Moving sucks. Packing sucks. Unpacking sucks. Finding a new apartment sucks. Handing over a shit ton of money sucks. I've moved 5 times in the last 9 years. 3 of those times have been in the last 4 years. I'm over it. It was never my intention to move that much. My first apartment by myself is known as the Rape Tunnel. I lived in the basement apartment of a small building, and although it was just the right size for 1 person, it was in the basement. Anyone remember the bum who lived outside my door for a week? I do.
This last move I got roped into because living in the city with a friend sounded like so much fun especially since I never got that college dorm experience. Boy was I wrong! You never know a person until you live with them. True fucking story. I got my dorm experience. Crazy girl roommate with her crazy dog who used to shit on the living room floor every freaking day. I paid for this decision by having to foot the last ConEd bill (which miraculously dropped almost $100 after she moved out) and Time Warner bill(which included the $15 worth of movies she ordered the week before she left). She also took with her my favorite cutting boards and ice cream scoop and the whole supply of Vodka (I've slowly been noticing things missing as time passes so who knows what else I'll discover to be missing). I'm gonna let that be my parting gift to her. Hopefully she remembers me every time she chops on my beloved bamboo board....
I also got to experience what it was like living with boys. I can now check it off my list and I know what to expect from my future husband. This building looked so shiny and new on the outside when we first got here. And just like with everything that looks good on the outside, I found it was rotten on the inside. This saddens me especially since this apartment was supposed to be lived in for at least 2 years. Apart from the ceiling leaking, and doorman calling me at 4am to profess his love for me, and the shady management company, and the memories that were made here, I don't regret it one bit. The last 13 months have been a learning process and I learned a WHOLE bunch. I actually noticed this building about 3 years ago. My friend Nicky Nice lived on this block and I saw it every time my express bus from the Bronx went down 2nd ave and I always wondered "who the hell lives in this out of place building in the middle of Spanish Harlem??" I soon found out. It was also never our intention to look this far past 96th street. It was a fluke. But I think it was meant to happen. I was always supposed to get here at some point. Because if we've learned anything over the years, we've learned that EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!
And now I have to go through the whole process of finding a new place and deciding if I want to stay in Manhattan or go back to the Bronx. I know it would be cheaper and quieter and probably bigger in the Bronx but I want to cry when I think about leaving this stupid island. This is where my friends are and it's so convenient to get anywhere and I'm sad to think about the 40 minute commute and the crazy people on the 6 train that I'll have to endure. I've looked for the last week and have seen only 1 apartment I would want to live in. But I fear it is out of my price range and although I would have a roof over my head, I probably would not be able to eat or go out EVER. I'm conflicted and stressed and just want to find somewhere to live. And once I do, I'm not leaving for a while. The next place needs to be my home.
So, we'll see what happens and where I end up. Moving is an excuse for another infamous Natasha party so expect the 'fuck you stupid building beach party' on August 27th. You've been warned....
Friday, July 29, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
London Part 6
Day 6-- The final day
All packed and ready to go. Had the hotel hold my luggage after check out so I could do a bit more last minute exploring. Actually looking forward to sitting on the plane. I've been walking for 6 days straight. Starting to feel a bit like Moses. My legs are killing me. I think when I get back to NY I'm gonna have someone carry me around the city. There's no way I'm walking anymore.
Buckingham Palace is bizarre (I finally found it!). The shear amount of people there on a Tuesday at 10:45am is ridiculous. Waiting to get a glimpse of the queen. Who cares. Took my pictures and skedaddled. It was such a beautiful day so I decided to walk around Sloane Square and through the whole of Chelsea and back to Earl's Court. Then I almost got run over by a motorcycle. I don't understand these lights and crosswalks. Some crosswalks don't have sign so you don't know who goes first. And the crosswalks tend to be less clear the further you get from the touristy areas. I'm officially frustrated by this so I decide to just walk whenever I walk. If they're gonna hit me, so be it.
On my way to the airport, of course it started raining which delayed our flight for an hour. Boo. At least I had 2 seats to myself. I must say I did miss this place. Not the drama, or the bills, or the mundane routine of every day life, but the city itself. I love New York. As fucked up as it is....
Final Thoughts:
1. the food is weird: these people are big into mayo, eggs, and shrimp. Sometimes all on the same sandwich.
2. When you go to a restaurant bar, they make you order at the bar and then the waitstaff brings you silverware and the food. I don’t understand. They serve me anyway so why not do the whole thing? Why involve the bartender and have me get up?
3. None of the people working in starbucks were actually English. Ive been to about 8 locations. I'm at expert on this.
4. The trains are tiny. Tall people have to stoop. Seats have armrests which deters obese people from boarding. That’s what we need in NYC. I didn’t see really fat people on the train. We don't have any boundaries or limits in America. We need to know that a seat begins and ends at some point instead of just having long benches people can plop their fat asses on.
5. The English are way more civilized. I didn't see any riffraff on the trains or on the streets. And, I covered a big area. Only saw a handful of bums while I was here. Never felt unsafe even when I was on deserted streets. Wait, I take that back a bit. There were some shenanigans going on in my hood. There were some stringy hair druggies yelling at each other one night as I was coming home. Maybe the clean streets detract from the shenanigans...
6. I can see myself living in London. Don’t know how I would make a living though. I would have to be an English housewife. I'm ok with that. I would want to live in Chelsea or around sloane square which I assume are the most expensive neighborhoods. Of course. As I'm writing this, I'm sitting across from a little butcher shop in Chelsea on Fulham Road. I would love to go to that butcher shop every day.
