Overpriced Grocery Stores, McDonald's, and Men in Suits

I love how I live across the street from a USPS truck dispatch garage, down the block from a supermarket, a Catholic church, a Jewish hospital, a 99 cents store, a bar, a karaoke place, and near the NYU trolley tracks. (NYU has purple trolleys! That school is screaming out to me -- "Apply Kat, apply!")

I love the diversity, I love the variety, and most of all, I love the convenience, and all of the spur-of-the-moment entertainment options available to me, 24/7/365.

Too bad I can't really go out this weekend. Thank you Hurricane Hanna. Be nice to the Florida folks, and please don't make too much of a mess along the coast. The U.S. of A. will greatly appreciate it.

I worry for my friend down in Louisiana, the nasty Gustav. I hope he evacuated in time.

Many people have told me they are too afraid to move to NYC. I would love to play host to them sometime. I love this place. I don't know why, but the transition was seamless. I am already making plans for the next museum to see, the next Broadway musical to buy tickets for, and the next restaurant to call for delivery.

I watched as my mom struggle to adapt, complaining about the heat, the people, the traffic. I am surprised, given that she has lived in Hong Kong longer than I have (I was born there and lived there for 11 years). I guess we all take things for granted when we live in privilege. In her case, air conditioned office space, driving her own car, walking down crossroads where pedestrians and drivers actually obeyed traffic laws. I bet she misses California right now. She will be back in a week, but I hope she will take this experience with her as a reminder that life doesn't always suck as much as how we perceive it.

I am having a blast in this place so familiar and yet so new. There is a local produce store down the block from where I live. It is a small operation, fairly well-stocked. Priced like Nuggets (no surprises there). I drop by every once in awhile to pick up necessities. The store is always filled with the older folks, strolling along the aisles in their walkers. The simplicity of the locals' existence folded into the chaotic layers of a city life -- a beautiful waltz between the old and the new, a common ground for the rich and the poor, a sturdy root for the dreams and hopes that has lifted America time and time again.

A few blocks down, the eye-catching yellow M on red stood out amidst the solemn 9-to-5 crowd. I stepped in to get a large Diet Coke (Can't shake my Diet Coke addiction). After a pleasant experience at the Times Square McDonald's, I was expecting an equal level of service in this East Village location. Unfortunately, it took them about fifteen minutes to pour my drink into a plastic cup (and spilled it) before leaving it on the counter while the staff attended to other customers. No wonder people say that New Yorkers are rude. I think it is more accurate to say that the customer service in NYC is less than stellar. I cannot recall the number of times when orders have been mixed up, or missed altogether, when the entree was carried out before the appetizer, or when the customer was ignored for a good fifteen minutes before she was serviced.

I guess I can't expect much in a big city like NYC, where everyone is constantly on the go, rushing from place to place. Who has time to say thank you or please?

I must point out, however, that most of the New Yorkers I have met are truly wonderful and caring. There is definitely a strong community spirit, a genuine concern for the environment, and the people truly want to make better lives for themselves. That is inspirational.

I must also add that, for a girl who has her eye on well-groomed, well-dressed, metrosexual yuppies, NYC is an absolute paradise. Just thought I'd throw it out there = )

Here are a few more pictures I didn't get to post last night. Hope you like the blog!

Love,

Kat