New York, New York

I knew that I would probably like New York, after all I have heard and seen of it. I didn't know that I would like it as much that I'd want to move there any time now. But that is the case. I had soooo much fun and I am still under some kind of spell (luckily, because Guelph is not only as unspectacular as always but now also freezing cold and it is snowing and snow is not melting right away). It is a special place, with many many people, all different. And vibrant. And it is so easy to find your way there, because of rectangular streets with numbers. With all the culture and shopping going on, I had the time of my life. And I can't wait to go again. I found a good german phrase to explain to my mum what I liked about it, but it escaped me because I slept all day.

After my slightly disturbed last post (because Rebecca hurried me) we got on the bus and arrived to New York around 10 in the morning. We would have arrived earlier, but our bus drivers were confused and we did some special detours on Manhattan Island. We stayed at Central Park Hostel, right next to Central Park (yes, really!!!) and also next to a subway station, very convenient. After unpacking and changing out of our bus clothes we went to Central Park for a walk and to see Strawberry fields and after that to Times Square for lunch/late breakfast. I was amazed for the first time. We walked around there, checking out all the different stores, which fascinated me. Marketing and Corporate Communication at its best. We also visited the Rockefeller Center and went shopping to Macy's and I bought a new watch. I don't know where my other watch is and I wanted a new one anyways. We then went back to the hostel to change and visited a comedy show at night. I found all except for one of the comedians very funny, telling about how the only way to regulate the temperature in a New York apartment is by opening the window, making fun of the subway and of course my favourite wannabe-VP Sarah Palin. We went for dinner after that and walked around on Park Avenue for a while and took a cab home. Laura has developed some great skills in flagging cabs...since in Guelph you can't really do that and have to call one. I wonder why that is...I doubt the reasons are the same as in South America. After that we went straight to sleep, because we were exhausted from walking around and the traveling. Also my friends who I spent most of my time with are all 20, so they will have to wait a year until they can enjoy New York nightlife. I will have to go back for that :)

On Saturday morning we first went to see the Statue of Liberty by taking the Staten Island Ferry. Unfortunately it was very misty, so I wasn't able to take very good pictures. We also visited Wall Street and Ground Zero and then went back to Times Square, because we wanted to see a Broadway Show that night and tickets for the same day are half the price. We had to stand in line and wait for the booth to open for an hour, but we got some really good tickets for Chicago and we took turns waiting there. In the afternoon we went shopping and then got into kind of a hurry, because some subways were under construction so we had to run through different stations to get back to the hostel and we also were in a rush to get to Broadway on time for the show. Chicago was really good and I enjoyed it. I am not a huge fan of musicals because of the low information density which always makes me want to read a book beside it, so I brought my Economist just in case, but I was entertained well all the time. Either I have grown up and can focus better now or it was just a really good musical. I have to see some more in order to find out. After the musical we went out for dinner and took some crazy pictures. I was going to go out with other people from our group that night, but I was getting really sick and cold so I didn't :( which is very sad. But next time...

On sunday we went to Soho because the girls wanted to shop on Canal Street. Apparently that's THE place to buy fake purses...so the moment we got out of the subway station some Asian woman showed us pictures of bags and told us to get into the back of her van so we could buy some there. I couldn't be bothered to go, so I waited outside and amused myself about what was going on. From there we walked the street and almost every shop has a secret back room where they sell fake handbags for 20-50$. Which is not bad...if you want a fake handbag. Another moment when I realized that I have grown up and it is time for me to graduate and find myself a nice job: I don't want fake purses. I want real ones. I got exhausted from all the random shops and people walking towards me all the time telling me to come whereever and look at their bags. Still, I didn't find it as annoying as a middle-eastern bazar. I was very happy when the other girls had finally bought enough bags (I think 10 divided by the 4 of them) and we went to real shops again. I spent most of the time looking at things because of my luggage issues and taking back stuff. But I have already made a plan: I will wear three layers of clothing when I leave and throw some things out. It should be fine then. We went to more exciting stores, many of which I always wanted to visit and I bought myself a nice new purple wallet at Bloomingdale's. We had a nice Cheesecake and then split up, because Tara, Laura and Shannon wanted to go on shopping and Rebecca and I wanted to look at stores on Fifth Avenue. We met Lauren and then did that. Even more motivation to graduate :) Unfortunately Tiffany's was closed. Later we met the other girls and had a Chinese Dinner and then the time had come to go back to the hostel and get back on the bus. I was very sad, but I know that I will go back sooner or later (hopefully soon). I didn't get on top of the Empire State Building or the Rockefeller Center, because it was misty and would have been pointless and I want to visit some of the museums and buy more things and also just take time and hang out in different places. Very much looking forward to that.

I was back in Guelph at 8.45 this morning, just in time for my portfolio meeting. And after that I went home and to sleep and woke up just in time for our meeting with the Board of Advisors of AIESEC here. That was very nice, the last meeting was in April and a lot of things have happened since then. Our advisors were flattered and they were very happy with my presence here in Guelph. We also have a very busy week ahead for AIESEC, with elections and the review board for future exchange participants on wednesday. Apart from that I will spend a lot of time writing manuals and documents for the future of AIESEC here these days and finally work on my "internship report" for university. And there is so much left of Canada for me to see: this weekend Brett and I are going to visit our friends at AIESEC in Windsor and that also gives me a chance to visit Detroit. I am very much looking forward to this trip, not only because we will have a Dutch night for which I will cook stamppots and buy Vla and it gives me another chance to escape from my messy dirty house, but also because my Lonely Planets encourage me so much to see those cities:

"Tell any American you're planning to visit Detroit, then watch their eyebrows shot up quizically. 'Why?' they'll ask, and warn you about the off-chart homicide rates, boarded-up buildings with trash swirling at their bases, and plummeting population. 'Detroit's a crap-hole. You'll get killed there.' Clearly, the motor city has an image problem. While the aforementioned attributes are true and while the city does waft a sort of bombed-out early East-Berlin vibe, it's these same qualities that fuel a raw urban energy you won't find anywhere else."

Not as promising, but also interesting:
"At the southwestern tip of Ontario, across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan, Windsor is the only Canadian city south of mainland USA. Like Detroit, Windsor is a 'motor city', but with the car industry feeling the pinch, what was one a net, civilized town is becoming run-down and haggard. Real estate prices are on the slide, and Windsor's future prosperity seems uncertain."

Thank you very much for your warm words, dear Lonely Planet authors. I also read somewhere that the only good thing about Windsor is the Detroit skyline. So if you never hear from me again, it's probably because I got shot in Detroit. Not in Windsor probably. Windsor makes me think of Windsor castle, this nice civilized place in England. Why can't the Canadians be more innovative when it comes to their city names. Or at least pick more appropriate names and call their Windsor Liverpool or Manchester!!! With high expectations for my next trip I leave you until next week...