my new place

Hi everyone,
Here are some picts from my new apartment. It's 98% set up. I'm still looking for a rug. It has been so much fun to get everything for this place. Even though a lot was provided and a lot came from my room in Newton. I feel like I have a real grown up place for the first time. No futon, no posters on the wall. I knew I had arrived when I was walking down the aisle at the drug store and buying drain-o. That struck a cord for some reason. The other highlight was a shower curtain, I've always wanted to get one, but in 28 years of life this is the first curtained shower I've had. To be honest I've LOVED getting all sorts of cleaning products. I dreamt about the cleaning aisle of a drug store when I was in Thailand. Here I can use all these fun products like swiffer brooms, and the best part is: it stays clean for more than 20 mins!!! No bugs!!






This is the fluffiest coziest bed I've ever had and compared to beds in Thailand which are similar to slate stone with a cloth sheet over layed, this has a sleep number of 700.

Bless You

I don't have a cold or anything, but I've been sneezing a lot today. Tonight in my Organizational Psychology class I sneezed a few times. It must have been contagious because a 2 other people around me were sneezing tonight too.

There are a few things back in America that I really missed when I was in Thailand. Saying "Bless you" after a sneeze was one of them. I can't tell you how happy it made me that I was able to say "Bless you" half a dozen times.

Now there are a few cultural things that I'm having trouble wrapping my head around back in America. Hand motioning people to come over to me has been really weird. In thailand they use a palm down thing, almost like the way we tell people to "shoo." I can't exactly remember how it goes in America and I have to catch myself from telling people to shoo. It's more of a sideways palm thing here, right? And I think it's got more arm in it.

Over the last few weeks I trained myself that it's ok to step over things. And that it's not a big deal to walk between two people. Both BIG no-nos in Thailand.

But I still can't help myself from ducking my head when I pass by someone. I can't exactly remember how that goes in America. Can you bow a little when passing someone here in America, or is that really weird? Running is the hardest. I can't stop bowing when I pass people running.

I'm happy to say I have gotten over the 10 foot distance I used to give dogs on a leash. I still give dogs a lot more of a check out that I used to before Peace Corps.

I can't remember exactly how the use of foot goes here in America. I tested it out the other day by pointing to a magazine on the bottom rack and my friends didn't bat an eye. I was agast at myself by folding my leg so the sole of my foot was facing my professor, but don't think she was insulted. I quickly put my foot down anyway.

Still learning. Slowly acclimating back to American culture.

Allie's wedding in VA beach

Thai Iced Tea

Anyone in Thailand remember how much I loved to drink Chaa Yen? I even got my language group to visit a coffee stand in order to learn precicely how to filter the tea and mix the milk during a 'community lesson.'

So I was SO excited to see an icecream shop nearby school that sells Bubble Tea. Today I ordered up my first Thai Iced Tea, without the little black tapioca balls at the bottom that I don't like. I was a little disapointed when they didn't drip in the thick condensed milk, but offered if I want regular or skim milk. I guess I wasn't thinking about taste, but more about health, but I responded, "skim milk." I was even more disapointed when i tasted it. Blah.

I guess I gotta come back to Thailand to get my Chaa Yen, with ice scraped out of a cooler, and served in a bag, just the way I like it.

classes

Wow. Yeah! I just got out of my second class this semester and I'm so excited about it. It's called "Preparation for Coaching" and we're getting practical experience being an executive coach, or rather, a life coach. The professor already set a really easy going tone for class. First of all, no papers or exams. Just a weekly 3-4 page journal reflection on the class. And some suggested readings. But more importantly she did a really good job demonstrating the 'there are no stupid questions' and 'there are no stupid answers to my questions' rule. I felt very comfortable talking in class, even though it's pretty big, at 40 people. It's very self analytical, which if you know me at all, is what I do well. The journal entries are supposed to be reactions to class, and how we feel, and what we know we know, and what we know we don't know, etc.

We did a fun excercise where one person was blind and had to draw a picture of what their partner's vision was. And then we switched. I did it with a really nice girl, Rebecca. We did an excellent job drawing a face, and a house. Then, of course, we debriefed how we felt being guided and if we would prefer more or less instruction when blind, yadda yadda. After that the professor led us on a discussion about good listeners we knew in our lives and what made people good listeners. Then we talked about how this is all relivent to being a life coach.

Yesterdays class was fun and engaing too. The class is going to be a big overview of an MBA class. The professor seems cool too. He's in a band.

Now it's time to enjoy my 3 day weekend which I have every week because there are no Friday classes.

morning pic before my run

I live just a few blocks from Riverside park. A nice green space that runs almost the whole length of Manhattan, along the Hudson. It was nice to be out enjoying the sun with the other runners, bikers, and dog walkers. I certainly plan to go back and sit on a bench and enjoy NY there! And will run there often.

I am training for the NY marathon on November 5th. Marathon number 6!

But I got some news from my podiatrist last Tuesday that I have stress reactions at my tibia. I am not supposed to run major runs for 6 weeks. So I'll be doing lots of biking at the gym and running in the pool!


PS. I saw my first star today!! Walking down 5th ave I passed the nurse? on ER with the curly brown hair. She was under the arm of a guy who I didn't get a good look at. I only saw her for a split second, but she looks pretty much the same as on the show. The only impression I walked away with is that she has a very distinct voice, and was wearing clumpy mascara.

I love NY

I moved into my apartment 4 days ago, but it feels like I've been here for 3 weeks. So much has been going on. I've been getting my place all set up so I don't have to think about anything when classes start. But there always seems to be something else to do. We'll call it a work in progress.

There have been a few orientation activities, but nothing like the amount we had in college. I'm actually a little disapointed I haven't connected with more new students. I think there will be more opportunities when classes start and I get to know people in my department. There have been a few large confrence hall info sessions about things like registration. And yesterday there was a really fun 'Amazing Race' activity that took us all over the city and subways. It was a gorgeous sunny day. A day where you walk past street fairs and can't help but say "I love NY." They should put that on a T-Shirt.

Web Cam shot in new apartment

Address in NY

Ever have Progresso soup? The ones in the big blue cans. Well if you haven't you should! Every trip to Safeway always included a trip to the Safeway aisle when I was living in San Francisco. And concurrent with typing I'm eating my first scrumptious bowl in 2 years.

In my NEW YORK STUDIO!!

I'm here. It's official, I'm a New Yorker. Hopefully with a little less of the requisite attitude than the stereotype.

I have a cute and cozy [read: little] studio apartment in the grad school housing. I have my own bathroom, but only a fridge and microwave to suffice as a kitchen in my room. My place is all decked out in the latest IKEA fashions.

Oh yeah, and that school thing. It's been a whirl-win of a few days. I'm sitting down to read through the stack of papers I've received. And classes don't even start for 4 days. I've had a few orientation exercises. Met a few people. There are loads of new students in many many programs here. I'm looking forward to meeting lots more people over the next few days and semester. And excited to hang out with all the people I already know in the city.

For all of you who want to visit, or send expensive gifts, here's my new address:

Rachel Bobruff
517 West 121st St
Apt #1005N
New York, NY 10027

Cell: 347-551-0522

I have a large window here that looks out to the south side of the building and many other buildings here in Morningside Heights. Rain is beating against my beautiful big window;it's my first gray New York evening. I'm ready to hunker down with my bowl of soup and then maybe a bubble bath. Ahh, the exciting life of a New Yorker.