Turns out a lot of things are free on the weekend!
Anastasia, Jamie, and I (Tomas was working in his architectural firm) went exploring. The botanical gardens had free entry, so we went and looked at koi, trees, grass, more trees, and roses. Plus trees. So pretty. I love parks, and we all talked about Theta Pond and things around campus at OSU. My new friends are from Oklahoma, too, so that was pretty nice. I was suffering a bad case of homesickness and that conversation really helped me get over it.
We also went to the Farmer's Market near the library, and what a library. Practically a pantheon of a building. So the Farmer's Market was pretty fun, but I wasn't sure how fresh some of the food would be if I dragged it around all day and brought it home on the train. I didn't buy anything.
I did buy myself brunch at Tom's Restaurant--yes, the one of 'I am sitting in a corner' song fame--and I highly recommend it. Mostly I'm a fan of the lime butter on top of the mango pancakes.
We window-shopped and ducked in and out of this massive garage-sale and looked at vintage furniture and went into random shops. I found these adorable cards to send to a pair of lucky people on their birthdays. I will post them on the blog once I've given them away, so as not to spoil the surprise.
There was an ethnic supermarket as well. I liked how they had a huge variety of olives and toothpicks available to sample each olive type. Some of the olives were revolting, while others were delicious.
We ate blueberry frozen yoghurt at a place called the YogoMonster. Good yoghurt, really strong flavor.
After that we watched a silly action movie at the apartment, and then I went home.
Monday, September 22, 2008
First Foray into the City
(Just to clarify, I've actually been to the city several times since I first wrote this post, but here is my first experience there.)
Every time I asked someone where to go in New York, the only answer I got was "Blah blah blah museums stuff stuff...and stay out of Brooklyn!"
Uh. Well. I spent the night there.
Yes. In Brooklyn.
It was the weekend. I'm here at Skidmore on Sunday. I survived!
I was dropped off at the train station, where I bought tickets for the train--and really, I just stopped to ask a lady if I was on the right train, and actually I was! Hurray.
I had to rush--MoMa closed at eight, I got off of work at 5:30 pm. It took me two hours to get from Long Island to the museum, no joke. I didn't even have time to go home and freshen up a bit before going back out. I just ran, then caught some naps on the train. I got off at Penn Station and it was like jumping into a pool of sound.
To me, on first impression, the subway stations are magical. Tons of people pouring out like water. Pockets of music drifting around...Delicious smell of hot dogs...I refrained, but barely, because I had no idea if my friends were going for dinner.
After that, I was too nervous about the subways, so after quite a few nice people noticed me being lost on the streets (I must look oblivious naturally because I wasn't even consulting a map) I caved and grabbed a taxi.
Ten minutes later and ten dollars lighter (yikes) I found the MoMa, which was completely overrun by all different kinds of people who were taking advantage of free-entrance Friday. Now, I get free admission to MoMa, and I can bring one friend in for five bucks. It was still free Friday, so that didn't matter. It's cool that it's there though; I plan to take advantage of covered museum entry later.
I met my friend Anastasia there, and it was the very first time I'd ever met her in my life. I also met her sister Jamie and her boyfriend Tomas.
We walked around the Pre-Fab exhibit they had, and then were chased out at eight. I actually lost my ticket at one point and the people wouldn't let me in, even though entry was free? So one of the guards grabbed a ticket out of the garbage can and told me to go in, hahaha.
But then it was time for dinner, so after a few minutes of indecisiveness, I said that Cuban food sounded great, so off to (Cuban restaurant, forgot the name, will put it here when I remember) we went! I had smelly mussels that tasted wonderful and were only nine dollars. Oh, and a Pisco Sour, which is not a drink for everyone because it's made of egg whites and really strong brandy.
By that time, if I had gone home, I'd have arrived in the wee hours of the morning in search of a cabbie to take me there, so my friends let me stay in their apartment!
First we went to a club, though. Weird club; I forget the name of it. Some dumpy guy tried really hard to, ah, get to know me better, same ol' same ol.' Me and Jamie yelled at each other above everyone else about interior design while ignoring the guy. There were a lot of people and a few outlandish costumes here and there. The thing about New York is that whatever fits on your body is something you can wear, and nobody will single you out for having bad taste in fashion. I wasn't dressed up in the least, but I still felt cute.
After that we just wandered aimlessly, then crashed at Anastasia's apartment. Oh! She has an apartment that has a garden and lawn chairs on the roof of the building, so I got to see the skyline of the city! I don't care how cliche it seems: that skyline is gorgeous and golden and now it's forever in my heart.
Anastasia's cat is huge, gray, and named Java. I slept on an inflatable mattress that night. Inflatable mattresses always deflate whenever I sleep on them. Here's the funny part, though: Once I was nearly just sleeping on the ground because all the air was gone from under me, Java jumped on the mattress and the cat was heavy enough that I bounced upwards! How funny is that!
