6 posts tagged “nyc”
Hey People! I can't believe I haven't blogged since July. I've been busy trying to get settled here in the NYC. I've actually had lots of ideas for blog topics which will be forthcoming. But in the meantime let me catch you up to what I've been up to since I've been out here.
1) Love all my jobs--I'm teaching beginning and intermediate adult ESL throughout the city and I love it. My students are great and the work is so much less stressful than working in the board of ed. I commute a lot and work nights but it's worth it.
2) Looking for a place--this was hell! I can't even tell you how much paperwork was involved--totally exhausting! but it was worth it. I found a great rent controlled studio in the Hamilton Heights area of Harlem for $1050 a month. This is a good price for NYC. The place is spacious for a studio, has a balcony and there's laundry and an elevator in the building. The area is great because it's on a tree lined street (hopefully it'll be somewhat quiet) near City College. This is super accessible to all trains so it's much easier for me to get around than it was before. There are some nice amenities in the hood too including a Starbucks (I know :), a gym, Pathmark supermarket, and parks and stuff. So, I'm really exited to move in and get settled.
3) Enjoying the city. Saw two great art exhibits at the Bronx Museum and the Studio Museum of Harlem. Went to see a Somali hip hop artist named K'naan and Mos Def made a guest appearance. Actually, Mos Def kind of sucked but that's okay. . .It was still a nice night. What else? . .saw a great play about gentrification in NYC. . .saw my friend's Bomba performance. . .went to a fun BBQ. . .still trying to do capoeira. . .celebrated my birthday. . .saw a great film as part of the African-Diaspora film festival. . .so you know. . .trying to re-establish myself out here. . .did some shopping for fall. . .got my eyebrows done. . .discovered podcasts. . .
4) So that's pretty much it. . .Sitting at my favorite cafe. . .blogging once again : )
1. I needed a break from NYC
2. I don't need a lot of stuff. Decent clothes, a computer with internet, Netflix, a comfortable, safe, quiet, place and I'm good. Cable if I'm being extra extravagant : )
3. Same shit different place. I used to have days in nyc where I was like 'is everyone crazy or is it just me?'. Well, that happens everywhere. I had one of those days yesterday.
4. Everything is easier in Cali.
5. Many people in Cali are polite but not friendly.
6. If you can appreciate what you have you will be much happier.
7. I love teaching adults. More teaching less bullshit.
8. I miss the energy, warmth and sense of community in NYC.
9. I like the NYC me better. I was more vivacious, louder, bolder. I've had to tone it down here because that stuff doesn't always go over well.
10. There are more rules in NYC.
11. When you move you think you know what it's like, you can plan, but you never know 'til you get there.
12. Loneliness is a part of life.
13. I love cafes. The Bay Area has a lot of good ones.
14. The Bay Area is exceptionally beautiful.
Caveats
1. Just had a super frustrating capoeira class which can happen anywhere : )
2. Still at my mom's house
3. Got an email of a Women in Capoeira event and a Hip Hop event that I totally want to go to that's happening in NYC
4. Way to early to make a decision and know what my life will be like
5. I have had a few experiences where I thought 'this is great!' : )
Thoughts
1. I feel like I'm making two choices-comfortable life vs. life rich in experiences. With those two choices I'll take the life rich in experiences even if that means that I'm less comfortable
2. Why I left--I felt like NYC was the same old same old. Like I had gotten all I could get. Like it wasn't worth it anymore. I was super lonely. I didn't appreciate the art, the movies, the capoeira, all of my experiences. I didn't appreciate the people. The daily grind was getting to me.
3. Now that I'm back in the bay I do appreciate the things that NYC has to offer. There are just some things you can't get in the Bay.
4. I forgot all my irritations with the people in the Bay. I love the Bay, but dang 1) flakeyness 2) lazyness 3) too PC
6. I feel like NYC is one extreeme and the Bay is another. It's easier to say no to things than to create things and get people to do stuff
7. I didn't leave NYC because I hated it. I left because I was super lonely and burnt.
8. I really miss the people I met in NYC. They were interesting. Even the assholes were interesting. Right now, I feel like I'm around people who play it safe and are boring.
9. I really miss being around creative people who were adventurous. Most of the people I was around in NYC were open to adventures and were artists in one form or another.
A lot of people have been asking how I like living back in the Bay. And I have to be honest. It's been a lot harder than I thought. Definitely the quality of life issues are better. Better weather, fresher food, less nuisances, friendlier people and less stress. So in terms of meeting those expectations--those things have been good.
Then there's my housing and job situation. I've been offered two jobs so far but chose not to accept b/c one was far away and the other one was at night. I've been called in for interviews and then the interviews have been canceled. There's been so many ups and downs. It's been slow. Kind of like dating or apartment hunting--you get your hopes up and then you are disappointed.
