I want a lot of things. And I never seem to stop wanting.
The Internet doesn’t help. Have you ever set up a wish list? Mine is never-ending. I’ve got dinnerware sets, cookbooks, kitchen appliances, Apple products, gourmet foods, headbands, cute Asian trinkets, and Cabbage Patch Dolls (don’t ask) in my wish list.
The CSNstores.com Promotions team contacted me recently about working with them again. They generously offered a $80 gift code to any of their sites, and I spent the next several hours drooling over their cookware site, just…wanting.
I want an immersion blender for fuss-free kabocha soup, a mini-refrigerator to store my assortment of cheeses and kimchi, a big-ass pot to cook my oatmeal, a Dutch oven to make beef bourguignon, a cast-iron skillet for Southern cornbread, an espresso machine for green tea lattes…and ooh! Did you know there’s actually 60+ different items just for serving your breakfast eggs? I so need this cute Mr Chin Egg Cup:
It even has an Asian name! That’s gotta be a sign, right? And while I’m at it, maybe it’s time to get a rooster fetish…
What? I’ve heard that it’s so French.
Now, here’s the thing about material wants—they never stop. For example, just a couple days ago, I finally got what I’ve “always wanted”. A big-ass camera. More specifically a DSLR. And even more specifically, a Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera: 
Ooooh. Just saying it out loud (okay, copying and pasting from Amazon.com) makes me feel so tech-savvy. Holding the fancy gadget in my hands, caressing it tenderly, I was cooing with delight. 
(P.S. I’m not showing my mouth because they’re stretched out hideously into a Cheshire grin)
I’ve been wanting an SLR for a very, very long time. Every time I saw someone with a SLR slung around their neck, I would stare longingly at the bulky, ostentatious object, and then frown down grumpily at my own little point-and-shoot. But now, I finally got one of my own, using the money I won at my school’s 2010 Webfest.
Oh, the euphoria. The wonderful, glorious feeling of finally getting what I’ve been wanting since forever!…It all lasted for about 2 days…before I started…wanting again. Strange thing about material gains, isn’t it? The satisfaction you get from it is so short. It’s like drinking salt water. You take a long sip, but then you get thirstier. No matter how much you have, you still get reminded of all the other things you don’t have. There will always be something bigger, better, and shinier out there.
Not that there is anything wrong with wanting material things. It’s human nature after all, and I think it’s actually healthy, so long as it’s not excessive. I just need to find a balance. I’ve categorized my wants into three groups:
Now, to which group does my new shiny camera fall? Hm, I was convinced it was #1, but then, a conversation with my junior pastor Joanne told me otherwise.
“You’re getting a new camera?” She exclaimed. “Do you even need it?”
I looked at her in surprise. “Of course! My camera right now is crap!”
“But I like your pictures,” Joanne said.
“Ah, but you haven’t seen pictures taken with a DSLR. They’re nicer. Crisper. Cleaner. They’re just…better…” my words trailed off and I started feeling rather ashamed as I realized how greedy I sounded. Dang, I realized. I want a lot of things.
It was the same thing yesterday during lunch at one of my local favorite dive, Amphora Diner. I met up with a new friend and blog reader, Yoshika, who asked to meet me after finding out that we lived so close to each other. 
Amphora is a 24-hour diner which is constantly packed full, no matter what time it is. It attracts all types of groups—the elderly retired folks, the harried mothers and their kids, the rowdy high school students. 
I like their interior design. It’s old-fashioned, and they even have a counter for solo customers: 
Like all diners, their lighting is really crappy though. Thankfully I had my new fancy camera, which performs pretty well even in low lighting. 
It’s food isn’t superb, but it’s consistently good, and they’ve got a HUGE menu. Yoshika and I were both flipping through our menus in despair, wondering what to order, because we just wanted them all. Sigh. Always wanting.
