It's hard to believe it's been over a year since Volker's last visit. We had a great time last August - walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, saw some of Central Park, and had a couple of very nicemeals.
When Volker arrived this time, we headed down to lower Manhattan to some of the areas he didn't have a chance to see last year. We started off in the Village, where I had him try the Takoyaki from Otafuku, before walking through Washington Square Park and heading down to Soho. After checking out some of the art vendors on the street, we headed west to Little Italy, where they were having the Feast of San Gennaro, an annual celebration with food and game stalls along Mulberry Street. We made our way through the crowds down to Chinatown, walking along some of the smaller, less-touristy streets and checking out the various shops and restaurants. We came across something that looked like a bakery/tea shop, where Volker tried some papaya bubble tea, much to the amusement of the Chinese women working there, who seemed to be genuinely amused to have two non-Chinese people in their Manhattan store. They kept giggling, and it was only after Volker got his drink that we were sure they understood what we had ordered.
After all that walking we were pretty tired, so Sunday was spent hanging out in Central Park, relaxing and people-watching - a great way to spend a sunny day here in Manhattan!
The New York Times reported this morning that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has struck a deal with a company called Transit Wireless to provide cellphone access on the platforms of their underground subway stations. The story reminded me of one that I read at the end of last year, which reported that some airlines would be providing in-flight cellphone access.
I'm sure there are a lot of people who want to stay connected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but I'm definitely not one of them. Some New Yorkers say that the new subway plan will help during emergencies. The thing is, anyone who has been in a situation where a large number of people are trying to contact their family and friends knows that the networks have a hard time handling the increased number of calls.
So why should subway passengers, who already have to endure hot, dirty platforms, be forced to listen to the ring tones and phone conversations of others while waiting for the next train? If the phone access is really for emergencies, can't they turn the signal on only during emergency situations?
The first time I heard of Flight of the Conchords was a few months ago on the subway, when I saw an ad proclaiming that they are 'New Zealand's fourth most popular comedy folk duo'. Since then, I've had a couple of friends send me links to clips of their comedy sketches, and the other weekend I watched an episode of their HBO show at Len's. They are hilarious.
This clip was sent to me this morning by my friend Mo. It immediately made me think of my French friends Julie and Ludo, and how I used to enjoy practicing my French with them (all 5 phrases).
I thought it was good news, but apparently no news is Britney news. She's everywhere, which must mean that either nothing else is going on in the world, or people are finally tired of talking about the 2008 presidential election. Either way, some people are reacting pretty strongly to all of the press Britney Spears has been receiving lately.
Tonight I went to my first Rosh Hashanah dinner in years. It was in New Jersey, and on the drive out we hit a ton of traffic - before 4pm! Len's sister Debbie, who was driving, said that it was probably because of the holiday: "My mother said she remembers a ton of people leaving Manhattan to go to the suburbs for dinner."
Are you kidding?
There aren't enough of our people in Manhattan opting for takeout brisket to avoid a traffic jam on the FDR?
In May, the daughter of a British couple disappeared while the family was on vacation in Portugal. The other day, variousnewsagencies reported that the parents were named as suspects in the case. Apparently, the investigators have found new forensic evidence, even though it's been months since the little girl was reported missing.
This incident received a ton of media attention when it happened, and the recent developments have reignited public interest. Of course, most people are surprised to learn that you can collect DNA evidence from a crime scene long after the crime has been committed. The BBC gave a very nice explanation of how even small amounts of DNA can be used in these types of investigations. They even show scientists hard at work, apparently doing something with DNA. Can you tell who one of those scientists is?
Although I've previously posted about the phone addiction afflicting some of the members of my gym, I think it's time to put together a more comprehensive list of things (call them rules if you like) that people should keep in mind when trying to achieve mens sana in corpore sano.
1) Wear clean clothes to the gym. Everyone sweats when they work out, but if you smell before you go to the gym, you should see a doctor. Or at least do your laundry.
2) Let people work in. If you are in between sets, please let someone else work in. If someone asks you how many more sets you have, and your reply is more than '1', you should ask if they would like to work in. If someone asks to work in and you have more than one set left, move and let them join you.
3) Don't grunt or make other noises. Everyone knows you're a big, strong guy, but there's no need to draw attention to yourself while lifting weights by sounding like you're sitting on the toilet and haven't been able to go for a week.
4) When using the exercise mats, make room for other people. There is a limited amount of space available for stretching or exercising on the mats scattered around the gym, so please move over if someone would like to use the space next to you. It doesn't matter what kind of yoga position you're in, there should be room for others to use the mat next to you.
I'm sure this list could be much longer, but even following these 4 simple guidelines will improve the environment at your gym.
Visiting Shoshana, Len, and their three daughters in Jersey for part of the Labor Day weekend. Big house, pool in the back yard, grilling on the patio... what a life.
