The weather this week has been a pain in my backside. Literally. It snowed Wednesday night pretty hard and classes were canceled on Thursday, starting my weekend a day early since I don't have class on Fridays. Hoorah, right? Well, kind of. The streets and sidewalks are kind of a treacherous mess after a snowstorm, and the shoes I wore on Thursday didn't exactly have adequate traction. I think you can understand where I'm headed with this. Needless to say, my backside became well acquainted with the crosswalk. I wasn't too embarrassed though, because people were falling down all over the place.
Since my last post I have discovered Magnolia Bakery in the West Village. Delicious. And I have tasted the Mexican cuisine at Lupe's East LA Kitchen. This was supposed to be promising. But in the end, we decided to give it only 6.5 Nacho Libres (our new rating scale) out of a possible 10. The atmosphere was good, and it was authentic. But the service was slow and the food was meh and the prices were meh for the quality of food. So the search continues.
Lastly, I will tell you about my little adventure last night. Monica, Daniel (Aussie SNY student) and I decided to walk down the street to get something to drink. In order to understand the circumstances, you should know that there is a club/venue right next door to my dorm called Santo's something or other. And each night there is a different event or band or whatever. And each night the age limit differs. Sometimes it's 18+, sometimes 21+, and sometimes it's all ages. Last night was an all ages sort of night. So as we walked past we saw a herd of 16-year-olds, although we were pretty intent on calling them 12. And we joked around and amused ourselves with how cute they were. But when we got to the corner, there was a girl in hysterics yelling at and trying to hold up this boy. It was a huge scene. She begged us to help her get a cab. And so we flagged one down and he agreed to take them if they had cash. But when he finally saw the mess that was about to enter his cab, I guess he decided "to hell with that" and he peaced out. So, now the girl is crying and freaking out and throwing this kid around because he can't stand up on his own. And he hits his head a couple of times on the sidewalk, despite our best efforts to help her. Finally the two bums sitting nearby come over and help him to sit on their cardboard box chairs. At this point, a small crowd had gathered and someone had enough sense to cal 911. Within minutes, a firetruck arrives and a little later the ambulance. We had seen enough at this point, and I'll assume that the kid was taken to the hospital and is getting a good lecture from his mother today. I felt sorry for the girl and the boy, but mostly I was annoyed. I was mad that this situation even happened. One of the bums summed it up for me quite nicely. He said, "Boy you gotta get straight. Is your life really that bad that you have to do this to yourself?" And this coming from a man living on the streets.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Already avoiding homework
I'm not really. Well, kind of.
This past weekend was kind of uneventful. I walked around and found my classes. I went to the Union Square Farmers market where I had the most delicious drink ever concocted! Prepare yourselves. Hot. Pear. Cider. What? Yes. It was unbelievable. Pears, cinnamon, and cloves in a hot drink on a cold day. SO GOOD! Anyway, I digress. I also got some onions and potatoes and will most likely be making a trip back for eggs and veggies and meat and so on.
What else did I do? Well, I saw The King's Speech. It's a fantastic movie, starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, about King George VI and his unfortunate stutter. However, Monica (SNY friend) and I had a difficult time with the trains and were consequently late to the movie and had to sit in the very front row about five feet from the screen. The subways in New York like to malfunction or randomly decide not to stop at all of the regular stops and make you go uptown to go back downtown. They are a great mode of transportation but not always reliable and definitely not always time efficient.
I found a really good Cuban place--Cafe Habana. Very small. And slow service, but the food was excellent. And also a cute, little cupcake bakery named Little Cupcake Bakeshop. I had a red velvet cupcake. Mmmm. And took with me a Nutella cheesecake. Also Mmmmm. Although Jordan's (SNY friend) french toast cupcake was probably the most delicious. Oh, and I have a new lead on the next Mexican place I'm going to try. It's called Lupe's something or other and it's right in SOHO, and I've been told it's delicious and reasonably priced. I'll let you know what I find out.
