City Lights Cruise

Thursday night after packing and getting ready to leave BK, Jennifer met up and we went to South Street Seaport to go on a boat ride around the statue of liberty. We got pretty smashed. The boat ride was filled with foreigners and working stiffs. We made the best of it and laughed at all the people dancing. I believe this boat ride was the perfect goodbye New York city serenade.

Do the Shuffle

Sunday night I went back out to Brooklyn to wish Anna farewell. She is moving back to Canada after a summer in NY. We went to R bar and had really good italian food. Yep, I am pretty bored of Brooklyn bars. They are kind of over rated. Actually, the bar scene in general is kind of dead to me. The only exception is a few places in H-ton (MC's, the Tavern), but just to meet up with people. I really don't actually enjoy bar hopping anymore. I would much rather hang out at someone's house with the people I actually care about or do something else. Anyway, I left the bar kind of early to go home and start packing up my car. I started moving my stuff out of BK and to LI. I cannot wait until I live in one solitary home again. I hate the city in the summer. It is way too hot and there isn't really much to do. Long island is the best for summer.

Anyway, so yeah I came back to LI on Monday for band practice. Lauren came over and we wrote a new song.



After practice, I met up with Julia, Sean and Jackie and we went to some shitty bar out east. Sean and I kicked ass at beer pong and I got way too drunk. I think we all had a lot of fun, but i actually don't remember all of it. I smoked an entire pack of ciggs yesterday. I can't believe I did that. I am not buying anymore packs. I feel disgusting and my breath is so bad.

Dumpster Diving

I just saw on the news that somewhere in Brooklyn they have Dumpster Pool Parties. Now, I have heard of being a freegan and getting all your food sustenance from the trash. But this brings dumpster diving to a whole new level. I wanna go!

Urban, Suburban and Beyond

Since I have moved I have become harder and more pretentious. This is good, I suppose, in the competitive world of academia and business, so I have definitely learned something here. However I feel like no matter how hard I try to avoid it, I still have my suburban-long island roots.

I know that most artists/writers have conflicted feelings about their homeland and I am no exception. Even though I have only been living off the island for 10 months, my outlook has drastically changed. I am more able to see the long island population from somewhat of an outside observer's perspective. This makes me want to move further away from long island, into another city or somewhere that I perceive would be better (though I know deep down that just maybe, LI is where I belong most). Maybe its not the place itself, but the people I am acquainted with that make me feel out of place. Maybe I just don't know where to meet the right people. Or maybe, people like me just don't hang out. That can't make any sense.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't feel like I belong anywhere, or maybe I just don't want to belong anywhere. It's not 'belonging' as much as fitting. Some people search the world to find somewhere they fit in, and then realize it was under their nose the whole time. Kind of like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

I don't know, maybe a feeling of belonging isn't something that is ever stable or permanent. I know that I felt perfectly at home in my apt and like a family with my roomies a few months ago, but now I feel somewhat out of place because the new people that I have met out at bars who once seemed witty and mysterious really turned out to be boring and not worth my time. Maybe you have to actively search to belong or fit in, as it is something that is always changing with the dynamics of the people involved. I am going to keep chasing that rainbow, hopefully move to California for my doctorate, only to find out that the people on the west coast are just like the people on the east coast and I will have to go through disassociating myself all over again.

I found out that I am moving back to Long Island after I get back from Taiwan. My teaching job calls for work in Patchogue, and I do not want to commute, no sir! I am a bit disappointed that I have to move back home, as it felt so good to be somewhat independent. But I guess its for the best, especially since we are in a recession. Ugh, another crossroads lays out before me and I must say goodbye to the old and hello to the new.

Baby, Down on White Street.

