I've been in New York for a few weeks now, and I've made the effort to go to Central Park at least a couple times each week. Today the city was blessed with incredible weather--low humidity, a slight breeze, only a few clouds, and a high of 74. After class I attended a public health policy colloquium--today's topic was what medicine can do for writing, and what writing can do for medicine--and gorged myself on the incredibly well-catered lunch. Post-lunch, I came back to my room, picked up a couple books, and departed for the park.
A bit north of 73rd, I found a great spot to get some reading done. As I read medical poetry and studied "narrative medicine" I also did some people-watching. There was a tee ball team practicing, a few girls sunbathing, an old man "throwing" a ball for his dog to fetch with a Jai Alai-like sling, and a pair of young parents filming their kid's crawl up a hill. Looking up from the pages in my lap, I saw a man walking in a Bat Man outfit and carrying a matching lunch box. A minute after putting my head back down, I heard two kids sing "Duh na na na na na na na, Duh na na na na na na na, BAT MAN!" to which the man responded by crouching down, faking left, and taking off to his right, lunch box in hand, as if there were an emergency in the distance.
After finishing the reading for tomorrow's "Medicine, Patients, and Society" class, I turned northward and arrived at the natural history museum. I spent some time meandering, then returned southbound and walked down the Central Park Mall. There was a man performing in what seemed to be a traditional Incan outfit. He played a violin while spinning violently and singing like an opera tenor. It was one of the more unique performances I've witnessed in the past three weeks. Further south on the Mall, I saw a huge guy--more ripped than most cartoon superheroes--doing a dance on roller skates (not blades) and flexing every upper-body muscle he had (all 2,374 of them) to some sort of rhythm. Women slowly circled the buff skater.
I finished my park excursion at 60th, walked east to Park Ave and then turned north to 69th. Back on my home-street, I turned east and went back home. Here I am. I'm going to leave now to buy some food, come back home to cook it, and then go out for a trivia night at a local bar. Tomorrow is my birthday. Life is good.
12 September, 2007
02 September, 2007
My life is charmed
I've been in New York for just over a week and a half, and I've had an incredible amount of fun. Detailing everything I've done and seen would take longer than I have, but here's a decent abbreviation of my time in NYC thus far:
-Moved in and got settled--my room is actually larger than I expected and my suite-mate (Will) is a very cool guy, so all's well in the housing world.
-Went to see "Rent" on Broadway last Saturday, followed by drinks at the B-bar in midtown. Met with Ducey, Bangs, Joey Davis, and Kristin Lang later on in the night. Fun was had. In fact, a bit too much fun was had. I had to get back up to the Upper East Side (UES) by myself after we left the Pussycat Lounge. My first solo trip on the NYC subway turned into a bit of an adventure, and I wound up somewhere in Brooklyn. I got home just before 6 am.
-Did a city-wide scavenger hunt last Sunday, and I saw nearly every NYC tourist attraction there is. Went to a Mets-Dodgers game after the hunt.
-Visited the Guggenheim museum on Monday afternoon. Took a circle-line cruise around Manhattan on Monday night. Probably the most scenic boat ride I've ever taken, and the gorgeous weather and full moon enhanced the experience.
-Participated in orientation activities for the school, learned all I need to know to survive here at Cornell. Donned my first white-coat during our white-coat ceremony. I felt very doctor-like.
-I've eaten way too much NY style food, and I've enjoyed every bite. Pizza, chinese food, deli meats, bread, and produce are so much better here than what I'm accustomed to.
-I've walked/run through various parts of Central Park on numerous occasions. I still can't believe that in the middle of this incredible series of steel and glass there is a gorgeous natural setting for relaxation.
-Hard-core basketball is played in our basement, and I see a rivalry forming between first and second-year student teams developing. At this pace, I'll be in the best shape of my life in a few weeks.
-Saw the season-opening Gators game at the Gin Mill bar on the UWS (one of the official Gotham Gators viewing-party bars). I went by myself, but I ran into five friends from undergrad, and then ran into Joakim Noah on my way out. The scene was incredible...I still can't believe the number of UF alumni in NYC. I felt like I was in a slightly nicer Gator City watching the game.
-Had drinks last night on a rooftop bar in midtown with great views of the Empire state building, the Chrysler building, and the rest of midtown Manhattan. Moved on to an 80's bar called Joshua Tree with my classmates. It was incredible fun to dance like a fool and sing along with a great 80's soundtrack at full lung capacity with a bunch of my future colleagues.
