Untangling a Bowl of Noodles

On Tuesday I went downtown to buy a guy some shoes, and failed. This is what happened after.

• I wandered around FiDi hoping to spot the shoeless dude, but no luck. Ended up in front of the Uyghur restaurant on Beaver Street, which I'd noticed last week.

• Caravan Uyghur Cuisine is worth a visit. Family run. Parents in the kitchen, daughter running the dining room. The menu is simple and delicious. The restaurant is stark and clean. And there's no music so the eavesdropping is A+. I had Goyru Lahgman - Hand-pulled noodles in a rich ragu - and some Uyghur Naan to sop up the sauce. It was a bit expensive at $20 but the whole experience did feel like walking through a door on Wall Street directly into Central Asia. I've been learning about the history of noodles and how they spread from the wheat fields of Northern China to the kitchens of Italy . Neat that this dish felt like an intermediary step between the two, from the lands west of the Jade Gate on the Silk Road.

• After lunch I jumped on the 4 and went up to Grand Central, killing time before going to see Dune 2 at the IMAX in Kip's Bay (Go see it. It's about the resurrection of magic.) As I crossed Park Avenue at 40th street, I ran into a fashion designer friend I haven't seen since November. We grabbed a coffee and caught up. Hard to describe how wonderful it is to see a friend on the streets of New York, especially outside your normal neighborhoods. It seems something impossible, but somehow it happens a few times a year. Like finding a dollar on the sidewalk, I take it as a sign I'm going the right way.

• I am globally and historically lucky to be able to take a Tuesday to wander in oldest New York, randomly meet a friend, and watch an amazing film. Most don't have this flexibility. Life is full of trade-offs. And I structure my life to be able to do this. Because no goal has ever seemed more important to me than knowing more about where I am.

• The thing is, We don't know what we don't know. And when we only give our attention to the 'most important' things, we rob ourselves of context, passion, and ultimately wisdom. Only working your priority list is like trying to untangle a bowl of noodles. It can be done, but... why? Chaos and uncertainty are value add. This world is so much more than we let ourselves see. And too often we keep our awareness narrow, for fear of falling off the path. BUT growth requires us to wander a little ways off the edge of the map. And when we do, it invariably creates new perspectives and opportunities. You need time to think and explore. You need to live on a bigger map. And that requires the occasional wander.

See you on the streets,

DF