Tiay in NY

[vashti]

Ugh, poor Tiay! I swear not all Americans are creepy!

[Tiay]

really? somebody come buy me a loft in the east village then!

[Tiay]

I hereby deem this photo blurry enough for posting:



yea, i'm bored.

[DoesntMatter]

*waves back at Tiay*

[Tiay]

yaay! *waves back*

[Charlie Boy II]

people (such as, hypothetically speaking, saay, my creepy landlord) should be more careful about what they put in their music share:

[url]http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/10c565f9a9.jpg[/url]

hahahahahahaha it seems he has a penchant for hairy pussies, teenage virgins and incest.

I would get out of thereTiay, I mean most guys look at porn, but he's taking it to another level. I wouldn't be surprised if he left it for you to see deliberately.

[Tiay]

ew, that'd be even worse somehow. nah, he's really not techie enough for that though. itunes sharing is just on as standard.

[DoesntMatter]

... So when you coming to Rochester!?

[Charlie Boy II]

^^^ haha look at the froth!

[daletom]

I hereby deem this photo blurry enough for posting . . .

yea, i'm bored.

I just skimmed thru this thread - you sound a bit overwhelmed. Wish I could help. I've been to N.Y. city only a few days, "on holiday", and a couple business trips. The touristy things are interesting but overall I don't care for the place. Of all the major cities I've had contact with I probably like Chicago the best. Unless you let me count Kansas City as a major city.

I envy you for living an adventure! I hope you come to see it that way. We have hosted international students in our home for a few years, and I envy their ability to live out an adventure by being in the U.S. for several months.

You probably won't understand when I say, "New York City is NOT the United States. In fact, you'll never find THE United States.".

Or maybe you would. The fact is the U.S. is like half a dozen different nations - maybe 8 or even 10. Almost like Europe - composed of Spain, France, Germany, Greece, et al - except the borders aren't as distinct and we sort of speak a similar language.

I live near St Louis, Missouri - almost 1000 miles (1600 km) from New York. (Exercise for the student: If you traveled 1600 km from Shannon, Ireland, what places could you visit? Paris? Vienna? Venice? Lisbon? Reykjavik?) I'd say this is the northern edge of "The South". My oldest son lives near Kansas City, Missouri - about 250 miles (400 km) from here. Socially and culturally it's a different place - I'd place it on the eastern edge of "The West". He's taking a new job in Colorado Springs, Colorado, about 600 miles from his current home. That's definitely "The West". I grew up in Michigan - part of "The Midwest" (yes, the regional designators are confusing!) or maybe "North Central". The fact is that my culture and sociology is probably closer to the folks in Ontario or Manitoba - in the "foreign" country of Canada - than to people in Maryland, Arkansas, or California.

(By the way - I apologize for what my government put you through regarding your travel. Growing up I was accustomed to people and goods moving freely between Michigan and Ontario, across the worlds longest unfortified border. I am ashamed to say that is no longer the case.)

So in a few months you will return to Ireland, and almost all of what you know of the United States will have been learned in New York City. That is unfortunate, but we will make the most of the situation.

If you were to visit the Midwest (anywhere from Ohio through Iowa and Minnesota) your navigation would be somewhat easier. The majority of highways and political boundaries are laid out on a grid system first set up in 1787. Major roads tend to be placed in 1-mile increments, based on a reference point defined in each state. The major intersections become reference points for directions. When I was in High School, my house was "3 blocks south and a block west of Plymouth (Rd) and Inkster (Rd)". Inkster is 1 mile east of Middlebelt, 2 miles east of Merriman, etc. Plymouth is 1 mile south of Schoolcraft, and 5 miles south of Baseline Road - a reference to the surveyor's reference line from which all land in the state of Michigan can be located.

OK, enough prattling. Just remember, the United States is a big and diverse place. It is NOT all like New York City. In fact, New York City is probably the only place at all like New York City. And I hope things are getting better for you.