7. People aren’t particularly out of their way friendly but willing to help when asked. It's the reserved English way.
8. The tourists here are almost worse than the ones who visit NYC. So rude. Mostly the French though. Who do they think they are?
9. All the pubs boast having the 'finest fish and chips'...that's like NYC having the 'best coffee in the world'. Congrats. Buddy the Elf style.
10. There aren't many bars there and they all have that pub/restaurant Pig n'Whistle feel. NYC can have an upscale wine bar on the same block with a dive you'll get an STD in, a neighborhood bar, a Packers bar and a frat bar. I like having options. They also don't sit at the bar and watch 3 different tv's like we do. I missed that. I didn't know what to do. One of my favorite things is grabbing a stool and sitting in a dark bar watching a sports game.
11. I never get to sit next to the hot guy on the plane and never get to have that love at first sight run away to another country to be together experience. What's with that? I always get the middle aged woman or 20 something chick.
I discovered on this trip that I'm pretty awesome. Ive learned this year that I can get through things. Even if they suck and I wish they weren’t happening or if I'm lonely. It's life. We’re always going to have to do things that are hard. We eventually prevail. I don’t know if I’d do it again on my own. Definitely not in a country that doesn’t speak English. Its just more fun experiencing things with someone else. I did learn not to be so attached to my phone. I used to check it every 2 minutes of my day. Perhaps I’ll use it less in real life…I don’t know about that but a girl can dream.
London by numbers:
Money arrived with: 337.50 (BP)
Money left with: 16.24 (BP)
Total trip cost: $2175
time on plane to London: 7 hrs
time on plane to NY: 9 hrs
number of overtime hours I will be working to fund this trip: approx. 185 hrs.
see you next year people....
All packed and ready to go. Had the hotel hold my luggage after check out so I could do a bit more last minute exploring. Actually looking forward to sitting on the plane. I've been walking for 6 days straight. Starting to feel a bit like Moses. My legs are killing me. I think when I get back to NY I'm gonna have someone carry me around the city. There's no way I'm walking anymore.
Buckingham Palace is bizarre (I finally found it!). The shear amount of people there on a Tuesday at 10:45am is ridiculous. Waiting to get a glimpse of the queen. Who cares. Took my pictures and skedaddled. It was such a beautiful day so I decided to walk around Sloane Square and through the whole of Chelsea and back to Earl's Court. Then I almost got run over by a motorcycle. I don't understand these lights and crosswalks. Some crosswalks don't have sign so you don't know who goes first. And the crosswalks tend to be less clear the further you get from the touristy areas. I'm officially frustrated by this so I decide to just walk whenever I walk. If they're gonna hit me, so be it.
On my way to the airport, of course it started raining which delayed our flight for an hour. Boo. At least I had 2 seats to myself. I must say I did miss this place. Not the drama, or the bills, or the mundane routine of every day life, but the city itself. I love New York. As fucked up as it is....
Final Thoughts:
1. the food is weird: these people are big into mayo, eggs, and shrimp. Sometimes all on the same sandwich.
2. When you go to a restaurant bar, they make you order at the bar and then the waitstaff brings you silverware and the food. I don’t understand. They serve me anyway so why not do the whole thing? Why involve the bartender and have me get up?
3. None of the people working in starbucks were actually English. Ive been to about 8 locations. I'm at expert on this.
4. The trains are tiny. Tall people have to stoop. Seats have armrests which deters obese people from boarding. That’s what we need in NYC. I didn’t see really fat people on the train. We don't have any boundaries or limits in America. We need to know that a seat begins and ends at some point instead of just having long benches people can plop their fat asses on.
5. The English are way more civilized. I didn't see any riffraff on the trains or on the streets. And, I covered a big area. Only saw a handful of bums while I was here. Never felt unsafe even when I was on deserted streets. Wait, I take that back a bit. There were some shenanigans going on in my hood. There were some stringy hair druggies yelling at each other one night as I was coming home. Maybe the clean streets detract from the shenanigans...
6. I can see myself living in London. Don’t know how I would make a living though. I would have to be an English housewife. I'm ok with that. I would want to live in Chelsea or around sloane square which I assume are the most expensive neighborhoods. Of course. As I'm writing this, I'm sitting across from a little butcher shop in Chelsea on Fulham Road. I would love to go to that butcher shop every day.
7. People aren’t particularly out of their way friendly but willing to help when asked. It's the reserved English way.
8. The tourists here are almost worse than the ones who visit NYC. So rude. Mostly the French though. Who do they think they are?
9. All the pubs boast having the 'finest fish and chips'...that's like NYC having the 'best coffee in the world'. Congrats. Buddy the Elf style.
10. There aren't many bars there and they all have that pub/restaurant Pig n'Whistle feel. NYC can have an upscale wine bar on the same block with a dive you'll get an STD in, a neighborhood bar, a Packers bar and a frat bar. I like having options. They also don't sit at the bar and watch 3 different tv's like we do. I missed that. I didn't know what to do. One of my favorite things is grabbing a stool and sitting in a dark bar watching a sports game.
11. I never get to sit next to the hot guy on the plane and never get to have that love at first sight run away to another country to be together experience. What's with that? I always get the middle aged woman or 20 something chick.
I discovered on this trip that I'm pretty awesome. Ive learned this year that I can get through things. Even if they suck and I wish they weren’t happening or if I'm lonely. It's life. We’re always going to have to do things that are hard. We eventually prevail. I don’t know if I’d do it again on my own. Definitely not in a country that doesn’t speak English. Its just more fun experiencing things with someone else. I did learn not to be so attached to my phone. I used to check it every 2 minutes of my day. Perhaps I’ll use it less in real life…I don’t know about that but a girl can dream.
