On move in day, the woman right across the hall from me was on her way out to a tea as me and my moving crew (aka friends I bribed with Dinosaur BBQ) were schlepping my things in and out of the apartment. She wanted to know who was moving in, introduced herself to me, and her husband, and proclaimed herself to be my new neighbor to everyone as she walked down the hall.
Since then, Elizabeth has likely been the most welcoming person I've met in NYC. (I'll admit some runners-up include Daniel Rojas for taking me out for a drink on my first night in the city, and Jayna for the electric guitar spatula when I moved into my studio). When I see Elizabeth out front, she says hi and asks how I'm doing and chitchats with me. When I was taking out the trash on Sunday after the party, she asks me if Alex and I had a good time, invites me in and introduces me to her goddaughter.
Alex bought a desk online and it was supposed to arrive last week. FedEx finally announces that it will arrive Monday, which is unfortunate because Alex had a studio shoot that day, so he wouldn't be home to receive it. When i got home, FedEx left a note saying that "Neighbor across the hall accepted". How nice was that?? Elizabeth accepted the package for us and brought it over in the evening for Alex.
I met Elizabeth within my first few hours in the new place and she has been kind and welcoming. I spent a year in my last studio and never exchanged a word to anyone once, whenever I happened to pass them on the stairs. I love the community I've entered into here in Harlem.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Our Haus Hath Been Warmed
Maybe that's why I had problems getting to sleep??
On Saturday, Alex and I slept in, got ready, and spent the afternoon running errands and shopping for our housewarming party. Snacks and drinks, and a special trip to Fairway Market (it truly is unlike any other grocery store!!!) and then we came back to "rearrange" (read: move the coffee table to the wall) and set everything up. I also baked cookies to add something sweet into our mix of salty snacks.
We had a great time, and waaaay too much to eat and drink when everyone coming ended up bring a bottle and food too. It went until the wee hours of the morning, with the windows open and all fans on deck. Everyone was so great, and Jenny even brought me an additional housewarming present of this Asian-like fan shaped out of yellow ducks she bought in Koreatown, and a huuuuge jar of kimchi!!! We had so much room we even had a session of Zumba and dancing going on.
The next day we slept in late, cleaned the place up leisurely, then I went to Betsy's the take care of the cats, met up with Ronnie for Bloomingdale's frozen yogurt, then we trekked to the Village for church before smoothies (it was hot!) and we came back. I had trouble sleeping last night because of how hot it was, despite all the open windows and fan blowing. By early morning it was comfortably cool enough to sleep, and it reminded me of home again, the way you can stay up until 4a in the heat, and then fall asleep nicely by 5a, and sleep in until about 11a while the air is still warming to bake. But, when you don't have the summers off to sleep in, it really becomes irksome. Next paycheck, I may or may not be springing for that AC unit.
On Saturday, Alex and I slept in, got ready, and spent the afternoon running errands and shopping for our housewarming party. Snacks and drinks, and a special trip to Fairway Market (it truly is unlike any other grocery store!!!) and then we came back to "rearrange" (read: move the coffee table to the wall) and set everything up. I also baked cookies to add something sweet into our mix of salty snacks.
We had a great time, and waaaay too much to eat and drink when everyone coming ended up bring a bottle and food too. It went until the wee hours of the morning, with the windows open and all fans on deck. Everyone was so great, and Jenny even brought me an additional housewarming present of this Asian-like fan shaped out of yellow ducks she bought in Koreatown, and a huuuuge jar of kimchi!!! We had so much room we even had a session of Zumba and dancing going on.
