From Harlem Harlot to Brooklyn Babe

Today marks the 2 week date. I have been “living” in this city for exactly 14 days as of 15 minutes ago!

Honestly, it feels like longer!

So, in my search for a job I was fortunate enough to get to explore LOTS of Manhattan. Many of you might not know this but Harlem, my previous residence, is actually a part of the borough of Manhattan and not the Bronx as many uneducated people believe. Harlem is the little strip that seperate the Bronx and Manhattan and it’s a very colourful place. It’s rife with African American culture and I honestly never thought I’d enjoy hanging around churches, but the gospel singers down here are just amazing. I see where Bono got his inspiration for Angel of Harlem!

However my Favourite place in Manhattan is SoHo. SoHo stands for South of Houston Street, there is a NoHo too. But SoHo and the whole Lower East Side of Manhattan is a place for artists and bohemians (This pretty much includes East Village, SoHo, NoHo and Greenwich Village, at the moment I am still getting my bearings as to where the boundaries are actually drawn between these areas!) I’ve already signed up to do some spoken word and reading at some Poetry cafe’s and being the HUGE Karaoke enthusiast that I am, I’ve decided to start frequenting a pirate themed bar called Wicked Willy’s which does Karaoke on Thursday’s! I rocked the house last Thursday with my rendition of Sweet Child O’ Mine. It was one of only a few rock tunes scattered inbetween the pop and R&B, but the crowd still got up and danced and that is what it’s all about right?!

Another cool thing I found in SoHo was Jay and his Antiques. Jay sells Antiques at night when the weather is fine on tressle tables on the side of the road. You can find him outside Billy’s Antiques and Props on the corner of Elizabeth St and East Houston St. A great way to spend a crisp Autumn evening is to head down and check out the Antiques here and then walk up to Bleecker St where you can watch all sorts of live music from Funk and Jazz to Rock and Roll. Most of the venues here stay open till 4am most nights and have 3 to 4 bands playing. Bleecker St is also the home of the above mentioned Wicked Willy’s! As well as a great pub called Red Lion these guys always have 3 bands a night and the atmosphere is fantastic!

So, you’re probably wondering why I titled this post “From Harlem Harlot to Brooklyn Babe” the answer is pretty simple, haha, I have moved to Brooklyn. I am sleeping on the floor of a friends apartment. Not the most glamourous thing to do, but it’s FREE and in a city as expensive as New York that is a blessing! On the surface Harlem and Brooklyn seem simillar, but I am really looking forward to investigating and finding their differences. I have made up my mind to start helping at the Green Thumb community garden across the street from my new lodgings so expect to hear reports about how community gardening works in a city as big as this!

Besides moving to a new borough, I also am now a gainfully employed woman! One thing I learned about New York is that it’s all about interaction with managers. After speaking to a few people here I discovered when looking for work it is much better to bring your resume in to a manager or assistant manager and actually have a conversation with them. A lot of places have application forms and don’t take resumes, but it is the same deal. Fill it out, bring it back in, and talk. I managed to score a job at the flagship Billabong Store in Times Square. I was actually hired at the interview! I can’t promise everyone will have that kind of luck, but the key is to be friendly and bright. People make a lot of judgement based on personality here in NYC, so smile and don’t be afraid to converse with the person who may be hiring you. A little confidence goes a long way in a place as competitive as this!

I have had a brief foray in Central Park, but I didn’t take my Camera. This weekend I am planning to head out there and spend at least one whole day exploring it! There will be pictures galore! I promise you that!

Due to battery life on my laptop there are no pictures uploaded with this particular post, but there will be another one up in the next couple of days which will showcase the sights of Manhattan and also suggest some great places to visit and eat!

Right now it’s time for another cup of coffee!

My, what a big apple!

Well, I could bore you all with the details of my lengthy flight from Perth to NYC. But let’s face it, we all know what flying is like. Boring. And no one cares what the inflight movie’s were.

So, let’s get on to the GOOD stuff.

