littlemissconceptions

New York, New York. Repeat. Repeat.

It was 3am here in Joburg when I started this which as far as my brain will allow me to recall means that it was about 8pm in NYC. I got back Friday morning and shot through the day trying to acclimatise/acclimate (I never know which one to use) myself immediately and minimise all jet lag. Like I said, it was 3am here and I’m typing this…maybe it’s had to do with the coffee I drank although I don’t think it does. I stayed up till like 5:30am…Jet lag se voet!

Hmmm so wow geeeeeeez!! NEW YORK people!! Straight up, it felt like slipping into the familiar…obviously at times it was superbly overwhelming, and I just felt myself being very quiet and taking it all in (and there is a lot to take in) and yet it seemed like you could just slip into it like a fish in water and chill there like you had always been there. Like it could double up as home *eeeeek!!!*.

Here are just a few things I observed on my first (ehrm Universe, take note) trip there. I went in without any particular plan - I just wanted to be chilled and kinda just go with wherever the subway took me; there were just a few things which I wanted to specifically do (not that I got to do them, gotta save them for the repeat trip I guess). I got to see quite a lot thanks to my amazing tour-guide but it might’ve been a little bit more productive had I done my research and checked stuff out before hand.

It is a beautiful city. BEE-YOO-TEE-FOOL!!! The thing that made the biggest impression on me about New York - my favourite thing - is the buildings. I found the architecture so beautiful and the city green and solid, like, despite the fact that it’s this huge bustling city, and can in some parts be grimy, I found it clean and fresh with beautiful buildings and loads of trees.

If I didnt know better I’d say the city is called “The Big Apple’” because it’s sponsored by Apple - EVERYONE there has an iPhone and white headphones coming out of them, which is a little necessary there….you totally need the map app to get around and know where you’re going around the city otherwise you could very well get swallowed! On top of hooking yourself up with a subway map, you’ll need a metro card, and you can get weekly top up ones - you’ll need it. The subway is awesome! It’s a complete cross section of EVERYONE in society! You will see everyone from everywhere!

I can’t tell if the first language in New York is Spanish or English. The second language is everythingelse’ish. You’ll hear everything!

On the first day there Rez gave me a little lesson in geography (he’s a map-man). The Avenues are the roads going vertically up and down New York whilst the Streets go horizontally. If someone gives you an address then they generally give you the Avenue first.

Houston. If you pronounce it like Whitney’s surname then you will sound like a pleb and everyone will know that you’re not from there - it is in fact pronounced House-ton or How-ston. Houston is a street and therefore, Noho and Soho are actually abbreviated names for the areas North of Houston and South of Houston, almost like how Soweto is actually South Western Township.

You will be walking A LOT - if you thought you had comfortable shoes, New York will prove it to you. I walked the Brooklyn Bridge and that was awesome - even left a little note on it, but G’DAAAAAYYYUUUUMMMM my feet hurt nearly EVERY day! YOH!

It’s a little ironic to have to point out, but just so you know, you can drink the tap water in New York ;)

The weather can be otherwise! In the first few days that I was there, my hair tried to go back home through border control and it was SUCH A MISSION trying to find aqueous cream which is the only thing which works on my hair! I dont think they actually even have it - I had to find some kind of replacement. The weather thing is important coz even if it’s hot outside, the shops/stores have arctic air conditioning so make sure you have layers or something to keep you warm hehehee.

I forgot to mention to food!! OMG!! How could I?? I REALLY wanted to check out some Caribbean/Jamaican food whilst I was over there coz it’s nearly impossible to find in JHB (if you know of any then please shout) but unfortunately I didnt get the chance to :(

I went to the Waldorf to try out their Red Velvet because it’s apparently the original (but then I was told that the cake actually comes from The South). Anyways….there was more creamcheese icing than cake. I wasn’t impressed I’m afraid, but my Red Velvet experience was redeemed by this little french patisserie in Brooklyn, which save for having been put in the fridge and freezing the icing a little, was totally yummy.

I had delicious thin New York Pepperoni Pizza and the bagel was AMAZING!!! AAAAAAAAH!! I tried Krispy Kreme Doughnuts….not a fan. I think I actually had an allergic reaction to them. You have to try out Ice-Cream from the Laboratory because they have all these ridiculous flavours like white peppercorn and olive oil!You can’t drink the Coke in the US unless it comes from Mexico or something, coz the Americans make it with high-fructose corn syrup aka poison instead of real sugar. I had an awesome hot dog and superb coffee (Dean & Deluca). We ate yummy Persian food and amazing Vietnamese Sandwiches from the most random little hole-in-the-wall type place, but by far my FAVOURITE food that I ate in New York were the burgers from Shake Shack. OH MY EVERYTHING!!! Just get the regular Shake Shack burger (not the cheeseburger) and a Chocolate Milkshake - it’s PROPER!!! It will be the first thing I eat when I go back.

