I hate to discriminate against an entire country, but every Nigerian I've met in Prague has been either creepy or just completely inappropriate (or both). I went to a club with Katy and Derrick last night. As I was sitting off to the side watching people dance, a guy who was sitting in the chair next to me decided to try to hold my hand. Keep in mind he hadn't said anything, not even hello - just reached right for my hand. He looked surprised when I gave him a wtf-look and pulled my hand away.
A few minutes later...
Guy: Hi.
Me: Hi.
Guy: Where are you from?
Me: Nigeria. (note: I knew he would be, so I was just messing with him:)
Guy: (laughs) Oh really, what part?
Me: The north. And you?
Guy: Same.
Me: By the way, I'm really from the US.
Guy: I figured.
A few minutes pass.
Guy: So what's your name?
Me: Alia. You?
Guy: Pascal.
A few minutes pass again.
Guy: So when are you leaving the club?
Me: Probably not after much longer, I'm pretty tired.
Guy: I want to leave with you.
Me: Good luck with that. (sarcastically)
A few minutes later...
Guy: So I can leave with you?
Me: No.
Guy: Why not?
Me: Are you kidding? Did this ever actually work for you? I mean, has a girl ever actually taken you home with her after just getting her name and what country she's from?
Guy: No...
Me: Well, maybe that's a sign you should change your methods.
I started to put my coat on then, because Katy and Derrick were ready to go.
Guy: So I can leave with you?
I didn't even answer. What a waste of life. I can't tell you how many similar conversations I've had here, all with Nigerians. I met people from plenty of other African countries and have had nice conversations. Don't think for a second that this is a race issue or discrimination against a whole continent. But seriously - WHAT IS GOING ON WITH NIGERIA THAT THESE GUYS THINK IT'S OKAY TO TALK TO WOMEN LIKE THIS?!?!??
Anyway, on a happier note, I'm officially going home on December 19 :) I can't wait to:
1. Hug my mom
2. Eat mom's cooking
3. Drive around aimlessly and walk around the mall with Tara and Ash
4. Cuddle with Maira
5. Smooch Nalo endlessly
6. Go dancing at all of Juan Di's events
7. Have happy hour at Sammy's with all my work friends
8. Eat Frank's pizza
9. Our annual Christmas party
10. Spend an entire night gabbing with my adorable baby sister (baby = 15 years old)
There's more but I won't bother listing it all out :) I am so excited. It will be hard to pack all this and more into just two weeks, but I am sure I can make it happen. :)
Hugs to everyone!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Fast weekend, slow weekday
This weekend was insane.
Let's start out with the fact that I wake up around 6:30am on weekdays, and the same went for Friday. The day at work was a good one. I gave Beliza her birthday presents, we got to have lunch together, and we had delicious cake in her honor at the end of the day.
After work I rushed home, somehow thinking I'd have time for a nap, but I quickly realized I didn't really have any time for anything. I got dressed as quickly as possible, met up with Shannon, went to Tesco to buy wine, and then off to dinner at Beli's house. Pedro cooked a fantastic meal - a baked chicken, a really nice pea soup, potatoes and vegetables, plus a lemon cake for dessert. We ate and drank wine and had a wonderful time, and then headed out to Exit (a bar in Žižkov).
The entire world came to Beli's party. We had an entire room packed full of people at the bar, and then everyone came to Akropolis afterward once Exit ran out of beer (which seems absurd in the Czech Republic!)
So up to Akropolis we went, and to be honest I kind of expected not to like the place. I'd heard it was mostly house music, and I really hate electronic music. But you know, I had the best time ever. We took a ton of pictures, danced and drank all night, and everyone really seemed to have a fantastic time - I know I did. We had a hilarious trip home, but I did make it home safely around 4:30am. :)
The next day we couldn't get up to save our lives. We managed to meet up around 3pm to get some food - a big Czech meal is the greatest thing in the world after a night of partying like that. After eating, Beliza and Shannon and I walked up to Prague Castle, then down and back across Charles Bridge. We met up with Marta and some of her friends at Duende, and had a delicious Georgian meal.
Around 9pm I headed home and said my goodbye to Shannon at her hotel door. I got home, got ready, and then left to meet with Henrique at IP Pavlova. I sort of had plans to go to Radost with Katy and Derrick (and Henrique), but I couldn't get a hold of Katy, so Henrique invited me to Mecca. I'd never been there before and he kept trying to get me to go try out electronic music with him swearing that I'd really like it, so I humored him and gave it a shot.
