Two and a half weeks left

So I know my adoring fans have been waiting for a new blog for a couple of weeks. Funny how busy I get being out here. One of the other interns, Jess, is going to be the editor and chief of the magazine called EJ at Michigan State, one of the only places they have a masters program in environmental journalism. We decided to go to Brooklyn for a day. After going the wrong way coming off the subway trying to find the museum and getting into what may have been a bad part of town and getting some Greek food, we finally asked some exuberant women with awesome accents where the hell we were going. They directed us to the Brooklyn Museum down the street. It has the biggest collection of Egyptian art anywhere, I guess. It's amazing to look at something you know is basically older than time as you know it.


Beautiful museum.

Then we decided to go to the Botanical Gardens, right near by:

Very pretty although I think we missed the prime of most of the flowers there.

After walking around outside and sweating beyond belief, we decided we needed beer. Jess had looked up this brewery called the Brooklyn Brewery. We weren't really sure how to get there, so we asked a cop at the subway. Trying to be so very helpful (I'm constantly surprised at how helpful and nice New Yorkers are), he gave us directions and we hopped on the train. We got off at the stop we were instructed to, and walked 9 blocks or so. We were expecting to find this glowing spectacle of wonderful beer and greasy food right around the corner, but instead, we were in the middle of Italian suburbia. Old women who look like my Great Aunt Bea were hanging out on their porches, Italian flags were flying and fake flowers adorned cute little patios. We asked a very tan, loud black-haired woman where we could find the place we were looking for and she looked at us like we were crazy. Defeated, we headed back to an Italian restaurant we saw on the way down that lonely road. We scoped out the menu outside and an older man with gray hair and leathery skin said, "It's delicious, you'll love it, come on in." So we followed him in, where he promptly kissed one of the managers who looked like he should be named Antony or Mario on the cheek. The tables, which we couldn't see from outside, were adorned with white tablecloths and linen napkins. We could tell our sweaty selves were under-dressed but we just didn't care. Our waitress (who was probably a co-owner, the way she talked) Marie gave us the run down of the specials. She ran down the veal, pork, pasta and then she said, "Or whateva you want, ya know? If you think of something, run it by me and we'll see what we can do." Her accent was entrancing, almost. I felt like she should be my mom's best friend or something. They would definitely get along. I got the gnocchi in a great red sauce and Jess got the standard fettucine alfredo. She's an Olive Garden fan. Nuff said.

Good pasta and a few gin and tonics/rum and cokes later, we were ready to get on the subway and get back home. Only thing was the platform going the other way was closed. Good thing there was an Asian guy there, just standing by terminal to tell us we needed to take the stairs and get on a different train. We ran up the stairs just in time to see the train we needed drive off. So we waited and took pictures and laughed while we waited for the next one.

On the train back to Grand Central I watched a couple across from us. She was reading Bridget Jones' Diary, he was listening to his ipod, but they both kept sneaking loving glances at each other and it was just too cute.

We got to Grand Central, had another drink for the rail and headed home. Mike and John called us so we decided to dupe the conductor and get off at Milford instead of Norwalk (we would've had to pay a bigger fare). Good times indeed.

This week, I am trying to finish up this huge story I'm working on that is on plastic bag bans. It should be the best piece I've done so far while being here. I'm going to Reno the 16th to 18th to cover a renewable energy summit for E and I'm super excited. I spent the last weekend with Mike, his sister and her boyfriend in the city. It was the most enjoyable of all my visits there. We went to Mesa Grill (Bobby Flay's NY restaurant for food network/bravo fans) for brunch. We saw a bum with dreadlocks riding a pink bike... and we got some Thai iced tea, and we took a boat tour from Fulton street around the river, past the statue of liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge with the tour guide's monotone voice narrating it all. It reminded me of Pike Place and it almost got me a little teary-eyed. We had some nachos and beers at a place called Heartland Brewery and I swear to you, it was the closest to Boundary Bay I've had since being here. What a great weekend. It's always so hard to go back on Mondays. Especially when people are intent on running you over, like they were today.

I've got 2.5 weeks until I get to come home. And after that, I get to move in with my parents because I don't have a job. How does someone who did so well in school end up without a job? I can't afford to go to grad school, and I bet that wouldn't even help me. It sucks when you expect it all to culminate into this amazing career and you just end up bumming off your parents like everybody else. I worked hard. I deserve more than this.

That said, I am finishing up my internship here strong, and heading to the Society of Environmental Journalists conference in September, where I hope to find a job. Meanwhile I am soooo ready to come home and be with my friends.

That week will be a lot of flying but I'll be alright and ready to celebrate. Hope you all are well. See you soon.

-Shawno