NYC Saga – Page 3 – Funk Meets A Lady

Week 40: Stand Up, Haze, & Cuffed.

Published on February 21, 2015February 22, 2015 by Regina Po1 Comment

You know that feeling when you wake up really early in the morning and you have a really hard time opening your eyes or doing much of anything? That feeling normally lasts up until your 2nd cup of coffee. My entire week had this general aura, despite many cups of coffee. The crazy part? It took forever to actually fall asleep at night.

I’ve never been this emotionally drained. I’ve been planning to do stand up comedy today (Monday) and yesterday my heart broke. I needed something to distract me and facing my fear of stand up was it. I tried my best to rise above the lack in energy and it turned out alright. I invited friends and co-workers to laugh no matter how badly awkward it got. They did. It felt pretty good. I think I’m going to need a little time before I have any real energy to devote to getting better, but I’d like to start doing this 2-3x a week (stand up open mics).

I was really scared, I planned on rehearsing [something] the day before, but didn’t end up getting a chance to do so…. I didn’t really prepare anything in result and I’m not funny naturally like some folks. I’m not going to lie though… getting in front of people and attempting to entertain them is my happy place. I didn’t know what I was doing. I stumbled on words and phrases… but at the end of my glorious 5 minutes I felt a high I haven’t felt in years. Boy, I needed it more than ever.

The rest of my week was mostly me trying to see through the haze. You know when you try to clear a fogged up mirror after a hot shower it doesn’t really get clear at until the moisture leaves the room… That’s my shitty attempt to describe my week. I just kept trying to clear the view, but it wouldn’t get any clearer.

I found myself cursing at the subway machines and getting real annoyed with assholes on the subway who clearly live here and still have no respect for everyone else. It was also really cold. It’s not even funny anymore (it was funny like the first time I realized my face could hurt). I woke up on Friday with a ‘Feels Like’ temp of -17 F.

#ineedwarmth

Sunday actually warmed up. A bunch… I never thought walking in 35F degree weather would mean warmth. I haven’t celebrated Brunch in quite some time (or so it feels) so today I decided to enjoy the beloved weekly tradition with the lovely Chelsea.

This is what snow looks like when the temperatures get well above freezing. #upper30s #WOOHOO

On another note, I mentioned in January that my new year’s resolution was to donate a portion of my brunch monthly budget to a cause/charity/organization/whatever once a month. This month I’m donating to a friend’s project called Cuffed?. According to their kickstarted page Cuffed? is: “A feature length documentary film exploring important questions about addiction, recovery, and life.

❤ Mia

If you’d like to contribute (I’m sure every dollar counts), their page: Cuffed? Kickstarter Page.

Week 39: goodbye love.

Published on February 17, 2015February 21, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

i don’t believe in angels. or god. but I believe that some people leave a piece of themselves with you forever. and when they go that piece stays with you. the world lost an incredibly loving person on sunday morning. i have never loved anyone quite like i loved her. i think that most anyone who knew her would agree. we had lost touch over the years and i regret more than ever not reaching back out.

i don’t believe in another life but the ache and disbelief i feel today would fool me into believing anything.

my love.

its been years. can you believe how fast time flies? we’re adults. 13 years ago. thats how long its been since we met. remember? at the bus stop. you were wearing those pink pumas. or was it DCs? you looked like such a badass. i was kind of scared of you at first. but i was scared of everything before i met you. but i think you know that. i forget the first day we hung out… didn’t we go to your house. I met your mom and dad that day. i think. i bet they thought i was weird at first. i don’t think we spent more than one day apart after that. you were so loud. always laughing about something. oh man. we would sit and laugh for hours…. about nothing. you were always the popular one. so many goddamn friends. its funny how everyone thought i was your little sister. they actually bought it. i was always with you. everywhere. god i was so goofy and awkward and you still loved me. you were pretty goofy too. remember that one day when we ate 9 boxes of macaroni and cheese that your mom left you while they were out of town? and then we were still hungry afterwards. it was love. i loved you so fucking much. remember all the trouble we got into? you were always so brave. i loved how mischievous you were. i loved spending time with your family. when anna came to town wed get so giddy. what about that time we accidentally flooded the kitchen with bubbles!? and thanksgiving! remember our training routine? no jeans allowed. and the mattress right outside the sliding door so we can plump from the dining chairs onto the mattress? all your idea. i think. brilliant. i loved helping you move to your new home in kentucky. i remember how happy you were. i thought for sure id always be your little sister. i even visited you again… maybe a year after that? i dont remember now. we got our first tattoos together. your lips are still there. so is your heart. im sorry we lost touch. i really am. really. i was so lucky to have known you. to have had you in my life. i would be someone totally different had you never moved 5 houses down from me. i would probably still be afraid of everything. the courage i fill my life with. its there because of you.

i still dont think i grasp that you’re gone. you cant be gone. i sent you a postcard a couple weeks ago. i wonder if you ever got it. I’m sorry i didnt call.

i wish i had more pictures of you. of us. on my computer… theyre all at home in my photo albums. i wish i could flip through them.

goodbye my love.

Week 38: Bluegrass, A Hungry Rat, & Christina Bianco.

Published on February 9, 2015February 9, 2015 by Regina Po2 Comments

I was reading through my previous posts and noticed something disappointing. I’ve stopped writing about (and paying attention to) the instances outside of my normal routine. I’m going to try something different for this week’s post.

February 2nd – February 8th

My Week In Thoughts.

I was at work looking out the window and all of the sudden the light rain churned to chunks of white whizzing from the sky. These were no ordinary snow flakes; whirling wildly around, creating a real life Instagram filter on the window.

The comic who thinks he’s god’s gift to women. HA. Your greasy hair is almost as repulsive as your un-deserved arrogance.

