Bikers

Governors Island opened for the public yesterday and my fiancée and I decided to visit it. Today was beautiful outside so we went there to relax, play some badminton, and have a picnic.

I really like Governors Island because it is quiet and not many people go there. There is plenty of space for everyone and it is not as noisy like Prospect Park sometimes is. Another great thing about the island is that it offers a great view. I went there last year to take pictures of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty and they turned out great.

There was some kind of motorcycle event going on in Manhattan today. I saw hundreds of motorbikes on my way to Governors Island, all of them driving together and blocking up most traffic. I am not sure if they were touring New York together or what was going on but there were a lot of them.

I am thinking about taking Chinese classes next quarter. I really believe that it would be helpful to me if I could speak some Chinese. Many international businesses are looking for people with intercultural experience and with multi-language skills. I am currently looking into what kinds of classes are available.

I have wanted to rent a car in New York for a long time. I need to get an international drivers license first though. Many people think that the embassy or that the state can help them out, but that is incorrect.

It does not involve taking classes or registering at DMV either. What people have to do is to contact the government institution in their home country that deals with driver permits. In my case it is Vagverket in Sweden.

They are actually not doing it themselves so I have to contact an organization connected to them to do it for me. It is pretty inconvenient to do it from the United States but my parents will help me to do it so it should not be any problems.

The international drivers license is basically just a paper stating in English what kind of license it is. A foreign drivers license is valid in New York, however New York police officers are not required to understand foreign licenses, which may cause troubles if stopped. 

I will have two tests next week. One is a take-home test in statistics and the other one is management and held online as usual. I do not feel worried about any of the tests because I have time to study for them and I can keep the books next to me while answering the questions.

I took the picture today in South Manhattan where the bikers were passing and where I took the ferry to Governors Island, which by the way is free. 

Game Day

I had my test in international economics today. My preparation for the test consisted of reviewing on Tuesday and watching Champions League on Wednesday.

I had a great time with my friend while watching Barcelona beat Manchester United. I was rooting for Manchester United but I am not very into soccer so I definitely did not feel upset after the game.

At first, it was hard to find a bar with good seats available. We went to three different ones before finally arriving to a bar with big screens and seats where we could actually follow the game.

We did not want to go home after the game so we went to 230 Fifth to enjoy the view and a few more drinks. That is definitely one of my favorite places because it offers a magnificent view.

The bar is located on the 20^th floor and they also have a bar on the rooftop. It is a fantastic feeling to sit there during the summer and the environment is remarkable. While up there, people can see most of Midtown Manhattan.

It is a pretty pricy place but definitely worth the visit. A beer is $9 so most people can still afford going there.

I felt confident about the test because I had prepared a well-planned reference sheet. I thought I had most of the topics written down and I had very detailed information written down for each specific question.

The test was not difficult for me. I finished first in class actually. However, the questions were tricky and I am almost certain that most students struggled with the test. It is all about trying to find as much useful information as possible and type it down on the reference sheet.

The grades were posted later this afternoon and I got a hundred out of a hundred on the test. It was something I expected actually but it is a relief to have completed another test. This was the eighth week for the quarter and there is only three more to go. Time is moving extremely fast, which feels both good and bad.

I got my cloths I ordered from Old Navy today. Everything fit me, which feels great because it is always a hassle to return online orders. All of it looks great too and I feel good about having some new cloths to wear for the summer.

I was unfortunately only able to take one picture during the Champions League. It looks a little too dark and it is hard to see what kind of restaurant I was at. However, I wanted to post something from yesterday. 

Champions League

I will go to see the Champions League final with a friend tomorrow. We are planning to go to a bar somewhere in Midtown Manhattan and I am looking forward to it even though I am not that into soccer.

Manchester United is playing against Barcelona and I know they are both great teams regardless my lousy experience in soccer. I have a test on Thursday so I will have to be careful not partying too hard.

The truth is that I prefer to have just a few drinks and not go wild like many other fans would end up doing.

I had the review for the test today and this must be the most challenging test so far this quarter. I said a few blogs ago that it would be one of the most interesting tests and I still feel that way.

It looks like the test will cover a lot about exchange rates, the European Union, and derivatives. These subjects will come in great use later in life so I keep my eyes and ears wide open and try to grasp as much information as possible.

I tried to go over the review questions and I have prepared a reference sheet for the day of the test. All students are allowed to bring two of them, which I believe is fair due to the high level of difficulty.

I experienced some problems with my IPod Touch lately. I called Apple and they told me that they could pick it up and repair it. That would cost me $35 so I was not in the mood to do it.

Instead, I went to the Apple store located in just South of Central Park in Manhattan. I booked an appointment for the next day to meet with an expert. When the expert was done analyzing the IPod, he came to the conclusion that I needed a new one.

The IPod was exchange with a new one without any additional fees, which made me very happy. The one I had was full of scratches and in a clearly used condition. The one I received looked brand new.

