One of the things that I’ve both loved and been amazed by most in the city is food delivery system. It seems to me that you can have nearly any food product that you want delivered here. It also seems that any product that you want period can be delivered and the delivery cost appear to be relatively low.
I guess that this is in part because of the lack of folks driving (though cars are everywhere I’ve decided half of them are taxis) and the nightmare it is getting around the city. It is fascinating how fast the delivery folks get the food to your table. Last night I ordered Chinese at 9:50. The restaurant is about 6 blocks away and the food was here before 10:05. I ordered Italian a few weeks ago (lasagna, calamari, hot bread). The restaurant is about a 15 drive. Again, my food was hot and delicious and delivered in less than 30 minutes. How is this possible?
I have not run into a restaurant yet that doesn’t exist. I’ve been told that even McDonald’s delivers. There’s a mere $6 minimum for delivery and you get a free pop (or soda as its called here) with a purchase of $10. Interesting right, this place blows my mind! It also seems that most of the delivery folks are either walking or on foot. The bikers in NYC are some of the bravest people on the planet. I wouldn’t be caught dead on a bike anywhere in the city besides a bike trail. But who am I kidding, when was the last time I was on a bike period. LMAO
As a side note I have encountered another phenomenon of interest. My pal ordered an iced tea that came in a sort of soup container (at least 20 ounces). There was a hole at the top for a straw and apparently in NYC people drink directly out of this container, out of a soup container. The thing is it looks like a soup container! There’s apparently a drink you get in Harlem that is one of these soup like containers full of alcohol and I’m told one of these drinks and you’re good. Apparently?!?!?
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide...
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
My NYC Beauty "Parlor" Experience
Most women struggle with their hair as has been highlighted by the recent Chris Rock phenomenon Good Hair. In Ohio, my typical trip the salon as we call it in Ohio ran me about $60 or $70 for a wash, condition, blow dry and press (not to simplify the process at all). If I wanted color , cut, trim, or any sort of hot oil or vitamin treatment the price easily starts creeping into the low hundreds.
Since in moved to the city I’ve been hearing about the $10 Dominican blow up. I’ve been hearing different takes on this process so finally decided to check it out for myself.
My first question was “How do I know that someone is Dominican?” Certainly it’s not appropriate to ask. Second, “do only Dominicans offer this service and if so why?” The most important question perhaps is “Is a wash and blow out for $10 possible?” And maybe one additional question is what is a “blow out”. When I blow dry my hair it’s like a limp afro and no disrespect to the afro or those you are still rocking it but I don’t want an afro, I have a lot of hair on my head. I wondered is it possible to blow dry ones hair to straight, silky perfection (this is what I’m looking for).
So after work this week I decided to go to the first “Dominican” beauty salon that I found. If decided that there are two within 2 blocks of me. How do I know they are Dominican do you ask? Well on has Dominican in the name and the other looks like the first so there you go there’s my logic.
I decided to the one that’s on the way to my house from work. I went in and of course experience a severe language barrier. Note to self: I REALLY need to learn Spanish especially in my neighborhood. Once we were able to communicate what I wanted I learned that a wash and “blow out” was $18 and a wash, condition and blow out was $23. Not bad at all and much cheaper than home. We got started and boy did this wonderful woman give me a wash. They put in a leave in condition and put me under the dryer. They took me from under the dryer, rinsed out the condition and then to my surprise put huge rollers in my hair. I can’t remember the last time I had rollers. After the rollers I went under the dryer again for about nearly an hour. I have to admit I was feeling a little nervous at this point. After the dryer another woman started taking out the rollers and I was actually pretty impressed and satisfied with what my hair looked like and actually could have paid my $25 and been out. However, I knew because of the language barrier it’d be a lost cause to deviate from the process. Next they take crazy hot blow dryer and blow out each section and your hair gets unbelievably straight. Once again I was satisfied with what I saw and could have paid but apparently there as another step. She reached for the hot curlers and started to hard core bump my ends. For those of you sistahs reading, you remember back in the day before you were introduced to the flat iron and your hair dresser used to give you the page boy with the hard bump at your ends LMAO. Well what really blew my mind was this grandma like sweet woman then swept one side of my hair behind my ear, wow!
