I just watched the first thirty minutes of a documentary about Manhattan parents working to get their children into preschool.
Preschool.
Apparently, the right preschool is the key to the right private school and the right university.
Just getting the application is extremely competitive. These parents are pouring over applications, whipping out a thesaurus to figure out just the right word to describe their three-year-old, and forking over thousands of dollars just for application consultants. If they get the privilege of having their toddler attend one of these schools, they'll spend about $20,000 in tuition for a year. I imagine that the process will continue for the future admission to other private schools and universities.
I never went to preschool. I went to public schools through high school, and then attended a local, large, public university.
Now I attend a private law school, the first private school I've ever attended, but it is true that most of my friends here attended private schools before they came here.
When did just being a regular child become not good enough? I feel like I did okay for myself without all of that craziness...
I had to turn the documentary off after 30 minutes. Just watching it was stressing me out...I wonder if those cute little toddlers feel any of that stress, too!
13 November 2010
12 November 2010
Welcome to the 21st Century
At my law school, students have to do their first big legal research assignment in the library.
Without the use of a computer for research.
Using books
LOTS of books.
When you're writing a legal research memo (not to be confused with an office memo, which is short and easy), you have to use statutes and cases that have already been decided. These are contained in about a million books, all by series of publisher and jurisdiction, etc.
For my first legal research memo, I had to use seven different sources. I probably ended up looking at 25-30 sources to find the ones that would best support what I needed to say. For each case, you generally have to look in 2-3 large books to find the necessary case information, and that's only after you've looked in 2-3 other books to discover that you want to find the case at all, and then figure out how to find it! And sometimes, someone in the library has already taken the book you want, and some people keep the books for a long time, perhaps as some sort of table. Who knows...anyway, it can take a while to get what you need.
Really, it's not terrible, and I think it's very useful to know how to do legal research in a library, as many of us will work in jobs where our employers can't afford to use the online legal research systems (they are extraordinarily expensive).
We're in the middle of our second research memo now, and we're allowed to use the two research systems, LexisNexis and Westlaw, to do our research. The process is all the same, but it's so much faster when you don't have to run all around a library to find the different books. Click, click, click!
This new ability to use online research has enabled me to do my legal research from the comfort of my bed. This development is both good and bad: I love being able to snuggle into for a bit of reading on the requirements for administering psychotropic drugs to patients against their will, but how will I get my exercise without having to lug all of those books all over the place?
Should've bought a carton of ice cream at the grocery store that I could do some lifting with.
Without the use of a computer for research.
Using books
LOTS of books.
When you're writing a legal research memo (not to be confused with an office memo, which is short and easy), you have to use statutes and cases that have already been decided. These are contained in about a million books, all by series of publisher and jurisdiction, etc.
For my first legal research memo, I had to use seven different sources. I probably ended up looking at 25-30 sources to find the ones that would best support what I needed to say. For each case, you generally have to look in 2-3 large books to find the necessary case information, and that's only after you've looked in 2-3 other books to discover that you want to find the case at all, and then figure out how to find it! And sometimes, someone in the library has already taken the book you want, and some people keep the books for a long time, perhaps as some sort of table. Who knows...anyway, it can take a while to get what you need.
Really, it's not terrible, and I think it's very useful to know how to do legal research in a library, as many of us will work in jobs where our employers can't afford to use the online legal research systems (they are extraordinarily expensive).
We're in the middle of our second research memo now, and we're allowed to use the two research systems, LexisNexis and Westlaw, to do our research. The process is all the same, but it's so much faster when you don't have to run all around a library to find the different books. Click, click, click!
This new ability to use online research has enabled me to do my legal research from the comfort of my bed. This development is both good and bad: I love being able to snuggle into for a bit of reading on the requirements for administering psychotropic drugs to patients against their will, but how will I get my exercise without having to lug all of those books all over the place?
Should've bought a carton of ice cream at the grocery store that I could do some lifting with.
