Back in New York

I have come back to New York now and I have mixed feelings about it. It feels great to be home but I will miss Seattle. I will miss the extremely friendly people there, and the charming nature.

I had a really good time yesterday because my host took me out on a hiking trip. We climbed a total of about five miles and it was quite exhausting. The hills were steep but the view was amazing. It was a really good exercise and I took a bunch of good photos.

I took more than 450 pictures on my trip to Seattle actually and I am still downloading them to my computer. I have experienced so much this week and I feel really happy about my trip. My host did some magic tricks for me my last night and he is amazing.

He is performing as a professional in Seattle at parties and other events. His name is George Mack so if you live in Seattle and is looking for some entertainment; you should definitely look him up. If you can’t find him, you are more than welcome to ask me for his information.

New York is still very warm and I am running my air condition on max power. I think it’s my building that absorbs the heat in some way because it’s about 75 degrees outside. I wish that it could have been a little cooler here because I want to wear my new Seattle shirt.

I will post three pictures this time because I didn’t post pictures in my last blogs. I would say that my favorite thing in Seattle was walking around in the city and feel the energy there. Pike Place Market is an amazing place with some very interesting people and things to buy.

I actually saw a couple at the airport in Seattle with a large box of fish. They had bought it at the market and you are actually allowed to bring it on the plane as long as it doesn’t contain anything dangerous.

When I came back to New York I took a cab home. They have installed a GPS system in the cabs now and you can pay with credit card which is really good. What isn’t that good is that the cab driver himself can’t use the GPS system.

The passenger can watch television and see on a map where he or she is but the driver doesn’t have access to that. My driver had problem finding my address so he was driving around a lot which boosted up the bill. That was a little annoying but he did actually turn the meter of when he drove the wrong way.

I ended up paying $65 including tip which is expensive since it’s in Brooklyn. They have a flat rate to Manhattan for $45 and that is a longer ride. I might complain about this actually. Right now I am just relaxing and thinking about all I did in Seattle.

Gambling

Today has been a really nice day. The weather is really warm and there are no clouds at all. I was a little hung over when I woke up today because we went to a local tavern yesterday night. It was really cool and we played some pool and listened to great jukebox music.

My host and I drove to a small town today called Snohomish and there are a lot of antique shops there. I actually didn’t buy anything but there are some really nice furniture and other small antiques. We also had a beer at a local bar which is said to be haunted.

The people are very friendly in towns like this and the mentality is really different from big cities.

After a couple of hours in Snohomish we drove to Tulalip Casino. It’s a really big casino owned by Indians so there are many slot machines. I bet about $20 and I lost every penny of it. I am really unlucky when it comes to gambling so I never bet too much.

We also had a great buffet dinner. It was all you can eat for about $18. This must have been the best buffet I have ever seen. They had everything there: pizza, spareribs, mashed potatoes, steak, chicken, desserts, salads, and a lot more. I am still full from it actually and I was there two hours ago.

After some gambling, we went to a place where they sell firecrackers. It’s an Indian district and they have their own laws so the firecrackers they sell there are more powerful. There is a huge area where they sell all kinds of firecrackers and there are many people buying now because of the fourth of July.

I only have one more whole day left here in Seattle. I will go hiking in the mountains tomorrow and that will be really fun. There is supposed to be a big waterfall and I have actually never seen that before so I am looking forward to do that.

We will probably blow off a few firecrackers tonight just for fun and I think I will go to bed early today. I am still tired from yesterday and I need to spare some energy for tomorrows hiking. I have taken a lot of pictures with my camera and it has almost run out of storage capacity because I didn’t bring my computer cable.

I think it will be enough for tomorrow though because I can still take eighty more pictures. I will be nice to come back to New York but I will miss Seattle. Everything is cleaner, the people are nicer, the air is cleaner, and my hosts’ bed is really nice. New York is amazing though and it’s impossible to get bored over there.

Seattle

Seattle is amazing and I am doing a lot all the time. I went to the Pike Place Market this Wednesday and that’s a really nice place. It’s very old fashioned and there are many local people. There are of course a couple of tourists too though.

