Tag Archives: the bronx

#40for40NYC: The Final Showdown…

28 Saturday Nov 2015

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So, as I mentioned in my last post. The summer of adventure and $40 dollar activities had to be stretched into the Fall. I think I’ve finally reached 40 and while I did incorporate a lot of restaurants to round out the summer, each activity, store, trip, restaruant, or location is definitely worth the time and money to visit. I will keep posting about cheap stuff to do around the city (I still need to spend more time in Brooklyn and make my way out to Staten Island and Long Island), until at least next August, but here are the last few installments for this years #40for40NYC! Thanks for reading along and hopefully I provided some budget friendly fun for a few of you!

I’ve finally gotten through 40 things. I ventured out to Queens and went to a concert, visited Little Italy in Manhattan, and did a few more things so here we go!

1. I went to see SOJA at the Play Station Theater in Times Square. It was so much fun! I think my ticket was around $30 for General Admission. The venue was amazing. I was expecting it to be really big, but it was incredibly intimate which made the performance even more memorable. I love Reggae and seeing SOJA has been on my list for a while. I am so glad I got to check out this theater for such a reasonable amount. Earlier in the summer I won a contest and got to go to another concert, so it isn’t outrageous to attend concerts here. Obviously, you aren’t going to see Billy Joel or Marc Anthony at The Garden for under $40 but you can find some really fun shows for a reasonable price.
2. I found a fun pool hall in the Bronx! Park Billiards Cafe and Sports Bar on White Plains Road is a pretty great place to go for a date or with a group to have some reasonably priced fun. I went really early on a Friday night. We each had a couple of beers and played for about two hours and it was around $45. You pay by the minute and they have specials during the day and certain evenings. You could easily get out of here for under $40 if you come with a big group and don’t drink. They had a DJ playing hip-hop and Reggaeton from the 90s-00s and there is also a full bar. No beer on draft though. The reviews on YELP are a little sketch and they were frisking people at the door, but I still had fun and didn’t feel unsafe at any point. 

   
 3. Yet another Arthur Avenue endorsement: check out John’s Pizza and Mike’s Deli in the Arthur Avenue Retail Market. John’s is really reasonable and while I was a little iffy about a chain place, I’ve been to two locations and they were both delicious and reasonable! Mike’s Deli is a little more pricey, but you can easily get a pasta with bread and a drink for under $20. I endorse the Rigatoni alla Isabella! My favorite. There is another pizza place in the Bronx that is epic: Louie and Ernie’s! Again, very reasonable, excellent reviews, and awesome food. It’s a small place and it is difficult to get to if you are bound by public transport (6 train to Buhre and a descent walk down Crosby), but definitely worth the trip. 

   
   
4. I went to City Island. The island is small, but very quaint and there are tons of restaurants. I’m sure it goes without saying that having a top o’ the line seafood dinner in any part of NYC is going to cost you more than $40. I went with a friend and tried the Crab Shanty. Transportation to the island takes a while, but you can get there for $2.50. We shared a seafood platter so I was able to check out the island, have dinner and a beer for under $40. In the summer I think it would be fine to head out there alone and walk down the island, but it was cold when I went and I was glad I had a friend there because it was pretty empty. Crab Shanty was PACKED and it was really a unique little place. Not the cleanest, but the decor was neat and the food was pretty delicious too. You can’t really swim out there, but I think going fishing would be so much fun. When it warms up, I will look into charter fishing and let you know what I find! There is beautiful architecture to look at and the sunset was gorgeous! Hard to believe it’s in the Bronx, but it’s definitely worth the bus ride to see a little history.

   
    
