March24th - Back in Austin
Arrived yesterday and spend the whole day doing laundry, working with the dogs- they have gotten very naughty – cleaning house pool and yard. It is leave -dropping time, they are everywhere!
How was it? I wish I could share a clear and precise answer, but I cannot. I loved the hustle bustle, although truth be told, it also got to be too much at times. Of course when you live there you do not spend as much time in the streets as I did. I saw millions of apartments, houses, neighborhoods and was awed by the expense of it all. If we sell this gigantic house we will be lucky to be able to buy a 2- bedroom apartment in Manhatten. Of course you can travel to suburbs (Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and even out of city, for less money and more space, but is that ok?
There are two dilemma at this moment ;
1) can we get something in a neighborhood we like that we can feel comfortable in, including the dogs?
2) do we want to live the full city life or maybe suburbs within reach of the city?
I don’t know.
The next step is going back, finding another sublet and looking and feeling some more, 3 weeks was in the end not very long.
Sarah got officially accepted at her college, all the more reason to find a rental, so I can be there in the beginning stages. This is a big challenge for her and could not have been further from her life now, which is safe, white/asian, warm weather, quiet and predictable. Fill in the blanks!
She woke up in sweat this morning, fearful that this was all a big mistake…
I will sign off for now and will not write the blog until I hope June/July, which is when I am planning to go back to New York.
Meanwhile investigating the real estate market here and getting the house ready to sell.
Thank you all for reading, it has been helpful for me as well to formulate what was happening, I felt very honored you wanted to know .
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
March 16th - overwhelm
March 16th – overwhelm
I have seen many places, towns, apartments and houses. The FEELING is I would like to live here. The realities are very daunting at the moment, how is this going to happen?
Day by day I try to discover more, see more, think more, feel more. Seeing old friends is delightful, that is, those who show up.
Being in New York feels like I never left, everything feels so normal and goes without saying, how odd is that after 12 years1
I have seen many places, towns, apartments and houses. The FEELING is I would like to live here. The realities are very daunting at the moment, how is this going to happen?
Day by day I try to discover more, see more, think more, feel more. Seeing old friends is delightful, that is, those who show up.
Being in New York feels like I never left, everything feels so normal and goes without saying, how odd is that after 12 years1
March 13th - Ralph Nader
March 13th – Ralph Nader
Are the dems still angry with him?
Well, I went to see and hear him. New York is definitely a horse of a different colr: people in the audience were calling out his name, yelled support, got up regulary and applauded, what a rowdy bunch, I loved it!
What is the point of Ralph Nader? I am not sure. He tells you were its at, but what bothers me is that he is only negative in his speeches as he blames the state of affairs .
Where are the solutions?
I don’t presume to know, and I am not politically oriented.
Day after day I decide, if at all possible, to choose the positive, not the negative. It is so easy to go with the negative and so tempting and all around us all the time…
Are the dems still angry with him?
Well, I went to see and hear him. New York is definitely a horse of a different colr: people in the audience were calling out his name, yelled support, got up regulary and applauded, what a rowdy bunch, I loved it!
What is the point of Ralph Nader? I am not sure. He tells you were its at, but what bothers me is that he is only negative in his speeches as he blames the state of affairs .
Where are the solutions?
I don’t presume to know, and I am not politically oriented.
Day after day I decide, if at all possible, to choose the positive, not the negative. It is so easy to go with the negative and so tempting and all around us all the time…
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
March 10th - Anything goes - in New York
March 10th – Anything goes- in New York
Tonight I was given a ticket for the musical “Memphis”, dazzling, uplifting and as always in an amazing theatre – they look like museums those theatres.
This afternoon I was having coffee with a friend and some guys told us: you either have to move or you will be in this movie”. Cameras all around, hustle and bustle, not what you call a quiet coffee, but fun nevertheless and so New York.
Everyone is making something, doing something, going places.
Yesterday a whole band stepped into the subway and began playing and got off the next stop. NPR is amazing, you can get all your information by just listening to the radio, political, educational, cultural,spritual, etc At the moment they are playing a piece “earth meets the sky” with tubas only.
Well, here is a sniff at all the action that takes place.
The good thing is you can be totally anonymous at what you wish to be or do and the bad thing is, you can be totally anonymous. And lonely.
I admire the energy and also makes me stagger sometimes. The prices of everything and anything, are staggering.
I am gathering information and don’t know yet if I can see myself living here
I am disappointed that that answer did not come loud and clear and quick and it makes me feel even more lost in this transition.
I attempt to stay in the here and now – I wandered into a gorgeous church today and accidently attended a mass –and not worry too much about where this is all going.
Oddly, the friends I thought would be knocking on my door are nowhere to be seen and others are very forthcoming, you just never know.
Thank god for cheap wine, ginger tea and a good shower. Speaking of which, the apartment is beginning to feel like home.