The couple next to me… Chatting away “omg, I’m just not ready. Blah blah.” Why come to a small underground space where some 20 musicians are jamming out beautiful bluegrass to spend the entire time blabbing?

I’m not a musician. I can’t easily tell if a song or a performance has technical merit with most instruments. I judge music based on how it makes me feel. A good song will make my nerves dance and my heart leap.

Most times I feel more comfortable alone in public spaces. Is that why I’m single?

I’m so glad I braved the mush, ice, and frozen thighs.

Underneath the sidewalks the lady in all black plays something sorrowful on her accordion while a hungry rat scurries across my over-sized snow boot.

His hair swoops perfectly to the left. My left, not his. There’s a layer of dirt under his fingernails. He’s reading intently, forehead down parallel with the dingy subway floor. He looks like a Jerry. Or Benny. No, probably Larry.

The underground fiddler plays twinkle twinkle little star for the cheerful toddler waiting for the choo choo train to arrive.

The lady who stands at the subway entrance at Canal st. spouting various brand names [“Gucci…. Chanel… “] and I have come to an understanding. What that understandings is, I’m not quite sure.

Sometimes I close my eyes and picture myself on a beach somewhere with the sun pinching my skin.

It doesn’t take long for me to realize the pinching I’m feeling is from this bitter fucking cold. I’ve about had enough. #onemoremonth

The guy discreetly (only not discreetly) practicing his latest latin dance moves. His feet and hips are shifting in rhythm. His left hand comes up for air, makes a slight shake, and back it goes into the pocket.

Living in NYC means you’re in a constant state of some level of un-comfort. Nowhere else in the world would I put up with being so fucking sweaty and cold at the same time. I didn’t even think that was possible.

Here I am, sitting on a bench at the NYC 8th street stop. My fingers so numb they hurt. My nose a broken water fountain. And this girl walks off the N in stilettos, thin panty hose, and a coat that barely makes it past her torso. I hope her legs fall off.

I think I’ll try doing stand up.

Holy Mother of England! I reach for my double soy latte in Park Slope’s cutest neighborhood coffee shop when I hear “Blimey! What’s that bloke done now?”. Two of the world’s most adorable English men sit by the tiny window drinking their coffee, reading their paper, and gossiping harder than middle schoolers. Both are rocking a unique set of spectacles. Happy Friday to me.

The warmth (and by warmth I mean upper 30s) of the weekend was worth the freezing hell that lead up to it. I didn’t even need a scarf at one point.

Saturday I learned the difference between a chamber orchestra and a symphony while in attendance of a chamber orchestra concert. My goodness, the sound of instruments well played is magic. True real-life magic. Musicians = Magicians.

I sat next to a concert cellist who is from Ekaterinburg. The city in Russia where I am from. BOOM.

Dance cabaret at Alvin Ailey, chamber orchestra concert at Lincoln Center, & an off-broadway play. All for $15. #doingitright

I started using hashtags?

Application Pending (starring Christina Bianco) was excellent. You in NY? Go see it.

The group of 6 ladies in their early 40s with fabulous New York accents sitting directly in front of me were the perfect pre-show.

Have a great week!

Week 37: Homework, the Home, & Becoming a Turtle.

Published on January 31, 2015February 1, 2015 by Regina Po2 Comments

01.26: It’s snowing. A lot. The mayor was on the news yesterday telling people that the snow Armageddon is preparing to hit NYC. Maybe he didn’t say that exactly, but something like it. We were planning on working from home today anyway, so that worked out. The blizzard started mid-day today and will go until late Tuesday so I’ll be working from home tomorrow as well.

I’ve been working in the living room all day with the view of the falling snow right next to me… so beautiful (unless you’re outside). One of my neighbors has been plowing the sidewalk all day. Literally. I’ve been up since about 9:30am working and can still hear him plowing away (its 5:49pm). I think I heard him stop for like 30 minutes at some point. I’m not sure I understand this. Why would you plow the sidewalk if you KNOW the snow is just going to keep on coming?

What I wore today… hehe (yes, it’s been 5 months and we still haven’t hung that shelf)

01.27: The storm wasn’t much of a storm at all… I’m not exactly sure the inches on the ground, but it looks fun more so than scary outside. Working at home today (seriously, the best) I could hear the cheering of children as they walked up my block towards the park with their sleds and parents dragging along by their side. Many sang songs. Talk about cheerful workday.

My dearest friend Chelsea had sent me several awesome photos from her snow day at the park.

1.31: I can’t believe the first month of 2015 is over. Only 11 months left until 2016 and only 3.5 months left until I’ve made it a year in NYC. WHOA.

Today was unreasonably cold. 17F with a punch in your face ‘feels like’ 3F. It’s no Siberia, but it sure as hell felt like it. I went grocery shopping anyway. Trooper award (totally worthy). The day is flying, as with most Saturdays, but after making food and doing a few chores I’ve started a couple new courses online with Lynda.com and I’m kind of in love. I know there are a bunch of free tutorials online (and this doesn’t include coding), but a lot of it is shit. Seeing as how I’m looking for solid information, it’s difficult to wade through all the bs online. This way I have everything I need (not really EVERYTHING, but a lot) in one place with legit information (and materials).

Last night I ventured out to Williamsburg for a launch party for a new app. It was really cold and windy out – I was still half de-thawed in this picture.

2.01: It’s really chilly out, but you’d never know it by looking out the window. It’s so cozy inside. I haven’t really shot the apartment in a while so I took a few photos.

Our plant home base.

The frame with the green mat and red head has a quote from Lenin (in Russian) printed on it translating to something along the lines: “If I know, that which I know little, I will achieve so that I know more.” Or something like that. It’s one side of my mom’s school report card from the 70’s.

Our reading nook is really coming along… now for more pillows.