We got there around 1am and the DJ started just a little bit after we arrived. We had some drinks, danced, listened to the music... at the end of the night some asian guy asked me to dance, but at that point I was tired and politely refused. :) At 3am, Mr. Tipsy grabbed my arm and just said, "Come on." That was what he said instead of saying, "I'm tired, do you want to head home?" :) We got our coats and left. He ran and got on a tram, which was not the right tram for me, so we parted ways.
I walked around Holešovice for a while trying to find a tram that would take me home. Once I did, I still had about 25 minutes to wait. On the tram I fell asleep for a few minutes, not out of drunkenness but out of exhaustion. When I woke up, there was a Nigerian winking at me. We chatted a bit but I declined when he asked if we could go for coffee or exchange numbers - those dudes are trouble.
And that was that. Sunday was just what I needed - a day of relaxation, lots of sleep, cooking, laundry, and talking to my mom on the phone. :)
And here I am back at work, which is actually kind of a relief - it's always nice to get back on a normal schedule.
Ciao :)
Let's start out with the fact that I wake up around 6:30am on weekdays, and the same went for Friday. The day at work was a good one. I gave Beliza her birthday presents, we got to have lunch together, and we had delicious cake in her honor at the end of the day.
After work I rushed home, somehow thinking I'd have time for a nap, but I quickly realized I didn't really have any time for anything. I got dressed as quickly as possible, met up with Shannon, went to Tesco to buy wine, and then off to dinner at Beli's house. Pedro cooked a fantastic meal - a baked chicken, a really nice pea soup, potatoes and vegetables, plus a lemon cake for dessert. We ate and drank wine and had a wonderful time, and then headed out to Exit (a bar in Žižkov).
The entire world came to Beli's party. We had an entire room packed full of people at the bar, and then everyone came to Akropolis afterward once Exit ran out of beer (which seems absurd in the Czech Republic!)
So up to Akropolis we went, and to be honest I kind of expected not to like the place. I'd heard it was mostly house music, and I really hate electronic music. But you know, I had the best time ever. We took a ton of pictures, danced and drank all night, and everyone really seemed to have a fantastic time - I know I did. We had a hilarious trip home, but I did make it home safely around 4:30am. :)
The next day we couldn't get up to save our lives. We managed to meet up around 3pm to get some food - a big Czech meal is the greatest thing in the world after a night of partying like that. After eating, Beliza and Shannon and I walked up to Prague Castle, then down and back across Charles Bridge. We met up with Marta and some of her friends at Duende, and had a delicious Georgian meal.
Around 9pm I headed home and said my goodbye to Shannon at her hotel door. I got home, got ready, and then left to meet with Henrique at IP Pavlova. I sort of had plans to go to Radost with Katy and Derrick (and Henrique), but I couldn't get a hold of Katy, so Henrique invited me to Mecca. I'd never been there before and he kept trying to get me to go try out electronic music with him swearing that I'd really like it, so I humored him and gave it a shot.
We got there around 1am and the DJ started just a little bit after we arrived. We had some drinks, danced, listened to the music... at the end of the night some asian guy asked me to dance, but at that point I was tired and politely refused. :) At 3am, Mr. Tipsy grabbed my arm and just said, "Come on." That was what he said instead of saying, "I'm tired, do you want to head home?" :) We got our coats and left. He ran and got on a tram, which was not the right tram for me, so we parted ways.
I walked around Holešovice for a while trying to find a tram that would take me home. Once I did, I still had about 25 minutes to wait. On the tram I fell asleep for a few minutes, not out of drunkenness but out of exhaustion. When I woke up, there was a Nigerian winking at me. We chatted a bit but I declined when he asked if we could go for coffee or exchange numbers - those dudes are trouble.
And that was that. Sunday was just what I needed - a day of relaxation, lots of sleep, cooking, laundry, and talking to my mom on the phone. :)
And here I am back at work, which is actually kind of a relief - it's always nice to get back on a normal schedule.
Ciao :)
Friday, November 13, 2009
Abuse by Neglect
Dear Blog,
I'm so sorry I've been neglecting you. It was such a busy week with Shannon visiting Prague that I just haven't had time. Work was crazy busy because I had to work as Auction Admin (alone) all week, and that makes for some rough days. Nevertheless, I am here now.