Tonight I was given a ticket for the musical “Memphis”, dazzling, uplifting and as always in an amazing theatre – they look like museums those theatres.
This afternoon I was having coffee with a friend and some guys told us: you either have to move or you will be in this movie”. Cameras all around, hustle and bustle, not what you call a quiet coffee, but fun nevertheless and so New York.
Everyone is making something, doing something, going places.
Yesterday a whole band stepped into the subway and began playing and got off the next stop. NPR is amazing, you can get all your information by just listening to the radio, political, educational, cultural,spritual, etc At the moment they are playing a piece “earth meets the sky” with tubas only.
Well, here is a sniff at all the action that takes place.
The good thing is you can be totally anonymous at what you wish to be or do and the bad thing is, you can be totally anonymous. And lonely.
I admire the energy and also makes me stagger sometimes. The prices of everything and anything, are staggering.
I am gathering information and don’t know yet if I can see myself living here
I am disappointed that that answer did not come loud and clear and quick and it makes me feel even more lost in this transition.
I attempt to stay in the here and now – I wandered into a gorgeous church today and accidently attended a mass –and not worry too much about where this is all going.
Oddly, the friends I thought would be knocking on my door are nowhere to be seen and others are very forthcoming, you just never know.
Thank god for cheap wine, ginger tea and a good shower. Speaking of which, the apartment is beginning to feel like home.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
March 6th - New York
March 6, 2010 New York, 3rd day
Yes, I am here and at the moment it already feels like a long time.
I rented an apartment on 54th and 9th ave, which upon arrival was a pig sty – what is it with me and messy, cluttered apartments? –I mean, indeed shocking. The first night I worked till 3 am, so I felt I could go to bed without breathing dust, cat hair or stepping in litter (no cat here now). The person who rented it to me dropped out of sight, turns out there is more to this rental than I was told, I will not bore you with the complications.
Now, I have a clean apartment, albeit above a construction site and only windows in the bedroom and again, no TV, very New York
I bought hyacints and good food, burned incense and candles and it feels more and more like home, I will go back to Austin on the 23rd and report on this scouting trip.
Yesterday I went around the tip of Manhatten with a broker, which is supposedly the only affordable area left. The pull for us is the view on The Hudson River, spectacular.
Tomorrow another round and working on other areas outside Manhatten.
Today was a noteworthy day. I went to Central Park since the weather is glorious, clear blue sky and in the 50ties. I forgot that about NY, more sunshine than in Holland, even though it gets equally cold, but therefore feels nicer.
Everywhere people, businesses, sounds, smells and activities. Saw rollerblading with ski poles in the middle of the road, drank coffee while walking like a New Yorker, saw Strawberry Fields – the John Lennon memorial – for the 100th time, jumped on and off buses and trains – public transportation is fantastically fast – horse carriages, people on horseback, funky clothing, in short, New York
Tonight I had dinner with my 2nd cousin (achterneef) in the West Village. It was my old stomping ground and it felt like home, although the noise level and congestion is harder for me now that before.
Tomorrow I once again see houses in the north, where it is also much quieter
It may be a better compromise for us, further travel, but more small town like.
PS: a new page on the website, link “about me”
Yes, I am here and at the moment it already feels like a long time.
I rented an apartment on 54th and 9th ave, which upon arrival was a pig sty – what is it with me and messy, cluttered apartments? –I mean, indeed shocking. The first night I worked till 3 am, so I felt I could go to bed without breathing dust, cat hair or stepping in litter (no cat here now). The person who rented it to me dropped out of sight, turns out there is more to this rental than I was told, I will not bore you with the complications.
Now, I have a clean apartment, albeit above a construction site and only windows in the bedroom and again, no TV, very New York
I bought hyacints and good food, burned incense and candles and it feels more and more like home, I will go back to Austin on the 23rd and report on this scouting trip.
Yesterday I went around the tip of Manhatten with a broker, which is supposedly the only affordable area left. The pull for us is the view on The Hudson River, spectacular.
Tomorrow another round and working on other areas outside Manhatten.
Today was a noteworthy day. I went to Central Park since the weather is glorious, clear blue sky and in the 50ties. I forgot that about NY, more sunshine than in Holland, even though it gets equally cold, but therefore feels nicer.
Everywhere people, businesses, sounds, smells and activities. Saw rollerblading with ski poles in the middle of the road, drank coffee while walking like a New Yorker, saw Strawberry Fields – the John Lennon memorial – for the 100th time, jumped on and off buses and trains – public transportation is fantastically fast – horse carriages, people on horseback, funky clothing, in short, New York
Tonight I had dinner with my 2nd cousin (achterneef) in the West Village. It was my old stomping ground and it felt like home, although the noise level and congestion is harder for me now that before.
Tomorrow I once again see houses in the north, where it is also much quieter
It may be a better compromise for us, further travel, but more small town like.
PS: a new page on the website, link “about me”
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