A Day in the Life: Odds and Ends

Two places that we visit constantly here in NY are the library (Brian and I are both avid readers) and the post office (we are always in need of stamps and often pick up packages from and send stuff to our family). So these were two of the first places that we rooted out once we settled into our apartment.

The Queens library has 44 different branches and we live equal distance between two of them. Since the Sunnyside Branch is close to the post office and our grocery store, we go to it the most. 

This is one of the places that made our neighborhood feel like home in the early days. We both love libraries, and this one felt just like any other. It was a relief to find a normal library after trying out the main branch of the NYC Public Library on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.

The library is one of the things that I love most about New York. You can find any book here and if our branch doesn't physically have it you can request it from another branch. There have only been one or two books that I haven't been able to find over the last four years. It's fabulous, and I think this is one of the things that I'll miss the most whenever we move.

One of the ways in which the Queens library is distinctly different from the local libraries in Idaho, is that it has a whole section with books in different languages -- Korean, Japanese, Arabic, Portuguese, etc. It's so cool. There are a lot of tables and chairs inside the library, usually occupied by people reading. It's fun to glance at what these people are reading, and realize that half or more of them are reading books and newspapers in a language other than English.

Besides books, we use the library's computers here to print stuff. We do this less so now, since we have brought our printer back from Idaho. You have to sign up on a computer and then wait your turn before being assigned another computer to use. There are a lot of elderly men that are regulars at the library. Whenever this one particular guy is there at the same time I am he offers me a piece of hard candy -- peppermint or butterscotch -- with the explanation that he only gives the candy out to the ladies, never the guys.

The librarians here are a bit grumpy, though. Not all of them, just two or three of the ladies who usually work at the customer service or computer desk. They always seem impatient, like you are bothering them when you ask them for help finding something, assistance with the computers, or to refill the printers with paper. I think it's just because they are really busy all the time helping all sorts of people, some of which have heavy accents and are hard to understand, and maybe they get tired of answering the same questions all day long. But their job is customer service, so you think they would try to be a little nicer. Oh, well.

Around the corner and down the block from the grocery store is the post office. It looks pretty much like any other post office, except for the bars on the windows.

Oh, and the postal workers are separated from you by thick glass windows. I've never lived in a big city before, so maybe this is normal. But in Chester, Rexburg, or even Idaho Falls, the postal workers just sit behind a normal counter without the glass separation. The first time I went here, it felt a bit like I was visiting someone in prison -- being separated by the thick glass and having to talk through the little speaker. Even the post offices are intense in NYC. When a booth becomes open, the worker flips a switch and the little white triangular box with the USPS logo on it sitting above their station lights up and a bell goes off. You have to pay attention, because if you don't jump right over to the available window when the bell goes off, the people behind you in line get really annoyed. There is always a long line at the post office, no matter what time of day I go. They have a self service kiosk, which I love to use when I can because it cuts down on the wait time.  Even though it is constantly busy, the postal workers here are really nice and always seem to be smiling.

Down the block a bit and across the street is the barber shop where Brian used to get his hair cut when we first moved here. It has since changed hands, and Brian has since converted to letting me cut his hair, but when he went there, it was owned by a Russian family. I'm not sure why he chose this particular place to go, but haircuts stress him out, so I just let him do his thing. I died laughing when he told me about one of his experiences there...I think it was this visit that made him decide to just let me cut it.

He went in and got settled down in the chair and the lady asked him how he wanted his hair cut. After explaining what he wanted, she proceeded to shaker her head and say no, that's no good. Then she just started cutting his hair how she wanted to. In front of him was a flat mirrored wall, with a TV set inside a clear portion of the mirror. A guy wearing a track suit, a wife-beater and heavy gold chain necklaces, comes out and asks Brian if he wants to watch something while he's getting his hair cut. Brian says sure. Then the guy asks Brian if he "likes to watch the sexy ladies." Brian was so taken aback by the question that he didn't answer as the guy walks in the back again. He starts to get worried when static appears on the TV, wondering what in the world is going to pop up on the screen. Luckily, it was only an Enrique Iglesias music video. Hahaha! After the lady finished cutting his hair (it looked fine, but was just a bit longer than he had wanted it) Brian was so ready to get out of there. He took out his card to pay, but the lady shook her head saying that they only except cash, because their card reader wasn't working. Well Brian had been there a couple of times before and each of those times the card reader "wasn't working," so we figure that something fishy was going on. Anyways, he was so ready to go, that he just paid in cash and left.

