Cigar Guy

Back when Crasher Squirrel was running around, he popped up in a personal picture. I don't know if you've heard about Cigar Guy, but he has become an Internet meme after showing up in a Tiger Woods photo. I didn't know that he was also in Times Square with me back when we visited over the Christmas / New Year break.



He was quite far away, so I hadn't really noticed. (In fact, in order for you to see him, you many have to click the photo to load it on Flickr and then look at the largest image available.

Captive on Delta

We've got HOURS to wait at JFK waiting for our flight to Malaga, Spain. Still I guess auto-publishing this at our approximate arrival time in New York, will be enough of an entry for today.

Yawn! Only eight hours more in the plane with an arrival at 9:00 am local time.

Thanks, Cathay

I suppose flying across the continent at night makes more sense from west to east. For example, our flight here left conveniently in the evening and arrived at 6:00 am. That meant by the time we got out of the airport, we were ready to go.

We are at JFK now. It's early because we needed to check out of the YMCA at 11:00. We stuffed our suitcases in the office and had more time over in the famous borough. We'd not seen the progress on the World Trade Center site during this visit. One tiny tower is starting to peek above the other buildings in Lower Manhattan. What a shame seeing it on the day that the tallest tower in the world opens in Dubai. The US must stand aside and give up it's top-dog image of itself. That was such the last century. It was getting to be bitter cold again. I also had to find the "Flat Iron Building" too. It turns out it's at 23rd and Broadway / 5th. It's famous 'cause it was the first skyscraper in 1902.

Anyway, we won't get into Vancouver until after transit has stopped. We'll take an airport taxi to New Westminster.

Almost Over?

Not only did a decade come to an end last night, but this little break will be over tomorrow.  The direct flight back to Vancouver doesn’t leave JFK until 9:45 pm.  I guess that means we get most of the day in New York City.  It certainly means we’ll go to Manhattan after we eat breakfast, and pack and store our bags.

Today was just a nice slow day.  The crowds out there were far less dense than during last evening’s festivities.  The rain, hail, and snow had subsided.  We had never been to an arch we’d seen in pictures.  It turns out it is in Washington Square.  We also walked around Bryant Park but did not try skating.  Of course every trip out of Brooklyn seems to include Times Square , but today there was even a repeat of Rockefeller Plaza.

It was supposedly 40 degrees Fahrenheit today and calm but promises to get windy and colder tomorrow.  We’ll not arrive at YVR until 12:45 am on Saturday morning.  I’m gong to miss being able to walk just a block for an MTA subway for easy access to the NYC area.  This week has been a nice get-away.

Last Day of the Decade

The day started a bit snowy in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.  Last night we went up to Jackson Heights and found the place where Mexico meets India.  We had a late dinner at an all-you-can-eat Indian buffet for $9.99.  It was good with lots of variety.  Yet, as Jay says most Indian food all tastes the same whether vegetarian, chicken, or goat.

We headed back over to use the movie tickets purchased yesterday.  Avatar in 3D really was amazing.  The technology involved allows anything which can imagined to be represented on the silver screen.

The movie didn’t finish until about 2:00 pm.  After stopping the 37th Street place of employment for Jay’s brother, we went to a NY deli.  We didn’t notice the ‘cash only’ sign until checking out.  Guess what, we didn’t have enough.  The TD bank across the street didn’t allow cash advance on our Mastercards.  The Chinese lady sold us $18 of food for the $14 we scraped together from every pocket.

We came back to the room to have an hour nap.   Now it’s 6:35 pm and we are too late to be in the main sections of Times Square.  That’s perfectly okay though.  We will go out and walk around the crowded streets in that area and at the same time.  Even being in the same time zone seems a gift. 

By the turn of next year, I shall assuredly have a phone capable of running a Facebook app. At the moment however, on a stolen wifi connection, I wish all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lines for Everything

We were out at, what has become, our standard time this morning. A bit before 9:00 we stepped out of the front door of the YMCA. We went back to Times Square right after breakfast. We checked TKTS again as Broadway had two showings today. We didn’t wait in the lines though. It seems as if one wants to visit during the final week of the year, it’d be wise to buy online well before arriving. We’re resigned to the fact we probably won’t be seeing anything this time around.

We went right to an AMC movie theatre on 42nd Street. The first three shows of the day for the IMAX 3-D version of Avatar were sold out too. We hadn’t seen 2012, so we caught the 11:05 showing. Then, on the way out, we bought tickets for tomorrow’s Avatar.