I finally settled on the Chicken Mango Wrap: 
Chicken Wrap with Red Cabbage, Mango, Scallions, Red Onion, Lime, Cilantro, and Honey Yogurt Sauce. Side of fresh fruit. 
I was glad that the chicken was well-cooked, but I wish it was seasoned instead of being served plain. The ingredients were fresh and bright, but I also wanted there to be more honey yogurt sauce. Overall, I was really pleased with my meal.
Yoshika ordered the Vegetarian Moussaka: 
Layers of fresh eggplant, potato slices, red bell peppers, baked in tomato raisin sauce. Side of grilled vegetables. 
This was awesome! The vegetables were roasted until it was so tender, soaking up all the sweet-tangy tomato raisin sauce. It tasted a lot like lasagna, just without the pasta noodles. Hm, I should have asked them to grill my chicken wrap, because honestly, food just tastes better hot. Ack. Once again, always wanting more.
Yoshika’s dish also came with a side of celery and tzatziki sauce: 
We had a really great time together. Yoshika is half-Japanese, half-Taiwanese, and she comes from a family of foodies. So obviously, 70% of our conversation was about food. And since we’re both Asian, we talked Asian food: red bean paste, green tea cakes, okonomiyaki, kewpie mayonnaise…urgh! I must stop now.
I liked Yoshika a lot. We had a lot of things in common, and our conversation never lagged. In regards to our lovely time together, I didn’t want anything more. Our time together was perfect. 
Sadly, our picture together wasn’t. We asked the manager to take a picture for us, and apparently he’s never used a digital camera before because he doesn’t know how to focus. Grrr. I should have handed him the point-and-shoot camera instead.
Okay, guess what?! Me and my new baby (the Nikon D5000, I mean) will be headed to New York City tomorrow!!! I’ll be there from Monday till Wednesday, and I’ll be staying at a dear friend’s place in Brooklyn. I cannot wait! 
See ya in the Big Apple!!
Question of the Day: What is one thing you want but not necessarily need?
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YAY!! So glad you got such a nice camera!! You definitely deserve it!!
To answer your question, I registered for all kinds of baby stuff that we don’t NEED, but I really WANT it for my little boy!
I want a DSLR!! I don’t NEED one — I have a perfectly fine camera — but lately I’m just feeling bothered by the picture quality in comparison to what I’d get with a DSLR. But … it’s, um, a lot of money.
And as for the Wii… we’ve had one for over year and not even used it once, due to lack of an appropriate monitor. :p
<3 <3
What do I want but do not necessarily need? Gurrl, this comment box isn’t big enough to hold it all! You are so very right that once we satisfy a want, we simply make room for another. It’s a never-ending cycle that is difficult to break. What has broken it for me are personal financial circumstances: because money is so tight right now, I have learned the difference between what I need and what I want. I suffer from sharp bouts of envy but the good news is that I’m learning to be okay with it. I’ve realized how my constant ‘want’ for something new led me to waste what I already had – whether it is a perfectly good point-and-shoot camera or some ingredient in my pantry that languishes after just one use, abandoned in favor on some new exotic food that I really, really wanted to try! Now, I try to use up what I have – once it’s gone, I have the perfect justification for getting something else.
I congratulate you on your gorgeous new camera – it came from a good fortune and you should enjoy it, not worrying about whether you needed it.
A new job? I feel like I need it, though mine is just fine. . .
hahah i want so much too! it’s so hard for me to step back and stop wanting everything. yay for the new camera
Ahh! The D5000! That’s what I have! The analogy of drinking salt water is PERFECT. It’s funny how you long for something for ages and then when you have it the satisfaction lasts such a short while.
Have fun in NYC!
I always wanted a dSLR too and was so happy when I got home! Most of my wants are clothing & handbag related, I must admit. With my recent budget challenge, I’ve realized I am just as happy when not spending lots of dough on fashion, though.
Nice camera!! I reaaaaally want a new laptop cause mine is extremely crappy and takes forever to load things but I don’t really need one cause I already have one, haha.
Congratulations on the camera AND the trip to NYC, how lucky are you?
I am totally coveting one of the new handbags my mother-in-law bought herself. I certainly don’t need another one and I would never buy it for myself but I just LOVE it. I’m thinking she’ll eventually give it to me.
ooh, that looks sexy!
have fun in nyc with the camera!
YAY! You just look so right with that camera in your hands.
And OMG I’m so excited you’re going to NYC! My favorite place. Can’t wait to see your pictures from the greatest city everrr. Yes, I’m biased.
Your new camera is kickass! I may be a crappy photographer, but my eye is much better than my hands. I’m SO glad you got it.
Hehe, you know I want a million things. Right now, I’m STILL pissed that my dish washer destroyed my mandolin. I want this one to replace it: http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-International-HGT-11-Folding-Mandoline/dp/B001F5RSEK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1280715728&sr=8-3.
I also want to get an internship with Disney Studios next summer. And I want to deadlift twice my bodyweight. OH! And storm into Anthropologie and buy EVERYTHING I want. Then I want Heath Ledger to come back to life so the next Batman movie can have the Joker…jeez, seeing Inception made me miss Ledger like nothing else.
Oh, and I want to see you, cook up awesome dishes, visit kickass restaurants, catch up on our summer adventures, and find a way to get to Trader Joe’s
. But mostly see you!
Oh my goodness congrats on getting that camera! Of course I’m SO jealous!
I seem to have a perpetual “wish list” these days and Amazon.com makes it so easy to be greedy, LOL. I love moussaka <3
I want about a bajillion things, but don't really NEED any of them. My father used to say to me, "Do you WANT it or do you NEED it?" Sigh, you know how that that usually ended, lol. Turns out, I need very little. Who would have thunk it? hehehehe
Jenn
your blog is kind of like a job as you work at it and earn stuff from blogging well, so can you consider your camera a business expense???
i want a mini fridge for college, but i’m sure you could make the argument i dont really NEED it, and you could make the same argument for the 3 jars of barney butter i just ordered. but, i am wondering what fridge you are considering or what fridge you have (didn’t you cook in the dorm last yr?) bc i “neeeed” one!
enjoy NYC! im coming to DC in a few wks and will do everything in my power to get my aunt to take me to lighthouse tofu after seeing your and maya’s reviews!!! wheeeee
I want a Bose ipod dock. I don’t need one and I certainly don’t need a Bose one but I want it.
How freaking cool! And I love your headband! I want an Anthropologie shopping spree, but I don’t seem that happening any time soon…
Hmmmm…probably a new ipod touch. I really want it because my old ipod nano is dead, but I guess I don’t NEED it.
i want a DSLR TOO! but i dont neeeeed it. i get sick of my cameras soo quickly. like less than a year after having them i’m like ugh, my camera sucks. ok it doesn’t and i don’t need to be frivolous. soo funny you were talking about that, bc i looked down at my dirty laundry and thought “man, i really NEED more bras.” like i honestly don’t have enough hahah. and you need underwear!
btw, thank you for the sweet comment on my blog! 
I’m glad you got the camera
hm…I would like to get wii fit, ’cause I have wii and I would so like it to use for some cool exercising
Congratulations on your fabulous new baby (ahem, camera)! You so deserve it, and I can already start to see the difference in the photos. (Your photos have always been great– much better than mine. I’m still trying to figure out the macro setting on my point-and-shoot!)
My Want List is so long… everything from new landscape to a bowl of homemade ice cream. Pretty diverse, eh?! I can even say that the dutch oven is on my list too. You might check out HomeGoods. Sometimes I find the same things I see at Sur La Table, but at such a better price!
Have a great time in NYC– and have fun with that new camera!
