ball soup, tongue and pastrami (sandwiches). The sandwiches are pricey but are big enough to split between two people. And the free pickles and cole slaw are a nice bonus.

SHANGHAI CAFÉ – 100 Mott St,  New York, NY 10013

This place makes the best crab meat soup dumplings in my opinion. Even after visiting Shanghai, I still think this place is the best I’ve ever had. Some people complain that the skin of the dumpling is too thick, but everyone agrees that the broth inside the dumpling is pretty darn good.

CHINATOWN ICE CREAM FACTORY – 65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

Their ice cream has a nice firmness to it and it is the perfect way to wrap up a meal in Chinatown. My favorite flavors are lychee, sesame and almond cookie. This place won the NY Citysearch Best Ice Cream award in 2005, 2006 and 2007 so it can’t be too shabby.

CONES – 272 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

A real gem in the West Village, this Argentinean gelato place makes some awesome flavors. I have never had a flavor here that I did not like and this place isn’t super trendy like so many of those other chic gelato places around town. The corn flavored gelato is pretty interesting.

MAMOUN’S FALAFEL - 119 Macdougal St, New York, NY 10012 or 22 Saint Marks Pl, New York, NY

This place is a hole in the wall sort of place that isn’t exactly fancy or anything. However, I can think of no finer meal than a Mamoun’s lamb shawarma after a late night of partying and drinking.  The falafel is pretty good too. This place is just as good during the daytime or when sober. I prefer the Macdougal location but both are good.

SUSHI OF GARI – 402 E 78th St, New York, NY 10021

I have only been to the UES location but this place serves the freshest sashimi that I have ever had in my life. My ex-gf who grew up in Japan also agreed with me about their amazing sashimi. The omakase is pure gastronomical ecstasy but not very traditional so a lot of the sashimi or nigiri pieces are partially cooked or marinated with some sort of sauce. If you are in the mood for a traditional raw fish meal, just get the sashimi entrée by itself but both are great options.

STAMATIS - 2909 23rd Ave, Astoria, NY 11105

I know venturing to the outer boroughs feels like going to a foreign country for most Manhattanites but this authentic Greek place is worth the trip. It is an easy commute by taking the N or W train to Ditmars Blvd. Astoria is a very residential and safe neighborhood too so no need to be scared. If you visit, you must try the grilled octopus (so tender!). The mousaka, pan fried smelts and lamb fricassee  are also very good.