Yes, I am here...
Thought I'd better post here again to just let everyone know that
Yes, I did get back OK!
The last couple of weeks have been rather hectic since camp, I've actually got a lot more to do at work, at home and at church than I've got time to do. I really need to get better at this 'teach someone else how to do it' thing!!
I'm reminded of our waiter when Jon, Dan and I went out for a
meal in Nashville on the night before we flew back - who took our orders and commented that Jon and my choice of the "Tagliatelli Imperiale" was a
'very good choice, I used to eat that every day here. But then I became lactose intolerant'. Or that Dan's choice was also
'excellent, I then started eating that every day, until I became vegetarian'.
OK, so it's not strictly relevant. But I thought it was funny.
Anyway, it's almost a year since I started this blog - I remember that because it was also at this time last year that I was preparing to go off to the
Hi! Team summer camp to do the business with the video camera. How time flies...
Richie
Homeward Bound
Jonboy - I said - as we boarded the plane back in Nashville. This holiday seems like a dream to me now
, so I arrived at Chicago, and Dan and Jon went to Charlotte... and we all went to look for America.
OK, the Paul Simon version of that worked better. But that's where I am now, sitting, waiting for the plane that's going to carry me home. The strangest thing of being in O'Hare airport for me at the moment is the vast number of English accents suddenly around me again. Back in Nashville, or even DC to a certain extent, you did get a very profound sense of being the only brit in town...
So - how to waste a couple of hours before our plane leaves. Well, this is a good start, it's still $6 an hour but seems like a good idea when I have access to a laptop. I've just spent a little while having a little something to eat - albeit rather encouraged by Jon and Dan to sample a 'Cinnabon', which apparently took them a good hour to get through on the day they arrived. I finished mine in a slightly more sensible time and whilst it's nice, the $4 price tag is strong notice that we're in an international airport!
It's also a bit curious that here - beyond passport control - they still appear to charge state taxes on food purchases, which you wouldn't really expect if you were in Britain.
As for yesterday, we did church a couple of times, once in the morning, and in the evening - for worship at the downtown Nashville 'Global Cafe' venue. The latter of these was especially good - at least because that they were doing much more 'rocky stuff' than we'd had over the weekend previous. We also got to meet up with the legend that is Mr. John Hermes and - for the sake of his continued sanity - give him what's left of my box of PG Tips!
But now, my body is starting to consider that - despite - the sun in the sky here, it really is now pretty late evening back in London. That might be a good sign that I could get some sleep on the flight, but if the way here is anything to go by, that'll be a fair challenge!
Anyway, time is ticking away. Only another hour to go before I drop my index finger on the 'US VISIT exit procedure' electronic scanner and leave this country... so I'd best get some tea from the nearby starbucks to finish 'the day'.
So what do I reflect on from this trip? That perhaps my perception of Americans has been refined, for example:
- Anyone who can figure out the New York metro can't be stupid.
- There's no such thing as "American Service" in a restaurant, your milage really will vary
- TV advertising tends to be many, many times more blunt and uncontrolled than in the UK, where the "trade descriptions act" helps a lot by requiring advertisers to offer some justification of their claims!
- New York or DC are typically no more dangerous than London, if you act in the same way
- America is more ethnically diverse and integrated than the UK, the lines here between Black/White/Hispanic/Asian/etc... seem more blurred than I typically see in London
And one thing I knew before I even stepped on the plane at Heathrow. That 10 days is not enough to see this country. I will be returning at some point in the future...
later,
richie
The other side of the world
The events of the past couple of days back home, first London getting the Olympics and then the terrible bombings of yesterday, have been rather surreal for those of us out of the country, seperated by several thousand miles from those closest to us. Those whom, even though they're fine, we always get the feeling that we'd prefer to be near to whenever we remember how fragile our earthly lives are... hmmm...
It also means that here in Nashville, yesterday's events are almost all anyone else wants to talk to you about when you mention that you're from London, England!
Nonetheless, we're here and having a great time at the conference, lots of good stuff today about Worship. I've been following the 'tech' track today and picked up a few things, seen some very expensive kit and mostly realised that we really don't do so bad in London with our existing systems, given that they're a meagre fraction of the value of what's installed over here! Or is it just a case of having to raise spending by 50% to increase sound quality by 10%?!
I will probably switch to the 'leaders' track for tommorrow though, as - at the moment - it's probably got a lot more useful 'meat' that I couldn't ever get back in the UK!!
OK, so I'll try to write again tommorrow. This has just been a quick message, so that anyone who's been faithfully checking over the past couple of days, doesn't feel that I've completely forgotten again! (actually, I did post yesterday but the server appeared to have eaten it, or objected to some words, or something....)
