You know you are in New York when...

... a man on a unicycle cycles down the street amidst traffic while talking on his cell phone. Seeing that truly felt like an Amelie Poulain moment.

Social Security in the Digital Age

On Friday, I went to one of the Social Security Administration offices in New York. I was told to take a number from the machine and sit down to wait my turn. I expected that, similarly to most other places where you are asked to take a number (e.g., DMV), my number would eventually appear on some digital screen and a computer voice would direct me to the correct counter a la "Now serving number B22 at counter number 5." Well, it didn't quite work this way. Instead, as a counter opened up, the person behind the counter would shout out the next number in line (which most of us in the waiting area would not be able to hear since she didn't speak into a microphone/loudspeaker). Then this number would be repeated by the security guard standing in the waiting area for everyone to hear. Talk about taking advantage of modern technology. At that rate, they might as well have just handed us hand-written numbers. In fact, my experience there reminded me quite a bit of my visits to administrative agencies in Bulgaria. Well, minus the constant complaining that you get back home.

I would rather not work for an organization that...

... includes the country, "Chili", on a powerpoint presentation (presented live) to potential job applicants to describe the various countries in which the organization implements projects. Yeah, not even in this economy.

The Slow but Certain Takeover

Several months ago, I noticed the aluminum water bottle's first entry into the classroom. A few of my classmates had one. Then it started conquering space. I would see more and more people drink from one. And the trend continued to spread. Right before Christmas, having gotten tired of feeling guilty about always using and throwing away so much plastic, I decided to finally get one myself. I would highly recommend it. Not only do I not have to worry about whether I have a water bottle handy or not, the water actually tastes better (or, rather, maintains its natural taste, as opposed to tasting of plastic). And I have reduced my plastic consumption at least a bit. Today, while sitting in on a presentation I noticed that every single water bottle in the room save for one was an aluminum one. I am pretty excited about this fact. Yes, it may only be a fashion trend but if it helps reduce plastic, I am all for it.