The city of 8000 stereotypes (and all of them true to the dot).
The New York Times recently published a series of haikus about the city in honour of National Poetry Month. They made me smile and they made me stop for a minute to revisit all the reasons why I chose to move to this city in the first place (Yes, it was for a job, but it was also for a dream I had for a long time).
Some of the haikus are a bit random, of course - 17 syllables are not easy, but overall, they are a delight. You can read them here.
Keeping with the theme, here are some more passionate New York tidbits:
Now that I managed to sappily fall in love with New York all over again, it's time to leave the laptop and go for a walk in Greenwich Village and continue this love affair.
And as much as I am aware that pretty much every day is a "something day" and who can fucking keep up with all of that, I believe Earth day SHOULD be acknowledged. Duh!
This planet is so big and the fact it exists is just such a "yeah, how could it not" concept we all take for granted.
But, at least this one day, let us all stop for a second and remember that this giant ball of iron, water and rocks, is our home. Even when we're standing completely still, we spin around and run through space at a speed no one of us can even begin to imagine.
First thing on the agenda for the day was coffee and pecan pie at Kensington Market, a lively and colorful Toronto neighbourhood that, among other things, possesses exceptionally good coffee and pecan pie.
Back on Bloor
As if good coffee and pecan pie were not enough to teleport me to my happy place, the weather was ridiculously springy and the company beyond delightful. And before we knew it, it was time for lunch. We opted for cheapo chinese, dumplings and fried rice. It was great.
N and I parted ways after lunch, so I explored Downtown on my own, additionally fuelled by Tim Hortons iced coffee. Totally ignoring Google Maps and Lonely Planet was worth it.
Trees growing out of houses. I can deal with that.
I really enjoyed wandering the streets of Tornto. The city has this energising vibe, but nothing too intense (as Gotham can be). Overall, it very much feels like if Berlin and New York had a lovechild and decided to raise it by a pretty lake. If it were a drink, it would probably be hot whiskey. If it were a song, it would be the opening track of Interpol's Antics.
SOTD: Interpol - Next Exit. Looping it while walking down Yonge.
Ok, you must think I am turning into an annoying gooey chipper overenthusiast. I feel the same way. But hey, it is really hard to keep it real when everything was so freaking good. And I am writing it while chewing on maple caramels. See, EVERYTHING is so freaking good. Fear not, half an hour of inhaling New York and I'll snap back to my slightly snarky self.
After a nice day, another highlight: concert night. A whole other level of awesome.
Cheers to that!
February is my birthday month and birthdays need to be celebrated. Pretty things in the form of gifts are the first to come to mind. Also, cakes.
This past year if my existence on Earth has been a pretty special one and the one I just started looks promising, too. Which calls for some spoil-myself-rotten action. Serious splurge, yes. But I deem it deserved, since I am a very very good girl.
5...
... 4...
... 3...
... 2...
... 1...
BAM!
Oh, Bayswater. I have been dreaming of thee for soooo long. Thou art a classic, but without the "old lady" feel. Thou art simple and elegant and perfect in every single way. And thou cost me an eye. But worth every single one of those many (many, many) pennies I left in the store.
I went for a classic no-nonsense black natural leather since I honestly plan to carry this bag A LOT and I didn't want it to become one of those outfit puzzle pieces so many statement bags or shoes, no matter how gorgeous, become. Those who know me also know that i love me some loud statement accessories and my new Bays is by no means loud. But it is preeeeeeeeeettyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
In a nutshell, life 's been a bit mad this past week. Basically, I could be found in exactly two locations. One being the lab, the other being my bed. Nothing in between. Crazy, but weirdly gratifying, since long hours in the lab mean tons of experiments done. Booohoohoooo.
SOTD: Alanis Morissette - Not the Doctor. Duh!
Of course, I might be embellishing a teeeeeeny tiny bit. Long hours in the lab might mean tons of experiments done, sure, but they not necessarily bring useful data. Often, shit does not work. But us postdocs love science, so we are willing to push it until our brains turn into something that resembles a jellyfish left on a sandy beach. Welcome to my life...
Running three projects at once. Ordinary business.
Of course, long hours in the lab ALSO mean that certain things, like for example those hardly relevant things such as housekeeping/ironing/groceries/life, are left sadly neglected.
Don't tell my mother! She'll kill me!
What is not neglected is my desk at work. Although most of the hours are spent at the bench or in cell culture, one must get caffeinated regularly. And one must scribble stuff in notebooks etc. Especially when one has a terrible, terrible short-term memory.
This one happened last Sunday while some westerns were washing.
Although I mostly traded daylight for lab glory, I had the chance to peek out the window before leaving the apartment each morning and make an informed decision about what to wear. Yes yes, I am gifted that way.
