Finding My Way To Love

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Am I Too Old For New York

Watching countless episodes of Sex and the City really prepared me for the busy hustle and bustle of The Big Apple. Carrie Bradshaw was right; people living in New York are in a hurry looking for three things.  They’re either looking for a job, an apartment, or if they’re a handrail sexual woman that just hit 30 with a ticking biological clock, then they’re looking for love. As for me, I have one out of three. I just landed a job at this really fancy hotel in Chelsea. I can't reveal the name because of its image, but I will say that I have never in ALL!!! my life came into contact with so many American Express black cards ...(Lord, Jesus keep me near the cross). My great friend Monica has so graciously loaned her very comfortable couch and closet space to me until I figure out the apartment system in this crazy city. So I guess technically I have two out of the three and that’s not that bad( it’s so crazy it seems as though every time I write a blog I’m either crashing on a friends couch or moving in an extra bed room, oh the story of a starving artist , lol). Anyway, I’ve started dating (more like talking) to a very fine young gentleman that I've known for a while. I don't want to say too much but I will say that I have a hot date scheduled with him the week of my birthday "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME". I really like him and he's crushing on me to, but we’re taking it slow. If all goes well with my new love, I just might have three out of three soon (dear God let’s hope so).


Living in New York is definitely different from living in the South. For one I am always mistaken for being anything but African American. I’ve been Dominican, West Indian  and  “Other” meaning anything but Black. Clearly it’s my 18 inch weave that throws the people of the city off (lol). At first it was frustrating to me but I've learn how to make it work in my favor....I'm whoever you want me to be when the drinks are on you, expect when it's time to go home... I am NOT that girl, I'm a southern lady (lol). In New York that’s not saying much at all considering manners is a lost form of art. The food here is just okay, they don’t season their food. Presentation is more important than flavor from what I can gather… well unless it’s a hot dog off the truck. People walk really walk fast here and its just best to get out of their way. I feel sorry for the tourist in Time Square because the natives aggressively push them out the way. I’ve learned very quickly to not even waste my time greeting people because they just give you this pissed off look like “why are you speaking to me” and I'm looking like "well never mind". It's safe to say I've had to do a lot of adjusting but for the most part I'm feeling like the move to New York was a good one. I finally feel like I am stabilizing myself.

I've been on a few auditions which have been a great learning experience for me. It's taught me that my head shots from 5 years ago must be burned and news ones must be made ASAP. Also the music I have recorded is a little dated so I got to get on the grind and record new music. Lastly I have got to do some major work on my monologs, making them as sharp as possible. Acting is reacting and my reacting is not giving me the reaction I need from casting agents. To say the least I've got a lot, I mean a lot of work to do. I'm not gonna lie I do question if I'm too old to start basically all over yet again. I look at people my age on facebook and twitter living the good life and I'm like damnit I hate them (lol) But then I use my hate as fuel to keep going, I’ll catch up with the high life folks sooner or later, I’m praying much sooner than later(lol). Even if I am too old to start all over yet again I'm an able body with passion and drive running through my bones. As long as I have that then I’ll keep going, well at least until I meet a man that will marry me and knock me up (lol). Then I can blame him and the kid for throwing me off course (lol).

And on that note, to my friend who is my age or older wondering if now is a good time to call it quits, I'm telling you DON’T. Colonel Sanders didn’t start frying chicken til he was 65. Now look at him… dead and rich, lol.  At least we’re not that old, which means there’s a possibility that we’ll get spend a little of our rewards while living (lol). If nothing else, just keep going until you find a man who will marry you and knock you up. Then you can stop and blame them for not seeing your dreams through (lol).

Til Next Time
Simply Lola


Sunday, July 1, 2012

Black Politics to Jewish Good Times



I’m staying with my friend Monica for a little while until I can get a place in the city. I’m sending out my resume to every temp agency and craigslist listing that I can find because in as much as I am dying to become the next big super star recording artist, in the mean time a sista has gotta eat. Anyway Monica has a friend who invited us to a Black Political Party event in Soho (which is like downtown New York). The event was mainly to promote Aids awareness and network with young black professionals. I was excited about attending the event but a little hesitate because although I’m black but my profession has nothing to do with politics ( well it does and it doesn’t, I mean there are politics in everything these days). I agreed to go because I’m still in tourist mode which means I want to go and do any and everything I can possibly do plus I still need a job ( you never know, maybe I run into someone who’s hiring up and coming super star recording artist).

We were late arriving to the networking event because of traffic. Of course I figure it wouldn’t be a big deal considering it was a Wednesday evening and  who really goes out on a Wednesday!?! Clearly I was wrong apparently Wednesday nights for New York locals is the night to go out, which means everybody is out. When I realized we were standing in very long line having to wait for people to leave because the venue was over its capacity, I quickly thought “Lola, we ain’t in Dallas anymore”. See in Dallas when a promoter says “Get there early” it’s lingo for “Please come to my party” but when a New York promoter says get there early that’s lingo for “if ya on time, ya to late”. Thankfully we didn’t have to stand in line too long because we were with a friend of Monica’s who had a friend who was being honored at the event. Anyway, the club was totally sheik, and polished, very sexy and just so New York. There were photographers and red carpet, and famous people, not super star famous but back in the day famous people. Like Salt&Peppa and Melissa Ford (which was a shock, but apparently she’s a up and coming socialite in New York, so I hear).

I attempted to move around the overwhelmingly over crowded venue. I mean it was so many people in this little bitty space it felt like Texas heat in mid day August ( Jesus keep me near the cross ). The way the men and women dressed and interacted with each other I kind a felt like I was in a new era of the Harlem Renaissance. Everywhere I turned I bumped into a corporate professional by day but a passionate poet by life or a lawyer by occupation but a strong community activist by passion. And then there was me an up and coming recording artist fitting right in. I was in awe of what I rarely saw in Dallas and very excited to be among the revival of the Harlem Renaissance. I enjoyed talking black politics but it was getting a bite boring. So we left and headed uptown to a roof top party where we in the company of the popular girls from the reality show Empire Girls (I don’t know much about them other than one of them was part of the group Cheetah Girls but is known as the ex-girlfriend of Rob Kardashian) and very cute Jewish gentlemen.

The roof top party was a lot of fun.  The Empire Girls however, very boring... it was a kind of pretentious, but that’s my opinion. There was some type of young professional Jewish networking event going which mixed in with the “Empire Girls” party and that is what made super fun. There were two really cute Jewish guys who entertained us with conversation and complimentary cosmopolitans. They talked to us about how the Jewish single girls were really trying to sale themselves to a wealthy Jewish guy. But the wealthy Jewish guys were only buy what they were selling for one night (it looks like Jewish single women are having the same struggle of black women), I guess some things are the same no matter what race you are (lol). In the midst of our Jewish good time I met Andrew. Andrew loved my Texan accent and asked if we could exchange numbers and go out for happy hour. I told him that I’m a huge fan of football but not as much as I am a huge fan of cheap drinks between the hours of 4&8pm (lol).  So you know what that means…yep I got me a date with a Jew. Jesus was Jew so I should be ok, then again let us pray.

New York for the most part is absolutely great. I am fitting in like I've been here all my life...well that’s until I open my mouth and talk, clearly I'm straight from the south. However I’m still unsure of my random move I’ve decided to stick with and work through it.

Until Next Time
Simply Lola