Last day - New York

So I flew back from New York and that meant a long old drive back to JFK to park up, not long because of distance but long because of the insane traffic. It was just gridlock almost the entire way. It was Kim's birthday too so to say sorry for making her drive to JFK and back and to wish her a happy birthday we went to a spa in New York called Aire Baths. It was all fancyyy. We walked in and got special wristbands that unlocked out lockers where we had a robe and slippers and a towel. There was this attendant there that was hovering over us trying to be helpful (which she was) but it was like having a servant, she even insisted that she squeeze out our swimsuits after and put them in little ziplock bags for us. 

I had to steal this photo of the baths cuz I didn't take my phone in there. There were all different pools, a tepid one, a hot one, two freezing cold ones, a jacuzzi one and a salt water one where you floated. There was also showers and a really big steam room, a warmed marble seating area and curtained areas for massages, candles were absolutely everywhere. We each had a massage, mine was really good and relaxing.

You got two hours in the spa which was just the right time and then we got out and got showered and dressed. All the showers had shampoo and conditioner etc and there were mirrored areas with make up wipes and hair dryers and straighteners. There were even hair brushes you could borrow (um... no.. ) and a swimsuit drainer machine with purple ziplock bags. 

So that was really cool, we both left smelling gorgeous and we walked a little way to the Crosby Bar where we had booked afternoon tea. I hadn't realised other countries never did afternoon tea, the whole bar was English themed. 

They had lovely Wedgwood china, Kim got flowering tea and I got Earl Grey. 

And we had nice pink tiered plates. It was a lot less formal than afternoon tea at the Goring in London. 

But it was still fancy, even the bathrooms looked fancy. Sorry America... rest rooms... they even had a little chair should you wish to rest (ugh... why do they call it this?). 

Then we decided to go to ground zero and see the 9/11 monument... which wasn't really that interesting. If you wanted to read any information or do anything other than look at the fountain you had to pay to go in the museum. There weren't even many places to sit there so we were only there 5 minutes.  

Then I had a lovely long delay on the plane for 4 hours before an overnight flight with a screaming baby... oh joy. 

New York State Fair

On the drive back to Connecticut we dropped in on the New York State Fair which was near Syracuse, it started off pretty cloudy but ended up hot. The state fair was a little bit like the Norfolk Fair (for those of you from East Anglia) if it was bigger and run by cowboys.

There were lots of agricultural things like livestock and shows and displays.  

Including butter sculptures? For some unknown reason. 

Nahhow.... How does I say thais... Summer thaim folks wurr a lidl reyad neyck. And iffin I pleeased I cudda done gots me mai vurra own cunfederrat flayag bearin hayat! Ahem... So yeah... That was a thing. There were lots of cowboy hat wearing people shall we say. 

I decided I'd try some of the Fair food, there was SO MUCH FOOD. This is Hawaiian shaved ice which I had never even heard of, it was so tasty! They literally shaved ice off a block and moulded it into a little tower then you could pick syrup flavours which they poured on. It was delicious.

I liked going into the animal barns, they had signs up everywhere saying don't touch in case they bite but they were so cute you could help but pet the ones that came up to you. 

Some of the animals were a little unusual...

They had cloudy lemonade slushies, they also had wine slushies and cider and beer. I really wanted a wine slushy but it was just so hot I already had one of those headaches you can get in the sun so I avoided it.

This is a funnel cake I tried, it was tasty, it's like a mess of fried dough that you can get coated in icing sugar or cinnamon.

Look how cute!

The funniest thing I thought was the pig races, they all had been given names like Jennifer Lopig and Lindsay Loham. The audience had to call out 'sooie' and the pigs dashed out into their starting pens. They were so sweet and I thought it was funny to watch them race to be the first to get to eat an oreo biscuit. But on one race the pigs were so excited to be first back that it was the last pig that got the prize, the others ran straight past it.

Then it was time for some State Fair mac'n'cheese (don't you just hate how so many Americanisms look like they were written by dyslexic people then not spellchecked? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with dyslexics, only putting them in charge of writing signs).

New York

So after a crappy flight the day before my travelling chum Kimberly and I took the subway from the ghetto into New York, here's a photo of a rat we saw.

 

 

We had tickets for the Top of the Rock observation deck so that was good, the view was good that day.

 

Then we walked over to times square and had a mooch round the shops there.

 

Then it was off to see Cinderella on Broadway.

 

 

The costume changes were so good, I was really impressed.

 

It was baking outside but the air conditioning made it frrrreeeezing. Before we drove back to Connecticut we went to Ninja, a restaurant. It was pretty dark and all the waiters were dressed as ninjas and kept jumping out at everyone, the place was full of screams every now and then.

 

Everyone had their own private alcove to sit in and we got some drinks, the menus were scrolls (that the waiter jumped to our table with and unfurled them in one move making us jump again!).

 

All the dishes with a ninja death star next to them came with a performance, we saw our neighbours get dishes that were on fire and all sorts.

 

As the place was pretty gimmicky I figured the food probably wouldn't be amazing but it was actually really great (and such huge portions!).

 

Between our main course and dessert a magician came to our table and started doing different magic tricks (which again were very good), although he did think I was Australian (surely not guys?!).

 

And then we shared a dessert because the main course was so huge and it came complete with dry ice. Very cool... you know, if you're immature like me. I thought it was expensive for a meal out but for all the performance and atmosphere you got with it I think it was very reasonable.

Once Upon A Time

Well chums, I've been busy on placement lately, so I thought I'd tell you all a story, about my 21st birthday, as long ago as it was now.  I'll apologise now for the dodgy photography, it was taken in the days of non decent camera phones. So I was all set to go to New York for my birthday and I was taking the train to London to stay with my Great Aunt before leaving the following day from a London airport. 

The other passengers and myself boarded the train and were sitting down when we head a commotion in the next carriage, a woman accusing a man of stealing her phone. She went to get the police at the station who came quickly, meanwhile another passenger and myself saw the accused man reach into his pocket and drop her expensive phone into the bin. The other passenger and I looked at each other shocked, then we both got up and swung into action blocking off the rest of the train to the man and very obviously watching him. The police came and confronted him and fished the phone out, then he was arrested on suspicion of theft, we had to give our details to the police as witnesses and the train was then allowed to go. The police had asked if I would be around during the next week to give a statement but I said I'd be leaving the country for a week to go on holiday. I rang my Aunt to let her know my train was now late, she didn't sound pleased. 

I sat back on the train thinking no more of it until I got a phone call. Could I please get off at Stratford, a police officer would be waiting for me if I could quickly give a statement. I rang my Aunt to let her know I'd be a little bit later, she really didn't sound pleased. And so I got met by a lovely police officer to go and have my statement written down. I was explaining where abouts I was in the carriage and so I drew him a little floor plan map of the train carriage and where everyone was standing which he asked if he could keep and I said sure. So with that all done, it took some time, I said goodbye to the nice policeman (and got a snap in for good measure). 

But then my train ticket was invalid, so I was given this - 

Obviously I had to keep the card as a souvenir haha. Anyway, off I went, really very late now, and I found out why my Auntie didn't sound pleased about me being late. My family was all waiting to take me out to dinner as a surprise. Oops! Months and months later when I'd forgotten about it I got a letter asking me to go to court as a witness, how embarrassed was I when the magistrates and whole court was passing around my crap drawing of a train!