After, we headed down to Union Square. It was time for a late lunch, so we went into a Whole Foods and ate from their deli. At $7.99 per pound it wasn’t as cheap as an ordinary New York deli, but the food was especially nice. The check out lines were huge even at 3:00 pm though.

It’s hard to believe that New Year’s Eve is tomorrow. This week has seemed to go so quickly. We have still not made definite plans about Times Square. I find walking around the city massively annoying because of the crowds. What happens when a million people all head to the same spot? We noted that there is a place on the ‘rocks’ in Central Park that has a line of sight to the ball. Maybe that would be less claustrophobic.

I am enjoying every minute here. There is a little bit of New Yorker in my attitude, I think. I like this city’s unapologetic Darwinism. Rags and riches live cheek and jowl. It just doesn’t quite feel like anywhere else.

Tired ‘Museum Feet’

New York City was cold and windy 23 degrees Fahrenheit today.  We, and everybody visiting, decided on indoor activities.  This city isn’t quite big enough for all the folks who are here visiting! 

We spent six hours in the American Museum of Natural History.  We must have walked around six miles!  By the looks, so did half the residents of Manhattan.  We do museums on most trip to major cities.  This one didn’t disappoint.  The Hayden Planetarium show was interesting.  Whoopi Goldberg narrated Journey to the Stars.  It is obvious that some exhibits in the massive buildings have been updated while others have not.  The Halls of Minerals and Gems showed the nice use of modern display space.

We stumbled out directly onto the subway at around 4:30 pm.  We’ve come back to Brooklyn just to get out of our heavy winter wear and relax with a cup of tea.  On all trips like this a kettle comes along in the luggage.

Jay’s brother has invited us over for dinner to the place where he lives.  As he doesn’t finish work until 8:00, we have a bit more time before we have to head back to Manhattan.  We lives within walking distance from Times Square.  I might post this blog entry upon returning.  Today, I forgot to take the xD card out of the notebook.  I only took eight or nine shots so they all fit on the internal memory.  I can’t find a way to copy them onto the card but have that option on the little Kodak camera.  Anyway, I will probably get something posted for my “Daily Picture Parade” either tonight or tomorrow.

I hope it warms up.  I guess after thirty years away, I’m no longer a New Englander.

Inside the Lady’s Head

Today the temperature started falling.  We noticed as we were up relatively early.  The YMCA gives vouchers for a free breakfast at a traditional diner one block away.  With the voucher we’re able to chose between six standard breakfasts.  My pancakes and ham were a hearty way to start the morning.

We are very used to getting on the G-Line and making the switch to the L-Line.  That zips us over to Manhattan after one interim stop.  We generally end up crossing over to 6th or 8th to catch trains going uptown or downtown.  We’re getting quite used to figuring out the quickest or most convenient way.  For example, prior to this trip we didn’t have enough experience to know that it’s quicker to grab an express when going a long distance and finally switching to a local to get to stations not serviced by the express trains.  Some walks between line can be long and arduous too, so we’re still learning which to avoid.  The system is dirty and has far too many stairs.  Still, mastering Manhattan, even if below its streets, seems an accomplishment.

Speaking of which, today we crawled up the inside of the Statue of Liberty.  In Vancouver, I read the the National Park Service re-opened access to the crown earlier in the year.  I logged on and bought reservations.  We most definitely would not have had the chance to even go into the pedestal had we not booked ahead.   There seem to be literally ten of thousands of people just visiting over the holidays.  I didn’t know if was such a draw at this time of year.  In fact, I once wondered if things would even be open.


Looking out the few windows in the Statue of Liberty’s crown was something to remember.  The head itself was not very big.  Getting up the spiral stairway was a minor feat.

We went back to TKTS today but I think we’re going to have to pay full price to see West Side Story.  Tomorrow it might only get to a high of 28F.  What is that, –5C?  For a high?  This weather changes constantly and is unlike Vancouver’s.  We may start out the day tomorrow by going to The Natural History Museum as it’s sure to have sufficient heating.

Out in the Sun

It seemed as though the weather was trying to make up for the amount of rain which fell yesterday.  From the room, we could see blue sky and sunshine upon awaking.

Still no real plans for today although we got a lot of things to pack in this week.  It just seemed nice enough to run outside with all the others who were taking advantage of the sun.  We rode up to Columbus Circle just to walk across the south end of Central Park.  Lots of others had the same idea as there were more people, kids, and dogs than I could count.  I really like all the pedestrian walk space in Times Square nowadays.  We check TKTS for matinee shows but the line, if stretched out, wouldn’t gone to the Statue of Liberty and back.  (Oh speaking of Lady Liberty, we have reserved tickets for the crown for tomorrow at 1:00 pm.)

