(no subject)
It's been about a month since I got to NY. So here goes, my observations so far:
1) Men in NY are a lot better-looking than men in London. They certainly take better care of their bodies!
2) It hasn't been as easy making new friends as I'd thought. Making new friends is not something I can apply my usual Singaporean efficiency to, unfortunately. So if anyone has good friends in NY and you think we would get along, please send them my way. Thanks.
3) I have actually been far more content staying home in NY than I was in London. For a start, I've got a 42" plasma TV and cable. :) And they seem to have Law and Order and CSI marathons on TV very often.
4) There are a lot of good restaurants in NY, and I mean, a lot. My time in NY got off to a very good start when I went to Per Se my first weekend here. And that's not to mention hand-made soba at Sobaya, pancakes at Clinton Street Bakery, tapas at Boqueria, italian at Aurora...and that's only in my first month!
5) Oh now this is my biggest gripe. There is so much wastage in this country! We could go on about this in great length so let's restrict this to packaging here. Everytime you order takeout, it comes in about 2 million containers. And then your containers are placed in a brown paper bag which is in turn placed in a plastic bag. Even your plastic utensiles get a little brown paper bag of their own. It is ironic that the world is concerned that China is going to cause serious environmental damage as its consumption habits move towards those of th Western world (in particular the US). This morning, I witnessed 3 strips of crispy bacon being placed in an aluminium container of their own! It's crazy!
6) I have a guardian angel looking out for me in NY, methinks. In my apartment hunt, for someone with no credit history or social security number, it's nearly impossible to get an apartment in NY. I know an American lady who lived outside the US for the past 18 years who had to pay 18 months' rent upfront. In contrast, only had to pay 3 months' rent as deposit. This I attribute to Sandy Beck, who is the craziest NY real estate broker. He's about 100 years old and has been doing his job forever. He showed up at my lease signing in a suit complete with a panama hat. And he is a complete sweetheart. He not only helped persuade my landlord to take me but also to refinish the floors even though I'd signed the lease.
7) Americans are actually very much family-oriented, especially the highly educated ones in professional jobs. And I think companies actually value that too and view married men as being more stable and responsible. (At least mine seems to do)
that's it from me for now....until the next time
1) Men in NY are a lot better-looking than men in London. They certainly take better care of their bodies!
2) It hasn't been as easy making new friends as I'd thought. Making new friends is not something I can apply my usual Singaporean efficiency to, unfortunately. So if anyone has good friends in NY and you think we would get along, please send them my way. Thanks.
3) I have actually been far more content staying home in NY than I was in London. For a start, I've got a 42" plasma TV and cable. :) And they seem to have Law and Order and CSI marathons on TV very often.
4) There are a lot of good restaurants in NY, and I mean, a lot. My time in NY got off to a very good start when I went to Per Se my first weekend here. And that's not to mention hand-made soba at Sobaya, pancakes at Clinton Street Bakery, tapas at Boqueria, italian at Aurora...and that's only in my first month!
5) Oh now this is my biggest gripe. There is so much wastage in this country! We could go on about this in great length so let's restrict this to packaging here. Everytime you order takeout, it comes in about 2 million containers. And then your containers are placed in a brown paper bag which is in turn placed in a plastic bag. Even your plastic utensiles get a little brown paper bag of their own. It is ironic that the world is concerned that China is going to cause serious environmental damage as its consumption habits move towards those of th Western world (in particular the US). This morning, I witnessed 3 strips of crispy bacon being placed in an aluminium container of their own! It's crazy!
6) I have a guardian angel looking out for me in NY, methinks. In my apartment hunt, for someone with no credit history or social security number, it's nearly impossible to get an apartment in NY. I know an American lady who lived outside the US for the past 18 years who had to pay 18 months' rent upfront. In contrast, only had to pay 3 months' rent as deposit. This I attribute to Sandy Beck, who is the craziest NY real estate broker. He's about 100 years old and has been doing his job forever. He showed up at my lease signing in a suit complete with a panama hat. And he is a complete sweetheart. He not only helped persuade my landlord to take me but also to refinish the floors even though I'd signed the lease.
7) Americans are actually very much family-oriented, especially the highly educated ones in professional jobs. And I think companies actually value that too and view married men as being more stable and responsible. (At least mine seems to do)
that's it from me for now....until the next time