Un mes

I have officially been in New York City for 4 whole weeks! Although I miss everyone a ton, I'm adjusting to life here pretty well. I have a bed of my own to sleep in and a full-time job that will hopefully get me a position in this year's Thanksgiving Day parade! I'm becoming fairly good at subway travel. I no longer almost topple over when standing on the train(although some lady did tonight on the commute home which was rather hilarious). I also figured out which directions the numbers run on the streets which is extremely helpful. The only things I am lacking that would make me a true New Yorker is a bitchy demeanor and an uninterested facial expression (but I guess that would come with the demeanor). I think I'll stick with my midwestern wholesomeness if I can help it though.
I have seen some pretty crazy stuff living here that actually remind me of Madison, such as the man swimming in the fountain outside the Chase building in his shorts and sneakers. After a nice workout he managed to evade the police and security guards by running down 6th Avenue in the middle of rush hour. Damn hippies! I've also seen more people wearing sunglasses indoors (on the subway and in stores) than I ever thought possible. Why these people think they look good is beyond me. It must be some cool thing that I just don't get because I'm not nearly hipster or rich enough to understand.
The pictures attached to this post are of the happy fountain-swimming man, David Blaine's extremely lame "stunt" (seriously, is it even a stunt when you stop for coffee whenever you feel like it and sit up all the time?), and the Empire State Building with its green lights for Eid. Enjoy! I miss you!

A star shines in Brooklyn

I was riding the subway on the way to work this morning when I saw a quote in a train advertisement. The quote, by George Eliot, is this, “We do not expect to be deeply moved by what is not unusual… If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel’s heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence.”
Maybe on a 7:45 am train is not the most common place to gain insight about life, but maybe when we reexamine those usual moments, we can learn the most about ourselves and those around us. I'd like to hear that roar, at least some of it, and I think I'm finding that here in the city.
This post is not a quirky story but it sums up what I realize this journey is becoming to me. I moved here expecting a new life full of exciting new adventures each day. The scenery has changed, but that's not the part that is moving me. Life here is not all that different than my life in Madison, but with more strangers and taller buildings. I find myself being moved by the woman reading her Hebrew prayer book on the subway ride home; by the nanny who spends more time with her charges than the parents ever will; by the former punk teenager now wearing a suit as the enlarged hole in his ear struggles to close up. These are the people who are defining my time here. The praying woman, the nanny and the grown up former punk were all there in Madison, but I when I gave them a second glance, it was only to complain about them, never to see who they really are, nor how similar I find them to me.

A walk in the park (and other places)

My favorite place in New York City thus far is, hands down, Central Park. In Madison, my refuge was always the Terrace and I've found a place close to that haven in the park. I love how I can sit there, in nature and glimpse the city through the trees. There are always tons of people around and almost everyone in this part of the city is in a good mood. I love people-watching the couples, the playing children, and the runners as they all go by smiling.
I think I give away the fact that I am a small town girl every time I walk down the street staring up at the gorgeous architecture towering above me. So far, I've managed to walk rather far on my own. I've enjoyed parts of the Upper East Side, so-soed my way through the Upper West Side, and cowered my way down the streets of Greenwich Village. I know everyone just loves that area, but inthe parts I walked through as the sun was setting, I just couldn't get past all the sex shops and stores selling fish-net stockings.
Some days I find myself monologuing like Carrie Bradshaw in my head. I'll wonder about what makes the people of this city tick and contemplate on how easy it is to feel alone surrounded by so many people all the time. This city tests my patience with its long lines and thick New Yorker accents but I'm slowly learning to appreciate every unique experience as something I'll look back upon and remember fondly as the time I spent living in New York City...