The weatherman said it was supposed to be 50 degrees Fahrenheit today, but it didn’t feel that warm to me.  I guess as the week continues the temperature are headed down again.  We did want to just walk today.  We went to Chinatown for lunch, then headed to Pier 17 on the downtown east side.  We should’ve walked across the Brooklyn Bridge but were satisfied walking under the Manhattan side of it.

We’re back in the room now.  I think we’ll get back on the “L Line” to get back under the river and see the tree at Rockefeller Center after a bit.

Macy’s After-Christmas Bargains

So far the trip has gone swimmingly. We had no trouble flying there nor getting from JFK to our hostel in the YMCA in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much sleep on the flight and so by the time we met up with some Sri Lankan friends for a Christmas party on Staten Island, I was tired. I shouldn’t have imbibed so much on no sleep and little food.

So today, I started out well although a little dehydrated. The weather report has said it was going to be a rainy day and it certainly has been. We first went to meet up with Jay’s bother at his work. It wasn’t far to Times Square from there, so we walked around with umbrellas. Of course Macy’s was crowded; it was a wall-to-wall, floor-to-floor type of crowded. We walked away with no purchases but a feeling of accomplishment at just being un-trampled. It was nice feeling the ‘vib’ of the city. There really is something about New York City that makes just being in town seem eternally unique.

To Each and Every One ...

What Grey Matter?

There are many times at which I wonder why I blog. Some days when things get hectic, it seems I've got nothing to recount except useless tidbits. I can relate only a meaningless moment of what went on during that day. There are other times, when the blog is a journal.

I guess I should say the best reason for having kept doing this is just to supplement my pathetically inaccurate memory. We are flying into JFK on Thursday. Were it not for access to this pile of wordy rubble, I don't know that I would have been able to remember the year of our last visit to New York City. The details of the visit were hardly fresh in my memory. At least having them available lets me do a little online research on my favourite subject; that is, myself.

New York City: The Last Time

The End is Near

I can hardly remember liking a class as much as this one, but being so ready for it to end. At this point, I only have to drive to the Burnaby campus two more times. I don't work too hard nor often but I deserve my time off. I expend a lot of energy when preparing and delivering a class. I rush around and push hard when actively teaching. I feel like it's my duty. Then after I finish, I try to really kick back and forget about work completely. I think this is healthy.

I have to admit I'm getting a bit excited about spending eight nights in New York City. We leave on a direct flight from Vancouver on Christmas Eve and return on January 2nd. Some of the trip is already planned. For example, we're going up into the crown of the Statue of Liberty at a fixed time. Mainly we'll just enjoying seeing things on our first winter trip there. We're looking forward to the Christmas tree at Rockerfeller Center and all the other seasonal decorations. I always wanted to visit Times Square on New Year's Eve. As it approaches and I learn the details I'm less enthused. For example police can take away booze. People have to start forming lines at 4:00 pm. There aren't even any public toilets. I'm sure it will be worth the inconvenience just to be able to say we did it.

It's Habit Forming

I assume that everybody has an addiction problem. It may not be drugs or alcohol; it well could be the thrill of skiing, or time spent in front of a screen. I guess the idea of being addicted implies doing something more than is considered healthy. Or it might mean more than normal, whatever that is.

I've come to realize that travelling can be very addictive. If I have to have an addiction at least it's an educational one. I mean I've yet to be back a week from a six-week overseas vacation and I'm already thinking of other trips. We have $100 worth of credit with Allegiant Air which must be used before January 10, 2010. It appears as if we won't have the chance to use it. We don't have any time off or even three-day weekends before the end of the year. I teach right up till the middle of December.

There are some plans in the works. We do already have tickets for an 8-night stay in New York City over Christmas and New Years. Cathay Pacific has direct flights from Vancouver, and we'll be on one on Christmas Eve. We can visit Jay's brother. Also, I've always wanted to say I was in Times Square when the ball drops. Of course, I saw the celebrations as a child on television. When I was really young, I thought the change of millennium would make a great occasion. I missed that but it's never too late. Our last time in NYC was in May of 2005 when I took this picture.

The Crystal Ball

We have got six weeks of autumn vacation to plan, so it seems a bit premature to have already started planning a trip even further into the future. Still, that's what happened as we had a rainy day yesterday and an Internet connection.

