Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Likes and dislikes

I've gotten sucked into the rat race in NYC and have been neglecting my blog. Sorry! I've been here for a month and started compiling a list of likes and dislikes I noticed this time around:

LIKES

1) I love the NYC subway system. It takes me 20 minutes on average to go from Brooklyn to midtown Manhattan... Need I say more?

2) I love the fact that you can return/exchange things in USA without a fuss. I bought a coat online, it didn't fit so I just returned it to the store. I bought a sweater at a store, a few days later it was 50% off, so I got refunded the difference. Comfort & convenience!

3) I love how people randomly smile here. Not in a sleazy pick-up artist way, as one tends to see in Rome, I'm talking about harmless and genuine smiles. It's nice. And people say NYC is a cold city- HAH!

4) I love the banks here... Never mind the financial meltdown, I'm talking about how EASY it is to do any sort of transaction here. It's still a shock for me to see banks open on Saturday.

DISLIKES

1) Since when did they start carding people at Target? I got carded while trying to purchase cough syrup. What the fuck is up with that? They actually scanned my drivers license before allowing me to purchase. And to top it all off, some products (like my beloved Zyrtec D) are actually locked behind a case at the registers. So you have to ask for it and then they card you.

2) I hate tourists in NYC! They don't know how to city-walk: they stop in the middle of sidewalks, linger at subway entrances, stand on corners looking confused... they get in my way.

I'll keep observing and hopefully will post more soon.

4 comments:

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

Regarding dislike number 1, two words, Crystal Meth.

Isn't that sad? You have to go to a counter to buy some OTC drugs.

regarding dislike number 2...I was thinking the same thing about some tourists here. That stopping in the middle of the sidewalk thing drove me nuts in NYC and it drives me nuts here. Move over to the side to look at your map, people!! :)

I don't how NYC got a rep as a cold city. Okay I might be biased but I find people in the City very nice esp. compared to fake nice L.A. New Yorkers may seem abrupt at times but inside...salt of the freaking earth.

Romerican said...

Thanks for the illumination! Who knew crystal meth had become such a problem?! This must be a rather new phenomenon, I don't remember it happening to me in the past.

I'd love to drive a bulldozer onto the sidewalk in NYC and run down anyone who lingers or blocks pedestrian traffic :)

Kataroma said...

I felt the same way about the tourists in NYC - so annoying.

I miss NYC sooo much. But we'll be there visiting my dad for a week in 2 weeks time. Can't wait!!

Brendan said...

I returned a Calvin Klein shirt bought at a CK store in the city to the CK store at Tanger on Long Island, without a receipt (with a tag though), and the cashier did not even hesitate in taking it back.

You can pretty much return anything in the UK without a fuss. You also do not have to peevishly ask if it is OK to pay with a 10 GBP banknote for a 0.50 GBP purchase, or pay with a credit card in a small shop, or else you will get a weird look from the cashier while they nod their head to say yes.

I missed these small things so much when living in Rome, and am so glad that I never have to deal with them ever again!