We've been taking the subway and buses all over town. The subway is good, pretty clean but can get really hot in the stations. Not sure why but it's hotter in the stations than outside. Thankfully the trains are air conditioned otherwise it is just too like being stuck in the men's loos in the Manners mall movie theatre. Suffice to say, not good. It's only $2 on a train and you can transfer to a bus for no cost within 30 mins. I know that's a boring fact but still.
Yesterday we went Downtown and walked south. You know with kids you notice different things. Like there are no public toilets in this city (well none when you need one). I'm sure there's a business opportunity there. I've been told it's been tried before and didn't work. I've read that the phone boxes that are all over Manhattan are hardly used but that they make money out of advertising on the side of them. How about some pay loos!
Anyway, yesterday we went to Chinatown, bought cheesy T-shirts for friends. We had a great lunch at a little Chinese restaurant. We'd been searching for something that kind of fitted our meager budget and plates of beef stirfry with rice at $3.50 and rice soup at $0.90 certainly seemed to fit. Of course after seeing the place next door was about $16 - 20 a plate we ordered up big thinking the portions would be tiny. Well we ended up with doggy bags of steamed pork buns, spring rolls and left a whole load of rice after stuffing ourselves.
Next we wandered into the financial district and looked at the amazing old architecture. It's worth looking up as you wander around NYC. There are gargoyles, copper roofs, floors that go on and on. Of course we were due for another toilet stop for the kids, and there were none. But there was a Dunkin' Donuts...aaah.
Once we were done with that we went across to a nice little park. There are parks everywhere here. Not big but nice little oasis spots in the middle of the concrete jungle. There was a fountain with coins in it. Henry and Bella saw there were coins in it. So Henry wanted to get some change from me. Before he threw them in I said make a wish but don't tell me what you wish for. Plop went the coins then Henry told me what he'd wished for...A maid.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Columns, Cultures crossing, crisp sheets
We're in New York. Home to millions of people from all corners of the world. My first impressions. Damn we came at rush hour. Peggy wonderfully had arranged a limo to pick us up. The driver met us at the gate after our uncomfortable flight. He was from India originally but seemed to have been here for many years. Traffic was slow but it allowed us to appreciate the trip into the city. Both the kids fell asleep on the ride in which was good. They need their rests.
We were dropped at the door on Park Ave, nice. Look up and there are about 20 floors looming. Columns of buildings sprout everywhere in neat lines. The city is very well laid out. Especially designed for tourists to get around easily. Apart from the park which i still am having difficulty with. It's hard to see landmarks once you are in the park and the paths curve so it's quite disorientating. We've been lost each time we've gone to the park. Did a big loop yesterday looking for the zoo. Henry has been very good apart from when he's getting tired and hungry and we've been telling him for half an hour "not long now". Poor guy.
The subway is good and fairly easy to use as long as you keep a careful watch on which way you are going. We've been taking a small stroller around for Bella and it's not been any hassle apart from the entry and exit gates. We got to Grand Central on Sunday while on our way to Blues Brews and BBQ's. It is quite a sight. Amazing painting on the ceiling which is so high it must have cost a packet to get scaffolding up there when they cleaned it recently. I noticed a lot of police and one fully Combat gear army guy. All armed of course but only with pistols. I'm still waiting to see London. I remember there were sub machine guns 10 years ago so who knows what they have now.
New York feels great. It's not as noisy as I'd expected. Park Ave is quiet apart from the maoning sirens occasionally. Ambulances sound like ghosts or wailing children. There seem to be a few fire engines around. You'd hope so with all these high rise apartments. Did you read about the 2 firefighters killed in the Deutsche bank building that was being torn down floor by floor. I'd been reading the day before about how they were pulling it apart bit by bit because of damage from Sept 11.
Anyway we are safe and very comfortable here in our little haven. Provided so generously by Peggy. We are hoping for better weather tomorrow as it's been really rainy. Was hot last week but today I had a long sleeve top on and a rain coat. I'm looking forward to exploring the city on a bike there are some great paths around the park and along the Hudson river.
Cycling, cities, confrontation, consumption
Hi again
It's been a while. We've been busy with travelling, kids and generally trying to fit lots in while keeping the munchkins happy.
Before leaving LA Graham, Mark and I went cycling from Santa Monica down the beach in the blazing sun. We wandered through the burbs then around the port which was being renovated by many mexican looking workers. Tough in that heat. From Santa Monica we got down to just past LAX, a good effort in that heat. Once again I noticed our consumption of bottled water. I used to go biking a whole day in Christchurch and have two bottles which I'd refill occasionally. We are such consumers. Anyway we managed to not get knocked off which was a real possibility after reading a couple of articles that morning about road rage against cyclists in LA. Someone even had a tyre iron thrown at them. How about that for road rage. See below: Water bottles thrown from cars at cyclist's heads! and "Los Angeles is an almost pathologically bike-unfriendly city." I know what he means. I didn't actually feel unsafe but was a bit wary after reading all this. I guess it depends which part of LA you bike through? We had sore bums but no cracked heads.
