A Day in the Crappy Life of a Girl in the Bronx

They are racist! Part 2

Roxy — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:38:34 +0000

So I am in the elevator…where most awesome things happen! and I am listening to the usual bonchinche (gossip to you non Spanish speakers!) and kinda appalled at what I am hearing.

“So did you hear they closed the Chinese Food Place on the corner?”

“Yeah, yeah! Someone died eating their food!”

“No shit, really? Damn, I’m glad I don’t eat there!”

“Yeah, people get sick there all the time. I don’t eat there at all!”

So I go around the corner, and sure enough there is a notice that they are going through “Renovations”. Hidden behind their open door was a notice from the Health Department that the place was closed due to violations. I was a little upset about this. I ate at this place all the time. I never got sick there and 95% of the time the food tasted really good. The girl who worked there was extremely sweet and I even gave her a Christmas gift.

I had to find out more. I searched every newspaper I could to see if I would be able to find out anything about someone dying from food poisoning there. It was looking to be more and more like a tall-tale.

After just 2 days, the store was back open with the same people working there. I knew that these people were talking bs in the elevator but there were at least 5 people in the elevator now believing their lies and they were talking on the street about it too.

It may be unclear to you why this would upset me but it does. Both the supermarkets here are a disgusting mess. In one supermarket, they relabel all food at least $1 over the suggested price and I once overheard them speaking about changing the dates on milk.

I get sick almost every time I buy food there. One time, I bought a Raspberry Ice Tea that had orange sludge at the bottom of it. The other supermarket had rats coming out of holes and perishables floating all around the place. I even once saw them repackage an open bag of Cheetos and try to sell it!

Most food I buy there expires within 2-3 days. So why isn’t anyone investigating them? Why isn’t the health department closing them down? Instead, they close down a place that is always clean, people always friendly, and food almost always tasty! Why? Is it because the employees at the supermarkets are Spanish (and Spanish only, no black individuals work there) and the employees at the Chinese food are Asian? I am really really SICK AND TIRED of the racism here already!!! Sure, I don’t know what was happening behind the scenes at the Chinese food place but when I can see mold growing on the food at the supermarket and I can see with my own two eyes the workers at the Chinese Food spot mopping and sweeping every time I am there, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know what’s going on here.

Don’t get me wrong. I love being part Hispanic and I am happy there is such a close-knit community here (which often I don’t find myself being included in because of my mixed decent). However, looking out for one another does not mean you have to shut out people of other races. We are all one big family here! We are all fighting hard to survive, to make ends meet, to live a good life. Someday, I hope that we can all get along. But I guess for now, I can hope and pray that truth wins out against bullshit lies and gossip.

And for those people who think that these supermarkets are owned by Hispanic individuals- think again and do some research…they are just operated by them. Don’t be ignorant. Patronize a place because of the quality of its goods and employees not because of the color of their skin.

Aggressive Much?

Roxy — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:55:45 +0000

People say that the heat brings out the worst in people. I am starting to think that is true. I was on the elevator at 8:30am, get your ass to work time for most people, when it started to fill up to the brim at around the 17th floor going down. At the 15th floor, people opened the door and rolled there eyes as they saw the elevator full. One woman riding remarked “They always acted so surprised when they see the elevator full.” We all nodded our heads in agreement. 10th floor comes around and a woman/man team with a hand-truck and a dresser open the door. There is obviously no space and the woman leers at everyone and closes the door. The commentator in the group speaks up again “Hey, what did I tell you, so surprised”. We all start to laugh when the woman opens the door and screams “Why are you laughing!”, then slams the door really hard. Everyone is surprised and shocked, and several “Oooos” come from the enclosed space. The commentator speaks “It’s too early for someone to be that angry. I am laughing because I am happy this, is there something wrong with that?”

That’s the question. Why is it that so many people in the Bronx are so incredibly aggressive all the time? The type of people who say they will kill you if you bump into them (I’ll tell you that story later!). I mean, what does everyone eat, Haties wheat cereal? All that fiber has them shittin’ anger bricks 24/7. It makes me angry myself. Why would someone be selfish enough to try to move right when people are trying to get to work? Most building have a strict 9-5 moving policy anyway. Come on, only one elevator is working at any given time. Most often, you find yourself waiting for 15 minutes or more for the elevator on a good day. When you are more than 20 floors up and wearing heels, you do not want to run down stairs. And yet you have people gunning for you and trying to start fights with you… More people should have that other woman’s attitude- laugh at the day, laugh at the tribulations, laugh at the idiots. Sure, those idiots will then want to “beat you down” if they catch you, but this is why you get the 10 years martial arts training right? In the end, people who can’t control their temper are the ones who end up getting severely hurt by their actions. And for Pete’s sake, pick a more appropriate time to move out! You won’t be nearly as penalized for being 30 minutes off schedule then these poor people working 9-5!

Stay Tuned

Roxy — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:40:29 +0000

Hey everyone,

I haven’t been updating my posts the last few weeks, but please keep checking as I will be posting new stories. Next will be the Elevator from Hell. Stay tuned!

They are racist!

Roxy — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:59:21 +0000

A week ago: So I am sleeping badly, but asleep. I hear some shouting and wake up startled. I go to my window trying to figure out what’s going on. So I listen in and lo and behold, some idiot is screaming at the top of their lungs “Kill all the black people!”. I’m like, say what? I am above the 15th floor so this guy has to be extremely loud. He shouts it another 4 times and then someone shouts back “Shut the f*** up!” I am thinking, Wow this guy is trying to commit suicide. Who goes around at 3:30 in the morning in the Bronx screaming “Kill all the black people”? Someone who has a death wish, that’s who. That’s the sad thing, even though most of the Bronx is ethnic, racism is alive and well. Maybe I’ll go into it more later, but for now, peace out!

