NYC – Page 4 – Funk Meets A Lady

Week 30: Uncompleted Sentences.

Published on December 9, 2014January 24, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

Yes, I know I’ve skipped week 29. I switched my work schedule and went to visit my parents down south. It was time well spent, and seemed entirely too short. This week started off with a 6am flight back to NYC where a lovely Nor’Easter (a new term for me) welcomed me home.

Week 30 = anxiety. Ever heard of it? Well, I’ve been very VERY good at keeping my monster of [anxiety] at bay for quite some time. In fact pretty much my entire stay in NYC (let us not confuse stress with anxiety). This week, however, I failed miserably. Now, normally when I’m stressed or pissed off… or any other emotional state I have more than enough words to fill an entire post. Having my mind fluttering from one end to the other with anxiety has left me incapable of sitting down and composing much of anything. [This paragraph is a freaking miracle.]

With this said, I will post whatever pictures I have from week 29 (visit home) & this past week (December 8th – 14th).

P.S: My anxiety is not necessarily stemmed from bad news… mostly just from a combination of very unpleasant situations, stress, & crazy awesome news. I am taking the next week to calm my monster and will return with what I hope will be a much more interesting read. In the meantime, enjoy some photos.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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!

Week 25: Clueless Regina & Megan Amram.

Published on November 9, 2014November 13, 2014 by Regina PoLeave a comment

I am the most uninteresting person right now. Also entirely too confused about my life to write anything comprehensive (this is like the 20th time I’ve deleted this entry and started over).

New York has treated me crazy well (considering the horror stories I’ve heard) since I’ve made my move. I was strolling through one of the endless Top Ten ‘lists’ the other day and came across one that had to do with NYC. Something along the lines of what people expect when moving here vs. what actually happens… I’ve gotta tell ya’ in my experience it was mainly wrong. Among the other numbered items, it mentioned paying over a thousand dollars for a cardboard box of an apartment vs. the brownstone apartment that ‘you thought you’d be living in’. I don’t pay a thousand dollars and I do live in a brownstone [granted its not in Manhattan, but a whole 20 min train ride]. Rent here IS ridiculous though… I saw some insanely tiny rooms for the cost of entire rental homes in Orlando. All in all, NYC hasn’t been quite as ruthless as I had expected [I’m knocking on every wood surface in my room right now].

Anyway.

I’ve finally come to a place where I’m stumped. Personally. I really wanted to document my experience making a life for myself in NYC, but I’m not sure the dilemma I’m dealing with currently has anything to do with the city itself. I’ve spent chunks of my life chasing after something I felt extremely passionate about. Where did that get me? A lot of spent time that I’ll never get back. I feel like a walking cliche. I’m a 24 year old with very little career direction. The idea of committing my life to one career literally makes my stomach turn. It has to happen. It will happen. And 4 years down the line I’ll probably change my mind. Again. I’d just like to get a clue where to go now. Literally right Now.

My entries are slowly getting less about the city and more about being a clueless millenial. That was not the intention. This has to be my least favorite topic of conversation at the moment. It’s also currently the major ongoing topic taking up space in my inner brainwaves. Bummer, I know.

With that said, this week was great. [As are my weeks normally]. Let’s be honest, I’m living my dream. Sort of (if you completely disregard my previous rant you’d believe me). I did have a pretty comical (or so I thought) experience at a book launch the other night. My roommate brought me along to a reading by Megan Amram for her new book Science for Her. For those of you (like me) who don’t know who Megan Amram is – she is a comedian and writer who currently writes for Parks & Rec.

I had no idea who she was and didn’t hear Jess (my roommate) tell me that her book was satire. This made my listening experience VERY different from everyone in the room. We got there after it already started. Megan was wearing a white lab coat and was accompanied by a very smart looking dapper older gentleman (John Hodgman). I didn’t know who he was either. When she started to read excerpts from her book my mind was blown. I can’t sufficiently describe the excerpts without actual pieces and I’m not sure I can do that so just take a look at the cover of the book: Here is the link to Amazon. My impression of John’s role in the event was to giggle at how funny it was for her to write a book about science… seriously I was speechless.

She basically created a ‘science’ book in the same format as many fashion and woman’s magazines (cosmo, seventeen, etc) and focused on the same bullshit topics these magazines focus on except with a ‘science’ twist? I’m not sure that really describes it… she pretty much nails it on her Tumblr Here.

This book is Satire. I was not in on the joke until after she had finished reading multiple excerpts. I thought my head was going to explode. I could not believe the room was jam packed with people gawking over this moron… needless to say after the reading of the book was over and they started chatting a bit about the concept and the process I figured it out. Brilliant. And really quite funny.