 5. Queens! I traveled to two parts of Queens on the hunt for Morning Glory stores. Morning Glory is a Korean stationary brand that I used to frequent when I lived in Hawaii as a kid. They sell really cute stationary, stickers, toys, pens, pencils, school and office supplies, stuffed animals, home goods, etc. First, I took the train out to Flatbush, all the way at the end of the 7 line. Again, it takes a while, but for $2.75 you can’t beat it! Flatbush was amazing! It is Asian everything! Taiwanese, Chinese, Indian, and Korean galore. Stores, restaurants, and salons everywhere. I went to Morning Glory #1 and got a few goodies and then went next door and got a taro bubble tea. There was also a meat-on-a-stick joint that I wanted to try, but I will have to save it for next time. You could easily make a fun day out of your trip for under $40. There is a big mall out there too, so you don’t have to stick to mom and pop places if that isn’t your deal. After Morning Glory and Bubble Tea I got back on the train and went to Elmhurst, Queens. There is a sizable Asian population there too and there were lots of Thai, Chinese, and Korean stores and restaurants. I went to a great Thai chicken place that was CRAZY CHEAP, clean and delicious! You have to check out Eim Khao Mun Kai. You can get a full meal for less than $10 or a meal for two for $16! IN NYC! It isn’t for the faint of heart, as you are served full poached chickens, innards and all, but it is mad delicious! There are dozens of places to check out, dessert spots, herb shops, restaurants, small stores, pretty much anything. I will definitely be going back out to Queens soon to get some Korean BBQ! After Elmhurst I stayed in Queens and went to another Morning Glory on Steinway. I got a few more goodies and walked around for a little while before heading home. 

   
    
 6. I went down to Little Italy in Manhattan for Thanksgiving. While I frequent the Little Italy in the Bronx almost every weekend, I hadn’t been to the Little Italy in Manhattan until this week. I went to Grotta Azzura for their Thanksgiving special and got a full three course meal for $38 (plus tax). This area is so great. The architecture is crazy gorgeous, there are tons of murals all around, dozens of restaurants (it borders China Town, so you can easily get Chinese food if you don’t like Italian). I went on Thanksgiving so lots of places were closed, but there is an Italian American museum, lots of shops, and some stores. Unfortunately, it is very touristy, but there are still a few spots to see some true Italian history!

   
    
    
 7. Graffiti spotting! This is a great way to get some exercise, see free art, and meet some cool people. I have a friend that writes graffiti in the Bronx, and I went with him to watch him paint the #wataahwall at 207th and Broadway a few weekends ago. Every weekend (weather permitting), different artists write their unique pieces on the wall. You can easily get there on the one train for $2.75 and there are several resonable diners within walking distance. If you really want to save money, you can watch them paint from the 207th street platform and save the $2.75 swipe. Most of the artists are really friendly and love to take pictures and sign blackbooks. There are several other places around the city you can go, but this wall in the Bronx is a great place to start.

  
I feel like that about covers it. This is the fifth and final installment and while I did multiple activities in a day on several days, you could easily do one of these things every weekend and get to explore the city for cheap! My number one tip for saving money is to make friends. I’m not so good at it so I have done a lot of stuff alone, but the more you can do stuff with people the more money you can save! Thanks again for reading and see you guys for the next series!

#40for40NYC : Closing out the Summer!

23 Wednesday Sep 2015

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So, as I wrote in the last installment, I have to extend this into the Fall because I unexpectedly ended up working two jobs and taking a class this summer, which meant I could not take any trips and I only had Sundays to do activities. Even so, I have done several more activities and have a few other things in the works, so we will get to 40 eventually! So far, there have been 4 posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 in the city. I am over 20 things now: I went to Central Park, Battery Park, Times Square, the Puerto Rican parade, the Pride parade, Tuff City Tattoos, Little Italy, the 9/11 Memorial, the New York Botanical Gardens, Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, the Waldorf Astoria, Coney Island, Galanga Thai, Social, Lille’s, Uva, Junior’s Bakery, Emilia’s, saw some sailors during Fleet Week (even though I didn’t get to go to any events), saw Junior Brown at City Winery, Stone Street, Wave Hill gardens, Grand Central Station…

I have exhausted Arthur Avenue and Little Italy! I have been there several weekends because it is so convenient and there are so many reasonable places to eat. I’ve checked out: Emilia’s, Pasquale Rigaletto, Cafe Parisienne, Domenick’s, Artuso’s Pastry, Palombo Cafe, Bronx Beer Hall, and Blue Wave! Each of these places is worth taking a trip up to the Bronx. I still have a couple of restaurants that I need to visit (specifically, Zero Otto Nove), but I will update when I get to check them out. I am going to dedicate a whole post to the restaurants on Arthur Avenue because I don’t want to use too many restaurants as activities!

Since I last wrote, besides chillin’ on Arthur Ave, I went to my first Italian festival and visited Harlem for the first time, went to Wave Hill, went back to Coney Island, took a ride on Metro North, went to Little Ireland, and saw 3 movies!

