I love NYC!!!

Well, I have definitely done a whole lot since that last post! A couple of weeks ago my good friend, Jeff, who is in the interior design program with me, arrived and we have been having a blast! We toured the city via one of those double-decker buses, the whole way spying buildings we had studied this last year and finding new ones that would be cool to study. We've gotten to know central park pretty well, as well as the upper east side of Manhatten, with it's shops and restaraunts.

One day we were exploring and found CHINATOWN! It was so much fun! Jeff served a mission in Canada, but Cantonese speaking, and I speak Mandarin, right? So we had a blast there! We stopped at one place to buy dragon-eye fruit, and Jeff started talking to the lady in Catonese. She responded, and smiled at the fact that a tall white guy was speaking Chinese to her...she got even more of a suprise when he pointed to me and told the lady I could speak mandarin - which I did for her. It was so fun! It made me Taiwan-sick! I'm glad to have a little peice of my second home here in the city!

I have been blessed to land two part-time internships, which I will (finally) start this week. The first is with a designer named Leslie Bryant, who is an actress, but began a design business 11 years ago. She is the nicest lady and knows business - I am looking forward to learning a lot about materials, products and running a business while working with her! The other is with Jack Levy Design, and I am also very excited about it! I had the chance to meet with Jack and his staff - there are only 4-5 people in his entire firm - and I loved it! They design very high end residences, and I'll be able to participate in nearly every aspect of the design process with them, from helping with drawings to visiting sites to ordering samples and working with clients. They are very professional, but also very informal and friendly - I am exctied to work with them!

And it looks like I will be working mon-thurs, giving me a 3 day weekend every weekend, which will be amazing for exploring the city and learning about design and architecture on my own through museums and visiting buildings! I feel so blessed by the Lord for the way everything has worked out so far, and for the oppurtunity to spend the next few months in such an amazing place with amazing people!

Foreign Country

Where we live in New Jersey is basically a foreign country. There is a great population of Latinos here. It is so much fun! There's a LONG street full of shops, just a block or two from where we live, and it's like little Mexico or South America. It's so much fun. Lucky for me, just about everyone speaks English :).

Last night I went with Aubrey and Gabe to a wedding reception at their old ward, in Passiac, New Jersey. It was awesome! I felt so welcomed - I don't know if it was the traditional Latino greeting, or just that everyone loved Aubrey so much that the love spilled over to me, but whatever it was, I was very warmly welcomed!

I made two great friends there - Maria, who is about 17 years my senior, and Rosanna, who is 12 years my junior. Amazing how some people you meet are just instantly your friends, you just connect, and age, language, race and everything else fall away! So cool!

The couple who were married are from Mexico, and therefore I got experience and participate in some of the Mexican traditions associated with marriage. At one point, we ladies started gathering in the middle of the room for what I thought was going to be the bouquet toss. Instead, we formed a line, hands on hips of the person in front of you, like we where going to preform the bunny hop. The first person in line started to run, and we followed suit, running beneath a veil type thing that was tied to the bride , who was standing on a chair, and held up by the groom, also on a chair. I was laughing my head off, not having any idea what we were doing or what the point was, when suddenly the bride fell off her chair. "Yikes!" is what I thought, but everyone else laughed and cheered and clapped. Apparently the point of the game was to knock the bride or groom off of their chair. We ladies went on for a little while, then the men took a turn, then the kids. It was so funny! They also had some other traditions...most of which I didn't understand, and neither did Maria, who is from the Dominican Republic. She'd just tell me, "only Mexicans do that" and shrugged her shoulders.

There was plenty of dancing of course, and a did dance a little, but I tell you, away from my little Rexburg bubble, where there's more gringas and gringos at the Latin dance than actual Latinos, I felt a little more than slightly self-conscious. But it was fun!

I'm sure I will have many more cultural experiences yet...and I may add Spanish to my list of fluent languages by the end of the summer :).

New York, New York

I love the city! It is insanely busy, always, but I love it! There is so much to do and see -
Three "amigos" entered the car on the subway train I was riding yesterday and treated us to a melodic spanish tune - two had guitars and the third played an accordian. In my very poor, jobless state, I couldn't offer them even a quarter, but I enjoyed their little serenade!

I think I basically have the subway system down - with the help of my little map, anyway :). I think the whole subway system is so fasinating - built underneath a massive city, strong enough to withstand layers of trains going back and forth all day long...I definitely need to research it and figure out how they engineered the whole thing!

I have yet to find an internship, but I do have a couple of possibilites after making phone calls today, and have compiled a list of over 30 potential places - so it's phone calls for me until I can set up some interviews and snag a job! I have decided that as a reward to myself for finding an internship will be to go visit Chinatown...good motivation! I need to find some Chinese pengyous friends)! Alhtough, I am seriously considering taking spanish so I can understand and talk to Aubery and Gabe! They are amazing to me and I am so blessed to be able to live with them!

Lovin' the City, not lovin' the jet lag...

This city is amazing and so far I actually feel like home :). Don't worry, Mom and Dad, I'm not considering moving here for the rest of my life (yet). I've been spending time trying to scout out good places to apply for an internship, both at interior design firms and showrooms as well as with some product designers. I've walked all over the upper east side of manhattan, and around the lake at central park. I love it! I keep having to crash and take power naps in the afternoon, because of teh time change, today I did so courtesy of a comfy chair upstairs where aubrey works - I haven't resorted to park benches yet.

After Aubrey gets off work, we're headed to the Farmer's market at union center (or city or something like that) and tomorrow she and Gabe are going to take me to Passiac, New Jersey, one of their favorite places. I'm excited to try the Equadorian food that will be waiting for me there! I miss you all back home and wish the best to those of you who are also still looking for internships. In Chinese, I'll tell you to JIAYOU! Which means add oil, or keep going - you'll make it!

Day 1

So, here I am in NYC...yahoo! So far I haven't been mugged, hit by a taxi or seen any famous people, but we'll see what the summer brings :). I actually have met a number of very nice people, and I think it's going to be great - just as long as I can land a good internship with nice people!