Finally got my Internet
After 10 days of living here, I finally got my Internet from Time Warner hooked up. When I booked my appointment with them, I was surprised that the soonest I could get someone out would be in 10 days! I guess that’s what happens when you live in a city of 8 million people… First thing I did was go to speedtest.net and check my upload and download speeds. Here are the results:
Fast enough for me!
Caught in the Rain
Woke up late, helped Nathaniel (my mom’s boyfriend) move for most of the afternoon… Then we went to a late dinner at First Wok on 3rd Ave, which was nice. They wanted to hang around and have old-people talk so I decided to walk home by myself. It was kinda drizzling but I didn’t mind. It’s a nice refreshment after the last couple warm days. By the time I got to about 94th and Park Ave, it was pouring. Thank goodness I live right there!
Here are some pictures I took today. This is the view from Nathaniel’s terrace. I apologize for the quality, they’re from my cellphone. In the next couple days I’ll post the shots I took with my D80…
A Man Named Dolphin
I was walking west on Washington Place in Greenwich Village, when I saw a very interesting looking man sitting on a railing. As I walked past him, I noticed that he had very long dreadlocks, as well as a very long beard. I thought to myself “Man, he sure would make one interesting subject for a photo!”. I stopped on the corner and thought to myself how I could get a photo of him. I thought and I thought, then finally I mustered up the courage to walk up to him and ask him. This is how the conversation went:
Me: Hey, can I take your photo?
Him: Who are you working for?
Me: Nobody, I’m a student. I need a photo for class.
Him: What school? NYU?
Me: Um… Yeah, NYU.
Him: I need ten dollars if you take my photo, I work Secret Service for the Whitehouse!
Me: Okay… Let me go get some change, I only have bigger bills…
At that point I run up the street to a little store and buy a water, and get a couple fives back. So I came back and started snapping away. He gazed around while humming, and didn’t seem to be bothered at all. I shut off my camera and thanked him. He quickly urged me to turn my camera back on so I could take some photos of his hair. He lifted it in the air, and started singing what sounded like “I want to know…” in an Indian sort of way. After I finished taking photos, I thanked him again and told him his hair was beautiful. I asked him what his name was, and told me “Dolphin, like the animal”. What an interesting name for an interesting person. I asked him what country he was from, and he told me he was from Peru, where he was a soccer player. Now he is Secret Service for the Whitehouse. Here are the photos I took:
My Subway Fiasco
Earlier this evening I took the subway over to my sister’s apartment in Woodside to help her move some stuff to her new place. I figured this would be a no-brainer, right? According to hopstop.com, I take the 6 down to Grand Central, then take the 7 up to 52nd St. No problemo! Well, I had no idea that there were local trains and express trains (remember, I’m a NYC noob!). I apparently hopped on an express train, which brought me way the heck up to Flushing! I cannot describe in words the confusion that took place when I tried to describe to my sister where I was. So I went back underground and caught the local train back to 52nd.
I’m sure I’ll get the subway thing sooner or later…
Back from SoHo
Earlier I ran down to Pearl Paints to pick up a portfolio so I can safely carry my prints around. I had no idea that portfolios were so expensive (mine cost $106, with sales tax)!
Anyways, the trip back was exhausting (for a newbie New Yorker). Canal Street is crazy, it’s warm, and the subway is excruciatingly hot! But it sure did feel good once I plopped by butt down on the subway. I just appreciate the fact that I can take the 6 from Canal St to 96th st for $2 and be there in like 15 minutes!
Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos, but my plan for tomorrow is to go down to Union Square and work my way over into Greenwich Village and take some shots.