05 November 2010
You've Got Mail!
As we've discussed in previous postings, I love getting mail. I like email quite a bit, but I especially love regular ol' United State Postal Service delivery.
I open the mailbox each day in eager anticipation of what might be inside.
Some days, it's empty.
Some days, it's full of bills.
And some days, it's full of actual mail addressed to me sent by people who aren't asking for money!
Lately, it has been full of mystery.
A couple of weeks ago, I got a piece of mail for my father. It was addressed to his name, but to my address. It was an actual, legitimate, valuable piece of mail, addressed to him at my address. I was able to make sense of it due to a mutual relationship with the company, but I still thought it was funny.
Yesterday, I got a piece of mail for one of my brothers, with his first and last name and my address. It was junk mail from a bank, urging him to open an account with their institution.
Today, I got another piece of mail for that same brother, this time with his middle initial in his name as well. It's a letter from an expensive gym in the area welcoming him to the neighborhood and offering him a deal.
My brother has never lived in New York. He definitely doesn't live in my apartment. It's a big apartment, but I'm pretty sure I would have seen him if he had moved in with me. It's not THAT big. In fact, I don't think that this particular brother even has my address, now that I think about it.
And weirdly, he's getting appropriately high-end junk mail. It's way nicer than the junk mail I got when I first got here.
Apparently, anyone who knows me should now just expect their mail to come to my apartment.
I'll start a box for each of you.
04 November 2010
Cold Called
Today, I was cold called.
For an entire class hour.
The professor never called on anyone else.
It was a long class.
People afterward told me what a great job I did. They all said that I did well and was very funny. (Not really my goal in law school, to be funny, but maybe it's just a bonus? Who knows...)
I felt like there were some awkward parts, some parts where the professor and I weren't using the same words as each other so there was some confusion, but I managed to even it out fairly quickly.
Anyway, I survived.
But at one point, after he asked me to evaluate a hypo he had presented and decide if it was the same as the cases we had been studying, I told him it wasn't. He asked me why, and I went through a quick set of things that I thought made it different, and why it didn't conform with the model we had just established.
I ended this with words to the effect of, "It's not okay to kill people just because you think they might be about to die."
It's awkwardly stated, but I stand by that rule.
Everyone laughed pretty hard, including the professor. If nothing else, everyone but me really enjoyed that class today.
02 November 2010
Crash
Most of the time, walking around NYC is pretty impressive. People are coming and going basically nonstop, all managing to not run into each other. It's almost balletic in its appearance. This is especially true in a subway station. Sure, sometimes a performer or disoriented tourist can throw the dance into chaos, but it quickly resumes as we all quietly slip past each other, each passing hundreds of other people each day.
It takes a while to get into the swing of it, but you just get used to how people move and how to move around them as you all try to get where you're going very quickly.
Today, my train was being held because of a sick passenger, so people were disembarking and trying to get on other trains, or trying to squeeze onto the already crowded train.
Circumstances like today's make the dance less beautiful. People are bumping, jostling, stopping abruptly, making sharp, unexpected turns, and basically throwing the whole thing off.
So, in these circumstances, today I ran into someone.
Literally.
When I say I ran into her, I mean my body ran into her body.
When I say her body, I mean her shoulder.
When I say my body, I mean my cheekbone.
It hurt.
Unsurprisingly, I now have a headache.
I hope it doesn't leave a bruise or anything. That'll be awkward to explain. I feel really bad for the other girl. Her shoulder is probably achy now. I was talking about it with the guy who sits next to me in my first class today, and our teacher was listening and started talking to us as well. The professor asked if I had some pent up childhood anger or something. I told him that I was pretty sure that was it.
In related news, I'm thinking about investing in taller shoes. Or stilts.
It takes a while to get into the swing of it, but you just get used to how people move and how to move around them as you all try to get where you're going very quickly.
