Almost-Native New Yorker: So worth almost getting pneumonia

After a few exhausting hours of interview-clothes-shopping (not kidding- finding professional clothes is somewhat painful & definitely not enjoyable for me as I am SO not professional), I headed back to my room to throw my stuff down, and randomly bumped into Kristin, an NYU friend I hadn't seen since I transferred. But we had talked about seeing Vampire Weekend play at Central Park, so we headed uptown and upon stepping out of the subway station, realized that there was a TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR going on. Within a block we were completely soaked, but kept going, since we paid the $2 to get uptown... & saw everyone running for their lives out of the park, but we went against traffic to follow the free music. It was kind of like that scene in Titanic where Jack goes back downstairs on the ship despite all the people yelling, "you're going the wrong way!" as they get on deck & jump onto the lifeboats.

So Kristin & I waded through huge puddles, got completely covered in dirt and mud, and kept getting wetter, to only realize that they weren't letting any more people into the show due to a fear that we were all gonna get struck by lightning because apparently someone got struck at a show a couple years ago. However, the hundreds of happily-dancing, wet, probably drunk concert-goers didn't seem to be worried about death, so we figured we'd be safe. And if not, at least we would be surrounded by loud, probably drunk & high music-lovers. :D

So you really had to be there to understand, but just picture a soaked, muddy park, full of drenched people dancing, throwing beach balls, and basically frolicking in a monsoon. That's what it was like. We pretty much sat on a huge rock for a couple hours listening to the opening bands, then ventured up to one of the gates to get a closer listen. Not gonna lie-- witnessing the sheer madness that goes on near a gate w/ a security guard was probably more entertaining than the concert (and that's saying a lot, as concerts are my life). Some highlights (& I apologize in advance for the graphic nature of them. Okay I don't really apologize. It was hilarious) -->

Random college boy, with friend, to male, twenty-ish security guard: "So who do I have to give a blow job to to get into the show? Cuz I'll do it. I will! You can call me anything you want."
(Security guard keels over laughing, saying nothing. Kid walks away.)

& 15-year-old boy, to guard: "Hi! How are you? What's your real name? How are you doing today? Tell me everything about yourself! Seriously, I want to know everything about you. Are you happy with your life? I came all the way from Westchester {a suburb of NYC}. I came with my friends; we traveled so far. And then we walked all the way--"
Me: "From Westchester?" {It's a 45-minute drive.} (Guard laughs)
Kid: "No, no. We took a train. But then we took the subway, and got lost, and ended up at the Brooklyn Bridge {total OPPOSITE direction of Central Park}.
(Security guard says nothing; kid wanders away.)
5 mins. later, kid comes back: "So I got lonely over there not talking to you for a few minutes. So what's up?" (Me, Kristin, guard = hysterical.)

Other highlights: 2 guys jumping the fence & getting away with it. Later, guy + girl jumping the fence, which Kristin points out to the guard, who yells and then chases after them, only to not catch them. Minutes later, drunk, bikini-clad, tattooed woman escapes, and is chased by her boyfriend. After a long dispute with security guards, good-spirited drunk woman is dragged out by her boyfriend & the guard.

So anyways. After being drenched once, then twice, we finally got into the show for the last few songs of Vampire Weekend, at which point it starts pouring once again. At this point, I am officially not happy with the temperature at which the wet clothes sticking to my skin are creating. But we rock on, nonetheless. To make a long story short, show ends, we race out, catch a bus in fear that the subways may be flooded, make the bus seats very, very wet, my camera dies after taking the most hideous picture of the two of us drenched, and we get home, soaked and extremely happy about what was perhaps the coolest day ever. Except I say that every day, so don't take my word for it.

Eating a banana in a downpour: