how do you like them apples?

I was away last week - we had a fabulous trip to NY, this being my second trip. The first one was back in 2003 for about three days & I left feeling unimpressed. I failed to grasp why everyone was so gung ho about NY. All I could think was the subways were dirty & the streets were overcrowded with houses & people. And I grew up in Bombay - people & dirty cities should not be a problem for me. I have been spoiled though, living in cleaner cities like Dubai, Toronto & now Bermuda, which would explain why I was shocked that a North American city could even vaguely resemble Bombay.

My eyes were opened to NY's beauty this time around. Partly because we were older, left to our own devices & toured the place ourselves, which we loved doing. The subways did not seem daunting at all this time around & those streets I once found too busy were now a shopping haven. NY is beautiful. Not because of the tragedy it has endured but for all the other things too. Once we got Central Park & Manhattan, I understood what all the hype was about. NY is much like Toronto but on a much grander scale. Big skyscrapers will only hold my attention for a few seconds. I am not dazzled or phased by NY's nor any other cities'. Sure, Times Square was electrifying & abuzz even at an ungodly hour, but all I could think of how many African villages could benefit from the power needed to light up the many billboards at Times Square, or perhaps how many CO2 emissions we could be cutting down on with the process of elimination! We visited ChinaTown, Little Italy & also made a trip to Jackson Heights (not far from our base). I went crazy in Little India & came home with lots of goodies, ones that I doubt are even available in Toronto.

What made this trip so much fun was spending time with Hubby's cousins & mine as well (at times individually & then at times all at once). There were so many of them, a little older than the last time & so a lot more fun. It was also a bonus that our host (Hubby's cousin) knew all the shopping hotspots & bargain centers, was a delight to be around & had a three year old that kept us entertained & on our toes for much of the trip. Amid all the fun we didn't get to actually take the ferry over to Staten Island but there's always another time. And with the flights to NY from Bermuda slated at such bargain prices, the other time may come sooner than we think.

On a side note, here's a NY street sign that Hubby brought to my attention. Now what if this sign were planted right in Bermuda? Oh, I can see the outrage & the protests just about piling up on being unable to toot at their friends driving by. But imagine the money it would rake in for the city...