some very special toys

Where to start today’s blog? I’m at a loss. A new favourite sport; One of the most beautiful buildings I’ve seen in my trip (take that Europe and your gorgeous architecture); Napping in one of the world’s busiest cities; Indulging in New York’s finest cuisine. Perhaps, I’ll just go from the beginning. It started like every other day in New York: at Starbucks. After reading my blog, Fa, my host in Washington, was motivated to finally start one of her own, a goal she’s had for a while. After reading hers, I decided I should get around to one of goals: to start a blog of tips and hints I’ve picked up during my travels. So for $2.45, the price of my Early Grey tea, I sat in Starbucks for a good couple of hours and created A blog of tips I’ve picked up while travelling. I wish I’d started it earlier because now I’m struggling to remember everything.

My destination this morning was the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), down near Fifth Ave, so I stared my hike to there. Along the way I passed the main branch of the New York Public Library. I’d forgotten about this place. The library is featured in the Sex in the City movie and it looked gorgeous in the film. I decided to take a look inside and discovered there was a free tour starting in 10 minutes. I put my name down. This building is a reference library and the only lending section is the children’s area. It’s a beautiful building with two sweeping staircases coming down to the lobby, high, decorative ceilings and little lamps on all the tables. Most of the books are kept under the building so you can’t see them, but just to know they were a little elevator away was exciting. The library has lots of different rooms: the periodicals room, map room (Dad you’d love it), research rooms, rare collections and the main reading room. The reading room is the size of a football ground. It was gorgeous. I also found out there is free wifi. Pity I didn’t know that earlier. These surroundings certainly left Starbucks for dead. At the end of the tour I went to the children’s section to look for something the guide had told us about. Something I didn’t even know existed, much less ever thought I’d get to see. The original Winnie the Pooh toys. These are the toys that A A Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, played with that were the inspiration for the books. And here they were. In a case on the bottom level of the New York Public Library. They were tattered and worn, but easily recognisable. Piglet was tiny and even Pooh looked on the slim side (he must have eaten too much honey before the cartoon series started). There were no crowds, no lines. Just these very special toys in a glass case.

The tour took an hour and the I’d decided that I’d rather see the American Museum of Natural History over MOMA, since I now only had time for one. Museum’s aren’t usually my thing but I’d heard really good things about this. There were four special exhibitions – The World’s Largest Dinosaurs, Frogs, Journey to the Stars and Tornadoes – so I paid extra for access to those. I started at the dinosaur exhibits. The entire top floor is dedicated to these displays, and then the special exhibit is in addition to their usual ones. I hadn’t seen any displays like this since I was a kid so it was fun to see them again. There are volunteers around the museum to answer questions too, which was helpful. Then it was onto frogs, which turned out to be real frogs! Oh they were cute. Slimy, but cute. Other exhibits included African and North American animals, more dinosaurs, Native Indian culture etc. I skipped the Journey to the Stars show when I realised it was the same screening I saw at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, but hung around for the tornado documentary. It covered a weather research team and a documentary film maker as they chased tornados for a season. I couldn’t help but wonder why people continued to live in areas that were repeatedly destroyed by these things. Let along decide to build a car so you can survive getting into the centre of one just to make a film.

There was so much I hadn’t seen but I couldn’t take any more in. The museum is right next to Central Park so I headed in there, this time in a different part to where I was last week with Vanessa. I found The Great Lawn, which is basically open space with a few baseball fields so I kicked off my shoes and collapsed on the grass. I was in the centre of Manhattan but I couldn’t hear a thing except a few sirens in the distance, the wind through the trees and the crack of a baseball bat as the players hit the ball. I stretched out and enjoyed a nap before heading back to the subway.

I decided a while ago that I couldn’t come to New York without seeing either a baseball match or basketball. Basketball doesn’t start until October so baseball it is. I wanted some advice on where to get tickets to I put a post on Couchsurfing and a guy called Alex replied and said he’d come along. He recently moved to New York from LA and was keen to see a Yankees game. As I came out of the station and stood before Yankee Stadium, it was clear I’d underestimated this sport. It was crazier than the MCG or Etihad before an AFL game. There were people begging for tickets, street vendors selling merchandise, water and peanuts. And sooo many people. I headed inside and climbed to the top (the very top) to my seat. I saw the national anthem before Alex arrived. Thankfully he is a big baseball fan so was able to fill in some gaps for me. The sport itself is rather comparable to cricket in that is isn’t very fast moving. But when there’s a bit of excitement, the crowd certainly reacts. All I wanted was to see a home run and Nick Swisher delivered that for me. I added to the experience by indulging in my first New York hot dog. I had to have one. However it’s really hard to enjoy such food when every fastfood menu (including at Yankee Stadium and food vans on the street) lists the calories in every item. Obese American’s cannot be that size out of ignorance. 

