Exploration in NYC

So I'm beginning to really warm up to the city though I swear my sense of hearing (which wasn't that great to begin with) has probably deteriorated due to the constant loud noises in the subway, downtown... basically everywhere. This is my house, well rather, its where I live. All the houses/apartments are crammed pretty closely together even though around my neighborhood there are lots of industrial warehouses, and condemned buildings and the like. But this picture looks pretty quaint yeah? I especially like the white fence around it. Its like one extra layer of protection before the 1,2, 3 more doors you have to go through to get inside. This is me and my unmade bed in my new room! Its quite a bare room (I refuse to decorate it given my temporary stay here).

So the weather has been crazy. First its hot and humid, then its rainy and humid, then its cold and rainy, then its really sweltering hot again. Well, last Sunday while Van parked himself on the couch all day (and I literally mean ALL DAY) watching football, I decided to take advantage of the sunshine and go to Central Park. I wish I had brought something to read-- I'm pretty sure that I lost my book at the airport-- because it would have been PERFECT to park myself somewhere under a tree and read to my hearts content. Nonetheless it was gorgeous. See for yourself:


People were rowing boats, reading, playing frisbee, soccer, just havin' fun in the sun. Afterwards, I went to the American Museum of Natural History and saw exhibits titled Asian Peoples, African Peoples etc. Highly un-PC and highly inappropriate. They did have a cool evolution of man exhbit though. At the end of the day, I took a stroll along Columbus Ave, sorta like a really long North Berkeley but the only difference is that not everything is organic, whole grain, and all that. Just expensive.

A couple days later I received a super cool package at my doorstep. Intrigued, I tore open the wrapping to find:
A box of bluberry muffin flavored wheat cereal!! Starving, I immediately had myself a bowl while watching Bill O'Reilly relentlessly badger a poor professor from American University about Sarah Palin. "You should be setting a better example for your students" was basically the outcome of the whole thing. Ridiculous. Anyway, the package was from Daniel Stringer, my partner from Greenlining and he left a really sweet note too. It says: Hey Ariane, Though I'd send these as a housewarming gift. I haven't actually tried them (all the one's at my house were gone when I got home, but they look good). Anyway, hope these have a good trip to NYC, just as I hope you had a good trip to NYC. Now, for those of you who've had the good fortune to meet Daniel Stringer, he is probably the most thoughtful human being ever. Totally made my day.

A few days ago, I also made it out to story slam event hosted by the MOTH storytelling group out in Lower East Side at the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe. The stories were kick-ass. You just had to be there. Crowded as hell, but so so so good.
The guy who won the competition was a huge guy who told a story of how he used trickery and sleaziness to get a girl and finally marry her. Doesn't sound all that exciting in a summary but his deliveries were fantastic. And, well if you don't know already I had quite an adventure that night too. Probably should be more careful in the future but it involved me meeting someone who took me on a motorcycle tour all through manhattan, across the brooklyn bridge, and back home. Hella tight.

And finally, work! Isn't that what I came here to do? Well I'm working as an intern for the Asia Society in the Asian Social Issues Program (ASIP) where I research water sustainability issues in developing Asian nations. I get a United Nations security pass so I can attend meetings there whenever I want (sweet!) and a pass that gets me into any museum in the world for free (Even the Louvre!). I'm also getting paid to do part time work for the Center for U.S.-China Relations, also a dept of the Asia Society headed by former Dean of the School of Journalism at UC Berkeley, Orville Schell. Oh, the place where I work is also a museum, a pretty prestigious one at that, and right now we're exhibiting pieces from the cultural revolution. So that's why there's a huge banner of Mao on the side of our building.

Bushwick< Brooklyn < New York City

So tomorrow I will have been officially here in New York City for a whole entire week! I'm sorry to disappoint but I have no crazy stories to tell yet mainly because I've been settling in, hauling in furniture, getting internet/cable set-up, and buying the living essentials.

I live on 339 Covert Street in Brooklyn, New York in a bottom floor of a super cute house which is 1) cleaner/bigger than any Berkeley apartment I've ever seen or been in and
2) did I mention super cute?
The kitchen space is pretty sizeable and all the kitchen drawers have been newly installed with little strawberry symbols on the knobs. Plus we got a kickass comfy couch for free from Van's uncle and we're getting a foozball table next week!

So please visit!

Craiglist is also really and truly the modern day savior. We got a good quality coffee table, side table, DVD player, floor lamp, desk clock, writing desk, decorative lamp, folding chair, and plates all for $40. That my friends is DIRT CHEAP. Ikea can suck my dick.

Last night Van and I went down to Coyote Ugly in East Village, (yes the original Coyote Ugly bar) and witnessed what can be described as skimpily clad women bartenders line dancing and going the splits on the bar while pouring tequila down skeezy male patrons' throats. The place was decorated with bras (must have been at least 500+) on the ceilings, on the windows.. wherever. My rating: 7 for amusement, 3 for having an actually good atmosphere. Not surprisingly most of the clientele were horndogs. Yuck!