Overall the experience was wonderful and the women in the shop were very friendly. The price was right and I had to do minimal fixing when I got home. Is this is a possible option when one is sick like I was but needs their wig split? Definitely. Will this become my new hair care option? Probably not. Either way, I think I can say that I experienced the Dominican blow out though it wasn’t $10 and I’m not sure these wonderful ladies were Dominican.
NYC or Cleveland; You Decide…
Since in moved to the city I’ve been hearing about the $10 Dominican blow up. I’ve been hearing different takes on this process so finally decided to check it out for myself.
My first question was “How do I know that someone is Dominican?” Certainly it’s not appropriate to ask. Second, “do only Dominicans offer this service and if so why?” The most important question perhaps is “Is a wash and blow out for $10 possible?” And maybe one additional question is what is a “blow out”. When I blow dry my hair it’s like a limp afro and no disrespect to the afro or those you are still rocking it but I don’t want an afro, I have a lot of hair on my head. I wondered is it possible to blow dry ones hair to straight, silky perfection (this is what I’m looking for).
So after work this week I decided to go to the first “Dominican” beauty salon that I found. If decided that there are two within 2 blocks of me. How do I know they are Dominican do you ask? Well on has Dominican in the name and the other looks like the first so there you go there’s my logic.
I decided to the one that’s on the way to my house from work. I went in and of course experience a severe language barrier. Note to self: I REALLY need to learn Spanish especially in my neighborhood. Once we were able to communicate what I wanted I learned that a wash and “blow out” was $18 and a wash, condition and blow out was $23. Not bad at all and much cheaper than home. We got started and boy did this wonderful woman give me a wash. They put in a leave in condition and put me under the dryer. They took me from under the dryer, rinsed out the condition and then to my surprise put huge rollers in my hair. I can’t remember the last time I had rollers. After the rollers I went under the dryer again for about nearly an hour. I have to admit I was feeling a little nervous at this point. After the dryer another woman started taking out the rollers and I was actually pretty impressed and satisfied with what my hair looked like and actually could have paid my $25 and been out. However, I knew because of the language barrier it’d be a lost cause to deviate from the process. Next they take crazy hot blow dryer and blow out each section and your hair gets unbelievably straight. Once again I was satisfied with what I saw and could have paid but apparently there as another step. She reached for the hot curlers and started to hard core bump my ends. For those of you sistahs reading, you remember back in the day before you were introduced to the flat iron and your hair dresser used to give you the page boy with the hard bump at your ends LMAO. Well what really blew my mind was this grandma like sweet woman then swept one side of my hair behind my ear, wow!
Overall the experience was wonderful and the women in the shop were very friendly. The price was right and I had to do minimal fixing when I got home. Is this is a possible option when one is sick like I was but needs their wig split? Definitely. Will this become my new hair care option? Probably not. Either way, I think I can say that I experienced the Dominican blow out though it wasn’t $10 and I’m not sure these wonderful ladies were Dominican.
NYC or Cleveland; You Decide…
Monday, December 7, 2009
Why Am I Sick Again!
I’m not sure if it’s the subway or I haven’t built my NYC antibodies yet, but I am sick with flu-like symptoms for the third time in 45 days. The first time I figured was my seasonal cold that lasted almost 10 days. The second was a flu that I caught just over a week later when I was in Cleveland that was so bad my cried (I’m not a crier). This cold came after a weekend of partying.
Though I had a full weekend, I was bundled up and ate well (all the reasons folks have given me for being sick again). I’ve been resting and even taking vitamins. This place is trying to kill me!
Though I had a full weekend, I was bundled up and ate well (all the reasons folks have given me for being sick again). I’ve been resting and even taking vitamins. This place is trying to kill me!