In other news… it’s getting chillier. Sort of. I’m getting to play with a whole new set of clothing pieces that made me look ridiculous in Orlando.

After the book launch we strolled over to the DUMBO light show… the crowds were unreal. There was a line around the block to get into the actual show so we decided to get out of there. I’m glad we did it early, otherwise I’m pretty sure the subway station closest was jam packed for hours. I did’t really get what the hype was all about, but we snapped a photo anyway.

Hope your week is more exciting than mine. Ciao!

I made egg salad.

Week 24: Halloween, Face Palms, & the Brooklyn Museum.

Published on November 2, 2014January 24, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

I missed another week (I believe that makes 2 since I started this blog) mainly because last week was uneventful. Anyway, this week I was sick some more… I think my body has initiated it’s revenge for transporting it to a bipolar climate.

Halloween has come and gone.

I was a Super Regina [yes, I dressed up as myself]. Or a burst of color… but mostly I just wore my normal attire with some face paint (lipstick which has yet to fully come off).

I found yet another foreign ritual here in NYC last night. Trick or treating. In Orlando (and most other cities where homes are houses or spread out apartment complexes) kids walk door to door contemplating their existence as they beg for candy. No? Maybe it was just me. Either way, the act of knocking on a front door isn’t logistically possible here. On my way home from work I saw masses of children with their candy bags in hand walking past businesses manned with candy hander-outers. I think thats weird. Some (very few) people sat on their stoops with buckets of candy, handing out the goods as kids walked up. I live in a very family friendly neighborhood and I still didn’t see too many people actually doing this. Kids don’t even say TRICK OR TREAT… they just walk up to the lady in front of the bakery with their candy bags wide open. Not cool.

Today (11.1) I woke up feeling refreshed. Last night I went to a warehouse party with the roomies which turned out to be kind of a bust and an early trip home (I was in bed by 3am). An alcohol free evening turned into a morning of awesomeness. There were other nights this week that involved a bit more alcohol (it is Halloween after all).

Naturally, I discovered a new level of drunken remorse. But what’s a night of alcohol without a few morning face palms?

We’ve also slowly been making updates to the home…

11.2 : Lazy Sundays are the best. It took me several hours to finally get myself out of the house… the noticeably chillier weather felt uber refreshing against my face right up until I lost feeling in it. It’s not even that cold yet, but the wind can be brutal. I took a stroll down to the Brooklyn Museum and spent the better part of my day browsing Brooklyn’s finest. As per usual, my favorite attraction: the folks browsing alongside me. A little girl with the bounciest blonde pig tails that stuck straight up adding about 3 inches to her height, walked around the Brooklyn Artist exhibit with a tiny green notebook in one hand and an oversized blue pen in the other. Her stride seemed very meticulous, as though she had previously mapped out the floor plan and had planned out the precise number of steps she needed to take from one piece to the next. Her movements became repetitive, as she came up to each new piece she would bring her giant pen up to her face, shift her head to the side, take a deep sigh, and utter a semi-silent “interesting.” I tried not to stare, but I couldn’t help admiring the little lady. She made my day.

A bowl of cookies and a glass of milk with a rerun marathon of Seinfeld = Sunday night.

When I came to the states at age 7 without a lick of english and started my first day at an American school I was terrified. I felt alienated and helpless. I was only seven, but I can still remember the deep sinking feeling in my stomach with the only thing stopping me from hurling that morning’s breakfast was the fear of having to explain myself.

After hesitantly getting off the bus (which was a horror in itself), the huge [or so it seemed] outdoor hallway filled with banners and images of big red apples was lined with small posters covered in foreign symbols. I stood there frozen while small and big kids roared around me squirming this and that way. I didn’t move.

I’ve been that scared three times my whole life. The night before flying to live in NYC was one of the other times. I’m starting my 6 months now. Half a year. The initial destabalizing fear has been replaced with an unreal amount of gratitutude and hope. I’m not where I want to be, but I can taste the sweet sweet future.

Hope you have a great week!

Week 22: Two Broads & a Renoir.

Published on October 19, 2014January 24, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

The only interesting thing that happened to me all week – besides the usual [ crammed subways, unpredictable weather, & beautiful fall foliage] – was a conversation that I happened to eaves drop on at the Met. I’m kind of broke (and by kind of I mean really)… brunch and fancy speakeasies are freaking expensive. Going out on the town (or brunching it) will run you more than a couple pretty pennies. With that said, I was a little frivolous with my budget in the first part of the month (something I’m usually really good with managing) and am now having to tone it down.

