In the interest of providing some background to stuff to come, I
thought I would begin by briefly bringing you all up to speed on the last
couple of months through the medium of LISTS.
WHERE I HAVE BEEN IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS
1) Birmingham,
UK
2) St
Albans, UK
3) East
Williamsburg, BROOKLYN
4) Harlem,
MANHATTAN
5) Bushwick,
BROOKLYN
6) Bed-Stuy,
BROOKLYN
7) Back
to Bushwick
(Pheew!)
WHAT I HAVE DONE IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS
1) Sat
my second year university exams
2) Passed
my second year university exams
3) Said
many a goodbye (tearier and more slurred than I had perhaps hoped for)
4) Made
many and introduction
5) Been
made to leave my first NY apartment by my once Vegas bouncer ex-karate champion
landlord
6) Seen
the Manhattan skyline light up the night from many a Brooklyn roof.
7) Spat
water/thrown cans/paper off many a Brooklyn roof
8) Stuck
my head over the edge of many a Brooklyn roof
9) Run
away from a pitbull
10) Started
work at BritishAmerican Business’ snazzy offices on the 20th floor
of a midtown building
11) Had
my laptop, camera, ipod and headphones stolen
12) Got
the subway into town and got sushi at 2am
13) Found
a new apartment which is nice and the landlord seems to be allowing me to stay (touch
wood)
14) Stood
on a fire escape and sung Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, the Beatles and Frank
Turner loudly into the Brooklyn night, because England keeps my bones. (And we have the best music).
WHAT I HAVE LEARNT IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS
1) I
have the most fantastic friends in the world.
I mean, I can only really say that with authority over the bits that I’ve travelled. But from ET to GMT, they’re the best.
I mean, I can only really say that with authority over the bits that I’ve travelled. But from ET to GMT, they’re the best.
2) Despite
having a ‘postal service’, American’s don’t understand the noun ‘post’. You can
post some mail, but mail some post and they won’t have a
clue what you just did.
3) I
will never, ever be ‘street’
4) Having
a padlock on your bag is of no use if you don’t put your valuables in it
5) Having
nothing of value is strangely liberating
6) I
will always need my mummy.
THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW I WOULD MISS FOUR MONTHS AGO
1) Cadbury
chocolate.
I never bought the stuff, but it was nice seeing it there in the shops. Hersheys looks grim.
I never bought the stuff, but it was nice seeing it there in the shops. Hersheys looks grim.
2) Spray
deodorant.
It exists, but just doesn’t seem to be a very big thing. There’s not much of it in the shops. Apparently hygiene products in a spray can is weird over here, but cheese? Perfectly usual.
It exists, but just doesn’t seem to be a very big thing. There’s not much of it in the shops. Apparently hygiene products in a spray can is weird over here, but cheese? Perfectly usual.
3) English
misery.
People here are positive, friendly, confident and enthusiastic all the time.
It’s fucking tiring. A bit of cynicism and negativity wouldn’t go amiss, dudes, you're making me uncomfortable.
People here are positive, friendly, confident and enthusiastic all the time.
It’s fucking tiring. A bit of cynicism and negativity wouldn’t go amiss, dudes, you're making me uncomfortable.
THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ACHIEVED WHEN I LEAVE
1) Be
able to speak Spanish
2) Be
able to play the guitar
3) Be
able to pull off wearing a cap