As the eighth innings started, Alex and I moved down to better seats. I pulled a “I’m Australian, I’ve never seen baseball before, I leave tomorrow and my seats were waaaay up the top” with the ticket checker and he let us sit in one of the better sections. A lot of people don’t bother to last the game and had left already. Mark Teixeira gave me another home run, but the Oakland Athletics scored a couple in the 10^th so it was all over for the Yankees. The game wasn’t even finished but the stadium started to empty out in no time. I caught the subway back to Grand Central Station, which I hadn’t seen yet, and then a taxi back to Jeremy’s.

i was like, soooo american

I'm sitting in Starbucks, sipping my drink, laptop open, searching Yelp for places to eat in the West Village. I could easily be mistaken for a real New Yorker. The only thing that would give me away is that my drink is the smallest size possible. To really look the part I should have got the biggest. I was shocked when I came across a Starbucks in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Perhaps I should have been shocked there was only one. Starbucks is very much the chain of choice in America. There is one at every turn. Sometimes across the street from each other. It's quite incredible really. Although sometimes I wonder at the signs in the toilets reminding employees to wash their hands. I've seen this in about four or five different places (not just Starbucks). Is it that hard to remember?

Looking towards Manhattan

Today I was up and out in the city early. New York in the early morning (by early I mean 7am) is fun. The tourists are still sleeping so you see it more from a local's perspective. Today was garbage day (thankfully as the bags were lining the streets last night. And they wonder why there are rats). The construction crews were already at work, the morning paper sellers were calling out to commuters and the street vendors were setting up. I walked to a Starbucks and used the wifi to update my blog from yesterday. Then it was off to Brooklyn Bridge. It was a little cooler outside but 27 degrees was predicted so I decided to get all my outdoor visiting out of the way before it became to hot for this little Taswegian.

I'd read that the best view across the bridge was coming from Brooklyn, but since I was on the Manhattan side I started there. It's only 1.8km so I figured I'd just walk back. I didn't want to spoil the view so I was determined not to turn around while I walked. At one point I accidently saw a bit of the skyline out the corner of my eye when taking a photo...I couldn't help but smile a little. But I made it to the end without looking back. Manhattan really is a sight. It was a beautiful day: Manhattan Bridge in the foreground and the city behind it. The pedestrian and bike path runs above the traffic - cyclists on one side and pedestrians on the other. Some people were doing the tourist thing, some seemed to be just using it to cross, others were out for a run, including a boot camp group that stopped at the side to do more exercises.

Looking towards Brooklyn

Next it was off to the Staten Island Ferry. I had no desire to go to Staten Island, it's just that the ferry goes passed the Statue of Liberty. And it's free. The ferry doesn't get really close but it's as good a view as I'm willing to pay for. The view of Manhattan was also worth the 1-hour return trip. It looks so small from a distance.

Back on the right side of the water I jumped on the subway bound for the West Village. This is where I came with Vanessa and Kathryn last Thursday night and it seemed to be a good place for lunch. Yelp, a website that's really popular in the States and reviews nearly every business you can think of, led me to The Little Owl, just around the corner. It was a great little place, full of character and they had great service. I did have to wait for a table, but it was worth it. I didn't rush through lunch and afterwards decided to wander around, with the vague intention of heading to either the Museum of Modern Art or the Natural History Museum. In the end I didn't make it to either. The afternoon just flew by as I walked around the city. First around West Village and then back to the Theatre District and Times Square. I like how the atmosphere can change dramatically with just the turn of a corner. From the insanity of Times Square to the sophistication of Fifth Avenue and then the empty construction areas along 37th street. I'd just found somewhere to print my Yankees tickets for tomorrow night when Jeremy messaged and said he was heading home from work.

