NYU College of Arts and Sciences (CAS for short) offers a program called Speaking Freely, and the spring sections started last week. Speaking Freely classes are weekly language classes offered in a sort of "no pressure" atmosphere. Attendance isn't mandatory. There are no grades. You just know going in that you'll get out of the course what you put into it. Hoping to take a semester of German, I looked up the schedule last week and found that I had a time conflict with the German class. Logically, I then registered instead for French 3 (Wednesdays), Czech 1 (Thursdays), and Hindi 1 (Fridays). Have you ever looked at the phonetics of the Czech alphabet? Check it out.
So last week was a big week. I started tutoring at University Settlement, and then I started all three of the language classes. It feels good to be getting involved. Thursday after class, the fantastic Chef Hillary had a dinner party. We made blood orange olive oil cake, beet risotto, and swiss chard (this isn't the exact recipe we used, but it's close). Not only was the food wonderful, but the company was just... I'm so grateful for my friends here. I've met some really amazing people and am so lucky to get to spend time with them.
Despite the late night, Friday Kim and I met Alex at Yoga to the People for 7am yoga. We then came home to clean up and change before our Hindi class. Kim had to work after class, but I met up with Cindy and two of her friends for an excursion to P.S.1, which is a branch of MoMA. To be honest, the exhibit we say -1969- wasn't my style. I'm not usually a fan of that kind of art anyway, but the exhibit was a compilation of all the pieces they collected during that year. I couldn't tell, but I don't think they had to be made that year. It just wasn't my style. The fact that they have an art exhibit in an old school is great though. And on the way there we passed a huge building covered in elaborate graffiti. It turns out that the building is the site of 5PTZ. They were closed for the season, so I'll be checking back, but from what I could gather they're dedicated to preserving authentic hip-hop culture. Which was coincidental because I just finished reading a book called "Yes Yes Y'All" about the history of hip-hop. Like I said, I'll be checking back there.
When we returned to Union Square, Cindy and her friends went back to their dorm. I started going back to mine, but then I ran into Hillary. She was on her way to a free concert, so I turned around and went with her. We met up with Maggie and her friend Colin, who was wonderful fun because this was his favorite band, and got in line. The band was called Hot Chip. I have no idea why they picked that name, but there you are. It was good party music, the lights were really well done, and the crowd was into the music without being terrifyingly wild. It was a really good time.
We came back and realized that it was still pretty early; however, it was pretty cold out so- after a trip to Artichoke Pizza for Rhoen- we gathered Rhoen and Cindy and Shizuyo in my room to watch "Paris, Je T'Aime" and eat ice cream. I'd heard a lot about the film, but was still surprised by how much I enjoyed it. "Paris, Je T'Aime" is a series of short sketches (in French) that deal with the theme of love in Paris. And they touched on all kinds of love: new, misunderstood, paternal, maternal, misplaced. There was a junkie with her love for her drug. There was an American with her love for Paris. There were even two mimes with their perfect and unspoken love for each other.
We also discussed how Rhoen should start a chocolate business. Rhoen, start a chocolate business.
Saturday I had a long class. From 10 am to 5 pm I was in a seminar about identifying child abuse and neglect, identifying drug abuse, and being a socially responsible teacher within the regulations of the New York City school district. We looked as cases, listened to a panel of teachers, listened to Battina Aptheker speak about her experiences and her memoir "Intimate Politics" (which starts: The poet Muriel Rukeyser once asked, 'What would happen if one woman told the whole truth about her life?' And answered, 'The world would split open.'), listened to a student panel, and discussed the factors that contribute to a child's resiliency. I met some really amazing women there. One, Alethiea, had been a high school drop-out, lost her mother, worked for the post office for 11 years, gotten her GED, attended CUNY for her undergrad, and had somehow rolled her scholarship over from the city school so she could attend NYU free. Her goal is to educate students who are in situations like she was about their options and about how they can pay for school by combining grants and being proactive. Power to her. I was inspired.
It was pretty draining. Soooo when I got home I sat down to do some homework (reading fairy tales to be exact). Then Emma texted and informed me that it was Bob Marley's birthday and she wanted to do something to celebrate. Let me be explicit: no, we didn't smoke up. Instead, we went to see Fantastic Mr. Fox with Thomaz, Hillary and Maggie. After the film, we got fries and a hot dog at...well, I misplaced the flyer, but I'll put it up when I find it. Then we had a very relaxing night with their new cat, Anthony Bourdain in Jamacia (happy birthday Mr. Marley), and some delicious 4 am pizza. One thing I dislike about the dorms: I have no space to invite friends to. I mean... so long as they are also students who live in the dorms we're ok. But if they are out of the dorms or visiting from another school, I can only have 3 people over. I can't exactly offer friends the couch; the floor remains disgusting no matter how many times I clorox it; space in my room is limited; table space for dinner is limited; I have a roommate whose napping and television-watching I try not to disturb. I've been to dinner at Emma and Thomaz's before, and I always feel bad that I can't return their hospitality as completely as I would like to.
Sunday was a lot of homework. Monday was yoga (Alex wants to do this regularly) at 7 and then classes. Today I had classes and tutoring, and then I met up with Alex for a poetry reading by Ersi Sotiropoulos. I picked up a copy of the book, and she was kind enough to sign it for me. Now I'm off to do some research on fairy tales before going to bed and praying for snow. Put a spoon under your pillow tonight, New York!
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