His Own Direction

One Direction, the British 5-part boy band made famous from The X Factor in 2010, has been broken up for about 10 months now. Well, logically, actually only since November 13th with the release of the seemingly last album,  Four.
I can't help but ask myself, who really even gave a fuck after Zayn Malik decided to leave? He was the one bringing in those numbers. What'd you think, Harry Styles? He dated Taylor Swift, so everything he does is now considered null and void.
I am a completely heterosexual man, so I can admit this in full comfortable in myself that Zayn Malik is a sexy sum'bitch. Look at him.

Knowing what I know about 1D -- a group geared towards 12 to 15 year old girls -- I never really gave a damn about them. But I frequent Twitter. That's my home. So when Zayn Malik split from the group, the Brit became a trending topic. It got me curious, why the f*ck he do that? 

Nothing much immediately came from the J.T./Beyonce move, or dare I say, the greatest solo venture ever, Michael McDonald leaving The Doobie Brothers. But, around the month of September, when talks of the final One Direction project began to arise, Malik began opening himself up to major publications in personal interviews at his home in Beverly Hills where after reading into who he is, you can clearly see he was the 'bad boy' of the group.

The graffiti, the smoking, the bleached hair and obligatory leather jacket. 

Now, the solo career started in March 2015. Here we are in the new year and still nothing. He has acknowledged the glaring absence of music in which constitutes a solo venture. So where the hell is it Zayn?
Learning of his life's musical influences really sparked a new interest in his forthcoming work. The British Pakastani credits his father with a deal of his influence, who was immensely into R&B, and when asked what music he had playing around the house, he said “it was a lot of R&B, a lot of R. Kelly, a lot of Usher, a lot of Donell Jones, a lot of Prince.” Along with rap artists like Pac and Big as well as the bop & reggae genres.

Training Wheels Zayn:

Motorcycle Zayn:

With knowing that we will hear some of Malik’s own sound in the spring is exciting and I am personally looking forward to it.

Club Review: Chemistry Nightclub

Chemistry Nightclub

2901 Spring Garden St, Greensboro, NC

Recommendation: Go on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays are karaoke nights and Thursdays are drag nights. Aside from the obviously entertainment-packed weekends, Chemistry Nightclub’s themed week nights will easily become your favorite weekly pastime. Or maybe even how you get through the week, as I can recall this exact exchange between myself and friends several times: “What day is it?” “I think it’s Thursday. Wait no. Last night was karaoke, so it’s Wednesday.”

My first experience at Chemistry was back in early September. This was the first semester I actually became a part of UNCG and Greensboro’s queer community (after 2 years/4 semesters being here, bless my little introverted soul). I was on the board for UNCG’s Queer Student Union and had just gotten my Paris Is Burning virginity broken at our first movie showing. It was my second time being in a club. My first was at Legends in Raleigh with a couple friends from school, but we were all 18, barely knew each other, and stayed in the corner for half the night. We went to Chemistry as a group, board members and some organization members, which helped introduce the club as a place to go with my new “family”. It was a night of firsts that easily became “the regular” as I became a usual at Chemistry (sorry, Mom. I know, yeah, I should be spending this time studying.)

Tuesday’s karaoke nights are hosted by Niel Reyes, a lively freshman at UNCG who is not afraid to call you out on your off-key rendition of the theme from Phantom of the Opera. The ratio of college students to adults is almost perfect. Meaning there will be a lot of pop, rock, and trap, but there will also be a good mix of 90's R&B, broadway, and disco. There are some “usuals” that I run into every time I attend: the small group of UNCG students who sing Wicked and Fall Out Boy, the guy that feels inclined to bring back The Bad Touch by The Bloodhound Gang (to which I always pelvic thrust to like a middle schooler, so let me hush), the fabulous older ladies who dress in their best and wow us with some Celine Dion, and the guy that always ends out the night with Afroman’s "Because I Got High." Karaoke nights are the place to go if you’ve had a long day and just want to pour your soul into a microphone for 3 minutes and 42 seconds.

Thursday’s drag nights are hosted by Chemistry’s performance director, Tia Chanella. Advertised as Dorm Thursdays, on this night, Chemistry will be overrun with college students who will spend half the night out on the back patio in groups smoking cigarettes, gossiping, and being admirably unapproachable. That is until the clock strikes 12:30am, Chemistry’s drag night theme begins to play, and everyone comes back inside and forms an arch around the stage to watch the performances. Drag nights usually consist of three queens (Drag kings are on Sundays but I’ve been hearing some rumors that our kings and queens will soon be sharing the same Thursday stage) who will have your heart, your attention, and your single dollar bills as they perform to their chosen music. Thursday’s drag nights are not the night to miss. Especially as a college student because the night is free for us.

Chemistry is one of my favorite places to go after a long day of nodding off in class. The staff is easy to get to know and they will know your name by your third visit. It’s a place for free entertainment, socializing, and a place to be unapologetically yourself as an LGBTQIA+ person. If the world were to end at 1:14am on a Friday morning, I’d be really glad to say I was a part of the people who got obliterated whilst trying to twerk to Nicki Minaj’s "Trini Dem Girls."

