A taste of culture.

Carrie Bradshaw in some episode of Sex In The City Said that the sound of New York is Ambulances. 

And I see how she got that, I mean there are often loud sounds like that around the city.

Although I'm a loyal fan of this character, after being here for such a short time I have to disagree.

I think the sound of New York is a mixture of all the different languages and cultures. 

On a single subway ride I might be sitting beside someone speaking spanish and looking across at two 

people speaking Korean. 

All the girls I work with speak Russian. 

German, French, and Italian words fill my ears everyday. 

My first official day of work was yesterday. 

It was okay and to be perfectly honest it is a lot easier to want to work when you know you are actually getting paid. 

It rained all day in the city.

A rainy day in New York is a miserable day in New York.

I decided since it was rainy and I had to work for 9 hours I deserved a treat!

I was suppose to go to some Jazz club with Amanda after work was over...

But after a 9 hour shift I was relieved to read a text from Amanda saying "Jazz club is a no go want to come over drink wine, eat pizza and watch a movie?".
YES!

Amanda lives in Harlem so I got to ride a 3 train which I had not done yet.
Oh and her apartment is amazing.
She pays a little bit more than I do for mine and the size difference is incredible.

The pictures don't even begin to show how cute the apartment is. 

I was in LOVE! 

So this is our night in a nutshell:

Which didn't take long to become this: 

I started telling Amanda about how A and I were suppose to hang out that night and of course again he blew me off. 

Amanda thought for a second and got a look on her face... 

She said 

Did he tell you he wanted to see you tomorrow right after the date?

yes. 

Did he keep telling you how cute you were? 

yes. 

Did he tell you he liked you? 

yes. 

(I was thinking.. did I tell her about this already?)

Amanda informed me this is the three biggest guy pick up lines in New York to get someone to sleep with them. 

Oh you New York guys are tricky tricky! 

They feed ya all the good lines and text ya a bit and you never see them again. 

I told Amanda I wasn't even mad she told me this. I was relieved. 

I'm glad I know now. 

We spent the rest of our night drinking our double bottle of wine comparing date stories and laughing.

Amanda also explained to me the soup rule regarding guys.. which I will give more details about in a later post. 

Today was Tareva and Angel's Baby shower! 

Let me explain the background story on how I met them! 

This past New Years me and my two best friends growing up spent New Years in NYC and then took a cruise to the Bahamas. 

At dinner on the cruise we sat with the sweetest couple ever (Tareva and Angel). 

My friends and I got very close with them and they shared with us they were having a baby. 

So we threw them a surprise baby shower at dinner one night! 

That night we were deemed the baby Joelle's Fairy God Mothers. 

So of course Tareva kindly reached out to me when I moved to the city and invited me to her baby shower. 

Now I've been to a couple of baby showers in my time. 

They usually consist of 20 women, finger sandwiches, present opening, and cake. 

But I've never been to a Spanish baby shower... which I was informed upon arriving is a little different! 

The baby shower invitation said from 5pm until 10pm. 

To me that meant that people could come and go as they wanted but I was surprised by how late it was. 

Most I've been to start at like 2 and end at 4. 

I arrived at the church the baby shower was being held at around 5:30pm. 

The moment I walked in the doors I heard loud spanish music coming from downstairs. 

I actually asked a lady where the baby shower was and she pointed towards the loud music. 

I walked in and was overwhelmed for a second. 

There were men, there was food, there was coronas, a bartender, there was loud music, there was dancing, and then I saw Angel and knew I was in the right place.

I ran up and gave him a big hug! 

And he took me over to Tareva! 

Tareva introduces me to several of her close friends and family and I am instantly welcomed with opened arms and made to feel like i'm apart of the family. 

These spanish people really know how to have a good time! 

Ya know just a little food to start.... 

Ok, a lot of food. Most I had never tried before like banana and gizzards (I didn't try this) and spanish roasted pork (which I tried and loved). 

Oh and of course the most amazing desserts you could ever imagine! 

This included a cupcake called a 3 milk cup cake or in spanish, Tres Leches. 

