We are all moved into our new Williamsburg apartment but not quite settled. We're still maneuvering around various boxes trying not to bump into sharp corners or fall on our faces, but it's getting there. I have yet to paint the walls. I have a few nice colours picked out. The apartment itself is very comfortable and brand spanking new. It is also incredibly quiet. It's actually quieter than the Governor of Metcalfe, which is insane considering there is a lumber yard across the street here and a seafood-packing plant to the side…and it's freakin' Brooklyn. But we face the backyard therefore there is little to no noise. The layout of the furniture is very tight which means that I will probably have to get rid of my computer desk. It's a hassle but I saw one on Graham Ave. in the Puerto Rican district that was brand new and only fifty dollars. Closet space is nearly non-existent but luckily we have a storage locker downstairs.
Okay, so Brooklyn. I think it's really confusing and hilarious how they never bothered to zone Brooklyn properly. Industrial, commercial and residential zones are all side-by-side. It makes for finding a restaurant a bit difficult. However, we have found a few that are very good.
A few impressions so far:
1. U.S banks are complicated. It's not just a matter of going online to do your banking. They actually associate your I.P. address with your bank account which means that you can only do online banking from one single computer…for security purposes. Checks take days to clear…for security purposes. Tellers operate behing bullet-proof glass…for obvious security purposes…which brings me to my next point.
2. I'm sure this comes as no surprise, but the U.S is obsessed with security. To set up bank accounts, cell phone plans, utilities, etc. Joel and I have to be carrying around passports, birth certificates, our lease, driver's license and about a dozen other pieces of identification. If it wasn't for Joel being an American citizen, I would be complaining a whole lot more. It's tough being a Canadian in the States, so I can only imagine how it must be for other nationalities.
3. I barely know anything of U.S geography. Until yesterday, I thought Washington D.C was on the West Coast. I now understand why Americans know nothing of Canada: they can barely remember the major cities in their states! We only have three major cities in all of Canada!
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