The Italian festival and visit to Harlem was definitely the highlight. With just the cost of a metro ride to and from the Bronx and a few dollars on refreshments, I had an awesome day of fun and culture for $25!

The dancing of the giglio on Pleasant Avenue is definitely something to check out. It is hosted annually by the Giglio Society of East Harlem! According to Wikipedia the Giglio weighs three tons! It was so interesting. There was signing, eating, dancing, socializing, all in a suprisingly spiritual and prayerful environment. I thought the statue would be lifted and walked from its resting place to the Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel just once. Little did I know, it would be “danced” up and down the route many, many times, with each lift being dedicated to a certain person! It was such a fun thing to see and the mood was wonderful with people coming into the neighborhood that grew up there, but had since moved away. There are dozens of booths with games, coffee, drinks, Italian foods and desserts! Obviously, to keep it below $40 you’ll have to pay attention, but I got a small bag of pastries, a drink, and espresso, for around $15!

   
    
   
   

After the parade I went with a group to Patsy’s Pizzeria for a late lunch. It is a little costly if you go in and sit down and have a full meal, but there is a window out front where you can buy pizza by the slice for super cheap! Going to the parade and having a slice or two will give you an ENTIRE day of fun and a meal for around $25!

I work and live in the Bronx, so Wave Hill was kind of a cheat activity. I’ve been several times this summer. I have a friend that is a member, so I used their guest pass, but entry is only $8 on regular days!

It’s a gorgeous, historic location to watch the Hudson River, picnic, get some sun, look at some pretty flowers, and just relax in the Bronx! There is a cafe/restaurant, but I didn’t try it out. There is also a gift shop and the gardens also host numerous activities year around-which you can view on their site!

   
    
    
 I also returned to Coney Island ($10).

I took the train down, bought a drink and some chips at a bodega, got some sun on the beach and took the train back home. It is obviously INSANELY crowded during the summer, so this isn’t a great activity to do alone because you can’t swim if you have stuff to leave on the beach, but it was stilll nice to get outside and people watch!

  
Metro-North is also a bit of a cheat activity, but then again, if you like trains and scenic views (or if you have children that like trains), I highly suggest it. There is a station close to Wave Hill too! I believe rides are at most $10 each way (depending the time you get on the train and your ultimate destination), but it is definitely worth it. I am partial to the Hudson Line to Croton-Harmon. If you want to check this out, I suggest going during the early afternoon because there are peak hours and off peak hours (which fall between rush hours) and you are charged less during off peak times! Going along the Hudson River there are nice views of nature and architecture. I’ve gotten off at a few stations and think the Yonkers station is really neat! It is totally old school, with wooden benches, a waiting room-it’s like an old movie-and you are in Yonkers so you can walk to shops or restaurants and then hop back on the train into the city! The Harlem Line is also great-there is a station called Wingdale that lets you off at the abandoned State Hospital, which is a great piece of spooky architecture! So, for around $20 you can explore the suburbs of NYC or travel hours away and really get into nature!

  
I know one of my 40 activities was going to the movies and I’ve done it…times 3…but I don’t feel like any of the movies I saw were worth rave reviews. I saw San Andreas, Trainwreck, and Southpaw. I am NOT an action flick fan, but I thought I’d check out San Andreas because a friend wanted to see it. I laughed the ENTIRE movie-I’m lucky I live up here in NYC now, because people all freely make noise during the movie. Of course, The Rock was as hot as ever, but the supporting actresses were horrible and the story is SO unrealistic. I did like that Paul Giamatti was in the film. I have a soft spot for award winning actors that act in random movies for fun (and a pay check, haha)! 

*Spoiler Alert*

The part where the boat is able to go through sharp ass debris, speed over bodies and metal, go through a building, and then his daughter is unconcious for like half an hour after drowning and then magically comes back to life had me DYING! So 2/5 for effort and sexy Dwayne Johnson!

Trainwreck was meh too…sorry, not sorry…I was SO excited because I havevn’t seen a good comedy in forever, but I wasn’t impressed. I LOVED Bill Hader and his character-he was by far the best part-and I did like the other story lines with Lebron and the father, but I didn’t think the movie was very funny, at all…3/5 for casting/production budget!

