Thanks to work, my family and I stayed at Le Parker Meridien, which was much too posh for the Fantastically Frugal Fong Family. Lined with ceiling-high mirrors, the walls of the lobby reflected a seemingly spacious area. Unfortunately, the grandeur of the space proved more maze-like than a-mazing, as both my mom and I walked into a mirror merely trying to maneuver toward the elevator. Tricky, tricky, these posh hotels....
This year, I was fortunate enough to invite my family to the NBA Draft. My dad and brother are Frothing Fong Sports Fanatics, so it was rewarding to share the experience with them.
For those of you who've watched an NBA Draft on television, you know how slow and monotonous it can be. The highlight for most folks is the first few picks, or their team's picks. What you may not necessarily see or appreciate on TV is the behind-the-scenes action -- the inebriated riff raff in the audience screaming profanity with each trade as half-masticated beef hangs from their mouths, the crazy ladies stuffed into prom dresses waving their arms and jiggling their junk as they try to get on camera, ESPN broadcaster Stewart Scott snacking on a Subway sandwich in between his live interviews with the Draftees then sneaking it under his desk as soon as the camera turns on, Charles Barkley rolling his eyes and yawning as he slouches in his TNT seat next to Kenny, Ernie and Magic. To me, these were the highlights. Everything else I could have caught on Sports Center the next day.
[Commissioner Stern with Kevin Durant.]
After the Draft, David and I said goodbye to our parents and headed out for dinner/dancing with some of my coworkers. We went to Son Cubano in the meat-packing district to eat some Cuban food, drink mojitos and salsa dance! (It was here where I learned that my brother can absolutely NOT dance. BUT he tried very hard, so I was quite proud of him.) :)
[ Jocelyn and Denise trying to coach my brother on how to move his feet.] 
[Another fun drunk picture in the elevator. (This is right before we tiptoed into the suite where our parents were sound asleep.)]The next day, I checked out of Le Parker Meridien since the Draft was over and my meetings were done. We then caught a Crazy Taxi across town to Soho, where the Fantastically Frugal Fong Family checked into a hotel that was more our style....The Holiday Inn - Chinatown!
For dessert we went to a fantastic place in Greenwich Village with my calabash aunt and uncle, Barb and Arthur (grad school buddy of my dad's).
[Breakfast soufle at some yummy French place.]
[Italian ice in Little Italy.]
Here starts my sequence of Chinatown pictures. Don't ask me why, but I have a special and unique liking to all things Chinatown, no matter how meaningless and odd. Maybe it's because everyone feels like family, or because I appreciate the art of bargaining down street vendors, or maybe just because there's a greater chance of seeing "FONG" wherever I go. Whatever the reason, Chinatown piqued my photography senses, as you can tell from the number of ridiculous, random pictures I took.
NEVER!!!
For more Fong Family Fun pics, check out my Picasa web album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizfong/NewYorkCity