We know that after school begins in the fall, we'll take advantage of the cheaper tickets to go to Sri Lanka for a month. On our way back to Canada we expect to spend several more weeks exploring bits of Thailand, Cambodia, and Taiwan. Some of the smaller trips are necessary to use up expiring Cathay Pacific reward miles.

You would think this would be enough to satisfy the most keen appetite for travel-planning. Yet, when scanning the 2009 holidays, we noticed that Christmas falls on a Friday this year. So with little need to waste vacation days, it will be possible to take a week or so right into the new year.

The last time we stayed in New York City was during the spring of 2005. We enjoyed the city's busy atmosphere. We've decided it's time to do it again in the winter. Knowing that it cannot possibly be as fun as it looks on TV, we will usher in 2010 in Times Square. It just seems like one of those things that everybody should be able to say they've done at least once.

Yesterday afternoon, I booked a room for eight nights at the Greenpoint YMCA in Brooklyn. On the last trip, we stayed at two different YMCAs in Manhattan but it seems like it'll be nearly as convenient to stay in the nearby borough. Until quite recently, it would not have been possible to check out the options so thoroughly and accurately. As well as pulling up NYC's YMCA website, we checked the MTA subway system to make sure it'd only take minutes to get to the tourist sites. Then, using Google Earth, we not only located the old building but got a feel of the area through Street View.

Ten Nights Without Reservations

I PVR'd the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday morning. In the three hour presentation there was at least an hour of good, HD entertainment. I developed a real fascination with Manhattan on our trip in the spring of 2005. It's too bad that it's so far away from here as it'd be fun to travel there more frequently. There is just an undefinable something about being there.

We are free from December 22nd to January 2nd but it's far too late to make plans to try to go to New York City over the holidays. In fact, it's a little late to plan much of anything for next month. Travel deals seem to disappear during this special time of year. I don't expect to see any cheap flights anywhere. Damn, what shall we do? Is it time for a road trip? Over the Rockies? Just a tiny trip to Victoria for a few days? A long drive to see the Grand Canyon during the winter?

102 Floors

It happens every time we're about to go on a vacation; that's the time we dust off the old Sony camcorder. It sits in the cupboard except for when we're going off of a journey. We always run around at the last minute asking whether there are any blank tapes.

Today was no exception, even though we're not leaving until Thursday for Germany. I guess that shows we're slightly more organized than usual. I'm not convinced though.

As it happens we don't have any blank tape, I wondered whether it'd be okay to shoot over old video. As long as I can verify that the original is safely on DVD, then it should be all right. I found a tape with a trip to NYC taken in the spring of 2005. All the footage is all on disk, so that's one tape that will be reused. Just so you'll know that I checked, here's a YouTube clip.

Everybody who visits New York City probably goes up the Empire State Building. Although its 102 floors are greater than the 101 of Taipei 101, the building isn't nearly as tall. All will be dwarfed by Burj Dubai's projected 162 floors slated for completion in 2009.

Of course the slightly-sickening, zooming and dodging camera work is Jay's responsibility . . .

Not SciFi. It really is . . .

When I was small, even the new millennium sounded so distant. I wondered if by now we'd be flying into Times Square with Jetson-type saucers.

On the SkyTrain last night, I realized those on the train who were twenty were barely teenagers in the year 2000. Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining at all! The more New Year's we see, the better! We did go downtown last night just for a glass of midnight champagne at the Duff before it becomes all upscale this year.

Actually, the Waterford-crystal ball is dropping in NYC right now. That's only thanks to the hard disk in the satellite receiver. It's the first time we've seen it in high-definition, so I suppose even if I don't have a flying saucer parked downstairs ...

Less Than Six Months Ago?

I don't know how this photo was skipped in my uploads to Flickr on the first go around. Sometimes, I worry that there are a great many places in the world to which I want to visit but not enough years of life to reach them all.



We did a fair job this year making it to NYC, London, and Paris. We also saw Frankfurt, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Oh, and I mustn't forget July's trip to Portland, OR. It's surely a world city too!

Things Are Looking Up

Vacation photos are generally funny creatures. They usually consist of 'one -of -me -in -front -of -this -famous -object' or 'us -standing -with -a -vista -behind -us'. After vacationers return to a familar old rut, I guess the pictures act as the definite proof of actually having been away.

Occasionally, even on a vacation, a scene can catch my eye though. I call the resulting attempts my 'artsy' photos. We were in NYC a short enough time so that I never neglected to look up when outside. Here are two examples of the reason why:


Image #1 Image #2

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