Every time I asked someone where to go in New York, the only answer I got was "Blah blah blah museums stuff stuff...and stay out of Brooklyn!"
Uh. Well. I spent the night there.
Yes. In Brooklyn.
It was the weekend. I'm here at Skidmore on Sunday. I survived!
I was dropped off at the train station, where I bought tickets for the train--and really, I just stopped to ask a lady if I was on the right train, and actually I was! Hurray.
I had to rush--MoMa closed at eight, I got off of work at 5:30 pm. It took me two hours to get from Long Island to the museum, no joke. I didn't even have time to go home and freshen up a bit before going back out. I just ran, then caught some naps on the train. I got off at Penn Station and it was like jumping into a pool of sound.
To me, on first impression, the subway stations are magical. Tons of people pouring out like water. Pockets of music drifting around...Delicious smell of hot dogs...I refrained, but barely, because I had no idea if my friends were going for dinner.
After that, I was too nervous about the subways, so after quite a few nice people noticed me being lost on the streets (I must look oblivious naturally because I wasn't even consulting a map) I caved and grabbed a taxi.
Ten minutes later and ten dollars lighter (yikes) I found the MoMa, which was completely overrun by all different kinds of people who were taking advantage of free-entrance Friday. Now, I get free admission to MoMa, and I can bring one friend in for five bucks. It was still free Friday, so that didn't matter. It's cool that it's there though; I plan to take advantage of covered museum entry later.
I met my friend Anastasia there, and it was the very first time I'd ever met her in my life. I also met her sister Jamie and her boyfriend Tomas.
We walked around the Pre-Fab exhibit they had, and then were chased out at eight. I actually lost my ticket at one point and the people wouldn't let me in, even though entry was free? So one of the guards grabbed a ticket out of the garbage can and told me to go in, hahaha.
But then it was time for dinner, so after a few minutes of indecisiveness, I said that Cuban food sounded great, so off to (Cuban restaurant, forgot the name, will put it here when I remember) we went! I had smelly mussels that tasted wonderful and were only nine dollars. Oh, and a Pisco Sour, which is not a drink for everyone because it's made of egg whites and really strong brandy.
By that time, if I had gone home, I'd have arrived in the wee hours of the morning in search of a cabbie to take me there, so my friends let me stay in their apartment!
First we went to a club, though. Weird club; I forget the name of it. Some dumpy guy tried really hard to, ah, get to know me better, same ol' same ol.' Me and Jamie yelled at each other above everyone else about interior design while ignoring the guy. There were a lot of people and a few outlandish costumes here and there. The thing about New York is that whatever fits on your body is something you can wear, and nobody will single you out for having bad taste in fashion. I wasn't dressed up in the least, but I still felt cute.
After that we just wandered aimlessly, then crashed at Anastasia's apartment. Oh! She has an apartment that has a garden and lawn chairs on the roof of the building, so I got to see the skyline of the city! I don't care how cliche it seems: that skyline is gorgeous and golden and now it's forever in my heart.
Anastasia's cat is huge, gray, and named Java. I slept on an inflatable mattress that night. Inflatable mattresses always deflate whenever I sleep on them. Here's the funny part, though: Once I was nearly just sleeping on the ground because all the air was gone from under me, Java jumped on the mattress and the cat was heavy enough that I bounced upwards! How funny is that!
Train vs. Subway
If you're not aware of this, the train is DIFFERENT from the subway, and both require different kinds of tickets. The train uses a one-way or round-trip pass that you can buy from a special machine at the train station. The same machine will ask you if you'd like a Metrocard as well. Buy a Metrocard; you can keep money on it to let you onto the subways later on.
The train. AKA Long Island Railroad (LIRR).
The train takes you from Babylon to Manhattan, which is the city. Babylon is a little town that's kinda smushed together with West Islip and Bayshore and all that. When you're going to the city itself by train, you're going to start in Babylon and end up at Penn Station. Coming back, you'll start at Penn Station and end up in Babylon.
Brooklyn's station is a little different, I can't remember the name, but if you're ever lost in New York City and need to get home, Babylon is where you want to end up. Sometimes you have to switch trains in Jamaica when going from Penn Station to Babylon.
These directions totally make sense once you're here!
Helpful website: http://lirr42.mta.info/index.asp
About Subways
The subway scoots you around the city and spits you out near museums an other stuff you might want to see in New York.
Get a Streetwise Metro Map to fold up into your wallet. It tells you all the different routes and stations. I'm leaving the one that Nick and Elaina gave me so that the next intern can grab it, but in case you lose that one, more are available at the local Barnes and Noble bookstore.
The Metro Maps have nice color-coded and labeled paths that each subway takes.
