Hey, I'm in a new Country!
I flew into Oslo last night and took the late train downtown. I'm really loving Oslo. I did not have very high expectations but it has a very nice vibe.
I was wondering around downtown last night and was totally comfortable walking till I got lost and then found my bearings again. The city is very much like Vancouver, with trees in the city, tons of boutique shops (more compressed and the shops are a mix of the american ones we see in Vancouver plus an equal number of European ones).
A couple differences are that their taxis are Mercedes and they have more 7 elevens than us. I think I saw 6 different 7-11s within 8 smallish blocks.
Norway is a west-coast country...The weather is also the same. Mild and a little damp. Today it is a bright and sunny autumn day with yellow leaves rustling in the trees and along the ground. The leaves falling sometimes look like golden snow. I think I accidentally ate a leaf (call me leaf breath).
People seem genuinely friendly. I talked to a guy on the train from the airport to Oslo. He is from up north but is working as an assistant-judge near the airport and was returning home to Oslo.
I saw Vinland park this morning which has some amazing statues of men, women and babies posed in very different and very evocative ways.
Monday, September 27, 2004
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Miscellaneous Icelandic Trivia
Here is some info I discovered and that I thought was interesting about Iceland:
* Population is 290k people. More than that come to visit each year. By far the majority of tourists I have met in Iceland are from the U.K.
* 75% of the men come from Norweigen descent. 75% of the women come from Irish descent. Not sure if women were wooed or shangheied.
* The smoother the lava, the deeper it´s source
* Tons of earthquakes. The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates which run
from the north to the south poles are exposed or on the surface only here in Iceland.
* Bjork comes from Iceland. Bjork is weird (my opinion strongly disputed by others)
* The icelandic language is the same as used in old english times. An icelander can read 12th century english literature.
* Tolkien used Icelandic mythology as a source for his Lord of the Rings. Frodo is icelandic for knowledge. Gimly = where you die. Gandalf = magic elf.
* Icelanders derive 65% of their income from fishing. 11% from tourism. Currently Bauxite from Japan and Australia is shipped to Iceland for processing into Aluminum. The cost advantages of using the Icelandic geothermal energy justifies that transportation expense.
* No tuition in Iceland
* Icelandic mythology identifies 4 other kinds of people: elves who live in tall cliffs, dwarves, hidden people and trolls. Icelanders might say that a hidden person took something instead of accusing someone of stealing.
* Iceland was under Belgian control. When Germany took Belgium in WW2, Icelanders took the opportunity to declare their independence.
* Icelandic keyboards are annoying. For example, Alt-Q to get the @ symbol...
* Population is 290k people. More than that come to visit each year. By far the majority of tourists I have met in Iceland are from the U.K.
* 75% of the men come from Norweigen descent. 75% of the women come from Irish descent. Not sure if women were wooed or shangheied.
* The smoother the lava, the deeper it´s source
* Tons of earthquakes. The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates which run
from the north to the south poles are exposed or on the surface only here in Iceland.
* Bjork comes from Iceland. Bjork is weird (my opinion strongly disputed by others)
* The icelandic language is the same as used in old english times. An icelander can read 12th century english literature.
* Tolkien used Icelandic mythology as a source for his Lord of the Rings. Frodo is icelandic for knowledge. Gimly = where you die. Gandalf = magic elf.
* Icelanders derive 65% of their income from fishing. 11% from tourism. Currently Bauxite from Japan and Australia is shipped to Iceland for processing into Aluminum. The cost advantages of using the Icelandic geothermal energy justifies that transportation expense.
* No tuition in Iceland
* Icelandic mythology identifies 4 other kinds of people: elves who live in tall cliffs, dwarves, hidden people and trolls. Icelanders might say that a hidden person took something instead of accusing someone of stealing.
* Iceland was under Belgian control. When Germany took Belgium in WW2, Icelanders took the opportunity to declare their independence.
* Icelandic keyboards are annoying. For example, Alt-Q to get the @ symbol...
