19 August 2005

Getting acclimated

I'm looking for help overcoming my polite midwestern upbringing so I can fit in better here. This site is inspiring, but I'm not sure how to go about integrating its koan-like teachings into my life. Any suggestions for books, other web sites, etc., that teach New York attitudes and conversation skills to the immigrant?

11 comments:

tormp said...

heh, listen to this fuckin' guy.

dcass said...

take it on the arches butt nut

schmonz said...

It sounds a little tongue in cheek, I know, but I'm actually fairly serious. It's important to me to be able to get along with lots of kinds of people in lots of kinds of environments, and this environment feels more foreign to me than some places in Europe.

dcass said...

hey, im walking here!

schmonz said...

I witnessed a quintessential New York moment on the Upper West Side today. One dude walks up to his bicycle on the sidewalk, unlocks it, starts walking it around to point in the other direction. Other dude walking down the sidewalk sees this, continues walking exactly as he had been. Predictably, the two paths meet. Both stop. Walking dude looks at bicycle dude with visible annoyance. Bicycle dude pauses, then lifts up his bicycle and turns it the rest of the way in the air. Walking dude continues walking. Bicycle dude rides off.

dcass said...

i tried a search for "New York Assholes" on google. Of couse, i found the overheard in NY website that you already found. Oh well, i guess its a start.

russ said...

It's important to me to be able to get along with lots of kinds of people in lots of kinds of environments

This is the anti-thesis of fitting in in NY.

schmonz said...

Shit. You're right. Fuck it.

dcass said...

and scene!

i think tai learned a lesson. The way to fit in in NY is to just say fuck it. so.... by saying "fuck it" you HAVE achieved your goa to fit in... by not trying to.

i just gave myself a headache

schmonz said...

Oh, so you think I've learned a lesson, huh. Huh? What are you, my sensei? I don't think so. Fuck you.

...and scene!

dcass said...

we all bow, we're met by loving applause