Sunday, July 16, 2006

the new yorker

i haven't updated this blog as much as i'd like to since moving. besides the fact that it took us a while to get connected to the internet, i've simply been very tired. it's partly because the new job has been pretty demanding. but it's also been hard adjusting to the generally more confrontational culture that is new york. i'm finally getting used to it and even beginning to feel comfortable that people --whether it be in the office or on a train with total strangers-- say what they want.

so, purpleman and i have spent most of our weekends recovering --reading and lazing around the apartment.
but lately we've been more adventurous, sampling indian in jackson heights (below: the famous jackson diner), szechuan in chinatown, argentinian gelati in the west village...

Monday, July 10, 2006

this is home now

it's been a hectic few months, but we're finally settled in our new home here in astoria, new york. and we love it!

we considered parts of brooklyn like williamsburg and park slope, but astoria somehow felt much more comfortable. my first impression of the neighborhood was that it was tremendously diverse. riding the N train into the neighborhood, i noticed everyone was reading a newspaper in a different foreign language --some greek, some italian, others chinese or spanish. and when i got off the train, i was hit by smells wafting from the falafel and kebab stands, the din of the greek cafes and restaurants... and somehow i knew it was my neighborhood.












our new place is a humble two bedroom apartment on a quiet street near broadway station. from our dining room window, i can see the neighbor's lawn --and laundry. i actually didn't expect such a nice view of greenery in new york city! the picture on the right is our living room. these two chairs are from my apartment in japan but the kilim is from double knot, a beautiful, turkish carpet gallery in tribeca. shopping for furniture was the funnest part of the move, although arranging for their delivery was the hardest!!