As mentioned, the week at work was a hectic one. Shannon was visiting and we are having a really nice time. I went to meet her at the airport on Sunday, after a nice evening out with Beliza and hanging with my new Egyptian friend from Bombay (the club, not the city:). We went to a Czech lunch/dinner (where Shan got Italian food:) and then met up later to have a beer with my couchsurfing friend Khaled and his Czech friend Renata. It was a nice calm first day.
Monday we went to Potrafena Husa after work with her team plus a couple others. It was a very nice time, full of good conversation.. :-D
Tuesday we took it easy and went shopping after work. I wanted some new boots and found two good pairs for a good price, one of which gave me heel blisters on the first and only day I wore them. It's okay, I know they'll get comfy :) Then we went to a place for dinner where we saw falafel advertised on the board outside. It came out that I am Palestinian and the guy gave us free bread, baklawa, and coffee. Three cheers for the Arab discount - I'm glad to see it works in all countries :)
Wednesday I made a nice meal at my house and invited a few people. Shannon, Henrique, and Hamed (the Egyptian) were the guests. Dinner was fantastic and then we played wii for a few hours. Definitely a fun night.
Thursday we went after work with Jasper and Diana to a middle eastern restaurant near Narodni Divadlo, near the river. It was awesome food, but kind of crappy service. No skin off my back, though - I was in no hurry and the food was incredible.
And here we are today :) A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear friend Beliza. We will go to her house shortly for a dinner cooked by Pedro (and I know him enough to know that this is excellent news:), then to a bar called Exit in Zizkov where we will start the evening of fun. After that, who knows?
Tomorrow: sightseeing and birthday dinner for Marta, and Sunday Sha-na-na goes bye-bye-bye!
I will be better about updating this next week. I promise :)
With love, your faithful owner,
Alia
I'm so sorry I've been neglecting you. It was such a busy week with Shannon visiting Prague that I just haven't had time. Work was crazy busy because I had to work as Auction Admin (alone) all week, and that makes for some rough days. Nevertheless, I am here now.
As mentioned, the week at work was a hectic one. Shannon was visiting and we are having a really nice time. I went to meet her at the airport on Sunday, after a nice evening out with Beliza and hanging with my new Egyptian friend from Bombay (the club, not the city:). We went to a Czech lunch/dinner (where Shan got Italian food:) and then met up later to have a beer with my couchsurfing friend Khaled and his Czech friend Renata. It was a nice calm first day.
Monday we went to Potrafena Husa after work with her team plus a couple others. It was a very nice time, full of good conversation.. :-D
Tuesday we took it easy and went shopping after work. I wanted some new boots and found two good pairs for a good price, one of which gave me heel blisters on the first and only day I wore them. It's okay, I know they'll get comfy :) Then we went to a place for dinner where we saw falafel advertised on the board outside. It came out that I am Palestinian and the guy gave us free bread, baklawa, and coffee. Three cheers for the Arab discount - I'm glad to see it works in all countries :)
Wednesday I made a nice meal at my house and invited a few people. Shannon, Henrique, and Hamed (the Egyptian) were the guests. Dinner was fantastic and then we played wii for a few hours. Definitely a fun night.
Thursday we went after work with Jasper and Diana to a middle eastern restaurant near Narodni Divadlo, near the river. It was awesome food, but kind of crappy service. No skin off my back, though - I was in no hurry and the food was incredible.
And here we are today :) A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear friend Beliza. We will go to her house shortly for a dinner cooked by Pedro (and I know him enough to know that this is excellent news:), then to a bar called Exit in Zizkov where we will start the evening of fun. After that, who knows?
Tomorrow: sightseeing and birthday dinner for Marta, and Sunday Sha-na-na goes bye-bye-bye!
I will be better about updating this next week. I promise :)
With love, your faithful owner,
Alia
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Gripadita
I have a cold :( Right during the week when Khaled is arriving and I am supposed to show him around Prague, mere days before Shannon arrives... oh well. I will go home tonight, cook something homey like soup, and go to bed super early.
