New York City-the City of Cash

New York is a city of cash. If you can only choose between a credit card OR cash, take cash. Even if you have a credit card, always have cash. If you only have cash, make sure you have enough cash. And, if a place says it takes a credit card, don't believe them. Have cash. New York is a city of cash.

Shout out to the Birthday Boy

Some fun pics and videos while I was in DC. Make sure you all watch the last one. It has been a long-time coming. Hope you had a great day Birthday boy :D

Live from New York, it's Saturday night!

If you ever want tickets to SNL, you should probably plan on camping out the Friday before a show. They give out the actual tickets Saturday morning at 7 am, and depending on the guests, people get there pretty early.

Some friends decided to wait in line this last weekend so and I waited in line with them for two hours. After that I was wet and cold (and also had to catch a bus to DC in the morning which was actually a HUGE blessing, as we are about to find out.)

There are some AVID SNL fans. I can't blame them really. SNL is pretty brilliant (when they are on). Many people want to partake of this as much as possible. Such is the case with Chris.

While we were waiting, an avid fan, Chris, went around and talked with various people in line. He stopped with us for about, oh, 1.5 hours. It was interesting and he was nice. We talked about movies as he is some-what of a film critic. Naturally, I can talk about film with anyone. Initially it was fine but then I realized he was starting to drop subtle hints about going to see films together and how it's not what you know but who that can get you good deals on movie tickets and other such things. By the end, knowing he was going to ask for my number and me-not-wanting-to-give-it-so-I-got-his-instead-telling-him-I-would-just-text-him-and-he-would-have-it-and-I-never-did, I realized that there are some interesting people in New York. It was fun chatting with him and by no means did I feel threatened. I just didn't want to get to the point where I would have felt threatened in anyway. So, the excuse that I was going to DC really helped for me to get out of there. And although I can never wait in the SNL line again, it was a moment that me and Cindy Russell will share for the eternities.

Some really cool things did happen though. I witnessed a run-a-way horse running in front of us with a carriage. It finally slowed down because cars were stopped at a red light. I waited for the driver to be running down the street chasing the horse but to no avail. But, we did see Bill Hader :D


And, to top of the night, I'm pretty sure I saw Robert Downey Jr. I say pretty sure because I was convinced it was him but the others around weren't as convinced. We were waiting in line and he and another guy came out of a store, looked at the display in the window (which they were obviously helping with in some way), and said something that I didn't hear. I was facing the two gentlemen so I could stare comfortably. And I did as the guy looked a lot like RDJ. The RDJ guy kept looking at me, and I looked at him. I want to think that he was saying in his head, "yup, you know who I am and I know you know. It is me, Robert Downey Jr.). He knew something and he knew that I wanted to know... It was quite the moment we had between us.

Then, he walked away and the other guy went back into the store. I told Cindy who I thought it was and was upset I didn't say anything. He ended up coming back with McDonald's and, yet again, I didn't say anything. But, I did have a comeback because he ate his food in clear view. And I documented the moment with my camera.

Those with me didn't feel it could be him. Why would he be in a store helping with a display on a Friday night? My response: why wouldn't he? Those who didn't feel it was him said that this guy looks more Persian than like RDJ. I say he doesn't. He even ate the burger the same way Tony Stark does in Ironman. So, readers, I leave it up to you. Do you think it is him?


I must say that there are so many questions now as to who this man is. Although, I must say, I'm not sure which is worse: The realization that this guy may not be Robert Downey Jr. or what it says about the state of our recession if, in fact, Robert Downey Jr. was eating McDonald's...

A surreal movie experience

Imagine, if you will, a few moments of being completely surrounded by film. While switching off between writing a paper on a film for one class and watching another film for another class, I got up for a brief break, looking out the window of my apartment. Is there any doubt in your mind what was going on?!? Yes, a huge film was being shot outside my window. There were cranes and cars, stunt-doubles, food, and you name everything else. The picture below isn't the best as it was taken from my window. But it is proof that my definition of paradise really does exist :)

Blog-off

For those wondering who posted first: Rosie officially won the blog-off posting a very entertaining and witty blog. I thought it only appropriate to give her a shout-out and to concede with grace and dignity.

More New York Moments

*It's expensive to go to the movies. Much more expensive than Salt Lake. So, my roommate and I are splitting a Netflix subscription. It costs less per month than going to one movie. We get excited too because sometimes we forget what movie is coming next. Netflixs is kinda like Christmas. You don’t know what you get until you open it.

*I was asked the other day if I have a Blackberry. I wasn't sure if saying no was a good thing or a bad thing.

*Tip with dealing with cockroaches. Get them in the toilet somehow and flush. And if you are too scared for that then Erin will just whack it with her shoe.