Why Brooklyn is sometimes better…Part 1

Roxy — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:54:20 +0000

So it was Fourth of July, and L and I were planning to go out for days. Unfortunately, we had a fight the morning of and it was starting to look like it was going to be a bad day. But how could we not enjoy going out. We were only a walk away from Coney Island. So by 4-5 o clock, we put our anger aside and headed to the beach. We weren’t in the best swimwear (LOL), but we hopped in to the salty beach water and played around like little children. Just swimming around and being in the moment. Oh how I miss those days. Unfortunately, in the Bronx, there are few places where you are in walking distance of the beach (If at all?) And Orchard beach sucks. Last time I was there, there were trash cans in the water (because of high tide). All the trash was floating on the top, like dirty diapers and food containers. It was disgusting. But that isn’t what matters right? It’s the good memories that we must hold onto right? Not the bad. So remember the last time you and someone special played together and enjoyed yourself. They may not be in your life anymore, but put that positive spin in your life this morning.

If you like my blogs…please comment

Roxy — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:51:35 +0000

Hey everyone, if you like my blog please comment. It is the only true way for me to know that you are interested. I have some really screwed up stories that I would love to share with all of you, but it takes time and energy. Thanks everyone!

Harlem can be worse…

Roxy — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:18:38 +0000

Sunday 16th

So after a very annoying day trying to shop, we get off at 125st to eat. I was trying to get Taco Bell, but I honestly couldn’t find one. So we go to McDonald’s. The lines are so freakin long and the employees look like they are asleep. The woman in front of me is singing and dancing, announcing “Happy Sunday!” Anyway, I finally sit down with my boy to eat. Suddenly, a hooded guy with his face hidden and lowered tried to sell us a gold chain (which seems to be fake). He asks over andover again and we keep telling him “No” but he won’t let up. So my boyfriend starts raising his voice to him. The guy backs down saying “Ok, ok tough guy don’t beat me up.” and goes to some other customers, before coming back and repeating it a few more times. My boyfriend was pissed. The damn guy was practically spitting on our food he was so close. Anyway…we leave and I go to the bank to deposit my paycheck. I am filling out the deposit slip when some older chick comes up behind me and starts asking for money. It makes me very uncomfortable and on edge, but I just ignore her. My boyfriend,who is standing near the atm shouts “I can’t believe this shit!”, and she unwisely goes to him and starts to beg. He says “I don’t have change, money, food, booze, aids, anything to give you.” She keeps asking and he keeps rattling off strange and unusual things he doesn’t have. She eventually leaves. Later, my boyfriend chides me about being more alert. “She could have taken a knife out on you and cut your neck.” He tells me that I don’t need to be offensive, but I do need to be defensive and aware of my surroundings. I guess he is right…but I’ve been doing the path of least resistance for years. Guess New York is becoming a little more dangerous these days.

Can’t make a pizza in the Bronx

Roxy — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 01:47:00 +0000

Thurday 13th

So…we once again had to decide what we were eating today. After a hard day of work, I am not cooking, sorry. So what are our choices? Kennedy Fried Chicken,Chinese food, another Kennedy Fried Chicken, another Chinese food, and a Pizza/ Spanish food place that is always inexplicably closed by 6PM so the employees can play poker.

Me and my boy, L decided to get pizza. However, L makes the best pizza so I decided to forgo a $12 pie in favor of a homemade dish. It sleeting and raining and it’s cold as hell. We go to 1st Supermarket and start buying ingredients- red pepper, green pepper, etc etc. So we look for pizza crust and a stick of pepperoni. Looking,looking…no dice. We ask one of the employees. He actually speaks English, I am genuinely surprised! He’s very nice and tries to find it for us. He tells us he used to stock if for them and they carry it in his neighborhood. Well, we aren’t in your neighborhood are we? We are near Hunt’s Point and they only carry Spanish food. I mean come on, I am half Puerto Rican and all, but the Pathmark in Bensonhurst carries every Goya, Vitarroz, ethnic thing they can but Bravo doesn’t have Boboli? What the hell. So we hope for the best and buy the ingredients we have in our hand and go to the next store.

On the way we have to duck a truck on the sidewalk with a plow removing snow. Good ole Department of Housing- endangering pedestrians and creating a sheet a black ice (who needs salt?) Sigh…

So we finally get to the Met Supermarket. Oh boy,oh boy. The Met. And I wonder why I stopped going there. The cashiers are rude, the employees ignore you, the prices are outrageous, and it’s dirty half the time. But we need crust right? So we go in and they are restocking at 3pm in the day. There is hardly any walking space and people are knocking into each other. Sure enough they have no pizza crust, but plenty of freaking Tortilla shells! We had no choice but to buy yeast and flour and make the damn dough (thank God he’s half Italian right?). We go to get a pan and they are all bent out of shape. While trying to get it I get covered with dirty ice. Guess what? The stock got wet! So the employees are throwing things over the head of customers and splashing them with grey sludge. Me and my boyfriend were about to explode. We had to get out of there.

Honestly though, my baby made a great pizza. Red and green peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni (the Oscar Meyer kind unfortunately) , sweet Italian sausage, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Want some?