Other things I must do today:
1. Call Dad
2. Go grocery shopping (I did half yesterday, but I only buy in parts because I hate carrying heavy bags all the way home and up my stairs)
3. Remember to wake up early tomorrow and be at work at 7:30am. IMPORTANT!!!
I went to the movies last night with Beliza. We saw The Brothers Bloom - it was great. I really enjoyed it. Apparently it's not out in the US.. which is strange. It seems like we get movies a month or two after the US gets them, yet nobody I talked to in the US has heard of this one. Oh well. It will get there eventually and I think it will really be loved. They show Prague in this movie for quite some time and it looks beautiful. Plus I knew the vast majority of the places where they did the filming, which is always fun :)
That's all for now. Boring day, boring week.
Other things I must do today:
1. Call Dad
2. Go grocery shopping (I did half yesterday, but I only buy in parts because I hate carrying heavy bags all the way home and up my stairs)
3. Remember to wake up early tomorrow and be at work at 7:30am. IMPORTANT!!!
I went to the movies last night with Beliza. We saw The Brothers Bloom - it was great. I really enjoyed it. Apparently it's not out in the US.. which is strange. It seems like we get movies a month or two after the US gets them, yet nobody I talked to in the US has heard of this one. Oh well. It will get there eventually and I think it will really be loved. They show Prague in this movie for quite some time and it looks beautiful. Plus I knew the vast majority of the places where they did the filming, which is always fun :)
That's all for now. Boring day, boring week.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Last night's dream
I don't usually get so into these things but my dream last night was just so strikingly odd and vivid that I had to jot it down somewhere.
I don't remember all the details, but two parts of it stick out:
1. I drew a line with a big stick of pink sidewalk chalk on the sidewalk all the way from Dante's Barber Shop (where my brother used to get his hair cut when we were little) up to my house, which is about.. oh... 4 blocks or so. When I got home, I left my mom a note on the kitchen table saying, "You can use the pink line to see where I was today!" And the tone of that could be misread here, but it was a friendly tone, like it was some kind of neat "invention" so she could see where I'd been.
2. This is the really weird part - I was in my bathroom at home getting ready to take a shower. I had the water running as I was doing some other things and the drain was clogged, so the water wasn't draining.. so it was like a shower running into a bath, more or less. I heard a smack noise but didn't think of it, but the sound had reminded me of when a bug keeps smacking into a lightbulb, and I am really scared of bugs (in the dream and in real life) so I went to look. And I saw one black butterfly flying around the light, and then it fell into the water and drowned. And lying in the water was a total of eight black butterflies (not completely black, but like in the picture below), all dead. And I screamed for my mom, who came with a net of some kind and got rid of them.
You can't tell me that both those scenes aren't just a bit off-putting. Right?
I don't remember all the details, but two parts of it stick out:
1. I drew a line with a big stick of pink sidewalk chalk on the sidewalk all the way from Dante's Barber Shop (where my brother used to get his hair cut when we were little) up to my house, which is about.. oh... 4 blocks or so. When I got home, I left my mom a note on the kitchen table saying, "You can use the pink line to see where I was today!" And the tone of that could be misread here, but it was a friendly tone, like it was some kind of neat "invention" so she could see where I'd been.
2. This is the really weird part - I was in my bathroom at home getting ready to take a shower. I had the water running as I was doing some other things and the drain was clogged, so the water wasn't draining.. so it was like a shower running into a bath, more or less. I heard a smack noise but didn't think of it, but the sound had reminded me of when a bug keeps smacking into a lightbulb, and I am really scared of bugs (in the dream and in real life) so I went to look. And I saw one black butterfly flying around the light, and then it fell into the water and drowned. And lying in the water was a total of eight black butterflies (not completely black, but like in the picture below), all dead. And I screamed for my mom, who came with a net of some kind and got rid of them.
You can't tell me that both those scenes aren't just a bit off-putting. Right?
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Week & Weekend
Just to catch up on the week, work was easy and not too crazy, but I was utterly exhausted due to all the timezone changes.
I had a date (?) Wednesday evening with a guy I met in Tesco, in the tea aisle. We walked around the city, over Charles Bridge and had a drink, then went for dinner in the Afghani restaurant that I love. We had a really great time. So Friday night I invited him out. Friday after work I came home in a cleaning frenzy and did the entire kitchen (by far the dirtiest room in my apartment). I met up with Hamid (Tesco guy) and then with Henrique and Petra, and then with Katy and Derrick. We headed to Bombay where we had a nice time having a few drinks and dancing a bit. After some time we went to Rincon Latino which really wasn't that fun, there wasn't anyone to dance with. Got home and chatted online a bit with my #1 Jorge, then headed to sleep.
