Happy Spring

Can't believe spring is here, crazy how time flies. The weather thankfully has been warming up and even though it's still raining sometimes, it's mostly pleasant enough to go for a walk sans the jacket.
We got to know a couple of neighbors a bit more and found out that one of them is a cat sitter on the side. We are located in the most pet and kid-friendly neighborhood of Brooklyn so he takes full advantage and has been cat sitting for 20 years. Apparently one can earn a lot of money doing that since people who live in New York travel a lot. That makes sense. Let's see if my next blog entry mentions any cats or dogs for that matter.
We've been meeting new people thanks to one particular friend who painfully tries to mix everyone he knows in hopes of some merry-making. Sometimes the new people jive with us sometimes they say two words in as many hours. The funny thing is too that the people we meet are so diverse and do totally different things. For example we had dinner the other day with a radiologist who is also a pilot on the side (yes, he's got too much time). Not someone we would usually run into in SD, or maybe we would? Don't think so.
We've also seen the wedding and Middle East news along with everyone else and that's about the most TV we've watched last month. We have been going out to dinner/drinks with friends on the weekends a lot and trying new places. So far, nothing to brag about. Hoping next weekend we can finally make it to the MET which we still have never been to. Guess we have different priorities. I'll let you know if we end up there.

Warm weather activities

Today we had an actual summer day. It was over 70 degrees outside and we had the chance to munch on our usual cheese and salami snack in our yard. Yay! I'm sure that won't be so fun once the summer actually hits and everything inside and outside feels like a sauna. For now, we are enjoying the lapse into summer.
Last weekend we met a co-worker for dinner which was nice and delicious and attended a going-away party at a bar for the photographer friend. We also walked the city all day on Sunday looking for cool signage to take pictures of so Mark can use it for work reference and bought a painting from a poor schmuck painint on the street. He needed the money and we like supporting local artists.
Also had the chance to get the torturous Chinese massages again and for once even Mark thought they went too far this time. We are still sore.
Went a couple of times to the park last week as well since it's only about 10-15 minutes away from our place and it was packed. Whoever said that NY is not a place to raise a family obviously hasn't seen the gazillion families in every neighborhood and especially in the parks. I suspect in the summertime, there won't be a single green patch left to sit on. Heard that people bring their grills with them and it's a huge bbq where everyone shares. Can't wait to see that.

Stores and restaurants details

It’s April already and our days are just flying by. Not sure where, but they’re flying.

We have been making new friends, going to new places, eating new food and generally having new experiences.

Went to a Mexican restaurant yesterday (not like San Diego Mexican, more like Oaxacan Mexican) and had fried grasshoppers. Yuck. Went to a Russian birthday party over the weekend. That involved many cakes and too much booze, followed by two lazy days afterwards. We’ve been cleaning like crazy, and still staying on top of food and entertainment budgets.

Slowly we are settling into local market routine. We’re trying not to shop at just one place because of course one place specializes in something, another place in something else, etc.. Also, not sure if I mentioned this before but the grocery stores here don’t sell alcohol. There are a handful of major chains that might sell beer but that’s a rarity. We were used to going to Trader Joe’s in SD and maybe picking up a bottle of wine either for dinner or to take to a party. Can’t do that here. Here you have to look for a store that sells only alcohol, and I’m not talking about a liquor store. It’s an actual fancy store that has all sorts of booze. Some even have beer or wine tastings to round out the shopping experience. It’s really kind of weird.

Also, the grocery stores don’t stay open late and we are so used to picking up something at Ralphs late night (if a midnight snack is in order). Here you’re out of luck past 8 or 9pm. Thought in NY out of all places stores would stay open late but guess we were wrong.

Hm, let’s see what else about stores since I’m on the subject… Guess this is not related to stores but restaurants. A lot of places are mom and pop establishments and don’t accept credit cards. This is something that drives us nuts because we go out to eat every weekend and have to first make a dash to the ATM. That’s not a big deal but then the ATM fees pile up. That’s a real hassle. Keep that in mind if you come visit.

