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Ice skating rink at Bryant Park.
As the FedEx delivery person just reminded me, Christmas is a little over a week away. And scarier still, 2010 is just two weeks away. I’m temping this week at the very important film studio and ducking potential confrontation with very important film producers. These people are serious about their movies. My desk is next to a TV that plays the same 16 minutes of movie trailers over and over and over with the sound off. Well, anyway, last week I happened to walk by the Bryant Park ice skating rink one my way back from the library. It was packed, but everyone seemed to be having a great time and people were giving away chocolates.
Empire State Building lit for Hanukkah, seen from the Bryant Park ice skating rink.
This past Saturday a couple of college friends were visiting town and we met up in SoHo where it seemed like everyone was panicking over last minute holiday shopping. We also visited Chinatown where there was a surplus pashmina store where people were frantically rifling through and ripping open packages of brightly colored silk scarves in the narrowest rows possible. That evening, there was a volunteer party at the Dumbo Arts Center that I stopped by and saw some people I hadn’t seen for a while and had a couple of drinks, and then headed to Park Slope for Patty’s classy holiday celebration. Check out her blog for some great pictures of her charming tree, which includes a wooden hand grasping the top and strings of cranberries and popcorn. I had eggnog and cookies decorated with sprinkles, so I guess Christmas is officially here.
Bull and Bear Market.
On Sunday, I volunteered at the Bull and Bear Market at the Invisible Dog in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. I have been doing some public relations help for the organizers, Recession Art, and although the day was very rainy and cut down on our crowds, it went really well and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. As you can see in the picture, it was in a huge industrial loft space and was decorated with lights and a Christmas tree made from belts. There was also music on ukuleles and keyboards, gingerbread shantytown building, an abundance of sweets, and wine. At the end, our mascots Bull and Bear destroyed a pinata full of candy.
Dinosaurs in a shop window, for some reason. I like the one with the cowboy hat.
I made a decision this week to extend my stay in Oklahoma from December 29 to January 3, so that I could spend some more time with family and friends out West and see the Flaming Lips New Year’s Eve concert. Or, as it’s officially called, the Flaming Lips New Year’s Eve FREAKOUT, which promises balloons, crazy Okie fans, and a cover of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. So I’m pretty excited. Better start learning the words to those new Embryonic songs now.
Christmas trees at Macy's.
I spent three days this week temping at a marketing company, where I just had to answer the phone and open the door for people, maybe sign for a couple of packages. Oh, and I solved the crisis of the milk shortage by ordering more, but that was the extent of my troubles. Next week I’m going back to the very important film studio, where I hope to avoid the wrath of any very important film executives. And then on December 21 I’m flying to Oklahoma City, on a very early 6 am flight. I might just have to not sleep that night and get a car at an obscene hour.
Christmas tree at Macy's and the Empire State Building.
I happened to go by Macy’s on my way to an interview and saw their window displays. One has creepy puppets acting out the Miracle on 34th Street film, the version from hell where everyone has looks of horror and despair permanently slapped across their faces and their arms hang stiffly far below their knees. Apparently these are up every year, so maybe this was the height of puppetry when they were first built. Because they were nothing compared to the high tech animatronics that were in the other windows in a nightmare that was a mix of Disneyworld and a casino. There was some sort of “Write Letters to Santa” station that at first glance looked like a slot machine and then windows with a vortex of swirling letters accompanied by an ominous Santa voice, cackling elves, and clanking mail sorting machines, all in colors out of an LSD trip.
Entrance to Green-Wood Cemetery.
On Thursday, Elizabeth came to see my new apartment and we sampled some of the Mexican food in the area. It wasn’t exactly vegetarian friendly, but I did have a papaya smoothie that was delicious. Yes, I realize that it’s freezing outside and even now my fingers are cold, but I refuse to give up my smoothies. We walked a little around my neighborhood and stepped into the Green-Wood Cemetery, which has the gorgeous entrance in the picture above. I feel like there should be a good name for the area I’m living in with its proximity to the cemetery and all the funeral parlors. The District of Death? Tomb Town? I don’t know, I’ll need help on this. And I think that any names I think of would drive developers away.
Borough Hall in Brookln, ready for the holidays.
