Hello again everyone! So, since I have last written, I have secured myself a job! Yes indeed, I am the new 22nd Street Location Manager for the NY Kids Club. The Kids Club is the premiere children's enrichment facility in the city and has 6 locations, one in Brooklyn and 5 in Manhattan. I will be managing the facility at 22nd Street, which is actually a large amount of responsibility and challenge. I have a team of people to manage, along with a facility to keep up and a lot of administrative duties to do as well. My hours are ideal: 8-6 Monday through Thursday and 8-1 on Fridays. YES that means a half day, EVERY FRIDAY! I'm really excited and its a fun and growing company and am really looking forward to a new and different challenge.
In other, much more somber news, my aunt Annie passed away this morning. She was one of my mom's closest friends, and my uncle's long-term partner. She had lung cancer and has been deteriorating in her condition, but it is still incredibly sad. Life is precious, and I am definitely taking this sadness in stride and balancing my crazy emotions, both my general excitement for having this new job and feeling sad that Ann is gone.
And now onto a different topic: the subway. Someone who has lived in the city forever or for a long time probably doesn't notice these odd nuances about the subway, but since I'm so new to the system, there are some funny observations and comments I have about it.
First of all, apparently its a requirement that in order to ride the subway in NYC, you have to act and look annoyed all the time. Even if no one is in your way or pushing you or bothering you, you still have to scowl your way through the ride. Which is funny.
Second of all, commuting hours during week days are actually QUITE unpleasant on the subway. Literally, people will pack themselves into subway cars like there's NO tomorrow, pushing and shoving and sardine-ing themselves in. Its quite odd, actually...so many people all scowling in such close proximity.
Third of all (and I've already found myself doing this), EVERYONE runs for the subway if they're close and they can hear it coming. Even if they know that three minute later, the next train is coming. Its a constant rush I guess?
Fourth of all, express trains rock. So on the West side where I am, there are the 1,2,3 trains. The 1 is local, which means it stops at every stop, and the 2, 3 are express which mean they stop at only special stops. and the express is SO much faster and AWESOME and I really just like the express trains a lot.
Fifth of all, it is completely appropriate to stare. I find that New Yorkers as a bunch stare more than any other group of people I've ever been around, and that includes the Sevillanos who like to point out everything and often do stare. But really, people will just look at you on the subway and unabashedly stare! Unless that's just me?
So coming in the next few days: Harry Potter, a housewarming party, my 23rd birthday, and Bonnie, George and Rob making an appearance in New York City!!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Man in the City: A Rant About Time Warner
Today, something exciting happened. Well, actually, a few exciting things happened. First exciting thing of the day was going to the Highline. For those of you who don't know, the Highline is an elevated, nature-lined walkway spanning a lot of the lower-west side and it is so gorgeous, peaceful and a great place to wander through! So as Gwen and I were doing that, we were approached by a woman who works with the segment of "Man in the City" on Channel 11, which interviews random New Yorkers and lets them rant on camera for 1 minute about anything they want.
When they approached us and asked if we wanted to be in the segment, Gwen's automatic reaction was "no, no way" and obviously, I immediately said "yes!" So, I got to rant on camera for 1 minute about how AWFUL Time Warner Cable is, thus far in the city. We got Time Warner a week ago Tuesday, and it really hasn't been anything but problems since the beginning. When I signed up, we were promised a promotional deal for the first three months that included some great channels such as Showtime and HBO, and actually oh wait, we don't get those. Also, our "on demand" feature doesn't work AT ALL, and our internet cuts in and out. When I spoke with the customer service rep yesterday, she was "sorry" that she couldn't fix the on demand problem, and that if it wasn't fixed by tomorrow, we should just call back and talk to someone else. So that is what I ranted about on TV!
The next exciting thing that happened was that I went to Chelsea Market for the first time. Its this great market in Chelsea (haha, descriptive, right?) that has tons of little cafes and shops in it. Its a great place to wander around, and, Gwen and I decided, bring a date!