Hugs,
Jill
I don’t know much about cameras, but that one sure takes amazing pics! Also just wanted to say thanks for the lovely comment you left on my blog recently…you are such a sweetie
Sarah x
I love my DSLR. It is a magician. I am so looking forward to seeing the great photos you will be taking with your new camera. New York is a great photo op. I want a new, big south facing window built into my house so I can photograph my food better. Ha Ha LOL. Like that’s really gonna happen…
Can you have a talk with Gigi about “want” vs. “need?” She’s going through a case of the “gimmes.” Tonight she called me in her room to ask to purchase a foot pillow. Seriously?!
I’m so excited for you! I would love to own an SLR one day. I’m seriously crazy about it. One day I’ll get the money!
I want a ton of things that I don’t need. A bigger apartment, a DSLR!!!, a MAC laptop…I could go on forever!
omg youre going to nyc tomorrow, just like that?! wow, the life of a single childless woman! enjoy my dear as i know you will!
love the meetup and the discovery that you’re both so close!
diners like that are great; the chicken was bland b/c they serve food to the elderly who probably would freak out. sounds awful but i used to work in restaurants.
your camera…CONGRATS!!!!!!!
Congrats on yr new camera. You will realize that you will need it and depend on it more. Have a great time in NY! I want to see the Niagara Falls again.
i was JUST thinking about wants vs needs. my husband wants to upgrade our apartment, but i hesitate because i don’t want to let go of other luxuries (shopping, restaurants, etc). the truth is — we could probably live with a lot less on both ends! hmm.
Congrats on the new camera! To be quite honest, I thought you already had a really nice digital camera… your pictures are always so beautiful!
The one thing that I want but don’t need right now is an iPhone. My current phone is really crappy, but it works fine. The back button is all messed up, but I can work around it. Basically, I want to be able to blog from my phone and do my e-mails on the go.
*sigh* … I keep trying to convince myself that I need it, but I know I don’t.
<3 Tat
Congrats with such a profesisonal and great camera, you won’t believe how excited I am for you! YEAH!!! Have so much fun with it and have a wonderful time in NY!
xxx Julia (Taste of Living)
Now I want a Mr Chin Egg Cup too, lol! Congrats on the camera, that’s so exciting! Hope you have a wonderful time in NYC!
Ahhh I’m SO jealous of the new camera! I would absolutely kill for one. (Okay, maybe not kill. But you know what I mean.)
It’s definitely true about wants, however. There’s always something new you could find to pine after. But there’s no harm in treating yourself every once in a while either!
Can’t wait to see you in NYC! Tomorrow!
Yay for a new camera!!!
My “want” list is way too long right now. At the top of it is an ice cream maker!
I’ve had to consider and weight a lot of wants and needs over the past 7 years of being a student with a low to no income. Thank goodness I had parents who are tightwads and taught me to manage my money wisely!
I’ve actually never wanted a SLR camera…too complicated for me. I love photos taken by others, though. I’d like a new point and shoot eventually…I’ve been using my mom’s old one circa 2005. It is a piece of crap!!!
Hope you have a great time in NY!
A D5000 is what I just got! I have no clue how to use it.
Everybody always wants something–I think it’s just human nature.
I would really like a camera like yours
I’m arriving in New York on Wednesday! You aren’t sticking around for the BlogHer conference? Boo
Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish between what we “need” and what we “want”. We just have to be honest with ourselves and step away from our personal biases to figure it out (easier said than done!). Your new camera sure is pretty!
Um, first of all, I want that wrap you had! It looks delish.
I have a huge problem with always wanting things too: shelves full of books, everything at target, dinners all over town, new shoes, “relaxing” clothes that aren’t college t-shirts, etc. So, I’m definitely right there with you!
Thanks for popping by my blog and for your comment.
Thanks again for our lovely lunch! Glad it could be your first excuse to take pictures on your new camera:) Now I WANT a fancy camera like yours…and that Mr. Chin Egg Cup !!