The housing situation. I live with my mom and it sucks. I love her and I am so thankful that she is allowing me to stay there rent free but it's hellof stressful living at home.
So, I feel kind of iffy about my decision to move back to the Bay. Socially, I feel like I've grown and changed and its hard to find people who want to do the things I like to do. I expected that b/c people like to chill out a lot in the Bay. It's weird because I'm getting frustrated by people being too laid back and then when I was in NYC I was frustrated by the amazingly crazy pace of life. I miss being around people who want to make things happen. But there are creative, active people in the Bay who are motivated and so I just have to find them.
In a way I feel like how many immigrants feel when they come to the U.S. I've gotten used to being in a harder place and now I get to an easier place and I see people whining (its raining) and not taking advantage of the opportunities that are out there (oh--I'm just going to stay in tonight). It's frustrating!
Then there's the whole 'demographic' shift. One of the reasons I love NYC is because there are so many beautiful people of the diaspora living there. At one time in my life living around people of the diaspora especially the Latin America Caribbean was very important to me. Growing up, I rarely saw people who looked like me and shared my same culture. Here in Cali it was always just Black or Mexican (I'm oversimplifying things but. . .)
I knew that the Bay offers different demographics. And I thought that I was okay with that. I thought that the quality of life issues were more important to me than that certain afro-diaspora flava that NYC has to offer. And now I'm not so sure (see my culture vulture blog). Again, this may only be a matter of finding my niche or community. Only time will tell.
Okay so my days in NYC are numbered. . .which is a good thing. . .but there are definitely things and people I'm going to miss. . .Some of these things are not uniquely New York but I'll miss them anyway. . .
Here goes:
1. My friend Diana
2. Central Park in the Winter after a recent snow
3. Central Park in the summer hangin' out at 110.
4. Katz' pastrami on rye with french fries, mustard instead of ketchup and a Dr. Brown's Celray. This meal costs 20 bucks but its worth it.
5. Museo del Barrio and its lovely gift shop.
6. Reading the Village Voice weekly.
7. Union Square-always something to do, to observe, to buy and a great place to people watch.
8. Jennie's Dumplings on 14th Street
9. The never ending variety of sneakers! that you can see and purchase.
10. The chocolate cake at Kitchenette
11. Bagels from H and H
12. Heading downtown on the weekend to capoeira
13. Soho on the weekends.
14. Going to the movies at 42nd Street. No need to plan--just show up--so many screens you usually can catch what you want to see.
15. The East Village, Lower East Side and Alphabet City.
16. Movies in the parks in the summertime
17. My weekly trips to Barnes and Noble Union Square
19. Pizza from the shop on 116th Street.
20. Fries at Pomme Fritte
21. The capoeira crew--its been a bumpy ride but I love it--
22. NYC at night--its so full of life--all those lights--its romantic
23. Nolita
24. The view of both bridges from DUMBO
25. The West Indian Day Parade
26. The ghetto ass bodegas and the funky lights that light them up at night
I'll probably continue to add to this list. . .
I used to love New York City. . .but lately shit has really been getting on my nerves. . .Maybe it was yesterday's 87 degree humid weather. . .Here is my most recent shit list:
1. Why is it 87 degrees and humid at the end of September! Is summer endless? Can we have fall yet?
2. Poor people are treated like shit everywhere all the time! In my newest job the administrative staff talk down to the adult students and treat them like they are criminals. They take classes in super humid classrooms and sit in chairs designed for first graders. Classes are canceled and students are given no notice. Classes are interrupted to go over rules and fill out forms.
3. I'm sick of riding on crowded buses.
4. I'm sick of hanging out with women who don't know how to be good friends. Like they say 'mejor sola que mala acompanada'.
5. Everyone works all the time! Or they don't work at all! Can we get some balance please?
6. People focus on the details but not the big picture. Yesterday, I subbed for a class. I let the students out early by 15 minutes and was reprimanded. How did this hurt anyone? I don't know. . .You would think they would thank me for busting my ass to get there early and create a lesson plan to cover the class. They don't even have someone to teach that class on a regular basis. They didn't care that I did a good job teaching the class. They just care that the students were let out early.
7. Workers are treated like shit--See #2,5, 6, Again. . .it seems like there is a shortage of qualified people to teach adult ESL. You would think that with a shortage people would be kissing our ass. I remember when I first started teaching that people would call out of the blue and offer me jobs. But instead the wages are relatively low and some of the places that hire don't treat you as if you have a valuable skill.
8. Nothing works reliably. Not the cable. Not the internet. It is darn irritating!
9. What else? I'm sure there's more. . .I guess yesterday was just a shitty day.
