You know you're not in Seattle when ...

There are many things New York has to offer over Seattle, however good coffee is not one of them! For the month I have been here, I have been desperately trying to find good coffee. I find myself settling for Starbucks the majority of the time since I at least know what it is generally going to taste like. When I see new coffee shops that look promising I get excited, but usually end up dissappointed. However, my experience today tops all others...

On my lunch break at my internship which is on the upper East Side, I came across a cafe I had not seen before. It was part of Food Emporium which is a trendy grocery store, like a super chic Whole Foods. It had big glass windows, modern looking tables and chairs in a sitting area, and a very shiny, fancy looking triple automatic espresso machine. Maybe it was just because it was so shiny, but I thought to myself, "this places looks very promising for high quality coffee." Once inside I realize they serve "Illy" coffee ... which is ok ... and see that on their menu they list "Mocha - dark chocolate" ... which sounds delicious. Here is how the rest of my experience went:

Me: "I'll have a 12oz soy mocha"

Barista: "A mocha?" blank expression

Me: "Yes, I'd like a soy mocha please."

Barista: confused expression "You want a ...mocha?"

*You'd think I was speaking in code or something!*

Me: "Yes, with soy milk."

Barista: "So do you want a cappuccino... or coffee... in it?"

Me: trying to remain pleasant and not sound aghast "Yes, I want coffee with chocolate sauce in it."

Barista: still very confused "Coffee...?"

Me: "Yes, coffee with chocolate, a 'mocha' with soy milk"

Barista: "Mocha is a flavor, what is it you want?"

Me: trying to think of some other way to explain it "Ok, I want a latte, with chocolate flavor - mocha flavor, and soy milk."

Barista: finally showing some sign of understanding "Oh, a latte with mocha"

Me: "... And soy milk"

Barista: "What size?"

Me: calmly and slowly "A 12oz latte with mocha and soy milk"

I’m standing there watching her make it, she reaches under the counter and holds up a carton of Silk Soy Milk…

Barista: “This is what you want?”

I tell her yes, pay for the drink, and sit down to drink what I’m praying is decent coffee. Luckily it was as good as any coffee I’ve had here, which just means it wasn’t bad. I sit there finishing my cup of coffee stunned at the fact that a “soy mocha” could cause such confusion at café!

Zoka Pics!

See end of previous blog for explanation...

2 Jobs and an Internship!

I knew this blog thing was going to be hard to keep up with … thank you to my devoted readers (if there are any) and thanks to all who have left me comments, its nice to know someone else besides my mother is reading this!

Anyway, I have been meaning to update my current employment situation. I found myself with a very full schedule all of a sudden, which is part of my excuse for the late entry, but has truly eaten up the hours of free time I was enjoying while unemployed.

When moving here Mike and I had budgeted that I needed to start bringing in income by December and most likely with just a part-time job. This would allow me to spend time pursuing acting - what I’m really here for. For the first few weeks I was here I browsed craigslist casually, being very specific in my searches. My main goal was to find another “glassybaby job”, meaning that it would be a work environment that would allow me to go on daytime auditions when needed, etc. (ps: glassybaby folk - I miss you!) From my searches I came upon a few interesting jobs and sent in my resume. Around the same time that I started hearing back from the prospective jobs, my friend and former teacher from UW, Jeffery connected me with his talent agency over here. He suggested that I apply to be an intern a few days a week to have the chance to learn first-hand about the acting world over here as well as make some great connections.

I went on a few interviews for jobs and also interviewed at the agency … within two days of each other I was offered the internship and two of the jobs! The internship, while unpaid and only for a few months wanted me to commit to three full days per week. One of the jobs I was offered is for a high-end babysitting agency that is contracted in to all the upscale hotels in Manhattan. They pay very well for babysitting and their clients are all high-end guests looking for sitters to take their kids to the museums, zoo, etc. while they go out on the town. I accepted this job right away since it is based on when I’m available to work. I tell them my availability on a weekly basis and they book me for jobs only in those times. This will be a great job to do around all my acting commitments.

