You haven't been to New York if... you haven't walked around by yourself.

Yesterday, Victoria had to do some school work, so I decided to walk around alone. I always wanted to go to the big city and not having to rely one someone else. I wanted to have to real experience, like being a true New Yorker.


After our paths seperated at New York Public Library..



















I walked over 42nd street toward one of the most famous squares in the WORLD: Times Square. I have to say though, it wasn't as impressive as I had imagined. Just a LOT of people. That night I returned there because I was in the neighborhood and night time indeed lights it up and gives it an extra touch..



After that I just walked around a little bit and ended up at Rockefeller Center. I decided it would be nice to see the NY skyline, because the weather was so nice yesterday. More pictures will follow..

You haven't been to New York if... you haven't given a homeless guy money.

So, I was waiting for Victoria to come to Madison Square Garden, where she would meet up with me before taking the subway to Brooklyn and drop of my bags.

I was really nervous because I really don't like the feeling of being a tourist, and I like it even less when other people look at you as being a tourist. So, evidently with all the stories you hear and all the movies you see about New York City, I was not feeling what you can call: at ease.

Before waiting for Victoria at the corner of 32nd street and 8th ave, I thought it would be safer to just walk around a little, and move from place to place. I walked into this shady black dude who was like:
'Pssst, you interested in tickets for the Nicks game?'
'No' * do I look interested to you?!?*
'Maybe a rangers game?'
'No, I'm nt really a sports kind of guy' *just leave me alone*

Then later I was standing at the top of the steps to go underground to the railway station when this old man came up to me. Super friendly, but still. I had just been texting Victoria that I arrived so he must have seen me with my iPhone, when he came up to me and asked me if he could use my phone for a quick call. So, I remembered putting all my dollar bills in the pocket of my pants, because I figured that if anyone would open my bag with a knife, he would have an envelope waiting for him with up to 300 dollars in there.

So, I told the man: 'I'm sorry this is an international phone, but I can give you a dollar if you want, so you can use a pay phone'. Nervous as I was, not knowing if this man was honest or not, I started looking for money in my pocket, but couldn't JUST take it all out, because it was so much, I pulled out a 5 dollar bill and nervously said: 'Oh here you have five dollars'. I'm so naive.

10 seconds later :

'What the Fuck? Did I just give a complete stranger FIVE DOLLARS?'

By now, I learned to say 'no' when someone asks me for money.

Let's go stand somewhere else.

You havent been to New York if... you haven't taken the train to Penn Station.

So my plain arrived an hour earlier than was planned on the itinerary and trust me that was a good thing.

Although I have to say that the flight to NY was probably one of the best I ever had - you were constantly supplied with food and drinks - I was pretty happy to touch down after 8 hours. I saw what seems like a gazillion movies on board of the plain, but still it felt like time stood still.


Anyway, once I got to Newark Liberty International Airport everything went pretty smoothly. For some reason I never got checked by security or anything, I could just always walk straight ahead, so I was on the train to Manhattan before I knew it. Finding the trains and everything was all so easy, and the people that worked at the airport were so friendly and helpful. You only had to frown a little when looking at an information sign and there would already be someone ready to supply you with the right info.



The train had such a weird ticketing system. So you first had to buy a ticket that would get you through the holding doors, or whatever you call them, and then the conductor would come by, take the ticket and slide some piece of paper under the seat in front of you. I figured it was just for her to see who already exchanged their ticket, but after the first stop, she came by once more and took that piece of paper too, this time not replacing it. So the next few stops there was no conductor around whatsoever.. weird. And one thing is an absolute certainty, wasting all that paper is not what you can call environmentally friendly.

Next stop: Penn Station New York

You haven't been to NY if... you haven't made a blog about it.

In a last minute decision, I decided to create a blog about my - short - trip to NYC!

*THE BIG APPLE* *sigh*

I will probably be posting some updates about my life in the city. The food I eat, the places I go,... just any typical thing you do when you go to New York.

So be sure to check it out!