I ♥ N Y

Contrary to what seems like popular opinion, the "Shake Shack" in Madison Square Park isn't really all that spectacular. After reading up on it, all exceedingly positive reviews, I tried a frozen custard there a few days ago (cloyingly rich soft-serve ice-cream), then today decided to splurge ($10, after a half-hour wait in the midday warmth) on a shack burger and strawberrry milkshake. The burger was tiny, juicy but I've had better; the milkshake had only a hint of strawberry flavour. Lee's Hoagie House makes better ("extra thique") milkshakes. All in all, wholly disappointing. But maybe my sense of taste is irrevocably warped; barely anything I've eaten in the past few months has fully satisfied my taste buds. If the Shack can boast 1-hour average wait times, they must be doing something right. Sadly for them, I will never find out what it is.

I got a library card today at a little nearby branch. Flashed my HKID, was rejected (comme d'habitude), then whipped out my Employment Authorization Card, which worked (will try again to open a bank account with this). Good news, I don't have to pay the exorbitant 100USD out-of-state charge because I'm apparently working here for 3 months. Bad news, the library is tear-provokingly small (oh Van Pelt-Dietrich, how I miss thee) and I managed to find only 2 out of the numerous "young adult" novels I had intended to read as preparation for the internship. I don't think they even had a real children's section. How sad. But I got 2 Robert Cormier novels and Catch-22, a John Grisham, and the Portable Oscar Wilde--partly to offset any judgments the check-out person might've made on my literacy levels. Yes, I can't help but be self-conscious. People in general judge too often, and too quickly.

I walked past a man in a suit smoking a cigar in front of what I assumed to be the building where he works. I've heard of cigarette breaks, but--cigar?? Bizaare. I also walked past 2 kids--no more than 12 yrs old--walking along, sniffing coolly from some aerosol can and then spitting on the street. It horrified me a little bit.

SVA is situated next to a public school, a Japanese restaurant and a Chinese bakery selling overpriced buns. I wish Chinatown were within walking distance. SVA is overrun with Penn kids.

Mel left this morning. It is a bit lonely and sad being in this room with all her stuff gone. It's been really nice having her around not only because settling in completely alone would have sucked (prodigiously), but also because we rarely really hang out for any amount of time at Penn besides the occasional lunch or dinner gathering, so it was nice just to chill (when she didn't have training).

I'm going for my second babysitting session tomorrow. We're going to the Museum of Natural History by Central Park... haven't been in almost 6 years. Yippee.

The occasional siren from the street below (these windows are not at al soundproof) reminds me of Hill, freshman year. Except this time we got a more or less normal-shaped window. But no rocking chairs. And no Allison Castel or Julie Rothe to watch over us (not that they really did back then).

Laters.