I interviewed at an ice cream/coffee shop called Emack and Bolio's yesterday. I figured a paying job would be nice. That way I can pay for groceries and new shoes. My roommate works there and I think the interview went well. I'm waiting for a call by the end of the week. No leads on an internship yet.
Classes started this week. I'm taking four classes: Literature of Rebellion in Early Modern Europe, Politics of Public Policy (required,) Creative Writing: Intro to Poetry and Fiction, and Voice Lessons. So far the classes are looking up. There is a strange and annoying girl in my lit class, who I pray is not there tomorrow. She may have some sort of social disorder. It may not be right but I was telling people that I might murder her by the end of the semester. But the teacher was also getting annoyed and asked to speak to her after class, which I'm hoping translates to she's not in the class anymore. But we will see. Politics is eh. The class is large and the professor seems on top of it. The material may actually be interesting but only time will tell. And as for Creative Writing, well let's just say I'm nervous. I haven't done creative writing since high school and even then I didn't have to write poetry. My experience with poetry so far in life has been not-so-great. And now I'm expected to write two poems a week for the next how many weeks? Excuse me? And the teacher is a grad student who doesn't seem all that thrilled to be teaching a class. But it'll be nice to be able to write something other than a literary analysis for once. That's the nice thing about creative writing--you can write whatever you want.
After thinking about it a little bit today, I realized that writing, at least for me, is a freedom. It lets you say things that you wouldn't necessarily say out loud to even your closest confidants. Half of the stuff I write in this blog is just rehashing my day, but other times I'm typing out thoughts that I wouldn't dare say during casual conversation. I've got a lot going on in my head, but what good is it if it just stays in there? So I guess I'm actually kind of excited to see what comes out of this class... what comes out of me. And I'll tell you right now, that I'll only post my poems/story on here if I feel it is blog-worthy. Don't be begging for every piece of writing that I do.
This past weekend was kind of uneventful. I walked around and found my classes. I went to the Union Square Farmers market where I had the most delicious drink ever concocted! Prepare yourselves. Hot. Pear. Cider. What? Yes. It was unbelievable. Pears, cinnamon, and cloves in a hot drink on a cold day. SO GOOD! Anyway, I digress. I also got some onions and potatoes and will most likely be making a trip back for eggs and veggies and meat and so on.
What else did I do? Well, I saw The King's Speech. It's a fantastic movie, starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, about King George VI and his unfortunate stutter. However, Monica (SNY friend) and I had a difficult time with the trains and were consequently late to the movie and had to sit in the very front row about five feet from the screen. The subways in New York like to malfunction or randomly decide not to stop at all of the regular stops and make you go uptown to go back downtown. They are a great mode of transportation but not always reliable and definitely not always time efficient.
I found a really good Cuban place--Cafe Habana. Very small. And slow service, but the food was excellent. And also a cute, little cupcake bakery named Little Cupcake Bakeshop. I had a red velvet cupcake. Mmmm. And took with me a Nutella cheesecake. Also Mmmmm. Although Jordan's (SNY friend) french toast cupcake was probably the most delicious. Oh, and I have a new lead on the next Mexican place I'm going to try. It's called Lupe's something or other and it's right in SOHO, and I've been told it's delicious and reasonably priced. I'll let you know what I find out.
I interviewed at an ice cream/coffee shop called Emack and Bolio's yesterday. I figured a paying job would be nice. That way I can pay for groceries and new shoes. My roommate works there and I think the interview went well. I'm waiting for a call by the end of the week. No leads on an internship yet.
Classes started this week. I'm taking four classes: Literature of Rebellion in Early Modern Europe, Politics of Public Policy (required,) Creative Writing: Intro to Poetry and Fiction, and Voice Lessons. So far the classes are looking up. There is a strange and annoying girl in my lit class, who I pray is not there tomorrow. She may have some sort of social disorder. It may not be right but I was telling people that I might murder her by the end of the semester. But the teacher was also getting annoyed and asked to speak to her after class, which I'm hoping translates to she's not in the class anymore. But we will see. Politics is eh. The class is large and the professor seems on top of it. The material may actually be interesting but only time will tell. And as for Creative Writing, well let's just say I'm nervous. I haven't done creative writing since high school and even then I didn't have to write poetry. My experience with poetry so far in life has been not-so-great. And now I'm expected to write two poems a week for the next how many weeks? Excuse me? And the teacher is a grad student who doesn't seem all that thrilled to be teaching a class. But it'll be nice to be able to write something other than a literary analysis for once. That's the nice thing about creative writing--you can write whatever you want.
