Let Be

Sometimes, all you can do it let things be as they are, and hope for the best.

Yonkers, New York, United States.

Aqua-Bro

Mom and I went for a walk by the Bronx River recently. She wanted to see some of the local places I like to photograph, before I go, so I showed her a couple of places that are easy for her to get to without having to drive.

While we were there, we met some geese, who were enjoying the nature walk with their little one. Some were skittish, but the majority seemed used to humans, and we’re quite friendly. This guy was really friendly.

He came right up to us, while my mom took a few pictures of the river. His head came up to my hip, when he stood up straight. He also didn’t mind being petted, though he seemed a little disappointed that I didn’t have any food on me. We spent a few minutes standing together, in a row and gazing at the river, before he walked calmly into the water for a swim.

Without Looking Back

Today is my last day. I can’t believe it.

Red

This weekend’s been rather nice. I’ve caught up on my sleep, enjoyed a couple of good meals, and spent a day exploring the city.

While Saturday’s weather was a bit cold and damp, Sunday was absolutely beautiful.  According to the forecasts, the temperatures were supposed to top out at around 43° F, but Sunday afternoon actually made to 50°.

I saw a few friends to celebrate another birthday, then went to a local restaurant for some sushi. At first, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to eat. It’s been a while since I last had sushi, so I thought I might go with my favorites: yellowtail and salmon.

On the way back, we cut through Briant Park. It was filled with tons of flowers. It was awesome!

The Ole’ College Try

So, today I put in an application for a job overseas…

After a lot of thinking, and a lot of stress, I finished my introductory essay, updated and polished my resume, and sent in the application. I hope to get a call back soon.

From what I’ve read, if they like what they’ve read, I will get a phone call. Then, a Skype interview. Then, a real interview. Then, maybe a second interview  (day after the first) and a job offer.

After that, I get my things together and start working on my visa, which takes between 2 and 6 months. Once my affairs are in order, I catch a plane and spend (at minimum) the next year in another country.

Magnolia or Dogwood? Don’t matter to me.

Spring has arrived in White Plains, New York. It’s a welcome arrival.

Yesterday, I  met up with some friends to celebrate a birthday. On the way home, I came across this tree, by the trans-center. Because it was a Sunday and also a holiday, I was able to wander about with my phone as I saw fit. No one was out in most places.

Soon enough, the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom. The buds have already appeared on the trees, but they haven’t opened just yet.

Next weekend, I plan to go again to White Plains. Hopefully then I can get some good shots.

A Little Bit like Glitter

I’ve been working on an essay about myself, for a job application. It’s been slow going, but I’m trying to get it done as soon as I can. As I’ve said in my last post, it feels like my job status may be changing in the next few months, so I should probably work on sorting things out.

In my introductory essay, I need to explain my work experience, why I would be a good fit for the position, and why I even want it to begin with. The latter is the most difficult to answer.

The position would take me far from home, as well as necessitate a major lifestyle change. I would be contracted for an entire year, though with great benefits and a lot of assistance. It’s exciting, but still a little daunting.

A lot of my answers are not ones you can usually give at an interview. My reasons might not seem like “good reasons” to up and move across the globe, especially if I were to go deeply into them, so I’ve been doing a lot of sole searching. I keep asking myself, “will this really change anything?”

Choppy Seas

So much is constantly changing. It’s making me pretty dizzy, to be honest. One moment I think my world is one way, but the next it’s the complete opposite.

Work, for example, has been all over the place. For the past few months, I’ve been assigned to one type of assignment, but no I find out that I’m not needed for that anymore. They’ve been automating a lot of procedures over the past few weeks, so while I wasn’t obsolete before, I’m getting closer and closer to being so.

So, one of my managers has been trying to teach me aspects of his job, so that he has less work, and I still have a reason to be part of this department. Unfortunately, I have never been given admin access to most of the databases I would need to use for these assignments,  and the higher ups are reluctant to give me said access.

I fear my time here might be drawing to an end…

Orange Sunset

Orange is an awesome color. Anyone who tells you otherwise is an idiot. Just putting that out there…

Harlem

I went back down to the city last weekend to meet some friends. Instead of taking the subway, which takes just over an hour, I splurged and took Metro North. Since I live close enough to the Bronx, I can buy a special City Ticket, and save almost half the cost of a regular ticket. These tickets are only available on the weekends, to people departing from stations that are located in one of New York’s five boroughs.

I rode from the very edge of the Bronx to Grand Central, with the trip taking about a half an hour. The train travels through the Bronx, Harlem, and part of Midtown Manhattan.

There is a bridge just before you reach Harlem 125th Street Station. I always loved looking out the window whenever we go across it.

To be honest, I don’t know all that much about Harlem, and have only been a handful of times. I know a lot of good music originated there, my favorite being jazz. Other than that, I am quite ignorant.