The next day we slept in late, cleaned the place up leisurely, then I went to Betsy's the take care of the cats, met up with Ronnie for Bloomingdale's frozen yogurt, then we trekked to the Village for church before smoothies (it was hot!) and we came back. I had trouble sleeping last night because of how hot it was, despite all the open windows and fan blowing. By early morning it was comfortably cool enough to sleep, and it reminded me of home again, the way you can stay up until 4a in the heat, and then fall asleep nicely by 5a, and sleep in until about 11a while the air is still warming to bake. But, when you don't have the summers off to sleep in, it really becomes irksome. Next paycheck, I may or may not be springing for that AC unit.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Shantaram and Living On
Yesterday it got depressingly overcast, and then miserably rainy. It was Friday, and I was exhausted from a week of work, it made for the perfect storm of me feeling downcast and saddened. Alex and I went and picked up a coffee table off Craigslist for our place (which goes perfect with the jungle theme and overall decor) and then I went to bed, no music or Seinfeld to see me off to sleep, just the darkness of the room, the breeze of the fan and the sounds of the street below.
I woke up in the morning around 9:30, made coffee and came back to my room (I love having a room again with a door that closes and is separate from the living room!) and felt incredibly homesick. But maybe more nostalgic? The people and places I miss still exist, but of course not in the same capacity they used to. It's all better in your head, when things work out the way you want them too. Were I back home, the chances of me seeing these people and places regularly are so slim. Life is busy and everyone moves on and up, gets married and has little time for single friends.
On my bed with my coffee in hand, I opened up Shantaram and finished the last pages, officially completing the 933-page book! I completely recommend it to anyone, it's so well written, beautiful, insightful, and entertaining. One of the quotes, that completely stuck with me, I remembered as I closed the book and was reflecting on it:
"Most loves are like that ... Your heart starts to feel like an overcrowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat, and your self-respect and independence. After a while, you start throwing people out - your friends, everyone you used to know. And it's still not enough. The lifeboat is still sinking, and you know it's going to take you down with it. I've seen that happen to a lot of girls here. That's why I'm sick of love."
That quote is not at all an accurate depiction of the book in its entirety, or even the boldest excerpt or any representation of the work as a whole, but it's one I liked and one I remembered, and wanted to share.
Tonight Alex and I are throwing a housewarming party, so I do have to prepare (mostly buy food and alcohol... there's not much to clean!) so I think it will be a great remedy to my homesickness today, to remind myself of the great adventure I'm on, of all the wonderful people I've met and continue to get to know, and those that make NYC home for me. As Shantaram says...
For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Think. Act. Feel. Add our little consequence to the tides of good and evil that flood and drain the world. Drag our shadowed crosses into the hope of another night. Push our brave hearts into the promise of a new day. With love: the passionate search for truth other than our own. With longing: the pure, ineffable yearning to be saved. For so long as fate keeps waiting, we live on. God help us. God forgive us. We live on.
And of course... Happy Birthday, Ryan. Twelve years I've known you and continue to know you! Cheers.
I woke up in the morning around 9:30, made coffee and came back to my room (I love having a room again with a door that closes and is separate from the living room!) and felt incredibly homesick. But maybe more nostalgic? The people and places I miss still exist, but of course not in the same capacity they used to. It's all better in your head, when things work out the way you want them too. Were I back home, the chances of me seeing these people and places regularly are so slim. Life is busy and everyone moves on and up, gets married and has little time for single friends.
On my bed with my coffee in hand, I opened up Shantaram and finished the last pages, officially completing the 933-page book! I completely recommend it to anyone, it's so well written, beautiful, insightful, and entertaining. One of the quotes, that completely stuck with me, I remembered as I closed the book and was reflecting on it:
"Most loves are like that ... Your heart starts to feel like an overcrowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat, and your self-respect and independence. After a while, you start throwing people out - your friends, everyone you used to know. And it's still not enough. The lifeboat is still sinking, and you know it's going to take you down with it. I've seen that happen to a lot of girls here. That's why I'm sick of love."
That quote is not at all an accurate depiction of the book in its entirety, or even the boldest excerpt or any representation of the work as a whole, but it's one I liked and one I remembered, and wanted to share.
