My Summer in Lists

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 20^th 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.

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.

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.

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.

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