On that day I found one apartment in craigslist.com; the apartment is located in Flushing, it's a modern 1-bed apartment with Terrace. The pics looked really good. I called the broker and made an appointment to see the apartment.

After work, I went to the apartment to see it, and the apartment was too good to be true for a NYC apartment. I loved the apartment. I loved the terrace so much; the unit is located in one of the upper lever floors, and I get a really nice view from the terrace.

So, I told the broker I loved this place, and I wanted to take it.

She said, ok, I need $200 from you in cash now for the fee. I was like, wow! is this all she charges! (normally a broker charges one month rent or 12 or 15% of the annual rent as their fees in NYC)

So I paid her $200; she and her husband gave me all the papers to fill out, and they said they would give me the result the next morning after I send them all the documents they were asking for.

The next day she said I was approved. And she told me to bring two official checks or money orders for the one month security deposit and one month advance. And her broker fee is 12% of the annual rent. I was like, why the fee is so high!

But anyway, I called her up later again and brought the fee down a little.

But I still was not happy. I felt like they were charging me too much for the fee and I also realized that I made a mistake by not asking her about her fee on the very first day I spoke to her.

So, I arranged a friend to call her up and ask her about her fee. And she told my friend that her fee is one month's rent! So, in that case I should be paying much less than what she was charging me!

I just wanted to post this in my blog so other people can be aware of that too and be careful when they rent an apartment. Ask the broker about their fee beforehand.

Another point to make here is that always believe in your instinct. If you feel like something is not right, then find out before you step into it.

The Central Park Zoo in Manhattan, is my most favorite place on earth. It’s definitely one of the smaller zoos on my list, but it’s hidden, surprising location, in the middle of the Big Apple, makes it a sort of ironic, quaint, and extremely happy place. Adults on their lunch breaks, kids on field trips, and idle New York wanderers like myself, come to the Central Park Zoo as a sort of Mecca from bustling city life. One second you’re in Times Square, the busiest spot in the country, and the next second, you’re in Africa, or the South Pole, or China! It’s pretty spectacular.

I grew up in Queens, so I have a special affinity towards the Queens Zoo. There’s also the bear habitat there. It the only zoo in New York to host the endangered bears of the Andes Mountains. The Staten Island Zoo is probably the least exciting for me, but does have a petting zoo which I know grabs the attention of the younger crowd. Prospect Park Zoo is the newest of the zoos and you can really tell with its modern (and very humane) naturalistic habitat exhibits.

Last but not least, is the Bronx Zoo, a huge zoo and a fantastic zoo. My favorite exhibit is the indoor acre large rain forest. It’s truly breathtaking!

Ok, so maybe I know a bit too much about zoos. I’ve been a zoo-goer since my own first class trip to the Queen’s Zoo, and now, as a third grade teacher, I bring kids myself to all the zoos in New York City. I have enough stories to fill a book! Maybe I’ll write a book!

Anyway.  We hit Bed Bath and Beyond and brought home the MOTHERLODE of cleaning supplies.  i'm so happy to finally have Clorox with bleach back in the house.  We also got one of those little drop in fellow for the toilet so that it's always sparkling clean.  Like an Altoid for your terlit.  We picked up one of the super squoziest "middle blanket"s that we both fell in love with at Melly Sade's house after Dan's 40th bday.  It is so cozy!  AND on the way back home, through Union Square, we saw a squirrel with a huge nut.  He had that nut in his mouth and he was leaping from artwork to artwork and finally thought that burying it in between two paintings would work.  Wait! no! He leapt off the paintings, ran over to the painter's canvas sack, and stuff his little body in there.  It was the cutest thing I have ever seen.  His little backside was popping up and down as he crammed the walnut in.  Then, he popped his little head out and with his hands patted the opening of the bag closed around the contents.

Happy with his work, he skittered off, proud of his hiding place.

I planned on telling you about Trader joe's, but I'll save it for after I cook.  And I'll post pictures too.

