Our last day was a pretty simple on. We packed this morning and then headed out to revisit Chinatown for lunch. We had to be back the apartment early in the afternoon to meet the owner lady and we headed for the airport soon after. I got carsick in the cab on the way to the airport and airsick in the plane on the way home. No barfing, but it wasn't pleasant.
That's in contrast to the rest of the trip. It really was a great time. I'd go back in a minute.
Here are a couple of random things I noted while I was there. I'm sure there's plenty more randomness that I could write about, but this is all I had collected by the time I got back. Ta-da.
Some Random Observations
Everyone is on a cell phone here. I've read in the Times about how people complain about all the cell phone usage in the city, but it's far more ubiquitous than I ever imagined. We enjoyed a coffee break in a Dean & Delcua while the lady next to us talked on her cell phone for 30+ minutes, describing the intricacies of a group therapy session she had just finished. Is that healthy? Is it better or worse for you than the vanilla crumb cake I inhaled with my decaf?
Street food is great. We don't get enough of it in Minneapolis. What little we do get is overpriced, too. In NYC, you can get a kick ass hot dog for $1. You can get a bag of freshly made roasted peanuts for $1. You can you get a giant bowl of cooked in front of you stir-fry for - get this - $1. Me likey.
People aren't nearly as rude as they could be. I honestly don't think I've met any jerks. I've been more than surprised by the good attitudes people have had along the way, too. From the security guards at B&N, to the people in camera stores that were obviously not going to buy anything from, to the overworked counter dudes in the pizza joints, everybody has a sense of humor. What is up with that?
I think I've seen all of 2 open parking spaces on the whole trip. I have no idea how people find a place to park. The streets are solid cars. Literally. People leave like 2 inches between cars when they parallel park. I don't see how you could even get out of a spot like that. I bet they never leave their spot. Why would you? There's nowhere else to park.