I leave you with a picture from where Jon, Dan and myself popped over to the local 'Waffle House' after the evening meeting - thanks for the photo
JON!(BTW: the Americans ordered the Hotel Shuttle, but we brits decided to just stick out our 'stiff upper lips' and walk the 200 metres, yay for us!! ;-D).
Night y'all
richie
If I had to tell the story of a thousand rainy days...
OK, Washington DC. I'm just off to see it today - at least to go and take a look at the major memorials, Lincoln, Jeffersson, etc... That's the problem with a short holiday anywhere, you never really get to see the real town. Especially when you spend an entire day from your 'vacation' recouperating!
"Recouperating from what?" I hear you ask (well, those of you with REALLY LOUD VOICES anyway...) - well, as I mentioned in my last dispatch, after driving down from Philadelphia in the sweltering heat, I was still waiting for the guy who owned the B&B to get back home. Thing was, he already had, and had gone to bed and there were other people sleeping in all the rooms I could see... at this point I was getting really confuseled.
So I end up, snoozing away on the couch until I am awoken by the host uttering his most sincere apologies that actually he'd "had me down as coming in tommorrow night" (yeah right!). So eventually I get shown to my room and get to sleep off the drive and the day before off... which was nice. Eventually finished "Waking the Dead" while I was there - which is an excellent book, lots to chew on...
so read it!Anyway, that's what I spent yesterday doing - the evening involved driving down to the nearest busy street - U Street - and grabbing a (mildly expensive, but not stupidly so) italian meal at Cippos (a cycling themed restaurant, only organic ingredients, hence the slight premium on price, but utterly chilled out nonetheless).
I would post a picture of the restaurant here, but I've left my SD card reader at the B&B (which - I suppose - I've missed the second "B" for the last couple of days...)And today, it's already 2pm so I'd better get a move on (not least because this internet connection is probably now charging "per minute") - drop the laptop home and get on down to Federal Triangle for some good old fashioned sightseeing...
richie
Land of the free
About two weeks ago, after I'd booked my plane tickets for this trip, I had an epiphany: that my arrival in the capital - Washington DC, no less - was slated for July 4th 2005. Independence Day. Today.
So as I planned out my route to drive down from my stop-over in Philadelphia (actually the Super 8 Motel in Mount Laurel, which was about what you'd expect for $35 a night: reasonably clean, taupe textured paint on the walls, and some noisy neighbours), I was anticipating gridlock, carnage, and - given what I'd heard about Washington traffic - several hours of tailbacks.
What I got, was a much longer initial journey from Philly than google maps had led me to expect (hotter too) - but eased by the fact that we never got stopped by traffic, even with a fair number of vehicles on the roads - including one guy who seemed rather upset that the real world refused to acquiesce to his misconception that a bigger car gave him divine right of way!
Having said that about today's traffic, I really don't want to start counting my chickens for getting to Dulles airport on Thursday morning - as that will be in a real rush-hour (albeit going around the city, not into it...)
Fast-forward a couple of hours, I found the B&B - discovered that the owner had left the place closed up for the day and appeared to have forgotten to leave my key out! Eventually, I was let in by another couple of guests and found the keys within, but whilst I've spoken to his voicemail, met his cats, met a friend of his, the man himself is still nowhere to be seen - and I don't know which room I'm in. So, I hope he is actually expecting me!!
With access to the B&B - at least - practically assured, I set off into DC on the metro, pausing only to get my ticket stuck in the machine, due to it being waterlogged by frappechino condensation. I ended up on the mall - the long lawn between the Capitol building and the Washington Monument/White House - and as the sun set, the faint noise of the Beach Boys and the Doobie Brothers floated from a stage behind me, then the sky was lit up with fireworks.
Now, where's da B&B guy?!
richie
PS: Interesting point tonight, the announcer for the concert referred to America as a "Beacon of freedom to the world" - either alluding to the fact that there's a "big green woman in New York", or else making the claim that other world nations look to America as an example of how personal freedom and governance should be modelled. Is this a true statement? discuss!
Start spreading the news
I'm leaving today, now back on the ferry waiting to arrive back in Staten island, to pick up my (carefully parked) hire car and get on out to Philapelphia - my stop for the evening.
Funny things - hats, just about everywhere i've been here, I've seen all races and all ages wearing baseball caps proclaiming the joys of New York City (or - equally likely, the Yankees).
You just don't see that in London, there's no "Go England" no "I love London" hats, except as the beacons used by tourists to alert muggers to their location.