The other job was an assistant to a textile company in mid-town. I was really drawn to this job because of the similarities it has to glassybaby. It’s a small company with only a few employees, all of whom seemed really great. They seemed willing and understanding of my need for a flexible schedule, however they were also hoping for at least three full days a week and I knew I shouldn’t pass up the internship since it was directly related to acting.

I finally made the decision to take the internship and let the textile company know I was very interested in them as well, but could only give them two days a week until after the holidays. Amazingly… everything worked out! The textile company offered me the job at two days a week with the possibility for full time when I finish the internship!

So I am at the end of my first full week of all my jobs and second week of the internship. Although both Mike and I are very tired, we both know we are working hard towards our goals. Speaking of being tired, I should really get to bed and this blog is long enough for now. I will go into more details about how the jobs are going shortly, I promise! In the meantime, enjoy some pictures of the one in our family who gets plenty of sleep … Zoka!

Sorry for the delay ... I went on a Broadway Marathon!

Well, for those of you who are keeping up with my blog, you will have noticed I have not been so good about keeping it up to date. I had hoped to write more in the past week but life has started to move very fast for me over here and on top of all that, my mom was here visiting for a week. I will go into all the details of what is happening in my professional life over here soon, but first I want to share the adventures my mom and I had.

My Mom was in town for a week and left last Wednesday. In the six days that she was here we saw FIVE Broadway shows!!! Yes, we literally had a Broadway Musical Marathon the past week and never spent more than $30 a ticket. Here’s what we saw…. Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, The Drowsy Chaperone, Spring Awakening, and Les Miz (with Lea Salonga and I got her autography afterward!) It is quite exhausting, but very possible to run around 2.5-1.5 hours before curtain and find great deals on tickets. Every theatre has their own policies and so I printed out a sheet with all the details and we literally ran from theatre to theatre to find which ones still had the discount ones available. The first night was the craziest since we got caught in a downpour … and we were very unprepared. We ended up going to Payless and buying boots and dry socks so that we weren’t completely miserable at the show. After that night the weather calmed down and we made sure to check the weather report before heading out.

For my birthday last Sunday we got up early to stand in line for Spring Awakening tickets, then went shopping in mid-town with my birthday money! After hours of shopping we went to dinner at Sardi’s (thanks to Jane & Mark L. for the gift certificate) and then went to Spring Awakening. Sadly, two of the leads were understudies … they were both good but hopefully I’ll get a chance to see it again with the original leads. Needless to say, it was quite a fun way to spend my first birthday in NYC!

I promise to post again asap to update on my intership and 2 new jobs that start this week!

Updates and My IKEA Adventure!

Well, it feels like it has been a while since my last blog … the reason for my delayed next entry has to do with a few factors. First off, we did not have internet for a few days due to the fact that we aren’t actually “paying” for it. Yes, we were “borrowing” someone else’s wireless connection until one day it was gone, either they moved away or switched their network name and then password protected it. So, Mike had the brilliant idea to leave a note for our upstairs neighbor (we had met in the hall once previously) asking if she would like to share internet and the cost with us. It turns out; she was already sharing with the girl next door to her and offered for us to share as well, and said we could just give her $10 per month. So we now have ‘legitimate’, reliable internet for only $10 per month! (and people say things are way more expensive in NYC, ha!)

The second reason for the delay is due to time just flying by! Its very strange how when I don’t have any commitments I still find myself filling up the day and still not getting everything done. The apartment is almost done … and will be by Wednesday night when my mom flies in for a week-long visit. I’ve finished the painting and just have a bit more organizing to do. It will also help when my mom arrives with some of the hangers I left behind in Seattle (yes I still need more!) I will fill in more about the last few days in my next entry…