Pro Tip: Whatever direction the street is going where you enter the subway, the subway below is going in the same direction! So if you plan on heading east, make sure all the cars are going east before venturing below.
The train. AKA Long Island Railroad (LIRR).
The train takes you from Babylon to Manhattan, which is the city. Babylon is a little town that's kinda smushed together with West Islip and Bayshore and all that. When you're going to the city itself by train, you're going to start in Babylon and end up at Penn Station. Coming back, you'll start at Penn Station and end up in Babylon.
Brooklyn's station is a little different, I can't remember the name, but if you're ever lost in New York City and need to get home, Babylon is where you want to end up. Sometimes you have to switch trains in Jamaica when going from Penn Station to Babylon.
These directions totally make sense once you're here!
Helpful website: http://lirr42.mta.info/index.asp
About Subways
The subway scoots you around the city and spits you out near museums an other stuff you might want to see in New York.
Get a Streetwise Metro Map to fold up into your wallet. It tells you all the different routes and stations. I'm leaving the one that Nick and Elaina gave me so that the next intern can grab it, but in case you lose that one, more are available at the local Barnes and Noble bookstore.
The Metro Maps have nice color-coded and labeled paths that each subway takes.
Pro Tip: Whatever direction the street is going where you enter the subway, the subway below is going in the same direction! So if you plan on heading east, make sure all the cars are going east before venturing below.
Green Cactus Mexican Grill
It's not Pollos Mario, but consider it a step up from Qdoba. The hot sauce is actually hot, for instance.
I got three tiny two-dollar tacos that barely fit in my hand, but were stuffed to the brim with chicken. Kind of messy but tasty. They have a wider menu than that, so try something out that I didn't eat.
I got three tiny two-dollar tacos that barely fit in my hand, but were stuffed to the brim with chicken. Kind of messy but tasty. They have a wider menu than that, so try something out that I didn't eat.
Salvatore's Coal Oven Pizza
Often the ULAE orders food for everyone at lunchtime! Today we had this great pizza, thin-crust, topped with fresh ingredients and real mozzarella. So good!
If you're okay with possibly supporting the Italian Mafia, give this cash-only place a try.
If you're okay with possibly supporting the Italian Mafia, give this cash-only place a try.
Renting a Car in West Islip is Awkward
Long Version of Below Story:
Avis, Budget, and other such car companies won't let you rent a car for four months unless you put a down payment for the first month, which will easily top a thousand dollars.
My particular insurance covers me to rent a car even though I'm under 25, and if you don't have that, then there's an additional daily fee slapped onto the original fee. TURNS OUT that my credit card, which I solely acquired for renting a card, has a limit that is too low for the one-month fee.
And I can't bump up that limit until the card is six months old. Nobody told me this at the outset, so I'm writing it here. Not a complaint, but more of...a call for awareness, I guess? Like, I understand that protocols like that exist for a reason, but this is the kind of thing that nobody tells you about until it's too late to do anything about it.
Short Version of Above Story:
Rent a car in West Islip? It's a mucky, stupid, horrible mess. Don't do it.
If you MUST rent a car, don't do so at the airport. If you go to a rental car place around town, you can apparently get a better deal. What's fishy is that some of the folks at the rental car place in the airport actually recommended going to a rental place in town.
Whatever. I'm looking into shipping a car that I already own out here. I had to fly due to time constraints. Erff. Hopefully my dilemma will help out future interns, though.
Also! If you have problems getting to work, everyone's very okay with helping you get there. As soon as Marie knew about my predicament, she asked Noelle to give me a ride and it was very kind of both of them.
Avis, Budget, and other such car companies won't let you rent a car for four months unless you put a down payment for the first month, which will easily top a thousand dollars.
My particular insurance covers me to rent a car even though I'm under 25, and if you don't have that, then there's an additional daily fee slapped onto the original fee. TURNS OUT that my credit card, which I solely acquired for renting a card, has a limit that is too low for the one-month fee.
And I can't bump up that limit until the card is six months old. Nobody told me this at the outset, so I'm writing it here. Not a complaint, but more of...a call for awareness, I guess? Like, I understand that protocols like that exist for a reason, but this is the kind of thing that nobody tells you about until it's too late to do anything about it.
Short Version of Above Story:
Rent a car in West Islip? It's a mucky, stupid, horrible mess. Don't do it.
If you MUST rent a car, don't do so at the airport. If you go to a rental car place around town, you can apparently get a better deal. What's fishy is that some of the folks at the rental car place in the airport actually recommended going to a rental place in town.
Whatever. I'm looking into shipping a car that I already own out here. I had to fly due to time constraints. Erff. Hopefully my dilemma will help out future interns, though.
Also! If you have problems getting to work, everyone's very okay with helping you get there. As soon as Marie knew about my predicament, she asked Noelle to give me a ride and it was very kind of both of them.
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