Tidbits

Various and Sundries...

Weather
Finally getting hot here. It's been relatively cool this last week, with highs in the 70s. Yesterday's high was in the 70s but todays is in the 90s all of a sudden! I don't have AC in my room yet, but some friends from church have a window unit that they're not using and have graciously donated it to me! I need to get it to my apartment somehow and install it.

Prices
Some things (like rent) here are very pricey. You can spend a lot of money eating out, but there are also some things that are ridiculously cheap. I've already mentioned the Vibe Lounge with its $4.50 omelettes. I'm here at Vibe right now as I type this and I've just ordered the basic omelette which comes with bacon or ham and cheese and a huge side of fries or a huge Greek salad. It's more food than I can eat, and it's only $4.50, and the sides are both really excellent.

Swing
Brie and I took our first Swing/Lindy class at Dance Manhattan a few nights ago. I found the place through a recommendation from Matt at Four on the Floor in Austin. I like our instructor. Their teaching style is very similar to Four on the Floor's: big group of leads and follows (hopefully balanced) with people rotating every few minutes so you don't dance with one person for more than a few minutes. Brie and I both like to dance and I think we'll be pretty good at it!

Tapas Bars
I'm always on the lookout for decent tapas bars. I haven't found one that I like yet, because the function and feel of them are wrong. They tend to be pricey sit-down places instead of the little dives that I was used to in Spain where you could get a little bite to eat AND a small glass of wine for something like 3 or 4 dollars. Then you would move onto the next spot (they'd always be grouped together) and try something different. All very social. Well, I've run into two this week that are closer to what I've been seeking. Haven't tried them yet, though.

Music Blaring From People's Cars
This is not unique to NYC, but one thing I've noticed here is that up until yesterday, 100% of the music I was hearing from someone's car was hip-hop, regardless of their race or gender. Always, always, always hip-hop. I started wondering why I had never even once heard any other kind of music. I was bored with it and it made me wonder about the statistical probabilities of such aesthetic purity when finally, yesterday, I heard some classic R&B from somebody's car. Ahhh, a little variety. =)