can you believe this crap?! from the papers of diana freeburg

worlds most fascinating college graduate

Friday, March 31, 2006

Dear Diary,
I can't believe how fast the week has gone. I also can't believe the turn for the fabulous my wardrobe has taken recently. I think if I lived here I would develop a very serious shoe habit. You can't blame people for spending a lot here, it's all over the place!!! Walking to the subway- beautiful shoes in store windows. Walking to dinner- beautiful shoes. Walking to the Dutch consulate (don't ask)- shoes. Everywhere! You can't escape it. Have you ever played in the ocean all day, and then when you try and go to sleep that night you can see the waves crashing in your head? Or gone snowboarding and then when you try and sleep you see snow? Because when I try to sleep here, I see wedges. I see sandals and boots. It absolutely ridiculous. It's time to go back to the west coast.
Love,
Diana

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Dear Diary,
After another rousing day at Columbia learning about sustainable develpment, the sister and I went to the Apollo Theatre in Harlem for amateur night. Every Wednesday is amateur night, basically tonight it was like 5 male vocalists singing lame love songs. But then, there were these two huge dance groups that were amazing. There was one group of 5 year old girls that were way ahead of their years as far as shaking it goes, and then there was another group of highschool boys in blazers with the sleeves cut off- they were way cute. The idea is that if you don't like someone's performance you get to boo at them. I wasn't particularly comfortable with that. You're supposed to boo at people, it's totally allowed, but it just seems mean. The MC made fun of everyone after they performed. That was the most entertaining part.
Birthday shoutout to my homie/brother from the same mother! Alex!! 23!
Love,
Diana

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Dear Diary,
What did I do today in New York.... I went to the Brazilian Consulate to get my travel visa. For the second time. I tried to go yesterday but the hours they posted online were different than the hours they keep in reality. So I missed it by about 2 minutes. But today I was successful. They NY consulate is pretty much exactly like your average DMV except really fancy and filled with Brazilians. I tried to drink my stashed jamba juice when I was waiting for my number to come up, but the Brazilian guarding the door yelled at me, and pointed at the "no cell phones no drinking no eating" sign. So I put it back in my purse, but then he saw me and was like, NO! and pointed at the garbage. In my head I was like, "no way homie! I just paid a whole 5 USA dollars for this!" But I thought it best not to argue and threw it away.
I am thinking about writing a book, or at least a pamphlet, called, "How to go to New York and not look like you're from Jersey." I am already thinking of helpful hints to put in it. 1. If you are in a fancy place, look around for someone else who has a drink before you pull your smoothie out of your purse. 2. If you are getting buzzed in to someones office, apt, ect, and you can't figure out how to open the door, push it really hard. 3. Only exit from the back door of the bus. Apparently that's required. 4. Watch how the person in front of you puts their metrocard in the bus reader. Then follow suit.
I would say a few more hints but I can't expose all of my faux pas at once. I've got a reputation to maintain.
I walked by the Seinfeld restaurant today, and also by the Trump Tower. Both without expecting to. And my sister took me to this conference at Columbia today. "State of the Planet '06; is sustainable development feasible?" Saw some heavy hitters such as Jeffery Sachs and Peter Singer. Tomorrow is round two. I feel bad, there are kids at my school that would cut off their right arm to go to this stuff, and I fell asleep for part of it. I'm not perfect, okay? You're just going to have to be okay with that.
Love,
Diana

Monday, March 27, 2006

Dear Diary,
I forgot that there are a ton of meanies in New York. A ton! Today this woman was the rudest I think anyone's ever been to me. It's a stupid story and I explain the whole thing, but it involved me not being able to figure out how this door unlocked, and this lady opening it, telling me to "try it again!", and slamming it in my face. Luckily I had my game face on so I was relatively unfazed. I wonder how many hardened assholes this town produces per day.
In other news, H&M is getting less and less glorious each time I go to one. I hate thinking that way but it's true.
Love,
Diana

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Dear Diary,
I haven't posted in a while but I don't have any good excuses. I am in New York. Upper east side. Yesterday when I was leaving Seattle, I had the bright idea of giving up my seat on my direct 8:30 am flight, in order to get a free roundtrip ticket to anywhere that Alaska flies. This meant I didn't leave until 11:30 and that I had to go through Texas. Fast forward to 2:00 am. Diana is in Newark New Jersey. I have missed the last train to Manhattan by about 5 minutes. Which means, 65 dollar cab ride!!! YES! I have missed this train because I was trying to get my luggage. My luggage that beat me to my destination by about 8 hours, and was locked behind clear glass doors in the Alaska airlines baggage office. I could see my suitcase sitting there. No one would unlock it for me and the other generous souls that gave up their seats on the early flight. But the good news is, I made a new friend in my day of getting delayed in airports. Lauren from Vassar. She's a basketball player and a biochem/economics major. It's funny how the two springbreaking college students offered to give up their seats for a free ticket in a heartbeat. We had a terrific bonding moment. There was this mother and 3 year old daughter sitting by us on the floor, and as the mom was crouching down, the daughter snapped her mother's beige thong really loudly and started giggling uproariously. We started laughing and the woman turned around and was like, "I think I can guess what you are laughing at." Thongs and three year olds don't really go together.
Today the sister and I went to Century 21 and I spent about half of my trip money. (a substantial sum...) Whoops. But the good news is I feel much better about my wardrobe now, and that's what it's all about, right? right. I would just hate to get home, and feel like I wasted so many valuable shopping opportunities.
Love,
Diana