It’s really fun to see the fishermen who work there and there is one place where they throw the fish when you order which is a bit famous here in Seattle. When you place your order, one of the fishermen grabs the fish and yells something really loud, then he throws it to another fisherman who later packs it.

It’s quite a show and really fun to see. After my visit at the Pike Place Market, my friends and I went to an Indian island. It’s really fun actually and it takes about 45 minutes by boat to get there. We had some clam soup as a starter and saw a show about Indian traditions. While watching, we ate salmon with potatoes and some delicious bread.

The boat ride home was amazing. The boat ride home took place at about 8 PM so the sun was setting when we were on our way back. I got some really good shots with my camera and I can’t wait to get back to New York so that I can see them in my computer.

I went out to Seattle alone yesterday. I was walking around a lot and went up the Smith Tower, which used to be Seattle’s tallest building. It has open elevators so you can see every floor while you pass them. The view is great up there too and it’s definitely worth the $7 I spent.

The beer is really cheap in Seattle. A bottle of Heineken costs about $4 and in New York it costs about $7. I also walked along the waterfront and I went to have lunch at McDonald’s. I found out that they have a triple cheeseburger so I had to try that one out.

It tastes really good and one is definitely enough to make you full. We only have single cheeseburger in Sweden so I was happy when I discovered that New York has double cheeseburger. It’s a little crazy that there is a triple cheeseburger but I love it.

My host picked me up in the evening because he was going to perform for a lions club. He’s a magician and he’s really good. I took some pictures but not too many because I wanted to enjoy the show. It’s amazing what he does. He will do some close up magic tricks for me later before I go back to New York.

I was checking out the city of Edmonds today which is where I stay. It’s a very small city and the people here are very friendly. I really like this place and I can imagine me and my fiancée living in a place like this in the future.

The West Coast is very different from the East Coast. I actually find that the people here on the West Coast are friendlier. I think that New York is one of a kind too though. New York is so different from the rest of the States. I still like New York though; it’s a great city especially for business and fashion.

Welcome to America

I arrived to Seattle yesterday evening and the flight was good. It was about two hours delayed because of severe weather so that was a little annoying. My hosts picked me up at the airport which was really nice. They are great people and very kind.

Right when I got to the airport I could feel that Seattle was different from New York. The people are friendlier, the city is calmer, and it’s so much cleaner. What was really bad about the flight was that they only gave us two small bags of cookies during the flight and that was a six hour trip. I was starving when I landed.

My hosts gave me some chips and water when I met them though and when we arrived at their home they cooked some pea soup with garlic bread. I really like their home. It’s very American and the neighborhood is beautiful.

They also have two very sweet dogs and they are very friendly and cuddly. We went to bed early because of the time difference and they had also had a busy day. After we had said goodnight to each other I tried to call my girlfriend.

I don’t have a reception here and that’s really bad. It’s not only because it’s a little outside Seattle but because my cell phone is bad. So I really wanted to talk to her and I finally logged in to my hosts computer and was able to chat with her, which was a relief. I need to talk to my baby!

My hosts are really nice and they have planned a lot for me. We made a small schedule yesterday and decided what to do.

I feel a little as if this is the real America. New York is so different from all the other states in the United States. Today I went to the “Museum of Flight,” “Space Needle,” and downtown Seattle. The Museum of Flight was amazing. They have all kinds of planes and I sat in the cockpit of a blackbird spy plane which was really cool. I also went inside a Concorde. They are really small actually and they look like a rocket.

I also checked out the Airforce One aircraft from the 50s. That’s the president plane and President Eisenhower among others used that plane. It’s really nice and the furniture is really comfortable in there. They also have a lot of phones and other equipment required to run the world from the air.

I can imagine how nice today’s Airforce One must be. After we had been there we went to see downtown Seattle and we also went up the Space Needle tower. The view from up there is amazing. I really like Seattle and it’s really beautiful.

If you go up a tall skyscraper in New York there is always one angle where the city doesn’t look that nice. In Seattle, it’s beautiful everywhere. We also went to a couple of bars and had a few beers. I really liked the style of them because they were like diners and really American.

