Nova Iorque eh um mar de gente. E nesse mar tem peixe de tudo que eh tipo. A maioria parece barracuda: mau encarado e bravo. Aqui, todo mundo se tromba literalmente. Ninguem olha por onde anda e ainda gosta de (tentar) passar por cima dos outros. Eh sair de casa para sentir uma trombadinha (ainda nao levaram minha carteira) e um "Desculpe" meio cuspido, quase inaudivel, seguido na mente por um "FDP", claro. Como se nao bastasse, a paciencia do Nova Iorquino esta sempre a ponto de explodir. Eh falar um "a" e nego ja manda todo mundo se f&%$r. Eh quebra-pau (verbal) pra todo lado: na rua, no metro, fila, bar, nao importa. As discussoes sao tao comuns que eu resolvi comecar a gravar (muitas sao hilarias). Clique aqui para ouvir a primeira. A traducao eh essa:
Velho bebado: Voce eh um homem ou uma mulher?
Mulher gorda: Mulher!
Velho bebado: E eu sou homem!
Mulher gorda: Entao se comporte como um homem!
Velho bebado: Entao sou gay. Eu levo no rabo! Eu levo no rabo!
Sem mais, bom Ano Novo a todos.
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New York is a sea of people. And in this sea there are all kinds of fish. Most of them are like barracudas: fearsome and aggressive. Here, you bump into people all the time literally. No one looks where they're going and actually try to walk over people. As soon as you leave your house, you'll feel a shoulder on your back and a spit "Excuse Me", barely loud enough to be heard, followed by a "Motherf$%^r" inside the mind, of course. If that's not enough, there's also the ready to explode temper of the New Yorkers. All it takes is one word to hear people sending everyone to hell and worse places. It's a constant (verbal) fight: in the streets, in the subway, buses, lines, bars, whatever. The fights are so common that I decided to record them. Click here to listen to the first one. The sound's pretty clear, but if you need help, here it is:
Drunk hobo: Are you a man or a woman?
200lb woman: I'm a woman!
Drunk hobo: Well, I'm a man!
200lb woman: Then behave like a man then.
Drunk hobo: Well, I'm gay. I take it up the ass! I take it up the ass!
That's all. Happy New Year for all of you.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
N(o/a)mes & Slogans.
Pra fazer sucesso em NY, voce tem que ser diferente. Qualquer coisa que tenha um diferencial (por mais tosco que seja), vale mais. No caso dos produtos, isso significa maior volume de vendas e, no caso dos estabelecimentos, filas na porta ou precos mais altos.
A solucao para muitos produtos/lugares "commodities" eh criar um nome ou slogan que dificilmente possa ser imitado. Vou apenas citar os exemplos (ja traduzidos) porque acho que esse assunto eh meio auto-explicativo. E acho que voce vai rir tanto quanto eu quando caminho por Nova Iorque.
Um exemplo de nome para restaurante eh o "Gostoso O Suficiente Para Comer" (Good Enough To Eat). Nao sei de onde veio a ideia, mas acho que voce vai concordar que isso seria nivelar por baixo a comida, nao? Eles pensaram: "Acho que se oferecermos algo que eh gostoso o suficiente para ser comido as pessoas deixarao de comer plastico, nao?"
Jah no quesito slogans, a chocolateria Max Brenner vence: "Chocolate Feito Pelo Careca" (Chocolate By The Bald Man). Acho dificil imaginar quantas pessoas acham chocolate mais apetitoso pelo fato de ter sido feito por um careca. A nao ser no quesito higiene, claro. Dificilmente voce vai encontrar cabelo no seu chocolate, ne?
Entre os nomes de produto, nenhum bate o "Nao Acredito Que Isso Nao Eh Manteiga!" (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!). Eh um substituto para manteiga, mais saudavel, mas aparente tao parecido com o produto original que nem o pessoal do departamento de marketing acreditou. Parece aqueles nomes do Brasil que o escrivao coloca a primeira coisa que ouve dos pais na hora do registro.
Dos slogans, fico com o do cha Tazo: "A Reencarnacao Do Cha" (The Reincarnation Of Tea). A ideia de que o cha morreu pra mim jah eh hilaria o suficiente. Acho que nem preciso entrar nos detalhes metafisicos da questao.
E por ai vai...
