Wednesday, 8 June 2011
I'm just not square enough.
Times square. Why would you?
We headed for Times Square today. When you travel with a kid you have to do many things that you don't want to do. Like travel with them.
Anyway, Times Square it was. Toys R Us is there. It is quite amazing. It has a Ferris Wheel in the store. and everything any child or childish grown up could want.
It had a lego Johnny Depp. That did it for me. Lifesize.
So Quinn had a ball. He chose carefully the things he wanted to buy with his money. Not that he had earned it. He found it lying around the house, left there when Karl would empty his pockets and Quinn thought it was fair game.
He bought zibbits, and a hex bug nano. Yeah, what the?
Then we spilled out of the store back onto Times Square. I don't get why everyone goes there. If you want to know what it is like go to Harvey Normans on sale day and stand in the television department. But get them to put each telly onto a different station and you have Times Square.
No wonder so many people get pick pocketed. Everyone is a tourist and everyone has their camera out.
I wanted to pickpocket them.
Then we went to La Maison du Chocolate. But that is a story on its own.
Then we got a text saying Keith was to arrive at his office in 50 minutes. Just enough time to get there.
I could tell you the details but then I would have to kill you.
See photo on facebook.
I was so buzzed I walked out onto Broadway and tried to show everyone, but they were all in their twenties and no one knew who he was. So I picked a middle aged man sitting on a building ledge and went over to show him. "Look it's me, with Keith Richards!"................... "I no understand English". Bubble burst.
We headed for Times Square today. When you travel with a kid you have to do many things that you don't want to do. Like travel with them.
Anyway, Times Square it was. Toys R Us is there. It is quite amazing. It has a Ferris Wheel in the store. and everything any child or childish grown up could want.
It had a lego Johnny Depp. That did it for me. Lifesize.
So Quinn had a ball. He chose carefully the things he wanted to buy with his money. Not that he had earned it. He found it lying around the house, left there when Karl would empty his pockets and Quinn thought it was fair game.
He bought zibbits, and a hex bug nano. Yeah, what the?
Then we spilled out of the store back onto Times Square. I don't get why everyone goes there. If you want to know what it is like go to Harvey Normans on sale day and stand in the television department. But get them to put each telly onto a different station and you have Times Square.
No wonder so many people get pick pocketed. Everyone is a tourist and everyone has their camera out.
I wanted to pickpocket them.
Then we went to La Maison du Chocolate. But that is a story on its own.
Then we got a text saying Keith was to arrive at his office in 50 minutes. Just enough time to get there.
I could tell you the details but then I would have to kill you.
See photo on facebook.
I was so buzzed I walked out onto Broadway and tried to show everyone, but they were all in their twenties and no one knew who he was. So I picked a middle aged man sitting on a building ledge and went over to show him. "Look it's me, with Keith Richards!"................... "I no understand English". Bubble burst.
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Home of the brave and the land of the free.
I love the Manhatten skyline.
As you come from JFK on Long Island over the bridge and onto the East side freeway just on dark with all the lights on, it looks like Disneyland. At least it's my kind of Disneyland.
The taxi driver had the news on. Everyone does. I don't get it. It is everywhere, on telly, on the radio, in bars, half the shops, on the side of buildings. You can't get away from a never ending loop of the crap of humanity.
This evenining the news was about Congressman Wiener (unfortunate name) who took a photo of his penis and sent it via twitter to a woman he had met over the internet. The photo was taken in the bathroom of the family home that he shares with his wife and kids. Smooth move.
The other news items were less fun. A rapist is still on the loose in New Jersey and a serial killer on Rhode Island.
Welcome to the home of the brave and the land of the free.
As you come from JFK on Long Island over the bridge and onto the East side freeway just on dark with all the lights on, it looks like Disneyland. At least it's my kind of Disneyland.
The taxi driver had the news on. Everyone does. I don't get it. It is everywhere, on telly, on the radio, in bars, half the shops, on the side of buildings. You can't get away from a never ending loop of the crap of humanity.
This evenining the news was about Congressman Wiener (unfortunate name) who took a photo of his penis and sent it via twitter to a woman he had met over the internet. The photo was taken in the bathroom of the family home that he shares with his wife and kids. Smooth move.
The other news items were less fun. A rapist is still on the loose in New Jersey and a serial killer on Rhode Island.