They served me a lot of food too and I love generosity. I will tell you guys more about Seattle after tomorrow. I will upload pictures when I come home to New York.

Seattle Tomorrow

I have gotten back all my grades now. I was waiting for the marketing grade and as I mentioned before, I emailed my teacher, asking him when he would post the grades. He sent me a brief reply saying I got an A, which made me happy.

This means that I got straight A’s this quarter too. I have maintained my 4.0 GPA and that feels great. Now I can relax and I don’t have to think about school anymore.

I have been preparing for Seattle today. I did some laundry and I have packed everything for tomorrow. I have to leave my home at 8am because my plane leaves 12 and I have to take the subway for about 2 hours.

It would have been easier to take a cab but I just want to save some money and I don’t have a problem getting up early in the morning. I was thinking that I wouldn’t check in any luggage but I changed my mind. I just remembered that I can’t bring any shampoo or other liquids so it will be easier for me if I just check in my bag.

I have looked up some information about what there is to do in Seattle. There is actually a bunch of things to do. I will check out the “Space Needle,” which is a really tall tower. There is also a restaurant up there that rotates and I will definitely have some brunch or similar there.

I will also check out the Museum of Flight. I really want to see the Blackbird spy plane and the original Air Force One craft. There are so many things to do and I will tell you about it afterwards.

I am really looking forward to fly tomorrow. I really like that actually. I also look forward to drive a car in Seattle. That will be the first time I drive in the United States. I feel a little nervous about that actually because I haven’t driven a car since last Christmas. I think it will be okay though.

I will keep everyone updated about my trip to Seattle. I hope that my hosts have internet so that I can keep posting blogs. If you have any questions about anything, you can always post a comment or send me an email.

Coney Island

I went to IKEA yesterday after I had written my blog. It was actually really fun. IKEA itself is okay, it looks the same wherever people go. I love the furniture though but I didn’t buy anything. The main reason I went there was because of the ferry service.

IKEA offers free boats from Manhattan and the boats are really nice. They are very comfortable and the view is amazing. I have never seen Manhattan from that angle before and it just looks fantastic. People will also see the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and when the waterfall underneath the bridge will be done, I can imagine how good that must be.

I saw another waterfall though but that one seemed to be closer to Manhattan Bridge. It looks really cool and that is probably a waterfall based on the same art project. People can choose to either sit inside the boat or outside. There weren’t many people when I went there so it was really comfortable.

I wish I had brought the camera though, but I forgot to do that. I also went to Berkeley College to pick up my English paper. I met my English teacher just outside the school and he gave it back to me. That was the only English paper I didn’t go to the tutor with and I was happy when I found out that I got an A+.

This really shows that I have improved my writing skills and that makes me feel really glad and confident. I am only waiting for one more grade now and that is the one in marketing. I am almost certain that I will get an A though.

I went to Coney Island today to take some pictures. The weather has been really beautiful today and it was perfect for photographing. I looked up when the eating competition in Coney Island is and that is the fourth of July. I think I will go there but there will be about 30000 people watching the contest so I guess I will have to be there early.

Coney Island is really nice in the summer and there are a lot of people there. The amusement park is popular but a lot of people also just hang out on the beach. I took some really nice pictures there and the picture I have posted on the blog is from today.

I don’t know what I will do tomorrow but I think I will start preparing for my trip to Seattle. I have to plan what to bring and what to do. I will definitely visit the airplane museum and I might go to Canada for two days. I will tell you more after tomorrow.

Many international students go home during the summer actually. Some of them take the whole quarter off and only do three quarters a year. I think I will do four quarters a year every year. I used to work before I came here and I only had six weeks’ vacation each year so having a little more than eight when going to college is really nice.

Last Final

I had my last final today. It was in marketing and my teacher was sick so we had a substitute. It didn’t really matter though because she only handed out the tests. I was well prepared for it even though I didn’t study that much.

The test wasn’t that hard but it wasn’t easy so I guess it was perfect. I finished in about one hour and I feel good about it. I will be very surprised if I don’t get an A. I got back my accounting final today. Actually I didn’t get it back but I checked my score on the blackboard.

