NEW YORK

It is no surprise NYC is known as “The City that never sleeps.” As if all the bars and restaurants and clubs and theatres that surround the city’s avenues and streets were not enough, a wonderful life of music, magic, Saki bars and entertainment exists on a parallel, underground.

Having spent some time in this brilliant city here are some of my suggestions….

Apart from the obvious touristy attractions, here are my simply MUST DO’s:

** CYCLE down/up the Westside Highway  (You can hire a bike just off St Chritopher’s street)

** Go for at least one BRUNCH

** WALK along the “HIGH LINE” elevated park - www.thehighline.org

** Get to know the UNDERGROUND wonders

** Have a Rooftop drink

** MAGNOLIA CUPCAKE - 401 Bleecker Street 10014 - www.magnoliabakery.com

** Walk across Brooklyn Bridge

** Vintage stores in Williamsburg

** Catch a live music gig

** Madison Square Gds

So, to go alongside these tips here are some options:

.daytime.

Walk along the "high line" elevated park if its a nice day, you can even pop to magnolia on the way and then along the river Hudson for a cycle- all pleasures in a nutshell.

Visit the MOMA / Central Park / Lincon Centre (Romeo and Juliet is currently on)

.food & drinkies.

MEAT PACKING

Start your evening at Spice market, there is nothing like their ginger margeritas!

Perhaps a drink at the roof top of one of the following:

Gansevoort hotel or SOHO house

Pastis - www.pastisny.com - great option for both brunch or dinner

WEST VILLAGE

Extra Virgin: www.extravirginrestaurant.com  Cozy Italian in West Village, nice bar too.

Tartine: (253 W. 11th St., New York, NY 10014 ) French place, nice for brunch

LA ESQUINA: (Taqueria) MUST HAVE DINNER HERE! www.esquinanyc.com

CHELSEA

Tia Pol: Cozy lovely tapas place

Red Cat: In Chelsea with good American cuisine.

SOHO

Boqueria: www.boquerianyc.com - Lovely tapas and wine! Great place to pop in on rainy afternoons for a drink and catch up

EAST VILLAGE

Decibal Saki bar - www.sakebardecibel.com - 240E, 9^th Street – Btw 2^nd/3^rd street - order wasabi dumplings and try many of the sakis available on the menu!

LOWER EAST

Stanton Social: www.thestantonsocial.com Great restaurant and bar scene

Schiller’s Liquor Bar: www.schillersny.com American brasserie. Good food, great cocktails, fun/hip vibe, cool people. Crowded and noisy.

Inoteca: (Rivington & Stanton) www.inotecanyc.com Great wine list, yummy Italian small plates. No reservations and usually a long wait, but it’s worth it and you can drink wine while you’re waiting. Small and crowded, but in summer they open the doors out to the sidewalk. 

TRIBECA

Next Door Nobu: Cheaper than Nobu – don’t take reservations, great deal, good scene

BROOKLYN/ Williamsburg 

Le Barricou – www.lebarricouny.com Brunch around 1pm

Go for a little stroll round Bedford street

Alterantive place for live music www.unionpool.blogspot.com

Clubs:

One oak night club / BOOM BOOM (at the Standard Hotel)/ THE BOX

Snapshots in motion of my time out in NYC

Happy Thanksgiving :)

 Happy Thanksgiving

Departed NYC, Destination San Diego

With Mer asleep by my side

Thanksgiving up in the sky

Currently flying over Illinois

i ponder on words of Tolstoy

"If you want to be happy, be."

The world, so modern

At a 9150m altitude high

reflecting on all i am thankful for

good health, family, friends

love, happiness, travels

and of course, free wifi.

Forgive and Forget

Smile and spread the love for a better living

in this moment i remind you

You are unique my friend

Happy Thanksgiving!

xxx tash


Altitude 9150m, Ground speed 683km/h. Time at destination 7:23am. Est time of arrival 12:36. Currently flying over Illinois. outside air temp -39C. Seat numbers 26C, 26B. Free pretzels. Free wifii. Dept. NYC Destination San Diego.

The Fall.

As autumn falls upon us

Green shades slowly fade to yellow orange reds

Corridors of a freezing wind blow

Bright lights, skyscrapers

With the Christmas spirit awakening glow

Trees stand naked shivering in the crispy cold

While we find comfort under man-made coats

Wildlife seek for shelter

Excavating burrow nests and holes

In central park they meet on their bikes

Never beaten by the oscillating weather

Indulging on life's simple delights

With each other,

Simply chuffed to be living this city together.