Last Night in Iceland
Tonight is my last night here in Iceland. Tomorrow, I´m going to the Blue Lagoon fancy hotsprings/spa and then I´ll be flying to Oslo, Norway.
Today I went on a tour of the so-called Golden Circle which includes three of the main highlights of Iceland near Reykavik. These include the Geysir area which is where there is the second biggist geyser in the world called Geysir. The english word geyser is derived from the name of this geyser. The number one is Old Faithful in Yellowstone (saw that one last year).
The next highlight is the multi-level Golfoss waterfall which is a waterfall into canyons formed by earthquakes. We also saw the pingveilleir which is where they used to hold outdoor parlimentary sessions.
My exciting Saturday night consists of packing up, doing some research on Norway and finishing my laundry!
Today I went on a tour of the so-called Golden Circle which includes three of the main highlights of Iceland near Reykavik. These include the Geysir area which is where there is the second biggist geyser in the world called Geysir. The english word geyser is derived from the name of this geyser. The number one is Old Faithful in Yellowstone (saw that one last year).
The next highlight is the multi-level Golfoss waterfall which is a waterfall into canyons formed by earthquakes. We also saw the pingveilleir which is where they used to hold outdoor parlimentary sessions.
My exciting Saturday night consists of packing up, doing some research on Norway and finishing my laundry!
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Iceland is expensive
Expensive stuff: A head of lettuce that I could get for about 69 cents back home costs about $4.00.
Went for a few beers with Gemma from England (Mainstone actually - which is close to where my parents grew up) and Petra from Sweden. Had a great time: we went to three places - a hard rock/grungy place that seemed to only play AC/DC, Perl Jam and GNR. We then went to a cool cafe style place with a larger crowd. The last place was a club that is owned by one of the Blur band members. Very cool place and had couches where we could check out the real Icelanders telling fishing stories (I think - one guy seemed to have lots facts about skinning things). Beer is expensive though - about $10 Canadian per pint. Good news is that at those prices, the beer lasts longer :)
The water here is heated from the geysers...the hot water has a lot of sulfer and smells really bad (like rotten eggs).
Went for a few beers with Gemma from England (Mainstone actually - which is close to where my parents grew up) and Petra from Sweden. Had a great time: we went to three places - a hard rock/grungy place that seemed to only play AC/DC, Perl Jam and GNR. We then went to a cool cafe style place with a larger crowd. The last place was a club that is owned by one of the Blur band members. Very cool place and had couches where we could check out the real Icelanders telling fishing stories (I think - one guy seemed to have lots facts about skinning things). Beer is expensive though - about $10 Canadian per pint. Good news is that at those prices, the beer lasts longer :)
The water here is heated from the geysers...the hot water has a lot of sulfer and smells really bad (like rotten eggs).
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Hello from Iceland
Just flew into Iceland this morning. I´m in culture shock. Where are the skyscrapers? Where is the hot sun? Where is the subway? I´m not sure I´ve finished digesting NY. BTW, the thing I liked best about NY is how everyone does their own thing there. From what I can tell, there is not the same kind of defined fashion and lifestyle categories that we have in Vancouver.
I haven´t figured Reykavik out yet... From what I´ve seen before it reminds me of a cross between England (because of the different cars, they have, the roundabouts and the funny coloured post-office boxes), Campbell River (because it is a small city on the water), an Inuit village (because of the prefab houses) and Unionville/Whistler/Banff (because of the number of expensive boutique shops downtown). The terrain is very flat and very rocky with very black soil - presumably volcanic. No trees. Just grass patches between black soil and rock.
It´s cold here compared to NYC. It was high 20s in NY and it is maybe around 10 degrees here. Yesterday I could be wearing shorts. Today, I´m wearing a winter jacket and wondering if I should have unpacked my gloves.
The icelandic language is a bit of a mind breaker. I just realized that I´ve heard most languages of the world through TV and Movies. ie. We have all heard Russian, German, Spanish, French, even Arabic languages that way. When is the last time you´ve heard Icelandic? It makes it hard to remember things. For example, my hostel is near the Sunlaugavegur and Kringlumjrabraut intersection. Try saying that 10 times fast!
