Depart USA

Sorry I haven’t updated the blog for a week, there is so little time to sit down and type things on the computer when there is so much to see and do. So I am going to try and catch up over the next couple of days and get everything up to date. We left New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on Thursday 29 April. Matt and I both enjoyed our short stay in New York. It is an interesting and bold city. I thought Australia was a multi-cultural society, but it doesn’t compare to the blend of cultures and sub-cultures that shape the character of cities like LA and NYC. Some rapid thoughts regarding LA and NYC -- Burgers and fast food, Americans have an obsession with fast, cheap crappy food that is relished in the most horrid sauces, cheeses and toppings, and everything has to be made twice as large as it was originally intended, it seems that the notion of bigger is greater applies, pizzas the size of truck tyres (tire if you are from the US) coffees that are served in jugs!! It would seem that.....years ago, someone emigrated to the US, probably a European, and brought with them different types of espresso coffee...macchiato, affigatto, cappuccino etc, many different types of delicacies and fine food, which all originally intended to be an gastronomic experience.....then someone in the US decided they would take that delicate experience, add to it, convert it, synthesise it, upsize it and commercialise. Don’t misunderstand me, it is a great place and I would love to come back and explore the US more someday. One thing that is very apparent, the place appears jaded and weary, and I guess this is due to the fact that the US fights tenaciously to keep a grip on its perception of itself as the greatest country on earth. It seems like a country that was once built on pillars of stone, may now be precariously resting on pillars of sand, but I still wouldn't like to mess with her. The photo attached is of a sculpture of iron and bronze, which was standing in the plaza area of the twin towers of the world trade centre, it was removed from the rubble and now stands in a park on the Hudson River.