Today, my train was being held because of a sick passenger, so people were disembarking and trying to get on other trains, or trying to squeeze onto the already crowded train.
Circumstances like today's make the dance less beautiful. People are bumping, jostling, stopping abruptly, making sharp, unexpected turns, and basically throwing the whole thing off.
So, in these circumstances, today I ran into someone.
Literally.
When I say I ran into her, I mean my body ran into her body.
When I say her body, I mean her shoulder.
When I say my body, I mean my cheekbone.
It hurt.
Unsurprisingly, I now have a headache.
I hope it doesn't leave a bruise or anything. That'll be awkward to explain. I feel really bad for the other girl. Her shoulder is probably achy now. I was talking about it with the guy who sits next to me in my first class today, and our teacher was listening and started talking to us as well. The professor asked if I had some pent up childhood anger or something. I told him that I was pretty sure that was it.
In related news, I'm thinking about investing in taller shoes. Or stilts.
31 October 2010
Random Thought of the Day
When men wear suits, the suits are just called suits. They have pants and a jacket.
When women wear suits with pants and a jacket, they're called pantsuits.
When women wear suits with a skirt and a jacket, they're called suits.
Am I the only one who finds this totally bizarre?
I think that suits with pants should just be called suits, no matter who wears them, and that suits with skirts should be skirtsuits, no matter who wears them.
Spread the word.
When women wear suits with pants and a jacket, they're called pantsuits.
When women wear suits with a skirt and a jacket, they're called suits.
Am I the only one who finds this totally bizarre?
I think that suits with pants should just be called suits, no matter who wears them, and that suits with skirts should be skirtsuits, no matter who wears them.
Spread the word.
29 October 2010
Day in Court
I spent the day in family court today with the Courtroom Advocates Project (CAP). CAP is a project in the NYC area that allows law students work together with attorneys to help battered men and women prepare their petitions for protective orders.
I've been signed up to attend for a while, so when today arrived, I was somewhat nervous but mostly excited. The law students worked in pairs, and each pair was assigned to help someone prepare their petition. I kept looking around, expecting someone to see me and say, "Hey! You aren't qualified to be here! Who do you think you are?!?"
As I listened to the woman we were advocating for, I was so impressed with her courage. She has lived in an abusive relationship for many years, but finally decided that it wasn't good for her daughters to see her relationship as an example, so she began the process of getting the law involved to radically change their lives. We spent most of the day with her, helping her prepare her petition, helping her to make a safety plan for moving forward, then helping her prepare to see the judge, and then appearing before the judge by her side to get her protective order. Afterward, as she waited for her paperwork, I explained once more how she will proceed from here. We'll be in touch for the next few weeks as the details get sorted out, but most of the work will have to be done on her end, and some of it is kind of complex but crucial paperwork. She thanked me for making it all seem more simple. She said it was so complicated, and that she was glad to have someone to make it make more sense for her. I smiled, and thanked her for letting me have the opportunity to work with her today.
She grabbed my hand, and said,
"You're going to be a wonderful attorney."
I hope she's right.
26 October 2010
Cold Calling
When you're in law school, your teachers call on you. When you haven't raised your hand to volunteer.
A lot.
Depending on the teacher, you can end up answering questions for an extended period of time - sometimes, the teacher asks you questions for an entire class period. It's all part of the Socratic method, and although the merits of the method are debated, it's heavily utilized in basically every law school.
Most students prepare for this by doing the assigned reading carefully. However, each class has a substantial amount of reading for each class period, and since you have more than one class, each case sort of blurs into the others. Then, the teacher might ask questions that have nothing to do with the case, asking you to try to extend the rule that you've learned in the case to other situations. Of course, they do this to show, by your incorrect answers, the limitations of the rule, or at least your understanding of the rule.
It's exhausting, it's stressful, but it's an inevitable part of law school.
Another inevitable part is that, at least once, everyone will say something wrong, stupid, or downright weird when being cold called.
