Blurbs From Eunee's Mind (and Life)

OK, no my cognitive overload did not cause my frizzy hair - although it's fun to think of it that way. The 83% humidity today on Long Island caused my frizzy hair! Yeah - a natural reaction to humidity apparently for me. It's days like these I wonder why I even bother to blow dry my hair all nice and neat (actually today I got smart and didn't do that.... so much for cognitive overload - apparently I had enough non-overloaded brain cells to think ahead like that!). So what of this overload? Ah well, it's just that in my Social Work Theories class we were focusing on cognitive-behavioral theories, and I was in charge of presenting it and facilitating discussion. It was actually quite interesting. It's also interesting going into such discussions knowing that people in your class don't necessarily see the merits of these theories. I mean, I see the merits simply on the basis that it was part of my job for the last 5 years! I don't buy the theories in whole, bu...

So just as I said in my previous entry, my stay in Montreal deserves its own blog entry - and so here I am, typing away at my keyboard again. I arrived in Montreal at about 8:30 p.m. and being hungry, I mentioned it to my friend. She immediately stated that we need to find food now, before things close! Huh? I was a bit befuddled but I chalked that one up to my exhaustion from being confined to steel containers with windows. So, we went looking for something to eat. Fortunately we did not have to go too far as there was a food court right there. Then my friend proceeded to warn me as I looked at my choices, "Set your expectations real real low." Okay.....now I was a bit more confused. But I just let it go. That was my introduction to Montreal - a city where almost everything closes down at 5 p.m. except for a few eateries, some cafes, and all the bars and clubs. Yes, even the mall closes at 5 p.m. I don't think I've ever had to hustle to get to the mall before it clos...

Okay, so I didn't learn my lesson and decided that before things got hectic for both my friend and myself, I'd take a trip up to Montreal to visit her. Yes, Montreal, Canada.... Although a flight to Montreal takes about an hour and forty minutes max, the cost is the same as flying home to Los Angeles from New York. So, in the interest of saving money (a round-trip student fare from New York Penn Station to La Gare Centrale - Central Station - in Montreal, Quebec is a whopping $100 and change), I decided that although the train-ride is 10 hours long, I would do it since I had tons of reading to do for school. So I awoke (or didn't really sleep actually) at 4:30 a.m. to make sure I was on the 5:59 a.m. train (at the latest) out of Port Jefferson into Penn Station. When I got to Penn Station in New York, I started to panic when my reservation # would not bring up a reservation for me on the Self-Ticketing Machine. Oh boy.....I HAD confirmed at home, but what was going on?!? I ...

So it has been over a week since I've been here now - actually it has been 2 weeks - and those moving adventures have now been filed away as memories and lessons learned. School has begun and so has my adjustment to a new state, new city, new school, and new life. My mother left yesterday which was sad, but I had to remind myself that I was here in New York for a reason. I dropped her off at JFK International Airport and then took a parkway along the south shore to drive from the airport to Brooklyn Heights where I was to meet my nephew and drop off some goods for him (namely ramen and a package his mother had sent to me to give to him). Making the drive to Brooklyn Heights from JFK took more time than driving from my apartment to JFK (which is usually an hour and a bit)! Yes, traffic IS really bad in New York. I'd venture to say it might even be worse than L.A. BUT most of my drive enabled me to see some sights and forget for a moment that I had been sad. I saw the Statue of L...

This is the last installment of my initial adventures in New York during my first weekend here. The date was Sunday, August 26th and we were accompanying my nephew to his dorm in Brooklyn Heights (right across the water from Manhattan). I don't think I mentioned that it takes a while to walk anywhere from my apartment. The previous day we walked for 45 minutes to the nearest grocery store. At the pace we were walking, it would probably have taken us an hour to the train station. The bus? The nearest bus stop is probably about a 30 minute walk - I might look into it; the only problem is that it stops running after 8 or something ridiculously early like that. Doesn't help when I have classes after 8. . . . Anyway, we called a cab since we are taking 3 bags - one each - and none of us were in the mood to be dragging them down the road for an hour to the train station. . . . We got to the train station and found that the train had been delayed due to some technical difficulties. I ...

My third adventure picks up the next evening (that would be Friday - less than 24 hours after we've been in New York). My nephew (who missed his flight earlier) has now made his way across the continent, courtesy of Virgin America, and was with us as we returned our rental car. We turned everything and dragged his bags through the AirTrain once again, heading to the Long Island Railroad (or the LIRR as it is abbreviated here). Now if ever I get married and take my kids around on a trip or something, I'd imagine it would be very similar to what I was experiencing tonight - purchasing AirTrain tickets for everyone (mom, nephew, and me), making sure to purchase LIRR tickets, finding the elevator, answering questions about where we are headed, all while rushing to catch the train because it had just pulled in and if we were to miss it, we would have to wait another hour for a train to our destination. Once on the train, we relaxed a bit, but of course I had to inform my mother that...

My second entry about my adventures in New York picks up shortly after arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in the wee hours of the morning. We landed after 1 a.m. and walked for what seemed like hours, taking elevators because my mother preferred them to escalators, and finally arrived at baggage claim. At baggage claim we realized we would need a cart for our 4 suitcases and 2 carry-on luggages. So, of course, the cart-dispensing machine does not work. There were workers bringing in carts from outside and we had to follow them to obtain a cart. I followed them all around the carousels and finally got one after 5 minutes of flashing money, handing over money, and trying to get my hands on one to actually roll away with me. We got all our baggage onto the cart and went to take the AirTrain (a train that connects all terminals and other stops such as rental car places, hotel shuttles, and public transportation). Rolling a cart full of baggage when platforms are uneven can b...