That’s my dad playing soccer in Russia.

Don’t you love my manly wool white socks? Also, that’s not dirt on my mirror… it’s a covering that vintage mirrors have on them (idk what it’s called. Anyone?)

I spent my entire weekend at home (with the exception of going to the gym and buying groceries). I always thought living in NYC meant I’d be out living the fabulous life I’d seen on tv, but to be honest that life isn’t really my style. I like being home and reading or binge watching Friends on Netflix (although I think that’s finally getting boring). It’s also pretty expensive to always be going out. There are a ton of free events in the city, but somehow I always manage to spend money if I’m out and about… if there’s a free show, there’s often a 1 drink minimum. Or I gotta eat dinner at some point… going home and then going out just isn’t feasible so I end up buying food.

I’m not saying I want to be a human turtle that never leaves the house. Not at all… I’m just saying going out all the time (which I did pretty frequently when first moving here) quickly results in a trimmed down wallet and a not-so-trimmed down waist. I seem to get into waves of habits… with either too much or too little on-goings.

It’s all about finding a good balance… which I’m well on my way to figuring out, but I’m thinking chilling at home for an entire weekend isn’t it.

Have a great week!

[January 26th – February 1st]

Week 36: Postablog, Ms. Lopez & Little Russia.

Published on January 26, 2015January 26, 2015 by Regina Po2 Comments

[January 19th – 25th]

My week in food was a complete failure… I certainly didn’t eat out as much (just a couple times), but still more than I intended to. I had some plans that pretty much required I eat unhealthy (when lobster Mac n’ Cheese is on the menu, you don’t say no). Next week (I say this all too often) I’ll make a separate ‘My week in Food’ post and will hopefully make time to take pretty photos.

01.19: So I’ve mentioned how happy I am with my new job at Postable, right? Well, among many other things I get to write the blog… so go check it out blog.postable.com or just click HERE.

My gym update is pretty sad, but I guess I shouldn’t keep it to myself. I went yesterday. Today I am extremely sore. With plans to go tonight having been cancelled post a dinner that’s left me immobile, I’ve got my eye on Wednesday for my next workout sesh.

Tuesday night trivia… but first, there was Happy Hour Oysters!

01.21: I’m having a really hard time leaving the house after making it indoors at night. The daylight is always so enticing that leaving the house is never an issue, but when the moon is shining there’s a whole new obstacle. When I’m on my way home from the subway, I feel like I’m escaping an evil force that’s trying to kill me… Making it inside is an epic achievement. Why would I ever want to go back outside after such an ordeal?! With this said, I’m pushing myself out of the door as we speak (sort of) so I can go workout.

We worked from Williamsburg this Tuesday… not a terrible view.

1.22: I’ve been thinking about my New Year’s resolution for a couple weeks now. I know, I’m kind of late. I went through the usual… stop eating like shit, go to the gym, blah blah. I want to change something in my life for the better this year instead of just plowing away at the usual personal hurdles. I was doing a facebook crawl (something I’ve successfully reduced from my daily life) today and came across a HONY post (Humans of New York). It was about Mott Hall Bridges Academy – a middle school located in a Brooklyn neighborhood with the highest crime rate in NYC. They are raising money on Indiegogo to help get these kids on a field trip to Harvard (showing them a world outside of theirs). I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever donated to a cause. Maybe once or twice for something environmental related, but I really can’t put my finger on any one time. I could not have felt more supportive and on board with what they’re trying to achieve and decided I’d donate next week’s brunch $. It’s not much, but it’s something.

That’s when I realized what one of my new year’s resolutions should be… donate to a cause once a month. Let’s be clear, I don’t have fountains of dough lounging around my apartment. I have to budget like a mad woman to be able to live this life in NYC. But if I can skip one of my brunches so that I can help [just a teeny tiny bit], that sounds way more appealing than a nasty afternoon hangover post an unlimited mimosa escapade. The principal at Mott Hall Bridges Academy sounds like Superwoman, I’m so glad HONY found her.

Their fundraising goal that started today was $100,000 (enough to send 3 years worth of 6th grade students on a trip to Harvard). When I just checked the site, the total is up to $311,091. That is remarkable. If you look on the side of the page, you can see what the amounts donated look like… most would just barely cover a bottomless Saturday Brunch, but together they’re helping change the lives of children.

The fundraiser is going until February 5th. If you’d like to trade today’s cappuccino bucks I’m sure every dollar is appreciated. You can click the link HERE.

Also, if you’d like to share any great causes down below please feel free!

On another note, today at WeWork (the building I work in)… we got free dumplings for downloading their app. Could I be any more in love with this place? [Did anyone get that Friends reference? 🙂 ]

This was the other view from my workday in Williamsburg.

01.23: My Friday night = a giant bowl of roasted dill carrots and hours on hours of Friends. I’ve got to get out more.

01:24: It’s so quiet this morning. Usually I hear random screaming and the occasional slue of conversational honking horns. I say ‘conversational’ because it’s usually two or three (or many times more) people involved in a jammed situation outside my window and instead of talking to one another, they choose to honk back and forth in what some might call a conversational manner.

I woke up early and journeyed out to the grocery store. It snowed a bunch last night and the snow left on the tree branches is really pretty to look at from my window. The minute I walked outside, however, what was beautiful from inside looking out turned into nasty slush below my feet. It’s not very cold today (well above freezing) so the snow is melting quickly… instead of crunchy white snow there were brown mushy puddles. Lovely. I kind of felt like I was walking through a silent battlefield. I had to choose where I stepped very carefully, making sure to avoid large puddles and potential ice pockets, keeping my hood up and my head down to avoid getting hit by the giant snow chunks falling from the branches above. My short walk to the bus was a success, minus the giant snow ball that landed on my forehead as I all-too-bravely decided to look up and admire what was left of the snow up above. Rookie mistake.