Last weekend was very generous in terms of weather. Fortunately, it kept behaving reasonably well throughout the week. And why would that be relevant, you may ask.
HERE's my answer: no snow = no salt = dry clean pavement = no need for sturdy saltproof snowproof boots. Enter, pretty shoes!
Pumps. Three days in a row. FINALLY! Top to bottom: Miss Sixty Stuart Weitzman Alice & Olivia
Now excuse me, but I have a nap to take.
Nighty night.
Jules
Bonus entry. Just because. Thank you endlessly, AM!
So. Two major things happened this past weekend. One was the lunar aka Chinese new year. On Friday, the water Snake left us and the wooden Horse began its gallop into the year 4712.
Chinatown. Colorful. Cheery. Confettied.
Supposedly, the year of the wooden Horse will be a fierce one, so watch out and be prepared to pick your battles.
Probably one of my favourite shots from Saturday.
I order to bid the Snake a proper farewell, I spent Saturday afternoon roaming Chinatown, drinking ginger tea and eating away my weight in red bean cakes and coconut custard tarts. It was fun and colorful...
... And a great intro in a dorky Saturday evening spent in the lab. Oh, lentiviral transfection, how I cherish thee!
On Sunday, I had actually planned to return to Chinatown to watch the parade, but instead, 75 % of the day got eaten by annoying student paper grading. Which did not exactly put me in the best of moods. Luckily, there was this great Superbowl beer party in the evening. I mean, I have no idea what american football is all about, but judging by the amount of buildup going on all around New York, the Superbowl is apparently a ginormous deal. Europeans, think FIFA Champions League finals on freaking steroids! I mean, I get that it's the final game of the season, Clash of the Titans of some sort that determines who's this season's champion. But the marketing stuff was just so intense with ads, all around the city, since the fall, you would think Earth's destiny was going to be decided or something.
Things have been hyping up a lot (hello, junk food and beer on super sale everywhere for the past ten days) and there was no way I was going to miss this quintessential American thing.
Even the Empire State Building was lit up in
NFL's colours in honour of the 48th
Superbowl
Honestly, I got into it mostly because of the beer and the company. And even more honestly, I still am not sure that I understood what the game is all about (ups!), because the Broncos (orange team) did not do much on the field and they seemed to be totally smitten by Seattle's action. So, rookie dilemma: is that what NFL games usually look like? One team standing there while the other hammers the crap out of them?
And WHY for the love of all that's holy is the sport called FOOT-BALL? They hardly ever touch the ball with their feet. Unlike in proper football...
Moving on.
It's Monday. So I guess The Compulsory Complain-About-The-Weather Note is to make its entrance: after a balmy weekend spent wearing cute flats and a light jacket, this morning looked like this:
Snow-covered UES
I'm so over winter!
SOTD: Bruno Mars & Red Hot Chilli Peppers - XLVIII Superbowl's
halftime show. Because every now and then, even I dig Bruno Mars.
I like the month of February well enough, but I am seriously waiting for spring!
Jules
My girl M has been mentioned repeatedly on this lovely blog. And for good reason - she's awesome.
Further proof of her awesomeness is a huge step forward in her life that she took YESTERDAY. And to celebrate such a gigantic step, I decided to brave yesterday's annoying snowfall and ass-freezing cold and walked the Highline, all the way from top to bottom. Because the Highline is very high on our list of shit we need to conquer as soon as she gets her butt on my side of the Atlantic (no pressure here, darlings).
One of these Hudson-facing sunbeds shall be ours,
darlings.
Because we have coffee to drink and Gotham to
conquer!
Due to the weather (boy, are snowflakes annoying when you breathe them in and they tickle), and the sheer fact that it's winter, so plant-wise the park is pretty much barren, I sort of expected a quiet lonely walk.
Rather barren in this time of year, but
eerily beautiful nonetheless.
I was wrong, there were quite a lot of people, mostly tourists, walking it. But that was kind of OK.
I know, M, you despise hot pink. But how cute is this pink-clad girl hugging her dad so he can help her get safely off the bench?
Very cute!
I'm not going to say "the world is your oyster", M, because frankly oysters are fucking disgusting.
So, instead:
Here's to your newest adventure, M!
(I toast to you with a tall glass of gin & tonic - just because I can!)
My month-long visit to Slovenia is coming to a close. I fly back to New York tomorrow. Yay! Since my first flight is at an ungodlily wee hour of the morning, I opted to book a room in a hotel near the airport. A 2.30 AM wake-up call to get to the airport is NOT happening, thankyouverymuch.
So, as I lay in bed all excited to get back to the lab and to my apartment and to Gotham himself (duh!), let's reflect on what's new since I left New York.
1. My pants feel way tighter than they did when I flew in. Bless the holiday binge and my mother's amazing cooking skills. But I should definitely rectify the situation. Eating good food is one of my favourite activities (duh!), but...
