Memorial Days are notorious for weddings, and this year was no exception. We awoke Saturday at 5am to beat the holiday traffic down to NYC for a friend’s wedding at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens just minutes away from my childhood home. My parents were out of town, so we had to get the keys from my aunt before settling in. The Persian wedding was elegant and well-organized, but was detracted slightly by the harsh afternoon sun beating down our necks. Overwhelmed by fatigue after the lunch reception, I could barely keep my eyes open even after the DJ started spinning the dance mix. We left early and enjoyed a nice afternoon nap before dinner at WD-50. Arriving late for our reservation, we were seated at a bar by the window, which actually gave us some natural light for a better view of the food. We opted for a 5-course prix fixe menu “from the vault,” which features chef Wylie Dufresne’s greatest hits, including his scrambled egg raviolis, pickled beef tongue with fried mayo, and lamb loin with black garlic romesco, although we were sad to miss the pho gras offered in the pricier 10-course tasting menu. After collapsing at home, we awoke early again on Sunday to drive up to the Lake George area for my classmate’s wedding at the Sagamore Resort. We got there late, and had to change in the car, but just in time to join the groom ride his white horse to the mandap by the water. We held out under the bright sun again for the ceremony, then took a nap back at our motel. The lavish evening reception was complete with professional dancers and an ice sculpture reminiscent of an E! celebrity wedding. As always, Indian people know how to party, and the excellent DJ provided an excellent mix for us to dance the night away.

What better way to celebrate our 5-year anniversary than with the two things we enjoy the most – food and video games? We began the celebration with an afternoon matinee showing of the Hunger Games, which Melody made sure I had finished reading during our India trip. The movie was well-made, but did little to convey all the hidden thoughts and emotions that made the book so captivating. After the show, we were left starving and ready for chef Ken Oringer’s tasting menu at Clio, which featured among other hits a mesmerizing cassolette of sea urchin and lobster. We noted to the waiter that one of the soups was a bit on the salty side, and they comped us a foie gras laquee which was another highlight. It has been a long time since our last movie-and-dinner date, and it made for an awesome Saturday night out. Even more importantly, we finally managed to complete our adventures in Skyrim this weekend. After more than 220 hours of game play, surpassing even our old record of 200 hours playing the last game in the Elder Scroll series, we managed to defeat Alduin and his army of crazy dragons, and help the empire quell the Stormcloak rebellion. Once again, Bethesda managed to produce an immersive fantasy role-playing experience that is unmatched by any other games in the genre, with memorable story lines, exciting dragon battles, and breathtaking landscapes that had us taking screenshots like Asian tourists. We were glad that we managed to complete the game before moving, and already have our next few games lined up for the summer. Next week, we will be joining Nathan Drake, this time through the Arabian Desert in Uncharted 3.

Just one week after my India trip, I was back on the road again – this time returning to sunny Fort Lauderdale for ARVO 2012. After arriving Saturday, I hussled over to the Ritz-Carlton on foot to attend the “Reality Retina” conference, which being pharma-sponsored, featured delicious hors d’oeuvres and open bar by the beach under the bright perigee moonlight. The next morning, my roommate and I lounged by our hotel’s private beach for some leisure reading before enjoying some crsipy portobello flatbreads and eclectic dessert miniatures for lunch. As expected, Craig Venter’s keynote speech prominently featured himself and his various momentus projects, although it was funny watching him gross out the audience by revealing the amount of rodent DNA in NYC air. In the evening, we hung out at the MEEI reception at the Hilton until the wee hours of the night, which combined with my hacking cough, made for a late start the next day. Aside from presenting my poster, I even managed to catch up with the UC Davis folks (where my wife will be going) at a Thai buffet, and with my research supervisor over delicious Cuban fare. On Tuesday, I took an early morning flight to Durham to spend the day there checking out potential housing options and catching up with the current Duke retina fellows over burgers at Bull City. It wasn’t until the next day, however, that I finally decided on the Clairmont at Hillandale to be my hood for the next 2 years. Sadly, their 1-bedroom options were not available until September, so I will have to stay in a 2-bedroom apartment for the first 3 months. Sick and exhausted, I returned home, thankful that I had a few remaining days off to catch up on errands before returning to work next week.