I went to Brighton Beach today. I loved it! Instead of bringing my camera, I was able to pack my backpack with what felt like a ton of goodies. I forget how entertaining it is for me to visit there… it’s like a little island of it’s own. Nobody speaks any English, everything is written in Russian (even the Verizon store front), and there is no shortage of European and Russian food stores. Mmmmm.

I’ve never seen snow and sand intermingled.

The highlights:

* There were a couple of kids sledding on the beach. Literally. They were giggling with each other and speaking half Russian (with their moms) and half English (with each other).

* The tiny black Honda blasting Russian pop songs parked by the side of the street.

* The little old lady with the baked goodies stand, who refused to smile even though I said hello in the most cheerful Russian I could muster.

* Fur. SO much fur. You don’t see too many people wearing fur around the city, but now I know why. The Russians are hoarding it.

* Speaking of fur… I was on my way back to the train when I walked by one of the many fur stores. The most brilliantly blonde (more like yellow) older lady wearing a turquoise leopard velvet track suit and Gucci rimmed glasses was standing just inside a fur boutique looking around, presumably judging each passerby based on their fury attire. The most gaudy-licious display of their coats was right next to her. It was all too much. I wish I took a picture, but I’d hate for her to think I was judging her. Instead I jotted down what I saw and walked away, giggling the entire way to the train.

All the goodies I got.

Chebooreki, a bunch of pelmeni, buckwheat, cow tongue, german strawberry preserves, and a bunch of Russian candy.

I had so much fun reading all the labels and talking with the ladies who worked at the grocery stores. It still kills me (in the best way possible) how they just assume you speak Russian… I was standing in one line and paying all of my attention on reading whatever tag was nearest me (I’m not very good and the cursive handwriting on the sign was throwing me for a loop) when one of the ladies who worked there started trying to tell me to get in her line. It took her like 3 tries to finally get my attention, but not one time did she speak English.

01.25: My goodness today’s weather is beautiful. Too bad tomorrow there’s supposed to be a terrible blizzard. That should be fun.

Sunday night Russian Film Club was a success, as always. Film choice of the evening: Ivan Vasilievich Switches Professions (a Soviet comic science fiction comedy). This one had a lot of fun songs.

I made sure there was no shortage of Russian dumplings (Pelmeni) and Chebooreki (not Russian, but Ukrainian or Turkic- according to Wikipedia. I’m still not exactly sure what nationality this dish is related to exactly). There was also a small assortment of Russian candy that happily got devoured.

The Pelmeni were pretty darn delicious, but still not quite as yummy as I remember them from Russia.

Have a great week!

Week 35: Tickled Chin, Personal Goals, & Perogies.

Published on January 17, 2015January 24, 2015 by Regina Po2 Comments

[January 12th – 18th]

I forgot to wear a hat… can’t have another frozen forehead.

01.12: Today my mind went spiraling into itself on the subway ride home. It’s rather normal for me to get into deep discussions with myself while on the subway (it’s my favorite place in the whole city to really think). Of course I keep these discussions to myself, not to worry. I was listening to Jay Z’s NEW YORK blaring from the headphones directly behind me while my chin was getting tickled by the faux fur hood just inches below me (the lady was shorter than me(!)) when something someone said the other day trickled into my mind…

‘People are so isolated in NY’.

I’ve definitely heard this remark about NYC numerous times. I’ve always thought it was quite an odd observation. Sure, everyone has their own thing going on (and boy do people LOVE telling you how busy they are), but at the end of the day (literally) we’re smack tab smushed right beside one another listening to each other’s music and getting tickled by the other’s coats. I’m not exactly sure how that’s supposed to be isolation.

11pm on a Saturday night on the Q. This guy had the word ‘cool’ written all over him.

01.17: Woke up today with complete intention to do all of my to-do list [gym, clean, groceries]. I’ve cleaned so far and half the day has come and gone. I normally really like going to the gym… actually this is only true when I’ve already started my gym routine. Being sick really through me off the whole gym routine and getting back into it is such a pain. Excuses excuses. I know. I honestly probably won’t go today. I will definitely go tomorrow (I feel like I’ve heard this before). My healthy habits have taken a back seat to my lazy-ness. UGH. It’s also hard to eat right when grocery shopping is the bane of my existence!!! I’ve written about this before so there’s nothing new to say other than I REALLY need to go buy food or I’ll be succumbed to use Seamless again and let’s be honest, I’m not going to order a salad to get delivered. Nobody makes a better salad than me anyway, why bother. I’ve also managed to surpass my eating out budget for the month already. I’m normally really good with money… This is a sure tell sign that grocery shopping is a PAIN.

Ok. I’m done blaming the world for my health-defying habits. It’s definitely a pain to go to TJs, but it’s not impossible. There’s also a KeyFood a couple blocks away… maybe I’ll try shopping there.

I’m also like the #1 cheerleader for homemade food. It’s not THAT hard, just takes a bit more effort here. I see people using blogs as accountability for something they’d like to achieve, well I’d like to get my shit together and stop wasting my money (and loosing my health).

Next week I’ll take a photo of all my meals. Taking accountability!! Woot. I’m also going to the gym if it freaking kills me.

In other news… this week has been generally great. Job is still A for Awesome.

– Unlimited Sangria & Meangirls trivia in the LES. It was so cold on my way home that I started jogging only to realize the wind felt worse that way, clearly I didn’t have enough Sangria.

– Continued My obsession with Red Bean Cakes… seriously, I want to buy these bad boys in bulk from China town (the lady at my corner store is making a killing off of me with these things).

– Started using the term ‘bad boys’ to refer to anything with a multiple… I should stop.