Tonight Alex and I are throwing a housewarming party, so I do have to prepare (mostly buy food and alcohol... there's not much to clean!) so I think it will be a great remedy to my homesickness today, to remind myself of the great adventure I'm on, of all the wonderful people I've met and continue to get to know, and those that make NYC home for me. As Shantaram says...
For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Think. Act. Feel. Add our little consequence to the tides of good and evil that flood and drain the world. Drag our shadowed crosses into the hope of another night. Push our brave hearts into the promise of a new day. With love: the passionate search for truth other than our own. With longing: the pure, ineffable yearning to be saved. For so long as fate keeps waiting, we live on. God help us. God forgive us. We live on.
And of course... Happy Birthday, Ryan. Twelve years I've known you and continue to know you! Cheers.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Golden State
One of the most daring things a West Coast American can do is move East Coast... and guess what East Coasters find daring? Yep, trekking to the West Coast. Everyone in New York City has a crazy fascination with California, whether they prefer to live in NYC or make it out there one day. Those moving to California are glowing and excited for what is considered some sort of Ultimate Goal. The excited response I get from telling people I am homegrown Californian makes me gloat just a little bit... even though I've always been proud of my West Coast ways.
When I saw this necklace I thought it was overpriced but I couldn't resist. The necklace is complete with a California-shaped charm which says "CALIFORNIA" inside of it. It came in gold or silver but duh, had to get it in gold for my principles.
No matter where I move to or live, the idea of home is always in those hot little Riverside streets with the orange groves and crowded freeways to the beach, the way I perceived reality and the way my world was shaped in development all stems from growing up in (Southern!) California. Though I'm currently happier where I am now, I'm still nostalgic and miss it at times. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
When I saw this necklace I thought it was overpriced but I couldn't resist. The necklace is complete with a California-shaped charm which says "CALIFORNIA" inside of it. It came in gold or silver but duh, had to get it in gold for my principles.
No matter where I move to or live, the idea of home is always in those hot little Riverside streets with the orange groves and crowded freeways to the beach, the way I perceived reality and the way my world was shaped in development all stems from growing up in (Southern!) California. Though I'm currently happier where I am now, I'm still nostalgic and miss it at times. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Hudson River Films
I get off work at 5pm. At 4:50, I breakaway to the bathrooms and change into a swimsuit under my dress, slip out of some gold flats in exchange for brown sandals. I come back to my desk, close up shop, and head out, saying goodbye to coworkers as I pass on my way to the door. I walk quickly along the main campus walk to Broadway, duck into market to grab iced tea, blueberries and some ready-made sesame pork before catching the subway downtown, emerging in Chelsea, and meeting Jayna at the Pier 63 field along the Hudson River to lay out, tan, and save our spot for the open-air, under-the-stars film showing.
I knew about these things last summer, but never went, and I really regret it now! In the warm summertime, along the river, including free popcorn (and Starbucks was even passing out free iced coffee!), there are free showings of movies twice a week in July and August, and last night was The Social Network, which neither Jayna nor I had seen. We claimed spots up by the screen and held down the fort for ourselves, and our friends Vanessa and Greg who joined us too.
It still feels a little surreal to be doing all of these things in the middle of NYC, and I'm reminded of it when I see the Empire State Building hovering in the skyline
This is a good showing of the crowd that turned out, although it still filled up even more
Here is the inflatable screen they put up to project the movie onto, overlooking the river and little lights of the New Jersey side
Is it not so beautiful?? Before the movie started, we were enjoying the warm air, the breeze, the river, and loud music playing, including Michael Jackson and Paul Simon. I was SOOOO in the zen.
I couldn't get over how great it was, and how this was where I lived and got to enjoy all of these activities.
When the movie started, Jayna and I lay down on our blanket and towels, made pillows of our purses, and watched the movie warmly out under the stars, and let the booming sound of the video project over us into the field for the hundreds in the audience. I really felt for the first time that NYC was home. The whole activity felt like something I would have done in Riverside (why-- I don't know, maybe just the heat) and getting out and enjoying it made me happy. Nothing is better in NYC than the summertime!! That's probably all I'll talk about until September, so if you can accept that now, you may continue to read this bloggity blog.