Jeremy had messaged during the day and said there had been an earthquake. That was news to me. Reports later said people spilled onto the street as they implemented evacuation procedures. I didn't notice that. This must be the only city in the world in which something like that can happen and it's easy not to notice. For dinner we head to the East Village, a place I haven't ventured to yet. I found myself on one of the east streets today, but that was only by accident and I turned around when I realised. First we walked through Chelsea (the gay district) to the Meatpacking District (the nightclubs) just so I could see more of the city. An old railway track has been revamped into a walkway that weaves between the buildings, so we walked along that. Then we hopped on the bus crosstown. The East Village is a more artistic and alternative area, and as such as a bit of a different vibe than the other parts I'd been in. We went to a Moroccan place for dinner, which was amazing. It's one of Jeremy's favourite places and I'm really glad we went there. I would have ended up at some chain no doubt if I'd been on my own. Full on cous cous and Moroccon tea, I hailed my first cab and we taxied back to Jeremy's.

remember 9/11

Me in the insane Times Square

Next month will be the 10th anniversary of September 11. Ten years! I still remember where I was when it came on the news. And I'm not even American. I'd actually hadn't even given a thought to visiting Ground Zero when I was in New York last week. Today when I went back to Newseum, I started back at the 9/11 display. Straight away I noticed something I missed yesterday, which really made me aware just how blasé I'd become. On a bench near the wall of front pages was a box of tissues. It took me a second to work out why it was there. Then instantly I felt horrible for not comprehending just how significant the event still is for people here. And I should. It's still very real. Aussie troops are in Iraq because of it. I spent a bit more time at the display and watched a video interviewing some of the journalists who were working that day.

I was looking at a display on the freedom of press in other countries (Finland is rated as having the most free, North Korea the worst) when one of the employees asked if I'd like to see inside a TV studio. They have a couple of studios at the Newseum that are hired out, but that guests can look inside when they aren't filming. The studio I went in was being used by Al Jeezra English in a few hours. It's different from most studios in that it has a window, the view being the Capitol Building. The floor isn't attached to any of the walls, meaning if someone was drilling on the street, the vibrations might be felt on the walls of the building, but not on the floor, therefore not affecting the cameras.

The other displays I had left to see was a collection of photos taken by the Presidential photographer. My favourite was a picture of Lyndon Johnson howling along with the family dog. There was also an interactive floor, where you can can answer questions about what you would do in certain situations to learn about ethics in journalism, and a game where you have to interview people to get a story. I did quite well in both, which was comforting. After finishing the interview game, I was told my the computer that "I will go far". Good to know.

My bus back to New York left at 2.30pm so I headed back to Union Station to get to the bus stop. I'd spent just over another two hours in the Newseum and I still could have spent more. There were a lot of short screenings that I hadn't watched and would have been interested to see. If anyone is in DC, make sure you go there. It has everything: history, current events, media! My heaven!

The bus ride back to New York took a little longer than it should have. Not helped by the fact the bus left 45 minutes late. But there was free wifi so I passed the time online. Back in New York I picked up my luggage and walked to my new host's place - both stops were only a couple of blocks from where the bus dropped us. My new host is Jeremy. A Texas native who moved to New York about six years ago. He's travelled a LOT and got into Couchsurfing while he was travelling and now hosts to give something back. It was about 8pm when I got there so we headed out for dinner. Jeremy was great at telling me where to go, where not to go, where to eat, where not to eat: all the things you miss out on when you're travelling alone. It's always great to get a local's perspective. Despite the fact he does not like Times Square, he took me there so I could see it at night. He used to work around the corner so began to dread the place when stepping out to grab a coffee meant going to war with a sea of tourists. I thought the place was pretty crazy during the day, but at night it is insane. My first thought was of the power bill! It was spectacular, but also intense. We battled the crowd for a couple of blocks and then turned off to walk back to Jeremy's place.

View from the top of Jeremy's apartment building

a city out in the open

If you went into the Burnie Park on any random day, you would be hard-pressed to find a soul. Perhaps the odd tourist using it as a spot to pull up for lunch, or school kids walking through it into town. Tasmanians, and to a lesser extent, Australians, are terrible at making the most of their public spaces. Not so in New York. Prospect Park was a great example yesterday, however there is no bigger or more used public space than Central Park.

Kathryn had to work today and Vanessa loves Central Park, so she took me into the city. We caught the subway to Times Square, a place I'd actually forgotten about until Vanessa mentioned it. The subway is an interesting place. We get on in Brooklyn, which has a large black population. At one stage I was the only white person in the carriage. The streets near Kathryn and Vanessa certainly cater for that demographic. The stores offering African hair weaving probably aren't aimed at white people.

