It was August 1999 when I first landed in the US as a 17-year old, nervous yet excited to begin a new chapter of my life. I was about to start college with big ambitions and so much to prove. Fifteen years later, I'm leaving behind the country that I've called home for most of my adult life. Somewhere in this passage of time, I evolved from being a shy, naive teenager into a confident and independent woman. I met and married the love of my life and had a baby, now the second love of my life. I made amazing, lifelong friends. I lived in three cities (Boston, Austin, and New York City) and enjoyed each one at different stages of my life. I got a degree and became a doctor. I learned to embrace fitness and ran marathons. I toobed down the Guadalupe River. I learned to appreciate country music. I performed a dance to a Bollywood song on a moving boat for a Holi celebration. I took part in a flash mob dance to Sheila Ki Jawani on Wall street. I explored national parks and attended live music festivals. I traveled to Iceland where I hiked up a glacier, boated inside a volcanic crater in El Salvador, and jumped off a cliff in Spain. I ran up 46 floors of the Empire State Building while I was pregnant. I attended New York Fashion Week. I blogged!

Life recently threw us a curveball and we're now moving to Singapore! I'm sad to leave behind my sister and my friends in the US who became like family to me. Yet I look forward to new adventures in a new country. 

If you follow us on Instagram, you would have seen pictures I posted of my trip back to NYC - city street scenes that inspire me, places I visited, friends and family I spent time with...until it all culminated in our packing up our life into little boxes to be shipped halfway across the world. American the beautiful, I shall certainly miss you. Singapore, here we come! 

Crossing the street with a view of Times Square

Baby K and me having a picnic in Central Park

Hanging out for a brief weekend in DC 

Horse-drawn carriages that charm you in the city

Quality time with the sister at a food festival in Brooklyn

Grungy city subways - I dared to take Baby K on the subway and he loved it!

Love these street vendors selling pictures of NYC cityscapes

All packed up in our NYC apartment and ready to leave

Being just a 5 minute walking distance from the best known park in the world is definitely a privilege. Central Park is one of those places that is romanticized in films and just as magical in real life. Pre-baby, Central Park appealed to me because I loved being able to go running there. Recently, I've begun to discover a new facet of this park, one that appeals to my baby as well. Now I also love the park because it offers wide, open spaces for my little one to crawl (and soon walk) around freely outside the confines of a small New York apartment. For those of you wondering what to do with a baby/toddler in the city, here a few places to visit within Central Park itself.

1. Did you know that CP has zoo? Yup, a real zoo. And it's not your usual, run-of-the-mill zoo with horses, goats, and pigs. The Central Park Zoo has a polar and a tropical section where you'll find all sorts of exotic (and some endangered) animals - adorable penguins, flipping sea lions, swinging monkeys, colorful tree frogs, hissing snakes, biting piranhas, agile snow leopards...and the list goes on! You really can lose yourself in this world of animals. I brought baby K to the zoo and enjoyed myself as much as he did!

2. There are numerous playgrounds in CP but the oldest and biggest one is Heckscher Playground (located at 7th Ave and Central Park South). Swings, monkey bars, see-saws, and rocking climbing setups provide a place for children to run free. Baby K can't walk yet but he had a whale of a time crawling around on the astroturf and sitting on the swings!

3. Street artists that cater to children with balloons, bubble blowers, face painting, and musical performances are everywhere! You'll find these street performers at every twist and turn, providing entertainment for children and adults alike.

4. Picnicking in the park is totally a summer activity I do with my girlfriends. In the past, we would bring along blankets to lay on the grass and sneak in some bubbly. While that hasn't changed (hehe!), I have now added a baby to the equation. Throw in some toys to keep the baby occupied and you can have a lovely time catching up with friends while giving your baby some quality outdoor time. Plus, the feel of crawling/walking on the grass and seeing dogs that people have brought for a walk really gets babies excited (also great from the standpoint of the baby's sensory development).

Yay! Fun in the park! 

