1/3

Dear blog, I am done with my first semester of grad school. Well, after I have my last class today, I will be. I can't believe it. I am 1/3 of the way toward getting my master's degree! It's been a long, hard road, little blog. Thank you for being there for me, even when I wasn't! You're the best. I am really glad I started you. Wow, the delirium is still with me. I was up till 3am working on a story. And I'm sure it all went to the dogs. Haha. It was a story about dog walking. And now it's DONE. DONE DONE DONE. I'm free! I'm sooo excited to go home and see my family and friends and my dear little nephew. I need respite. Thank you, NYU, for kicking my ass. And getting it into shape.

Hello blog

It's been awhile since I've posted. I've been so busy with school, and so tired that I now understand the expression "I can feel it in my bones." I no longer know if I'm depressed or physically tired. Probably both. Good times! I'm just looking forward to having a break, to going home for Christmas and seeing my wonderful family and friends. I need to feel loved for awhile. New York City does not provide this kind of love. It does, however, provide a way of forcing one to be completely alert and aware of all that's around you. And I think I have developed a toughness that I could never get anywhere else. Thank you, Big Apple.

Meeting my idol

I got to meet my most favorite actress a couple weeks ago. Sarah Jessica Parker! She came and spoke to my class. It was such an amazing, intimate setting. She arrived without an entourage, without a bodyguard, just strolled into our classroom with two of my classmates who escorted her upstairs. She was wearing a gray top and jeans and had her hair piled up in a messy bun. My teacher, Meryl Gordon, knew SJP from when she interviewed her for Parade magazine, so they were already acquainted. Meryl asked her many questions and we were all mesmerized. (well maybe the girls more than the guys) She talked about her family, acting a little bit, but mostly about journalism and her experiences with the press. It was fascinating. She talked about how hurtful it is to have untrue things written about her in publications. I think that we forget that celebrities are people too, that they have feelings and become sensitive. We got to ask questions when the interview was over and I asked her how she talked to her children about the media. She had said earlier that every time she leaves her house, the press are there, waiting like vultures to capture her every move. I cannot imagine a life like that. SJP said she talks to her older child about it but not her twins, as they are too young. When everything was over, a few of us got to take pics with SJP. I was one of the lucky ones. She put her arm around me like we were old friends! I will cherish that photo forever. I looked into her eyes afterwards and thanked her and she smiled and said you're welcome. Her eyes are blue and beautiful. I am in love with SJP! She is such a lovely, gracious, warm person and I will never forget that experience.

Friday night

This Friday night was definitely not the stuff of Katy Perry's song, but at least it was interesting. I was having one of my lovely chronic earaches and decided to go to the ER at 1am, after complaining to my mom. So I head out and proceed to try to hail down a cab for at least a half an hour. I have definitely not learned the art of hailing a cab in New York City yet. Finally, I thought one had pulled over and in my deliriously tired state I ran over to it and flung the door open, and hear a woman scream bloody murder. The cab already had an occupant and I scared her half to death. She looked at me in horror. I stood there for a moment in shock while the cab driver gives me a look that seemed to say "What are you doing you fucking idiot?" I stammered "Sorry! I'm so sorry!" and slammed the door. LOL. The rest of the night was nothing in comparison to that.

Delivery

So last night I needed to stay up late and didn't feel like going out to get caffeine. So I actually ordered coffee from a deli to be delivered, along with a few other things. I ORDERED COFFEE FOR DELIVERY. How amazing is that? New York City is truly a place where you can get whatever you want, anytime you want.

Smell

My sense of smell has engaged enormously since I've arrived in New York City. My other senses have as well, but especially smell. I love how I'll be walking somewhere and smell the delicious scent of bread baking, or the smell of pasta wafting from an Italian restaurant, and then in the next block I'll smell urine or garbage. Scents are never dull here.

Top Ten

Hello blog. I have neglected you lately.