I found stuff to be super expensive there, I mean the clothing etc. I suppose if you wanna go to the boutiques etc, then sure thing, you’ll probably have the budget, but even in the general shops, like H&M etc, I felt like stuff was expensive for nothing particularly amazing. Apparently people get paid really well there, but the thing that chows them is the superbly high cost of living…I also got told though that it’s something particular to New York so I dont know if it translates over to the other states.

Guys, there were A LOT of people who walk around talking to themselves, and also a lot of young homeless people there, and I found that very sad….I dont know why (they’re homeless) but yeah…

One of my other favourite experiences in New York was going to one of the spots where Abdul Baha stayed at when He visited New York. Abdul Baha is one of the central Holy figures in the Baha’i Faith, and so being in the same area where he was exactly 100 years ago was very special to me. Although very busy and bustling, I found myself to be very quiet and humming at a lower vibration - I guess I was just taking everything in…

it’s so funny but now that I’ve been there, I notice things referring to New York all over, and I know where and what they’re talking about, know what I mean…?

Man I hope I didn’t forget too much :/ The trip was amazing and I’m sure that the next time I go through (because it is going to happen - I just have to work out how) I figure the pace will go up a few bpm’s….

Can’t wait. Soon Soon. Now Now.

*fingers crossed*

Noo Yuawk Etsedderaah…

New York.  Passport Control. Friend. R.J.M. Flags. Jamaica line. Cabs. Subways. Maps. Mist. Shake Shack. Yellow. iPhones. Times Square. Lights. 43 floors up. Lights. Jet Lag. Riverside Drive. Buildings. Manhattan. Brooklyn. Harlem (Gotta go back for Queens and The Bronx) Coffee. Rye toast. Dried Mango. Philadelphia. Humid. Architecture. Pedestrians. Maps. 125th & Broadway. Taking the 1 then changing to the 2/3 express on 96th. Central Park. Walking. Tiffany’s. Harry Winston. Saks. Gucci. Prada. Dior. Chanel. Photos. Headphones. Carnegie Hall. 5th Avenue. Grand Central. Pizza slices. Bro-Missing. Brogues. No Coke. Coffee. Trees. Architecture (again) Subways. Cabs. (again) Aircon. Dollars. H&M. Zara. M.A.C. Gum. Crazy people. Homeless People. Flags. The Waldorf Astoria. Red Velvet. Spanish. Pop eyes. Brooklyn. No Mos Def *sigh* Missing you. Williamsburg. Hipsters Everywhere. Ayn Rand. Tourists. Tony. Birds. Walking. Bagels. Cream Cheese. Coffee. Red Velvet (again) Green. Sirens. Beauty. Lights. Thinking of you. Walking the Brooklyn Bridge. Ray Bans. South Korean Neighbours. Prayers. Skyline. Phone calls. Statue of Liberty. Tax. Raspberries. Sunshine Cinema. Iranian Taboo. Laboratory Ice-Cream. White Peppercorn. Flags. Club Hopping. Mexican Food. Rain. Sleep overs. Wall Street. No Occupy Wall Street Protesters. South African Taxi Driver (I KID YOU NOT!!) Tiffany’s (again). Soaking in. Subways. Popcorn. Maps. Flags. East River. The Hudson. Houston Street. Noho. Soho. Soho. Soho. Soho (!!!). Dean & Deluca. Forever 21. Celeb Spotting. Supreme. Harlem. Malcolm X. God Passes By. Graffiti. 12 - only : /. Mixing up my days. Subway Symphony. Hot Dogs. Coffee (again). Thinking of you too. Metro Cards. Road-tripping. Greys. DC. Brunch. Shandrew. Love. Love. Love. Drive through. Common. Naps. Sadeefah & Naheelio. Junior Youth. Etefagheh Bozorg. Wendy’s. Mac & Cheese. Wedding times. Wedding Rush. Wedding Amazing (!!) Chords. Polaroids. South Africa. Persian Food. New Friends. Old Friends. All Friends. Mountains of Hummus and Babaghanoush. Fam Times. VA. Philly. Generations of Awesomeness. Roadtrip again. Soho. FDNY. F.R.M. Boys on 23rd. South Africans everywhere. Walking. Converse. All Stars. 227 Riverside Drive. Vietnamese Sandwiches. Black Star. Q Tip. Lauren Hill. Jaaht Khaalee. Presents. Presence. Abdul Baha. Flowers and Rays. Baha’i Holy Day Celebrations. Declaration of the Bab. NYC Baha’i Centre. Persian Food (again). Samoyeds. Awesomeness. 42nd & Lexington. Double-taked. Triple-taked. *wink* Crushed-Crush. Grand Central. Tears. NYPD. The Met. THE MET!!! Still thinking of you. Schiaparelli & Prada. Alexander McQueen. DVF. Not enough hip-hop. Times Square (again) Dessert Hunting. Elmo. Batman. Walking. Walking. Walking. Shake Shack (again). 

I <3 NY.