It feels good to be back in the city! The first few days after coming back were tough with baby K having a horrible case of jet lag. Poor kid was still on Bangkok time, sleeping most of the day and then waking up at an ungodly hour at night. At 3 am, he'd be wide awake, wanting to play while all we wanted to do was sleep! Anyway, he has now adjusted to the time difference and we've been able to go out and enjoy the lovely summer that is emerging in NYC. This weekend, Shruti was visiting and we decided to trek over to Brooklyn for the famous Smorgasburg. Known as a food flea market, it literally comprises of a "smorgasboard" of different food stalls. You see all sorts of cuisines (Indian, Ethiopian, Burmese, Mexican, Filipino, Thai, American, etc) and fusion foods. My favorite stall was Masala Tacos. The paneer tikka masala tacos and channa masala tacos were just amazing! What a brilliant idea to blend Indian and Mexican foods together. Overall, we had a great time noshing on different types of foods against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline on an incredibly beautiful, sunny day.

Tip: Smorgasburg is held every weekend in the summers with two different locations on Saturday and Sunday. Highly recommend checking it out!

In My City is a series of posts about shopping and fashion in different cities. I have asked blogger friends from around the world to share their favorite local shopping spot(s) in their city along with a picture showcasing their street style.

Today we are featuring a fellow NYC blogger - Maree from A Little Bit Etc. Maree is among the first blogger friends I made. No doubt, she has a classic and chic sense of style and is a makeup guru. I also love her sense of humor - she has a knack for turning even the most mundane topics into something fun(ny) to read. Be sure to check out her blog for all things makeup and fashion and for a good dose of sass!

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Living in one of the fashion capitals of the world, you would think I am a shopping machine. Every major department store at my disposal, flagship stores of every major designer just a cab ride away, but surprisingly I have to admit that I do most (if not all) of my shopping online! *cue shock and awe* Maybe it is my suburban roots and all my time spent in the mall, but I love when I can get all my shopping done under one roof – efficiency is key for me! And with so many great sites out there that offer free shipping and free returns with loads of amazing designers, I simply can’t resist. Now that being said, you can definitely still find me wandering the streets of soho or traipsing down 5th Avenue popping into some of my favorite free standing stores on the regular, but for nabbing the best deals – I always find them online.

Take this outfit, for example, that I am wearing in the below pic – the faux fur Three Floor parka, Rag & Bone Newbury boots, and Equipment sweater were all nabbed during a markdown on Shopbop.com. I never seem to have that same luck when in store. The trick is I pin all the items I want to buy to a Pinterest board, and then check back regularly to see when they have been reduced. And then I pounce! Free shipping and free returns make it super easy and when in doubt, order the two sizes you are debating between and send back the one that doesn’t fit. I know for many of you that are die-hard in store shoppers, this may never be an option. But once you get the hang of it, it’s hard to ever go back. My favorite sites I visit regularly are Shopbop, Revolve Clothing, Nordstrom and Piperlime. And yes, that free shipping/free returns theme is always present – it makes all the difference!

Now for those purchases I can simply cannot make online - I love to frequent Bergdorf Goodman for a splurge, Club Monaco for the most perfect chic wardrobe essentials, J.Crew for their prints, and the GAP for the best jeans and button downs.

Life has unexpected twists - last week, I was braving the chilly weather in New York. Little did I know that a week later, I would be flying halfway across the globe. An unexpected and happy development in my personal life has led me home to Thailand where I will be spending the next few months with my family. These pictures were taken in Central Park right before I had left town last week. The weather was cool and crisp then, just perfect for this colorful and cozy Aztec-print cardigan. Unfortunately, I won’t get to wear it for quite some time considering that I’d probably burst into flames wearing such a thick article of clothing in the warm tropical weather in Bangkok! But hey, I’m not complaining…I’d much rather be here than in the arctic cold that New York is currently experiencing.

Here's to wishing all those who celebrate Thanksgiving a very pleasant holiday weekend spent with near and dear ones. And to those who braved the Black Friday sales (because we all know how horrific and chaotic shopping can be on that day), do share your experiences!