*Funny mental image: Amber (my roommate) discovers a cockroach in the bathroom. "The cockroach is following me."

*It seems that this city runs on tips. And you aren't served well unless you give a decent tip. Still trying to figure out what a decent tip is...

*Some people have never heard of pinenuts. If you go into a store asking for pinenuts, they may give you a box of peanuts. "No, PINE-nuts." "Peanuts?" "No, PINE-nuts. They are different."

*If the water is shut off in your building, make sure you turn off all water after trying to see if the water is really off. Otherwise you may come home to the bathroom and kitchen sinks running. Good thing our pipes weren't clogged.

*Sometimes I wish I would meet a good guy and that we would meet in Times Square. He would be wearing a navy uniform and I would be in my nurses outfit. The rest would be history, printed in Time Magazine.

The five stages of grief when lost in NYC

Erin has come to visit. We are definitely having a good time. I think we are creating lots of memories. Here's an example.

Friday night I had a school forum to attend. It started at 6 but I had to work until 5:30. So, when I realized that I wouldn't have time to go home and pick Erin up I texted her to meet me at 33 W 19th Street which, if you look at the map I gave her, would show that that is the address of my work. After going back a bit my phone died.

At this point I had about ten minutes to get to school but I had no idea where she was. She said she was at 26th street which is the wrong direction so I texted her to tell me where she was. But, with the phone dying I couldn't even turn my phone on to see.


Stage 1: Denial

I didn't know what to do. At this point I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I couldn't believe that the day I needed to be on campus I was looking for a friend lost in New York.


Stage 2: Anger

Did I not give her a map that showed exactly where I would be? Did I not explain that I needed to be at campus at 6?


Stage 3: Bargaining

There was no way that she would find me and seeing that I knew how to get around better, I decided I needed to somehow figure out how to contact her. My phone was dead so I couldn't pull her number off. So, I needed to contact someone who had her number. I had $2.00 in quarters so I called my mom on the house phone. She wasn't home but Dad was able to give me Brittany's phone number. I called Brittany but she didn't answer so I left a message telling her it was VERY important to call Erin and tell her she needed to go back to my apartment and meet me there. So I went back to my apartment to wait for Erin.


Stage 4: Depression

I knew Brittany wouldn't even listen to her message for another 45 minutes. I had no idea where Erin was. I didn't know what else to do other than to wait. I had missed the forum.


Stage 5: Acceptance

At this point it was 6:30 and there was nothing I could do but wait. Erin had my keys so I couldn't even get into my apartment and charge my phone. My roommate had gone out for the night so no one was there to let me in. I just waited.

I then realized that I had a few more quarters and I had a dollar bill that I could break. I went next door to our favorite Chinese restaurant and asked them to break it. I now had $1.75 in quarters so I walked down to the corner where another set of payphones are. So, I put $.75 in the machine and dialed the only other number I knew. Erin's home phone number which I had called several times when I was younger. "Please insert seventy-five cents." I inserted another $.75. "Please insert seventy-five cents." What?!? The phone I had was broken?!?!?! It wouldn't even give me my change back! All I had was 75-cents. This was it. I didn't even have any more bills in my wallet. I went to the next phone and put a quarter in, hearing a click. A good sign. I put another one in and then another. I dialed the number and it rang.

I didn't know what I would do if no one answered. I was going minute by minute just trying to get in contact with Erin.

"Hello?"
"Hi, Audrey. This is Ashley Pacini in New York. I'm trying to get in contact with Erin. My phone died and she has my keys to the apartment so I can't charge my battery. I'm not sure where she is but could you call her and tell her to meet me at my apartment?

About 20 minutes later Erin showed up. By this point I was laughing inside as I realized that she was probably more freaked out and upset than I was. She was very apologetic and I felt bad for being so angry. I decided to just email the professors who did the forum so no big deal. We ended up walking around New York City for a bit. I made her lead as a test. We also called Brittany and told her there was no longer an emergency. She was quite nervous.

Post Script: Erin did try calling Brittany on her own. She actually ended up at school thinking I would go there, walking into the classroom but didn't see me. So she turned around and came home.

Conference at Starbucks

Our internet decided to stop working early Saturday morning. We decided it was too much of a hassle to get dressed up and go to church. Instead, we went down to the end of the block to Starbucks. I grabbed myself an Apple Carmel Spice and my roommate grabbed a Hot Pumpkin Chocolate and we sat down with another friend, Charlye, to watch General Conference. 3 girls watching conference on 2 computers inside Starbucks – oh the irony.

During each song we would stretch a bit. I noticed after the second song two middle-aged men were sitting behind us. They had been there for quite a while. Right before President Uchtdorf's talk we stretched again and one of the men asked us what we were watching so intently – 3 20-something women watching men in suits on the screen. They were confused. Inevitably they figured out that we were Mormon and decided to ask us what's up with the golden underwear and if we watch Big Love. We told them that there is no golden underwear and that Big Love has nothing to do with our religion.

