This one goes out to the lonely ... This one goes out to the broken ones ... This one goes out to the angels ... Fallin' from the sky ... This one goes out to my brother ... This one goes out to my mother ... This one goes out to my sister ... And this one's for you:
It's been long since you heard from me. But I'm still alive and well, thank you very much for wondering. :)
First of all I want to address the change in format. I thought it was time for a technological upgrade. :) After all, we are in the 21st century... My reports have become longer and longer and I don't want to burden you with huge emails any more. It seems like my life in the USA is taking a more permanent shape and I think that's why the medium of my reports should also be a more lasting one than an email, which is deleted in an instant. Plus, it will be so much easier for you to go back in time and reread all those exciting stories whenever you feel like it! That's why I decided to take this whole project to a new level ... BLOG! Plus you can participate now and leave comments behind!! :D
What happened in the last couple months ... The biggest news I guess is that I moved. Again. *hehe* I was actually asked if I was running a moving company and was my own best customer. No, I am not. Running a moving company I mean. *LOL* It's been a year in Chestnut Avenue, South Hackensack and since Jojo also landed a job in the city it didn't make sense for us to spend our little free time commuting back and forth for three hours each day. So we decided to turn our backs to our beloved suburbia and move closer to the city. Two stressful weekends and 20 apartments later we finally signed a lease for a place close to Grove Street, Jersey City. The PATH station (for the non-metropolitan-area readers: subway that connects New York and New Jersey) is right in front of our house and Jojo's commute reduced to 10 minutes, mine is about 30 minutes now. Plus, we are so much closer to the city, that even on the weekends we get to sniff city-air a lot more often.
View Larger Map
The actual move was horrible. We are coming from a huge and gorgeous apartment and downsized to an apartment half as big as what we had before. Man, only when moving you realize how much shit you have!! Two months after moving in, the last box was unpacked, walls were painted, ACs were installed, excess furniture was gotten rid of. We got used to the new area and fell in love. Restaurants with 5 star ratings on Yelp en-masse, bars, gyms, and even a German beer-garden right around the corner. What more can one ask for??
Since moving to Jersey City I have started to experience New York City in a completely new way. Not only being there during the week for work, but also in the evenings for happy hours, or on the weekends for restaurants, meeting friends or going out, lets you see a city and it's people in a different light. I picked a couple categories and will try to explain it in the most illustrative way.
Public Transportation
8:23 a.m. The PATH Experience: Trying to get into an already packed train during morning rush hours requires skill, shrewdness and a dose of unscrupulousness; or a Japanese “pusher”. Once in the train you are lucky if you smell an overdose of perfume. If it’s just not your day, you might detect a combination of sweat, fart, a whiff (or more) of unshoweredness, bad breath, or some other unpleasant body odor. While some people grab a pole and have their arm right in front of your face, others hold on to you instead, to prevent themselves from falling onto you completely. Of course you happily provide some support, as long as it keeps them as far from you as possible. It gets warm, if not hot, and you begin to understand the concept of sardine boxes. Within the train it’s ghostly quiet, people sleep while standing, listen to their iPods, or endure the torture in silence. Only one thing everybody on that train does in unison: hope and pray for it to be over soon!
(Of course it's not always this bad. I actually enjoy riding the PATH!)
Tourists
Are you looking for a new hobby? Forget birdwatching or comedy clubs, I got just the right time passing idea that doesn't require binoculars or other expensive equipment ... observing tourists. Just go to Times Square, Fifth Avenue or Statue of Liberty - spots the common "cityzer" avoids. But even in the most everyday-locations, such as your favorite coffee bar, the subway, or the shoe store around the corner, you can easily identify members of the "tourist species". It's easy to differentiate the broad continental groups, but with some practice you might even be able to categorize them by their specific country membership.
But how to spot tourists in the city?
- They actually wait at red lights. (Jaywalking is an art form: NY'ers watch the traffic lights, not the walking signs, and start walking when the traffic lights turn orange.)