London by numbers:
Money arrived with: 337.50 (BP)
Money left with: 16.24 (BP)
Total trip cost: $2175
time on plane to London: 7 hrs
time on plane to NY: 9 hrs
number of overtime hours I will be working to fund this trip: approx. 185 hrs.
see you next year people....
Monday, July 18, 2011
London Part 5
Day 5- Monday
It was a bit chilly out today as I headed to Wyndham Theatre to try to win a ticket to see 'Much Ado About Nothing' in a raffle. I freaking won! So exciting! After that was done, I continued with my day--on to the Courtauld Gallery for some more art. After that I got lost and wandered a bit too far. I may be the only person who was confused for a whole 10 minutes and thought Westminster Abbey was Buckingham Palace. It might have been the throngs of people in the area or blamed on extreme hunger by that point. Made it to my original destination--Tate Britain where I had a delicious lunch of chicken, green beans and roasted potatoes all for under £8.
Later that night before going to see the show I went to Harrods which is like the Macy's and Bloomingdale's of NYC. I don't know what I was thinking. There were so many tourists I thought I was going to kill someone. Somehow I got turned around while in there and ending up coming out the opposite way and walked in the wrong direction. Walked 10 minutes before realizing it. I was not happy. And then it started raining again. Shocker. And then I almost got hit by a double decker bus because in my confusion I forgot they drive on the other side of the road. We were going downhill fast.
Ate my final fish and chip meal at The Salisbury near the theatre and then while walking got asked for directions again. Another point for Natasha. First of all, my seat was 3rd row from the stage in a tiny theatre. Second of all, I almost died when I saw David Tennant. Him and Catherine Tate were amazing. The show was amazing. I even got to see David cross dress...he wore lace leggings and a very short jean skirt and make up. I almost died. And then he sat down in front of me on stage with his legs open while wearing the skirt. If I was writing an official review, that would totally sway my opinion of the show, thank you very much. It was so nice to see a bunch of people love what they do and have fun doing what they do. You can really tell that they all got along and it translated to the audience. I love when that happens. I want to sear what I witnessed into my memory. But like most things, it will fade with time. Silly time.
Great end to my last night in London.
big sigh. <3
It was a bit chilly out today as I headed to Wyndham Theatre to try to win a ticket to see 'Much Ado About Nothing' in a raffle. I freaking won! So exciting! After that was done, I continued with my day--on to the Courtauld Gallery for some more art. After that I got lost and wandered a bit too far. I may be the only person who was confused for a whole 10 minutes and thought Westminster Abbey was Buckingham Palace. It might have been the throngs of people in the area or blamed on extreme hunger by that point. Made it to my original destination--Tate Britain where I had a delicious lunch of chicken, green beans and roasted potatoes all for under £8.
Later that night before going to see the show I went to Harrods which is like the Macy's and Bloomingdale's of NYC. I don't know what I was thinking. There were so many tourists I thought I was going to kill someone. Somehow I got turned around while in there and ending up coming out the opposite way and walked in the wrong direction. Walked 10 minutes before realizing it. I was not happy. And then it started raining again. Shocker. And then I almost got hit by a double decker bus because in my confusion I forgot they drive on the other side of the road. We were going downhill fast.
Ate my final fish and chip meal at The Salisbury near the theatre and then while walking got asked for directions again. Another point for Natasha. First of all, my seat was 3rd row from the stage in a tiny theatre. Second of all, I almost died when I saw David Tennant. Him and Catherine Tate were amazing. The show was amazing. I even got to see David cross dress...he wore lace leggings and a very short jean skirt and make up. I almost died. And then he sat down in front of me on stage with his legs open while wearing the skirt. If I was writing an official review, that would totally sway my opinion of the show, thank you very much. It was so nice to see a bunch of people love what they do and have fun doing what they do. You can really tell that they all got along and it translated to the audience. I love when that happens. I want to sear what I witnessed into my memory. But like most things, it will fade with time. Silly time.
Great end to my last night in London.
big sigh. <3
London Part 4
Day 4-Sunday
Better today. It wasn't raining in the morning so that was a plus. Walked Bond Street which is like the Madison Ave of London then headed to the famous Piccadilly Circus. Not that exciting. Took Tube to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. So excited to see Doctor Faustus. Of course it started pouring 30 minutes before performance. The theatres open if you didn't know that little fact. Luckily I had an actual seat and it was pretty covered. Best experience of my life! You have not witnessed theatre until you've seen a performance at the globe. It was raining on and off for the whole 3 hour performance. You're an amazing actor if you can remember your lines while water's streaming into your eyes. The rain seemed perfectly timed to the scenes. It's about a man who sells his soul to the Devil. Dark, wet and dreary. Just how I like them. At one point, one of the actors steps out and makes a declaration while pointing to the sky. Perfectly timed, a clash of thunder. We all just started laughing. It was perfect.
Afterwards headed to the National Gallery for some more art. Bastards there won't let you take pictures. I wanted to document some of the Dutch paintings that helped me get out of Hunter College. I still maintain that I hate that pretentious Rembrandt. Not as much as I hate modern art though.
I was heading to meet my new London friends for dinner and drinks and decide to skip the station I was at and walk to the next one. There are no coincidences in Natasha's world. While walking past a pub, I see Nick the Bobby(aka the neighborhood drunk) standing outside. He spotted me and stops me to say hi. He opens with "where have you been all my life?!" I remembered that this was his opening line the night before as well when I quickly answered "in New York?" Of course, he was drinking already at 5:45pm. He asks me to have a drink with him again and I say I'm running late to meet friends and can't. 1. just my luck to run into this guy at a DIFFERENT pub in a major city and 2. I hope he didn't remember that I told him I was leaving this morning...whoops!