– Went to a ‘house’ party in Alphabet city. It really is remarkable how many people can fit into NY apartments when they really try.

– Discovered my immediate need (want) for a polaroid camera at said party. SO GOOD.

Side note… I brushed my teeth while wearing all outdoor gear. Not exactly ground breaking news. I know. I was already out the door when I decided I should brush my teeth… well getting allllll layered up again just wasn’t an option. Never done that before.

Another side note… remember my post Personal Wishlist? Of course not… nobody read it. Well, I found the list I made back in April in a purse pocket.

01.18. Rainnnnn so much rain! If it wasn’t for my new rain boots begging me to play in some puddles, I would say the weather today SUCKED. But, I have new rain boots and a badass umbrella so I was set.

I still needed a long coat (my thighs are following suit and beginning to hurt) so I headed to an epic thrift shop in the East Village called No Revelations. I always love walking through the East Village… even on rainy days.

After hunting and capturing my new coat (epic find btw), I went to my Sunday Russian Film Club (formal name to come :). We ordered from the local Ukrainian restaurant and stuffed our faces with Perogies. It’s been like 4 hours and I’m still feeling the effects of my food coma. We watched My Perestroika.

Not the healthiest of meals, but just on Sundays 🙂 That’s a piece of delicious Kelbasa a top the mountain of dumplings (perogies with ‘meat’, sauerkraut and mushroom, potatoes, and farmers cheese). I can now die happy.

My 3am ride home on the subway… SO glad I woke up at my stop.

So I’ll end on this note… The office building that I work in is called WeWork, which is it’s own organization. It’s pretty great. Our office is one of many on our floor and a few other folks bring their doggie best friends to work. The result? We get adorable pups strolling in and out of our office on a regular basis. This Friday we got a visit from TWO pups.

Happy Sunday, have a great week!

Week 33: Theraflu, 2014, & A New Job.

Published on January 4, 2015January 4, 2015 by Regina Po1 Comment

[December 29nd – January 4th]

12.31: Oh Hey! I’m back. For good, I promise. Week 31 was mostly me laying in bed near a pool of tissues. Nothing to write home about except my uber exciting Ally Mcbeal marathons. Week 32 got me so excited at the prospect of breathing, I completely forgot I had a blog… By the time this week rolled around whatever hell my body didn’t introduce me with during the 31st week came rolling full force. Needless to say I’m all battled out in the realm of illnesses. I’ve been patiently building a moat of tissues around my bed for the past 4 days, chugging honey water, and thanking my lucky stars this only happens once in a blue moon. I should be feeling better in a couple of days [fingers crossed].

Being sick is not the end of the world, things could be much worse. Too bad it’s my favorite day of the year. Normally, I like to spend December 31st full of flashbacks – the good and the bad – from the year past. I’ll normally go through my photos and read through my journals to see how my inner thoughts have transitioned and hopefully grown. I like to say goodbye and welcome room for the prospect of the new.

Around this time last year (December 2013) I was devastated. For the first time in my college career I had failed to pass a course and unfortunately, it happened to be the last course I needed to get my degree. I got a C minus. The course was evolutionary biology and by far the most difficult I’ve ever taken. I had made plans to move to NYC in February, which were put on hold. I couldn’t believe it. I retook this class (with a different professor) in the Spring semester which pushed my move to May which made for a much smoother move. There was no slushy snow or bitter winds to aide my move. Instead the city welcomed me with sunshine.

It worked out for the best. I didn’t know it last December. I know it now. Things worked out for the better. This seems to be a repeating theme in my life. I can’t speak for anyone else, because we all know life is [no] fairy tale. But I’m one lucky lady.

2014

* Said goodbye to my own oasis in college park. I really loved that little home.

* Graduated with a BS.

* Got to spend time with relatives I haven’t seen since I was 11. It was really nice to have an extended family for a week.

* Celebrated my 24th year by singing my theme song at Big Daddy’s surrounded by great friends.

* Started an Etsy shop.

* Started the first blog I kept up with.

* Packed my life into a suitcase, hugged my parents goodbye, and hopped on a plane to NYC.

* Lived in Washington Heights for 3 months.

* Spent my first month in NYC falling hopelessly in love with the city – dumpling by dumpling.

* Got a job in customer service with a startup called Handy.

* Discovered my dream neighborhood – thinking there is no way I’d ever be able to live here.

* After 2.5 painstaking months of a stubborn search, I found a home in my dream neighborhood.

* Moved into my dream apartment… this process was far more stressful than I could ever imagine.

* Got so incredibly lucky with 2 amazing roomies.

* Landed a new job with Postable.com (Yup! More on this below).

My goodness, this year was amazing.

I have been terrified, anxious, and stressed to such degrees I didn’t think were possible this year. I have also reached such intense highs that I thought for certain I was dreaming.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned from 2014: If something scares me, it’s a sure tell sign I should be going for it.

I end the year on a slightly less awesome note. Alone and sick. Shitty, yes. I have been thinking about the perspective I wanted this entry to have (with me being sick and alone on nye and all) and I had it spun all positively until just about 10 minutes from midnight.

This sucks. There’s really no other way to put it, but nevertheless I just welcomed 2015 with the most optimism I could muster and a toast (my hot cup of Theraflu) to new year. Cheers to the future!

01.02.15: It’s the second day of the year and I’m feeling better. Not quite at 100%, better nonetheless. Well enough to leave the house for the first time since last Saturday and brave the new year weather! It ‘feels’ like 30F outside… not bad. I have no groceries left in the house and I’ve surpassed the helpless state of being to justify ordering seamless every day. I think I’ve finally had too much Pho.