Welcome to the home of the brave and the land of the free.
Mehico
I was a little dissapointed that there were no men in ponchos on mules with big sombreros. The men, not the mules. Or the mules, in fact anyone in a sombrero would have done. But everyone looked like they had just stepped off a Mayan temple wall carving anyway.
We only had overnight in Cancun so we grabbed a massage, then dinner and sleeeeeeeep. I don't think I have had more than a four hour stretch since I left home.
On the way back from dinner we were stopped by a Texan who was trying to sell a bag of things so he could buy some food. He said his credit card wasn't working and it was Sunday so he could"t call the bank.
Hey, it's Mexico. What do you do. At first it took me a minute to work out what he was asking for.
He wanted $3.00 for some Uno cards and a hair straightner, a Greys anatomy video and a domino game.
We gave him the $3.00, took the Uno cards and left the rest and headed off wondering what had just happened.
Down the street it sunk in and we turned around to try to catch him to give him more. He had a Mexican wife and no food.
My worst nightmare when travelling would be to be stuck with no money and a problem getting it.
He had dissapeared and we walked on hoping that it all worked out for him.
The next day we found a great store that sold Mexican cowboy boots and shirts and hats and, and, and.
They were very cool. There were eel and osterich and deer skin ones with intricate stitching in all colours, but unfortunately not all sizes. Mexicans have small feet. I don't.
There were also crocodile and Iguana ones, was a bit sad.
So we left Mexico with no boots and plans to come back.
We only had overnight in Cancun so we grabbed a massage, then dinner and sleeeeeeeep. I don't think I have had more than a four hour stretch since I left home.
On the way back from dinner we were stopped by a Texan who was trying to sell a bag of things so he could buy some food. He said his credit card wasn't working and it was Sunday so he could"t call the bank.
Hey, it's Mexico. What do you do. At first it took me a minute to work out what he was asking for.
He wanted $3.00 for some Uno cards and a hair straightner, a Greys anatomy video and a domino game.
We gave him the $3.00, took the Uno cards and left the rest and headed off wondering what had just happened.
Down the street it sunk in and we turned around to try to catch him to give him more. He had a Mexican wife and no food.
My worst nightmare when travelling would be to be stuck with no money and a problem getting it.
He had dissapeared and we walked on hoping that it all worked out for him.
The next day we found a great store that sold Mexican cowboy boots and shirts and hats and, and, and.
They were very cool. There were eel and osterich and deer skin ones with intricate stitching in all colours, but unfortunately not all sizes. Mexicans have small feet. I don't.
There were also crocodile and Iguana ones, was a bit sad.
So we left Mexico with no boots and plans to come back.
Sunday, 5 June 2011
I´m alive!
I loed Cuba and eerything about it - except the flights there and back. I´m sure the plane was older than me and we were flying over or through storms. I am not the best flyer at any time.
I had meant to say that, if we didn´t land safely on terrra firma, I hae had a great life, better than expected in so many ways with few regrets and none that I couldn´t get over.....................eventually.
So when we landed in Canun it was with mixed feeling about leaving Cuba and heading on what is the homeward stretch.
When we first came to Canun it seemed quite third world. After Cuba it seems modern.
We are staying in the eco hotel again, compared to Cuba it is like Disneyland of the plenty.
Cuba is poor but really easy to trael in. If you have money, as anyone who an travel to Cuba does it is great. We had a few talks with the loals about politics, their free education and health systems. Again a Doctor will earn as muh in a week as I earn in an hour so motiation is low.
I have been summoned..................
I had meant to say that, if we didn´t land safely on terrra firma, I hae had a great life, better than expected in so many ways with few regrets and none that I couldn´t get over.....................eventually.
So when we landed in Canun it was with mixed feeling about leaving Cuba and heading on what is the homeward stretch.
When we first came to Canun it seemed quite third world. After Cuba it seems modern.
We are staying in the eco hotel again, compared to Cuba it is like Disneyland of the plenty.
Cuba is poor but really easy to trael in. If you have money, as anyone who an travel to Cuba does it is great. We had a few talks with the loals about politics, their free education and health systems. Again a Doctor will earn as muh in a week as I earn in an hour so motiation is low.
I have been summoned..................
Weird.
I know that some think I am weird. My younger daughter in particular.