Onto our first(and second) drink of the night. We sit next to 3 girls who are talking about their boy problems. Glad to see that London boys don't differ so much from the New York losers. Listening to them, I miss home and my people again. I have Indian food for the first time in my life and actually like it. It starts getting late and we rush to the Tube to get our trains. I got to experience a Sunday night when all the trains starts shutting down (I think they officially close at midnight). My train wasn't running and now I had to figure out another route. It was like the freaking Amazing Race. People were rushing all over the place. Met an Australian transplant who I followed for 3 trains to get to my destination. Quite an experience.
One more full day to go....
Better today. It wasn't raining in the morning so that was a plus. Walked Bond Street which is like the Madison Ave of London then headed to the famous Piccadilly Circus. Not that exciting. Took Tube to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. So excited to see Doctor Faustus. Of course it started pouring 30 minutes before performance. The theatres open if you didn't know that little fact. Luckily I had an actual seat and it was pretty covered. Best experience of my life! You have not witnessed theatre until you've seen a performance at the globe. It was raining on and off for the whole 3 hour performance. You're an amazing actor if you can remember your lines while water's streaming into your eyes. The rain seemed perfectly timed to the scenes. It's about a man who sells his soul to the Devil. Dark, wet and dreary. Just how I like them. At one point, one of the actors steps out and makes a declaration while pointing to the sky. Perfectly timed, a clash of thunder. We all just started laughing. It was perfect.
Afterwards headed to the National Gallery for some more art. Bastards there won't let you take pictures. I wanted to document some of the Dutch paintings that helped me get out of Hunter College. I still maintain that I hate that pretentious Rembrandt. Not as much as I hate modern art though.
I was heading to meet my new London friends for dinner and drinks and decide to skip the station I was at and walk to the next one. There are no coincidences in Natasha's world. While walking past a pub, I see Nick the Bobby(aka the neighborhood drunk) standing outside. He spotted me and stops me to say hi. He opens with "where have you been all my life?!" I remembered that this was his opening line the night before as well when I quickly answered "in New York?" Of course, he was drinking already at 5:45pm. He asks me to have a drink with him again and I say I'm running late to meet friends and can't. 1. just my luck to run into this guy at a DIFFERENT pub in a major city and 2. I hope he didn't remember that I told him I was leaving this morning...whoops!
Onto our first(and second) drink of the night. We sit next to 3 girls who are talking about their boy problems. Glad to see that London boys don't differ so much from the New York losers. Listening to them, I miss home and my people again. I have Indian food for the first time in my life and actually like it. It starts getting late and we rush to the Tube to get our trains. I got to experience a Sunday night when all the trains starts shutting down (I think they officially close at midnight). My train wasn't running and now I had to figure out another route. It was like the freaking Amazing Race. People were rushing all over the place. Met an Australian transplant who I followed for 3 trains to get to my destination. Quite an experience.
One more full day to go....
London Part 3
So the wireless here has been giving me problems. Or maybe it's my stupid computer. I have tried 3 times to write this entry and it doesn't save. I must say that the first version was very witty and I'm gonna try hard to recreate it....
I was not a happy camper on Saturday. The blisters on my feet were huge and it rained all day. I got lost somewhere in the city and walked for 3 hours and was soaked. Finally found London Bridge to cross to the other side and got splashed by a double decker bus. All before noon. I was tired, hungry and wet so I decided to skip a couple of stops and go straight to the Tate Modern. On my way, I got stopped and asked for directions. Point Natasha. I love looking like a native.
Finally found a place to eat (Founders Arms, I think). Beer at noon was much needed. There were some French tourists sitting near me who let their children run around the restaurant. They ended up crawling under my table. They're the worst. The French tend to let their kids do whatever they want and when they finally run after them, the fathers tend to do the chasing while the mothers sit there and look pretty. This is not my first encounter with them. Fucking French people.
Get to the Tate Modern only to wonder why I keep doing this to myself. I HATE modern art! I think most of it is ridiculous and a slap in the face to all the great masters of the old days. Run through that shaking my head for most of it and then head out again. While on the Tube got asked for directions again. This time I had no idea where they were going but I did try helping.
I decided that at night I should go to some pubs and be social. First drink at Rising Sun then I walked to Soho and found Carlisle Arms. I discovered today that it's no fun drinking by yourself. I think I started getting lonely and homesick at this point. In 2 days I had really only talked to the bartender at lunch. Looking around the bar, I realized that the bartender and a patron looked similar to a couple guys I used to date. Of course I would be the person to find their clones in another country. I cannot outrun my past, unfortunately. I was watching the patron hit on a girl and realized from my observations that he must come here a lot and was also the neighborhood drunk. I was right. Soon found out for myself because I am a magnet for all things insane and unstable.
His name was Nick and he was an officer (allegedly). I was wearing my famous plaid shirt and he said I looked like a sexy lumberjack. I was thoroughly entertained so I talked to him for a while. In the middle of our conversation he says "Thanks for talking with me. You must think I'm mad".....um, no. of course not crazy drunk man. He kept saying how hot I was and asked to take me for a drink. I lied and said I was leaving tomorrow morning. He said "and?". I responded with "you wanna have a drink in the morning?" He said "what about now?" I lied and said I was meeting friends.
Don't need any more crazies in my life. At least I got to talk to someone. Even if he was the local drunkard...
