Since I plan to go to burning man this year (and my european driving license only is valid for a year here) I had to go through the struggle to get a learners permit from the DMV (and at some point in the future my drivers license. but first things first.)
The DMV (Department for Motor Vehicles, website is fugly, but excellent info and well structured) is around the corner so I went there during lunch break, not really expecting a long wait. Boy was I wrong. Huge line, probably 500/600 there. Fortunately the prettiest girl in the room was in front of me, wearing the shabby grunge supermodel look. Since I was right behind here in line, I started a little chitchat about this whole thing and we had quite some fun time. Talking about the Lifeball (since I am from Vienna) and this whole process and other stuff.
So the waiting time was (although long, about 1.5 hours) quite pleasant. Finally my pic was taken and I took the (easy) test. You only need to have 14 out of 20 questions right (my score was 20/20), but even so a guy in front of me managed to fail. And finally after another wait of about 30min I got my Learners Permit.
Now I am officially allowed to drive again (as long as there is another passenger with a driving license in the car)! yeah!
btw, later in the office I found out who I had this lovely chitchat with. It was Tiiu Kuik. (and yes, she has a boyfriend. big surprise.)
Internet Week started here for the first time, with an absolutely fabulous kick off party, hosted by Thrillist, music by Faux Punk, the best/worst/only Daft Punk cover band, visuals by VJ ValuJet and both were amazing! And after them only rock (&roll) music! fantastic! I was dancing like crazy, boy that was fun!
unfortunately the dance floor was covered in glass fragments from broken glasses, which made expressive dancing quite an adventure. I landed one jump exactly on a big piece, resulting in quite some pain, and I thought, ok, there goes my left shoe, but couldn’t see any hole to my surprise.
after arriving at home and removing my shoes, surprise surprise, the glass managing to stab me into the foot, causing quite a deep cut and some bleeding. What I don’t really get is, how can this happen without the slightest hole in the shoe afterwards (and its quite a massive leather sole). strange ….
So after the fiasco last night I went with fabulous S to a Digitalism concert. and this time strictly sobber.
What a blast (as usually at Webster Hall). At the end the crowed was storming the stage, dancing there like there was no tomorrow. Security couldn’t do a thing about it.
Their smash hit “Idealistic”
and another one:
After the concert we passed this superpissed looking tranny, handling the queue in front of the Webster Hall. worth a pic ;)
And afterwards going to St. Marx, browsing through the HUGE underground (adult) comic section. And found quite some pieces (even one in 3D, but the credit for finding this one goes to S) ….
So Misha had this fabulous idea to have a fundraiser to refurbish their new loft.
“You dress up nice. You bring a date, maybe two. You leave with a different date. Or two. You swing as hard as you possibly can all night, and then during the auction you actually bid money on whoever strikes your fancy. Expect wicked dancing, lots of video projection, and a crowd. And of course: an auction.”
well, it was truly a splendid party.
And quite some extraordinary experience for me. Why?
Hm, well, you all know those kind of warning stickers on medications “Do not drink alcohol beverages while taking this medication”. Since I had a very nasty cough for two weeks I had to take codein. Which you should REALLY NEVER mix with alcohol.
I didn’t know that and learned it the hard way. After one drink I looked extraordinary wasted (won’t post this pic here ;)), after the second drink I was feeling kinda sick. Especially after having a chinese dinner at 3am in the morning things went, hmm, downhill.
Arrived at home. and puked. Went to sleep. woke up. and puked. Had some rest, went to the street to get some bread from an italian shop. Entered the shop. smelled the fresh fatty pizza. and had to leave immediately, just made it around the corner and puked like I had never puked before. I was grossed out and fascinated at the same time how much liquid and stuff you can puke (even if you had puked two times before).
well, there is this funny thing going on between Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon, he invites him over and over again, just to cancel in the last second. And one day Matt Damon freaked out. as you can see here:
but revenge is a cold dish. Matt played a pretty funny prank together with Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Kimmels girlfriend. lay back and enjoy!
(note: you can fast forward to 1:00 if you want to skip the talk at the start)
As we all know, You tube is quite amazing. I discovered by kinda accident this funny clip with Louis de Funès, my absolutely top favorite comedian of all time. Dubbed by a fan with new music and looking amazingly well synched. And as a bonus some other legendary scenes as well.
imagine standing in the subway, stranger opposite of you, you step out of the subway, he follows you, holds you and kisses you (on the lips) and runs away. didn’t happen to me today, but to my fabulous collegue, Ms. V.
Aaaand she says he was austrian (at least he had the same accent as me). I don’t know if thats a good or bad thing
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 …