- They suddenly stop in the middle of the sidewalk, turn around to take a picture of the entrance of Grand Central Station, and are surprised if people run into them from behind. (Feel free to stare at whatever you like, but please please PLEASE don't do it in the middle of the sidewalk. Just step off to the side.)
- They wear a fanny pack and carry their backpacks in the front. (If you are walking around like that, the changes of getting mugged increase by 10,000%!!)
The City of Contrasts
LoL = Lots of Love - Vicky
It's been long since you heard from me. But I'm still alive and well, thank you very much for wondering. :)
First of all I want to address the change in format. I thought it was time for a technological upgrade. :) After all, we are in the 21st century... My reports have become longer and longer and I don't want to burden you with huge emails any more. It seems like my life in the USA is taking a more permanent shape and I think that's why the medium of my reports should also be a more lasting one than an email, which is deleted in an instant. Plus, it will be so much easier for you to go back in time and reread all those exciting stories whenever you feel like it! That's why I decided to take this whole project to a new level ... BLOG! Plus you can participate now and leave comments behind!! :D
What happened in the last couple months ... The biggest news I guess is that I moved. Again. *hehe* I was actually asked if I was running a moving company and was my own best customer. No, I am not. Running a moving company I mean. *LOL* It's been a year in Chestnut Avenue, South Hackensack and since Jojo also landed a job in the city it didn't make sense for us to spend our little free time commuting back and forth for three hours each day. So we decided to turn our backs to our beloved suburbia and move closer to the city. Two stressful weekends and 20 apartments later we finally signed a lease for a place close to Grove Street, Jersey City. The PATH station (for the non-metropolitan-area readers: subway that connects New York and New Jersey) is right in front of our house and Jojo's commute reduced to 10 minutes, mine is about 30 minutes now. Plus, we are so much closer to the city, that even on the weekends we get to sniff city-air a lot more often.
View Larger Map
The actual move was horrible. We are coming from a huge and gorgeous apartment and downsized to an apartment half as big as what we had before. Man, only when moving you realize how much shit you have!! Two months after moving in, the last box was unpacked, walls were painted, ACs were installed, excess furniture was gotten rid of. We got used to the new area and fell in love. Restaurants with 5 star ratings on Yelp en-masse, bars, gyms, and even a German beer-garden right around the corner. What more can one ask for??
Since moving to Jersey City I have started to experience New York City in a completely new way. Not only being there during the week for work, but also in the evenings for happy hours, or on the weekends for restaurants, meeting friends or going out, lets you see a city and it's people in a different light. I picked a couple categories and will try to explain it in the most illustrative way.
Public Transportation
8:23 a.m. The PATH Experience: Trying to get into an already packed train during morning rush hours requires skill, shrewdness and a dose of unscrupulousness; or a Japanese “pusher”. Once in the train you are lucky if you smell an overdose of perfume. If it’s just not your day, you might detect a combination of sweat, fart, a whiff (or more) of unshoweredness, bad breath, or some other unpleasant body odor. While some people grab a pole and have their arm right in front of your face, others hold on to you instead, to prevent themselves from falling onto you completely. Of course you happily provide some support, as long as it keeps them as far from you as possible. It gets warm, if not hot, and you begin to understand the concept of sardine boxes. Within the train it’s ghostly quiet, people sleep while standing, listen to their iPods, or endure the torture in silence. Only one thing everybody on that train does in unison: hope and pray for it to be over soon!
(Of course it's not always this bad. I actually enjoy riding the PATH!)
Work
The motto is "work hard - party hard".
If you don't work that hard, just make it seem like you do. The art is to make the most possible fuzz about all the work you do. You seem more important and most of all, people get the impression you are (1) doing the work of three, (2) irreplaceable, and (3) just freakin awesome.
It all starts with your commute to work. Even though you are early or on time - RUN, never just walk. Grab a cup of coffee (mandatory) and some breakfast (optional) on the way from the subway to your office. Know what you want, don't hold up the line and get the fuck out as quickly as possible. Don't forget, you gotta run...
