This IS My Life

I'm writing this as a I sit in a tea shop surrounded by comfortable couches, green walls and bamboo on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. With the weight of my computer on my lap, I share with you my New York life and all that I've been experiencing.

It's been 2.5 weeks since I landed at JFK airport jobless, yet full of hope and excitement. Since that day, I've:

• Participated in the casting call NY apt. hunt - searched for a furnished room to rent in a good apt. building with normal roommates - still searching.
• Watched the sunset (almost daily) over the Hudson river from the windowseat in my family's Upper West Side apt.
• Sat next to amazing friends - reminiscing about experiences shared abroad and now in the city.
• Experienced my first poetry slam in a NY bar on the lower east side - Black, White, Arab, Jewish, the variety and impact of the poets, words and their delivery were inspiring.
• Gone grocery shopping in the insanely-crowded Fairway market.
• Witnessed the Upper West Side Jews crowding the fish counter at Zabars the day before Yom Kippur - they kept announcing over the loud speaker to make sure to take a number and to sit in the cafe and wait for the number to be called.
• Witnessed a bicyclist yelling at a car for nearly wiping him out on the street.
• Stood in silent subway cars full of people - it still amazes me how so many people in such close quarters seem to be in their own world.
• Seen people in business suits with running shoes on their feet, ready for the day's commute.
• Ran in Central Park
• Got interviewed and then hired at Sherman's Travel as an editorial assistant/intern - I spend 2 days in the office and 2 days from home editing/fact checking and occasionally writing destination guides for the website - actually doing what I came to NY to do - things DO work out!
• Experienced packed 6 pm elevators from the 21st floor of my 34th St. NYC office.
• Tackled the NY subways at rush hour - with a coffee in one hand and squashed between people, unable to move.
• Traveled to Baltimore, Maryland to celebrate Yom Kippur with my friends and their families - MUCH love and THANKS to such amazing people!
• Worn a Renaissance costume while selling falafels and gyros at the NY Renaissance Festival in Tuexdo, NY- thanks to my friend whose dad owns the booth!
• Chuckled to myself numerous times while people watching.
• Looked at old family pictures while sitting at a table in the kitchen of my cousin-once removed (my Mom's first cousin).
• Seen a man playing the buckets in the subway station - it reminded me of STOMP.
• Heard a handful of languages being spoken within a small span of hours.
• Stumbled upon a Trader Joes (YAY, but I didn't have time to go in).
• Today, I saw a real-life scene from my FAVORITE movie - "Before Sunrise" - In front of Trader Joes on 14th St. sat a young man at a small table. On top of the table was an old school typewriter and attached to the table was a sign that said "POEMS." I witnessed him type up a poem about/for a young couple standing in front of him. How AWESOME is that?! Sadly, today was the first day I didn't take my camera with me! Intrigued, I went up to the guy...he offered to write me a poem but I didn't have time. I told him I'd come back...he said he's there 5 days a week from 2-6pm!!!! I walked away smiling.

NYC is amazing. I feel more alive here and more aware. My interactions were much more limited in Los Angeles. I'm SO aware of EVERYTHING and I LOVE IT! Cheers to new experiences, new sights and new interactions. I think I'm going to start making a list of things I see each day. I won't always post them because it'll probably get boring, but I'll still write them down for myself. I'm addicted to being aware! I suggest you give it a try. It makes life SO much more interesting! Much love from the city that never sleeps (that's NY, right?)!

Being Aware in NY

I moved from Los Angeles to New York for a number of reasons. One being that there are more journalism/writing/editing opportunities in NYC, but more importantly to me, I moved to NY because I was getting sick of LA and needed to dive into a new atmosphere. I needed to experience life as a foreigner once again. I'm not a foreigner in a strange land, but I am in a new place and I'm suddenly aware of EVERYTHING around me. I'm constantly observing people and their interactions with each other. I feel that this city is conducive to people watching. I suppose it's because of the sheer magnitude of people in such a geographically small area.

The subway is a great place to people watch. I told myself I'd start bringing a book on the train, but truthfully, I enjoy looking at the people. Today, I watched two very good looking guys walk through the doors of the train. In a matter of moments I noticed that the men were gay and had an amazing relationship. I couldn't hear what they were talking about, but the way they looked at each other and their subtle pinkie finger hand holding made me smile.

It seems to me that the subway would be a great place to meet people. I guess New Yorkers think differently. Everyone is packed into the subway and in the week I've been here, I've only witnessed one random conversation and it didn't even involve me. Yesterday, I got on the train holding a coffee in one hand and my purse in the other. As the train began to move, I lost my balance and literally fell into a man's lap. I told the guy I was sorry and situated myself on the empty seat next to him. It seemed like a perfect ice breaker but instead of carrying on a conversation with the man or the hot guy across from me who witnessed my fall, no one said a word.

I've become really aware of children in New York. I think it started with my fascination with the nanny culture. I'm addicted to look in every stroller I pass and then comparing what the child looks like to the person pushing them. It's amazing how many children get escorted around the city by their nanny. My fascination spread from strollers to children in general.

