Goals.

So, if you have been following me on Twitter (which I doubt) you will know that my old roommate P and I (mainly P) have been tweeting each other about our diets. P is on a quest to lose some pounds through the Body for Life program, and I decided to ride on his coattail by keeping track of what I'm eating and developing some healthier habits.

Mainly I've been trying to do some lifestyle changes, and I realized some things that I do.

First, although I've known this for a while, I've come to realize that I eat LIGHTENING fast. My entire family eats fast. I don't know why, because we never have to be on survival mode, and food is always plenty. If I'm not conscience, an average meal takes 8-10 minutes. (I timed myself.) So! Another new goal I've tacked on on top of others is this: To eat my meal in 20 minutes. This is surprisingly hard. Basically, I need to take smaller bites and swallow before picking up the food for the next chomp chomp, but it is hard hard hard! Why 20 minutes? Well, it's roughly twice the amount of time I usually take, and it's roughly the amount of time one episode of "30 Rock" runs. I've been eating while literally watching the clock on the DVD player. It's kind of nuts, but I'm slowly getting into it.

Second, I almost almost ALWAYS crave something sweet after a meal. I didn't think I had a sweet tooth, but I've realized that I do. While, I never crave intensely sweet things like whipped cream and caramel, I like the sweetness in food, in general. My favorite condiment is ketchup. I love Japanasized Italian food, because they all taste like ketchup. Mirin-flavored Japanese food sings to my heart. I go through 3 jars of peach salsa a week. And even then, after a meal, I want some sweetness. SO! In order to kick this fructose habit, I've decided to brush my teeth after every meal, to see if I can curve it. We'll see how that goes.

I've been told that it takes 2-3 weeks to develop a habit. My challenge is to do this for 2 and a half week, and see if it sticks.

Yay pkisbodyisforlife.wordpress.com ! (P's quest.)

Ugh bug.

This dilemma again.

I've been looking for jobs that have somewhat of a logical continuation to the job that I previously had. I loved my last job, and even more, I loved my organization. ( SHOUT OUT TO LTSC!) I gained a family in a setting that I never imagined I would find myself in, and I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. For. The. World. Deciding to work there is easily one of the best decisions I've made in my life so far.

However.

New York City is notoriously expensive. I'm already paying much more in rent than what I paid in Los Angeles. However, the jobs that I'm finding attractive, getting interviews for, and giving me a chance, are positions that pay the same, if not slightly LESS than what I used to make.

I started looking at corporate positions today. Now, I have to tell you all straight up, I have ZERO judgment about corporate jobs. I think it's just as responsible to plan for your future and have positions that will allow you to have a safety net, as it is to work in a service providing position like I did. In fact, I'm being selfish by getting my conscious jolleys doing non-profit work, and kind of ignoring my future.

There's a job right now that I really really REALLLYYY am interested in, but the pay is low. However, the experience I will gain will be remarkable, especially when I think about post-graduate education.

But am I not young enough any more to take a job for the "experience"?

I'm scared that I might have just crossed that line this year. I want to believe that I'm not. I know I'm still young. But am I now in a position where I seriously have to start thinking about security over potential career advancement? Should I already be advancing in my career and really think about stabilizing myself? Or am I young enough (as in do I have enough time) to do a job that will give me network and skills that *MIGHT* make me a better person and a better candidate for future job/school opportunities?

The corporate jobs that I found and applied for today, resemble the temp position that I was really bored with before my job at LTSC. But, the pay difference is ridiculous. RIDICULOUS. The fact that I speak Japanese makes it jump so much, and it twists my heart and makes me sweat. However, a) I have no actual job experience in these fields, i.e. finance, business analysis, etc etc, and b) I know that I'll feel bored/anxious/like I don't fit.

WHAT DO I DOOOOOOO???????????

Insights will be greatly appreciated...

HUMIDITY

I am a sloth.

Today is arguably one of the hottest day of the summer in NYC. I can do heat. I can. But humidity has become a beast that I can't seam to tame.

Today is also arguably the least productive day I've had since I moved here. I have been sweating since 9AM, and haven't really moved since then, either. I've only moved to fix myself something to eat. ( I never lose my appetite because of weather, or anything, for that matter. When I don't feel like eating, I know that it's deathly serious.)

I finally peeled myself off of the ground and got to the nearby Starbucks to apply for jobs.

Phew. Chilly.

