Having grown up in New York, I have been a New York Knicks fan since (my generation’s version of) the Knicks’s glory days in the 1990s. I cried when they lost the 1999 NBA Finals. Meeting Allan Houston was one of the high points of my life. And, I remained true to my boys in blue & orange despite their flat-out dismal performance for the past decade.

Being an Asian American myself, I couldn’t help but be intrigued when the Knicks picked up Jeremy Lin in late December. I had heard good things about the Harvard grad, but remained skeptical.

I guess I have been a victim of the Knickerbocker heartache for far too long, because I continued to stay doubtful when Lin made his debut as a starter last weekend and scored 23 points against the Nets. “It’s only the Nets,” I thought to myself.

But it wasn’t just a fluke. Because Lin then went on to score 28 points against the Utah Jazz, and then, last night, he led the Knicks past the Los Angeles Lakers with an astonishing 38 points.

I have officially hopped on the LINsanity bandwagon.

It also doesn’t hurt that he is smart, humble, and a dedicated Christian.

Just in case you missed it (or want to watch it over and over again like me), here are the highlights from last night’s Knicks vs. Lakers game:

And, because the nerdy handshake between Jeremy Lin and teammate Landry Fields (who is a Stanford grad) is too cute:

Aside from the fact that he is amazingly good at the game, there is also the sense of Asian pride that can’t be missed among my Asian-American friends. Even those whom I believed to be die-hard Lakers fans were rooting for Lin last night, and the world of social media just can’t seem to get enough of him.

You also can’t ignore the fact that Lin is the biggest sports topic in a city that just won the friggin’ Super Bowl.

Is anyone else currently going LINsane?

All three of the Knicks jerseys I own are of players who no longer play for the team. I can’t wait to pick up a new #17 jersey…but from what I hear, Jeremy Lin jerseys have been understocked and sold out everywhere.

P.S. — J and I can’t decide which of the following is a better nickname for Lin: “The Flying Dumpling,” or “LINja.” Admittedly, they are a bit racist, but you can’t deny that they’re clever.

In my pre-baby days, when I worked full-time as a marketing coordinator, my office was just one block from the famed Macy’s in Herald Square. Sure, I hated the extra tourist traffic and the madness that ensued every holiday season, but I sure loved peeking at its beautiful window displays with each passing month.

I also remember hopping on the subway on my lunch break during the holiday season in order to take a short stroll down midtown Fifth Avenue — where all the luxury stores reside — so that I can check out their fantastic window displays while munching on a bag of roasted chestnuts.

(In an alternate life I would have liked to be a store window display decorator. In a city like New York where there exist occupations for practically anything you can imagine, I know that such jobs are out there but are few and far between, and are only available to the best of the elite. I’m pretty certain that my creativity would be far outstripped by the masters of the field, but hey, I can dream, right? )

Every year the stores seem to outdo themselves, and this year was no exception. Just take a look at  Bergdorf Goodman’s wild windows, or Saks Fifth Avenue’s 3D video projection!

But my favorite this year is Tiffany & Co’s carousel-themed creation, prominently on display at their flagship Fifth Avenue store…

According to My Modern Met:

Using nearby Central Park as its reference, Tiffany has managed to make a miniature wonderland anchored around a carousel theme. Tiffany’s did a great job drawing you in by featuring a three-dimensional representation of the carousel built out over the sidewalk. The carousel animals, including zebras, lions and giraffes, take off in the Christmas Eve sky to deliver holiday gems to girls and boys. Filled with exquisite jewels, this year’s magnificent windows are unlike any other we’ve seen.

What’s more, the theme is designed to tie in with Tiffany’s new children’s book which tells the tale of a boy and his grandfather, who discover a secret carousel in Central Park. (You can read/listen to the story here.)

Take a look at these pictures, which beautifully capture the miniature scenes that incorporate dazzling pieces from the famed jeweler:

I am not much of a jewelry person, so I can say without hesitation that I much prefer these jems as part of this display rather than on a hand, neck, or ears. What can I say? This display is simply magical.

The BebeDeux Baby Pool is now closed. Congratulations to Kristin, who guessed 11/1/11, 9:00am, 6lb 3oz, 19.5″!

Tick, tock, tick, tock, the time is near! With just a few days left until my due date, I thought it would be fun to create a baby pool.

The best part? The winner — or the person whose guesses come closest to the actual date, time, weight, and length — will win a $60 gift certificate to Artisanal Premium Cheese! (Certificate expires 11/29/2011.) They are located in Manhattan, but offer overnight delivery within the United States. And you can read some great reviews about their cheeses and services via my friend Serena’s blog at Big Apple Nosh.

Entering the baby pool is easy: simply fill out the Google Docs form below!

[This poll is now closed.]

Some facts that may help out with your guesses:

• BebeDeux’s due date is 11/3/2011
• Claire was born 4 days before her due date, on 9/30/2010 at 9:35pm, weighing 6lbs 7oz, and measuring 19″ long.
• My OB guesses that I will have “another 6-pounder” (but then again, doctors have been known to be off by as much as 2lbs!)
• I have no idea how much I am currently dilated or effaced.

Good luck, and may the best guesser win!

This is the scene outside our window right now:

They say that we should be expecting up to 5 inches of snow tonight.

With just a few days to go until my due date, I am a tad bit worried, to say the least.

I know five women whose due dates were within a week of mine — three of whose due dates were after mine — and they have all given birth already.

I have also been getting a bunch of broken nails in the past couple of days. And I distinctively remember my nails becoming more brittle and fragile the week before giving birth to Claire last year. (Was this a sign of impending labor for any other ladies?)

There’s also the fact that practically all the major events in my life are accompanied by bad weather. (There were severe thunderstorms the day Claire was born too.) And looking at the 5-day forecast, I do not see any additional rain or snow headed our way.

I have also been craving spicy food like crazy…

Will BebeDeux be an October baby or a November baby? Anyone care to guess?

A few weeks ago I looked into procuring a larger safe deposit box to store our valuables and important documents, and I had a heckuva time finding one!

All the bank branches within a 15-mile radius had waiting lists at least a year long. And the CitiBank in Chinatown where we had been guaranteed a free safe deposit box when we first opened our account just prior to getting married? The waiting list was a staggering 3 YEARS. 

I could only think of two possible reasons for the sudden decrease in safe deposit availabilities:

1. People are starting to become smarter about their valuables; or
2. With the unstable economy, people are less inclined to invest their money in intangibles such as stocks and more in material assets such as gold.

It came to me as no surprise then, to read that some banks are now starting to charge for deposits.

(image source)

Additionally, word around the Asian community is that many are renting safe deposit boxes to store cold, hard cash! While many banks have policies against storing cash in safe deposit boxes — not to mention the lack of any savings rate accural — keeping your Benjamins in safe deposit boxes ensures that your money stays under the radar of Uncle Sam’s watchful eyes.

Now, the 3-year-long waiting list for a safe deposit box in Chinatown is starting to make sense!

Has anyone else noticed the lack of available safe deposits as of late? Would you ever keep cash in a safe deposit box?