All about New York

So I went to New York last Thursday to Sunday – and I sooooo want to go back! It was great… And a very nice combo of seeing this fantastic city for the first time and seeing Holme for the first time in around 2 months.

Short wrap up:

Thursday: Arrived at hostel at around 11.30 p.m., had a pizza slice, talked girl talk until we fell asleep at around 1.30 a.m.

Our 4-bed dorm only female with bathroom in the room at Manhattan Inn Hostel

 

Friday: Walked to Times Square, saw the view from Rockefeller Center.

  

 

Walked down 5th Avenue, lunch at an American diner, walked around Central Park talking about boys . Went back to Times Square, bought ticket for Chicago on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre, took the subway to Ground Zero, shoe/underwear-shopped at Century 21, went back to see the show, saw Times Square at night with all the lights on this time, walked home and crashed in our beds.

 

 

 

 

Saturday: Went sailing by the Statue of Liberty with the Staten Island ferry, spent 2-3 hours at Century 21 (yeah, we went back again ), quick lunch in SoHo and shopping until 10.30 p.m. (!!!), then back to the hostel to place our bags, dinner & cocktails at 12.15 a.m. (!!!) at a Brazilian restaurant up on 8th Avenue and finally passed out in our beds at around 2 p.m.

Pretty tired at the Brazilian restaurant

 

Sunday was going home-day. I left Holme at her bus at around 1 p.m. and went from Penn Station to Newark airport – just to find out that my flight was cancelled!!! I was soooo tired and my entire body, especially my feet were hurting a lot from the action-packed weekend so I was really not happy about this situation. I had also brought my sports bag to fill up with all the stuff that I would buy so I was carrying around two big bags!

First they told me that I could get a stand-by ticket for a plane at 5.15 p.m. Then that flight was delayed until 8.30 and I didn’t get on it. Next flight was at 11.30 p.m. and would also be delayed and I couldn’t get a confirmation for that one either. So I decided to stay for the night.

I stayed at an nice hotel close to the airport and then went back in the morning. I (of course) didn’t get a seat on the 10.20 flight but finally got a confirmation for a flight at 11.50! I was so happy! And then it got delayed until 2.30 . I was at that time really thinking about just forgetting about everything, store my bags, go back to the city and then get a late flight back to Toronto. But at the same time I was so tired of it all.

I was finally back in Toronto at Neill Wycik at around 5.30 p.m. And then – as the good student I am – I went to class at 6.30.

Thinking about it, the extra day spent in Newark almost spoiled the great weekend… But no – it was so much fun! I’d go back anytime!

So: Go go go to NYC as soon as you can, bring lots of money and good shoes and try to stay as long as possible (in the city, NOT the airport), don’t fly Continental and bring a good friend to share the great experience with

Got home from NYC a day later than planned!%&¤!!!

Well, that’s what you get when you fly with the budget airlines (in my case Continental).

On my way home from a fantastic, ation packed weekeend with Holme, my flight from Newark airport at 4 p.m. Sunday got cancelled. And I found out when I arrived at the airport check-in at about 2.30 p.m. “I’m sorry” said the lady at the counter, “I’ll put you on a stand-by for the next flight at 5.15 p.m.”. All right, I could wait a few hours.

Then the plane was delayed… For 3 hours… And it was full so I didn’t get on it.. So at 9.30 p.m. I went to customer service (for the 3rd or 4th time) and asked them about the flights/seats available for Monday. I had realized that I would have to spend another night in NY, because the next flight at 11.30 was also delayed and also full. Actually I stayed in Newark because going all the way back to NYC would be a hassle since I had to be back at the airport at 9 a.m.

I spent the night in Howard Johnson Hotel nearby. Got a nice, clean BIG room with a BIG BIG bed and all (but had to spend US$ 70, around DKK 350 on it).

My very big hotel room in Newark

 It was kind of an awful day, rain in NYC, headache almost all day long, sore feet and legs after power shopping all day long Saturday, carying all my stuff around the airport (the small trolley I got from Thomas + by sports bag that was filled up with what I had shopped). I really didn’t need this, had absolutely no energy!

