1. New York City is extraordinarily large. It’s amazing how many buildings are crammed together for miles on end.
2. People talk to strangers frequently.
3. I’ve never had so many strangers initiate conversations with me.
4. A couple asked me what I was eating and if “it was the best thing [I've] ever eaten”.
5. Then there was the man who saw me lugging a (light) tower of office supplies down the street and shouted (from across the street, I think) where I purchased the items from.
6. And then there are all the men who make inappropriate comments to capture the attention of women.
7. It helps to walk around with another guy, if only to minimize these unwelcome comments.
8. The bagels are good.
9. I can’t say that they are notably better than the bagels elsewhere (cf. pizzas).
10. Do the corner fruit stands still sell stuff in the winter?
11. The homeless people here look physically terrible. They look the most worn down and unhealthy of any homeless population I’ve ever worked with.
12. There also aren’t nearly as many homeless people as I had anticipated. Or perhaps I haven’t recognized them when I have seen them. Which would contradict #11.
13. Women wear big jewelry here.
14. Big earrings, big necklaces, big bracelets.
15. I imagine that it is more challenging than usual for disabled individuals to live in New York City.
16. The subway system is essentially inaccessible to them.
17. People are brusque when walking down the street and could easily overrun them.
18. The laundries on all the streets attest to the communal living of this city.
19. Are there other cities that boast all of these laundries?
20. It’s still cheaper (I think) to use the coin operated machines
21. But time is money, right?
22. I occasionally wonder if I am approaching things “right”: There are many people (everywhere, but seeming more so in New York) who do many different things simultaneously (”multitask”), but are not paying full attention to all the things that they do. I personally prefer to limit what I do, but actually fully attend to them.
23. Am I limiting my experiences that way?
24. Hence the importance of doing one’s own laundry. It slows things down, increases mindfulness.
25. At least that’s what I tell myself.
26. There are too many things to see and do here.
27. I like the endless options.
28. The humidity will be my downfall.
29. I was in California the last time I developed a heat rash.
30. I had forgotten that baby powder is actually cornstarch.
31. I don’t know how all of these women remain perspiration-free. Have they botoxed all of their pores?
32. There are men in this city who carry larger bags than most women.
33. Some of those bags are studded with random jewels.
34. I now finally understand the phrase “Curb your dog”.
35. This is only after I’ve witnessed several growing pools of yellow liquid on the sidewalks.
36. There are a lot of dogs in this city.
37. And they’re probably tolerating the heat less effectively than I am (see #28).
38. Some of these dogs are better groomed than I am.
39. Carrie Bradshaw had her Manolo Blahniks.
40. I’ve been eyeing a pair of round toe, wingtip flats from Mephistos.
41. I haven’t checked the price because I know I can’t afford them.
42. I am wondering if I should get a driver’s license. I don’t want to stand in line at the DMV.
43. Nor do I plan on driving.
44. Maybe a state ID?
45. I’m not used to officers checking for my ID when I walk into a hospital.
46. Although half of the time, I’m not convinced they’re actually looking at my ID.
47. “Look confident. That’ll get you in without a problem.”
48. This has helped me carve my way through crowds of people.
49. And stave off inappropriate comments from strangers (see #6).
50. Perhaps, with time, it will become easier to live in this city. It hasn’t even been two weeks.