Lamp Hunting 101

This course is directed at students who are in need of lamp and live in urban areas.

Preparation:
Research, research, research, baby! Many options, many choices, but a limited budget make internet research essential. Compare prices and styles AND delivery terms and possibilities or other forms of transportation - subway? bus? taxi? the old fashion legs?

Implementation:
IKEA seems to provide nice lamps for a very reasonable price - can I buy it with a clean conscience?? AND they provide FREE shuttle busses!! Woohoo! It does require you to cross to another state...but who cares! A new FREE (for the most part) adventure!

Prep on time for the day of the hunt. Stock up on some snacks. Take a 25 minute subway ride to the bus terminal..CORRECTION: construction on the A track. Take an EVERLASTING bus ride through the entire city..stop every half a mile - but enjoy the tour: new sights..actually: sights! Which are a major advantage over subway rides. Walk 15 minutes from 42nd and 5th to 42nd and 8th at a New York speed to avoid being overloaded by touristy fliers. Search the right bus, wait for bus, enjoy the ride.

Arrive at IKEA (I forget for a moment that I'm in the US, not in Amsterdam Zuid Oost). Run through the store to find everything in 30 minutes so waiting on the next bus is limited. Meanwhile, keep your eyes open for that one Golden Lamp:) and try not to be tempted by all the little pick-me-ups "do I really really REALLY NEED it?" should be your credo. Check out and enjoy the bus ride to Manhattan - with a great view of the island!

Walk a block to the 1 subway - busses take to long..with heavy lamp-in-box, bag with pick-me-ups (I did not succeed...but in my case they fall under 'necessities') and regular -too heavy- bag....Wait for the 1. Stuff yourself in a crowded train..and try not to hit anyone with one of your bags OR drop your precious lamp. Be prepared to stop at EVERY station....unlike the express train..walk 2 blocks to apt with arms as heavy as lead.

Costs:
Time, lots of time..5 hours in total. Some dollars, but only 3.25% sales tax! And lots of 'sorry's' and 'excuse me's'.

Prize:
A wonderful lamp! Couple of other things to make a house a home:) And the realization that what you did might have been a bigger deal than you first thought, that you can do quite a lot, that life is different, but fun without a car and that living in NYC is not such a bad thing after all...

Note from the author: it could have been some what faster, perhaps 3.5-4 hours.. Roommate explained that construction on subway is usually just between 2 stations..so if I would have taken the right bus I could have been at the bus terminal in 20-30 minutes..instead of an hour and a half! Ah well...I got to see Manhattan.. ALL of it!