The Real Tiffany D.

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I assumed, like most of you that follow this blog, that this indeed was a dead horse. A few months back I had made a subconscious decision to leave this behind. Not only the blog, but writing in general. I kept true to that unnoticed promise, until recently. I began noticing how I spend most of the hours on my long subway rides—it’s all spent devising different blog posts in a reflective sense. It’s been therapeutic, so I can only imagine how much more it is if I just write it all down and reread it at a later date (which I totally will—I do quite often.) 

So that bring me to what I’ve been really thinking about lately and that is how life can change quickly. Just so quickly that you don’t even realize it until months after.

At the end of this month it’ll mark 6 months since I moved to New York City (I almost wrote “the big apple” god, gag me) and while riding that Q train all the way to the Avenue J stop (because I just couldn’t deal with the 5 train) I compared my life now to how it was back in September. HOW FUCKING DIFFERENT IS IT!? DAMN. I not only hung out with a completely different group of people, but I experienced a lot more. I was more curious because at that time everything was new and all my friends were from foreign lands, so food, culture and language was all something I had to talk about.

Now, the whole “newness” factor has melted away and New York is very much something familiar to me. I’ve noticed I’m less curious, more anxious, and a lot more driven to find full-time work—-And please prospective employers who may be reading this I just have one question for you…..WHY DO YOU HAVE APPLICANTS TAKE 40 MILLION TESTS as part of the process?! WHY?! WHY! 

Anyway, just so I remember what life was like then and how it is now I figured I’d make a list of bullet points so I can easily scan through this and look back at a later juncture. 

September: 

- My main friends had to be Eduardo, Ozge and Marina. All people from foreign lands. I still keep in touch with Eduardo, but I really do miss Marina. 

-Day to Day: We ate out at great restaurants, drank wine, danced, and went to anything and everything we could find in new york. 

Now:

-My main friends now are girls I went to college with! We all became really close after I moved here and I’m absolutely over the moon about it. 

-Day to Day: We’re all underpaid or un employed, so for us going out and dining lavishly is difficult especially with high rent, so we watch movies, make fun of shit, drink a lot of coffee and walk aimlessly around the east village hoping to meet a rich man who will take us in and feed us golden apples. 

September:

I lived in Vlad’s parent’s house. In Queens. They complained I talked too loud. Nothing ever fucking worked. My room was freezing.

Now:

I live in my own studio in Brooklyn. No one complains about my volume. I think I could scream and people would be okay with it. I get all my mail. My room is blisteringly warm.

September:

I interned at a design company located in the heart of the fashion district. I did awesome things. I went to fashion shows. I met important people and talked to designers.

Now:

I work in a store. A high-end consignment store. I get an okay discount. And lots of annoying customers, but also some really cool ones. It’s located in Gramercy Park. 

September:

I wanted a full-time stable job in fashion.

Now:

I just want a full-time job that’s stable in something I can talk somewhat passionately about.

A night out.

“Would you like another drink?” 

I said sure, not really wanting one. The party was down to the four of us. No one wanting to be the first to leave. 

We talked about Brazil, our culture, the difference between Americans and South Americans, why I absolutely hate cheese in individual packets, my love of fashion, the world’s cult-like fanaticism for all things apple, and our hopes, dreams and desire for long lasting romantic relationships.

I never realized but people wanted to be in relationships. People looked for them and people just didn’t feel settled without one. 

It was about 2:30 a.m. the bar still had another two hours until closing, but we were ready to closeleave. We paid, exited and I noticed his perfect hair. You have to be a perfectionist to get hair this styled. It was beautiful. 

We walked on to the red line and parted ways. The two of us getting ready to head back to Queens and the two of them making their ways to their separate apartments in busy Manhattan. 

Racing to the subway the two of us just made it. Sitting next to us some young college freshmen clapped at our triumph and from then on asked us to rate his beauty on a scale of 1 to 10. 

I said 7. The truth being a 3.

My roommate declined to answer. 

And the beautiful guy sitting across from us said “12.” 

Very generous. 

They told us they drank jungle juice and thought we were hot Columbia students. (Go me for looking Ivy League.)

The line hit our stop. We got off and said “thanks, but no thanks” to their offer to attend a random college party.

