The Big Apple
View from our hotel close to Times Square. A bit different scenery than back home!
Two and a half years! That's a long time to hide under a rock. Although I traveled a lot in my previous life, I hadn't been anywhere since the COVID-19 crisis started. As a high risk person I've been particularly overcautious about getting exposed to crowds. One consequence of self-isolation was that we hadn't seen my wife's family at all during the whole pandemic. When I heard that my in-laws would be visiting my wife's brother and his family in New Jersey, USA, I finally mustered some courage. After all, the infection rates have been down for a while. It was a perfect opportunity to crash the party and see the whole family together - first time since 2015. Plus, my wife had given a long-forgotten promise to show me the neighbourhoods where she grew up. I'm glad we got to go, because it was such a fun trip!
Times Square is also known as The Center of the Universe. This, of course, is false, if you ask the Savonians: the actual center of the world is Mualiman Napa.
It was my first visit to New York - The City That Never Sleeps! An ideal place for someone struggling with insomnia. I've been to many capitals, but never before to the "Capital of the World". New York City with all its skyscrapers has similar wow!-factor as Tokyo or Hong Kong, but for me the most striking aspect was the huge contrast of human life. People truly come in all sizes, colours, genders and beliefs. When everyone is unique, even a country potato like me blends right in.
In USA, there are those who have a lot - and those who don’t have any Earthly possessions at all. The disparity is shocking. Meanwhile here in Finland everyone’s taxed to somewhat equal poverty, and apparently that makes us so very happy. To each his own, I suppose. It was enthralling to just watch the people. Thanks to Pride-month there was even some extra colour on the streets. I noticed one unifying theme from the melting pot, though: no one understood my English! Porque diablos! I got so frustrated that at one point I made my wife do all the talking. NYC is worse than Liverpool!
NHL headquarters are in the building on the left. NHL Shop in NYC was one of the places I insisted to see.
We stayed a couple of nights in Manhattan and most of the time in New Jersey: a huge thanks to my brother-in-law and especially his wife for their hospitality, and to our niece for all the origami and Super Smash Bros. lessons! In addition to living “goro goro life” in the “Garden State”, we also did a little family road trip to Washington DC where we spent two nights. For the duration of our stay I tried to embrace the American way to the best of my abilities. I ate too much junk food, changed lanes without using the turn signal and dragged my wife to see the new Top Gun movie in a local theater - which was totally an awesome experience! Great movie, reclining seats with a possibility of ordering burgers to the show, and it cost only five bucks!
As a closing remark, here are some observations:
New York smells like marijuana! Everyone and their mother is a stoner! Even on work breaks! Whoa, dude!
Customer service in New Jersey is almost hostile. It reminded me of Russia. We managed to buy a cup of coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts so that the customer service person didn’t utter a single word during the transaction. That would be considered an accomplishment even in a Finnish cafe.
However when New Jerseyites do speak, they really sound like in the Sopranos. So cool! 😎
Washington DC felt surprisingly relaxed given that it is the capital. I was pointing my zoom lens at that white building in the city center, and only at home did I realize that someone with a rather large sniper rifle had been looking back. Oops. 😳
It was so fascinating to hear real Southern American accents spoken live! I’ve only heard it in tv before. There was a gaggle of fancy ladies in the same hotel in Washington. They sounded just like in the Gone with the Wind. Bless your heart dear.
Anyway, here are some photos, y’all.
Around Times Square.
Breakfast at Krispy Kreme.
View from the One World Observatory. It’s difficult to take photos through tinted glass, though.
Visiting the Liberty Island.
View of Manhattan from the Liberty Island.
A seagull posing pompously in front of a French statue.
Mother Nature provided a nice lightning for this one.
South Tower Pool is part of the National September 11 Memorial.
“Nine Eleven” is one of those events that are forever ingrained in my memory. I remember coming home from playing sports and turning on the TV just when the North Tower was falling. Surreal.
At Rockefeller Plaza. I loved this kid’s style and I wish I had some fashion taste as well. My wife describes my style as “German Tourist”. I take that as a compliment.