When you're the one saying something stupid, it feels terrible. When it's someone else saying the awkward thing, it just helps to keep the class interesting.
This week, someone (not me, thankfully) got called on in one of my classes had one of those unfortunate incidents. After some discussion about the person who was bringing the lawsuit (the plaintiff), the exchange went like this:
Professor: So who is Mwani [the plaintiff] suing here?
Student (while scrambling through notes): Uh, well, he's suing bin Ladin, and, um...(pause)...I forget the other guy's name...
Professor: Afghanistan.
Student: Oh, yeah, Afghanistan.
It's usually a good bet that the defendant is a person, but every now and then, when it's a country, you can have a really awkward moment.
Fortunately, that professor is fabulous, and she just moved right along. We do have some other professors who will really tell you if they think your answer is wrong or stupid (sometimes in those words). I try to avoid eye contact in those classes...
A lot.
Depending on the teacher, you can end up answering questions for an extended period of time - sometimes, the teacher asks you questions for an entire class period. It's all part of the Socratic method, and although the merits of the method are debated, it's heavily utilized in basically every law school.
Most students prepare for this by doing the assigned reading carefully. However, each class has a substantial amount of reading for each class period, and since you have more than one class, each case sort of blurs into the others. Then, the teacher might ask questions that have nothing to do with the case, asking you to try to extend the rule that you've learned in the case to other situations. Of course, they do this to show, by your incorrect answers, the limitations of the rule, or at least your understanding of the rule.
It's exhausting, it's stressful, but it's an inevitable part of law school.
Another inevitable part is that, at least once, everyone will say something wrong, stupid, or downright weird when being cold called.
When you're the one saying something stupid, it feels terrible. When it's someone else saying the awkward thing, it just helps to keep the class interesting.
This week, someone (not me, thankfully) got called on in one of my classes had one of those unfortunate incidents. After some discussion about the person who was bringing the lawsuit (the plaintiff), the exchange went like this:
Professor: So who is Mwani [the plaintiff] suing here?
Student (while scrambling through notes): Uh, well, he's suing bin Ladin, and, um...(pause)...I forget the other guy's name...
Professor: Afghanistan.
Student: Oh, yeah, Afghanistan.
It's usually a good bet that the defendant is a person, but every now and then, when it's a country, you can have a really awkward moment.
Fortunately, that professor is fabulous, and she just moved right along. We do have some other professors who will really tell you if they think your answer is wrong or stupid (sometimes in those words). I try to avoid eye contact in those classes...
23 October 2010
I've Got Mail!
I got two care packages from home yesterday. I LOVE getting mail, so it was like Christmas. One package was some mail and little newsletters that my parents forward to me.
The other was full of things I requested from home, either because I can't find them here, or they are too expensive here. My mom also threw in a couple of little treats.
In my care package:
Popcorn salt
Maple flavoring
Pumpkin pie spice
A USB drive
Fruit Fresh
Strawberry mentos
I know it probably seems like an odd collection of things, but I was so happy to get them all.
I'm a simple woman.
The other was full of things I requested from home, either because I can't find them here, or they are too expensive here. My mom also threw in a couple of little treats.
In my care package:
Popcorn salt
Maple flavoring
Pumpkin pie spice
A USB drive
Fruit Fresh
Strawberry mentos
I know it probably seems like an odd collection of things, but I was so happy to get them all.
I'm a simple woman.
USB Keys
I have approximately 1,476,409 USB drives. I have big ones, small ones, old ones, new ones, cute ones, ugly ones, and basically anything you can think of. They used to be expensive, but now they seem to fall out of a cereal box when you open it.
When I found out that I needed one for exams at school, I didn't worry too much about it. I have so many. You have to have one for the exam, and then the school collects it for a few days, after which you can get it back, so it needs to be one that you're comfortable parting with for a short time.
When it came time to find one in my apartment, that was a bit tricker. After much searching, I managed to find just one.