The other day, while on the train out of the city to Tuxedo, New York (where I worked at the NY Renaissance Festival selling falafel for the weekend), I observed an amazing family dynamic. The family consisted of a girl who was about 9 and a boy around 3 or 4, a father and a very tired mother. The boy and girl got along great and were entertaining themselves quite nicely. The children's laughter is what first caught my attention. At one point, the girl grabbed the boy's nose and pretended as though she had taken it (you know the trick where you stick your thumb through your second and third fingers). Instead of laughing, the boy got really upset, "Give me my nose back!" he yelled. The girl laughed but the boy was convinced that his sister had just taken his nose. He kept yelling at his sister to give his nose back. On the verge of tears, he began hitting his sister. Meanwhile, the girl and the parents (and I) were laughing hysterically at the boy. Finally the girl touched his nose. "Thank you," he replied. Still laughing at her brother, the girl touched his nose again and the boy began yelling at her to return it. After returning the nose again, she touched his eyes and told him she now had his eyes. The boy stood up, opened his mouth and spread his eyes open and moved his head slightly from side to side, like a blind man who had just gotten his eyesight back. It was hilarious! Although he could obviously see, with much conviction, he yelled at his sister to give him his eyes back. SO incredibly funny/adorable!

I witnessed another adorable moment today as I was sitting on the steps inside the fountain at Washington Square Park on the Lower East Side. I sat enjoying the gorgeous weather, reading a magazine, talking to my friend who was sitting next to me, and of course, people watching! Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy who was about 2 years old, wearing bright green pants that had been rolled up, running around the inside steps of the fountain. As he approached I kindly moved my feet up one step to let him pass. I then watched him move his little legs and run with his arms outstretched for balance. It was early afternoon and the fountain was full of people sitting just as I was. People's reactions were priceless. Those that weren't completely absorbed in their books kindly moved their feet up one step and watched in wonder as the boy in the bright green shorts passed. When he reached a person that was oblivious to his presence, he timidly stepped down and then back up and continued on his way around the circle. The girl next to me saw the boy from the beginning of his adventure and the two of us talked and laughed hysterically as we watched the boy. When he got to where his mother was standing, he quickly climbed the steps and she lifted him out.

I LOVE being immersed in every moment and observing everything and everyone around me.

The NY Apartment Hunting Saga

I'm convinced that nothing can be more comical/frustrating than searching for a room to rent in New York. Ask any apt/room seeker what website they use and they'll undoubtedly tell you Craigslist. For those of you who haven't been introduced to the wonderful world of Craigslist, you're missing out! People post rooms and apts. to rent, jobs, furniture, and anything else imaginable; this includes requests for a bed buddy in the "rooms/shared" section. I've even seen ads where the person (usually a middle/upper aged male) is asking for a female to move into the apt. and for her to walk around in her underwear, cook dinner, and who knows what else. I think Craigslist needs to hire someone to do some monitoring! Some people try to lure you in as a roommate with their humor. I read an ad today that put "*No nerds" at the bottom of the ad for the room available in his apt. The disturbing posts make me laugh and wonder who in their right mind would answer such ad. Do people in NYC really do anything to get a cheap room to live in? I refuse! Anywho, I continue to look because new rooms pop up every minute and it's free.

I answered a posting last week for a room to rent in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The price was cheap for the area (slightly under $700) and the room came furnished! I called the woman and when I told her I was responding to her ad, she sighed and informed me that I was the 54th person to call! I told her why I was looking for a room and she asked me tons of questions. She seemed like a real character. After our short talk, she told me she liked me, "I'll move you up on the list, how about Friday at 12:30?"

I arrived on the street in front of the apt. on Friday at 12:25. While I was trying to figure out what floor it was on, a young man came down and asked me if I was coming to look at the room. I said yes and followed him up the stairs. I had no idea who he was and when I turned the corner, I was greeted by a second young guy sitting on the steps. For a split second my heart jumped a beat and I thought I had been scammed. Luckily, my imagination stopped in its tracks when the guy on the steps said, "You must be 12:30? I'm 12:00, he's 12:15."

I was surprised to find out that the woman had made separate appointments and I now had to stand in a line that was already 30 minutes behind schedule! Apparently the 11:45 appointment was still inside talking to the woman. I attempted to make small talk but only the 12:15 responded. It felt like the 12:00 viewed us as the competition - after all, we were all vying for the same room!

Twenty minutes after my arrival, the door opened and a guy walked out. The woman saw us and told the 12:15 and I to go wait at Starbucks and then the uptight 12:00 guy walked in. I decided that if I was going to look at this room, there was no way I was going to hang out at Starbucks. The 12:15 agreed and we both sat on the steps and tried our best to eavesdrop. About 15 minutes pass and we hear, "Do you want me to pay you now, or later?" Was the room taken before I even had a chance to look at it? I decided to hang around in case I had heard wrong.

Eventually, the door opened and the 12:00 ran down the stairs, without making eye contact. The 12:15 asked if the room was still available and the woman told him that the other guy had taken a room that she hadn't even posted on Craigslist yet. Relieved, I ignored her second request for me to head to Starbucks and sat down on the steps.

