Mainly because it's mine, but also mainly because I get the food network in my room.
I'm a very happy Kiwi.
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Monday, November 30, 2009
My new room
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Seven Worlds Collide
I went to the New York Planetarium yesterday.
I hadn't so much intended to go there yesterday, but I was in the neighbourhood, and needed desperately to use their bathroom, so I paid the $24 entrance fee and went in. It was worth it just to use the bathroom.
The planetarium is a permanent exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, and so I spent a little time checking out the space exhibits in and around the planetarium before I was due to go in.
What struck me at first was that all mention of Pluto had been erased from the exhibit, what with it not being a planet anymore. It left me feeling kind of sad; like Pluto was the skeleton in the Solar System's closet, or some bad historical mistake that had to be wiped from public record. It's okay Pluto, I'm not a planet either. (I saw that on a T-shirt).
When it came time to visit the planetarium, we were shepherded into a massive windy line, then mustered into the elevators, and finally herded into the waiting room and theatre. The seats recline, so that we could get a direct view of the domed ceiling.
The ceiling was the screen - or the screen was the ceiling. Either way it was cool. The film opened with a rumbling and some pretty awesome special effects (which made a baby cry), and was narrated by Whoopi Goldberg (which made the republicans cry).
The focus of the film was primarily about how awesome the sun is, but it also showed a portrayal of the big bang and other such cosmic niceties. It was quite impressive, and very well done.
I couldn't help but almost doze off in several places however, as the chairs were altogether way too comfortable. I'm normally a pretty light sleeper, but I reckon that if I had nodded off, not even the big bang would have woken me.
After the movie, I saw the dinosaur exhibit.
I hadn't so much intended to go there yesterday, but I was in the neighbourhood, and needed desperately to use their bathroom, so I paid the $24 entrance fee and went in. It was worth it just to use the bathroom.
The planetarium is a permanent exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, and so I spent a little time checking out the space exhibits in and around the planetarium before I was due to go in.
What struck me at first was that all mention of Pluto had been erased from the exhibit, what with it not being a planet anymore. It left me feeling kind of sad; like Pluto was the skeleton in the Solar System's closet, or some bad historical mistake that had to be wiped from public record. It's okay Pluto, I'm not a planet either. (I saw that on a T-shirt).
When it came time to visit the planetarium, we were shepherded into a massive windy line, then mustered into the elevators, and finally herded into the waiting room and theatre. The seats recline, so that we could get a direct view of the domed ceiling.
The ceiling was the screen - or the screen was the ceiling. Either way it was cool. The film opened with a rumbling and some pretty awesome special effects (which made a baby cry), and was narrated by Whoopi Goldberg (which made the republicans cry).
The focus of the film was primarily about how awesome the sun is, but it also showed a portrayal of the big bang and other such cosmic niceties. It was quite impressive, and very well done.
I couldn't help but almost doze off in several places however, as the chairs were altogether way too comfortable. I'm normally a pretty light sleeper, but I reckon that if I had nodded off, not even the big bang would have woken me.
After the movie, I saw the dinosaur exhibit.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Operation New York: Phase Two
You may have noted my excitement in my previous post. It is true, I have a new apartment. That is to say that I found a place in the city to live in for at least the next month or so.
I don't really know what I was doing differently. Maybe it was luck, or statistics (eventually somebody's going to respond to your email!), but likely it was that I had both increased my budget for the month from $1000 to $1300 (made easier by only having to pay for one month), and lowering my expectations.
I have seen some nasty places in this city. I have also seen some laughable ones: I saw this one place in Gramercy Park, a studio which I had decided to take on the spot. Then they wanted $1200 a week. Not $1200 a month. I put my chequebook away, threw up a little into my mouth, and walked away.
This place however, is pretty cool.
It's located in Morningside, Manhattan - a suburb just south (?) of Harlem - buy very nice. A cursory walk around the neighbourhood reveals many wonderful looking restaurants, bars and shops. It's a 3bdr/2 bathroom furnished 5th floor walkup (i.e. no elevator).
I'm sharing with two guys, both American, and both in the film and tv 'industry'. Yep; they're pretty cool. Jason (the one I've met), and I have a lot in common. We're both foodies, love British comedy and drama (esp Spooks) and got on really well. I think I'm going to like it there.
Still no luck on the job front. Now that Thanksgiving is over (separate post to come on that), nobody will really be hiring until after Christmas, which is when I'm due to leave bfor back home.