Unfortunately, it was given to me by another law school that I ended up choosing not to attend, and it has that school's logo on both sides.
Awkward.
When I found out that I needed one for exams at school, I didn't worry too much about it. I have so many. You have to have one for the exam, and then the school collects it for a few days, after which you can get it back, so it needs to be one that you're comfortable parting with for a short time.
When it came time to find one in my apartment, that was a bit tricker. After much searching, I managed to find just one.
Unfortunately, it was given to me by another law school that I ended up choosing not to attend, and it has that school's logo on both sides.
Awkward.
20 October 2010
What Law School is Like
Some of you have wondered about what my day-to-day life is like.
I don't really have time to go into it all right now. I am really, really busy this week with lots of research for a paper I have to write. Legal research is not quite the same as regular research, and at this point in my legal studies, it all has to be done in the library at the school. Then, when I'm not at the library, I'm reading for classes, working on the paper some more, etc. No matter the venue, I'm working on school.
Anyway, here's a quick video that pretty much sums up my life at this point. Hope it'll tide you over until I have time to type up something longer about what my life is like these days.
(video no longer available online...sorry!)
Anyway, here's a quick video that pretty much sums up my life at this point. Hope it'll tide you over until I have time to type up something longer about what my life is like these days.
(video no longer available online...sorry!)
Whiners
So, in the effort to make my blog more pleasing to the eye, I've been playing around with a few simple templates to spice things up. Since you all know me, you'll know I'm a pretty conservative decorator, and since this is as close to decorating as one should reasonably expect me to be, we can assume that there won't be any big changes to the blog.
I've tried a few different options, and they've all been met with resounding dislike. I have many requests for the old bacon back.
Sadly, I cannot figure out how to get the old bacon back. It's a template that's not there anymore, I guess...sorry. You'll have to settle for this for now. I don't have time for a lot of research.
I've tried a few different options, and they've all been met with resounding dislike. I have many requests for the old bacon back.
Sadly, I cannot figure out how to get the old bacon back. It's a template that's not there anymore, I guess...sorry. You'll have to settle for this for now. I don't have time for a lot of research.
17 October 2010
Slowly Going Mad
Gee, shouldn't you be sleeping? (This is what you're all thinking, as I'm sure you notice the time stamps on my posts).
Yes, yes my friends. I should be sleeping.
However, I have one particularly noisy neighbor who plays really loud music on the weekends and is really giving me a run for my money tonight. And to add insult to injury, someone else has cranked up their own loud music. Different song, of course...would be too simple for them to just use the song we can ALL HEAR FROM THE OTHER PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!
And really, REALLY, must you sing along??? If I can hear you singing along with my windows closed, you're singing too loud!! And off-key, but that's not the point.
ARGH! Angry bacon blog!!!
I am not one to yell. I'm not one to get into confrontations with anyone.
But seriously,
SHUT UP ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, yes my friends. I should be sleeping.
However, I have one particularly noisy neighbor who plays really loud music on the weekends and is really giving me a run for my money tonight. And to add insult to injury, someone else has cranked up their own loud music. Different song, of course...would be too simple for them to just use the song we can ALL HEAR FROM THE OTHER PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!
And really, REALLY, must you sing along??? If I can hear you singing along with my windows closed, you're singing too loud!! And off-key, but that's not the point.
ARGH! Angry bacon blog!!!
I am not one to yell. I'm not one to get into confrontations with anyone.
But seriously,
SHUT UP ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16 October 2010
True or False in NYC: Sports
True or False: New Yorkers are VERY passionate about their sports teams. You should steer clear of making negative remarks about any professional sports team from the city, as you never know which ones the people you are with support.
True. Oh, so true.
The only sports team in NYC that you can feel secure in making jokes about is the Knicks. Man, the Knicks are bad. Everyone knows it. Bad, bad, bad. Lots of people bought season tickets for this season of the Knicks in hopes that LeBron James was going to come play here, and that the tickets would then be worth a nice chunk of money in the resale market.
Negative. It still cracks me up that they thought he would come play here, for the KNICKS, but whatever.
Other than the Knicks, you can't make a remark about any other team. Joke about the Yankees? Heaven help you. Think it would be safer to joke about the Mets? Probably not. You never know who you are with.
It's not even safe to make disparaging jokes about other teams in the general area. I live very, very near an establishment that caters to those who support/worship the Boston teams, so no Red Sox jokes here. Or only very, very quiet ones.
New Yorkers are all very loyal to their specific sports teams, but not the other ones. Mets fans hate the Yankees, Giants fans hate the Jets, etc.
And everyone hates the Knicks.
True. Oh, so true.
The only sports team in NYC that you can feel secure in making jokes about is the Knicks. Man, the Knicks are bad. Everyone knows it. Bad, bad, bad. Lots of people bought season tickets for this season of the Knicks in hopes that LeBron James was going to come play here, and that the tickets would then be worth a nice chunk of money in the resale market.
Negative. It still cracks me up that they thought he would come play here, for the KNICKS, but whatever.
Other than the Knicks, you can't make a remark about any other team. Joke about the Yankees? Heaven help you. Think it would be safer to joke about the Mets? Probably not. You never know who you are with.
It's not even safe to make disparaging jokes about other teams in the general area. I live very, very near an establishment that caters to those who support/worship the Boston teams, so no Red Sox jokes here. Or only very, very quiet ones.
New Yorkers are all very loyal to their specific sports teams, but not the other ones. Mets fans hate the Yankees, Giants fans hate the Jets, etc.
And everyone hates the Knicks.
13 October 2010
True or False in NYC: People
This post is the beginning in a semi-regular series I'm calling "True or False in NYC." There are lots of things that people think about NYC, from stories they've heard, to what they've seen in movies or on TV. When I get a moment or think of one of these things, I'll address them here. If you have something that you want to know if is true or false, pass it along, and I'll give you my take.
Today's common assumption: The people in NYC are not very nice. They're not friendly, they only care about themselves, and if something bad happened to you, they would turn the other way and ignore you. They are very self centered and just don't care about anything else.
This one is FALSE.
The people in New York City are some of the kindest people in the world. I am consistently surprised and impressed by them, and I'm actually from somewhere where they people are considered to be quite kind.
Not a day goes by that I don't see at least one person jump up from their seat on the subway to offer it to a family, an elderly person, a woman, someone who looks tired, or basically anyone. It's amazing.
Once, on the subway, my beautiful, fancy water bottle fell out of my backpack and I didn't notice. Losing it would've ruined not just that day, but SEVERAL days. It was a special gift from a dear soul who sacrificed so that I could have the exact water bottle I wanted, and I just love it. Anyway, I had no idea that it had fallen out, but someone else on the subway saw it happen. They came over to me to tell me that my bottle had fallen out of my backpack. I thanked them and picked it up, relieved that it wasn't lost forever. Then, someone else let me know that a pocket on my backpack was unzipped. So kind!
There are often homeless people on the subway who are begging for money. I never carry cash (still not a good New Yorker, sadly), but I never see those people come onto a subway car without seeing several people give them money. And it's not just change. Several dollars, sometimes. It's always incredibly impressive.
The people here aren't necessarily friendly in an outgoing sort of way, but that's largely just because there are so many people here. You can't possibly say hello to everyone you pass on the street--you'd be exhausted! But when you do engage with people, they are largely so kind and warm. People are always looking out for each other. There is no question in my mind that if something bad were to happen to me on my walk to or from school, more than one person would rush to help me.
That's just how New Yorkers are.
Today's common assumption: The people in NYC are not very nice. They're not friendly, they only care about themselves, and if something bad happened to you, they would turn the other way and ignore you. They are very self centered and just don't care about anything else.
This one is FALSE.
The people in New York City are some of the kindest people in the world. I am consistently surprised and impressed by them, and I'm actually from somewhere where they people are considered to be quite kind.
Not a day goes by that I don't see at least one person jump up from their seat on the subway to offer it to a family, an elderly person, a woman, someone who looks tired, or basically anyone. It's amazing.
Once, on the subway, my beautiful, fancy water bottle fell out of my backpack and I didn't notice. Losing it would've ruined not just that day, but SEVERAL days. It was a special gift from a dear soul who sacrificed so that I could have the exact water bottle I wanted, and I just love it. Anyway, I had no idea that it had fallen out, but someone else on the subway saw it happen. They came over to me to tell me that my bottle had fallen out of my backpack. I thanked them and picked it up, relieved that it wasn't lost forever. Then, someone else let me know that a pocket on my backpack was unzipped. So kind!
There are often homeless people on the subway who are begging for money. I never carry cash (still not a good New Yorker, sadly), but I never see those people come onto a subway car without seeing several people give them money. And it's not just change. Several dollars, sometimes. It's always incredibly impressive.
The people here aren't necessarily friendly in an outgoing sort of way, but that's largely just because there are so many people here. You can't possibly say hello to everyone you pass on the street--you'd be exhausted! But when you do engage with people, they are largely so kind and warm. People are always looking out for each other. There is no question in my mind that if something bad were to happen to me on my walk to or from school, more than one person would rush to help me.
That's just how New Yorkers are.
11 October 2010
Priorities
Sometimes, I forget why I came to law school.
Today, in the email that runs through a list of events that are coming up at the school, there was a blurb about an upcoming panel discussion. The panel is on a topic of great interest to me, and one of the professors participating in the panel is one of the people who influenced my decision to attend Cardozo whose work I greatly admire. Great topic, brilliant panel of brilliant people, and a hot buffet lunch. Sounds like a great use of an hour that day.
Then, I remembered that the same day, at the same time, the Student Services office will be giving out free pumpkin pie, apple pie, and hot cider on a different floor of the building.
I spent a long time today thinking about what a difficult decision this was: which to attend, which to attend.
Oh yeah. Wait. I remember. I didn't come to law school for free pie.
Still...
10 October 2010
Ten
In honor of the date today being 10/10/10, I thought I'd share ten things I love about New York City. These aren't necessarily my top ten favorite things about New York, but just the ten things that are tickling me today.
- Central Park
- Food carts on the street - you can buy basically any food you want for very little money while you're just walking around the city
- Rain
- Walking or riding the subway to get basically anywhere
- Cute temple right in the city
- Listening to New York couples disagree with each other (too hard to describe, but it's hilarious)
- Bagels
- The Chrysler Building
- Pizza places on every street - there's even an Argentine Pizzeria near my house
- Plants - everything here just grows on its own. Trees, grass, you name it, we've got it!
30 September 2010
The Price is Wrong
Thing you don't know about living in Manhattan:
After you've lived in Manhattan for even six weeks, you'll no longer be able to successfully play along at home with The Price is Right.
I no longer have a good sense for the price of groceries.
I didn't watch for too long, because it starts to get depressing when you realize that you overpay for basically everything.
Fortunately, then I went to Costco, where the prices are just like they are in Utah. I bought a gallon of milk and then hauled it to the bus stop to get it back home. I must have passed at least ten different, closer grocery stores on my way to and from, but I only paid $2.39, and I couldn't have been happier about it.
After you've lived in Manhattan for even six weeks, you'll no longer be able to successfully play along at home with The Price is Right.
I no longer have a good sense for the price of groceries.
I didn't watch for too long, because it starts to get depressing when you realize that you overpay for basically everything.
Fortunately, then I went to Costco, where the prices are just like they are in Utah. I bought a gallon of milk and then hauled it to the bus stop to get it back home. I must have passed at least ten different, closer grocery stores on my way to and from, but I only paid $2.39, and I couldn't have been happier about it.
