I like this city

Wish me luck, tomorrow (Saturday) I am giving notice. So no more relaxing in Federal Plaza after work...and back to the job hunt...



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New York can at times feel like a small town. Because there are fewer trains per hour, the likelihood is greater of seeing the same people repeatedly in the same train carriage, sometimes even on the way home. I've seen at least 10 so far.

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Last Sunday I went to dinner with Chris, Vera, and Vera's father who was in town for a couple of days to see her before she flew back to France.

Vera's father escaped from Berlin when the wall went up. Since then he has lived in Barcelona (where Vera grew up with her mother), NYC, and Houston, where Vera lived for a few years and where we went to university together. He has a very German way about him, although his three wives have all been Hispanic. I was rather amused at the end of the evening when I shook his hand, he did a little German bow and clicked his heels! I tried to see the similarities between the two, but although Vera looks German, she has a Spanish soul and has little in common with her father.


Photo taken by a helpful NYC cop

We met in Chinatown and ended up at a Malaysian place where the service was silly but the food was awesome, so good that we actually decided to return regularly. It was a veritable feast where Vera's father ordered about 6 items for the table and then told us to order what we wanted too. There was loads of food but all so great we finished it between the four of us!

After that we rambled through Little Italy during the last night of some saint's festival, so the streets were lined with food and fairground stalls. The restaurants are very reminiscent of Italy, with the covered terraces as extensions of the inside, the placement of the menus in glass cases outside the awnings, the little tables with those Italian woven round-backed chairs. We stopped at a Franco-Italian style patisserie where we had coffee/tea/hot chocolate, biscotti/rum baba/gelato/granita. It looked like any I've visited in Paris down to the repousse tin ceiling and high counters.

This is what I love about NYC. Every day I can feel like I'm in another country...


St Stephen's Episcopal Church uptown east which reminds me of a Greek Orthodox basilica or somewhere like Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome


St Paul's Chapel near World Trade Center downtown, built in the 1740s as a relief chapel for residents who could not walk to Trinity Wall Street. Although unstuccoed it resembles any one of Sir Christopher Wren's neoclassical churches in the City of London.

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One day after work this week, a coworker and I went to a Japanese market in SoHo where I picked up spicy seaweed strips, crispy tofu, some yellowtail sushi maki, and daifuku for dessert (which I usually call mochi). I had enough energy to lay it out on my roomie's Japanese platter and was pleased with the result:



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Today roomie and I spent the day in our jammies, surfing the net on our respective computers, feeling a little blah because autumn arrived in force today. The leaves are starting to change, that's one thing, but we have swapped weather with London! Today was like summer in the UK: grey, rainy, and breezy - although a few degrees warmer than it usually is there. 21C (65F). Not complaining too much.

In the evening, we squeezed our summerized feet into autumn boots and headed out for dinner at the Chip Shop here in Bay Ridge. It was founded by a Brit who sounds like he's from oop north so next time I may ask him. My poor roomie had a bad experience with fish n chips in London a few years ago, but we ordered some excellent cod and haddock in light crispy batter, and her faith is restored - they even have Sarson's vinegar, a staple of any British chippy. We started with a delicious salad of mesclun leaves, granny smith apples, walnuts, crumbled stilton, and a simple balsamic vinaigrette - definitely going to make this again at home. Roomie boldly ordered the ball of battered deep fried macaroni - so bad it's good. And she managed to choose one of the 30 British beers on offer. Stuffed to the gills, we enjoyed a brisk walk 30 blocks home, which really only takes 10 minutes.

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On the way home we walked through the traditionally Irish section of Bay Ridge (I am told we are in the Italian part). Lots of pubs with names like Mooney's or O'Sullivans. Ironically, while waiting to cross the street an older gent asked us to guess the distance to Tipperary. We guessed 3,000 miles, but then he laughed and started singing "It's a long way to Tipperary" because he had got us on that one. I guess he needed a listening ear and that was his way of breaking the ice because as we crossed the street, he went on to say that he is a widower attempting to get back into the dating game, and that tonight he has to go to a singles event at a nearby restaurant. He sounded genuinely frightened and I felt sorry for him. He said it was easy for young people our age or his grandkids, but it's too hard for him, so I wished him good luck, he wished us a good evening, and went away. Roomie and I thought that was the most random encounter we've ever had, but so typical of this city. We also thought that he had probably imbibed some liquid courage before attending the event...