About a minute later, I hear, "Aw, thank you! I love skittles!" My mouth dropped. I had seen a package of skittles sticking out of the guy's pants and I remember thinking, why isn't he eating them? There's nothing else to do while standing in line. He didn't eat them because he was going to use them to win over the woman! If I wasn't convinced already that this was like waiting in line for a casting call, I certainly was after the skittles incident! Does this guy give skittles every time he looks at a room or does he save his skittles move for special apartments? Ah, so bizarre!

I wasn't surprised when ten minutes later I hear, "I can pay you know if you'd like." By that time I had been there 1.5 hrs, I still hadn't seen the room and it sounded like the second available room had just been taken. I figured I had waited so long, that I might as well make sure that the room really was off the market. I waited for the woman to open the door, but no door opened. I ended up calling the woman while standing outside the door. She informed me that the room was taken.

After all that, I didn't even get to see the room! It wasn't a total loss though, I did get an introduction to the NY apt./room hunt. There's no "let me think about it, I'll get back to you" in New York. If I find a place I like, I have to pay at that moment, otherwise the person in line behind me is going to take it. And the skittles...well, to each his own. I'd like to think I can get an apt. in the city without involving a bag of candy!

The NYC Life

As the Jewish new year begins, so does my life as a New Yorker.

I arrived in NYC on Monday. Not only did I arrive exhausted from what felt like a tour of various U.S. airports (Sacramento - Los Angeles - Boston - New York) but I arrived bag less. I had managed to fit everything I owned and deemed important in a 50 pound suitcase and a 45 pound backpack which I had confidently given to the Delta Airlines employee at the check-in counter in Sacramento. I figured it was highly possible that my bags wouldn't be able to keep up with my insanely stupid flight schedule, so I didn't freak out when they didn't appear on the conveyor belt. Luckily, they got delivered later that afternoon at my mom's cousin's place on the upper west side.

I've only been here a few days but I feel as though I've quickly jumped into my life here. I'm extremely fortunate to have amazing family who has opened up their apt. to me. I've got a room with a bed and wireless internet, bathroom, food...amazing! Although I wouldn't mind living here eternally, I am looking for a room of my own to rent. Know anyone in NY that needs a roommate?? Anywho, I spent my first night eating home-cooked lasagna, watching football and socializing with two of my amazing friends here in the city. It was almost as though we do it every Monday night. It was SO unbelievably normal! I spent the next night eating Indian food with another amazing friend and her roommate. I honestly feel as though I've been here a while and have to keep reminding myself that I just arrived and can't expect to have a job and an apartment all at once. Ok, this stuff is boring....what you REALLY want to hear about is what NYC is really like. Don't you? Here goes...

Here are a list of interactions and experiences that I've had these past few days. Instances that made me laugh to myself and reminded me that I am in New York.

*A car making a right turn stops shortly before hitting a man crossing the street. The man slams both hands on the hood and says "You're supposed to STOP!" Of course, he does this once the car is already stopped.

*Almost no child riding in a stroller even remotely resembles the person pushing them. (I'm living on the Upper West Side...the place is teaming with nannys)

*No one talks to anyone on the subway. I must remember to bring a book with me because I don't want to be caught staring.

*5:45 pm on the 1 train downtown I see a man enter the subway with a package of sushi from Whole Foods in one hand and a pair of wooden chopsticks in the other. He attempts to eat while standing and then finds a seat and finishes his meal in silence.

*Wearing cute shoes that have not been broken in will rub your heels raw. After experiencing this for myself, I began looking at people's feet. Sure enough, many women in the city have red circles on their heels. Guess they chose fashion over comfort.

*It's okay to use one of those Granny carts when transporting groceries.

*While at Fairway (an AMAZING food market) waiting at the deli counter for some sliced chicken, I witnessed numerous senior citizens stalking up on meat and pre-cooked food items. "We're talking potatoes," says an elderly man with a NY accent. "Give me 1/2 pound of this one, 1/2 pound of those," this goes on until he's gotten a half of pound of the 4 varieties of cooked potatoes. I nearly missed my number being called because I was so enthralled in the scene.

*Everything can be delivered. Including groceries.

*Most stores are usually 3 or 4 stories. I went into a 4 story Staples and a 4 story Barnes and Noble today.

*A railroad apartment means the rooms are one after another. If you have a bedroom in the middle, people must walk through yours to get to theirs. No thanks!

*I miss Target.

*Just because it's raining outside doesn't mean it's cold!

*Went to a Rosh Hashana dinner tonight with my family. While the company was nice and the food was great, I felt out of my league. I was the most inarticulate person there and the only one who didn't attend an Ivy League school. Oh well.

*My family's weekly housekeeper came Thursday to clean. I open a door and am surprised to find the woman vacuuming the edges of the framed photos on the wall in the hallway! Apparently she's a bit obsessive with the cleaning. Later, my mom's cousin makes lunch and feeds the housekeeper. When the woman was done cleaning the entire place, my mom's cousin thanked her profusely. So nice!

**I'll add to this list as the days go on. I know there are MANY things I probably left out! Hope you enjoyed it.