Next train took a while. Scattered across the grimy subway floors were people in their 20s drunk as fuck trying not to vomit. I made a mental note to stand on the subway rather than sit. Easier getaway.

Getting on the train my roommate sat. I stood and listened to the strange conversation between three VERY young girls and an older man in his 30s drunk out of his mind.

“Pacha is thebest club there is. You have to go there.” 

Who really thinks that?

I made eye-contact with a guy with glasses. He kept looking. 

As I found a seat I sat. He sat next to me. 

“I’m BOY A”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Tiffany. Can you believe this guy over there?”

“Yeah really. Oh god he just saw me looking at him.”

“Just look over there hahaha.”

“I keep looking at the list of stops as though it’s going to change.”

“You never know it might. It did for me earlier when I was coming home from work!”

He laughed.  ”So do you have a facebook?”

“Of course. Who doesn’t?”

“Give me your name so I can find you. Actually how about your number?”

It took me a few minutes to figure out if I wanted to. Was he a psycho? Was he just collecting numbers? I so didn’t want to be a random triumph added to his mobile blackbook.

But I caved in.

“Sure.”

We’ll see what happens.

A Huge Change.

After two decades of wanting it and years of talking about it I’ve finally done it. I made the move. I am now a resident of New York City.

Where I live is not the Parkade. It’s not the Waldorf. And I’m completely fine with that. 

I live in a blue house with a lavish garden owned by an old Russian couple in a cute portion of Queens.  And I share the blue house with three roommates. One is from Turkey, another is a musician and the third….well she just moved in, so I don’t know her story yet, but they all have stories. They have all interests. 

I’ve been here for about two weeks (two days of which I actually had a bed, go me!) and I can already tell that It’s a whole different world from Connecticut.  Although it’s only a state away, the culture, the people, the stores, the thought process is all completely different. 

Boris (the old Russian man who lives above me) calls me his daughter, haha. I’ve had two male friends come visit me and help me put together my Ikea furniture and each one he goes

“This your boyfriend?”

“No Boris. He’s not.” 

“You sure? Or else I tell him!”

—Not sure exactly what Boris would intend on telling him, but thank god he hasn’t “told them” yet. 

——

As for the entire move in process, it was…well…flawed to say the least. Although I ordered my Ikea furniture way in advance those people kept neglecting to send it over until well about two days ago. They apparently couldn’t put it together until today supposedly, but thank god, because I was so desperate to finally sleep on a bed rather than the floor that I couldn’t take it anymore and I just fucking built the damn shit myself (with the help of my friend, Alex).

So I saved the money and felt accomplished. Fucking go me.

They didn’t even have a dresser I ordered, so I was forced to go around Queens and look around for one with the hopes that it’d be affordable. And in that little adventure I met my Turkish friends who I call “the furniture men.” They’re so nice, they give me rides, they helped me and they give me discounts. If I had known about them I’d have bought it all from them to be honest. 

—— 

So what made me finally make the move? Well, it was an opportunity I was a given that I felt as though I shouldn’t pass up. A woman called me saying she had “heard great things about me” and was wondering if I could come in for an interview for an internship. 

At first I was like an internship…unpaid work…I don’t know…but then I realized it was for Autumn Cashmere. A high-end clothing company located in the heart of the fashion district. With my desire to change careers and my love of fashion I went for it. She offered it to me on the spot and it was then that I was like OH MY GOD I GET TO LEARN ABOUT THE THING I’VE BEEN INTERESTED IN FOR YEARS. FASHION.

I get to work sample sales, magazine shows, everything. I have begun to know their spring line like the back of my hand and I love it. 

I really hope this all leads to something. 

Landing that “Big Girl” Interview

Throughout the summer I’ve been applying for different jobs trying to figure out what my next move is going to be. I’ve been getting some call-backs, but the most exciting call-back was two weeks ago…

I landed an interview at a publishing company in Hoboken, NJ! I absolutely loved the building, the company and Hoboken itself. Because the interview was at such an early time and it’s a bitch to get to NJ from CT at any time of day I made it into a mini-vacation. I stayed in Jersey City, walked around Hoboken, had some German coffee, walked into a random Mumford and Sons show, and people-watched. Unfortunately I didn’t get the job, but the fact that I even landed an interview at a publishing company that lasted three hours long gives me some hope. 

