Casual.

Even though New York is one of the fashion capitals in the world, the city finds ways to keep things casual. Very few of our high-end restaurants require a dress code, you can get away with wearing pretty much anything to the theater, and people feel comfortable enough to do things in public like whip out a q-tip and clean their ears on their morning subway commute.

This weekend, on a rather long subway ride to Queens, I had an experience that exemplifies just how comfortable New Yorkers can be with themselves. As I was sitting on the train I noticed a terrible smell in the train car. I glanced to my right and quickly my attention was drawn to a woman changing her toddler son's diaper on the subway seat. I exchanged looks with my fellow subway riders that said, "Are you seeing this too?", "Is this really happening?", "Gross." The woman quickly finished the job, and applied hand sanitizer. But then there was the question of the dirty diaper. As we reached the next stop I was waiting for her to hop up and chuck the offending diaper into one of the waiting trashcans on the platform. New riders got on the train car (some of them commenting on the bad smelling car), and still the woman had not moved from her seat. Then, before the doors closed, casually, she tossed the diaper off the train and onto the platform as she had probably done many times before.

New Blog Launch!

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Albums of the Decade

As promised in my last post:

1. Radiohead- Kid A
2. Arcade Fire- Funeral
3. Sufjan Stevens- Illinois
4. Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion
5. Outkast- Stankonia
6. Sigur Ros- Takk...
7. LCD Soundsystem- Sounds of Silver
8. Kanye West- College Dropout
9. Wolf Parade- Apologies to the Queen Mary
10. Spoon- Kill the Moonlight
11. Radiohead- In Rainbows

I couldn't quite keep it to top 10 and keeping it to 11 is still leaving many great albums off the list. For the most part these are the albums I can listen to over and over again and not get sick of. And let's face it, Radiohead set the stage for the 2000s with Kid A and has carved a path that many musicians will continue to follow in the next decade with In Rainbows. Rule to live by: Everything lives and ends with Radiohead.

My Humble Opinion

Keep in mind this list is not based on anything other than my opinion, and I really hold no expertise in movie lists. I'm also heavily influenced by Brian even though he probably won't agree with most of this list. That being said, as this first decade of the 2000s comes to an end here is my list of the top films of the past ten years:

1. City of God
2. Amelie
3. Children of Men
4. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
5. Lost in Translation
6. The Science of Sleep
7. The Royal Tanenbaums
8. Volver
9. Finding Nemo
10. The Devil Wears Prada

More exciting things to come: Top 10 albums of the decade and the launch of my new blog!

Finding a Purpose.

So, I've been thinking. I know I've been neglecting my blog lately and I think I know what the problem is. When I moved back to the US it lost it's purpose. I thought my life in NYC would provide me with many adventures to blog about. While I've had many adventures, it clearly hasn't inspired blogging. I think my blog needs a rebuild. If anyone still checks this thing for updates, I would appreciate any suggestions for new blog themes. Feel free to be creative and therefore inspire my creativity!

poodles,

Sarah

Final Product

Some of you may remember the sad-looking stray blue chair I had picked up off the street last year. It took a long time before I had time to finish it, and it ended up requiring some repairs I hadn't expected, but I wanted to share the final product. I'm happy with it.

March 20, 2010

I sat down on the subway Wednesday night too tired to read the book I had with me. Without other entertainment I noticed the girl sitting next to me sat with her journal open. On the unlined page she had written:

March 10, 2010

Missouri

Possible Locations
--------------------
parent's yard
50 acres
ferry
State Park

The girl just stared at the page not writing anything else and flipping though all the blank pages to follow this one. Maybe this girl is planning a year on the road as a vagabond and she thinks she'll be in Missouri on March 10th! Now that I type this out I realize how ridiculous this conclusion was, but at the time that was really my first thought. I started drifting off to all the daydreams I've had of leaving everything behind and living outside of mainstream society. In The Zahir, Paulo Coelho writes of the punks in Paris who choose to be homeless so they can live outside of society's rules. When I was doing my own traveling I would always notice the dread-locked teenagers with backpacks who had obviously been spending a good portion of the their last year(s) on the road, and I wondered what their lives were like. There's something appealing to me about leaving society's rules behind and living every bit of life in the moment. As the girl flipped through all the blank pages left, I wondered if she was considering where else to take her life on the road. Maybe she would make it all the way to Washington. Maybe, one day, I could leave everything behind.

But, as I sit on my memory phone mattress typing on my laptop I know how much I enjoy my comfy bed and my internet connection to the outside world.

Right before I got off the train the girl flipped to a back page with scribblings about sets and costume designs. So I guess she's writing a play, and neither one of us are taking our life on the road next year.

So far...

The strangest object I've seen laying abandoned on the street since living in NYC was when I stepped off the bus heading home from my internship and I nearly stepped on a colostomy bag. And yes, it had been used.

The strangest occurrence that I can think of was seeing a man skipping down the street yelling out letters in an angry tone. When he got to the end of the block he stopped and started walking normally as if nothing had happened.

Summer in the City

Let's face it. I don't have enough money to live and pay rent in NYC without an income. So here are some of the ways I'm considering trying to get by this summer:

1. Getting a real job.
2. Getting a job through a temp agency.
3. Working with a grassroots political campaign, canvasing to raise money for progressive causes.
4. Taking classes so I can take out more loans.
5. Dressing up like a superhero and standing in Times Square charging people money to take pictures with me.
6. Figuring out how to make crystal meth out of my allergy medicine.
7. Asking my parents for a bailout plan.

Right now, options 3 and 4 are looking the most viable but any other suggestions are appreciated.

Check out what I found on the street today!

They're both painted on solid pieces of wood with wooden frames on the back, kind of like an artist canvas. Except with wood instead of canvas.

I'm thinking of somehow joining them together and then making a coffee table with them.

I'm also thinking it would be nice to have an apartment with a workshop.

Where an Adult Can be a Kid

As a awaited the refund from my latest round of student loans for the semester I still wanted to be able to have fun on my last weekend before classes started again. As I was brainstorming on cheap or free things one can do in New York City that also doesn't involve being outside, since it was like 12 degrees outside. One option that came to mind was FAO Schwartz. I've always wanted to check it out, especially since whenever I think of it that giant piano scene from Big comes to mind. For lack of better ideas that's how I ended up spending part of my last Saturday of freedom for the next couple months. Also I convinced Brian to come with me, even though I'm not sure he was as excited as I was.

As we walked into this wonderland of children's toys an actor dressed as a Nutcracker welcomed us and instructed us to 'feel free to act like kids'. This is something I need no instructing to do. The store greeted me with giant dino stuffed animals and bright colors everywhere. There were rows and rows of stuffed animals stacked neatly on shelves. Two foot tall Ugly Dolls were on sale for $10 a piece! I really wanted to buy one, but couldn't figure out what I would do with a two foot tall Ugly Doll. Looking at the stacks of stuffed toys was almost mesmerizing. Here is a group of harp seals dressed up for Christmas.


My favorite part of the description introducing the customer to the harp seals is that it specifically listed it's favorite hobby as sleeping. But aren't they adorable?

One thing that FAO Schwartz does to add to the atmosphere of the store is that every brand or type of toy has it's own little section. Some of these sections are extra special and get actors or some sort of toy specialists to either demonstrate the toys or create a special world within which the toys exist. Here I am watching an Ugly Doll play soccer with some little kids:



One of the 'worlds' I was anxious to see was the Leigh Middleton Doll Collection. One of the actresses who had played a nurse in the orphanage was recently featured on This American Life sharing a story about the latent racism shown through a bunch of Upper East Side moms buying over-priced dolls for their children. I won't recount the story here, but if you're interested in knowing what I'm talking about just go to thisamericanlife.org and listen to Act 3 of episode 347: Matchmakers, aired on 1/9/2009. After hearing the show and then seeing the place where it all went down, I felt a kind of awkwardness. Like I'd been let in on some secret of the world that the average person looking at these actresses in costume and babies in incubators wouldn't pick up on. The story added a kind of sinister edge to something that would otherwise seem completely innocuous. That's why I don't have any pictures of the Leigh Middleton Doll Collection; I felt too awkward.

When I got to the giant piano, I had almost forgotten that was one of the main things I was there to see since there were so many other wondrous, colorful things on the way to the piano tucked in a corner on the second floor. I refrained from dancing on the piano myself since it was occupied by toddlers with their parents and I didn't want to be the big mean kid taking up all the space. The toddlers seemed to be enjoying it though. The piano was in the same area as the Legos, so I entertained myself by meeting Lego Batman.



He had a firm butt.