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Here we go again

Can't do this much longer. I slept for over 14 hours between Thursday evening and Friday afternoon and I had to get up at 4am to drink vinegar to stop my stomach from burning, and had awful dreams - in which no one in the office could do anything right. The area where I had shingles in February stirs suspiciously sometimes, I have noticed. What's more, a couple of other biological rhythms have been knocked out of sync despite a full moon last week.

Judging by the expressions I saw on her face, the trainer who came one day this week to observe was appalled. She has a lot of talking to do with the consultant. I still don't expect things to improve much, although the second new assistant and I are learning to cooperate and help each other. The first new assistant, who has years of experience, left after the first week...

I can work hard and I always do my best, but I can't work relentlessly under both physical and mental pressure, all day, every day. When everyone is frequently put into a flying panic, there is no way you can do it right.

Bottom line is, I chose the wrong office. I just wanted to stop relying on my father's help.

It's funny, I thought I did enough whining before. I actually like this city and don't want a repeat of last year.

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I have to thank Beginning Here for the lovely encouraging card that came in the mail this morning! It really cheered me up. Thank you Ms A, so sweet of you!

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Do you like the new layout? I noticed Blogger has so many exciting new features and widgets, and my custom layout was getting old and unwieldy, so I decided to return to the provided templates, choosing black to offset my oft-posted photographs.

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Stayin alive

Well, it's not much better now than it was before the other assistant started. Not sure how long I can do it. I sleep all the time, if I am not eating delivery (too tired to light the stove) or working. I sleep in the subway, then I sleep on the sofa for hours, then sleep for hours more in bed, often amounting to 10+ hours on days off and then I get up feeling like I've just recovered from the flu, tired in my limbs, dizzy, and feeling drugged, and I simply cannot budge for hours after waking,

Apart from the hypoglycemia, you all know how much I love food. Whenever I go out to eat now, I'm almost obsessed with it because at work it's something I have to sneak in - a granola bar in one minute or a bit of pasta in five minutes. So before I'd go, "Mmmm, food!" but now I'm all, "Foooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

This work, it's just relentless and not a place where you can walk off for 5 minutes unnoticed. There's no buffer of people or space. And as I have Friday off, work Saturday, and have Sunday off, there is no time buffer either. I can't do anything out of the ordinary because I don't have two consecutive days off. Whereas on weekends you spend a half day recovering if you need to, and then get on with things like having a life, now I simply have no time. So I can't stray from my routine. I can't stay with friends or go out of town or stay out late...

So now the question is, how do I find something that balances the repetitious boredom of a desk job with the repetitious variety of this job?

In other news, I had dinner with Captain America (remember him??) on Wednesday as he was in town this week for work. It was nice to catch up and he wanted to meet me a couple more times but I was usually too tired or the scheduling was wrong.

Because I'd been trying to meet up with Jo and Dave since Thursday, and we managed that on Saturday evening. You should have been there, Matt. It was so great to finally meet them! I had meant to last March when I was in Dallas but was prevented due to family crises. Jo is so chatty and amiable, and she can really tell a story.

We were in the East Village at a tiny wood panelled pub with religious murals on the wall (because it was called a Cathedral of Beer). There was an orderly line at the bar, wonder of wonders. What's more when the voices got too loud and shouty as they usually do at pubs, someone or two would Shhhhhhhhhh and the volume would go down for a while until the next shush was needed but nobody got angry or annoyed.

(I'm discovering that New Yorkers are good at following rules: I can't find any of the free commuter newspapers lying around anywhere! People actually read the public announcement ads in the subway: "your city, your litter". Not honking except in cases of emergency. Not eating on the subway. Not spitting where people will walk on it. Not cussing in public that much. Still haven't seen anyone get arrested, mugged or shot. Most of the sirens are fire department or ambulances. Lines at bus stops remain orderly even when the doors open, so you keep your place in line. And people have more patience.)