We later found out that the men were freelance photographers. They had some of their equipement with them and snapped some shots of us. They ended up sharing the photos below with us.

As we were getting ready to leave a lady with a baby came and asked if we were leaving. Before we got all of our stuff she was sitting down already feeding the baby, free like a bird. People are much more open in New York.



This picture is originally a polaroid but it didn't scan very well so I took a picture of it. One of the photographers took this of us without us knowing when they got to Starbucks.



This is Charlye. She is in the Union Square 3rd Ward with us and is a junior at NYU studying journalism.



Awesome roommate Amber.



Not the best picture of me but since I put Charlye and Amber on I thought it only fair to put me on too...

Response to comments

Tammy: I am DEFINITELY going to look for Persuasion. Such a classic!

Brittany: I will also look for Dante's Inferno. Not sure if I'll read it though...

Random comment by me: I will also be looking for a book called On the History of Film Style by David Bordwell. Apparently it costs a bit to buy. That means that if I get my hands on a copy I could earn a bit of dough :D

Rosie: Being here three weeks now has given me a type of confidence. Half the time I'm going the wrong way but people still stop me to ask for directions. I just point them in a direction even if I have no idea what they are looking for. They'll ask someone else the next block anyway.

Oh, and, I can't wait til you update your blog (hint, hint, nudge, nudge) ;)

More Randoms from New York City

*If you see a friend that you haven't seen in a long time, don't scream during the middle of a dance party. Otherwise people will think there is either a cockroach or that somebody jumped out a window.

*There are actual people named Shaniqua

*People still carry boomboxes around on their shoulder and listening to them

*Events happen all the time, including events that have red carpets. It is possible to walk the red carpet...

*It is possible to carry a microwave 6 blocks

*Be very careful as to what hats and skirts you where when crossing an intersection, or simply when it is windy

*You can be born in 2008 and be a grad student at NYU

*To simulate swimming in New York, all you need is high humidity and some cleaner with bleach.

*Cockroaches don't die with bleach. To ensure death (or at least removal of the body), flushing of the body down the toilet is necessary.

*Movies are filmed constantly in New York

*When in an elevator, brace yourself to move up, not left or right like a subway.

*People do DTR in NYC. One conversation goes like this: Imagine a guy looking at girl with a blank face while she says "If you have an issue you need to tell me what you feel. What you feel in here" as she taps his chest.

*Broken and abandoned umbrellas everywhere when it rains and there is wind. Note to self: invest in a raincoat

Remembering 9/11

Several days ago I visited Ground Zero. It was a quick visit and nothing drastic happened. But I remember the somber feeling that was there. People seemed to talk a bit quieter and walk a little slower. I went back to 8 years ago.

I won't go into my story of where I was that day. We all remember. But I will say this. It is still very much a part of the people's lives in NYC. I see posters on the streets about it or advertisements trying to help people that are still suffering from the effects.

I'm grateful to be in the city today, not just as a tourist but as someone who lives here and is understanding what it is like to be a New Yorker. I'm not there yet, that's for sure. But I can see how the city kept living. It's in these people's blood. And I was reminded of that tonight.

I don't know how intentional it was but tonight was the first night of a YSA Conference in NYC. And of course the talks were on remembering, especially 9/11. The Stake President at the time of the tragedy spoke to us and shared some personal insights into the events. It was amazing and touching to hear his thoughts and experiences and to remember what a tragedy it was. But even he said that, paradoxically, many people have come out with a new type of faith and hope in life.

I don't want to get too preachy, and I don't really want this blog to turn into a sob fest. But I thought it appropriate to at least say a few words on the subject as today is the anniversary. It was such a terrible tragedy. But to see the strength of the people who lived it is truly inspiring.

Grad school Day 1

I survived my first day of grad school.

Visitors, lessons, and early morning wake-up calls

More lessons I've learned:

*If you were wondering:



*Most popular type of bench found in NYC (I don't know how this picture turned out like this. It just sorta happened and I actually like it :D).



*If you don't bother the pigeons, they won't bother you.



*Don't make eye contact with dialoguers. If you do you will be out money. Or, you will feel bad for not giving money...

*If you trap a cockroach in a cup just know that it will not be dead after 4 days. Also, they can withstand water but not Windex.

*It is possible to have someone ring your bell at 5 in the morning. This usually only happens on the weekend and is most likely a drunk. (I wouldn't know though since I didn't answer the entry phone (which will be referred to from now on as a citofono).

*If you walk around NYC in flip-flops then your feet will get dirty. (And very likely, blistery.)

