13th November: Photo Mash

13th November, 23:00?

I love this photo, the shadow of the tree is most excellent. Walking back to the hostel, the sun started hiding from the city of New York, as I was wandering along the central park reservoir. The sunset, across the still water, with the New York skyline in the background, was incredibly beautiful.

Then it got dark, and I scampered home.

With lack of planned action once again I decided to consult my guide. Which was a bit useless but it mentioned Amsterdam Avenue. So I thought, "darn it to hell Thomas, away with you." I then proceeded to walk from 106 Street to 70 or something. I spent the next 30 min trying to find a restaurant I felt confident enough to go in. In the end I give up and just went in one.

Jolly nice half pound sirloin burger, suspicious roast potatoes, an amstel light and a Mexican Hot Chocolate. Which was surprisingly spicy. After discovering I lacked the courage to enter a bar yet, I wandered home as I was about to crash.

13th November, 16:06

HaHa! You fools! You built an outside bar on a lake in central park. Why would I ever leave?

Luckily for everyone nearby I only bought a coffee. I'm about to stroll down 5th Avenue - ooh a crazy man sat on the next bench along: cool. Something about Americans he was jibbering. I can only assume the road behind me is 5th Avenue, I think I'm at the conservatory lake/pond/puddle/droplet. I think everyone thinks I'm crazy for wearing a t-shirt. I shall apply my jacket.

13th November, 15:30

Well that was cool, from depressing grey drizzle to sky blue autumnal bliss. Sitting by the lake side, chillaxing. Exceptionally bushwacked. I spent most the afternoon learning about evolution, Asia, and went on a guided audio tour of the universe, which unfortunately petered out into the field of geology. I did however get to laugh at the american's who were managing to walk backwards through evolution even though there were many arrows point in the opposite direction. I just got a pizza pretzel, which was jolly nice, not sure what to attack now as I've had the sleep of a buffoon. Might carry on exploring this here park as the blue sky has increased it's beauty ten fold, as this accompanying photo does prove.

13th November, 11:11

As someone who rarely plans anything, I left the hostel with no plan at all. As it was 8am I thought, I'd hit central park and randomly wander until something happened.

Turned out central park was slightly wetter than I anticipated due to the sky leaking on me. It's really nice though, even though I've only really explored the north section. I weaved in and out of it. Grabbed a hot dog from a random street merchant and saw a skateboarder faceplant into a 4x4. The awesome yellow school buses were everywhere as well. At some point I hit the huge central park reservoir with skyline views visible in the distance. Misty as well. I then came across the American Museum of Natural History. So while waiting for that to open I found some pretty areas of central park to explore, and discovered that one of my headphones was mashed. So I slammed on some Norah Jones on random, and coincidentally the song "New York City" came on. Excellent.

I'm currently in the museum eating a Grilled Chicken Ceaser Salad. Nice caps tom. And yes, a coffee. Saw some cool African mammals and now going to find an audio tour of the "Rose Center". Space, time and all that jazz.

Plans for the rest of the day? Pah where I'm going, we don't need plans..... though they may help.

It would appear I've survived, solely thanks to Erika, who without I would no doubt have ended up in Mexico or under a car. After being petrified of US customs and immigration control it turned out far better than I thought, though they now have my fingerprints and my face. And who would want that by choice?

Erika found me surprisingly quick, possibly by spotting the vacant look on my face. She then drove us through some of the streets of NY to the subway, which we took towards Manhatten. Subway was really empty and didn't match the horror stories at all. Though Erika did get me to concede that the Tube was better. We got off near time square so my face would lock into a permanent state of jaw-dropped wonder.

Wow. Sparkley awesome.

It's hard to describe, it's very big and very whoa. We walked around it, and then headed back to the subway to find my hostel. Which was quite easy to find and right next to central park. After just remembering chivalry, Erika went home and I got my room card.

Quite a nice place, I surfed the net quickly, after showering of course, as I must have been horrendous to be on the subway with. Turns out, at least last night, I had 4 bed dorm to myself. It was like 1.40am or something by now and I wasn't even tired. Went to bed anyway, didn't sleep much but meh. It's 7.30am now.

I do believe it's shave time.

I love flying. I also love this moleskine notebook the guys gave me. It's so smooth, possibly too smooth as my pen is trying to finish words as I start them. In the departure lounge, in the space of 5 metres my boarding pass was checked 3 times. I also was searched, as well as my bag and I had to show that my camera was operational. Which I quite enjoyed.

Must remember to fill in crazy visa waiver form. I'm easily the youngest here so far....

T minus 35 minutes

Am I ready? Only in the sense I'm exceptionally under prepared. Though I bought some books today, because one of my lovely guide books suggested immersing myself in the culture via the medium of words. They are:

Tom Wolfe - The Bonfire of the Vanities

Truman Capote - Breakfast at Tiffany's

Jack Kerouac - On the Road

As I said to Rex, I currently have cyborg butterflies waging wars inside my stomach. Though that may just be the curry buffet yesterday. We shall never know. There's not much else I can really say, my chariot arrives in 30 minutes, I think I'm packed and an Indian guy just rang me to try and give me a graduate job.

A Note on Style

For people not accustomed to my writing style, I'd like to introduce the strange world of how I type. Possibly in bullet point form:

• Although sometimes it may appear I am depressed, or forlorn, or similar, I am in fact just overally emotive as I like that style of writing.
• I tend to drift off onto tangents, ramblings and attempt to write about something in a manner that's not typical. I also sound pretentious.
• I often make up words that sound vaguely correct, or extend certain roots to words that are nonsense but often seem to make sense. I can't think of any now.
• I sometimes write in the third person. This is mainly to amuse myself, and not some deeply rooted attempt at having a superiority complex.
• This blog is written to be child, adult, and relative friendly. I hope.
• I normally write this sort of thing in a coffee shop, after too much caffeine, so its level of sensology could possibly be askew.
• Black. No Sugar. No Milk.
  

Finally I shall leave you with how Rachel describes my writing style:

"humoristique, quelquefois assez 'geeky'...I don't know, just natural, funny, slightly eccentric...humour and sarcasm and info and emotastic doodles"

Sunday 11th November

Well hello there.

I decided it would be far more interesting for all readers if I actually explained what I was doing in America, where I'm going and the such like. So, for one night only, the itinerary of my ameriland adventure *drum roll*:

12th November
Fly across the roaring waves of the Atlantic to New York

12th-22nd November
Stay in the Jazz on the Park Hostel, where I shall experience the wonders that exist in Manhatten and the surrounding tourist extravaganza

22nd-23rd November
On Thanksgiving night (which I didn't realise) I'm travelling by good old fashioned train to Chicago, over night. For only 4o quid!

23rd-29th November
Staying at the Hosteling International - Chicago. Where I shall visit whatever happens to be in Chicago. You may notice a pattern of my general ignorance.

29th November - 1st December
Once more, luckily not on any form of public celebration, I shall traverse the entire country of the United States via train to the city of San Francisco. Which I hear has culture, and other such exciting revelations.

10th December
I return home, a more jaded, worldly and better hairstyled Tom. On a plane. With wings. And other such technological advancements.

Tuesday 6th November

Whoops.

I accidentally, in a moment of spurious decisiveness and spontaneity, booked a flight to America.

More soon when I realise the shocking consequences to such a debacle.