I was a little surprised when I saw the result. I got 300 out of 300 and the average on the test was just below 200. My total score for the class was actually above the maximum score level. The reason is because our teacher gave everyone extra credits on the first test.

I am still waiting for my English paper and I have no idea where my teacher is. He told us we could pick up our papers on Monday but I have been at his office twice and he hasn’t been there. I think I might have been there too early though.

All teachers are moving to another building right now. We are going to stop using one of our old buildings and that is great. The two other ones we have are so much better and more modern.

I think I am going to IKEA today. I have to look up how to get there though. There are several different ways of getting there including ferry from Manhattan. It would be pretty nice to try the ferry so I might do that even though it will take me longer.

This was my last day in school for this quarter actually and it feels good. I am going to Seattle on Monday so I will need to do some planning the coming days. I will fly from JFK and I really like that airport. It’s big but it doesn’t feel crowded.

It’s really easy to go there too. Cabs are pretty cheap from Queens and Brooklyn but people can also go there by subway and then switch to an air train.

I will probably sell a few of my books the next quarter. I won’t put up ads until the next quarter starts though. I did that last quarter but no one is really responding. Most people buy the books the week when the classes start.

The reason is mostly because people want to wait and ask the teacher if they really need the book and what book it is that they need.

Final Week

This week has been fairly calm. It’s in the middle of the final week and I only have tests. I had a quiz in marketing this Monday and that went good. It was fun actually because there were so many people in the class studying and being nervous but I felt really good about it.

The teacher had told us that it will only be definition which means, short answers. I wasn’t going to overdo the quiz so it took me five minutes to finish it and I had to wait for 45 minutes for the others to finish.

Our teacher gave us the answers in the end of the class and I nailed everything except that I didn’t put down that much information. I simply wrote down the definition, which we were supposed to do. I was a little worried that it wouldn’t be enough so I asked my teacher to make clear he only wanted definitions.

He told me I gave him something from the dollar menu but that I was totally fine. He knows I’m a good student so I don’t need to worry about it. I told him that the dollar menu still makes you full and he agreed. He was referring to the MacDonald’s dollar menu by the way.

I had two finals today and it feels great that I am finished with that. The first one was managerial accounting and it was quite hard. I knew it was going to be hard because I had the same teacher in financial accounting and that final was hard too.

He is grading on a scale though and I have gotten full score on the previous tests so I don’t worry about it at all. If I have problems with it, the other students will have that too. It was multiple choice questions and I don’t really like that. I like the essay style tests because then you can always write something and get some credit even though it turns out wrong.

When I was done with the test my teacher wished me good luck and told me I wouldn’t have to worry at all, and I believe him.

The next final I had was in math and I hate that. The test wasn’t that hard though but I got confused when problems about factoring started to show up. I don’t know why because I studied for it. I guess it’s because it’s math.

I finished the test though and I asked my teacher when he would post the grades. He then took my test and corrected it while I was waiting for him. It took him less than five minutes and when he was done he wrote 100 on it. I got a few questions wrong but I passed it and because this math class is a required class and won’t count on the GPA, he will just pass me. I wished all math classes were like this.

I think I only have two more math classes though, college algebra and statistics. I am not looking forward to that. I only have one more final now, and that is in marketing. I feel really good about that and the test shouldn’t be a problem for me. It starts 8 am tomorrow and I like that because I am planning on going to the new IKEA in Brooklyn.

More about that later!

Governors Island

I went to Governors Island today. I really didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t really look up information about the island. I have gone past it before by boat when I went to Staten Island so I have seen it in distance, and I have always wondered what’s on the island.

I actually didn’t get much wiser after my visit. I thought that there was going to be many visitors especially since the ferry service is free and because the island just opened about two weeks ago, but I was wrong. There weren’t many people at all but that was actually pretty comfortable since New York is very crowded and noisy.

The island was used as some sort of military camp before. There are some canons and old government buildings on the island and it’s quite interesting to see it. I was expecting much more though. I thought that there was going to be a big museum but I couldn’t find that so I don’t think they have it.

