Storm Cloud.

Today I'm in more or less an awful mood. It doesn't have much to do with me being in New York at all, so I don't know why I'm writing about this, but I do feel like a storm cloud.

I wanted to go to yoga this morning, but my 5:30 alarm woke me up in what must have been the middle of a REM cycle because I felt so sluggishly tired and dead, I couldn't bring myself to get up. I was having the weirdest, most disconcerting dreams, and then was late getting ready and out the door. I just have this annoyed, irritated feeling all about me and it's so hard to shake off! Also, I didn't have anything to eat so I'm hungry and that's not helping anything either!

At least when I walked out today the air was cool and not a blast of heat, which I've been getting, even when I walk out the door at 7:15a!

I also started packing up my room last night as I'm starting the trek over to my new place! What a process.

Look What I Have!!

Literally thousands of dollars, a scarily depleted bank account and an arm and a leg later, I have the keys to my own studio in Manhattan!!



A front door key, a door key and a mailbox key.

Not moving in quite yet... but I did take this upcoming Thursday off to be able to move and get stuff done. On the agenda...

-Transfer electricity to my name
-Buy a mattress and have it delivered ASAP!

I need just about everything, but I can't wait to have it decorated, furnished and set up, it'll be a process, but that's a fun one at least.

First Guest

My first "guest" since I've been out here is my dad, who came into town this weekend for work, even though the event got cancelled. What a weekend! We were out and about the whole time walking, taking the hot and sweaty metro, getting ice cream and going to dinner, the movies, getting drinks and watching World Cup games... it was so fun! I was SO exhausted when he left though. I took him to Penn Station and after saying bye I felt like I would just fall dead asleep and not make it to the subway... we stayed up until about 3am on Saturday night!

Didn't take many pictures, but here's what I have:

Made it to an Irish bar on the Upper West Side to watch USA v Ghana. It was packed! The atmosphere was great, but we stood for the entire second half of the game!



After the loss, the crowds flooded outside, and we saw this little number. I know we all like to dress up our pets, but this dog just LOVED it. He did not care one bit that those sunglasses were on his face, he was just chilling out there, it was cute!



On Sunday we went down to South Street Seaport Village to walk around and have brunch. Nice little area



We were here while the Mexico v Argentina game was on and it was an area where Puma had set up a "Puma City" with huge screens broadcasting the game, bracket maps, stores, and even a small soccer arena for pick up games



We walked to the other side by the pier and enjoyed the view of both the city...



...and the great Brooklyn Bridge




It was fun having a guest since I am as much a tourist as they are. Had a great time with my dad and I look forward to more and more visits from family and friends!

New York's "Chivalry"

When I argue against chivalry being dead, I think it's that I'm just naively hopefully that by doing so, it will be sustained or reinvent itself. I see forms of chivalry often, especially in the working world. Men in suits frequently hold the doors for women dressed for work entering the building, allow them on and off of the elevators first... etc. (By "etc" I mean, that's pretty much it).

But... chivalry comes to a screeching halt as soon as your get to the subway.



When it comes to getting in, or getting a seat, it's every man for himself, and all social practices are abandoned. I mean really. The same polite men in ties cut you off, run in front of you even though you're walking right in, jump on the seat you were about to sit in, it's an absolute paradox. I mean, pushing and crowding around the doors when the subway gets to the platform is one thing... but the overt theft of place and disregard for personal space is atrocious.

Social darwinism at it's best.

Welcome Ronnie!!

I am finally "so" happy to announce my that Ronnie B. Choi has just moved to New York City and I will have a friend after all!

Ronnie was one of the very first people I met / friend I made in college. We both lived on the same floor of the San Nicolas dorm at UCSB. On move in day after all the parents had dispersed we had a hall meeting and then somehow Ronnie and I got into a conversation about Audrey Hepburn, and our lives have never been the same!

Here are some of my favorite memories with Ronnie:

-When I made the mistake of once calling him "Ronald" he said "That is NOT my name, and if you insist on calling me something other than Ronnie, you may call me Reginald". It stuck

-One night freshman year Ronnie, me, and our hallmate Emma were heading back to the dorms from a night out in IV. We were passing by one of the small parks in IV and it was quiet and dark and suddenly from the bushes next to us we heard a creepy whistling, Ronnie screamed and ran full force ahead and left me and Emma in the dust!