Looking up in NYC

You run into interesting characters in NYC

What would New York City be like without the Naked Cowboy??



They are holding on a very important conversation... Dreamworks or Disney?



This guy jumped over six people and then went around asking for money...



We even have some good ol' Italian blood!



Who better to run into?!?!

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Audience Participation

One of my favorite parts in the movie Serendipity is when Sara writes her information in a random book on the street for Jonathan. She then sells it to a used book store. The purpose is so Jonathan can find her if he is destined to do so.

As I was walking around New York City the other day I was reminded of this. I passed book shop after book shop and began stopping at the different book vendors. Wouldn't it be cool to go on a similar mission, looking for a random book every time I passed a vendor?

Well, I decided to do it! And this is where you all come in. I hope to pass many more book vendors and want to go in search of "the book". But I don't know what "the book" is. I want you all to tell me what "the book" is.

Take a few days and think about it. Then post a comment and tell me what book you want me to find. Let's say it has to be obscure enough that I won't find it at every table and yet well known enough that I will be interested in reading it once I buy it. Not only will this be a mini-NYC adventure, but I want to read about an adventure in whatever book it is.

So, think about your favorite books, ones that you would recommend to me. Think about how fun it would be for me to look for it on the streets of New York City. And tell me what book you think that should be!

Ready...set...go!

6 Lessons in 3 days

1. Don't confuse the desk clerk at the hostel. If you confuse him then he will confuse you.
2. It is okay to put makeup on in the Subway, or as I like to affectionately call it: farding.
3. The West Village is not a bad place to get lost in.
4. The walking signals are only suggestions. As long as no cars are coming you are free to cross the road.
5. Don't make eye-contact with the creepy guys. If you do they will either say, "hello beautiful" or "hi gorgeous".
6. Just keep walking. You will eventually find the subway.

Freaking Out

I was at a movie with a friend today when I realized that I am moving to New York in two days... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also realized that my new favorite purse has a zipper.

Bloody noses, to-do lists, and good-byes

Researchers from the University of New Zealand have published findings on those relocating to various locations resulting in new employment or furthering education. Researching included observing and interviewing a number of individuals including a Master of Arts candidate in Cinema Studies at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, in which she will begin matriculation September 8, 2009.

Dr. Richard Jackson said Tuesday that "those individuals relocating to other locations have three things in common: bloody noses, to-do lists, and good-byes." He continues, "In one case we learned that one patient even included all three items on a master to-do list. This is because of the chaotic and disorganized nature of such an event."

Researchers say that the ultimate goal is to allow for less stress and smooth transitioning with a new lifestyle.

*Researchers do not suggest that such findings are actually linked between the others. Bloody noses really just happen whenever.

A New York moment (and I'm not even in New York)

It doesn't happen often where I have a New York moment, especially since I'm not in New York yet. But it seems that I have been having a few lately (maybe in preparation for heading there soon?) Here is one that happened tonight.

I was just sitting down, chatting with my peeps when all-of-a-sudden, out of nowhere, someone came up to me, looked me in the eyes and slapped me in the face!

I may have omitted various details but the point remains the same: I still got slapped!

Statistics wasn't my best subject in school...

I wanted to find statistics on crimes in NYC to scare my mom but I came across these random facts instead...

Size
Central Park, total acres: 843
New York City, total area in square miles: 301
Manhattan, total area in square miles: 23.7
Manhattan, length: 13.4 miles (21.5 km) long
Manhattan, widest point: 2.3 miles (3.7 km)
Manhattan, narrowest point: 0.8 miles (1.3 km) at narrowest point
The Bronx, total area in square miles: 44
Brooklyn, total area in square miles: 81.8
Queens, total area in square miles: 112.2
Staten Island, total area in square miles: 60.2

Climate
Average temperatures:
January
Low 26 degrees F, -3.3 degrees C High 38 degrees F; 3.3 degrees C
July
Low 67 degrees F; 19.4 degrees C High 84 degrees F; 28.8 degrees C
Average rainfall:
January 3.1 inches
July 3.7 inches
Average snowfall:
January 7 inches
July 0 inches

Population
New York City: 8,214,426
Bronx: 1,361,473
Brooklyn: 2,508,820
Manhattan: 1,611,581
Queens: 2,255,175
Staten Island: 477,377

Entertainment Production
Location shoots: 40,000 annually (including commercials, feature films, television shows and series, music videos, documentaries, etc.)
Daily productions: 100
Feature films: over 250 a year
Television shows: 100+
Shooting days, 2006: 34,718
Direct expenditures: $5 billion
Entertainment production employment: 100,000
The Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting (tel. 212/489-6710)

(http://www.nycgo.com/?event=view.article&id=78912)