What’s really good is that they have a free bike event on Fridays. Everyone on the island can rent a bike for free for one hour. I didn’t do that but most people do. I preferred walking since I had my camera and took a lot of photographs.

What was bad about the island was that there is no big café or ice cream store, no food, and it’s a little empty. I think that it would be more fun if they had more events for kids and other people. All the houses for example are locked and people can’t enter the buildings.

What everyone is doing is just wandering around looking on everything, and that gets pretty boring after a while. The island offers a great view on Manhattan though. I like taking skyline pictures and I got a few good ones from the island. People can also see the Statue of Liberty.

When I arrived by boat to Manhattan again I went to Berkeley College to print my notes in marketing that I typed down yesterday. I took a few pictures of Times Square too. I felt like a tourist again actually but I don’t care what people think.

I’m very careful when I am out taking pictures though because I really get annoyed by tourists who walk in front of you and then just suddenly stops to take a picture and you almost crash right into them. Always before I’m going to take a picture I look behind me so that no one will bump into me.

I really understand New Yorkers when it comes to their opinion about tourists. New York is so popular right now, especially because of the low dollar and a lot of tourists just don’t think clearly sometimes. If people need to hurry to school or work for example, many tourists slow them down just because they walk really slowly.

It’s like this everywhere though but New York is crazy because there are so many people here.

Macy's

When I can home from school yesterday I thought I could relax the rest of the day. I looked up different luggage online and I checked on Macy’s homepage. I knew that they had a big sale going on and I noticed yesterday that the sale was only for this Wednesday.

So I decided to go there even thought it was 6 pm in the evening. I also brought my passport in case I would be eligible to apply for a tourist discount card. When I got there I applied for the discount card, which I received. It’s really good actually. You only need to show them your passport and then they will give you the card.

That card gives you an 11% discount. I had to go to the ninth floor because that’s where they have bags and luggage. I found a really nice bag and there was a nice guy helping me out after I decided to buy it. I was a little lucky actually because they didn’t have a new bag in their storage room. Thanks to that, I got an extra 10% off.

I think I saved a lot of money on the bag so I’m happy that I went there. I don’t know if the bag was included in the sale though but I still got a lot of discounts. It’s a great bag that is about 21” big so I can bring it inside the airplane when I go to Seattle. I really don’t want to check in my bags because I hate waiting for them.

I only had half a class today and that was really nice. It was actually the last “real” school day. I finished the first class pretty early so I decided not to stay for my last class. My last class was a computer class and he would only give us back our grades, which I already know because he posted it online.

I will only have to go to school three days next week. I have three finals and one quiz so I have to study a lot this weekend. I will still go out to take some photographs though.

I heard that there is a boat between Seattle and Canada so I am thinking about visiting Canada too while making my trip to Seattle. I want to see as much as possible and it would be fun to see some mountains. I will only be there for a week though so I will have to plan my trip carefully if I decide to go there.

I don’t know how much the boat trip will coast though but I will look into that this weekend. Before I go to Seattle, I will visit IKEA. There is an IKEA in Brooklyn that opens the 16th so I will definitely go to that one. There will be free boats between Manhattan and Brooklyn so I think I will take the train to Manhattan and then take the boat from there.

From what I have heard of, it doesn’t seem to be a subway close to the IKEA so I think that it’s more convenient to take the boat.

Governors Island

I found out today that Governors Island has opened. It’s a small island south of Manhattan and there is a free ferry service between the two islands. The weather is really beautiful right now so I think I will go there on Friday. I haven’t been out taking pictures in a long time so I am looking forward to it.

I have been thinking about what to give to my friends in Seattle for letting me stay there. I came up with a great idea a couple of days ago. I bought one of my teacher’s books, which is a collection of urban poems about New York City.

I look up to that teacher a lot because he doesn’t take things for granted. He loves the city and even though he has lived here for more than thirty years, he still sees the beautifulness of New York. He’s an amazing guy and knows everything there is to know about New York. He knows the dates, the places, and the people.