I knew about these things last summer, but never went, and I really regret it now! In the warm summertime, along the river, including free popcorn (and Starbucks was even passing out free iced coffee!), there are free showings of movies twice a week in July and August, and last night was The Social Network, which neither Jayna nor I had seen. We claimed spots up by the screen and held down the fort for ourselves, and our friends Vanessa and Greg who joined us too.
It still feels a little surreal to be doing all of these things in the middle of NYC, and I'm reminded of it when I see the Empire State Building hovering in the skyline
This is a good showing of the crowd that turned out, although it still filled up even more
Here is the inflatable screen they put up to project the movie onto, overlooking the river and little lights of the New Jersey side
Is it not so beautiful?? Before the movie started, we were enjoying the warm air, the breeze, the river, and loud music playing, including Michael Jackson and Paul Simon. I was SOOOO in the zen.
I couldn't get over how great it was, and how this was where I lived and got to enjoy all of these activities.
When the movie started, Jayna and I lay down on our blanket and towels, made pillows of our purses, and watched the movie warmly out under the stars, and let the booming sound of the video project over us into the field for the hundreds in the audience. I really felt for the first time that NYC was home. The whole activity felt like something I would have done in Riverside (why-- I don't know, maybe just the heat) and getting out and enjoying it made me happy. Nothing is better in NYC than the summertime!! That's probably all I'll talk about until September, so if you can accept that now, you may continue to read this bloggity blog.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Moon is Down
It's summertime in the city. The population disperses over long weekends, the air conditioning is turned on in the subway cars, and I had trouble sleeping last night for the first time because of the heat.
All in all, it is not nearly as unbearable as it was last summer in my stifling little studio... I now have large, street-side windows and a better fan which makes for a great (albeit, hot) breeze. I am faced once again with wondering if I should buy an air conditioning unit and suck up the electricity bill, or try to beat it out again. I really think I have it in me to go another summer sans the AC, but do I really want to? Something tells me the summer may pass while I try to figure that one out.
Summertime is also when I revive all my old music that took place in summers before. It just gives me the feeling of summer all over again. Lately it's the Deftones' White Pony album, No Doubt's Return of Saturn (both from the summer of 2000), and Further Seems Forever's The Moon is Down from the summer of 2003.
What a fabulous album that was, I'm wondering what's taken me so long to get back into it.
Tonight is a free outdoor movie at the Chelsea Piers! They're showing The Social Network and I'm meeting up with Jayna after work to go tan and save our space until it starts at dusk.
All in all, it is not nearly as unbearable as it was last summer in my stifling little studio... I now have large, street-side windows and a better fan which makes for a great (albeit, hot) breeze. I am faced once again with wondering if I should buy an air conditioning unit and suck up the electricity bill, or try to beat it out again. I really think I have it in me to go another summer sans the AC, but do I really want to? Something tells me the summer may pass while I try to figure that one out.
Summertime is also when I revive all my old music that took place in summers before. It just gives me the feeling of summer all over again. Lately it's the Deftones' White Pony album, No Doubt's Return of Saturn (both from the summer of 2000), and Further Seems Forever's The Moon is Down from the summer of 2003.
What a fabulous album that was, I'm wondering what's taken me so long to get back into it.
Tonight is a free outdoor movie at the Chelsea Piers! They're showing The Social Network and I'm meeting up with Jayna after work to go tan and save our space until it starts at dusk.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Fourth of July
I LOVE the 4th of July holiday. I think what I love most about it is summertime, and how it's just sort of the epitome of everything that summertime stands for. Originally I didn't have any plans really other than to relax and try to get in the sun, and maybe take my bike out. (I bought a beach cruiser off craigslist from a guy in Staten Island and took the ferry out there Friday afternoon when I had a half day and it was a perfectly beautiful warm, sunny and breezy day and I was excited to ride the bike in weather like that around Central Park!) But at the last minute, my old worker Joe invited me and Jayna and Jamie out to the Hamptons to his friends place. Ummm... yes please??