I got another stand-by seat for a flight at 10.20 before I left Newark airport Sunday night - but that was of course also full. At around 11 a.m. Monday I finally got a confirmation on a flight at 11.50 – perfect! Until it was delayed two hours… and yet another 30 minutes! I actually thought about changing my ticket to the flight available at 8.30 p.m. tonight but I figured that, if that was also going to be delayed or even worse – cancelled – I would hate myself. And I’ll definately go back to NYC some other time anyways!

So at around 4 p.m. today I arrived at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Went back to Neill Wycik and then went to class. Pheww..

Just had to get that off my chest – pictures and more details about the sights, the shopping and the hanging out with Holme (Katrine) will be posted ASAP!

Now – sleep

Tomorrow will be the day…

… that I go to New York! Which I’m quite excited about! And I’m meeting up with Holme (Katrine), even better!

Game plan: Arriving late Thursday night, chatting, catching up, sleeping (at Manhattan Inn Hostel), up early Friday morning, sightseeing (IN THE RAIN ), probably Rockefeller Center, Times Square and Central Park, shopping in between, eating, drinks, whatever we’re in the mood for, then sleep, up early Saturday, sightseeing, maybe Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty if it’s not pouring down (!!!), shopping (we’re going to some fantastic outlet at some point), eating, maybe meeting Christina (from ha(kom.), she’s on an internship in NY) and going out in the meatpacking district, sleeping, up early Sunday, chilling and then home in the afternoon.

Pheww.. So much to do, so little time. But it’ll be great. Can’t wait!

Still need to pack though.

Funnyness – likes and dislikes of TO / NA

Hans asked me one of the first days I stayed with him and Clare: “What do you find weird, different or funny about this place, just as a first impression?”.

Since then I’ve been thinkin about the funny ways of the people in this city – i.e. the funnyness

This is they 5 likes and dislikes about things that are different in Toronto or North America in general:

Likes:

1. Coffee is CHEAP! $1.79 (just around kr. 9) – this is the price for a tall regular coffee at Starbucks by the way
2. Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (my favourite ice cream because of the chunks!) are also cheaper! Just got one for $4 (kr. 20)
3. Public transportation is fair priced and works really well, considering that they use oooold trains and streetcars!
4. Everybody say’s “How are you” – whether in a store, in class, meeting someone on the street, great and very kind way to start a conversation
5. Sushi is really cheap! (Oh enough about the cheap food and drinks!)

Dislikes or what just sucks:

1. You have to go to special stores to buy alcohol! What’s up with that
2. Liquorice is really hard to find
3. Bars and clubs close at 2-3 a.m.
4. Canadians pay for incoming phone calls! That’s really funny… or actually just a pain in the b**
5. Feta and mozzarella cheese is really expensive

It’s really nice that a lot of things I like, for example eating out, getting manicures, taking a cab + what I mentioned above are much cheaper than in Denmark. But its too bad that its hard to find a place to go out that doesn’t close when you’re having the most fun and that you can’t fix a tomato salad with mozzarella for kr. 10 / $2. But I tend to not mind the dislikes

I really like being here, the city is great and I’m meeting new people everyday. It’s very exciting even though it drains my energy resources – but as long as it’s in a good way…

Short summary of last week:

• Studying, trying to read what I didn’t read while I was in Montréal
• Quick shopping at Dundas Square
• Being sick It sucks, I’ve been coughing myself though the week
• Party at the Steamer Room at Neill-Wycik Friday. Still coughing, went to bed with “Vicky, Christina, Barcelona”
• Partying with the Danes, dancing all night Saturday
• Kirstine and Pil baked a WONDERFUL carrot cake! And Lars’ family was visiting and they brought Nelly Dellies

Pil cutting the cake (and you can see the Nelly Dellies on the table behind her)

 

This week has had a killer start! My girlfriend in Boston, Katrine aka Holme, and I have just planned a weekend in New York!  And I finally got to skype with Lisbeth The first time we tried it was me talking and Lisbeth typing/writing back to me because of a disagreement with a headset, I believe!  Also a trip to the Niagara Falls have been planned for this Saturday. Even better, my dad sent me the copy of a letter from Knud Højgaards fond (The foundation of Knud Højgaard) saying that they have awarded me a scholarship!! YAY!

Now all I need is to stop beeing sick.