so long, october

Things I didn't do during the month of October that I really wanted to :
1. The Annual Project Sunshine Pumpkin Fest in Central Park. A makeshift pumpkin patch with free pumpkins, carving stations, tasty and reasonably priced fall treats, little children being adorable in their costumes, and thousands of pumpkins lit up at dusk.

2. The College Group at the Met's Fall Soiree. This year it was a disco. Not my favorite theme, but I was willing to give it a try, because I am obsessed with the Met parties. Free food, dancing, live music, art, a candlelit grand staircase, and best of all...While all of your non-city friends drone on about their lame frat parties with their red cups and beer, you can nonchalantly mention that you attended a soiree at the Met. I guess I'll just have to wait for the spring party.

3. See any of the shows that are closing, including but not limited to : [title of show], Legally Blonde, etc.

October 2008 kicked my ass in every possible way. I am excited for tomorrow, which is 1. November 2. the almost official start of the holiday season 3. THE MONTH THEY SET UP ALL OF THE HOLIDAY MARKETS.

Today's conclusions about the Parisians...

Today I learned some things about Parisians as a whole.  Walking through the city for six hours with a friend will do that to you.  As I attempt to stretch out my legs and relax the cramped muscles, let me tell you a story. 

My story begins with lunch time.  When I saw a group of people outside of a KFC in Chatelet, surely the fervor of the crowd signaled that a celebrity or musician was inside.  Straining to see through the window, I didn’t see any cameras, but everyone was looking inside and shuffling back and forth. 

Little did I know that it was simply lunch time, and this group of Parisians needed their fried chicken fix.  I apologized to the entire French population on behalf of America.  In a few more years, all that fried chicken fervor will really start to show.  People cheered as the doors opened, and I walked away stricken.  The conclusion was that the French are worse than Americans when it comes to fried chicken. 

Then I attended the 100^thanniversary of GIFAS, the French NASA (I think).  All along theChamps Elysees there were aircrafts and displays about French aeronautics. Then we came across a walk through exhibit for Airbus.  See the photos and try to explain for yourself who these new friends were and what they were doing there.  The conclusion was that the Parisians have one closet of decorations that are available for every occasion, from a state funeral to Christmas. 

And as if that wasn’t enough, the trip to the Montmartre Grape Harvest was anything but peaceful.  The huge crowd of people surrounding the Sacre Coeur competed for 6 euro glasses of wine and 1 euro oysters.  I don’t know how any of this was supposed to be enjoyable, even though I thoroughly enjoyed my crepe with Nutella and banana. 

But the most startling thing happened when we walked down the stairs from the top of Montmartre (a frightening dozen or so flights of stairs).  We ended up walking alongside a mother carrying her child and encouraging her sun, who was slightly handicapped and on two crutch supports.  All of this was happening as the lift was taking people up and down the mountain for a very small fee.  The conclusion was that French mothers are bad parents.

 

 

the truth about wheat

No matter how many times in the past week alone I have screamed messages of hate/blamed New York City for stealing my soul, I love it. I love it because it is interesting and I love it because you never know what to expect and I love it because of the energy and the possibility that something exciting (or totally random, or both) can happen at any moment of any day.

Now, what the fuck is the "Urban Wheat Field Experience" ????

I didn't know either, until I was staring out the bus window the other day and saw a field of grass (but really, it was wheat) blowing in the wind in the middle of the South Street Seaport. I decided to grab my camera and investigate.


Apparently the exhibit served to educate us city-dwellers on the life of wheat ( their slogan is "from farm to fork"). I never really gave much thought to wheat before, and didn't know there were so many misconceptions about it.

If you'd like to learn the truth about wheat, you can visit the Wheat Foods Council, the sponsor of the project, 's website. *shrugs*

I guess you learn something new every day.

fireworks sound like explosions

Yesterday, I am sorry to say, I did not leave the dorm. The weather didn't look great, and I chose instead to bum around and avoid studying and clean and mope. I probably would have gone outside if I had known what was happening...

Who knew that the Indians threw a giant party/street fair in the South Street Seaport each year!?!? (Dancers performing during the Deepavali Festival yesterday at the South Street Seaport. The festival is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil. The event, sponsored by the Association of Indians in America, featured music, dance, crafts, food and fireworks. - the NY Times) Not I, certainly. Had I known, I wouldn't have been afraid when I heard the fireworks go off later that night... For about 20 minutes, I sat in my room listening to what sounded like mini-explosions. It was actually quite frightening. I texted my friends in the building to see what was going on, and one of them invited me over to a dinner party she was having. So I went. And unlike my lovely view of the parking lot, THAT room has two walls of windows and looks out onto the seaport itself. So I learned that no, we were not under attack, but the Indians sure know how to put on an amazing firework display. Working at a baseball stadium, I've been subjected to many, many firework shows over the years. And this one was the best one by far, although the way the sound echoes through the buildings and makes everything shake is still a little unnerving.

So I'm pretty bummed I missed out, as everyone knows I love a good street fair, and I guess I'll just have to remember to keep an eye (or an ear) out for it next year.

fairy lights & a west village roam

I had big plans for today. What did I accomplish? Very little.

I didn't leave Water Street until almost 3, because I am la-zy. I decided to meet Beth in Union Square, from where we would find the Greek street fair that was supposed to be taking place around 17th and Irving. We finally found it...and boy were we disappointed. We had dreamt of baked feta, Greek wine, lettuce-less Greek salads, hummus, delicious 2e gyros, even the kind-hearted Papi, the owner of one of our hostels - all of the amazingness we had left behind when we said goodbye to Greece at the end of spring break a few months ago. Instead, we found a couple of shabby tents, a random table with used things for sale (similar to the 'famous' flea markets in Athens...grimy), a LOT of lettuce, and desserts with m&ms on top. Not very Greek. We settled for a piece of baklava and some good conversation (including vows that we would one day soon return to the Greek Islands).

Josh called, and I invited him to come to the Met with me. This time, I told myself, I would go in to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You see, I have been intending to go there since I returned to New York a month and a half ago. Two weeks ago, I even walked there from Water Street. Yes, all seven miles. Upon arriving, I decided I would rather sit outside and enjoy the beautiful day. Ridiculous. So today I would go in, I promised. Josh decided he wanted to get dinner instead of going, but I told myself I would go in once he left for his performance. Josh left, I walked to the majestic (and under-construction) steps of the museum I love so, and...


Well. It was around dusk, and the lampposts in Central Park were just glimmering like a little fairy land.

So naturally, I couldn't go in... Instead, I wandered around Central Park. I actually was able to cross the park over to the west side without any issues, which is really an accomplishment for me. I hadn't even been there since...well, since December. Such a long time ago.

Jessica and I were bored, so we decided to take the bus up to campus and just walk around the West Village...Because you'll always see interesting things in the West Village. Some favorites :

We went to a REALLY cute coffee shop on the corner of 7th Ave and Waverly and had a-mazing hot apple cider... It tasted like apples. Not like that cheap Starbucks stuff I used to drink, which I am now convinced is Mott's apple juice heated up.