I must praise Apple for its impressive support. I am thinking about getting an extended warranty for my laptop because of it. My warranty expires in September this year and even though I have not experienced any problems with it, it would feel safer to be protected by a warranty.

Picture was taken on 5^th Avenue in Manhattan. The sky is clearly blue almost every day now and it is mostly very hot outside. The summers in New York can be pretty unpleasant because of that. 

A Weakening Dollar

My plan for today was to travel to Manhattan and visit a ship. However, I found out that the last day for visiting ships in Manhattan was yesterday so I ended up never going there. 

They had tours in Staten Island but it takes too long to get there from Brooklyn without a car so I did not want to go there. There is a ship called The Intrepid that is located in the Midtown West harbor, which people can visit any day if they missed the guided tours during Fleet Week.

I decided to go to Kings Plaza in Brooklyn for some shopping instead. I went to Modell’s, Old Navy, and a couple of other stores. I bought a few great shirts and my fiancée bought me a pair of shorts.

I am very happy with my purchases and I am eager to try the cloths I bought online from Old Navy. They should arrive late this week.

I did not get my booking confirmation for the wine tasting event yet. I really hope there has not been a mistake made because I have been looking forward to this event for a long time.

I was thinking about buying a baseball and a glove at Modell’s today. I could not find a glove that fit my hand perfectly though so I never bought it. However, I tried catching a few balls, which confirmed that I am really not good at baseball.

I prefer American football compared to baseball, and I am already looking forward for next season to start in September. I have never been to a game actually so I am going to try to get tickets for at least one game this year. I want to see The Giants, but it is pretty inconvenient to do so because their stadium is in New Jersey.

It has been extremely pleasant with one extra day off this weekend. I have not had much to do for school so I have been able to relax for most of the time. I will have to do some homework later today though but I should be able to finish it in two hours.

The dollar is weakening compared to many currencies right now. I would guess it is because the government is printing money to cover the debt, which is devaluing the dollar.

It is benefiting me because I have to transfer some money from Sweden soon. It is always hard to tell what will happen in the long-term with the dollar value but I think it will keep loosing value for a relatively long time.

There was a market on 7^th Avenue in Manhattan yesterday. There were a lot of different dishes to eat and everything smelled really good. It was incredibly crowded so I am sure business was good, at least that day. 

Old Navy

I wanted to buy some more shirts for the summer so I went to Old Navy with my fiancée yesterday. They have a large variety of cloth and there are several things that appeal to me.

What I really wanted to do was to go there and see what sizes I needed. I figured I could get a better deal if I bought everything online on the Old Navy website. The store at 34^th Street in Manhattan is huge and they certainly have almost everything in stock. However, the online store probably has more cloths and therefore a bigger selection of cloths.

I bought a lot of shirts actually and two shorts. That should give me the opportunity to wear different outfits for the rest of the summer. Exactly how many outfits I can wear based on my current closet is unknown to me, even though I should be able to calculate it using knowledge from my statistics class.

I had to install everything I bought from IKEA yesterday. I do not feel comfortable drilling in walls and I try to avoid it. However, there was no way out this time. I had to install one mirror and one wall shelf, both fairly tricky to put up.

I think it turned out very well though. I hope both objects will stay on the wall though. I feel worried about setting up too many books and heavy things on the wall shelf because I am not sure how much weight it can bear.

I tried the Domino’s Bread Bowl Pasta yesterday. I guess Jay Leno was right when he said that it is ridiculous to make things greasier and greasier. Not only does the pasta contain a lot of butter and cheese, it is also wrapped in a large piece of pizza dough.

The scary part of all this is that I really liked it. It was delicious! I am sure it will not kill people unless they eat too much of it. I will try to ride my exercise bike extra much this weekend.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. Berkeley College is closed and I like having an extra long weekend to enjoy. The day honors those American men and women who died while in the military service.

I think it is a nice way to commemorate soldiers and their families. There will be parades, barbeques, and donation events all over New York. I will probably go out to watch the parade but I have not set up any definite plans yet.

I took the picture in Brooklyn at sunset. The sky looked really beautiful this day and I wished I had been at a better place to see it. 

Fleet Week

I cleaned my apartment today. It took a long time but everything is clean now, which feels good. I have been trying to fix my fiancée’s blackberry for the rest of the day, which really has made me tired.

She bought a blackberry phone online and we could not really figure it out. We wanted to add applications but it did not go as smoothly as we wanted. When I tried to update the phone, the installation cancelled in the middle of the operation.

This blanked out the phone totally and all software was deleted. I tried to reinstall it but the blackberry did not want to connect with my computer. I thought I had broken it for a while, but I successfully reinstalled the system after several attempts of trying to do so.

I really like my iPhone and I realized today how much easier it is compared to other phones. The Apple support center is also terrific in assisting customers, which I cannot say about blackberry or t-mobile.

I will have a test next week in international economics. I think this will be the most interesting test this quarter. The test covers exchange rates, international markets, and derivatives.

We have learned a lot about option and future contracts, which I find very interesting especially since corporations use them frequently. I really think that it was an extremely important part of this course.

