unique

 Did you know today is the 1st advent? No? well it is. Don’t know if you care about that at all over here, but back home we think about it quite a lot. It’s not like it’s the biggest deal in the world, but it’s nice to have some kind of countdown to christmas. So every Sunday from now until christmas will be a new advent and I will know that christmas is getting closer and closer.So now, as christmas really is getting closer, me and my roommate have decided to decorate our place. It’s not that big so we don’t need a lot of stuff but we are going to Jack’s 99 cent store, by Manhattan Mall on Herald Square, to pick up a few things. We also talked about other ways for us to get more in to the “christmas-mood”. We are going to Rockefeller Center on Wednesda to see the lighting of the big tree and we are looking at tickets for the Christmas spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. A freind of ours went last week and said it was amazing.

The show stars the world famous Radio City Rockettes and features their signature eye high kicks, precision choreography, and exciting, shopstopping numbers that will give you chills down your spine. The show has been seen by more than 65 million people for more than 75 years, and they guarantee that the memories will last for a lifetime.

The cheapest tickets are about $42-52. The best, most expensive ones are between $150-250. If you want it, you better pay for it, and unfortunatley, even the cheapest ones are a little more than we care to spend so maybe this will just be a dream for next year or the year after that. 

I‘ve been sitting here, drinking way too much coffee waiting for the day to go by. My head, mind, soul, and heart is already in Boston, but unfortunately that doesn’t really matter as long as the body still is in NY. Don’t get me wrong, I truly love New York and I always will. This is my home and I wouldn’t move for the world. But there is something about this place that makes you want to go away once in a while, at least that’s how I feel. Maybe that’s because we learn to appreaciate things when we don’t have them. This city is very intense so you have to get away sometimes. Once you are away, though, that’s when you realize how much you love it. And this could (read should) be applied to relationships and lovers too. Spend a couple of days a part, miss each other and the, God forbid, lost feeling will come back.Now, I think I’ll go back to my third cup of coffee, think about New York and daydream about all the wonderful things I will miss, because believe me I will miss it. Just give me a couple of days and I will be like a whole new New yorker again. And I will say like Carrie in SATC:

“If you only get one true love then New York may jus be mine“ 

As you may know by now, I’m leaving for Boston tomorrow. Spending Thanksgiving in Massachusetts for which I am totally excited and very happy. There’s alway this great feeling of calmness that comes over me whenever I go up there, and that’s specially something I could use this weekend as I have a lot to study and to get done. I trut myself enough to get it done and for it to be fairly good, I just have to bring myself to actullay do it

The relatives I’m visiting up in Boston are actually going to Sweden soon, to also celebrate Christmas there. So not only do we get to see each other tomorrow, but we also get to spend Christmas together. Lovely! As they are going to Sweden I though I would borrow some of their Christmas decorations and bring it back to NY, to my apartment, I feel that I have to get in to the Christmas mood/spirit soon and can think of no other way then putting up a little decoration. I’m just not sure what to put up.

Maybe go all out like these crazy people. Could be a bit difficult to do though as I live in an apartment.

So maybe something a little more subtle like this, or…

… like this (minus the fireplace)

Okay, so Thanksgiving is around the corner. I feel that we’re all living in some kind of vaccium, just waiting to get off work/school for a couple of days and recharge our batteries for a while. With this weekend coming up, I also feel that Christmas is gettign closer and closer for each day (duh!) and am feeling somewhat panicy about all the chistmaspresents to buy.

Since I’m going back to Sweden for the hollidays, I’m even more torn between buying the presents here or back home. It’s of course a lot more fun bringing things and gifts that might not exist back home, but that also means that I would have to pack it really well to keep it protected. And that also means that I will have less space in my bag.

Me and some friends were talking about this huge problem of mine and someone came up with this idea that I should do all of my shopping online. I can still get them things that might not be available for them but won’t have to be the one bringing it to them. Interesting thought indeed!

Then before I go home I can stop by the stores from where I know my family and friends what the pretty bags (like Victoria’s Secret and Sephora), but that won’t at all take up much space in my bag so everybody wins. Althoug, I know that are more than capabel to purchase the same stuff as me online but hen I just thought I would get them stuff that they’re not going to get for themselves. I know, I think about everything.  You could say that I’m somewhat of a genious

I happen to love the whole new culture with happy hour and afterwork drinking. There’s something kind of cheap and dirty over it but I think it’s a nice touch to the normal bar scene. I’ve had some of the best times during afterwork drinking. Maybe it’s the “letting-you-collegues-see-who-you-really-are” kind of mentallity that drives us. Are we just sick of being the work version of ourselves?