First thing in the office, have your breakfast (no need to rush for a change), read the news, and check your emails (the gmail or yahoo address, of course not work emails). Make sure that during the day you walk at least 6 times to the coffee machine, on your way there chat with as many people as possible, and tell them how much work you have on your plate right now. Never leave the office before 6 p.m., even if you have nothing to do, because that would look like you have nothing to do. (If somebody else does leave before 6, ask them if they are taking half a day off.)
After work, meet your friends for happy hour or dinner, go shopping, or have a drink with your colleagues. After all, since you are spending the most possible time at work, colleagues become your friends over time anyway.
Never get home before 10. (You have to understand, that most people live in tiny, shabby apartments and would consider it weird why you want to spend more time at home than the 6 hours needed for sleep.)
Repeat this procedure on all weekdays.
Tourists
Are you looking for a new hobby? Forget birdwatching or comedy clubs, I got just the right time passing idea that doesn't require binoculars or other expensive equipment ... observing tourists. Just go to Times Square, Fifth Avenue or Statue of Liberty - spots the common "cityzer" avoids. But even in the most everyday-locations, such as your favorite coffee bar, the subway, or the shoe store around the corner, you can easily identify members of the "tourist species". It's easy to differentiate the broad continental groups, but with some practice you might even be able to categorize them by their specific country membership.
But how to spot tourists in the city?
- They actually wait at red lights. (Jaywalking is an art form: NY'ers watch the traffic lights, not the walking signs, and start walking when the traffic lights turn orange.)
- They suddenly stop in the middle of the sidewalk, turn around to take a picture of the entrance of Grand Central Station, and are surprised if people run into them from behind. (Feel free to stare at whatever you like, but please please PLEASE don't do it in the middle of the sidewalk. Just step off to the side.)
- They wear a fanny pack and carry their backpacks in the front. (If you are walking around like that, the changes of getting mugged increase by 10,000%!!)
-They walk in pulks of 4-8 people whilst taking up the entire sidewalk. (Mooooove the f*** out of the way!!!)
- They seem startled by crazy or weirdly dressed people. (NYC is full of wackos and nut jubs. We all know that. To aviod looking like a trouist, don't stare at these people.)
- They have trouble with the Metrocard swipe. (Practice practice practice.)
- They take up more than their fair share of space on the subway. (No, during rush hours you cannot lean against the holding poles, at least 8 people need to hold on to those. And yes, please take off your backpack!)
- They wear matching outfits with their traveling companions. (What's up with that??)
- They don't tip correctly and leave behind sour-looking restaurant staff. (Tip is NOT optional! Double the tax. EASY!)
- They seem startled by crazy or weirdly dressed people. (NYC is full of wackos and nut jubs. We all know that. To aviod looking like a trouist, don't stare at these people.)
- They have trouble with the Metrocard swipe. (Practice practice practice.)
- They take up more than their fair share of space on the subway. (No, during rush hours you cannot lean against the holding poles, at least 8 people need to hold on to those. And yes, please take off your backpack!)
- They wear matching outfits with their traveling companions. (What's up with that??)
- They don't tip correctly and leave behind sour-looking restaurant staff. (Tip is NOT optional! Double the tax. EASY!)
The City of Contrasts
- Some people are at work 12 hours a day, others sit in the subway with signs saying "homeless, pregnant, hungry". You gotta do, what you gotta do...
- The usual work crowd is dressed professionally and stylish, but some individuals seem to dress in the dark or don't have a mirror at home. (No sweetheart, with your figure you should NOT be wearing this short a dress. Maybe not even a dress; period. And NO, leggings are NOT ok either.) Oh and while at it, wearing a suit is great, but combining a suit with white sneakers is worse than wearing jeans! The variety of styles is endless and timeless - the 70's are back, the 80's are back, the 90's are back, Birkenstock are back! (Yay to my mom, for she foresaw that fashion trend 20 years in advance and got me a new pair every time I outgrew the old one!) As long as you are wearing something, you won't be attracting too much of attention.