And if you would do me a favor - go find the places where Bob Dylan (another Midwesterner!) hung out in Greenwich Village in the early 1960's. Then, when you and your B/F visit St Louis I'll take you to Kaldi's coffeehouse and you can tell me if it's at all similar.

Dale

p.s. - If you're into graphic design you've probably come across the name "[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eero_Saarinen"]Eero Saarinen[/URL]". Perhaps his most recognizable work is located in St Louis.

[Tiay]

I just skimmed thru this thread - you sound a bit overwhelmed. Wish I could help. I've been to N.Y. city only a few days, "on holiday", and a couple business trips. The touristy things are interesting but overall I don't care for the place. Of all the major cities I've had contact with I probably like Chicago the best. Unless you let me count Kansas City as a major city.

heh, well, it's getting better every day. I keep hearing good things about Chicago. I know ER was set there, which is enough reason to want to go there for me.. too cold in the winter though.

I really like new york though. But maybe it's just that I like being in a big city for a change.

I envy you for living an adventure! I hope you come to see it that way.

adventure no kidding. I don't understand students coming here and working all summer at some yacht club and never really experiencing anything. I've already shook hands with a crack whore and gone to dinner with a group of contemporary dancers. I've also almost burned through a third of my entire life's savings..

You probably won't understand when I say, "New York City is NOT the United States. In fact, you'll never find THE United States.".

Or maybe you would. The fact is the U.S. is like half a dozen different nations - maybe 8 or even 10. Almost like Europe - composed of Spain, France, Germany, Greece, et al - except the borders aren't as distinct and we sort of speak a similar language.

oh yeah, I get that. THE United States is just to big to be the same all over. Saying "i've been in the states" says just as little about where you were as saying "I've been to europe"

I live near St Louis, Missouri - almost 1000 miles (1600 km) from New York. (Exercise for the student: If you traveled 1600 km from Shannon, Ireland, what places could you visit? Paris? Vienna? Venice? Lisbon? Reykjavik?)

I don't know.. I have the navigational sense of a stoned squirrel. I like the giant street/avenue grid here, it's so easy..

I'd say this is the northern edge of "The South". My oldest son lives near Kansas City, Missouri - about 250 miles (400 km) from here. Socially and culturally it's a different place - I'd place it on the eastern edge of "The West". He's taking a new job in Colorado Springs, Colorado, about 600 miles from his current home. That's definitely "The West". I grew up in Michigan - part of "The Midwest" (yes, the regional designators are confusing!) or maybe "North Central". The fact is that my culture and sociology is probably closer to the folks in Ontario or Manitoba - in the "foreign" country of Canada - than to people in Maryland, Arkansas, or California.

...... yeah, ok. why don't people go by the names of the states than the weird regions that don't really make much sense? I mean, you don't got to ireland and say "I went to the midnorthwest of europe.."
y'know what i've noticed.. I've only ever met/talked to very nice people from missouri.

(By the way - I apologize for what my government put you through regarding your travel. Growing up I was accustomed to people and goods moving freely between Michigan and Ontario, across the worlds longest unfortified border. I am ashamed to say that is no longer the case.)

oh, that sucks.

So in a few months you will return to Ireland, and almost all of what you know of the United States will have been learned in New York City. That is unfortunate, but we will make the most of the situation.

wouldn't some people say that's a good thing?

If you were to visit the Midwest (anywhere from Ohio through Iowa and Minnesota) your navigation would be somewhat easier.

really, do you have a giant grid there? because i'm loving the grid.

The majority of highways and political boundaries are laid out on a grid system first set up in 1787.

score!