Central New York is exactly what I pictured, no thanks to the endless US tv shows and movies I watch. The smoke from the subway spewing out of drains in the sidewalk, yellow cabs clogging up the road and flashing billboards everywhere. Vanessa had warned that Times Square could be fairly full on, mainly because of the tourists. She mentioned that people seemed to gather outside the store Forever 21 to take photos. Sure enough when we walked past Forever 21, there was a crowd. Although the attraction wasn't Times Square. It was a young blonde girl who is apparently a star on Youtube for her beauty advice. Clearly I am out of the loop.

From Times Square and it's flashing billboards (and Bubba Gump Shrimp) we walk to the Rockefeller Centre. There's a farmers' market set up so we walk through that. It's not quite the farmers' market I'm used to though. This is surrounded my high-rises. In Burnie, I'm best off wearing my gumboots. Up the road from the Rockefeller Centre I discover the best shop in the world. FAO Schwarz. The best toy store in the world. Everything is priced way out of reach of the average parent, but that doesn't stop it being a whole lot of fun. There are stuffed ponies selling for $1000, or perhaps you'd prefer a Barbie Fooseball Table (one of only 10 in the world) for $25,000? The store is amazing. There is a section for doll houses, willy wonka, lego, puzzles, action figures etc. One of the assistants, Carlos, stops and has a chat with us for a little bit. A kid came up and asked the price of something and was told "$80, but for you $29.95", so they do like to have a bit of a laugh.

Central Park was right across the road so we ducked in there and waited for Kathryn to finish work. It was a beautiful day, again despite the forecast for thunderstorms. People were rolling out their yoga mats, walking through in their suits after work, walking their dog and sleeping on the grass. We met Kathryn back at FAO Schwarz and ducked into the Apple Store. If there is one place that could warrant a 24-hour Apple Store, it would be New York. The store is underground and insanely busy. They are building a giant glass cube at street level so it will be quite a sight when it's done.

We walk through Central Park and catch the subway back home. Back in Brooklyn, the locals are again making the most of their city. Three men sit on the corner on up-turned buckets just watching the world go by. Up from them is a chess game in play. We are barely in the door two minutes when the rain starts coming. Vanessa had to go pick up Thor, the dog that got hit by a car, from the vet, but every taxi is booked so she has to wait for nearly an hour. I act like a true New Yorker and order dinner to be delivered. I'm still battling with remembering to tip and knowing how much, but I'm sticking with about 10% to 15%. We had planned to go out but I'm exhausted and after getting ready, change back into my pjs and go to bed while the others go to the pub.

new york, new york

Ahhhh New York! It was a seven-hour flight, thunderstorms were forecast, and I'd gotten up super early to make sure I allowed enough time for customs. But I made it. Mel and Bryan had warned me to allow a lot of time as customs for the US is done in Dublin, before you board the plane. They can also be quite funny about young people as they suspect everyone and anyone might be trying to stay there. They also warned me not to mention Couchsurfing as apparently that never goes down to well. They assume that anyone surfing is broke and can't afford to go there. So as a backup I booked two nights accommodation at a hostel and then cancelled it, but printed out the confirmation, just so I had an address to put on all the forms and information to show if asked. I also printed out all my Canadian details (visa, train to Toronto, flight to Vancouver) incase they wanted me to prove that I really was going there because I didn't have an exit flight from the US. In the end it was a breeze. I filled in the form and made it through with plenty of time. The flight ended up being held up a bit because of the delay though customs, so I'm glad I went early.

Seven hours later I touched down at JFK. In all my travels I've never felt particularly nervous about being in a new city, but for some reason I was here. Perhaps because it is SOOO big, and perhaps because I watch too many New York-based crime shows. I found the subway to Brooklyn without any hassle and then caught a taxi to my hosts place. I'm staying with Kathryn and Vanessa, a couple from California who moved to New York about a month ago. They have four dogs (although one was hit by a car last night and is at the vet) who are absolutely gorgeous. It wasn't raining when I arrived so I decided to head out to explore Prospect Park, the main park in Brooklyn. It was great to see so many people using it. There were exercise and yoga classes happening, people flying their kites, walking their dogs, having picnics, flying frisbees etc. It was a great sight. I heard thunder in the distance so started to make my way back. I was only a block away when the rain started so that wasn't too bad at all.

Kathryn and Vanessa are vegetarians and I was craving sushi so they recommended a vegetarian sushi place (perfect) in the city. We caught the subway in (I'm slowly getting the hang of it) and found the restaurant. New York at night was exactly how I'd pictured it. Lots of lights and an army of yellow taxis shooting down the street.