After thinking about it a little bit today, I realized that writing, at least for me, is a freedom. It lets you say things that you wouldn't necessarily say out loud to even your closest confidants. Half of the stuff I write in this blog is just rehashing my day, but other times I'm typing out thoughts that I wouldn't dare say during casual conversation. I've got a lot going on in my head, but what good is it if it just stays in there? So I guess I'm actually kind of excited to see what comes out of this class... what comes out of me. And I'll tell you right now, that I'll only post my poems/story on here if I feel it is blog-worthy. Don't be begging for every piece of writing that I do.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Picture Update
Because you asked for pictures. This is one of the only pictures I have taken so far. I realized yesterday that I always carry my camera with me but I never actually use it. Hopefully that will change soon. Anyway, if you don't recognize this building, you've probably never seen the television show, Will and Grace. This is the Puck Building where fictional character Grace Adler's design studio is located. I had passed by the front of the building many times, as it is located about 10 blocks away from my Lafayette Street dorm. But it wasn't until I walked past it on Mulberry Street that I actually recognized it.
I hope this satisfies your picture craving for now. I'll try to be better about whipping out my camera like a tourist everywhere I go. No, but really, I will.
Oh and also, if you leave comments and are not signed in as a member, please sign them so I know who you are. I'm assuming UT is "Uncle Todd," which I have never called you by the way. I love you all!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Let the Good Times Roll
Yesterday was orientation. Not too much to say about that, except that I won a Think Coffee gift card for winning an icebreaker game and a book called "NYC Free and Dirt Cheap" for successfully naming the five boroughs of New York City. I'll give you a second to see if you can name them. No? I've named them at the end of this post for you.
Anyway, after orientation we ate classic, New York-style pizza. And once that was over, a group of 7 of us decided to try and attend a Moth Story Slam. We found it pretty easily and so did about 500 other people. The line was not only down the block but around the corner. Despite our efforts to stick it out in the cold, they closed the doors before we even got close. We'll try again another time.
So onto plan B, which didn't exactly exist yet. We walked around for a while and ended up heading to one of the guy's apartments. His home school owns a floor in a hostel and so we went there and hung out for a while. We played games and "danced" and got to know each other. Then at 11:00 we went next door to PIT (People's Improv Theater.) And coincidentally enough, about 4 other SNY students were there. I laughed so hard, I almost peed myself, especially during the "camel toe" suggestion set. And Stacy, the self-appointed SNY cheerleader, even got up and did a set with one of the groups. It was such a good start to the semester. We already have so many inside jokes just from last night. I hope this is a preview of the good times to come.
Today was our trip to the Met. Again, if you don't know, the Met is short for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was a neat experience. But I realized that my interest in art is superficial and unsophisticated to say the least. I really enjoyed the Greek and Roman sculptures, and I found the Modern Art exhibit to be more than tolerable. But even the photography exhibit left me unsatisfied. And if you know anything about the museum, you know how large it is and how it's nearly impossible to view the whole thing in one go. So I didn't feel bad leaving after only seeing a couple of exhibits.
I have been craving Mexican food real bad, so the four of us that had toured the museum together decided to scope some out. We found one not too far and tried it out. Let me just say that I am taking it upon myself to find a good authentic (hopefully cheap) Mexican restaurant. The place we ended up at was called Cascabel Taqueria, and it was like a hipsters version of Mexican food. Translation: not good. It was cute enough with its pop art and a strange Mexican wrestling deco theme. And I'm sure it'd be an okay place to get a drink. But the food was no good--no good at all. It was very bland and did not satisfy my craving one bit. So the search continues.