Finally, I saw Southpaw. While this was the best of the three, it was still underwhelming and lackluster. Cinematography and casting were GREAT, but the writing and pacing were NO good. Rachel McAdams, 50 Cent, and Forrest Whitaker’s characters had like zero development even though they were major parts of the plot. It was also extremely predictable! If you’ve seen one boxing movie, you’ve seen this one.

*Spoiler Alert*

McAdams and the character Hoppy each had two or three scenes before they were killed off! I am so confused why you would have two characters that are supposed to have such important impacts on the main characaters of the film and really move the story foward, yet writers give like 5 minutes to develop said characters. Makes zero sense. The production was good, not excellent, but good. I did notice that it was produced by Chinese companies, which I haven’t seen before. That was interesting and did have an influence on the film (especially the fight scenes), but I would love to know why this particular film was a Chinese-Hollywood coproduction. 3/5  for casting and production once again.

I was really hoping to see a movie like Foxcatcher that would inspire a great review, but I didn’t. I have high hopes for Black Mass, so check back in a few weeks!

Lastly, I’ve been to Little Ireland in Woodlawn several times. There are tons of pubs and restaurants to check out and it is definitely a cultural experience. I thought there were no more native Irish communities in NYC (I thought they all disappeared last century), but I guess with the economic downturn in Ireland a lot of young Irish people have immigrated to Woodlawn. Accents and beer! An old lady also gave me a bunch of free Catholic swag when I was up there! Definitely worth a train and Uber ride north to see an old/new side of New York history!

   
   
I’ve started back to school, but I am back down to working 4 days a week, so I have some more time to explore. I am going to a big concert in October and am currently looking for 10 or 15 more activities! I will write another installment after my concert! Talk to you guys then!

40 for 40: Summer 2K15 in NYC!

13 Wednesday May 2015

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I’m back!

I just had my last class of the semester on Monday night and except for some paper editing, I am done with all of my final assignments. The end of this semester wasn’t nearly as hectic as last semester, thank goodness (no flu, yay!).

I really want to explore the city and do some fun things before I start back to classes in September. I probably won’t get to go back to Texas because I’ve picked up a second job, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun up here.  Keeping in line with my pattern, I am going to start another “40” series. This time I am going to do 40 activities for under $40, in NYC and the surrounding area! I want to do as many free/low cost things as possible, but there will be a few things that I splurge on. I will post pictures of all of the activities on IG, with the tag #40for40NYC. Here are the 40 things I plan to do this summer, in no particular order:

  • The High Line
  • Roof Garden Café and Martini Bar
  • Fort Lee-Korea Town
  • Geocaching
  • Garibaldi House on Staten Island
  • Coney Island
  • Run a 5k
  • Go to a Concert: Willy Nelson 8/12 or Sublime 8/5
  • Rockaway Beach
  • Queens-Korea Town

  

  • Bronx Zoo
  • Self-guided I Love Lucy or SATC walking tour
  • Baseball Game
  • Ellis Island
  • Fleet Week
  • Pride Parade: June 28
  • Horse Race
  • The Polo Bar
  • Giglio di Saint Antonio Fest: August 6-9
  • Italian Film Retrospective: May 22-31

  

  • Dim Sum
  • Wine and Picnic in Central Park
  • Hot Yoga
  • Weekend Trip Upstate (The Hamptons or elsewhere)
  • New York Public Library
  • Empire State Building
  • Brooklyn Bridge
  • Central Park
  • A Farmers Market
  • Natural History Museum

  

  • Comedy Show
  • New Movie+ Write Movie Review
  • Pok Pok NY
  • Real dive bar/pub
  • The Cloisters 
  • Jamestown/Lucille Ball Comedy festival
  • Soccer game
  • Jollibee
  • Jackson Heights
  • Green-Wood Cemetery

This is just a provisional list. I may do more than one activity in a day, some days and other times, I may only be able to fit in one activity the entire week (I’m taking a 6 week class toward the end of the summer). I will blog about the activities as I go along and if any of you have any particular places you’d like me to check out and report back on, leave your suggestion in the comments! Since this is a rigid schedule, I may skip some things and substitute other activities in their place. Other options include: beach camping and fishing (if I can find a buddy that has supplies), bowling (if I can find a group to go with), ice skating, the Montauk light house, more restaurants, more classes/lectures, exploring the Bronx  and Long Island. The goal is to spend less than $40 on each activity. Obviously I don’t have $1,600 to blow on summer activities, but many of these things are free or low cost, so that will allow me to save the allotted $40 or its remainder for some of the bigger activities (weekend trip, concert, Jamestown, etc.).  I will begin participating in #WODW again and also blog about other things here and there. Thanks again for reading, lets get this marathon of tourism started!
What should I do first?!

