work to do

this was a long week, for sure
our orientation was certainly interesting
and we met a lot of really smart and engaging people,
but damn did we have some long days
[though i'll really need to get used to that]
most of what we did was intro activities and some guest speakers
but they even sent us out on a 'scavenger hunt'
[basically just walking around manhattan seeing the sights and shit]
it was actually kinda cool,
since no one in our group was intent on winning,
so we basically just spent our day walking around the lower east side/west village

i also got my internship assignment this week
i'll be working with seiu, the service employees international union
my local, 1199, is comprised of health care workers
[fun fact? 1199 is the largest union local in the country]
i'm gonna be working in the education and development department,
so i'm gonna be doing a lot of hands–on work with the members
cool, yeah?
the office i'll be at is in hell's kitchen,
which is close to where i take classes
gotta love convenience

ever–present italian food

my first few days here,
i did what every schmuck in the world does when they're in manhattan:
i went to times square
i've been before, it's nice but way too crowded and overhyped
anyway, i was walking around there, and i was hungry
so i stopped in to a place on the corner, not even thinking
what was it?
sbarro's

i'm not really sure when this trend started,
but as i thought about,
a really weird reality struck me:
in every major city i've ever been to
[in multiple countries and continents]
i've eaten at a sbarro's there
all the major american cities have them everywhere
but even amsterdam and russia had some
and i, like a fool, ate there

i dunno why sbarro's has become my de facto tourist meal,
and i dunno how it started,
but i don't think it's something to be proud of
some people buy certain trinkets,
some people eat at a certain type of restaurent,
hell, i ran into some guy in d/c on my layover
he takes photos of his water bottle in front of major monuments he goes to
and what do i, highly cultured person i like to think i am, do?
i eat shitty pizza from sbarro's
sometimes i even amaze myself

layovers and arrivals

i had a good time at my layover in chicago
nothing i love more than walking around by myself
especially unintended awesome discoveries
[i got to hear the chicago symphony in millenium park;
apparently they hold public, outdoor rehearsals in the summer]
walked around downtown for the better part of four hours
went back to the john hancock building for the cheesecake
then realized i looked like a fucking tourist:
i was wearing a hat i bought at the john hancock building five years ago,
emblazoned with 'big john'
despite that, i still enjoyed myself
even saw a coffee shop called 'café descartes' on michigan ave,
and i had to fight the urge not to walk in and order a non–euclidian latte
[it was later suggested to me that i should ask for it in a klein bottle]
then i had sbarro's, and it was good

i'm pretty sure the apartment i'm in used to belong to hipsters
cuz even though most of it's been painted over,
there's still little sayings and shit written all over the place
for your reading pleasure, a small sample:

–'YOU ARE SPECIAL. YOU ARE UNIQUE. YOU ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE WHOLE'
–'I interrupt this moment to inform you that i have ASPERGERS and it is not a disorder! DO YOU KNOW HOW COOL IT IS, How AWESOME, inspiring and enthralling it is to be just a little bit Autistic?'
–'2, 763'
–'hair extensions'
–'BLESS YOU!'
–'Peace Love And Understanding'
–'Dream of paradise'
–'Aspie PRIDE'
–'WHERE DOES THIS LEAD TO?'
–'Knowledge is possessed only by sharing: is it safeguarded by wisdom and socialized by love'
–'CONCORD COCKGROACHES'
–'From the point of light'
–'Fuck yo' couch :('
–'Kill yourself! Love – Jesus'
–'I Howt Left'
–'WATER THE ROOT AND ENJOY THE FRUIT'
–'Heat resistant to 400ºF'
–'LIFE IS A RIVER WITH MANY RAPIDS
–'You are my SUNSHINE'
–Serena <3 Rashida, Rashida <3 Serena, Your playground is my soul!'
–'Adjust to the dust'
–'SAY IT ISN'T SO'