Archive for September, 2007

New York - Day Two

Published at September 30, 2007 in New York and holiday. 0 Comments

Sunday 3pm

The world looks a whole lot better after a good sleep, several coffees, and a decent shower. I think I’ve about cleared back to human now. A good start today, we got up reasonably early, had breakfast, then headed for Central Park up 7th Avenue. The Manhattan streets are a bit of a surprise, hustle and bustle, sure, but not too hectic. Still seeing a Parisian side to it all.

Eighteen blocks up isn’t that much of a walk as it turns out, and certainly didn’t feel as far as the scale on the map suggested it might. We’ve been taking in the look, the feel, and certainly the smell of it all. Smell hits you everywhere, food, cars, and especially the sewers, which are astonishing when they hit your nosebuds full-tilt.

Once you get into Central Park, it only takes about a hundred yards to lose the city somewhat. It’s huge, beautiful and tranquil. Winding, shady, tree-lined paths lead out on many beautiful expanses of lawn. Lots of families playing, couples lounging, people enjoying leisurely strolls. Near the busier intersections of paths, you’ll get buskers, nothing too hectic, lots of gentle moody jazz. There is almost an enforced slow pace to it all. The one exception however is on the roads that wind through the park itself; whilst closed to traffic in the main, they are a constant flood of joggers, inline skaters and cyclists. As a side note here, I appear to be blending in well, I was asked three times to take photos for tourists. As another side note, I may clearly need to lose some weight.

Having drank the tranquility in, we then set off along 5th Avenue. This is shopping heaven, simply put. If you extracted every single clothing brandname that met the approval of Mrsfb from her mind, you would find that is was a shop directory for 5th Avenue. We’ve set aside Monday for shopping, so Mrsfb womanfully resisted the lure of Prada et al, and we pressed on to find somewhere for a snack.

We happened up St. Andrews Bar. This would appear to be your classic English pub in America, so it was a heady blend of bar and pub. We were served by an Irishman in a kilt (don’t ask, I don’t know either. Very friendly though) and settled down for a traditional English pint of Stella Artios, followed by a substantial brunch. Omlette with smoked salmon and soft cheese for Mrsfb, fried eggs with ‘Scottish bacon’ for myself. We were presented with ketchup, however I decided to take a bold English stance. “You haven’t got any Brown sauce”, I enquired. “Sure, we’re out of HP, but will Chefs do?”. In New York, on my bacon. I almost wiped away a tear of English pride. Good food, just what we needed after a few hours of walking.

For now we’ve retired back to the hotel, Mrsfb is having a little nap, and I’m writing this in the hotel bar whilst watching NASCAR on a large television. America is alright by me thus far.

Sunday 11pm

Tonight was Times Square. In the daytime, it’s slightly under-impressive, it seems a bit smaller than you thought it would be. In the evening however, it utterly comes alive. The signs glow, the screens scroll through endless implorations to watch and consume, hawkers hawk, generally your eyes are drawn permanently upwards. Religion has something to learn here, there are a few ideas someone could really use and exploit. Maybe I’ll have a go at running a religion soon. Some form of a consumerist religion for the UK?

Wow, I only suggest new religions when I am really tired. I think I must be. I guess this is the proper jetlag then. Cool, I did come to America to experience new things.

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New York - Day One

Published at September 30, 2007 in New York and holiday. 0 Comments

Saturday 12am

Wow. In Manhattan, sat on a very nice enclosed balcony, figuring out quite what part of me is jetlagged, and what part is knackered. I think that was about 17 hours of travelling and queuing, all told. Not sure if this is the best time to do the math(s).

Good flight really, quite choppy for the second part of it, but we read and watched movies to distract us. Note to Richard Branson btw: Those screens on the backs of your seats become unwatchable as soon as someone reclines the seat in front of you. The movies I watched were mainly listened too, as all the actors essentially appeared to be shadowy puppets as soon as the chap in front of me got a little tired.

Shuttle bus into Manhattan itself was amazing, just working us into the city a little. Hustle, bustle, yadda *3. However more chilled than I expected. It looks really nice at night, odd pace to it all, almost looks Parisian. Big boulevards, people eating out on the streets (okay, sidewalks). And like the French, they drive with their horns here. Mirror, horn, signal, horn, maneuver, horn.

Tomorrow we do Central Park and Times Square. I get the camera out, and go to work. I may spend half the day in black and white. But I think it is now time to retire and pass out.

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Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Published at September 27, 2007 in music and blogging. 0 Comments

Okay, I said a few posts ago it had got cold. I was wrong. Now it’s got cold. Really cold. It’s still not October yet. This isn’t promising. I’d suggest buying shares in woolen mills.

Off to see Ska Cubano tonight. Should be a good gig, and it’s my first opportunity to see the new Oxford Academy (formerly the Zodiac, formerly The Venue). Looks good from the outside. Will report back soon.

