Author Archives: Kaitlyn Zhou

Posts by Kaitlyn Zhou

Comments by Kaitlyn Zhou

"Living in the Lower East Side meant that when Hurricane Sandy hit, I felt the immediate effects of the storm. There was little to no damage done to my neighborhood, so all I remember was being out of electricity for a week. The power grid was down for the city below 30th Street, and both subway and buses were out of service. Although we had our phones, we had no power source to keep them alive; I remember filling with dread each time my battery’s percentage dropped. Communication was limited, and we had to pull out a battery-operated radio to keep up with the news. All activities had to be done during the day, where the only light source was the sun; since we didn’t know when the power would return, we had to ration our candles carefully. I remember eating dinner in the dark, huddled around a few candles with my parents as we ate food we could barely even see. For the most part, my parents encouraged me to stay at home; since the stairwells in our building were windowless and steep, it was of utmost importance to bring a large, bright flashlight to light our way as we went down. I ended up going outside at some point for whatever reason and heading into the outskirts of Chinatown. A few restaurants were still open, running on their backup generators. Here and there, we could see lines where people paid to charge their phones and other electronics. In several parts of the neighborhood, there were people who came by to give out water and food to people who had not prepared well enough for the aftermaths of the storm. I didn’t really feel the effects of Sandy until after the MTA allowed buses and trains to run once again. I recall that we could get on the buses free of charge, and I seized the opportunity to visit a Barnes and Noble further up in midtown to charge my devices. I realized that for most of New York City, life went on. People were just sitting around in the bookstore, just living as they normally did. Meanwhile, I was finally connected to the Internet and saw the devastation in surrounding areas. For some of us, the week that school was cancelled for Hurricane Sandy was just another break. For others, including me, that week was an inconvenience. For even others, Hurricane Sandy was a disaster whose effects are still felt today."
--( posted on Mar 16, 2016, commenting on the post Assignment 4 )
 
"There is a rock in Central Park right next to the entrance of Heckscher Playground that I have deemed as “my own.” For obvious reasons, I cannot actually lay claim on it, but it is one of the best-structured rocks in Central Park. Since the rock is situated next to the public bathrooms and is not tall enough to oversee any particularly beautiful views, tourists do not frequent it often. One side of the rock is fairly smooth with a shallow slope, which makes it easy to climb up to or down the rock. However, making one’s way up mandates the most basic of agility skills, so my rock is not exactly open to all of the general public. In addition, the proximity of my rock to the playground means that any children and toddlers who dare to venture up the looming mountain (in their eyes, anyway) do not stay for long; there are more exciting adventures to be had within the play area. Aside from the location and structure of the rock that make it convenient, the rock is quite the vantage point for people watching. Heckscher Playground is a five-minute walk from the entrance of the park at 59th Street West, which means that the path that my rock overlooks is often filled with foot traffic. Personally, I enjoy watching dog owners and dog walkers, simply because I prefer watching dogs to staring at humans. Even if there is nothing to look at, however, it is always serene just to sit on cool, hard ground several feet above everybody else. On a moderately cool day, there is something about just sitting there with a friend, or even alone, that makes the rock almost cozy to be on. My rock provides just enough solitude without being completely isolating, and offers a decent view of nature without being completely silent. All in all, I think that such a spot is perfect for a New Yorker like me."
--( posted on Mar 2, 2016, commenting on the post Assignment 3 )
 
"Growing up in the Lower East Side, I witnessed a few police interactions, but the police presence in my neighborhood was not particularly rampant. Perhaps my closest encounter was in high school, when I was leaving my apartment to go to school. I was waiting for the elevator when the door opened to reveal a pair of police officers holding a man against the wall of the elevator, hands cuffed behind his back. It was quite the shocking view in retrospect, but it was early in the morning at the time and I was too tired to really register what I was seeing. The two policemen kindly told me to take the next elevator and I groggily abided. When I reached the ground floor of the building, I could see the two officers loading the suspect into the back of their car, and I resumed my day like nothing was different. When I walk past police officers on the streets or in the subway stations, I don’t feel an immediate threat to my own safety. Like many people, however, I am slightly more wary of their presence than I should be, since their job is to protect and serve. This is possibly due to the fact that I have always been taught that they are figures of authority, so I am more aware of my own actions and behaviors when I notice that they are around. I try to “act normal,” even if I wasn’t doing anything particularly sketchy before I came near them, and I try my best not to look suspicious (usually probably looking even more suspicious in the process). In light of more current events, there is even more tension around police officers. Although it is true that there are a few bad cops out there, I think it is important to note that the news only reports the bad. It’s possible that I speak from a biased and privileged standpoint, but it’s true that kindness is not documented as often as crimes. People don’t go through training just to gain a badge to wave around, and it’s important to remember that the general intention of the police force is to protect and serve."
--( posted on Feb 17, 2016, commenting on the post Assignment 2 )
 
"My favorite part about public transportation is the lull it gives to the sleep deprived that gently tempts us into the siren-like call of sleep. I discovered the comfortable sleeping environment the MTA had to offer in high school after I fell into a pattern of procrastination and turned into a sleep deprived zombie, a rite of passage most teenagers get to go through in high school. Unlike most of my peers, I commuted to and from high school by bus, rather than train. The bus stopped almost in front of my home, and brought me right up to the bridge leading up to the entrance. The entire journey took roughly half an hour which meant that I had an extra hour of sleep each day, assuming I was able to snag a seat both times in the round trip from home to school. Each morning I commuted with roughly twenty other fellow classmates, half of whom also lost consciousness over in the rear section of the bus. Being able to commute with so many of my peers brought forth a sense of camaraderie that I had never felt before. Despite the fact that New York is known for its cold residents who want nothing to do with one another, I feel that falling asleep on public transportation reveals the vulnerabilities of tired New Yorkers (and their bags and wallets unguarded in the open) who are just normal commuters trying to make up for their lack of sleep."
--( posted on Feb 10, 2016, commenting on the post Assignment 1 )