Destined You & I (Completed)

Chapter 30

2013
(K19, A18)

I can't believe it's already been almost a month since I've arrived in New York City, the Big Apple. It's really nothing like I had imagined. The brochures and videos did not even show a fraction of what it's really like to be here. The brochures showed successful students all happy and cheerful. Everything looked so vibrant and full of energy. The videos showed the world-renowned NYC with all the glitz and glamour. All the rich culture, diversity, and entertainment you can ever ask for. Live street performances, Broadway musicals, and exactly 100 museums in this one city alone. The concrete jungle of Wall Street, lively Time Square, the bustling neighborhood of Chinatown, the high fashion Fifth Avenue, the rich and famous in the Upper East Side, the multicultural rich Brooklyn, the beautiful Central Park, trendy Chelsea, and so much more. Isn't it amazing?

It is, except they didn't tell me about the rude people who shove you aside without apologizing and then have the audacity to curse your mother out in those brochures. In a matter of fact, it's almost a crime just to look at some people cause they ask you straight up, 'wha da fuc ya looking at?' and scare the crap out of you. I hope these classmates of mine will lighten up and start looking more like those in the brochures sometime soon. Because if this continues, I don't think my English will get any better. In my dorm building, I've had so many doors slammed in my face just because I wanted to ask a few simple questions like which building is the library located in. I swear I was really polite, and I even waied but they just don't care.

And about those amazing neighborhoods, beautiful architecture, and wonderful museums, well, they truly are. Only thing is, they don't tell you getting around in NYC costs an arm and a leg. Thank goodness for my student discount pass for public transportation. Otherwise, I don't know how long I can stretch my pocket money. Also, most of the lovely museums here are free admission for students. Phew! The subway and buses here are so slow yet so expensive compared back home. On top of that, they stink! Like stomach-turning funk! The whole place just smelled like a public toilet and it probably served as one since some people standing near the corners looked questionable. Seriously stay away from those corners. Did I mention there's like always some random person hollering somewhere?

Now, don't get me wrong. New York City is still amazing in its own rights. There's still so much for me to learn and discover here. And despite all the cold shoulders and hard glares that people give here, they're actually quite friendly if you make a real effort to befriend them. Jamie says it's just how people protect themselves here. They put out a cold front so people don't try to take advantage of them, and also some are just extremely stressed. NYC is where people hustle and bustle, and no rest for the weary. So people don't have time for small chitchats. But of course, there are some genuine jerks here. I guess I'm just too used to the slower pace and friendly people back home. But then again, they were also extremely nosy and gossipy. Here, nobody cares what you're doing or who you are. Everyone is just trying to survive. At least that's what Jamie says.

Oh yeah, in case you're wondering, Jamie is my dorm neighbor. We share a wall. My dorm is coed or mixed-ed if you will. So there's males and females in the same building. Of all the people I've met so far, Jamie is the nicest. As part of my summer orientation assignment, I'm required to visit at least ten museums of my choice. Hence I have to use the subway so much. The purpose of the assignment is to force us to get to know the city and explore all its resources while we learn a bit about the culture here. While the idea behind the assignment is well intended, it's daunting for someone like me. But seriously, thank goodness for Jamie and her girlfriend Payel. They've shown me at least how to get around and how to use the subway system. Jamie has even accompanied me to three of the museums.

And the most important thing is, Jamie helped me figure out the damn wifi situation on the first day of my arrival. You see, I was only given a thirty minutes international calling card to call home using the public phones at school. I didn't have a working cell phone yet, and even if I did, I can't afford international calls. It's like $4 USD per minute. PER MINUTE! Anyway, I had called my parents to let them know that I had arrived safely and of course my mom kept talking and talking until I heard the two minutes left warning.