This culture could very soon come to an end in the UK. The Brittich government is considering making Happy Hour prohibited. The number of alcoholrelated deaths have more than doubled over the oast 15 years, so in this case I think it might actually be a good idea. I’ve seen how Brittish people drink and how they view health and I agree that something must be done.

The organization the Brittish Liver Trust, who work with stopping liver damages, are warning that these kinds of diseases are becoming more and more normal with younger people. There’s been a severe increase in number of deaths among people in their 20s and 30s. The Brittish government is also thinking about launching a national campaign to fight drinking.

I think it sounds like a very good idea to remove Happy Hour, especially if you want to fight drinking. The low prices just make you drink more earlier in the afternoon which probably also results in heavyer drinking later that night. A low prices might also attract people who otherwise wouldn’t drink. I say: Go UK! It’s a steo in the right direction, and who knows, soon more countries might follow!

 I just can’t believe that still, to this day, I’m watching Friends. Friends! More than 4 years after the last show was ever aired. A couple of years ago I got the entire show in the cool New York house box with all the seasons. 10 seasons, 3 cds for every season, 6-7 shows on each cd… you do the math. That’s an aweful lot of episodes and I can proudly say that I’ve seen all of them more than 5 times. Easily!

Since this new Sex and the City movie came out a lot of people have been talking about Friends making a movie. I might be the only one who actually doesn’t think that they should do that. I know that the SATC movie turned out really well and was a big hit. I really liked it, but I kind of feel scared that the Friends movie won’t be that great. Now, don’t get me wrong I love Friends more than life so that movie would probably be the best one ever but I’m just scared that it might not be. Then that will take away from the show being the best show in the history of TV. I know, nothing could ever really take away from the show but you know what I mean.

Not the most interesting Unique post ever but we all have our down days… right?!
So now, if you’ll excause me, I will go back to wathing Friends. I never gets old nor boaring! That is brilliance when it’s at its best!

 
Me and a friend are going to a poetry reading night at a small café in Williamsburg tonight. A former teacher has just launched a new poetry book and will, together with a couple of friends, have a reading. It’s fairly small and unformal but with drinks and mingle, so it should be really nice.I really like Williamsburg. It’s a really fun and interesting area. It’s located in the borough of Brooklyn and consists of three major areas: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Greenpoint, and Bushwick. It’s mainly an artistic and hipster area with a lot of influences from Indie-rock. Over the years it’s become one of the most diverse areas in terms of ethnicity as many Germans, Italians, Puerto Ricans, and Dominicans live there.

In recent years, Williamsburg have become more and more of a comeditor to Manhattan in terms of live music and incubation for new bands. Many legitimate commercial music venues opened in the neighborhood including Pete’s Candy Store, Union Pool, Northsix, Galapagos, Spike Hill, , The Lucky Cat, the Woodser, and the Local (aka “Rock Star Bar” aka “Ship’s Mast” aka “Rocky’s” aka the “Mermaid Bar”) and Lower East Side open-mic-night stalwart The Luna Lounge, which relocated to Williamsburg in January 2007, with financial and booking backing from Live Nation. In late 2006, Bowery Presents, a Manhattan based promotion company, purchased the location of the former indie rock club Northsix. The company gutted the existing building and reconstructed a new club in the mold of the Bowery Ballroom. The venue re-opened as The Music Hall of Williamsburg on September 4, 2007, with Patti Smith performing the inaugural show.

Low rents were a major reason why artists first started settling in the area, but that situation has drastically changed since the mid 1990s. Average rents in Williamsburg can now (in 2007?) range from approximately $1400 for a studio apartment, $1,600-2,400 for a one-bedroom, and $2,600-4,000 for a two-bedroom. In many buildings, the rents have more than doubled in the past few years alone.

y favourite parts of Williamsburg are definately Bedford Ave and the streets around it. I just love all the small, cozy, low key cafés and restaurants and I especially love the secondhand shopping (Beacon’s Closet being the absolute favourite one). And if you’ve never been in Williamsburg, a trip to the wonderful restaurant Sea is a must! I tell you, it’s one of the best ones in this city.

I don’t understand all Americans who, every year, have to fill out all the difficult tax papers. I mean, have you seen all the forms and regulations and boxes and rules? I’m sure you have, but if not I’ll tell you it’s madness.

Today I found out that I will get of my taxes back. All of them. As an international person living i this country and making money, I’ve been paying taxes but don’t at all get the “benefits” from them. I don’t get medicare nor are my money saved for my retirement, so I’ve finally filled out this forn that gives me the right to get all my taxmoney back. Was I happy about that or what?

I understand taxes and I don’t really have anything against paying taxes as long as I get something out of it, but since I don’t, it feels damn good to get the money back, even if I don’t have it yet. Whether or not you have the money or the money is coming at some point, money is still money and I’m in desperate need of it!