I was not a happy camper on Saturday. The blisters on my feet were huge and it rained all day. I got lost somewhere in the city and walked for 3 hours and was soaked. Finally found London Bridge to cross to the other side and got splashed by a double decker bus. All before noon. I was tired, hungry and wet so I decided to skip a couple of stops and go straight to the Tate Modern. On my way, I got stopped and asked for directions. Point Natasha. I love looking like a native.
Finally found a place to eat (Founders Arms, I think). Beer at noon was much needed. There were some French tourists sitting near me who let their children run around the restaurant. They ended up crawling under my table. They're the worst. The French tend to let their kids do whatever they want and when they finally run after them, the fathers tend to do the chasing while the mothers sit there and look pretty. This is not my first encounter with them. Fucking French people.
Get to the Tate Modern only to wonder why I keep doing this to myself. I HATE modern art! I think most of it is ridiculous and a slap in the face to all the great masters of the old days. Run through that shaking my head for most of it and then head out again. While on the Tube got asked for directions again. This time I had no idea where they were going but I did try helping.
I decided that at night I should go to some pubs and be social. First drink at Rising Sun then I walked to Soho and found Carlisle Arms. I discovered today that it's no fun drinking by yourself. I think I started getting lonely and homesick at this point. In 2 days I had really only talked to the bartender at lunch. Looking around the bar, I realized that the bartender and a patron looked similar to a couple guys I used to date. Of course I would be the person to find their clones in another country. I cannot outrun my past, unfortunately. I was watching the patron hit on a girl and realized from my observations that he must come here a lot and was also the neighborhood drunk. I was right. Soon found out for myself because I am a magnet for all things insane and unstable.
His name was Nick and he was an officer (allegedly). I was wearing my famous plaid shirt and he said I looked like a sexy lumberjack. I was thoroughly entertained so I talked to him for a while. In the middle of our conversation he says "Thanks for talking with me. You must think I'm mad".....um, no. of course not crazy drunk man. He kept saying how hot I was and asked to take me for a drink. I lied and said I was leaving tomorrow morning. He said "and?". I responded with "you wanna have a drink in the morning?" He said "what about now?" I lied and said I was meeting friends.
Don't need any more crazies in my life. At least I got to talk to someone. Even if he was the local drunkard...
Friday, July 15, 2011
London Part 2
Day 2
Missed breakfast because my body thought it was 4am. So freaking tired! Finally made it out and to the Starbucks for some wireless action. This is going to be my new home. Took the train to the Doctor Who Experience exhibit. So freaking awesome. Rode in the TARDIS, fought some Daleks. Typical Friday morning. I decided to hop on the double decker bus to get near where I was going. Things I learned today: things on map are closer than they appear. Got on to only go 1 stop. And missed it. Wait, scratch that. I got off too soon and ended up lost somewhere around Holland Park. Not the park I wanted. Walked to the other one which was pretty far to only discover that I'm a big dummy for bringing the new sneakers I just bought to walk in. My pinkie toes hurt so much and I was only 2 hours into my day. I was 2 for 2 this Friday.
On my way I found my mecca--H&M. Bought a pair of flip flops then had some fish and chips at Rock And Sole Plaice. Established in 1871. I like history. Except I had fish and chips twice in less than 24 hours. I'm fish and chipped out already! Then headed to the Petrie Egyptian Archaeology museum and the British Museum. Observation and question: Why are there always so many Asian tourists?? Even in NYC. Do they work or do they just travel around the world constantly? It's like whole villages were in that museum. And they kept touching everything! The preserver of all things ancient in me was cringing.
By 4pm I was exhausted. And I already have a shinsplint. Great. Headed back to homebase and came to Starbucks to blog. 3 1/2 days to go....
Some observations: The men are more good looking here than the women and the pigeons are the direct descendants of NYC pigeons.
Missed breakfast because my body thought it was 4am. So freaking tired! Finally made it out and to the Starbucks for some wireless action. This is going to be my new home. Took the train to the Doctor Who Experience exhibit. So freaking awesome. Rode in the TARDIS, fought some Daleks. Typical Friday morning. I decided to hop on the double decker bus to get near where I was going. Things I learned today: things on map are closer than they appear. Got on to only go 1 stop. And missed it. Wait, scratch that. I got off too soon and ended up lost somewhere around Holland Park. Not the park I wanted. Walked to the other one which was pretty far to only discover that I'm a big dummy for bringing the new sneakers I just bought to walk in. My pinkie toes hurt so much and I was only 2 hours into my day. I was 2 for 2 this Friday.
On my way I found my mecca--H&M. Bought a pair of flip flops then had some fish and chips at Rock And Sole Plaice. Established in 1871. I like history. Except I had fish and chips twice in less than 24 hours. I'm fish and chipped out already! Then headed to the Petrie Egyptian Archaeology museum and the British Museum. Observation and question: Why are there always so many Asian tourists?? Even in NYC. Do they work or do they just travel around the world constantly? It's like whole villages were in that museum. And they kept touching everything! The preserver of all things ancient in me was cringing.
By 4pm I was exhausted. And I already have a shinsplint. Great. Headed back to homebase and came to Starbucks to blog. 3 1/2 days to go....
Some observations: The men are more good looking here than the women and the pigeons are the direct descendants of NYC pigeons.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
London Part 1
Departure: The second I left my apartment it started to rain while it was still sunny. As soon as I sat in the car my mother started with how anorexic I look and that I have to eat. Thanks ma, but I'm far from anorexic. Of course at that time it finally hit me that I was going to LONDON. Which is in another country. By MYSELF. Who the hell let me do that!? I've never been anywhere alone! If I'm left in the apartment all alone for 2 nights in a row, I start battling the voices that live in my head.
