6:56 p.m. I have a date with Hinge tonight! Ah! It’s a second date with this guy my friends and I call “GPT guy” because he works in AI. Before I head out, I grab a chewy chocolate and peanut butter protein bar (previously purchased at Trader Joe’s, $3.49 for a six-pack). I always prepare for the possibility of splitting the bill, so it’s best for me to eat beforehand so I’m “not so hungry.”
19:05 I meet the “GPT guy” at Ebisu, a sushi restaurant. The space is simple, small and cozy. We shared a sake flight and two specialty rolls: a Dexter Carter (salmon, avocado, shiso, tobiko, and shrimp with lemon slices) and a Family Affair (tuna, avocado, albacore tuna, yellow onion, tobiko, and chives topped with aioli). . ). The Dexter Carter roll really stands out: the thinly sliced lemon on top is refreshingly tart in contrast to the richness of the salmon, while the tobiko adds a delicious crunch. On the other hand, the Family Affair run is enjoyable and satisfying but more forgettable, sort of like our conversation. After finishing dinner, he suggests we have dessert, so he takes us to a nearby frozen yogurt shop, Easy Breezy. I get a mixture of cookies, cream and vanilla froyo with mochi topping. He pays for dinner ($64.32) while I pay for our froyos ($9.44).
Tuesday’s total: $9.44
Wednesday
9:57 a.m. I’m late! I eat a banana and grab a chocolate and peanut butter chewy protein bar from Trader Joe’s to eat in class.
12:43 p.m. Half the fun of feeding myself as a medical student is trying to get as much free food as possible. At school, we can often get free lunch by attending lunchtime talks, but today I’m heading to Retool, a tech startup in the city, with my friend, a software engineer who works there. Like many businesses in the area, Retool offers free meals to their employees every day and today is Build Your Own Poke, an office favorite, so much so that yellowfin tuna will be available when we get there! Instead, I opt for a poke bowl with pineapple teriyaki tofu, sweet potatoes, edamame, mixed greens, and roasted gailan.
After lunch, I sit at one of the office’s open desks and catch up on recorded lectures while enjoying some of the office’s eclectic snacks, including an Olive Garden Andes mint chocolate, a Rip Van waffle, and a canned green tea. I also grab a pre-made wrap and a bag of chips to eat later. It’s nice to be a beneficiary of high tech salaries from time to time.