The bike lanes are even better. Ok so I did my cicle tour on Sunday morning, on a public holiday weekend no-less, so the traffic was very light, but still - pretty much all the major avenues had bus lanes, or real-life bike lanes as well.
Only downside of New York is that the grid system means that - unless you're on one of the outer 'beltways' you never really get to go for more than about 100m before a red-light. On the other hand, this keeps overall motor traffic speeds down and reduces the number of lost looking drivers pulling out from junctions when they shouldn't.
Anyway - best get on the road... thank you New York, now it's time to go count the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike.
richie
Two kilos of quarters...
In any city, I guess there's some random anomalies. Those one or two occurrences that slip through the net. This morning is a fine example.
Leaving - i thought - a comfortable hour to get from the b&b from whence I checked out to the starting point of this morning's cycle ride, I set off down Bay St to the ferry terminal.
The directions are clear "pay at muni-meter" so I park up and look round... "what does a muni-meter look like" - asking the nearest human, I'm told that I'm parked in the wrong place - I should be at the other end of the car park.
So, hop back in the car, drive up to where I now espy a meter and park. Security guy though says "nope, the only spaces for none permit holders are those 30 over by where you came in! It is at this point I'm doubting whether the bus might have been the easier option!
So, eventually I get parked up and return to the meter. It's now at this point I realise that it only takes quarters and dollar coins (the latter of which were discontinued in the late 90's).
Picture then the scene, a confused looking tourist, sprinting - no less -around the north-eastern tip of Staten island, into every deli and laundrette, asking random passers by and security staff to help me 'get change for a dollar'.
Eventually, and clearly extremely late for my bike tour - I get in my hand a good 1kg of nickel and feed it patiently into the machine.
Now I just have to figure out how to get to the ferry from here...
And it was evening of the second day, and behold, it was good.
Currently sitting al-fresco in a little restaurant by the banks of the Hudson, watching the sky turn maroon, orange and deep sapphire blue behind the buildings of New Jersey.
This evening has perhaps been the necessary repose from a day of flapping around and getting little done, although - granted - that's probably the point of a holiday!
Most of the daylight hours were spent in the queue for the statue of liberty - including the realisation that they had no tickets left to let me into statue itself (note to future travellers, save yourself time and trouble by pre-booking on statuereservations.com !).
Meh! Anyway, I enjoyed a nice quiet afternoon on liberty island, until I realised it was already 4pm and the shops were about to close.
Quel surprise, I then summarily managed to get lost (who would have thought that Broadway would swing so far west?!) and miss most of the shops - half of which turned out to be closed on Saturdays anyway.
At least I managed a couple of Simon & Garfunkel titles in the process - seeing the 59th street bridge and taking a crosstown bus!
Finish the day with a wander through central park - albeit accidentally north instead of south! So we end up here, just around the corner from ground zero - in a place full of life and peace.
I could write more, but it's getting late, my caesar salad is here, and anything else I have to share is probably 'best left unsaid'.
Customer service
This morning, I'm perched on a porthole in the lower bow of the staten island ferry, the occasional splash of water, the statue of liberty passing behind me, the sun above me and many small children with cameras nearby.
We were a couple of minutes late leaving port today, due to a problem with one of the docks. Of course, the difference with London being that the driver knows what's going on, tells you, positively pleads with you to forgive him for your five minute delay and assures you that he's told your connecting bus to wait for you.
Ok, time to disembark,
richie.
Time, and what a time it was, a time, it was.
I'm easily confused by this whole time-shifting thing. I eventually got here, to my B&B at about 1am NY time, after driving from JFK.
Most of that journey was spent trying to work out the actual width of my - so called - "compact" car, trying to avoid driving the wrong way down roads (once) and (Annette will appreciate this) trying to find the indicator lights ("turn signals") - instead of the windscreen ("windshield") wipers!
That adventure over, my body was telling me in no uncertain terms that 6am UK time is not a sensible time to be going to sleep, I stuck on the small airconditioner in the corner, flopped down on the bed and slept like a hibernating squirrel.
Of course the confusing bit of this was that I had completely lost track of time, of which devices I'd updated to EST and which I hadn't. So, the end result of this was looking at my clock this morning, and being convinced that it was 2pm in the afternoon (just like a typical Saturday!) - then going downstairs to find that actually it was only about 10am and breakfast was still on the table!
On the subject of breakfast, I was joined by a couple of 'Salvation Army' pastors - father & son - from Oregon/California and their family. Over our croissants and OJ, I was surprised to find that the owners of this establishment* actually were also able to make a reasonable cup of tea.
