My last days in New York

Selin hanging on to the U.S. flag in Brooklyn with her friend, Zeynep.

by Selin Tekin

Last Monday was my first whole day at home. Normally, I have really good reasons to go out, but since that day, I couldn’t find any reason to head into the city, so I decided to study for the TOEFL. First, I woke up and decided to prepare breakfast. After that, I listened to music, then I watched a sitcom. Before I knew it,  it was already 5 pm, and I decided to run in a park near our house. When I got back home, I went shopping with my cousin. As you can see, I did everything except study and the next days continued like this.

Actually, I want to talk about the one day that was different--last Saturday. First I decided to see my old classmates, and we had dinner together. Then we went to a bar to have a drink and talk about my last days here. After the bar, we wanted to go to one of our friends' birthday party in Hudson Terrace. Actually, I definitely hate nightclubs and I always say no to parties, but this time was one of my good friends' birthday and I felt obligated to go.


Unfortunately, we got there and I really still didn’t understand how people liked dancing and also they couldn't dance because it was really crowded and it was impossible to move. Also, everybody was dressed up and I was really uncomfortable with the stupid dress that I had on. However, the problem for me was that these people did this almost everyday. They really had strong bodies to enjoy themselves everyday. I could only stand forty-five minutes, then I decided to go to Brooklyn to have a drink. But then one of my friends wanted to come with me, and we met with her friends also, and they wanted to go to another night club. I really didn’t want to go, but they insisted, and I didn’t want to disappoint them.

One guy, however, was wearing short pants, and we couldn't get in anywhere because of his pants. I started kidding with them. I said, “Ok, if you want you can wear my pants” and I was laughing. Fifteen minutes later, however, we were in Hong’s house, and the guy was wearing my tight pants. It was funny because they really wanted to go to a nightclub, and they did everything to get inside. I couldn’t believe it, and I just took some pictures. Then we went to a Korean club. We got inside and almost everybody was Korean, and I felt really different. Then I sent some pictures to one of my friends, and he decided to come to see the funny situation--A Korean guy was wearing my pants!  I had thought Asian people were shy, but I saw they were not. In addition, I was in a Korean club even though I hated clubs, and it was also weird for my friend.

At almost 4 am, we decided to go back home, and my day finally ended. It was such an exhausting day for me, and I just remember it as if it had been a dream. Fortunately, I have photo evidence to prove that it wasn’t a dream. Now I think I can hang out at more nightclubs to see my friends in my pants or to observe people who really don't know how to dance. It is the most ridiculous thing, and I'm sure that I will definitely miss all this after I go back to Turkey.


Selin is now back in Turkey and continues to practice and prepare to take the TOEFL. She says hi to all her friends at NYLC. Here are some photos that she wants to share.

Selin (center with knees bent) with her classmates in one of her TOEFL classes.

Eliana, Karolina, and Yang in the TOEFL classroom.

Selin and Cassandra.