Background check

Some of you may be asking, "What makes your point of view so interesting? After all, there are many blogs out there written from a New York resident's point of view. In fact, the whole "One Year in New York" idea isn't even all that original -- there are other blogs with the same name!"

It may help to explain a little about my background and what puts me in an interesting observational position to write this blog. I was born and raised in a relatively small town in Malaysia, didn't come to the United States until I was 18, and only moved into the City three years ago. To go from a suburb in an obscure resort town in South East Asia to a megalopolis of over 8 million people is a transition that still leaves me wide-eyed. Everything around me is interesting and noteworthy, if not easy. For example, my living expenses are stratospheric, I don't own a car, and my apartment that I share with my wife is not much larger than my college dorm room. But these restrictions are what makes life unique in the City. And even if you're a fellow NYC resident for whom these things are familiar, I'm hoping you'll relate to my experiences and enjoy reading about them.

Some of you may wonder what I hope to achieve by spending time every day writing about all this stuff. It's still early in the process, but for now, I'm thinking of this blog as an open diary and a news bulletin of sorts. People who know me can keep up with everything that's going on in my life, and people who don't will, at the very least, get some idea of what urban living is like. Plus, I'm interested in all the things you're into as well: food, music, movies, art and design, sports, community, work, and politics. My understanding of and interest in these subjects will color the next twelve months' of posts.

Let me know what you think!