Cuisine

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.