Later on tonight, I'll be heading with some new friends to a Greek restaurant in Queens and then to the Czech Beer Garden, which is apparently an experience that must be had to call yourself a New Yorker. Tomorrow I'll head to Coney Island while I still can, because the historic park is closing down in the near future. Classes start Tuesday and end on December 22nd. And so the rest of my life begins.
I've had a great time in large part because of all that New York City has to offer. The most important factor, though, in why I believe I'm going to be sincerely happy here for the next for years is the quality of my classmates. Everyone I've met is uniquely incredible, all with knowledge and experiences that blow me away, each with a tangible sense of humanity, and every one possessing a peculiar sense of humor that will be able to diffuse the stress bound to accompany a medical education. I feel truly blessed to be here, and I'm excited to give my all over the next four years. I know my classmates are going to push me to my potential, and I know my school has all the resources I could possibly need to make that potential a reality. Oh, and in four years we get to have our graduation commencement in Carnegie Hall.
I hope life's treating everyone-I-haven't-spoken-to-in-a-while well. I'll try to post a bit more often than I have been lately.
-Moved in and got settled--my room is actually larger than I expected and my suite-mate (Will) is a very cool guy, so all's well in the housing world.
-Went to see "Rent" on Broadway last Saturday, followed by drinks at the B-bar in midtown. Met with Ducey, Bangs, Joey Davis, and Kristin Lang later on in the night. Fun was had. In fact, a bit too much fun was had. I had to get back up to the Upper East Side (UES) by myself after we left the Pussycat Lounge. My first solo trip on the NYC subway turned into a bit of an adventure, and I wound up somewhere in Brooklyn. I got home just before 6 am.
-Did a city-wide scavenger hunt last Sunday, and I saw nearly every NYC tourist attraction there is. Went to a Mets-Dodgers game after the hunt.
-Visited the Guggenheim museum on Monday afternoon. Took a circle-line cruise around Manhattan on Monday night. Probably the most scenic boat ride I've ever taken, and the gorgeous weather and full moon enhanced the experience.
-Participated in orientation activities for the school, learned all I need to know to survive here at Cornell. Donned my first white-coat during our white-coat ceremony. I felt very doctor-like.
-I've eaten way too much NY style food, and I've enjoyed every bite. Pizza, chinese food, deli meats, bread, and produce are so much better here than what I'm accustomed to.
-I've walked/run through various parts of Central Park on numerous occasions. I still can't believe that in the middle of this incredible series of steel and glass there is a gorgeous natural setting for relaxation.
-Hard-core basketball is played in our basement, and I see a rivalry forming between first and second-year student teams developing. At this pace, I'll be in the best shape of my life in a few weeks.
-Saw the season-opening Gators game at the Gin Mill bar on the UWS (one of the official Gotham Gators viewing-party bars). I went by myself, but I ran into five friends from undergrad, and then ran into Joakim Noah on my way out. The scene was incredible...I still can't believe the number of UF alumni in NYC. I felt like I was in a slightly nicer Gator City watching the game.
-Had drinks last night on a rooftop bar in midtown with great views of the Empire state building, the Chrysler building, and the rest of midtown Manhattan. Moved on to an 80's bar called Joshua Tree with my classmates. It was incredible fun to dance like a fool and sing along with a great 80's soundtrack at full lung capacity with a bunch of my future colleagues.
Later on tonight, I'll be heading with some new friends to a Greek restaurant in Queens and then to the Czech Beer Garden, which is apparently an experience that must be had to call yourself a New Yorker. Tomorrow I'll head to Coney Island while I still can, because the historic park is closing down in the near future. Classes start Tuesday and end on December 22nd. And so the rest of my life begins.
I've had a great time in large part because of all that New York City has to offer. The most important factor, though, in why I believe I'm going to be sincerely happy here for the next for years is the quality of my classmates. Everyone I've met is uniquely incredible, all with knowledge and experiences that blow me away, each with a tangible sense of humanity, and every one possessing a peculiar sense of humor that will be able to diffuse the stress bound to accompany a medical education. I feel truly blessed to be here, and I'm excited to give my all over the next four years. I know my classmates are going to push me to my potential, and I know my school has all the resources I could possibly need to make that potential a reality. Oh, and in four years we get to have our graduation commencement in Carnegie Hall.
I hope life's treating everyone-I-haven't-spoken-to-in-a-while well. I'll try to post a bit more often than I have been lately.
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