Summer is Here

I posted this photo for two reasons. The first one is pretty obvious! The second reason is that I was hoping you guys could tell me the name of this game he was playing. Each player takes a turn to kick a small non-bouncy ball up in the air and then try to catch it with his/her foot. This is repeated over and over again until the player drops the ball on the ground.

So what kind of games or sports do you like to play?

N.B.: When I take my shirt off, this is how I look like too. *ahem*

Hula Hoop Dancer

I was at Washington Square this weekend for a live concert by Buzzuniverse when I saw this girl dancing with a hula hoop to the music. Notice the fence on the right. There are major reconstructions going on at Union Square including the relocation of the famous fountain in the middle of the park. Local residents are up in arms over the move accusing the city of dubious intent.

So have you ever danced with a hula hoop?

Apartment Stoop 2

Here is a photo of an apartment stoop in Washington Square. These buildings, which were originally townhouses, are now owned by New York University (NYU) and turned into offices. The beautiful gardens in front of the buildings are probably tended to by gardeners who work for the university, making it one of the most beautiful streets in the city.

NYU is one of the more expensive private schools in the country. According to its website, the cost of tuition at its art school is around $40,000/year with an additional $12,000/year for room and board. So a student could easily spend over $200,000 over 4 years to get a Baccalaureate degree here.

So where did you go to school? Was it a famous school? What did you study?

Washington Square Hotel

This is a photo of the Washington Square Hotel, which is located on Waverly Place in the Greenwich Village near New York University (NYU). I stayed at this hotel when I came to New York City for my first job interview right out of graduate school. The company I was interviewing with flew me up here (from Louisiana) and put me up at this hotel for the weekend before my Monday interview because the airfare was cheaper with a Saturday night layover.

I got that job and moved to New York City in August 1998. This means that I have been in New York City for almost 9 years. So am I considered a New Yorker? According to Carrie Bradshaw from Sex & the City, anyone who has been in New York City for 5 years is a New Yorker. So I guess I am.

Tell me about your first job after you finished school.

Hot Summer Day

Sunday afternoon was warmer than usual so after a nice brunch in the Village, I walked by Washington Square and saw a large group of people hanging out by the fountain. Most of them were basking in the sun but some dipped their feet in the water while a few college kids played under the fountain spray.

I took my shoes off and gingerly dipped my feet into the cold water. Aaaah....it felt like heaven. With my feet in the fountain, I sat back and leisurely read my book entitled Vroom with a View by Peter Moore, recommended by Belinda of Bel's Fish Bowl.

To see a photo of me in the fountain, click here.

So do you have any recommendations or tips for cooling down during a hot day? Or to warm up during a cold day (for those in the Southern Hemisphere)?

God's Love We Deliver

This is the God's Love, We Deliver float at the Gay Pride Parade from yesterday (Sunday). The parade route started on 50th Street and marched down 5th Avenue to 9th Street before proceeding to the Village where all night parties continued until the wee hours of the night. I caught only about 45 minutes of the parade near Washington Square where this photo was taken before I left to meet my friend for a late brunch.

God's Love, We Deliver, where I volunteered as a kitchen helper for 5 years, provides free nutritious meals to men, women and children in New York City and Newark, NJ who have AIDS, cancer or any other serious illnesses. Volunteers usually work one three-hour shift per week where we chop, dice, peel and mince hundreds of pounds of potatoes, onions, carrots, celeries and other vegetables, which will then be cooked and packed for delivery the next day.

So what do you think of the girls on the float? Do you think they are "real girls"?