My professor’s name is Stephen Wolf and his book is called “I Speak of the City.” I really recommend you all to buy it. You can find it in any decent book store such as Barnes and Noble. So, back to what my idea was. I bought the book and later today I asked him if he would sign it with special wishes to my friends in Seattle.

He was happy to sign it for me and that made me feel really good. I’m not taking any of his classes anymore but we still talk to each other briefly when we meet. He’s just an amazing and inspiring guy, also a great story teller.

The weather is better today. It’s only 85 degrees, which is a huge difference compared to the last two days. It’s still pretty warm in my apartment though, but I’m running the air conditioner so it’s still comfortable here.

This weekend will be pretty busy for me. I have to do some studying for the final week and I have to find a new bag to use when I’m going to Seattle. I think I will go to Macy’s or a big shopping mall to find it. I’ve heard that Macy’s have a sale of some kind right now so I will check that out.

One thing that is good to know for tourists and other foreign students is that Macy’s offer a discount card for those visiting New York. They will simply remove the taxes from the price which will save you some money depending on how much you spend.

I think I will try that out actually. They won’t know if I’m a tourist or not. I will show them my passport and after that they will give me a discount card that will be valid for a few months I think.

It feels good that the school is over soon, like the time is just flying by. It will be nice with some vacation though and I think that the next quarter will be a little calmer than this one has been. I don’t have any math which is nice, and I only have four classes.

Hot!

This week has so far been really good. I was expecting to get my accounting test back on Tuesday but I met my accounting teacher on Monday and he told me my grade. He was really happy for me because I had gotten 200 out of 200.

I got it back officially today though and there was one thing that kind of bothered me. I was the only one who got an A in the class. My teacher gave everyone an extra 21 credits on the test but I didn’t get it since I had gotten top score. So after he had given out the extra 21 credits one more person got an A. I’m totally fine with that but I would expect him to give me 21 points extra too.

This could be important for the final actually. If I would perform badly on the final I might need those extra credits. I don’t think there is a risk for that though and even if I would perform poorly, I think my teacher would make some justifications for me.

I will hand in my final draft for my English paper tomorrow. I couldn’t get an appointment at the tutoring center because I wasn’t there early enough. I think my paper is good though. I was paired with a good student at the workshop we had in class and she gave me some good comments about it. I helped her with her paper too and I think that we will do better because of that.

It’s still incredibly warm here. I’m really happy that I bought the air conditioner and I don’t think I would have been able to live here without it actually. It’s over 100 degrees outside and inside the apartment. The wind usually helps but when it’s this warm it actually makes it worse. It’s like being inside of a huge sauna.

One thing that makes my room even warmer is my laptop. It becomes so hot and that makes the whole room really warm. I am thinking about buying the MacBook and I saw a few days ago that Apple offers a free IPod Nano or IPod Touch if you buy a laptop. This offer is only for students and I’m really tempted in buying it now.

I had my last computer test today and I was a little curious about how my professor would structure the test. It’s about integrating Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. It’s not that hard actually but people have to know the right commands. I’ve been using and working with computers since I was a kid so I feel very comfortable dealing with it.

There have been a couple of thunderstorms the last few days. There was one just now actually and it was really loud. It’s not only that it was loud, there were a lot of lightning going on too. I like thunderstorms though.

This is actually my last week in school this quarter. The next week is the finals week and I only have classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. That feels good actually and I have to prepare for my trip to Seattle.

I need to buy a new bag and I have to look up some information about the city. This weekend I have to do some studying for the finals and also do some assignments for my marketing class. The temperature will hopefully drop in a few days to at least 85 degrees.

Air Condition

It’s so warm today. I think this is the warmest day this year so I went out to buy an air conditioner this morning. I should have thought about bringing my cart because I had to walk about ten blocks. It was really heavy and warm and it felt amazingly wonderful when I came home, even though my arms almost fell off.

Right now I’m running my air conditioner and my fan. It’s that hot! I finished my English paper today and that feels really good. I wrote my introduction yesterday actually and decided to finish it today. I think it turned out really good actually. We are supposed to write three pages but I couldn’t make it smaller than three and a half pages.