As we drove to the airport we drove underneath at least 4 different rainbows. I'm gonna take that as a good omen. 1 hour delay later, I'm finally on the plane at 11pm. I've never been able to sleep on anything that moves so this was definitely a test. It was helpful that I barely got sleep for the last 3 nights cuz my frat house was going full force all night....
Day 1
scratch that. I didn't sleep at all. Landed here 11am and was on the go. When I got to customs this conversation took place:
Lady: Are you traveling alone today? (she says while looking around)
Me: Yup.
Lady: How long is your stay?
Me: Until Tuesday.
Lady: Do you know anyone in England?
Me: No.
Lady: So, you're all alone?
Me: Yes. I'm all alone. (Thanks for rubbing it in, lady. Jesus Christ!)
she looks up and says:
Lady: Good. That's the only way to do it.
I had a rough start figuring out the tube, but it was pretty easy once I started riding around on it. The trains are so small though! Found the hotel, which isn't bad but the room is like a cruise ship cabin (for Jack, not Rose). Classic stupid natasha moment:
Lady at front desk: around the corner is the lift you can take it to your room which is on the first floor.
me: why do I have to take the lift?
Lady: Because your room's on the first floor.
Me; Um, and what floor is this?
lady: the ground floor.
oh. I felt like a major stupid American. Trekked to the Natural History Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. Good times. Pictures to come.
Took the tube that night to meet my new London friends. At the Covent Garden stop I soon realized why everyone was waiting for the elevator and not taking the stairs....194 stairs up is no joke. They give you a warning on the bottom but I thought "I'm a New Yorker. I'll be fine." Negative. I almost died my first night here. Lesson learned. Next time follow the crowd.
First we had a drink at an underground bar that used to be a mens loo. Dark and swanky. Then we had dinner at southbank annd then had my first Pimms at a bar in an alleyway. It looked like Jack the Ripper was going to come around the corner and murder me. Pimms is some sort of drink that tastes like gingerale and white wine with lots of cut up fruits in it. Delicious. My new friend handed me an ipad and told me to log into facebook. I was more excited at that moment than I have been in the last few months. I squealed. I moaned. I couldn't make words. Best login of my life.
On an end note: cockfosters.
That is all.
To be continued...
As we drove to the airport we drove underneath at least 4 different rainbows. I'm gonna take that as a good omen. 1 hour delay later, I'm finally on the plane at 11pm. I've never been able to sleep on anything that moves so this was definitely a test. It was helpful that I barely got sleep for the last 3 nights cuz my frat house was going full force all night....
Day 1
scratch that. I didn't sleep at all. Landed here 11am and was on the go. When I got to customs this conversation took place:
Lady: Are you traveling alone today? (she says while looking around)
Me: Yup.
Lady: How long is your stay?
Me: Until Tuesday.
Lady: Do you know anyone in England?
Me: No.
Lady: So, you're all alone?
Me: Yes. I'm all alone. (Thanks for rubbing it in, lady. Jesus Christ!)
she looks up and says:
Lady: Good. That's the only way to do it.
I had a rough start figuring out the tube, but it was pretty easy once I started riding around on it. The trains are so small though! Found the hotel, which isn't bad but the room is like a cruise ship cabin (for Jack, not Rose). Classic stupid natasha moment:
Lady at front desk: around the corner is the lift you can take it to your room which is on the first floor.
me: why do I have to take the lift?
Lady: Because your room's on the first floor.
Me; Um, and what floor is this?
lady: the ground floor.
oh. I felt like a major stupid American. Trekked to the Natural History Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. Good times. Pictures to come.
Took the tube that night to meet my new London friends. At the Covent Garden stop I soon realized why everyone was waiting for the elevator and not taking the stairs....194 stairs up is no joke. They give you a warning on the bottom but I thought "I'm a New Yorker. I'll be fine." Negative. I almost died my first night here. Lesson learned. Next time follow the crowd.
First we had a drink at an underground bar that used to be a mens loo. Dark and swanky. Then we had dinner at southbank annd then had my first Pimms at a bar in an alleyway. It looked like Jack the Ripper was going to come around the corner and murder me. Pimms is some sort of drink that tastes like gingerale and white wine with lots of cut up fruits in it. Delicious. My new friend handed me an ipad and told me to log into facebook. I was more excited at that moment than I have been in the last few months. I squealed. I moaned. I couldn't make words. Best login of my life.
On an end note: cockfosters.
That is all.
To be continued...
On A Quest To Find A New Establishment To Serve Us Alcohol
Last month our beloved Pat O'Briens closed down. So many memories are now trapped behind those doors. That's where I first learned how to play Beer Pong. It's where we got drunk all together on a Wednesday from winning free happy hours. Many beer pong championships were won there against silly boys who didn't believe a girl could be good at a drinking game (mother fucker, Lisa!!)We've met people there. We've lost people there. It was dirty and falling apart and slightly creepy, but it was our home. The thing that really made it was that it was cheap, didn't serve food(so there wasn't the lingering restaurant crowd) and it had a circular bar. Aside from Applebees, there aren't many circular bars out there. So much seating and you get to see everyone. If I had some money I would totally buy it. How much could rent be? I could probably just move in there too,right? Bars and restaurants on 2nd Avenue are shutting down all the time. Our havens are slowly being taken from us. So, for the last 6 weeks I've been on a mission to find a Pat O'Brien replacement. I won't rest until it's found! Nothing comes close. So here's the chronicle of my adventures (part 1). It's gonna take me all summer to go through the UES but I'm determined.
Brother Jimmys- 92nd and 3rd. Our current replacement. Its dark, cheap and there are tvs to watch the games on. Live band karaoke on Thursday nights. But, its too small and there aren't enough seats at the bar. Plus it serves food and there's no beer pong. And, they started closing at midnight. Even on Friday and Saturday!