-My last night in the dorms freshman year I spent in Ronnie's room with him and his roommate Stan and we watched this awful reality show about stage parents... but nothing beats the lifetime made-for-TV movie called Odd Girl Out that we watched and still incessantly quote... "You have nothing that I want!"

-Sophomore year I lived towards the edge of IV, near the cliffs that lead to some beaches on the west end of Goleta. One night Ronnie got it into his head that we should go down there, in pitch black. I even went so far as to head out there, but got so scared by the complete darkness on the cliffs (Ronnie tried to comfort me by some ridiculous battery-less flashlight that operated from manual winding energy). He gave me a really hard time about it but we still laugh about "the trail" to this day.

-Ronnie was so upset that I decided to study abroad in France for an entire year that he started referring to Europe as "Whore-up" in an attempt to deter me from going!

-Once in a conversation about Angelina Jolie's newest foreign adoption Ronnie comments: "Can someone please tell her that it's okay to come back with just a T-shirt when you visit another country??"

-Ronnie came to visit me in San Diego this spring and he insisted that we go find a Chinese buffet for breakfast, and then we rented 3 movies of his choice: all incredibly bitchy, cliquey movies, that did prove for some laughs. Ronnie and I were sitting outside of an Asian market together when we both learned that Brittany Murphy had died.

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Senior year of Halloween, me and Ronnie at a friend's house before going to a party

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This was mine and Ronnie's attempt a few minutes later to "capture" our friendship

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My 22nd birthday party, Ronnie and I were fake fighting

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At a dorm-reunion shindig, myself, Ronnie and my freshman year roommate Neva

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A rare picture of Ronnie and I being nice and smiling! This was when we went around IV with some friends taking pictures at our usual haunts.
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An endlessly quotable friend, Ronnie is also a very loyal, helpful, and dependable person. He got me a birthday present for all my years in college, nevermind that they were basically children toys from the UCSB bookstore... it's the thought that counts! Ronnie spotted me endless meals throughout college (including making me his own Korean noodles and raw egg combo), always tried to help when I was upset or frustrated, even if his advice was only for a good laugh. For instance, once, when I was really frustrated with my school schedule, Ronnie was going over classes with me and said "Ooooh, what about this one? 'Modern Short Story' from the English department. That sounds easy! MODERN, and SHORT!!"

Reginald and I have known each other for a full 6 years, went through all of college together and I'm so excited to have him here in NYC with me... what a new chapter we're writing

Philharmonic

I joined a volleyball league here in NYC. When I was leaving work after changing into some athletic gear, my boss asked me about it and then asked "who organizes it" and I thought that was a funny question, so with a straight face I said "Mayor Bloomberg". So there's an ongoing joke around here that I play volleyball with the mayor of New York City.

At any rate, it's on Tuesdays and it was my second time. It's so fun! I forgot how much I love volleyball (I got into it the Olympic summer of 2004 when my friends and I used to watch all the Athens games and then play into all hours of the night since my friend had keys to a court, and I took classes and played intramurals in college) and it's fun to be out in Central Park playing! They have both sand and hard courts there, and I'm actually semi making friends!

After the game I noticed a big hullaballoo not far from the courts so I wandered over there to find the New York Philharmonic giving a free concert! It was so beautiful! I was sad not to have my camera. Beautiful music playing in the park at dusk, people all around, fireflies glowing over the grass, the only thing that ruined it was the rain!

It came out of nowhere and started a full down pour with what Forrest Gump calls "big ol' fat rain" and soaked me through. We looked like ants whose anthill had water poured on it as we all walked, ran, and flooded out of Central Park alone, in pairs, with yoga mats and purses over our heads. I had to give up. By the time I got to the subway it looked like I had jumped in a pool with all my clothes on.

But the highlight of it all was the Philharmonic of course

Certified Checks

I have to get certified checks for the security deposit and first month's rent, and my bank charges me $8 for each one. Fees, fees, fees... where does it end??

Wells Fargo is nowhere in NYC, but they have a partnership with Wachovia so I can go there. It's been a hassle. I'm thinking that I'm going to switch banks, but I'm scared! I've been with Wells since 2004 when I got a checking account, checks, a credit card, etc, and I've really been building up that loyalty!

I HAVE A HOME!

I must be the craziest person I know. I hope I wasn't caught up in desperation. I SIGNED A LEASE FOR THE PLACE I LOOKED AT.