 I think it's become abundantly clear that the entire city of New York hates Crocs. They cast them off as an ugly trend in footwear reserved for bandwagon-jumping local yokels from flyover states. They insist that they have no useful purpose - especially not in New York.

I, too, was among those who detested Crocs. I saw no need for brightly-colored decorative plastic footwear with holes.

Then, one day earlier this month, I got a pair of Crocs.

(Note that I did not buy a pair of Crocs. They were given to me as a gift from a sales rep at work. I was actually slightly offended by the gift. I was embarassed just to carry them home.)

One night later that week, just to entertain myself, I finally put them on. I was incredibly disappointed - disappointed in how comfortable they were. I didn't want to take them off. It was like little plastic gnomes were massaging my feet with every step.

On vacation in New Hampshire, I wore my Crocs every single day. I basked in the comfort of their soft plastic soles. I let my feet feel the breeze through their ventilated holes. I even wore them to a bar. Nobody scoffed at them. Nobody pointed out my unsightly footwear. Nobody said a word about my Crocs. You see, everyone in New Hampshire understands that while Crocs are not particularly attractive, they are functional.

Seriously, New Yorkers. What the hell is your deal? Why you gotta hate on Crocs? I would think that New Yorkers would be ones to understand that things can be ugly, yet functional. Hell, this entire city is "ugly, yet functional." Just look at our subway system: ugly, yet functional. Look at the Queensboro Bridge: ugly, yet functional. Look at the Meatpacking District: ugly, yet... actually, that's a bad example. The Meatpacking District is completely dysfunctional.

You will never see me walking through Union Square in Crocs. I will not be the scorn of swarms of you overly-fashion-forward New Yorkers. But I will pity you, because you just don't know what you're missing.

I'll be filing my reports from New Hampshire next week. I'll be busy vacationing with the French president.

MTA New York City Transit

Service Alert

Posted on:8/8/2007 4:27:05 PM

Due to a single droplet of water falling from the sky mistaken for rain that was actually condensation from an air conditioner in a 17th floor apartment, there are delays on the following subway lines:

trains are running between 14th Street and 18th Street in both directions.

and uptown trains will terminate at 96th Street, as they are afraid to go into Harlem.

, , and trains will be making two loops around Central Park before getting you to your destination, because they need some fresh air.

trains are enjoying a hot dog and beer at Willets Point-Shea Stadium and will resume normal operation once the game is over.

, , and trains are not running at all, because they really just don't have time for your crap today.

trains are running express in Manhattan, enjoying the nice cool breeze they get from going 30 miles an hour.

and trains are stuck in some neighborhood in Queens that you've never heard of.

trains are currently experiencing an inferiority complex and will not run until further notice/counseling.

, , and trains are running normally, of course, since nobody ever uses these trains.

trains are running between Princeton Junction and Hoboken. We really can't explain how they ended up there.

and trains are currently running on the Cyclone track at Coney Island-Stillwell Ave.

and trains are feeling nostalgic right now, and are currently running over the Brooklyn Bridge.

service is suspended between Times Square-42nd Street and Grand Central-42nd Street. You can just walk. You do have legs, don't you?

We would apologize for the inconvience, but we like to watch you suffer. Thank you for riding with MTA New York City Transit!

At one point this morning, the L train was not running. The G train was not running, either. On top of that, car services in North Brooklyn were reporting up to 90-minute wait times. So, during that period between about 7am and 10am this morning, hipsters from Williamsburg could not get to Manhattan.

And I believe our city is better because of it.

Oh, what's that you say? What do you have there? Oh, it's a bottle of water?

OH MY GOD! NOT WATER! AHHHHHHH! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME! AHHHHHHH! HELLLLLP ME! Even though water is a completely natural occurrence in this city, which just so happens to be bounded on nearly every side by water, WATER IS HORRIBLE!!! Even though I tunnel under and bridge over massive bodies of water, WATER IS POISON!!! GET THE WATER AWAY FROM ME! HELLLLLP!

[Since when did New York City become Los Angeles' sister city by freaking out and completely shutting down during every fucking rainstorm?]