My First Snow Day

Blizzard at midnight - My unplowed street

The morning after

Mr. Frizzle, the Snow-mizzle

A little sledding by yours truly

Central Park at dusk

The weather has been unusual in New York. Or so I have been told. I really had no idea since I had no frame of reference. I thought it was normal for temperatures to dip below 20 and for January to see 38 inches of snow.

So on Thursday, January 27, 2011, I had my first official Snow Day! And I can truly call it a snow day because school was closed and other students and I made an all-day snow expedition out of it! This was nothing like the Smog Days that I had growing up in a valley of Southern California (those were no fun at all).

Mounds of white, fluffy snow filled every imaginable place in the city, including tree branches, street lights, and garbage cans. Luckily it was a nice day, with temperatures in the upper 30s, very little wind, and some sunshine too.

We went to Riverside Park, tried to build a snowman (it's harder than you think!), did a little sledding (a little scary on the plastic saucer sled), and then moved on to Central Park for some more sledding on a giant hill. Both parks were filled with squealing and delighted children and adults alike. I have never seen so many happy people in one location, at least not in New York City.

All in all it was a pleasant day.

Xmas Vacation

Over the winter break, the Kao roamed to her hometown, Los Angeles, California.

Santa Monica

It was not, however, sunny. In fact, it rained for 6 consecutive days, which seldom happens (maybe once every seven years?). But I didn't mind. I still got in my car and drove, and drove, and drove. And it felt damned good.

It was kind of strange to go back, at first. Since I arrived to NYC in late August, all I did was whine about going back to L.A. In mid-October I purchased my tickets. I eagerly anticipated the date. I thought about all the stuff I left behind and kept a running list of things I needed to remember to bring. I lamented over small objects, such as blue Pentel pens and yellow highlighters, certain articles of clothing, and socks.

By early December something happened. Not sure what. But it suddenly felt "OK" to be in NYC. I stopped counting down the days.

The first few days back in L.A. felt a little odd, or strange. It's hard to explain. My parents' house, which we moved to in 1981, didn't feel too different (except now boxes of my crap occupy multiple rooms). It felt..."normal." Like it was any other xmas break, like how I was there over most xmas breaks over the last 15 years. No big deal. What was strange, instead, was not having a "home" to go to that was mine. I drove by my old apartment in Westwood while searching for parking - no longer could I simply pull into the garage. It appeared to be vacant still. That, was a strange feeling.

Before long, without even having a work routine or any type of routine, it felt as if I had never left. My life in NYC a forgotten blur. I visited friends, favorite restaurants, and new restaurants too.

At one point, after hanging out at Father's Office in Culver City (a popular bar), my friend and I walked down the end of the plaza, saw that there was nothing else to do, and headed toward the car and left. It dawned on me, I wouldn't have this problem in NYC. There's always something else to walk toward, something else to do. And for a brief moment, I looked forward to going back. (A very brief moment).

People ask me what I missed most about Los Angeles, so here's my list:

1. driving
2. blasting the radio and singing along to whatever comes on, while driving
3. view of wide open spaces (and being able to see far in the distance, on non-smoggy days)
4. view of palm trees
5. getting a good night's sleep (on my firm mattress, in the quiet, pitch-black darkness that is my parents' house)
6. knowing where all the good restaurants are
7. just knowing in general (i.e., being familiar with and knowing where to go, when to go, how to go, and what to do)
8. not needing hat, scarf, or gloves (can't believe I used to wear these things for fashion!)
9. West coast sunsets (see photo above)
10. last but not least, my friends (awwww)
    

Snowy mountains...in the distance

After two weeks there I actually felt ready to leave. I think part of it was not necessarily missing New York, but wanting or wishing for my own personal space. Nothing against my folks, of course, but as an only child I've always been sort of a loner. I need quiet time. I need me time. I need spaces that are mine and mine alone. Nevertheless, at the end of three weeks there, it was bittersweet leaving. After a somewhat long, and arduous security process at LAX (never fly on a Sunday, heck, avoid LAX in general), I boarded a plane bound for JFK. Unlike my flight back in August, this time I didn't sit there feeling defeated. In fact, I didn't think about anything at all.

Dragging my heavy luggage down the hall I was not greeted by anyone. Nary a "welcome back" or even a "hello" from the security guard. Entering my cold, dark room I had a fleeting feeling that it was all just a dream, except I was watching the dream vaporize before my eyes. It wasn't a dream. I really lived here. And still do.

A welcome-back snow

I'm coming home, I'm coming home...

(but not Via Chicago...via direct flight, non-stop JFK to LAX!)

Tomorrow is Day 115, and also the day I leave for L.A. for three weeks. It is only appropriate that I take a moment to reflect, especially as I have been somewhat neglectful on updating this site (have been busy!)

When I bought the plane ticket two months ago, I was feeling terribly homesick and two months seemed really far away. Now I'm amazed that it is already here.