I am THRILLED to have found a studio apartment in my budget in the Upper West Side. Unbelievable. For even more than what I will be paying monthly here I was hard pressed to find places in Brooklyn or Queens. I feel oh-so-fortunate and blessed that I will get to lay my head down to sleep at night in the UWS, two blocks from Central Park, and 2 blocks from Broadway. It REALLY was a steal. Thinking about signing and depositing was scaring the life out of me. But thinking about what I would be left with if I didn't: trucking out to Brooklyn or Long Island or even Jersey everytime something new came up, I just didn't know what I was waiting for.

Now you certainly get what you pay for here. It is a studio if ever I saw one. Small. Small closet. However, I'm happy it has a KITCHEN (and not a kitchenette as some were showing!) and a bathroom that I DON'T have to share, and there's even a little breakfast bar separating the kitchen from "the room" (I say that because it will serve as both bedroom and living room!). There is exposed brick and a faux fireplace. Unfortunately, it has carpet. (I was hoping for hardwood floors!). Of course I was really put off by it but considering the location, it's just so hard to beat. I can't believe my first place here will get to be in Manhattan.

So why am I freaking out? I stayed within a reasonable budget for my expenses. But I'm not even sure I can afford all of the money upfront. I knew it was going to be a lot but maybe I underestimated how much you have to throw at places just to get the keys! Man I didn't realize the good life that I was living! With the cost of housing (and overall living in NYC!) plus all the utilities (no longer splitting with a roommates) plus first months rent, last months rent, security deposit, and brokers fee (yes those are rampant in NYC), I am scared. Not only can this possibly suck me dry, but I'm wondering how on earth I will be able to save. It makes me feel just a little suffocated. Not to mention I need to buy everything! Kitchen supplies, bed, wardrobe, etc! I feel like I should get married just to register for housing needs!

I thought that being gainfully employed, and being single, meant that I would be living like a queen (relatively speaking). But no, it turns out even with modest living (I guess I could save if i moved to the Bronx or Jersey, but is it worth it?), and minimal bills (okay rent, utilities, cell phone, groceries...) saving seems like a thing of the past! To be honest I am just terrified of losing so much money. But in NYC, it's inevitable. I'm so sorry to sound whiney or annoying. It's just what's on my mind and what comes with this whole transition. What will be nice is when life is a bit more stable and I can look back at this challenging time and see how I came along and how God provided for me, no matter how many times I was living life scraping the bottom of the barrel!

SO... the moral of the story? I get my keys to move in July 1st! And I hope that my acting or music career kicks off soon for some supplemental income!

Battery Park Saturday.

This week was crazy. It felt like the first full blast of "summer" at the workplace. All systems a go, all hands on deck, and me working with the center director with us furiously looking for new housing options. With a staff happy hour on Thursday, and a draining Friday, my Saturday was spent sleeping, reading, lounging, and not leaving the building until about 5:45pm!

When I made it to the "land of the living" (thanks mom), I decided to visit Battery Park. This place is one of my all-time favorite places in New York City. I love the fusion of the park, ocean, skyline, and that beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty. Many scenes of the Royal Tenenbaums (arguably my favorite movie) take place here, but are strategically filmed to leave out anything that points to New York specifically. So it was a mysterious but great place.



I made it down and it was still a warm and bright, late afternoon picture. I kept my headphones on after the subway so I could ignore all the vendors trying to get me to buy all those I <3 NY tshirts and Statue of Liberty collectibles, pictures of NYC and other cheap "designer" items like watches or sunglasses. (Ironically a "Gucci" watch I bought here back in 2005 lasted me straight through til early 2007, when it refused to work after my stint in the French Atlantic with it on. Not bad for like, $10!)



I found myself a spacious and warm wood seat, marble-backed bench in front of flower beds and lightposts and facing the Statue of Liberty across the Atlantic, with the great skyline of the financial district curving around my right just beyond the park. I was approached by one person asking a question. He had a thick French accent and was having problems with his English so I offered up a French conversation with him. He was really nice, and ended up sitting on the bench and talking to me for awhile. He was so pleasant! And me not having many friends made me very open to talking to strangers! He was from Paris but his parents were from the French Caribbean isle of Martinique. We exchanged emails at the end.