One of my oddities is that I carry food with me - everywhere.
It may be that I was born in the year of the rat, or that I have watched too many series of Survivor.
But, when you are three and a half hours out on a seven hour horse ride in the middle of a Cuban forest, or stuck waiting for a plane when there is only shit food around, or if the Air Cubana flight rashes and you are in a rubber boat for two weeks in the Caribbean sea, and I break out the loaves and fishes from my Mary Poppins bag and feed the masses, suddenly, I am not so weird.
I also fed half of Havana. I had health bars and ookies from the flights we had done and they fed us soooo much eerywhere in Cuba they I would take left overs out with me and give them to beggars (there were not many at all) or kids on the street, or to the taxi drivers for their children.
I ended up like the Pied Piper. People I had given food to would ome up to me days later and call me Mi amore and kiss me.
Did I mention I loved Havana.
One of my oddities is that I carry food with me - everywhere.
It may be that I was born in the year of the rat, or that I have watched too many series of Survivor.
But, when you are three and a half hours out on a seven hour horse ride in the middle of a Cuban forest, or stuck waiting for a plane when there is only shit food around, or if the Air Cubana flight rashes and you are in a rubber boat for two weeks in the Caribbean sea, and I break out the loaves and fishes from my Mary Poppins bag and feed the masses, suddenly, I am not so weird.
I also fed half of Havana. I had health bars and ookies from the flights we had done and they fed us soooo much eerywhere in Cuba they I would take left overs out with me and give them to beggars (there were not many at all) or kids on the street, or to the taxi drivers for their children.
I ended up like the Pied Piper. People I had given food to would ome up to me days later and call me Mi amore and kiss me.
Did I mention I loved Havana.
Cohiba´s
We had a great last day in Havana and manged to pack in a lot.
I was not really interested in going to the cigar factory, but, when in Rome.
It was actually really cool. Our guide was a gorgeous, sassy Afro-Cuban woman who danced and flirted her way around the factory.
The fatory has been running since 1746, with 700 workers who roll 20,000 igars each day. (Ha, back to the computer with seletive ´s.)
It takes 9 months learning to become a roller, then eah igar is quality ontrolled in four different ways and if they don´t pass every test they go back to be re-rolled.
They roll seven different brands at this factory, in all shapes and sizes.
For a factory it didn´t look too bad. They hae music all day, are fed (important in Cuba) and each morning someone reads the newspaper to the workers as they roll and each afternoon they read romance noels for 45 minutes. Now both of these ould be seen a torture. (The v´s are seletie too).
They dry the tobao in the fields and then grade it in one department, and roll it in another. It was quite beautiful to watch the rolling.
On our way out we stopped just inside the entrane to work out where we were heading next and there was a man standing with us about to head home after his shift. They are given three igars eah per day to take home and he had his in his hand. I was explaining to Quinn about this when the man smiled and gave me one. I smelled it and showed it to Quinn then went to hand it back and he said keep it, smoke it.
It was a ery touching gesture from someone who earnes as much in a week as I earn in an hour.
I was not really interested in going to the cigar factory, but, when in Rome.
It was actually really cool. Our guide was a gorgeous, sassy Afro-Cuban woman who danced and flirted her way around the factory.
The fatory has been running since 1746, with 700 workers who roll 20,000 igars each day. (Ha, back to the computer with seletive ´s.)
It takes 9 months learning to become a roller, then eah igar is quality ontrolled in four different ways and if they don´t pass every test they go back to be re-rolled.
They roll seven different brands at this factory, in all shapes and sizes.
For a factory it didn´t look too bad. They hae music all day, are fed (important in Cuba) and each morning someone reads the newspaper to the workers as they roll and each afternoon they read romance noels for 45 minutes. Now both of these ould be seen a torture. (The v´s are seletie too).
They dry the tobao in the fields and then grade it in one department, and roll it in another. It was quite beautiful to watch the rolling.
On our way out we stopped just inside the entrane to work out where we were heading next and there was a man standing with us about to head home after his shift. They are given three igars eah per day to take home and he had his in his hand. I was explaining to Quinn about this when the man smiled and gave me one. I smelled it and showed it to Quinn then went to hand it back and he said keep it, smoke it.
It was a ery touching gesture from someone who earnes as much in a week as I earn in an hour.
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