The most exciting thing that happened to me all week was when I sat on a bench in the middle of the Renoir room in the impressionist section of the Met for 20 minutes. When visiting the Met I like choosing one painting that tickles my fancy at that moment, finding a nearby seat, & soaking in the art while observing others [observing]. Normally, I experience a period of incredible fulfillment followed by a strange sense of hostility; watching others pass by some of my favorite pieces without so much as a heartbeat. Once I’ve gotten over my dumb ego I experience a period of boredom… this is usually where my inner monologue really picks up. Anyway, it’s not normally a note worthy outing. This time, however, I got extremely lucky. I sat right next to a couple of elderly ladies who chose the same bench to perform their gossip hour… the conversation was obnoxiously entertaining. The lady closest to me (maybe a foot and a half) was as prim and proper as they come with a lovely lilac silk bow wraped about her gray-ish golden hair. At age 75 (?) her posture was better than mine. The other not-so-prim-or-proper lady was very clear about the fact that she had the only right opinion in the most brilliant Brooklyn accent I’ve heard yet. I don’t think she intended on being quite as loud as she was, but I could hear her in the room over. I’m guessing her hearing aid wasn’t working. The two broads paid no mind about the curly haired lady sitting next to them and carried on with their focus on Gilbert and Mary’s newest grandbaby and Sue’s poor decision making skills – all as if they were sitting alone on the stoop of their Brooklyn brownstone. I especially enjoyed their remarks on gay marraige – I was preparing myself for a series of outdated and ugly statements, but was rather surprised when Marge (I named the red head) said ‘What the hell are they waiting for? Marty and Ben have been lovers since the day they met, even Ma didn’t try to argue those two.’ Marty & Ben must have sparked Marge’s memory because that took her on a rant I’m not sure I was able to follow. I waivered in and out of their conversation as I followed (visually) folks walking past one of history’s greatest gifts as though it was the latest movie poster.

All in all those 20 minutes fed me more than the rest of the week’s lunches and dinners combined. I’ve slowly found myself slumping into a funk [and not the groovy kind] lately… my trip to the Met was exactly what the groove master order (by ‘groove master’ I mean me). I did some other fun things this weekend… pickle day (3 blocks of ALL things pickled… I ate my weight in salt and loved every single second), Central Park, & a Halloween inspired ladies evening (Hocus Pocus was just as perfect as I remember).

I’ll try to make my next post a little more interesting. Here are some pictures from this week… all taken with my iPhone… I’m too lazy to caption, just use your imagination.

Happy Fall 🙂

Week 21: Forecast Fiction, Opera, & BRUNCH.

Published on October 11, 2014January 24, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m constantly in shock in regards to how long it has been since I landed in NYC… the time is flying. In the off chance you have no idea what this blog is about… Here is my first entry in NYC.

10.9: The weather is becoming frequently bipolar. The changes are getting more drastic as summer welcomes fall; although somewhat reluctantly. I’ve learned to ignore the forecast, a fiction I choose to humor myself with in the mornings.

Don’t get me wrong, this fall weather is unbelievably refreshing. After living in a climate that consisted of varying degrees of hot (fucking kill me hot, everything sticks to me hot, two weeks of I can finally walk 10 feet without sweating warm, & an additional couple weeks of sweater weather) I have never loved walking around outside as much as I do now. Fall is my new favorite time of the year; although I could do with a nice consistency every now and then.

My knee hurts. I feel like an old woman. Hopefully several sauna sessions will do the trick.

After enjoying an insanely calming sauna sesh at the gym tonight I decided to forgo my stoop and take a stroll around my hood. While drooling over people’s incredibly beautiful brownstone homes my ears hooked onto a trio of gentlemen playing something similar to one of Django Reinhardt’s tunes. An upright base, a guitar, and a mandolin. A trio of harmonizing voices over 70. The sheer gold curtain managed to shield from view just a small portion of the gold wall-papered living area tastefully adorned in vintage framed maps. The giant bay window was left open, it was only right that I stood under to soak in the joy streaming from within. It wasn’t awkward at all.

This week’s lineup:

*Put up my ‘headboard’. It’s cricked… just like me. After making the 3rd whole in the wall I decided to just let it be. I’m not perfect, neither is my headboard.

*Enjoyed a night out at a real speakeasy from the 1920’s (The Backroom) in the Lower East Side.

You had to walk through this underground tunnel to get to the speakeasy. The band played swing tunes and I’m fairly certain the folks getting down had a few swing dancing lessons in their day. The interior was really beautiful [gorgeous wood molding, giant chandeliers, & gold wall paper] and I drank my sour whiskey from a giant tea cup.

* Enjoyed a day off on Tuesday by cooking Brunch for Tina [notice that Brunch is spelt with a capital B] & a night at the Opera with the Roomies.

Cucumber, grilled corn, browned onions and garlic, scallions all mixed into a fresh Haas avocado. You don’t even know. (if you’re going to try this, don’t forget chili peppers and a pinch of dried mustard)

I made some crispy (toasted on the stove) corn quesadillas with spicy red lentils & cheese inside to go with the guac.

Sea salt & white truffle olive oil soaked edamame.

Shakespeares Sonnets. Not exactly the Opera I was expecting (there was no actual ‘opera’ vocals), but amazing visual and conceptual design (the lighting alone makes me want to see this again).

I wore makeup for the first time since freshmen year in college. I felt like an alien form of myself.

10.11: It’s Saturday. It is also the first day since moving here that I honestly feel cold. I wore my floor length wool coat to Brunch today. I wore this coat one time in Orlando and felt ridiculous. Today, I just felt cold.

Home Updates:

It’s Saturday night. I have a headache from the unlimited mimosas at Brunch so I decided to stay home… write a few things down and catch up on my Pushkin biography. As much as I enjoy going out with friends and living out my 20s in style, I gotta say… I really dislike going out on the weekends. Counter intuitive? Nope. I really enjoy socializing and soaking up a great conversation with a stiff drink (or two) in hand, but going to just about any bar in Manhattan or otherwise on a Saturday night you’re almost guaranteed complete lack of space and conversation. I have no desire to shout at someone trying to understand if they just said ‘I love this place’ or ‘I hate butterflies’ … what do these have in common? I wouldn’t be able to hear either. Will I ever go out on a Saturday? Yes. Will I continue to complain about the noise? Yes.

Note: Going out for live music is all too different, the need for conversation is replaced with groovy tune enjoyment.

10.11: Today was a perfect Sunday. New Zealand cuisine for Brunch (and an unfinished game of chess) with Miss Chelsea & Casey, followed by a brief tour of the Brooklyn Flea down the street, classical piano at Wash sq., a delicious mango lassi and a trip to East Village Cheese (it was everything I hoped for and more) with a new friend triggering my forgotten love of historic art heists & forgeries. Happy Sunday.

I’ve been thinking about my dreams. I’ve had many dreams and ideals that I thought I wanted for my adult self throughout my life; many of which I threw away (for good and bad reasons). One of my earliest dreams (aside from being a ballerina) was to become a writer. I remember writing a story about Mr. & Mrs. Pencil who got robbed of their eraser hats (I was in 3rd grade; ok?). I was a tiny Regina, but I still remember feeling so proud when I got to read my story in front of the class. I immediately fell in love with stringing words together. Riding in a car one day shortly after and having someone ask me what I wanted to do ‘be’ when I grew up (something grown-ups ask WAY too much of). I was excited to tell the person that I wanted to be a writer and immediately crushed when they bluntly informed me that ‘writing’ is not a practical occupation. I honestly remember my heart breaking. I was wondering the other day… what if I didn’t throw out the idea of becoming a writer when I was a kid? What if I held on to it and practiced while growing up? My writing is nothing short of poor grammar, cheesy cliches, and incorrectly used vocabulary (some of which, I’m fairly certain are made up words). I’ve had several other ‘dreams’ and passions along the way, most of which I let run their course. Some of which I’m still progressing. Writing, however, never stood a chance. It’s never too late to practice.

If only I knew then that practical occupations are just as much fiction as today’s weather channel’s forecast.

I feel so lucky.

Week 20: Molly in Transit, Miss Jenny, & My Roomies.

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

It’s Sunday… I’m just now coming up to write something. I woke up to 48 degree weather and immediately armed myself with two sweatshirts.

Papaya dog at 2am. Cheese & Sauerkraut.

This week: (in no order)

– work — Getting easier all the time.

– Both the roomies joined the gym so now I’ve got buddies. Did I mention there was a sauna?

– I got frozen yogurt delivered to my home. I’m not proud of it.

– Bowery Hotel made me feel like I was back in the time of good taste and classy cocktails. (http://www.theboweryhotel.com)

– $13 huge bowl of Ramen. Worth it. Best Ramen I’ve had so far at Ramen Misoya.

– Beer Pong in the back yard of an UWS apartment. (I didn’t play… still not something I’d expected to see).

