Becoming a New YorkerBecoming a New YorkerFrom NC to NYC, the Good, the Bad, the Ugly - and even the Boring - of becoming a New Yorker, in my own words and others Articles
Phone Photo Ops - City Walk #14
2008-03-24 00:30:00 Today's route: Littly Italy"Best bets" along Mulberry StreetFerrara Bakery & CafeAlleva DairyDi Palo's Fine Foods "... even as almost every other storefront on the blockdisplays Chinese lettering."Umberto's Clam HouseMulberry between Grand and BroomeLooking north on Mulberry Street More About: Photo , Phone , City , Walk
The Perfect City
2008-03-22 20:20:00 So I'm in my apartment enjoying a lazy Saturday on my couch, in front of the television, flipping between various afternoon movie line-ups, successfully ignoring the urge of mindless snacking, and periodically hitting refresh on my laptop to see if I have any new myspace messages.I just came across The Perfect Man starring Hilary Duff (a.k.a. not another cutesy, toothless teen movie) and watched the first few minutes. Just as I was about to surf off of TNT, Duff's character says, "For those of you who haven't done it yet, put 'must see New York skyline' on your list of things to do before you die."Queue sunset-drenched skyline of New York City ... and I get chills. It's not Citizen Kane or The Godfather. It's Hilary Duff. Images of New York do that to me every time - no matter what the medium.And, uh-oh, this is a movie about a blogger.3:50pm Update: Still watching the Duff movie. But only because it's filmed in New York. [Cough]
StuffWhitePeopleLike.com
2008-03-21 20:26:00 Today's Why-Didn't-I-Think-of-That moment is brought to you by "Why Didn't I Think of This"?I felt the same way when I first saw the infomercial for The Perfect Pancake.
"Things I Love" Thursdays - New York Bloggers
2008-03-21 02:16:00 I've said it before, but I'll say it again. It's right up there with New York City's newspaper headlines.Here's one reason why from BNR ... just as I was considering a second job (no pun intended ... unless it will get me $5500 an hour):Tuesday, March 11, 2008Posted 12:53 AM by Todd Super Updated UPDATE! Pissed and Petty gave us the link for pictures! Go look!Update: Does anyone have a picture of this woman? I really need to see what "Kristen, the attractive brunette" (who can charge $32,000 for a night) looks like. Seriously, someone find me a picture of this woman.What in the world makes a prostitute worth $32,000 a night? What does she do that raises her rates above the $30,000 line?My thoughts:- 100% absolute total discretion*- Transportation is included. Airfare, cabs, hansoms. You know, the works.- She cleans while you're "recovering". Dusting is included. She also does windows.- Your shoes will shine.- She'll "springs ahead" all the clocks in the apartment. She'll als... More About: Love , Bloggers , Things
Good Things From The Work Day
2008-03-19 23:57:00 Michael Kors sample sale in their corporate office with bags and shoes, worth hundreds of dollars, starting at $15 and up (for employees in our building only), catered lunch meeting (sandwiches and salads from Dishes), free make-up and other beauty goodies split among the executive assistants (one of our bosses had received a nice gift bag from a client meeting and didn't want it), boxes and boxes containing bags of Hershey's miniature chocolates (arrived from an advertising client and distributed at approximately 2-3 bags a piece among our division), and hilarious corporate stories ...One of our high-level executives had once recorded a temporary outgoing message for her office voicemail before leaving for Ireland. Excerpt below:"This is [name removed]. Please ..... aww fuck ........ You have reached the voicemail of [name removed]. I am out of the office through [date]. Please leave a message and ..."She had "added to" the message instead of "deleting and rerecording." Awesome. More About: Work , Things , Good
Scents of the Past
2008-03-19 01:58:00 I smelled Rickey on the subway today. It wasn't him, of course - but his smell. A subtle mix of cologne and laundry detergent.It's crazy how a smell can take you back.It's crazy how fast "far back" continues to get. More About: Past
Look to the Cookie, Elaine
2008-03-18 01:06:00 In our team's weekly meeting today, my boss reported that there were a lot of intoxicated Irish and Irish-for-a-day types wandering the cross streets of midtown by noon: "One woman was so drunk she could barely cross 42nd and Madison."There may be few cities in the United States that take St. Patrick's Day as seriously as New York does. It feels as prevalent in the streets as Christmas. Ok. Maybe not Christmas. It's like the spring version of Thanksgiving and beer is the turkey.Last year, I was Irish twice. Once in Hoboken in early March and a second time in Manhattan on the 17th. The bars of the surrounding boroughs can't compete with Manhattan's alcohol establishments on the nationally-recognized St. Patrick's Day so the only solution is to have multiple St. Patrick's Days within a 25-mile radius of the city. It's quite nice.Today everyone and everything was Irish, even the classic Black and White Cookie . "The cookie that says 'New York'" was saying, "Eat me. I'm Irish"...
