I landed, got a cab, and went to my (temporary) apartment and was let in. I got settled, sent out some showing requests for apartments and pretty much went to bed, skipping over supper and everything. The next day I spent the entire day out and about in Brooklyn, using a McDonald's as a sort of home base, where I'd buy something and then setup to browse Craigslist for accommodations. I sent out some 27 requests, I saw five, and signed off on one in the Bushwick. It's $1000/mo plus utilities for a pretty decently sized room in an apartment I share with one other dude. It'll be a 40min commute in, which looks pretty close to what it was to go to school at ACAD. The housing apartment was brutal - it's definitely a seller's market. If a listing is any more than a day old it's already sold, so you need to bring cash and be ready to sign the second you find something you like. But I eventually did, and I take possession on the 1st. Until then, I'm in a bit of a limbo between places. Oh well, it'll work out.
The next day I slept in, and then puttered around the island for a bit. I went to campus to pay tuition (with the largest check I've ever written in my life), walked to where my bank is, sauntered through the Mid Manhattan Public Library (which was quite gorgeous), then took a train to Central park. I walked about half way up it... And while it is certainly a pretty area and quite stunning given its surroundings... It was odd. Odd to see grass and trees fenced off, and odd to see people everywhere, and odd that the only wildlife was squirrels, pigeons, and the occasional duck. But given that a couple weeks ago I was in the wilds of the British Columbia, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. It was impressive, yes, but also a bit bizarre.
The next day, I slept in and went for a short walk around Harlem, and grabbed some groceries on the way back.
The next day (today), I slept in, ate, showered, internetted, napped, internetted some more, ate, and now I'm here.
I think what's happening is that I'm having a rough time transitioning from the GO GO GO mode of moving/leaving work to the 'not-a-single-obligation' mode right before school. I'm realizing how tired I am and how much sleep I have to make up for. Also, I think I'm a bit overwhelmed by the city. People, advertisements, and buildings everywhere. I'm sure I'll adapt, and things just feel that much more intense because I'm so fatigued from the stress and late nights that lead up to my arrival. Alas, orientation is tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to being occupied.
In the mean time, a couple of odd points:
- I'm currently staying in Harlem. So far in Harlem that I pass the Apollo Theater (yes, that Apollo Theater) on my way to and from the subway. The culture here is so shockingly different compared to my sleepy and polite Canada. There are people yelling and laughing and arguing everywhere. It seems like the average volume is cranked up a lot higher than what I'm used to, as people live in the streets, and live to the fullest. It's quite something to see. To be brutally honest, it's like your average person is what would be considered a total caricature back home. I mean, yes, of course, there are people out there that act like that. But to witness it in person where everyone is a caricature is a pretty strange thing.
I know, I know. This makes me sound like a very sheltered, polite Canadian. And it's true. It's just remarkable how different realities can exist like that. - HUMIDITY. Oi, the humidity. The first day I spent here, when I went apartment hunting, it was raining. Usually, in Calgary or back home in BC, that'd mean that it's cool enough that you can throw on a rain jacket and go about your day. But it's so hot and muggy here that the idea of anything aside from a t-shirt is pretty uncomfortable. I went and bought my first umbrella not so that I could just keep dry, but so I didn't have to put on a jacket. Truth be told, it was rather amazing to be in warm rain like that. I kinda look forward to it in the future.
- I spent a little bit of time going through the available courses I could take, which I'll decide on when I speak with the department head on Tuesday. But I was like a kid in a candy shop. "Oh, I could take this, and this, and this..." Learning really is a pretty awesome thing, and it made me wish I was filthy rich so that I could just keep going to school. Anyways, I know it'll be a lot of work in reality, but it still makes me kinda excited to get started.
- Clothes are cheap and food is expensive. It's kinda weird.
- At one point I got off the subway to the sound of Summertime being played by a small ethnic trio. Two percussion and one trumpet. It sounded so good, and the context of where I was hearing it made it that much sweeter.
- The subway! It's hot on the surface, and as you go down inside, it gets hotter and muggier. Then you sweat and wait and sweat some more, and when you get onboard the airconditioned train, it's the best feeling in the world.
- As I mentioned before, I have a little bit of entertainment spending money from an auction at the family reunion. Restaurants might be a bit of a lost cause, given that every other one is noteworthy in some way or another. Standard tourist traps like the Statue of Liberty or Empire State Building don't interest me that much. Perhaps some museums at some points... But my main interest is definitely concerts. We'll see what my class schedule is like, but Rod Stewart will be here in the winter and Jack Johnson in September. I'd love to go see them, if I can snag a ticket.
- The city is super accessible with the help of a Google Maps-enabled smartphone. I might need to get a standard subway map at some point, but as a whole, I've found it really easy to get around.
-Cril
Oh, Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry
One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky
But until that morning
There's a'nothing can harm you
With your daddy and mammy standing by
New York Street Band - Summertime
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