I only got sworn at once when I had to stop behind an English couple on a tandem. "get out of the F$#@%$ way" he said. Another memorable moment was when a disabled guy was crossing the road in his chin controlled wheel chair. As he got to the other side a car reversed out into him. He quickly pulled back with his chin moving as fast as the 12V would carry him and narrowly missed being even more handicapped. He was already begging on the street for health bills so it couldn't get a lot worse I imagine. Talking of traffic...
There are a huge amount of Hummers in the city. One day I spotted 6 and the next 7 and that was only in the neighbourhood without even going searching. There were 4 Hummer outlets advertised in the paper. Also ads for Maseratti, Porshe, Audi, Lambourghini etc. Seems amazing to a Kiwi boy like me. People love to drive. We asked someone how to get somewhere on the bus and they said "Americans don't take the bus". Well no wonder you need all that oil!
Overall LA was great. What really made it was staying with Gwen and Graham. Thanks for making us welcome it was so relaxing to have a quiet space to come back to after all the sun and surf.
It's been a while. We've been busy with travelling, kids and generally trying to fit lots in while keeping the munchkins happy.
Before leaving LA Graham, Mark and I went cycling from Santa Monica down the beach in the blazing sun. We wandered through the burbs then around the port which was being renovated by many mexican looking workers. Tough in that heat. From Santa Monica we got down to just past LAX, a good effort in that heat. Once again I noticed our consumption of bottled water. I used to go biking a whole day in Christchurch and have two bottles which I'd refill occasionally. We are such consumers. Anyway we managed to not get knocked off which was a real possibility after reading a couple of articles that morning about road rage against cyclists in LA. Someone even had a tyre iron thrown at them. How about that for road rage. See below: Water bottles thrown from cars at cyclist's heads! and "Los Angeles is an almost pathologically bike-unfriendly city." I know what he means. I didn't actually feel unsafe but was a bit wary after reading all this. I guess it depends which part of LA you bike through? We had sore bums but no cracked heads.
I only got sworn at once when I had to stop behind an English couple on a tandem. "get out of the F$#@%$ way" he said. Another memorable moment was when a disabled guy was crossing the road in his chin controlled wheel chair. As he got to the other side a car reversed out into him. He quickly pulled back with his chin moving as fast as the 12V would carry him and narrowly missed being even more handicapped. He was already begging on the street for health bills so it couldn't get a lot worse I imagine. Talking of traffic...
There are a huge amount of Hummers in the city. One day I spotted 6 and the next 7 and that was only in the neighbourhood without even going searching. There were 4 Hummer outlets advertised in the paper. Also ads for Maseratti, Porshe, Audi, Lambourghini etc. Seems amazing to a Kiwi boy like me. People love to drive. We asked someone how to get somewhere on the bus and they said "Americans don't take the bus". Well no wonder you need all that oil!
Overall LA was great. What really made it was staying with Gwen and Graham. Thanks for making us welcome it was so relaxing to have a quiet space to come back to after all the sun and surf.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
California
Today's C word is California.
We're staying with Gwen and Graham in Santa Monica. The apartment is like how I remember Melrose place. A pool in the middle of the complex with the apartments around. Camera angles might be a bit more tricky here as the place is close to the edge of the pool. I'm loving it. We just went for a swim. I tried out the very rusty butterfly stroke, it takes 4 strokes to get to the end.
Yesterday we flew in from NZ via Auckland. What a flight. I can't sleep on those flights just need to be a bit more horizontal for that. Wendy didn't sleep much either so we were both a bit grumpy. Don't ask me how long our Saturday was, I cant be bothered to work it out. I can't stand flying those big trips. Of course we were in cattle class with enough leg room for a dwarf. No actually with my legs snuggled onto the feet of the guy in front I could lie back quite well. He didn't seem to mind. The kids were good mostly. Poor Hen was too long to lie down but not long enough for his legs to touch the floor so couldn't get comfortable. They both loved listening to Mika and watching Shrek and Hi5. We don't have TV at home so it was a big treat.
We'd left NZ at 7:30pm Sat and got here 1pm local time so we were pretty stuffed. Thank God Graham picked us up in a borrowed Toyota Prius. So quiet. As we drove with the nice GPS lady guiding every lane change I noticed not everyone was playing the same game. I saw 3 Hummers on the way, one was a stretch limo.
Gwen had whipped up some pasta and we got stuck into the wine. settled in then went out for a walk to the Santa Monica beach. On the way there was a long flight of steps 150 steps I think, really steep down the cliff side. People were walking up and down for exercise. One guy looked like he was in a trance, I guess after a circuit or two I might too. Had a swim in the sea for about an hour. It still felt cold to get in but didn't chill me to the bone like NZ's water. The local lifesaver, (Baywatch territory) Jeff, was really friendly we had a good chat. He'd been to NZ which was cool. We got talking about how in the States they only get a few weeks holiday, 2 I think. We're off for 5 and a half months (freaky!!). Walked back down the beach towards the pier. Wandered back slowly carrying children. Hen and Bella were amazing not much complaining for how tired we all were.
