Category Archives: Uncategorized

By Rumi

As my first blog post was about the multicultural restaurants and shops at Jackson Heights, this time I will introduce you to a popular Bengali restaurant called Merit Kabab Palace. It is a small restaurant on 74^th Street and Roosevelt Avenue.

Merit Kabab Palace.
Photo: Rumi

Merit Kabab Palace became a popular place for all types of customers, including Bengali, Indian, Pakistani, Nepali, Arabic and American folks. When the restaurant opened in 2006, it started with few dishes and couple of tables. Gradually, the restaurant started offering more authentic Bengali dishes to customers, and people started to like its foods, not only because of the desi-fragrances (adding various masalas: chili, cumin, garam-masala), but also make them delicious.

The food menu
Photo: Rumi

Chicken biriany is the most popular dish at Merit Kabab Palace. Light gravy chicken with snowy basmati rice makes the dish delicious. Everyday they sell at least 50 chicken biriany ($8.00). Besides the chicken biriany, samosa, tea, kababs with naan are other popular dishes in the restaurant.

Inside at the restaurant.
Photo: Rumi

If you prefer to sit down and eat at the restaurant, lunch hour is the best time to go. You might find the place a little congested and no empty table to sit, however, one of the Bengali hosts will approach to you with smile and arrange a place for you.

You can also order to deliver the food. Enjoy and share the experience, if you go there soon.

Homemade Shepherd’s Pie
Photo by Gelayne Blyden

Food is everywhere! It’s in the news, on T.V., in blogs, radio, newspaper and magazines. If you live in NYC eating out can be pretty expensive, especially if you’re a student and always on the go! So what’s a girl or guy to do? One answer: cook!

Yes, cook. Sound old fashioned? Or maybe you’re thinking “I don’t know how.” I have some news for you: me neither, but I’m in the process of learning. Recently some of my sisters and I decided we need to step our game up in the kitchen. Our first mission: Shepherd’s Pie. Shepherd’s Pie is a baked dished made with ground meat, mashed potatoes, and cheese. Vegetables are optional but make a good addition in my opinion. The Shepherd’s Pie was a hit and didn’t last very long after we made it. If you want to know how to make Shepherd’s Pie, here is a link to one on the Kraft website: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/easy-shepherds-pie-108691.aspx.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Photo by Gelayne Blyden

We live in the age of technology if you don’t know how to do something, Google it! The possibilities are endless. It’s going to take some time and like everything else, practice.

You can live but so long on pizza, burgers, and fast food (trust me I know), your body requires more. Even if you think you can survive on fast food and have thus survived so far, let’s see how much eating out can really cost you. Let’s say you spend an average of about $8.00 per day on lunch five times a week. That’s $40 a week and $160 a month on lunch alone! If you buy an $8.00 lunch five times of week for a year it will cost you $1,920! One thousand nine hundred and twenty dollars! Think about it what else could you do with that?

Grocery Bag Photo taken from http://poetluckerate.wordpress.com

With that kind of money, you can definitely start an emergency fund (see my other blog Don’t Let Life’s Financial Emergencies Take You Off Track). So even if not for your own personal survival, give cooking a go for your pocket’s survival.

Courtesy of postalservicemusic.net

On June 14^th, I will see something I have only been able to fantasize about for 10 years, give or take. On June 14^th, I will realize many a fourteen-year-old Jasel’s wet dream. On June 14^th, I will see the “Postal Service” live at the Barclays Center.

Although I know that a large section of this post’s audience might strain to relate to my elation, an equally large core of passionate “Postal Service” devotees are presently squirming with as much, if not more, delight. This is the same audience that might entertain and even reciprocate my musings about “A Tattered Line of String,” the band’s latest single released on Feb. 11.

The new track is going to be included in the band’s Give Up reissue on April 9, and it seems to indicate a somewhat chipper departure from the melodramatic bleeps and bloops that amassed the devotion we succumbed to when the album originally debuted in February of 2003. Perhaps it’s a case of rose-colored glasses, or evidence for the direct relationship between the time spent with a piece of music and the intensity of the glorification that it garners (it has been about a decade, after all). Still, I urge my fellow “Postal Service” fans to give the song a couple of listen-throughs and see if they aren’t somewhat unnerved by its peculiar lack of melancholy.

The Postal Service (L to R): Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello. Courtesy of Sup Pop.

Ironically, the single seems to adopt the particularly danceable brand of electro-pop that has flourished in recent years, developed by acts that Give Up undoubtedly inspired. The new direction the band’s sound is embarking on (if the new single is indeed an indication of one) is almost evidence of some cultural self-fulfilling prophecy, where trailblazers inevitably follow the very trails they blaze.