I like to buy groceries at Trader Joe’s. There are a couple small produce stores in my neighborhood including a Union Market, but these are way out of my budget. Plus, I love shopping at TJs… something about it just tickles my fancy. In order for me to get there, I have to take a bus (transportation within Brooklyn is pretty much limited to buses or cabs). I planned out my timing just right with the help of Hop Stop (an app I’ve come to rely on) so that I get to the stop 3 minutes from when the bus should be getting there. Seeing as how my luck has run dry this week, it wasn’t that surprising when I saw my bus zooming by as I was half a block away. It was 4 minutes early! GRRRRRRRRRR. The next bus wouldn’t come for another 20 minutes. I spent about 6 minutes having an inner-thought discussion on whether or not I [really] needed to buy food. Judging from the looks I was getting, my inner-thoughts were audible. I decided the 3 cans of black beans sitting lonely in my cupboard were just not going to cut it.

The same thing happened to me on the way back from TJs… only this time the sweat building up under my coat and the inability to breathe through my nose got to me. I took a cab home.

These next 3 days are the last days of my epic 3 week vacay… which turned out to be one week of awesome sandwiched between 2 weeks of nose blowing and body aching. I’ll take it. I’m going to take it easy — read a book, continue on my Netflix binge, and MAYBE sneak out of the house for some Brunch on Sunday (we’ll see). Since I haven’t really taken any photos this week, I’ve included a bunch of photos from the previous week below (all iPhone photos for now).

New York Historical Society

View from Bryant Park in midtown

Park Avenue on the Upper East Side.

Carnegie Hill (Upper East Side).

Astoria, Queens.

1.03: It’s snowing. I’m still coughing. The good news? I only woke up once last night. I also discovered Friends on Netflix… by the time lunch time rolled around the snow turned into rain. Bummer. Today is gloomy.

1.04: I left the house today for Brunch with some lady friends in the West Village. A place called Yerba Buena. I decided to skip the brunch cocktails seeing as how I’m still getting better and don’t want to prohibit the getting well process. I really needed this outing… I’ve been stuck in bed for a week and the lack of social contact was getting really old. The meal was delicious (I got some sort of seafood soup) and the waiter was super cute, so all in all the outing was a success.

I’ve started to take more pictures of myself… mainly my outfits. This isn’t a fashion blog, and I don’t really intend on turning it into one, but I happen to adore fashion. One of my favorite parts of living in NYC is that I can finally wear whatever I want and nobody will give a shit. You can never be over dressed. SO, I’m going to catalog more of my outfits since it is such a big part of my living here.

I know I haven’t really kept up with the blog lately and I’m pretty sure I didn’t mention it previously, but I resigned from my previous job at Handy. WHAT?! I know. Hence my 3 week vacay! Come Monday I will be starting a new position as a Jill of All Trades (catchy, I know) with Postable.com. Check them out, you’ll see how perfect they are for me [and I for them]. I feel like I’m starting the first day of school on Monday and uber excited!!

Week 28: Potatoes for Everyone, Dumplings, & an Egyptian Smoke House.

Published on December 5, 2014January 24, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

[This post is coming a week-too-late. I’m still working on getting posts ready in time. I wrote everything on time, but for some reason posting the pictures got the best of my procrastination.]

It’s getting colder. My mood seems to be plummeting with along with the thermometer. Unhappy Regina means Pho for everyone! I have happily sipped on a giant bowl of Pho 3 times this week. In my ideal world, Pho would replace every meal, every day. Including the Turkey. I’m not a big fan. I’d much rather enjoy a bowl of warm bowl of beef broth than munch on dry meat. Just saying.

I decided I should be more visible online – so I joined the world of Twitter. I’ve only made a few posts while researching how to get the best out of it. Twitter is quite the tool.

This Thursday, as all of my US fellows know, was Thanksgiving. The day in America that precedes the greediest day of the year. It’s quite ironic that Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for everything in one’s life… Clearly, for many Americans, this is just a day full of lying to themselves and their families. If everyone was so thankful, we wouldn’t have masses of people lined up and trampling others to buy a toy. Or a TV. Seriously? We might as well call Thanksgiving the Day We Prepare Ourselves to Buy More Stuff. Not very succinct, but I’ve never been good with titles. Some people have actually started shopping ON Thanksgiving. Let’s be clear. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays (right next to my birthday & New Years). I try to remind myself to be grateful on a routine daily basis so the whole giving thanks is not the allure. Yes, giving thanks is important, but quite frankly if we had a culture where giving thanks didn’t get squished to ONE DAY of the year perhaps we wouldn’t have people trampling others for a freaking iPhone.

On this magical day, I’m able to eat as much food as I [really] want without anyone being the wiser. I’ve mentioned my disdain for turkey (I eat it anyway, thinking ‘this time I’ll actually love it!’), but the other dishes are worthy of seconds. This year, I wasn’t able to afford a ticket home [traveling around this time costs 3x more] so I joined one of my roommate’s family for the day. She is from Long Island. We took the LIRR (pronounced by saying out each letter L I R R – I naively thought it was pronounced leer) and met the most adorable older lady couple on the way. One had short light hair with green triangle earrings that reminded me of the 80’s and a very spunky outgoing nature. The other, wore a black visor over her short curls and a black long sleeve shirt that read ‘Unarmed Citizen’ with another black shirt underneath that read ‘Greed Kills’. Needless to say these ladies had my heart immediately.

Prior to leaving for Long Island, Mary Alice & I made truffle oil garlic mashed potatoes for a group of 30. It was a lot harder than I thought, but success was inevitable. They were pretty amazing.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

11.30: Today was the perfect example of what I had thought my life would consist of constantly. Of course this couldn’t be farther from the truth, but days like today do take place periodically.

Union Square Holiday Market

* Made a couple dumplings stops in the East Village followed by some bubble tea.

