November 22, 2010
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Check Please!
Hello_Bianca and a couple of her friends were in town this past weekend, so we decided to have Korean BBQ for lunch.
Mmmm, pork belly… (“borrowing” your pic, Bianca!)I had a really pleasant time with all of them, so when it came close to the end of the meal I told everyone I was going to the restroom. However, what I actually did was sneak over to the front to pay for the entire check (effective tactic!). I returned to the table and pretended nothing happened. After a while though I kinda had to explain to them what I did since they were wondering why the check hasn’t arrive at our table.
Later, I started thinking about why I decided to do this. I hadn’t plan on paying for everyone until we were well into the meal. When I thought about it, I realized it had something to do with what someone did for my friends and me when we visited LA not too long ago. He ended up picking up the check, even though it was the first time he had met a lot of us. He went on to explain that it was fine and that this was his way of saying “welcome to LA”. (in case you’re curious, the guy I’m referring to is junbelievable08. Good guy!)
Well, it seems like his kind gesture really made an impression on me. From now on, I’m going to take care of the bill more often when I’m eating out with a group of friends I trust and when I eat with cool people from out of town. I won’t do it all the time of course, but at the very least this will cut out some of the hassle that normally happens at the end when everyone is figuring out how much each person should put in, how much change they should get, tips, etc. Who knows, perhaps those that I’ll treat will end up paying it forward too.
Welcome to Northern VA =)…in other news, I am becoming a thief on the side so I can afford following this new philosophy. Hey, the ends justifies the means right? *Evil grin*
Comments (106)
You are SO sweet Alex, seriously! You should totally take a trip to MN sometime, fo realz!!!!
haha lets have a super expensive meal and youll pick up the tab please? =P
Why are all the grrrllls grabbing you and not the other guy?
…another thing I dislike about American spellings. It’s CHEQUE!!! *sigh*
LOL, so when are you coming to NYC again, can’t wait to see your get together.. haha..
I think i might be visiting northern virginia soon.
haha. Visit Davis, Ca. and I’ll pay it forward. 
Aw that’s sweet
such a gentleman I guess.. lol
shawn totally paid for alex, me, and our friend when we had dinner with him for the first time too!! such a sweet guy.
cooool!
@crazy2love - I second this, come to the midwest!
lets get foooood!
Hospitality also extends when and if you ever come to Canada. =)
That was stealthy of you. I remember when I was on a date, I had reached for the bill to pay for the meal, but my date’s credit card was already in the book and had been scanned. He never left my sight, so I don’t know how he did it. He said he couldn’t let me pay on the first date; even though, I had insisted because I canceled our meeting a couple times and felt bad. I did buy him lunch the next time we went out, though.
so you are going to become a sugar daddy.
Careful now, your buddies are going to consider this post to be some kind of contract. They’ll expect you to do this often.
But yes, that’s a very nice gesture. And true, he seems to be a good guy. Glad you have a pleasant time with them friends.
Wow Shawn does that! NICE! If you guys fly over here I’ll definitely pay for your meals. =P
Sweet! Remind me to visit you soon :p
yay!! free meals!
Freaking Shawn is so awesome.
When I went to SF, Michelle kept on bugging me to go to the bathroom. I didn’t have to, so I was looking at the receipt just to put in my part of the bill. Sonlay and Michelle ended up just taking the bill from me and paying it. >_>
I was like “Uh, I can’t see how much I have to pay.”
Gotta think of more tricks on how to pay. Eventually everyone knows the bathroom trick will watch one another REALLY go to the bathroom. haha
Wow, how awesome of him to do that, and now for you too!
So, um, next meetup…. you’re paying, right?? I hate bringing my checkbook everywhere!
lol good job being sneaky! lol
@crazy2love - @ShimmerBodyCream - You two aren’t inviting me just so I can pay for yall’s meals, right??
@rxglasshalffull - Don’t push it chica =)
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - Hmmm…just the camera angle. Yes…
@pika_whoosh - Get that cheque crap off my page!! haha
@SuperRat - I don’t think I’ll be able to pay for 50 people’s meals =O
@empressayame - Davis eh? I was around there not too long ago. I might be in SF in January. Stay tuned!
@hollywoodfever91 - You guess?? Yep, I’m definitely much better than you =)
@d_ciao - Not surprised. Good man!
@CaKaLusa - Sure! I’m pretty sure it’s your turn to pay!
@eternal_relevance - Find me a cheap flight up there!
@Roadlesstaken - I don’t know, you open up that can of worm. haha.. hey, I think it’s good thing what you said… I would do the same too.. Longest not over $20.. haha.. J/K..
@mindfulreflections - Fast hands! I need to practice his technique.
@sonychak - I know that’s your fantasy, but no.
@nov_way - If they’re good buddies I expect them to pay it forward sometimes as well =)
@oxyGENE_08 - Weee! I’ll remember that!
@Utoppia@datingish - Come visit me soon!
@s_h_a_sha - Yep for everyone…except YOU
@sumoneoverthere - I have a few more tricks up my sleeves. Can’t give them all out!
@puella_sapiens216 - Depends on how well the meeting goes =)
@BabyGurlDragon88 - My specialty!
fine!
meanie
@Roadlesstaken - True. =)
@Roadlesstaken - Of course not. I would pay for YOUR meal, geez!!
@Roadlesstaken - lol xD
i think its super classy when guys do that. and more importantly, it shows you value their company more than your money, which is always the best impression to make to “new” friends. its endearing
YUM!
korean food is amazing
i wish i couldve went. i couldnt get work off for it :/
awww so nice
yummm! i love kbbq. i could eat that on a daily basis (especially bulgogi), if it weren’t so darn expensive and probably really bad for you (the fatty parts, you see, they um, taste the best)
That’s my fav. food! I envy you!
Yummy! I wanna eat beef with various kimjis.
Ninja stealth
@suuperstar - That’s good to hear. Yeah, in the end it’s just money. I’ll make it back up.
@banZaii_itZ_keIk0o - More definitely! I do most of my grocery shopping now from an H Mart now.
@hotboyollie - Yeah I was hoping you were one of the people coming up. Next time!
@snapeful - I think that’s why I liked the pork belly so much. The fat made it sooooo flavorable!
@rioinbangkok - Not gonna stop you! Go get some!
@kaiori - *whooooosh*
aww aww so sweeeeet (: lets get more foods !
thanks again! that was really nice of u
we were all saying how nice that was of u 
your area is really nice and tell your room mate thanks for taking us into the city 
I like that,very sweet of you to pass on the kindness. The food looks like it was delicious!
that’s awesome. I used to do that when my massive group of friends would go out. My boyfriend (at the time) and one other friend would divide the group up into 3′s (because we’d have like a million people eating with us) and go pay. But that was after grant money. I also do that after i do a huge shoot like a wedding. I take everyone out.
@Roadlesstaken - Me and @crazy2love would definitely liquor you up for free.
i agree with @rxglasshalffull
so since you are a thief…there will be no problemo, right? haha
i always thought paying for the check is the Asian part of you because everytime my family goes out, they always fight for the check…and my friends and I also do sneaky tactics to pay the check…
@HeLLo_Bianca - Always a pleasure! I will let him know.
@fabolousclown - Okay, you’re treating? =)
@seedsower - It was! Fattening probably, but oh well!
@ALovingAdversary - What’s the biggest food bill you paid for?
@Cucumber_Melonhead - You might onto something there. My dad does that a lot…
@Roadlesstaken - 50:50
@fabolousclown - j/k, I got this!
@Roadlesstaken - I think my biggest portion I’ve ever had to pay was 150 (ish) but we had lots of people.
hahaha love the ending quote there! XD Wow and here i thought people weren’t that nice anymore ( I need to get out more often XD) its good to know there are still some gentlemen out there! If that were me and my friends i would have i wouldve made a run for it when i went to the restroom! XD haha i joke
I did that& made food for Alex & Sonlay & Matt when they came to NY
coool man!
one of these days, id like to hangout with some xangan friends. lol Houston meet sure does sound interesting.
@H0Eass - I’m telling you, you should somehow find your way to Houston when I’m there!
@Yohkom - I bet they didn’t mind that
@itsayanav - Alright, I’ll make a note to myself to not trust you then =)
@Roadlesstaken - awww -T.T i was joking
I usually cook for my friends not go out and eat their excuse “I can eat more at you house XD”
That’s because I’m not a man! lol
that was sweet alex.
aww that’s nice of you!
That is super sweet! You sound like a nice guy.
You are such a sweetheart!
I like how someone did that for you, and then you did it…yes, the good pay it forward cycle will go on. 
Sounds like you had fun and you helped them to have fun too! 
As for the thief thing…no, no!
HUGS!
Forgot to say…the food looks delicious!
If you visit Bangkok and have dinner with me, would you pay the bill too? hhaha…you’re so thoughtful, Alex. Cheers!
aww, that’s so nice of you
and I’ve so done the “I’m going to the bathroom” pick up the check move. it works!
All that food man…. alll that food…
I don’t mind grabbing the bill on occasion. It’s a man thing.
Aw, that’s very sweet of you!
That’s really nice of you though. I treat my friends sometimes, but I don’t do it all the time. That tactic does work though because they start treating me back too. Well, chinese people tend to do that A LOT though. haha as seen from my mom and her friends. On the other hand, dudeeeeeeeeeeeee. Korean bbq is so yummy!
I have a friend that randomly selects a table in the restaurant he is in and will pay for their bill. He chooses the ones he thinks he can affords, doesn’t let that stranger know and walks off. The first time I saw it, I was amazed!
What you’re doing is impressive too…
So nice of you. It would be something I would do as well =) I guess when others visit you…you kind of treat them. And when you visit them, they treat u. Dont know if most asians do this…thats how I learned it..Glad you had fun! Honey pig is awesome!
@HeartLUST - @jackielovesyou_x3 - @terrabound - @GenuineBByDoll - Just paying it forward. Yall’s turn!
@adamswomanlost - Ever tried pork belly before? More tasty than it sounds! However, it’s as fattening as you probably could guess.
@Chemalexandru - Perhaps so =), if I’m enjoying our time
@raspberryjade - I know right? It’s super effective!
@ItIsAllGravy - *pounds chest*
@xchinkylaydee - Yeah, I’ve noticed that before. My dad usually wins at paying for everything.
@babixling - Hmmmm, I might have to try that too!
@retarded_beautiful - It does makes sense. Didn’t do it much before because I didn’t have as much funds to do so, but nowadays I can do it a bit more often.
Very cool move!!
Good for you!
@Roadlesstaken - I have not tried it, but I’d give it a whirl.
I’ve had some Korean food…and I liked all that I’ve had.
What with all the guys who dress well, know their food and know where they’re going AND are gonna pick up the bill, looks like I’ll be on the next plane out.
That’s really nice of you!
On a side note, I’ve never had Korean bbq before!
So when are we having a get together? I’ve been dying to visit NoVA and meet you
@pika_whoosh - ZOMG NO!
@Yohkom - <3333 Many many thanks again for that. I can’t say Ohio has too many things to offer… but I plan to try to enjoy what I can of them before I leave.
@Airborne_Muse - If you two are in town let me know!
@TheCheshireGrins - Oh that won’t do! Must change that sometime soon.
@mandyman27 - Guys like that are all around, just under your nose!
@AmeliaHart - @morrighu - Thanks =)
That’s pretty awesome Alex! Next time you visit SoCal, I’ll do you one better… I’ll invite you over to my house for a home-cooked meal with my family.
BTW, what’s your “Xangans Met” count up to these days? 
Going dutch is best.
Also, it would have been funnier if you wrote you were becoming a gigalo on the side to help pay for all the meals. Thiefs are so last decade.
@nepenthium - It can be, but gets to be a hassle when there’s a big group and certain people need certain change and etc. Oh, I didn’t write gigalo because that’s something I’m already doing. Holla!