That’s it for our store/restaurant information. I’m sure we’ll have plenty more to share with you soon.

Fancy Going-Ons

These last two or three weeks have been so busy, they kind of just blur together. After taking it somewhat easy after our move to Brooklyn, we decided it was time to mingle with the locals. We’ve been out every weekend, coming back in the wee hours (and sleeping half the day away afterwards), made it a point to go to the city more (Manhattan) and had two photo shoots in our apartment in one week. A friend of a friend is a photographer and needed a place to shoot so we offered our pad since it’s not very furnished. She liked it the first time and came back again. She took photos of some small-time actresses who were very nice and we got to check out hair and make-up trickery too. I could use some of that trickery myself.

We’ve discovered some more yummy places to eat and even found a German beer garden (indoors) that serves legit German food. We didn’t have any food there since we just came from a different dinner spot but it’s next on my list.

Also got to see Travis Barker perform live in the city which was really cool. It was a short show and the venue was small but we had a great time. Went to a bar beforehand and a restaurant afterwards (3am). Jeez, I’m exhausted just writing this.

Other than that, during the week we work a lot and are hermits at home. Trying to cook all meals at home and only go out on the weekends, otherwise we’ll go broke.

We finally stopped buying stuff for the house so we can relax a bit now and not worry about going furniture shopping once again. Next on the home agenda might be hanging photos, which can take forever. We’ll see, maybe they’ll be up by the time we have our first visitor.

Chinatown

You might have heard that NY has a Chinatown too, just like San Francisco. I had heard that the one in Frisco is bigger and better but after having seen both, I beg to differ.

We went to the one here yesterday again and had the chance to check out markets, vendors, eat Dim Sum and even get massages. We went with a friend of ours who recommended the massage place. All three of us walked in and got an appointment for an hour later so we walked through alleys and markets for an hour.

It is unbelievable what you can find there. Everything from fresh produce, dried herbs and vegetables, fresh, fresh, fresh fish (and frogs), lots of bakeries and shops where you can buy Asian imports and all sorts of cookery gadgets. I was in heaven and wish we’d had more time to explore. This is one of those things I have to do by myself though, not everyone shares my enthusiasm for woks and dried mushroom varieties….

Our massages were much needed and not relaxing. Not sure how many times any of you have gotten massages but I always think of them belonging in two different categories. You either get a relaxing spa massage (with oils, soothing music and maybe even those hot river stones) or you get the therapeutic S&M massage (torturous pulling, kneading, cracking and smacking). We got the second one of course since we were in Chinatown. Come on, I don’t think you’ll ever get a relaxing spa massage in Chinatown or in China for that matter. They’re all about pressure points, acupressure, acupuncture, reflexology, etc.. The great thing was that all three of us came out of there loose and unknotted. The prices cannot be beat. For an entire hour we each paid $40 (and we tipped $10 each). That was their maximum price on any of their services. They also do all the things mentioned above (acupressure, etc.) and I’ll definitely be back for acupuncture. Hoping that once we are done buying furniture and paying off some stuff, we can go there at least once or twice a month. With all the stress, it’s nice to do something to unwind.

Here are some pictures we took while walking around.

Yes, for eating 

Long time no see (or read)

Goodness it’s been forever since we’ve written. So really not much has happened since last time. Thought I’d share some NY observations with you so you get to know our new hometown a bit better.

-       The subway is convenient since you don’t have to drive, however you can be stuck in “traffic” just as well. If you take it during rush hour, there are delays because so many subways are operating at the same time so yours just might stop half-way between stations to let others pass by. So if you jump on an express train, you won’t always get there faster. Oh and they call subways “trains” here.

-       People who live here and are used to the streets and traffic are always in a hurry. If you are visiting, try to walk on the right side of the sidewalk to stay out of their way, otherwise they’ll bump into you quite a bit.

