SHEILA and the City ;-)

Still Mon II


It's almost midnight here in Asd. I'm about to finally get a long shower and wash away the remains of NY - if any. I just had a few gulps of NY water. Can I warp my way back?

It's hardly 60F in my bedroom. It was a lovely day though, and got some sun at our Sunday Spot (hee hee Ilona!) and at Thijssen. Still not tired. Spooky!

Got an e-mail from ZeroBoy. I'm on his e-mail list, but still, a mssg from the city :-) And had a v. short chat with HostBoy Michael.

Alrighty. No longer denying nor postponing. Shower. Bed. Work. Pics will be ready on wednesday.

posted by Sheila Monday, September 29, 2003
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Still Mon


Very weird...


It's 10.45pm in the Country of the Dutch. My watch tells me it's 4.45pm. About 4 minutes ago I just took off my shoes. When I put them on, I was still in 99 John Street, Financial District, Manhattan. Is it really THIS morning that I arrived back in Asd? And was it only, plus, already yesterday that I walked down the street with Michael? It's gonna be quiet tonite without roomies Hiro and Michael and the supposedly white noise from the airco. The guys will be replaced by Borus Mighty Cat and the not so white noise by cars. Tomorrow I have to get back to work. I wish I didn't. Where's the officer to come drag me away from the office? I've already seen Richard Gere, and I pass.

posted by Sheila Monday, September 29, 2003
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Mon 29 03


Back in the US of Whatever


Yeah, here's Ms Wordy again ;-) It's 10.19am here in Dutchy Land, but for me it's 4.19am. Good morrrrrning!

The flight left with a delay of 1,5 hour, but I got back home before 9.30 if I remember correctly, so all and all the delay was not bad at all. Haven't slept on the plane, but I'm doing good (so far).

Borus hasn't left my side.

I'm so glad the sun is shining. I mean, yesterday it was 28C/83F... Or was that the day before? Anyway. Ilona, thanks SO MUCH for leaving me fruit, etc... You're Da Bext!
NYC Girl(s)

-> That song's been on my mind those 10 days and I simply could NOT remember who's it from. Is dat Engels? Ha! "That's alright."

posted by Sheila Monday, September 29, 2003
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Thurs 25


It's been midnite though...


So technically, it's friday (0.30hrs). Anyway...

Went to Coney Island yesterday. Took about 3 trains (subway) before we got there. On the way back we simply took the W to Canal Street and walked from there. Coney Island was pretty much deserted, except for elderly people. We walked up to another beach east from C. Island I guess you could say. There were like 3 restaurants there, I think you might call it Little Odessa II. We sat down although I already felt uncomfortable - the place looked quite chique. And yeah, when we saw the menu, we took a run for it.

M. said we lost track of time, he was sorry, etc. etc. I would've said - sorry, budget blabla, but according to M that would be a typical Dutch or European thing to do (to speak your mind). Well, that might be true, and it might very well not be, but who's to tell? (Well you can, hit the comment button!) Anyway, I reminded him of his grain bar, so on the way back (a boardwalk along the beach) (I would've preferred to walk barefoot on the beach, but you can't have it all) to CI he ate that.

We went to Nathan's, a supposedly famous bar (Bambi already told me). There's a big one, right across the street from the subway, but also a small one pretty much on the beach. That's the one we went to for old fashioned lemonade (that's how they called it) and a double beef burger for M, for me a hot dog (of course) with chili topping (STRANGE combination) and cheesy fries.

Please remind me to never ever eat that again. Actually, I think I don't even need reminding. The cheese looked like cheddar but might as well have been fluent plastic. It came out of a bottle like thingy, the same one they use for curry and mayonaise. Hmmm... It did not have any taste whatsoever, and the fries were limp. Brrr... But the burger looked yummy (emphasis on LOOK coz I didn't eat it), and the hotdog was okay, too.

After eating our fast food and getting annoyed by the w#nkers feeding the seabirds (now what good did that ever do for anyone or any bird??), we walked down the pier, finished our soft drinks, sat down half way the pier and listened to Spanish music, enjoying the sun and the wind. Everything else was closed you see. The big wheels, everything, the whole amusement park was pretty much deserted. Desolate, were it not such beautiful weather (Indian Summer...).

