Farewell USA

Greetings, all. Bret and I are currently stuck in JFK because we have too much luggage and the luggage storage is full. So instead of having a fun-filled day in the city (we were planning on hitting up the MET), we must patiently remain in the airport. We can't complain, I guess, cuz we've had a great time in NYC. Let me tell you about it.

We arrived on Thursday morning at LaGuardia, only to discover that taking a taxi to our hotel in New Jersey would cost 80 dollars plus tolls. Tormented, we decided we would try taking the bus. But a man with a limo was desperate for riders, and he offerred us the trip for a total of 60 dollars. It was a white stretch lincoln, with tinted windows, tacky inside lights, and beverages. We shared it with a group of Spaniards who were going to the Upper West Side, so we got to ride through all of Manhattan down to North Bergen, NJ. It was quite a sight, arriving at the Super 8 in a stretch limo.

After settling in to our ascetic lodging, we ventured out to the city because we had an appointment in Chelsea for a sensory-deprivation floatation tank experience. It's basically a meditative spa treatment in which one enters an encased soundproof tub filled with a trillion gallons of epsom salt. Because there is so much epsom salt, you can't help but float. It is set to skin temperature so that after some time, you can't feel the water, and it feels like you are just floating in air. This experience is not for the claustrophobic. It is pitch black in the tub and you are in there for one hour. But it was very relaxing for the both of us. Although I swear, I still have salt in my ears...

That evening, we went out to Astoria in Queens to have dinner with my friend Monje and her boyfriend. It was lovely. They took us to Cavo, a Greek fusion restaurant with very impressive decor and beautiful gardens. I find urban green spaces the absolute most beautiful kind because they truly seem like an oasis amidst all the industrial decay. Throughout NY there are rooftop gardens which are both aesthetically pleasing and an efficient usage of space. Though if Bret and I ever move to NYC, I doubt we would be able to afford rent in Manhattan. Queens, Brooklyn, or Jersey City seem more within our budget. It's odd, while I really love all the action of NYC, I find it disturbing that there is virtually no "middle class" there. It's either filthy rich or working class. It must be frustrating for many to think that the money they make in NY would go much farther anywhere else than it does there.

Anyway, the next day, we decided to take advantage of the wonderful weather and walk around as much as possible. We started off our day with a water taxi which took us to SoHo. There, we ate at a lovely Greek cafe (the day before, we had eaten delicious [and affordable] Slovenian), and went to Dean and Deluca for chocolate trufffles. Bret and i both strongly agreed that they were nothing next to the truffles from our wedding. Needing some consolation from our over-priced and under-delicious trufffles, we went to the Heartland Brewery and had a seasonal sampler of seven 5-ounce beers. Yum! For dinner, we met up with Hollis, Jessica, and Franz at The Russian Vodka Room in Midtown. This place is really a treat. It's a dark loud restaurant/ bar. There's a fat man playing dramatic Prokofiev and Rachmaninov on the piano. And the caviar is divine! Needless to say, this was our "special NY meal" in which we put our cheapness aside and splurged.

Yesterday was a great day, too. We wanted to check out Brooklyn, so we went to meet Franz in his Williamsburg neighborhood. He took us around the borough, and we got to see the cool hipster vibe of this upcoming area. It reminds me of the miami design district, but less brand-name. After checking that out a bit, we decided to go to eat at the Red Hook Latino food and futbol festival. Bret and I both decided that it was not nearly as cool as Zimern and Bourdain had said it was. But it was very lively. To end our Brooklyn adventure, we went back to Williamsburg where we sipped down a few at Barcade, the most awesome bar I've been to in a long time. Basically, they have all these retro arcade games for 25 cents a game. I went nuts with Dig Dug. And Bret kicked butt on super mario brothers.

After walking around for days, we finally sat down for an off-Broadway show. I wanted something unique, so a Broadway show was out. But at the same time, I didn't want some weirdo avant-garde bs, so I wanted to really check things out before we bought random tickets.

Well, we lucked out: go see Iphegenia 2.0! Well, if you can get a seat. We were the last ones called for the waiting list, and they are sold out until Oct 1. The play was an excellent post-modern remake of the ancient Greek tragedy of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. It was smart, vibrant, and the acting was superb.

Goodness, this has gotten too long. My apologies. I hope to write shorter pieces more frequently. But as you may understand, NY wears one out! Talk again in Dublin. I think we can check our trillion bags in now.