This may be hard to believe, but I'm actually looking forward to the start of classes. Getting into a routine will help with figuring out life in the city, because right now I still feel like I'm just floating around with no real purpose. The city may have endless opportunities, but figuring them out can be a chore.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you something. Wednesday, after exploring the massive neighborhood that is Chinatown, I went to a show called "Chimera" at HERE Theater. It was a weird, modern theater show. But we got in free because my new friend Amy is an intern there. It was a really small theater and looked like a close-knit community of theater goers, but I enjoyed myself. The subject and execution of the show may not have been my favorite, but the one-woman show was impressive and definitely enjoyable. I'm looking forward to experiencing more shows/concerts like that.
Lastly, as I promised, the five boroughs of NYC:
Anyway, after orientation we ate classic, New York-style pizza. And once that was over, a group of 7 of us decided to try and attend a Moth Story Slam. We found it pretty easily and so did about 500 other people. The line was not only down the block but around the corner. Despite our efforts to stick it out in the cold, they closed the doors before we even got close. We'll try again another time.
So onto plan B, which didn't exactly exist yet. We walked around for a while and ended up heading to one of the guy's apartments. His home school owns a floor in a hostel and so we went there and hung out for a while. We played games and "danced" and got to know each other. Then at 11:00 we went next door to PIT (People's Improv Theater.) And coincidentally enough, about 4 other SNY students were there. I laughed so hard, I almost peed myself, especially during the "camel toe" suggestion set. And Stacy, the self-appointed SNY cheerleader, even got up and did a set with one of the groups. It was such a good start to the semester. We already have so many inside jokes just from last night. I hope this is a preview of the good times to come.
Today was our trip to the Met. Again, if you don't know, the Met is short for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was a neat experience. But I realized that my interest in art is superficial and unsophisticated to say the least. I really enjoyed the Greek and Roman sculptures, and I found the Modern Art exhibit to be more than tolerable. But even the photography exhibit left me unsatisfied. And if you know anything about the museum, you know how large it is and how it's nearly impossible to view the whole thing in one go. So I didn't feel bad leaving after only seeing a couple of exhibits.
I have been craving Mexican food real bad, so the four of us that had toured the museum together decided to scope some out. We found one not too far and tried it out. Let me just say that I am taking it upon myself to find a good authentic (hopefully cheap) Mexican restaurant. The place we ended up at was called Cascabel Taqueria, and it was like a hipsters version of Mexican food. Translation: not good. It was cute enough with its pop art and a strange Mexican wrestling deco theme. And I'm sure it'd be an okay place to get a drink. But the food was no good--no good at all. It was very bland and did not satisfy my craving one bit. So the search continues.
This may be hard to believe, but I'm actually looking forward to the start of classes. Getting into a routine will help with figuring out life in the city, because right now I still feel like I'm just floating around with no real purpose. The city may have endless opportunities, but figuring them out can be a chore.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you something. Wednesday, after exploring the massive neighborhood that is Chinatown, I went to a show called "Chimera" at HERE Theater. It was a weird, modern theater show. But we got in free because my new friend Amy is an intern there. It was a really small theater and looked like a close-knit community of theater goers, but I enjoyed myself. The subject and execution of the show may not have been my favorite, but the one-woman show was impressive and definitely enjoyable. I'm looking forward to experiencing more shows/concerts like that.
Lastly, as I promised, the five boroughs of NYC:
MANHATTAN QUEENS STATEN ISLAND BROOKLYN THE BRONX
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Slow Start
The past couple of days I've been taking it slowly. The weather is cold and today, rainy. And I'm slowly becoming familiar with the area.