Saturday was a lovely waste of a day. I didn't leave my apartment once until around 11pm :) Katy and Derrick came over around 9 and we got ready and had some wine here, then went to Radost. There were a ton of people there and it was a good time, but after a little while I started feeling claustrophobic and just had to get out. I got home around 5am and was thrilled to get into bed and go to sleep. :)
And today I didn't do much either.. I didn't leave my apartment, which doesn't bother me at all. I thought it would be a lazy day but I ended up cleaning a lot - I scrubbed the floors (boy did they need it), cleaned the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, did laundry that I keep avoiding (things like sheets and the tablecloth, etc.), changed the sheets on my bed which I also hate doing because it's so effing much work. :) But it's all done, so hooray for me.
And now we're up to speed. Let's hope I don't go this long without updating again. :)
I had a date (?) Wednesday evening with a guy I met in Tesco, in the tea aisle. We walked around the city, over Charles Bridge and had a drink, then went for dinner in the Afghani restaurant that I love. We had a really great time. So Friday night I invited him out. Friday after work I came home in a cleaning frenzy and did the entire kitchen (by far the dirtiest room in my apartment). I met up with Hamid (Tesco guy) and then with Henrique and Petra, and then with Katy and Derrick. We headed to Bombay where we had a nice time having a few drinks and dancing a bit. After some time we went to Rincon Latino which really wasn't that fun, there wasn't anyone to dance with. Got home and chatted online a bit with my #1 Jorge, then headed to sleep.
Saturday was a lovely waste of a day. I didn't leave my apartment once until around 11pm :) Katy and Derrick came over around 9 and we got ready and had some wine here, then went to Radost. There were a ton of people there and it was a good time, but after a little while I started feeling claustrophobic and just had to get out. I got home around 5am and was thrilled to get into bed and go to sleep. :)
And today I didn't do much either.. I didn't leave my apartment, which doesn't bother me at all. I thought it would be a lazy day but I ended up cleaning a lot - I scrubbed the floors (boy did they need it), cleaned the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, did laundry that I keep avoiding (things like sheets and the tablecloth, etc.), changed the sheets on my bed which I also hate doing because it's so effing much work. :) But it's all done, so hooray for me.
And now we're up to speed. Let's hope I don't go this long without updating again. :)
A lot of catching up to do...
I have been neglecting this blog. I blame jet lag. Here goes, it'll be a doozy. Deal with it.
NYC - Day 1
My transport to NYC was uneventful. I was proud that I was able to get to the airport on public transportation in Prague and didn't have to pay 500Kc for a taxi. The flight was a bit annoying. I was seated next to a huge Czech guy (thankfully he wasn't a stinky one) and a baby in front of me who kept turning around and staring, adn the mother didn't stop her. Anyone who knows me knows that this is one of my biggest pet peeves - babies who turn around in their seats and stare, especially in restaurants. Whatever, I ignored her as best I could. My cab driver to the hotel was from Morocco and we had a nice chat. He gave me his number, and I did call him later that night to talk about getting to the consulate, but he ended up standing me up on the ride the next morning :)
I got to my hotel that day around 3pm. I knew if I went to sleep I'd wake up at midnight completely rested and end up awake all night, so I forced myself to go get something done. I had told my boss I would buy a new Macbook for him, so I decided to go on an adventure to the Apple store. I got on a bus and a subway to get there, and I felt really accomplished for not letting the NYC public transportation freak me out. Whoever said New Yorkers were unfriendly didn't meet the ones I did - everyone was so kind and helpful. I really missed talking with strangers. I chatted with anyone who wanted to chat, and it was lovely. That's what I miss more than anything about the US - the friendly people who love to talk to anyone who will listen.
I took the easy way out on dinner that night and just had fast food - I really hate eating in restaurants alone and was really looking forward to a hot shower and some American TV, so I wanted something to-go anyway. They don't have Wendy's in Prague, so that was my excuse for not getting something more stereotypically American. :)
NYC - Day 2
The next morning I took a taxi to the consulate. It was uneventful. I chatted to some NYU kids who are coming to Prague to study soon. My visa business only took about 5 minutes, and Tara and Maira wouldn't arrive until about 6pm that night, so what did I do? Went SHOPPING. I found an area of the city that had my favorite stores and managed to get there via subway and asking strangers. Once I found the stores I realized I was pretty hungry, so I walked around looking for something interesting. Along the way I saw a Radio Shack and went in to browse around. I took a look at the cell phones and found something called a Go Phone - a prepaid phone through AT&T. The same phone was being sold here in Prague for over 5000Kc, and was only $100 in the store. I couldn't pass it up, I hated my crappy phone so much and was dying for a QWERTY keyboard. And this way, I have a US number for when I get home, via a sim card. The phone was easy to unlock once I was back, so I'm all set.
