Don't do it, it's a trap! :P
Seriously though, I'm sorry to hear of your transportation problems, but your means of dealing with them made me smile. Especially the part about "wandering the streets in a spiralling method around the subway exit point" -- that's what I'd expect from such a computer geek :)
I'm eager to hear more of your impressions of our "beautiful" country...
Joined: 4/30/2006
Posts: 480
Location: the secret cow level
I was in NYC a few years ago, visiting an aunt and we took the subway all over town. It's mindblowing how big the system is... it makes Boston's look like a toy train set. I swear I walked a good half-mile through a single underground station.
Today I spent most of the day wandering the streets of Harlem looking for interesting shops (such as Radioshack :P), and a bank to change some euros to dollars (alas, I forgot to bring my passport with me to the bank and they didn't accept the driving license as an ID) and then exploring the Central Park for a bit, sitting on various benches, and walking the 5th Avenue downtown for the whole length of the Central Park, photographing anything interesting.
Again, some scattered impressions.
-- Do most people speak Spanish here? Looks that way to me.
-- Are most people here black or nearly black? Looks that way to me. (Edit: For clarity, this impression started from the airport; not just Harlem.)
-- *Everywhere* you look, there's always something happening. New York is truly a busy city.
-- The demographics (esp. in the subway) looks like straight from any american movie. It's awesome how familiar it feels.
-- I'm having trouble figuring out when people know each others and when they don't. It seems like people go spontaneously talking with random people they don't know, without any smalltalk or anything.
---- Overall, the social atmosphere seems very friendly. The private spheres around people are certainly much smaller than in Finland, where people go to great lengths basically avoiding confrontation.
-- It never stops unsettling me when little kids speak English. Little miracles.
-- It has been a cloudy day today: there were about 10 minutes of sunshine in total during the 6 hours or so; yet, it has been as hot as the hottest sunny day in Finland (and 70% more humid).
EDIT:
-- Oh, and I noticed that workers rarely seem to wear hearing protection here. I first noticed it at the airport, but I also noticed it today at some construction site. Someone operating a chainsaw had no hearing protection.
Joined: 11/18/2006
Posts: 2426
Location: Back where I belong
Bisqwit wrote:
-- Do most people speak Spanish here? Looks that way to me.
-- Are most people here black or nearly black? Looks that way to me. (Edit: For clarity, this impression started from the airport; not just Harlem.)
I've never been there, but I know that the boroughs in NY are similar to the neighborhoods in Philadelphia, where you can literally be in near-ghetto conditions and 5 blocks later be in nice, upstanding suburbs. Perhaps you've just managed to visit the neighborhoods with the most black people. As for Spanish speakers, there are a lot of Cuban and Domincan immigrants (as compared to California where there are a lot of Mexican and Central American immigrants). But once again, if you travel to different places I guarantee you'll hear Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, and pretty much any other language you care to try to identify. It just depends on where you're at.
Bisqwit wrote:
-- It never stops unsettling me when little kids speak English. Little miracles.
:)
I find it unsettling when a little kid is bilingual, no matter which two languages. With all the idiosyncrasies of English, I can see how you'd be impressed, but just remember that most kids have just a cursory knowledge of English. For example, it's common to hear children say something like "I sitted there", or "That's a lot of sheeps", or anything else that involves conjugating irregulars.
Also, the rest of the US isn't as humid as the East Coast. The west side of the country usually has much, much less humidity during the summer (and I'm very glad all my future summers will be spent there).
Joined: 12/27/2006
Posts: 532
Location: Göteborg, Sweden
Bisqwit wrote:
-- Do most people speak Spanish here? Looks that way to me.
And everything is written in Spanish too.
-- It never stops unsettling me when little kids speak English. Little miracles.
This happened to me too. I was amazed everytime a 5-year old spoke English. You barely expect words to come out of their mouths, and they speak your own second language, it's facinating.
My published movies
[03:45:05] <Naohiro19> Soulrivers: ...
[03:45:19] <Soulrivers> ?
[03:46:35] <Naohiro19> <Soulrivers> No! <Naohiro19> So? <Soulrivers> Yes!
[03:46:48] <Naohiro19> joke
-- Do most people speak Spanish here? Looks that way to me.
US has no official language, so unsuprisingly there is no unified language anybody is expected to converse in. This is (at least in my eyes) becoming something of a major problem; the US direly needs an official language (preferribly English)
At least it seems that the trip is going somewhat well, which is always a good thing.
At least it seems that the trip is going somewhat well, which is always a good thing.
Somewhat, yeah.
Except for two blemishes: I broke my sister's camera, and I forgot to increase the VISA monthly limit (or rather, misestimated the amount needed) before leaving; I just calculated that the purchases I did before leaving, and ones still mandatorily remaining, will together exceed that limit.
Oh well. Time to talk to the bank.
Today my mood seems to be mostly of the "screw it" type.
Partially due to a number of mishaps, and partially due to becoming self-conscious about how badly I fit the stereotype of a tourist.