On our way back, I noticed it had gotten way busier, and walking towards the subway, we passed loads of highschool kids heading for the beach or whatever purpose they had for going to CI. Maybe the sluts (machines!) at the Archade. Or the vid games. Anyway....


We got a sandwhich at Jubilee (Joy and Jubilee... Er, nope), the store on the 1st floor of M's apt-building. Ate half of mine, then took the elevator downstairs to go and get a cappuccino. When I got back, M was ready to leave for a meeting at NYU, so he left the moment I got in.

I don't like not having keys to the place (I could've left but not get back in), but I put on a cd of Billie Holiday, read and wrote some e-mails and a Dutch magazine I had brought to read on the plane (which I didn't). Plus the cappu, it made it quite perfect.

Hiro came home before M, so I got to talk a bit to him. He's a real nice guy. We talked about Japan, NL, and of course, football (aka soccer). He showed me some Japanese mags, I showed him WITCH on the internet, the mag I'm working for. That was good. So what else?

We planned on walking the Brooklyn Bridge this morning, but somehow we didn't even wake up until 10.30. Quite funny, coz we decided to stay in last nite to crash, in order to get up early today. Hm. Didn't work out the way we thought. Went to Washington Square Diner to have a late breakfast, got there 12.20. I had pancakes with blueberry filling, the pancakes at Andrews across the street (John Str) are better, but the combination of the filling and the syrup... YUM! Coffee and also tomato juice. I don't know what triggers me into having tomato juice all the time (well, with my breakfasts), normally (..) I only drink those on a plane. Whatever. After a quick drop off near the fountain (a girl on a bike brought M a cd for his rev who's also his boss), we walked on towards Broadway. He went to NYU, I went towards 14th Street.

I passed Forbidden Planet on the way. I was quite early so I hopped in, but unfortunately they still didn't have trade 4 of SiP (=Strangers in Paradise by Terry Moore). Then on to Virgin Megastore, where I got a cd for about 11 dollars (Beth Orton). While I was standing in line to pay for it, they played this song which I've heard so often on Kink, it was weird to hear it hear. That would be HERE, not hear. The one song in which the singer sings off tune. According to the girl it was the Chem Brothers with Flaming Lips. That could be true, I'm so not good in names.

Got out of the Store, and heard someone holler my name. Bambi! Stood there with a beater (a beaten up bike). So funny to meet up with her again, here in NY! Very good to see her again. Quite STUPID I forgot to bring her the 2 Dutch mags, aaagh! One I already tore up and threw away, I'll try and get the glossy one to her, but you know, she's worked for Nieuwe Revu, so it would've been nice if I had been a bit more considerate... Very, very sorry about that, Bambi!

Alright, I'm gonna wrap it up. It's been one am, my neck's all twisted from the weird angle and this is probably all a bunch of crap to you guys anyway. Well, this whole blog thingy is, haha! Oh well. Gonna brush my teeth. Maybe read a little. Tomorrow's friday. Time flies...

Oh, and I did not bump into Mr. Big anymore, although I once again found myself sitting opposite of the Telephone Bar, only 2 blocks away from his apt. How did the story end with Carry and Big? Last thing I heard, he moved out of NYC. But then again, the new series have started in NL, I've taped the 1st episode, but I've missed the 2nd, which will be aired again sunday, but... unless Ilona reads this, I guess there's no one to tape it for me, right? (Subtle am I not??).

Off you go, kept you long enough now. Enjoy work, or your evening, or... Cya!

posted by Sheila Friday, September 26, 2003
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Tue 23


Yihaa!


Hi there, almost midnight. The weather in the city (aka Manhattan) is lovely. I've been walking around in a T-shirt every day, even when walking home in the evening (the latest I walked home alone was around 11pm, so I'm quite careful... I guess).

We've been to real nice place called er... hm... Vesulka according to Michael, who's just feeding me Newman's own, or something, chocolate peanutbutter cups, hmmmmmmmmmmm deeeeelicious! He's the sweetest guy, btw, have I already mentioned that? I feel real comfortable at his place.

