On friendly cities
Back from New York. All in all, it wasn't too bad. As a city overall, it was definitely more relaxed than I remember from when I was a teenager, although someone pointed out that this could be because last time I visited was in summer - when the place is already bursting at the seams with tourists and the locals are getting kind of fed up. I guess it's usually more chill there in the winter (pun totally intended).
I was actually pretty impressed that the locals I interacted with were generally downright friendly. It made me realize that much though people here protest otherwise, we actually are somewhat cold and aloof as a city. I don't think this is necessarily all bad, we just ought to concede that it's the way we are.
As predicted, I spent almost all my time at meetings in the hotel, so I didn't really get out to see the the city a whole lot. I didn't leave regretting this, though. I suspect that NYC just isn't my speed, somehow - the place is just not particularly intriguing or fascinating to me. I think New York and I are maybe destined to be like two people who get along just fine but will never really be friends. Contrast this with Tokyo, which felt like meeting someone for the first time but feeling like you'd been friends for ages.
This is strange, actually, now that I think about it. New York is a wealth of iconic imagery and rich architecture. Large chunks of Tokyo, meanwhile, are senseless hodgepodges of dreary industrialism and bleak concrete. This leads me to believe that maybe I just need someone who knows and loves New York to take me on a whirlwind tour of awesomeness like Daniel did with me in Tokyo, and maybe that would change my opinion of the place.
On a completely unrelated note (pun less intended this time), I just have to say that kd lang has a pretty friggin' incredible voice. As I mentioned in a comment on Jen's post about the Olympic opening ceremony, I suspect this taste means I'm secretly an old lady.
This weekend I went out to the 'Schwa, where there was Rock Band with fun avatars of us, Babylon 5, delicious oatmeal pancakes and overdue photos of a trip to France. Not a bad Valentine's weekend, all in all.
I was actually pretty impressed that the locals I interacted with were generally downright friendly. It made me realize that much though people here protest otherwise, we actually are somewhat cold and aloof as a city. I don't think this is necessarily all bad, we just ought to concede that it's the way we are.
As predicted, I spent almost all my time at meetings in the hotel, so I didn't really get out to see the the city a whole lot. I didn't leave regretting this, though. I suspect that NYC just isn't my speed, somehow - the place is just not particularly intriguing or fascinating to me. I think New York and I are maybe destined to be like two people who get along just fine but will never really be friends. Contrast this with Tokyo, which felt like meeting someone for the first time but feeling like you'd been friends for ages.
This is strange, actually, now that I think about it. New York is a wealth of iconic imagery and rich architecture. Large chunks of Tokyo, meanwhile, are senseless hodgepodges of dreary industrialism and bleak concrete. This leads me to believe that maybe I just need someone who knows and loves New York to take me on a whirlwind tour of awesomeness like Daniel did with me in Tokyo, and maybe that would change my opinion of the place.
On a completely unrelated note (pun less intended this time), I just have to say that kd lang has a pretty friggin' incredible voice. As I mentioned in a comment on Jen's post about the Olympic opening ceremony, I suspect this taste means I'm secretly an old lady.
This weekend I went out to the 'Schwa, where there was Rock Band with fun avatars of us, Babylon 5, delicious oatmeal pancakes and overdue photos of a trip to France. Not a bad Valentine's weekend, all in all.