NYC Through the Eyes of a Recent Transplant - Part I
(repost from MySpace...mostly for Tina's benefit)
I have been jotting down general ideas for blogs about NYC. My list is getting long, so I realized I'd better get to writing.
Umbrellas. New Yorkers have to walk a lot. I mean A LOT. What does that have to do with umbrellas? Unless you carry an umbrella with you every single day (NYC meteorologists are no more accurate than other places'), on any random day you may end up purchasing yet another umbrella (ella, ella). They're sold everywhere and appear out of nowhere at local kiosks the moment a gray cloud appears. I think we have 5 umbrellas. So far.
Fat feet. Because New Yorkers walk so much and because there is so much concrete (and so many uneven sidewalks), comfortable shoes are a necessity. Also, you never know when a blackout (or other train-stopping situation) might occur, causing you to need to walk even farther. I have had shin splints, blisters, sore muscles, you name it. And my formerly comfy shoes no longer qualify as such. I have tons of shoes, but many are now for wear only upon reaching my destination. Flip flops are ubiquitous, which surprised me, as they don't offer arch support. So far I've only destroyed one pair of shoes since moving here. I think my feet have gotten fatter - compensating for the amount of walking they have to do. Which means? Time to go shoe shopping!! (Brandon just shuddered in the next room but has no idea why.)
Literacy. New Yorkers read all the time. On the subways, at cafes, on park benches, everywhere. There are always people reading newspapers, books, magazines, etc. At first, it surprised me to see so many readers. I wonder if they have visited Slimer in an attempt to find additional reading material, as I fully intend to do.
Pie. Pie means pizza, but refers to a whole pizza. If you say pizza, you mean a slice. If you want a whole pizza, you ask for a pie. I just can't do that. I expect pie to be a tasty dessert, potentially topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Oh, and you order your pizza or pie "to stay" or "to go". Ordering food "for here" will just earn you confused looks. Or so I hear.
Upcoming topics (per my messy notes):
- not looking up
- designated drivers
- something I can't quite make out about...pockets?
- natives vs. foreigners vs. tourists
- grocery stores vs. pharmacies
- apartments vs. houses
- air conditioning: central air vs. fans vs. window unit (heh. unit.)