His room mate Hiro is very nice too, he's from Japan, so it's not always easy to have a convo with him, but the funny thing is, he knows a lot about the NL, talking about Van Nistelrooij etc. I'm sorry that I have a hard time recognizing the names the way he pronounces them, makes me feel like I'm giving him a hard time, but when he tried to talk about Kluivert, it really took me ages to get the name. Aagh! Three of us in the room, but we're not crushing each other's skulls yet :-)

I've been on a shopping spree - is that how you'd say it? - and bought the final episode of Otherland (by Tadd Williams) even though I'm not even half way thru episode 2. But the price compared to the one in Dutchy land... I could not resist! Also bought a trade of Lucifer, a comic based on a character of Gaiman, but written by another guy. Also Black Rose or something, hmm, should get my ass out of this chair and look it up. Oh well. Okay I will. Black Orchid. Not only by Gaiman, also by McKean (never heard of the guy). Lucifer is by Mike Carey.

Very much looking forward to reading these comics. Wanted to buy the trades of SiP, but I can't find no. 4, which is the one I need! Well need, want, would like, you get the drift.

Also had to buy a messenger bag on Broadway to carry this heavy load around, you'll surely understand ;-)

Been to Starbucks, could no longer resist, man, it is E.X.P. ENSIVE! But very yummy I must admit. Oh well. A grande Caramel Macchiato is tasty. And hadn't had one since Berlin. What else? Oh yeah, I've been to Angelika, an arty film place, to see "The secret lives of dentists". I really liked it, and I don't know what Altman did in the credits list, but somehow it makes sense! Wonder if it'll make it to the screens outside the US of A, or whether you'd have to pick it up from your nearest video outlet, but I'd give it a try. I'm not gonna look up the link on imdb, so you'd better surf your mousy thingy there yourself in case you're interested :-)

Tomorrow M and I are going to Coney Island, he's not been there yet, so that's cool. Thursday I'll meet up with Bambi, talked to her on the phone today and it was fun, so am very much looking forward to catching up with her. We'll meet at the south end of Union Square, 14th Street, just in case you were wondering :-p

Man, I'm very enthousiastic with the emoticons today!

Okay, have to read to Michael what I am now - a hazel. I've received it several times before by e-mail, but I still find it intriguing. Er.. that looks weird. Well, you know what I mean, right? Yeah... Good on ya, mate! Big kiss from the apple, catcha later!

posted by Sheila Wednesday, September 24, 2003
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Tuesday 23


What am I gonna do?


Hey, 99 John Street back online! (Like calling Grieco or - so much better- mr. Depp.) My host is having a shower so I find some time to post yet another NY-message. Got to meet Mr. Big yesterday (thx for the nick Marielle ;-), which was good. I will not bother you guys with all the details ;-) but I'm glad we met up. Mr. Big... Hm... He's still Mr. Big. Let's keep it at that! Alright, one more remark: it was a good thing to have another 'goodbye', one that is not a farewell though. Does that make sense? Whatever. Got to talk about what we want out of life, work being the most important issue. Brought me back to what I've been thinking about the last weeks. What do I want to do now I've got my M. Sc.???

Got to do quite some walking yesterday. Walked via Ground Zero (could still smell the fire, is that even remotely possible??) down Broadway to Battery Park. There's a memorial there, a sculpture that was at the WTC-site at first, got damaged during the attack. There were some pics there, loads of flowers. Weird, weird, weird to see GZ by the way...

I walked to the most southern point of Battery Park and got to see Her Majesty the Statue of Liberty. Walked my way back up Broadway, took a left turn at Wall Street and spent some time sitting on the stairs facing NY Stock Exchange. Time to get things written down in my diary. Finished Wall Street, back to South Street Seaport. With a view over the Brooklyn Bridge, I wrote some more in my diary. Got some pics of the view. Hope they turned out A okay. After that M. and I walked all the way up Lafayette to 9th Street. He went left for NYU, I went to the right towards 2nd Ave, for my Mr. Big meeting, at a place called Telephone, between 9th and 10th Street. Got to see his appt at 2nd Ave, which is huge, then for a walk thru East Village, another Guinness at a bar called.... er... can't recall. Dinner at a Cuban place, the place was real cool, but the food sucked big time. (Hey!) As Michael would say: "That's okay."

Gonna give Bambi a call now, my Amsterdam friend living in NYC. Probably gonna meet up for coffee later this week! Will She Finally Get Her Starbucks Coffee?? Next, on Blogspot News...

posted by Sheila Tuesday, September 23, 2003
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