New York

It was a fun week in the New York City area. The weather has been extremely mild for December, which has allowed me to enjoy the city and cool air on foot. Yesterday I did a walking tour from Penn Station through Greenwich Village, Little Italy, Chinatown, and down to the Brooklyn Bridge. I found Little Italy and Chinatown fascinating. I saw many Italian and American flags sharing a flag post, but nothing similar in Chinatown. I walked along the market on Mott Street and was overwhelmed by the smell of fish. I couldn't believe how many people there were. At the Seaport Historic District I made a nice panorama photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge and then later crossed it by foot. The view back on Manhattan was gorgeous. I never realized by how much the Empire State Building dwarfed its neighbouring buildings.

Earlier in the week I was shown around Central Park and taken to the Martin Short musical Fame Becomes Me. The story was loosely based on Short's life and was full of laughs, fun, and original music. We also saw Bodies: The Exhibit, which is literally a museum of the human body. The exhibit was much easier to stomach than I expected but I wouldn't necessarily go again. A very emotional moment was the visit to the World Trade Center and seeing the wide open space where so many people needlessly lost their lives. In the Christmas spirit I enjoyed the windows at Macy's and the tree at the Rockefeller Center.

Tomorrow is the end of my visit and I'll be boarding a flight to Toronto. From there I will catch a ride to Sudbury where I will spend Christmas with my parents. I'm looking forward to the visit since it's been many years since I was there for Christmas. Unfortunately I still have all my shopping to do!

Christmas? Hello?

I'm missing the hype and anticipation leading up to Christmas. I've been stuck indoors the last weeks and have taken little notice to the Christmas lights, signs, and gluehwein stalls around the city. The lack of snow hasn't helped either. But tomorrow I start my Christmas holiday with a visit to New York before continuing to Sudbury to visit my parents. I need this vacation.

The blog is now being hosted by Google's blogspot.com. They provide a number of neat features and enhancements that I couldn't get otherwise. Over time I'll modify the template to make it seamless.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Smile... it confuses people

I read this on a sign while riding the London Tube yesterday. I don't think smiling at someone on the Tube would confuse somebody as much as making them think you're just nuts. Not much happens on the Tube during rush hour: People cram closely together, make no eye contact, utter no word, and pass the time with their iPods, a freely distributed newspaper, or by reading over somebody's shoulder. You could also be like me and be observing these things.

Yesterday over lunch my client took me on a short tour of the city. 'Short' is the only way you can describe a lunch-hour tour of London, but it felt much longer since we were jogging. This is the coolest thing a client has ever done for me during a visit. The exercise divided the day nicely and the hot shower left me refreshed for the afternoon. It was so nice that I may start going on lunch-hour runs at home. I just have this pain in my right foot, which I can't explain. Just my luck before the weekend.