Stuff here is expensive. The ritter bar at the hostel is 250KR ($5). I don´t think I´ll be having too many of those!
I talked to a girl on the bus from the Airport. I was actually going to try and walk from the airport, but decided to do things the "normal" way. I´m glad I did, because when I got on the bus, I found out that we were 50KM from Reykavik! Anyway, turns out the girl works at a tourist information centre on weekends so here is what I found out:
1. There are no puffins. They have left already. According to the guy sitting behind me they went to Newfoundland. The guy behind me was a paramedic going to pick up someone from Canada who is sick and need help getting back.
2. The only way for me to see a puffin right now eat one (order one in a restaurant)
3. Puffins don´t taste good and smell terrible.
4. Icelanders don´t celebrate Thanksgiving, nor do they eat puffins for Thanksgiving
I´m thinking of taking a horseback riding tour one day and then another day I´ll rent a car and look around.
I haven´t figured Reykavik out yet... From what I´ve seen before it reminds me of a cross between England (because of the different cars, they have, the roundabouts and the funny coloured post-office boxes), Campbell River (because it is a small city on the water), an Inuit village (because of the prefab houses) and Unionville/Whistler/Banff (because of the number of expensive boutique shops downtown). The terrain is very flat and very rocky with very black soil - presumably volcanic. No trees. Just grass patches between black soil and rock.
It´s cold here compared to NYC. It was high 20s in NY and it is maybe around 10 degrees here. Yesterday I could be wearing shorts. Today, I´m wearing a winter jacket and wondering if I should have unpacked my gloves.
The icelandic language is a bit of a mind breaker. I just realized that I´ve heard most languages of the world through TV and Movies. ie. We have all heard Russian, German, Spanish, French, even Arabic languages that way. When is the last time you´ve heard Icelandic? It makes it hard to remember things. For example, my hostel is near the Sunlaugavegur and Kringlumjrabraut intersection. Try saying that 10 times fast!
Stuff here is expensive. The ritter bar at the hostel is 250KR ($5). I don´t think I´ll be having too many of those!
I talked to a girl on the bus from the Airport. I was actually going to try and walk from the airport, but decided to do things the "normal" way. I´m glad I did, because when I got on the bus, I found out that we were 50KM from Reykavik! Anyway, turns out the girl works at a tourist information centre on weekends so here is what I found out:
1. There are no puffins. They have left already. According to the guy sitting behind me they went to Newfoundland. The guy behind me was a paramedic going to pick up someone from Canada who is sick and need help getting back.
2. The only way for me to see a puffin right now eat one (order one in a restaurant)
3. Puffins don´t taste good and smell terrible.
4. Icelanders don´t celebrate Thanksgiving, nor do they eat puffins for Thanksgiving
I´m thinking of taking a horseback riding tour one day and then another day I´ll rent a car and look around.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
last night in NY
Went on a bit of a bender last night with Kerri and Jacki from Australia, Jules from Germany, Patrick and Phil from Switzerland, Anna and her b/f also from Australia, Fabiana from Argentina and a guy from England.
Good times last night... Regretting it this morning...
Good times last night... Regretting it this morning...
Monday, September 20, 2004
David Letterman Update
So I guess the fact that Lexington was closed earlier this day should have foreshadowed David Letterman... Tons of security at the show, with all the surrounding streets closed. Everyone was wondering who would be appearing in the show... Bush???? Kerry????
Turns out it was Kerry with musical guest Green Day. The protesters were anti-bush.
As for the show here are some interesting tidbits of info:
* they hand out a form at the beginning to see if anyone has any stupid human tricks or other strange things that they can use in future shows.
* no cameras and no bathroom breaks during the show
* The TV cameras and the guy holding up the cue cards block most of the stage. I spent most of my time looking at the Secret service guy or the TV - more than the show itself
* The colours of the set and the guests (and Dave) are all washed out. When shown on TV they magically become saturated. It's like all of the Red is added back in manually.