Anyway, back to meeting Jo and Dave.



Along with two of Dave's childhood friends who also happened to be in town, after the pub we went to a Mediterranean bar and restaurant which smelled so good I wanted everything on the menu. I had a French martini (had chambord in it) and two yummy starters:



tuna tartare with avocado, cilantro and fresh chili on thinly sliced fresh beet and cucumber, topped with toasted slivers of baguette and lambs lettuce



deep fried baby artichoke on a bed of romaine lettuce with shaved manchego cheese and spicy marinara sauce. Addictive!!!

I became so engrossed in enjoying these delicacies that every time Dave addressed me he had to call me more than once out of my little world and once Jo had to poke me! This has HONESTLY never happened to me before. Sorry, y'all!

On Friday the weather was very English, which was ironic as I was meeting someone from a London media co in SoHo. It was about 70 (which feels chilly after the hot summer) and the sky was letting out a substantial autumn rain, rather than the usual short storm burst.

However, over the weekend we were back up there and had the same temps as Houston (86F, about 30C) and it's humid.

Speaking of Houston, they were pounded by Hurrican Ike, but apart from downed trees, wind and lots of rain, they escaped most damage and everyone I know is fine. It's Galveston Island that suffered the most starting with storm surge flooding while Ike was still all of 500 miles away.

Anyway, on to lighter topics, my friend Vera came to spend Labor Day with me. She's having a stressful time right now with a photography exhibit in France which she is not present to oversee. So once she'd made her phone calls, she was thankful that we had a quiet and peaceful time just relaxing and being in each other's company.

We went for a walk by the water of course. I love taking photos of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge:


SAILBOATS


VISTA WITH TREE


NORWEGIAN CRUISE SHIP KNOCKS DOWN BRIDGE (just kidding, they build them purposely low enough to pass underneath)


CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP HAS SPACE TO SPARE


UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE

---Which is your favorite?

Wipe out

Yep, that's me - wiped out. My limbs don't work today. Worked soooo hard this week, didn't get time for lunch most days (and I'm hypoglycemic), and hardly sat - except chairside. I definitely know the difference now between sitting to relax and sitting to work.

As it is, no matter how hearty my breakfast - I've tried bran cereal, oatmeal porridge, egg and sausage in a bun, even switched to whole milk - I still get shaky by 11.00, and when that happens I can't retain anything and have to start writing things on scraps of paper, and past a certain point I may even develop a headache. Not one of those people who can function without food. So I need a midmorning snack, a bit of lunch, and possibly a midafternoon snack depending on what I ate for lunch. I wonder...is it because I didn't eat anything when I was a child that I have created this lifelong problem for myself?

Anyway, I've had more assurances that my workload will be halved when the new assistant arrives on Monday, and that I will have more time to learn. Plus, the office will close an hour earlier soon. So, hangin' in there! But still, I am sad to lose real weekends. I get Friday and Sunday. Not two consecutive days...

Last night I fell asleep in the subway on the way home from 22.00-23.00 (had gone out to buy some chinos and long sleeved t-shirts for the days when I will need them under scrubs, plus underwear - I'm learning that you can never have too much underwear or too many socks), ate dinner (roomie made salad and left me some), fell asleep on the sofa from 1.00-2.00, washed up and went to bed, then woke up at 13.15!!! That is over 12 hours of sleep! I checked my clock, gasped "Oh my gosh!" and immediately tumbled out and tripped over everything on my way out the door, giving my roomie a crooked and drunken smile as I passed her with all my curls sticking up. She had woken up at 10.00 and been in and out of the house 4 or 5 times, made an omelette, and I hadn't heard a THING.

After work I usually walk out into the Federal Plaza, a large area cluttered with federal, state, and city buildings, and sit in the park to rest, have a drink, and maybe a snack. I don't know what I will do when it snows, although as I said, my workload will be lighter. City Hall is sort of at the crossroads between Chinatown, Tribeca, and Little Italy. I could walk a few steps in any direction and be in any of those neighborhoods.