An Adventurer Adventuring for Adventure’s Sake

04 Wednesday Mar 2015

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So, one great thing about being an Army brat is the opportunity to meet so many people that you otherwise wouln’t have the opportunity to get to know.

My dad was stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii from 1997 to 2003 and I made several friends during that time. One of the girls I got to know was from Texas and we hung out for a few years when we both lived there. We lost touch, but 5 years later when my dad was stationed at Ft. Hood, she happened to see him at the PX and we were able to reconnect. Several years later when I moved to Texas I was able to hang out with her again and I would go down to her house once every other month or so to catch up. During this time I got to know her older sister a little better and a few summers ago I was invited to her birthday party (you guys may remember that I stayed with her for a week in Aversa last summer, during my Italia in 40 adventure). We all went to a waterpark and I got to meet all of my friend’s older sister’s friends. Over the next several months I went down there several times for other parties and got to know a few new people each time. One of the people I met was a fellow Masters student and blogger, Shelly! 

It just so happens that Shelly aka Shelly’s Cabaret and one of her friends hosts a weekly writing prompt called “Write or Die Wednesdays.” It is open to all bloggers so feel free to link up and contribute! 



Adventure!

#writeordiewednesday



I’ve meant to contribute for months now, but I always worry that I won’t have anything interesting to contribute. 

Today is the day! 

“This week’s prompt is the word ADVENTURE. What has been your greatest adventure? What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done? Have you ever been on an emotional adventure? The writing possibilities are endless!”

While I would have to say that my greatest adventure has been my move to New York, I live for adventure. I’ve always loved hiking and traveling. By the grace of God, I got to take a 40-day backpacking trip to Italy last summer and loved every minute of it-despite traveling alone-and would do it again in a second.

My dream job would be documentary filmmaker or a photo journalist for a travel magazine. I love learning about people and having new experiences whenever I can.

This move to New York has definitely been my biggest adventure because everything in my life is completely different than it’s ever been. While I grew up in an apartment in a culturally diverse area in Hawaii, I was with my family and had a security blanket in my parents and pets. Here in New York I am completely alone, so everyday is an adventure. I never used public transportation (outside of traveling) in my life before moving here, so even going to work and having to map out my route and be able to adapt to route changes and delays is crazy for me. One of the big reasons I chose to live in the Bronx was because I knew it would be a big adventure. I encounter new cultures, languages, and religions everyday. 

Just today I was riding to work and saw a man on his balcony participating in a prayer ritual. He was rubbing his upper body with what looked like an ashen cloth and putting his hands up behind his head. He repeated this process several times before I drove off. I live a couple of blocks from several masjids and I see bearded men walking to prayers every Friday working through their Misbaha as they go along. There are african hairbraiding shops, bodegas, and various ethnic restaurants on every corner.

One of my favorite things about myself is my sense of advendture. A week or two ago, the Write or Die Wednesday prompt asked, “Who are you when you are in your element?” While I have many answers to this question, I would definitely say I am an adventurer at heart and my lifegoal is to go on as many adventures as I can.

I have to admit, when I was younger I was much more adventurous! I was a SUPER tomboy until about 10th grade and I was a daredevil in elementary school. I loved going fishing, skateboarding, building forts, swimming in the ocean, hiking with my dad, driving my four-wheeler…I don’t really know where that fearlessness went, but now I do worry about hurting myself and embarassing myself, which I never cared about in my younger days. I know high school stripped a lot of my self confidence away, so I really stopped trying to live outside the box. I had a crazy year in 2012 and had several of my security blankets ripped away at work and school, so I have slowly been getting back to being true to myself and going on new adventures.

I started Geocaching a few months ago and that has also inspired several recent adventures. It’s a global scavenger hunt of sorts and it is a great way to explore new areas!