However, if the band’s newfound optimism is any measurement of their moods in their personal lives, then I hope that my fellow “Postal Service” groupies will ultimately support the group’s pursuit of happiness, personal and musical. If anything, we can just chalk it up to another case of Gibbard Syndrome—Ben Gibbard, the lead singer and main songwriter of both the “Postal Service” and Death Cab for Cutie, has a gift (or curse) for writing exceptionally excellent sad songs. They’re so good, many fans secretly cherish any misfortune that may come his way (e.g., Zooey Deschanel, whom he recently divorced).

Courtesy of Willie Davis of The New York Times.

Does this mean that I won’t purchase a new “Postal Service” record if one’s released? Of course not. Will my fourteen-year-old-fantasy-come-true concert experience this summer be tarnished? No, not even slightly.

Bring it on Barclays.

New York City is the quintessential example of a busy city.  Inhabitants may say that New York is the hardest working city in the world.  There is a reason why it’s called the city that never sleeps.  The streets are crammed with passing vehicles and pedestrians.  It seems as if people in the city don’t have the time to cool off.   Luckily, the city is filled with spaces for the public to sit, relax, and enjoy the scenery.  Here are three of the most scenic public spaces found in Manhattan:

Public space inside the Trump Tower. Photo by: Tim Ahmed

The Atrium on Lexington Avenue. Photo Credit: businesswire.com

The Trump Tower on Fifth avenue hold one of the largest indoor ground-level public spaces.  Sculptures and plants  completes the serene atmosphere.   There is also indoor access to the Nike store, Starbucks, a restaurant  and to the offices in Tower.  It’s across the street from a muchsmaller plaza inside the Sony building.

The Atrium on Lexington Ave is a very  convenient two-story indoor hub for commuters and office workers.  You can find shops, a food court, an entrance to the subway station on Lexington Ave and 53rd street , and an outdoor public space by the fountain.  Unlike most public spaces in the city, the Atrium includes an array of restaurants to choose from and a sitting area positioned in the middle of the plaza.

The tropical-themed lobby of the Deutsche Bank Building.     Photo Credit: thenation.com

The most lavish of public spaces in New York is located inside the Deutsche Bank Building.  Walking inside the public spaces is like entering another world.  The space is designed like a tropical hideout.  Seats and tables are surrounded by palm trees and the beige tiling throughout the space.

By: Miguel Sanchez

Hookah,Washington-Heights. Courtesy Uptowncollective.com

The club scene in upper Manhattan has been laden with the hypnotic clouds of hookah. With almost any flavor imaginable, the hookah has become an inseparable appendage of the social scene and now, it has been growing -for quite some time- familiarity among Hispanic households.

Growing up in a Dominican family, there were three things certainly available: food, plastic-covered sofas, and a mop and broom. Now, slowly affixing itself to that is the hookah.

“No Lie” music video. Courtesy Newschoolmag.com

The hookah gained its prominence in the Middle East as a cultural pastime. Emerging into the night scene a few years ago, it is now a must and even managed to penetrate itself into pop-culture being featured in music videos.

Seeking new ways to continue reaping in profits, for what seems to be a growing demand for hookah products, newer and more convenient products have been made.

Innovation.
Courtesy: Miguel Sanchez

There is a new version of hookah for the enthusiast who wish to puff on the go. Now Instead of carrying the bulky base and dangling hose, retailers now carry a portable pen-sized hookah that is electrically powered. Like the regular sized hookahs, the pen hookah comes in various fruit flavors. Most offer a minimum of 700 puffs and now you can enjoy while traveling.

Hookah pen,      Miguel Sanchez.

The clock is on the center of the concourse with a great view or the Tennessee marble floor.
Photo by Stalin Pinos

Having such a huge city with millions of tourists and being a city that is hard to drive in and find parking on, people are constantly traveling on subways and taking buses. However New York City has a big public transportation system that tries to satisfy everyone. The main transportation terminal on the East side is located on 42^nd Street, Grand Central Terminal. This terminal is constantly full because it departs people around the tri-state area.

Here you can see the big windows and the ceiling with the design that was painted.
Photo by Stalin Pinos

Grand Central Station is the largest train station in the world with 67 tracks along them. There are two levels, both below ground, with 41 tracks on the upper level and 26 on the lower level. Grand Central Terminal is consider as the worlds loveliest station and is one of the most visited tourist attraction with approximately 21,000,000 annually. While people are waiting in the main concourse to depart, they are taking pictures or visiting the apple store. In the center of the concourse there is a big clock that catches so much attention and many people stand around it to take pictures. Grand Central Terminal has its unique look with the huge windows, the ceiling has a beautiful design of a god painted by the French artist Paul Helleu, the floor of the concourse is of Tennessee marble, and the walls of Caen stone.

