Sunday 18 May 2008

NYC- Day 2



I'm staying with a family for my first couple of nights here - although it may turn out to be for a whole week (but that may be overstaying my welcome, we shall see!). It's actually the brother of my dad's friend and his wife and kid. (It's an old-country thing, you know someone somewhere connected to someone in the family, and you can probably count on them for a place to crash or an invite to dinner!)

So there's a kid, 10 or 11 I'm not sure, and he's really cute. I expected a yank 10 year old to be a total brat but he's really not- yay for beating my expectations. And yesterday we went to a kite festival- so much fun! I felt like a kid again. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and we flew a kite for a while, lost it several times, ate sushi, rode the subway lots, and wandered round Williamsburg. Williamsburg is a really artsy, hipster area of Brooklyn, v close to Manhattan. It's great for people watching. Lots of cool kids (in fedoras?) that look like they could rock out or have a deep conversation about Nietzsche or feminist art.

I love Central Park! It's great for people watching too (I'm thinking NY is generally- either that or I'm really nosy). There's a John Lennon memorial thingy, that was cool, there are athletic types cycling, running, boarding, skating, you name it they do it in sweatbands. Saw where John Lennon was shot. I'm totally gonna hang out there before/after classes. It's huge too.

This blog is meant to be a law blog (or rather, the blog of someone trying to get to be a lawyer) so I will be posting about the NY Bar stuff, learning about American law, maybe some comparative perspectives (but probably just moaning about how hard it is). I don't start classes until Thursday though, so until then my NY experience will prob be touristy family fun! I'm not taking pics yet, but when Boy arrives I will nab his camera and maybe I'll post things that I see.

Tomorrow I pick up my books for the course. I have been advised to bring a suitcase as there will be about 50 pounds of books! Except a pic of what looks like a stack of Archbolds!

8 comments:

Android said...

Kite festival? Sounds really cool! As well as the John Lennon memorial... Wow!!

P.s. Don't overstrain yourself, carrying all those books :)

Anonymous said...

All those books - sounds like the BVC only WORSE!!! ( If thats at all possible!)
Do you suppose you'll be bringing them all home with you?! (O my GOD, in tandem with all the other loverly shopping you will inevitably do, you will need a whole jumbo jet of your OWN! The excess baggage thing will be a NIGHTMARE -you will have to find and temporarily marry a Mr Big!!!)

Mel said...

This is the question, because I only find out if I have passed in November. And go home in August.
So...not sure if I will take them with me.

Also if I give them back to the provider I will get my $250 deposit back, but if I were to sell them on I might get $700 for them...so maybe worth paying excess luggage?!
I think it will depend on how much I shop...

Boy might take issue with my finding a Mr Big!

Anonymous said...

AHH but Big will only be a transient asset for general excess baggage fees brought about by surfeigt of shopping unless Boy is with you, or Boy is, in fact, Big! (I am unclear whether I should add the caveat " but not in the biblical sense" or not......)

Swiss Tony said...

LM, surely 'Boy' would be referred to as 'Man' if that were the case! Poor love.

Mel, I really am so jealous of your exploits.

Mel said...

Haha you cheeky pair.

Boy will be joining me shortly- so I have company for my NY adventure. Boy is referred to as Boy in opposition to me as Girl (walking into a Bar (exam)) not for any 'biblical' wants!

He is my Big, in the happily ever after sense but I personally think that Big in SATC was downright horrid, and Carrie would have been much better off with the other one, the nice one that wanted to marry her? Fool she was! So if I were to call him 'Big' it would be an insult in my mind!

Am I digging? He is quite useful for carrying things, mind.

Swiss - jealously is totally misplaced, especially from one with a sense of adventure and enterprise such as yourself (with your own business, and having decided to go into law as a mature student). Therein lies true courage.

Also- it's only a 7 hour flight to NY!!

Swiss Tony said...

Mel, courage and adventure I have had enough of. I left school and joined the army at 16, and 4 years later was in a warzone defending Queen and country! (And no, it wasn't the Boar War!) Actually, I am not too sure what I was defending, but afterwards dear old Maggie shook my hand, so it must have been important!

Whats stirring the jealousy in me is that you are doing something new, are not farting about trying to revise for exams next month, and will have something worth putting on your cv.

While I am wrestling with Equity and trusts, and trying to hit numerous work deadlines, you have a clean fresh notebook, crispy new textbooks, a new class to met, and exciting challenges ahead. No same old same old for you.

Good luck on Thursday, and keep us posted.

Mel said...

Blimey - aged 16? Hardcore. That will add a whole new dimension to your courtroom skills I'm sure- your opponents won't know what's hit them!

I do hope it will add to my cv, it sure as heck needs it! Assuming I pass...which means 10 weeks really solid work from now, urgh.

I am very excited re crisp textbooks and all!

You're going to be finished so soon though, then you will have the GDL horror off your back! I have a friend that did it whilst working too, and I honestly don't know how. I could have done the NY Bar from London whilst working but I just knew I didn't have the drive to get home after a day in the office and learn about American property law... In an NYC setting it's just about tolerable!