In David Letterman style, these are the top ten things I've learned in New York so far:

1. Don't expect a greeting. People do not say hello in New York City, and if you say hello, it might arouse suspicion
2. Theater is life. The rest is just details
3. Don't make eye contact (you were right Uncle Gene!)
4. It's important to have a sense of direction. Learn north, south, east and west
5. Don't drink anything if you plan to walk for a distance. You will never find a bathroom
6. Learn to be accustomed to constant noise. I've learned to sleep through the sound of traffic and people shouting outside my window.
7. Always have your ID ready, because security guards will not let you into any NYU building if you don't have it, even if they've seen you a thousand times
8. When taking a taxi, always know the cross street for where you are going
9. The weather is so crazy and unpredictable that it's best to be prepared for anything
10. For god's sake, keep moving. If you pause even for a second on an NYC street, there will always be a cranky New Yorker behind you ready to yell "wot are ya doing? Move!!"

When is it ok to just admit that it's not right?

Subway woes

So I had a panic attack in the subway on Saturday. Our car stopped for quite a long time due to debris on the track, and I started to panic. I can't imagine what it would be like to be stuck down there for more than the amount of time that I was already was. I can just see the headlines "California girl dies beneath the earth one month after arriving in NYC." Good times! Luckily, that was not my time to go. Later on in the day, a woman actually poked me in the side trying to get me to move inside the subway car. I told my friend and she told me I should have poked her back! Apparently, part of the hazing process of moving to NYC involves getting poked. Next time, I will poke back!

Lovely taxi driver

Last night I was walking around Tribeca with my friend Cynthia and we were crossing the street. A taxi driver was turning the corner and he came very close to hitting us. On instinct I yelled "Jesus Christ!" The driver then hollered out the window at me, "Fuck you!" How lovely. Welcome to New York! I'm learning that you have to be awfully tough to live in this city.

Speedos and security guards

Today I was in Washington Square Park and I got quite the eyeful when I saw a man wearing nothing but a green speedo bathing suit, sunbathing on the grass. I haven't seen a man wearing a speedo for a very long time, and I was impressed with his chutzpah in wearing one in the middle of a park, with lots of people around. Kudos to speedo man.

I was in Kimmel this morning (one of the school buildings where I eat my meals) and as usual, I had to run my school I.D. through one of the electronic gates to enter. Every NYU building requires that students show their IDs to go in and out. It's definitely something I've had to adjust to. Today, for some reason, I was having trouble sliding my card through and the security guard called me over. He told me something about how I had to get a new card and I started to freak out, but then he corrected himself. He said "go on, get outta here! you're making me think I'm crazy!" lol. I love how expressive New Yorkers are.

Going postal at the post office

So my roommate, Kawita, and I each received these little pink postcards from the post office indicating that we had packages waiting for us. Excitement filled us, stuff was coming from home! We decided to make a pilgrimage down to said post office on Saturday. We followed the directions to what we thought was the post office, but there was only a blank building. It turned out that post office had moved down to Canal Street, a few blocks away from where we were. Luckily, it wasn't a deep trek, so we hoofed it on down to a very large post office on one of the longest and busiest streets in New York. We waited patiently in line. When my turn came, I handed the postal worker my little pink postcard. Her reaction? "What is this? Ma'am, I don't know what this is, I've never seen it before." (Imagine this being spoken with a lot of attitude) Being the passive person that I am, I probably would have backed down normally, but hey, I'm a New Yorker now. I'm learning to be tough. I looked her in the eye and explained, also with attitude, that I had received the postcard in my apartment mailbox and that was all I knew. She wanted a tracking number. I didn't have one. At that point Kawita walked up and explained the postcard problem to the woman, in a much nicer tone. I saw the postal employee visibly soften, and we all figured out that the packages must have come to the package room at our building and not in fact to the post office. I was filled with frustration, but also proud of myself for standing up to this rude woman. Sometimes, you just have to have chutzpah.

