Readjustments and Recognition.

The irks of not being home for a semester or two is relearning the little "subway spots". I use the word "spot" because I can't think of a better word. On second thought, it could work What are these "spots" within the New York City subway system?

It's which car you take and where you stand, or sit, in the car. For example, let's say there's ten cars on the train (I actually have no idea how many there are. The old ones used to have eight. Never bothered to count the new ones with the electronic maps and everything). Now, most New Yorkers get on the car that will drop them off right in front of the staircase at the destination. What if you don't want to count the cars as the roll on by? Well, most people mark their spots on the platform. Another example is I stand by the garbage can and bench so that I can get off at 14th Street right by the stairs. Why is all this even important? Well, New Yorkers are lousy time managers and we need to make each second count. If you get off at the wrong spot at a busy stop, you can face the longest traffic jam ever.

On to my point now that I got the explanation done. I completely forgot my "spots" while going to 34th Street. I was completely off as I got off at 8th Avenue to transfer to the E train. I had to the E up two stops. I remembered the spot at 34th Street for me was either the far end of the platform or the middle of it. I chose to middle to be safe. Wrong. Far end.

But, all is well now. My second try ended up more successful (though, I was one door off from the stairs. Oh well. Close enough).

On top of relearning all my "subway spots", I also went back to the dance class I took last summer. I haven't been there since last August. There was this one instructor that took an interest in my participation in the class. He was always happy when I showed up and knew I liked tutting. However, that was months ago and I was ready to start all over again and try to fit in to the new crowd there.

To my surprise, two of the instructors there (including the one mentioned) remembered my face and welcomed me back. It felt nice to be remembered. I was only in that class for a summer and yet they still recognized me. A woman taking the class who I saw often over the summer also remembered me. She asked if I was with this big guy who also took the class. He was the only other guy I ever talked to at the class. I don't remember his name which makes me feel terrible. He looked like a Michael. So, I'll refer to him as that. Michael wasn't there. I remember he told me he went to school in Boston and he was trying to make the dance team. He was an extremely friendly and approachable guy. I hope he comes back and takes the class again. It'll make it feel like last summer all over again.

Dance class is going to eat at my wallet. Will need to find a job. I don't really go there to learn as much as I just go so I can be around other people dancing. I'm fine dancing by myself, but it's nice to be around others.

Permit and Passion

Well, I can finally cross this off my "to-do" list after what seemed like an eternity of "I'll do it next week". I finally got my driver's learner permit. Well I don't actually have in my hands the actual permit. They said it'd be in the mail in two weeks (I'll be long gone by then).

I know everyone has been telling me that the test would be easy. But I didn't want to risk being the failure among my friends. Yeah, they were right. I breezed through it in like two minutes. Now to work on getting my licence and a car...not like I'll drive anyways with the subway system and buses right there for me to use. But I guess if worst comes to worst and the MTA raises the fare to $3, driving wouldn't be too bad.

I visited Jon Tam's church this past Sunday (I told him I'd go the week before, but the iPhone's alarm clock app sent thousands snoozing away on that Sunday morning). What a great day to visit. There was a guest speaker, Dr. John Piipo, and the words that came out of his mouth just woke me up from this dry spiritual routine I was getting myself into this break. My prayer life has declined, my Bible reading has become almost non-existent outside of Sundays, and I was feeling like I wasn't being the best Christian I could be.

Dr. John Piipo started off in quite the unusual fashion. He pulled out a conductor's baton and led us all in singing the chorus of Chris Tomlin's "How Great Is Our God". This went on for longer than I would have liked. But then he tied in his message with the little activity and I felt like I was being revived from the dead. The message was long (well, longer than what I had to hear at my home church) and I don't think I could go into detail about his message. Part of it is because I can't do it justice. I can't explain like he could.

The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Acts 10:15

Plus Dr. John Piipo plays the electric guitar and he's old. How cool is that?

So what's new? I got myself a new cap. A customized cap. My sister went into a enthusiastic frenzy when I showed it to her. It has my (and her) initials on the front (SH). On the back, it has our signature trademark name (which I insist that I came up with first): shuanged. It's also the username for my blog and pretty much everything I use now.

That's her hand by the way.

Sushi, Buses, and McDonald's

What. A. Day.

I don't mean that in a good "what an amazing day" way. "Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin, and they end, with no lasting memories made in between." Sure enough, this day was one to remember, no matter how frustrating it was.

I was supposed to meet up with my friends to go eat at a sushi buffet at 12 PM in Flushing. Normally, it takes me about an hour on the bus to get there. Silly me for not taking into account New York City doesn't care if there's two feet of snow on every street.

I walk to the bus stop around 11:10 PM. I'm the second one there so I assumed that a bus just left. I thought to myself that one will come in give or take ten minutes. Ha! I watched as the group of people waiting for the bus stretched to the end of the block. Fifty two minutes. 52! That's how long it took for a bus to finally arrive. To top it off...my stop is the first stop on the route. The only other Asian in this mass of people was this Chinese lady who ninja-ed her way to the front of the line. Needless to say, she threw a fit at the driver screaming that she waited an hour for the bus (when in actuality, she came like ten minutes after I did) and that she refused to pay. She managed to rally a few other middle-aged women to join her outburst. I just wanted to reach my destination in peace.

Once I finally reached Flushing about an hour and a half later, I walked to the next destination: another bus stop to wait for a bus to bring me to the sushi buffet. As I made my way to the bus stop, I saw the bus start to leave. I gave chase. For over five blocks. I lost count at five. Surprising enough, even with all the snow people neglected to shovel and the slippery ground, I was very close to catching the bus. That was until I was stopped by a red light and oncoming traffic. Good try, Stanley. I decided to wait for the next bus for over half an hour. One came, but ignored me and zoomed right by because the bus was "packed". I'm one person. I could have easily fit. I struck up some conversations with other people waiting for the bus. Interesting characters you meet in the city that never shovels, I mean sleep.

I gave up and told my friends to finish their sushi without me when the bus never showed up. I walked back to McDonald's and waited for my friends to come to me. As I walked back, I looked at the first bus stop on the route I was gonna take.

That explains why there were no buses coming my way. The line extended further.

Well, I had hopes of some good sushi. All I can eat sushi might I add. My lunch turned from:

to this

First time ever ordering something from the McCafe. I only got it because I was cold and there was a giant poster advertising the caramel mocha. Not bad.

In a nutshell, the New York City public transportation ruined my potential lunch as it took me 3-4 hours to reach my destination (actually, I didn't even reach it). A sushi buffet lunch turned into a Big Mac, snack wrap, and a caramel mocha.

But the day ended on a much higher note. I got to see friends I haven't seen since the summer. It was good catching up. It always ends up with us having our girly guy talk until however late it gets. At least the train ride home didn't completely screw me over like the buses.