Sunday, June 29, 2008

New York City

I took the Virgin America red-eye flight to NYC on Thursday night and met my big sister Norma at the JFK Airport. The Virgin America screens on the backs of the seats on the plane were SO COOL, you could watch whatever TV you wanted, and even cooler was that there was a sort of free iTunes music library where you could make a playlist. They had tons of Dave Matthews and it rocked, also I listened to a lot of Amy Winehouse (she is really talented, I wish she'd clean up her act), and Sara Barellis (who just might be the most attractive girl ever), good times. Anyway I got to NYC and met my sister there. We met up there, got an Egg McMuffin (apparently that's the only thing you want to eat at 8am after 1.5 hrs of sleep), haha - dropped off our bags and headed for Jamaica Station on the AirTrain. Cool, good, awesome, same as the AirBART in San Francisco... it just costs $5. :)

Then onto the Long Island Rail Road train, and 20 min later we were in Manhattan. We came out at Madison Square Garden, and then wandered past the Empire State Building and up Broadway. Lots of cool stuff, and a truckload of Wall-E photos and ads.

Then to Toys R Us, we went on the Ferris Wheel this time, and it rocked fierce. Then to Hershey's and the M&M Store and then to a glorious Kosher restaurant that a friend of Rob Kutner (the awesome Daily Show writer - see earlier posts) recommended via a friend of his. It was SO GOOD. We got the Blintzes (New York Times rated them the best Cheese Blintzes in the city... in NEW YORK CITY... i.e. they rocked), and some Chollent (which is kinda like Jewish bean chili). Good stuff. Then we wandered a little more, went to FAO Schwarz and then to their candy section, aptly named "FAO Schweetz", then to get some Cheesecake and head back to JFK.

Following that and somewhat of a commotion at the SAA Desk where they took my Visa by MISTAKE and I almost passed out cause I was so nervous that I could have lost it, and then found out the lady at the desk TOOK IT cause she just assumed it was a travel card and didn't read it and saw it was a Visa, then they thought we were on the wrong flights and told us Expedia had booked it wrong, and basically made me and my sister insanely worked up and nervious. Anyway, it all worked out. But thank goodness I had a huge NYC Peanut Butter Cheesecake to calm my nerves after almost missing our flights, losing my Visa, and getting our bags on the wrong flight. Oy. The joys of traveling, eh?! :) Anyway other than that insane ridiculousness and painful incompetence of the SAA Desk checkin lady, the rest of the time was relatively smooth and the 7hr flight to Dakar, Senegal was no worries.

Then another 8.5hrs or so to Johannesburg. I watched Juno and then Dan in Real Life on the flight, good times. Food was good, flight was smooth and it was all great. Now for some pics of NYC.


Getting packed


Norm and I on the LIRR on the way to Penn Station


Sweet, Madison Square Garden


Empire State Building


Norm with huge USA cookies


Sweet Wall-E ads


Haha hilarious dog purses


Funny spinning Red Lobster


Big Wall-E ads at Times Square


Hard Rock Cafe


Toys R Us


This rocks


Ferris Wheel


Me freakin' out at the glorious selection of Cars toys, I finally got "Gasprin" and another one I needed for my collection


This T-Rex growled, it was freakin' AWESOME!!


This was made out of LEGO, I love the NYC hat


That weird "Naked Cowboy" guy


Wall-E bus!


This looks so freakin' good


Norm at the Hershey's store


Haha cool shirt


Hahahaha!!!!!!!! The Red M&M guy scowling at traffic


Kurt Phillips, this is for you


Another Wall-E poster


National Jewelers Exchange, super random place... our Kosher restaurant was upstairs at the back, totally hilarious!!


The staircase to the restaurant... are we in the right place?!!!


Sweet!!!!!!!!!


They even had "benchers" for saying the after meal prayers. My sister and I joked that if some tourists came in and said, "Hey, what's with these weird letters on the menu?!" - they'd probably send them to McDonald's instead :)


Hilarious Jewelery place


Norm with the Chollent, me with the Cheese Blintzes


This pickle was SO garlicy and so freakin' good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


At Radio City Music Hall


NBC Studios


"30 Rock!"


Norm and I at Rockefeller Plaza


Lots of cabs


Wall-E stuff at the Disney Store


Cool store


Amazing apple store


Haha!!! Harry Potter stuff in FAO Schwartz


Haha the dog from Harry Potter


Me in the Harry Potter "sorting hat"... come on... Griffyndor!!


Reminds me of the movie "Big"


FAO Schweetz, the candy store


Hamentaschen at the bakery


The cheesecake that saved the day

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