(Reflections after a central park cycle with Mer and Jess)

A warm welcome to the Big Apple

"A mind that is stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions." - - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Two weeks in, and I can only say that this city and friends living here, have greeted me with huge open arms. Hopping off that plane I was hit by a mini heatwave and the smell of fish in the air. It reminded me of the feeling I get everytime I land in Rio.

JFK 22.09.2010

With a huge smile on my face, I enjoyed every bit of the journey to my new home in east village, thrilled to know that I would soon be living with my best buddy and childhood friend Mer.  The view as you cross Manhattan bridge is overwhelming. Everytime. I wonder if New Yorkers ever get bored of it.  Huge hugs from Mer, it took me no longer than 15 minutes to feel like I had been living here for months. In no time we got through a bottle of wine and spent a good few hours catching up on our lives while indulging on sushi. Han later popped in  and  flopped on my bed it was like we'd never been apart. Its amazing how with good friends distance does not separate.
Thursday started with an early rise and a long walk from home down to the Financial District where the Global Potental office is currently located. I ventured through the little backstreets, through neighbourhoods like Little Italy and soaked every bit of this city. At the GP office I met up with some of the other staff and was introduced to the GP program.
http://wings-unclipped.blogspot.com/2010/10/global-potential-program.html

The GP program is brilliant. Having met some of the students that have returned from their trip abroad it is overwhelming to see the impact GP has had in their lives- students take on challenges and turn them into opportunities. The idea of replicating this program in both the UK and Brasil is seriously exciting but overwhelming all the same.

Getting a bike was possibly the best decision I've made since I moved here. There is no greater way to explore a city than to cycle around it -Westside highway, Governors island, Brooklyn, Bronx... Mer and I visited Connecticut and Philadelphia - fun times! NY has so much live music, so many festivals, art, people here are so friendly... the weather has been a spectacular 30C!

NYC Bike CLUB 2010

Farewell London. For now.

9-5 9-5 9-5
Pictet view

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly.”

How perfectly apt this quote fits into my present days. As I approach the final pages of this 9-5 city chapter in my life, millions of thoughts are sparked. I look back at the past 3 years and notice the little dots have finally come full circle- what a satisfying feeling this is. All the challenges and obstacles that I confronted have been the trigger of what got me here. Regaining my independent life, emerged with a new job, new faces, a fresh horizon and discovering what are my qualities and weaknesses. 3 years understanding that stability doesn’t have to be boring but nothing needs to last for too long. Accepting that we can’t always have what we want immediately, but we should never let go of dreaming, moving towards reaching ours goals. Even if it takes time, with determination we can all get there. Slowly learning to differ the disparity between what feeds the ego, to that which makes the soul sing. It hasn’t been so straightforward along the way but for each stumbling block, a new achievement was shaped. As I see it, life is composed of 2 parts: cause and effect, with time (space) being the vital component separating the two. Would the outcome taste as sweet should time be eliminated?

Last Thursday my friends and fam threw me a surprise leaving party. Best. Surprise. Ever! I have to admit I had no idea whatsoever. The shock on arrival, seeing them all staring at me was greater than I could have ever imagined. There was no time to digest the feelings. It’s a strange emotion to be surrounded by so many loved ones when your mind isn’t expecting it. One feeling overlaps the other; shock, then a slight panic, only to be greeted by complete contentment and fulfilment. All these people are here for me? Really? I felt so special. Thankyou friends, family and universe.

An evening amongst my most loved, reinforcing my next reality- letting go of my comfortable life to search for something that feels real to me. With the little savings that I have accumulated, huge excitment and new dreams ahead, just as the butterfly is formed, I too regain my ability to fly…

Farewell London. For now.

 
To my friends;
 
Blind folded she stumbles down the stairs
Only to find the greatest surprise
Stunned.
An ocean of friends smiling back at her

With tears trickling down her eyes
Hugs and hellos,
Ducking goodbyes.

Speeches and poems
Birthday cake for a farewell
What the cucumber was for,
She could not tell.

Each one so special in your own way
Thankyou friends
In Supertramps words
Happiness is only real when shared