I guess my awful spartan housekeeping skills and the crazy life of a postdoc will help get back into those skinnies. Wish me luck!
SOTD: REM - Leaving New York. Because it's the other way around!
2. I donated 400 mL of blood for the 30th time. Which made me quite proud of myself. Due to the law, I am not eligible to donate in the US (I tried, but failed miserably), so donating back in Slovenia felt even more special, and, I admit, sort of payback-y to the weird rules in the US. Not the most noble of me, I admit, but not much I can do about it now. On the flip side, a few people will benefit directly from the donated tissue AND all the evil that got drained out of me this time around will make life easier for the people who are forced to interact with me on a daily basis (insert evil laugh here).
3. My hair is 2 inches shorter in the back and about 1 inch shorter in the front. I am a proud wearer of a cool bob that on a VERY good day looks something like hers (wishful thinking) and allows me to pay even less attention to hair styling. Which is magnificent.
4. Fitness-wise, I'm in the worst shape of my life. I don't like it. And this, too, shall be rectified.
5. My tolerance for ignorance, especially among students, is even lower than before. I firmly believe that in the 21st century, in a developed country with almost 100 % literacy, being ignorant is a choice. And it's a despicable one. Dear students, get your shit together and open your eyes. Slovenia needs you!
7. Friends and family are the coolest and I am freaking spoiled.
8. I'm such a dork for having felt labsick for the past 14 days. Amid all the good things happening to me in Slovenia, and all the cool stuff about New York I could be missing, the lab was firmly in first place. Awful.
9. Europe is great. In the timespan of a few days, I managed to touch down in 5 countries: The Netherlands (layover + first coffee on EU soil), Italy (landing+a few visits), Slovenia (duh!), Austria (drove through) and the Czech Republic (Prague!!!). Each with a distinctive culture and language.
10. Euros are waaaaaaaay prettier than US dollars. AND, they actually have numbers on coins, which is more user friendly than "dime" and "nickel" and whatnot. And paying 1 € for coffee is awesome.
11. I still can handle booze very well. I got shitfaced a lot this past month. It was great, and so so so funny. Obviously, since I'm past my prime in terms of tissue regeneration my liver now needs a wee vacation. But that's details.
I seriously debated whether to include this vignette into one of my "Textless Thursday" posts. I eventually decided not to, as it is just a smidgen too special to be lost in one of those junkshits fillers. Dude, this one is post number one hundred for I Crossed the Atlantic Once. Wow!
Vimrod is gone for the time being, but a lot of his truths are everlasting.
I doubt the truths within this blog will have the same fate, but still.
Happy 100, tiny blog!
Here's to many ocean crossings, funny stuff, scientific mishaps, New York charms and Slovenian quirks!
And thank you, readers from Indonesia, South Korea, Canada, Italy, Ireland, Bulgaria, Guyana, Kazakhstan and everywhere else in between. You do make me feel like one of the cool kids.
Oh boy, having a social life is exhausting. So are the holidays. So is rain. And so is jet lag. And cookies. Well, maybe not cookies, because cookies are not exhausting per se, but you get the jist. I am munching on them cookies now and they are sublime. Cookies are awesome.
So far, this visit to the home turf has been quite kind to me. I have mostly gotten over the jet lag and the weather is supposed to improve tomorrow. Christmas is over, so half of the madness is in the past already. For which I am quite thankful. As much as I love Christmas strictly as a family holiday, it is stressful. So booyeah that it only comes around once a year. Other than the big holiday being over, let's see what have I been up to since coming back. I have hardly had any time for myself or not-yet-alotted for some reunion/visit/errand/nap. A bit mad, yes, I agree.
The "getting shitfaced with my girl M part" on my first evening back, which was awesome, was already mentioned. Gin tonic was good, not having to get through a hangover was almost as good. I have this superpower, you see, I am hangover-proof or something. My liver might start objecting at some point, but for now my head and my stomach are being great sports if/when I decide that one drink is just not enough.
The next day (Sunday) did not exist. I literally slept through it, woke up around 6 pm and went back to bed a few hours later. Which means I can scratch "sleep deprivation" from my list. Yay!
SOTD: R.E.M. - Daysleeper
On Monday, I went for a very much needed haircut and I love the very subtle, but cool change. Feels awesome. And yes, there are plenty of hair salons in NYC, but I still feel reluctant about changing my hair person yet. Maybe someday, but not just yet. After the pamper session, lunch with mother and roadtrip to Ljubljana to catch up with some lovely friends from there. The reunion, the beer and later the mulled wine on the bank of the river all felt so familiar and good. The day ended with a dinner and a bottle of wine at an old friend's (and I do not mean she is old, it's just our friendship that is a senior citizen already) house.
