The Comfy Corner

I recently have been spending a great deal of time in Tribeca. For those of you who aren't familiar, it is a small neighborhood in NYC. It stands for "Triangle Below Canal" and it is literally a little triangular neighborhood just below Canal street where the rich, artist folks live. A paradox, right? Rich and artist? I honestly have no idea where any of their money comes from, but the residents of Tribeca (including Beyonce, okay? Excuse me.) are some of the most fascinating people I've ever met. Just imagine every character in the TV Show, "Girls." Here are a few of my favorite overheards:

1) "If I told you that I was actually a huge celebrity in Sweden could I get a discount?" - Rich girl whose daddy probably cut her off

2) "What if I told you I was pregnant? Do you have a pregnant discount?" - Same rich girl
"I hope you're not pregnant, because you've had 5 mimosas." - Me

3) "I haven't been in anything for a long enough time now that someone actually stopped me on the street and asked me to take a picture of THEM!" - Renee Zellweger

4) Said nonchalantly "Oh yeah, I almost forgot, your grandpa gave you five hundred dollars for your birthday." Pulls out a white envelope of cash. "Do you want it now or should I hold on to it?"

The son, equally non-chalantly, "Yeah, just hold onto it."

5) "We can drop by the candy shoppe right after the Balloon Saloon, honey." - A mom

6) "No, absolutely not, you cannot get the berries. You can have a cone of ice cream but no berries." -Questionable Tribeca Parenting?

7) "I have so many tiny hats, it's ridiculous." -Asian woman

What makes your life beautiful? It is a question that comes back to me in my toughest moments. And I think it is an important question for everyone to ask themselves every now and again. Because even though we are surrounded by beauty, it is one of those things that we get used to and take for granted. And we can't take beauty for granted, cause beauty will be PISSED! So here's a list of my personal favorite beautiful things:

1) Family and Friends - Top of the list, duh. Even though I often forget to return their calls and only call my dad when I'm really sick or need money and on Father's Day (don't forget!!!), I love my family!  And I have the best friends in the world, no arguments please.

2) Morning Coffee and Morning Talk Shows - I am a firm believer in starting your day off relaxed and stress free. It's why I always try to get to work early and have coffee. Because whatever you start your day with, you are gonna carry with you throughout your whole day. And I love Rachel Ray, I don't care what y'all think, haters gonna hate.

3) So You Think You Can Dance - The best reality show on TV, surpassing The Biggest Loser by just a tiny bit.

4) Underwear - Happiness should be built from the inside out and I am happier in really fun underwear. I just am. I know they are fun, nobody else needs to know, it's my little secret. Nathan's Secret. OOH! Trademark.

5) The Beach - For the second week in a row, my beach plans have been ruined by the rain. I'm FURIOUS! Because I LOVE the beach. I grew up in the mountains and the beach is such a foreign, exotic thing to me. I could stare at the ocean for literally hours and I have. The beach at night? Excuse me. Magical.

6) New York City - NYC and I have grand plans for this summer. It's the #summerofchang and I am gonna milk this city for everything it has. Free movies, rooftop excursions, every park, every exhibit, restaurants, bars, clubs, I'm there.

7) Trader Joe's - Not the process of shopping there because that makes my life anything but beautiful. In fact, it is probably one of my greatest sources of stress. But once those groceries are in my apartment, all is at peace in the world.

8) Babies and Marriage - I lump these two things together because they give me similar warm feelings in my uterus-stomach. I love everything about them, babies in the subway, babies at the restaurant, babies in the park, marriage anywhere, Say Yes to the Dress, David Tuterra's My Fair Wedding. It gives me life.

9) My Roomate - She gives me tough love. She tells me what I need to hear even when I don't wanna hear it. And it helps a lot. And she is also just an incredible, incredible friend. And FUNNY! Cast her! www.vanessmoyen.com

10) My Sodastream - I LOVE soda water. I drink like fifteen glasses a day. Once Sodastream entered my life, everything changed for the better and for good.

So take a moment, think about the beautiful things in your life and your comfy corner will be just a little comfier. Guaranteed. Stay comfy y'all!

In life, we can expect only the unexpected. It's depressing. It's exciting. And it's why I am so fond of the theatre. Theatre embraces the unexpected. You never know when a prop will be forgotten, a mic won't work, or an audience member will fall through a window and land on the marquis of the theatre. Every time that first word is spoken or that first downbeat of the overture is given, the dice has been rolled. And I find that as soon as that first applause moment or burst of laughter hits, actors like to get all Judge Judy on the audience. "Ugh, what a terrible crowd." "They don't know what funny is." "If they'd stop texting, maybe they could enjoy a little ART!" "This is a SOCIETY, there are RULES!" I'll be honest, these words are no stranger to my vocal folds. I love a good audience hate-fest just like any other thespian, sure - BUT, I have recently decided that from now on, when I walk onto a stage or into an audition room, it isn't gonna be about them - it's gonna be about me.

If someone says, "Wow they LOVED you tonight!" I'll respond with a casual agressiveness, "Yeah? Well, I wasn't doin' it for them, was I? I was doin' it for me!" Because life is too short to constantly and obsessively stress over whether or not other people like you. It is hard enough in this life to convince yourself to like yourself. Am I right? Can I get an amen? And I have found in the past that I will bend over backwards to make myself into exactly what other people want or need me to be. And I'm done with all that, ya see?! It's exhausting. So from now on, I'm doin' it for me. Selfish? Perhaps. But is not our primary goal in life to seek some form of happiness? And I find absolutely no joy in trying to decipher what other people think of me. Despite a few striking personality similarities, I am no Long Island medium. Hey nah-nah, what's my name? I'm Nathan Chang. And I'm bein' me. And I hope and pray that myself will be enough. That's all I can do.

Miley was just bein' Miley. Outkast was just bein' honest. And I'm just bein' me. And I'm starting today. Because why wait for the perfect moment to start something amazing, huh? I'd rather live moment to moment instead of sitting around waiting for the perfect moment. Especially since the unexpected is all we can hope to expect. Stay comfy y'all!