Four and a half months...when I think back to August and September, even now I feel particularly stressed out just thinking about that time period. I had so much cleaning and packing to do in August that I still have bad dreams about cleaning and packing. And then on the day I arrived (see previous post), I saw the barren furniture in my room and it suddenly dawned on me that I just did something really drastic and I nearly broke down in tears. << cue in Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime>>

Needless to say, my room has become more "my room" and though I still miss the old comforter I used for 14+ years, I definitely feel a lot better about it now. (It started to feel better after my junk populated the room.)

NYC...the weather, the crowded spaces, the dirt...I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to. But it's definitely a lesson in learning to adapt and adjust. The weather changes here feel so "sudden" to me, even though it's normal to a lot of people. I feel like I barely got to enjoy the true meaning of autumn before it was all over. 90 degree weather changed quickly to 60 which changed quickly to 30. WTW? That alone makes the perception of time and life seem faster.

One thing I had looked forward to was using public transportation. But I learned quickly that there are pros and cons. One con being shopping and buying basic things. Oddly enough on my to do list back in L.A. is to go shopping. Toiletries at Target, supplies at IKEA, and clothes/misc at Marshall's! Yes they have those here too, and yes sales tax is actually higher in L.A. (was surprised when I found out) but it's just going to be so much easier for me to get in my car and drive from Point A to Point B to Point C. And throw all my stuff in the trunk. (Not to mention spacious aisles, oh glorious space).

In L.A. I was tired of it taking me 45-60 minutes to get anywhere worthwhile. And then I learned it also takes me 45-60 minutes to get anywhere in NYC because I live so far uptown. No difference there except wondering which is the lesser evil - being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic or being stuck bum to bum on the subway?

On another note, I often wonder what I would be doing right now, at this very moment, had I not moved. And I picture myself sitting on my $500 ergonomic office chair in front of my widescreen monitor, occasionally casting glances at the United States map I have tacked on the cork board.

And then I'm glad I did.

From 90024 to 10027

I don't think about it as much anymore but it still occasionally creeps into my mind, especially during quiet moments when I'm sitting alone in my room.

I sleep until about 9:30 a.m. every weekday, and even later on weekends. My window faces southwest, and by about 10 a.m. the sun is shining directly into my eye through my transparent window shades as I lie in bed. It continues shining brightly at my oversized double-paned glass window, making my room deceptively warm even on cold days when the weather outside is below 40. As I write the temperature on my digital clock reads 78.4 and I am sitting here in a T-shirt and capri workout pants (quickly becoming my loungewear of choice). If I sit at the window and look to the right I catch a small glimmer of the Hudson River. And if I look all the way to the left I can see the tips of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge - I think of it as the bridge to home, simply because it was the bridge I took to get here after landing at LaGuardia Airport. I peer at it wistfully.

We had a 5-day Thanksgiving Weekend, and it was pretty action-packed. (More photos to follow later).

In the last 7 days I've been to Central Park twice, ate at Shake Shack twice, went to the American Museum of Natural History, ate pizza twice, saw Harry Potter, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, walked up 5th Avenue, walked down the grand staircase at the Apple Store, and watched people play on the Big Piano at FAO Schwarz.

It was especially cold yesterday, the coldest yet so far. With wind chill it felt about 30. I had almost all my layers and the only more I can do is wear one more layer, and switch up my accessories to thicker wool or cashmere versions. (After that I won't be able to go outside at all!)

So on the last day of the long weekend I attempt to read in my executive chair near the window, grab an orange highlighter, and I am thus reminded of how I forgot to pack favorite pens and highlighters, which inevitably, always leads to thinking back on those late days in August during my "mad rush" to pack. I like being prepared, and feeling prepared. I'm the type of person who packs for vacation a week before the vacation. I make lists. In the end, I felt wholly unprepared. Maybe it was not such a good idea to leave so much to do in five days: clear out work space I had had for 3.5 years (at a job I had for 8.5 years), clear out an apartment I had lived at for 9 years, pack and organize things for shipping here, for storage at my parents' house, and for bringing here in suitcases. I think the end result was feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. And ultimately feeling disoriented and disjointed. Even though I definitely feel a lot more settled in than say, 88 days ago, a part of me still feels like my "old life" is continuing on a parallel universe somewhere. It is still summer there. And my apartment, and my office are all still intact. As if I had just gotten up for a moment.

But I didn't. And they are gone.

Day 88

Day 88 in NYC. If I left now I can always look back and say I lived in NYC for 3 months. But I'm gonna make it a year. No, five years.

The weather now is in the 50s and already colder than it ever gets in L.A. To me, this is winter!

I can honestly say that I feel a lot more settled in now. I have my daily routines. For the most part, I've got the eating situation squared away. I think in the beginning I was trying too hard to quickly establish an eating routine and it wasn't working out. First off, it is a pain in the butt to cook in the community kitchen. I have to bring my pots, oil, utensils, and all the ingredients to the kitchen and back and it's a lot of work! Take a simple thing like spaghetti. You need two pots! One to boil the pasta, one to cook the sauce. I use the random pots lying around in the kitchen (some of which may not belong to anyone, but some do). This means after I cook, I wash them immediately while the pots are still hot. Then I have to carry everything back to my room (that means my piping hot food) because there's no kitchen table to eat at. Also, while you are cooking, sometimes you realize you forgot a simple thing, such as salt. If you had your own kitchen, you'd simply open the cupboard and grab the salt. Here I have to go through two heavy doors (and back) to get salt!