Photo by Jeffrey Tullis

On Visiting Toxic Places

I’ve moved around a lot in my life and it seems that almost every time I’ve left, I end up with a bad taste in my mouth. There are too many places and people out there that just leave me sour, and because of that, I have a lot of places I’ve dubbed “no fly zones.”

Overcoming a bad experience is one way to allow growth happen and as I grow as a person, a friend, a daughter, a student, etc., I’m able to look back on those experiences and heal. One of the biggest mistakes I made last fall was getting too comfortable with thinking about a past place & situation and somehow convincing myself that I was okay enough to physically go back there. I went alone and ended up in a bad place for a couple weeks. It affected my mental health, my friendships, and my academics. I had spent months “growing” and that all seemed to be ruined by two days in a place that I didn’t know was still toxic for me. As I look back on this situation, I’m thinking of ways it could have been avoided or handled better. And with these revelations, I can only offer a suggestion to those who find themselves entertaining the idea of going back:

Don’t visit a toxic place alone. 

At least not the first time. Have something, a person or an object, that centers you. Bring a friend that you’ve made since leaving or a book that helped you get out of the headspace you were in when you were there. Have something or someone that will be a constant reminder of who you are now and the progress you’ve made to get to where you are. Looking back and going back is okay and maybe sometimes even necessary for your growth & healing processes. Going back to a once toxic place can either boost your growth or prevent it. Go back when you believe you are ready, and even then, bring reinforcements.

Coffee Spotlight: Irving Farm

Irving Farm

88 Orchard Street NY,NY 10002

4/5

Recommendation: Macchiato (traditional mind you, those tiny little cups of magic that are made up of a double shot and the smallest amount of steamed milk) and a raspberry doughnut.

I like to think that I know a thing or two about coffee. It was the first industry that I went into when I started working, and I never left until I moved into the city for culinary school. So, when I moved the first order of business was finding a local coffee shop that cranked out awesome drinks and would also hopefully serve as a good hangout spot and home away from my dorm. While Irving Farm on Orchard may not be a super chill spot to settle in with a book (though the downstairs seating can offer some respite from the crowds) they reliably serve up some of the best espresso I’ve had in the LES. Coming from a cafe that roasted in-house, I love that the shop uses all Irving Farm Roasters coffee, and what good coffee it is.
While I do almost always tends towards espresso as my daily drink, I brew Irving Farm coffee at home and can attest to the quality of their beans for a pour over or cup of drip. (Right now I’m brewing their organic Honduras Capucas, a washed coffee that has notes of pineapple, brown sugar, tobacco, dried cherry and vanilla.) Not only does Irving Farm have excellent espresso (I urge you to get a simple double shot, a macchiato or cortado), they also have some super tasty sweet treats as well as a breakfast and lunch menu. I’ve never had any of their hot food, but I am a total sucker for their raspberry jelly doughnuts, which go perfectly with a double shot and a glass of sparkling water. On a hot day, their iced americanos knock it out of the park but if you’re not feeling coffee they make some seriously delicious lemonade in house.
Not in the LES? Fret not, Irving Farm also has locations in Gramercy, the Upper West Side, and Grand Central.

Restaurant Review: YN

YN

227 Mott St, NY, NY, 10012

3.5/5

Recommendation: Make a beeline for the formaggi and salumi, they usually run a deal that gets you 5 choices for around $35. For the amount of delicious meat and cheese and toasty bread they serve up, it’s a total deal. Go ahead and order a glass of prosecco too, you know you want to.

YN was the first restaurant I stepped foot in after moving to the city and I fell madly in love at first sight (and bite). Part wine bar, part excellent Italian restaurant, this tiny, primarily bar-seating restaurant serves wines, small and large plates that pay homage to different Italian regions and traditions. The space is almost excessively quaint, with bottles and jars of Italian alimentary products sitting next to copper pans on the shelves that line the brick walls. But thanks to its quality products and charming staff, YN manages to dodge the bougie vibe that permeates a large part of Mott Street these days.
The first time I ate at YN, my brother and I were happy hour-hopping through Nolita and arrived at the restaurant around 5 p.m. The happy hour specials here are excellent; from 4-7 p.m. all crostini and cheeses are $5, and select glasses of wine from their carefully curated list are $7. After realizing that we were the only people and that it appeared as if there was just one girl working behind the bar, we decided to try a couple of the aforementioned crostini and were pleasantly surprised with both the product and the service. (It has continued to be my experience that there are never more than two folks working and they do it all: take orders, pour drinks, and prepare food behind the counter). After ordering three crostini: chevre, anchovies, and pecan, we ordered a couple of glasses of barolo and chatted with the waitress while she prepped our order. 

The crostini were amazing, served on thick slices of good bread that was toasted and drizzled generously with olive oil (and they’re happy to keep the bread coming) and not overpowering or fussy in their presentation or taste. Since that meal, I’ve been back for brunch and dinner, and have had nothing but good experiences. I will say that breakfast/brunch tends to be a little more “american” and heavy duty as well as perhaps not being as good of a deal, but it’s delicious all the same.

If you find yourself in Nolita (or really within 20 minutes of this place) I highly recommend stopping in, even if it’s just for a coffee or some bread and cheese. YN manages to at once be a neighborhood cafe and a reliable source for delicious small plates, all reasonably priced and housed in a space that will make you dream of Instagram fame.