Leaving the place was in a word--insane. There was a downpour like I had never seen before and when it rains, it really does pour. Luckily I was OCD about checking weather.com and had packed my nifty umbrella in my purse but that didn't help the least. Walking back to the subway at 2AM, Van and I were drenched to the bone. Actually to the point where we didn't give a fuck anymore and I almost had a "singing in the rain" moment before I caught myself and saved my dignity. The great thing was that it wasn't cold at all, not like Bay Area rain, just humid and wet.

New Job!

Hey Girls!

How are ya doin? Laura I hope your school is okay. Ms. Wu I am so proud of you for moving out to NY on your own! That takes a lot of courage. I hope your having fun exploring the different neighborhoods. I'm sure there are so many exciting job opportunities over there as well. After all it IS New York!

Just wanted to let you know I got a job that I am pretty happy with! The whole process was a bit emotional. This is because I found a job at this great restaurant called the Med then decided to jump ship after 2 days and was left again without a job and rent just a week around the corner! At first everyone wanted to hire me and then when I started the job search again it seemed like every resteraunt in Boulder no longer needed more servers!

neway, I finally found a great job at a family restaurant in Boulder called Lucile's. It's the cutest thing you have ever seen. It has won best breakfast in Boulder for the past 25 years. I personally love it b/c it's a locals hot spot so it really gives me a feel for Boulder and its people. The manager and staff are really friendly. I will be working there 4 mornings a week from 7am-3:30pm. Yup, I shall be gettin up before the sun. But then again not workin 3 days a week so I get some awesome play time in on my days off!! I'm hoping to have fun with my roomies, raft, try to snowboard, hike, eat at yummy restaurants, read, meditate, spin, volunteer...you know do fun stuff on those free days. one thing me and my roomates have been brainstorming is to get together a street performance in downtown boulder on Pearl which is the main street. My roomate is going to do backflips while I juggle a soccer ball. We are going to have a limbo and hulla hoop contest with this other weird game. Its gonna be awesome!

You guys have got to see downtown boulder on a friday night. It is almost eerie how much it resembles pleasantville or a weird utopia community complete with amazing musicians (pianists, violinists, celtic musicians, guitar players), lots of fun street performers, flowers everywhere, pretty people of all ages dancing/singing/smiling/walking about, every kind of cute restaurant you could imagine where everything is organic and healthy, no cars are allowed on the street, beautiful cafe's...

I have definitely realized I need to get out of the restaurant business. Thus, I've been looking at Clinical Psych Phd programs in Colorado. Also, I'm hoping to join a gym and start learning how to become a spin and yoga/meditation instructor and personal trainer. I may also apply for a teach for america high school english teaching position in Denver we'll see. Or I could also end up joining a bhuddhist work study program at the Nyigma institute in Sanoma. So many options!!

I'm always thinking of you guys, miss you, and hope your adventures are treatn ya well :)

Boulder

So right when I got to Boulder I had the good fortune of making my first Boulder resident friend. I met Rob at the Southern Sun Restaurant Pub and Brewery. We went on this awesome hike just a 15 minute drive out of town a few days later!

Waterfalls galore. I can't tell you how beautiful it is out here. So many flowers, trees, mountains, lakes....literally minutes away! And everyone loves hiking here!

Not only do they love hiking these people are fit and happy. I took a walk on Pearl street which is the main downtown rd. I ran into this guy playing and singing on his piano. Some random Boulderans are joining in on his singing here! There is all kinds of great music as you walk down Pearl street.

This is or first rommies night together at the West End Tavern on Pearl St.! Meg is on the right and Erin is in the middle.

So I got a job....or atleast I had one. Haha, Erin and I decided to celebrate me getting a job by going to the restaurant for dinner. It was a nice but casual restaurant called the medditteranean. I had to wear a white collared button up shirt with a tie and a black skirt! After a few days I decided it wasn't for me and quit. But, hey I'm still looking forward to eating the spanish, italian, french, morroccan, greek delicious food they have there. Now looking for a job, ideally part time waitressing and part time working at a gym. An independant bookstore would be nice too. I've been searching idealist.org and counseling psychology grad programs in the area as well. so we'll see....

Alrighty ya'll, sorry it took my so long to write. Laura I need to give you a call soon. Did you move into the New Orleans boonies or something!? Haven't heard from ya?!

Last Week with a Real Job!

Going to see the Drowsy Chaperone tonight at Orpheum. But this may just be a cover for trying not to make decisions relating to future job prospects...

I'll fill you guys in after Friday, but I am nearly at my wits end

My new book!

Ariane weren't we going to see this play?

John Muir Trail

Top left: Pretty picture from the trail. Top Right: sis and I at the top of Mt. Whitney (elevation 14,505 ft.) yes it was quite a hike up there. Bottom left: me leaving our campsite at about 8 in the morning. We walked from sun up to sun down everyday...its what we did. Bottom right: my sis and I at the top of Pinchot pass. Definitely the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. My sister was sure I was going to find her lifeless body on the side of the trail.

Top left: pretty view from the trail. Top right: sis crossing some snow. Luckily this is as bad as it got. Bottom left: me halfway up Mather Pass. Every JMT hiker knows this climb as the "golden stair case". It's considered the toughest pass on the trail. Your basically walking uphill on switchbacks all day! Bottom right: Ted the marmot who was with us the whole trip!

Top left: Iris on the top of halfdome. Top and bottom right: flowers! There were so many! Bottom left: mapsite just outside of Donahue pass.