I arrived in Harlem 2 days ago. I’m staying in a FANTASTIC hostel called L hostels This place is quality. I have stayed in hostel’s in Europe before, but I have never stayed anywhere that is as good as this. The building was originally built as condo apartments, but they had trouble selling them, so some Entrepreneurs came in and with a little conversion here and there they turned this place into one of the best hostels in NYC. They have only been open a year but I can promise you that you will not find better value for money in this big bad city.

Here’s a sneak peak at my room;

As soon as I opened the door I could tell this place was top knotch. Clean wood floors and lots of space and light!

A very comfy bottom bunk

Unfortunately these stylish kitchen facilities are not able to be used at the moment, but the hostel may have plans to change this in the future. In the mean time it makes you feel like you’re staying in a pretty swish apartment!

The bathroom has a huge shower head and a nice deep bath, by far the best hostel bathroom I have ever used! It’s also an ensuite to the room!

And the æsthetics are nothing to complain about!

I can’t stress enough how great L Hostels is! Honestly, the staff are great, very friendly and helpful and all for having a drink up on the rooftop, the place is clean and the food they have here is tasty and cheap. They also run a bunch of cool tours which allow you to see the city! Including a Night Club Tour and a Pub Crawl! This Friday night they’re holding a Movie Night! The atmosphere here is great and in just 2 days I have already made a bunch of new friends, including a couple of guys from Perth! What a small world it is!

Harlem is a fantastic area of New York and I will defintiley be exploring it more in the next few days. The place has heaps of character and it’s really enjoyable to walk around. For those of you thinking “Oh, no, Harlem’s a bad area!” You’re dead wrong. I’ve been walking around at night here and felt perfectly safe. I’ve spoken to people who’ve lived here 4 years and never even seen one mugging. So the idea that Harlem is this crime ridden place comes from watching too many Die Hard films. (Well Yippi Ki Ay Mother Fuckers.)

So far, besides being awed by the value for money here at my Hostel, I’ve done a little exploring. My first day in I checked out the Lincoln Center and the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This area is gorgeous, it’s mainly residential but the buildings are just spectacular to look at and it’s rife with cute little stores and cafes and bars as well as heaps of friendly locals and their dogs! (With Central Park so close, who’d ever complain about taking Scruffy for a walk?)

I hit the town with my room mate and we walked our way from Lincoln Square to a great little place to eat called Big Nicks Pizza Joint and Burger Joint Too. Great name in my humble opinion! The pizza here was fantastic! As it would be when Nick himself has won Pizza Maker of the year! Big Nick’s is super reasonably priced, the staff are all a lot of fun and love to have a joke with the customers, and like most meals here in the USA the portions are HUGE. Just check out this pizza we ordered!!

Yum! <3

Today was a perfect day for taking a ride on the ferry across to Liberty Island and seeing Lady Liberty in all her copper plated glory! It's only $12 to get the ferry and go inside the monument itself and it is $12 well spent as the views of the city skyline as you sail across are breathtaking and the museum and interior of the Statue itself is also really awe inspiring. You learn a lot about the history of how she came to stand in NYC, her design and her construction and you also get the chance to walk around the base of the statue and literally look up her skirt! (Hahah ok, not literally, but you sure get a feel for how big she is!)

The views of Lower Manhattan are nothing to sniff at!

And the approach to Liberty Island is breathtaking!

Striking the obligatory Eli pose!

And here’s the view from the base!

The Ferry trip is a lot of fun and I suggest you head up to the top deck!

If you want to go into the Liberty Crown and look out at the views of New York from up there you need to put yourself on a waiting list. It is currently booked until February 2010, but seeing as I plan to be here for a while I intend to book myself in on the waiting list, because I think it’ll be well worth it.