Tuesday was Christmas Eve, a day meant to be spent bickering with my mother, laughing with my brother, making cookies (duh!), trimming the tree while eating said cookies, having a delicious fishy dinner and having a good time. Oh, and we watched Home Alone for the umpteenth time, all three of us sprawled on the couch. Talk about family time.
Christmas day was spent in the countryside visiting relatives. As usual, it was tipsy, loud and yummy. And there was a visit to the movies later on, since The Hobbit is in town. It was way better than An Unexpected Journey, which felt like a bloated bore, although my man Gollum was in that one (thumbs up for Chapter 1!) and absent from this one (Booooo!). Smaug was a good enough drama queen, but no one beats Gollum at I-do-alone-crazy-in-a-cave-like-a-boss-so-I-am-a-better-crazy-than-you-precioussssssssssssssssssss.
Thursday was another holiday and another rainy day. And another day of meeting good friends. I could easily get used to that. Lively chitchat, catching up with life events and developments, drinking coffee (from an actual cup!!! It still fascinates me how much I missed actual cups!!!) with a view of the sailboats. I did some work in the afternoon, since I had to submit a peer review of a paper. Which also made me fish out the huge stack of papers I brought from New York. Time to start catching up with my reading as well. Oh. I love science. I love science. I love science. I love science. I love science...
Regardless, I miss New York. This one is from 72nd & Madison. UES at it's finest.
There's still a lot of people I want to see and a lot of things I want to do and A LOT of papers I HAVE TO READ, but I am being quite efficient, so I am confident there will be time for a siesta and for doing my nails at some point.
Last Monday, when we got back from Miami, a freezing and foggy New York welcomed us. On Tuesday, it snowed for most of the day, but the snow, fortunately, didn't really stick on the streets. The Park, well, was another story.
Central Park last Wednesday, a mere day after the first real snow of the season
And it's been snowing all freaking day this past Saturday. All. Fucking. Day. This time around, the white frozen water, to my sheer annoyance, stuck. Not to mention that by evening, snow turned into frozen rain, so the freshly deposited white fluffiness, that by the way looked kind of cute from the safety of my blanket-wrapped-hot-cocoa-cup-in-hand vantage point, suddenly turned into a soggy icy slippery mess. Nice.
I have a love-hate relationship with winter. Having grown up on the Mediterranean coast in a sub-mediterranean climate, snow days were few and far in between. Instead, our winters were either foggy and soggy or batshit crazy cold thanks to the burja, but that's another story.
Although I have remarkable thermoregulation, I hate being cold. And I hate cold wet stuff falling from the sky. Sure, snow is awesome on the ski slopes up in the mountains, and yes, forests freshly dusted with snowflakes look pretty, but come on, snow is cold, slippery, impractical, and entertains the habit of turning into ice on the sidewalks and makes you fall on your butt. Not cool.
SOTD: Florence and The Machine - Landscape.
This is my first winter in New York (here's to many MANY more!) and I am mentally prepared to plenty of sore butt instances and frost-bitten fingers. I actually like the sunny days, although they come at a price (= frostbitten fingers). During those freezing days, I like to take a longer lunch and go for a stroll in the park while the sun is still up in the sky. And guess what, every single time I do that, my mind drifts to one particular character from one particular book. Yup, Holden from The Catcher in the Rye.
The Angel of the Waters and a frozen Lake in the background. What's not to love? Oh, yeah, I know, having your toes amputated 'cause they froze!
And in particular, his endless yammering about the ducks in the pond in Central Park, is looping in my brain during those walks. He talks about the ducks that usually hang out at the Pond down at the southern edge of the park, but kind of get chased away once the water freezes over. And poor angsty Holden wonders where they might go.
The Lake and Bow bridge this morning.
Well, Holden, buddy, I found them. They move just a tad north to the Lake. Mystery solved, Holden.
Ducky hangout in a non-frozen pocket of the Lake.
Dear Holden. Here are your ducks. Next time, just walk from one body of water to the next, dude.
All of a sudden, I have this craving for re-opening The Catcher in The Rye. It's been about 8 years since I last read it...
Happy Salinger-ing,
Jules
p.s. These pics were taken on this particular Monday morning on my way to the American Museum of Natural History. After a 60+ work week that ended yesterday around 11 pm, I decided to play hooky for the morning and go check out the whales exhibit. It was amazing. Beautiful. Fun. And heartbreaking. Did you know that the blue whale's aorta is actually big enough for a toddler to crawl in it relatively comfortably. And did you know that sperm whales got their name because early whalers thought the white slimy stuff in their (ginormous) noses was sperm. Turns out, it's semiliquid that helps them do that sonar thing they do to detect prey. Mind? Blown! More than just twice!
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