Say what you will about Starbucks (as in: their drip coffee tastes like shit, they're a huge heartless corporation, and they're coffee is overpriced). I can't find another place in the universe that makes me as productive as Starbucks. I easily wrote 80% of my 65-page senior thesis in college at a Starbucks near my apartment. My college roommate Carmen can attest to that, because I saw the baristas there more often than I saw her.

Anyhoo, just another update to my peoples in LA that I am alive (and that I am still the shiniest, sweatiest person in NYC.)

PAZ.

oops.

Hi.

I promised you a project, but I didn't plan well enough, and I've got nothing for y'all tonight, except for that photo of me with my new chair. It's a "telephone chair", and I fell in love with it the moment I saw it at an antique shop. I know, I have no income, and I bought a chair. I did furnish my room, though, FINALLY. I built a shelf and I moved everything, but I am now officially the shiniest, sweatiest person in NYC. I'm starting to feel like I live here!

I swear I have more to tell you. But, I'll come back really soon for it.

I owed you, and here it is.

Yes, I am alive, and well.

Let's start from the beginning.

The number one question I've got these last couple of months is this: Why did/are you move/ing to New York?

I've wanted to live in New York since I was a teenager. My reasons were really shallow, but oddly, it hasn't really changed. I saw shows like 'Friends', 'Will and Grace', 'Sex and the City', and all that other crap, and was mesmerized by the romanticized New York on TV. I decided that I wanted to go to college there. I had to run this by my parents (mainly because they were going to pay for my education), and I was met with an, "Absolutely not," from my mother. She told me that there was no way in hell I was going to survive New York City, especially with the ridiculously glossed over image I had of city life. To prove my point, my mom took me to New York City during spring break, when I was 16. It was April, and it was supposed to be spring time, but we were met with snow. On top of the weather, my mom reFUSED to take taxis, and dragged me on foot and subway every where we went. My suburban ass could not take it. (Just a side note: My mom grew up in Tokyo. She is a seasoned city girl. I was no match.) I succumbed to my mother's wisdom, and did not apply to any out of state schools.

However, the thought and desire of wanting to live in New York City never left me. During college, I visited several times with P, and after college, I kept visiting my college roommate Carmen over and over again. In between there, I also lived in Madrid, and tasted the life of living in a walking city. I loved it. I really really loved it. Once I got back to Los Angeles, I couldn't wait to go back to another urban city. (We all know how I shouldn't be driving, based on my records.) However, I fell in love with my job and my organization, and decided to stay a bit longer in LA.

Earlier last year, I had the crazy idea of becoming a lawyer, and dove into the deep end of LSAT classes and applications. I applied to every possible school I knew about in New York, but, guess what? I got rejected by ALL 20+ schools I applied to, and not just NY schools. ALL. I was crushed. Being the analytical person that I am, I dissected all the reasons why I was so sad about the rejections ( besides the pure fact that no one wanted me). In the end, I realized that one of the main reasons why I was disappointed about not going to law school was the fact that I might have to stay in Los Angeles for another extended period of time. I loved my job in LA, but it wasn't enough for me to enjoy living in Southern California any more.

So. I moved.

I realized my dream that I've had for 10 years. I didn't have a plan (still don't), and it was pretty reckless of me to move here. But, so far, I've loved it. Whatever romanticized image I had of New York has been replaced with a harsher reality, but it's far more exciting than I ever thought. For the most part, I am glad to be here.

Are y'all updated now on why I came here? Good! Because here's an update on what I've been up to.

I've settled into a little part of Queens and been loving it. I was at first hesitant about living outside of Manhattan, but now I prefer it. If you've seen "Julie and Julia", I live pretty close to the area where Julie Powell lives. The train she takes home, going up and down those stairs, is the train I take every day. Manhattan is great, but it takes a lot out of you. There are literally models and CEOs walking down the street with you, and it can get tiring. Coming home from Manhattan to Queens has been comforting, and I feel really grateful.

On the job front, I've got nothin', but I'm being optimistic. I've had the chance to explore Queens and Manhattan, run in Central Park (although never the same route, because it's so confusing), and ate at various spots, including the famous Shake Shack. I've also had the time to be completely obsessed with 'The Wire', which is a show that requires time and care. (I can't start with this show without dedicating an entire post on it. It is the greatest thing to ever be shown on television.)

I've been alright. :)

So, that's that. I'm thinking about starting a little project, so if you've been patient with me and read this post, you might wanna come back on Sunday.

I miss all of you!

xoxo