H&M cardigan, top from AIIZ (from Bangkok), Uniqlo jeans, Stradivarius pumps (from Spain), Old Navy belt, Express cuff, Rebecca Minkoff purse

It’s been just a couple weeks since we moved into our new apartment. Now that the painful part of unpacking is over, I’m loving the process of decorating our new home. That’s the fun part – deciding how to do up each room and in what color palette, figuring out where to put wall hangings or artfully place accent pieces, etc. While my nesting instincts are clearly in overdrive, I’m being mindful of setting up the new place without breaking the bank. In my quest to find home furnishings and home décor on a budget, I have managed to discover some pretty cool websites selling amazing items. If you've been feeling a bit bored of your space lately and are thinking of sprucing things up, perhaps these websites might be of use to you too.

Here are a few items I’m lusting after and the online stores that can help me achieve the desired look:

 

(Clockwise from the top)

1. Accent rugs: Nothing turns a room around like an accent rug. A rug with a bold color or design has the power to transform a room and really anchor all the furniture pieces into one cohesive look. Check out RugsUSA.com for some great deals on rugs on all shapes and sizes. I found one identical to the one pictured above here.

2. Framed typography: Don't you love those quirky sayings that end up being framed as wall art? The framed typography art just adds that extra oomph and personality to a room, whether it's in your office space, kitchen, or propped against your living room bookcase. I recommend BeHappy.me for their plethora of cute, snarky, romantic, and philosophical statements that can be framed into a pretty piece of art. What's more, you get to choose from a variety of background colors and frame sizes. Check out one of my favorite pieces from their website here.

3. Home accents: I really like Lulu and Georgia for their trendy home decorative pieces. You'll find all sorts of home accents and accessories to satisfy any kind of look you're going for in a room, whether it's "glamorous, bohemian chic, vintage eclectic or cutting edge", as they put it!

4. Decorative mirrors: I just love mirrors and what they can do to a room. Indeed, they have the dual functionality of providing you with a reflection of your wonderful self and creating the feeling of space in a room! I'm a big believer of feng shui so I'm really mindful of where to place the mirror - you want to situate it in a place which will reflect back positive things. Who can deny the slew of options from Overstock.com? I love these animal print mirrors available from their website. Aren't they funky? You can also find some unique things on Etsy. I discovered one particular vendor who collects vintage mirrors and paints them in bright, eye-catching colors. Check out what they have to offer here.

5. Vintage bottles: I've always been intrigued by the idea of collecting vintage-looking bottles and vases of different colors, like those pictured above, and displaying them along a window sill. The sunlight filtering in through the bottles can create such a pretty, ethereal look. I made a happy discovery of LunaBazaar.com for vintage glass bottles and vases for amazing prices!

6. Candleholders: Now that our apartment is just a bit bigger and can actually accommodate a dining table, I'm exciting by the idea of creating a dining table centerpiece. I think these candleholders would be a great way to add drama to a dining table (especially a cheap dining table purchased from IKEA!). I stumbled upon Joss and Main and really love the furniture and home decor items they have to offer. I found a very similar set of candleholders from their website here as the ones pictured in the collage above.

Of course, the baby room is a totally different project in and of itself! The best way to do up a baby room on a budget? Wall decals, y'all! They're such a great idea - so easy to put up and so many options of designs that you can get from almost any website or store, be it Target, Amazon, Overstock, etc.

All images courtesy of Pinterest.

Grand Central Terminal is one of those places in the city which always leaves me with a sense of wonder. More than just a train station, it’s a work of art. Its impressive Beaux-Arts façade and grand interior with ornate chandeliers, sweeping marble staircases (modeled after the Paris Opera House), and arched passageways is an aesthetic feast for the eyes. Another arresting feature of this building is the pale blue vaulted ceiling painted by a French artist, made to resemble the sky with its zodiac constellations. And let’s not forget the gold Tiffany clock, the century-old iconic timepiece that sits atop the information booth in the main concourse. This New York landmark literally reeks of history…and that’s why I enjoy it so much.

Most days, no one really stops to “ooh and aah” over all this. Over 500,000 commuters pass through this structure every day, immune or perhaps accustomed to its beauty. But as Grand Central celebrates its centennial birthday this year, one can’t help but stop to consider how gracefully it has aged. Despite rocky points in history when it suffered from abandon and neglect or when it was in danger of being torn down, Grand Central has prospered and now boasts of the same splendor as that of 1913.