Yesterday, I ordered my books in the morning and by the afternoon I had nothing to do. So I set out on my first adventure. I walked through Chinatown and Soho and ended up at Emack and Bolio's, an icecream/coffee shop where my roommate, Joanna, works. I stayed and chatted a while with her and then headed back. Later on, my distant cousin, Alexis, met me at my dorm and we went for a walk. We were gone for at least 2 hours, walking to the border of the West Village and all the way up to Chelsea before turning around. Alexis was really nice and I'll probably be doing more with her as the semester progresses. Then I got back to my apartment to meet a friend of Joanna's, Rachel. She reluctantly told me she was from Jersey and the three of us talked until about 1am. During the conversation she convinced me to audition for NYU's women's choir. I'll let you know how that goes.
Today started about the same. This morning I continued my internship research. I was supposed to go on a two-hour campus tour but it was canceled due to the rain. Around 4:30 I made my way north to the SNYU social, where I met most of the other SNYU students. Everyone seems really nice and I'm excited to get to know them better. I even have a common friend with one person. How weird is that? Afterward a group of about 10 of us went to Cosi for dinner. Cosi is a soup, salad, sandwich place--really good food for a decent price. And while waiting for our check, I had my first celebrity sighting. Coming out of the bathroom was Russell Simmons. For those of you who don't know, Russell Simmons is a big-name producer, brother of Rev Run from RunDMC, and ex-husband to Kimmora Lee Simmons, creator of Baby Phat fashions. I also had my first successful subway ride. Despite getting on the wrong one at first, I eventually found one I knew for a fact would take me where I needed to go. I'm going to have to study a subway map before I venture out on one again though.
I'm thankful for the new friends I made today. Being alone in a big city is not pleasant. Also, I promise not to always blog about every detail of my day but during the first week or so I probably will. Just be glad I didn't tell you what I had for every meal.
Yesterday, I ordered my books in the morning and by the afternoon I had nothing to do. So I set out on my first adventure. I walked through Chinatown and Soho and ended up at Emack and Bolio's, an icecream/coffee shop where my roommate, Joanna, works. I stayed and chatted a while with her and then headed back. Later on, my distant cousin, Alexis, met me at my dorm and we went for a walk. We were gone for at least 2 hours, walking to the border of the West Village and all the way up to Chelsea before turning around. Alexis was really nice and I'll probably be doing more with her as the semester progresses. Then I got back to my apartment to meet a friend of Joanna's, Rachel. She reluctantly told me she was from Jersey and the three of us talked until about 1am. During the conversation she convinced me to audition for NYU's women's choir. I'll let you know how that goes.
Today started about the same. This morning I continued my internship research. I was supposed to go on a two-hour campus tour but it was canceled due to the rain. Around 4:30 I made my way north to the SNYU social, where I met most of the other SNYU students. Everyone seems really nice and I'm excited to get to know them better. I even have a common friend with one person. How weird is that? Afterward a group of about 10 of us went to Cosi for dinner. Cosi is a soup, salad, sandwich place--really good food for a decent price. And while waiting for our check, I had my first celebrity sighting. Coming out of the bathroom was Russell Simmons. For those of you who don't know, Russell Simmons is a big-name producer, brother of Rev Run from RunDMC, and ex-husband to Kimmora Lee Simmons, creator of Baby Phat fashions. I also had my first successful subway ride. Despite getting on the wrong one at first, I eventually found one I knew for a fact would take me where I needed to go. I'm going to have to study a subway map before I venture out on one again though.
I'm thankful for the new friends I made today. Being alone in a big city is not pleasant. Also, I promise not to always blog about every detail of my day but during the first week or so I probably will. Just be glad I didn't tell you what I had for every meal.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
And so it begins...
Today marks the first day on a four-month journey. Getting to this point was unbelievably easy. In fact, I am going to have to give all credit to God for this one.
