bada boom!

New Yorkers continue to impress me with their kindness and sincerity. Today I got my haircut at the Carsten Insistute, which is a beauty school that specializes in a French technique of cutting hair, which from what I can tell is all about cutting free-hand. Normally I’d expect stylists in New York to be bitchy and say things like “honey, why were you born?” but she was extremely chatty and interested in me. She even gave me her card and told me to e-mail her so she could put me in touch with some of her friends who work in media. A similar thing happened at the theatre the other night. The girl I sat next to recommended specific temp agencies that deal with media and publishing jobs, gave me her card, and told me to e-mail her if I needed any help. I think New Yorkers have networking in their blood. They know that helping you could lead to returning a favor, and in this town favors are currency.
Never pay retail for anything, that’s what they say.
I really really really really want to stay here. I hope to start working this week, or else I might get scared. I can’t go home now, I’m just getting started!
Had dinner in the Upper East Side tonight with a really cool actor. He plays Chip on the touring production of Putnam County Spelling Bee. Dating in this city is like being a journalist; you meet a lot of interesting people with semi-important jobs in their natural state of being. Tomorrow I’m going to see Billy Elliott with Matt; he got free tickets from a friend. Favors = currency.
“A Behanding in Spokane” was a really funny play, and that’s really all I can say about it. There was no meaning to it, it was absurdist theatre, but the writing was good (if not needlessly shocking). I love Martin Mcdonagh, but I really hope he makes more movies. In Bruges was his best work on or off the stage. Sam Rockwell was amazing as the ex high school reject with dreams of saving a damsel in distress, Christopher Walken was right on point with his lines, if not a little too much like himself, Anthony Mackie sort of stole the show in my opinion, and the girl, Zoe something wasn’t bad either.
But the best performance I’ve seen anywhere this year came from Nicolas Cage, believe it or not. Werner Herzog’s “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” is a playground for Cage’s neurosis to take flight. You really have to see this.
Listening to Mr. Wade’s radio show out of Goshen College on a Saturday night. I like this.