I think it will be alright though. We will have a workshop in the class tomorrow so I will have one extra day to go to the tutoring center and have my paper corrected before turning in the final draft on Wednesday.

I did not do that much this weekend actually. I was planning on going out on Friday or Saturday but the weather was pretty mediocre. I had to do the English today so I couldn’t go out today either. I will probably take some pictures next weekend instead.

I did all my computer assignments on Friday and yesterday and that feels good. I really underestimated the time I had to deal with it though. I worked with it for about five hours total and that almost killed me. I was thinking about doing the test tomorrow but I have a few questions and I have to print my assignments so I think I will do it on Tuesday instead.

I am looking forward to get back my accounting test next week. As I mentioned before, it felt really good. That could be a bad sign though since everyone else in the class seemed to have a hard time with it.

My internet and my television were not working today. For me that’s a catastrophe. My Xbox was working though so I could kill some time playing. It works again though which feels great.

One thing I love about America is the barbeque sauces. I cooked some chicken today and put some Jack Daniels barbeque sauce on it. They have some really tasty and spicy ones. It turned out really good almost tasting as if it was cooked at a restaurant. All credit to me!

I slept really badly yesterday because of the heat. I kept waking up in the middle of the night and I had to turn on the fan. I think today will be better even though it’s warmer thanks to the air conditioner.

I took a walk in my neighborhood yesterday night. It was a small thunderstorm outside but you couldn’t hear the thunder, only see the lightning. I don’t know why but I really like thunderstorms. My neighborhood is really nice during the evening actually.

It’s amazing how everything changes when it gets dark. It’s a safe neighborhood and I feel really safe here. I think we have some Italian mafia here though. There are some old Italian guys always loitering outside a restaurant. They look really friendly though! I like that about New York, the diversity and mysteries.

Weekend

I had a test in accounting today. I felt really confident when I woke up this morning so the day started off in a good way. My girlfriend woke me up at 5AM because she needed some help with her computer. I was really tired but I tried to help her out.

I’m really glad that she woke me up because it made me feel even more energetic before going to school. What showed up on the test was to no surprise for me. The whole test felt really good actually and I should definitely do really well on it.

I am going to do my computer assignment today. I told my teacher today that I could do the assignments at home so he let me go home early from class which was great.

I went to get my hair done a few days ago. I really needed it because my hair was really thick and long. My girlfriend likes it when it’s long but I feel pretty uncomfortable when it’s long. I went to a place just next to my school and I went there last time too.

I don’t think I will go there again though. I searched online and apparently there is a really good barbershop in Manhattan that offers fast and great service. It’s called Premium Barbershop and I will check it out the next time I need a haircut.

It’s raining today and that feels really good. It has been too warm these days and the rain really cools things down. However, I saw on Brooklyn News that it will be up to 93 degrees this weekend. That is just too warm. I will try to spend as less time as possible in the subway this weekend.

I’m thinking about traveling to Coney Island tomorrow. I want to take some picture of the amusement park and the beach while it’s crowded. I have been there a bunch of times but never during the summer. After have spending some time there, I am planning to take the F train to York Street and walk from there to Manhattan via Brooklyn Bridge.

I think it would be a nice trip and I would be able to shoot many pictures. I’m really looking forward going to Seattle. I will visit many places there and definitely take the ferry during the evening. I really love skyline pictures and Seattle actually offers a pretty nice skyline.

I really like the mountains that are close to the city so I will check out the water tower to get some good views. I haven’t decided that much yet though.

Seattle plans

I really feel that the quarter is coming to an end now. The teachers are preparing for the finals and everything in my classes is getting wrapped up. I will finish some assignments this weekend. I have my final paper in English to do and I will also complete my final draft of my marketing assignments.

I have a test in math on Wednesday but I don’t have to do it. We have three tests but only two of them will count. I have gotten A on both of the tests so I will go home early on Wednesday, which is great because it’s a three hour long class.

I will also book an appointment at the tutor center for next week. My final draft for my English paper is due on Wednesday. I will write the paper this weekend but I will make adjustments in the start of next week after seeing my tutor.