When I applied to the Spring in New York program I really had no intention of going because, in all honesty, I didn't think it would happen. I thought, this is just one of those things that will be a little out of my reach but it's fun to dream. Well, God had other plans. I got the e-mail while I was in class, but I couldn't read it right away. I had to wait until after class because no matter the outcome, I would be distracted. When I finally opened the e-mail, I scanned the first two lines for the words "I'm sorry." Instead I found the word "congratulations." WHAT?! Re-read. Yes it definitely said congratulations. Professor Adams knew something was going on and asked if everything was alright. I assured her everything was better than alright and I went outside to call my mother. I apologize to anyone that might have witnessed this next scene, as I'm sure it was confusing. I stood outside of Humanities surrounded by about 100 of my fellow students, crying, laughing, jumping, dancing, and shaking as I'm trying to talk on the phone. I was so excited, I'm pretty sure I skipped my next class.
"So are we really doing this?" I asked my parents. Because not only did I have to give NYU an answer but also $300. Even after sending in the $300, I wasn't sure if it would still happen. I mean NYU is not cheap. "Dad's making a list of the things we can sell," Mom informed me one afternoon. But it turns out, this was going to be taken care of too. When I applied to the program, I also applied for the scholarship. That e-mail came in about a month later. Again "congratulations" graced the first line of the e-mail. How much? Oh just $15,000.00. That's a one, five, comma, three zeros. Believe me when I say I checked the placement of that comma about 5 times before I actually called home.
So here I am. Sitting in my apartment (alone at the moment.) Mom and Dad left about 4 hours ago. The past couple of days, I have been really nervous about doing this. It was all okay when New York was just a dream, a plan, something of the future. But when it really started to become a reality, I really started to freak out. I had a feeling that as soon as my parents left and I was truly on my own in New York that I would have a mental break down. And it really didn't help that the one person I kind of know (my new roommate Joanna) left for work. But surprisingly enough, I'm going strong right now.
I'm taking assurance in the knowledge that this is where I'm meant to be right now. This is were God wants me to be. This is where God needs me to be. And I know that God will not only protect me, but guide my path as I navigate this strange new world. And I'm nervous but excited to experience all that New York has to offer and to share those experiences with you.
When I applied to the Spring in New York program I really had no intention of going because, in all honesty, I didn't think it would happen. I thought, this is just one of those things that will be a little out of my reach but it's fun to dream. Well, God had other plans. I got the e-mail while I was in class, but I couldn't read it right away. I had to wait until after class because no matter the outcome, I would be distracted. When I finally opened the e-mail, I scanned the first two lines for the words "I'm sorry." Instead I found the word "congratulations." WHAT?! Re-read. Yes it definitely said congratulations. Professor Adams knew something was going on and asked if everything was alright. I assured her everything was better than alright and I went outside to call my mother. I apologize to anyone that might have witnessed this next scene, as I'm sure it was confusing. I stood outside of Humanities surrounded by about 100 of my fellow students, crying, laughing, jumping, dancing, and shaking as I'm trying to talk on the phone. I was so excited, I'm pretty sure I skipped my next class.
"So are we really doing this?" I asked my parents. Because not only did I have to give NYU an answer but also $300. Even after sending in the $300, I wasn't sure if it would still happen. I mean NYU is not cheap. "Dad's making a list of the things we can sell," Mom informed me one afternoon. But it turns out, this was going to be taken care of too. When I applied to the program, I also applied for the scholarship. That e-mail came in about a month later. Again "congratulations" graced the first line of the e-mail. How much? Oh just $15,000.00. That's a one, five, comma, three zeros. Believe me when I say I checked the placement of that comma about 5 times before I actually called home.
So here I am. Sitting in my apartment (alone at the moment.) Mom and Dad left about 4 hours ago. The past couple of days, I have been really nervous about doing this. It was all okay when New York was just a dream, a plan, something of the future. But when it really started to become a reality, I really started to freak out. I had a feeling that as soon as my parents left and I was truly on my own in New York that I would have a mental break down. And it really didn't help that the one person I kind of know (my new roommate Joanna) left for work. But surprisingly enough, I'm going strong right now.
I'm taking assurance in the knowledge that this is where I'm meant to be right now. This is were God wants me to be. This is where God needs me to be. And I know that God will not only protect me, but guide my path as I navigate this strange new world. And I'm nervous but excited to experience all that New York has to offer and to share those experiences with you.
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