I've tried out a couple different salons when I've needed a haircut. The first place did an amazing job, but it was $45 for just a wash and a cut. I really loved my hair then, but I can't justify spending $45+ for a haircut, no matter how good it is. The second place I tried was $15 dollars for a wash and cut, but I wasn't happy with the finished result. I haven't really been able to find anywhere in between; maybe I'm just not looking in the right places. I've just timed my last couple of haircuts for when I've been in Idaho -- it's not as expensive and I like the results. I'm still looking for a good place here, because I won't be in Idaho again for about a year and my hair is at the point right now where it is driving me crazy and is in need of a good trim. So we'll see what happens. We're going to Arizona for Christmas this year, so maybe I'll get it cut there. It's crazy that I have to fly across the country to get an affordable haircut. 

We never dreamed that we would need to find doctors or a dentist when we first moved here. As soon as we made the decision to stay, this is one of the things that started weighing on my mind. At first, I was very overwhelmed with the task of finding a new doctor. I had no idea where to even start looking, if there were places we needed to avoid (were doctors in Queens safe or should we stick to Manhattan), or how to know if they were good without going and trying them out. I turned to the only source that I knew of and felt comfortable trusting...the women in my ward. This is another reason our ward is so amazing...and the LDS Church in general, it provided us with an instant support system while we were still trying to get our city legs underneath us. We were not the first wide-eyed, shell-shocked westerners to move into the ward (nor have we been the last). Our ward's Relief Society keeps a running list of family doctors, OBGYNs, pediatricians, and dentists that members visit, like, and trust to recommend to newcomers. What a blessing this was. 

We were able to find a great family doctor, who's office was just five blocks from our apartment (they have since moved to a different office a bit farther away, but they are still in Queens). This has been so nice...it's not really fun having to walk to the doctor when you have the cold or flu and feel crummy, so having one so close was nice. Now he's a bit farther away so we have to take the subway over. It's a small family practice and his wife acts as nurse/receptionist. They are very nice, and although we've only been going there for a few years, they made us feel right at home from our first visit -- it was like we had been coming to them forever. He is a great doctor and we highly recommend him to anyone who asks.

Above is a picture of their previous office. Most of the medical, and dental offices in Queens are tucked in among the buildings just like any other storefront. The interior looks just like any other doctor's office that you might find out west, albeit a bit smaller and therefore more cluttered.

Source

I've gone to two different OBGYNs since being here. I didn't really like the first lady very much, so I switched to a different one. His offices are in Manhattan, (not too far from Brian's office) so I ride the subway in to my appointments. From the outside, the building looks like any other skyscraper, and you wouldn't know there was a doctor's office there unless you went inside and looked at the directory posted in the lobby or asked the doorman. My doctor's offices are located on the 11th floor, so I take the elevator and it opens right up into the waiting room. Their practice takes up the whole floor. Again, they look like any other doctor's office, just a bit smaller. The practice is comprised of five doctors, all of which I like. Finding a great OBGYN has been another blessing. 

As for our dentist, his office is only two blocks from our apartment. The recommendation for him from our ward was pretty much unanimous, so we knew he must be good...and he is. His offices are located above the really expensive salon that I loved but only went to once because it's a bit out of my budget.

You have to buzz his office at the street entrance and then they'll let you in. Other than that, it looks and works just like any other dentist office. 

Although, most aspects of life in NYC seem to be more complicated and expensive than life out west, it's not all like that. We've been very blessed to be able to find good healthcare and other service so easily. It could have been a lot more complicated.