It is called this because it is made with three different kinds of milks. 

Oh and it is the most delicious cup cake I've ever had in my entire life (on left). 

Well as the night went on the dancing began to pick up! 

This is a scene from my life tonight. 

This was easily one of the most fun parties I've ever been to and by far the best baby shower. 

Joelle is a lucky baby to have such cool parents! 

And it was amazing to feel so welcomed and be somewhere with lots of great people. 

I needed a little family time, even if it wasn't my own family it was nice to have so much love and happiness around me. 

So they not only provided everyone with food, fun, and drinks but also lots of little gifts to take home. 

Everyone was wearing these blue diaper pins.. so cute. 

White chocolate baby carriage with candy inside! 

Candies from Puerto Rico 

Oh and of course Tareva's mom would think to give everyone to-go plates to make sure we had enough food! 

It has been such an amazing night. 

I got to experience different food and music while spending it with such a loving family! 

I just know that my baby shower better be like this one! 

Oh and I better be invited to Tareva and Angels wedding... because if this was a baby shower I can't imagine what a blast that will be! 

Nighty Night! 

A little more luck.

Wednesday was my last day of training at the spa and it was the determining factor if all my hours of working were going to be rewarded.
Of course the subway I take to get to work broke down... So I had to ask some random man how to get to Harold Square from where we were.
He told me where to go and said it would drop me off two block away from where I usually let off of but I would just have to walk a little further.
It ended up being a pretty awesome incident because I ended up arriving to work on time and I got to walk pass the Empire State Building!

I got the job at the spa!
It was a bitter sweet moment.
I was being worked for my third day of not getting paid and I decided in my head that if I didn't get it I wouldn't care.
In the middle of my volunteer work she told me I got the job!
An income!
The pay starts pretty low but I get a raise in a couple of months.
I'm not going to be homeless, yet!

To celebrate Danny and I decided it was time to get some delicious mexican food at our new favorite mexican restaurant!
We didn't walk the 20 blocks this time but got a $9 taxi. It might have been lazy but we were celebrating.
When we arrived we got the menu and saw this:

They didn't have their renewed alcohol license. 

This was not the celebration we had hoped for but our amazing waiter friend Marco brought us all this amazing Mexican food to eat. 

Marco also told me if I marry him he will cook this for me every night.

I'm considering it. 

When Danny and I left the restaurant it was really cold and Danny suggested we take the bus.

It was my first bus experience in New York! 

Our subway passes worked for it as well! 

And a real line you pull at your spot! 

How New York! 

It's the little things that get me so excited! 

We got all the way back to our apartment and realized we never got our drink. 

So we walked a couple of blocks back the other way and grabbed a drink at this little neighborhood bar. 

The bar was cute but only took cash... so Danny bought my celebration job drink for me.
He is seriously the best roommate a girl could ask for!

OH and below is the jukebox... Well Ipod box on the wall. I just thought it was the coolest! 

This morning I woke up and decided to meet a friend in Times Square. 

We walked around the whole place and visited places I had not been to yet. 

like M&M world! 

I really liked the views from inside!

Then upon walking around I found my first Church of Scientology. 

I was hoping to see Tom Cruise mosey out but I had no such luck. 

After my day in Time Square I ran to meet my friend Eliza in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Eliza and I went to middle school and high school together and danced at the same studio through out. 

Eliza moved to NY last summer and is currently a freelance singer and a member of an amazing band. 

Eliza always had musical talent and I remember her being an amazing violinist in high school. 

She actually left my high school junior year to pursue her talent at North Carolina School of the Arts.

She later found out she really loved to sing. 

Here is Eliza and her bandmates:

I am going to share their music video, mostly because i'm obsessed with it and mostly because I just have a feeling they are going to be famous so I want everyone to know Eliza is my friend! 

So check out out here!

               

Eliza took me to dinner at this little hip burger joint called BareBurger. 

Everything is organic and delicious! 

I had the brisket burger... which was amazing! 

Yes those are fried pickles on top (there are some in it also!) 