-       Brooklyn, which is where we are living, is much more mellow than Manhattan. We can take the subway into Manhattan and be there in about 10 minutes, so it’s nice to have either option. Our neighborhood is also very family-friendly and you’ll see more kids and families here than in busy Manhattan.

-       Everyone sells Red Velvet Cakes here. I don’t know what it is but you’ll find them everywhere.

-       The heater is regulated by the city so you can’t mess with the temperature of your heater in your own home. You either turn it on (at full blast) or turn it off completely. If you get too hot, you have to open the windows even if there’s a blizzard outside.

-       Trash is picked up twice a week and recycling once a week.

-       If you are getting rid of furniture, you can set it out on the curb or sidewalk and either someone takes it or the trash guys pick it up (as long as it’s small). Even if you have random house stuff you don’t want anymore such as clothes, electronics, books, etc., you can place those in a box outside and by the next day, they’ll be gone. It’s like free garage sales.

-       There are plenty of flea markets to choose from and really cool things to buy as long as you have the money.

-       Most buildings don’t have outgoing mailboxes so if you want to mail your bills or letters, you have to find a public mailbox on the street.

-       Almost every building has an intercom system so strangers can’t walk into the building without being buzzed in.

-       You can meet both friendly and rude New Yorkers. Just keep in mind that people are usually on the go and are rushing. If you respect that, you’ll have no problems with them.

-       If you are renting a place here, the rent price is always negotiable. You can even try to get the landlord to pay for certain utilities.

-       Eating out can get quite expensive. In our neighborhood there is only one McDonald’s and all others are bistros, cafes and restaurants. That means if you have lunch or dinner at those, you’ll pay over $20-30 per couple. Do that a few times a week and you’re broke.

-       In the winter, all women wear knee-high boots, along with coats and hats. It’s like the city uniform.

-       You can turn a corner and end up in a totally shady neighborhood. Always stay in crowded or busy neighborhoods if you don’t know your surroundings.

-       If you get a house phone, you will be endlessly hassled by telemarketers.

-       You are also hassled by people buzzing at your door about donations and charities.

-       There are rats, bedbugs, mosquitoes and roaches to watch out for. It’s a big city with many people and many critters. Use common sense and currently, try to stay out of the movie theaters and public seats that are cushioned, since many have bedbugs in them. If you take those suckers home, good luck trying to get rid of them. Also, there can’t be any standing water anywhere in the city because of the mosquitoes and West Nile virus. Wanted to get a birdbath for our yard and am not allowed.

-       There are many great things about the city too, it’s not all warnings. J There are many places to see, shopping to do, a gazillion restaurants to try with food from all over the world and events to attend.

-       Central Park is beautiful to walk around in in the middle of the city, surrounded by sky scrapers.

-       Public transportation is abundant and cheap.

-       People are willing to help you and you get to try food at certain markets before you buy it, think samplers.

-       There are definitely four seasons here and it’s beautiful to watch them change.

Think that’s all that comes to mind now. We’ll provide another update soon. Take care everyone.

Boxes!

Yesterday we received our first shipment of SD boxes, which contained clothes, some of Mark’s shoes and a few random house things. Boy, it was like Christmas, opening boxes. Can’t wait until the other boxes arrive. At least we don’t have to wear the same outfit everyday anymore.

This Friday the couch we ordered is supposed to come in as well, so we’ll have something else to sit on other than the two dining chairs. Slowly but surely our place is coming along.

The weather is nice again and we’ve been taking advantage by running more errands. Another IKEA visit yesterday…

Not much else to report. We tried a sushi spot right around the corner from our place and it was great. Cheap too so we’ll be regulars there.

There are so many restaurants even in our Brooklyn neighborhood, we don’t have to eat at the same place twice for a while. No more same old Cheesecake Factory dinners.

We’ll let you know what other goodies we stumble upon.