A hell of a town

Well, after a month and a half of potato-couching, video-game-playing, and NYC craigslist-surfing (occasionally punctuated by the odd interview), I am proud to report that I am gainfully employed. Hurrah! My summer break is ohhhhhhver!!! (cries).

I feel like I should do some more NYC investigative sleuthing, because I don't think I gave my dear readers very much to go on from the last entry. But as anyone can attest to when they are married, or perhaps in a deep relationship, all of your opinions tend to be influenced by your significant other. So I will list both of our observations here.

Things I have noticed:

• amazing architecture, especially all the old churches and gargoyle-clad buildings
• dirty streets, but there are potted plants and lots of trees.
• slightly sub-average american service (Manny, who set up our bank account, was chewing gum and had his lunch delivered to his office while he was helping us, grinned that he was the most popular guy in the bank with the customers).
• music everywhere! Even when you don't want it! Like... there was a mariachi band playing ON a RUNNING SUBWAY on the way to an interview! .. but when I got off there was an opera singer singing carmen, who was awesome.
• There is a musical about EVERYTHING here. Did I mention there is a new 'Legally Blonde, the Musical"?! yeesh.
• Central park has a million horse-drawn carriages. I want to pet them ALL!
• We have cable! Soooo many channels of delicious television! I now have a secret longing to be picked up by the Cash Cab.

Things Takeshi has noticed:

• Fancy cars. "Holy shit! that's a Mercedes SLK something something!" or, "Woah, that's the third Land Rover I've seen today!" (or was it range rover? can you tell I'm not a car person?). anyways, he is dying of car envy, since he had to give his away before we came here.
• Customer service that is so bad that people would be sacked in a second in Japan.
• Is that a building? whatevah. (not so impressed with architecture)
• laidback, lazy office environment and good friends at work, way less stressful than the office in Tokyo.
• Filthy streets and horrible smells, soot in your pores, and all the nasty smoke smells in combination leading to unbreathable air. (I don't think it's THAT bad...) but it is bad.
• All the signs that ask that you have good manners, and then say 'It's the LAW'. Example: 'clean up after your dog. It's the LAW!'
• Distinct lack of fishing stores!! ;)

For all that, I'm really enjoying my stay so far. Especially when my mom and sister visited, because then I had the opportunity to enjoy guilt-free tourism. I'll post pictures soon, promise.