Another adventure I’ve started since moving to New York is my job. I am a companion to an elderly woman with memory problems, so that is a challenging aspect of my life that requires adaptation on a daily basis. It’s such an interesting and rewarding job and I’ve been able to meet dozens of people that have really helped shape me as an individual these past few months.

I’m very adventurous in other ways too. I like learning new languages, watching foreign films, trying new foods, and listening to new types of music. I think trying new foods and branching out to different genres of music is one of the easiest ways to be adventurous in your daily life. 

I would highly suggest trying out Tunein and listeing to radio shows from around the world.

One of the best memories I have from a time when I decided to be adventurous was in 2009 on my way to Italy. I was flying from London to Milan and sat next to an older British guy, wearing a bright purple sweater over a red and white plaid button up. We struck up a conversation and he asked me to guess his profession. I guessed that he was a dentist or lawyer and it turns out he was a Reggae DJ. We talked the entire flight and I didn’t think much of it until I got home and Googled him. It turns out that it was none other than David “Ram Jam” Rodigan from BBC1! 3 years later I tuned into the BBC because I heard an advertisement for a Reggae program and he was the DJ! He’s worked with Bob Marley in the past and many other famous Reggae and Ska artists! 

I think a few of the keys to being adventurous are confidence, faith, and openmindedness. You have to be confident that trying new things will lead to fun memories and good experiences and you can’t close yourself off to things that are outside of your comfort zone. I think leaving my comfort zone is the the biggest difficulty for me. Once I make up my mind to leave the house and actually go out on an adventure, I’m never disappointed. Another big part of being adventurous is being able to find the fun in unexpected circumstances. This is a hard one for me too because I am not the most spontaneous person. I like spontaneity and I can roll with it if I am in that mindset, but I do get frustrated when things don’t go according to plan. 

Anyone can have adventures-big or small-with a little confidence!

What’s the best adventure you’ve ever been on?


A Ginger in the Big City: Week 1

10 Wednesday Sep 2014

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I’ve officially been in New York for a week and it’s been OVERWHELMING, let me tell you!

Before I get started with my tall tale of this week’s craziness, I want to tell you what you can expect from this blog from here on out. I know reading about my random day-to-day life isn’t exactly riveting, but hopefully some of my future posts will be more interesting! As you know by now, if you’ve been reading for a while, I am horrible at keeping a concrete blogging schedule. I will start one, but then nothing interesting will happen so I’ll be embarrassed to write a pointless weekly update. Keeping that in mind, when anything interesting happens I will write about it! So, in the future I will be posting:

  • Restaurant reviews
  • Responses to my readings from school and additional thoughts I have about European History and contemporary European politics
  • Stories about my random jobs in NYC
  • Recipes
  • Tips and tricks for living on a budget
  • Photography
  • Decorating and interior design projects I complete
  • Travel stories (I have the opportunity to go on a few trips, so I will write about those, if and when they occur)

So, lets get to it!

Other than the car load of stuff that my mom and I brought up here week before last, I came with nothing.

No furniture, bed, kitchenware…nothing.

I managed to pack two Coleman camping air mattresses and I bought a tray of cooking utensils and a pot at Target, which have been life savers.

The air mattresses are probably about 10 years old, so they hold air as well as you would imagine. New York has also been going through a heatwave and my apartment doesn’t have air or ceiling fans, so that has been torture. I’m used to the 90 degree heat, coming from Texas, but not having air conditioning has been a major adjustment. The tray of cooking utensils also didn’t include a knife, so I’ve been using a pizza cutter to cook for a week.

Now that I got all of my whining out of the way, let’s talk about my classes and other such schtuff!

First things first, Uber is awesome! This is my first time without a vehicle since I turned 16, so being able to get a ride from the airport to my apartment was great. It was quick and relatively cheap!

I got here Tuesday afternoon and immediately dropped my things off and took the train downtown so that I could find out where my classes were for the following day. I was SO freakin’ happy when I got off the train down by NYU. There is an IFC theater that is playing Boyhood and I can’t wait to check it out. I also walked right by a Papaya Dog and it reminded me of that episode of Sex and the City when Carrie has her book party and the chauffeur takes her to Papaya Dog…I fangirled just a lil’ bit, I won’t lie.

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