But for now, I’m going to share Mike’s and my big Ikea adventure! I really needed to go to Ikea to get some organizing boxes and gadgets for the apartment, as well as lights to install in our closets. The two Ikeas near us are either in Hicksville, Long Island or Elizabeth, NJ, near Newark airport. Hicksville Ikea would have required a subway ride to a 50-minute train ride, then a half-mile walk. Newark Ikea was a subway, to a 10-min train ride, to a bus/taxi right to the Ikea parking lot. So we opted for Newark with only one flaw in the plan … well maybe two … I had been trying to look up the NJ bus schedules from Penn Station to Ikea but every time I went on the site was down. For some reason that got into my head to mean “there are no busses from Penn station to Ikea,” so I decided we would have to take a taxi. This meant that by the time we got to Penn station I didn’t first look for the bus routes, I went straight to the curb and hailed a taxi. (And in case you were wondering, the first one I stopped agreed to take us). Mike and I sat painfully watching the taxi meter go up and up as we drove the 15 minutes to Ikea. We end up paying $27 for the ride and are were not too optimistic about the ride home. Not only did we not want to have to pay that much for another taxi back to Penn station, but Ikea is not in an area where taxis even drive by unless dropping someone off.

We have a pleasant shopping experience, dine at the Ikea café, and find quite a few things we are in need of. It is finally time to head home. We purchase two large Ikea bags to carry everything in and ask the cashier if she knows how we can call a taxi. She directs us to a payphone with transportation info posted on the wall. TA-DA! Posted next to taxi phone numbers are the bus schedules!!! We figure out which bus we need, walk out to the road and wait only 15 minutes until the bus arrives. Total cost for both of us on the bus: $4.30! MUCH cheaper than the taxi! Of course, the bus takes much longer and the route includes driving through the airport, so being that it was Friday rush hour by then, the bus got really crowded. We finally arrive home (a total of 6 hours later) and reflect on our adventure. Now, I have to let you know that Ikea offers a FREE shuttle from NY Penn Station to Ikea and back on Saturdays and Sundays. However, I read a bunch of reviews on yelp.com that warned very strongly to not go to Ikea on the weekends. After reading many people’s bad experiences I thought it would be smarter to avoid the crowds by taking our own transportation, Mike has decided though that if we ever have to go to Ikea again, we will use the free shuttle and just deal with the crowds.
Everyday I learn something new and everyday I figure out better and more efficient ways to use the subway system. Usually these learning experiences come from messing up, (getting on the wrong train, getting on an express instead of a local, not realizing two separate subway trains use the same colored line on the map, etc). But, its all been fun and I love the excitement of it all. The weather continues to be hot and humid, I continue to walk at least 3-4miles per day, Zoka continues to LOVE going for walks to the park, and Mike continues to study.

The Quest for Hangers ... why must everything be so much more difficult over here?

Hangers. Used by everyone I know to hang up their clothes in a closet. This being said, you would think that buying hangers would be relatively simple and they should be available for purchase at numerous stores. This is NOT the case in NY, at least not with my luck ;).

Due to a shortage of space in my luggage, I opted to leave behind most of my hangers assuming it would just be easier to buy new ones once I was in NYC. I begin by searching the street filled with dollar and discount stores near Park Slope, just two blocks down the street. Although supplied with many other random household items, I could not find a single hanger for sale. I next try the few drug stores in the area including a decent-sized Rite Aid, but alas, no hangers. I decide that I need to try guaranteed hanger-selling stores and do a google search to find all large store chains near me. I find a Target only two subway stops away decide that is where I must go because I KNOW Target sells hangers.

When I get to the Target I am already feeling hopeful. Not only did I just find a huge Target, but it is part of a giant complex of shops including, Old Navy, Victoria's Secret, Marshalls, Bath and Body Works, etc. Well, after wandering Target for what felt like forever, I realized I was destined to never find hangers to buy. All sections of the store were incredibly picked over leaving not much of a selection of anything. As for hangers, the only kind available was the kid-sized ones that are about half the size of regular ones. I left Target feeling defeated but also laughing to myself at the absurdity of my hunt for hangers.

I find that there is a Bed, Bath, and Beyond in Mid-town Manhattan and decide they MUST have hangers. But, just to be sure I call ahead and ask them ... the saleswoman on the phone acted like I was ridiculous but assured me they had hangers currently in-stock! So off to Manhattan I went.... I had a few other household items I needed and found BBandB to have many of them. As for hangers, they had an entire wall shining with all kinds of hangers! Although the cheapest ones available in bulk were not the standard cheap plastic ones but "heavy duty", I decided this was the best I was going to be able to find. I also bought us a new lidded trash can for the kitchen, wash cloths, bath mat, and food storage containers.

I share my shopping list with you all to let you know how much stuff I must now carry back to the subway and back to Park Slope. Between the trash container and my large purse I was able to compact everything so I could just carry the large trash can. New York weather decided we needed a few more days of hot and humid which made it a bit more difficult to carry the can the 4 blocks to the subway. As luck would have it, the subway car's air conditioner was broken and made the ride back to Brooklyn quite miserable. I was happy to get off the subway and begin my half-mile walk back to our apartment. Luckily, there was a nice breeze blowing by then and the buildings along 7th Ave provided me a walk in the shade. I arrived home hot, sweaty, and tired but happy that I had finally ended my quest!

Taxi Rejection :(

Mike and I decided we wanted to buy a little table for our kitchen area and so we began browsing craigslist for small tables that would fit in our little dining area. After a few days we came across one that was perfect, four chairs, drop leaf, sturdy wood, it was exactly what we were looking for. We took the bus to Prospect Heights and bought the table and chairs with no fuss.

Our original plan was to take the table and chairs back by bus, since the craigslist ad only showed two chairs in the picture, not four. After purchasing and carrying everything down the stairs to the street we realized there was no possibility of carrying four unstackable chairs and a table between two people. So Mike called the taxi service we had used previously and requested a taxi van be sent to pick us up. The operator on the other end checked if they had vans and then said one would be by in no time at all. After about 15 minutes we began to worry and so Mike called again, they said it would be 10-15 min. I began to get restless and feel like we were wasting time when there was a main street of Brooklyn just two blocks away that had numerous taxis and taxi vans driving by. So I began my walk out to Flatbush Ave to hail a taxi van, have it drive to pick up Mike and the table and chairs, and then drive us home to Park Slope.

Being my first time to ever hail a taxi I was a bit unsure of the procedure but figured I'd seen it done in enough movies and in Sex and the City so it shouldn't be too hard. I spot the first taxi van, wave my arm at it, and it pulls up next to me. I'm thinking, "that was easy!" The driver asks where I'm going and I say South Park Slope, he replies, "No, I'm not going that direction." What he meant was he was driving into downtown Brooklyn whereas Park Slope is in the opposite direction. So I wave at the next taxi van, it pulls over, asks where I'm going and the driver doesn't say anything. I assume this means he'll take me but when I go to open the door its locked. I look at the driver and he goes, "Nah, not going that way." A regular taxi cab sees this rejection and stops to ask where I'm going. I tell him Park Slope but that I have a table and four chairs as well. He says his trunk has junk in it so we won't fit. I'm starting to get really discouraged, especially since the original taxi service we called still has not arrived! One more try with a taxi van driving by ... he seems to be ok going to Park Slope but then when I say we need to go down a few blocks first and pick up my husband and the table he decides he deosn't want to do that. So I've now been rejected four times!

I realize that I've been hailing taxis driving towards downtown, so I should try going to the other side of the street and get one already going south, toward Park Slope. I begin walking on the other side of the street but notice that I haven't seen a single open taxi, let alone a taxi van. I continue walking towards downtown hoping that the closer I get, the more taxis there will be. Mike during all this was still waiting on the side of the street with the table and chairs. I'm now about a half mile away from Mike when he calls to say the original taxi service we called just called his phone to say they are 3 blocks away. SO... I RUN back the half mile, in flip-flops, only to get there and there is still no sign of the van!!! At least the original taxi finally did arrive within 5 minutes and drove Mike, the table, the four chairs, and myself home to Park Slope.