On a recent Friday evening, I visited Grand Central to check out an art installation, one of many ongoing events for the centennial celebration. The art installation called Heard-NY was abstract (take from it what you will) but visually appealing – horses adorned with beaded, embroidered headdresses. Below are a few pictures (okay fine, several pictures along with a couple "then and now"!) from an hour spent strolling around the building.

Grand Central Terminal concourse circa 1940

My capturing of the Grand Central Terminal concourse today

Ticket booths circa 1940

How the ticket booths look today - not too much as changed!

The iconic, 100-year old Tiffany clock

Ornate chandeliers

Nick Cave's art installation Heard-NY

Historical photos and details on Grand Central Terminal from the following sources: here, here.

The weekend is coming and one of the plans we always make with friends is to meet for brunch. Brunch is the best meal one can have - it is at that in-between time of day that you can have sweet or savory, eggs or sandwich, mimosa or coffee, and no one can judge you. Nothing spells the weekend more than enjoying french toast with a side of gossip with your best friends.

Source

To gear you up for the weekend, here is a list of what we think are the best brunch spots we've been to in DC and NYC. Boasting of a strong brunch culture, both NYC and DC are a mecca for brunch spots for all types of budgets and tastes. We easily have a list of 6-8 brunch spots that we'd consider our favorites, and the list seems to keep growing the more places we try. But since this is meant to be a comprehensive post and not a Zagat report, here is our abbreviated list!


DC

1) Scion
Scion became famous in DC after President Obama lunched there with his supporters and signed the menu. A lovely neighborhood brunch spot in Dupont, this is my go-to place when I want to indulge in a scrumptious meal but am unwilling to walk more than 5 blocks. I enjoy the cute outdoor patio and the modern décor, but more importantly, the food is of high quality. The menu offers a range of a la carte egg options. My favorite, though admittedly calorie-laden, is the huevos rancheros.

2) Bombay Club
If you’re looking for delicious and high-quality Indian food in DC, Bombay Club is the place to go. Add unlimited champagne on Sundays and you’ve got the perfect brunch! They offer buffet style Indian food, with vegetarian and meat options alongside sweet Indian deserts. Whenever my friends go, we definitely take advantage of the unlimited food and drinks, and probably overstay our welcome. But how can you not with this place?

3) Tabaq
Tabaq does its brunch basics well, offering delicious crab cake benedicts (my favorite brunch dish), omelettes, waffles, French toast, and $3 mimosas. I also love the floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a great view of U street and rest of DC.

NYC

1) Crema
A relatively unknown gem in Chelsea, I'm almost hesitant to share it with the world! Crema has an amazing Mexican style brunch, complete with breakfast style Mexican omlette, chicken chilaquiles, quesadillas, and chile relleno. Everything on the menu is just superb and delicious. The unlimited mimosa brunch offering doesn't hurt either! Crema is also one of those rare places that doesn't need reservations - you almost always get a table right away. That's a big bonus for a brunch spot in the city!

2) Friend of a Farmer
Located in the posh Gramercy area, Friend of aFarmer offers a contrasting rustic style setting. Made to look like an English countryside home that serves up hearty breakfasts, this place reminds you of what a wholesome meal is all about. I love the French press coffee here, and I literally die after their assorted bread and muffin basket. This place serves up several different types of omelette preparations as well, so there is something for everyone's omelette-seeking tastes.

3) Beauty & Essex
Nestled in the Lower East side, Beauty & Essex is almost missed if you walk by it. The exterior of the restaurant is a pawn shop that sells vintage jewelery and other eclectic items. Walk further inside and you'll be surprised by the swanky restaurant interiors and even the bathrooms. One might think it's all a gimmick. But the food is quite exceptional. I just love their soft, fresh-out-of-the-oven pumpkin and blueberry scones, their refreshing kale and apple salad, and brunch pizzettas. Be sure to make reservations well in advance for B&E! We've written about this place in a previous post here.

Now that you know our top selections, we'd love to hear what YOUR favorite brunch spots are in your respective cities. What are your top spots and what places do you suggest we try?  

