Cindy Keung

“Been there, done that.”

Alright. I’ll save you and I the trouble of exchanging the conversation that goes, “Cindy? You’re back?” “Yup. Don’t have time to explain everything. Too much has happened.”

New York. New York. I’m sure by now, many of you know that I left about two months ago. And no, I am not back for spring break. I cannot imagine telling every single one of you what has happened while I was in New York City so I’ll try to say as much as I can in the space that Sam has given me. I’ll try to include the most interesting stuff.

In a nutshell, people, the one reason why I am back is because I realized that I did not need to pay someone $40,000 to teach me things I already knew? Don’t ask me why I didn’t find out what the school taught in the first place. Let’s not go there. Let’s just say, they have a good marketing team. I had to go to the school and I had to head off to New York City. I have no regrets about going. Some of you might be asking, “How did she know if it was or wasn’t for her within only two months?” God gave us a brain with instincts to choose. I took a long hard look at everything: the city, my living conditions (I’ll describe that to you later!) and the mental and spiritual health of those in my school community. The general saying goes, “Work hard to play hard.” Well, in New York, you can work hard i.e. work 80 hours a week and NOT play hard at all. You work the average 80 hours a week just to survive and even when you make tons of money, you have to pay your glamourous rent fee of at least $3500.00 US (for a 650 square foot apartment) per month or that maintenance fee for your $1.2 billion dollar apartment on Park Avenue which is nicknamed “Billionaire’s Walk” for a reason. There are better ways to invest your access cash i.e. furthering God’s Kingdom. Spending it on “posh” restaurants is nice once in a while but not as a lifestyle. (Did you know that five rolls of sushi would cost you an average of $20.00 US?) You give maximum output to contribute maximum input back into the city. The lifestyle there did not coincide with my heart’s desires for life even though I knew I could do well in NYC. After absorbing some of the morality of the city, I realized that God is the God of New York City too. He is the God of the “crazies” and very wealthy people and if Jesus walked the streets, He would gather people around and talk about God. I heard myself saying, “God, show me what You’re doing in this city.” Lo and behold, I met a lot Christians in the industry “by chance.”

Things that I set out to learn were the things that God showed me that I already had within me. It took the roughness and toughness of the city lifestyle to bring these things out. I’m not talking about singing, dancing and acting exclusively which is what the school was teaching us to do. I’m talking about people skills and confidence. I’m sure you have all heard about the “American Dream.” It’s out there and it’s not very hard to get. I set out to conquer that city. During my last two weeks in New York, I made a whole list of goals that I wanted to accomplish. This is what Cindy wanted to do before she left:

1) sing at a restaurant/lounge
2) audition for at least two musicals in New York City
3) make some money
4) conquer New York rush hour by taking the subway without knowing where in the world I was going
5) go for job interviews in order to just have the chance to chat with employers

The results? Here they are:

1) Monday night, I took the subway down to W. 55th and Broadway. I sang a jazzy Gershwin song. They wanted to book me for the end of April. What did I realize? Any “Jo-blow” can do this.

2) I auditioned for the European tour of “Grease.” It was a “cattle” call that day. I looked around at the 500 people auditioning and realized that this is the same old thing: a bunch of people auditioning for a show. The talent is not necessarily better. There is much more performing opportunities out there but there are also seven times more people to compete with.

3) Met an actress who needed some help decorating her new apartment. She gave me a wad of cash of $300.00 and I walked around the city buying things for her. I went to a really cool home decorating store called “Hold Everything.” I wish they had the chain of stores in Canada. It’s better than IKEA! Anyhow, if I wanted to take the cab, I took the cab during my shopping hours. If I didn’t want to take the subway. I didn’t take the subway. She even gave me her cell phone during the day! Yes, people, there are people in New York City who will pay you to buy their friends gifts.

4) Bad commuter days. My Metrocard being bent and having to make 250 New York commuters behind me wait! You guys don’t understand. When heading out to the city during rush hour, you have to sit and think of your strategy of how you are going to get to your destination. Which is better? Just walk to the subway, take the 6 train to Time Square and then the bus? Maybe the N/R and then the express train/red line that stops at Columbus Circle? It’s a reality: gotta get out there and conquer New York City! Wuhoo!

5) I had three job offers. I just wanted to meet with these employers and talk to them. One guy asked me how much I wanted to be paid. Another man, who owned his own business offered me a Green Card!

These are just some of my adventures. You can ask me about my “freak-out”-one o’clock-in-the morning journey to get home across town while a cab driver followed me down Broadway. I did have about three moments of utter fear while I was there. And yes, the subway is safe although I know that some of you parents would never let your kid take the subway at night let alone let them travel to New York City on their own.

I’ll leave you with a lasting impression of my room. When I say, “dorm” everyone imagines the student housing you see on TV or on “Felicity.” No such thing. The school houses its students in a “Residential Hotel.” You know the people who live on the street in our downtown core that we think are “weird” and “degenerate?” Don’t be silly. I lived with people like that. They open the doors for me every morning. Cockroaches. My garbage experience. Half of a dead pigeon and glass. Vomit-inducing smells. Cocaine and other funky drugs down the hall. Ask me for details. This part has to be censored.

I met a lot of people and experienced a lot of things. You would probably not even believe some of the things I’d tell you. Oh, MacDonald’s delivers for free to your room. Seriously!

God has provided shelter and help every step of the way. I had some major physiological manifestations in the midst of making decisions to withdraw or stay. I have been given the choice to go back and live in a beautiful suburb outside of New York city. Everything would be provided e.g. car, food, room and board and terrific godly mentors. However, God planted some major corner stones that make me think twice about being planted there. I can tell you about them over coffee.

When it boils down to it though, it’s not about what you do or where you go. It’s about who you are and who you become that God cares about. Once God releases me from guilt, performance and expectations, I am free to endeavor any road. So, don’t ask me what I’m going to do next. I have some ideas but am waiting. For now, I’ll use the gifts God’s given, the blessings He’s provided and the people skills He’s sifted out of me. We’ll see what opportunities come up and how God leads. It’s been quite the adventure and I think I learned two years of stuff in two months! Now, I’m tired.

I haven’t done this article justice in comparison to what I really experienced. I’ll write a book one day that will open up a window wider than my New York chapter of my life. That’s another thing I was inspired to get going…a book. Hmmm…

Cindy

Tags: Cindy, experiences, Gen X, Gen Y, GenXperiences, Keung, testimony