27 September 2010
Me and My Shadow
When you live alone and spend lots of time alone in a city where you know basically no one, you tend to talk to yourself. Don't judge me--I'm an excellent conversationalist, after all.
Anyway, I just had the funniest little conversation with myself in my head. I thought I'd replicate it here for you. We'll call the sides of the conversation "L1" and "L2."
L1: Holy cow! I can't believe how much it has rained. And it's supposed to rain at least another inch tomorrow! It's craziness!
L2 (clearly, the more calm part of my internal conversations): Yep, it's soggy out there.
L1: But just think about it! There are puddles EVERYWHERE! Water is racing down my street. And another inch tomorrow? Where will it all go??
L2: (silently humiliated by other half)
L1: Oh yeah! The ocean, that's where it'll go. What's at the end of the street? The East River. It'll all just run into that. Huh. Guess it's not a big deal, then. But still, WOW!
Fortunately, I had this conversation silently, so no one around me at school got to witness that brilliant moment. I can't help it if I forget that I'm next to the ocean, and that I forget that there's not additional rain flooding down toward me from mountains above. I've got YEARS of training in that, and only moments of being a near-ocean dweller.
And for what it's worth, we don't need to worry about too much flooding here: I brought most of the water inside with me in my shoes.
Anyway, I just had the funniest little conversation with myself in my head. I thought I'd replicate it here for you. We'll call the sides of the conversation "L1" and "L2."
L1: Holy cow! I can't believe how much it has rained. And it's supposed to rain at least another inch tomorrow! It's craziness!
L2 (clearly, the more calm part of my internal conversations): Yep, it's soggy out there.
L1: But just think about it! There are puddles EVERYWHERE! Water is racing down my street. And another inch tomorrow? Where will it all go??
L2: (silently humiliated by other half)
L1: Oh yeah! The ocean, that's where it'll go. What's at the end of the street? The East River. It'll all just run into that. Huh. Guess it's not a big deal, then. But still, WOW!
Fortunately, I had this conversation silently, so no one around me at school got to witness that brilliant moment. I can't help it if I forget that I'm next to the ocean, and that I forget that there's not additional rain flooding down toward me from mountains above. I've got YEARS of training in that, and only moments of being a near-ocean dweller.
And for what it's worth, we don't need to worry about too much flooding here: I brought most of the water inside with me in my shoes.
25 September 2010
Dear iPhone
Dearest iPhone,
It's not often that one piece of technology enables a person to lead a simpler, more beautiful life.
iPhone, you are that piece of technology. Without you, I'd be hopelessly lost a significantly larger portion of the time than I already am. Your dedication, reliability, and map skills are truly inspiring.
Yesterday, I doubted you. I really did. My overconfidence, coupled with subway construction and stop modifications, led me to believe that you were mistaken. I didn't judge you for it; I felt pity that you were being thwarted by the tall buildings around us.
How wrong I was, iPhone. I should have trusted you.
No longer will I disbelieve when you identify our current location.
Even when you think we're in a different borough than I think we are.
Sigh.
I'll get this NYC thing figured out eventually. Until then, I'll keep you close by, dearest iPhone.
Love,
Liz
It's not often that one piece of technology enables a person to lead a simpler, more beautiful life.
iPhone, you are that piece of technology. Without you, I'd be hopelessly lost a significantly larger portion of the time than I already am. Your dedication, reliability, and map skills are truly inspiring.
Yesterday, I doubted you. I really did. My overconfidence, coupled with subway construction and stop modifications, led me to believe that you were mistaken. I didn't judge you for it; I felt pity that you were being thwarted by the tall buildings around us.
How wrong I was, iPhone. I should have trusted you.
No longer will I disbelieve when you identify our current location.
Even when you think we're in a different borough than I think we are.
Sigh.
I'll get this NYC thing figured out eventually. Until then, I'll keep you close by, dearest iPhone.
Love,
Liz
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)