As for lunch, I walked around after Radio Shack and ended up in....Burger King. In my defense there really wasn't anything else in the area I was in, except some places that looked dangerous and poisonous (turned out I was in a pretty nasty section of Brooklyn).
I sat down with my chicken sandwich and soon a guy who had been staring said, "Can I join you?" I thought it over quickly - on one hand, he would probably hit on me and might be really creepy. On the other hand, I'd have someone to chat with and I could easily just tell him I'm not interested and that I live far away anyway.
"Sure."
He was from Jamaica and ended up being really pleasant company. He did give me some spiel about how he felt a connection to me the second he walked on, blah blah blah, but he was easy to deter. We sat and talked for nearly two hours when I realized I really had to get to my shopping so I could get to the hotel to meet my ladies.
I bought three pairs of jeans, two sweaters, a clubbin' shrirt, and a pair of earrings. I guess I went a bit nuts but it's stuff I can't find in Prague, so that was that.
I took a taxi to my original hotel to pick up my luggage, and then had the driver take me to the new hotel where I'd stay with Tara and Maira. Having about two hours until their arrival, I hit the hotel bar, where I met a friendly older guy. We chatted for a long time, and just shortly before the girls were set to arrive he got his weird side out. He started telling me how he likes to go to these Sunday morning dances where yoga teachers and people who are into meditation gather to "feel the music".
"So you're pretty into that kind of stuff, I take it?"
"Ohh yeah, I meditate every day."
Trying to make light of the situation I said, "Not me. I probably should though - I'm a pretty angry person."
"You? Really? You don't seem like it at all."
"Well, I have a bit of a temper. Like if someone cuts me off in traffic or something, I get pretty mad."
"Yes but in those situations, you have to remind yourself - anger doesn't really even exist. Ask yourself, where is the anger located? Is it in my chest? In my head? In my legs?"
"...where is the anger located?" This guy was wacko.
"Yes, ask yourself what color is the anger? What is its texture?"
Right then, Tara called to let me know they had arrived. We had a hug&screamfest in front of all the other patrons and didn't care at all. We went up to the room where we cuddled and watched TV for a while, then finally got ready to go out.
We headed down to Steinway Street, near a club that I found on the internet. We stopped in the restaurant next door for some dinner beforehand. All the latino waiters in this place were staring at us the second we walked in. Even though we only had one real waiter, they all came over to the table at least once to check on us, despite the restaurant being full. A mariachi band played and Tara and I danced. We had a pitcher of sangria - $28!! - and they brought us a whole 'nother pitcher for FREE!!! One of the guys, Fernando, asked us if we'd like to go out with him and another couple friends afterward. We told him we were going to El Noa Noa for sure, but that he could join us. So that's what he did.
At first, he was the only one there, but then another named Jorge who I'd thought was cute came, too. Maira left to go see a friend who lives in NYC that she hadn't seen for a long time, so it was just the four of us. We danced like crazy, until we were sweaty messes. It felt SO GOOD. Luckily both Jorge and Fer were great dancers, who could keep up with our cumbias and bachatas :) We had the best time, I missed that music SO MUCH. They even had a balloon drop for the girls where the balloons had money in them and we got to pop them to find it :) Super cool.
After that we were told we were going to another "club" but it was really a small recording studio connected to a hair salon. Jorge and I went to buy drinks across the street and Tara and Fer got the music ready. We had a nice time hanging out. We danced a lot more, talked, danced more, talked more, and then finally got sleepy and went back to the hotel (we even got a ride, Fer had a car, hooray for not paying for taxis:). We said good night and happily went to sleep.
NYC - Day 3
We woke up late, very very hungry. Managed to take a subway all together to Times Square, all in search of a churrascaria. It was so worth the wait. I had churrasco misto, which was chicken, steak, and sausage - plus potatoes and rice and beans and farofa. HEAVEN. We ate very happily and made our way in the rain back to our hotel. It simply wasn't the weather for sightseeing, it was cats&dogs all day.
