12 Dec
ohhhh so much anniversary!
ok, now its official, I am here (in the States) for exactly one year. and I have to admit, time is flying superfast, it seems more like 3 months. so whats my summary? hmmm, lets see …
PLUS:
- the vibrance of the city. I haven’t really figured out anything yet, but I am starting to get an idea what this city could be about (Justice! Chemical Brothers! Bjork! Daft Punk! although I unfortunately missed the last one).
- being able to persue every hobby/sport/martial art you can imagine. currently Tae Kwon DO (just reached brown belt level).
- cheap food/sushi in Chinatown. and the most amazing food in the rest of the city.
- met the love of my life right in front of me (and lost her to London. what irony.)
- the most beautiful women in the world right around you (ok, that can be minus, too. depends on your mood)
- you can totally find and be yourself (if you are lucky)
- ability to connect to the most amazing people
- the architecture. Manhattan looks like its built by children on crack with LEGO
- you can meet incredibly talented and humble people here
- my collegues at work
- cabs. good and cheap.
MINUS:
- I HATE HATE HATE HATE FUC*KING HATE HATE the washers here. sometimes I think if I go to the hudson with a paddle and smack my laundry the clothes get less damaged and more clean. seriously, the standard washers here are like european ones from the fifties (and I wish you luck with finding bleach free detergent). washers here are like a hole of destruction and despair.
- the smell of the soap in the office restrooms (believe me, its disgusting), luckily the changed it (or I got used to it. I don’t really want to think about it.)
- its impossible to get decent toilet paper here. When I went back to Vienna and touched austrian toilet paper I had an urgent need to cry of happiness (weird, but hey, we austrians DIG cozy 200 gazzilion layer toilet paper)
- the humidity & heat in summer (guys what were you THINKING building a city here)
- the freezing and wind in the winter and getting always two reactions when I mention that. “but you are from Austria!” - right, but I freeze there, too. “oh right, you don’t have a winter” - when people think I am from Australia.
- you can totally lose yourself and your path (if you are not so lucky)
- not being on the guest list sucks big time if you want to go out
- no success so far in finding cool non-tourist places to hang out (with NO wallstreet guys)
- the medical system. Its hillarious how much you have to pay even if you are insured.
so the important question is, do I want to stay or do I want to go back? hmm, just let me say I paid my Tae Kwon Do membership fees for the next 20 months in advance …