So, wandering out onto the front porch - as the temperature and humidity begin to rise and the mist obscuring the familiar skyline of Manhattan and Liberty island, way off over the bay slowly lifts - I reflect that I am here in a foreign country, another world where they speak the same language but stand beneath a different flag.
I'm an Englishman in New York... and it's a heluva town.
Richie
* I'm staying at the 'Harbor House' - www.nyharborhouse.com - 3 nights B&B for $260 - looks good so far...
Travelling without moving
So here I am, some 10km off the ground, travelling at over 550mph.
Currently we're about three and a half hours into the seven and a half we're due here and are gradually clearing the bottom end of greenland.
So looking out upon the canopy of cloud below and the vague specks I can only summise to be icebergs, yet my fellow travellers and I are held in the grasp of this firmament by only a pretty small looking set of wings and four rolls-royce engines.
We are so small.
Why would the same creator - who drew those same icebergs, (only ten percent above water, remember!) and designed the minds of men like Whittle - choose to be born as a bloody, screaming baby in a dirty rural cave, knowing full well that he was set on the path to pain and death.
Don't you know that love makes fools of us all.
Time for bed here (8pm Greenland time) - sleep well, whenever you are.
richie
OK, and we're back in the game...
Now sitting in Starbucks, U-street, Washington, District of Columbia, USA - it's taken me a couple of days to find somewhere where I can use Jacki's shiny new iBook G4 (oops... was that supposed to be a surprise for y'all?!)
Anyway, that - and the fact that my computer is now no longer encased in a wrought steel box, so I can get my reports off my Palm and onto the web means I can now give you the unedited prose and piccies from my first few days over here. Hope this gives a good idea as to what I've been up to!
richie
Land of the free!
Just got off the ferry from the statue of liberty, got in the queue at about 11am this morning. I don't know, even if the british invented queuing, the americans have now got it into a perfected form.
Anyway, liberty was cool we didn't get inside but had a good wander around and got to see the lady close up - and more unusually, to realise that they actually put as much effort into the back as the front. God bless the french!
Oh, I also did a quick "Where's the leader" using my camera whilst I was there, if anyone's interested in using it for Hi-Team! .... I think it's funny anyway ;-)
Now I'm just doing a bit of shopping before the shops close, then will eventually pop up to central park and see that in the cool of the day - I'm sure I've missed a lot of the sights in this great city by sticking mostly to the tourist trail but it's been pretty enlightening.
Anyway, whilst my mobile can phone and SMS you guys back in the UK, I havn't actually managed to work out how to get it to call 'local' numbers round here. So I'm off now to find a payphone and call up the local bike shop and see if they'll let me on their ride tommorrow.
Hopefully there's also a chance of getting you guys some pictures tommorrow before I get on the I95 down to Philadelpha - anyway seeya.
richie
A letter from america
OK, sitting in a slightly dodgy feeling burger king on Broadway, New York, USA typing away on a utterly untactile keyboard and only 10minutes to get my point across beefore the machine logs me off, so apolgies for typos!
(I've got a full load of articles that I'm building up on my palm and will transfer up here as soon as I have a USB/SD socket at my disposal!!)
Well, it's true what they say, New York is a helava town I've been pretty much around downtown today.. but more of that later.
Firstly, the journey was fine - they let me into the country without any particular fuss (fools!) and I've still got two legs and all that. We landed at equivalent 5am UK time and then I had to drive my - so called "Compact" car - the 20 miles or so to Staten island trying to avoid hitting anyone or going down too many carriageways the wrong way.
Anyway I made it, set my watches again and then went to bed. Found that I woke up and looked at the clock - 2pm! - then went downstairs and realised that I hadn't updated that clock after all and that it was only 9am and time for breakfast. So there's hope for avoiding jet lag.
So today has been a good day, staring with breakfast along with a couple of Salvation Army pastors who are also staying in my B&B, and with the hosts looking after me with some nice "Hot Tea" ( the travel kettle hasn't had to come out yet!)
Then I sat on the rocks by the beach just outside and playing my guitar (which survived the flight) in the sight of the verzanno narrows bridge, until I was too hot and had to go back in. At this point I could not see the island of manhatten AT ALL it was just a ghosty blur (if I can find a way to post pictures, I'll show you!) - but this soon sorted itself out after taking the bus and the staten island ferry.
Finished up walking most of the length of Broadway and then spending a good hour in a queue for the Empire State Building. Then two minutes after going up, the fog comes in and we can see nothing..
Anyway, it's later now - I somehow managed to completely miss all the guys from Morning Star New York who I was going to meet up with tonight :-(, but I'll go back to the B&B now and let you know tommorrow what I got up to.
And besides, my time is up - better post this now! See y'all soon...
richie