This was Eliza's choice 

This place is absolutely delicious and a MUST if you are ever in New York. 

There are several of them in and around the city! 

After amazing dinner conversation we parted ways and promised to get together soon. 

A really cool thing about New York is how much people reach out to you. 

Eliza and I had not seen each other in maybe 6 years but we picked up where we left off and had an amazing time. 

She and so many others have gone out of there way to make me feel at home at my new home! 

Everyone remembers being new here and has ideas and tricks of how to make it work! 

Oh by the way. I'm in love with her neighborhood.

It's so Carrie Bradshaw! 

I think I could see myself living here! I may look for an apartment in Park Slope for September. 

SO the biggest news of all is I have an interview with InTouch magazine on Monday! 

I am super excited although I will have to go to Jersey and I have no idea how to do that.

But regardless I'm so excited and I'm hoping something will happen with this! 

I also wanted to thank everyone real quick for all the support around my blog. You will never understand how amazing it is to get Facebook messages and tweets about how much you love to read my blog. It makes me feel like I'm still connected to everyone! Keep the comments and suggestions coming! 

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

I've been in the city for a week now and have watched the men here. 

We thought the boys in the south were bad. 

Chivalry officially died in NYC with the making of the subway. 

It amazes me how grown men will not stand up for a women to have a seat... not even if she is about to have a baby any second. 

Exhibit A. 

All these men just sit as small women try to hang on. 

I've officially been on two dates since I've been here. 

One was the other day with A... absolutely fabulous date. 

Read more about it here.

One yesterday night to get coffee with E. 

E is a tall handsome guy who's parents are both Russian. 

He had gone through struggles with addiction/jail time but is now clean. 

Don't judge me! I wanted to give him a chance!

I think that is pretty awesome he has overcame everything... and if you know my dating history you know why. 

I sat, drank coffee, listened to his life. 

He told me I had beautiful eyes and later texted me and told me he was down for another date. 

Back to A. 

A is so busy he can't ever hang out...

We had this great date but nothing can happen more because he doesn't have time to invest in it. 

And I'm not naive. I believe if you really want time to invest you make time.

Although we have plans for another date on Friday. 

Which I really really hope actually happens. 

E hasn't texted me back since yesterday. 

I texted him today and said "Hey"... never got a response. 

It is just so annoying because I really felt a good connection with him and at least thought we would be friends... but his read receipt stating he read my "hey" hours ago says otherwise.

I told my roommate I was going to delete his number so I didn't text him again.

Danny said "why don't you just not text him. Listen to yourself". 

I swear i'm a good catch. Except I think I'm becoming to Taylor Swift of Blogging. 

So here I am stuck between the guy who has no time and the guy who has served time. 

Meanwhile... down in Harlem. 

My new friend Amanda... You remember her from here. 

She dated a New York guy for two months. 

Then it became more of a hookup thing... and she decided she just wasn't interested in it any longer. 

She texted me today telling me she was breaking everything off and she is going to meet him in person. 

How sweet and mature right?

He didn't text her until 9:30pm tonight... said he just got off work. 

Real sketch

She calls him and tells him she is done.

He tells her "her loss"... then text her minutes later saying "We can still hook up casually thought right?" 

Here is the exact conversation below! 

I don't know if the women here have programmed guys to think talking to women this way is okay... 

But I thought New York women were suppose to be strong. 

They are letting New York men walk all over them. 

The men get the subway seats, the men get the best jobs, the men call the shots in all the relationships. 

Finding an all around great guy in this city is proving to be harder than finding an Upper East Side apartment for under 2 grand. 

I have officially entered the dating world. 

So my salon job today took a turn for the worst. 

I found out today I'm not getting paid for the 14 hours I've put in of training... 

oh and the manager hired three girls and she only has spots for two. 

One of us gets fired tomorrow. 

Although I don't know if you can really get fired when you are volunteering... 

I find out tomorrow about the internship with InTouch Magazine. 

Everyone seriously cross your fingers for me. 

I need this. 