– Drunks on the subway. (I never noticed how many intoxicated individuals rode the subway at 2am; until now. Also, I thought calling for Molly was unique to music fests… I was wrong.)

– Another trip to Target and Marshalls… I would love to say this was the last. It’s not.

– JENNY. (After mentioning the need to take a picture, I forgot to take a picture.)

– Our fridge is leaking.

– Fridge is getting fixed.

– The nook is starting to come together… kind of.

– Sunday Brunch with the roomies. It’s been a while.

– Found another local farmers market on our walk home from brunch. Bought some lavender.

All in all this week was great. After the horror stories of Craigslist roommates, I felt certain I was going to hit the jackpot of all crazies. Thanking the apartment gods instead; my roommates are the best.

Week 19: Intellectual Hiatus, Brooklyn Bridge, & a Suana.

Published on September 29, 2014January 24, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

It’s mid-late September. The summer has come and gone. I can’t believe I’ve lived in NYC for over 4 months. WHAT?! Every day (I really mean this) I find myself shocked with where my life has brought me. I cannot explain how happy I am that I made an impulse decision to move here. I’m not where I thought I would be by 24. I’m not working my dream job. What the hell is my dream job? I’m not making the big bucks. I don’t get to vacation every day and I’m fairly certain I’m going to have to stick to a diet of quinoa with beans for the next couple of weeks. I can say with absolute certainty that I would not be quite as happy if I had made any other decision. All of my impulses and rash decisions (these make up the majority of my decisions) were based on my gut. My gut knows whats up.

9.25: It’s getting cold outside. I don’t think it’s gotten below 55 F quite yet, but I’m already terrified. I’ve been prepping myself mentally and physically (do you think I’ve subconsciously been putting on weight to prepare for the winter?). I’m not feeling great and the nights of hot tea and 30 Rock re-runs have already begun. I haven’t gone out in over two weeks (whaaa??), but at least I’ve gone back to the gym. Today was dreary and wet outside. And chilly.

I’ve got to start taking better care of myself.

9.27: It’s Saturday. This week was as smooth as my right cheek (I’ve got very soft skin). The last few weeks have been a true test on my patience and I’ve made it out alive and sane. And not sick (mostly). I have recently abandoned my intellectual hiatus from real-world current events by starting to read the news a bit here and there on weekend mornings. Every now and again I’ll sneak in a soul-crushing article on a break, but c’mon… baby steps. I’m still not even close to caught up on most important issues. I’m also not, by any stretch of the imagination, implying that by reading the news I’m stopping capitalism from swallowing up our natural resources while finding the cure for a virus that turns people into viral human fluid fountains and simultaneously preventing grumpy old men from having authority over my body . I’m just saying, I’m excited to find out how much the human race has shit on the world since I stopped reading the news (about 8 months ago ).

On another note. I got a library card! FINALLY! I had [get library card] on my checklist of things to do for MY FIRST WEEK here. Almost 5 months later… I did it! I needed proof of residence — I ordered a fan, what more proof does one need, really? I discovered a market on my walk to the library – did I mention its like a 7 in walk?! – thats just outside the front steps.

My first two books: 1. The Bowery A History of Grit, Graft, and Grandeur 2.Pushkin

I’m already not a fan of The Bowery book… not very well written. I am enjoying the Pushkin biography quite a bit! For those of you not of Russian descent, Pushkin is a huge literary figure from the 1800’s. He was a poet. A darn good one. So I am told. That is all I know so far… also that he is a household name in Russia. Dare I say kind of like Shakespeare?

If you’re reading this and you didn’t know I was Russian, you don’t know me very well… and if you don’t know me, I’d like to know how you got to reading this? Leave a comment, won’t ya?

I also walked the Brooklyn Bridge today. The views were epic, but the crazy amount of people walking the bridge was a HUGE turn off. Here are some of the photos… I’m too lazy to edit any of them and the lighting was crazy inconvenient so deal with it.

*oh Hey! That’s me!*

*That guy on the left had the most epic Brooklyn accent.*

9.28: I had joined a gym earlier this week. It has a sauna. 5 Month ago Regina would kill present Regina for the amount of money I’m spending to go… but its less than 1 minute walk away and did I mention they have a sauna? Today I cleaned up a bit, fixed my shoddy dresser (I used glue… lets see how long this lasts), finally picked up the lights from my floor and used a hammer and staples instead of duck tape to hang them… I also ran some errands which always take a million times longer on the weekends.

I’m making plans to explore my hood a bit more next week and I think I’m getting a special visitor [WHO can it be?!]. I’m also making plans to go to the Met Opera (SO excited for this). Hope you have a wonderful next week!

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