Phone Photo Ops - Ice Cube Stalagmites
2008-03-17 00:12:00 It's almost time for Spring Sundays again! I'm really looking forward to my city walks.And in what appears to be a new tradition in strange Sunday phone photo ops and burning questions, how exactly does this happen? More About: Photo , Phone , Cube , Ice Cube
Phone Photo Ops - Rare Sighting & Chocolate Confessions
2008-03-16 23:37:00 I received the following text yesterday afternoon: "Hey, we're having a party at my friend's place in the west village, huge apartment! Then stretch hummer to go to Marquee. Come, it should be fun! Let me know"So my girls and I decided not to go see a band performing in the Lower East Side and redirected our plans to the west. I hate hummers (because they are not environmentally friendly and they just look stupid), but getting to the clubs in the 27th region of the island can be a headache on foot. My girls and I have done the walk from 28th and Seventh many a time when vacant cabs are scarce.While we were all impressed with the high ceilings and tall windows of the West Village apartment of a lawyer for a prestigious New York-based law firm*, I was most intrigued by the presence of this handy appliance.*Partnered by a former New York mayor.After drinks, pizza delivery from Two Boots, and three bowls of Ben & Jerry's pistachio ice cream from the lawyer's refrigerator (all th... More About: Photo , Phone , Confessions , Chocolate , Rare
United Colors of Benetton
2008-03-15 22:27:00 Tonight is Girls' Night.Meet the cast of characters from my nightlife in New York City.We're like the United Nations or a gang of Disney Fairies.Clockwise from top (with fairy correlation):Natasha, the film and TV voice over/actress (the adorable blonde)Ra, the shoe designer (the token black hottie*)Mayra, the international manufacturing, research and multimedia supervisor (the Equedorian with the entire exotic package, including the sexy accent)Iris, the handbag designer (the White girl with an ass)Me, executive assistant, blog author (the half Filipina/half White girl with long hair)*Featured as the Token Black Fairy in our Disney remake and representing for:Gina, the fashion merchandiser who just moved to LADebasha, the fashion corporate merchandise plannerOther main characters:Tokii, the best friend, whose acting career takes her away from the city more and more and takes my heart with her wherever she goes (the next Tia & Tamara Mowry by appearance; next Angela Bassett by... More About: Colors , Benetton
Phone Photo Op - Not Recommended
2008-03-15 02:31:00 This may be the bravest act I have ever witnessedof a fellow NYC commuter.All white in the subway. More About: Photo , Phone
India with Extended Family
2008-03-15 02:01:00 Last night I joined the aunt from Syracuse and her family-by-marriage for dinner at Tamarind, an India n restaurant in east midtown. Dinner was delicious, conversation was great, and having family in the city is fabulous.David (the son of my aunt's second husband) works in publishing, and Charlene (David's wife) is a corporate event planner. Both based in Manhattan. Both very successful. And both full of New Yorker-isms.When I arrived 40 minutes late because of late-night publishing/ advertising blah, resulting from a morning of ribbon-tying for an upcoming event, followed by the frustration of trying to find a cab in midtown between 5 and 9pm, they were forgiving and armed with wine. When I had confimed by cell that I was five minutes away, Charlene had said, "That's New Yorker speak for 'I'm at 96th and West End.'"Despite the fact that David and Charlene live in Brooklyn with their adorable son (of whom I have only seen adorable photos) and Charlene sent me a welcome gift whi... More About: Family , Extended
Phone Photo Op - Card-Carrying Member of NYC
2008-03-14 04:57:00 My New York State driver license arrived in the mail today. It only took me a year and a half to apply for one, but only through fault and procrastination of my own, which - by definition - made me a law breaker. As noted on the New York State's Department of Motor Vehicles website, "if you become a resident of NYS, you must get a NYS driver license within 30 days and surrender your out-of-state driver license."However, it wasn't my need to return to the population of law-abiding, proper-license holding citizens. But motivated by an inane desire to flash a New York I.D. at night clubs and bars - rather than my old North Carolina one - I finally headed over to the License X-press, Manhattan's solution for what would otherwise be a painful afternoon at the DMV lined up behind thousands of New Yorkers.The process, overall, was not full pain. I arrived at one of the DMV's satellite offices on 34th and Eighth on March 4 at noon armed with all of the documents deemed necessary by the ... More About: Photo , Phone , Card , Carrying
