New York V Newcastle - A Comparison

Ive been in the 'Big Apple' for seven days now, so I think it's fair to say I've hada fair taste of the place and am prepared to compare it with back home.

New York / Newcastle

Yellow Cabs that drive badly - Black taxis that drive badly
The Statue of Liberty - The Angel of the North
Metropolitan Museum - Laing Art Gallery
MOMA - The Baltic
Carnegie Hall - The Sage
Chinatown - Chinatown
Little Italy - Dean Street
Times Square - The Monument
City Hall - The Civic Centre
Central Park - The Town Moor
Yankee Stadium - St James' Park
Empire State Building - Greys Monument
Hudson River - River Tyne
Smelly Subway - Smelly Metro
United Nations - Westgate Road
Coney Island - The Spanish City
Deli Sandwich - Greggs Pasty
Brooklyn Bridge - Tyne Bridge
Ugly big buildings - The Byker Wall
Rubbish Beer - Brown Ale
Canny people - Canny people

See what a mean lyke, It's just Newcastle with a funny accent really.

Weekend Shopping

Well first full day in the city yesterday. Up earlyish, made some coffee, grey and overcast outside, but still warm. Walked with Gillian up to Union Square to do some 'ethical shopping', at a farmers market for New York State growers and producers. Yeah sure everything was fresh and looked lovely, but ethical pricing was not part of the deal. The prices for the fresh produce here were beyond your average shopper, with tomatoes at around 7 pounds a pound, spring onions at 2 pounds a bunch and strawberries at 4 pounds a punnet. Having browsed the stalls, we retired to the park area for a coffee break. On our way we approached by a group who were collecting for a homeless project, who had cleverly camped outside of Starbucks. Well if you can go into Starbucks you can give to the homeless, right?

Once back in the park and sitting watching squirrels, we were approached by an unassuming black woman collecting for a domestic violence project. When I looked in my pocket for more change, she spotted the strange 50p piece, and asked where it and I was from. "Gee I like your accent, where youall from?" I showed her the coin and told here about the others. "So that's a nickel and that's a dime. Hey they have the Queen on too, that´s really neat." I was sufficiently drawn and gave her the cents for the the project and a coin of the realm for her curiosity. She walked away offering us a blessing and wishing us a good day.

After lunch at home we set off for a visit to Chinatown, for the walk and to do some shopping for the evening Chinese banquet, which Alba, and I had offered to cook. We took 'the subway' but while looking a little grimmer, it smelled the same, old, oily and hot. Unfortunately when we arrived at Canal Street the greyness had changed to 'the wetness', which probably curtailed our appetite to walk and explore a little, but Chinatown was colourful and busy - oh and decidedly cheaper, though as fresh as Union Square - ethical shopping for everyone. Everything sold in pounds too - none of this bloody Kg palava, mind you dollars look like 'mickey mouse' money, but then again so do Euros - God I'm such an old dinosaur - haha.

We gathered our ingredients from various stalls before finally taking the bus home.

Dinner was a great way to christen the new wok, with a chicken, vegetable and noodle stir fry, with a side order of home made spring rolls. Vegetables beautifully chopped by my two sous chefs, Max & Alba, Amanda performed the Maitre de duties. 'The Lady of the house' meanwhile watched TV.