So true! We will always want more so it is important to prioritize and keep our feet planted firmly on the ground, remembering that we already have what we need (usually) and the rest doesn’t really matter in the large scheme of things. But it also doesn’t hurt to get the things we want, either! Love your new camera. I have a point-and-shoot I bought for less than $100 but and I hope to some day have a nice one like yours. But I don’t necessarily need it. But I want it!
I’d love to have a fancy shmancy camera too! My regular Kodak digital camera is nice enough though.
I think if we just start appreciating what we have already and not mope about what we don’t have, we’ll have happier lives.
But I’d be happier if I had a four wheeler………. Haha!
<3 Tori
Ive always admired your photography skills so Im sure you`ll be putting your new camera to good use
My camera is absolutely ancient looking now compared to everything else thats out!
Have fun in New York, now thats something Id love right now, a trip there!
xox
Laura
Ah yes, wants and needs. I really have no more needs, so my want now is an iPad, and my hubby is heading stateside soon so it has come up in conversation. But I certainly do not need this. But I think you need an immersion blender because they really do rock. Plus, the camera is a need, not a want…trust me, it’s a need!
I completely understand you! And I find it great that you can tell which things you want and which things you literally need because I have only the second group and I have a great talent in making myself believe that even the most absurd things belong there. Especially when it comes to cosmetics and make up I am the winner in finding the most ridiculous reasons why I actually need another lipstick or eye shadows although I already have too many of them at home and some of them and I can’t even use them all. That is quite a problem because I work in a cosmetic boutique.
I’m jealous of your new camera because that is something that I’ve had in my wish list for a long time. Hopefully coming soon
Ohhhh my. Nice camera! I think my friend has one very similar to that.. or not. I just know that it’s big and it’s a Nikon.
I want a lot of things that I don’t necessarily need. Like a new car. Makeup. Books. WAIT! I need books. Everyone needs books. They’re like oxygen and I know that without them I would probably die.
Welcome to NYC and congrats on the new camera!!! Don’t be surprised if it goes missing around lunchtime tomorrow.
Suffice it to say I would love a DSLR. And pretty much a whole new wardrobe. Turns out that in the battle for my money, however, food always wins! Imagine that.
Nice camera…look forward to more pictures
Oh lala nice camera! Sophia you are so funny lol. I was laughing a lot in this post
Hm.. just one thing?
Oh gosh. Okay… I reallly reallly reallllly want a projector. Not an old one, but one I can hook up to my computer. I don’t have a television, and frankly I think their ugly. Which is why I don’t have one, plus I don’t have time to watch tv (how often do you hear that?) when I’m at school. But I would make time to watch movies if I had a projector 
And I would look at everyone’s blogs projected on to my wall. Actually, I like to checkout the projectors from my sculpture dept’s inventory. One time I remember throwing a bunch of pillows and a comforter on the ground and projecting movies on to the ceiling, and I stayed up the whole night watching them like that 
Just looking up.
XOXO have a safe flight and a wonderful time in New York!!!
p.s. you are such a stylish lady
It is odd, I have never wanted a big fanc camera, I have however wanted a coffee machine (when I drank coffee like a fiend), I also want a Vita-Mix, a spiralizer, and many many many other things. I think wanting things is healthy as long as you just accept them as wants and understand they are not vital to you life, unlike food and water and hygiene.
That food looks delicious and I agree chicken does need to be seasoned right otherwise it does not have a lot of flavour by itself, I have a quite funny story about vegetarian mousaka in which my current boyfriend learned just how picky a vegetarian I am unlike him and the only vegetables I ate from the Mousaka were the potatoes and the courgette leaving over half of the mousaka untouched. But it was delicious.
Lucky you in going to New York, enjoy it, it is the best place on Earth. Also the Whole Foods at Columbus Circle does some really delicious Indian food in their hot bar.
I want a dutch oven, an ice cream maker, and a stand mixer. And the egg cup is so cute!
Re: your comment…I like drinking green tea much, much more than black myself. I drink a LOT of sencha.
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