Why this isn't unique

To begin, I know that writing about New York is not unique. Moving here certainly isn't. I am one of a gagillion people that have moved here and stood with my mouth gaping at every little thing I notice. Beyond living here, I am also committing to a giant program that promises intense work for the next five years.

The first thing I would like to point out about my experience here is this: when you come from any place in the US to the city, you are immediately aware of the idiosyncracies from your memory of the media portraying New York, and your actual experience in New York. For example, New York is supposed to be the most fabulous place for shopping. I was driving on my way to school the other day, and I was stopped at a light, and on my left was the GAP among the 86th street shops. They have a new ad campaign that involves Sarah Jessica Parker dancing around in very cute and well put-together preppy/bohemian clothes. There were giant ads of her in the windows, where she was frozen in a spaz-dance pose. Now, the GAP has always been a place of pristine order and cleanliness, and in my experience, has always been inside a mall. Because this place is outside, there were canvas awnings over the windows. Because there were canvas awnings over the windows, pidgeons had decided those canvas awnings were their own personal defecation targets. I do not think that the PR and advertising people for the GAP had this in mind when they stuck Sarah Jessica Parker's image in the window. I'm sure she looks great in the malls of America, but in Brooklyn, she's wearing a big ol' poop hat.

That's the kind of stuff that will throw you off for the whole day and remind you that you are no longer in Kansas.