The last excitement of the day is that I am going to head out to Brooklyn tonight to check out a bar with Gwen. Although it may not be exactly my demographic, it will be a fun experience, I'm hoping!
As for the "high heels" update of the day, I got a call from the company I have had 2 interviews with, and they want me to come in and shadow for the afternoon on Friday, and meet with the manager of the company! I think that that must be good news, and I'd really love this job.
And as for namaste, I know I should go back to bikram tomorrow but, I had kind of a traumatizing class with Coop yesterday. We have both done bikram before and I definitely have gotten to be at least proficient at lasting the entire 90 minutes in the really hot room without dying. However, yesterday was a really trying experience, and it was just TOO HOT in the room we were in. I thought I was going to die, had to keep sitting down and just felt a little demoralized after. So really, this namaste thing is harder than I want it to be.
When they approached us and asked if we wanted to be in the segment, Gwen's automatic reaction was "no, no way" and obviously, I immediately said "yes!" So, I got to rant on camera for 1 minute about how AWFUL Time Warner Cable is, thus far in the city. We got Time Warner a week ago Tuesday, and it really hasn't been anything but problems since the beginning. When I signed up, we were promised a promotional deal for the first three months that included some great channels such as Showtime and HBO, and actually oh wait, we don't get those. Also, our "on demand" feature doesn't work AT ALL, and our internet cuts in and out. When I spoke with the customer service rep yesterday, she was "sorry" that she couldn't fix the on demand problem, and that if it wasn't fixed by tomorrow, we should just call back and talk to someone else. So that is what I ranted about on TV!
The next exciting thing that happened was that I went to Chelsea Market for the first time. Its this great market in Chelsea (haha, descriptive, right?) that has tons of little cafes and shops in it. Its a great place to wander around, and, Gwen and I decided, bring a date!
The last excitement of the day is that I am going to head out to Brooklyn tonight to check out a bar with Gwen. Although it may not be exactly my demographic, it will be a fun experience, I'm hoping!
As for the "high heels" update of the day, I got a call from the company I have had 2 interviews with, and they want me to come in and shadow for the afternoon on Friday, and meet with the manager of the company! I think that that must be good news, and I'd really love this job.
And as for namaste, I know I should go back to bikram tomorrow but, I had kind of a traumatizing class with Coop yesterday. We have both done bikram before and I definitely have gotten to be at least proficient at lasting the entire 90 minutes in the really hot room without dying. However, yesterday was a really trying experience, and it was just TOO HOT in the room we were in. I thought I was going to die, had to keep sitting down and just felt a little demoralized after. So really, this namaste thing is harder than I want it to be.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Why Namaste in High Heels? And Why Now?
Hello, world. Yes, I have started a blog, and I just love the idea. The purpose of this post is to detail why I have named my blog Namaste in High Heels: what that means to me. Basically, I see my existence as a constant contradiction, my identity pulling me in two directions simultaneously. On one hand is the "namaste" (meaning I honor the spirit in you which is also in me), my yoga-loving crunchy hippie that wants to honor nature and love all things and breathe. And on the other is my "high heels", my desire to be chic and fashionable and enjoy the finest material things life has to offer.
This basic contradiction is always on my mind, as I constantly try to navigate through life and my identity. And so, this identity crisis has brought me here, now. To New York City.
Truly, what is a conceivable better place in the world to explore this contradiction? I can do my yoga and think peaceful thoughts and "center myself" and my general existence, in one of the most extravagant cities in the world. So I am here, living in New York City with two friends from college, looking for a job and desperately seeking namaste.
So really, enjoy. Here goes...something
This basic contradiction is always on my mind, as I constantly try to navigate through life and my identity. And so, this identity crisis has brought me here, now. To New York City.
Truly, what is a conceivable better place in the world to explore this contradiction? I can do my yoga and think peaceful thoughts and "center myself" and my general existence, in one of the most extravagant cities in the world. So I am here, living in New York City with two friends from college, looking for a job and desperately seeking namaste.
So really, enjoy. Here goes...something
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