From Waco to Manhattan-Lessons Learned

After Two Weeks: 01/22/2010

Well after two weeks of living in the city of New York, there are some lessons I’ve had to learn. These are the do's and dont's of New York life….here we go.

Lesson one: Avenues are farther than streets.

On the first day of work, my co-worker and I decided to walk to 5^th avenue during our lunch break. Our logic was that 5 streets equal 5 blocks, easy to walk in a span of five minutes, thus 5 avenues must also take 5 minutes. Well, we were definitely wrong! One avenue is equivalent to walking about 3 streets, unless it’s a long avenue like broadway. By the time we got to 7^th avenue, 25 minutes had passed and we were huffing and puffing, shoes driving into the back of our heels. But we had learned: avenues are much farther apart than streets!

Lesson two: Only buy what you can carry.

I needed groceries. So I went to the store and bought groceries. I walked there. It was only two blocks away, an easy trot on a day that wasn’t too cold, about 42 degrees. The process was fairly simple. I bought a gallon of milk, juice, and some essentials. And then I left the store, stopping abruptly right outside the entrance. Uh oh. I don’t have a car. I walked here. I have to carry all of this stuff back. Shoot! Needless to say, as I shifted back and forth struggling to carry everything in my two bare hands, I learned real quick: only buy what you can carry, what you can walk with!

Lesson three: You walk a lot in New York, that is NOT an exaggeration, but more like an understatement.

When people told me, “take comfortable shoes, you’ll walk A LOT in New York,” I thought well how much walking could it be. I enjoy walking; it’ll be fun. Little did I know a lot doesn’t even come close to the proper definition, at least not for those of us from the south who take cars to even the closest of locations, whose gentle soles have never intimately connected with the streets long enough to know them. I enjoy walking. In fact, I used to walk everywhere on Baylor’s campus. But walking in New York is a different experience. It’s cold, windy, and sometimes rainy. There are stairs EVERYWHERE! The streets and avenues are crowded, and you have limited time to get to where you are going. This means you have to walk at insane speeds, catch subways, climb stairs, cross people who are too slow, make room for people who are faster, and get to where you are going on time. Always on time in a workaholic culture is a mandate, NOT an option. So yes, you walk a lot, but the important thing to remember is: you walk in ALL conditions!

So I’ve finished week two here and am starting my third week. I’ve learned the subway map pretty well. I know where three different lines begin in my area and where they will take me too. I know how to hail a cab if need be and I know compass directions. Streets run north to south and avenues run east to west. Streets increase in number as you go north and avenues as you head west. I know how to buy street food and where central park is in case you need a breath of fresh air in a city where second-hand smoke blows in your face at every street corner. But I have much still to learn. I feel this place could become home, but it definitely isn’t home just yet. I still miss the feel of Jamat khana in Texas and sometimes the ability to jump into my car and go whenever I want. I miss southern hospitality. It’s not that people are mean here like some rumors say, in fact I’ve found people to be quite helpful, but they’re ambitious and don’t EVER waste time. Some days I love the fast paced life that New York brings with its multitude of entertainment options and plethora of cultural experiences. Other days I miss sitting at home with apa and choti and mom and dad with nothing to do but watch a movie and eat home cooked food. Well that’s the best of both worlds, and most of the time you can’t have both. Overall my transition from Waco to Manhattan has been eclectic and surreal, riveting and electric.