:: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 ::

New York, New York

There is quite a bit to say about my last few days. New York is just as amazing as I remember it. Things are great here. My neighborhood is full of stuff to do and services to use and the subway is just two blocks away. That means easy access to anywhere in the city I want. It's great.

Yesterday, Mattt and I did some exploring, but not much. We were more in the process of getting everything moved in. We did watch the New York Giants scrape by and beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. We tried to find a restaurant to watch it from, but wound up watching in Times Square on a jumbo-tron. It was a very boring game, and a very boring crowd until the very end when it seemed New York would win. Then everyone erupted into cheering and dancing in the streets. The cops were called and they broke up the party before it got out of hand.

Today was the parade for the Giants and everyone knows how I can't avoid the lure of a good parade (even the gay ones). It was actually very crappy because I had a horrible spot on Broadway. The Giants turned the block before the part I was on so we (the people around me included) didn't get to see them at all. It was very crappy, but fun just hanging out like a New Yorker. Then I started the hunt for a job and working on getting all the utilities in my name. That is going to be interesting since they are all spread around the city and everyone just assumes I know where these places are. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find everything soon.

Update on the love of my life: Ann has made it to Kuwait now and she will be there for a little bit longer. They are doing some more training and paperwork stuff before they take the journey across the border. It sounds like she will have internet soon so I hope she will be posting on her blog as well.

Seeing as how this is how most of you will learn how my time in the NYC is going, I will be very careful to not miss a day in posting and remember everything that went on each day. And I will try to keep my posts from being too lame. There is a lot of stuff going on now so I have a lot to post about, but not much brain power to put forth into posting. In my two days of being in New York I have seen two fist fights, got on the wrong subway twice, been honked at numerous times, spent two and half hours trying to find a parking spot for my car, and almost been cursed out by a woman claiming God is punishing us by putting our children into gangs. I say almost because I later realized she was just yelling at everyone / herself.

Of course, that is nothing. It will only get better from here. I'm having fun, though. I can't wait to start working (seriously, don't laugh) and making some friends. I also can't wait to figure this place out so I can stare at the ground while I walk like other New Yorkers. It's true. Everyone finds their way around by memorizing the sidewalk. I've got the two blocks between my apartment and the subway down.

Another thing about New Yorkers is that they will stare at you all they want, but as soon as you look at them, they get this smirk and practically swear at you with just their eyebrows. I don't know why, but they do. They can stare; you can't. No idea why. Hopefully soon I will stop looking like a tourist and more like I belong. Of course, that could take years and could probably never happen. I'm still just amazed at the city so I can't help but look at downtown when the B train goes over Manhattan Bridge, I can't help but look up at all the buildings, and I can't help but hold the door open for people instead of just shutting it in their face.

I am working on getting over the claustrophobia on the train. I don't normally have this problem, but when I am crammed onto a train with 100 other people in one car, you just have a bit of anxiety. The two Chinese guys yelling at each other doesn't help any, the homeless guy singing so people will pay for his food sure doesn't help any, and the random stops in the middle of the tunnel definitely cause more grief than relief. It's all part of the day, though. I'm sure I'll get used to it.

It's bedtime for me now. I've got some more job hunting to do tomorrow and work on finding the utility place. Fashion week is this week so I may saunter over to Bryant Park tomorrow afternoon and check out all the buzz. Not sure what I'll get to see, but might as well try. That is if I have enough time. Work comes before play.

God is good. All the time.
Peace

:: Ben 9:47 PM [+] ::
...