This is what it looks like to my right from the bench where I usually sit:


This is the side of City Hall.

Centre Street runs past the State Supreme Court...:


(I work in the brown building you see on the far right side of the frame)

...Towards City Hall:







Went on a walk one day after work:



This behemoth loomed up in front of me somewhere in Tribeca, so I asked a passerby what it was and she told me it is an AT&T telecoms switching station, then she said she used to think it was a prison, which is what I was thinking!

Passed a yarn store in SoHo on Wednesday during a makeup and facecare run to the Origins store. I immediately thought of Jo!



I've been looking for a backpack for weeks, but they all seem to have gotten bigger since I last owned one at college, plus the V where the padded straps sprout from the top irritates me - they didn't used to do that so it must be some newfangled ergonomic feature. When I used to carry 40 pounds of books, which is actually the weight used on basic military training runs, backpacks were much simpler. So I love this cotton canvas bag I found at Paragon Sports off Union Square. It's lightweight, won't show dirt, fits my back like a glove without all the annoying bulky padding. It's also soft, unlike the hard, unyielding, abrasive nylon surfaces of the usual suspects.



Look how green I am - with my neutral colors and natural fabrics and recycled paper and organic products :)

I'm in Scrubs!

Literally. It's like I'm playing "dentist for a day".

I started work at the dental office on Monday. How is this possible? Unlike Texas, New York does not required dental assistants to be state certified, so dentists can train you from scratch themselves.

For the first two days, each of the two assistants (who are leaving to finish their degrees) showed me how to do things. On the third day I was left alone with the dentist - very hard. One assistant told me that all she could do for the first month alone was observe, and both told me that it took around 3 months to get the hang of everything, and there I was being thrown in the deep end on the third day!!!!!!

The only thing about working at a lab (already 10 years ago) which helps me now is understanding how the autoclave works and sterilization techniques and benefits. While there, I had my own routine down, but it was ongoing work and there are more patients than there were classes to prep for. It amazes me now to think how I used to mix solutions and pour plates. It was very zen-like work. I would read a list of what needed to be done, and I had notes to refer to for measurements and quantities.

Biology, chemistry, physics and geometry classes, also occurring a long time ago, help me now in a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology (the last science class I ever took!), as well as thinking in cc's and microns, degrees of angles, an axis vs a plane, enamel vs dentin, the behavior of acids and bases, and so on.

Although Monday was the first day, it wasn't too bad. Tuesday was scary because of the looming prospect of Wednesday. I was rushed off my feet on Wednesday but got to have a few minutes for lunch. However, one person cannot set up and break down two rooms, place patients, assist chairside, AND have time to wash and sterilize instruments. Every time I stood at the sink to wash and throw a load into the autoclave, I had to run off and do something else. So despite getting annoyed that things piled up on Wednesday, the Dr did try to help out with the sterilizing on Thursday since he knows what goes in short or long cycles, etc.


My two new best friends - I love Saucony! It will now be difficult on days off to wear normal shoes.


He felt that Thursday was not too busy, and yet I never got a minute to eat! It is a fact that new recruits in basic military training eat better, and healthier too!

So I spent half the day with a splitting headache, for which the Dr apologized and said it's not supposed to be like this and told me to ask the receptionist to schedule a lunch break. We're short staffed obviously, but a second assistant will start on Sept 8 so I will have more time to learn and get my routines down. At the moment I refer to notes in a binder and these photos you see, and I still have to think - the routines will not be automatic for a while yet. He said himself I'd be confused for the first month. This in addition to the solo work is like a baptism by fire.

The practice is in the midst of a changeover - in the next couple of weeks he hopes to scale back the number of patients (from 7-10 to fewer??), go even more high tech with lots of gadgets, and have shorter hours. So whereas I've been aiming to be in soon after 8.45 and leaving sometime before 6.30, it will hopefully soon be lights out before 5 pm, hopefully even around 4.30...he said....(by the way, can I just use 24 hour time? Typing am and pm looks silly though speaking it is fine).