* There is a Warm up act. The orchestra does a warm up, then a standup comedian, then Dave comes out for about 3 minutes to joke around.
* During commercials and before the show they show "best of dave" clips to keep the energy level high.
* You are NOT allowed to "WOO" or whistle. Their mics cannot handle them.
* Dave drinks decaf coffee and water during the show
* Republicans never clap when a Democrat speaks (Colorado couple next to me)
* I should be on tonight's show (in the far back, dead centre). If anyone cares... I don't really.
That's all. Highly recommended activity.
Turns out it was Kerry with musical guest Green Day. The protesters were anti-bush.
As for the show here are some interesting tidbits of info:
* they hand out a form at the beginning to see if anyone has any stupid human tricks or other strange things that they can use in future shows.
* no cameras and no bathroom breaks during the show
* The TV cameras and the guy holding up the cue cards block most of the stage. I spent most of my time looking at the Secret service guy or the TV - more than the show itself
* The colours of the set and the guests (and Dave) are all washed out. When shown on TV they magically become saturated. It's like all of the Red is added back in manually.
* There is a Warm up act. The orchestra does a warm up, then a standup comedian, then Dave comes out for about 3 minutes to joke around.
* During commercials and before the show they show "best of dave" clips to keep the energy level high.
* You are NOT allowed to "WOO" or whistle. Their mics cannot handle them.
* Dave drinks decaf coffee and water during the show
* Republicans never clap when a Democrat speaks (Colorado couple next to me)
* I should be on tonight's show (in the far back, dead centre). If anyone cares... I don't really.
That's all. Highly recommended activity.
subway to harlem and bronx and back
Just took the subway to Harlem. Someone suggested I take the tour bus, but Janet the hostel clerk who lives there hates the busses of white people driving through the black neighbourhoods. So I decided to walk around. It was a change of scene, like you might expect 99 percent of the people there are black. It was bright and sunny compared to the shady times square and downtown where I vistited before. I took a quick picture of the Apollo and continued on to Yankee Stadium.
Yankee Stadium was smaller than I expected. I only got to see the outside because I could not get tickets for the Boston vs NY series which is extremely popular here. I took a picture of my self next to that "bat" thing near the entrance wearing a Saskatchewan Raiders T-Shirt (for Brad).
On the subway on the way back (it's a long ride), a guy started making weird noises and went into a full seizure in my car. Not sure what to do when this happens - people were trying to help by keeping him upright... probably the best is to leave him on the ground - OTOH he was foaming at the mouth. I held the doors open until someone went and got the police from the street above. I was in shock afterwards and felt like throwing up. Because the train was stopped there I walked back to the hostel from 55ish and Lexington. The Lexington street was closed to cars and there were tons of security people because apparently Bush and Kerry are in town.
Yankee Stadium was smaller than I expected. I only got to see the outside because I could not get tickets for the Boston vs NY series which is extremely popular here. I took a picture of my self next to that "bat" thing near the entrance wearing a Saskatchewan Raiders T-Shirt (for Brad).
On the subway on the way back (it's a long ride), a guy started making weird noises and went into a full seizure in my car. Not sure what to do when this happens - people were trying to help by keeping him upright... probably the best is to leave him on the ground - OTOH he was foaming at the mouth. I held the doors open until someone went and got the police from the street above. I was in shock afterwards and felt like throwing up. Because the train was stopped there I walked back to the hostel from 55ish and Lexington. The Lexington street was closed to cars and there were tons of security people because apparently Bush and Kerry are in town.
yay!
Yay! I got the David Letterman tickets!
I got up early this morning - which wasn't easy by the way because the guy in the bunk above me kept 'shaking' all night. He must have been cold. The room wasn't cold.
I'd been playing telephone tag all weekend with the ticket office there and was glad that I finally got through at around 10:45. I have to show up there between 3 and 4 and will be watching the 5:30 taping. I have no idea who will be there.
I'm pretty excited. I think the fact that it took me awhile to get the tix - makes it more exciting
I got up early this morning - which wasn't easy by the way because the guy in the bunk above me kept 'shaking' all night. He must have been cold. The room wasn't cold.
