Christmas, part II / Aging / Free Wi-Fi / Christmas / Daily-notes
Driving is for servants, not for gentlemen. Hannu Visti
At Strand's bookstore on Broadway. Books looking for new owners, owners looking for their wallets, clerk calling for next customer, total chaos. Booklovers looking for gifts for their loved ones. Fortunately, I was told not to buy any books. Otherwise I would have lost my money or mind. So, onwards toward the Lotus Lounge, our favorite cafe in the Lower East side (corner of Clinton and Stanton), but it was closed. Downsides of religion, closed cafes. Later, Christmas dinner in the Yummy-house, the closest decent Chinese restaurant to our hotel. They serve rather special curry pineapple fried rice.
Christmas in New York. Outside 10C, sunny, calm. Shop are full of shoppers, CNN is reporting from Walgreens in Texas on the turn-out of shoppers. Very good, says the manager. Those, who have done shopping already, are on the move. 51 million people will drive somewhere else, 9 million will fly, 3 million will take bus or train and at least 1 million Santa Clauses will ride their chariots around the skies to the smoke outlets of exurban homes in Texas and Alabama. What a traffic!
I have spent most of my Christmas Eves in Finland with my parents and grandparents. Since all of them but my mother are not present anymore, spending Christmas abroad does not feel so bad anymore. But a bit, anyway. This is not, however, the first time I am away from Finland during Christmas. In 1988 I was in Paris with Kössi, in 1996 alone in Paris on my way to South-Africa, in 2003 in Hangzhou with S, Maunu, and Heikki and now here. Interesting.
On Friday: visiting MOMA in the early afternoon, later then wondering the blatantly insane "Christmas"-decorations in Brooklyn (gigantic Mickey mouse, 3m tall napoleonic soldier etc) Later, dinner with Pekka and Anna in some nice Lebanese restaurant on the 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn, close to the sea.
Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs December 2005".
Christmas, part II
At Strand's bookstore on Broadway. Books looking for new owners, owners looking for their wallets, clerk calling for next customer, total chaos. Booklovers looking for gifts for their loved ones. Fortunately, I was told not to buy any books. Otherwise I would have lost my money or mind. So, onwards toward the Lotus Lounge, our favorite cafe in the Lower East side (corner of Clinton and Stanton), but it was closed. Downsides of religion, closed cafes. Later, Christmas dinner in the Yummy-house, the closest decent Chinese restaurant to our hotel. They serve rather special curry pineapple fried rice. Aging
The TV is full of advertisement promising instant removal of all signs of aging. Why should one get rid of the signs? Are the frequent vodka-ads part of the same strive for youth and ignorance? Why would it be better to look young and ignorant even at 50?Free Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi is becoming more common in NYC. Both the Union Square park and in the Madison Square park have free and fast access. Excellent. One can read newspapers and books, check facts from the net and blog at the same time. I did not spot any bad guys sending spam or bomb threats using the free access, as the established telecom operators claim they would do. Who knows?Christmas
Christmas in New York. Outside 10C, sunny, calm. Shop are full of shoppers, CNN is reporting from Walgreens in Texas on the turn-out of shoppers. Very good, says the manager. Those, who have done shopping already, are on the move. 51 million people will drive somewhere else, 9 million will fly, 3 million will take bus or train and at least 1 million Santa Clauses will ride their chariots around the skies to the smoke outlets of exurban homes in Texas and Alabama. What a traffic! I have spent most of my Christmas Eves in Finland with my parents and grandparents. Since all of them but my mother are not present anymore, spending Christmas abroad does not feel so bad anymore. But a bit, anyway. This is not, however, the first time I am away from Finland during Christmas. In 1988 I was in Paris with Kössi, in 1996 alone in Paris on my way to South-Africa, in 2003 in Hangzhou with S, Maunu, and Heikki and now here. Interesting.
Daily-notes
On Thursday: taking early bus to NYC, having nice lunch in the taxi-driver, construction workers, Pakistani-Indian, halal eatery (29 Street, close to 5th Avenue). Great food, generous portions and rather authentic atmosphere. In the evening, hanging around, taking in easy, etc. Oh, and having nice Chinese food in the Yummmy-restaurant on the 3rd Avenue.On Friday: visiting MOMA in the early afternoon, later then wondering the blatantly insane "Christmas"-decorations in Brooklyn (gigantic Mickey mouse, 3m tall napoleonic soldier etc) Later, dinner with Pekka and Anna in some nice Lebanese restaurant on the 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn, close to the sea.
Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs December 2005".
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