A week in New York
Jul. 2nd, 2009 08:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Wow. Coming to New York directly from Sweden is killer culture shock. Plus this is almost the first moment I've had to do anything other than vitally urgent admin since I got here a week ago. I've been planning to record my immediate impressions for ages, even though they're perhaps not so immediate after a week.
The flight over contained air hostesses doing that uniquely American kind of intense customer service. And the airport contained surly people, but I noted that although they have made the immigration process a lot more evil since I last visited the US, it's also a lot more efficient, and I was through the airport in half an hour. There were also TVs everywhere, which usually I can block out, but the rolling news about the death of Michael Jackson caught my attention a bit. So for once I didn't find out from reading journal posts about a major news event!
Then I had to take the subway all the way to the other side of the city. New York is crowded and smelly (some of the smells are good smells, but they are all pungent) and hot and muggy, apart from the trains which blast you with air conditioning. I think the most shocking thing about coming here direct from Sweden is being able to tell at a glance who's rich and who's poor. Also, it's not at all surprising but very noticeable how incredibly ethnically diverse it is. It's not that everybody in Sweden looks stereotypically Scandinavian, not at all, but the ones who aren't look like obvious immigrants, with distinct dress and foreign accents. I keep thinking that as many people as the entire population of Sweden live in just this metropolitan area, and obviously I can't see them all at once but it's pretty mind-boggling.
Other than that, well, Stockholm is beautiful but New York has personality! I am self-consciously pretending to be a New Yorker when my morning routine consists of sitting on the subway preparing Talmud for the day's classes, and stopping by one of the millions of cafés to get a cream cheese bagel and cup of coffee for breakfast... (I am far too obsessed with bagels!) Plus, just about the first thing I did when I got here was head directly for The Strand to buy almost more books than I can carry for $20!
I spectated the Pride parade on Sunday; many thanks to
daharyn for all the excellent advice about how to get the most out of it. It was lots of people, and it was hot and loud, and I really don't know what's going on politically; I mean, it's clear that gay rights are still an undecided question here, but equally Pride is an official municipal event and it's not a political statement simply being visibly gay. I loved some of the Latino groups who were dressed as butterflies (I believe that's some kind of Spanish pun, right?)
And tomorrow is the 4th July, even though it's not actually the fourth of July. I think Pride is probably more my speed, and I might just take advantage of a day off from yeshiva to catch up on admin and the internet and revising some of the material I've learnt this week, and perhaps watch fireworks from the window. But if you have any recommendations about fun things to see or do then do speak up!
The learning so far is really wonderful, especially the Talmud class, which is just at my level. It's a very steep learning curve, and I'm finding that at the end of each morning I can do things that I couldn't have imagined being able to do at the beginning, which is the most incredibly satisfying feeling. The teacher is really superlative, plus
hatam_soferet has been helping me prepare and revise the material. Just amazing. The other classes are a bit more mixed but I'm learning interesting and novel stuff, so it's living up to my expectations.
My schedule is a bit unreasonable, though. We're leaving the house at 6 to make sure that
hatam_soferet's local community have a quorum for morning prayers, then an hour's commute into the city, learning either from 9 to 5 or 9 to 7:30, and in the evenings trying to snatch time to hang out with Jen and revise the material and do any essential chores and admin and prepare food and still somehow get to bed in time not to be incredibly sleep deprived. If anyone's in the city and wants to meet up, I have lunch break from 12 to 1 and I'm free Monday and Thursday in the early evening.
In theory my American mobile number is 646 709 5546, but I am not certain this new system is actually going to work!
The flight over contained air hostesses doing that uniquely American kind of intense customer service. And the airport contained surly people, but I noted that although they have made the immigration process a lot more evil since I last visited the US, it's also a lot more efficient, and I was through the airport in half an hour. There were also TVs everywhere, which usually I can block out, but the rolling news about the death of Michael Jackson caught my attention a bit. So for once I didn't find out from reading journal posts about a major news event!
Then I had to take the subway all the way to the other side of the city. New York is crowded and smelly (some of the smells are good smells, but they are all pungent) and hot and muggy, apart from the trains which blast you with air conditioning. I think the most shocking thing about coming here direct from Sweden is being able to tell at a glance who's rich and who's poor. Also, it's not at all surprising but very noticeable how incredibly ethnically diverse it is. It's not that everybody in Sweden looks stereotypically Scandinavian, not at all, but the ones who aren't look like obvious immigrants, with distinct dress and foreign accents. I keep thinking that as many people as the entire population of Sweden live in just this metropolitan area, and obviously I can't see them all at once but it's pretty mind-boggling.
Other than that, well, Stockholm is beautiful but New York has personality! I am self-consciously pretending to be a New Yorker when my morning routine consists of sitting on the subway preparing Talmud for the day's classes, and stopping by one of the millions of cafés to get a cream cheese bagel and cup of coffee for breakfast... (I am far too obsessed with bagels!) Plus, just about the first thing I did when I got here was head directly for The Strand to buy almost more books than I can carry for $20!
I spectated the Pride parade on Sunday; many thanks to
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
And tomorrow is the 4th July, even though it's not actually the fourth of July. I think Pride is probably more my speed, and I might just take advantage of a day off from yeshiva to catch up on admin and the internet and revising some of the material I've learnt this week, and perhaps watch fireworks from the window. But if you have any recommendations about fun things to see or do then do speak up!
The learning so far is really wonderful, especially the Talmud class, which is just at my level. It's a very steep learning curve, and I'm finding that at the end of each morning I can do things that I couldn't have imagined being able to do at the beginning, which is the most incredibly satisfying feeling. The teacher is really superlative, plus
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
My schedule is a bit unreasonable, though. We're leaving the house at 6 to make sure that
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
In theory my American mobile number is 646 709 5546, but I am not certain this new system is actually going to work!
hey!
Date: 2009-07-03 02:43 am (UTC)This is assuming that there will be fireworks, and not, *sigh*, more rain.
Ay, given the crazy schedule, let me know on what day I can treat you to lunch and I'll whisk you away for an hour. I'm booked Monday but am otherwise available next week. Or this weekend...! (I think I'm the only person I know without holiday weekend plans! If you're not wicked exhausted, drop me an e-mail.)
Re: hey!
From:(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-03 10:42 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-03 03:32 pm (UTC)(It's also giving me a strange mental image of Talmudic study as a martial art, in which deep knowledge and understanding of law and history naturally confers correct posture, efficient use of power, and the ability to anticipate one's opponent...)
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-06 10:11 am (UTC)Gosh, failed to realise you'd also be in New York at the same time as me. Would have loved to have some company to watch the fireworks with. In the end I got there early and found a good spot, and they were awesome. :)