Phone Photo Op - Train Rehearsal
2008-03-14 04:45:00 In New York City, you're more likely to unintentionally memorize a scene while listening to an actor rehearse their lines on the subway. More About: Photo , Phone , Train
"Things I Love" Thursdays - NYC Headlines
2008-03-13 17:36:00 As the sexual history of politicians has shown, there is indeed more than one way to get ahead.I wish I had my camera phone while I was running on the treadmill before this morning. On the row of stationary bikes in front of me, almost every newspaper was turned to this double-page spread in the New York Post: The Gal Who Laid Gov LowThe headlines across New York newspapers have been hilarious today."Things I Love " Thursdays are inspired by "I Love New York" (BNY, February 14, 2007). More About: Headlines
Colleague Convo - News Travels Fast
2008-03-12 17:05:00 In addition to the resignation of Spitzer, there is a Gnome terrorizing an Argentinean town:'Creepy gnome' terrorising Argentinean town (with video)Belfast Telegraph link courtesy of my cubicle neighbor.And in other news ... More About: News , Travels , Fast
Phone Photo Op - All Zipped Up
2008-03-11 23:47:00 What I found hilarious by this scene is that it wasn't that cold outside.Zoom view More About: Photo , Phone
Phone Photo Op - Morning View
2008-03-11 14:17:00 From my boss's office, birds' eye view of Bryant Park... where I will be enjoying spring lunches, summer Monday night movies and autumn breezes. More About: Photo , Phone , Morning , View
Phone Photo Op - Evening View
2008-03-11 01:15:00 Chrysler sunsetLeft the office an hour late and it was still light outside. I hate daylight savings' "spring forward" in the morning, but I love it in the evening. More About: Photo , Phone , View , Evening
I'll Always Be 12
2008-03-10 05:07:00 So my mom sent me an email a few weeks ago, which is likely a direct result of this post and this post. The general tone, in four sentences, was motherly criticism regarding my use of fowl language and how "it may be normal for most people" but "it still isn't nice," and "it may sound cute if you accidentally say it when 'surprised,' but to do it as part of a normal sentence makes the difference between couth and uncouth."I sighed. Closed my personal email. Took a sip from my steaming mug of green tea. Began my corporate day in a Manhattan skyscraper. Come on, Mom, I thought. I'm 28!I was going to completely ignore her email and not issue a direct response via reply or indirectly via my blog. Then I read Chelsea Talks Smack's March 2nd post:I'm sorry Granny (yes she reads my blog and now knows entirely too much inappropriate information about me), cousins, DAD, uncles, etc. Please forgive me for what I'm about to do -but, it's fucking human nature. So, go check your e-mail a...
Phone Photo Op - Double Yokes and Oftens
2008-03-09 16:48:00 I realize the weather was fairly mild last week, but it is freezing outside today. Why hasn't the building management turned back on the heat that is supposed to be included in my monthly rent along with the hot water, which often is not hot?And why am I often cracking open twins from cartons of Grade A Jumbo Eggs distributed by Robert Nelms Egg Co., Bronx, NY 10488?And why can I not stop craving Hauraches de Queso from Picante on Broadway and 139th?Oh yea ...Because my building management sucks.I buy eggs from C Town.Hauraches de Queso from Picante are awesome. More About: Photo , Phone , Double
Reviews of Views
2008-03-09 07:43:00 My best friend has been reviewed by The New York Times!From nytimes.com:... The problem is that we see all of them through the distancing filter of narration. And even though the narrator is the endearingly astute and precocious Claudia, we never shake the knowledge that it?s the analytical, literary, unmistakable voice of Toni Morrison telling us the story. Bobbi Baker is just terrific as Claudia, easily conveying both her adult perspective on the events of her girlhood and the child?s more limited understanding of them. But even as a child, Claudia is bright enough to resent Shirley Temple?s blue eyes rather than envy them ...And hartfordstage.org:... If Pecola is the central character, she is not the voice of the play. That role belongs to Claudia (Bobbi Baker) and, to a lesser extent, her sister Frieda (Ronica Reddick). The girls are neighbors of Pecola's family, the Breedloves, and both function almost as narrators. It is the sisters who explain at the start of the play that P... More About: Views , Reviews
"The Song Stuck in Your Head" From Hell
2008-03-08 22:57:00 If I were a commercial actor, there are three types of commercials I would not want to do:1) Herpes2) Diarrhea3) Optimum Triple Play More About: Song , Hell , Head
Search-Term Saturday: Foreshadowing of a Future Profession?
