21 July 2007 – The Big, Tasty Apple

 

 

Settling into training in NYC was comparable to settling into university.  There were of course a few differences between the two times though.  For one, rather than having a small single bedroom, in a dark basement of a halls in Paddington, with the view of a brick wall and my kitchen, I had my own apartment, in Jersey City, on the 38^th floor overlooking Manhattan.  On the down side I did have to get up every morning and felt compelled to wear a suit to work  (in fact I still do).  The short of New York City is that I loved it (although I haven’t bought the T-shirt).  I appreciate that my experience of living there was heavily skewed by the circumstances but I can’t understand how people would not be awed by this place.  In fact that’s a lie because I can imagine people that could quite understandably experience life as unabatedly repugnant, but I think you know what I mean.  The place is bustling.  Service is excellent.  Staff are very professional no matter what their job is.  Decisions are quick.  People aren’t so shy. Pick up games of many different sports can be played throughout the city.  There are excellent places to have brunch. Central park is the perfect place to relax or hang out…  The list goes on.

 

Saturday 21 July was a typical weekend day in NYC and my Su, Annelies, was visiting from Ohio.

Day starts with Path train from Newport, Jersey to WTC site, lower Manhattan.  Have a look around the Four World Financial Center and the Winter Garden.  Starbucks for 2 Grande mocha frappuccinos, one skinny – no cream, one regular – with cream.  Walk up along the west side of Manhattan by the Hudson river and talk about investment management and the financial services industry.  Stop at an art gallery of Alex Grey to see his 10 year works:  Sacred Mirrors;  a series of 21 life-sized paintings that portray transcendentalism in highly detailed, translucent, physical, human forms interlaced with spiritual imagery and landscapes.  Cut into Greenwich village and on to Union square to watch a bit of street performance and part of a 10 minute chess game.  Up Park Avenue, to see Grand Central, counting the blocks E 34^th, E 35^th, E 36^th … must have stopped for food somewhere around here (think we had a subway – love those meatballs).  Starbucks for 2 more Grande mocha frappuccinos.  No one asks for money so I take them and have an attack of conscience wondering whether I should have paid.  By coincidence I see a boy with, “OH NO JOHN” written on the back of his T-shirt and point it out to Annie.  59^th street, arrive at the base of Central Park.  Buy Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy books.  Sit just up from The Pond in the park and read.  See a dad teaching his young girl to climb the rocks in the park.  See people playing football.  See people playing baseball.  See people chilling like us.  Good day.

 

Later in the evening, after having been home, we went to Borders on Union Square to see what the deal was with getting a copy of the new Harry Potter book.  Thousands were in line to get their hands on a copy of,  “…the Deathly Hallows”.  Realizing we had a much better chance of picking the book up at some other store in the morning we left to go home via a Starbucks for a couple of Mocha Fraps.