Lets eat flowers

Darkness in the city

Could New York City be any darker, any more miserable looking than today? Don't get me wrong, I love this city. I usually walk around with my heart pounding with excitement, and thinking of how lucky I am to have a chance to live here. The open space, the beautiful buildings, old and new, the parks, long streets, surprises around every corner(good and bad), an amazing variety of people and things to do!
It is as alive as it can be. And so fast. It's definitely a city for young people. I don't know if I would like to live in Manhattan when I'm old or with kids. Well, knowing me, probably yes.
But today, it's like I want to be anywhere but here. It's raining, and there not even a flicker of sun. Barely enough light to see in front of your nose. It's a perfect museum day. Or a movie day. Or a writing day....Well, I don't know about that:)

Sarajevo, the ghost restaurant

M. and I went to Queens today. It was only our second time in that part of New York City.
The first time was on New Year's night, when we met our dear, old friends in an apartment for a small but exclusive party. Four of us, at some point, were looking for this Bosnian place called Sarajevo, but in vain. It seemed that we had the wrong address. We settled for Egyptian seafood. Not quite the same thing.
So this time, when we decided to go to Queens for Serbian food shopping at the Euromarket, burek in Sarajevo cevabdzinica, and exchanging some essential house stuff at Target, M. looked up the restaurant's address again.
And we looked for it. Again. And we passed the same streets, the same industrial, storage area, areas that Matt said looked like from Law and Order, and still haven't found Sarajevo. It's a ghost restaurant.
When we came home, M. called them.
The address online is 34 st. It's actually on 34th. Avenue. Not quite the same thing.

Full life and a full job?

I had a 36 hour day. I swear. You wouldn't believe all the things that I've done and that happened to me today. But I hope you will.
I got a translating stint on Wednesday. So, I was working on my 15 page document for about three hours today. I also went to register with a casting agency that's looking for background actors for a feature film, 20 block from here. On my way back, I stopped at the Worldtone to look for my dancing shoes. They didn't have the historic red ones, but I took my time, tried about 20 pairs and bought one! Yay! These are for Latin dances, they are pretty comfortable and black.(I'll take a picture one of these days and post it.)
When I got home, there were two pleasant e-mails waiting for me--one, from Creative Media telling me that they've put my voice sample on their Web site.
http://www.cmdnyc.com/serbian.php
And the other from one of my blog readers, offering to put a link to my blog on his, and asking the same from me, because he likes it. Thank You!
Just before I've changed into my blue pajamas with Mini and Patty on the front, and sit on my brown sofa while listening and glancing to Canterbury's Law, I've came back from an introductory, orientation class at the ballroom club. The class was packed. I guess because it was free. There was a bunch of people, mostly women and some couples, and mostly beginners. It was kind of boring in the beginning for me, with the basic steps for English Waltz, Rumba, and Quick Step, but eventually it picked up with Merengue. I've never learned Merengue. It's so fun, even at the basics.
So I scheduled my private half and hour evaluation class for Tuesday and I'm starting to take a class the same week. The music and the moves reminded me of how much I enjoy ballroom dancing. Me being me, I kept thinking of "what were you thinking" by making such a huge break between the last time I've danced and now.
And now, someone invited me to audition next week as well. How do people who have full time jobs have a life at all?

The quest

After I worked for only two hours in the morning yesterday, testing the other NYPD officer in Serbo-Croatian, I went to look for my red, ballroom dancing shoes. I went to one of the places this guy at the dance club recommended-Capezio. I was so excited, like a little girl, walking inside this big store, expecting to see my shoes on a shelf, and they would smile at me, and I would pay, and we would never be apart again:-)
But, the cruel reality was bestowed on me. Not only that Capezio didn't have my shoes, they didn't have anything resembling my shoes! Is is possible that tiny Slovenia makes better dancing shoes than New York City?!
Anyway, it's not going to be as easy as I thought. It never is, especially if you screw up something and then you try to fix it.
I came home and looked on the Web. Nope. I've sent couple of e-mails describing the shoes I'm looking for. I'm even asking my mother to bring the pictures with her from Europe.
Yes, I know, I am obsessed.
It's just that the idea of having those shoes again and forgiving myself for selling them for practically nothing way back when, would make me so happy. So happy.
Hopefully, someone in this city will have them or know how to make them. Otherwise, next time I go to Europe, I might stop in Ljubljana.

My old dancing shoes

I've been pretty happy since M. and I moved to N.Y.C. Ups and downs, here and there, but over all, pretty content. This city's spirit agrees with mine. It's that simple.
I felt the same way about Belgrade. I did not, however, felt like that in D.C.
Still, I don't remember the last time I was as excited as today.
There's a ballroom dancing place about five block from where I live. I finally went to check it out today.
For those of you who don't know me that well, I used to balldance. Big time.
From when I was about 10 until I was 15, I was an active member of a dance club, and with my team, I performed and competed all around Serbia. Then the high school came. And raging hormones. And the management at the club changed, for worse. So I stopped.
But since I've grown up, or in earthly terms, in the last couple of years(don't laugh), I've wanted to do it again. I used to love it. It must be like riding a bike, or swimming. You never forget it.
So I set it up with this club to come for an introductory group class and then half an hour of a private one, which is only $20. So after all that, I ask the nice guy at the desk:" Do you know of place where I came buy the professional dancing shoes?"
What you don't know, and what I'm extremely angry, disappointed and embarrassed about, is that after I stopped dancing, someone asked me to sell her my professional, perfect, red dancing shoes, from Slovenia. And I did:( Shame on me. Those bloody hormones.
So I got excited about the ballroom dancing again. But mostly about owning those shoes again. That would make me so happy! I'm not going to rest until I find the exact match.
I told all this to M. He's a man, so I tried to explain to him how much these shoes would mean to me. So I said: "Imagine finding again something that made you so happy in your childhood..."
Well, I'm not exactly a psychologist.

Working, then shopping

One of the most reputable language schools in this country called me earlier this week, to ask me if I can test NYPD's officers in Croatian. "Of course, " I said, smiling at the prospects of an easy, interesting work. I used to work for this school in D.C. That's where they got my name from.
The school's manager called again to schedule two tests for this week.
So, I went to meet with her today, as well as do the test.
The school's location, by the way, is excellent. I did use subway to get there, but it's a nice, tourist area, with a lot of good shopping. "Dangerous," but nice.
So the manager talks about what I need to do, she's concluding, everything is swell, but she never mentions my fee. So I had to ask.
"Since you're still our active instructor, you'll be paid as much as you did before--$10 per unit."
Me? In shock!
"I used to be paid $18 per hour, down in D.C., where the cost of living is much less than in Manhattan. Plus, I've been with you since 2005 and I have a Masters Degree now..."
She said:" Well..., you've must have had a government contract. "
"My students were military."
"That's why. If you're not comfortable with this fee, you could do this test today, and I'll find someone else for next time."
Yeah, right. There are Serbo-Croatian instructors waiting in line to work for $10. But I did the test. That's why I was there. And it was good. Interesting. Easy.
My test "subject" was a young police officer, who was born in Trebinje. He spoke excellently. But had troubles reading and writing.
Anyway, when I came out of the classroom, the manager said she talked to D.C. and they told her that I was paid $18 an hour. So, she said, she'll put in a request to pay me that much as well, for these two times. But next time, it will be $10.
Oh, that's fine. It's better than nothing. And it was kind of cool to get ready for work, and feel all smart and important.
I've worked for an hour and a half. Then, I went shopping.