Bye bye bull: it’s been a Russian Bear market this year. 😠
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is aired from the Ed Sullivan Theater on the Broadway.
I’m a huge fan of the NYPD mostly thanks to the briliant “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”.
Central Park of New York City is huge: 3.41 km²!
Leaving NYC and moving to the Garden State: New Jersey. Oh no, there are Jewish nazis here too? Russophobia!
I had never seen a chipmunk before, yet they’re just everywhere in New Jersey. Lovely little lively fellows. Same with fireflys. There were also tame squirrels, bunnies, deers and even a groundhog called Charlie in the neighbourhood.
A view from Bear Mountain. Perhaps not the greatest photo, but I was surprised that most of the state of New York actually looks like this.
Crickets!
Walking on the Piermont Pier. Mario Cuomo Bridge on the background.
Panorama from Liberty State Park, NJ.
Manhattan.
Brooklyn with Staten Island Ferry.
View from Hamilton Park, NJ.
A day walk in Tenafly Nature Center. There were tons of frogs croaking in the ponds.
Instead of enjoying the hustle and bustle of city life, we seem to be constantly drawn to the nature. Have four years in Finland finally corrupted us?
American breakfast.
We did a family road trip to Washington DC. On the way, we stopped for a lunch in Nick’s Fish House in Baltimore, MD. I recon these mussels would’ve been delicious had I been capable of eating them.
This fish’s right down my alley.
The contrast between the rich and the poor is just staggering in USA. Some people live in castles while others reside under Sunday newspaper. This guy, for instance, has a nice property right in the heart of Washington DC.
Temperature was constantly over 30°C during the trip. Hurry up, Biden!
Washington Monument.
Anti-CCP protest in Washington DC. There’s one good commie amongst all the evil imperialists. Can you spot our comrade? This hero of labour is working tirelessly for the working class!
Lincoln Memorial.
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
USA truly is a nation of great innovation. Not in a thousand years would I have been able to come up with this brilliant idea! I'm lovin' it!
It’s a real bummer that the National Air and Space Museum was closed. I did get to fly an F-4 Phantom II in the Museum of American History, though. My wife (callsign: “Screamer”) as the weapons officer, we scratched six hostiles. Yay, we’re aces now! “It’s not the plane, it’s the pilot!”
International Spy Museum was kid-friendly fun too. During the visit, my cover was Reese Chipo, an archaeologist from Rio de Janeiro.
If a stranger speaks to you in Finland, he’s either a drunk or a foreigner. Meanwhile in USA, even the squirrels are super jovial. 🐿️😉
Jefferson Memorial.
A view from the Jefferson Memorial.
I enjoyed watching the sunset over Washington DC on the Watergate Steps.
Constant chain of landing airplanes and buzzing military helicopters was quite a show.
Americans love their Harleys.
A bit different tool than what the Finnish Fuzz use.
Jumping to the City of Brotherly Love: Philadelphia.
Biggest sight of Philly is naturally the statue of Rocky Balboa.
Philadelphia Museum of Art - my wife did the Rocky Steps for a little training montage.
Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
Culinary staple: Philly cheesesteak.
Another highlight of the trip: Cheesecake Factory.
Driving back to the Big Apple. I admit that navigating these roads was somewhat more challenging than driving in Finnish “traffic”.
Back in New Jersey for Fourth of July.
Happy
Independence
Day!
It's kind of funny that after such a successful trip my topmost feeling is just relief.
Even though I hate flying in general and airports in particular, and air travel is currently perhaps more unpleasant than ever before, we didn't experience any major difficulties during our trip. I was certain that I'd catch the bug despite all the vaccines and face masks, yet we managed to stay healthy the whole time. Having a near-death experience and arguing with the insurance company about a hospital bill the size of an average mortgage would've been a nightmare ending for the summer. Despite my fears everything went smoothly and we had so much fun experiencing the American Dream. Which, by the way, is a gigantic shopping mall in New Jersey.
That’s it again. Thanks!