Some tips for the NYC explorer
+ Make sure to buy a Metrocard.
A Metrocard lets you travel on all the Subway lines in NYC. You can buy a single use, a 7 day or 30 day Metrocard and they are all reasonably priced. There are also cards which let you use the buses, but generally speaking you can get everywhere using your feet and the subway so my advice would be to save your money and just buy a subway Metrocard. Walking through NYC is a fantastic thing to do, you get to see all these icons that you see on the movies and TV right up close and the feeling is surreal. As if you’ve just stepped out of a film yourself! (Or at least that is how I felt!)
+ Pick up the brochures and pamphlets from your Hostel/Hotel
You will find heaps of great deals and great suggestions. For example next week I am participating in a NYC scavenger hunt. I never would have known about something like that if I didn’t stop to peruse the brochures at the Hostel’s front desk! (Expect a lengthy post all about my scavenger hunt adventure! xD)
+ Talk to New Yorkers
I can not stress this enough! Talking to the locals is how you’ll find out about all those secret places that Tourist’s just won’t find! For instance there is a FANTASTIC outlet for shopping down near Ground Zero. I’m planning on checking it out shortly as it is apparently full of bargains! New Yorkers are so proud of their city and they love to tell Tourists just how great it is! Ask a New Yorker for an opinion on where to go or what to see and watch them gush to you about all their favourite spots!

Step two. Getting it all done.

So, as with everything in my life, I take a while to finish things. A self proclaimed procrastination Queen, once I get started on something I don’t really rush it. In fact, people have often told me I’d do a hell of a lot better in life if I tried to rush once in a while… or at least pretended to take notice of the time constraints. As it is, I’ve been working on this blog post for almost 3 weeks! And by working on it, I mean I’ve been meaning to get around to writing it! 

A few lessons to share with you all about visa applications.

 Visa applications are no laughing matter. They’re really serious business. If you don’t want to be beset by delay after delay when it comes to the processing of your visa then I suggest you make sure to double, triple, quadruple check every single page of your visa application.

I myself went into my visa application in the typical lackadaisical style with which I go about everything I do. This resulted in numerous requests from my sponsorship organization for resubmission of various documents, followed by lengthy delays as my resubmitted documents had to go back through the chain of command again.

A couple of things I learned which I’d love to share

a.)     Always check every page for a place for your signature. People processing your visa really want your autograph.

b.)     Keep all the dates the same. Don’t date some pages the 24^th of June and some the 14^th of June. Just pick one day and stick with it. Even if you ending up filling out half the forms one day and the other half the next, just stick with the original date!

c.)     Check list cover pages are important too. Even if you don’t think they are!

 Other than those gems above, there is the obvious stuff. Don’t lie on your visa application form. Don’t try and be witty when you answer the questions. They want professional, crisp answers. 

Once I’d crossed all my t’s and dotted all my i’s I scanned my visa documents and emailed them through to my case manager, and then I mailed the physical copies through to their head office. It only took about 2 weeks for them to get back to me with the next set of instructions, which involved an interview with the US consulate.

If procedures at the Perth US Consulate are anything to go by, it’s best to rock up to your interview prepared and with minimal baggage. Also, rubber footwear will help you get through the security checks quicker. (I went through in a pair of knee high stiletto boots and getting them on and off was not just a hassle, it was a little embarrassing. If you’re like me and never willing to sacrifice fashion for convenience, be sure to wear matching socks!)

 The interview itself, once underway, was quite painless. You are free to bring documents to support your case for a visa, such as bank statements and the like, but in my instance it wasn’t at all necessary. (Which was good, because I hadn’t brought anything!) I was not asked any questions relating to finances at all, nor was I asked specifics about where I would be residing. I was asked what I intended to do over there, why I wanted to visit the USA and what I studied at university and which university I studied through. The interview itself took about 5 minutes. Getting to the window where the interview was held took me a grand total of 45 minutes. Most of that time spent waiting. I think it is really only necessary for you to bring proof to support your case for a visa if you’re applying for something more long term, like a green card or a spouse visa. This 12 month student work travel visa is obviously open to students, and I think they expect you to just come along with yourself and the relevant documentation for the visa application itself.

Taking the relevant documentation is ESSENTIAL. The first time I went to my interview I had the wrong size photographs and they sent me away to get more taken.

Here’s a list of the stuff you should be taking along;

Your Passport

That one is a bit of a no-brainer.

Your DS-2019 

This is a piece of paper from your sponsorship organization which states you’re eligible for the J-1 Visa. It will come in the mail shortly after your sponsorship organization receive the hard copies of your application forms. ICEO sent me an electronic copy as well.