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Foot on the pedal - never ever false metal

Published at September 24, 2007 in blogging. 1 Comment

We saw Run Fat Boy Run at the cinema this past Saturday, starring Simon Pegg. Not that great to be honest. Dylan Moran was alright in it. And there were a lot of Nike logos, which was annoying at first, but after about the 20,000th I grew into a state of tacit acceptance, and at about 30,000 I realised that it was in fact the greatest symbol in the history of mankind, and that life was all about the mantra “Just do it”. I’ve since sold all my possessions, bar of course my Nike trainers, and now live a life of simplicity devoted to the worship of the swoop. If I find where I can get Nike underpants, I’m going to get arrested a lot less now.

Speaking of mind control, I was rather disturbed by an advert for The Alpha course. This was a cinema full of young teenage kids (woooo. Actually they weren’t that bad, the ones next to us that I thought would be a pain actually tutted when some younger kids down the front talked a bit during the film). They’re not allowed to have ads for alcohol, or fags, or indeed many things shoved down their throats, so why should religion be allowed to sell itself to them? When they’re old enough, fine. Although I personally go to the cinema to have naked consumerism pushed to me, and I have no desire to instead have my moral values questioned instead. If I do, I’ll watch a good documentary on the sofa. Questioning morals should always be done in a familiar chair with a cup of tea.

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Moving away from the mainstream

Published at September 20, 2007 in television. 3 Comments

For about a couple of years now, I’ve been listening mainly to podcasts, as opposed to radio. My only radio exceptions are Fighting Talk, which is just a pure guilty pleasure (and I listen to the podcast version), Radio 5 in the morning as I get ready, and Radio 5 on the weekend when sport is on and I’m upstairs.

Now I’m starting to do the same for television, using Miro, and it’s an interesting experiment. I do watch a lot of sport, and I’m really struggling to find video podcasts containing actual sporting action. I’m filling the gap with more geek related things, and a Police Drama called Port City PD. I watched the first episode tonight, and it’s a bit rough round the edges (apparently they have a budget of a few thousand pounds an episode), but it’s a perfectly entertaining and valid drama show. I’ve also found a sitcom called Something to Be Desired, American actors doing their own thing. Worth a go, takes a little to get into, like Curb Your Enthusiasm. Seems a bit slow at first, but after you’ve had a good laugh, you’re there.

I’m going to stick with it, and see what other things I can find to watch. I’ll certainly keep up to date with the shows I really like on regular tv, but I’m trying to fill in the dross with more watchable telly.

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Sumautrinter time

Published at September 18, 2007 in New York and blogging. 0 Comments

So winter arrived yesterday, it got cold. Real cold. And then it’s sort of heating up now. Don’t know what season we are in now. Sumautrinter, I believe. I think I’m going to wrap up warm and wear shorts, makes as much sense as anything else.

Mrsfb’s brother was up to visit this weekend, had a nice time catching up with him. Not the most hectic of weekends, rather good. Managed to mess up my sleep cycle something chronic though, not quite back to it yet.

Have to get my bum in gear about sorting out things for going to New York. We have money, tickets, hotel and passports, so that’s kind of the important things covered, but there are plenty of other things to do as well. I intend to get a few things done tonight.

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Mix your own Subterranean Homesick Blues video

Published at September 16, 2007 in Music Video. 0 Comments

I like this, mix your own version of the Dylan classic video.

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Like the new look?

Published at September 11, 2007 in blogging. 0 Comments

I’ve just smartened a few things up on the blog, and made it so the header image changes from page to page (there aren’t loads, and it’s sort of random, so it won’t happen every time). Pleased with it, been meaning to get round to it for ages. I will probably add some more images soon.

I had the opportunity today to walk around the roof of our new building at work. I’m kicking myself because I was thinking of bringing in my proper camera to take some pictures around the new building, and decided I’d leave it until later in the week. Still, it was a good view, and I took a few with my phone that came out alright. Have learnt my lesson, and will take it in tomorrow and plead for another opportunity.

I’ve cut down by quite a bit the amount of time it takes me to get to the new place in the morning, and I was still being careful, so it looks like with a bit of preparation I can end up getting up at nearly the same time I was before. I can’t afford to miss my bus, as unlike the old route they are every half hour in the morning, rather than in bursts of four or five every ten minutes. I should be able to manage that I suspect.

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Tired but chilled

Published at September 10, 2007 in blogging. 0 Comments

Long couple of days just past, but with satisfactory results. Sunday was spent helping support at work move into the new building, in the main testing phones and PCs. A nice little bit of overtime that will come in handy for New York. Then today was starting in the new building. I thought that it was going to involve two bus trips, but it became apparent on my first trip to the new place that it went a much handier route than I thought. Basic result of that is going to be an extra half hour in bed more than I thought, so that is all good.

Other than that, nice meal out with S&T and their friends for a birthday, and thus a bit of a hangover for Sunday ;) Got me in a good mood for the week

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Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Checked it out

Published at September 6, 2007 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Went to see the Beastie Boys at the Brixton Academy last night. Mostly a very enjoyable experience, they did put on a good show, and basically were doing greatest hits from every era. However, the sound sucked arse. Loud vocals, very quiet beats. As a big fan of their DJ Mixmaster Mike, this was particularly annoying. Still, I think it was worth a five hour round trip to see them, as I’ve wanted to since the 80s. If I had a things to do before I die list, that would absolutely be on it. It was the whole experience I think that made it worthwhile.

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