I'd been playing telephone tag all weekend with the ticket office there and was glad that I finally got through at around 10:45. I have to show up there between 3 and 4 and will be watching the 5:30 taping. I have no idea who will be there.
I'm pretty excited. I think the fact that it took me awhile to get the tix - makes it more exciting
Sunday, September 19, 2004
BakuBaku, U.N., Empire State, Hogs and Heifers, Brooklyn Bridge, Feast of San Generro
Friday night I went to a comedy club with the MiNY group. They were doing an Anime comedy sketch with three super-hero girls who were the students of a young american who went over there to teach English in the BakuBaku Corporation Cram School. BakuBaku was a suspended white seal who also sold umbrellas, suicide kits, and noodles. It was an excellent show and only cost $8.
Saturday I slept in until Noon. I was going to take Saturday "off" as I woke up with a bit of a head cold. I did my laundry, but also ended up doing the U.N. tour, got a haircut and went to Hogs and Heifers.
I got a tour at the U.N.: I was surprised how run down the building is. The security council was going to be in session after I left to discuss a relsolution regarding Sudan. It was pretty cool to be able to go walk in the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Economic development rooms. I asked the tour guide and apparently the U.S. is still behind by about $1 billion dollars in dues. The guide indicated that private individuals in the U.S. such as Bill Gates already donates more than the U.S. annual dues.
I got a haircut at a fancy place. I forget the name - I'll add it later. Apparently it's famous/franchised from Paris.
Then I went to see the Empire State Building. They offer some other add-ons there such as a IMAX ride and/or a audio tour. I went for the IMAX ride and enjoyed it. I actually felt a bit dizzy afterwards. Empire State building is now the tallest building in New York.
A couple people recommended that I check out a bar called "Hogs and Heifers" in the Meatpacking District. This bar is or might be the inspiration for Coyote Ugly. Basically girls are supposed to go dance on the bar and occasionally throw their bars onto this hanging structure of other bras. I saw tons of bras, but only one girl dancing on the bar. I did not stay long. It was very small, nicely decorated but not really my thing.
Today, Sunday, I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. There is a wooden walkway suspended about 12 feet above the cars. I've heard of people jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge and it looks like a pretty good place to do it. Though to get to the edge the person would have to walk or crawl across the beams above the traffic.
The feast of San Generro is going on right now in Little Italy. I'm meeting some MiNY people there in about 2 minutes. It's packed full of people. The weather today is hot and sunny and I think everyone is out because it rained yesterday.
Saturday I slept in until Noon. I was going to take Saturday "off" as I woke up with a bit of a head cold. I did my laundry, but also ended up doing the U.N. tour, got a haircut and went to Hogs and Heifers.
I got a tour at the U.N.: I was surprised how run down the building is. The security council was going to be in session after I left to discuss a relsolution regarding Sudan. It was pretty cool to be able to go walk in the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Economic development rooms. I asked the tour guide and apparently the U.S. is still behind by about $1 billion dollars in dues. The guide indicated that private individuals in the U.S. such as Bill Gates already donates more than the U.S. annual dues.
I got a haircut at a fancy place. I forget the name - I'll add it later. Apparently it's famous/franchised from Paris.
Then I went to see the Empire State Building. They offer some other add-ons there such as a IMAX ride and/or a audio tour. I went for the IMAX ride and enjoyed it. I actually felt a bit dizzy afterwards. Empire State building is now the tallest building in New York.
A couple people recommended that I check out a bar called "Hogs and Heifers" in the Meatpacking District. This bar is or might be the inspiration for Coyote Ugly. Basically girls are supposed to go dance on the bar and occasionally throw their bars onto this hanging structure of other bras. I saw tons of bras, but only one girl dancing on the bar. I did not stay long. It was very small, nicely decorated but not really my thing.
Today, Sunday, I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. There is a wooden walkway suspended about 12 feet above the cars. I've heard of people jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge and it looks like a pretty good place to do it. Though to get to the edge the person would have to walk or crawl across the beams above the traffic.
The feast of San Generro is going on right now in Little Italy. I'm meeting some MiNY people there in about 2 minutes. It's packed full of people. The weather today is hot and sunny and I think everyone is out because it rained yesterday.
Friday, September 17, 2004
Thursday and Friday notes
Thursday night I went and saw Rent. Rent is a musical that explores what is important in life (relationships) and what it means to be a person. Themes of the musical were good as was some of the numbers. Some of the numbers were boring and I was fading out during them. I would like to see "Mama Mia" the Abba musical, but I'm not sure if I want to spend the $$$.
Friday I went to apply for David Letterman tickets. I am a big fan of David Letterman and it would be cool to see him on my visit. I got a call back today so I think I should be able to go see the show on Monday!
I also visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and History. It is amazing/shocking/overwhelming. I was completly surprised by the number of Greek, Roman, Oceanic, South American, and African relics on display. They also had alot of Medieval stuff too. What is shocking is that none of this stuff really 'belongs' in New York. They have moved an entire temple from Egypt to one of the displays. They have moved other rooms from palaces from Germany and Switzerland and Spain into their display rooms. If I have energy I'll go again.
Friday I went to apply for David Letterman tickets. I am a big fan of David Letterman and it would be cool to see him on my visit. I got a call back today so I think I should be able to go see the show on Monday!
I also visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and History. It is amazing/shocking/overwhelming. I was completly surprised by the number of Greek, Roman, Oceanic, South American, and African relics on display. They also had alot of Medieval stuff too. What is shocking is that none of this stuff really 'belongs' in New York. They have moved an entire temple from Egypt to one of the displays. They have moved other rooms from palaces from Germany and Switzerland and Spain into their display rooms. If I have energy I'll go again.
Thursday, September 16, 2004
New York Stuff Done So Far
Here is a list of some of the stuff I've done so far:
* Got to the hostel: took the subway and a cab. Hostel is right on Times Square. The hostel is pretty big but facilities are cramped. There is not a very good lounge area. My room is shared with 3 other people. First two nights was with a guy from Denver, a guy from Japan (Japanese guy was supposed to be in Florida but got evacuated up here) and some other guy that came and left in the night. Tonight is with a differnent Japanese guy who is in to watch the Yankees and two New Zealanders (whom I have not met yet).
* Went to central park. Full of business people and moms during the day. Big park, with large lawns. Not a forest ala. Stanley park.
* Visited a bunch of other buildings: Rockefeller Centre, Tiffanys (I never really noticed how diamonds sparkle until I went in there - really), Kenneth Cole (cool leather jacket - though Kenneth Cole stuff always self-destructs on me), Empire State building, New York Library (big and european looking), Statue of Liberty )what I expected - Europeans seem to think it is smaller than they expected), Ground Zero ( a big construction site/hole in the ground), Wall Street (high security: guys with machine guns ensure that only those people with NYSE passes get close to the stock exchange also there are tons of Falun Gong protesters trying to raise awareness of being tortured in China). Visited a bunch of stores on Times Square.
* Had a dinner with Christina. I met Christina while she was in Vancouver at a MeetInVancouver event. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner, an italian restaurant for dessert and a chinese Karaoke bar for drinks. Everyone drinks in New York. Despite the fact that even in the divish bars the drinks go for $8.50. What is cool is the variety of restaurants that are constantly opening in NY.
* Went for drinks with the MeetInNewYork group. I'm part of the MeetInVancouver group in Vancouver (see www.meetin.org). So I signed up for an event to hang around with these guys. We went for drinks at the Fat Cat Pussy Cat bar and then went for Chinese food and then went for more drinks at the Stoned Crow. I was really pleased with the fact that I was able to hang around with 30 or so real New Yorkers (I'm tired of tourists). As I mentioned before I found them to be very outspoken yet friendly. They are also a very cosmopolitan group.