Soccer mom

So today I actually "soccer-momed" one of my fellow grad students. A bunch of us had gone on a tour and we were walking back through our neighborhood, and this very nice young man stepped out into the street, narrowly missing a taxi. I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back and then gave him a lecture that went something like this: "You live in NY now. You have to be very aware of what's going on around you at all times." lol. Not only did I behave like a totally protective mommy, but I acted like I was such the seasoned New Yorker, when I've only lived here now for two days. It made me feel good though, because he was grateful for the help, and I like taking care of people. All hail soccer moms!

Two days in New York City

I have now been a New Yorker for two days. Although according to Carrie on "Sex and the City" you have to live here for ten years to really call yourself a New Yorker. Whatever! It's been two days in the most amazing, energetic and toughest city in the world. I already feel like a new person and that I was born to live here. I live in a residence hall with a great roommate in Greenwich Village, which is, in my opinion, the coolest neighborhood in New York City (although maybe I'm a wee bit biased!). It's full of cool restaurants and bars and coffee shops. I went to a bar tonight called Jekyll and Hyde. I'm obsessed with the concept of good vs. evil in literature so I had to enter this bar. I ended up making friends with the bartender. God I love the people here! They are all so passionate and interesting and smart.

I also attended orientation today for my program, which was so cool. I'm actually looking forward to attending class next week! We were told we would be covering a big fashion event and then also writing stories about 911. I can't believe I'm going to actually be in New York City on the anniversary. It is so poignant and real and sad. Next Friday I am going to attend a series of panels at school regarding journalists who reported stories for 9/11. There's just so much here, so much stimulation and so much to learn. I love just listening to people on the street. And my favorite quote so far here is "My coffee table is neither organic or tribal." This was spoken by a woman on the street on her cell. lol. Stay tuned!

Delay

Irene, why must you inflict your wrath upon me this weekend? I was supposed to leave for NY today, but now I'm leaving on Tuesday night. Someday I will look back on this and laugh. There have been so many roadblocks so far that have been involved with me getting to NYU and to NYC in general, that this hurricane is just the icing on the cake.

24 days and counting

There's just 24 days until I leave for NYC! I can't believe it. I have so much to do it just overwhelms me. I'm realizing what a hoarder I am. Packing is challenging because I'm such a sentimental soul, I hold on to things that bring back special memories. I like that I'm sentimental, but it doesn't help packing as I have way too much stuff! I got myself registered for two of my classes. So far, I am signed up for Storied New York and Press Ethics. I'll be taking one other class as well. I can't wait! It's going to be so interesting to take these classes and interact with other journalism students and just be a student again! Graduate school...it sounds so grownup! I also have been emailing my roommate-to-be and I'm excited to meet her. We will be living in a shared studio on the NYU campus. I'm going to be a dorm rat again! Life is such an adventure. Stay tuned. :)

Growing up

Now that I'm in my mid-thirties, I'm starting to realize how much I've changed from my mid-twenties. I'm still the same Jennie, still loud and impulsive with the heart of a child. But I'm finally learning to stand up for myself and to ask for what I need or want. Before, I would keep quiet, because I have always been the type of person who never wants to get in anyone else's way or bother anyone. I have always been WAY too concerned with what other people think. Recently, a guy that is interested in me started coming on way too strong, calling me "dear" and telling me how much he likes me, when he's never even met me! I do not appreciate neediness in men. I finally had to tell him back off, you're coming on way too strong. It felt great to be able to communicate my opinion and not feel guilty or ashamed of it. I would rather be alone than deal with some guy who does not pay attention to my feelings. I'm not quite a grownup yet, but I'm getting there! Stay tuned.

My gorgeous nephew

My beautiful nephew, Trent Zachary Debaeke, was born May 12, 2011 at 7:40am. I'm so incredibly happy and proud of my sister and brother-in-law! Kudos to them for creating such a sweet little baby! He's healthy and happy and definitely the best-clothed baby in the world, with a rockin' nursery! :) I love him so much.

The next phase of my life

I am moving to New York City this summer! I will be a grad student in the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, specializing in Magazine Writing. I'm beyond excited. This is the next chapter in my life and I can't wait to start it! I will be a real Manhattanite. :) I'm so proud of myself and for once am feeling happy and excited about the direction I will be taking. More to come!