After that I sprawled out on the bench, completely horizontally laying on the bench with my headphones on, and just listened to music and enjoyed the sun and breeze. I love music. I just love love love music. I love all songs and all styles, they are all so beautiful and encouraging and put me in great spirits. I must have laid on the bench and listen to my music for about an hour before I got up and walked around the park, admiring the Statue of Liberty, the Castle Clinton and the statues nearby.

Now today I am going to go look at a studio!! It's on the Upper West Side inbetween Central Park and Broadway. The fact that it's in the UWS and in my price range makes me nervous. Expect the worst and hope for the best!

Homelessness

I found out that I more or less have this room indefinitely. I was thinking maybe if I could hold out through the summer, it'd be great to save on the rent, be in Manhattan, and have A/C here (which is apparently not too common in NYC).

I sorta got to the point where I was feeling like... I should start looking for a place, it'd be really nice to be settled. The whole, not having a kitchen and the bathroom down the hall is starting to wear on me. And worst of all, I can't have a cat here!

So I've started looking and man! I knew that New York was expensive but yowzers! I'm getting really discouraged. I really, really want a studio, I don't want to share with random people. And it turns out that for my first born child I can get a studio in Manhattan's Washington Heights which is on the Bronx border. I mean, it's pretty bad. I don't mind living in Morningside Heights, or Harlem, or even in Brooklyn or Astoria, but it just seems impossible to get a decent studio in a decent neighborhood.

I'm trying not to stress about it too much because I know that it will all get worked out, but it's so disheartening to continue on lowering and lowering my standards and what I'm looking for. Sigh.

Fireflies

This evening, for the first time in my life, I saw fireflies.

I had been on the Upper East Side and crossed through the park to the West Side to get home. I was still in meadowy park and I saw sparks or embers out of the corner of my eye. I started thinking that I was seeing spots, but I stopped and watched fireflies glow in and out of the grass.

It was beautiful, something I'd always wanted to see.

I Hate Giving Titles

The groceries in New York oddly appear to be a twilight zone opposite of those in California. Now I SUCK at pricing things or know what would be considered a good or bad price, but I did get into the routine of a few items in California, and they seem to be SO different here!

First thing, exotic salad dressings. I was used to laying down approximately $5-6 for nice salad dressings from Albertson's, you know like those sesame-ginger or mandarin-spice-lime dressing (jk aboout that second one). Yet here they were like $2.

And cereals? I felt like I could always find some on some sort of sale for a good $3, and here they're always $6 or $7.

The good news is that I finally have a fridge! The RAs saved one that a student had bought and then abandoned when they went back home, and you'd be surprised how much of the store was then open to me. Things like yogurt and cottage cheese, and all those sauces that say "refrigerate after opening". I filled it UP.

Oh and the other night, I really just wanted to have some wine and watch a movie. (I'm not a wino, and I would never order a glass of wine when I was out on the town, seriously, not even at wine bars), but I LOVE red wine in the evenings or with a nice dinner. So I bought a wine bottle, only to bring it home and realize I had no wine key! I felt like Kenny's family on South Park on the Thanksgiving episode where they are donated a can of string beans and say grace over it, all to be left staring and the mom left asking "does anyone have a can opener?" . I think I even said out loud "Does anyone have a wine key?" to myself.

As Kathleen likes to point out when I do things like make her videochat with my penguin while I do the voice... I really need to make some friends.

The Haps

Sometimes I feel like I could update this thing every day because like I said, every day is a new and different day here! Still, here are some more notable events:

Celebrity Sighting: My coworker invited me to drinks and dinner with her friend last Wednesday, and I accepted, and not sure why because it surprisingly was pouring rain and I was completely unprepared for it (no jacket, had to take an umbrella from our school's lost & found, etc!) but it was nice to go out for a meal with some company. We ended up at a restaurant called Vynl in Hells' Kitchen. Afterwards, it was still pouring outside and I was still damp from the way in, so I was just beelining to the Columbus Circle metro stop down 59th Street. My head was down, I was huddle under my umbrella, and jumped back at the last minute when I realized I was about to collide with someone. I said "Excuse me" as I looked up and saw I was in front of a hotel and a bellhop was holding an umbrella over a guest who was walking to the foyer, and we looked at each other and I realized that it was Will Smith! He passed by and I kept walking but then got under cover to turn around and it really was him, complete with Jada and the kids in tow. I was tempted to take a picture but it was rainy and cold and I couldn't bring myself to be THAT person!



