RossVP

New York/New Jersey

Okay, I’m back from 11 days in the States, I think the jet lag has worn off after a monster 17 hour sleep, my cat is back from the cattery and im eating Anchovies on their own because thats all I have in my fridge right now. Anyway, here’s a little summary on the last 11 days:

Snow came down in Wales on an unholy scale the day I was suppose to leave so I had to spend 14 hours in Heathrow airport, watched nothing but Frozen Planet and made friends with the Bangladeshi cleaning staff after sharing my sweets with them. My flight was less friendly and I fell asleep whilst watching Finding Nemo.

Had to pay for a taxi from Newark Airport from Newark Broad Street station because the American rail network is the crappiest rail system I have ever been apart of (I have been to former Soviet bloc countries) because trains either dont run on a weekend at all, don’t run because of Martin Luther King Jr. day or because the schedule lies and they simply dont go there.

Montclair State University campus is so cool! They have a hockey rink, a baseball stadia, a diner, its own police force and despite the -11c temperatures icing up the steps all across the campus and making it impossible to walk anywhere its still awesome.

Montclair town itself was the epitome of an all-american town. The place is covered in quaint little cafes and antiques shops where I managed to buy a corn top pipe from a gay gentlemens fine antique establishment, I never did get his name but he thought me and my mate Jack were cute and gave us $10 discount, bless him. We also met (because of the rail system) a lovely Scottish taxi driver who lived in Montclair and is applying for citizenship who told us he loved swearing and hated the fact Americans couldnt grasp his sense of humour. John I know you wont read this but you’re the best taxi driver I have met and I hope you gain citizenship over there!

The time we didn’t spend in and around Montclair we spent it in Manhattan which was under a hour away and could be seen from my friend Vicky’s student halls. We stayed in literally the most swankiest hotel in Manhattan, its called the Kimberly Hotel (50th St. on Lex av) and the beds… if heaven is a place and we spend the afterlife on a cloud I hope the clouds are as comfy as those beds. We even had a birthday cake (Did I mention it was me, Vicky and Jacks birthday all on the same day? Well it was) delivered by Vickys mam to the hotel room where we pigged out before dressing up in all our best glad rags and went upstairs to the roof to have drinks. Well, the view from the roof… We were literally straight across from the Chrysler Building and it was all lit up and honestly, the view, the company, it was the best way to spend a birthday.

We walked around Manhattan the day after and did all the touristy things like Empire State etc. and decided on going to a gig in Webster Hall that night because a band called ‘Coasta’ were playing who apparently had Jesse Laceys brother on lead. They were good, proper chilled out Seahaven vibe about them. While we were watching them Jack told me Jesse Lacey was at the bar having a drink so we went over and I introduced myself and we talk for a while about the best places to travel and about both being Welsh, one of the nicest people I’ve met easily. After all the excitement we were told that there was a Daft Punk tribute act upstairs and to be honest I was expecting some guy with a box on his head clicking play to a bunch of songs off ‘Homework’ but they had the entire pyramid set up and the working masks and shapes were thrown man. Enough said. 

The rest of our time in Manhattan we walked around Greenwich Village, Hells Kitchen (where I managed to pick up a few items from a flea market on 39th St) SoHo and the other districts. SoHo was probably the nicest out of all the villages we walked around, I was able to pick up a few books from this guy who I met who grew up in Cardiff surprisingly and got a load of records from the stores in and around Bleaker street. We even had the best Inidian in this place called ‘Brick Lane’ (50th st between 2nd and 3rd) and they gave us a free starter because they pushed our reservation back 10 mins. Champion.

I loved New York the first time I went last year and I love it even more this time around. Easily the best city I have been too and I always go there trying to compare it to London but to do that wouldn’t give either of them justice. I can’t wait to back in a few months and just hang out with my mates oh and eat a shitload of Butterfingers which is easily my new favorite chocolate bar. 

 

Anonymous asked: im curious is all ;)

Haha thanks, but I’m straight.

Anonymous asked: i presume youre straight

yeah, why’s that?

If by some devine miracle the girl who I was talking to on the train in New Jersey in on here.

What’s your name? I’m the bell end who didn’t ask…

In a bar taking to Jesse Lacey about being Welsh,

S’all good.