November 30, 2008

"Never Gonna Give you Up..."

I am pleased to announce that I have experienced my first American Thanksgiving, and it was a very good time. Gio and I started off our day by waking up bright and early and trudging our way through police barricades and crowds of crazed tourists toward the world famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Security was super tight thanks to a bomb threat on the Long Island Railroad and an attack on high volume tourist centers in India. The national guard were out in full force in and around the subway, but they were very fly-on-the-wall unless you had a large bag.

Post parade, we trekked a couple of blocks to a friends place at the New Yorker hotel where we wound down and let the crowd disperse. After a quick nap, a shower, and some dolling up G and I were treated to a very nice Thanksgiving dinner by the school. The dinner included a tasty appy, some great turkey, and a dessert. Our table, through the combined charm of one Brit, one southern gentleman, two Viennese, and two Canadians, also scored two massive plates of mac n' cheese. After a quick grace lead by the aforementioned southern gentile, we tucked in to our taste bud's delight.

The weekend of course was just beginning: a night of some friendly American beer drinking preceding a trip on the Staten Island ferry at night was a high point. The New York skyline is absolutely breathtaking. I was debating taking some pictures, but then what incentive would you have to come and visit?

The last two days of our weekend have been spent Christmas shopping, and let me tell you this much: MACY'S IS INSANE THIS TIME OF YEAR. As we descended the wooden escalator onto ground floor after a successful nab of a few gifts, we gasped in horror as we watched the grotesque mass of panic ridden shoppers trying to hold onto that last fifty percent off Ralph Lauren cashmere sweater.


Our final event of the weekend involved doughnutplantnyc -- probably my favourite calorie loaded sweet shop in the city. I have been trying to get a hold of the fabled Peanut butter and jelly doughnut for some time now, and this trip proved fruitful. It was incredible. It actually had my heart racing, which could also have been the fact that it was my second doughnut...
Well, Christmas is less than a month away now, so I hope I'll get to see you.


No reservations,
Garry



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