After getting take out pizza we got to bed at about 1 am local time. I somehow thought I could watch a movie (The King of Scotland) but got halfway and fell asleep. Slept on the couch in my clothes. Was nice not to need a duvet, not too hot or cool. No air con here but it's a pleasant something like 25 Deg C.
Today we went down to the local farmer's market. It had signs and bins promoting zero waste. There was a compostable and recycling bin. It makes me think NZ is not as clean and green as we think. I get dissapointed in NZ when I go to events and see the massive piles of waste. I'm sure most of it can either be recycled or composted. Surely it's not that hard!? We've found it hard to find recyclable cups to use in our coffee business. I've called people, even the Huhtamaki cup makers but they say they are still researching. Hmm we need to speak up and get this happening as a normal thing in NZ. We've been leaders in things before, first woman to vote, first man to the top of Everest. It's not that hard!?
Wendy bought Barbara Kingsolver's new book for me recently and has been reading it. I've read a few pages so far. Anyway it's got us into thinking about how we affect the environment and how we can be a bit more responsible. Talking of that I was shocked when we were packing the house how much rubbish we created. About 10 bags of rubbish, mostly paper but broken toys and all sorts too. I took a carload of stuff to the Salvation army and Te Omanga Hospice shop too but still I started thinking about how the family can be a bit more monk-like. Collect less stuff, collect more memories and stories. We'll see how that turns out.
We are planning to visit farmer's markets and be a bit sustainable, take public transport, walk, eat local and be generally very puritanical...ha ha. Well we'd like to make some effort towards it anyway. More on this as we travel
We're staying with Gwen and Graham in Santa Monica. The apartment is like how I remember Melrose place. A pool in the middle of the complex with the apartments around. Camera angles might be a bit more tricky here as the place is close to the edge of the pool. I'm loving it. We just went for a swim. I tried out the very rusty butterfly stroke, it takes 4 strokes to get to the end.
Yesterday we flew in from NZ via Auckland. What a flight. I can't sleep on those flights just need to be a bit more horizontal for that. Wendy didn't sleep much either so we were both a bit grumpy. Don't ask me how long our Saturday was, I cant be bothered to work it out. I can't stand flying those big trips. Of course we were in cattle class with enough leg room for a dwarf. No actually with my legs snuggled onto the feet of the guy in front I could lie back quite well. He didn't seem to mind. The kids were good mostly. Poor Hen was too long to lie down but not long enough for his legs to touch the floor so couldn't get comfortable. They both loved listening to Mika and watching Shrek and Hi5. We don't have TV at home so it was a big treat.
We'd left NZ at 7:30pm Sat and got here 1pm local time so we were pretty stuffed. Thank God Graham picked us up in a borrowed Toyota Prius. So quiet. As we drove with the nice GPS lady guiding every lane change I noticed not everyone was playing the same game. I saw 3 Hummers on the way, one was a stretch limo.
Gwen had whipped up some pasta and we got stuck into the wine. settled in then went out for a walk to the Santa Monica beach. On the way there was a long flight of steps 150 steps I think, really steep down the cliff side. People were walking up and down for exercise. One guy looked like he was in a trance, I guess after a circuit or two I might too. Had a swim in the sea for about an hour. It still felt cold to get in but didn't chill me to the bone like NZ's water. The local lifesaver, (Baywatch territory) Jeff, was really friendly we had a good chat. He'd been to NZ which was cool. We got talking about how in the States they only get a few weeks holiday, 2 I think. We're off for 5 and a half months (freaky!!). Walked back down the beach towards the pier. Wandered back slowly carrying children. Hen and Bella were amazing not much complaining for how tired we all were.
After getting take out pizza we got to bed at about 1 am local time. I somehow thought I could watch a movie (The King of Scotland) but got halfway and fell asleep. Slept on the couch in my clothes. Was nice not to need a duvet, not too hot or cool. No air con here but it's a pleasant something like 25 Deg C.
Today we went down to the local farmer's market. It had signs and bins promoting zero waste. There was a compostable and recycling bin. It makes me think NZ is not as clean and green as we think. I get dissapointed in NZ when I go to events and see the massive piles of waste. I'm sure most of it can either be recycled or composted. Surely it's not that hard!? We've found it hard to find recyclable cups to use in our coffee business. I've called people, even the Huhtamaki cup makers but they say they are still researching. Hmm we need to speak up and get this happening as a normal thing in NZ. We've been leaders in things before, first woman to vote, first man to the top of Everest. It's not that hard!?
Wendy bought Barbara Kingsolver's new book for me recently and has been reading it. I've read a few pages so far. Anyway it's got us into thinking about how we affect the environment and how we can be a bit more responsible. Talking of that I was shocked when we were packing the house how much rubbish we created. About 10 bags of rubbish, mostly paper but broken toys and all sorts too. I took a carload of stuff to the Salvation army and Te Omanga Hospice shop too but still I started thinking about how the family can be a bit more monk-like. Collect less stuff, collect more memories and stories. We'll see how that turns out.
We are planning to visit farmer's markets and be a bit sustainable, take public transport, walk, eat local and be generally very puritanical...ha ha. Well we'd like to make some effort towards it anyway. More on this as we travel
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