* Smoked hookah at an Egyptian Coffee House. This place screamed authentic with the dark and somewhat smokey interior and a handful of Egyptian men hanging out. A couple of men were playing Chinese checkers (?) while enjoying their hookah while another seemed to be dozing off. This was right off of Steinway in Astoria which is filled to the brim with hookah lounges. If you’ve ever walked this street, you’d know what I’m talking about. This hookah spot looked about as far from the other ‘lounges’ as possible. The other spots looked shiny and dark all at once. This spot didn’t have the fancy lighting or seating (the chairs had holes burnt into them), but it was adorned with a giant replica of an Egyptian Mummie at the entrance. We sat there for quite some time, engaging in conversation. I had failed my coffee consumption ritual that morning so I enjoyed my first Turkish coffee here… needless to say my yawns had said their last goodbyes.

* That evening was chilly so I thawed my fingers while sipping a Cosmo by a small fireplace in the back of a small cafe (Cafe Vivaldi) in the West Village. This place is adorbs… very quaint and lovely indoors with tiny tables assembled in just the right orientation to view the front of the room (they host musicians nightly). One of my brother’s friends performed tonight. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

Week 27: Operation Survive My First Winter & 17 Things I Didn’t Know Before Moving to NYC.

Published on November 24, 2014January 24, 2015 by Regina Po1 Comment

11. 17: I’m going back to my roots and starting to write something here every day. Let’s see how that goes.

Today was hot. Yes, hot!!! You would never know it judging by all the coats and scarves folks are sporting outside, but boy oh boy did I enjoy my cold shower when I got home from work today. Everywhere BUT the outside is toasty, it’s making me feel like I have a fever. I don’t. The home gets super toasty at night time. So much so, that I’m having to not only keep the windows open, but turn on my fan. It’s 38F outside. Something is wrong with this picture. Then there’s the subway. Steamy subway. The minute I walk down the stairs I can feel that first droplet of sweat run down my back. I never thought I’d be complaining about the heat when its in the 30s.

11.18: Scratch what I said about yesterday. Today, I was cold. It’s been a long day filled with a Doctor’s appointment in the morning and a shift ending at 11pm. The 25F (‘feels like’ 12F) was not warmly welcomed. I walked to the subway this morning trying to eat a mochi bean pouch, but instead I looked like I was playing hot potato. I don’t have gloves so, in order to keep my hands warm (unsuccessfully) I passed my mochi breakfast between my hands every two seconds. As one hand grasped onto the chewy dough, the other quickly jumped into a pocket. This went on the whole way to the subway. I should have just waited to eat it there. I literally just shoved half of it in my mouth and decided it was best that I swallow it whole rather than try to hold it with my bare hands. Brr.

My walk to the subway -from- work tonight was pretty miserable, but at least my hands were snuggly placed in my pockets the whole time. When I got to the station, I discovered my train wasn’t running. By that point (after 11pm) I was kind of over all of NY’s shenanigans for the day… i was pissed. I cursed. Outloud. And everything. Until I heard a bagpiper waling some tunes at the other end of the station. When I walked by him, I felt the instrument’s vibration. The lady announcer voice came over the intercom to relay the latest delay. I’m not sure what it was, but suddenly the day’s aggravation and inconvenience just melted. In fact I thought it was funny. I even laughed. Outloud.

11.19: Before moving here (and after) I’ve read many ‘list’ articles associated with NYC. Most of them themed along the lines of… NYC is not what it appears OR Don’t Move Here Unless…. OR You get the point. Well exactly 6 months [today] after living in NYC I’ve decided to make a list of my own.

1. You will get a job. It will not be your dream job. But you’ll get an income.

2. You will not get paid more just because living expenses here are exponentially higher.

3. You will find your dream apartment. It is possible. It is also the hardest thing you will ever do. The process will likely cause you to loose some hair.

4. You will miss home.

5. You stop wanting to walk [everywhere] eventually. You don’t have time for that. It’s also cold.

6. You will spend half of your day going to buy something in specific. Need socks? Better plan the better half of Saturday.

7. You will find people who will help you. Don’t take those folks for granted; there’s not many.

8. You don’t know what rush hour is until you’ve been smushed between the man with poor mouth hygiene, the lady who enjoys dumping her cheap perfume all over her body, and the dumbass tourist who didn’t take off his backpack which keeps smashing into you every bumpy second.

9. You will no longer be the only foreign kid. Foreign kids are everywhere.

10. You will eventually find yourself getting super annoyed with people. Although at the end of day, you’ll still appreciate them.

11. You will not enjoy grocery shopping nearly as much when you have to push and shove to grab that last broccoli, stand in line for at LEAST 15 minutes, & carry the items several blocks from the bus stop while the wind plummets your face and slowly frostbites your fingers. [Having fresh groceries at home is kind of like having a trophy for the Grocery Olympics.]

12. You will not get used to the noise for a couple months. Sleep will come eventually.

13. You will fall so hopelessly in love with the city that you’ll wonder if you’re dreaming. Every. Single. Day.

14. You will gain some weight. No, walking everywhere does not help. The proportion of drool-worthy food to blocks-to-walk is 100:1.

15. You will find most of your friends have online dating profiles. Apparently, unless you jump onboard that train your love life is hopeless. Oh well.

16. You will loose track of time. The time is always running away from you. You have to run faster.

17. You will loose hope that you’ll make it. Just keep going.

_____

11.20: One thing I’m not loving about New York? How quickly the time flies. I’m desperately trying to fill my schedule with more awesome to-do’s but I’m finding it incredibly difficult.

11.21: Today I bought socks. And snow boots. I am officially [less] scared of the upcoming winter. I also bought a hat and some gloves. Perhaps my fingers will stop feeling like icicles every time I leave my home.