Summer "Bracer": My work's biggest, roughest season by far is summer. Our numbers swell to over double, and everyone is stretched pretty thin and we all kinda lose our minds a little bit. For me dealing with housing it's the worst because the city is nearly sold out anyways so it's a bad time to be low on resources. All the same our Center Director is completely aware, and had a staff "Summer Bracer" happy hour last Thursday for our mental preparation. It was held at an Irish bar called The Tempest a few blocks away and our flyer reminded us that "liquor is free flowing in every sense of the word". It was awesome! Really fun as the whole staff was invited... this included summer staff, student services, academic, student workers, and teachers. We all had a really good time and it was nice to spend time with a lot of them on more of a personal level. I also took the opportunity to explain what an "Uncle Carl" drink was to everyone... aka a vodka cranberry, since I had quite a few and they're the drink my Uncle Carl is never without!



And the best is that yesterday I went to Atlantic City! But I've got tons of pictures of that and it's a post all its own...

A Solemn Tuesday

I went into work on Tuesday just like any other day.

It turns out that the evening previous, my supervisor, the Student Services Manager, had been fired. Of course I don't know the whole story, I don't know anything really that went on behind the scenes, but it was definitely a shock. I never would have expected it. The rest of us were really on edge and nervous, wondering if the rest of our jobs were in jeopardy. It makes me wonder, because I moved out here for this, what the hell would I DO if I lost this job?

I guess there's really no such thing as job security.

Financial District

What a sad day to not have my camera with me! It was a magnificent day in terms of weather and colors, and just about everything else.

My eyebrows needed to be re-threaded and it was something I wanted to do over the weekend but never got around to, so I chose today to do it, since I get off work at 4p on Mondays. I just looked up some places on Yelp! (Somewhere in San Diego, Sri is oh-so-proud right now) and found one in the Financial District. Well, there were some everywhere, but I always try to venture into new neighborhoods, so I chose that particular one.

My coworkers are always shocked when they hear that I venture to SoHo for yoga, considering I live in Morningside Heights, aka the Upper- Upper West Side because relatively speaking it's far... it's like the far diagonal corners of a rectangle... but what else do I have to do? Soon I'll be spoiled enough that I won't want to ride the subway for 20-30 minutes, but it's nice to see new neighborhoods and be in new places, and I'm just getting to know the ropes and all.

The financial district is beautiful! I exited at Park Place, so maybe that's why? The gorgeous center park, all greenery and a lively fountain, exquisite architecture, relatively clean, nice, the works! Some of the little streets reminded me of Europe, only the colors were brighter here, and much more modern buildings interlaced with historic ones. I went by Ground Zero (which is under construction for the memorial, but moving to be there), and went into TriBeCa and even found a 7/11 and got an iced coffee for old times sake.

Back at my room I loaded up laundry and went downstairs to wash it right nice, but turns out the cards they operate off of can only be loaded with cash, and I spent the last of mine getting my eyebrows threaded and having an iced coffee! Back to the drawing board...

Speaking of cash, my bank is Wells Fargo which I have since learned is a Western bank... there are zip WF's out here. They have a partnership with Wachovia but even those are scarce. I should switch banks, but I've been with Wells for 6 years now and I'm finally building up my loyalty points that I'm assuming I get. I don't want to start all over....!



Me and Peng just haaaaaangin' out. Yes this stuffed penguin was carry-on on my flights to NYC, and yes I am a wee bit o'shamed. Notice my newly-threaded eyebrows though...

My Sunday

I woke up to howling wind. So much for my non-breezy-weather theory! As is tradition, I got up and put on a pot of coffee, turned on some music, and got ready for church.

The #1 train was really delayed this morning, so it was really packed when it came, and I ended up being a little late. Afterwards, I went to a CVS (yes! they really have them out here!) and bought laundry detergent and fabric softener. (I really only brought clothes and books, I am working from the ground up here) and thought I would do laundry today. (You'll see shortly that that never happens!) but it was such a nice day outside that I decided to stay outdoors a little longer. The difference between the wind here and wind by the ocean is that here, it's not a chilling wind. It blows around the air that's already here, doesn't make you freeze!

I walked along side Central Park West, and even got water and a pretzel from the street vendor, and soon found myself at Strawberry Fields on CPW and 72nd.