Stumble Inn- 75th and 2nd. Our second replacement. So many tv's! Good drink deals. Food's decent. Good music mix. They have beer pong but it's almost impossible to get a table and it's too big and crowded for my taste. I also had a man hit on me and then threaten to fight my friend(who's a girl) because she was looking at him the wrong way. There are too many shit shows there for it to be our haven. Plus too many girls dressed in heels with high pitched voices. woof. We didn't have to deal with that at Pat's.
The Gael Pub- 3rd b/t 83rd and 84th. Low key, dark, a bit dingy. They have 1 pool table and a long bar. Guest bartending on Thursdays. But the drinks are small and not that cheap, the tv's are small, there's no beer pong and the service wasn't that great.
Trinity Pub- 84th street b/t 2nd and 3rd. Candlelit, small, 1 tv, too romantic. All things that are not desirable.
The search continues....
Brother Jimmys- 92nd and 3rd. Our current replacement. Its dark, cheap and there are tvs to watch the games on. Live band karaoke on Thursday nights. But, its too small and there aren't enough seats at the bar. Plus it serves food and there's no beer pong. And, they started closing at midnight. Even on Friday and Saturday!
Stumble Inn- 75th and 2nd. Our second replacement. So many tv's! Good drink deals. Food's decent. Good music mix. They have beer pong but it's almost impossible to get a table and it's too big and crowded for my taste. I also had a man hit on me and then threaten to fight my friend(who's a girl) because she was looking at him the wrong way. There are too many shit shows there for it to be our haven. Plus too many girls dressed in heels with high pitched voices. woof. We didn't have to deal with that at Pat's.
The Gael Pub- 3rd b/t 83rd and 84th. Low key, dark, a bit dingy. They have 1 pool table and a long bar. Guest bartending on Thursdays. But the drinks are small and not that cheap, the tv's are small, there's no beer pong and the service wasn't that great.
Trinity Pub- 84th street b/t 2nd and 3rd. Candlelit, small, 1 tv, too romantic. All things that are not desirable.
The search continues....
Friday, July 8, 2011
Londontown Here I Come
I have wanted to go to London since I knew it existed. So probably since I was 7 years old. I thought this day would never come. It was never the right time to go. Well, it was never going to be the right time so I just did it. I jumped. And now I'm going to live my dream as of next week.
I always felt like I was born in the wrong country. I think the right place happens to be Britain. We'll see. When I was in 5th grade, I used to write in British English. My teacher marked all my 'favourites' and 'colours' wrong. I got back my paper and thought, "she's such a dummy! Doesn't she know that's the correct way to spell things?!"
I can't describe how excited I am. I don't think it's hit me yet. I'm going and I'm going all alone so it should be a very interesting adventure. 1. can I travel to a foreign city by myself? And 2. can I last 6 days with just me and my thoughts? Part 1 is no problem, it's the second one I fear. Of course I'm hitting all the usual touristy things: British Museum, Tate Modern, Globe Theatre, Buckingham Palace, Harrods....and then wherever my little feet take me.
A couple of things I'm really excited about: the Doctor Who Experience exhibit (all things doctor who! And I get to ride in the TARDIS! what?!?), seeing Doctor Faustus at the Globe (who is not Doctor Who but has a D.W. cast member in it) and possibly seeing Much Ado About Nothing with David Tennant (who played Doctor Who and is one of my celebrity crushes!) I will literally die if the last part happens.
So, rest assured that there will be an abundance of pictures, blog posts and status updates (when I manage to find some free wifi out there).
Cheerio, chaps!
I always felt like I was born in the wrong country. I think the right place happens to be Britain. We'll see. When I was in 5th grade, I used to write in British English. My teacher marked all my 'favourites' and 'colours' wrong. I got back my paper and thought, "she's such a dummy! Doesn't she know that's the correct way to spell things?!"
I can't describe how excited I am. I don't think it's hit me yet. I'm going and I'm going all alone so it should be a very interesting adventure. 1. can I travel to a foreign city by myself? And 2. can I last 6 days with just me and my thoughts? Part 1 is no problem, it's the second one I fear. Of course I'm hitting all the usual touristy things: British Museum, Tate Modern, Globe Theatre, Buckingham Palace, Harrods....and then wherever my little feet take me.
A couple of things I'm really excited about: the Doctor Who Experience exhibit (all things doctor who! And I get to ride in the TARDIS! what?!?), seeing Doctor Faustus at the Globe (who is not Doctor Who but has a D.W. cast member in it) and possibly seeing Much Ado About Nothing with David Tennant (who played Doctor Who and is one of my celebrity crushes!) I will literally die if the last part happens.
So, rest assured that there will be an abundance of pictures, blog posts and status updates (when I manage to find some free wifi out there).
Cheerio, chaps!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
It's A Small World After All
I find it ridiculously funny that Manhattan alone has a population of 1.6 million people, with 8.1 million in all 5 boroughs, and even with those odds you still manage to run into the same 100 people over and over again. How is it that 2 people can be in the same place, on the same day, at the same exact time? Aside from those coincidences of time and fate, the other random occurrences of 2 people having a mutual friend in common, or some other degree of separation, is equally funny. Oh, you're friend is friends with my friend? You know so and so? Me too! Your friend's friend was my friends roommate from college! And so on, and so on.