It is getting really hot outside. However, I think I can avoid installing the air conditioner this summer. My new apartment is definitely cooler than my old one and I have so far gotten along very well using my fan only.

It is nine days left until the Tonight Show with Conan O Brian starts again. He is taking over for Jay Leno, which is a decision I support even though I like Leno too. However, Leno will still have a show but it will be broadcasted earlier in the evening. 

This week is “Fleet Week.” It is a tradition where active military ships dock in major cities so that the crews can visit tourist attraction for a week. People can therefore visit the ships and attend various events, including guided tours on ships, military demonstrations, and air shows.

There are a lot of crewmembers walking around in the city during the week. It is nice to see actually. I might attend a tour tomorrow because I need to go to Manhattan anyway. I saw military ships when I went to Boston but it would definitely be fun to see again.

I took the picture a few days ago in Brooklyn at the Avenue U station. I like how someone painted an American flag on the fence. The train stations definitely need more art like that so they do not look too gray. 

Super Tall Antenna

I got back my history test today. As predicted, I got an A on it, which got me in a good mood for the rest of the day.

I was very busy yesterday. I had to update my resume, write a cover letter, do two take-home midterms, look for a cell phone for my fiancée, and write my blog. I was able to do everything, and I believe it was because I hate to leave things undone.

I was not quite that busy today but I still had a lot to do. I wanted to buy curtains for my apartment so I went to a local store here in Brooklyn called Telco. It is a discount store with great prices and I found it appropriate for my purpose. I found a pair of curtains that I thought looked extremely nice for being so affordable.

I bought three of them and I am very happy with the result. The room in which I installed them now almost looks like a hotel room. Unfortunately, my cat likes them too so I have to be careful making sure she will not tear them down.

I have not installed everything I bought from IKEA yet. I will try to do it tomorrow, but I need to borrow a tool from my landlord first.

I am happy that I got an A on the history test. I did not realize until I got it back that it actually had been pretty hard. My professor is using a bonus system in which he gives everyone who significantly shows improvements after the midterm and on the final extra points.

I do not think I will need those extra points but it is beneficial for many students who had a bad day on the day of the midterm. I believe many people deserve a second chance and if they are showing they really want a better grade, they should get the opportunity to get a higher one.

I framed two puzzles last weekend. I noticed today that one piece has fallen off, which bothers me a little. It is quite a hassle to remove the frame again but I cannot stand it anymore so I will probably fix it next weekend. 

I noticed that some cars here in New York have huge antennas. I saw one a few days ago with an antenna probably reaching six feet. I have no idea why they use an antenna that tall but they sure must have a great reception. I posted a picture of the car I saw just in case you are curious.

I am doing all my homework in the small room in my apartment nowadays. The curtains, pictures, and the sofa has transformed this room to something much more hospitable than before and it is now a pleasure to do homework again. 

IKEA

I went to IKEA this weekend. I have wanted to go there for a long time so it was nice to experience it again. I decided to have lunch there and ordered Swedish meatballs. It was a delicious meal even though the meatballs probably were frozen.

The reason I went to IKEA was because I wanted to buy a sofa bed, a side table, a wall shelf, and a curtain rod. I got all that I wanted and I got everything for a great price. The sofa bed was only $149, which is amazing compared to the price of other sofas around New York.

I had to assemble it myself but it was definitely worth it. The quality is surprisingly good relative to the price and it is of perfect size. I also bought some frames so that I could put up a photo that I took and some other pictures.

The apartment definitely looks better now and it feels more hospitable. I installed the curtain rod but the curtains I have are unfortunately too narrow so they do not cover my windows enough.

I will go to buy curtains later this week when I find time to do so. My landlord is incredibly helpful and I feel very lucky to have found an apartment like this. He helped me to transport everything I bought from IKEA back to my apartment.

I cannot imagine delivering everything myself. I was, at first, planning to take the bus to New Jersey and carry everything back home using the subway. I do have a trolley and a cart that I could have used but it would still be an overload of stuff to move.

I ordered a new exercise bike from Modell’s this weekend. I have a box to ship my old bike back now because of my trip to IKEA. I ordered the same bike again and it will hopefully not break this time.

I have not received my test result for my midterm in history yet. I am guessing that I will receive it tomorrow though. I am not sure if I did good or bad but I have a feeling that I will get an A.

I want to take some more pictures and develop them so that I can put them up on the wall. My apartment is definitely lacking that and I think it would make it more homely here.

I did two tests today. My professor in management posted a quiz on blackboard that I had to do. I got an A on it and it was not terribly difficult. I had to read the book and focus on the questions but that comes with every test.

My second test today was in statistics. I have answered all questions and I feel good about it. My professor gave out great handouts and I took many notes from the class, which really helped me for the test.

I took the picture in lower Manhattan close to Washington Park. It is a friendly place and it is nice to see the kids play basketball. There are a lot of basketball courts in New York and it is nice to see that they are not empty.