I went in to the Imagine mosaic and thought it would be a nice place to hang out and relax, but turns out it wasn't. A constant ebb and flow tide of tourists in and out taking pictures of themselves, about 4 or 5 musicians all playing guitar and vying for attention with the loudest song created a most unpleasant cacophony for me. Also, there was some guy who apparently arranged the roses on the Imagine mosaic and kept making speeches about it and trying to get money. WHY?! It really annoyed me. I mean, who does he think he is, piggybacking off of someone else's work like that? HE didn't make the mosaic. He puts a rose on it and deserves money? It would be like me going to the Statue of Liberty and stringing up some Christmas lights and saying "Isn't this a work of art?? Show your agreement by giving me money to be able to continue making this a symbol of America". Yeah right!



After that I trekked on back to my room and took a nap. Sometimes I would get frustrated at myself when, on weekends and evenings I would be in my room, not out and about. And I'm thinking "I'm in NEW YORK CITY, there's plenty to do and see, what am I doing in here??" But... there's plenty of time. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was New York. I've got time to see everything, and it will be nice to explore with friends... once I have some!

After my nap I got up and went to go to the grocery store. I found myself drawn by the golden light of the dusk that was really bright to the west through the trees, and came across a beautiful park that was just across the street, but walled in so I never saw it originally. I found myself at this building



And on the top it said "Let Us Have Peace". I was moved, I thought that was beautiful.



I then followed the trail down south for a beautiful walk along the Hudson river. Isn't this lovely? Maybe it's partly due to the small living quarters all New Yorkers suffer, but there are so many outdoor spaces so nearby, it makes living in the city so easy. In California, I would have to drive somewhere to find an outdoor space like this!



I made it to the grocery store, after a quick comfort coffee from Starbucks and some time spent reading. Another weekend passed tranquilly.

Let's Talk About The Weather

I've spent the last 6 years living by the beach, in Santa Barbara and San Diego. And while the weather generally would be mild and breezy, and I would prefer that to the triple digit stifling summer heat of Riverside, I am finding that I actually prefer the latter.

Now I'm not saying it was always enjoyable to be uncomfortably hot, but I really loved those days in high school when I played tennis every afternoon in the hot hot heat and go home to eat popsicles and take cold showers and then stay around the house in my bathing suit without toweling off. I've always said that I would rather burn to death than freeze to death.

What I didn't like about living by the beach, was how cold it would always get in the evenings and nights. No matter the temperature, there's always an ocean breeze which cools everything off, and that's always annoyed me.

It's definitely been heating up in New York City, and it is a heavier heat than the dry desert winds in Riverside. Usually by the time I head out for work around 8a the coolness of morning is already burning off, and when I go out for lunch it's significantly warm, even hot, and somewhat musty with everything being trapped inbetween the buildings and the subway exhausts blowing upwards. Still, it's been a nice change! Plus with occasional rain and all, I have been loving a difference in the weather. Having the exact same weather day in and day out in California really jaded me.

Last Thursday, I joined a student activity to see the New York City Ballet perform at Lincoln Center. (And shameless plug for Riverside: the prima donna ballerina was actually from Riverside, California! She made me so proud) It was really fun, and beautiful, and when we got out at about 10 o'clock, I was amazed at how beautifully warm it was! I hadn't had a still warm night like that since I lived in Riverside since there was no ocean breeze to screw it up! It felt warm and perfect and I didn't need a jacket and it was a beautiful night in NYC, one that I didn't think existed outside of California. I'm happy I've found it here!

Newsweek and Sign Language

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read, and can't stand to go anywhere without a book in tow. Riding the subway for 20 minutes on the way to work every morning seems like the perfect opportunity to get some book time in, but it's frustrating to work on settling into a book, plus there can be lots of distractions that prevent me from putting the energy into the literature (the train performers, noisy kids, crazy homeless people, the arguing couple, etc) so I usually would just listen to music.

Well this week my change of address for my Newsweek subscription finally kicked in and I had it in my purse and it has been the best reading material ever since! I've had a subscription for awhile, ever since my friend Daniel became a writer for it, and since this year they would mainly just pile up since I never seemed to have time to ever read them or do anything with them. But now all the little articles and anecdotes on contemporary global events are just perfect to take on the train. I don't know why it excited me so much. Maybe because even though Daniel covers the White House now, he had the cover story of my first Newsweek now. I'm so proud of my friends!