XoXo

A while ago, a famous internet based news paper published a travel special about haunted hotels around the world. I’m all for a little excitement as long as it’s not overdone. For instance, I don’t watch scary movies, not even one. I got so scared the first time I saw Scream that I kind of never went back to those kinds of movies. Pathetic I know, but I have actually seen “The Shining” (which scared the crap out of me) which is one of the hotels included in this list.

Stanley Hotel
Colorado, USA
This is the famous hotel from Steven King’s “The Shining”. The hotel has an award winning restaurant and amazing views over the Colorado mountains. The hotel that inspired the clasical movie in 1970 was, however, not shot there. It was partially shot at Timberline Lodge in Oregon and in a studio in London, England. Flora Stanley, the first owner died in 1939 but has been seen wondering around the lobby and playing the piano at night, and outside room 418 one can, or a rare occasion here children play.

The Langham
London, England
This is one of the most haunted hotels in England. Many guests have seen strange ghosts in the halls such as a victorian doctor who murdered his wife and took his own life. Some people also say that Napoleon III is also wondering the halls from time to time.

Hotel Castello della Castelluccia
Rom, Italy
It was said that queen Christina went here to study science with the master Tiraboschi. When the queen’s golden bracelet accidentally fell down in the pot, Tiraboschi believed that he had discovered a way to turn things into gold and declared himself to be better than the Gods. Short after doing that a beam of lightning stoke down and killed him. These days, there are people who claim to have seen him around the castle.

Do you have the guts to visit these places? I know I don’t!

As the weather is getting colder (which I love) I spend yesterday evening all cozed up in my bed with a cup of tea and my computer on my lap. i was going to watch a moive, you know a really girly, cheesy one (which I later did) but I couldn’t resist surfing the web first. I just love that, going around looking at stuff without really looking, not having a particulat site in mind. You never know where you might end up.

Yesterday was also the new start to my healthy, economic life. No more eating stupid meals out and no more spending on unneccessary stuff. I’m done with that and today I even brought my own lunch. How great is that? Maybe not groundbreaking but certainly a big thing for me. So in the era of being economic, I ended up on the New York Daily News website where I clicked myself to a lifestyel blog called “restaurant girl- your guide to the perfect dish“. I saw herre latest post about eating cheap in New York. I think it was called Best of Ten Buck Bites. Perfect! I thought. This is just what I need when I’m cutting down on my spendings, especially the ones on food. And here are the really interesting ones:

Obika
Madison Ave and 56th street
Average price: $4-$8
“A midtown lunch newcomer imported straight from Italy. And so is the homemade mozzarella- made from buffalo milk handshaped. The motto is kind of eating on-the-run and everything is under $10! Best meals are  the salted croissant stuffed with prosciutto or the ciabatta sandwich with basil and tomato and the breakfast buffalo yogurt with maple syrup or sweet bread with ricotta with nutella, both equally compelling.”

Taim
22 Waverly Place, (btwn. 11th & Perry Sts.)
Average Price: $6
“There are falafel joints all over New York City, but this Israeli-owned falafel bar takes this ethnic standard to the next level, which accounts for the long lines at lunchtime. Yes, all three kinds of falafel (pictured right) are excellent.  Especially the parsley-cilantro-mint variety.   But the real draw is the “sabich” sandwich — a warm pita stuffed with a hard boiled egg, lightly fried eggplant, hummus, tahini, salad and amba sauce made from mangoes.  A tip — order the homemade fries and stuff them into the sabich.”

Tiffin Wallah
128 E 28th St., at Lexington Ave.
Price: $6 Buffet
This tiny, Indian eatery in Curry Hill seems perpetually packed for good reason.  Dosas, samosas, and fresh-baked naans to name a few.   Not to mention their lunchtime buffet.  There’s spicy and creamy curries, salads, basmati rice, and a great Mulligatany soup.  Try the potato fritters with sweet spicy sauce.  Last stop, the kheer (rice pudding) with coconut chutney.”

Abraco
86 East 7th Street, (btwn. 1st & 2nd Aves)
Average Price: $8 for food and a cup of coffee
This standing room only spot is known for its stellar coffee, ground in house and brewed to order.  No need for a spoon.  We found a much more satisfying utensil.  Instead, stir with their saffron shortbread.  This is not just your average coffee shop.  Come summer, there’s mini-zucchini boats stuffed with pistachio, basil, pesto, and quinoa.  As the temperature drops, a frittata or grilled cheese sandwich are both tasty options.  For breakfast, there’s a terrific olive oil cake.”

How great is this? These kinds of tips are just what I need right now. So if I were to go out (like for an emergency) I would know where to go to minimize the gulit. And it also sounds like the food isn’t half bad, I’m actually getting really hungry just by writing this. Maybe I’ll try one of these in the near future.