So as regards this new schedule - let's hope! A new hygienist started on Wednesday. We're both slightly miffed at the current state of things, but we're going to stick it out to see what it's like when the dust settles.

Anyway, in the past 4 days I have learned how to:

1) set up a room (gloves not necessary) - relevant instruments and materials on tray and side table), set up syringes with lidocaine and needles and throw them into sharps later, draw bleach into squirting syringes, patient file with Dr gloves on counter, cup of mouthwash beside tray, headrest cover, bib, bendy suction tube on handpiece, small suction tube for root canal (to suck water out of tooth cavity), wide suction tube for any procedure requiring acid etch (to contain the tooth and take up the acid).

ROOT CANAL TRAY:

Tray setup for a root canal (by far the most common procedure and after four days I can nearly do this from memory) - R to L: mirror, explorer, college pliers, syringe, extra vial of Lidocaine, syringe of bleach (for flushing out tooth, syringe of emulsifier to clean interior, small red hand drill holder with measurements, "pin cushion" for holding used files - see how tiny they are - different widths with directional screw threads for extracting the tooth nerves from deep inside the canals. Two lengths: 25 mm or 21 mm depending on tooth length. Then the sensor which indicates how far the drill is from the apex of the tooth.


ROOT CANAL SIDE TABLE SETUP:

Side table setup for root canal. Cotton balls, small jar of cavity filler putty and putty scoop. Two small boxes of 1) tiny paper points for drying out cleaned roots, 2) tiny rubber points for melting into cleaned roots with a handheld device the tip of which heats to 500 degrees (F or C?), blue mouthpiece to keep jaw open without tiredness, sheet of green rubber (dental dam) fit around metal frame to isolate working area from patient's mouth; the two handled tool is used to make a hole in the rubber to fit around tooth, and small clamp is used to make seal around tooth.


I have also learned to:
2) call in a patient, set them in chair, place bib, ask questions

3) assist chairside - hold suction tubes behind tooth to collect liquid and material and also to block tongue, hold mirror to keep cheek out of the way, mix adhesives for crown repair, or prepare putty for impressions (requires clean ungloved hands), and also to grab anything from a drawer during a procedure whenever the Dr asks. I have to remember to keep a different pair of gloves going for each patient, and during a procedure to remove them from one or two hands in order to reach into a drawer (you don't want to contaminate all over) or prepare other materials). You have to be generally dexterous and good at doing things with one hand, and that's always been a forte of mine.


IMPRESSION SETUP:

Impression setup - Two jars of putty which must be blended completely through kneading in under 1.5 min, and placed in the trays for impression of teeth. The putty guns contain a rubbery putty which is applied to top and bottom front teeth, patient bites down and lets it set - to show bite measurements. Three bottles of string of different widths which are carefully stuffed around the base of the tooth, compressing the gums, left for a few minutes, and removed so that the putty has space to go further up the tooth for a more complete impression. All is sent to lab for making crowns or bridges.

BONDING SETUP:

Bonding setup - Green syringe of phosphoric acid for etching tooth surface (after dentist abrades the surface with a drill tip), then three dropper bottles of tooth prep and bonding liquids - one drop of each in little white tray, using brush to apply - and dried with UV light for 10 seconds. Followed by application and shaping of composite material from the yellow syringes, and drying with the light. Patient bites down on a small blue indicator paper (forgot to lay that out) to show what areas of the teeth need filing down.


POST SETUP:

See descriptions under "bonding". For a short 6 gold post see upper right of tray - set up similar to bonding with flowable material, bonding droppers, tray and brush, UV light, green phosphoric acid, cotton wads for holding lips away from teeth, etc.


EXTRACTION SETUP:

Only one so far. Usual basic setup of mirror, explorer and college pliers. Then larger pliers for removing loose tooth, two special tools which provide both lever and fulcrum which dentist places at base of tooth and twists to loosen. Long tool for scooping? Suture ready with clamp, small scissors for cutting suture, lidocaine needle and there is always a cotton bud which will be covered with numbing gel before Dr administers injections in any procedure.