The original Kati Roll Company at McDougal and Bleecker in Greenwich Village

New York City is known for its world class restaurants serving up high-brow foods, culinary delights the names of which you can’t pronounce, and cuisines from countries you haven't even have heard of. While that’s all well and good, I contend that you cannot have experienced an honest to goodness meal in New York unless you’ve been to The Kati Roll Company. The Kati Roll Company is the anti-thesis of all that I just described. It’s a hole-in-the-wall which speaks of quiet assertitude, unassuming from the outside but bold in its offering of a disarmingly simple yet wholesome meal inside…the namesake kati roll.

It seems like all I've been doing for the past two weeks is consuming and imbibing calorie-laden foods and drinks without a care in the world. I figured that if the world ends on December 21 as predicted by the Mayans, I will have at least died happy and well-fed. But alas, the world did not end and like it or not, I will soon have to deal with the consequences of my over-eating. But until Jan 1 rolls around and I have to start training for the Empire State Building Run-Up (more on that soon!), I will continue to indulge myself.

Hi everyone! Guess it’s been a while since you heard from us. Admittedly, we’ve been a bit sporadic with blogging lately. With a hectic work schedule, busy holiday season, and our recent travels, blogging has taken a backseat. No worries, right? These are all part of the blogging ups and downs. Sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes you worry about not posting often enough, sometimes you want a break from it, and sometimes you wonder what the point of your blog is at all. But at the end of the day, we started this blog not for anyone else but for us. So even if the blog has no point, no theme, or no consistency, we’re okay with it…or learning to be okay with it. Do any of you feel that way?

Well, after that random rant...here’s a review of a play I attended last weekend: On a gloomy and rainy Sunday afternoon, my husband and I made our way into Clurman Theatre where “Bumbug: The Musical” was set to play. We weren’t sure what to expect – we’d only heard that this was a holiday-themed musical produced by Indians with mainly Indian actors. Once the show got going, it took little time to realize that this is a “desi” version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol". In this story, the central character is an Indian immigrant aptly named Scroogewala who runs a convenience store in New York City, all lonely and jaded. There’s the love interest of Scroogewala, Sunita, who opens her heart to him despite her own fears and misgivings. And finally, there’s the ghost who shows Scroogewala his past, present, and future and teaches him to let go of his hang-ups and freakin’ accept love in his life already! The storyline was familiar, of course, but there was a parallel narrative about the homesickness, isolationism, and loneliness faced by immigrants in the United States and how they learn to deal with these difficulties. While there were no surprises with how the story ended, the 1.5 hour-long show was certainly entertaining with a cast of talented actors/singers and musicians. My absolute favorite part of the show? A hilarious performance by Sunita's mother on how to seduce a boy! I thought the whole musical was a good mix of comedy and emotional depth. Go watch it while the show is still running!

The stage setup...notice the many, many boxes of Indian Kingfisher beer!

While everyone is ooh-ing and aah-ing about how great it is when the weather turns cooler, I'm the sour puss sitting in the corner of the room missing summer. Yes, I love the fall season and everything else that comes with it - the pumpkin spice lattes, the changing of the leaves, dressing in layers, bringing out the boots and fancy coats. But have you seen the weather out here lately? It's insane, y'all! First it was Hurricane Sandy. Then yesterday it was Storm Athena, which came charging in with a whole bunch of snow, rain, and crazy winds on us in New York City. 

Aah well, let's face it. Winter is here and summer is a far away memory (like that picture of me on a beach in Antigua). But to make myself feel warmer today, I did some online retail therapy (natch). I visited shopbop.com and saw that they're having a mayy-jor sale. This is your chance to get those designer items at a huge discounted price, so be sure to check it out. I finally got myself the Rebecca Minkoff MAC Daddy purse that I'd be eyeing for a while. Here are some other random sale items that I thought looked really cool!

Pour La Victoire Alice Haircalf Sneakers; CC Skye Plaza Ring; Torn by Ronny Kobo Nancy Jacket; Equipment Daddy Antonia Scarf Blouse; DVF Mini Harper Haircalf Bag