I feel like I've missed an opportunity to live and work in the city though - it was my goal to pick up some work while I was over here but the pickings are so slim (unless you're in finance) and the competition for work is so slim that I think I would have to really make a go of it here if I wanted to get anywhere.
What does that mean? Basically I think that if I were really trying to make it work, and didn't have the safety net of my return ticket home (or my job back in Wellington), then I would probably just apply for anything and everything that I can, and accept whatever I can get until I find something better.
The problem with that is that I've already been doing that, to some extent at least, and haven't even had so much as a rejection letter, let alone an interview. Things will pick up though, given enough time.
But then raises the second problem. New York City is not the capital of New York state. So there are very few policy jobs going. Those that are require a PhD or experience doing that exact same job for ten years elsewhere. I'm just not sure have the experience to compete fairly in this city.
Basically my only hope now is to network like mad - and either get a job or star in my own reality show. Either way would be fine with me.
Unless it's a True Hollywood Story. That would suck.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
I wasn't built for shopping.
Today I am shopping at an outlet mall.
Today I spent a whole lot of money.
I may need an extra suitcase.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Haiting the uncertainty
Still no apartment.
Still no job.
I am however, continuing to look. I have seen a couple of other apartments since my last update, and while they have been rather lacking, each apartment has been an improvement on the last. I don't think it's necessarily my fussiness that's letting me down, rather it's my desire to be able to access a full bathroom and not suffer from exposure just by getting into bed.
I'm also no closer to figuring out what this pro bono/volunteer/internship job thing is about. But here's what I know.
I'm helping out a lady who's also the Vice President of an organisation called "Yele Haiti" - a non-profit that's dedicated to the economic development of Haiti, founded by Wyclef Jean (but that's not what I'm doing). She's interested in initiating several development projects in Haiti, as well as in other developing countries, and she needs people to research these projects to see if their viable or interesting.
"So you're a research assistant?" I hear you ask. No.
She has some research assistants, yes. But that's not what she wants me to do. At the moment, there's a lot of showing up to the office and sitting on my laptop (which is now fixed by the way - sans any documents or photos that were on there before!), researching papers from the World Bank on Community Driven Development, or looking up the latest uses for protein powder in emergency food relief (answer: protein powder is used as an emergency food). This research appears designed solely to keep me occupied until we can brainstorm 'corporate strategy'.
I think the problem (aside from my not knowing the first thing about 'corporate strategy'), is that she's running around trying to manage 13 different projects at once, without a clear idea about what she wants to achieve out of any of them. This results in a very directionless suite of projects, and some very confused interns/research assistants/kiwis. I think what she wants me to do, maybe, is to give her some advice on project management, and keep her on track for what she wants to do.
I'm not sure if I'm on the right track with this, and this whole project thing could be a bust. Or it could just be completely disorganised. But then I'm used to disorganised projects; I've been living one for the last 28 years.
Still no job.
I am however, continuing to look. I have seen a couple of other apartments since my last update, and while they have been rather lacking, each apartment has been an improvement on the last. I don't think it's necessarily my fussiness that's letting me down, rather it's my desire to be able to access a full bathroom and not suffer from exposure just by getting into bed.
I'm also no closer to figuring out what this pro bono/volunteer/internship job thing is about. But here's what I know.
I'm helping out a lady who's also the Vice President of an organisation called "Yele Haiti" - a non-profit that's dedicated to the economic development of Haiti, founded by Wyclef Jean (but that's not what I'm doing). She's interested in initiating several development projects in Haiti, as well as in other developing countries, and she needs people to research these projects to see if their viable or interesting.
"So you're a research assistant?" I hear you ask. No.
She has some research assistants, yes. But that's not what she wants me to do. At the moment, there's a lot of showing up to the office and sitting on my laptop (which is now fixed by the way - sans any documents or photos that were on there before!), researching papers from the World Bank on Community Driven Development, or looking up the latest uses for protein powder in emergency food relief (answer: protein powder is used as an emergency food). This research appears designed solely to keep me occupied until we can brainstorm 'corporate strategy'.
I think the problem (aside from my not knowing the first thing about 'corporate strategy'), is that she's running around trying to manage 13 different projects at once, without a clear idea about what she wants to achieve out of any of them. This results in a very directionless suite of projects, and some very confused interns/research assistants/kiwis. I think what she wants me to do, maybe, is to give her some advice on project management, and keep her on track for what she wants to do.
I'm not sure if I'm on the right track with this, and this whole project thing could be a bust. Or it could just be completely disorganised. But then I'm used to disorganised projects; I've been living one for the last 28 years.
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