* Today I went to the Library, took a nap at the hostel and went and bought a Theatre ticket to go see Rent. I also visited the David Letterman (Ed Sullivan) theatre on Broadway. They are closed until Monday - I'll try and get tickets for that tomorrow - but I don't have high expectations.
The stuff I've got left to do is to go to the Metropolitan Museam of Art and go up the Empire State building. I've got 4 days left so I should have plenty of time. I might go out to a club this weekend and might get over to Yankee stadium. Several people have suggested taking the (free) Staten Island ferry.
* Got to the hostel: took the subway and a cab. Hostel is right on Times Square. The hostel is pretty big but facilities are cramped. There is not a very good lounge area. My room is shared with 3 other people. First two nights was with a guy from Denver, a guy from Japan (Japanese guy was supposed to be in Florida but got evacuated up here) and some other guy that came and left in the night. Tonight is with a differnent Japanese guy who is in to watch the Yankees and two New Zealanders (whom I have not met yet).
* Went to central park. Full of business people and moms during the day. Big park, with large lawns. Not a forest ala. Stanley park.
* Visited a bunch of other buildings: Rockefeller Centre, Tiffanys (I never really noticed how diamonds sparkle until I went in there - really), Kenneth Cole (cool leather jacket - though Kenneth Cole stuff always self-destructs on me), Empire State building, New York Library (big and european looking), Statue of Liberty )what I expected - Europeans seem to think it is smaller than they expected), Ground Zero ( a big construction site/hole in the ground), Wall Street (high security: guys with machine guns ensure that only those people with NYSE passes get close to the stock exchange also there are tons of Falun Gong protesters trying to raise awareness of being tortured in China). Visited a bunch of stores on Times Square.
* Had a dinner with Christina. I met Christina while she was in Vancouver at a MeetInVancouver event. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner, an italian restaurant for dessert and a chinese Karaoke bar for drinks. Everyone drinks in New York. Despite the fact that even in the divish bars the drinks go for $8.50. What is cool is the variety of restaurants that are constantly opening in NY.
* Went for drinks with the MeetInNewYork group. I'm part of the MeetInVancouver group in Vancouver (see www.meetin.org). So I signed up for an event to hang around with these guys. We went for drinks at the Fat Cat Pussy Cat bar and then went for Chinese food and then went for more drinks at the Stoned Crow. I was really pleased with the fact that I was able to hang around with 30 or so real New Yorkers (I'm tired of tourists). As I mentioned before I found them to be very outspoken yet friendly. They are also a very cosmopolitan group.
* Today I went to the Library, took a nap at the hostel and went and bought a Theatre ticket to go see Rent. I also visited the David Letterman (Ed Sullivan) theatre on Broadway. They are closed until Monday - I'll try and get tickets for that tomorrow - but I don't have high expectations.
The stuff I've got left to do is to go to the Metropolitan Museam of Art and go up the Empire State building. I've got 4 days left so I should have plenty of time. I might go out to a club this weekend and might get over to Yankee stadium. Several people have suggested taking the (free) Staten Island ferry.
New York Observations
I arrived in New York on Monday morning. It was surprisingly hot at about 26 degrees celcius. For some reason I figured it would be cooler - like Toronto. In case Toronto was cooler. It's also very humid.
But before I got to New York I had just finished flying overnight on an Air Canada red-eye flight from Vancouver with a connection in Toronto. I did not sleep well on the flight and was pretty much 'shattered' on Monday because of it. I met a guy from Hamilton on the first leg who worked as a locksmith and was returning to get his masters degree.
After getting Toronto I had to go through U.S. customs hell. It was a large room filled with people. It seemed like half of the people in there were in the same situation as me: the flight was starting to board and we had not got through customs yet!
On the second leg to New York I met a consultant from New York. We were going to split a cab until he realized I had to get my bags from the checked luggage. I took a cab and the subway on my own to the Big Apple Hostel.
