We spent today finishing up on the shopping, buying the REAL touristy stuff and some other stuff along the way, much to my dismay (but not surprise) Mark has bought absolutely nothing other than books on the trip. But I have plenty of goodies, and look forward to unpacking my bag once I'm back in Sydney.
I started out on 5th Avenue at the Abercrombie & Fitch store. Jesus bloody Christ, I have never been inside a store quite like it, and sort of hope I never do again (the nudity, the assumed slave wages, the forced 'everybody's having a good time here!' feeling.)
Entering this store is like entering a nightclub. There is a shirtless guy at the entrance (were you can get photos) and once you are past the velvet rope the whole store is pumping with house music remixes. The staff are actually encouraged to dance and I found it very embarrassing, for both them and me! Inside it is DARK except for the stairs which are lit up in white, and as a result of this, i had no idea about the colour of the shirt I ended up buying! I'm also pretty sure I bought the wrong size! I'll just put it down to experience...
And then H&M, the land of the $24.95 fashion. If only I had the hours to try on a bit of everything, the H&M tops I bought in Europe in 2000 lasted me until 2 years ago! I can only pray H&M ends up in Australia sometime soon, it will shake up everyone else, that's for sure. Sportsgirl, watch out!
Then I picked up some really cool New York souvenirs at Fishs Eddy. I just hope it all stays together in my bag... I'm also concerned about the weight it is adding, fingers crossed.
We finished up the day with a smoothie at Pinkberry which is another something I have always wanted to try, I wish I could tell you it's not from reading Perez Hilton, but it is. Either way, it was damn good tasting and apparently pretty healthy, so cmon down under, Pinkberry!
mmm... Pinkberry!
And that's about the end of my New York story. I'm happy to say that Mark and I celebrate 18 months together today as well and it's been a wonderful trip. The two weeks was just enough, and New York will recommend itself to you, I don't have to bother.
Thx for reading my blog and I hope you enjoyed your little trip to the USA via the internets x
PS If you ever think of coming to New York, here are some humble observations and tips from me!
- Don't accept a ride from the airport from anybody! Wait in line for a cab yourself, or get the subway. You will get ripped (ask Mark...)
- This really is the land of the sneaker. I don't mean trainer, I mean the New Balance you have put aside for the gym. If not, flat shoes at the most, with a pair of thongs in your handbag for when the going gets tough (and it undoubtedly will, can't stress this enough!)
- The tipping thing is not that stressful. We did not have to tip nearly as much as what I imagined! Tipping is mainly for services, so if you do most things yourself, you wont have to tip (and even then, it's only a few dollars.) It seemed to me that haircuts and beauty treatments are where the heavy tipping really starts happening, but I avoided all that.
- New Yorkers in the most part are very friendly. Dare I say it, definitely more friendly than Sydneysiders from the Eastern Suburbs (yes, we need to take a lesson here.) In the end I had to smarten up a bit myself, start making eye contact with people and saying sorry etc. as I bumped or clumsied my way along the street. I have to say I am surprised at this one!
- Bring all prescriptions and over-the-counter medications you need, it really can become a nightmare in a snap if you are feeling unwell.
- Don't bother with the coffee or tea. Don't let a sign saying 'cappuccino' fool you either! I tried about three and all had burnt milk and no taste. If you can't beat em, join em. Just drink the American peculated coffee to wake up in the morning and be done with it. I even tried a flat white from an 'Australian Canteen' in Nolita and had no such luck. It doesn't work.
All the best x