An appropriate photo

Obviously I have some experience in exactly what is required for an appropriate photo, seeing as I had to get mine redone! First of all your photo should be 51mm by 51mm or 2 inch by 2 inch. Next it’s important to make sure that your ears, eyes, forehead and chin are all visible. Sure this doesn’t always make for the most flattering shot (certainly not in my case!) but it’s essential for identification purposes so just grin and bear it. Lastly, don’t smile. No matter how pretty your pearly whites are, government officials and airport security just don’t want to see them! You can choose to take the hard copy of your photo in with you to the interview (my preferred option) or you can scan and upload a copy when you are filling out the DS-160 application form online. I had trouble trying to upload my scanned copy after getting my second set of photo’s taken, so I just took them in. There are a lot of requirements about the quality of the image scan and the file type, so unless you have access to a great scanner, or you get digital copies as well as physical copies from your photographer I recommend just taking your photo’s in!

DS-160 Confirmation Page

When you book your interview at the consulate, one of the steps will be to complete an online application form for your DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa application. This is done electronically now, and is a pretty straightforward process. The one snag I hit on the way was a question which said “You will be studying while in the USA, do you have anyone who can vouch for you?” (Paraphrased by me, the actual question is much wordier and official sounding.) This question does not mean you are going to be undertaking studies inside the USA. It is actually just asking you if you are still considered a student or recent graduate in your home country. All you have to do is name 2 people who can attest to these facts. I used a class mate and close friend. Once you’ve completed the DS-160 electronic application it will give you the option to print the confirmation page. Print this page and take it with you to the interview. If the computer your using doesn’t have a printer, no worries, just choose the option to have the confirmation page emailed to an address of your choosing and then access it from a computer that you can print from!

Australia Post Receipt 

Everyone who applies for a US Nonimmigrant Visa has to go to an Australia Post outlet and pay the Nonimmigrant Visa fee. It’s about $170 or so. (Changes with the exchange rate.) When you pay they’ll give you a receipt. Don’t lose it, you’ll have to pay the fee again. Keep it somewhere safe and take it with you on the day with your other forms.

Cash, Bank Cheque or Money Order to the total value of $136.50 for your insurance fee

This insurance fee is payable if your visa is approved. Take it along to make the process smoother and quicker.

Self Addressed Express Post Platinum Envelope

Your passport will be taken from you after the interview so your visa can be stamped into it. This envelope will get it back to you safe and sound within 2 working days of being posted!

They’ll also take your fingerprints at the interview.  No surprises there, the USA does not let people convicted of crimes into their territories and as such, they want your fingerprints so they can check out what you’ve gotten up to. It’s also for identification purposes. You’ll encounter fingerprint scanners at the airport, this is to make sure that the person with the passport and visa is the person who applied for the visa. Identity theft is a big problem in the USA, and falsified documents sell for tens of thousands of dollars, a pretty lucrative black market business. The fingerprint’s they take at the interview will ensure that you, and only you, get through customs and into the country.

Once all that is done you’ll end up with something like this

 

An example of what you'll get.

 

This will be stamped onto a page in your passport, yours to keep forever more. However it is only valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

And that my friends is that.

The whole application process takes quite a bit of time (although being prepared will help you get through it faster!) But it only takes a couple of days for you to receive your visa. Now that I am in possession of mine I’ve booked my flights and will be heading to the city that never sleeps, New York, on the 5th of October! 

Exciting much!?

Expect to hear all about my adventures right here. It is my blog after all!

Taking the Plunge.

I have been known to be quite the risk taker in my time. Quite the gambler. It might be taking it a little too far to call myself a fate spinner, (probably a little too closet geek as well…) but hey, why the hell not?

I am often credited with those half-baked, hair brained plans which sound like they’re nothing short of a disaster and then somehow miraculously blossom into one of those events which linger fondly in the memories of participants for years after.

I  suppose that’s why by now, when I open my eyes one morning and hear my mind tell me “You’re going to move to America for a year” it doesn’t really strike me as odd. The first thing I do when I concoct a scheme like this one, is sit myself down and talk myself through my reasons. This is not for the purposes of reinforcing or dissuading myself, it’s just because I like to know what makes my mind meander down these sort of paths. In this particular instance there were a multitude of reasons, none of which are particularly helpful or interesting to anyone other than myself, and so I’ll just opt to leave them out. But really, the decision to move to another country for an extended period of time is a huge one and so it really pays to go over all the “whys” and make sure it is really something you want to do before you start taking steps like applying for visa’s and that sort of thing. Common sense I know, but it never hurts to reiterate common sense.