The Big Apple hostel is in Times Square. Times Square is that block of huge digital billboards and traffic lights that is shown all of the time on TV. Walking up there I made a few observations:
* Air pollution. I didn't think of it, but there is no fresh air in New York. Just variations of exhaust fumes. It's not like you can see the exhaust (and after a couple days - I don't even think of it anymore). I've been twice to the Hudson River park to get away from the buildings. To me it feels the most like home - to get away from being surrounded by 50 blocks of skyscrapers.
* Oral fixations. Everyone seems to be talking on a cellphone or smoking or doing both at the same time. The way I tell the real new yorkers from the tourists is based on if they are talking on a cell phone and how aggressively they charge into intersections/jaywalk. Pinstripe suits and briefcases are also good indicators of 'authenticity'.
* Blackberries. Blackberries (and IPods) are also very popular. I went to Central park and alot of business people were busy typing away into these. Someone I met called them 'crack berries'. Explains why the RIMM stock price keeps going higher: New Yorkers are crazy for them.
* Tourists. For some reason I did not expect as many tourists as there are here. Times Square is packed and about 80% of the people here are all tourists. I talked to a couple of New Yorkers and they said that they avoid Times Square for that reason. My hostel has tons of Europeans and Japanese tourists. I'm sick of tourists.
* Safety. Manhattan is very safe. Safer than Vancouver. The reason for the safety is the amount of security. Every building has one or two security guards and every block has at least one police officer. I have not seen any crime. Except for the guy who sold me the watch... But I suppose the reason I paid too much might be somewhat my fault.
* Outspoken yet friendly people. People here are friendly and secure in their own identities. I had great help in a drugstore with my camera. I've gone out twice with real New Yorkers and both times I was impressed by how outspoken yet friendly they are. People yell in a friendly way at each other on the street.
But before I got to New York I had just finished flying overnight on an Air Canada red-eye flight from Vancouver with a connection in Toronto. I did not sleep well on the flight and was pretty much 'shattered' on Monday because of it. I met a guy from Hamilton on the first leg who worked as a locksmith and was returning to get his masters degree.
After getting Toronto I had to go through U.S. customs hell. It was a large room filled with people. It seemed like half of the people in there were in the same situation as me: the flight was starting to board and we had not got through customs yet!
On the second leg to New York I met a consultant from New York. We were going to split a cab until he realized I had to get my bags from the checked luggage. I took a cab and the subway on my own to the Big Apple Hostel.
The Big Apple hostel is in Times Square. Times Square is that block of huge digital billboards and traffic lights that is shown all of the time on TV. Walking up there I made a few observations:
* Air pollution. I didn't think of it, but there is no fresh air in New York. Just variations of exhaust fumes. It's not like you can see the exhaust (and after a couple days - I don't even think of it anymore). I've been twice to the Hudson River park to get away from the buildings. To me it feels the most like home - to get away from being surrounded by 50 blocks of skyscrapers.
* Oral fixations. Everyone seems to be talking on a cellphone or smoking or doing both at the same time. The way I tell the real new yorkers from the tourists is based on if they are talking on a cell phone and how aggressively they charge into intersections/jaywalk. Pinstripe suits and briefcases are also good indicators of 'authenticity'.
* Blackberries. Blackberries (and IPods) are also very popular. I went to Central park and alot of business people were busy typing away into these. Someone I met called them 'crack berries'. Explains why the RIMM stock price keeps going higher: New Yorkers are crazy for them.
* Tourists. For some reason I did not expect as many tourists as there are here. Times Square is packed and about 80% of the people here are all tourists. I talked to a couple of New Yorkers and they said that they avoid Times Square for that reason. My hostel has tons of Europeans and Japanese tourists. I'm sick of tourists.
* Safety. Manhattan is very safe. Safer than Vancouver. The reason for the safety is the amount of security. Every building has one or two security guards and every block has at least one police officer. I have not seen any crime. Except for the guy who sold me the watch... But I suppose the reason I paid too much might be somewhat my fault.
* Outspoken yet friendly people. People here are friendly and secure in their own identities. I had great help in a drugstore with my camera. I've gone out twice with real New Yorkers and both times I was impressed by how outspoken yet friendly they are. People yell in a friendly way at each other on the street.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)