Phillip Retuta's Blog

The Life and Times of a Filipino-American

Archives for November 2016

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Thanksgiving in California.

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For Thanksgiving, I flew to California to see my family. It was only a short weekend for me, but my mom’s birthday coincides with Thanksgiving, and I felt it’d be a nice surprise to visit her. I’m a Mama’s Boy at heart, and I see my family so far in between.

During that short trip, I had Thanksgiving dinner with the entire Nievera family living on the West Coast. Turkey was prepared by my uncle, and my aunt made filet mignon and carrot cake. I, on the other hand, didn’t cook a single thing; for once, I had no obligation towards a Thanksgiving meal — aside from eating it.

The next day, we celebrated my mom’s birthday at a Korean barbecue in Chino Hills — “Gen,” I think the place was called. We ordered more meat than a family of four should consume, and we struck up a good conversation with our server. Apparently, he’s trying to move to Brooklyn, so I felt obliged to give him some good tips on where to live in New York.

Afterwards, we drove to Los Angeles, where I took photos of Chris Burden’s “Urban Light” exhibit at LACMA and the La Brea Tarpits. We even drove into Beverly Hills, and my parents and I walked along Rodeo Drive. My mom feigned interest in a $1500 Louis Vuitton bag, teasing the salesperson, and I bought a $5 cold brew at a nearby coffee shop. So yeah, Beverly Hills is damn expensive.

Again, the trip was incredibly short but worth it. I’m looking forward to Christmas, where I’ll return to California but have an extended vacation from work.

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James Turrell’s “Meeting” at MoMA PS1.

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Accompanied by Alexandra and Michael, I went to see the recently reopened James Turrell exhibit, “Meeting,” at MoMA PS 1. It was a brisk, autumn day, and the exhibit’s ceiling was completely open to the outside environment. As the interior walls’ lights changed, the open sky’s color would change as well.

Here’s a timelapse:

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ICHIRAN Ramen.

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Alex, Michael, and I went to ICHIRAN in Bushwick. At a glance, it’s a typical ramen spot (also located next to the factory where they produce their noodles), but just like some of the establishments they have in Japan, you’re forced to eat alone in a designated booth. The booth itself is akin to a walled desk you find in a library’s study area, and there’s a bamboo curtain that separates you from your server. In fact, you don’t even get to see your server; only their hands and lower torso is visible, so they’re a lot like the nanny from Muppet Babies.

Overall, the eating experience is supposed to isolate you from social interactions, so the lone diner can only focus on the food (hence, they call these booths “flavor-enhancement” pods or some shit like that). I found that to be enjoyable, and the three of us individually finished our meals in a span of 20 to 30 minutes. I’m also a very sloppy ramen eater, and being by myself made me feel less self-conscious.

ICHIRAN only serves Tonkotsu Ramen, but you can customize the spice-level, richness of the broth, or add additional toppings to your meal. It’s a little bit on the pricey side for $19, but the staff insists you don’t tip (which is why I feel the tip is already included in the price). All in all, I definitely recommend visiting this place.

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Post-Election New York.

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I’ll admit that the past couple have been hard, and it’s definitely showing here in New York: the news sites I visit and my social media feeds are expressing anger and sadness, acts of prejudice and bullying validated by our next President fill the headlines I read, and all my conversations with friends are wrought with feelings of betrayal and fear. Even on my subway ride to and from work, people are more frustrated and sad than usual, to the point that a select few are acting like assholes (on two separate occasions, a couple of young people angrily shoved into passengers). I get it: you’re upset with this election. I’m upset. We’re all upset.

Still, after a young girl berated everybody on my crowded train to “fucking move,” it dawned on me that above all else I need to retain my kindness and humanity towards my fellow Human beings. I need to remain positive and hopeful despite the potential shitty times ahead.

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Cubs Win!

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I’m not a die-hard Cubs fan (but I liked them more than the Sox), but I’m glad they were able to win the 2016 World Series after 108 years. We watched the final game at Rustine and Amanda’s (a fellow Chicagoan) apartment, and accompanied by all my friends who’ve grown up in Illinois. To be perfectly honesty, I think it’s the Cubs hat I wore and the deep dish pizza from Emmett’s that secured the W.

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