3 requirements to be a New Yorker:
1. (I've talked about this before in Chinese in my blog.) Let go of all the sanitation standards, if you can't tolerate filth, you can't be in New York.
2. Being rude and accept rudeness, otherwise you can't even take any public transportation, which is almost essential in a city with the most angry drivers and the inconvenient parking.
3. Indifference. Being indifferent is one of the trade marks of New Yorkers, there are too many things and people around to drop your jaw, but you don't want to hurt your jaw. And like any other trade marks of New Yorkers, they are so proud of it, and you don't know why they are so proud of it.
So, if you have these 3 basic requirements and the preference of vanity as an add-on bonus, you won't feel as bad as I am being in New York.
And one small trick, testing your friends to see if they like New York City or not, (preferably they've never really live there long); it's not 100 %, but a not bad indicator for vain or not.
8/25/2006
move, move, move !
There is a Chinese saying: 3 house movings equal to 1 house burning.
I moved most of my things to the storage unit in the middle of June, and moved out of my cute Blueberry apartment days later; moved to the nightmare apartment on the Madison Avenue in New York city just last week, and I'm going to move back to NJ in 3 weeks.
I've come to realize this year is thrilling months ago, but didn't expect it to be so unsettling. I've tried hard to catch on to the wave of changes, but apparently I've gone too far.
I've thrown away lots of things from my previous apartment, in fact, 12 pieces of furniture and lamps, and other non-solid items. There are things disappearing into thin air during all these chaotic moveS (picked up by "innocent" bystanders ...). I am still living out of my 2 suitcases traveling with me to Taiwan and back to the US, first time in my life to realize people don't need too much to live on.
It will be the 7th time I move, in the little bit more than 8 years I've been here. Like being a foreigner for 8 years is not enough, there are always many uncertainties and "surprises" on the way. But it's ok, my home is in Taiwan, not any good or bad apartment I've been to here.
I moved most of my things to the storage unit in the middle of June, and moved out of my cute Blueberry apartment days later; moved to the nightmare apartment on the Madison Avenue in New York city just last week, and I'm going to move back to NJ in 3 weeks.
I've come to realize this year is thrilling months ago, but didn't expect it to be so unsettling. I've tried hard to catch on to the wave of changes, but apparently I've gone too far.
I've thrown away lots of things from my previous apartment, in fact, 12 pieces of furniture and lamps, and other non-solid items. There are things disappearing into thin air during all these chaotic moveS (picked up by "innocent" bystanders ...). I am still living out of my 2 suitcases traveling with me to Taiwan and back to the US, first time in my life to realize people don't need too much to live on.
It will be the 7th time I move, in the little bit more than 8 years I've been here. Like being a foreigner for 8 years is not enough, there are always many uncertainties and "surprises" on the way. But it's ok, my home is in Taiwan, not any good or bad apartment I've been to here.
8/23/2006
New York, New York
Flew back to the US on the 13th, in the peak time of "no liquid on board", when I am still wondering if I can put "flying 15 hours without cleansers and moisturizers" on my resume, I've already moved to NYC just last week.
I was so relaxed and rested in Taiwan, that I couldn't even think and/or worry about my new student life in New York city. And soon, I've learned that this year is even funnier than I already thought.
The apartment, although it's on the corner of Madison Avenue and east 98th street, 1 block away from the Central Park, is a total nightmare. It's a third floor walk-up, with less than 3 meter in width (although it's a 2 bedroom-apt.), and tilted sloped floor (if you drop something, it will roll to the other side of the apartment), not to mention 5 long, office size windows facing my future lab., and oh, the emergency room entrance, the bus stop and the breakfast vendor who shows up before 3 am, also featuring rent-control neighbor who is gray haired yet lives with his parents.
So, apparently the Mount Sinai housing people are better an advertiser than a housing provider; I was finally allowed to see my apartment after I signed the contract and started the lease; but I just moved in, didn't even bother to unpack, and decided to move out. But again, here comes another expertise of the Sinai housing people, they didn't even ask me any question and I can tell they are very good at accepting tenants' vacating.
So, as crazy as it sounds, I'm moving back to NJ. I thought I hate commuting, but I still underestimated my dislikeness of New York.
Wow, and I thought this year is already very much fun.
I was so relaxed and rested in Taiwan, that I couldn't even think and/or worry about my new student life in New York city. And soon, I've learned that this year is even funnier than I already thought.
The apartment, although it's on the corner of Madison Avenue and east 98th street, 1 block away from the Central Park, is a total nightmare. It's a third floor walk-up, with less than 3 meter in width (although it's a 2 bedroom-apt.), and tilted sloped floor (if you drop something, it will roll to the other side of the apartment), not to mention 5 long, office size windows facing my future lab., and oh, the emergency room entrance, the bus stop and the breakfast vendor who shows up before 3 am, also featuring rent-control neighbor who is gray haired yet lives with his parents.
So, apparently the Mount Sinai housing people are better an advertiser than a housing provider; I was finally allowed to see my apartment after I signed the contract and started the lease; but I just moved in, didn't even bother to unpack, and decided to move out. But again, here comes another expertise of the Sinai housing people, they didn't even ask me any question and I can tell they are very good at accepting tenants' vacating.
So, as crazy as it sounds, I'm moving back to NJ. I thought I hate commuting, but I still underestimated my dislikeness of New York.
Wow, and I thought this year is already very much fun.
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