There was also a bit of microscopy surgery during one particularly long root canal, something like this (courtesy of microscopy website):

I got to try it out too so I could see the debris inside the tooth

There is a lot of juggling on the dentist's part. He can work up to 20 mins screwing material out of a tooth root using the tiny hand drills (I bet it's like trying to turn a tiny screw all the way down using gloved fingers) or sometimes attaching them to a handpiece. Someone who has come in for a crown repair or a consultation may wait in the next room, fall asleep, or get restless wondering where the dentist is, or why assistants keep walking past. That would be me trying to get the sterilizing done, or running off to get more supplies for the ongoing root canal.


Back to the topic at hand, I learned to:
4) break down a room - while wearing same gloves used in procedure, throw out sharps (needles and vials) into sharps container, disposables like paper, gauze and suction tubes into trash, and biohazards (anything with blood on it) into waste container. Remove sterilizable instruments, brush debris off, and place in ultrasonic detergent bath. Use hospital grade spray detergent to spray down tray, sink, chair, and handpieces (like drills and suction/water thingies). Wipe down starting with cleanest and ending with dirtiest: chair, tray, handpieces, sink. Then wipe down handpieces with alcohol pads. Then it's back to step one for setup.

5) perform X-rays (still ongoing, I suck at this) - I hate this the most because placement of the film is so hard for me, deciding when to tell them to bite down, and then it shifts and you have to place it again. It's all about the axes of the tooth versus film angle, but then the cheek and tongue gets in the way. Also to get electronic film holders for upper left vs upper right, top, bottom, whatever. At least some holders have a ring outside so you know where to direct the beam. Place lead apron on patient. Also knowing on the computer software which numbers to assign different X-rays, three teeth at a time, grrrr. Go behind wall, wait for blue signal on computer screen, press button, hear buzz, let go button, then wait for image to process and see if you got it right. Yeah, I hate this aspect the most - even though it's the cleanest...go figure.

I work on a street which separates Chinatown from City Hall. Every day after work I've been walking out to Federal Plaza, where there is a nice tree-filled park with benches, surrounded 360 degrees by courthouses and federal and state buildings, and also New York's absolutely gigantic City Hall which faces down Centre Street (yes, spelled the English way). It's all quite pretty and serene. There are of course a lot of official vehicles, various uniforms, some dogs, guard posts and moving road blocks - mostly out of sight of the park but down side streets and entrance driveways. Interesting, but a bit hard for me considering how much I have always wanted a federal job! After work they're all out there reminding me!

Yesterday I was so exhausted from skipping lunch, and the resultant headache, that I sat in the park to devour some Fig Newtons, finish my bottle of Pepsi, and I felt about 50% better. I rested for an hour, then gathered the will to walk to the subway and head home. Popped some takeout Chinese from the day before into the microwave, ate it, had some water, and slept for a couple of hours, then woke up for a glass of milk and some Oreos. Oof............hope this does not happen again.........

So there, that's my new job. 90 day probation period. Eventually I will ask about bringing in my own scrubs so I'm not wallowing in size M, and also perhaps campaigning to get one Saturday off per month, since it's tough to never have two consecutive days off, and you all know how wonderful my Saturdays have been since coming to NYC.

In closing, next time you're at the dentist and it seems quiet and you feel neglected, you can be sure that it's not because the staff are sitting down.

Fasten your seatbelts Part II

But first, a little aside.

1. I have not yet heard back from the vet's office - I was supposed to on Wednesday. Does nothing mean no? Or maybe they just spent more time calling people's references than expected, and the outcome is delayed....

2. In reply to Um Naief's comment in the last post about V and me looking like sisters, I said that as we were passing an old guy on a bench in Prospect Park he said, "Sisters?"

New Yorkers have mastered the art of random comments. For instance, the day I went to my interview here in Bklyn, I emerged from the subway and stood to cross the street. As I was putting my sunglasses on, a trio of middle aged men passed me and one commented, "That's right sister, get ready for the sun." Generally they say these things not too loudly in passing so that you can choose whether to hear them or not. So I gave a tiny chuckle as I started to cross the road and he gave one back.

