In the subway this evening at about 7 or 8 or so. There were so many people. I couldn’t help but smile at the site of us all trying to squeeze into these tiny trains. I think that if you are already accustomed to it its probably pretty boring, but I still get a kick out of it. it reaffirmed my belief that my passion is people, not nature. I just don't have much of an interest in nature or ecology or things of that nature half as much as I do in us. in who we are and why we are and what we’re doing.

Being back in America now, after living in Miami for almost four years, I notice that my heart feels a certain sense of comfort when I hear people on the street here in nyc speaking Spanish. Gives me a subconscious sense of home somehow. I guess it just reminds me of Miami and everyone I know there. interesting. Now speaking Spanish, which in Miami was obligatory and because of that sometimes a very frustrating pain in the ass, is fun and helps break up the monotony of day to day life here.

I am still in complete shock how often you hear people speaking in other languages here in this city. I am not exaggerating when I say that you hear foreign languages being spoken here on the street and in the various shops and buildings just as often if not more than you hear English being spoken. In the last two weeks I have heard Albanian, Pakistani, Arabian, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Farsi, various Indian dialects, and numerous others I can’t sound out yet. its really inspiring and cool.

Bad things: my apt is too small and I think I'm going stir crazy. its cold. Its wet. Its always raining. Its crowded. Its noisy. Its expensive. Its hard to get around. But besides that its good here. I keep telling myself that. LOL.

New York weather forecast:
5 DAY FORECAST
Tuesday
54°F (12°C) | 46°F (8°C)
Wednesday
56°F (13°C) | 48°F (9°C)
Thursday
59°F (15°C) | 47°F (8°C)
Friday
57°F (14°C) | 47°F (8°C)
Saturday
57°F (14°C) | 51°F (11°C)

Miami weather forecast:
5 DAY FORECAST
Tuesday
87°F (31°C) | 76°F (24°C)
Wednesday
88°F (31°C) | 74°F (23°C)
Thursday
88°F (31°C) | 71°F (22°C)
Friday
86°F (30°C) | 72°F (22°C)
Saturday
86°F (30°C) | 75°F (24°C)

No wonder my body feels like its freaking out. I think what I am experiencing can best be described as shock! There is one word for this weather of the north. It sucks.

Good things: well this is Manhattan after all. Gotham city. so that's cool. millions of pretty classy girls to look at. And millions of educated well informed cool men to hang out and converse with. Thousands of cool buildings to stare up at  and venture into. I get to ear all of my winter clothes that I never got to wear in Florida. Sweaters and scarves and things like that. that's cool.

Also we are in the middle of the pennant race and as always the Yankees are in it. I was raised a Yankees fan since my family was from up here originally. We used to watch the Yankees games on TV with my grandfather all the time growing up and he would tell us all the old stories of their glory days when he was growing up. the New York Yankees were one of the most important things in their lives back then, before TV and movies and Internet and all that. the yanks were it. So actually being a resident here while the Yankees are fighting for it, rather than rooting for them from some other city is a really fulfilling feeling. Like I'm connecting with my grandparents and great grandparents by being here now while they are playing to become the champions.

I think the old lyric “if I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere...” rings pretty true.

Strange signs of the times. things are changing? In two unrelated but significantly similar instances both this week. American soldiers fighting in Iraq refused to follow orders to drive a truck down a certain road which is grounds for court marshal but the whole squadron just refused to follow the orders because they said there was no frontline to protect them, and that the truck was not properly maintained nor was it properly armored.

And then last night a young boy in Russia shot and killed both of his parents because his father gave him a beating after school on Monday for receiving low grades. Crazy.

Current read: the alchemist. I love this book, as so many people do. the soul of the world, the language of the universe, your personal legend. The book is very simple. The little prince meets sidartha. But it is very special and every night you look forward to reading it. this is a must read. this is kind of book you want to read again as soon as you finish it just so you can stay in the world of it.