Living in Harlem is a very different experience to living on the Upper East Side. While that may seem like a statement of the obvious, it's a reminder of the ways neighbourhoods can change so quickly on this tiny island. Of course, coming from Belfast, that's also no surprise to me - but in Northern … Continue reading Black power
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All change
And speaking of trains, this weekend it's been all change as far as my life here is concerned. Mutley is finally here! And it's changed everything - for the better, I hasten to add! I had reached the point where I had had enough of all of it - the job, the weather, the city, the … Continue reading All change
Subway stories
Since I moved from the bus to the subway I've missed watching the street go by, but there is a whole new show to watch. As the subway trains are so broad - no banging your head on the curved roof by the door like the tubes - there's nearly always room enough to watch what's … Continue reading Subway stories
End of an era
This week New York has bid farewell to two icons. Along with the rest of America, and probably the world, the city has seen the last Oprah Winfrey show. On Wednesday, the last of her daytime chatshows, one of the most watched tv programmes in America, was broadcast. There have been round 4,560 episodes of the programme, … Continue reading End of an era
Weekday wanderings
The weather has finally cheered up. But in a twist that I didn't expect here, it's gone from cold and windy, to scorching! I spent the day in work looking out at blue skies above the skyscrapers, actually chilly in the air-conditioning, and then popping out in the heat to get iced-coffee and lunch. So … Continue reading Weekday wanderings
Weekend wanderings 2
Well - I DID make it out last night - eventually! The Queen of Manhattan and I walked up the road, in our high heels, to a French bar with live jazz. It was amazing - wicker chairs, linen napkins, a guy playing the saxaphone, and a stiff, very stiff, g and t! The M15 bus … Continue reading Weekend wanderings 2
The end of the world
Today the world was supposed to end. So far it hasn't - although I AM a bit fed up... According to Christian radio broadcasters, the world was going to be consumed by earthquakes, which would start in New Zealand and work across the world - making May 21 Doomsday. Groups of believers have been handing out … Continue reading The end of the world
East meets West
I have been spending a lot of time with the intern at work. She is a raven-haired statuesque twenty-something of Russian/Turkmen descent. We discovered over a dinner of sushi and cocktails the other night, that her father is from Vladikavkaz, in the Caucuses, the last place I taught when I was in Russia, and her mum … Continue reading East meets West
DS-K OMG! IMF’d…..
The story that is gripping New York at the moment is the arrest of the former director of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, on charges of sexual assault and rape. It's alleged he attacked a chamber maid at the high-class mid-town hotel where he was staying. He then left for Paris, but was arrested on board his … Continue reading DS-K OMG! IMF’d…..
The dogs on the street 2
An advert for dog food (organic of course) has just referred to "pet parents"...and apparently you can buy "dog strollers" (pushchairs) here...