We crawled into bed to take naps, then finally woke up around 10:30pm to get ready. Maira wasn't feeling so well so she stayed in, and Tara and I ended up at the same club as the night before. We stopped for some food beforehand and then got to the club, to pleasantly find that it was way more full than the night before. We danced like crazy with each other and with lots of other people. Met some nice people, hung out outside for a while after, and got back to the hotel around 6am. :)
NYC - Day 4 (the goodbye)
Nothing too interesting here except that saying goodbye to my friends was really hard. I had four hours to kill in JFK and upon a call to my mom, I was reminded that the Steelers were playing!! I found a bar that had the game, and even met from people from Pittsburgh who knew a bunch of the same people that I know!! They invited me to sit with them, and we had a great time watching the game together. They were super friendly and were very curious about my Prague life, and they were very interesting as well. They gave me their e-mail address to write to them so that we can get a drink when I go back for Christmas. That reminds me, I still need to write to them.
The flight was great - I had a seat between another girl and me, so I could relax and stretch out and sleep comfortably. I took public transport back to my apartment, since it was early enough in the morning that it was still empty. Had a relaxing day - slept, had lunch with Jose, slept more, washed clothes.
And that was the journey...
NYC - Day 1
My transport to NYC was uneventful. I was proud that I was able to get to the airport on public transportation in Prague and didn't have to pay 500Kc for a taxi. The flight was a bit annoying. I was seated next to a huge Czech guy (thankfully he wasn't a stinky one) and a baby in front of me who kept turning around and staring, adn the mother didn't stop her. Anyone who knows me knows that this is one of my biggest pet peeves - babies who turn around in their seats and stare, especially in restaurants. Whatever, I ignored her as best I could. My cab driver to the hotel was from Morocco and we had a nice chat. He gave me his number, and I did call him later that night to talk about getting to the consulate, but he ended up standing me up on the ride the next morning :)
I got to my hotel that day around 3pm. I knew if I went to sleep I'd wake up at midnight completely rested and end up awake all night, so I forced myself to go get something done. I had told my boss I would buy a new Macbook for him, so I decided to go on an adventure to the Apple store. I got on a bus and a subway to get there, and I felt really accomplished for not letting the NYC public transportation freak me out. Whoever said New Yorkers were unfriendly didn't meet the ones I did - everyone was so kind and helpful. I really missed talking with strangers. I chatted with anyone who wanted to chat, and it was lovely. That's what I miss more than anything about the US - the friendly people who love to talk to anyone who will listen.
I took the easy way out on dinner that night and just had fast food - I really hate eating in restaurants alone and was really looking forward to a hot shower and some American TV, so I wanted something to-go anyway. They don't have Wendy's in Prague, so that was my excuse for not getting something more stereotypically American. :)
NYC - Day 2
The next morning I took a taxi to the consulate. It was uneventful. I chatted to some NYU kids who are coming to Prague to study soon. My visa business only took about 5 minutes, and Tara and Maira wouldn't arrive until about 6pm that night, so what did I do? Went SHOPPING. I found an area of the city that had my favorite stores and managed to get there via subway and asking strangers. Once I found the stores I realized I was pretty hungry, so I walked around looking for something interesting. Along the way I saw a Radio Shack and went in to browse around. I took a look at the cell phones and found something called a Go Phone - a prepaid phone through AT&T. The same phone was being sold here in Prague for over 5000Kc, and was only $100 in the store. I couldn't pass it up, I hated my crappy phone so much and was dying for a QWERTY keyboard. And this way, I have a US number for when I get home, via a sim card. The phone was easy to unlock once I was back, so I'm all set.
As for lunch, I walked around after Radio Shack and ended up in....Burger King. In my defense there really wasn't anything else in the area I was in, except some places that looked dangerous and poisonous (turned out I was in a pretty nasty section of Brooklyn).
I sat down with my chicken sandwich and soon a guy who had been staring said, "Can I join you?" I thought it over quickly - on one hand, he would probably hit on me and might be really creepy. On the other hand, I'd have someone to chat with and I could easily just tell him I'm not interested and that I live far away anyway.
"Sure."
He was from Jamaica and ended up being really pleasant company. He did give me some spiel about how he felt a connection to me the second he walked on, blah blah blah, but he was easy to deter. We sat and talked for nearly two hours when I realized I really had to get to my shopping so I could get to the hotel to meet my ladies.