I hope things are getting better for you.

thanks

And if you would do me a favor - go find the places where Bob Dylan (another Midwesterner!) hung out in Greenwich Village in the early 1960's. Then, when you and your B/F visit St Louis I'll take you to Kaldi's coffeehouse and you can tell me if it's at all similar.

oh! yeah, someone pointed that out to me while I was in the village. Er.. we're going to St Luis, are we? when was this decided? =P

p.s. - If you're into graphic design you've probably come across the name "[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eero_Saarinen"]Eero Saarinen[/URL]". Perhaps his most recognizable work is located in St Louis.

hm, no, haven't heard of him. Know the tulip chair though. that's cool

[daletom]

I figured I'd start a thread to put my summer updates in.
(For those who haven't heard, i'm spending the summer in NYC)

Someplace in here you asked about low-cost travel.

Well, like I tried to say, the U.S. is a BIG place. So if you go someplace, figure out how much time you have available and how much will be spent traveling. One of our foreign students was surprised to learn that train travel from St Louis to New York City would take more than a day.

Airlines are constantly running promotions, and you'll never be able to keep up with all of them. Some last for only a few days, so if something looks especially attractive there's a lot to be said for making the arrangements sooner rather than later. The best known carrier for day-to-day, low cost, no-frills service is probably [URL="http://www.southwest.com/"]Southwest Airlines[/URL].

Inter-city train travel (they tell me) is abysmal compared to Europe. "[URL="http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=Amtrak%2FPage%2FHot_ Deals_Index_Page&cid=1080072922226"]Amtrak[/URL]" is the only carrier. They have a reputation for sometimes running VERY late. But I enjoy riding the trains - seating is very comfortable and you can see some pretty neat stuff. My wife knows how to find all the good deals on their website, but I seldom can. We've gone from St Louis to Chicago for $10 as I recall, but we had to leave at 5:30 AM!

"[URL="http://www.megabus.com/us/"]Megabus[/URL]" is a recent entry. Their gimmick is that tickets get progressively more expensive as they sell more of them. I can get a ticket for St Louis to Chicago on 19 Aug for only $1 if I'm willing to ride an overnight bus leaving at midnight. But if I want to leave on 19 July, rather than 19 Aug, it'll cost $15.

You should be eligible to join "[URL="http://www.hiayh.org/"]American Youth Hostels[/URL]" and get inexpensive, dormitory-style lodging in many cities but here again I think it's a far cry from the system in Europe.

I have no first-hand experience with AYH - I only know they sponsor the "[URL="http://www.moonlightramble.com/mr/"]Moonlight Ramble[/URL]" every year when a bajillion bicyclists take over the streets of St Louis from midnight to 3:00AM. (OK, so maybe only 15,000.) Then we party until dawn at the "[URL="http://www.citymuseum.org/allattractions.html"]City Museum[/URL]", which isn't anything like a museum!

Dale

[vashti]

Ah, Tiay! I, too LOVE New York... no midwest for me, thanks (and I was born there). You should try to make it to San Fransisco and Boston. Yeah, they are on opposite sides of the country, but they are GREAT cities! If you make it out west, you should go see some of the national parks. The US national park system is the best in the world.

[DoesntMatter]

(By the way - I apologize for what my government put you through regarding your travel. Growing up I was accustomed to people and goods moving freely between Michigan and Ontario, across the worlds longest unfortified border. I am ashamed to say that is no longer the case.)

Haha, it's a shame things aren't like the olden days in some ways. Where exactly did you grow up? I've crossed the border at Sarnia at least half a dozen times before.

[anachronistic]

living here in america drives me insane. i've lived in orlando florida, toledo ohio, and in the middle nowhere of south dakota. i hate the cities, which are full of creepy people, and people with no morals.

i hate the places with little, or no people. living in the middle of nowhere has been the worst living experience for me yet. i can't wait to go to big town sioux falls south dakota for college. can't wait to be around people more often.

if i am most content anywhere, it would have been toledo. i spent the larger portion of my life there. it is a mid-sized city, and people more like me. it had the diversity of the large town, and the friendliness and trustworthiness of the little towns here.

but i still hate living here. i would like to live in germany, where 1000 year old castles still stand. their humor is also similar to my own.