2008-03-08 22:30:00 Maybe if my rent goes up 200% again next year.I know my "Search -Term Saturday s" are pretty sporadic. With a blog that doesn't particularly boast or seek a lot of traffic, I don't always have amusing or interesting referrals. In fact, I have anxiety whenever traffic happens to spike above 50 unique visitors in one day, and I go back through recent posts to make sure I didn't reveal anything that I shouldn't have about a family member or friend. Link to related postBut just when I was telling my NYC Blogger girls at dinner last Wednesday that I have never been linked* to anything [and by "anything," I meant any sites that are more or less "official" like gawker.com ... ahem], I have been linked by a porn site called a-lok.net as "A Collage of Girls Stripping at hostel Campus." Someone in Calcutta visited my blog via that link.***DrunkBrunch's post on an odd visit to the gynecologist, where a doctor's assistant "hit on [her] mid-vag" - Gawker's Blogorrhea*Misguided Misadventures... More About: Profession , Future
Phone Photo Op - No Jersey in Sight
2008-03-08 19:45:00 [Not] Overlooking the Hudson River at 1:30 this afternoonFor the view on a good day, click here. More About: Photo , Phone , Jersey , Sight
M-I-C-K-E-Y ... M-O-NYC
2008-03-07 04:16:00 On my way to meet City Wendy, DrunkBrunch and Misguided Misadventures in NYC for an uptown dinner at China de Puebla last night - for which I was running late, of course - I suddenly realized that I didn't know exactly where I was going - other than somewhere in my neighborhood. I texted DrunkBrunch: "Where am I going again?"That's the life of an executive assistant, working late and so busy managing someone else's life, I can't keep track of my own. That's why all of my bills are on auto-pay, including (or perhaps especially) my rent.I wish I could share some of the hilarious conversation from last night, but I will reserve it with my private memories out of respect for blogger anonymity. I will, however, disclose that the evening ended with multiple sightings of an unexpected and bold four-legged guest.From MMNYC's morning-after email:"I was shrieking at the waiter, like he could do something (Amanda, you are kind to use the nicer word, assertive, but really I am just bossy ...
Phone Photo Op - Times Square Police Line
2008-03-06 15:20:00 On my way to the gym before work, Times Square was blocked to all pedestrian traffic.And while running on the treadmill, I learned that Times Square had been opened to vehicular traffic only a few hours earlier following a 3:45 a.m. bombing.Update: In Times Square Blast, Echos of Earlier Bombings More About: Photo , Phone , Police
Phone Photo Op - The Secret of the Ooze
2008-03-06 00:05:00 Today's "What the Hell is That?" city moment is brought to you by the Coalition of Mail Service Patrons Who Want to Know Why the Bryant Park Post Office Employees are Always in Such a Bad Mood.Taken outside of the Bryant Park Post Office today around lunchtime.Quick, someone get me some knunchucks and a turtle. More About: Photo , Phone , The Secret , Secret
High Caloric Weekend
2008-03-04 05:02:00 The increased calorie intake actually began on Wednesday with drinks and dinner at Divine Bar West with an old North Carolina college friend visiting from Chicago. As the Vodka Sodas (my signature drink) and Vodka Gimlets (his) flowed, we began to realize just how far from Cullowhee we really are. It's amazing, the clarity that comes with low-level intoxication."I never would have believed," I said, "Back when we would walk by each other and nod on campus - you in your over-sized hooded sweatshirts, and me in my velour sweatsuits - that we would one day be sipping trendy drinks in a trendy Manhattan lounge miles and years away from North Carolina [I didn't add, 'You in smooth business casual and me in a black dress and 4" patton leather pumps']."While we both agreed that we wouldn't change our pasts and that we appreciated all North Carolina had provided in our lives, there was nothing left back there for either of us. Then, we swapped our big city stories - both good and bad -... More About: Weekend , High
Three L's for the Leap Year
More articles from this author:2008-03-01 01:54:00 My three L's were inspired by a lecture given by Professor Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon University. Over AIM, I sent Terrence the link to view the reprise on Oprah.com.After watching it, he IMed me back: "Wow. That really hits hard at the end. I teared up and everything."Today I decided on three L's ...Laugh more ... Love more ... Live more ...Because I can ...Professor Randy Pausch's Last Lecture on Oprah.com More About: Year , Leap 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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