Point is, I've resorted to take out, frozen foods, and the school cafeteria. It's just easier. I use the kitchen to toast my bread and maybe fry an egg on weekends. That's about it. I boil water in my room with my Aroma water kettle that I got on Amazon (love it!). I use my microwave, a lot more than I'd like to (I used to be anti-microwave). I buy frozen rice (actually I did that in L.A. too - hey, as a single person, it makes sense). I would buy frozen cooked pasta too except my freezer is too small.

Things have to change - by things I mean habits and routines. I think I used to shop for groceries like I was preparing for a war. I'd stock up, buy in bulk, etc. When I moved out in August I gave my parents a huge box filled with canned foods and dry goods (was amazed how much stuff I had stockpiled!). Now I can't really do that, because of space issues. It forces me to buy only what I will immediately consume, and I manage to clear out the fridge and freezer pretty frequently. It makes me feel slightly nervous and uncomfortable, but I shouldn't feel that way. There's a 24-hour market just down the street. There's no war. There are no earthquakes.

Change is good.

I'm also feeling less sad than I did a month ago, which is good. I remember the reasons why I wanted to move, which I lost sight of when I was feeling homesick. I'm also starting to like NYC a bit more. It helps to hold your breath when you walk and look up at the cool tall buildings rather than down at the dirty gum-ridden sidewalks. (haha). But no seriously, in all sincerity, once in awhile I'll be walking around somewhere and I'll think, "hey, this part looks cool" and then I feel glad I'm here.

I may have mentioned this before, but shopping, buying stuff, and daily life in general, is just different here. I learned the first couple weeks, when it was sweltering hot, that it was a lot of work to buy stuff, especially since I had to buy a lot of basics. I grew up in the suburbs in the 80s, where before Costco we had Fedco and Gemco. I'm used to big box stores and discount prices. I struggle to bring myself to spend $5 on a pack of toilet paper (of 4 rolls!). Yet I complain about how long it takes to get to Target and back.

Thursday night I went to Duane Reade, and gasp, I bought a bottle of Lubriderm lotion and a bottle of Oil of Olay night cream, knowing full well that I spent several dollars more than I would have had at Target. I had to bite the bullet and do it. Because you know what? I needed them. And I didn't have two hours to spend trekking to Target. I spent money, but I saved time. And in general, I probably am saving more money overall, since I'm only buying things I really need, and have the space for. When I go to the grocery stores, I only buy as many things as I can carry with my two hands.

Now that I am feeling more settled in, I am finding that I have a lot of extra time on my hands. I have time to sit around and think quietly. It's mostly because I don't have a roommate (when I used to in L.A.), and I don't have a lot of friends who want to hang out all the time, and I don't visit my parents (which I did so pretty frequently), AND I don't work or have class at all on Fridays, which means every week is a three-day weekend. (Oh how can I ever possibly miss my old life!). My daily grind in L.A. was not a 9-5 but a 7:30 to 5:30 if you're talking door to door. Here my days are mostly 10-5, with one day a 10-7. Four days a week. That's nothing! Not that I'm asking for more work. Just making a point why I'm online on a Saturday night in NYC...

Why Manhattan is like Disneyland

• everywhere you go, there are a ton of people around
• everywhere you go, there are a lot of tourists
• people go there because they are looking for a happy time
• the price of admission is very high (and keeps going up every year!)
  
• every corner you turn, someone is selling food or beverages
• there are a lot of long lines
• there are parades
• you can find souvenirs very easily
• there are a lot of rides (well, in Manhattan, there are subways...case in point, the platform at 96th St looks like a dirtier version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, complete with "Danger High Voltage" signs...and the underground construction with bright lights looks even more so)
  

• there are a lot of "Kodak Spots" (everywhere you go, someone is taking a picture)
  
• it's a giant playground
• there's something for everyone
• there's always something new to see, or something you've never noticed before
• people often want to visit briefly, and not stay for an extended period of time
  
• there are a lot of artificial looking things, designed to be "fun" (case in point, Central Park can be Tom Sawyer Island:)
  

• it is very tiring...but you never tire of it...

(Now, if only Manhattan were cleaner, safer, and had more friendly cartoon characters...and if only Disneyland served alcohol...)

And suddenly...it got cold.

Laugh all you want, but it is already too cold for this native SoCal girl. It's a strange concept (for me) for the weather to drop 40 degrees in two months (it takes 5 months in L.A., if even that, maybe just a 30 degree drop before it picks right back up again!).

On the plus side, now I finally know what autumn means! Pretty soon, I presume, I will know what four seasons means.

Photos from a stroll through Central Park this past Friday. I was really amazed at the colors of the leaves.