A few more little observations.
-- People honk their cars a lot here. I am yet to discover why. Sure, it's obvious when you're pedestrianing across the road at red lights, but at other times it just seems to be without reason. It's as if they just do that to point out that "I'm here". Like some birds or animals in a flock. They honk at each others just to establish their power and spatial relations.
-- At downtown Manhattan, the ratio of whites to non-whites became larger than what I previously had observed.
-- UPS trucks look exactly the same here as they do in Finland. Hardly surprising, though.
Travel diary:
-- Today, I continued exploring the Fifth Avenue downtown from the point where I left yesterday. Namely, streets 59 downto 14.
-- The distance I walked was shorter than yesterday because my feet were still aching, and it didn't get much better.
-- Except for a few high buildings, I noticed nothing particularly interesting.
---- One of those buildings being the Empire State Building, I presume. However, getting inside would have meant queuing for god-knows-how-long, and the tickets aren't exactly free either, so I passed on the opportunity. I took a panoramic picture of it from the ground level -- though it probably doesn't turn out as good as that in Google Maps' street view.
-- I intended to exchange some currency today, but I forgot the passport to the hotel. Yes, again. Also, I think the passport will be required to prove one's identity if making bigger VISA purchases, so I couldn't buy a new digicamera today either.
-- At Best Buy, I bought a 1 GB MiniSD card for my phone so I can save more photos. Turns out, that MiniSD card doesn't work. I don't know if it's broken, or what. The phone doesn't seem to acknowledge the presence of the card at all. Hopefully they refund me. It wasn't exactly cheap. ($27) It's actually a MicroSD card with an adaptor. There were no genuine MiniSD cards there.
-- At morning, the hotel owner suggested me a few restaurants nearby. Later today, I checked out those streets I remembered him mentioning, and though there were restaurants here and there, I didn't find any of them particularly attracting. It's hard to tell from the street which ones are good (as you can hardly see inside), and as most of them had only Spanish-speaking staff, I just didn't feel like having enough courage to try. I have somewhat a phobia for doing a faux pás, and I have a high likelihood to do exactly that, often failing to understand people the first five times around. (Even when they speak my native language.)
---- I prefer places where the prices and the products are clearly listed (before making the purchase decision), so as to minimize the need to ask questions, and to request clarification to the answer four times, and where nobody stares at you if you accidentally drop something, and you can pay the price listed and go after eating.
---- Yesterday, I ate at Subway. It was good for everything else but for the fact, that I misunderstood the price. They advertised that "footlong" breads are $5. Mine cost $6.50. I still don't know why. I did not have a drink.
-- I checked out the New York Public Library. It had lots of catalogues for whatever. I wonder what purpose those were for. Big building and had a museum-like feeling to it. Not so library'ish. I didn't spend much time there. Oh, and they checked the contents of my backpack. Three times.
-- I don't know how to be a tourist. I walk at the streets and wonder, but I rarely go inside any store or building. I'd rather be by myself. Such as sitting at a park bench.
---- If I go to a store and they don't have prices listed, it's for certain that I don't buy anything. Turns out many groceries labelled "Deli" do that.
---- I feel that as a tourist, I should be doing all sorts of things, visiting all kinds of places, but I don't like any of that. Yet, if I don't do that, something inside me is nagging to me that I'm wasting an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Tomorrow, I'm planning to see if I can get a ticket to filming of Conan O'Brien's Late Night show. And if I can attend with that ticket.
-- One of the few things I would actually like to do.
People in north america will honk at you if you take more than 1.5 seconds to move once the traffic light turns green. It really is horrible at times. Not so bad on this side of the border usually.
Bag checking gets stupid at times. When I last visited Best Buy they made us wait while someone checked our bags - who was at the time already busy. The item we had was relatively high value: a laptop. In case we had stolen it. Which is a bit tricky because all the laptops are stored in the back and only an employee can get it and you'll be paying for it on the spot.
I do hope you're enjoying yourself overall though.
Joined: 11/18/2006
Posts: 2426
Location: Back where I belong
DeHackEd wrote:
People in north america will honk at you if you take more than 1.5 seconds to move once the traffic light turns green. It really is horrible at times. Not so bad on this side of the border usually.
False. It is primarily an east coast problem. Having lived in two different states on the west coast, I was astounded at how fast people lay on their horns when I first drove in Pennsylvania.
---- Yesterday, I ate at Subway. It was good for everything else but for the fact, that I misunderstood the price. They advertised that "footlong" breads are $5. Mine cost $6.50. I still don't know why. I did not have a drink.
Only some are $5. We recently went there... usually there is some list somewhere detailing what actually follows the advertisement, though it can get a lot worse.
---- I feel that as a tourist, I should be doing all sorts of things, visiting all kinds of places, but I don't like any of that. Yet, if I don't do that, something inside me is nagging to me that I'm wasting an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I know how you feel.
I would just do what is "fun". But then, most people consider me boring.