Because I’ve had a few interviews already the entire process is starting to become a little easier. I honestly had never had a “big girl” interview before or even a “big girl” job, so this has been a great learning experience for me. 

Some things I learned: 

-Print out resumes—-you probably won’t give them out because they already have it on file, but just print them out to look organized.

-Plan out more than 3 questions—make one of them “what is a typical day for (name of position you’re applying for)?”

-Research the company IN DEPTH 

-Try to anticipate their questions beforehand and actually write your answers down, so if you get too overwhelmed during the interview your mind can go to the act of you writing and you’ll remember what you wrote

-LEARN EXCEL. Yeah, you’re a journalism major, or an art major, or a fucking glass blowing major, whatever, JUST LEARN EXCEL. IF YOU DON’T YOU WILL NOT LOOK AS GOOD AS THE MILLIONS OF NEW YORKERS APPLYING FOR THE JOBS.

It's all going to be okay.

Something random.

When is your birthday?

January 12.

Favorite Disney movie?

Sleeping Beauty!

Read the hunger games?

I did read the first and second, but not the third.

Do you have siblings?

Nope. only childdd.

What is a song that you know all the words to?

All the ones by Of Montreal.

du u h4t it wen ppl tYpe lik dis? (lol txt it btchs~)

hahah, who doesn’t?

Have you been out of your country? If so, where?

I have been to Brazil, Portugal, Italy, France, and Greece. Not too many places, but I’d love to visit more. I want to see everything.

If there was anything (or anyone) you could have right now, who/what would it be?
Some clarity.

Favourite colour?
 Red.

Do you have a personal blog?
yes! this one, of course.

Do you believe in yourself?
Not anymore.

What is the best vacation you have ever been on?
The one in which I visited France, Italy and Greece. It was eye-opening. 

Best childhood memory?
Going to Park Street (Hartford, CT) with my grandparents. They would often go there in the early mornings to pick up fish, bread and sweets!

Stupidest mistake?

Expect too much.

Favorite band/artist?
Of Montreal.

Any pets? What kind?

A kitty cat named Elvis.

Favorite Hobby?

Styling outfits

Favorite TV show?

Currently the MTV’s “Awkward.” I love Jenna Hamilton’s character. 

Are you a neat person or a messy person?
Neat. 

Right handed or left?
Right

Favorite book? (please don’t say Twilight…)
Oddly enough, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist—a romance with New York, Music and mystery. 

Something most people don’t know about you?
I once had a pet chicken named Fred; after the old-man character in “I Love Lucy.”

What country do you come from?

The United States of America

Are you a loud or quiet person?

I am more prone to be quiet.

Do you dye your hair?

Highlights yes, but other than that no. I like my dark brown color.

Have you ever been in a fight? 

Not a physical one. Jeez that’d be crazy.

Are you an indoor or an outdoor person? 

It depends on the day, weather, mood and place.

What is your favourite game? (Video, computer, boardgame etc..)

Clue.

Did you grow up in the countryside or in the city? 

Suburbs. A little mix of both.

Do you shop online a lot? 

Not really. Sort of gives me anxiety I don’t know why. 

What’s your favourite food?

Bread.

If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go? 

Paris, France

What languages do you know, other than your own? 

Anyone remember this gem……?

I woke up this morning and turned on the television and there it was playing from the very beginning! Growing up I used to watch this movie a lot. I loved the music and the fashion (I know really….don’t ask), and I loved the little lady, Serena. 

But what the fuck is up with her all-time crush Brad?! I never noticed when I was younger (obviously because I was young), but he was downright creepy. Remember when he takes her to the abandoned warehouse thing? Um…WTF was going on there? For a moment I was like “OMG HE’S GOING TO RAPE YOU! GET OUT!!!” But I chilled out because I clearly don’t remember that part happening. Apparently he did all that just to kiss her. YEAH RIGHT.

Another part I thoroughly enjoyed (and also gave my mother frequent looked as she was watching with me) was the part when her best pal starts doing a hardcore rap dance with her crush. It was almost tribal-esque. Three guys just standing around in the middle of the street dancing? HAH. I’d love to see that in person.

Gotta love the 80’s.