After all this I was feeling a little over-stimulated and started to make my way back out. My sentiments were echoed in a kid I overhead asking their parent 'Can we just go?' in a tired overwhelmed tone. On the way out I got to see the rubix cube guy solve a cube in under a minute and discovered that a German toy company still makes Smurfs.




Overall, I enjoyed my time at FAO Schwartz and my brief regression into childhood. I was also happy to head next to the MoMA store, where I could look at grown-up toys and pretend to be an adult for awhile.

What I'm Thankful for This Year

Tofurkey.

My recent stab at veganism prevented me this year from having my traditional Thanksgiving salmon. When my mom asked me what I wanted instead, I started thinking about recipes involving things like seitan and whole wheat panko and other things that are probably a lot harder to find in Lacrosse, WI than they are in Brooklyn. Then I remembered the Tofurkey. Tofurkey is something I've often made fun of in my mind and thought I would never be feasting on one myself. I mean, come on, does the word Tofurkey sound like something you really want to eat? Also, I'd never actually seen one and kind of assumed it was tofu pressed into the shape of a small turkey. I should definitely know better considering I eat Gardenburger "ribs" on a regular basis and know that those are good among most other meat substitutes I've tried. I think I was just stuck on the name. I thought since I came to accept and enjoy Tofurkey this Thanksgiving, I would share my Tofurkey with you all too.

Here's what it looks like out of the box:



Ok, I admit it may not look tasty at this point. However, as I learned, an integral part of the Tofurkey preparation is a kind of baste made of oil and sage and other yummy spices.










Here's my Tofurkey all snug in it's casserole dish ready to go in the oven.










All done! Now doesn't that look yummy?! Check out the stuffing in the middle!







Here you'll notice how the Tofurkey, now covered in mushroom gravy, compliments the traditional (and vegan) Thanksgiving meal. Mmmm....








All gone! It really did taste good. AND the mushroom gravy recipe I used came printed on the side of the box and was most excellent. I hope you all have gained a new appreciation for the Tofurkey as I have. Really, it's all about understanding.

Things I've Learned from the City

1) If you're wearing stilettos DO NOT walk across subway grates.
2) Always have a book to read on the subway.
3) It's best not to get attached to certain stores or restaurants, but better to appreciate the constant change that makes the city alive.
4) Always buy tickets to shows early. You're competing with way more people here.
5) It's completely possible to feel completely alone in the middle of a crowd.
6) Never stop in the middle of the sidewalk or on the subway stairs.
7) The longer you're here the more annoying it is when someone stops in the middle of the sidewalk or on the subway stairs.
8) Don't take the rudeness seriously. Plus, if you don't it's hilarious.
9) Just because it's an express train, it doesn't mean you're going to get to your destination quicker.
10) Never feel self conscious because you're in New York and these people have seen plenty of weird stuff.

Keeping Kosher

As most of you may know, my internship this year is at a medical center. A Jewish medical center to be exact. These days East Flatbush, Brooklyn is certainly not a Jewish neighborhood anymore, but the Jewish origins of the hospital can still be felt. There is a Rabbi's office, and kosher options in the cafeteria. My favorite though, is a kosher vending machine I just noticed a few days ago. Upon noticing it, I immediately became fascinated by this vending machine that was like no vending machine I've ever seen. (And I've been to Japan!)

What makes this vending machine special is not just the fact that it's kosher, it's the selection! What do you do when you're craving potato knishes? The kosher vending machine! Cheese pizza? Kosher vending machine! Onion rings? Kosher vending machine!

Ok, you're probably getting the idea. But I mean, the food is not only kosher, but completely junk food! I mean, what would you really expect from a vending machine, but it just seems extra special gross that the food will somehow be heated up by the machine before it's dispensed into your waiting hands. I just really like imagining though that there's some kind of system that will dispense and microwave your food for you. Food that's been sitting for who knows how long in a vending machine.

So yeah, anyone wanna split some onion rings or mozerella sticks? I hear it's kosher!

Picking up Strays

First of all, I promised I tried to update again from time to time now that I've left you all for the city that never sleeps. So, I'm doing my best. See, look! I'm posting!