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To be successful in NY, you have to be different. Anything that has a differential (no matter how ridiculous it is), is worth more. For products, that means bigger sales volume and, for establishments, bigger lines at the door and higher prices.
The solution for most usual products/places is to create a name or a slogan that will hardly be imitated. I'll just mention some examples because this subject is pretty much self explanatory. And I believe you'll laugh as much as I do when walking around in New York.
An example for names of places has to be "Good Enough To Eat". I don't know where the idea came from, but I think you'll agree with me that this sets the bar really low for food standards, right? They must have thought: "I believe that if we offer people something that's good enough to eat, they definitely stop eating plastic, don't you?"
Moving to slogans, Max Brenner's chocolate shop deserve the award: Chocolate By The Bald Man. I find it hard to believe that people would think his chocolate is better because it's made by a bald man. Except when you talk about hygiene, of course. I mean, you probably won't find any hair in your chocolate, right?
Among product names, none is whackier than "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". It's a butter substitute, healthier than butter, and (apparently) it's so close to its generator that not even the marketing department could believe. It looks like some names in Brazil, where the notary public just writes down anything the parents blurt out when he's writing.
From product slogans, I'll take Tazo tea's as the best: "The Reincarnation Of Tea". The very idea of dead tea is hilarious enough. I don't think I'll have to talk about the whole metaphysics of this matter.
And so on...
A solucao para muitos produtos/lugares "commodities" eh criar um nome ou slogan que dificilmente possa ser imitado. Vou apenas citar os exemplos (ja traduzidos) porque acho que esse assunto eh meio auto-explicativo. E acho que voce vai rir tanto quanto eu quando caminho por Nova Iorque.
Um exemplo de nome para restaurante eh o "Gostoso O Suficiente Para Comer" (Good Enough To Eat). Nao sei de onde veio a ideia, mas acho que voce vai concordar que isso seria nivelar por baixo a comida, nao? Eles pensaram: "Acho que se oferecermos algo que eh gostoso o suficiente para ser comido as pessoas deixarao de comer plastico, nao?"
Jah no quesito slogans, a chocolateria Max Brenner vence: "Chocolate Feito Pelo Careca" (Chocolate By The Bald Man). Acho dificil imaginar quantas pessoas acham chocolate mais apetitoso pelo fato de ter sido feito por um careca. A nao ser no quesito higiene, claro. Dificilmente voce vai encontrar cabelo no seu chocolate, ne?
Entre os nomes de produto, nenhum bate o "Nao Acredito Que Isso Nao Eh Manteiga!" (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!). Eh um substituto para manteiga, mais saudavel, mas aparente tao parecido com o produto original que nem o pessoal do departamento de marketing acreditou. Parece aqueles nomes do Brasil que o escrivao coloca a primeira coisa que ouve dos pais na hora do registro.
Dos slogans, fico com o do cha Tazo: "A Reencarnacao Do Cha" (The Reincarnation Of Tea). A ideia de que o cha morreu pra mim jah eh hilaria o suficiente. Acho que nem preciso entrar nos detalhes metafisicos da questao.
E por ai vai...
---------------------------------------------------------------
To be successful in NY, you have to be different. Anything that has a differential (no matter how ridiculous it is), is worth more. For products, that means bigger sales volume and, for establishments, bigger lines at the door and higher prices.
The solution for most usual products/places is to create a name or a slogan that will hardly be imitated. I'll just mention some examples because this subject is pretty much self explanatory. And I believe you'll laugh as much as I do when walking around in New York.
An example for names of places has to be "Good Enough To Eat". I don't know where the idea came from, but I think you'll agree with me that this sets the bar really low for food standards, right? They must have thought: "I believe that if we offer people something that's good enough to eat, they definitely stop eating plastic, don't you?"
Moving to slogans, Max Brenner's chocolate shop deserve the award: Chocolate By The Bald Man. I find it hard to believe that people would think his chocolate is better because it's made by a bald man. Except when you talk about hygiene, of course. I mean, you probably won't find any hair in your chocolate, right?
Among product names, none is whackier than "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". It's a butter substitute, healthier than butter, and (apparently) it's so close to its generator that not even the marketing department could believe. It looks like some names in Brazil, where the notary public just writes down anything the parents blurt out when he's writing.
From product slogans, I'll take Tazo tea's as the best: "The Reincarnation Of Tea". The very idea of dead tea is hilarious enough. I don't think I'll have to talk about the whole metaphysics of this matter.
And so on...
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Gostosa passando em frente aa construcao.
Hottie walking by the construction site.
Apesar da Parada Gay do Brasil ser a maior do mundo, homossexualismo ainda eh tabu no pais. Dificilmente voce entraria num escritorio de advocacia e veria dois advogados de maos dadas como se nada estivesse acontecendo. Alias, acho que se voce visse isso, dificilmente daria seu caso (sem trocadilho) a eles.
Aqui eh difierente: ao inves de caminhar na Paulista num dia especifico, eles se caminham em todo o canto a toda hora. E aqui, eles sao realmente livres para curtir a opcao deles. Nao tenho nada contra, mas tem uma coisa que me irrita que eh o olhar "vem pra Caixa voce tambem, vem". Eles nao entendem que um homem alto e forte possa ser heterossexual. Pelo menos em NY.
Depois de um tempo caminhando, eu entendo a reclamacao de todas as mulheres de classe no Brasil. Abre aspas. "Meu, os caras olham para a minha bunda sem a menor vergonha e ainda fazem aquela cara de vem comigo". Eh exatamente isso que eu penso aas vezes. Tem uns caras que olham tanto que eu ate checo se nao esqueci de vestir as calcas antes de sair de casa. Mas fazer o que, ne?
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Although the Brazilian Gay Parade is the biggest in the world, homosexuality is still a taboo in the country. You'd hardly ever see two men holding hands in a law office as if nothing was happening. And if you did, I bet you wouldn't let them go over your delicate issues (no pun intended). Here it's all different: instead of walking down the Paulista avenue on a specific date, they walk everywhere all the time. And here they are really free to enjoy their option. I have nothing against other people's orientation, but there's something that annoys me and that is the "you-don't-know-what-you're-missing-and-I-can-show-you" look. They can't understand how a tall strong man can be heterosexual. At least in NY.
When I go out for a walk, I understand what classy women complain about. Open quotation marks. "Men look at my ass with no constraint whatsoever and still give me that "I'm horny" look." That's exactly what I think sometimes. Some men stare so much that I have to check and see if I didn't forget to wear my pants before I left home. But what can I do, right?
Aqui eh difierente: ao inves de caminhar na Paulista num dia especifico, eles se caminham em todo o canto a toda hora. E aqui, eles sao realmente livres para curtir a opcao deles. Nao tenho nada contra, mas tem uma coisa que me irrita que eh o olhar "vem pra Caixa voce tambem, vem". Eles nao entendem que um homem alto e forte possa ser heterossexual. Pelo menos em NY.
Depois de um tempo caminhando, eu entendo a reclamacao de todas as mulheres de classe no Brasil. Abre aspas. "Meu, os caras olham para a minha bunda sem a menor vergonha e ainda fazem aquela cara de vem comigo". Eh exatamente isso que eu penso aas vezes. Tem uns caras que olham tanto que eu ate checo se nao esqueci de vestir as calcas antes de sair de casa. Mas fazer o que, ne?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Although the Brazilian Gay Parade is the biggest in the world, homosexuality is still a taboo in the country. You'd hardly ever see two men holding hands in a law office as if nothing was happening. And if you did, I bet you wouldn't let them go over your delicate issues (no pun intended). Here it's all different: instead of walking down the Paulista avenue on a specific date, they walk everywhere all the time. And here they are really free to enjoy their option. I have nothing against other people's orientation, but there's something that annoys me and that is the "you-don't-know-what-you're-missing-and-I-can-show-you" look. They can't understand how a tall strong man can be heterosexual. At least in NY.
When I go out for a walk, I understand what classy women complain about. Open quotation marks. "Men look at my ass with no constraint whatsoever and still give me that "I'm horny" look." That's exactly what I think sometimes. Some men stare so much that I have to check and see if I didn't forget to wear my pants before I left home. But what can I do, right?
Monday, December 18, 2006
Buracos misteriosos.
Mysterious holes.
O asfalto de NY nao eh lah aquelas coisas, mas tem muito menos buracos que o de SP. Aqui, os buracos sao abundantes na calcada. Na frente de quase todos os estabelecimentos comerciais tem um (com um cadeado gigante, claro). O motivo eh simples e pratico: acesso direto aa cozinha ou aa dispensa/estoque.
A unica coisa digna de nota, alem de nunca ter reparado isso em outras cidades, eh que esses buracos dao um som engracao ao caminhar. Voce da tres passos no concreto (quase) em silencio e dois passos estrondosos na tampa de metal.
Atendendo ao pedido da minha irma, coloquei a foto do predio dos Friends e a casa de madeira (com meu predio ao lado) no Flickr.
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The asphalt in NY is far from ideal, but has less potholes than the one from Kiev. Here, the holes are more abundant on the sidewalks. There's one in front of almost every establishment (with a big lock, of course). The reason is simple and practical: direct access to the kitchen or the storage room.
The only thing worth noticing, besides the fact that I've never seen this in other cities, is the fact that those holes provide a walking tune. You take three quiet steps over the concrete and two noisy ones over the metal doors.
Answering my sister's request, I've uploaded the pictures of the Friends' building and the wooden house (next to my building) to my Flickr.
A unica coisa digna de nota, alem de nunca ter reparado isso em outras cidades, eh que esses buracos dao um som engracao ao caminhar. Voce da tres passos no concreto (quase) em silencio e dois passos estrondosos na tampa de metal.
Atendendo ao pedido da minha irma, coloquei a foto do predio dos Friends e a casa de madeira (com meu predio ao lado) no Flickr.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The asphalt in NY is far from ideal, but has less potholes than the one from Kiev. Here, the holes are more abundant on the sidewalks. There's one in front of almost every establishment (with a big lock, of course). The reason is simple and practical: direct access to the kitchen or the storage room.
The only thing worth noticing, besides the fact that I've never seen this in other cities, is the fact that those holes provide a walking tune. You take three quiet steps over the concrete and two noisy ones over the metal doors.
Answering my sister's request, I've uploaded the pictures of the Friends' building and the wooden house (next to my building) to my Flickr.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Usando Dolares.
Using Dollars.
Apesar de ja ter viajado muito e ter lidado com dolares diariamente na Ucrania , comecei a estranhar o fato de, agora, o Dolar ser minha moeda corrente. O Dolar sempre teve um que de viagem, de moeda internacional. Andar com dolares tinha, ao mesmo tempo, um ar de status e de turismo. Era como saber que se estava viajando. Mesmo na Ucrania, o Dolar me fazia sentir um pouco turista.
Devido a isso (talvez), eu gastei mais do que precisava nos primeiros dias. Voce se sente viajando e se esquece um pouco de que quando o dinheiro acabar, voce nao vai voltar pra casa, trabalhar e juntar mais dinheiro. O que voce tem eh o que voce tem.
Agora que jah me habituei, acho divertido ver como tantas nacionalidades habitam o solo sobre os mesmos olhos protetores do Sr. George Washington. Ou Benjamin Franklin se voce for mais afortunado.
Mudando de assunto, queria completar o assunto sobre o meu apartamento. Parece que alem de estar bem localizado, com um preco bom e um apartamento impecavel, eu tambem faco parte do roteiro turistico da cidade. Comecei a notar que de quando em quando havia um grupo de turistas em frente ao meu predio, com um guia gritando um monte de coisas.
Descobri que o meu predio fica na frente do predio onde "moravam" os Friends da serie e o predio ao lado do meu eh a casa de madeira mais antiga de NY. Brincadeira?
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Although I have traveled a lot and that have dealt with Dollars during my whole time in Ukraine, I find it a bit strange now that Dollars are my current currency (no pun intended). The Dollar always had a traveling or foreign connotation. Dollars conveyed the idea of status and tourism at the same time. It was like being sure to be on a trip. Even in Ukraine, the Dollar always made me feel a bit like a tourist.
(Maybe) Because of that, I spent more than needed during my first days here. You feel like you're traveling and forget that, now, when the money runs out, you're not going home to work and make more money. What you've got is what you've got.
Now that I've gotten used to that, I find it amazing how so many nationalities can live under the caring eye of father George Washington. Or Benjamin Franklin for the more fortunate.
Changing subjects, let me add a few things about my apartment. It seems that not only I live in a cool street, paying a "fair" rent and in a recently refurbished apartment, but also that I'm part of the city's attractions. Recently, I noticed that groups of tourist always gather in front of my building to listen to the shouting guide. Then, I found out that I live across the street from the building where the Friends "lived" in the sitcom and also that the town house next to my place is the oldest wooden house in Manhattan. How cool is that?
Devido a isso (talvez), eu gastei mais do que precisava nos primeiros dias. Voce se sente viajando e se esquece um pouco de que quando o dinheiro acabar, voce nao vai voltar pra casa, trabalhar e juntar mais dinheiro. O que voce tem eh o que voce tem.
Agora que jah me habituei, acho divertido ver como tantas nacionalidades habitam o solo sobre os mesmos olhos protetores do Sr. George Washington. Ou Benjamin Franklin se voce for mais afortunado.
Mudando de assunto, queria completar o assunto sobre o meu apartamento. Parece que alem de estar bem localizado, com um preco bom e um apartamento impecavel, eu tambem faco parte do roteiro turistico da cidade. Comecei a notar que de quando em quando havia um grupo de turistas em frente ao meu predio, com um guia gritando um monte de coisas.
Descobri que o meu predio fica na frente do predio onde "moravam" os Friends da serie e o predio ao lado do meu eh a casa de madeira mais antiga de NY. Brincadeira?
------------------------------------------------------------
Although I have traveled a lot and that have dealt with Dollars during my whole time in Ukraine, I find it a bit strange now that Dollars are my current currency (no pun intended). The Dollar always had a traveling or foreign connotation. Dollars conveyed the idea of status and tourism at the same time. It was like being sure to be on a trip. Even in Ukraine, the Dollar always made me feel a bit like a tourist.
(Maybe) Because of that, I spent more than needed during my first days here. You feel like you're traveling and forget that, now, when the money runs out, you're not going home to work and make more money. What you've got is what you've got.
Now that I've gotten used to that, I find it amazing how so many nationalities can live under the caring eye of father George Washington. Or Benjamin Franklin for the more fortunate.
Changing subjects, let me add a few things about my apartment. It seems that not only I live in a cool street, paying a "fair" rent and in a recently refurbished apartment, but also that I'm part of the city's attractions. Recently, I noticed that groups of tourist always gather in front of my building to listen to the shouting guide. Then, I found out that I live across the street from the building where the Friends "lived" in the sitcom and also that the town house next to my place is the oldest wooden house in Manhattan. How cool is that?
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Corra porque o filme jah vai... Acabar.
Run. The movie is about to... End.
Quando eu tinha meu site de cinema no Brasil, costumava ler criticas dos filmes estrangeiros antes de eles chegarem ao pais. Acho que usava a mesma fonte dos outros criticos brasileiros, porque sempre havia alguma mencao ao fim de semana de abertura do filme e quanto ele tinha faturado no fim de semana de abertura e fim de semana de abertura pra lah e pra ca. Nunca tinha entendido essa obsessao americana. Bem, isso ateh mudar para cah.
A obsessao com o sucesso e os numeros de um filme no fim de semana de abertura tem uma razao simples: o filme (muito provavelmente) nao vai ter um segundo fim de semana para recuperar o investimento. Isso mesmo: eh uma semana e acabou. Mesmo filmes grandes, esperados, como o filme de Clint Eastwood cotado ao Oscar. Flags Of Our Fathers, assim como muit(issim)os outros some de cartaz antes mesmo de voce saber que ele entrou em cartaz.
Isso acontece porque o numero de lancamentos eh enorme e os blockbusters normalmente tomam conta de varias salas num mesmo cinema. Tem um cinema em Times Square, por exemplo, com 16 salas e apenas 5 filmes em cartaz. Semana que vem, mudam todos os filmes.
Confesso que estou feliz com a oportunidade de ver todos os filmes que eu deixei de ver na Ucrania (motivo). Mas o pessoal dos estudios precisa lembrar que, alem de vontade, eh preciso ter tempo para ir ao cinema. Porque se voce perder, nao adianta chorar sobre a pipoca derrubada...
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When I had my movie website in Brazil, I used to read the foreign movies' reviews before they started playing there. I think I had the same sources as some of the Brazilian critics because there was always a line regarding the opening weekend and how much the movie made during the opening weekend and opening weekend this and that. I never understood this fixation with the opening weekend Americans have. Well, that was before I moved here.
The fixation with the success and the figures of the opening weekend has a simple explanation: there might not be a second weekend to get the money invested back. That's right: one week and it's over. Even big, awaited movies, like Clint Eastwood's Oscar (probably) nominated one. Flags Of Our Fathers, like (many) others stops playing before you even realize they were playing. That's because the number of releases coming in every week is huge and blockbusters usually dominate most screening rooms. There's a cineplex at Times Square, for example, with 16 theaters for only 5 movies. Next week, they'll change all movies.
I must say I'm happy with the opportunity of making up for the lack of films in Ukraine (motherf****g Russian dubbing). But the owners of the big studios have to acknowledge that will is not enough, I need time to watch the movies. If you miss one, you can't cry over the spilled... popcorn.
A obsessao com o sucesso e os numeros de um filme no fim de semana de abertura tem uma razao simples: o filme (muito provavelmente) nao vai ter um segundo fim de semana para recuperar o investimento. Isso mesmo: eh uma semana e acabou. Mesmo filmes grandes, esperados, como o filme de Clint Eastwood cotado ao Oscar. Flags Of Our Fathers, assim como muit(issim)os outros some de cartaz antes mesmo de voce saber que ele entrou em cartaz.
Isso acontece porque o numero de lancamentos eh enorme e os blockbusters normalmente tomam conta de varias salas num mesmo cinema. Tem um cinema em Times Square, por exemplo, com 16 salas e apenas 5 filmes em cartaz. Semana que vem, mudam todos os filmes.
Confesso que estou feliz com a oportunidade de ver todos os filmes que eu deixei de ver na Ucrania (motivo). Mas o pessoal dos estudios precisa lembrar que, alem de vontade, eh preciso ter tempo para ir ao cinema. Porque se voce perder, nao adianta chorar sobre a pipoca derrubada...
--------------------------------------------------
When I had my movie website in Brazil, I used to read the foreign movies' reviews before they started playing there. I think I had the same sources as some of the Brazilian critics because there was always a line regarding the opening weekend and how much the movie made during the opening weekend and opening weekend this and that. I never understood this fixation with the opening weekend Americans have. Well, that was before I moved here.
The fixation with the success and the figures of the opening weekend has a simple explanation: there might not be a second weekend to get the money invested back. That's right: one week and it's over. Even big, awaited movies, like Clint Eastwood's Oscar (probably) nominated one. Flags Of Our Fathers, like (many) others stops playing before you even realize they were playing. That's because the number of releases coming in every week is huge and blockbusters usually dominate most screening rooms. There's a cineplex at Times Square, for example, with 16 theaters for only 5 movies. Next week, they'll change all movies.
I must say I'm happy with the opportunity of making up for the lack of films in Ukraine (motherf****g Russian dubbing). But the owners of the big studios have to acknowledge that will is not enough, I need time to watch the movies. If you miss one, you can't cry over the spilled... popcorn.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Gentileza? Soh pagando.
Kindness? Not for free.
Desde que eu cheguei aqui, notei que o povo novaiorquino nao eh muito de fazer favores. Tinha ouvido dizer que eles sao fechados (talvez achem que estranho eh sinomino de terrorista), mas nao a ponto de negar ajuda.
Apesar do pouco tempo, ja tive muitos exemplos. Vou citar os dois mais recentes. Os dois dizem respeito ao sistema de calefacao do meu apartamento, que estava desligado e era preciso remover um painel para acessar a valvula. Certo dia, acordo com o interfone tocando. Perguntei quem era e disseram que era da empresa que cuida do aquecimento central. Como o predio tem 2 portas, desci para deixar o funcionario entrar. Depois de entrar, o funcionario disse que estava lah a chamado do apartamento 4B, mas que ninguem atendia e, por isso, ele tocou no meu para poder entrar. Expliquei minha situacao e perguntei se ele podia me explicar como remover o painel quando acabasse o servico no outro apartamento. Resposta: NAO. Ou seja, contar comigo para entrar no predio, otimo. Ajudar, nem pensar...
Bem, passada a raiva, resolvi ligar para o dono do ape. Ele me disse (novamente) que talvez fosse soh questao de ligar o aquecedor e pediu para eu falasse com o zelador. Desci ao apartamento do zelador. Perguntei se ele podia subir um minuto para me explicar como remover o painel. Resposta: NAO. O dono que mande alguem...
O problema esta resolvido, mas eh estranho como os novairoquinos sao individualistas. Eu vou ate a esquina na vendinha de um mexicano e ele me ajuda com tudo. Acho que o altruismo necessario aa vida no terceiro mundo nao seria de todo mal aqui...
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Since I got here, I noticed that new yorkers aren't too excited about doing favors. I heard how reserved they were (maybe they think every strangers is a terrorist), but not to the point of denying help.
Despite the short time, I've experienced many examples of that. Let me tell you the latest two. Both have to do with my apartment's heating, that was off and needed to have its cover removed in order to be turned on. One day, I wake up with the buzzer buzzing like crazy. I asked who that was and someone told me it was the plumbing and heating company. Since the building has two doors, I went down to let the guy in. After that, the employee told me he was there to check the heating at apartment 4B, but since no one answered, he rang my buzzer to get in. I told him my situation and asked if he could show me how to remove the radiator's cover after he finished his job in the other apartment. His answer: NO. For him it's all right to count on me to enter the building. To help others in return, no way...
Once my anger was gone, I decided to call the landlord. He told me (again) that it might just be a matter of turning it on and asked me to talk with the super. I went down to the super's apartment. I asked him if he could come up for a minute and tell me how to remove the radiator's cover. His answer: NO. The landlord should send someone...
The problem is solved, but I find strange how much new yorkers are individualists. I go to the deli on the corner of my block and the Mexican helps me with almost anything. I believe the altruism necessary to live in a third world country would be a nice thing to have around here...
Apesar do pouco tempo, ja tive muitos exemplos. Vou citar os dois mais recentes. Os dois dizem respeito ao sistema de calefacao do meu apartamento, que estava desligado e era preciso remover um painel para acessar a valvula. Certo dia, acordo com o interfone tocando. Perguntei quem era e disseram que era da empresa que cuida do aquecimento central. Como o predio tem 2 portas, desci para deixar o funcionario entrar. Depois de entrar, o funcionario disse que estava lah a chamado do apartamento 4B, mas que ninguem atendia e, por isso, ele tocou no meu para poder entrar. Expliquei minha situacao e perguntei se ele podia me explicar como remover o painel quando acabasse o servico no outro apartamento. Resposta: NAO. Ou seja, contar comigo para entrar no predio, otimo. Ajudar, nem pensar...
Bem, passada a raiva, resolvi ligar para o dono do ape. Ele me disse (novamente) que talvez fosse soh questao de ligar o aquecedor e pediu para eu falasse com o zelador. Desci ao apartamento do zelador. Perguntei se ele podia subir um minuto para me explicar como remover o painel. Resposta: NAO. O dono que mande alguem...
O problema esta resolvido, mas eh estranho como os novairoquinos sao individualistas. Eu vou ate a esquina na vendinha de um mexicano e ele me ajuda com tudo. Acho que o altruismo necessario aa vida no terceiro mundo nao seria de todo mal aqui...
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Since I got here, I noticed that new yorkers aren't too excited about doing favors. I heard how reserved they were (maybe they think every strangers is a terrorist), but not to the point of denying help.
Despite the short time, I've experienced many examples of that. Let me tell you the latest two. Both have to do with my apartment's heating, that was off and needed to have its cover removed in order to be turned on. One day, I wake up with the buzzer buzzing like crazy. I asked who that was and someone told me it was the plumbing and heating company. Since the building has two doors, I went down to let the guy in. After that, the employee told me he was there to check the heating at apartment 4B, but since no one answered, he rang my buzzer to get in. I told him my situation and asked if he could show me how to remove the radiator's cover after he finished his job in the other apartment. His answer: NO. For him it's all right to count on me to enter the building. To help others in return, no way...
Once my anger was gone, I decided to call the landlord. He told me (again) that it might just be a matter of turning it on and asked me to talk with the super. I went down to the super's apartment. I asked him if he could come up for a minute and tell me how to remove the radiator's cover. His answer: NO. The landlord should send someone...
The problem is solved, but I find strange how much new yorkers are individualists. I go to the deli on the corner of my block and the Mexican helps me with almost anything. I believe the altruism necessary to live in a third world country would be a nice thing to have around here...
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