I would say the honking gets worse the further you go east, and the further south on the continent. To the point where in some places people honk in traffic because it's "just what a normal person does".
Also, they checked your bags in Subway of all places? Or do you just mean in general. I didn't know that the USA were THAT out of control...
I've never had my bags opened up and searched up here; not even in an airport. (I used to fly 6-7 times a year too)
Edit: --Reading comprehension. No wonder it didn't make any sense. A library isn't nearly as strange, but that's still bizarre.
-- People honk their cars a lot here. I am yet to discover why. Sure, it's obvious when you're pedestrianing across the road at red lights, but at other times it just seems to be without reason. It's as if they just do that to point out that "I'm here". Like some birds or animals in a flock. They honk at each others just to establish their power and spatial relations.
Another thing New York is ridiculously famous for. I think it's NY law to honk a lot...if you plan on crossing any streets, you might want to bring some earplugs.
How much longer are you staying? You might want to try and seek out the MET; it's, uh, really nice. It may be a touristy thing to do, but it's also one of those once-in-a-lifetime things that you should try not to miss.
How much longer are you staying? You might want to try and seek out the MET; it's, uh, really nice. It may be a touristy thing to do, but it's also one of those once-in-a-lifetime things that you should try not to miss.
MET... Met... What's that?
I'll be staying still oh-too-long. Although, the weather beats what Finland is having any time. (Though tomorrow it will be raining.)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Although, if you're not really interested in these kinds of things, you probably might not enjoy it too much. If you have any appreciation (this is not an insult) for any kind of artwork though, it's a really good place to go.
Oh, that. I walked by yesterday. Though it was closed at that time, I guess.
Hmm, $20 for admission. Backpacks not allowed (at least when carried in the back) inside.
An art museum? Hmm...
Oh, that. I walked by yesterday. Though it was closed at that time, I guess.
Hmm, $20 for admission. Backpacks not allowed (at least when carried in the back) inside.
An art museum? Hmm...
No, really. They may have tons of ridiculous restrictions (which is kind of the same for most major museums) and a seemingly high cost, but in the end, it's worth it.
Joined: 11/18/2006
Posts: 2426
Location: Back where I belong
More than likely you can take your backpack, but it will need to be checked (as in a coat check, where you hand over your item, and they give you a corresponding claim ticket to get it back). I recently went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and they had a similar policy. $20 is quite a bit, but for people who are really into art, it's $20 for a very full day of exhibits.
As for taking pictures, most places will allow it as long as you only use natural light (no flash), but then again it probably depends on the institution.
Overall, the social atmosphere seems very friendly.
I'm still laughing about this from the last page! I've lived in New York, California, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, and visited most of the other states. New Yorkers are easily the meanest people in the country.
---- I feel that as a tourist, I should be doing all sorts of things, visiting all kinds of places, but I don't like any of that. Yet, if I don't do that, something inside me is nagging to me that I'm wasting an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
That's not the right attitude. Just have as much fun as you can in whatever way you enjoy most.
Some things I liked in NY:
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is great
- China town
- Yankees game
- Play chess at Washington Square Park
- Wander the galleries in soho
- Get some New York style pizza
- Sit in a cafe all day near NYU and people watch/read a book
- Visit Strand book store (828 broadway)
- Check out a concert; lots of good underground and mainstream music venues there. Even if you've never heard of the band, just finding a random cheap show can be fun.
- Brooklyn Zoo
- Museum of Natural History
At Best Buy, I bought a 1 GB MiniSD card […] ($27) It's actually a MicroSD card with an adaptor.
Doesn't sound like a "best buy" to me, lol. Out of curiosity, how much does the same kind of card cost in Finland? Cause I know I can (and did) get 4 GB for the same price here in Moscow quite easily.
Bisqwit wrote:
I prefer places where the prices and the products are clearly listed (before making the purchase decision), so as to minimize the need to ask questions
Ah, a perfect Finn. :)
I'm much like that as well, although in my case it's rather not to minimize the needless communication, but because I like taking my time when choosing something already after I've learned the price, so I don't want to waste mine and others' time or make hasty decisions. Which means it doesn't concern me at all if there aren't many customers other than me there.
Bisqwit wrote:
I feel that as a tourist, I should be doing all sorts of things, visiting all kinds of places, but I don't like any of that. Yet, if I don't do that, something inside me is nagging to me that I'm wasting an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
That's why it is a good idea to have a native citizen you're acquainted with to show you things.
Otherwise, my way of thinking is to attend something I would attend at home if there was such an opportunity. In regards to other cities and countries (not like I've visited many), I prefer doing whatever is natural to me, making it easy to accomodate.
Tell us more!
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
I prefer places where the prices and the products are clearly listed (before making the purchase decision), so as to minimize the need to ask questions
Ah, a perfect Finn. :)
meh, I'd do the same, and I'm not finnish.
Might be out of habit, because over here shops are required by law to list prices. A shop trying to hide their prices would seem suspicious to me.