Once I’d considered my reasons I could see exactly why the idea occurred to me, and I was convinced it was something I wanted to do. So I started researching! As an Australian Citizen I am lucky enough to have access to a special J-1 American visa. This is a 12 month visa for students or recent graduates, which allows them to work and travel across the USA. For citizens of other countries, there are still student work/travel visa’s available, however they only allow for 5 months of travel in the US.

While obtaining one of these visas isn’t amazingly expensive, it isn’t all that cheap either. Application fees are over 1000 AUD and it is a requirement that you purchase an American health insurance plan which will cover you for the duration of your stay. To be on the safe side, you should allocate between 1500 and 2000 AUD for the cost of your visa.

Most visas issued by the US Government require the bearer of the visa to be sponsored by somebody. In the case of the J-1 work/travel visas the department of immigration and homeland security has prepared a list of eligible sponsorship companies for individuals to choose from. When you’re browsing this list it is important to keep in mind your goals for your US adventure. Do you want to travel across the whole country going from seasonal job to seasonal job? If so you’ll need a decent sum of money to cover your travel costs. Do you want to take a Thelma and Louise style American Road Trip? (Minus the driving off the cliff of course!) If so you’re going to need to look at the cost of hiring or buying a car, the sort of insurance you’ll require and the laws for registration of a vehicle to a non-us citizen. Are you wanting to stay in one place and try to get work experience in the field relevant to your studies? If so you need to look at long term living arrangements, the cost of rent and utilities and transport to and from your job. The type of working holiday you want to have may have an impact on the sponsorship company you choose.

Once you have chosen a sponsorship company, contact them for more information about their requirements. The recruitment staff that work for these companies are friendly and open. They deal with students each and every single day so they understand a lot of your questions and concerns.

I opted to go through ICEO and the GrowUSA program. My experience so far with these organizations has been very positive. Not only were they prompt with the delivery of my additional information and application forms, they have assigned a recruitment officer directly to my application, I can call her at any time with questions or to ask for assistance with the completion of my application form.

The eligibility requirements for each sponsorship organization may vary, however to give you a rough idea this is what I have been asked to provide ICEO/GrowUSA with.

+ Proof of sufficient funds (1500 USD)

+ GROW USA Application

+ ICEO Application

+ Interview

+ Home Country Orientation Meeting

+ Cover Letter

+ 4 x Passport Photos

+ Proof of Student Status (Certificate or Degree (or transcripts if Degree not issued as yet)

+ Front page of passport

They charge an application fee of $1249 AUD, this includes health cover. On top of this is the processing fees charged by the US Department of Immigration and Homeland Security, these are as follows

+ US Consulate Interview/Police Clearance $40 AUD (approx)

+ US Consulate Visa Application Fee $200 AUD (approx)

+ US Consulate Issuance Fee $141.75

+ SEVIS Fee $55 AUD (approx)

That comes to a total of $1685.75 AUD for the visa application.

Currently I am 80% done with my application and have not come across any difficulties. As soon as the application process is underway I’ll be sure to write up a lengthy post about it!

For now, I really should get back to work! I might be planning to abscond to the USA, but I’m not quite there yet!

Some useful links;

12 month USA Student/Travel FAQ’s (For Australian citizens only)

Visiting the USA (For non-Australian citizens)

Got to be at work by 9…

6:35am.

Really, what I should be doing right now is getting ready for work, but I’ve just decided to take a plunge and move to North America for 12 months.

I’ve been lying awake since 4am, providing myself with answers as to why I feel I should do this. All of them are pretty legitimate, I must admit. But that doesn’t stop me from being afraid.

It’s an excercise in Kierkegaardian theory. A ‘leap of faith’ if you will. Am I willing to jump from the precipe and trust in my self to carry me through?

Only time will tell.

Time to get ready for work.