Tuesday 31 October - New York


I travelled over on Sunday, spent much of yesterday slightly dazed by too many clocks changing and am in the US this week working.

posted at 14:53 in /where (permanent link)

Tuesday 31st October - New York


So much for dreams of staying on the sofa at home, I am in New York to do some research. And today is Hallowe'en which is a very big deal here - the town is filled with pumpkins and parades later in the day. Everyone is talking about their Hallowe'en costume. The newscasters on the TV are dressing up. I assume I won't be trick or treated in the hotel, but could be wrong.

New York is fun, it looks just like it does in the movies. Steam rises from vents. Yellow cabs are everywhere, skyscrapers tower above the 19th century buildings, stealing the sky. The sun is bright and there are fantastic reflections in the glass of the skyscrapers. There are more cyclists than there used to be and, as in London, they have flexible views of traffic rules - so the familiarity of cyclists running red lights. There are more beggars on the streets than their have been for a while, more mobility scooters, street stands selling hot dogs, bagels and pretzels, street sellers with their goods in supermarket trolleys, half the population apparently unable to walk unless there is a coffee in their hand. Starbucks on every corner and people using it as their office.

Haven't had a chance to explore yet but am hoping to get a little time today. It is election time so every other ad is a political one - as many saying 'don't vote for them' as are saying 'vote for me' and all ending "I am X and I approve this commercial" The climate is strange here too - the weather is great, lots of sunshine promised to day and at the same time the open air ice skating rinks are opening. But colder weather promised in a day or so, but today sunshine and warmth so time to go out and explore. Well a little later it is only just getting light, I am still in some sort of mid Atlantic time.

posted at 14:51 in /travel (permanent link)