An early train ride out from Penn Station to the Bridgehampton stop, Joe picked us up at the platform, and took us to our Hamptons abode. Unbelievable. More than being so beautiful and lush, I'm not sure I've ever been in a place so serene, quiet, and still... like, meditation style.
This was part of the backyard, the pool, and you can see the top of the tennis net in the distance.
Jayna tanning poolside
Talk about being in heaven! This place had everything you could ever want. And add in that all of Joe's friends were pretty awesome and cool, and the weekend was magical. Over the course of the weekend it was an endless stream of beers and burgers and hot dogs. We had music going 24/7 outside under the veranda and entertained ourselves by swimming in the pool, playing tennis, whiffleball, badminton, and trips to the beach. We went to a residents-only beach in East Hampton, so it wasn't even too crowded. We stayed up until the sunrise, either in the basement shooting pool, playing the drum set or pinball machine, having a dance party in the one of the living rooms, or nightswimming in the pool. There was this awesome disco ball for the pool we threw in and had all the rest of the lights off that created a pretty awesome ambience.
I couldn't get over how relaxing it was!! We hung out and grilled burgers and ate until we were too hot and then we jumped in the pool and swimmed up to the deck and drank our beers, dried off by playing tennis, lit some fireworks and repeated. My favorite part of the weekend I think was the nightswimming. It was like 2 in the morning, perfectly warm summer night, the disco ball going, music blasting to the likes of Modest Mouse and Weezer, and I even caught a shooting star at one point, although no one believed me.
Sleeping in, waking up to everyone making breakfast and brewing coffee, and then taking it all outside to tan and read... this is the life
Lord knows I'll probably never make it out to the Hamptons again, like, ever, so I'm happy to say that I really took advantage of it all on my trip out there. Jamie and I took the train back together and caught firework shows in the distance as we hummed along Long Island back to the city.
Perfect Fourth of July!
An early train ride out from Penn Station to the Bridgehampton stop, Joe picked us up at the platform, and took us to our Hamptons abode. Unbelievable. More than being so beautiful and lush, I'm not sure I've ever been in a place so serene, quiet, and still... like, meditation style.
This was part of the backyard, the pool, and you can see the top of the tennis net in the distance.
Jayna tanning poolside
Talk about being in heaven! This place had everything you could ever want. And add in that all of Joe's friends were pretty awesome and cool, and the weekend was magical. Over the course of the weekend it was an endless stream of beers and burgers and hot dogs. We had music going 24/7 outside under the veranda and entertained ourselves by swimming in the pool, playing tennis, whiffleball, badminton, and trips to the beach. We went to a residents-only beach in East Hampton, so it wasn't even too crowded. We stayed up until the sunrise, either in the basement shooting pool, playing the drum set or pinball machine, having a dance party in the one of the living rooms, or nightswimming in the pool. There was this awesome disco ball for the pool we threw in and had all the rest of the lights off that created a pretty awesome ambience.
I couldn't get over how relaxing it was!! We hung out and grilled burgers and ate until we were too hot and then we jumped in the pool and swimmed up to the deck and drank our beers, dried off by playing tennis, lit some fireworks and repeated. My favorite part of the weekend I think was the nightswimming. It was like 2 in the morning, perfectly warm summer night, the disco ball going, music blasting to the likes of Modest Mouse and Weezer, and I even caught a shooting star at one point, although no one believed me.
Sleeping in, waking up to everyone making breakfast and brewing coffee, and then taking it all outside to tan and read... this is the life
Lord knows I'll probably never make it out to the Hamptons again, like, ever, so I'm happy to say that I really took advantage of it all on my trip out there. Jamie and I took the train back together and caught firework shows in the distance as we hummed along Long Island back to the city.
Perfect Fourth of July!
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