I just wanted to write a quick blog about what I think about New York so far. It's been about 3 days since I've gotten here.

It's smelly and dirty in the subway.
I'm sure anyone in New York knew that. But I was surprised about how SMELLY it was. Nothing can describe the smell of the subway with it's warm steam full of god knows what bathing you when you enter.

You walk a lot...
New Yorkers are crazy about walking. Especially since we're in Brooklyn it takes an hour to get to the city. Then we walk and walk and got up and down stairs. It's been so bad that my feet are blistered up on Day 2!

New York is the city that never sleeps.
We went to a club and danced until 4 am! That's crazy because in LA doors close at 2 am. It seems there are always people everywhere at every minute of the day.

And on that note...the drinks are weak!
I'm usually a light weight when it comes to getting toasted, usually at my 2 shot/drink. I had 6 drinks and nothing. At the restaurant, bar, and club I drank and there was no buzz. Maybe it was just the locations.

I miss my car.
I know that everyone takes the subway because it's convenient but  I miss my car. I like being in my own travel bubble that takes me where I want to go and I don't have to wait.  It's comfortable and convenient. I my car.

Space is limited.
Everywhere you go, you are squeezed into small small locations with a lot of people. I miss having space to move and stand. It's crazy how many people there are in New York. Makes me feel like a country mouse.

It's getting late so I'm going to bed. More thoughts on New York soon.

I'm off to New York for two weeks of fun!

There are soooooooooooooooooooooooooo many blogs posted private that I've been meaning to edit and post since May! Yes, since MAY! So many things going on that the words feel like they've dried up or bottled necked right at my fingertips. It's frustrating. However, I will post the most current news which is I'm leaving for vacation in 4 days! Yes, Sekura is FINALLY going on vacation with her girls to NEW YORK! YEAH!!! Unlike some of the people I know who are world travelers, this little Sekura has rarely ventured out because she was always working or going to school or BOTH. So, the plan is that THIS week I will be leaving for a week in New York and then Penn for some super fun times with my girls. I can't wait to take the Big Apple with my friends.

So, for a rookie traveler heading from Cali to NYC with VERY limited travel experience what would you advise?

P.S. Did I mention that I can't sleep on a plan? I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO screwed.

P.S. P.S. Any advice for the taxis and travel trips and sites in the city?

Let's see if I make it back alive. It's like Country Sekura going to the city.

Mini Blog # 1

23 days of work left before summer vacation. I can DO this! The kids have all checked out and I have to admit so have most of the teachers. It's hard to believe that my first year of teaching is almost over. Remember when I was still in school and worried about finding a job? That's almost exactly a year ago! I can't believe it! Next post will detail my summer plans...

Mini Blog # 2

Update on the hamster's name. It took us about 2 weeks but his official name is Little Ninja. We wanted to give him a name that fit him. He's quick, disappears in his hamster house ALL the time. He only comes out at night. The one that clinched it was all the crazy jumps and climbing skills he has. It's like Super Ninja.

Hi! My name is Little Ninja!

Mini Blog # 3

My boyfriend made me cry! It was happy tears though. We're going camping at the beach and then to a beach resort this Memorial weekend. I can't wait! I'm looking forward to boogie boarding, fishing, and eating lots of junk food. So I was looking at different massages and went to ask the BF which one would be good. He looked at me and he said, "Do you want me to pay for it?" That was the sweetest thing EVER! He knows that this week has been really hard and tomorrow is Open House so the stress level is super high. That's an awesome BF. It was such a sweet gesture that I started to cry. That's how bad the stress level is right now. I have the best bf. My goal for the trip is to eat, relax, get tan, catch a couple fish, and spend time with the BF. That sounds like the perfect mini vacation.

So a friend gave me a check for my birthday and she told me, "Do not buy groceries with it. Or anything school related! Have fun with it." So, this week I did.

He's HATES the camera and rarely sits still. Out of 100 pictures, we got only got 4 decent ones. When I try to get a picture he runs the other way.

He's so UNHAPPY about taking pictures!

Anyway, he's currently nameless! Any suggestions are welcomed!

My birthday's this Thursdays and true to form you have to kick off birthdays by stretching them into a week. If you're really good, you can totally justify doing anything you want to do for an entire month.

So far, the BF surprised me with tickets to go watch

last Friday. I've been wanting to go for months and it was so kick ass awesome!

The funny thing is that there was this Latino guy there that totally looked like a thug. He was big and tall with his baggy jeans and super clean fancy sneakers. He even had a word SHAVED into his head. I was like, "What's HE doing here? Must be for his gf." I was wrong once I read the word shaved into his head. The word? WICKED and it was colored in green! He sat near us too and knew all the words to the song and sang along. He was such the super fan that I couldn't help laughing.

Updates on the Birthday Week later on...

  

I was going to write a very light hearted blog about what I did this weekend but I guess it'll be saved for a later date. I was reading CNN (I'm a news junkie) and this article popped up: Survivor Recalls Horrors of Cambodian Genocide

I'm not sure how many of my readers know but I'm Cambodian and my parents are refugees who came here in 1981. I know only some of the horrors that they went through their stories. They lost so many friends and family I cannot even fathom the ordeal that they went through. I haven't even lost a friend or relative and feel very blessed.

Anywhoo, the article goes on to question the survivor if tactics that the US are using to interrogate people like waterboarding torture? He replied yes.  Does the means justify the end? Who makes that decision that John Smith is a prospective terrorist and therefore must be tortured to get valuable information? What happens when people are wrong and innocent people are tortured?

I have no answers to theses questions but to pray for a better future and work to make it so.

Edit: I've never realized how limited I am in writing what I'm thinking and feeling and putting it on a blog. I feel especially frustrated in writing about my feelings about my past and how I feel about it now. So, here's the Cliff Notes/bottom line /written from the gut version.

I am two sides about using waterboarding techniques to interrogate prisoners about what they may or may not know. My only reservation about using these torture techniques are the innocents. I cannot imagine being tortured because someone "thinks" I may know something that "may or may not" happen. I also think it's appaling that the CNN article will use pictures of dead Cambodian skulls as one of the main pages on their sites. I cannot help but think that one of those skulls could be one of my many lost relatives. It is a sight I do not wish to see without warning.

I have new roommates. Please don't die on me. I promise to get you into a nice furnished fish tank quick!

L: So how was grad school? Was it worth it?

Me: Well, when I was going through the Dewey theory of …
(reaching for something in my bag)

L: (Bursts out laughing.) I’m sorry. I really can’t take you
seriously. You’re talking about graduate school and you’re reaching into a huge
Hello Kitty bag. 

Me: 

I got a a rare chance to eat lunch outside of school today.  I went to El Primo and got a Mr. Serious. A Mr. Serious is a carne asada burrito with black beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, and spicy green sauce on TWO huge tortillas. It weighs 2 lbs. I barely ate 1/4 for lunch. The spoon's for reference. Crazy huh! All this for $6.99 and I've got 4 meals.

Mr. Serious, I love you but my stomach doesn't.