I bought three pairs of jeans, two sweaters, a clubbin' shrirt, and a pair of earrings. I guess I went a bit nuts but it's stuff I can't find in Prague, so that was that.
I took a taxi to my original hotel to pick up my luggage, and then had the driver take me to the new hotel where I'd stay with Tara and Maira. Having about two hours until their arrival, I hit the hotel bar, where I met a friendly older guy. We chatted for a long time, and just shortly before the girls were set to arrive he got his weird side out. He started telling me how he likes to go to these Sunday morning dances where yoga teachers and people who are into meditation gather to "feel the music".
"So you're pretty into that kind of stuff, I take it?"
"Ohh yeah, I meditate every day."
Trying to make light of the situation I said, "Not me. I probably should though - I'm a pretty angry person."
"You? Really? You don't seem like it at all."
"Well, I have a bit of a temper. Like if someone cuts me off in traffic or something, I get pretty mad."
"Yes but in those situations, you have to remind yourself - anger doesn't really even exist. Ask yourself, where is the anger located? Is it in my chest? In my head? In my legs?"
"...where is the anger located?" This guy was wacko.
"Yes, ask yourself what color is the anger? What is its texture?"
Right then, Tara called to let me know they had arrived. We had a hug&screamfest in front of all the other patrons and didn't care at all. We went up to the room where we cuddled and watched TV for a while, then finally got ready to go out.
We headed down to Steinway Street, near a club that I found on the internet. We stopped in the restaurant next door for some dinner beforehand. All the latino waiters in this place were staring at us the second we walked in. Even though we only had one real waiter, they all came over to the table at least once to check on us, despite the restaurant being full. A mariachi band played and Tara and I danced. We had a pitcher of sangria - $28!! - and they brought us a whole 'nother pitcher for FREE!!! One of the guys, Fernando, asked us if we'd like to go out with him and another couple friends afterward. We told him we were going to El Noa Noa for sure, but that he could join us. So that's what he did.
At first, he was the only one there, but then another named Jorge who I'd thought was cute came, too. Maira left to go see a friend who lives in NYC that she hadn't seen for a long time, so it was just the four of us. We danced like crazy, until we were sweaty messes. It felt SO GOOD. Luckily both Jorge and Fer were great dancers, who could keep up with our cumbias and bachatas :) We had the best time, I missed that music SO MUCH. They even had a balloon drop for the girls where the balloons had money in them and we got to pop them to find it :) Super cool.
After that we were told we were going to another "club" but it was really a small recording studio connected to a hair salon. Jorge and I went to buy drinks across the street and Tara and Fer got the music ready. We had a nice time hanging out. We danced a lot more, talked, danced more, talked more, and then finally got sleepy and went back to the hotel (we even got a ride, Fer had a car, hooray for not paying for taxis:). We said good night and happily went to sleep.
NYC - Day 3
We woke up late, very very hungry. Managed to take a subway all together to Times Square, all in search of a churrascaria. It was so worth the wait. I had churrasco misto, which was chicken, steak, and sausage - plus potatoes and rice and beans and farofa. HEAVEN. We ate very happily and made our way in the rain back to our hotel. It simply wasn't the weather for sightseeing, it was cats&dogs all day.
We crawled into bed to take naps, then finally woke up around 10:30pm to get ready. Maira wasn't feeling so well so she stayed in, and Tara and I ended up at the same club as the night before. We stopped for some food beforehand and then got to the club, to pleasantly find that it was way more full than the night before. We danced like crazy with each other and with lots of other people. Met some nice people, hung out outside for a while after, and got back to the hotel around 6am. :)
NYC - Day 4 (the goodbye)
Nothing too interesting here except that saying goodbye to my friends was really hard. I had four hours to kill in JFK and upon a call to my mom, I was reminded that the Steelers were playing!! I found a bar that had the game, and even met from people from Pittsburgh who knew a bunch of the same people that I know!! They invited me to sit with them, and we had a great time watching the game together. They were super friendly and were very curious about my Prague life, and they were very interesting as well. They gave me their e-mail address to write to them so that we can get a drink when I go back for Christmas. That reminds me, I still need to write to them.
The flight was great - I had a seat between another girl and me, so I could relax and stretch out and sleep comfortably. I took public transport back to my apartment, since it was early enough in the morning that it was still empty. Had a relaxing day - slept, had lunch with Jose, slept more, washed clothes.
And that was the journey...
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