Last night PJ, Nick and the gang had a party in their loft. I invited Kristen from LI and her, Carrie and I headed over at around 11. I couldn't believe how many people were there. The whole hallway was filled with random hipster strangers. It was really weird. After a little while, PJ Got pissed because rumor had it, the cops were on their way. The cops never showed up, but I helped them clean up the hallway regardless. PJ was pissed, Nick was drunk, and I kept running out to the hallway with Kristen so we didn't have to stand in that mosh pit of a party. There were 2 kegs and a few people I haven't seen in a while that I really enjoyed seeing. Two of the people I was most excited to see were Mike Del Rio and Cass Dillon. Two summers ago I spent a lot of time with these boys, both of whom make beautiful music. (Check out their myspaces with the links provided, Cass actually played a song with Billy Joel). Anyway, they're both playing a show on Monday at Highland Ballroom, I am just itching to go. I just need somebody to go with.

It was really great to see Kristen. This was the first time she came out to BK to visit me. I forget how vivacious and bubbly she is. She is definitely great company and always puts me in high spirits. Ryry was also there, on a lot of drugs. Last time I talked to him, he went to rehab and was clean for 6 months. I guess old habits die hard.

Carrie and I left kind of early and made a cute video which I am not at liberty to share. I fucking love my wifey. I made cookies and we ate all of them. I feel like a big fatty today. Oh I also painted my door frame red last night. It adds some zest to the apt I think.

Tonight roomie Kristen and her bff Anna are having a post valentines day party. I am stoked. I guess party season is beginning again, after a long and arduous January. Lets see how I fare out with school work. Luckily, I was able to drop one of my classes because my anthropology prof let me take my independent study for 4 credits instead of 3. That should lighten my work load considerably. Yay! I love Brooklyn!

(p.s. Sorry to overwhelm you with pictures of myself and Carrie. I am not that vain, these are just silly and fun, so I can't help myself.)

Columbia BureauCRAZY.

Yesterday was my first day of school. I REALLY enjoyed my Anthropology class. The teacher is a HOT older British man. (sigh) Too many people signed up for the class however, and preference had to be given to anthropology students...I got booted. I was pissed for a while today because I already bought the books and read a large portion of the reading for the week. Tomorrow I will be checking out that same professor's undergrad course with hopes of signing up for it as an independent study with extra work. What he teaches is just so relevant to what I want to do for my dissertation eventually(media and religion, dealing with secular and non-secular beliefs). It also doesn't hurt that the prof is gorgeous.

After a long day of schooling, I was tired but completely content. Even though I had spent a total of 2 hours on the subway, I couldn't have been happier. I am living my life's purpose. I love broadening my horizons and my mind. It feels really good to be in school again. I may have more highs and lows, but its way better than the monotony of static.

After the long haul back from Columbia to Williamsburg yesterday, Carrie and I met up for Thai and went to the Lazy Catfish for free PBR and watched the inauguration party. I hung out with a lot of great people..a usual occurrence in Brooklyn. I really feel like I belong here.

Today, I had to wake up at 7 to be at a mandatory class at 9. This class is a socialization and peer review class. It is different than any other class I have taken before in that each week we read a bunch of articles and then write a response. We then submit that response online and our peers are assigned to read it. The class is all about class discussion of the materials. The professor for this class is another good looking older man, but instead of the sexy accent, he's got a great sense of humor.

After class, I met up with Kate for lunch. I had a kick ass veggie burger with sweet potato fries. YUM. Then, Kate wanted to check out a Feminist seminar class over at Barnard. I went with her to check it out. It seemed really interesting, but it was packed and I don't think I could handle rejection again.

Tonight LOST is back. A few friends and I are having a mexican potluck and champagne to celebrate the event. I am making quesadillas.

OH. I e-mailed the guy who interviewed me for teach for America and we're supposed to be going out for coffee or something this week. He's kinda cute and I already know we have good conversations. We have our ivy league status and philanthropy in common, so I can't help but think that maybe we'll hit it off. I am probably just jumping to conclusions but what can I say? It's been a while since I found someone worth seriously liking.