Tonight I spent the night walking around the neighborhood with my roommate Danny... and him forcing me to do squats down the street. 

Then I found this beauty! 

I have to admit I find myself walking around the city in such awe. 

This place sure does shine and I think I'm going to like it here. 

And I think i'm going to learn a lot about myself. 

I'll let you know if i'm fired tomorrow or not! 

Weekend Roundup!

I can't believe I have been living in New York for an entire week. 

I know it doesn't seem long but it has flown by so fast! 

I still walk around looking up and thinking "How did I get so lucky to live here". 

I keep thinking my life is some really really good dream. 

My first weekend in New York was so wild. 

Just Kidding! 

I kind of kept it low key. 

Honestly I don't know how I survived my first New York Thursday so I spent at least two days recovering. 

Friday night me and my roommate Danny were so bored. So we decided to do something crazy...

we.

ordered.

PIZZA! 

Not even amazing Brooklyn style pizza... but we are both broke! 

Our night was spent joking and eating pizza. 

Even though we didn't do anything we didn't get to bed until pretty late! 

If you didn't know New York is experiencing a heat wave. It is so hot here. 

Our apartment doesn't have air conditioning. 

Thank god I have a window unit which has become amazing but my roommate Danny does not. 

After him having a horrible and hot night of sleep we headed onto our little street to find a window unit! 

After all that shopping through the heat it was time for a treat! 

The newest coolest thing here is called Bubble tea. 

Danny loves them, everyone is always drinking them, so of course I had to give one a try! 

We headed into this little asian bakery. 

We had to pick the flavor we wanted to be made. 

I picked mango and Danny picked cantaloupe. 

While she was making it I was obsessing over all the treats... 

And then my first Bubble Tea was ready for me. 

It is made of a milk and tea and then has chewy candy at the bottom. 

It's taste like chi to me minus the spice and plus a fruit flavor. 

I loved everything about it minus the chewy candy at the bottom... 

They were like flavorless chewy jello. 

But overall I really liked it! 

It was really refreshing! 

I had made some plans for Saturday night that kind of fell through. 

So I decided I was going to get dressed, do my hair and head to Time Square. 

I wanted to walk around and look at everything! 

So I took the adventure on my own! 

Little did I know because of train traffic it was going to take me a good 2 hours to get there (usually a 40 min ride). 

But I finally made it! 

I decided my first stop would be the 3 story Forever21. 

It was totally packed out! 

But had everything you could imagine. 

Just walking around. 

\

Amazing Time Square Mac!

It was amazing to me how many people were there. 

And how many people were rude. 

They would just walk out in front of cars which I think also helps me put into perspective why so many pedestrians are killed in NY. 

Of course I had to check out Hersey world! 

And my girl Beyonce working it!

I made the decision that I was going to get a pretzel for dinner! 

But ended up saving it until I got home for this dipping sauce!

I got to bed and had to get ready for my first day at work at the Spa! 

Sunday. 

I think one of my favorite things about New York is how you can walk into different places and feel like you are in a different country. 

My work is in Herald Square which is also considered Korean town. 

Korean food and stores line the sidewalks! 

My first day of training went really well. 

The spa is an upscale spa and we take a lot of celebrity clientele.

Which I totally love. 

What I don't love is that it is a 24 hour spa. 

And i've been hired for night shifts. 

Which means drunk people.

The good news is two people work at once during the night plus I have all the staff that will be there. 

The place is gorgeous.

It is a 2 million dollar facility and I wanted to take more pictures but guest were walking around naked.... I'll get more pictures when no one is in there! 

So through my contact for USweekly, Gina, I have got into contact with InTouch. 

They emailed me back today and will be telling me on Wednesday if they will be able to offer me an internship with the magazine! 

I'm really hoping this works out! 

So pray for me guys! 

I think an internship would help me really be able to get a foot in the door and then be able to work for any publication! 

Today I will be getting groceries and hopefully figuring out how the heck to do laundry. 

Danny says he drops his off but I currently have $13 dollars to my name so I might be doing it myself:) 

I can not wait to see what this week will bring!