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Haha! Take that you crazy Americans, thanks to Erika showing me around last night I'm now totally comfortable in New York. Took the subway to washington square where I strolled to 6th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue, and swaggered into an Indian that took my fancy. I grabbed a poppadom, 2 meat samosas, Lamb tikka biryani and a cobra beer. Which was in fact called Krait instead but guy knew what I meant as I was english today. While waiting for food I carried on reading On The Road, which is defo my style of book, just an explosion of worderific thoughts.
A
fterwards I strolled around, and while walking past a bar/tavern/pub I spied the Arsenal - Reading match on re-run with 20min to spare. So I went in, grabbed me a pint of guiness and saw Arsenal destroy Reading 3-1. I then wandered out, with alcohol warming my insides and glided into some form of cafe/sandwich merchant. Bought a tall black coffee off a woman with a moustache and then managed to an atm to work. Music in here is a bit suspect, "We Are Family" just played. Though my coffee is far too hot, I don't think it's related.
On the twisting, twirling route back from the Met,
I met a clambering raccoon that was far too interested in me. So I snapped its photo and scarpered. Looks like someone has moved into my room. I think it's just 1 person. I'm gonna guess they're half cyborg, half horse and half skittle.
I now have the excellent idea of going to "curry row". Which should be full of culinary delights at an affordable price. This is assuming I can work the subway with my limited brain power, yet stylish micro fleece....
You may recognise where I am on the left, in hindsight, from the film I am Legend. It's most excellent (the Egyptian place, not the film).
Although a lot of modern art is extremely ridiculous, I enjoyed reading the blurb about each one as they seem to scrabble for a meaning or reason in a large canvas painted half red.
There are some really good paintings, but the ones I enjoy the most involve crispness. Maybe a result of such a large exposure to the digital age. Or maybe cos they must make more sense
Audio tours sound far better in an English Accent, people should make free audio tours for mp3 players so people can download them before they go to such places.
I think a lot of this shows that people who can't draw become art students.
Museums are odd places, the downstairs sections are always thriving with people. In this case mainly looking at greek/roman statues. Yet venture just a floor up, and some parts are empty entirely. Currently in the Japan section, it's selection is vastly more diverse, thought provoking and presented
in a far more warming environment. Where as in contrast the Greek/Roman section is cold, and harsh, full of many statues all devoid of paint, looking identical. The detail on some of the Japanese wall paintings is insane.
Whoa, this may seem as though I don't like the met, but it was awesome. I just wish I had more time in there.
I'd upload some photos,but I'm hindered by a few major factors:
1. I keep forgetting to take them
2. This computer's SD card reader is crazed, and not only does it not work but it also scratches them. So I'm not trying anymore.
You may also be wondering "Tom you crazy person, why in all your ultimate wisdom and with that amazing hair, are you on the internet for so long at the moment."
Well the sky is leaking buckets. And those buckets are made of water. I think it's dying down now, so I shall venture across the park, towards the Guddamenauddnemndndnam museum. I also need to get some bagel. And stop drinking mountain dew.
Update: Photos now uploaded....
Whoa I'm shattered, after meeting Erika and helping some nice students with a psych project, we hit the subway so I could see the real New York (Midtown and Downtown).
And okay, yeah it's better than where I went last night. We walked from time square down all the way through Manhattan. Through union square, Washington square, down broadway, greenw
ich village, chinatown and to the financial district. Soho and Noho were there somewhere but I can't remember at what point. There's so much and so much is extremely tall. Saw ground zero which was quite sobering.
Also remembered that they have Mountain Dew here, so I gorged on that. All the time we compared Ameriland and England. We chilled in Washington Square contemplating Buffy and the lack of religion in the UK. Those topics weren't relat
ed. We then confronted Erika's fear of large expanses of water, which was amazing. The view across the harbour to the statue of liberty, which was lit up in the dark. Bought a Time Out guide to New York as my current guide tastes like briefness.
Ate Mexican in a mall down by the harbour and got a weekly metrocard. I'm starting to see how amazing this city is. Though my feet hate me.
Also American's say Nokia funny.
I might get my art on tomorrow.
My bust headphone is annoying so I'm gonna have to go downtown to find some sexy replacements. I need to blog all my crazy as well at some point - Man I'm tired.
One a random note, my towel has magical properties, it never gets wet, unless heated. Very bizarre. I need to take more photos. Oh and get some postcards
Why yes, I did have a very nice sleep, than you. Though my ear plugs failed drastically, but it was all good. Loads of peeps downstairs today. In an attempt to meet Erika in central park I started walking, as you do. I then zoned out and managed to walk all the way around the central reservoir, back to where I started.
I did see a black squirrel though. And currently a lot of really plump sparrows are extremely interested in me.
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.
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.
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.
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....
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.
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"
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.
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.
fterwards I strolled around, and while walking past a bar/tavern/pub I spied the Arsenal - Reading match on re-run with 20min to spare. So I went in, grabbed me a pint of guiness and saw Arsenal destroy Reading 3-1. I then wandered out, with alcohol warming my insides and glided into some form of cafe/sandwich merchant. Bought a tall black coffee off a woman with a moustache and then managed to an atm to work. Music in here is a bit suspect, "We Are Family" just played. Though my coffee is far too hot, I don't think it's related.