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OK, now it's time to fasten those seatbelts folks! My good old friends from St Thomas and I had a day out on the town.


We gathered at Grand Central:


Crossing to the NY Public Library to see the foyer:


When we came out, a non-UST) member was added to our group:


We went into St Pat's cathedral - I love the smell of incense:


Went to the Rockefeller Center:


Saw this landmark a few days later in the movie "On the Town" with Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, et al:


GE Building, frieze based on William Blake's "Great Architect":


GE Building lobby, Great Depression: last great era of craftsmanship:


GE Building, murals of the working man on the ceiling:


Resting in hotel lobby while we waited for Derika to check in:


Who takes pics of Times Square *in the day*?


Just prior to a hot dog stop:


Garmet District - had to take a photo of the store across the street:


The wonderful Empire State Building is always dramatic:


The quirky Gershwin Hotel and the Museum of Sex...SoHo of course:



I was teasing myself and Vera copied me:


The graffiti changed "feet" to "frap" making a funny statement even funnier:


Two special girls:


Approaching the Flatiron Building (1902):


It's the second version of this type of building, the first being in the south somewhere:


The base of the Flatiron at the crossroads of Broadway and 5th:


A Presbyterian church in Greenwich Village:


Greenwich Village - Part of the Washington Square Mews, a very English holdover from the days when grand mansions had stables and cobbled streets behind:

(I would rather live in a cute mews house than in the cavernous mansion in front)

Washington Square Arch (1889) commemorated the centennial of George Washington's inauguration as first President of the United States:


Most of the historic buildings around Washington Square Park are used by NYU but local residents have managed to keep the park for public use:


Greenwich Village - walking away from Washington Square:


Resting on the subway down to Chambers Street/World Trade Center:


A reflecting pool inside the World Financial Center where Chris works. Droplets of water fall periodically from the wires breaking the mirror surface of the water:


It is a very quiet memorial to 9/11:


The Winter Gardens inside the WFC, surrounded by nice shops and cafes to serve the public and the office workers inside:


V and V eat a salad in the Winter Gardens:


Now hurrying out of the WFC, we have a ferry to catch!


Walking walking, we pass this interesting little feature in Battery Park:


What is that wierd sci-fi looking building behind this jetty?


I messed up Vanessa's serious shot:


It is the Children's Holocaust Museum on very serene waterfront:


Surrounded by hibiscus bushes:


I love this, totally sci-fi, don't know what it is:


We are on the ferry:


Being chased by a very tiny plane ;) Can you spot it?


A patriotic image:


Lady Liberty:


She's getting smaller:


Pierre, Vanessa and moi:


Me, Pierre, Vanessa, Liberty, Vera, and Chris:


About ten miles south you see the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, where I live!


A big Norwegian Cruises ship crossed our path:


Ellis Island, the gateway for many immigrants of previous centuries:


One of two exhausts, opened 1950, for the Holland Tunnel; it renews the air every 60 seconds:


One of Olafur Eliasson's NYC waterfalls:


Manhattan Bridge, and look! can you spot the tiny Empire State Building on the left?


Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges:


Another waterfall off Governor's Island:


A sailboat off Governor's Island (high zoom):


What's taller, the building or the boat nose up?


Back to being landlubbers - NYC Mounted Policeman in Battery Park:


The New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street:


And across the street, Federal Hall where George Washington was sworn in as the first president of the United States:


A sculpture in a plaza in the financial district:


A dizzy upshot:


While waiting for food to be served, Vera and I walked to the waterfront at the end of the street to see the sunset from the Irish Hunger Memorial:


Under the Irish Hunger Memorial:


The garden of the Irish Hunger Memorial:


After dinner at Chevy's Mexican Restaurant (pretty good):


Equipment at Ground Zero:


The mosaic theme at this subway was EYES of every description:


Back to Times Square:


Where McD's and even subway signs sparkle:


And even the US Armed Forces recruiting station!


Aaaannnnnnd it's a wrap...