- Some people live in 5-million-dollar penthouses and own a weekend getaway in the Hamptons, others have to take on 3 jobs and still live off food stamps. They can't afford health insurance and plenty of people (not even old ones) are missing several teeth. However, I have never seen anyone jumping the turnstiles of the metro and fare dodge like many people do in Germany!
- Even though the city is huge and highly populated, many people seem lost and lonely. "Hugs for FREE" signs are a huge trend. Once I even saw a homeless guy with a cardboard sign "I listen to your problems for $1". - Wow, even homeless people seem to be more content with their situation than the working class... Being a psychiatrist in this city must be like winning the lottery! Can you believe it, people hardly ever know their neighbors. And I don't mean the people living in the high-rise across the street, but the people who have their bedroom on the other side of the wall! In my building we have only three apartments; I think I could pass the other tenants in the street and wouldn't even recognize them... I NEVER meet them in the staircase, or at the mailbox, or in the laundry room. I only know they are still alive when they cook and the whole house smells delicious.
Nevertheless, the city is beautiful and perfect as a whole:
Alright you peeps, I gotta go and get ready for another work week. You know now how tough those can be... ;-)
Post lots of comments and keep sending me those postcards and letters!
- The usual work crowd is dressed professionally and stylish, but some individuals seem to dress in the dark or don't have a mirror at home. (No sweetheart, with your figure you should NOT be wearing this short a dress. Maybe not even a dress; period. And NO, leggings are NOT ok either.) Oh and while at it, wearing a suit is great, but combining a suit with white sneakers is worse than wearing jeans! The variety of styles is endless and timeless - the 70's are back, the 80's are back, the 90's are back, Birkenstock are back! (Yay to my mom, for she foresaw that fashion trend 20 years in advance and got me a new pair every time I outgrew the old one!) As long as you are wearing something, you won't be attracting too much of attention.
- Some people live in 5-million-dollar penthouses and own a weekend getaway in the Hamptons, others have to take on 3 jobs and still live off food stamps. They can't afford health insurance and plenty of people (not even old ones) are missing several teeth. However, I have never seen anyone jumping the turnstiles of the metro and fare dodge like many people do in Germany!
- Even though the city is huge and highly populated, many people seem lost and lonely. "Hugs for FREE" signs are a huge trend. Once I even saw a homeless guy with a cardboard sign "I listen to your problems for $1". - Wow, even homeless people seem to be more content with their situation than the working class... Being a psychiatrist in this city must be like winning the lottery! Can you believe it, people hardly ever know their neighbors. And I don't mean the people living in the high-rise across the street, but the people who have their bedroom on the other side of the wall! In my building we have only three apartments; I think I could pass the other tenants in the street and wouldn't even recognize them... I NEVER meet them in the staircase, or at the mailbox, or in the laundry room. I only know they are still alive when they cook and the whole house smells delicious.
Nevertheless, the city is beautiful and perfect as a whole:
Alright you peeps, I gotta go and get ready for another work week. You know now how tough those can be... ;-)
Post lots of comments and keep sending me those postcards and letters!
LoL = Lots of Love - Vicky
Comment..... LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this - I laughed my t*** off! Great insight into this episode of your life becoming permanent! Enjoyed reading it - looking forward to more ...
ReplyDelete@unknown: unfortunately there are too many readers who haven't changed their profile name, so i have absolutely no idea who you are. but i'm glad you liked it!!
ReplyDelete@Ändi: thank you!! so good to see you are alive and well. i'll keep those posts coming so you have a good laugh. :)
with a teardrop in my eyes i did not only read the lines full of humor, enthusiasm and sympathy for the city ou live in, but i also read between the lines ... and when i clicked on the nyc video clip i knew, this is the place where you belong to ... at least right now!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@Dad: I will be happy to show you many lovable spots of the city of cities when you guys are over here!
ReplyDelete@Julia: don't be shy, you can post stuff here - we are among friends! ;-) and i never laugh at tourist ... i even give you guys suggestions how to be the PERFECT tourist. :)
Practice, practice, practice. Lol!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLoved it, sweetheart. I am glad to have you as my sister!Thumbs up!
ReplyDelete