Back in the USS...A from Malta

 

    I Love (Not Really, But I'm Really Glad to be Back

                       with My Girls) New York

 

 

I'm so not used to a paid vacation, that I had to ask Mr. S. how it works.  But yes, I did get 12 days off from the school where I teach EFL in Malta.

I'm here now with R and B in their tiny studio apartment in Manhattan that they share with an attack cat who draws blood.  It’s really good to see my girls.  I won’t go through the simple fun things we like to do or how lazy I am right now.   But here are some things you may be interested in:

1. A studio in NYC is a lot different than a studio in Europe.  In Europe, a studio apartment is a one-bedroom flat.  There is actually a separate bedroom.  Here in Manhattan, a studio apartment is a living room, bedroom, dining room combined.  No separate bedroom.  There is a tiny closet-sized room which serves as a kitchen (not to eat in, but to make food in when you’re not ordering in take-out).  There is a tiny bathroom—well, two, if you count the monstrous litter box this cat requires.  R and B share this studio apartment and I’m on the couch now.

2. There are a lot of rules I have to follow.   First, I can’t make any noise or turn on any photons (particles of light) when they’re sleeping—R gets up around 8 AM to go to work and B gets up anywhere from 6 AM to 9 AM, depending on whether or not she has to go to classes or to her internship.

Because of the jetlag, I woke up at 4:30 AM this NYC morning and was terrified of moving around. It was pitch black in the apartment and I could hear the sweet little feline growling at me. I had to turn on my PC just to have a bit of light.  I was starving, so I managed to sneak out some fruit out of the fridge.  I could see that it looked sort of normal, so I decided to eat it. But I had to go to the bathroom to see it first.  Later, R told me that the bathroom light woke her. SORRY!

Then Mr. S—who has stayed behind in Malta to take care of Egypt—called me on my new American cell phone.  This was at 9 AM American time. R up was now up, but B was not. So I ran out the studio apartment door to go into the hall to answer the phone.  But first, I had to try to unlock the door.

Have you ever tried to unlock an unfamiliar door to a NYC apartment in a panic?

Then I had to find something to lodge in the door so it wouldn’t close behind me.  I was in my not-very-attractive sleeping attire.

I finally got hold of a towel to stuff in the door. But now the door was left ajar so the cat might run out into the hallway of the 14th floor that my kids’ apartment is located on.

Then I thought: so what?

After my call with Mr. S., who informed me that Egypt the cat was fine and did not miss me, I was allowed back into the apartment.

Since B was still sleeping, R and I communicated via our respective laptops—she on her bed and me on the couch. 

3. It was fun.

 

Comments

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Mary--No, Im not coming upstate. But my brother is coming to Boston (Sunday--tomorrow) to see me.  Maybe you can hitch a ride with him---Ilene

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Dee--Glad to hear you and Mike made it back OK.  Having fun with my girls.  Actually, in Boston now seeing some friends. Tell me when youre coming back to Malta.  Just be mean to Mike until he agrees xxxx Ilene

[Dee Owen]

Glad you made it safely to NYC and inspite of the cramped living quaters, enjoying your daughters (and maybe the kitty a bit)! We're back two days and trying to get into the swing of things! May take a while!

[Mary Bartolotta]

Are you coming upstate? I'd love to see you. Enjoy the girls!

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Lynne--Writing to you now!---Ilene

[Mr.S]

Hi Ilene ,
no , wasn't I trying to say the opposite ? By the way , I heard that they dug up boomerangs in a deep excavation near Stella Maris Church. Maybe they dug too deep this time? Now I'm waiting for kangaroos to come jumping out of the hole !
Come back to see for yourself.

MrS

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Mr. S--thanks for your informative comment, as always. Do you want me to stay in NYC--is that what you're saying?--Ilene-

[Mr.S]

Hi Ilene ,
what about the Sliema skyline?
All those beautiful new high rise developments and the pretty cranes reaching up to the sky.Building in New York has slowed down so Sliema wins on that one -))
And ,more down to earth,they even started repairing the pavement on Manwel Dimech with nice, fresh concrete .
How about that !
Enjoy your visit and the sweet cat.

[Lynne]

Ilene - glad you made it here safely!
Call me about getting together?

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Dwardu--for me, its Sliema all the way.  I did notice that NYC had one moment of beauty--the skyline at dawn.  But that's it---Ilene

[dwardu]

So… Sliema v.s. Manhattan… who wins? :)