Grand Central Terminal from the outside.
Photo Credit to: en.wikipedia.org

Grand Central Terminal has  huge stones in the inside and the outside. There are three huge windows that take the whole wall of the terminal. Also what catches a lot of attention is the statue on the middle of the concourse.

Welcome to Blogs@Baruch!

This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging.

Apple Fever.
Photo Credit to: http://www.ibtimes.co.in

Even though Apple is known as one of the leading technology in the U.S, its stock has significantly fallen down. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple’s stock at its highest was $702.10 on September 21, 2012. If you take a look at Apple’s stock currently, it has had a big downfall over the past six months. It is revolving around $461.33. Many are wondering why is this happening? Some of the reasons are that there is a weak demand on PCs, therefore, this is hurting Mac sales. It also has to do with consumers not being satisfied with the iPad Minis price, which brings competitors such as Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets. Since there is a lot of ongoing competition it may cause for Apple’s market to continue on falling.

Apple Customer Service.
Photo Credit to: Haydee Perez

Apple is known to offer one of the best qualities and services to their customers. Apple also offers many well-designed devices, such as Computers/Laptops (iMac, Macbook); Cellphones (iPhones); Tablets (iPads) and Music Devices (iPods). The only negative thing they have acquired onto customers is the high range in price therefore, this drives them to have less sales and provokes for customers to find better offers elsewhere.

This picture shows how an Apple Representative is informing the buyer what an iPad has to offer. They have currently come up with Wi-Fi 3G connection; which can be used through cellular connection with a monthly plan. This makes it easier for them to use their iPad at any location at all times. An iPad can offer the same as a Computer and a cellphone does, but the only good advantage of it is the weight and the size of it, which is more convenient for transportation.

Mac Pro Intelligence.
Photo Credit to: Haydee Perez

Apple has had a high demand in all their products. Mac Pro as seen in the picture is not only being used at home, they are also being used on Universities and CUNY colleges. This is a great advantage to those who attend colleges to have an advantage of using Apple, for those who don’t own it. The question now is will Apple still be schools leading technology? Or will there be another creation or offers to take its place?

Take your time to look around, it’s more than a station.

Grand Central Station Ticket Booth
(photo credit: Chuyun Huang)

I once saw this commercial on the subway that said the following, “You didn’t move to New York City to stay in.” And at the bottom of the poster, in smaller fonts, it said “Don’t Go Home.”

It reminds me of many people who have traveled miles and miles to come to this city, but once they arrived, they got so caught up with their lives and works and eventually they lost their desire to really “live” in this city. Unfortunately, I happen to be one of these people who lives in New York but stays at home for most of the time.

Grand Central Station in the morning
(photo credit: Chuyun Huang)

A few days ago, I  planed a mini trip to Grand Central Station. Grand Central Station is the place where I transfer to the 6th train to go to school for the two years and I still pass this place (underground, off course) everyday  but I never bother to see what the station really looks like and never did I know how beautiful it is!

I spent an hour or so in the main lobby watching people come and go, watching people who are in a hurry, people like me taking pictures and some standing along anticipating for someone to arrive.

People come and go but some awaits for the train
(photo credit: Chuyun Huang)

The ceiling is breathtaking but have you seen it? If your answer is no, then take a pause next time when you happen to pass by Grand Central Station and look around, it‘s worth the time.

My First Family – Trenton, New Jersey
Photo Courtesy: My Mom

Leaving my family in Trenton, New Jersey always overwhelms me with sadness, because I never know when I’ll have the opportunity to see them again. As I approach New York Penn Station my emotions of sadness and loneliness begin to fade because I am almost “home,” and reunited with my second family.

My Second Family – Baruch College, New York City

We aren’t your typical family with two parents and a few children. In this family there are five parents, 11 daughters, and four Godfathers. Our coaches are the “parents,” my 10 teammates and I are the “daughters,” and our trainers are the “Godfathers.” Instead of being known as the “abnormally large family,” we prefer the Baruch College Lady Bearcats. Our Polish, Haitian, Trinidadian, and Ecuadorian backgrounds prove that basketball is thicker than water.

Just as any family we have our disagreements. Usually over who should sit in the back of the bus, where we should stop for dinner, and of course, who gets to choose our outfits on game days. Having 11 different personalities we are bound to have conflicts, but more than anything it’s our love for basketball and each other that gets us through. Whether it’s getting manicures and pedicures, random trips to Insomnia Cookies at 2 A.M., or endless trips to Chipotle for “water cups” filled with lemonade, our bond is unbreakable.

Sisterhood

It is our sisterhood off the court that has allowed us to be ranked 24th in the nation by USA Today Sports Division III Top 25 Coaches’ Poll. As my grandmother always tells me “you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family,” this is true for the family I have grown to love in New York City.