@MyxlDove - Sounds like a plan. I’ve definitely stopped counting the amount of people I’ve met from Xanga, but I’m pretty sure it’s between 100-150
@Roadlesstaken - it can be a hassle to figure out some arithmetic? that’s the sole reason why there’re calculator apps on most non-ancient cellphones (:
@nepenthium - I’m thinking more like larger groups of people where it can be messy figuring out how to pay (evenly? per item?) and what each person should pay (like say when people are sharing appetizers but some people didn’t eat it). It sucks also when the check doesn’t clearly state which items cost what and just congregate them together (like a lot of Asian places). Not terribly hard to figure out, but it can be annoying.
hey alex.
i like food
and i think it’s spelt “cheque”
Thank you so much for recommending my post!
My comment is going to get lost in the sea of comments you already have, huh?
Dude. You are copying my life. Stop scaring me. =P All jokes aside however, I have that EXACT same philosophy. This is getting weird….. =D
@ordinary_gir1 - That’s the wrong way to spell it =P
@absolutangel64 - No problem, you make great posts so I can’t help but recommend a lot of them. Hope to see much more updates from you to come! Don’t worry, comment is not lost =)
@bengozen - I’m older than you, so you’re taking after me. I’m flattered.
@Roadlesstaken - Whoa whoa there cowboy… I had that getting up to go to the bathroom trick up my sleeve since I was holding a rattle… =P And that is just one of many. =D
@bengozen - Pshh, child’s play. I’ve been doing it since before I was born! You might think that’s impossible, but I assure you it’s not.
That’s very sweet and generous of you. I’m sure your friends will remember and surely will reciprocate your nice gesture.
@Roadlesstaken - We are often in NoVA
Lemme know when you’re in NYC after Jan 1st.
@icapillas - That would be great if that happens!
@airbornerose - Cool, let me know the next time you’re around.
It’s so funny how after I read this post the other night, I dreamt of you! In the dream, we ran into each other at the 24hr-Fitness gym. You were in town visiting and was out with a group of friends working out. Ho hum, I wonder if you even work out. LOL. Anyway, when we met, you were very kind and commented how beautiful I look in RL. Hahaha. When you introduced me to your friends, a girl in particular, instead of shaking my hand, she grabbed my boobs from the behind with both hands. I thought it was really strange but for some reason, i didn’t mind it. Then I woke up thinking, what the heck?
@cognney - Ah, now I understand what you meant about running into each other at the gym on my pulse haha. That’s a um, lovely dream? I’m starting to work out again now actually, just got a membership at a nearby gym. I’ll try to see if we can duplicate the dream to RL then. I’ll find a random girl to grab your boobs from behind too, alright?
@Roadlesstaken - LOL, how odd is that, my dream and you going back to the gym… weird….
That’s a nice idea ^_^
hahaha …man…putting me on blast like that alex….i’m glad it rubbed off on you…jus remember not to be too generous in your bill paying…you’ll end up as broke as me ahhaahah
@junbelievable08 - I remember the other thing you said too, how you were paying for that one time only!
@Roadlesstaken - hahaha well it matters on how much i like you…if you start cuddling w/ me and flip…you might get a couple more meals outta me hahaha
@junbelievable08 - So that’s what Flip does…what a hoe!
goodjob Alex! I do that a lot actually, and you’ll realize that friendships get even better when individuals can trust each other and feel comfortable enough with each other to spend resources on each other. It also really helped, since when the going was good for me (eg. when I had a job), I’d be pretty generous with my close friends. Occasionally the tides change, and they insist on buying my meals. It’s a good exchange and built our relationships even more
@AzureRecollections - I agree, doing this definitely shows how much trust you share with someone else. Hopefully they don’t take too much of an advantage over it.
oooo…pay it forward:D.
tooo bad my broke ass can’t afford to treat people other than myself
@sabbygurl - you can always start small, treat them to candy or something haha
Lol. Somehow I missed this post previously when viewing your page. There’s nothing wrong with being a nice guy with a little bit of a bad boy appeal!
jk. But humor is always a plus..hehe
@Babieboo_Annie - Humor is always a plus! I don’t think anyone really does not want humor haha.
@Roadlesstaken - What about people who are exceedingly stern and serious? =P