This is Daniel on the left, myself, and Stephan in Bamberg, Germany

On a side note, after my lunch today I was outside the building just standing in the sun and watching the passers-by when I noticed two Amish men with lots of luggage (lots of Amish come around here) pull out a map. I don't know what compelled me to approach them because I've seen similar scenes before, but I did. I asked if they needed help, and they looked at me and then answered and I couldn't understand them. I looked puzzled and they tried again, sounded like they said "F". I don't know why but I instinctively made the fingerspelling sign for "F" in American Sign Language when I asked "F?" and their eyes lit up and they got really excited and that's when I realized that they were deaf and that's why I couldn't understand them so well. I couldn't believe it! They asked if I knew sign language and I said a little and I was able to give them directions to get to the F train from where we were... in sign language! I used to take ASL classes both in high school, and again in college, but never pursued it as much as I would have liked. I still had that habit to sometimes clarify confusion with my hands, or answer with signs if someone asked me a question while I had my mouth full or was on the phone. I rekindled my passion for ASL today.

It's just so true that there are no two days the same when you live in New York City, there's always someone new to meet or something new to happen.

The San Diego Center

This week I have really been homesick for the San Diego center where I used to work. Because I was a one-woman show in the Student Services department, I really got to know all the students. I joked with them in orientation (and probably scared them too), learned their names, got to say good morning to them as they ran off the elevators late to class, and was invited to birthday celebrations and goodbye parties. Recently some students who have now since left San Diego for their native countries, have posted videos and pictures of our good times, and even wrote messages to say that they miss me at the San Diego center. It's made me a little nostalgic.

Here are my sweet Rayidah and Allolo from Saudi Arabia. I had been in the process of helping Rayidah get necessary paperwork and visas for her brother to come study with us, so we would talk almost every day! I helped her write a formal letter in English, and she was always so sweet and thankful. Allolo is one of a kind! Bubbly and spirited, she just glowed every morning because she loved San Diego and was so happy to be here. She used to give me one complement every morning, it became a tradition!




My dear Seong Eun and Mami, from South Korea and Japan, respectively. I helped both of these girls with their accommodations, and they were very grateful. Quiet, respectful, and sweet girls, they were wonderful to have around San Diego, I mean really, I actually was excited and smiled everytime I saw them walk in off the elevators




My Swiss surfers! Sandra, Sonam and Marco were part of the group that came to a surfing trip that I organized with the school. Great bunch, so energetic and fun! They even let me hang out with them at the beach after surfing and taught me a Swiss card game that I've already forgotten! Ciao Sep?




Ahmed from Saudi Arabia. He liked to push the limits, but was a good jokester and always friendly. I was invited to his birthday celebration where he served Arabian coffee, tea, sweet dates and other traditional eats from his native country. I used him once or twice as a translator for some lower-level Arabic-English speakers. One student had to buy insurance and was confused and thought she wouldn't be able to pay it. Ahmed had to go back to class but pulled me aside to whisper that if she couldn't afford it, to let him know and he would pay it for her. I was so touched! Loyalty for fellow countrymen at its best




Quite possibly one of my favorite teachers in San Diego: Katie! I got to come to her apartment to celebrate Thanksgiving with her and her class, what fun! She's also a native from Rhode Island so I expect to see her on the East Coast sometime soon and we can finally make those shirts and get that drink!!




And the dear working staff that I left (minus Antonella!) Student worker Guinemer from Brazil (so happy you made it back! Infectious positive attitude, willingness to help in all situations, calm, and uplifting), Rose, the beautiful, capable new Student Services ironically from New York!, myself, our great morning student worker Andre from Italy (who has since went back already!) and good ol Joe, my director in from the New York office to help with the transition. Don't we make a lovely bunch and a great team??



Miss you all!

Wait... I Live Here

Today around lunchtime I wasn't really very hungry, but I wanted to get out of the office, so I took a little walk and found myself sitting in front of Madison Square Garden enjoying the sun.

A man taps me on the shoulder and as I turn around he asks "Excuse me... do you live here?"

In my head I heard my automatic response "No, I live in California" but suddenly it didn't sit right and I must have had my mouth open like a fish. I finally responded, "Why yes, yes I do,"

And you know what? He wanted to know how to get to Rockefeller Square. Can you believe that was something I actually knew?? It was really bizarre and one of the first times I felt like, hmmm this is where I live now!