I recently made a web of a 6 degrees of separation with Crazy as the starting point. Please explain to me how 9 people got connected by a chance of series of events which only unfolded within the last 5 months. And not just 1 connection, but multiple ones that created a big circle where everyone was connected at some point. We should be a bunch of people who should not even know of each other but we do. It was totally bizarre considering most webs just end at some point. Not in my world. I get connected to people the rest of my life and my web just keeps growing and growing...
Of course, the more people you know, the bigger the circle is, but explain how out of 310 million people in the United States, and 6.93 billion people in the world, you end up with multiple mini webs. Before Facebook we had no idea who we were really connected with. But facebook tells us everything (even things we don't wish to see and know)...so and so has a birthday. So and so just became friends with so and so. X is now single, y is now engaged and the person you just became friends with has 4 mutual friends in common and you had no idea. Information overload. I'm starting to hate it. And this is coming from the person who loves knowing everything about everything. I don't like surprises. I like to be 1 step ahead of everyone and everything. Facebook helps me with that. But it also distracts me from doing anything productive and fucks with my mood.
But when do all these coincidences turn into fate?? Is everything suppose to happen when it does? When we look back on things we can see the bigger picture of what it all means. But what do all these coincidences and connections mean!? I want to know NOW! Life is so complicated...
I recently made a web of a 6 degrees of separation with Crazy as the starting point. Please explain to me how 9 people got connected by a chance of series of events which only unfolded within the last 5 months. And not just 1 connection, but multiple ones that created a big circle where everyone was connected at some point. We should be a bunch of people who should not even know of each other but we do. It was totally bizarre considering most webs just end at some point. Not in my world. I get connected to people the rest of my life and my web just keeps growing and growing...
Of course, the more people you know, the bigger the circle is, but explain how out of 310 million people in the United States, and 6.93 billion people in the world, you end up with multiple mini webs. Before Facebook we had no idea who we were really connected with. But facebook tells us everything (even things we don't wish to see and know)...so and so has a birthday. So and so just became friends with so and so. X is now single, y is now engaged and the person you just became friends with has 4 mutual friends in common and you had no idea. Information overload. I'm starting to hate it. And this is coming from the person who loves knowing everything about everything. I don't like surprises. I like to be 1 step ahead of everyone and everything. Facebook helps me with that. But it also distracts me from doing anything productive and fucks with my mood.
But when do all these coincidences turn into fate?? Is everything suppose to happen when it does? When we look back on things we can see the bigger picture of what it all means. But what do all these coincidences and connections mean!? I want to know NOW! Life is so complicated...
Friday, July 1, 2011
Doorman Adventures
Doormen see everything. They know who's coming, who's going, if you're ordering Chinese food for 1 every night, if you're drunk, if you're sober, and if you come home at all. The flip side is that you see them every day too and if you talk to them, and if they're talkative enough, you know things about them too. It evens the playing field.
We've already visited the night my old, drunk doorman professed his love for me at 3am. That was interesting. I made it very clear that it was unacceptable and only said 'hello' or 'good morning' to him since then. Meanwhile, the night doorman tells me everything about everything. I like knowing things so it works out well. Last Friday he asked me if I had seen the old man that morning. I said that he said "Happy Friday!" as I was leaving (which is more he's said to me in a while due to his shame) in the morning but that I didn't look at him. He said that he had a black eye. And that his wife beat him up. WHAT?!?! Jesus. I thought I had it bad. Apparently he had gone out on Thursday night and didn't come home until 1:30am. His wife was waiting for him in the lobby and beat the crap out of him.
The next day when I came downstairs I tried looking and the guy was wearing sunglasses inside. haha! Oh boy. Well, that's what you get when you stay out all night drinking, come home drunk and don't tell your wife where you are. Boys, learn from his mistake. We don't want to know where you are at every second but it would be nice to know that you're breathing.
Then on Wednesday morning, after I said good morning he said "Natasha? Are you still mad at me?" I just looked at him and said "um,no" and ran out the door. Did I mention that during all those incidents he had been drinking? Yup. He was drunk by the time I came down at 7:15am. You have a serious problem if you drink before the sun is up or are still drunk when you wake up in the morning.
I cannot tell you how many times I've walked away from my building shaking my head. This place is like a vortex of the absurd and the obscene. You never know what you're gonna get. I'm always surprised walking into this building. 2 more months....
We've already visited the night my old, drunk doorman professed his love for me at 3am. That was interesting. I made it very clear that it was unacceptable and only said 'hello' or 'good morning' to him since then. Meanwhile, the night doorman tells me everything about everything. I like knowing things so it works out well. Last Friday he asked me if I had seen the old man that morning. I said that he said "Happy Friday!" as I was leaving (which is more he's said to me in a while due to his shame) in the morning but that I didn't look at him. He said that he had a black eye. And that his wife beat him up. WHAT?!?! Jesus. I thought I had it bad. Apparently he had gone out on Thursday night and didn't come home until 1:30am. His wife was waiting for him in the lobby and beat the crap out of him.
The next day when I came downstairs I tried looking and the guy was wearing sunglasses inside. haha! Oh boy. Well, that's what you get when you stay out all night drinking, come home drunk and don't tell your wife where you are. Boys, learn from his mistake. We don't want to know where you are at every second but it would be nice to know that you're breathing.
Then on Wednesday morning, after I said good morning he said "Natasha? Are you still mad at me?" I just looked at him and said "um,no" and ran out the door. Did I mention that during all those incidents he had been drinking? Yup. He was drunk by the time I came down at 7:15am. You have a serious problem if you drink before the sun is up or are still drunk when you wake up in the morning.
I cannot tell you how many times I've walked away from my building shaking my head. This place is like a vortex of the absurd and the obscene. You never know what you're gonna get. I'm always surprised walking into this building. 2 more months....
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