I haven't been writing as much online as I used to, partially because I write a lot in a journal now. Sometimes the best presents are those we didn't expect, and didn't think we would need. My best friend and I rarely exchange Christmas gifts, but this year she was buying herself a yearly notebook and saw one with the Little Prince on the Cover. Since I love the Little Prince, she bought it for me. She explained that she has a good friend who writes in her journal every day, so she can go back and read over what she did any day of the year. That sounded like too much of a commitment for me, but I really loved the journal. I feel like journals, and most other objects, are made to be used. And because this one is dated, I can't just let is sit there, promising to write in another year or so. Perhaps this is what distinguishes type A people from type B people--I think a type B person might not care if they used a page labeled "January 5, 2016" on January 9, 2016, or some other day. I used to say that it is all relative--in high school and college I thought I was type A, but then I arrived in law school and realized I was type B. Well I might be type A after all, because since the journal is numbered based on days, I ended up feeling compelled to write in it every day. I've enjoyed it a lot, and now it's part of my daily ritual (perhaps having a daily schedule or routine itself indicates one is type A). Before I go to sleep, I write down the major things that I did that day. Almost like an assignment. Since I have a page of space, I make sure to fill that page.
I'm planning to move from the Upper West Side this summer, so I plan to enjoy the neighborhood as much as I can before I leave it. Upper West Side is kind of like San Francisco. Most of the people who live there are very health conscious, and there are probably as many yoga studios per block as there are small coffee shops. It seems like at least 50% of the people have dogs. Yesterday, as I was walking home from yoga, I heard an old man say, as if talking to a person, "all of the other dogs are sleeping. Your friends aren't going to be here today." I looked up and saw that he was speaking to his dog, who was sniffing hopefully at the doggy daycare, which was closed. So cute! People have told me that having a dog is like having a child. While I understand a dog is a big commitment, I don't think you can really compare it to a child at all. I love dogs (I have two), but fortunately, I never have to worry about my dog doing drugs, or failing out of school, getting in with the wrong crowd, or ending up without a job. Winter in New York is brutal, so most dogs need to wear clothes in the cold temperatures. On the street, a little chihuahua, dressed in what looked like a puffy Burberry jacket, started barking viciously at this enormous Saint Bernard. The Saint Bernard looked at this tiny aggressor, in his designer jacket, and did nothing. Large dogs are so patient! He could probably knock the chihuahua over just by sneezing. I think people should be more like dogs. New Yorkers can be so angry sometimes. You accidentally bump someone on the street and they yell at you.
My life in the Upper West Side has pretty much been a rotation of dogs, yoga, and Trader Joe's. I've recently added Aroma Espresso Bar, which is where I like to do my reading. I've become obsessed with the library lately, and have rented a lot of books, especially in foreign languages. I was pleased to find that I am able to read in Spanish! It was my first time reading a novel that I hadn't read before in Spanish, and I was surprised at how easy it was. Of course there are many words that I don't understand, but often they are not significant words--for example, when the author describes a scene, there may be some adjectives that I do not get, but for the most part I can understand everything that is going on.
I'm planning to move from the Upper West Side this summer, so I plan to enjoy the neighborhood as much as I can before I leave it. Upper West Side is kind of like San Francisco. Most of the people who live there are very health conscious, and there are probably as many yoga studios per block as there are small coffee shops. It seems like at least 50% of the people have dogs. Yesterday, as I was walking home from yoga, I heard an old man say, as if talking to a person, "all of the other dogs are sleeping. Your friends aren't going to be here today." I looked up and saw that he was speaking to his dog, who was sniffing hopefully at the doggy daycare, which was closed. So cute! People have told me that having a dog is like having a child. While I understand a dog is a big commitment, I don't think you can really compare it to a child at all. I love dogs (I have two), but fortunately, I never have to worry about my dog doing drugs, or failing out of school, getting in with the wrong crowd, or ending up without a job. Winter in New York is brutal, so most dogs need to wear clothes in the cold temperatures. On the street, a little chihuahua, dressed in what looked like a puffy Burberry jacket, started barking viciously at this enormous Saint Bernard. The Saint Bernard looked at this tiny aggressor, in his designer jacket, and did nothing. Large dogs are so patient! He could probably knock the chihuahua over just by sneezing. I think people should be more like dogs. New Yorkers can be so angry sometimes. You accidentally bump someone on the street and they yell at you.
My life in the Upper West Side has pretty much been a rotation of dogs, yoga, and Trader Joe's. I've recently added Aroma Espresso Bar, which is where I like to do my reading. I've become obsessed with the library lately, and have rented a lot of books, especially in foreign languages. I was pleased to find that I am able to read in Spanish! It was my first time reading a novel that I hadn't read before in Spanish, and I was surprised at how easy it was. Of course there are many words that I don't understand, but often they are not significant words--for example, when the author describes a scene, there may be some adjectives that I do not get, but for the most part I can understand everything that is going on.
No comments:
Post a Comment