NY reflections

Hello all

So here I sit, 10 Days after I sent the mail of 'I have been given the opportunity to surprise Cassi and have my first holiday alone in 10 years' Email!

(At the airport, flight delayed, very happy cassi made me bring a delicious big salad from sweet greens to airport, as airport food is just horrid and I'm here for a few hours)!

This holiday was truly wonderful!!! It reminded me that I love traveling, I love exploring, I love trying new foods, I love seeing new things, I love being with people and by myself!

This holiday was made extra special by all the people I got to spend quality time with and reconnect - Cassi, my life-long friend from Canada - candi, my friends from my Israel tour 20 years ago - pegah and zimra, my cousin - Leonie, and hang and laugh with Robbie and dean!

So a huge thank you to mom, bern and phil for making this happen!! Forever grateful!

The Manhattan I saw this week was very different to the Manhattan I experienced 19 years ago!!! Or maybe now that I'm 'older' I noticed more things!

It truly is an incredible city, and I was super happy to have 'local' tour guides, Cassi and Candi guiding me!

I remembered the hundreds of shops! But I think there are MORE shops now, more diversity, more speciality shops (seriously, I went to a shop that sells 120 different types of salt). They have all the 'regular' shops (Zara, h&m etc) but just BIGGER - on more levels etc!!! I absolutely LOVE the bookstores, from the small little quirky ones to the huge ones! Amazon bookstore being my fav - each book has a blurb and customer review, each book facing you (not piled up) - amazing!

NY is certainly a city where - in such a small space (it's only like 21km long - the same width as malta), you can get EVERYTHING! And Everybody seems to get everything delivered! Wherever you go there is a DHL delivery vehicle with 1000's of boxes! All the apartment foyers I went into were piled with boxes! The concierge in these buildings is integral to the running of the block (which are usually 30 or so stories), so a 1000 or more people in each block, and he (or she - I never saw a she) knows which parcel arrived for each flat, messages etc! It's amazing! (Although I could not help and feel sad about the carbon foot print that each of these packages arrive with) - not sure why people can't go to the shop (of which there are 10000's of shops) to buy toilet paper etc 😉 ... on the toilet paper, wow! The toilet paper is so soft in America!

When I was in Manhattan 19 years ago (this became a common phrase) - I loved food, but didn't have the money - on a student / waitressing budget - to eat properly. I ate pretzels from the guy off the street, $1 McDonald chips and the half chicken, chips, corn bread for $5! So it felt great to be 20 years older and explore the food scene! OMG - besides for seeing the special people in my life - this was my favorite! I LOVED that is was so easy to get fresh and healthy and INTERESTING salads, smoothies, sushi, Mexican! Each cafe, restaurant, coffee shop had something to offer - such variety! I especially loved an Australian 'chain' - bluestone lane (amazing salads and breakfast bowls and golden lattes with almond milk), Jacks Wife Frieda was delicious - especially their dinner menu! The lamb koftas and hummus and zucchini fries! I loved the make your own salads at sweet green! The vegan options and salads at 'by Chloe' ... the coffee at Toby estate, and the tacos at ABC kitchen (sorry cands - can't remember which abc) ... you can definitely spend your life eating out in Manhattan and eat at a different place every day! ... oh yes, and my first meal with cas and robs at Angela ... and the sushi at Leonie's place (can't remember name) - with this seeweed salad with 3 varieties of seeweed - yummmm!

Let's just say, 'wholefoods' was everything I imagined and more! If they opened a wholefoods (with amazing packaged lettuce) in Malta, I would be in 7th heaven!

I was quite saddened to see how much packaging the cafes and stores use! They love their packages!!! I see the marketing value, but oh my gosh - I thought NY companies would be more environmentally aware and offer incentives to reduce packaging! (Everything was served in plastic, sometimes even if you were eating in)!

Broadway! Love love! I loved it 19 years ago I loved it now!!!! Was fortunate enough to see 'dear Evan Hansen' and 'kinky boots' - loved both!!! ... maybe one day I'll be watching Zaz on those stages 😉😉😉! Hard work and dedication!

Now that I'm 40 (ha ha ha) - I couldn't stop thinking about how the food gets to this little island (as nothing can grow in the amusement park of skyscrapers) and how so many people (from the big 'guys' in the financial district) to the tellers, garbage men, waitresses etc - travel into the city for work!!! (My friends husband travels 2 hours each way every day!!! )

I'll do a post (when I can connect to my google photos again) on the funny signs! I spotted some cool and whack sayings!

It truly is a unique city! I think if you understand buildings and architecture - you appreciate how amazing the buildings are! I was totally blown away by the size and diversity of the different buildings! The builders and architects are true artists in my eyes (no need to go to museums)!

I loved doing the open bus tour! So much history, so much to see!

I loved walking in the streets with hundreds of locals and immigrants and tourists. I loved chatting to locals on the subway and finding out how they got to NY and what they doing!

Oh yes, the tables in the restaurants / cafes are SO tiny and so close together ... that we often chatted to some really interesting people (cands - wish we got the numbers of those super cute gay guys 😉😉😉)

It was great to be with myself, with others that I love, to have time to walk, talk, sit, chat, eat, watch a show! (Im not sure I'm ready to go back into the kitchen - I have been spoilt)!

I ate lots, walked lots (on average 17km/day), spoke lots, I truly loved every moment!

I kept thinking - 'how did I find my way around 19 years ago with a map!!!' ... google maps was amazing this week! And located every cafe, bookstore etc! Love technology!

Oh yes - I found the customer service in restaurants and small shops - incredible! The bigger shops it's a bit slack! I did find the whole 'consumer' culture, a bit overwhelming and something that I could not live in! (I need a beach near me 😉)

So that's my NY experience in a nutshell!!! Memories forever!

Looking forward to seeing phil and Zaz and Azi and my Thermie and my bed! 😂😂😂

Homeward bound! Munching on Lindt! My little island ahead of me!

G




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