New York Can Be a Small Town

It always amazes me how small New York can sometimes feel. The best example I can give of this is the first time I saw my friend Keala here. It was last fall and I knew he was arriving soon in New York (to live). I was on the 6 train heading to NYU from tutoring. I looked to my right and would you believe it - there was Keala sitting a little ways down. I think I shouted his name I was so surprised. In a city of 8 million... it's just weird.

Today I had a similar small world experience. I am temping at this place in Soho, answering phones and surfing the internet. It's pretty boring but I have so much reading to do for this summer that I really don't mind. One of the women that works in the office passed by and said something like, it's really boring here, isn't it. I told her I was fine and that I had a lot of reading to do for school. She asked wasn't school out yet, and I said yes, but I'm doing study abroad and need to read a lot before I go. So she asked where and I told her. Then she asked where I go to school and I told her the details and the degree I'm getting, etc. Well, wouldn't you know it, but her husband taught theatre in a NYC public high school for 37 years. We chatted for a while and I learned some interesting facts and insights. Not only does this guy know EVERYONE who can potentially get me a job, he also works as a trainer of other teachers and is good friends with the head theatre person at the DOE. Whoah! So she tells me I really should talk to her husband and that she's sure he wouldn't mind helping me out. She goes and gets a business card and writes his cell phone number on it and there ya go! So now I'm formulating a list of questions to ask this guy and working on a plan to razzle-dazzle my way into a kick-ass teaching job. Done and done. And who said temping was a waste of time?!