i have my first visitor from austria. hansi, a former classmate form boarding school in bad gleichenberg. i haven’t seen him in quite a long time. he picks me up from work, but he is too early, so i send him down to rudy’s, the legendary dive right across film center where i work. once i am at rudy’s we have a relaxed beer and it’s very nice to talk to someone in „österreichisch“. i don’t have to tell hansi about some weird american habits, because he lived long enough in florida to know how crazy it can be sometimes. …

oh, one thing i forgot to tell. before we meet dominika at the new museum, bettina and i strolled around soho and nolita. we came along a stand with fashion jewelery. bettina came to talk with the vendor. first thing she tells is always that she’s a teacher on a public high school. a common question when meeting someone new is always „what did you study?“. he studied food science and casino management. hä?? food science, yes, but casino management? very funny. that kept me smiling the next 15 minutes. i should have asked „at the university of las vegas?“

i haven’t heard that the pope will be in town since i arrived in new york. he has been to the city for a couple for days now, causing traffic jams and crowds of people strolling around the upper east side or fifth avenue to get a glimpse of „pope“. i am not very religious, but i believe in god and jesus. today is actually the big day. pope benedict is celebrating a holy mass in famous yankee stadium. so why seeing him in mariazell, when i can see him in yankee stadium? the thing is: actually i cannot. it’s …

ok. today i am going to see the first apartment i checked out from craigslist. i got an email from jason, who said that i can come over and see the room. it’s somewhere on 134th street and broadway. not really harlem anymore. but cheap. 770. and the posting sounds nice. after some grocery shopping i take my beloved camera and leave the apartment. i want to walk the way and enjoy the beautiful weather and take some pictures. stupid me. i forgot that there is still a morningside park and a city college campus. so after some detours i …

ok. the first week of work is over. it seems that it’s still like it was three years ago. i can spend my hours on being creative and not worrying about how the whole thing is being programmed. because therefor we have brilliant programmers. in the afternoon i get a new very cool project. very happy. there is a kind of new tradition. the whole office goes out on friday to have an international dinner. this time it’s belgium. picked by our belgium intern michael. it’s of course a place with a never ending list of beers. close to time …

thank god. the cleaning lady is here. her name is jenny and i meet here, when i come home from work. i have only five minutes, because i need to go to the t-mobile store to get a cellphone. she is standing in my bathroom which hopefully will afterwards be nice and clean. that sets me instantly in a good mood. my new phone is a t-mobile dash. i am generous to myself and take the internet unlimited package for 20 dollars into my plan. so i can get emails on my cellphone, use skype or surf the internet. hey, …

somehow the routine comes back. my average walking speed is almost back to the one i had three years ago. i buy cashew nuts. i go to the garden deli to grab a salad for lunch. nice. we decide to get a cleaning lady for the apartment, who will do a big cleaning session tomorrow. what a relief. i still have no cellphone. since i am a big apple fan, i guess everyone thinks i will buy one. but no. it’s just too expensive for what it has and i prefer waiting for the 2nd version. i decide to go …

the apartment is still messy and i am totally unhappy. when it comes to bathrooms i am super-sensitive. so i am happy to leave the apartment. i want to move into a new apartment and already spent hours on craigslist. i am a little depressed about my first days. the apartment is totally not what i expected, i am still tired from moving and somehow i am afraid of not havin too many friends in nyc anymore. most of them moved back to their home countries. but let’s see how everything will turn out. the harmonika-guy in the subway tunnel …

since my roommate seems to get up very very early i have no problem with oversleeping the first day (i have no cellphone and no alarm clock). i take a quick shower in my not so nice bathroom and leave the house. not sure what to expect on my first working day. i know firstborn but there will be a lot new people… the walk to the subway is only three blocks. very convenient. and i don’t have to change trains. i get off time square and walk through my familiar tunnel which connects times square with the eight avenue …