I booked a trip to Seattle a couple of days ago and I am really looking forward to go there. I want to see so much of the United States and I have never been on the West Coast. I will stay with some friends to my family and they are very kind and generous.

They offered me to use their car and I really want to do that. I haven’t driven a car since Christmas and I love driving so that would be very fun. I am looking into what to do in Seattle and I have found a bunch of stuff to do there. I will definitely take a lot of pictures and tell you all about my trip. I will write my blog from there so you won’t miss out on anything.

A new season of “Top Model” started today. Don’t ask me why, but I really like that show. I don’t think it’s because of the models, I just like photographing and watching the different challenges. My girlfriend likes it to so we watch it a lot.

I am studying for my accounting tonight. I have the test tomorrow and I feel pretty confident about it. One week ago I actually felt somewhat confused about the chapters and what was in them, but now I feel good. I reviewed all my old assignments and redid them. That helps a lot and that helped me getting on track.

This week has past really fast actually. I only have one more day in school and after that it’s weekend again. Like I said, I do have some assignments to do, but I really think I will have a lot of spare time. I think I will go out to take some photographs. I am thinking about crossing Brooklyn Bridge. I have only done that once before and it was a snowstorm outside that time.

The weather is a lot better now even though it’s raining today. The summer has really started now and I know that because the subway is getting smoking hot. It’s so warm down there during summer time and I am really happy that the trains have air conditioning.

Next week, I will also have a test in computer integration. I have some assignments to do this weekend but after I have done the test, I probably won’t need to go to that class anymore. Everyone that gets a 93 or above average doesn’t have to take the final and I will presumably be one of them.

New York's Finest In Action

Something really awesome happened today. I had to go out and buy new shoes because it’s so warm outside and I only have shoes that I have to wear socks with. So I went out to Payless Shoes, which by the way is a great shoe store with unbeatable prices, to buy sandals.

Everything was normal and I was looking around the store to see if I could find anything I would like. Suddenly I hear a guy saying, “What are you doing, put that away.” I noticed two Mexican guys with two bags, and the other guy was yelling at them. He was obviously a civilian cop and the Mexicans had tried to steal some shoes.

I am censoring the language a little! The cop forced the first guy to open his bag and grabbed him in the collar pushing him outside the store. He then came back to the other guy, who was obviously very nervous. The Mexican then put his hands behind his back or something and the cop yelled, “Let me see those hands.” At the same time, the cop took a grip on him and pushed him into the shoe shelf.

He opened his bag and tossed out the shoes and said, “It’s either jail or get the *censured* out of here!” I know this is a very serious situation but I really love this stuff. The New York finest is always fun to watch. I love the show “Cops” by the way.

It was really fun to see the thieves’ faces when the cop yelled at them. They couldn’t have picked a worse time and place. God bless people like this cop. They are doing a great job in making this world a safer place.

I found a pair of shoes I really like and they look really good. It’s a sandal but it looks very fashionable, and it’s comfortable. I can wear them everywhere, especially at the beach. I can imagine taking long walks along the beach with my girlfriend, and finally I have the right shoes for it. This must have been the most interesting and fun shopping day I have ever had.

I rented a movie from my school this Friday. It’s a fairly small library but they offer a lot which is great. They have a lot of movies to choose from and people are allowed to keep it for three days. This doesn’t cost anything of course. I borrowed “Saving Private Ryan,” which is one of my favorite movies. They also have “Die Hard 3,” and other really new movies.

I have to study some more accounting today. I did all my old assignments for one chapter yesterday, and I have two more chapters to do today. It’s not that painful actually and I learn a lot. I really recommend you to do the old homework as a review if you study accounting. Some people just read the chapters again and try to do some problems in their heads. This won’t work.

I am the number one student in my class so I know what works and what doesn’t. Everyone has their own technique though. I do the old assignments and after that, I staple the work. This gives me a great template to use for reviewing the test.

There was a big thunder storm yesterday and I happened to be outside just when it occurred. I read in the new that it would start between 2 pm and 4 pm so I went out at 12.30pm. It started earlier though and I got pretty soaked. However, I bought an umbrella, which I actually needed, so everything turned out fine.