Yesterday I had a promising job interview and training for next week’s temp job. I recently finished reading one of the best books I’ve read in a long time: A Death in the Family by James Agee. It barely had any plot, but the writing was perfect, more like a long poem than a novel. I could open it up to any page and get absorbed in the imagery. Apparently it was published posthumously and went on to win the Pulitzer. Right now I’m reading On Beauty by Zadie Smith, which is an easy subway book. Although I’m really enjoying it and find it very entertaining, it seems like the same characters from White Teeth.
Today I went for a run around the Green-Wood Cemetery, although this time I didn’t try to make it around the entire perimeter. While running back down the hill to my apartment, the Statue of Liberty comes into view just above a smokestack before disappearing into the smoke. Four months into living in New York and I’m still mesmerized by the way the city hides and then suddenly reveals its icons.
My new bedroom in my new apartment.
I just spent the day temping at a marketing place that represents brands and people. Right next to my desk, there was a TV that played the same five Lady Gaga music videos in a continuous loop. I’m listening to all the catchy music in my iTunes library in the hopes that I don’t have to fall asleep with a mash up of all five spinning in my head. I’m going back to the same position tomorrow. I hope I get to hear a new artist.
Anyway, I’m sure you want to know about the new apartment in south Brooklyn. I’m really liking it so far, and have started to adjust from the hip Williamsburg to more family-oriented Park Slope. Above, you can see my new bedroom with its wood floors, exposed bricks, and white moldings on the walls. Sorry for the clutter, I’m still finding a place for everything.
Other side of my new bedroom.
And above is the other side of my bedroom. There’s also an alcove to the right where the door is, so I actually have a lot of space. I got the wardrobe for free when the girl who was moving out couldn’t fit it down the stairs. So far, I haven’t had to buy any furniture in New York. It’s kind of awesome. Now if only some warm clothing could come about in that way, although I wouldn’t trust picking up any fabrics from the streets for fear of bedbugs.
My neighbor, the dog.
There’s a cute dog that lives below my window and I haven’t heard him bark once. It’s mostly pretty quiet here, and the only noises are other tenants walking up the stairs and occasionally I feel the floor tremble as a subway train goes beneath us.
My neighbors, the cats.
There is also a group of cats that lives on the roof across from my window. I thought it was nice of them to all pose for this picture.
View from my window.
I can also see a church from my window. I found that there is a church with almost the exact same steeple as I was running around Green-Wood Cemetery. I was running the exterior of the cemetery, outside of the gates, and underestimated how big it was and how many turns I would take before I made it back. I saw a green steeple like this at one point and was getting my hopes up about almost being back, when I saw that the street signs still kept me many blocks away. Apparently, Green-Wood is 478 acres, so no wonder it seemed to go on forever. I’ll be doing some exploring in it soon, too.
Kitchen in my new apartment.
The kitchen in the apartment is a pretty big size by New York City standards. I got a ton of my old kitchen things from my mom and brother over Thanksgiving, and it was fun to unpack them again. In my last apartment, I really only had a coffee cup to my name. Being that I’m in the South Park Slope/North Sunset Park area, I have a lot of grocery store options, including some Mexican and Vietnamese places. This is an improvement from the gourmet-only stores in Williamsburg.
Our spartan living room.
We’re a little short on decorations in the apartment right now, so I might pick up some things while in Oklahoma City for Christmas. This is our living room, and the sliding doors go to my roommate’s room. There’s a hallway between the living room and my room and the kitchen where there is the bathroom, which is almost as big as my bedroom. It’s very nice to have so much space, but even better is having privacy. I feel like in New York, you’re with huge masses of people all the time, that it’s important to be able to come home and have some solitude.
View of Manhattan from our roof.
Maybe the best part is the view from the roof, where you can see all of Manhattan. It’s even better at night.
This evening, I went to see Patty’s dad speak at the library about his book Dissection: Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880-1930. Ah, to have a book on Amazon. Someday, maybe. Anyway, it was really interesting look at how medical students would take portraits done with the cadavers they were dissecting. It was fascinating to see men with bowler hats cradling flayed flesh in bare hands, or posing playfully with cigarettes jammed in the warped cadaver lips. Afterward, we ate at an Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village where I had penne with zucchini, walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese.
I’m going to sleep early to prepare for more temping. Well, early by my standards.