Wandering around my neighborhood I often see things left on the curb calling out 'Hey! Take me home with you! I'm free.... and you're a starving grad student... you know you want to.' These things range from clothes, to books, to furniture, and even mini-Christmas trees. Generally, though, I resist the temptation. Anyone who helped me move knows that I already have plenty of material possessions to fill my apartment so there's really no need to add to the clutter. This past Sunday, I finally gave in. On my way to go meet friends for dinner (and eat AMAZING asparagus tempura sushi) I noticed this sad little wooden blue chair with a woven seat. I know the description doesn't sound impressive, but I said to myself 'If that's still there on my way home, I'm picking it up.'

So an hour or two later, filled with sushi and sake I make sure to take the same street home, and there it is. My little stray blue chair. I veer over to it's side of the sidewalk and snatch it up without even slowing my pace. It may have looked strange to the guy passing by on his bicycle, but in New York City you don't have to worry too much about looking strange. I got my new pet safely up to the fourth floor, and here it is sitting proudly in my room:


Ok, yeah I see that the seat is kinda busted. But! I have a plan. Just picture a new seat woven out of neckties. Yeah, you like that, huh? I really think it will look great when I get done with it, and then you'll all want to come visit if only to see the finished chair. Plus, stray furniture is easier to care for than stray pets and it can give me a creative outlet. I'll just have to start putting my other stuff on the curb to make room for my finds :-)

P.S. Nicole- I finished putting the mirror in the window frame. yay!

Wear Old Clothes and Bring a Towel

I'm thoroughly convinced that the most exciting things happen without planning. Last Friday afternoon I wasn't sure what I was going to do to celebrate the start of the weekend. Then right before the end of my work day I get a wonderful call from Nicole. "My friend Peter is planning something. He said to wear old clothes and you should probably bring a towel. Do you wanna come?" Of course I wanted to come. What was going to happen exactly was a secret, but fun was promised. I met up with Nicole and we drove to a house in Cary. We were met by the organizers who said that something exciting was going to happen once more people arrived. We waited anxiously as more cars showed up, and then a drum starting beating in the distance. Peter and his friends came from behind the building ready to anoint our faces with war paint. Here's what Nicole, Sandra, and I looked like post war paint ceremony:


Then it was time to follow the guys down to 'the site'. We got in the car and parked at a library surrounded by new development. Wtf? We crossed the street and walked over to a hill to discover what the guys had been planning for the evening. On the hill was the longest strip of plastic I've ever seen with a kiddie pool at the bottom filled with water, flour, and krispy kream donuts. The plastic was greased down with cooking oil to aid the adult slip and slide and we were provided garbage bags to protect us, somewhat. They had dubbed the event 'sleuging'. The hill was incredibly muddy from the rain that day, and the slip and slide didn't actually work particularly well, but Nicole and I discovered that rolling worked just fine :-) Also, at one point a donut fight ensued. Basically, it was a night of muddy muddy chaos and fun. Here's some after shots:




So the moral of the story is, if some one calls you and invites you to a secret event that requires wearing old clothes, you should probably do it.

Because my parents made me...

...I'm finally posting pictures from Yosemite.

The guide book said this is one of the most photogenic points in the park.



I'm bonding with the Sequoias.



Raven!



Sunset!



My awesome rental bike.



Biking through the meadow.



My Bro.



Across the valley from Half Dome.

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Japan!

Finally the video is complete!

You can see Justin's version of events here. You probably shouldn't listen to him though.

It's like being Justin Timberlake and Brittany Spears!

I first arrived in Japan, and headed to Kyoto with Justin as my guide. We started out our first full day with sightseeing at the Nijo castle. Everything was going along normally. We viewed the castle among throngs of school children and then headed out to see the surrounding gardens. Then we were approached by a group of school children asking 'Shall we take a photo with you?' Which, we did, and then they asked for our signatures.

Then we went on to see the Golden Pavilion. Again it was crowded with school children. Everything was going along normally, when two girls approached me with some kind of assignment they had to ask some one some questions in english and get a signature. So I answered their questions, and then the rest of their classmates realized that some native english speakers had been found and came over to get our signatures as well. We were signing papers left and right! Since the Japanese don't have signatures, apparently having one is really cool. Eventually we were able to get away from the group, after taking the obligatory group photo. Our sightseeing continued on to the Silver Pavilion. They Silver Pavilion was less crowded, so we had a little breathing room. We wandered around the gardens, and down a path to a little shrine. It was a dead end, so we turned to make our way to the main path but our way was blocked by a group of school children holding a camera. 'Shall we take a photo with you?' 'Sure!'. This was the last with our brush with Japanese fame, but we got a photo of our own this time!