Everyone I’ve spoken to seems to have their own secrets to surviving winter. I think I’ll just have to wait and find out my own methods. Something tells me the sauna, ice-cream, & Sex & The City re-runs will be key (along with those snow boots).

11.22: No pictures this week. I keep intending to do it, but somehow time just slips by me. I have several personal projects that need my attention, and somehow photos have gotten pushed towards the end of the line. Which should not be the case. I’m working on this.

[Quick iPhone shot on my way to work.]

Aside from getting to see my parents for a short while (layover at JFK), my day was spent nursing and re-nursing a hangover. Thanking the internet gods for seamless.

Week 26: Fall Selfies & Nostalgia.

Published on November 15, 2014November 16, 2014 by Regina PoLeave a comment

It’s weird. Fall has been here for a couple of months now, but I’m just now starting to notice just how beautiful it is. Both our living room and kitchen windows face trees that were once lush with greenery… now, they’re even more vibrant! Up until now fall colors have been just an extension of summer. Sure some leaves in Orlando changed colors, but not to this extent.

I haven’t really noticed that many changes in the energy since fall has crept in… I still see a bajillion people every day going about their crazy busy lives. I’ve heard that winter time silences the city a little. We’ll see.

11.14. I was on the train this morning and for once I wasn’t smushed against the doors. I had enough room to actually pull out my book and do some reading. It was also the first morning in weeks that I was able to actually see out the windows as we passed over the Manhattan bridge. The view, as always, was breathtaking. I did notice, though, how normal it all felt. Just a month or so ago, every day I passed over the bridge, a deep sense of disbelief filled me. So much so that I questioned if any of it were real. Today, the questioning ceased to take hold. It felt very real.

It’s also finally getting cold. Not chilly. [Cold.] The sunnier side of the street is not that bad, but the second you turn a corner where the sun can’t sneak through the tall buildings, the chill hits your bones immediately. Winter is going to be rough.

____

Friday night I attended a dance party DJ’d by Questlove at the Natural History Museum with Jess. It all felt very ‘New York-ish’… not exactly something that I’m used to attending back in Otown. The event was sold out and Jess was on the guest list. It was all very exciting. I was a bit bummed that the event took place nowhere near the actual exhibits (I would LOVE to boogie with my main Dino, T), but I’m fairly certain this was for the best.

Before going to the museum we had dinner at Kefi, a Greek restaurant on the UWS. I spent about an hour drinking through their wine list and people watching from the bar downstairs before Jess met up with me. The crowd there wasn’t quite as entertaining as I had hoped. Although at about the 3rd glass I had come up with the most epic storyline for the couple sitting on the other side of the bar. I couldn’t hear what they were chatting about, but both of them were incredibly animated and appeared to really continuously compliment each other’s scarves. I imagined they were foreign scarf designers from Iceland visiting for a scarf convention. Perhaps they met on the air plane and decided to trade scarf notes over a glass of wine.

Now that it’s finally coat season, I’m having to discover a whole new layer of inconvenience. It’s cold as hell (my version of hell is much like antarctica) outside, but indoors it might as well be summertime. Dealing with your coat once indoors becomes incredibly annoying. For now, at the very least most of my coats are not too chunky. Come winter, it’s going to get even more challenging. Luckily, there’s coat checks. [I know, my inner struggle is real.] #Firstworldproblem.

Anyway, last night was fun. I’m always going to choose a live band over a DJ, but Questlove was pretty groovy. Getting to boogie under the planetarium was also pretty sweet.

11.15: Took a stroll this morning around my hood with my neighbor & friend, Chelsea. I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I miss nature living in the city. Honestly, no. I live a short stroll away from a huge park in Brooklyn… I get more ‘nature’ walking around the park than I did on most days in Orlando. Also, colorful fall colors are WAY better than palm trees. No contest. (Let’s not pretend I didn’t LOVE going to the springs and walking through the Econ forest, but the parks here are pretty awesome.)

The colors are stunning. It was a bit chilly out (37F when we left), but that didn’t keep us from enjoying the BEAUTIFUL day. Today I also discovered that I need gloves. And a hat. Winter is coming……….

I decided to google myself today. I stumbled on this flick from maybe… 2007 at an open mic/cabaret?

___

I feel like this entry has been over self-involved. Kind of ironic for a personal blog about myself. I know. Either way, I decided it was time for some self-portraits. I think everyone should have portraits done of themselves periodically throughout their life. My life is my future’s history, it’s nice to be able to document it.

Here is a self-portrait from November 2012 (2 years ago). I was living in a small duplex in Orlando. This picture was taken on my compact couch that I loved more than anything at the time. I was in my 3rd year at UCF. That semester I fell in love with organic chemistry and spent all of my time studying on that couch. I lived alone with the exception of the roaches that came to visit at 3am, like clockwork. They stayed on their end of the house (near the kitchen) and let me be while I studied on my end (living room with the couch). They were more like foes than friends, but I recall those long nights with fondness nevertheless. That living room was my sanctuary.

Fast forward 2 years. These photos were taken in our developing reading nook. It’s coming along and will surely be one of my favorite spots in the new home. I didn’t even imagine living in NYC 2 years ago yet here I am. I don’t spend time studying anymore. I thought this was a gift, but I’m beginning to feel like my brain needs feeding again.

Today I strolled around the West village and stopped in at the Chess Forum (one of my favorite spots in the area). You can’t go wrong with a game of chess surrounded by a bunch of handmade chess pieces and Bach playing somewhere in the background.

This about sums up my week. I hope next week will have more pictures of NY. Ciao!

This Stoop Photo Cred to Miss Chelsea.

Unless my WordPress stats are WAY off I’ve noticed several international folks coming through here… if you happen to stumble on this blog and don’t know me. Drop me a line, I’d love to know how you found this!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: