Take A Walk With Me

Today I took a break from auditioning, because after all, what is the likelihood of me being cast in The Lion King? I'm not exactly the graceful African Gazelle type.

Instead, I took a long stroll around the new neighborhood.

Welcome to Astoria/Ditmars.

They were not kidding when they said this place was Greek. Walking around, I consistently hear Greek conversations, or heavy Greek accents. The other day I walked into a Greek restaurant, craving a falafel.

Guess what? Just because the Greek restaurant back home serves falafel does not mean it is a Greek specialty. The chef said to me, "What's falafel?"

I'm surrounded by so many delicious smelling gyro places, that I might have to put my vegetarianism on hold for one sandwhich.

No shortage of fresh produce, and plenty of organic markets. 

I found my local thrift shop and general store. I feel more at home now that I have places to find a bargain.

I visited the local library, although it was too small and crowded for me to spend time there doing work or reading. 

Although the neighborhood is prevailingly Greek, I spotted a few Italian, Latin, and Chinese restaurants on my block. One standout was Afghan Kabob; mental note to go back.

When I stopped at the bank, the language options on the ATM were English, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese. Interesting, right? Back home its just English and Spanish.

Kids were just getting home from school, and there were a lot of people milling around the main avenues, but the cross streets where many homes are located were so quiet you could hear a pin drop.