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Finally I
am in New York City! I do not have internet access at where I
am currently staying, so I head out to the local library to
use their internet access.
Getting Here....
I have to talk more about my trip getting here. First off,
my jetBlue flight was great. I certainly enjoyed it.
What was "funny" was the situation I was put in when I checked
in. I brought my luggage to the outside check-in point and
the big ogre of a man asked for my I.D. and looked at me. I
gave him my driver's license and he said in a very rehearsed
tone of voice as if he was reading from a
cue-card,
"Ummm.... you have been randomly selected for
a screening, if you could just take your luggage behind those
curtains over there, they will be able to help you..."
I go behind the curtain and I meet two people, a man
and a woman. Once they see me, they begin to put on a pair of
latex gloves. (great) They open my luggage and pry through
every single bit of underwear and clothing I have as if they
were given a prior tip-off from someone that I was carrying
something illegal in my suitcase.
(Damn you N8 DOGG!!)
So after finding nothing, they actually neatly packed my luggage
for me. Much more neater than I had it originally packed! Good
thing I came to the airport 2 hours early to my boarding time.
One Month Later
It's exactly one MONTH later since I added my last post on my site,
and exactly one YEAR later when I was laid off from my position in Miami.
The original beginning of a domino effect of disastrous things to come after.
I still do not have my computer here with me, so I take advantage of using
the local library's internet access priviledges. I am limited only to an hour, but I'm thankful
for it. Besides obtaining a library card, I have a New York State Driver's License. Now the job
quest begins. I found a part time position working at Costco on weekends as a product demonstrator.
It fits me so far because I get to meet lots of cool people and stand there all day. Sure, I wish
I could be on my feet bouncing around more, but hey -- this job is a start! I'm glad to have gotten
it in only 2 weeks of me being here!
People Who Already Visited cK
Within weeks of me arriving here, I cannot believe that friends from all over have
come to visit me here in the Big Apple. I don't even have my own place as of yet
and I'm trying to just get started, and people are finding their way to get here!
I am exagerratting a little bit, but my ex from London made her way to New York to see me...or
did she? She flew in on a Thursday and then called me on a Sunday when she was leaving
on the Monday. How odd to call me so late. It was almost like she was trying to fit me into
her last minute plans or something. Well, at the same exact time, my dear friend, Selica
flew into town from Bermuda and was here with her lovely mother for one week. I had to make
arrangements to see her. She was staying at the Downtown Holiday Inn that's in the Chinatown
quarters of Manhattan. Going to see her would be a great experience in itself because this
would be my first time on a New York City Subway and Train!
So because my ex called way too late (again), I pushed on with my plans to see Selica. My aunt
generously gave me her Long Island Railroad pass and Metrocard which allowed me to travel from
Long Island into Manahattan at no cost to me. My aunt took me to Valley Stream Station where I boarded
a train that took me to Jamaica Station. From there I transferred to another train going to Penn Station.
Once I arrived at Penn Station, I connected onto the subway and travelled down to the Canal St. Subway
station. All in all, it was very straight forward. There was not one time where I felt unsafe. Riding the
subways and trains in New York City at night was very similar to those of Toronto and London. But then again,
this was only one night.
I walked to the hotel where Selica and her mother were staying. We exchanged hugs and went out for a walk to
find a bite to eat. We ended up finding a Vietnamese cuisine restaurant just a block over from the
hotel. The food was amazing. After the food, Selica's mother went up to the hotel room while Selica and
I walked up Broadway to check out the boutiques and clothing stores. After that, we walked down to the
World Trade Center site to pay our respects and see the empty city blocks where the twin towers once stood.
It was certainly very emotional just being there. The church across the street from it has flowers and memorials
sent in from all over the world. Just stopping to read some of it makes your eyes fill up with tears. After that, I walked
my friend, Selica back to her hotel and I travelled back to Long Island.
What Does My Future Have In Store?
I have a lot of high hopes here in the Big Apple. Originally I was supposed to be back in Toronto right now, but maybe
my decision to detour here for a little may prove to be a wise one. I really miss all of my friends and family in Miami - that city
has really touched my heart. I hope that I make a positive impact here as I did in the other places I have been. My little part time
job with Costco is keeping me busy for now as I continue to search for a "real" job during the week. I give my New York lifespan until early
2003 whereas I will make my decision to move back to Toronto. So far, there is a chance I might be here longer than I anticipated! Stay tuned!!!
Weekly Thought
All of the above was pretty much a catch-up of where I left off since September 24. Now I can get a little bit into what's
going on in my head. The big thing on the news lately is this Sniper shooting a victim almost daily for the past few weeks in the
Washington D.C., Virginia area. People are getting shot at Home Depots, gas stations and Ponderosa's. I find this ridiculous. I can't
believe that someone is actually shooting random people who are just living their lives. Each one of these people have not done anything
to this person. Or.. what if they did? How do we know for sure. Everytime I flip the tv channel past CNN or MSNBC, I see more "BREAKING NEWS"
coverage of anything on the SNIPER. I even have a little theory -- I'm not really saying its true but I was thinking what if that CNN is part of
a conspiracy in order to boost ratings, has fabricated this entire event. The places that the victims are shot at are companies that are secretly
involved in advertising their names. For instance - name 3 places that people were shot at:
- Home Depot
- Exxon Gas Station
- Ponderosa Steakhouse
Now think of how many times you have heard those company names mentioned in the last few days besides on a commercial. Come to think of it, I haven't
seen a Home Depot commercial anytime this week or last week. What about Exxon? Or even Ponderosa? There is no need to spend money on a commercial because
their name is getting lots and lots of free publicity. Now, some of you may be saying that after some incident occurs outside, say a Ponderosa, nobody is going
to want to go back there. In reality, it's quite the opposite. Look at the World Trade Center, Pompeii, Hiroshima and so on. People will go to these places.
I repeat, this is just a theory of mine. In no way am I trying to say anything cruel or slanderous about Home Depot, Exxon or Ponderosa. I don't even believe
that my theory has any weight to it and should not be taken seriously. However, since as of this time they still cannot find the sniper, and this is the first major story that
the news channels are all over since Robert Blake being in court, then it just leaves everything open to speculation.
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