There's No Place Like Home
For my faithful few readers I’m happy to admit that I’m getting more adjusted to life in the Big Apple. Some of the people and attitudes that I run into on a daily basis are still a bit aggravating but overall things are getting much better. I’m feeling more comfortable in my apartment and neighborhood, I finally feel like I’m getting a clue of the NYC transit system, I’ve found some great restaurants and dives that I can call favorites, I’m feeling like I’m in a better rhythm at work and getting adjusted to the pace and intellectual capital. I’m also meeting some really great people.
Still, there’s no place like home. Despite the numerous visits from my folks (which I thoroughly enjoy) I still look forward to my visits home. The winter holidays are one of my favorite times of year. NYC, is an amazing place to be for the holidays. 34th street and 7th avenue, Times Square, Harold Square and the neighborhoods are really something to see during this time of year. You have the Macy’s Parade, a myriad of shows and events, skating at Rockefeller Park and these are the things that I know of as a resident of Ohio. I have seen the decorations at Macy’s and their beautiful window scenes.
No matter how great the city is, I still love the holidays in Northeast Ohio. I hear this year Youngstown is having a holiday parade (I don’t think I’ll be making that). Cleveland has WinterFest which is actually really nice and the downtown public square is decorated pretty well. There’s just something about being curled up on my parents couch (my dad always makes us a fire) and watching tv on my pops theater sized flat screen. There’s something about my aunts and uncles arguing over the last sip of ‘brown’ as they call it and my little cousins running around my house as like crazy persons. There’s nothing like going for a run to the grocery store and running into someone you haven’t seen since you were a kid. I think my favorite thing about being home is the food. I love my mom's cooking and there are some neighborhood restaurants that though I know they are the greasiest, non-healthy options available, I just have to have when I come home. (Shout out to Fosters/Harmony Grill)
Thanksgiving was great as always, the days were filled with family and neighbors and the nights with friends. I had a great time watching cable and hearing about all the wonderful and ridiculous things going on at home. I went out one night with friends and only spent $30 total on drinks and food and I was Santa that night. Youngstown is certainly not the most exciting and frankly not the most beautiful place that you’ve ever since on the holiday’s but its home and we all know there’s no place like home.
Still, there’s no place like home. Despite the numerous visits from my folks (which I thoroughly enjoy) I still look forward to my visits home. The winter holidays are one of my favorite times of year. NYC, is an amazing place to be for the holidays. 34th street and 7th avenue, Times Square, Harold Square and the neighborhoods are really something to see during this time of year. You have the Macy’s Parade, a myriad of shows and events, skating at Rockefeller Park and these are the things that I know of as a resident of Ohio. I have seen the decorations at Macy’s and their beautiful window scenes.
No matter how great the city is, I still love the holidays in Northeast Ohio. I hear this year Youngstown is having a holiday parade (I don’t think I’ll be making that). Cleveland has WinterFest which is actually really nice and the downtown public square is decorated pretty well. There’s just something about being curled up on my parents couch (my dad always makes us a fire) and watching tv on my pops theater sized flat screen. There’s something about my aunts and uncles arguing over the last sip of ‘brown’ as they call it and my little cousins running around my house as like crazy persons. There’s nothing like going for a run to the grocery store and running into someone you haven’t seen since you were a kid. I think my favorite thing about being home is the food. I love my mom's cooking and there are some neighborhood restaurants that though I know they are the greasiest, non-healthy options available, I just have to have when I come home. (Shout out to Fosters/Harmony Grill)
Thanksgiving was great as always, the days were filled with family and neighbors and the nights with friends. I had a great time watching cable and hearing about all the wonderful and ridiculous things going on at home. I went out one night with friends and only spent $30 total on drinks and food and I was Santa that night. Youngstown is certainly not the most exciting and frankly not the most beautiful place that you’ve ever since on the holiday’s but its home and we all know there’s no place like home.
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